#he lit up at that dinosaur show and i lit up too

[mowu-moment]

look i may not agree with cop television but they at least gave me middle-aged autism man that i can watch with my mother

[buckysgrace]

The Foggy Mirror

Single dad!Billy Hargrove x fem!Reader

Closer to My Heart Masterlist

You feel the tides shifting in your relationship with Billy and grow determined to learn more about him.

Billy showing up late no longer annoyed you. Not that much. You supposed it still should, but something about him charmed you now. Or perhaps it was all of the tension that you felt in your bones, the way your body felt electrocuted every time you met his eyes. 

You hadn’t gone out with him again since the park, or slept with him since that fateful night. But things did feel different. He didn’t speak to you with a snarky tone and you didn’t feel quite so rageful when you had to deal with him. Deep down, despite your own protests, you could feel  the tides slowly shifting.

Some things still stayed the same, however. You wanted to punch him every time he flashed you that dumb smirk of his. But it had more to do with how handsome you realized he was, how he made your stomach lurch and heart flutter. You felt no different than the other women you worked with.

You shuffled the rest of the pencils into the container, hiding them away for the weekend as Theo played with the toys in the corner of the room. Billy wasn’t late just yet, but all of the other parents had long since picked up their children. 

“Hi,” Theo grinned as he approached you, taking you by surprise as you noticed that all of the toys were picked up and put back into the chest, “Daddy hewe?” He asked curiously, tilting his head as he looked up at you. 

“Not yet,” You smiled as you looked around the room, “Do you want to go wait for him up front?” You asked, your only answer was a squeal and the glow of his light up shoes as he rushed towards his cubby.

You gathered up your bag, glancing at Theo from the corner of your eye before you slipped a compact mirror free to check out your reflection. Sometimes by the end of your shift you looked as if you hadn’t slept for weeks. But today you had routinely checked up on yourself. For no reason at all.

“Weady?” Theo asked, grinning brightly as he approached you once again. You smiled down at him, noticing that he still had some marker smeared to his face.

“Yep,” You reached for a wipe quickly, cupping his chin softly before you tried to dab the red off of his skin, “Were you coloring your face?” You asked teasingly, watching as he giggled hysterically.

“No, dog!” He giggled, still liking to call you that sometimes, “I don’t know.” He said a second later, shrugging his shoulders as he laced his little fingers with your own. 

“I think I got it all off,” You smiled as you nodded your head, folding the wipe up before you tossed it into the trash, “Alright, let’s go wait out front.” You nodded your head, following him in the same manner that you did every day. He waited for you to clock out, then you sat in the same seats before the familiar sound of Billy’s camaro approached.

“Hi, daddy!” Theo squeaked, bouncing over dramatically as his shoes lit up the entire room, “I miss you!” He held onto Billy’s hand, squeezing tightly as he rocked back and forth. Billy chuckled as he looked down at him.

“I missed you too,” He picked him up with one hand, giving his little cheek a kiss before he turned his attention towards you, “How was he today?” He asked curiously, tilting his head in the same manner Theo had earlier. It made you smile. 

“Really good,” You nodded your head along, “We did a lesson on dinosaurs today.” You replied as you shuffled your feet, your eyes drifting from his strong biceps to his thick shoulders. 

“Yeah!” Theo nodded his head encouragingly, “I bowwow the book.” He confirmed as he smiled brightly, blue eyes twinkling in the sunlight. Billy chuckled.

“Hm,” He grinned as Theo began to play with the necklace on his neck, “I guess we’ll have to read it later.” He nodded his head, giving the toddler a little bounce that made him giggle all over again. 

“I hope you have a good night.” You added softly, waiting for a second before you headed towards the door and held it open for them. Billy watched you, freezing in his spot as he looked towards Theo. He met his eye, giving him a gentle nod before Billy turned towards you again. 

“Do you, uh,” He stalled for a moment, “Do you want to come over for dinner?” He asked as he walked towards you, looking a little unsure of himself. Or maybe he wanted to ask you differently. You couldn’t quite tell. 

“Tonight?” You asked curiously, a little taken aback by how sudden it was. You would have little to no time to prepare, not that you were complaining. You wanted to go. You wanted to spend more time with him. 

