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bower-quinn · 13 days ago

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Grease and Glances

You're Steve Harrington’s little sister—and secretly crushing on Eddie Munson for weeks. But a broken bike brings you closer. Closer than you ever imagined. From strangers to friends to lovers. fluffy, description of sex, 18+, smut Watch out! There are severeal chapters.

<- Chapter One <- Chapter Two <- Chapter Three <- Chapter Four <- Chapter Five

Chapter Six

It’s snowing in Hawkins. Thick, slow flakes settle like cotton on the bare branches, and the ground is covered in a frosty stillness that feels almost magical.

By now, the gossip about the two of you has died down. Once it wasn’t new or exciting anymore, people lost interest. But not you. For you, the relationship is anything but boring. You still drive Eddie to school, still visit the bridge, the pond, and the forest. Only now your conversations are interrupted by kisses and hands that wander under clothing.

Eddie confides in you that he often feels very lonely. Especially when everyone stares at him for being loud and drawing attention. And you tell him you feel the same. Especially when you’re sitting alone in your big house.

Eddie takes your hand, squeezes it gently, and kisses your forehead. He promises to always be your best friend. And that his friends are your friends, too. And you promise him that you’ll always be his best friend. Neither of you ever has to be alone again.

That evening, the trailer is quiet. Wayne’s not home — some night shift, some job Eddie just shrugs about. The silence isn’t awkward. It feels expectant. Like a promise.

You’re curled up together on the couch. A movie is playing, but neither of you is really watching. Your head rests on his shoulder, your fingers trailing unconsciously over his shirt. His hand rests on your back. Warm. Tender. But there’s something more.

Your heart starts to race as you turn to face him and look into his eyes. There it is — that glow you see every time he looks at you, like you’re the most beautiful secret in the world.

Then you kiss him. First gently. Then deeper.

The tension between you builds faster than either of you can control. Weeks of looks, touches, and longing thoughts explode in this moment. You straddle his lap, feeling his hands grip your hips — firm and trembling at once.

He moans your name against your lips as your body slowly moves over his. You’re both still fully clothed, but it doesn’t take away from the intimacy. On the contrary — every breath, every press, every movement pulls you deeper, makes you forget there’s still fabric between you.

Eddie’s head tips back against the couch, eyes closed, mouth open. You’ve never seen anything more beautiful. His expression, the tremble in his fingers, the gasping moan — it all burns itself into your heart.

As his body tenses beneath you, his hands gripping your hips like a reflex, you feel the world pause for just a second.

Then it’s over. And for a moment, neither of you says a word. You rest your forehead against his, both of you breathing hard, unsteadily. Then he starts to laugh. You laugh too.

“I… uh… I gotta go to the bathroom real quick,” he murmurs, grinning, red-faced. He stands, tugs at his shirt, and hurries off to the bathroom. You lean back, smiling to yourself.

Not awkward. Not weird. You’ve both waited far too long for this to feel anything but right.

While the snow falls, time passes, and Christmas draws near. From Eddie, you know that he and Wayne always celebrate alone. Something about the image of Eddie and his uncle sitting at that little table in an undecorated trailer with a tiny roast breaks your heart.

So you make a secret plan. But to pull it off, you’ll need your brother.

You find Steve in the kitchen — as usual — half inside the fridge, searching for something unhealthy. He mutters something about the lack of “decent snacks” in this house as you quietly sneak up behind him.

“Steve?”

He doesn’t even flinch — years of your sneak attacks have hardened him.

“If you’re about to ask me for something, don’t start with that tone,” he says, pulling his head out of the fridge and shutting the door. “What’s up?”

You shift from foot to foot, then hold a bag of his favorite chips under his nose. You might be a bit naive, but you’re definitely not stupid.

“I smell bribery,” he says, but takes the bag immediately.

“I had… an idea. For Christmas,” you say in your most innocent voice.

He raises an eyebrow. “I thought all you ever wanted was books and chocolate?”

“That’s still true… but I thought maybe we could invite Eddie and his uncle.”

Silence. Steve blinks. “Invite them? Here? For Christmas dinner?”

You nod eagerly. “Yes. I mean… they don’t have anyone. And they deserve a nice Christmas. And… Christmas is supposed to be, like… kind.”

“A kind Christmas. Here,” Steve repeats dryly.

You groan. “Come on. Please. You like him too.”

Steve frowns, but you see the hesitation — not a flat-out no.

“He’s got style, I’ll give him that. And he treats you like a princess. As if you’re not spoiled enough already.”

You swat his arm. “That’s mean.”

“That’s the truth.”

Then he sighs and leans against the counter. “Okay. If you want him to come… I’m in. But you know how Mom and Dad are. They barely accepted your black nail polish.”

“That’s why I need you. If their golden boy wants something, they can’t say no.”

He grins and rips open the chip bag. “Gonna be my best performance yet. Promise.”

That evening, you sit together in the living room. Your parents are already in the Christmas spirit — your dad sipping wine, your mom blasting Christmas music far too early and far too loud. Last Christmas is ringing in your ears, and no one notices how restless you are on the couch.

As the song changes, Steve gives you a discreet nod.

“Mom, Dad,” you begin, “we had a little idea for Christmas dinner.”

“‘We’?” your mom asks suspiciously, glancing between you and Steve.

“Completely harmless,” Steve says with his best charm-smile — the one he uses when he’s done something dumb, or now, when he wants something.

“We’d like to invite Eddie Munson. And his uncle Wayne.”

“Munson?” your dad asks, barely shaking his head.

“Aren’t they the ones in the trailer park?” your mom adds, face twisting slightly.

“Yes, that’s them!” you blurt.

“He’s a really good guy,” Steve adds quickly. “Seriously. He’s been through a lot, but he takes care of his people. He helps his uncle, he plays in a band, works hard, and — most importantly — he means a lot to your daughter. And to me.”

He doesn’t even look at you as he says it — only at your parents.

“That’s true,” you murmur.

Your mother looks at you, surprised. Your father tilts his head.

“He’s really nice,” Steve continues. “Not a loser. He’s smart, loyal, totally charming in this scatterbrained kind of way — and they love each other. Even if they haven’t said it yet.”

You glare at Steve — he’s supposed to help, not throw you to the wolves. But Steve seems to know what he’s doing. Instead of looking horrified or angry, your parents just look mildly surprised.

They exchange a glance. Then your mom smiles gently. “So… you’re saying he’s your boyfriend?”

“Yes,” you say calmly. “And I want you to meet him. And Wayne, too. They’re… a family. Just the two of them.”

Your dad sighs deeply, but then nods. “All right. If he’s that important to you.”

“He is,” you say without hesitation.

Your mother suddenly beams. “Oh, our first Christmas with your boyfriend! I’ll have to make the good roast. And set two extra places. And… do you think he likes cinnamon stars?”

“He’ll love everything you make, Mom,” you say quickly — and she beams.

You glance at Steve again. He winks. Mission accomplished.

But there’s one more mission to tackle — and this time, Steve can’t help you.

You find Eddie in his room, crouched next to his guitar amp, fingers dusty, a screwdriver in his mouth. When he sees you, he grins crookedly and pulls the tool out.

“Hey, princess. Christmas angel come to visit?”

“More like Christmas boss,” you say, leaning against the wall.

“Oh no,” he mutters. “What did I do?”

“Nothing. Yet. But you’re going to.”

Eddie puts the screwdriver down and squints. “Okay, now I’m scared.”

You take a few steps toward him. “You and Wayne. You’re coming to our place for Christmas.”

“…What?”

“For dinner. On the 24th. My parents are already excited.”

“Wait. What?!” Eddie jumps up, nearly hitting his head on the shelf, looking at you like you just told him he’d be working as a stripper. A Santa stripper.

“You… invited us?”

“No,” you say calmly. “I signed you up. ‘Invited’ makes it sound like you had a choice.”

Eddie runs a hand through his hair, pacing. “Oh God. No. I can’t. I can’t do this! I don’t have a good shirt. Wayne has one, but it has a burn hole. What if I say something dumb? Or break something? Or your dad looks at me and knows I once stole a fire extinguisher for fun?”

You try not to laugh.

“Eddie.”

“No, seriously! I’ll embarrass myself. I’ll say something about Satan or Metallica, and your mom will faint. And what if they hate me? Or worse — what if they look at you and think: What the hell does she want with him? Heaven, darling," he says, rolling up his sleeve, "I have tattoos! What do you think they'll say about that?" You look at the little bats and wonder how he could seriously think that would change anything.

“Eddie.”

“I mean, I don’t even have a stupid Christmas sweater. And Wayne… he’ll probably have a panic attack when I tell him. This is… this is…”

You step closer, cup his cheek — and kiss him.

It’s a slow, quiet kiss. No fireworks. No drama. Just: Stop. You’re safe.

His shoulders relax under your hands, his arms slip gently around your waist. When you pull back, he’s just inches away. His eyes are soft. Quiet. You run your fingers gently along his neck.

“It’s going to be amazing,” you whisper. “Promise.”

He closes his eyes for a second, then exhales deeply. “If you say so… I believe you.”

Later, after you’ve gone, Eddie is alone in the trailer again. Wayne walks in, brushing snow off his shoulders.

“Hey, kid. Was that your lady heading out just now?”

Eddie nods, nervously chewing his lip.

“She… uh… invited us to Christmas dinner. At her parents’ place.”

Wayne freezes mid-motion. Then his eyes light up.

“Well damn. ‘Bout time someone recognized what fine manners us old rednecks have.”

Eddie laughs, though his stomach still churns.

Wayne heads to the closet, opens the creaky door, and pulls out a hanger with an old, but clean, suit.

“Knew I shouldn’t throw this out. For emergencies and funerals.”

“So it’s more of a funeral suit?”

“Depends on how the dinner goes,” Wayne grins.

Eddie watches him inspect the suit, dust it off. Despite Wayne’s enthusiasm, a knot remains in his stomach.

What if they look at him and see he doesn’t belong? That he’s not from their world? What if they don’t think he’s good enough — for her?

But then he remembers the kiss. Her fingers at his neck. Her voice, steady and sure:

“It’s going to be amazing.”

And he thinks… Maybe. Maybe it really will be.

Chapter Seven ->

₊ ˚ ✩ ｡˚ ˚☽ @walleloveseve

@jeangeniex

@cheesesandwichsanto

@your-nightmaredoll

@foreveranexpatsposts

@fandom-princess-forevermore

#stranger things #eddie munson #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x reader

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megalony · 1 year ago

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A Special Guest

This is an Eddie Diaz imagine with lots of fluff, requested by the lovely @klovesreading. I hope you will all like it, feedback always makes my day, let me know what you think.

Taglist: @lunaticspoem@sj-thefanthefan@hellsdragon@im-an-adult-ish@crazylittlethingg@allauraleigh@onceuponadetectivedemigod@ceres27@avyannadawn@sleepylunarwolf@coverupps@justagirlthatlovedtoread @musicistheway @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @luula @missdreamofendless @bradleybeachbabe @woderfulkawaii @amberpanda99 @daggersquadphantom @marvel-and-chicago-fan @angryknightstatesmantrash @minjix @lyjen @kmc1989 @itsmytimetoodream @noonenuts @hiireadstuff @ashie-babie @classyunknownlover @jayyeahthatsme @sp1ritssz @dumb-fawkin-bitch @oliverstarksbae @gimatida @heart-35 @supernaturalstilinski @stefansalvatoresgf @kyky9103 @wutheringhearts2275 @gay4hotmilfs @itshamleth

Eddie Diaz Masterlist

Summary: Eddie and (Y/n) bring their daughter down to the station so the team can meet her for the first time. And they see how Eddie will do anything for his girls.

Enjoy.

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"Shall I get her?" A smile wormed its way onto (Y/n)'s lips when she climbed out the truck and looked over at her husband. Her hand moved to hold her hip and her head tilted to the side when Eddie shook his head.

"No, I got her."

Nodding, she opened the back door for Chris and when he hopped down, she reached in and found the beige Winnie The Pooh bag with all her and Poppy's things in. She felt Chris take her hand as they rounded the other side of the car where Eddie was.

"Come're, little lady." Eddie undid the buckle and carefully slid his hands around Poppy to lift her out the carrier. He didn't see any point in taking her inside in the carrier when he knew exactly what was going to happen today. No one at the station was going to put her down, not even for a second. She would be passed around the team so they could all see her for the first time and once he'd had enough, Eddie would steal his daughter back.

Since the moment they brought her home, Eddie had barely put her down. He had been the same when he came back from the army and got to hold Chris. He wouldn't put his son down, not for anything, and it was the same now with his little girl.

He cooed as he leaned back and settled her on his chest, one hand on her bum and the other rubbing up and down her back. He loved the way her hand curled around his collar and her other hand nudged against her nose as her eyes started to look around.

"Let's go." Chris excitedly pulled on (Y/n)'s hand and led the way towards the station.

He was excited to see the team. He hadn't seen anyone but Evan since Poppy was born. This was the first time the rest of the team were going to see Poppy.

With Evan being (Y/n)'s big brother, he had insisted on seeing his new niece and his sister and making sure they were alright. And he had looked after Chris when (Y/n) went into labour so he had brought Chris down to the hospital to meet his sister. But no one else in the team had been round yet.

They understood that (Y/n) and Eddie wanted to keep their daughter to themselves for a little while. They wanted to spend time at home with her and Chris and get used to new dynamics. But now she was almost three weeks old, they thought they should bring her down to see the team before Eddie came back to work.

(Y/n) curled her free hand around Eddie's bicep and leaned her head on his shoulder, smiling down at their little girl curled up on his chest.

It was a sight (Y/n) didn't know she needed until Poppy was first placed in Eddie's arms. It was clear to see that she had Eddie wrapped around her finger. She cried if he put her down. She spent most of the night in Eddie's arms since every time she cried for a bottle or a cuddle, Eddie shot up to tend to her first.

"Uncle Buck!" Chris let go of (Y/n)'s hand and rushed forward when he saw Evan checking the stock in the ambulance.

It had been great for Chris to learn that when (Y/n) and Eddie got married, Evan actually became his uncle. He could call him uncle Buck and actually mean it this time without wishful thinking.

"Hey buddy, you okay?" Evan leaned down and scooped him up, spinning him around before he looked across and grinned when he noticed the rest of his family walking in.

"We brought Poppy."

"Guys, we have a special guest." Evan carefully set Chris back down to his feet and waited patiently for (Y/n) and Eddie to come over to them. "How's my niece?" Evan pushed up on his toes and leaned forward to try and get a better look at Poppy, but Eddie didn't exactly make it easy. He kept her snuggled down into his chest and made no attempt to turn her towards Evan or let him see her properly.

He took note of the small purple hat she was wearing and the red and white onesie she was wearing that looked a little too big for her yet.

"Wide awake and probably hungry," (Y/n)'s lips quirked into a grin as she looked over at her brother, then down to her daughter.

"Let me have her, then."

Eddie took a deep breath and looked down at his little girl before he looked over at his brother in law. He didn't want to hand her over. He wanted her to stay right where she was because right now, she was content on his chest and happily tucked away in his arms. Eddie loved the feel of her weighing down on his chest, as close to his heart as he could get her. He didn't like the panic he felt when someone else other than him or (Y/n) held her.

But when Evan held his hands out, Eddie relented and carefully eased her off his chest and into Evan's waiting arms.

He watched Evan tilt her back and lay her in the crook of his left arm, her little eyes wide with curiosity as she stared up at the new stranger holding her. And when Evan grinned down at her, his lips parted and he huffed when he read what was on her onesie.

Daddy's girl. Evan could well believe that.

He brushed his thumb against Poppy's nose and grinned down at her as he turned to make his way over to the stairs. The rest of the team were up in the annex and they would be thrilled to see who had turned up.

A smile pulled at (Y/n)'s lips when she looked up at Eddie as they started to follow Evan. He was trying to look over Evan's shoulder and keep an eye on Poppy. (Y/n) tightened her hands around Eddie's arm and pushed up into his side while he reached out and gently nudged Chris to walk in front of them up the stairs.

"Can I play a game?" Chris tilted his head back into Eddie's chest and pointed over to the games machine near the sofa.

"Sure."

"Look who's arrived." Evan wandered over to the table where Hen and Chimney were sat and Bobby was stood in the kitchen with a cup of coffee. All eyes darted over to him and grins beamed back at him when they realised what small bundle he had in his left arm.

Reaching the table, (Y/n) slumped her bag down onto one of the chairs and smiled when Hen reached out to rub her arm. Hen couldn't seem to decide where to look, she wanted to catch a glimpse of their newest arrival, but she also wanted to talk to (Y/n).

"How are you? You look great."

(Y/n) darted her eyes down her frame before she looked over at Hen, pursing her lips to morph her smile. She didn't feel like she looked great. Her stomach had gone down a lot but (Y/n) still felt like her frame was a weird shape. She felt better when she wore leggings as they hugged her waist and made her feel like her shape was a bit more… herself. And dresses only pinched her waist and made her hips stick out.

"I feel good, but I think I look-"

"Beautiful. As always." Eddie wrapped his arms around (Y/n)'s waist and perched his chin on her shoulder. He leaned over to kiss her cheek and pulled her back up against his chest.

Tilting her head to the side, she murmured a quiet 'Thank you' against his lips as she felt his hands roam around her stomach. She had been a bit worried when she got pregnant that she would feel uncomfortable with the way her body would look and change. Eddie made that impossible.

The way Eddie glued himself to her, kissed and praised her stomach and barely let go of her throughout the entire pregnancy made it impossible for (Y/n) to feel like she didn't love the way she looked. And now as her frame changed again, Eddie seemed to love it even more.

She looked across at her brother who leaned back against the table and waited patiently for Bobby to approach. He had become their surrogate father and he was as close to (Y/n) as he was to Evan.

"Go to grandad." Evan whispered before he settled Poppy over into Bobby's waiting arms.

"I told you. We're not getting her back anytime soon." Eddie tipped his head over towards the team before he attached his lips to (Y/n)'s neck. "Do you want a drink?"

(Y/n) nodded and pecked Eddie's cheek before she moved to sit down next to Hen at the table.

"She looks like a little doll, how big was she?" Hen looked across the end of the table when Bobby sat down. He lifted Poppy up in the air and cooed at her while Evan stood behind him and tickled her cheek and pulled a face to see if he could make her smile.

They all knew Evan was going to be their go-to babysitter. He was attached to Chris and he was already in love with his niece. Kids levitated to Evan, he knew how to get through to them and make them smile and the inner child in him always brightened up any atmosphere. And right now, he was desperate to be the first one to make Poppy grin and giggle.

"Six pounds one ounce, thank God." (Y/n) slouched back in her chair and leaned her head back. She had been more than relieved when Poppy was born that she was just like a tiny doll and she didn't weigh heavy.

From how big her stomach seemed to be and how she started showing very early on, (Y/n) panicked the baby would be large and make her first birth a hard, traumatic one. But labour had lasted eighteen hours which was great in (Y/n)'s eyes. She didn't have to last more than a full day or two days in labour and Poppy was perfectly healthy.

"Can I have a hold?" Hen held her hands out and grinned when the little girl was passed across the table to her like a package.

Her wide eyes scanned over Hen before she seemed to scan around the room and look around for something. Her little face scrunched up and her nose crinkled before a quiet whimper bubbled past her lips.