“Are you working?” He asked as you worked on locking the front doors. You shook your head softly, before you built the confidence to face him. “No,” You gulped thickly, “What should I bring?” You asked nervously, trying to figure out what you could whip up before you had to leave. 

“Just yourself,” He grinned as Theo continued to bounce in his arms, “We were going to do a pizza night.” Theo began to clap his hands then, giggling loudly and making your heart melt a little bit. You just thought he was so cute. 

“What time?” You asked as you held your keys in your hands, excited to see Billy later. You pondered over what you should wear as the nerves suddenly sank in. 

“Around six,” He added softly as he wrote down his address and number onto a piece of paper. You watched with wide eyes, unsure if this was truly happening, “It’s movie night.” He grinned as he passed it towards you.

“Okay,” You nodded your head in agreement, “Sure. That sounds like fun.”

-

Theo raced around the apartment, freshly bathed and clad in his pajamas already as he continually fluffed and dusted at whatever he found. He was just as excited for you to come over, but Billy was sure that he thought it was just a playdate with him. He really enjoyed playing with you. 

“What are you doing now?” He asked, tilting his head as he shut the window once again. He’d smoked through a few cigarettes now and hoped that the candles would cover up the smell. Then again, he hoped that it didn’t look too romantic. 

“Making them soft,” Theo replied proudly as he smacked his palms against the pillows again, “So she can sleep!” He said proudly, stepping back to admire his work. Billy asked in amusement. 

“I don’t think she’s going to want to sleep over, bubba.” He chuckled as he ruffled his fingers through Theo’s blonde hair. He scoffed as he pulled away, fixing his strands before he turned towards Billy in dismay. 

“Why not?” He asked sassily, raising his eyebrows up towards him. 

“Because she has her own home,” He chuckled, listening as the doorbell rang, “Do you want to get that?” He asked him, watching as Theo took off without another push. He followed behind, ensuring it was you as he struggled to get the doorknob turned.

“Hi!” Theo greeted brightly as he took a step back, “You wook pwetty!” He complimented you, resting his little hands on his waist as you stepped forward.

He was right. You really did. Your skirt ended below your knees, your denim shirt hugging your chest in the right manner as you pulled a soft smile to your lips. You looked around curiously, eyes flashing as you took in his apartment.

“The pizza should be here soon,” He spoke up, nodding his chin in your direction as he greeted you, “Theo, do you want to show her your room?” He asked, needing to take some time to collect himself for a second. 

“Come on!” He squealed as he took your hand, “It so cool!” He trudged you forward, down towards the hall as you spared a look back in Billy’s direction. It made his heart hammer. 

Billy honestly had no idea what he was doing. He never had any trouble flirting before, but something about this felt different. Maybe it was because he couldn’t tell if you liked him or not. He’d given you many reasons not to.

“You have a lovely home.” You were back in the kitchen by the time he retrieved the pizza. His place was a bit bigger than yours and certainly in a better part of town. Even if the hallways stunk. 

“Thanks,” He chuckled softly, “The neighbors kind of suck but uh, it’s not too bad.” He shrugged his shoulders as he placed the box down, chuckling as Theo began to clap his hands enthusiastically. He always ate the crust before the rest of his pizza. 

He watched you cross your legs, then uncross them before you switched your position once again. You kept furrowing your eyebrows together, your lips tightening into a stiff grin before you relaxed your features again. You clearly didn’t know what to do with yourself.

“Do you really think I have a uh-,” You paused, glancing towards Theo before you continued, “A stick up me?” You wrinkled your eyebrows together, stalling a bit as he passed you a plate. He handed Theo his, allowing them to eat in the living room for tonight. 

“Sometimes,” He spoke honestly, “But not recently.” He chuckled at your expression, glad that he still got that fiery look in your eyes raging on. Maybe things hadn’t changed for the worst. 

“Maybe it’s because you’ve not been so snarky.” You added as you plopped a few pieces of pizza onto your plate. He nodded his head in agreement. 

“Possibly,” He grinned, “Am I a nincompoop?” He asked curiously, winking at Theo as he covered his mouth and began to giggle harder. He helped him onto the couch, letting him wiggle up to his side before he pressed play on the movie. 