Hen switched to settle the newborn on her knees and bounce her up and down, leaning her back in her arm to see if it would settle her.

"Don't take offense, she needs a bottle."

Leaning forward, (Y/n) scanned through her bag and found the bottle she'd packed. She slung a small towel over her shoulder and got up from the table, moving round to the kitchen whilst Evan took her seat to be next to his niece.

She curved her arm around Eddie's waist and pressed up against him as she walked over towards the kettle that had just boiled. She kissed his shoulder and filled the bottle, leaning back as she shook the mix together. A grin spread across (Y/n)'s lips when Eddie turned around to face her, pinning his hands on the counter behind her on either side of her waist so she was caged in beneath him.

He tilted his head down into the crook of her neck and grazed his teeth against her skin while he pressed his body down on hers.

"Want me to do it?"

"No, I've got her this time." When Eddie lifted his head, (Y/n) stole a kiss and bit down on his bottom lip before she pushed him backwards so she could be released.

She could feel his hands lingering on her waist, making it harder to pull away from him as she headed back towards the table. Her daughter had been passed around again. Chimney was holding her this time but she was starting to wail. She was hungry.

"Alright, I've got your lunch little lady." Once her daughter was back in her arms, (Y/n) headed over towards the sofa.

She smiled softly when Chris turned around from the games machine he was playing on and looked across at her. It felt good to sit back down and (Y/n) let herself sink into the sofa with Poppy batting her hands against her chest as if demanding attention and the bottle she knew her mum had.

(Y/n) crossed her left leg across her right thigh and propped her knee up before she slowly laid Poppy down. She settled Poppy's head in the crook of her knee and rested her weight on her thigh, keeping her pinned in place between her legs so she didn't have to hold her.

The moment the bottle was at her lips, all cries ceased and Poppy curled her hands around (Y/n)'s fingers like she was making sure she didn't try and take the bottle away from her anytime soon.

"You okay?" (Y/n) watched Chris walk over and plonk down next to her on the sofa, nodding happily.

He leaned his head on her arm and reached his hand out, silently asking if he could hold the bottle instead. (Y/n) passed it over and let him hold it up for Poppy. Between Chris and Eddie, (Y/n) barely got chance to cuddle, feed or change her daughter since the boys tried to take all those jobs away from her and keep Poppy to themselves. But it felt good to have Chris want to be involved and see Eddie so attached to his little girl.

(Y/n) closed her eyes and leaned her cheek on top of Chris's head, feeling his curls tickle her cheek and her neck as she curved an arm around his shoulders.

But she tilted her head back with a smile when a familiar pair of hands reach down to hold her shoulders and a pair of lips smother her temple.

Eddie arched his back out and crossed one leg over the other as he leaned his elbows on the back of the sofa. He kept his lips pressed against (Y/n)'s forehead and rubbed his thumbs across her shoulders while his eyes focused on the two kids sat with her.

"Uncle Buck wants you, he said do you want to look in the ambulance this time?" Eddie moved a hand down onto Chris's shoulder and grinned when he nodded. Last time Chris came to the station he got to help Evan check inventory in the truck and go inside. This time he could have a look round the ambulance and see what they kept inside and where everything was stored.

Chris set the empty bottle down on the coffee table before he got up and rushed over to the table to find his uncle and Hen who was going to help show him round the ambulance.

"Can I steal her back now?" Eddie's voice tickled the shell of (Y/n)'s ear and they both knew he was going to reach down and take Poppy whether she agreed or not.

He swiped the cloth from her shoulder and tossed it over his own before he slid his hands down (Y/n)'s sides. He made a point of squeezing her waist and reaching to dig his fingers into her thighs until she shivered and squirmed in her seat.

He gave her thigh a light tap before he carefully eased Poppy up from (Y/n)'s lap and lifted her up.

"Hey baby," He kissed her cheek before he settled her down on his chest with her chin perched happily on his shoulder and his hand on her back. He rubbed circles across her back and gently swayed her up and down.

Eddie bit down on the corner of his lip when he watched (Y/n) slowly turn around and push up on her knees on the sofa. She leaned her head to the side and pressed her stomach into the back of the sofa so she was almost level with Eddie who stood just a little bit taller. He rose a brow as he looked down at her, silently questioning what she was doing.

But his lips curved into a smile when he felt (Y/n)'s hands reach out for his hips and curve around his back. When he felt her fingers slip into the back pockets of his jeans and squeeze, he chuckled and obliged as she used his jeans to pull him closer. His hips bumped into the back of the sofa and (Y/n) pressed up into him with her chin pressing into his upper chest so she could stare up at him.

"Do I get a kiss?"

Something about the way Eddie was able to keep Poppy held up against his shoulder with one arm made (Y/n)'s stomach flutter. She watched as he reached one hand down to cup her chin and bring her closer.

"You get as many as you like." He mumbled softly against her lips before he took the plunge and kissed her.

She could quite happily get used to this sight.

***

"Poppy did it again." Eddie mused as he opened the bathroom door and headed inside.

This was the second time in two days that Poppy had thrown up on him and he was starting to think that she thought this was some sort of new game they could play. She either threw up on Eddie, spat her milk back at him or needed to be changed within five minutes of being in his arms. She seemed to look at her dad and immediately think of playing games with him.

He nudged the bathroom door shut behind him but when he lifted his head and looked around the room, his eyes narrowed and his jaw loosened a little.

He knew (Y/n) had come in the bathroom a few minutes before him, but they always had an open door policy. If the door wasn't locked, they could walk in on each other if they needed something out the bathroom.

"Uh, mi amor, everything alright in here?" Eddie sucked in a deep breath as he did another sweep around the room.

It looked like Eddie had walked in on a murder in progress. There was a pile of bloodied clothes near the bath, a blood-covered towel in (Y/n)'s hands and when he looked her up and down, he could see streaks and smears of blood on her inner thighs and around her knees.

"Yeah, I- I'm okay." (Y/n) closed her eyes and tilted her head down, clamping her lips together as tightly to swallow down a groan when her stomach cramped.

Her arm bound around her waist and her other hand clenched around the towel she was holding onto.

"Baby you don't look okay."

A shiver rolled down her knee when she felt Eddie's hands on her thighs and when she dared to open her eyes, she saw him knelt down on the floor in front of her. He rolled his lips together and arched a brow, waiting for her to give in and tell him the truth.

Eddie wasn't stupid. He could see that (Y/n) didn't look very well and she looked in discomfort. Lying to him wasn't going to get her anywhere and they both knew it.

"I… I guess I got my period back." She muttered quietly while she watched Eddie nod and look around the room again.

(Y/n) wasn't sure when she was going to get her first period after having Poppy, there was no exact time scale, she just had to wait and see. It crept up on her this afternoon. By the time she realised what the familiar cramps were, she'd ruined her underwear and leggings and made quite the murder scene in the bathroom.

"Clearly," Eddie mused with a smile before he leaned back and carefully took off his shirt that Poppy had decided to stain for him. He tossed it on (Y/n)'s crumpled pile of clothes before he gave her knee a gentle squeeze.

"Just give… give me five minutes to clean up, I'm fine." She pressed her lips together and left the towel slumped across her knees. She would be fine once she'd cleaned up and got changed. She wasn't expecting Eddie to walk in on her like this.

"No mi amor it's okay, I've got this." When he stood up, Eddie leaned forward and kissed her temple. He felt her shiver before he bundled all the clothes together and he gently swiped the bloodied towel from her lap and handed her a clean one before he left to put everything in the wash.

(Y/n) lifted her head and looked back at the door when he walked back in a minute later. Her eyes followed him as he walked in with a pile of clothes that he placed down on the side of the bath. She wondered if he was going to grab a shower until he found a flannel and crouched down in front of her again.

"Alright, let's get you cleaned up."

"Baby I can do that-" She tried to take the flannel from him but the stern look in Eddie's eyes made her pause.

Her hand hovered over his and she took a sharp breath when he looked up at her and tilted his head to the side. She didn't want him thinking he had to help, if he gave her five minutes she would clean up and get changed, he didn't have to help.

"No, you're gonna let me look after you. That's not debatable."

(Y/n) rolled her lips together and nodded. She could see she wasn't going to get anywhere if she tried to argue with Eddie on this and she didn't want to get on his stern side.

Her hand moved to tangle in his hair and she smiled softly when he pressed a kiss against her knee and her inner thigh. She dropped the towel beside her and let Eddie help clean the smear lines from her thighs. Sparks shot up her wrists and through to her chest when Eddie cupped her wrist and dabbed the lukewarm flannel across her palms before he handed her the towel again.

"Does it hurt?" When (Y/n) gingerly nodded, Eddie moved to the bathroom cabinet and found some painkillers and filled a glass with water. "Take these."

(Y/n) did as instructed and looked over when Eddie grabbed the clothes from the side of the bath. He knelt back down and passed the clothes across to (Y/n), saving the grey cotton shirt for himself.

He'd gotten her some of his loungewear gear. Black shorts and a white cotton shirt for her to wear instead. It was the afternoon and they weren't going to be going out anywhere today so Eddie saw no point in getting dressed up when it was going to be a movie afternoon with the kids.

She felt better when she got dressed, but standing up made her head go dizzy and (Y/n) latched her arms around Eddie's middle and leaned her head into his chest. She felt his arms curve around her and he kissed the top of her head before he tilted her head back so she was looking up at him.

"Okay?"

"Hm, thank you."

"You don't have to thank me. I told you, I'm always gonna look after you." Eddie didn't want (Y/n) to thank him and he didn't ever want her to feel embarrassed or as if she couldn't ask him for help.

He kept his arm bound around her waist but when (Y/n) made no attempt to move or leave the bathroom, Eddie's smile softened. His hands raked their way down her waist to the back of her thighs and in one swift motion, he picked her up.

He loved the quiet gasp she let out into his chest and the deep breath she sucked in when he hooked her legs around his waist and sat her low on his hips. His hands stayed on her thighs to keep her in place and his lips attached to the side of her head when (Y/n) tucked her face into the crook of his neck.

Eddie made his way down the hall and wandered back into the living room where he'd been with Poppy for the last hour. He turned and carefully eased (Y/n) down onto the sofa, pecking her lips before he moved towards the carrier near the armchair. He gently eased Poppy up and took her back towards the sofa with him.

A grin lit up his face when he settled Poppy down on his chest and propped his feet up on the coffee table so he could slouch down. He let Poppy wriggle around on his chest and get comfy, tucking her face into his clean shirt with her arms snuggled up to her chest and her knees coiled up on his abdomen.

And when (Y/n) shuffled closer and buried her face into his shoulder, Eddie looped his arm around her shoulders to pull her closer so she was tucked up beneath his arm.

"Chris, you picked a movie yet?" Eddie tilted his head back and waited for a response. Chris had gone to his room over ten minutes ago to find a movie to watch. He had either struggled to find one or he had gotten distracted by something in his room.

When Chris came trotting into the room mumbling "Found one," Eddie pointed at the tv and Chris knelt down to put the dvd on.

He turned around when the dvd was in and looked at the sofa, quietly debating whereabouts he wanted to sit for a family movie. Before he seemed to settle on sitting on Eddie's other side so (Y/n) could lay out. Both he and Eddie could see that (Y/n) wasn't going to be awake to watch this movie for very long. She looked like she would be asleep within ten minutes.

With a smile, Chris climbed up onto the sofa and wedged himself between Eddie and the armrest, causing his dad to huff and budge up into (Y/n) so they both weren't squished together.

He felt Chris rest his head on his arm and when Chris reached across to rest his hand on Poppy's back, both parents grinned beaming smiles.

This was their family.

#eddie diaz x reader #911 imagine #imagine #evan buckley #eddie diaz imagine #eddie x reader #eddie diaz #bobby nash

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winniewritesstories · 5 months ago

Text

Shifter | The (Mis)Adventures iii

Summary - Meg's father picks her up from school. Or does he? Set between 1x16 (Shadow) and 1x20 (Dead Man's Blood).

Pairings/characters - Meg Winchester (OC), Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Bobby Singer (mentioned).

Dean Winchester x little sister, Sam Winchester x little sister, John Winchester x daughter

Warnings - some violence, swearing, John Winchester's A+ parenting

Language - English (British)

Word Count - 9,910 (I got a bit carried away...)

Notes - This is set between 1x16 and 1x20, with some canon divergence. Not proof read lmao

Credits - gif via @lower-the-volume

The Winchester's were settled - as settled as they ever were - in a small, nondescript town in the mid west, the same as hundreds of other towns they had stayed in or passed through over the years. Meg was even enrolled in elementary school.

After their father had finally turned up - and abruptly left again - Meg had felt uneasy, and the boys had too, though they wouldn't admit it, so they decided that sticking to one town for a while could be good for all of them.

Meg hadn't really been to school before. She was home-schooled, sort of, by her brothers and occasionally Uncle Bobby. They didn't follow a curriculum or do tests, but they spent a few hours each day going over all different subjects - numbers, reading, history, science - and Meg frequently had her head in a book. She hadn't expected to like school. While she most definitely did not like being separated from her brothers all day, she enjoyed the classroom and the playground, hanging out with kids her own age, using the multitude of crayons and pens and craft supplies, playing with footballs and bicycles.

What she had never imagined was that her father would pick her up from school. Mrs P. - that's what everyone called her - waved Meg over to the school gate where John Winchester stood waiting. Meg's eyes were wide as saucers when she saw him, half excitement, half trepidation.

"Daddy!" she cried nonetheless, throwing her small arms around him in a hug. He swung her off the ground and sat her on his hip, giving her hair an affectionate pat. "Bye Mrs P.!" Meg called as John walked towards the car. It was different from his truck, not as big or shiny. Maybe the truck was broken and Dean was fixing it. He was good like that. That must be why Dean wasn't here.

John opened the passenger side door and placed Meg on the seat. No car seat! "Dean says little kids have to have a car seat, Daddy," Meg said. John gave her a conspiratorial smile.

"I thought you were a big girl now?" he replied, switching on the ignition. Meg beamed.

"I am, Daddy. But Dean doesn't listen." she replied, fiddling with the various buttons. John pulled away from the school just as she found the radio.

________

Dean locked the Impala and meandered through a crowd of children and soccer moms to the school gate. Meg was usually waiting for him, stood patiently next to her teacher. She enjoyed school, but he had to admit it made him a little warm and fuzzy inside to know she missed him.

Today, however, Meg wasn't stood by the gate. Mrs P., the third grade teacher, was talking to a small group of moms, their children playing with each other nearby. Dean scanned the playground quickly, a small frown on his face, looking for two brown pigtails and dungarees. The playground was emptying now, children trailing out of the gate onto buses and into minivans, so it should've been easy to see her.

Dean caught Mrs P.'s eye, beckoning her over with a nod of his head.

"Hey, where's Meg?" he asked, cutting right to the point.

"Oh! Her father picked her up today." Mrs P. said with a smile. Dean's stomach dropped, twisting anxiously.

"What?" he asked, momentarily dumbfounded. "I mean... our father's out of state on business."

"Oh, well... he signed in at the front desk. Showed his ID and everything. John Winchester, Kansas, right?" Mrs P. asked, looking confused but not exactly concerned.

Dean, on the other hand, was extremely concerned. Dad wouldn't just show up and take Meg out of school, not without telling him, and he certainly wouldn't show his actual ID.

"He... he's not here." Dean said, through gritted teeth. "So who has my sister?" Dean tried his best to remain calm, not to let panic and fear overwhelm him.

"I can assure you, Dean, he is here. Reception checked his ID against our records."

"He isn't even listed as an authorised adult to pick her up!" he said, voice rising. "Sam and I filled in those damn forms ourselves. How the hell could you let an eight year old wonder out of school with a stranger?"

"Not a stranger, her father." Mrs P. replied, an edge to her voice. "You are more than welcome to check with the front desk if you have any concerns, but we do our due diligence before letting the children leave."

Dean's jaw was set as he turned on his heel, stalking back towards his car. He flipped his phone out, dialling his father's number. He wasn't expecting an answer, and indeed, John did not pick up. He tried Sam instead, hitting the gas and pulling away from the school.

"Sam, is Meg with you?" Dean asked, voice sharp.

"What?" Sam's voice crackled through the phone. "Of course not. You're picking her up."

"She's not here. They said... the teacher said Dad picked her up."

"Dad? Our dad?" Sam asked. "He's not even in the state is he? Why would he just show up and pick Meg up from school?"

"I don't know!" Dean shouted down the phone, no longer able to suppress the panic. "I mean - he wouldn't. You heard him the other week, he thinks it's too dangerous for us to be together anyway. No way he'd just show up unannounced and take Meg."

"What do we do, Dean?" Sam asked, urgency and fear in his voice.

"I'm on my way back to you. I've tried Dad but can't get him, you keep calling, texting, anything." With that, Dean hung up, speeding back towards the motel. He tried his dad again as he pulled in to the space outside their room.

"Dad?" he asked, shocked to the core he even picked up.

"Dean," his father's voice was flat, unimpressed. "I told you-"

"Have you got Meg?" Dean cut him off. They didn't have time for a lecture.

"What? Why would I have Meg?"

"The school said you picked her up. Showed your ID to reception. Is she with you?"

"No, Dean, of course she's not with me. Who the fuck has her? Why would they let her leave with a random-"

"I don't know! I don't know, Dad. But she - she's not here. She wasn't at school, she's not - fuck!" Dean cried down the phone, the fear now all-consuming. "What state are you in?"

"Just left Texas. Text me your address, I'm on my way." John replied, voice icy cold and tense. Then he hung up, without waiting for a reply.

Dean slammed the door of the motel room shut behind him.

"Dad's in Texas," he said by way of greeting to Sam, who had been pacing the motel room, cellphone in hand. Sam stopped pacing, face pale.

"Then... then who..?"

"I don't know," Dean snapped harshly. "I don't - fuck. How could I let this happen?"

"Dean, this isn't... you couldn't have known this would happen. I called Bobby, he's on his way. Figure... figured we'd need all the help we could get." Sam said, trying to comfort his brother, who felt everything, everywhere was his fault.

"Dad is too. Says he just left Texas."

"Dad's coming?" Sam asked, unable or not bothered enough to hide the surprise in his voice.

"Yes, Sam, of course he's coming. His daughter is m-" Dean couldn't even say the word. Missing. His jaw was tense, breathing heavy. "He'll be here."

"So, what could've taken her? A shifter, maybe, if it looked like dad?" Sam questioned, reverting into problem-solving mode. "But then, what the hell would a shifter want with Meg? Or dad, for that matter?"

"I don't know, Sam," Dean said. God, how many times had he said those words this last hour? So many unknowns - who had her? Was she hurt? Or worse, was she -

No. Dean couldn't go there. If he started thinking like that, starting spiralling and letting the fear control him, they might never get her back.

"Does the school have cameras?" Sam asked, opening his laptop. "We could look for camera flares." Dean nodded, taking a deep, steadying breath.

This was a hunt. A case. He could do that. Work the case, find the monster, save the kid. It's what he does. What he's been doing most of his life. It's just a case.

________

It didn't take Meg long to figure out something was... wrong with her father. As if showing up to her school hadn't been strange enough, they then drove out of town, opposite direction to the motel the Winchester's had been staying in.