“No,” You answered a second later, “You’re just-, hard to read.” You added as you took a bite of your pizza, sitting next to Theo. He stretched his little legs out before he took a nibble. 

“I’m hard to read?” Billy turned curiously, cocking an eyebrow as you widened your eyes a bit in surprise. 

“Mhm.” You nodded your head along and before he could dive in deeper, Theo held his hand up over his mouth to silence him.

“Daddy, watch.” He commanded, nodding his head quickly. Billy pressed a smile up to his lips, keeping quiet as Theo turned back to the movie. He moved his plate onto Billy’s lap, holding his knees up to his chest as he rested his head against his side. 

Just over half way through the movie and Theo was out, collapsed in Billy’s arms as he tugged him a little closer. His little lips were parted, exhaling and inhaling deeply as he slept on. He rubbed his fingers across his back gently, soothing him deeper into his dreams. 

“What was his mom like?” You asked suddenly, quietly as you turned towards him for the first time. You’d exchanged some conversations with Theo earlier, but had been mostly silent when it had come to him. 

“Annie,” He corrected you gently, “That was her name.” He replied softly, a little surprised at you bringing her up. It had been some time since he had spoken about Annie to anyone. 

“Was she nice?” You asked as you tilted your head. He bit down on his bottom lip, trying to keep from laughing. Annie wasn’t mean, but he wouldn’t describe her as nice either. She had a loud personality. 

“She had a good heart,” He nodded his head in agreement, a smile forming on his lips, “But she was more energetic I guess. Loud and wild. She would’ve loved him. You would’ve liked her too, but she would’ve driven you crazy.” He told you honestly, a little amused as he wondered how you would have handled Annie and her colorful vocabulary. 

“What makes you say that?” You asked as you furrowed your eyebrows together. He watched your curious expression, deciding that he really liked how you looked. 

“She would have no issue telling you where to put your rules, to start with,” He chuckled, “She was very opinionated. And never wrong.” He added a second later as Theo shifted closer to him. They had had many fights over that. 

“You sound like you loved her.” You added softly, your eyes drifting back towards the TV. He watched you for a long moment, unsure of how to describe how he felt towards Annie. It wasn’t love, at least not in the sense that you were referencing. 

“I cared very deeply for her,” He said at last, “And I know she felt similar to me. I don’t think either of us really loved each other, you know? We weren’t really together either. I mean, not officially until we found out she was pregnant.” He explained as you swiveled your head back towards him. 

“You weren’t married?” You asked him softly, eyes widened as he shook his head. He had received many similar looks when he told people that. 

“No,” He said with a laugh, holding your gaze, “We met at work.” He replied gently, resting his cheek against Theo’s forehead. He watched, noticing the gears twisting in your pretty head. 

“She was a mechanic?” You asked slowly, clearly seeking clarification as she drew the question out. He shook his head, beginning to recount his scandalous tale. 

“I was a bartender at the time,” He started again, “And she was a stripper. It was usually just some good fun after work. Or during.” He laughed at the way your eyes widened in disbelief. You shook your head a second later, a brief smile pulling onto your lips before you asked your next question. 

“So you didn’t love her?” You asked gently, eyes locking into his once again. He drank in the colors that flashed from the glow of the TV screen. You were radiant. Part of him hated to think that, but he couldn’t deny that he’d always thought you were attractive.

“Not in the way you’re asking,” He replied at last, “I don’t think we would’ve stayed together after Theo was born. Not as a couple anyways.” He hummed as he looked down at the toddler that was sleeping on his chest. It didn’t really feel right speaking that outloud, but it was true. Annie was just too similar to himself; they would’ve never overcome that. 

“No?”

“We weren’t very good for each other,” He admitted with a crinkle of his nose, “We brought out the worst in each other.” Annie’s drinking and drug issues had made his worse. Her anger matched his and she was always accusing him of something. She never really wanted to be something more, but she didn’t like when anyone else looked at him. A sour feeling settled over him as he thought about it more. 

But it wasn’t all bad. She was still funny, overly protective when she wanted to be. He felt guilt over her death, over how traumatic everything had been. Her father blamed him for all of it. And Theo. 

He paused for a second before he shifted forward, carefully holding Theo in one arm before he pulled his hair back to show the little scar behind his ear. He had forgotten about it up until this point. 