"Where are Sam and Dean?" Meg piped up from the passenger seat. Dad hadn't even prompted her to put a seat belt on, but she'd done it anyway. Otherwise Dean would just lecture her.

"They're... they'll meet us there." John replied, eyes fixed on the road.

"Where?" Meg asked.

John's jaw tensed. Meg was used to that. She asked a lot of questions, and Dad rarely answered. Usually snapped at her to be quiet. Dean explained things, as best he could, in a way that she could understand, a way that wouldn't scare her too much. "Never mind where," John replied, as his cell began to ring. He flipped it open, eyes darting between the road and the screen. "Yeah? I've got her. Was almost too easy."

Meg listened to half the conversation, nervousness twisting in her belly. What did that mean? The voice on the end of the phone didn't sound like Sam or Dean, so who was he talking to?

Meg pressed herself closer to the door, trying to put some distance between herself and the person who looked like her father. She wanted her brothers.

John smirked into the phone. "Oh, they'll take the bait alright. She's a pretty little thing. They won't leave her behind."

Meg trembled in her seat. That didn't sound right. None of it felt right. The man looked like her father, had his voice, but... he wasn't. Something in the way he held himself, his manner of speaking. She realised with a jolt of dread and panic that this was not her father, no matter what her eyes were telling her.

She really, really wanted her brothers now.

________

Two days. It had been two days since Meg had been taken. Dean hadn't slept a wink, a combination of coffee, adrenaline, and fear keeping him up.

They had accessed the schools cameras, and indeed, it was a shifter, the eyes of not-John Winchester flaring silvery-grey. They'd even got the license plate of the car he was driving, but it was stolen a few states over and didn't lead anywhere solid. Bobby had arrived a few hours after Sam called him, helping the boys poke around the town, searching out spots where a shifter might lay low, to no avail. Further research turned up shifter-sounding cases in nearby towns, which Bobby had gone to check out, see if he could pick up a trail or find any clues.

Sam and Dean stayed in the town in case Meg showed up, following any lead they could. They expected something - a ransom call, negotiation, anything - and the lack of communication made Dean even more uneasy.

Sam had suggested calling the police, reporting her as a missing person, but Dean thought that would only make things worse. Especially if they saw the footage of John Winchester walking out the school gates with Meg on his hip. Last thing they needed was a manhunt for their father.

Dean hated the waiting. The research. They'd checked every warehouse, sewer, abandoned building in the town, twice, but it didn't feel like enough. None of it did. They were waiting on a call from Dad or Bobby, or one of their contacts to get back to them. Sam had rung the sheriff's office, security companies, anything he could think of, to see if any break ins or suspicious activity had been reported. Nothing.

All he could think of was how scared she must be. He had no idea what kind of conditions they were keeping her in - was she tied up? Was she being fed? - but the thought of a monster with their father's face holding her hostage somewhere.... Dean would never forgive himself for this. It was his job, to take care of his siblings. God, he should never have put her in school, never let her out of his sight for so long.

A harsh rap at the door startled Dean from his thoughts. He and Sam looked at each other briefly, before Dean unlocked it and opened it, revealing John Winchester.

He pushed into the room, not greeting either of his sons, slinging a duffel onto the floor. He headed for the fridge.

"What the hell happened?" he shouts, turning to face the boys, uncapping a bottle of beer. "You were supposed to look after her." Dean looked at the floor, unable to meet his father's eyes.

"I... I went to pick her up from school, and they said... they said that you had already collected her, said you showed your ID and everything, an-"

"Why the hell was she in school, Dean? You know how dangerous is can be-"

"It's just school, Dad!" Sam fired back. "We just wanted her to be a normal kid, for once in her life, school isn't supposed to be dangerous, or weird - it's where she should've been all along!"

"Oh, no, don't you lecture me about school, boy!" John shouted, old tensions and arguments coming to the surface. Dean was suffocating. "You can-"

"Alright, enough! Both of you!" Dean yelled, standing between them. "We don't have time for this, Meg needs us, so stow the crap, get over yourselves, and start thinking. Meg is relying on us." His voice trembled slightly over the last sentence. Dean had one priority right now. He had tunnel vision, focused only on the little girl who needed him to find her. The Winchester men stood silently for a tense moment, each wound like coiled springs. Dean took a steadying breath, trying to remain calm, collected. He turned to his father. "It’s a shifter. We went back and checked the camera’s outside the school, and the eyes flared. We encountered one a few months back in St. Louis." He began calmly. "Bobby is-"

"You called Bobby?" John snapped. Granted, the two men weren’t on good terms - Bobby had nearly pumped John full of buck shot last they’d seen each other - but the old man, grumpy as he could be, cared for Meg deeply.

"Yes, we called Bobby. He was closer than you, and we need all the help we can get." Dean said tightly. "I don’t care what you think of the man, he loves her, and he’s doing whatever he can to help." John clenched his jaw but didn’t say anything. Dean took it as permission to continue. "Bobby’s checking out potential shifter activity in nearby towns. There’ve been reports of strange behaviour, people in two places at once, that kinda thing. Sam and I stayed in town in case…. In case she came back. Showed up. We’ve been scouting places shifters like to hide out." John nodded. Dean could see his brain working, forming potential plans, dismissing the ones that wouldn’t work, recalling everything he could about shifters.

“Okay,” he said, taking a deep breath and putting his bottle on the table. “That’s good. That's - it's a solid start. You got a map of this place?" Sam turned tightly, pulling out the map of the town they had found. It was covered in black and red marker, places circled and crossed out, anywhere the shifters could be keeping Meg. John leaned down, looking over the town, at the places Sam and Dean had already searched. "You checked this place?" he asked, pointing to what looked like a factory on the edge of the town.

"No, not yet." Dean said softly. Sam pulled out his computer, looking up the site.

"Okay... so it seems like it was abandoned a few years ago. An old steel mill. Seems pretty remote, could be worth searching it." Sam said, tapping away at the keyboard. "There's another empty factory, a processing plant, about... two miles further up. We could check 'em both?" John nodded stiffly.

"I'll take one, you two take the others. Where's the silver?"

"Dad, we'll be safer if we stick together. Splitting up-" Sam began

"We can cover more ground if we separate. It'll be quicker that way." John replied, his tone not leaving room for argument. But Sam pressed on.

"We have no idea how many there could be! You can't go on your own, Dad, it's-"

"Dammit, Sam, do as you're told!" John shouted, eyes blazing.

"We aren't kids anymore, Dad, you can't just give out orders like some goddamn drill sergeant!" Sam yelled back. Dean rolled his eyes, gritting his teeth.

"For the love of God!" Dean shouted, stunning Sam and John into silence. He was breathing heavily. "Dad, you take the processing plant, Sam and me will check the steel mill. We'll split up if only so I don't have to listen to you two arguing. Meg is out there, alone, terrified, and you two can't grow up and get over yourselves for five goddamn minutes! Pull yourselves together!" Dean didn't raise his voice at his father often - scratch that, ever. But he was sick with worry and needed to find his little girl, and the arguing wasn't helping. He reached for the weapons duffle. "We got silver bullets and knives in here." He said, quieter now, loading the clip of his gun with silver bullets and tucking a blade into his belt. Sam and John readied their own weapons, the room heavy with a tense silence.

They left the motel rooms, driving to the abandoned industrial estate in their separate vehicles. The Impala turned off at the steel mill, John's truck carrying on to the processing plant. As Dean looked up at the factory, his stomach twisted, praying she'd be in there, that she was safe.

"Ready?" Sam asked, checking the magazine on his gun again and pulling out a flash light. Dean swallowed, nodding, as they headed into the mill.

________

Meg's body trembled, a combination of fear and cold. They'd arrived at some old factory or warehouse a while ago, not-John dragging her in by the rope he had tied around her wrists. He had put in her in a cage, slightly bigger than a dog crate, finally releasing her bruised wrists. She could stand up, but barely, and there was a bucket in the corner. She had a thread-bare blanket wrapped around her shoulders, though it did little to stave off the biting chill.

There were three men now, the man who wasn't her father, and two shorter, mousey looking men. Mostly they left her alone, drinking beer and playing cards. Sometimes the phone rang, and the took orders from someone - Meg assumed it was their boss, because they twitched every time it rang.

Meg had never known hunger or fear or cold like she did now. She kept hoping, praying, begging Sam and Dean to find her, believing in her brother's to rescue her. But every hour that passed made her worry more and more that they'd never find her, that she was stuck here forever with these monsters.

It was not-John who scared her the most. It was her father, but it wasn't. His face sometimes curled into this sickening smile, so un-Dad-like, and his laugh, which she rarely heard, was cruel and callous. His green eyes raked over her like she was a piece of meat; his entire demeanour made her skin crawl.

She realised she was crying again, tears snaking down her cheeks. She was surprised she had the energy left to cry. Meg licked at the tears as the trickled down her cheeks, the moisture - though salty - a small relief on her dry tongue. As her stomach growled at her in hunger, she wondered if she was going to die.

________

Dean kicked over an old barrel outside the steel mill, frustration and panic building to new heights.

"Dean," Sam said softly. "We'll find her. She'll be alright."

"Will we, Sam? Because we are running outta places to search in this godforsaken town, and anything could be happening to her right now." He snapped, fists clenched at his sides. Sam sighed, swallowing. Dean was right; they were running out of locations in the town where a shifter could keep a young girl. But he set his jaw, taking a deep breath.

"We're gonna find her," he said, with more conviction than he felt. Dean looked at him with uncertainty, but his phone rang before he could reply.

"Dad?" he asked, hope flickering to life in his stomach.

"She ain't here," John said gruffly over the phone. "But I got someone. Think he's working for the shifters."

"Stay put, we're on our way." Dean replied, snapping his phone shut. Sam looked at him questioningly.

Dean put his foot to the floor as they sped toward the processing plant, filling Sam in on the way. The Impala screeched to a stop next to John's truck, engine barely off before he was out the car and racing inside.

John had the guy tied to a chair in the middle of the abandoned factory. He'd tested him extensively; silver, holy water, salt. He was human.

"This him?" Dean asked, voice low and rough. John nodded.

"Yeah. Found evidence that a shifter was here, reckon this one knows something." John replied, keeping his voice even.

"Evidence? You find any evidence Meg was here?" Sam asked, hope lacing his voice.

"No," John admitted quietly. "But a shifter definitely shed its skin here. Whole mess of skin and crap back there." He jerked his head toward a back room, the walls painted with blood and gunk. God, he hated shifters.

Beside them, Dean's hands clenched and unclenched into fists, his breathing ragged and uneven. He approached the man, who at least had the decency to look ashamed and afraid.

"Where is she?" Dean asked, voice low with a barely contained rage.

"Don't know what you're talking 'bout." the man said, though he avoided Dean's gaze. Dean hit him, the man's nose breaking with a crunch as Dean's fist connected. The man let out a shout, blood beginning to drip from his nose. John and Sam were by Dean's side in an instant, Sam's hand on Dean's arm.

"I said where is she?" Dean repeated, eyes simmering. He didn't have time to lose. The man spit blood onto the floor by Dean's feet.

"Fuck you," he snarled. So Dean hit him again. This time Sam pulled him away, forcing him to take several steps back.

"Dean, stop. Stop it. He's human." Sam said.

"And?" Dean asked, eyes still firmly fixed on the target. Sam was taken aback by Dean's callousness, the unnerving look in his eyes.

"I know you've been working with shifters. Where'd they go?" John asked calmly, pacing in front of the man.

"I already said, I don't know what you're on about." the man repeated, blood coating his teeth and dripping down his jaw. Dean tried to step toward him but Sam blocked him, hands on his shoulders.

"Listen, Steve. It is Steve, isn't it?" John asked in that same, even tone. He didn't wait for a reply. "We can do this two ways. Either tell us who you've been working for, and where they went. Or I'll let my boy here beat it out of you." The man gulped. Dean liked the sound of the second option.

"I'm just a caretaker. Ain't seen nobody round these parts for years," Steve replied, avoiding eye contact with any of the Winchester's. John sighed, but Dean didn't wait for permission.

He launched himself at Steve, punching him so hard the chair fell backwards. Dean knelt on top of the man, gripping the collar of his shirt.

"You tell me where the hell they went right now, or so help me God." he snarled, twisting the shirt in his hands.

"God?" Steve asked, smiling. "What's God gonna do to those monsters?"

Dean hit him again, and again, breaking the chair Steve had been tied to. He dragged the man to his feet, throwing him against a nearby wall.

"My little girl is out there! You tell me what you know, or you can ask God himself what he does to monsters!" Dean shouted, forearm pressed to Steve's throat.

Behind them, Sam and John watched in silence. Sam looked briefly to John, wondering if they should stop Dean. John let the scene unfold. He'd never seen Dean so angry - so afraid. Something in John twisted when Dean called Meg his little girl. Guilt? Anger? Shame? All of them, he supposed.

And Dean was right. Meg was more his little girl than she ever was John's.

There was a pregnant pause, a brief moment of tension.

"There's a shipping yard, 'bout forty miles from here. That's where they were headed." Steve said quietly, the words slightly muffled by his split lip. Dean let the man go, turning on his heel and stalking toward the Impala.

"What do we do with this guy?" Sam asked, looking at Steve, who was slumped against the wall, a hand pressed to his face.

"Leave him," John said, picking up his weapons. "He ain't worth any more of our time."

Outside the processing plant, Dean was already in the Impala, engine revving.

"I'll follow you." John said as Sam slid in to the passenger seat. Dean nodded at his father, and the second Sam's door closed, the Impala's tyres screeching as they took off toward to the shipping yard.

________

Meg's eyes fluttered open, blinking in the dimness of the room. She'd drifted off again, despite her efforts to stay awake. She didn't know what might happen to her if she slept.

Not-John had left a little while ago, leaving the other two men to guard her. The watched her with their beady eyes, shifting in their seats, their card game abandoned. The phone, which sat on the table between them, hadn't buzzed in several hours, and it made them nervous.

Meg stayed huddled in her corner, rocking slowly in an attempt to comfort herself. She hummed Hey, Jude, the song that Dean would sing when she had a nightmare or couldn't fall asleep. It was a little comforting, but it made her miss Dean even more. She wanted him to sing it to her, to hold her close and rock her gently, snuggled against him in the Impala or a rickety motel bed. She wanted to hear Sam typing away in the corner or the sound of the Impala's engine. She wanted her brothers.

She was crying again, wondering if she'd ever see them again, every hear Dean's terrible jokes or Sam's laugh. God, at this point, she even missed her dad, the small, soft smiles he reserved for her, the way he let her sit on his shoulders, the fact she could play any music she liked in his truck.

But the thought of her father was slightly tainted now, the memories of him combining with the sinister looks of the shifter, the way it had taken her and locked her up.

Distantly, there was a clang, metal hitting metal. Meg froze, ceasing the rocking and humming, her body stiff with fear. Was not-John back? Or worse, was it the leader, the one who phoned every few hours? The one who seemed to scare even her captors.

She pressed herself as far back as she could, sharp metal bars pressing into her back, the blanket wrapped tight around her as if it could shield her. Then there was a distant shout, and her two captors stood, reaching for their knives. Meg was paralysed with fear, her whole body shaking as she tried to stay quiet, stay hidden.

The door was kicked open, and Meg whimpered as a fight broke out, the shifters launching themselves toward the door. There were shouts, the sound of metal on metal, and a gun shot. Meg screamed, the sound reverberating around the small room.

Then the cage door was rattling as someone tried to open it, and Meg pressed her hands over her ears, eyes squeezed shut. Please, please, please, she whispered to herself. I don't want to die.

Someone's hands were on her and she screamed again, thrashing her arms and scrabbling backward, although there was nowhere else to go. Distantly, she could hear someone saying her name, calling her.

"Meg. Megsie, it's me, look at me. It's Sam." he repeated, trying to reach her, to soother her. She was trembling, eyes shut and hands over her ears, pressed against the back of the cage.

She opened her eyes, looking up at Sam. Sam.

Or was it? Not-John had looked like her dad, and then she ended up here. Maybe she wasn't safe after all.

"Get back!" she cried, putting her hands out in front of her to protect herself.

"Meg, baby, it's me, it's Sam." he said again, reaching out slowly, but she screamed once more and he pulled his hand back. Behind him, a body thudded to the floor, but Sam couldn't take his eyes off her. Her cheeks were sunken in, dark bags beneath her eyes. She was shaking like a leaf, so scared - of him.

"Go away! You're not him!" she shouted, pressing her eyes shut again, sobbing softly.

Dean knelt next to Sam, his heart breaking at the sight of his little girl, so exhausted and afraid.

"Megs," he called softly, unable to hide the desperation in his voice. "Meg, it's us. Look at me, it's us." She whimpered, opening her eyes, crying softly as she saw him. She wanted so desperately to believe him. It looked like Dean, it sounded like Dean... but so did the one with her father's face, the one who had taken her.

She shuddered, shaking her head. "You're monsters," she whispered. Dean's heart broke.

"No, sweetheart. It's us. Meg, Goose, please - it's me." Dean pleaded with her, worry etched into every line on his face, voice desperate. He reached a tentative hand out for her.

"Go away! Get back, you're not him!" She cried, shrinking back into the corner. Dean was beginning to panic now, desperate to hold her, make sure she was okay, but she was afraid of him. Of him.

"Hey," Sam said softly, taking the silver blade from his pocket. "Remember the St. Louis shifter? Remember how silver burned them?"

Meg's eyes were wide, locked on to the blade, but she nodded. She remembered St. Louis, the shifter who had taken Dean's form. Sam pressed the silver blade against his hand. It didn't burn. Then he did the same to Dean, and again, the silver didn't burn his skin.

It was them. They found her.

"Sammy?" she whispered. "Dean?"

"Yeah, baby girl, it's us. It's us." Dean said softly, heart in his throat. They watched her with wide, cautious eyes as she looked between them, still trembling. She looked to Dean, his piercing green eyes glistening with fear and love and hope, then to Sam, whose wide puppy-eyed stare so often matched her own.

Her brothers. Her boys. They found her.

"De," she cried launching herself forward and into their arms. Dean gripped hold of her, pulling her firmly into his lap and cradling her close. Sam wrapped his arms around the pair of them, needing to hold his little sister close, desperate to keep her safe. Dean murmured softly against her hair, holding her so tightly and never intending to let go. She sobbed into her brother, face tucked tightly into his neck. Sam pressed a soft kiss to her head, a stray tear or two falling, his hand warm and steady on her back. She was safe.

Sam pulled away first, trying to assess Meg's body for injuries. She was scrawnier, her spine visible beneath the thin t-shirt. Her hair was matted, limbs dirty, but there were no obvious injuries, no blood. A small relief. He tried to coax her from Dean's neck, to check her face and neck for wounds, to ask if she was hurt, if she was okay, but she wouldn't move. Wouldn't, or perhaps couldn't, too afraid to let him go ever again. And, from the look on Dean's face, the few tears he discreetly wiped away, Dean wouldn't be letting her go ever again, either.

Behind the trio, the door opened, and John walked in. His shoulders sagged in relief when he saw Meg, cradled safely in her brothers arms. But she stiffened and turned at the sound, and when she saw him her face twisted in panic.

"No!" Meg cried, trying to scramble away from him, the man with her father's face. He was back. "Go away!"