“What happened here?” You asked, fingers smooth against his skin as you gently touched him. He exhaled softly, trying to ignore the shivers that raced down his spine.

“She threw a bottle of whisky at me,” He chuckled softly as you froze against his touch, eyes wide, “Got nipped because of it. She thought I was flirting with the customers.” He added, feeling a little amused at the way you raised an eyebrow.

“Were you?” You asked teasingly, perhaps a bit flirtatiously if he was reading you correctly. He drifted his eyes towards your lips before he met your eyes again.

“I did get better tips because of it,” He admitted, grinning at the way you laughed, “You don’t have a boyfriend?” He asked, having a hard time believing it. 

“No,” You said with a laugh, “Not enough time. The last one I had, he liked to take my cash when I wasn’t looking.” You explained as you drifted a finger through one of his blonde curls. 

“Sounds like an ass.” He said seriously, feeling like you had to be a dick to take money from someone that was working two jobs and still struggling. 

“A total nincompoop,” You teased, “I don’t know. I just haven’t had time to get back out there.” You shrugged your shoulders as you pulled your hand away, looking like you didn’t really mind being single. He wondered if you’d give him a chance then. 

“Shame,” He drew out softly, “You’re really pretty.” He said honestly, eyes drifting across your features and soft curves. He really liked the fire inside of you too. It was different than Annie’s had been. He was sure that at one point you really hated him. 

“Thanks,” You hummed along, lips curling softly, “You’re very handsome yourself.” You tapped his cheek softly, making his heart flutter inside of his chest. 

“Do you say that to all of the dads?” He teased as he stood with Theo, knowing he needed to lay him down before he got too secured to his chest. You rolled your eyes, shaking your head at his comment. 

“Certainly,” You said sarcastically, “I definitely sleep with all of them.”

“Must be your stunning personality,” He added, listening to your laugh as he carried Theo down to his room. He laid him down gently, slowly untangling him before he tucked him in underneath his blankets, “Night, bubba.” He hummed before he kissed his temple gently, pulling away before he awoke. 

You were grabbing your things when you returned, the plates stacked nicely in the sink and the leftover pizza box shut tightly in your own way to clean up. He drifted his eyes across your skirt again, taking in your smooth legs.

“Going so soon?” He asked as he leaned against the doorway, startling you a bit. You sent him a shy smile, still looking like you weren’t sure how to act around him. He could admit that feelings had changed quickly, but he wasn’t mad about it. 

“It’s getting late,” You nodded your head as you rubbed the back of your neck, looking a little sheepish, “And Theo is asleep. I don’t want to bother you.”

“Do you think I invited you over for Theo?” He laughed as he tilted his head, looking at the way your lips parted from being stunned, “I like you.” He said at last, shaking his head at the way he had to obviously lay it out on the table. Your eyes grew wider.

“Oh, oh,” You spoke frantically, gulping as you spit out a nervous laugh, “I knew that. I mean I didn’t but-,” You shook your head quickly, “I like you too, but I’m still Theo’s teacher.”

“I know that.” He nodded his head in amusement, taking a few steps forward as you remained glued to your spot. He reached for your fingertips, linking your hands together. 

“And I can’t show favoritism,” You spit out as he moved closer, your breath sweet against his face, “And my boss can’t know. It’s a big issue.”

“Sneaking around?” He teased you, nose brushing against yours softly, “Didn’t think you were that type.” He smirked to himself at the way you gasped, your body relaxing as you tilted your face up towards his. 

He leaned down first, lips just barely touching against yours as he felt his eyes flutter shut. He didn’t think anything about this was wrong. It felt natural, like you were a missing piece that belonged to him. 

Your lips felt smooth and soft against his own, gentle as he moved his palms to the side of your face. He pulled you closer, making the distance between the two of you disappear as he admired the curve of your body against his own. 

His heart hammered roughly against the crook of his neck as his kisses grew more frantic, more desperate to feel you against him. He flicked his tongue across your lips, tasting your sweet moans as his hands fell to your hips. He felt like he was on fire, body burning for more of you.

“Billy,” You whispered softly, tilting your head aside as his lips fell to the curve of your neck. Everything about you tasted good. He wanted you again, always, “I can’t. Not tonight.” You mumbled softly, making his movements come to a slow stall. He sighed, nodding his head as he traced his palms across your shoulders. 