"Meg - hey, no, it's him, it's Dad," Dean said gently, holding her arms so she couldn't run. "It's okay. The shifter's dead. It's really Dad." But his words had no effect. All Meg could see was the man who'd taken her. She was shaking again, eyes wide with fear, fresh tears falling down her face.

"No, no, please," she begged. Sam took the silver blade, walking quickly over to John, whose face betrayed the pain of seeing his daughter fear him.

"Meg, hey - look. No burn, see?" he said, pressing the blade to John's skin. "He's human. Not a shifter." Sam reassured her, pocketing the blade and coming back to crouch next to her. She regarded John warily, pressing herself close to Dean, who had his arm securely around her waist.

"Hey, princess." John said softly, kneeling a few feet away so as not to scare her. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart." John didn't really know what he was apologising for. For the shifter taking his face? Or for not being there for her in the first place? He gave her a small, soft smile, trying to offer her some reassurance, some proof it was really him.

Meg sniffled, still pressed firmly against Dean, eyes flickering nervously over her father's face. She gave a small, almost imperceptible nod, turning to Dean with fresh tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whimpered, clutching Dean's hand in her own. "I'm sorry I left school without you, without checking, I- I thought that - that..." She hiccuped as Dean shushed her gently.

"Hey, no, it's not your fault, Meg. It's okay - you thought it was Dad, you couldn't have known. It's okay, sweetheart. Don't apologise." Dean said, cupping her cheek with his free hand and wiping away some stray tears. Seeing her like this, apologising for it... God, it broke his heart.

"C'mon," Sam said, standing and holding out a hand. "Let's get out of here. Get you to a hospital." Meg swallowed, wide eyes flicking between her family.

"No hospital," she whispered, voice hoarse. "Please." Sam and Dean exchanged a look. Dean ran his eyes over her body, no clear wounds or serious concerns evident, but God knows he'd feel better having her checked out properly. But how would they explain this to a doctor? To the CPS? He held her hands gently.

"We'll take you to the motel, check you over there. But if Sammy or I find anything that needs medical attention, we're taking you straight to a doctor. Capiche?" Dean said softly, toeing the line between doing what was best for her and not traumatising her further.

"Capiche." She echoed. When Dean stood up, she held out her arms, unwilling or perhaps unable to walk. Dean scooped her up wordlessly, glad to be able to hold her close still, and the trio headed for the door.

John hung back, unsure if he should go with them, not wanting to frighten his daughter more. He settled for trailing after them at a distance, close enough to still hear the soft, reassuring words Dean was murmuring to Meg, but far enough that Meg didn't feel threatened. Her green eyes still flicked over to him every few seconds, wary and distrusting, and it broke his heart.

Meg didn't let go of her brother, even when they got to the car. Her legs were wrapped firmly around his waist, arms around his neck, fingers gripping the collar of his leather jacket tightly. When Dean opened the rear door to the Impala, she whimpered, pressing her face into Dean's neck.

"Okay, it's alright," he said softly. "We'll sit up front, okay? Sammy can drive. You wanna pick some music?"

John watched them carefully for a few more seconds, Dean lowering himself into the car and settling Meg onto his lap, Sam waiting until the were safely inside before getting in himself. John nodded to Sam, a silent meet you at the motel passing between them.

In the Impala, Dean put the heat on full blast, while Meg opened the glovebox and found the Beatles cassette. He smiled at her choice.

"This one?" he asked, popping it in and turning the volume up a fraction. She nodded, snuggling into him, his large leather jacket enveloping them both as Sam drove them back to the motel. The car ride was quiet, Dean humming along to the Beatles, stroking gentle, soothing circles on Meg's back absentmindedly.

They beat John to the motel, pulling in front of the door. Dean carried her in, settling on the bed with her, while Sam fetched the first aid kit and a bottle of water, which Meg gulped down quickly.

"Woah, easy tiger," Dean said, easing the bottle from her grasp. "You're gonna make yourself sick." God knows how long she'd been without water, or food, or anything. He didn't want to think about that too much. Sam took Meg's hands in his gently, rolling up the sleeves. There were red marks on each wrist, bruises purpling underneath.

"Did... did they tie you up?" Sam asked quietly. Meg's lip quivered as she nodded.

"At the first place. Then they... they took me to the place with the cage." She whimpered, breaths coming in short, shallow gasps. Dean squeezed her reassuringly. "I... I really thought it was him."

"I know you did, Scout. I know." Sam said, wiping her wrists with antiseptic for good measure. "Can you stand up for me?"

Meg did, legs shaking, Dean holding her arms for support - physical and emotional. Sam checked her over, feeling for broken bones, cuts, anything. Mercifully, she was okay save the bruised wrists. Sure, she'd lost some weight, was exhausted and dirty, but physically, at least, she was unhurt. Mentally, on the other hand... Sam and Dean knew it would take her some time to understand what happened, to process the trauma.

"You're okay," Sam said, reassuring Meg, himself, and Dean. "Would you like a bath, hm? Get you warmed up and clean?" Meg whimpered, shaking her head and pressing herself back against Dean. He squeezed her arms reassuringly.

"It's okay. We'll stay with you, alright? We won't leave you on your own." He murmured. Just then the motel door opened slowly, John lingering in the doorway. Meg tensed up as she saw him, pressing herself further into Dean's embrace, eyes wide and wary.

"Hey, sweetheart," John said softly, taking a few cautious steps into the room so he could close the door. "I figured you'd be hungry so I picked up some food. Pancakes sound good?" He held up a bag of food, its warm, enticing scent wafting across the small space.

Meg turned in Dean's arms, pressing her face into his neck, body trembling. Dean swallowed, holding her close, glancing at John with a pained, almost guilty expression. John was hurt, face falling as she turned away from him.

"It's okay, sunshine," Dean said reassuringly. "It's Dad. I promise you, it's really him."

"Wanna take a bath," Meg said into Dean's neck. He looked up at Sam, then John.

"Okay, sweetie. We'll get you bathed. Then you put on your pyjama's and we'll eat, yeah?" Dean spoke softly, as if speaking to a frightened animal that might bolt at any second. Meg nodded, pulling herself back from his arms slightly.

Sam grabbed her duffle, rummaging around for some pyjama's, the soft, fluffy ones she liked, draping them over the heater so they'd be warm for her. Dean picked her up carefully, sitting with her on the closed toilet seat while he ran a hot bath. John stayed, frozen, just inside the door, unsure what he should do, unable to take his eyes off the little girl who feared him now.

"Dad," Sam calls quietly. "It'll be okay. She'll come round. She just... she just needs a minute." John swallowed thickly, nodding. His eyes burned with tears he refused to let fall. God, what was he doing to his children? Sam clapped him on the shoulder, heading to the bathroom to be with Dean and Meg.

After a warm bath, the grime scrubbed from her body and her hair freshly washed, Meg pulled on the pyjama's Sam had set out for her, toasty warm from the heater. She held up a hairbrush wordlessly, silently asking one of her brother's to comb through the tangles. Sam took it, gently brushing through her damp hair, while Dean tidied the bathroom.

In the main room of the motel, John sat at the small table, bag of food in the middle, a beer in his hand. Meg stood in the doorway of the bathroom, eying him suspiciously, her toes curling anxiously into the carpet. When he noticed her, he gave her a soft smile, eyes kind.

It was her father, Meg realised suddenly. The shifter had never looked at her like that, its eyes had never been so gentle, never held anything except malice. She returned the smile with a small, hesitant one of her own, making her way slowly to the table.

"What kinda pancakes did ya get?" She asked softly.

"Chocolate chip, of course," John replied, pushing the bag towards the edge of the table. She gave him a bigger smile then, flashing the gap in her front teeth, taking another few steps towards him. He'd remembered her favourite food. Still, she waited for Sam to join them before she sat down, climbing into his lap.

He put his arm around her waist, holding her firmly on his knees so she wouldn't fall, as she began eating her pancakes, dribbling syrup down her chin. Sam ran his ringers through her unruly curls, slowing springing back to life as they dried. Dean joined them a minute later, relieved to see she was eating something, and that wasn't trembling in the presence of their father. Sam looked up at him, brows furrowed, taking in Dean's disheveled appearance and red-rimmed eyes. Dean avoided eye contact at all costs, instead pulling up a seat next to them. John handed him a beer wordlessly as they exchanged looks.

They still had questions, still needed to figure out why the shifter had taken Meg in the first place. They watched her eat a moment longer as she shoved forkful after forkful into her mouth, clearly starving. Dean wiped her sticky chin with a napkin, smiling softly down at her.

"Don't eat too fast, Goose." he said. He looked at his father again, who nodded. "Megs... do you know why the shifter took you?"

She froze, fork halfway to her mouth, eyes going wide. Her hands trembled slightly as she set the cutlery down, folding her hands in her lap. She shook her head slowly.

"They didn't say why, but... but I think they wanted you guys to come." She began softly, twisting her fingers anxiously. "They said... it said you'd take the bait." Dean reached out a hand, holding her small ones in his own, trying to soothe her. She looked up at him, wide green eyes brimming with tears again. "I'm sorry I went with him - it. I'm sorry I left school, I-"

"Hey, hey, shh. Stop apologising, sweetheart. It's not your fault." Dean said softly, one hand on her face to wipe away the tears. "It's not. You thought it was Dad, you had no reason to think otherwise." He repeated his words from earlier. He didn't want her to distrust her father, their family. It wasn't like they could have the 'don't talk to strangers' lecture; she knew that, it had been ingrained in her for as long as she could remember.

"Meg," John spoked up next to then. Her eyes flickered over to him, momentarily betraying the fear she still held for her father's visage. "Were they all shifters? Or were any of them demons? Did you smell sulphur at all?"

"I think they were shifters. I don't know what sulphur smells like, but I don't think so." Meg said quietly.

"Rotten eggs. Sulphur smells like eggs." John prompted, but Meg shook her head again. "Did they mention demons at all, any demon?"

"Dad." Sam said, voice low in warning.

"I don't think so. There was... they spoke to someone on the phone a lot. But I don't know who."

"The demon? Did they use a name at all? Or a location?" John pressed further.

"Dad." Sam repeated, more forcefully. John glared at him momentarily. Meg gulped at the sight, the warmth in his eyes earlier - the look that had reminded her this was, in fact, her father - was gone, replaced with a cool anger.

"I don't - I don't know, Dad. I'm sorry, they didn't say anything about demons, I don't think. I'm sorry." Meg whispered tearfully, avoiding John's piercing gaze. Dean stroked his thumb over her shaking hands softly.

"It's okay, sweetheart. Don't apologise." Dean reassured her.

"Anything, Meg. Anything you can think of will help us." John said again, not seeing or perhaps not caring that his daughter was growing increasingly agitated.

"Enough." Dean snapped, only half turning his head to look at his father. He turned back to Meg, his gaze softening. "It's okay if you don't know anything. Don't worry about it now, you're safe." Meg nodded, looking down at her feet, swinging a foot off the floor. "Why don't you finish eating, hm? Then we can watch cartoons." She gave him a small smile, turning to her plate, but she didn't eat anymore, just pushed pieces of pancake around the plate.

"I need some air." John muttered, standing so abruptly that Meg flinched. He looked down, eyes betraying his guilt, but didn't say anything and left the room. Dean's jaw was set as he stood - slower than John did - and followed after him.

"Dad," Dean said, closing the motel room door softly so he wouldn't startle Meg. "You can't interrogate her like that. Not after what she's just been through."

"This is the demon's work, Dean. It knows I'm closing in on it." John snaps.

"Maybe so. But your daughter just got kidnapped by a bunch of shifters. Anything could have happened to her! And you want to question her? To- to find the demon?" Dean snaps back, trying to control his temper. He loved his father, he did, but sometimes his priorities were all wrong. Dean - his top priorities always have been, and always will be, his siblings.

"We have been hunting this thing for 20 years, Dean! I am this close to catching it, to getting revenge for your mother. That's what all this is about, Dean, I'm not gonna give up now." John fires back, breathing heavily.

"No one is asking you to give up, Dad, but for once will you just try and be a parent to that little girl? Not a hunter, not a - a drill sergeant. Just a dad." Dean snaps. John swallows, looking away from his eldest son. Dean's right, he knows that; he's never been a great father, always training his children, not raising them. Still, it hurts to hear Dean say it.

"Yesterday, you - you called Meg your little girl." John started softly.

"Listen, I'm sorry about that, I-"

"No, Dean, don't apologise. You're right. Shit, you've done more for her than I ever have. You've raised her, cared for her. Everything I should have done, should be doing - you do it. And you do it well. She - she's a wonderful kid, Dean." John looked at his son, pride in his eyes. Dean nodded, a small, fond smile on his face as he thought about her. "My point is, Dean, is that you look after this family. Better than anyone, better than I ever have. I know I'm never around much, I - I don't always put you guys first. But you do. You put this family first, you put your siblings first, always. Every time." Dean nodded, understanding what his father was trying to say - thank you for everything you do, I'm proud of you, I'm sorry - without actually saying it. John clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Dean. For looking after them."

Back inside the motel, Meg was curled up on Sam's lap, trusty red checkered blanket it tow, her favourite plushie, Patch, gripped in one hand. Tom and Jerry played quietly, the lights of the TV illuminating their faces in the dim of the room.

Dean and John entered quietly, but the disruption still made Meg jump, head snapping towards the door. Sam held her closer, keeping her safe.

"Hey, princess," John said quietly, standing near the couch. "I - I gotta take off. It's not safe for any of us if I stick around too long."

"You're leaving?" Sam said in disbelief.

"Yes," John said sharply, eyes flickering back to Meg. "Your brothers are gonna take real good care of you, like always. They'll keep you safe, alright?" Meg nodded, looking up at him. John moved, as if to hug her or take her in his arms, but he settled for resting his hand against her head briefly. "I - I love you, sweetheart. I'm sorry I haven't been here."

Meg just nodded, eyes wide as she looked up at him. John nodded to each of his sons, picking his duffle off the floor. He looked at Dean once more.

"Watch out for your siblings." He said gruffly, before turning on his heel and walking out. The door shut behind him, the three siblings sitting silently for a moment. Dean looked at Meg, at the bags under her eyes and the hollowness of her cheeks. He walked over to them, kneeling in front of her.

"Hey, sweet cheeks. How you feeling? You still hungry?" he asked softly, brushing a stray curl from her face. She shook her head. "Okay. Good. Why don't we get you to bed?" Her eyes flickered across the room then back to Dean.

"Will you both stay with me?" she murmured. Dean smiled, nodding.

"Yeah, we will. You want Sammy to read you a story?" She nodded eagerly, holding her arms out to Dean. He swung her onto his hip hugging her close and pressing a kiss to her head. Sam rifled through his bag, looking for The Hobbit. He'd read it to her when he came back from Stanford, and now it was her favourite.

"Can we do a Meg sandwich?" she asks, eyes hopeful. Sam and Dean share a look; the Meg sandwich, as it became known, had started when the heating had packed up in a crappy motel in Chicago in the middle of winter. The Winchester siblings, left alone by their father, had piled into one bed for warmth, two-year-old Meg snuggled between her brothers. It fast became one of her favourite things in the world, even if it wasn't the most comfortable for the boys.

Any other time, under any other circumstances, they probably would've said no. But she'd been gone nearly three days, and they'd come so close to losing her... they couldn't refuse. They didn't want to refuse, both wanting to keep her close for a while, keep her safe.

"Sure thing," Dean said, sliding into the bed next to her, wrapping his arms around her. Sam sat on her other side, book in hand, opening it to the first page. Meg lay snuggled against Dean's chest, but faced Sam. He cracked the spine on the well-worn copy of the Hobbit, clearing his throat.

"Are you sitting comfortably?" he asked theatrically. Meg giggled and nodded. "Very good. Let's begin. In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole...."

Meg was asleep within three pages, using Dean's arm as a pillow, her small leg hooked over Sam's. He put the book down, moving some hair from her face, watching her sleep.

"You okay?" he asked Dean. He'd seen his brother's face earlier, his hair tousled where he ran his hands through it, his red eyes. Sam suspected it was a panic attack or something similar, though God knows Dean Winchester would never admit that.

"I'm fine," Dean said shortly, sighing as he looked down at the little girl in his arms. "I just... we came so close to losing her. So close. And I don't know what I would've done if - if-"

"I know," Sam cut him off, not wanting to dwell on that scenario. "But she's okay. She's safe now."

"We can't put her back in school. Not until this demon business is over and Dad's back. We can't take that chance."

"I agree. We'll just continue homeschooling her." Sam replied. Dean nodded. "You should get some rest too, Dean. You didn't sleep a wink the whole time she was missing." Dean shook his head stubbornly.

"Nah. I'll watch over her. She'll feel safer that way." Sam rolled his eyes at his brother.

"No, I'll watch over you both. Get some sleep, you look like crap."

"Oh, thanks, man." Dean replied sarcastically. Sam's eyes rolled again.

"You know what I mean. Get some rest." Sam studied him for a moment, wondering if he'd refuse again. But he didn't; Dean nodded, eyes still fixed on Meg's sleeping form, sliding down to be more comfortable.

Sam watched Dean's eyes flutter close, saw his breathing even out. There weren't many times Sam felt like the oldest and most responsible one. But now, watching his siblings sleep, keeping them safe, he felt the profound sense of responsibility he wondered if Dean always felt. Eventually, Sam sunk back into the pillows too, his arm over Meg's waist, until he drifted off into sleep as well.

________

The Winchester's had left the following afternoon, all three of them wanting to put distance between themselves and the town. Meg had sat in the front of the Impala, nestled between her brothers, too afraid to be alone in the back.

A week later, a new town, a different motel room, Meg woke up alone.

"Dean?" she called out. "Sammy?" She looked around warily. She didn't like being alone anymore.

The key clicked in the lock of the door not a minute later, and her brothers walked in. She scrambled out of bed, backing into the corner.

"Is it definitely you?" she called shakily, unsure if it really was them or if it was monsters wearing their faces. Sam and Dean sighed, pulling out a silver blade. This happened every time one of them left her sight for more than a few minutes. Every time Dean went for food, or Sam to the library, she panicked they'd been swapped for a shifter. They were trying to be patient, of course they were, they knew what she had been through; but it was exhausting.

They each press the blade to their skin, and Meg visibly relaxes when there is no reaction.

"Come here," Dean says, beckoning her over to the small living area. He hoists her up, sitting her on his knee. "Sammy and I had to run a quick errand. It's gonna help you, though. Okay?" She nodded earnestly, looking between her brothers, then to the paper bag in Sam's hand. "Okay. We know you're scared, that you can't tell who's a shifter and who's human. And you know that silver burns shifters, right? Right. Well, this ring," he gestures to the ring that is always on his right hand. "This is silver. And Sammy, we got him a silver bracelet." Sam pulls a silver chain from the bag, as well as a small ring. "And this here, this is for you. A silver ring. So, if you're ever not sure whether someone's human or not, you simply shake their hand. And as long as me and Sammy have our silver on, you'll always know it's really us. Sound good?"

Meg nodded slowly, watching as Sam put his chain on, letting Dean wiggle the ring onto her finger. She fiddled with it, spinning it round, getting used to the feel of it. She leant her head back against Dean's shoulder.

"Thank you," she said quietly. Her brother's had gone to all this effort just so she'd feel safe. Dean smiled at her.