“Alright,” He mumbled as he kissed your cheek, hoping to reassure you that he could be a gentleman, “I’ll see you again soon.” He drifted his thumb across your bottom lip, hoping you felt the same fire he felt. 

“I’ll call you,” You promised, nipping at his thumb softly before you pulled away, “But I have to be on time for work tomorrow.” You whispered breathlessly, adjusting your clothes before you gripped your bag again.

“You could stay over,” He smirked as he followed you to the door, “We could wake up early and you could grab something new to wear then.” You turned towards him quickly, laughing as you pushed against his chest.

“See you in the morning.” You said instead, eyes glimmering with mischief before you turned and left. His eyes followed you the whole way, wondering if you knew how dangerous this feeling was. 

Tags: @cassandracorvo @marshmallowgem @shes-an-odd-bird @stormy-stardust @highwaywildflower @amberpanda99 @sssstarstruck @zoexme @missingbillyhargrove @let-love-bleeds-red

[ashwhowrites]

From the prompt list for fluff can I request 21 and 22?

Did you just call me sweetheart?”

“I can keep you company till you fall asleep”

Of course! I hope this is what you wanted and you enjoy it. Thank you for requesting <3

Bedtime Angel

Eddie didn't like to admit to anyone he struggled to sleep after the events he faced in the upside down. His body was covered in scars, along with his brain. He couldn't sleep in the dark, he felt embarrassed when he bought a night light. The cashier eyed him weirdly as she scanned the small dinosaur light.

But that small light brought him so much relief. He had it right next to his bed, the bright white light lit up his room. He removed the doors in his closet, he needed to see exactly what was on the inside. He kept all corners of his room clean, he made sure nothing was able to hide in his room.

Wayne wasn't sure where his nephew disappeared too, but he understood he went through some type of trauma. Wayne supplied more night lights throughout their new trailer. He kept the bathroom light on always, he didn't care how expensive the electricity bill was. He'd do anything to make Eddie feel safe again.

After the events, Eddie found himself needing one person only. Y/N, someone he had no idea existed until the gang brought her as a backup in the upside down. She was gorgeous and fearless. She was supposed to bike with Dustin back to the trailer for safety, but once Eddie went down she froze. She screamed at Dustin to get the group while she raced back to Eddie.

Eddie was prepared to die, and he accepted that. He didn't have anything to live for. And dying a hero sounded comforting enough to let go. As he bled out, and scrunched his eyes shut he felt hands on his body. Someone cradled his head as a piece of fabric was pushed against his cuts. The bats left, it was just him and her.

"Go." He mumbled, his eyes peered up. Her worried eyes were focused on keeping him alive.

"Shh, it's okay. Dustin is getting help. I'm not leaving you. I'm Y/N." She said she wanted to get his mind off the pain, she knew introducing herself sounded dumb but she didn't want to be a stranger to him. She wasn't sure if he'd survive and she wanted him to die with a friend.

Eddie remembered her voice trialing in and out as he tried to stay awake. She talked about herself, her likes and dislikes. In a way, it was comforting for Eddie. He felt like he was meeting someone and getting to know them. He didn't feel like he was lying on the ground, seconds away from death. In a way, he felt alive.

"It was nice to meet you Y/N." He said, her smile faded as the blackness took over his vision.

~~~

Ever since then, he called her all the time. She was his angel. He truly felt like she saved him that night. Even though the events happened two months ago, she answered every time. She came over and talked to him throughout the day. They gained a friendship, and along the way, he felt a crush forming on her.

She always left at bedtime, believing all this time Eddie was getting the rest he needed. No idea he tossed and turned, his eyes afraid to close.

But too many restless nights showed. His face was pale, and his eyes were sunken in. Big purple bags underneath his red eyes.

"Eddie, have you been sleeping?" She asked, dropping her coat on the floor as she walked back over to him. She was prepared to leave, at the same time as always. But she couldn't help but feel like Eddie needed her.

"No." He said honestly, too exhausted to lie.

"Are you scared?" She asked. She wasn't teasing or mocking him. Her voice was soft and worried. She generally was asking and Eddie felt like a little kid with their mom. What a way to impress a girl he liked.

She could sense Eddie didn't want to answer. His embarrassed face and eyes faced down to his bed.

"Oh, sweetheart!" She cooed, she crawled into the bed, sitting up against his headboard. She patted her lap, and he silently followed her direction. He moved his body to rest against her, his head on her lap as she ran her fingers through his hair.

“I can keep you company till you fall asleep," she said, Eddie was too tired to answer. He allowed his body to melt into his bed. His brain shut off as her hands rubbed his head. Her nails scratched through his curls in the most calming way he'd ever felt.

"Did you just call me sweetheart?” he mumbled, a tired yawn leaving his lips.

"Yes." She said, and she had no shame about it.

His stomach fluttered and a tiny smile stretched across his lips.

For once, he wasn't afraid to go to sleep.

The bright dinosaur nightlight shined throughout his room. He was surrounded by light and his angel.

Tags!

@bmunson86 @mxcheese @ladymunson @michaelfuckinglangdon @z0mbie-blah @biittersweet @mirrorsstuff @somethingvicked @micheledawn1975 @ago-godance @magnificantmermaid @tlclick73 @hargrovesswifee @cityofidek @manyfandomsfanvergentreblogs @silky-luxe @lokiofasgard616 @loving-and-dreaming @eddiemunsonsbitch69 @thegemaqua @ashlynnkennedy @strangerthingsstories5255 @harringt8ns @pleasinghellfire @whoscamila @stusdollface93 @gretavankleep37

[a-killer-obsession]

Killer with a so who's very insecure about her look (kinda like himself) ? 👀

Took a while to answer this one cos as soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to make a proper drabble from it, thank you for the sweet suggestion 💖

Beautiful [Killer x GN!Reader] - SFW

CW: fluff, kissin' 😳 WC: 1.2k

Masterlist || AO3

Killer had known how he felt about you for a while now. He was thankful for his mask, because it let him watch you whenever he pleased without you ever knowing. The way your whole face lit up and practically sparkled when you smiled made his heart swell with affection, and your laughter was like the most beautiful love song, it caressed him so tenderly and made him blush whenever he heard it. Despite knowing for certain his feelings for you, he said nothing, and likely would have continued that way indefinitely if Kid hadn't threatened to tell you himself. He was more than sick of hearing Killer's disgustingly sweet sighs when he talked about you, but with all his insecurities he refused to make a move unless it was under threat of being exposed by the captain himself. Kid gave him one week, one week to man up and tell you how he felt or Kid would do it his damn self.

Killer bided his time, pacing nervously and chickening out whenever he found you alone. It took Kid dragging him by the metal bar on his mask as though pulling him by the ear and practically throwing him towards you to get Killer to make a move. You stood on the secluded decking in the mouth of the dinosaur skull at the head of the ship, looking out serenely at the calm ocean. The full moon illuminated the waves and bounced back against you, illuminating you with ripples of light that danced over your skin. Killer's breath caught in his throat as he tried to summon the courage to speak to you, standing at the railing beside you, his mouth opening and shutting several times under the mask as he failed to find the words.

“It's beautiful out here tonight, isn't it?” Your eyes were practically twinkling as you spared him a glance before returning your gaze to the sea. His cheeks felt warm, no doubt flushed as they always were when you spoke to him.

“It's- it's not as beautiful as you,” he finally mustered the courage to get out.

Your mood changed so quickly he wondered if he had whiplash, your hands balling into fists, face red as you scowled at him. “Fuck you, Killer,” you spat, before storming off and slamming the door behind you.

Killer wasn't good with feelings, trying to tell you how he felt was entirely foreign to him, but he was sure he hadn't said the wrong thing. He stood there, completely perplexed, entirely lost as to how he'd managed to fuck this up so badly with a single sentence. Unable to find an answer on his own, he turned to his closest friends.