"You don't have to thank us, sweetheart. We're gonna look after you. Always." Dean said softly, rubbing her arm soothingly. Sam smiled at her, too, taking her hand as she reached out for him. "We're gonna take a few days off, okay? No hunting this week. Anything you wanna do?"

Meg thought for a moment, tapping her finger on her chin. "Hmmm.... Disney World?" Sam and Dean exchanged a nervous glance.

"Maybe not Disney World... we could find a carnival or something though." Dean said. Meg sighed softly. She really wanted to go to Disney.

"Okay. Can I ride the ghost train?" she asked. "Oh, and the dodgems. And can we get cotton candy? Or popcorn! I wonder if they sell candy apples?" Meg rambled on, her mood lifting, some of the tension easing from her shoulders. Sam and Dean shared a smile, glad they could ease her worry, if only for a short while. She still didn't sleep well, waking up screaming most nights, insisting the kept a light on. She didn't like to be alone, or be too far from her brothers.

But this morning, she was excited about something. She was bouncing on Dean's knee, talking about food, mostly, but also about stuffed toys and games and fairground rides. Dean put a gentle hand on her head, trying to stop the bouncing.

"Easy, tiger." he said with a laugh. Then she asked the dreaded question.

"Can I choose the music in the car?" Dean sighed. So much for the house rules.

"Fine. Just this once." he said.

But he was lying. All three of them knew it. Meg Winchester could choose the music in the Impala whenever she damn well pleased. She was the only person in the world whom the house rules didn't apply to.

Driver picks the music; shotgun shuts their cakehole; Meg wins them both over with a gap-toothed smile and a glimmer in her eyes.

⋆ ✦ ✧ ⋆ ✦ ✧ ⋆ ✦ ✧ ⋆ ✦ ✧ ⋆ ✦ ✧ ⋆ ✦ ✧ ⋆ ✦ ✧ ⋆ ✦ ✧ ⋆ ✦ ✧ ⋆ ✦ ✧ ⋆ ✦ ✧ ⋆

this is very much not proofread lol

thx for reading! lmk if you'd like to join the tag list :)

@podado-t-memes @ariesandwolves

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chloe-skywalker · 8 months ago

Text

Teach Me - Eddie Munson Part #1

Eddie Muson x Fem!Reader!Byers

Warnings: Stranger Things

Word count: 489

Summary: Y/n wants to understand what her little brother is always talking about when he talks about D&D. She does know someone that could teach her

Authors Note: This has a part 2 already done! (Just not typed yet)

Masterlist

Stranger Things Masterlist

Part 2

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Y/n sat there driving listening to Will talk about their recent D&D campaign. Y/n was nodding along pretending to understand everything he was talking about, but the truth was she didn’t have a clue. She wished she did, but she didn’t.

“Are you coming tonight? You’ll see what I’m talking about.” Will asked excited that his big sister might come.

“Maybe. I need to talk to someone before I know.” Y/n tells him as they pull up to the school parking lot.

“Okay.” Will answered before leaving for his own middle school as Y/n got out and headed to the high school.

Y/n tried to think of how she was going to ask Eddie Munson to teach her about D&D. He was the only person she could think of that would be able to teach her about it without Will finding out. She eventually settled for slipping a note in his locker to meet up after school.

Eddie got the note and he was confused but also very interested. So after school Eddie went to where the note said to meet.

“Well, well, well not who I expected.” Eddie teased upon seeing who he was meeting.

“Who’d you expect?” Y/n asked nervously biting her nails.

“Not someone whose brother plays the game.” Eddie tells her honestly and he was confused but not disappointed.

“Can I be honest?” Y/n looks at him biting her lip anxiously.

“Go ahead, I'm all ears.” Eddie nods moving to sit down, giving her all his attention.

“I don’t understand a word he says. He talks to me like I do and I nod along and say I know but I don’t.” Y/n’s referring to her little brother and Eddie understood her.

“But you want to.” Eddie concluded with a smile, he found it nice that she wanted to do this for her little brother.

“Yeah.” Y/n let out a breath relieved he understood.

“And you want me to teach you?” Eddie asked, raising a brow pointing to himself.

“Please?” Y/n pleaded.

“Of course princess.” He bowed comically, making Y/n laugh and all the tension disappear.

^ ^ ^

“Eddie, this has been very helpful. Thanks.” Y/n told him after week’s of him teaching her, she was very grateful for his patience and teaching her.

“I’m glad I could help.” Eddie smiled at her. Eddie had enjoyed spending time with Y/n. He would admit that he had dragged out the lessons so they would last longer. And to his credit he dragged it out for 2 months, almost 3.

“Would you wanna go get a milkshake sometime?” Eddie asked meaning up like his uncle told him to when he admitted that he liked Y/n.

“I’d love to.” Y/n smiled at him accepting his offer of what they both knew was a date.

It was the start of a very good relationship.

Part 2

Taglist:

@padawancat97 @gruffle1 @maryvibess @starkleila @fandom-princess-forevermore

#y/n #x reader #imagine #imagines #eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson imagines #eddie munson x byers reader #x byer reader #will byers #stranger things #stranger things imagine #stranger things imagines #strange #things #netflix

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quitealotofsodapop · 3 months ago

Note

Now I’m curious abt what Jing’s labor was like. Cuz… you know, he don’t exactly have the equipment

Celestials laugh at mortal limits.

Li Jing, a born mortal man, did not realise this until he ran panicked to Guanyin for help. The Bodhisattva was quick to calm Jing down, that his body would adjust to the pregnancy, and that he would be under great care if his mortal roots threatened his health.

I feel like the most ironic way the labour can go is if Jing, normally confined to the Celestial Realm since his pregnancy was confirmed, had severe homesickness for his birth realm and floated down in secret just for some fresh air...

Only for his daughter to decide that she wanted to see Earth too!

He should be so lucky that he had collapsed in the path of a certain group of Pilgrims....

Wukong: "Jing? Why are you-" Li Jing, nearly demonic with pain: "SHUT IT APE! My daughter has decided that she is to be born on earth's soil, and has given me no choice!" Sha Wujing, small chuckle: "Ho ho! Wukong warned us of your mishap with the water samples! I suppose congratulations are in order once we get you someplace clean and dry!" (*lifts Li Jing into a bridal carry*) Tripitaka: "Eh!? B-but the Devaraja is a man! How can he give-?" Zhu Bajie, former celestial: "Master. The divine body finds a way." Ao Lie, excited trotting: "Oh! We get to see a baby princess! I met my niece recently - I hope the General's baby is just as cute!"

Wukong ends up being the leading midwife amongst them since he has experience delivering fellow monkey demons back home. Though not without fierce resistance from the General.

Li Jing, strained groan: "I BLAME YOU! YOU DID THIS TO ME!" Wukong, terrified as he holds Jing's hand: "Me!? I wasn't the one who drank unlabelled- no wait, I don't have a leg to stand on there. Let's just agree to blame Lao Tzu and his terrible organisation!" Jing, gritting his teeth through a contraction: "AGREED!"

Tripitaka and Zhu Bajie quickly make excuses to not be in earshot, deciding to contact Guanyin and Li Jing's kin, and guard the shelter respectively.

Nezha bursts onto scene immediately.

Nezha: "Father! I came as soon as I- hrrk!" (*gag of horror!*) Wukong, busy at work: "Either boil some water, or hold your father's hand! I'm not tending to a second big baby!" Li Jing, incoherent moaning: "I swear to Buddha if its another meatball..."

Guanyin finally arrives to assist, praising Wukong for his fine midwifing.

The princess is soon born squalling and hungry for life. Jing immediately starts crying and kissing her scrunched face. She's no meatball, but she's just as round and pink.

Nezha faints seconds after saying his hellos to his baby sister.

Muzha/Moksa faints too - he hadn't been warned prior to accompanying his master that it was his father giving birth! Jinzha would catch himself after being notified by his brothers.

Xiwangmu immediately rushes to Earth in a blaze. Where is her son-in-law!? He should be resting! But her protective anger is quelled when she sees the tiny form in Jing's arms. Her first granddaughter. The goddess finds herself openly thanking the Monkey King for coming to her grand-baby's aid, giving him an early invite to the naming ceremony and all future celebrations for his trouble!

Jing settles on the name "Zhenying/贞英" = "loyal/chaste" + "hero/blossom". He likes the double meaning of blossom in her name, and secretly hopes that she doesn't accidentally drink from any odd rivers in future! XD

Ao Lie holds back his opinion that baby dragons are cuter than baby human-celestials, but he makes sure to convince his uncles to at least send Heaven a well-meaning gift for the new princess. Jing grumbled when it arrived - he thinks the toy archery set is a bit of a rude jab at the past.

Iron Fan is altered of her niece's arrival, and makes sure to send Jing a whole wardrobe for the princess. Bad blood with her family or not, Tieshan isn't letting her niece suffer from poor choice in fashion! Bull gets a little emotional and sends a letter to Jing asking if Red Son and Zhenying can meet as fellow cousins in future - Jing returns a non-answer in his confusion. It seems his daughter is slowly mending the cracks caused to the royal family during the Heavenly War.

Erlang completely stiffens when he's offered to hold the baby, having not held one in centuries since his sister was a babe. He has to be gently reminded how to support the head, and holds Zhenying as carefully as he would a priceless artifact. With a tiny hand curiously reaching out to inspect his extra eye, Erlang is immediately wrapped around Zhenying's little finger. He'd kill and die for her.

Wukong gets an unexpected request from Li Jing after things have settled down. ing asks Wukong to watch over his daughter if she's ever in danger. He's terribly worried what path his little girl may go down, and he now knows that the monkey has the children's' best interests in mind. Wukong agrees, as long as he never has to fight her as he did her brothers.

And of course as you can imagine after all of this; the whole of the Jade royal family now dotes on their new princess! Xiwangmu digs up Lady Yin's baby clothes to pass down to her. The peach maidens and royal goddesses all adore their newest family member as if she were starlight itself. Even the stone-faced Emperor cracks a smile at his smallest grandchild.

Jing gets some pampering too. His sister-in-laws makes sure to help him in during the isolation period after the birth, and babysit whenever needed!

All in all, it's a joyful time in Heaven. :3

Until the baby starts learning how to shoot her toy arrows. Then it becomes clear that the Li gremlin-gene didn't stop with Nezha. >:3

#childbirth tw #pregnancy tw #lmk li jing #lmk li zhenying #sun wukong #lmk nezha #lmk the pilgrims #lmk guanyin #lmk aus #jttw aus #lmk #lego monkie kid #journey to the west #jttw

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bangtanhoneys · 10 months ago

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BTS & Grace - 30 Weeks

Someone told her that babies at 30 weeks were the size of a cabbage, and Grace could certainly see that as she turned to the side, bending slightly so the make-up artist could put the finishing touches to her lips. BTS were due to be on stage in 10 minutes to start a long day of interviews, photo opportunities, and conferences. It was going to be a long day for the band that had been practising nonstop for the past few months for what was going to be over a year-long tour.

Grace’s pregnancy was smack bang in the middle, and she would (hopefully) give birth well before Seokjin was due to fly out to America to start the American leg of a long-waited tour. She wouldn’t be joining the guys until a month later, and she wouldn’t fully be back to her idol career for another year. There was no way they were going to let down ARMY, who had been excitedly waiting for this mega-world tour since they all got back together in 2025 once Yoongi’s military career had finished.

And she knew, as much as she wanted to be on stage, there was no chance for her to do so.

Right now, the idol persona had to be locked away, and Grace would have to trust those maternal instincts that had started all the way back in 2011 when a very young Jungkook walked through the door. Now those maternal instincts would be used on her soon-to-be daughter.

Her hand rested on her stomach, and she got a foot in return. The Bangtan Baby was awake and getting comfortable, it seemed. Her daughter was rarely active during the early morning and would spend her time shifting around from afternoon to evening, settling down in the night when Seokjin would spend his time telling his daughter about his day and what her uncles were getting up to, what her big brother was getting up to, and even what Min-Ji had brought in from the garden.

They were all excited for their baby girl’s arrival, counting down the weeks to days, and now that Grace was at the 30 weeks, it meant that action stations and plans were now put into motion in case she went into labour.

Fingers were subtly crossed that today wouldn’t be the day.

The press were also excited. Grace was one of the first, if not only idol, to still be an idol while pregnant and not hide it. She hadn’t left the group; she hadn’t hidden it away; she hadn’t hidden away the father. She had been completely open and transparent with everyone, from her company to her fans to the media.

Many had welcomed the transparency. It had opened the door for many female idols to not feel like they had to hideaway what should be one of the most important journeys they would go on and for companies to be more accepting of their female idols and what they should naturally go through. It also opened the door for Grace to be more open with interviews and to talk more about what life was like behind closed doors, especially now that she was pregnant.

And while many of the press today were here to talk about the big BTS comeback and the big tour, everyone knew the most, if not all, of the questions would be directed to Grace.

Grace took a deep breath and stood from the chair, smoothing down the black dress that had been specially made for her. It was comfortable but formal; the material of the dress weighed down so it wouldn’t blow upwards but was tight enough to show off her 30-week bump. All the boys were dressed in matching black formal shirts and trousers.

After this week, she would have one more appearance, and then she would be done until after giving birth. It would be hard to say goodbye, even if it was only to say ‘see you later.’

“You ready?” Namjoon asked after he handed back the list of people who would be at the conference today.

“No,” she answered truthfully and got a grin in return.

She wasn’t sure if it was nerves or her daughter getting comfortable, but Grace let out a deep breath and tried to relax. It wasn’t like she had done this before.

“What time is lunch?”

Of course Jungkook would be thinking about his stomach, which broke the tension and made everyone laugh.

“I take it you didn’t eat a big enough breakfast,” Yoongi chuckled but rolled his eyes at their maknae’s behaviour.

“I did, but I know noona gets peckish quickly, and I can’t see any snacks on stage either.”

That made Hobi and Jimin coo at the young man, who blushed and shoved at his hyungs shoulders.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered.” Seokjin grinned as he opened his blazer to show the inner pockets were stuffed full with snacks for his pregnant partner, who saw one of her favourite yoghurt bars and quickly stole it.

Taehyung snorted and stole a similar bar from another pocket, ignoring the hit to the arm he got in return.

“Right, let’s deal with this conference,” Namjoon clapped as he went into leader mode. “We’ve got a full day, and we know every question is going to be directed at Grace, so let’s deflect as much as we can because this is the last week the world is going to see her apart from two weeks time.”

Grace took another deep breath after finishing her bar and put her hand in the middle of the group, Seokjin’s on top of hers, followed by Jungkook. The rest followed naturally and turned to her as she smiled.

“Bang.”

“Tan!”

#bts 8th member #bts eighth member #bts additional member #bts female member #bangtanbaby #seokjin x oc #bts fanfiction #bts fic

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lathalea · 1 year ago

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The Shrieking Monster

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ This is a gift for @babe-bombadil as part of the @whiteoliphaunt 2023 exchange. ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ Happy New Year everyone! 🥳

Relationships: Thorin Oakenshield & Dis & little Fili & Kili Rating: G Warnings: family fluff Author's notes: A story set in the Blue Mountains about Thorin trying to be both a ruler and a good uncle at once. Young Fili and Kili are making it a tad difficult in their own cute way. Special thanks to @naryaflame for your linguistic help with a name :) If you prefer, you can read this fic on AO3.

Khuzdul: Thorinuldûm - Thorin’s Halls, the settlement of the refugees from the Lonely Mountain in the Blue Mountains Amad - mother

It was a perfect morning. Thorin stretched and yawned, settling himself on his favourite chair in the kitchen. The air that whiffed into the dwarven stronghold from the outside felt warm on his cheeks and smelled like spring. As he sipped his morning tea, that strong, aromatic blend Dori bought in Bree, his sister appeared at the threshold. She gave Thorin a bright smile and, seeing her steaming mug on the table, she sat next to him. The lazy silence of the early hours of the day was soon broken by the appearance of two dishevelled pebbles, one with a thatch of golden hair, the other – with his hair as brown as a bear’s fur in winter. After the mandatory morning hugs, Thorin readied breakfast while Dís prepared her sons for the day, humming to herself. Thorin could not stop himself from smiling. His sister was probably already thinking of her visit to the market. She adored going there in the morning, especially on the days when the merchants arrived with new goods – and today was one of those days. Thorin sighed. As much as he wanted her to have a very much needed moment of respite – his sister-sons were quite a handful, to put it mildly – he was painfully aware of what it was going to mean to him. Half a day of having his eyes around his head and his ears pricked up for any unusual noises they may create… or worse – the ominous silence. In the past, there was only a handful of moments when he and Dís realised that the boys went completely silent. It never bode well.

This day, however, started with the pitter-patter of the boys’ bare feet, chatter and laughter, and the clatter of their bowls as they ate their oatmeal. Dís reminded them to behave while she was gone, and left for the market. Fíli seemed very content about this state of things, knowing well by now that staying with his mother’s brother meant visiting various places in these halls, like forges, or assisting Thorin in other exciting ways. It was different with Kíli – his loud wails of protest at being so cruelly abandoned reverberated against the walls of their home. Thorin imagined they must have followed their mother through the corridors of Thorinuldûm for a long while. Her Little Bear, as Dís called him, was still too young to understand the connection between Mommy leaving, and the sudden appearance of candied rhubarb or his favourite cream toffees.

Distracting Kíli from his misery was not easy, but Thorin managed it by offering to take the boys for a new adventure. Their big blue eyes shone as he told them they would be going to the lower levels of the city together. It was a real treat – Kíli had never been there before and Fíli visited them only a handful of times.

Thorin had a mind to visit the Engineers’ Quarter and show the lads around while discussing some technical issues with one of the water engineers. And so they began their adventure. As they descended down the wide stone stairs Kíli stumbled and yawned, so Thorin decided to carry him the rest of the way. Soon Little Bear began snoring in his arms, and Thorin attempted to ignore the fact that his own tunic was becoming gradually soaked through with his nephew’s saliva. He also started suspecting that the moniker “Little Bear” must have surely come from the fact that Kíli seemed to weigh more and more with every step, like a true bear.

“At least he is not crying,” Thorin muttered to himself, and kept on walking. Thank Mahal for silver linings.

As they arrived at their destination, however, the situation got worse. The Engineers’ Quarter was a crowded place that smelled like tar, coal, and burned leather. Not minding the much larger adult dwarves in their soot-stained clothes who carried – or carted – their wares from one place to another, curious Fíli began rushing between them, oblivious of the chaos he was creating. He took a look at the wheelwright’s workshop here, and then he had to see the toolmaker’s booth there; he then insisted on seeing how parchment was being made, and attempted to find the place where they manufactured those shiny cogwheels. If not for his golden mane, Thorin would have lost his nephew at least a couple of times. Brór, the water engineer he had a meeting with, joined Thorin in the chase for the high-spirited boy. Instead of looking at the water supply pipeline blueprints and trying to fix a problem with water pressure, they ended up unwillingly playing a hide-and-run game to the delight of the onlookers. Seeing your own king running back and forth through the great cavern with one giggling pebble strapped to his chest while chasing after the other one must have been very amusing… for anyone but him, Thorin thought with resignation. His resignation grew even more when he noticed Fíli climbing onto a tall work table… and jumping down onto a heap of coal.