Sitting around his cabin with Kid, Heat and Wire, he explained what happened. Kid and Heat looked just as perplexed, but Wire, a man of knowledge and with the most dating experience of the four of them, seemed to have a clue.

“Kil, what would you do if I said you were beautiful?” He asked hypothetically.

“Deck you for lying straight to my face,” Killer growled back. Wire gave him a knowing look and Killer's expression changed from anger to confusion. “You don't think… did they think I didn't mean it?”

“I've known for a while that [Y/N] has some self esteem issues,” Wire sighed, “I even heard them joke once that they wished they had a mask too. I've no doubt they thought you were making fun of them”

“Oh god, what do I do?” Killer asked, practically begging the older man to save this situation. His heart couldn't bear thinking that he'd hurt you.

“Prove you meant it,” he shrugged, “show them you weren't just joking”

The next night Killer found you in the same place, staring out to the sea in the small secluded deck. He'd been trying to speak to you all day, but every time he approached you would flee from him, hurt plainly written on your face each time. He quickly closed the door behind him, standing against it so you had no escape route.

“Please don't run,” he stuttered out, “I just wanna talk to you, please”

“Why, so you can make fun of me again?” You spat.

“I wasn't trying to make fun of you,” he pleaded, approaching you cautiously, hands up to show he meant no harm, “I meant what I said. I think you're beautiful”

“You're a liar,” you huffed, “I'm not beautiful, please don't hurt me further by trying to convince me that I'm something I'm not”

Killer's heart ached to hear you say that. He had to convince you, regardless of if you liked him back or not, he needed you to know how beautiful you were. He summoned all his courage and reached for the latch on his mask. “I'll show you what it means to be ugly, so you can understand how far from it you are,” he stammered, shaking as he removed the mask and laid bare his face for you to see.

His sharp features glowed under the moonlight, his purple painted lips almost navy in the low light, his icy blue eyes glinting in the reflections from the waves. Scruffy bangs fell to his brows as the mask was removed, and your heart caught in your throat taking in his features for the first time. He waited nervously, watching your eyes scan his face, wide and curious, waiting for your inevitable rejection. He'd hoped he could at least establish a relationship with you before showing you his face, to give you a reason to stay before giving you a reason to leave. Doing it this way, he accepted you'd never want him, his heart tearing in two as he waited, but he'd accept the sacrifice he was making at his own expense if it meant you could understand how he saw you.

“Beautiful,” you finally whispered, a hand coming up to touch his face, tracing over his cheekbone and his lower lip. Your hands trembled as you touched him, and all of a sudden you understood. He felt the same way you did, he thought himself so hideous that he wore a mask to hide himself away, but the face before you was breathtaking, beautiful felt like too humble of a word. Is that how he saw you? You were so caught up in your self loathing that you hadn't taken a moment to consider the possibility that he meant it.

His mouth opened and closed, catching flies as he struggled to process the lack of rejection, and the sincere adoration that was written on your face as you took in every facet of his face, committing it to memory. The single word you'd uttered had been glided in gold, sliding off your tongue like honey and washing over him like healing waters, pulling the shattering parts of his heart back together and binding them. A tear prickled at the corner of his eye, and you stepped forward and kissed it away, before pressing your lips to his. He let out a soft sigh as you kissed him, returning the kiss with all the love and longing he felt, your soft lips so tender against his own, hands tangled in his hair, holding him to you. Not that he would go anywhere, he never wanted to be without you ever again.

[eleonoraalbright]

A Shared Kiss

Pairing: Roberto da Costa x fem!reader

Summary: Feeling lonely, you wander into Roberto's room to distract yourself with video games, a quick discussion of your feelings, and an even quicker make out session.

You strolled along the hallway, footsteps muffled by the rug beneath them. Xavier’s school was unusually silent. It felt as though you were the sole inhabitant of the mansion. Loneliness creeped around the corner and threatened to overtake your body to paralyze you. What was there to do except train for an upcoming mission and wait for its inevitable arrival? 

You had finished training earlier and now would remain here for who knows how long until it was time to take off and battle villains. You swayed on the spot, unsure of what there was to do, besides twiddling your thumbs. Your gaze roamed about the corridor for something to linger on and it landed on a door opposite you. An idea of how to preoccupy your time leaped into your muddled mind. 