When Thorin finally caught the runaway, they were both out of breath. Although it was rather Fíli who caught his uncle – the boy ran into him and clung to his left leg as if a throng of orcs chased him.

Fíli raised his teary-eyed face to Thorin and sobbed out, “A monster wanted to eat meeee…”

“A monster? Here?” Thorin’s brow furrowed.

It took him a while to reassure Fíli that no monster was going to eat him. In turn, Thorin promised to get rid of the said monster that apparently lurked in a nearby chamber, and shrieked at him. He left his nephews in the care of Brór who tried to look solemn, but his twitching lips betrayed him. Thorin grunted and entered the chamber, carefully looking around, adjusting his eyes to the dark surroundings. And then he saw two glowing points of red. And heard the shrieking.

When Thorin returned to Brór, Kíli was fast asleep once again. Leaving Little Bear in the engineer’s care once again, he took Fíli’s hand and led him to the entrance of the dark chamber. When they opened the door, they both heard the continuous shrieking now. His nephew stopped and refused to walk inside, covering his ears and closing his eyes.

“There are no monsters here, Fíli.” Thorin reassured the boy. “See for yourself.”

“Nnoooo…” muttered Fíli, hiding behind his uncle.

“Do not be afraid,” Thorin added. “Nothing will hurt you here. I promise.”

On the bench by the door stood a lantern. It took him a moment to light it. With the lantern in hand, Thorin crossed the threshold and approached the nearest lantern that hung on the wall, and then another, and another. Soon, the whole chamber was bright as day, each lantern giving off a pleasant yellow glow.

“You can come in now,” Thorin smiled encouragingly.

With his ears covered and his eyes set on the shrieking, wobbling entity in the middle of the chamber, Fíli shook his head.

“This is not a monster.” Thorin stepped towards the huge bulbous shape that made so much noise. He placed his hand on the top of the strange shaking thing and added, “This is a washing barrel.”

Fíli blinked and took a good look at it. The two red glowing points did not look like a pair of evil eyes any longer. Those were two ball-shaped lanterns standing on top of the… thing. That shrieking noise now seemed to sound like a couple of cogwheels that needed a bit of oil, and not like a monster’s screech. And the arm that seemed to reach out to grab him before, turned out to be a cast iron lever.

“A… barrel?” Fíli looked at his uncle and took one uncertain step towards him and the strange contraption.

“Correct. A barrel that washes your clothes,” Thorin explained in an even voice and at the same moment the shrieking stopped. “Look, it has just finished the washing cycle. Let me show you how it works. First, you open this hatch, like so… Watch out for the water! These clothes are clean, they only need to be wrung out and dried.”

As he spoke, Fíli slowly started closing the distance between them, his eyes becoming wider and wider.

“... but if you want to wash your clothes,” Thorin continued, “you need to put them inside, here, and add some soap suds. Then you close the hatch, pour some water here, crank this lever a few times, do this, like so, and wait for the washing barrel to finish its work!”

Thorin kept on talking until Fíli seemed to be completely in awe of this new piece of machinery, his fear completely forgotten. He peppered his uncle with tons of questions: how many cogwheels were there, how many times one should crank the lever, what the barrel was made of… and so on, and so forth. When they left the chamber, there was a big smile on the boy’s lips instead of tears.

On their way back home Fíli exclaimed, “This was the bestest adventure ever!”

Thorin thought that sometimes being an uncle happened to be quite rewarding. Even if his tunic was still wet from Kíli’s sleepy drooling.

***

His attitude completely changed less than half an hour later, when his nephews disappeared. Both of them. At once.

Stumbling over several painfully angular wooden toys, Thorin searched the boys’ bedroom. Nothing. He even looked under their beds (twice!), but there was no sign of the boys anywhere. They weren't sitting in the common kitchen nor searching for snacks in the pantry. Nor in Dwalin’s rooms where Kíli liked to play hide-and-scare with the big warrior. There were nowhere to be found – not in the rocking chair by the fireplace, nor even in Balin’s study by that large desk where Fíli liked to play so often. Thorin closed his eyes. If he did not find his nephews before Dís returned from the market, his sister would have Thorin’s own head on a spike. The wrath of dwarf-women was ten times fiercer than the one of dwarf-men. In the case of his little sister, the number was much higher, at least a hundred times. And Thorin would do everything he could to avoid being on the receiving end of it.

There was no time to lose. He recruited Dwalin, Óin, and Halkatla, Balin’s wife, to the task of finding the boys, but they returned empty-handed. No one had seen the boys since their early lunch. Then, they were supposed to take a nap, and Thorin remembered their yawning as they closed the door to their bedroom behind him.

And now they were gone. Kidnapped? — No, impossible, Thorin thought. Dwarves cherished their children like the greatest treasures they were, and no one else was allowed into Thorinuldûm. There were no goblins nor other dangers here either. It felt as if the boys magically disappeared in a puff of smoke. Thorin looked around the wide corridor he stood in, but he found no traces of the missing boys.

“Have you checked all of their favourite places?” Halkatla asked, her red-and-silver braids clinking as she turned her head towards Óin.

“Aye, we did,” he nodded. “Not a sign of them.”

“Those wee rascals! I bet they are up to somethin’.” Dwalin said. “They remind me of us. Remember that time, Thorin, when we were around their age or so, and half of Erebor was lookin’ for us all day long?”

“It would be difficult to forget it,” Thorin admitted. “We wanted to avoid another boring lesson with our tutor…”

“...and instead we went to explore the mines! What a shame we lost our way,” Dwalin grinned and nudged him. “It was fun!”

“Aye, fun on an empty belly. If only you had not forgotten our food,” Thorin replied, relieved that his nephews had a proper meal at least.

“If only ye had not forgotten that map ye were supposed to borrow from your father’s desk,” Dwalin chuckled.

Before Thorin could form an adequate riposte, a mousy-haired dwarf approached him.

“M’lord, Master Brór says that the pipeline is fully functional again,” the messenger bowed.

Thorin gave him a nod of thanks. At least he brought a piece of good news. Master Brór was a skilled engineer, and the way he handled Thorin’s own sister-sons…

“Either way,” Dwalin continued, “we had a real adventure on that day, hadn’t we, Thorin?”

A thought appeared in Thorin’s mind. Master Brór. An adventure.

“There was one place where we have not searched yet,” he turned to his companions.

“I am listening,” Halkatla tilted her head, reminding him of a curious raven.

“The Engineers’ Quarters.”

***

Master Brór was more than happy to receive words of thanks from Thorin in person for fixing that pipeline issue once and for all. Despite Thorin’s hopes, he had not seen Fíli or Kíli since they left the Engineers’ Quarters with their uncle earlier that day. Dwalin muttered a curse under his breath.

“Well, that’s it. I’m goin’ to check the workshops,” the warrior said.

“I’ll take the ones on the left, you take the ones on the right,” Halkatla followed him.

“Let’s go,” Dwalin replied, his voice trailing off as he walked away. “And those wee cave bats would better be there or I swear…”

Master Brór addressed Thorin, “I will spread the word as you requested, my lord. Someone must have seen them, I am certain of it. They could not have simply disappeared.”

Thorin agreed with him and began his own search. The rocks could not have swallowed them whole! Magic was out of the question as well, there had to be a logical solution to this! Thoring pulled at his short beard in frustration. Wandering through the area and looking for any signs of his nephews in places they visited earlier that day, he wondered if Óin had any luck. The healer was waiting at their home in case Fíli and Kíli returned there on their own. Perhaps the three of them were already sitting by the fire, with Óin telling the boys countless amusing stories, while Thorin and his companions were checking every nook and cranny on the lower level, going out of their minds with worry. He raised his head, listening to a peculiar sound and trying to figure out its source. It sounded like… shrieking. It was not at all difficult to recall Fíli’s eyes shining with fear, awe, and then curiosity at the sight of the washing barrel.

Without thinking, Thorin turned his steps towards the chamber that housed the “monster” Fíli had been so afraid of not so long ago.

When Thorin arrived at his destination, the door was ajar. Thorin could hear the shrieking very well, but there were other sounds too. Very familiar sounds.

He took a deep breath and shouted, “Dwalin! I found them!”

***

When Thorin stepped inside the chamber, the sounds became even clearer. One of them he identified as uncontrollable giggling, and the other one, slightly muted, sounded like: “Woooo! Woooo! Wooooo! A carousel! Woooo! Faster, Fíli! Woooo!”

Thorin breathed out a sigh of relief only to be struck by a pang of dread a moment later.

Fíli stood by the washing barrel, cranking the lever, grinning from ear to ear, and laughing. Kíli was nowhere to be seen, but his enthusiastic shouts seemed to be coming from inside of the barrel. Inside, not outside. Thorin swallowed; he considered screaming in terror, but something told him that this was most definitely an example of behaviour unworthy of a king. It took him a moment to melt the ball of ice that was forming in his stomach. He closed the distance between him and the barrel in a blink of an eye.

Thank Mahal, the hatch was open. Inside, Kíli sat with his back against a wall of the large metal container inside the machine, surrounded by various articles of laundry, with a happy grin on his face, and a stray sock on top of his head. A wave of relief washed over Thorin.

“Uncle Thorin! Uncle Thorin!” Fíli exclaimed. “We’re playing carousel! Want to jump in?”

Thorin did not.

“It is time to return home, boys,” Thorin simply said, taking Kíli out of the barrel. His clothes were damp and he smelled like those violet flowers Dís liked so much, but other than that, he looked happy, and what’s more important, he was in one piece – just like his older brother.

“But uncle...” Fíli started.

“Your amad will be home soon. Do you not want to see what she bought at the market?”

“A sugar horse? She promised!” The boy recalled his favourite treat.

Holding Kíli firmly against his chest with one arm, Thorin held out his hand to Fíli.

“Let us go and see,” he said with a smile as his nephew’s tiny hand grabbed his.

There would yet be time for scolding and for a conversation about not sneaking out anywhere alone, but for now, the only thing that Thorin wanted was to safely bring his little rascals home.

He only hoped they would manage to reach their halls before Dís returned.

***

When Dís crossed the threshold of their home later in the afternoon, she was greeted by complete silence. Her sons were nowhere to be seen, which was very suspicious. They were always the first ones to run to her and see what she brought them this time. She expected Thorin to welcome her and help her unpack her basket, as usual — but he was not there either. Was this that ominous silence she dreaded so much whenever her boys were executing another of their silly mischiefs? Not really. It seemed as if their home was empty… until she heard a familiar sound coming from a nearby chamber. Dís put the basket on the floor and tiptoed deeper into their halls.

The picture that unfolded before her eyes was the last thing she had expected. Her brother was half sitting, half lying on the sofa, his legs stretched out in front of him, his head resting on the backrest, his eyes closed. Fíli was cuddled up to his uncle’s side, his hair tousled, making her think of a skein of golden yarn. Kíli lay on the opposite side of his uncle, his head resting on Thorin’s lap and turned towards her. He had his thumb in his mouth. Dís could clearly see the darker stain of drool on her brother’s trousers and stifled a giggle.

All three of them were asleep, of course. And all three of them were snoring in perfect unison. If she closed her eyes she could almost imagine that she had a working sawmill in front of her.

This scene was too adorable for Dís to interrupt it, so she decided that she would let her three boys sleep a little longer. There was no harm in a little nap, after all. Besides, she was tired, and there was still some space left on the sofa…As she drifted off to sleep beside them, her last conscious thought was: “Why do all three of them smell like my lavender laundry soap?”

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#WO2023!#thorin oakenshield #dís #lady Dís #fíli #Kíli #the hobbit #thorin #tolkien #lotr #fanfic #dis #fili and kili #the line of durin #fluff #thorin oakenshield fic #the hobbit thorin #hobbit fic #wo2023

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salamandergoo · 5 months ago

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STWG Prompt: Sports AU

Eddie Munson was keeping his Uncle Wayne company for the summer. That’s what his mama had told him, anyway. But he knew the real reason, had listened in when she was on the phone and heard her talking about how she was getting sicker and Eddie was getting “underfoot”. He didn’t think he liked that word, underfoot. He thought he was a mostly good kid, that he was helpful and bright and observant. Those were words that had been on some of his report cards, the ones he liked.

There were some he liked less. The ones that his mama called “rambunctious” and his daddy called “spirited”. That (to his face) his teachers would call “high energy” and “disruptive”. In the report cards, they’d say “forgetful” and “careless” and “hyperactive” (whatever that one meant).

The drive to Hawkins from the city had felt like forever, in the backseat listening to his daddy’s music and paging through a book even though staring at the words and looking out the windows made his tummy feel queasy. He didn’t know his Uncle Wayne very well. He knew that Wayne was his daddy’s big brother and that they got into a lot of fights. He knew Wayne used to drive big rigs across the country, but had settled in the town they’d grown up in when their dad, Eddie’s grandpa, got sick.

He remembered the last time Wayne had visited for Christmas, bringing Eddie some books from the secondhand store that looked practically new, that he’d been quiet. When Eddie had complained that putting together a new toy was too hard, he’d said that sometimes doing things the hard way was what had to be done, that he should do hard things if it was the right way. And Eddie had been able to tell that Wayne wasn’t really talking to him. His daddy had started yelling and Wayne had raised his voice too, and then mama shouted at both of them. And then it had been quiet until dinner time.

It had been a couple of years since then, and Eddie found himself excited to see Wayne again, despite the fight that still played in his mind sometimes. He was relieved to tumble out of the car around sunset, into the last rays of warm summer sun. His tummy settled pretty quickly and he was scooped into a tight hug by Wayne. It was a good reminder of something else about Wayne. He gave really great hugs.

Eddie kept a lid on his chattering long enough for Wayne to welcome them inside, show them around his trailer, and get them all a drink. He had a small collection of mugs in one cabinet and Eddie was fascinated immediately. He stood on his toes to see the ones on the higher shelf until Wayne pointed out his hats and Eddie’s attention was taken by them. Wayne said he had one from almost every state.

“Even Hawaii?”

Wayne chuckled and ruffled his hair. “Hawaii wasn’t a state when I was your age. Maybe I’ll go someday and get a new hat.”

“Cool.” Eddie gave him a toothy smile, showing off that he had all his adult teeth now. Last time he’d seen Wayne, he’d still had gaps in his smile. The last one had grown in just a few months before.

Wayne gave him a mug of water with ice cubes floating in it and sent him to the couch to sit by his mama. He knew what that meant. Wayne and his daddy were going to have a grown up conversation and pretend he couldn’t hear them. He was good at pretending not to hear, so he sipped his water and his mama told him about Hawkins.

It was supposed to be safer than their neighborhood on the edge of the city, there would be more kids to play with and more places to run around. And there was a library, she said she was sure Wayne would let him use his library card.

Eddie paid close attention. He wasn’t looking forward to being away from his mama and daddy. He loved them a lot and knew they loved him too. But he understood that mama was sick. She was always so tired now, Eddie sometimes had to take care of her on the really bad days. There were a lot more of those than there used to be.

Eddie leaned against her, letting her pull him in close like she did before bed sometimes. She sang to him, and he knew in the back of his mind that they were the same songs that were on their favorite records, but when she sang them, they were different, they were her songs that she sang for him. He didn’t think anyone else could sing them right.

She sang until the shouting from behind them stopped, and then she sang a little longer. When his daddy and Wayne came over to them, she squeezed Eddie just a little tighter and kissed his hair. “You behave for your Uncle Wayne, you hear me? I don’t want to hear about any bad behavior when we come get you at the end of summer.”

He hugged her tight. “My best behavior,” he promised. He meant it this time, didn’t just kind of mean it like he usually did. He was a mostly good kid, he’d be on his real best behavior. His daddy scooped him up next, picking him up like he was littler than he was, even if it made him groan. “Hey! Put me down!”

“Listen here, Hurricane Eddie.” Eddie’s daddy held him upside down, making him shriek with giggles. “You give Wayne a hard time and he’s gonna make you sleep outside with the bears and the coyotes.”

“No! I’ll be good!”

“That’s right.” He was holding Eddie around the waist and Eddie flailed, giggling still. “You’re gonna listen and not make him repeat himself, you’re gonna clean up after yourself, and you’re gonna stay out of his hair when he tells you to.”

“I promise!” Eddie held out his arms and caught himself when his daddy finally let him go.

“Now give me a proper hug, boy.”

Eddie sprung to his feet and threw his arms around his daddy. “You’re not gonna forget me at the end of summer?”

“Couldn’t forget you if I wanted to.” Eddie’s daddy leaned down, his mouth against the top of Eddie’s head. “And I wouldn’t want to. Be a good boy. We’ll see you in a few months.”

Eddie didn’t cry as his parents left, but he sniffled a little bit and didn’t shy away from a hand on his shoulder as Wayne pulled him in a little closer on the porch. “How old are you now, Ed?” Wayne asked.

Eddie wiped his nose with the back of his hand. “10.”

“10.” Wayne whistled. “Time is flying by. You hungry?”

“Yeah.”

“My good friend Benny’s got the best diner in town. You like cheeseburgers?”

“They’re my favorite!”

“That’s what I like to hear.”

Eddie was on his best behavior for the first couple of days, just like he’d promised. But Wayne was at work during the day, he’d told Eddie that he usually worked at nighttime, but changed his shifts so he’d be around more. But it felt like Wayne was always at work.

Eddie got bored of the tv before the first day was over. Wayne didn’t have many books to flip through, though the automotive magazines were a little neat to look at. He’d told Eddie not to wander too far, so he didn’t go far enough into the woods to find anything interesting. The other kids at the trailer park were either a little too old to want to play or too young to keep up with Eddie.

So by the end of the week, he was going what his mama called “stir crazy”. “There’s nothing to do here,” he complained over a bowl of canned chili. “I keep getting yelled at for running. Even when I’m outside!”

Wayne chuckled and tried to hide it behind a bite of chili, but Eddie saw through it and glared. “You wanna run around, is that right? I heard one of the guys at the plant talking about some summer programs. Sounds like it’ll be for kids around your age.”

“Really?” Eddie perked up. “My age? Not little babies?”

“Not little babies. Why don’t we take a drive after dinner, see if we can’t find out more? We’ll find you somewhere you can run around all you need to, get you a little extra supervision so you don’t get lost.” Wayne sipped from his mug.

“That’s why you don’t want me going far?”

“Mhm. Kid gets lost in these woods, who knows how long it would take to find them.”

“I’m tall!”

Wayne let out a surprised laugh at that. “Is that right?”

Eddie nodded. “I’m tall! If I got lost, you’d find me!”

“Son, if Benny got lost in these woods he’d be hard to find.”

“Oh.” Eddie frowned. He didn’t like the idea of being lost in the woods. He twisted to look out the window, staring out at the treeline and imagining wandering without knowing where he was. Not being able to get back to Wayne. To his daddy and mama. Being scared and feeling tiny. “I won’t get lost.”

“That’s all I ask.”

They went on their drive around town and Eddie watched out the window with rapt attention so he could memorize the town. Summer breeze blew in his face through the cranked down windows, knocking his curls around. Hawkins was nice, it was quiet but alive and Wayne seemed to know everything about it.

Wayne had the next day off work, so they went to a local park on the other side of Hawkins. Eddie kept his eyes narrowed as he kept a running list in his head of street names. He was going to know Hawkins like the back of his own hand by the end of the summer. After all, he was getting along great with Wayne! He'd probably want to come visit again sometime.

The park was smaller than Eddie was expecting, just a playground, a basketball court, and a baseball diamond in a clearing between trees. There were so many trees in Hawkins, everything was just completely surrounded by them. He didn't hold Wayne's hand when they got out of the truck, but he walked close to him. On the basketball court, there were several kids and their families and Eddie was immediately unsure of how to fit in.

He'd never been... great at making friends. It felt like he didn't know how, like there had been a book on making friends that he'd never read, or rules he hadn't learned. He glanced up at Wayne, who gave him a nudge between the shoulder blades. "Go mingle, Ed. You'll be seeing these kids a couple times a week, get to know them."

Eddie braced himself with a nod, but still hesitated just a moment. Then he broke away from Wayne and squared his shoulders like his daddy had taught him. If he looked confident and acted confident, he would feel confident too. So he marched right up to a boy with a gap toothed smile and freckles all over his face. "Hi."

The boy looked at him curiously for a long moment. "Hi. I'm Tommy, I haven't seen you around before."

"I don't live here. I'm only here for the summer, my uncle thinks I need to run around more."

"Do you like basketball?"

Eddie shrugged. "I've never played it. I only really play games in gym class at school, I like reading and drawing more."

"It's a lot of fun! I'm really good at it." Tommy looked around before waving a hand in the air. "Stevie! Carrie! C'mere!"

A boy and a girl had been playing in the grass, the girl tearing up handfuls and shoving them in the boy's face, and they looked up when Tommy yelled for them. The girl shoved the boy's head down and cackled when he struggled to get up. She brushed grass off her shirt and hurried over to them with a wide grin. "Who's this?"

Tommy looked at Eddie expectantly and he straightened his back again, though he'd already been standing up pretty straight. "Eddie. Munson."

"Eddie Munson, I'm Carol Perkins. And that's Steve Harrington. He was my friend first, don't listen to Tommy."

Eddie giggled a little, watching as Steve came running over and tackled Tommy to the ground. Tommy shrieked and Eddie and Carol watched them roll around in the grass. She looked at him and shrugged. "They do this all the time, Steve never wins. But Tommy never beats me."

"Steve looks taller."

"Yeah, but he doesn't like hurting anyone and Tommy plays dirty." She gestured as Tommy sat on Steve and rubbed torn up grass and clovers against his face. "See?"

Eddie nodded. "Can't fight dirty like that against a dragon, though."

Steve sputtered and sat up, pushing Tommy off. "A dragon?"

"Mhm. Gotta fight them with honor and integrity!"

"What's that?"

"Integrity? It's like- it's like honor. Being honest and true and noble."

"Cool." Steve stood up and shook grass out of his hair. "Are you good at basketball? You're really tall, you should be on our team!"

"I've never played, but Tommy said he's really good too."

Carol scoffed. "He's just okay. You'll pick it up quick. You can't carry the ball and you have to keep bouncing it when you run. Oh! And you can't touch anyone when they have a ball."

Steve nodded, expression serious. "That's a fowl and it lets the other guy shoot the ball without anyone trying to stop him. Twice!"

"That's a lot of rules." Eddie felt his nose scrunch a little. "But that makes it harder, doesn't it?"

Tommy shrugged and shoved his shoulder against Steve's. "Yeah, I guess. If it was easy, though, it wouldn't be fun."

They all looked up when a man blew a loud whistle and gestured for all the kids to gather around. "That's my dad, he's running everything." Carol put her hands on her hips as they went over to him. "So I know where he put all the snacks."

"There are snacks? No one told me there would be snacks." Basketball was starting to sound just a little bit more interesting to Eddie. Maybe he'd have to stick with these kids, they definitely seemed nice enough!

#stwgdailyprompt #eddie munson #wayne munson #steve harrington #tommy hagan #carol perkins #stranger things

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gs29 · 4 months ago

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Family Bonds

Kim Geon Woo Masterlist

The gentle hum of the city outside was muffled by the thick curtains, and inside, the air was warm with the comforting scent of freshly brewed coffee. Kim Geon Woo was sitting on the couch, cradling his newborn son, the tiny baby swaddled in a soft blanket. His gaze was full of admiration as he looked down at the little face, barely more than a bundle of warmth in his arms. A proud, contented smile tugged at his lips.

You sat beside him, your heart feeling as though it might burst with love. Your eyes were on the same baby, your tiny little miracle, and the world outside felt a million miles away. This moment, this tiny life you had created together, was everything. And soon, both Geon Woo's family and yours would be here to meet him for the first time.

"Are you sure you’re okay?" Geon Woo asked softly, his voice carrying that familiar tone of concern, even as he gazed down at his son.

You chuckled, resting your head on his shoulder. "I’m more than okay. Just… a little nervous, I guess."

Geon Woo turned his head slightly to give you a reassuring smile. "It’s okay to be nervous. We’ve waited a long time for this, haven’t we?"

You nodded, your fingers brushing lightly against his. "But it's perfect. Just the way it should be."

Before you could say anything else, a soft knock echoed through the apartment, making both of you jump in surprise. You exchanged a look, and Geon Woo's expression softened.

"It’s time," he said, almost to himself.

You rose from the couch, smoothing your clothes down as your heart fluttered in anticipation. You’d been waiting for this moment for months, and now that it was finally here, you couldn’t believe how quickly the time had passed.

You opened the door to reveal Geon Woo’s mother and his best friend, Woo-Jin, standing on the threshold, each holding small gifts in their hands. Woo-Jin's wide grin was impossible to miss, and Geon Woo's mother was practically glowing with excitement, her eyes already trained on the baby in your arms.

"Ah, there you are!" Woo-Jin said, his voice light and full of warmth. He took a step forward, practically bouncing on his feet. "We’ve been waiting to meet the little guy!"

Geon Woo’s mother, holding a beautifully wrapped blanket, stepped closer and immediately her eyes softened as she saw her son holding his child for the first time. "My little boy," she whispered, her voice trembling as she reached out toward the baby. "Can I hold him?"

With a gentle nod, Geon Woo rose to his feet, slowly handing the baby over to his mother. The second she held him in her arms, her entire demeanor softened. She gazed down at her grandson, her eyes misting over with tears.

"He’s perfect," she whispered, her voice filled with awe and emotion. "Just like you were when you were his age. So tiny and precious."

You watched the exchange, your heart swelling with tenderness. There was something so beautiful about seeing the two people who had shaped Geon Woo’s life now holding your little one. It felt like your family had truly come together.

"Mom," Geon Woo said softly, his voice full of love as he stood beside her, looking down at the baby she was holding. "He’s our world now."

You smiled, stepping closer and placing your hand on his arm, feeling the depth of the moment settle in. This was your family. The people who would love and protect this little one just as much as you and Geon Woo would.

Woo-Jin, standing at a comfortable distance, grinned, but there was a tenderness in his expression too. He shuffled awkwardly on his feet. "So, uh, when do I get my turn?" he joked, though you could see the genuine excitement behind his teasing words. "I’m basically the uncle here, right?"

Geon Woo chuckled, nudging him lightly with his elbow. "You’re not just the uncle, you’re like a big brother. I’m sure you’ll spoil him just as much as Mom will."

Geon Woo’s mom smiled, passing the baby over to Woo-Jin with a knowing look. "You’re lucky you’re not the one carrying him home after this."

Woo-Jin carefully took the baby in his arms, his face lighting up with an almost childlike wonder. "Whoa. He's smaller than I thought he’d be." He adjusted the baby in his arms carefully, his hands big but gentle, and as he looked down at the tiny face, a soft smile spread across his face. "Hey, buddy, you’re going to have a lot of fun with me around. I’ve got the best stories to tell."

You couldn’t help but laugh softly at Woo-Jin’s antics. He was already completely smitten with your son, his every word a promise of love and protection. You could see how much he genuinely cared, even in his joking manner. This little one was going to have a lot of good people looking out for him, you thought, your heart full as you watched the exchange.

"Careful now, Woo-Jin," Geon Woo teased from behind you, his voice warm but with a playful edge. "Remember, you’re holding my son, not a football."

Woo-Jin, ever the drama king, exaggerated his movement to carefully adjust the baby. "Don’t worry, I’m a professional!" He then shot a wink at you and Geon Woo. "Look at him, though. He’s so calm. He’s clearly got the best genes."

You rolled your eyes with a smile, walking over to Woo-Jin to take a closer look at the baby in his arms. You couldn’t help but feel a little protective. Even though you knew he’d never drop him, the thought of anyone else holding your child for too long made your heart race.

"Alright, my turn," you said, gently reaching out. Woo-Jin passed the baby to you without protest, still grinning widely.

You cradled the little one in your arms, feeling his warmth seep into your skin, and for a moment, the room fell silent. Everyone gathered around, watching you and Geon Woo as you stood together with your son, who was now surrounded by the love and affection of family. You felt so full, so completely enveloped by the life you had built together.

Geon Woo stepped closer, resting his hand on your shoulder as you held the baby. His fingers brushed over the soft tufts of hair on the baby’s head. "You’re doing great," he whispered to you, his voice low but filled with tenderness.

You met his gaze, and for a moment, everything else faded. It was just the two of you, the warmth of the moment, and the little life you had brought into the world. "We’re doing this together," you said quietly, as though sealing the promise you’d made to each other long ago.

Geon Woo smiled softly, his eyes full of gratitude. "I’m so glad it’s with you."

The room, full of so much love and joy, seemed to pulse with energy. Woo-Jin was already making playful faces at the baby, making soft "cooing" noises to get him to react, while Geon Woo’s mother stood close, wiping her eyes. You could see the pride and emotion in her face, her hands folded over her heart as she watched you, Geon Woo, and the baby together.

"You’ve made me so happy," she said, her voice breaking slightly. "Seeing this—seeing you with him—it fills my heart." She stepped closer, her hands gently resting on the baby’s tiny feet. "He’ll grow up knowing just how much he’s loved."

You smiled at her, the words feeling so true, and your heart swelled even further. "We’ll make sure of it," you said, your voice thick with emotion.

You then passed the baby to Geon Woo, who carefully adjusted him in his arms. He let out a little sigh, his expression softening as he gazed down at their son. "You know, I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time," he said quietly, his voice rich with affection. "But I never imagined how much it would change me. He’s perfect, just like you."

You watched him, your heart swelling in your chest, as he cradled their baby so carefully, as though the tiny person in his arms was the most precious thing in the world. And, in a way, he was. This little one was a piece of both of you—a symbol of the love you had fought for, the challenges you had overcome, and the new chapter that had begun.

Woo-Jin, sensing the shift in the air, took a step back and lowered his voice. "You guys are killing me with the sweetness here," he teased, though his eyes were brimming with affection. "I’m not crying, you are."

Geon Woo chuckled softly, his gaze not leaving the baby. "Don’t worry, you’ll get your turn. He’s going to need a lot of uncles."

"Good, because I’m already planning on spoiling him rotten," Woo-Jin grinned, but there was a genuine softness in his eyes that you knew wasn’t just for show. He was already smitten with the little one.

Geon Woo’s mother laughed gently, wiping away a tear. "It’s not just about spoiling him. It’s about teaching him, guiding him. He’s going to grow up surrounded by love, and I’ll make sure of it."

You nodded in agreement, smiling as your baby let out a soft, sleepy sigh. It was a sound so gentle, so peaceful, that it made you want to hold him even closer, if that was even possible.

"Are you sure we can’t keep him like this forever?" Geon Woo whispered, his voice soft, almost wistful, as he glanced at you. "I don’t want to ever let go."

You chuckled, reaching out to place a hand over his. "I think he’d grow up pretty quickly if we kept him this tiny forever."

"Maybe," he smiled, his eyes never leaving the baby. "But I’m going to cherish every second of this. Every little milestone. I’ll never take any of it for granted."

You leaned into him, your heart full of love and gratitude. This—this moment right here—was everything. The joy of new life, the warmth of family, the bond between you and Geon Woo that had only grown stronger through the trials you’d faced.

And as the hours passed, with laughter, stories, and soft moments shared between friends and family, you knew this was the beginning of something beautiful. Your son was going to grow up surrounded by love—by all of you—and that was all you could ever ask for.

As you and Geon Woo stood there, holding your baby, with Woo-Jin and his mom standing close by, you couldn’t help but think how lucky you all were. This was the start of a beautiful journey, and you were ready to embrace it together, one step at a time.

#bloodhounds x oc #bloodhounds x reader #bloodhounds #kim geon woo x wife reader #kim geon woo x reader #kim geon woo #woo dohwan #dad!#dad!kim geon woo #dad!kim geon woo x reader

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loupy-mongoose · 2 years ago

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PREVIOUS NEXT

ARC START | CHRONO

(Banished to the long dimension lol)

~~~~~~

The two felines teleported into the mountains northeast of Lavender Town.

Akoya looked around for a moment, before pointing happily. Ah! There! Smiling, Lav followed her mother as she floated over to a crevasse in the cliff wall.

She was startled to find the entry blocked by a green bubble.

As soon as she noticed it, however, it burst.

Sisiiiiiii!!!!

Suddenly she was charged by a tiny, peach-colored pompom.

In her astonishment, Lav did a backwards flip in the air, propelled by the unexpected force. Hahaha ha ha ha ha! Momo! Hey, Lil Sis! She ruffled the little Mew's head, sending them both into a giggling fit.

Sisiii!

Lav looked toward to cave entrance to see Midas crouched there, staying away from the edge but watching her longingly. Persim hovered protectively close, watching his little nephew carefully. Akoya approached the two and scooped Midas up. Lav felt a pang as she realized how big he had gotten. It's a good thing Momo can fly now.

The small collection of Mews gathered into the cave, which was barely big enough to fit their biggest member comfortably.

Before he could say anything, Lav managed to snatch her uncle up in a hug.

Hhgh!?

Sorry, Uncle Perzi. I know you're not really into hugs. But I'm so happy to see you!

I-It's fine! Just this once, for you, Lavvy. His voice was strained as he fought the urge to teleport away.

Soon Lav released him, and noticed Midas looking up at her with big, pleading eyes.

Instead of hugging him, she crouched down and wrapped her tail and arms around him. Hi, Midas. It's good to see you, too!

The little Mew gave her a lick on the cheek, startling Lav and melting her heart. She pulled him into a gentle squeeze, being careful to not overwhelm him.

Beside her, little Rosemary poked her face out of her daddy's pelt. Mee?

Hello, Rosie~! Lav carefully held her finger toward her. The little red Mew dabbed it with her nose before disappearing back into her orange shelter.

Persim flicked his fluff-tipped tail, a concerned frown on his face. Where's Randy?

Akoya settled into a crouch, tucking her arms under he chest. He went for a walk with our unexpected host. Something came up, and he's... having a rough time right now.

Oh...

We thought we'd come check in while he's gone.

We're doing alright. Aren't we, Kiddos?

Momo and Midas stared blankly at him.

...Okay, so the kits have been a bit bored.

Akoya looked at her two Mew children. Midas was contently loafing beside Lav's face, while Momo was pawing a pebble around on the floor.

Her ear flicked thoughtfully. Hmmmm....

What's up, Mom?

Akoya turned to Lav. Maybe we could bring them to Fuji's place?

Persim tilted his head. Fuji? Is that that "host" you mentioned? Is... is it a human?

Lav sat up, earning a protesting Mah! from her brother.

Yes. She ignored Persim's horrified glare. He feels like a good man to me, and we already showed him that we're Mews. So that's one hurdle out of the way.

He takes care of hurt and mistreated Pokemon. So I'm sure he'd have the twins' best interests at heart. He'd love them!

Seeing Perzi's still uncertain face, Akoya went on. I'll talk to Randy about it first, of course. If he doesn't think that's what's best, I'll listen. But I think they'll be safer there than here.

You don't have to come with us, if we do. But I trust Mr. Fuji. I trust we'll all be safe there.

Persim still looked uncertain, but didn't argue. Well, you've met him, and both seem to agree. So who am I to say otherwise? Just... be careful.

We will.

The Mews settled around the cave, just chilling and chatting, or attempting to curb Momo's excitement.

As Lav waggled her finger for the little puffball to to follow and catch, Akoya turned to her.

Lav, has Nico mentioned Mo to you?

Lav thought for a moment, caught off guard by the question. She jolted when Momo bit into her finger. Ouch, gentle mouth, Momo.

Sowwy, Sisi.

Lav smiled and gave Momo an accepting head ruffle before turning to her mom. No, he hasn't. He didn't get to know Mo. He's told me that he remembers seeing his parent Mew float away, and that's all he knows.

Ah. Okay.

Lav didn't say the continuation of her thought; that Nico seemed to feel his parent--Mo-- abandoned him.

She drifted into her own thoughts as Akoya and Persim engaged in their own conversation. Thinking about how her dad was doing. Thinking about how she should go about approaching him.

Thinking about how she should approach Nico.

Lavender?

Lav hopped onto her hands and feet, her eyes wide and pelt standing on end. She scanned the cave wildly.

Lav? You okay, Hon?

The pale Mewtwo shook herself, attempting to flatten her telltale fur. I-I'm fine. Just one of those... falling asleep nightmares, y'know? She turned toward the cave entrance. I'm gonna go get some air.

Lav ignored the doubtful look on her mom's face as she walked out. Once certain that she wasn't followed, she sat down and took a few stabilizing breaths.

When she was calmed down, she carefully reached out, keeping out of her family's mindfields.

Nico?

His response was immediate. Lavender!

Lav smiled. Nico! Jeez, you scared me! It sounded like you were right next to me!

Sorry!

...

You made it to Kanto, didn't you?

Lav struggled to not react to the statement, afraid that one of the Mews would notice.

How did you know?

...

Our connection is stronger...

Lav felt a strange thrill rush through her body.

So you must be closer to me.

Y... You're in Kanto?

Yes...

Lavender took a moment to control her feelings, and the energy they might be giving out.

...We could meet...

We could actually meet. In person.

If...

If my family would be okay with it...

Are they with you?

Yeah... They caught up really quickly... Impressively so, really.

Good.

Lav flicked an ear in annoyance. "Good"?

I'm glad they followed you. I told you from the beginning that coming on your own was risky.

Lav sighed quietly. Yeah, you did. Despite her best efforts, her ears fell back in guilt. And it ended up being for nothing anyway.

What do you mean?

I came alone to keep my family from getting hurt, but my dad's still the one suffering from this...

She stopped to consider how much she should tell him.

I... I don't want to tell you too much right now, okay? I already feel like I betrayed my dad's trust, and I don't want to do it any more. I want to talk some stuff out with him first.

I understand.

You're a sweet girl, Lav. Considering your family's needs.

Be patient, okay? I'm sure we'll meet someday, but I would rather have it be on good terms. With everyone involved.

Lavender smiled. ...Yeah... I agree...

We'll talk later, Nico. I hope we can meet soon...

I hope so too, Lav. Talk to you later.

Akoya floated over to her Mewtwo daughter in the cave entrance. She purred to make herself known, causing Lav to turn her way.

She nuzzled Lav's face before speaking quietly. You were talking to Nico, weren't you?

The 'two's tail flicked. H-How'd you know?

Akoya ignored the words of the question, and decided to focus on the feelings behind them.

You don't need to be shy about connecting with him, Hon. So far we really don't have any reason to say you shouldn't... She thought for a moment. Well, aside from you thinking what you know about him would make your dad more afraid than he already is.

Lavender's ears fell back as the words from her note were spoken to her.

Akoya's face grew serious. ...Lav, tell me the truth. Is there anything your dad and I should be afraid of about Nico?

Lav took a second to form the words. Once she was ready, she looked steadily into her mom's eyes.

As he is now, no. I don't think so.

But as he was...

Akoya raised an eyebrow at the hesitation, urging her to go on.

He was made to be a weapon... and... for a while, he lived it... He killed Pokemon and people...

But he changed. He's not like that anymore. Fuji helped him learn what kindness was, and Jovie helped him practice it.

He regrets what he did in the past.

The blue Mew kept her face even as Lavender spoke to her. Her thoughts tumbled in her mind as the little Mewtwo watched her expectantly.

After a while, Akoya sighed and shook her head lightly. I don't think your dad or I will ever have a clear picture of him until we talk to him ourselves.

All I can do for now is take your word for it, Lav. But if you start keeping vital information from us... We may have to put a stop to you connecting with him.

Lavender gave a solemn nod. I understand, Mom. I promise, I'll bring everything to you guys as soon as I can from now on. And I won't tell Nico anything until I get the okay!

Akoya smiled lightly, though her eyes were still thoughtful. She hovered over and gave Lav a kiss on the forehead.

We don't want to control you, though... We know you're your own person, and can make your own decisions... We just want to make sure you know how to make them safely...

I know, Mom. She gently butted her head against Akoya's with a warm smile of her own. I love you.

I love you too, Lav.

The blue Mew floated back from Lav a little bit.

I'm going to check on your dad. I'll be back soon~

Mom, wait.

She stopped and glanced back.

There's one more thing about Nico, that I just learned...

He's in Kanto.

~~~~~~

PREVIOUS NEXT

ARC START | CHRONO

I never had them talk about it on screen, but Lav did tell Nico that she was planning on coming by herself.

#Linden Roots #writing #BLH #By Lavender's Hand #babbies #mite

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shakespeareanwannabe · 1 year ago

Text

As You Wish, Chapter 9

Summary: When arriving at Camp Silver Star, Abby Floyd was anticipating a summer of adventure with an ocean separating her from the three people she loved most: her mom, her Uncle Bob and her Aunt Natasha. But after a run in with Charlie Seresin, an extremely familiar looking and irritating camper in a different cabin, her summer plans take a turn that neither girl ever could have expected.

Trigger Warnings: reader's children are described as being blond with green eyes because genetics are wild and Jake's genes are strong, reader is canonically Bob's sister (but biological relation is never discussed), reader goes by Buttercup and is tattooed, poor military references, references to cancer and chemotherapy, cursing, preteen shenanigans, anxiety

32nd Street Naval Station, 13 years ago

Jake’s gulp was the only movement he made as he lined up amongst the other aviators and sailors, on solid ground again for the first time in six months. It was sweltering hot in San Diego and even the lightweight material of his khaki uniform did nothing to prevent the sweat from dripping down his neck. All he wanted was to get changed into some shorts and a t-shirt and grab a beer at the Hard Deck, knowing he would be reuniting with the other members of Dagger Squad after half a year away.

He, Javy, Bob and Phoenix had been deployed together, thank god, but he was anxious to see everyone else, a thought that would have rocked him back on his heels even a year ago. He still wasn’t known as the greatest team player they had, but he had surprised even himself when he had bonded with the other aviators he was stationed at Top Gun with. Payback’s wife had been expecting when they left, Fanboy’s mom going through chemo, while Rooster was left to run training simulations with Maverick, and Jake wanted to hear about all of it.

Yet, he was left standing in formation as those around him started to disperse, their family members and friends tapping them out. Jake allowed himself a little sigh as he saw people searching left and right for their loved ones. Once upon a time, his parents would have made the journey out to release him from his duties, but they were older and more hesitant to fly now. He knew his grandfather would have made the trip from Texas, but he hadn’t even mentioned it to the man. Jake straightened his shoulders. Hopefully, Javy’s mama had made the trip. Auntie Thea loved Jake almost as much as he loved her, and he knew that she would tap him out if she saw him standing there.

His shoulders almost drooped when Stella, the tattoo artist Javy had been seeing for a few weeks before deployment, approached and nearly tackled his best friend. Shit. There went that plan. Natasha’s sister had already tapped her out, the two of them smiling back at him teasingly as they strolled away, leaving Jake and Bob standing there amongst the other crewmen who hadn’t been found by their loved ones. While it wasn’t necessarily a big deal, and while he knew that Nat would feel like shit and apologize if she found out he was the last one standing there on the tarmac, a heavy weight settled over his heart. There was nothing more disheartening than to realize you had nobody to welcome you home after six months at sea.

“Bobby!”

Jake almost winced. Even shy, quiet Bob Floyd had someone there who cared about him. He watched out of the corner of his eye as the woman—the beautiful woman, too beautiful for Baby On Board Floyd to be able to pull—hugged the WSO tightly, officially releasing him from his duties.

“Hey kiddo,” he heard Bob say softly, hugging the woman gently. “How’ve you been?”

“Excited to have finally finished my masters,” she shrugged. “And looking forward to getting to spend some time with my big brother before diving into the post-grad job search. So, how was it? I know you can’t tell me much, but how was it?”

Bob chuckled softly. “Let’s just say, I’m glad to be home.”

“I’m glad you’re back too,” she replied, giving him a slight nudge as he bent to pick up his gear. “So, what’s the plan for tonight?”

“I think the squad is planning on getting drinks tonight at the Hard Deck,” he offered as he shuffled his bag onto his shoulder. “They’re probably already there. Well, most of them, anyway.”

“Why most of them?” she asked as they slowly started to walk away. “Did some of your other friends get deployed too?”

Bob shook his head as they passed in front of Jake, lowering his voice. “I don’t think so. Some of us are still waiting to get tapped out, though.” Bob shot Jake an apologetic glance, and his friend followed his gaze.

“Is he one of your friends?” she asked quietly. Jake’s eyes strained against the sunlight as he stared dead ahead, trying to look as nonchalant as possible as the tarmac grew more and more empty.

“I guess you could say that,” Bob murmured. “That’s Hangman.”

“Ohhh…” Jake could almost imagine the dawning of realization on the woman’s face as she remembered the less than flattering stories Bob had undoubtedly shared with her. “I’ll be right back.”

Jake blinked as the woman appeared right in front of him, smiling softly. “Do you not have anyone to tap you out, Hangman?” she asked quietly, eyes soft and bright. Jake couldn’t bring himself to look away. “Oh right, you’re not supposed to break formation or talk or anything until you’re tapped out, right?” She placed a warm hand on Jake’s shoulder, and he allowed himself to relax. “There. That’s better.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” he murmured, bending to grab his bag.

Bob stepped closer. “Hangman, this is my sister.”

She rolled her eyes and offered him her hand, stating her name with a smile. “I’m pretty sure introducing me as his sister was supposed to be some sort of warning for you not to mess with me,” she whispered slyly to him, sticking her tongue out at her brother as he sighed.

“I would never, ma’am,” he smirked over at Bob and lowered his head over her hand, kissing the warm, silky skin softly.

“I already regret everything,” Bob muttered as the three started walking towards the parking lot.

She grinned at him, and Jake felt something inside himself stir. It wasn’t often that the mere sight of a pretty smile gave him that feeling in his chest, but something about Bob Floyd’s sister smiling at him made his heart feel like he had just run back-to-back marathons.

“So, Hangman, do you have a ride to this Hard Deck place?” she asked as they approached a rental convertible.

He found himself smiling back at her. Not his signature smirk or his flirty grin, but an actual Seresin Smile. “No, ma’am, I don’t. And please, call me Jake.”

“Jake…” the sound of his name on her lips made something in his brain short out, and he found himself wanting to get to know everything he could about this woman beside him.

The dopey smile on his face must have given him away because Bob groaned again. “I really regret everything.”

Hotel Zaza, Downtown Austin, Texas, Now

The days after their Zoom call had been hectic, to say the least. Bob had been able to coordinate flights that would put them in Austin Friday night, so they could be ready for their meeting on Saturday afternoon. Rooster had kept in contact with Natasha and given her the name of the hotel that Savannah had insisted they stay at, because it was her number one choice for a wedding venue. Buttercup’s agent had been able to get them adjoining rooms in the hotel, pulling the ‘fairly famous and well-off author’ card when the hotel had balked at the last-minute reservation.

Charlie was immensely grateful for her aunt and uncle organizing their trip, because she had spent the days between the call and the flight getting to know her mother, as Charlie this time, not as Abby. It was even more wonderful than getting to know her the first time, and she felt a bit silly about her fears that her mother wouldn’t love her if she wasn’t Abby. If anything, Buttercup’s adoration for her had only grown once Charlie had started acting more like herself. They had spent the whole flight to Texas chatting and giggling, watching old movies and sharing stories about their lives. By the time they disembarked in Texas, Charlie felt even closer to her mother than she had before.

Now, however, she was seeing a brand-new side to her mother, one that she wasn’t even sure Abby had seen before.

Buttercup’s hands were folded tightly under her chin as she surveyed the contents of her suitcase, her weight was shifting back and forth, and her breath was coming in short gasps.

“I-I don’t see why it matters what I wear, Nat,” she murmured, her wide eyes scanning over the clothes that had been neatly tucked into her rose gold case. “It’s just my ex-husband, his new fiancée, and my daughter.”

“Because it’s your ex-husband,” Nat replied with an eye roll. “Pull a Princess Di and revenge dress the shit out of him!”

“Language,” Buttercup murmured, though there was no real heat behind the warning. “It doesn’t matter anyway, Nat.”

“Then why’re you shaking in your boots?”

Buttercup backed up and slumped into one of the armchairs in the suite. The room was sheer opulence, large and clean and beautiful in a way that Charlie had never seen before. She had to hand it to her, Savannah sure knew how to pick her potential venues.

“Because I haven’t seen him for over a decade and he stopped answering my calls about the custody arrangement and now he’s getting married to someone who is arguably way too young for him and here I am, still single and unable to recognize that our daughters swapped places!”

Natasha sighed, but Charlie stepped in front of her mother before her aunt could say anything. “It’s going to be okay, mom,” she said. “Abby and I will be there, and so will Uncle Bob and Auntie Nat, and Uncle Roo and Uncle Javy.”

Buttercup chuckled tearily. “Look at you, Charlie. Talking me down.” She sniffled. “I’m sorry, honey. I need to pull myself together. You don’t need to be parenting me.”

Charlie giggled. “I’m not. I’m just telling you what you told me when I was freaking out about the lecture I’m probably gonna get from Dad.”

Buttercup giggled and pulled Charlie into a hug. “I love you, baby.”

“I love you too, mom,” Charlie pulled away. “Why don’t you pick something that makes you feel good to wear? That way you feel confident when you see dad again?”

Buttercup grinned. “I like the way you think, honey.”

Standing up, Buttercup moved to her suitcase and dug around, eventually pulling out a lacy green dress with a gold chain belt.

“I wore this to my first book signing,” Buttercup grinned. “Forest Windows won a Women’s Prize for Fiction that year, and I’ve considered it my lucky dress ever since.”

“I think it’s perfect,” Charlie smiled.

Nat grinned. “It’s no LBD, but you look hot in it, and that’s all that matters.”

Buttercup rolled her eyes and stepped into the bathroom. “Thanks, Nat. I’m going to shower and get dressed. Did your father text you to say that he had arrived yet?”

Charlie shook her head. “No…he didn’t. I’ll check in with Abby and see what their ETA is.”

“Sounds good,” Buttercup smiled, the tug of her lips still strained but not as stressed. “I’ll be out in a bit.”

Once the door had clicked shut and they could hear the water running, Natasha turned on her.

“Your dad still has no idea, right?”

Charlie nodded quickly. “Abby, Javy, and Rooster have kept him and Savannah in the dark. Dad still thinks he’s with me, and he has no idea that we’re waiting for him here.”

Natasha nodded grimly. “Your mom’s gonna be in there for a bit, hyping herself up. What’s Abby’s ETA?”

“They’re five minutes out,” Charlie confirmed, checking her phone again to check Abby’s shared location.

“Okay. You go down and meet up with Abby, away from where your dad can see you, okay?”

Charlie rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I know, Auntie Nat. That was my part of the plan.”

Natasha playfully shuddered. “You’ve got so much of Hangman’s attitude in you, it’s spooky sometimes. I’ll go let your uncle know to keep your mom occupied in the room until we give him the signal, then I’ll head down and be ready to run interference if I have to. Ready?”

Charlie’s heart leapt. “Ready.”

“…and then we have a meeting with the florist at 4 pm, and they’re a high-class place, so no mucky cowboy boots and jeans, okay, Jakey?”

Abby held back her gag as Savannah droned on about her wedding itinerary. She had been talking about it since they left the ranch over 3 hours ago. What should have been a 2-hour drive at most had stretched on because Savannah had to keep getting out and taking pictures to ‘document the experience’, and each time, Abby had to control her eye roll. It wasn’t worth it, and, besides, there were three things keeping her Zen.

1. She’d promised her dad that she would try to be accepting of Savannah. As upset as she and Charlie were about how he had handled things, and as much as Savannah turned her stomach, she wanted her dad to be happy, so she had agreed to grin and bear it for the duration of the visit.

2. Rooster and Javy were there, and while Rooster might have fallen asleep within minutes of hitting the road, Javy was awake and keeping her entertained with dramatic eye rolls and faux gagging every time Savannah opened her mouth. She wasn’t sure if her father had caught on to their antics or not, but Abby was sure having a good time.

And, most importantly, 3. Her family was waiting for them at the hotel. She would finally get to hug her mother and tease her aunt and uncle about all the stories Javy and Rooster had filled her in on.

Jake sighed and pulled into the parking lot of the hotel. “Yes, Savannah. I promise I will be dressed appropriately.”

“Thank you, sugar,” Savannah flounced and exited the car, leaving her two suitcases for her fiancé to unload.

“Dude, I—”

“I know what you’re about to say, Coyote, but don’t. Okay? Just…don’t start.”

Rooster yawned and sat up. “Sure, Hangman. Whatever you say. C’mon, kid. Let’s let your dad and Javy deal with the suitcases while we go check out the pool.”

“Is that okay, dad?”

Jake smiled tiredly and waved his hand at them. “Yeah, you two go have fun. I’ll catch you for dinner, which we are having with Savannah’s parents, okay?”

Abby smiled through her held back groan. “You got it, dad. See you in a bit!”

Grabbing Rooster’s hand, Abby practically dragged him through the lobby and into the elevator.

“Abby says they’re in room 513,” she said excitedly, and watched as her uncle jabbed the round elevator button with an elegant 5 painted on it.

“Are you sure Javy will be able to keep it together?” he asked her as the glass elevator sped upwards. “Dude’s been acting jumpy since we left.”

“He wouldn’t dare tell dad anything! He was trained just the same as you were, Uncle Roo. I’m sure he can keep it together for a little longer.”

The elevator came to a rest on the fifth floor and Abby practically sprinted through the slowly opening doors, hanging a right and skidding to a stop at room 513.

“Here goes!” Abby chirped as she knocked on the door. Her heart leapt as the door creaked open, revealing Bob, his phone pressed to his ear.

He smiled brightly when he saw her, and held up a long finger. “Yeah…yeah, I’ll call you back when I can, okay? Okay…me too. Bye.” He tapped the red button and crouched, Abby falling into his arms. “Hey kiddo.”

Abby’s chest expanded as she clutched her uncle. “Uncle Bob, I missed you so much!”

“I missed you too, kiddo.”

He stood, Abby still hanging onto his neck as he nodded over her shoulder at Rooster.

“Bradshaw.”

Rooster nodded back. “How’s it going, Bob? Where’s Nat and Charlie?”

“Downstairs, keeping a lookout for you.”

Rooster nodded as Bob finally put Abby down and reached out to shake his hand.

“We must’ve just missed ‘em,” Rooster mused, watching Abby as she ducked around Bob to glance around the room.

“Where’s Mum?”

“She’s in the adjoining room, kiddo. She might be having a bit of a panic attack right now, but I’m sure the sight of you will calm her down.”

Abby grinned up at the two men and bolted over to the door, tearing it open with a loud call of “Mum! It’s me!”

Bob chuckled as Rooster shook his head. “And I thought Charlie was high energy.”

Bob nodded as he pocketed his phone. “She is. I guess they both are.”

Rooster nodded and leaned back against the closed door, a heavy silence weighing over the two men. Once upon a time, they had been friends, allies, partners. Now, they were little more than strangers, two people roped into a scheme by two preteens.

“So, Nat’s downstairs?”

Bob nodded. “She and Charlie are trying to find a way to separate Hangman from this fiancée of his. Is she really as bad as Abby is making it out to be?”

Rooster shuddered. “Remember all the girls who would hang around the Hard Deck and try to flirt with anyone in a uniform?”

Bob nodded gravely, his skin crawling at the memory. “I do.”

“Savannah is about twenty times worse than that. Javy can’t stand her either.”

Bob blinked. “Is Javy downstairs too?”

Rooster nodded. “Yeah, why?”

“Do you think it’s a good idea to have him and Nat bump into each other downstairs?”

Rooster’s eyes widened, but, before he could speak, Abby raced back into the room. “Uncle Bob, Mum’s not in there.”

Bob blinked again. “Are you sure?”

Abby rolled her eyes. “Of course I’m sure, Uncle Bob.”

Bob’s cellphone was back in his hand, pressed to his ear after a quick dial. “Yeah, it’s me. Where are you? I thought you were still getting ready?...Really? Buttercup—” Bob pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it. “She hung up on me.”

“What did she say?”

“She went to go get a steamer from the lobby for her dress. She didn’t want to wear something wrinkled.”

“And she couldn’t have gotten someone to deliver it to the room?”

Bob shrugged at Rooster’s question. “She probably needed some air.”

It was Abby’s turn to dig her phone out of her pocket and dial. “Charlie? Yes, we’re here with Uncle Bob, but Mum is heading down to the lobby right now! You and Auntie Nat need to run interference!”

A/N: Oooh, a cliffhanger! Maybe I'll be able to get the next chapter done in one week instead of two. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Tags List: @mamachasesmayhem @jessicab1991 @waltermis @buckysteveloki-me @allepaula @yuckosworld @bradshawssugarbaby @ahopelessromanticwritersworld @kim-stark @high-speed-r @starsrfun @tomanyfandomstrash @averyhotchner @the-blueatlas @dashes-dizzydisaster @a-girl-who-loves-disney @boiolay @djs8891 @tgmreader @kmc1989 @landpiranha-blog @sydthekid1518 @lynnevanss @mackenzieblair @minejungwoo @starset21 @tgmavericklover @dempy @starkleila @magical-spit @whatislovevavy @simplyreading96 @vivalas-vega @itsdesiree86 @inky-sun @books-are-escapes @abaker74 @mrs-perfectly-fine @inthestars-underthesun

#jake seresin x reader #jake seresin #jake hangman seresin #jake hangman fic #top gun maverick #top gun fanfiction #as you wish fic #parent trap au #glen powell #tgm fic #tgm

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