You crossed to the door and knocked on the hardwood. A muffled, come in sounded from the other side. You swung the door open and stepped into the bedroom. In contrast to the darkened hallway, Roberto’s room was well lit. The curtains were drawn back to reveal a pleasant view of a flower garden and the basketball court. 

Roberto was sitting on the edge of his bed, eyes glued to the tv. He wore sweatpants and a black sleeveless shirt. His hair was damp as if he just finished showering. Sparing a quick glance, he greeted you. “Oh, hey.”

“Hey.” You stood there for a few seconds, hoping he would say something more. When he didn’t you said, “Would you mind if I crashed here for a while?”

He shrugged. “Go ahead.” You sat down next to him to observe the video game he was playing and asked him about it. He replied, “It’s called Balloon Fight. It’s kind of like the game Joust at the arcade, but the goal is to pop balloons. I have another controller I can hook up. Wanna play?”

Happy that he offered, you accepted his invitation. He explained the rules which were fairly easy: pop the balloons to score points, whoever scored the most, won. On the screen appeared two tiny pixelated figures in space. There were different levels to defeat. Islands floated in the black void for you to hop on to burst the levitating balloons and bubbles. 

You took great delight in popping the balloons he was aiming for and laughed when Roberto failed to do the same. He pretended to be upset, but his laughter soon joined yours. Gradually the empty pit swelling inside your stomach grew smaller and smaller in his company. As time passed, you both stopped competing and started cooperating to see how many points you could get working as a team.

The afternoon light dimmed and outside the sky turned from a soft blue to a burning orange. The shadows lengthened, showing the hours that swept by unknown to you and Roberto. When your hands began cramping you opted to just watch him as he played Caveman Games and criticized his technique of vaulting over dinosaurs.

During a rare lapse of silence, he took the opportunity to ask, “Have you been doing alright?” You were surprised at his inquiry and couldn’t think of anything to say that wouldn’t divulge too much of the frequent hollowness settling in your mind these days. He answered himself, “You’re different. You don’t talk a lot to us. You seem sad. Everything okay?”

A swirling mixture of satisfaction and embarrassment stirred in your gut that he had noticed your change in mood. How would you respond? Should you tell him the truth or brush him off and say that you’ve been tired. You chose the former. “Have you ever felt trapped here? That you’ve missed out on normal high school experiences?”

“I suppose so. It comes with the territory of being a mutant and a superhero too.”

You sighed, picking at a stray thread on the blanket. “I feel like there’s not much else besides fighting and sitting around the school for danger to arise for us to fight over and over again.” You avoided looking at Roberto, scared that he would think you foolish. You’re part of the New Mutants for heaven’s sake. 

You knew what it meant when you agreed to attend Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. “Sure, we have homework to do and stuff, but I wish– I wish all the most I had to worry about was yucky school lunches and boyfriend troubles.” You thought about that: a boyfriend. What would that be like? What drama and complications would come from having a significant other? 

What love would sprout from such a relationship? Friends were wonderful to have, but some deeper part of you yearned to have the emotional and physical intimacy that would hopefully transpire from having a beau. Whether this desire sprang from raging teenage hormones or the human need of mutual companionship did not matter. 

“Is it shallow to want a boyfriend?” Your distress was blatant in your voice.

He shifted and your shoulders brushed. You peered at Roberto to see him regarding you with an expression that was impossible to decipher. “No, I don’t think it is.”

Relieved to hear his validation, you leaned in nearer. You weighed the wisdom of speaking aloud the comment intruding in your brain. How would he react? Would it shatter this tender, heartfelt moment? Would he withdraw in horror at the hint? Well, there was only one way to find out. You whispered, “It’s been forever since I’ve shared a kiss.”

His eyes dropped to your lips, then flickered back up to your longing stare. To your delight and dismay, he made no movement. What was he thinking at this exact second?

Would you be able to leave with your dignity still intact once he voiced his rejection? He brought his hand up to your face to trace the curve of your jaw and murmured, “Me too.”

Hope bloomed in your chest like a daffodil in spring with the accompanying butterflies fluttering in there also. You tilted your head to the right as he did but to the left. Your lips joined together in a simple kiss.

His other hand ran down your back to press you flush against him and your arms twined around his neck. This kiss was better than any before. Thrilling tingles ran down your spine, chasing away the minute amounts of trepidation left.

Roberto broke it off, a slight sigh of pleasure escaping from his mouth. You didn’t want it to end it here, and had a sneaking suspicion that neither did he. “Do you really wanna stop there?”

His pupils were dilated. His warm breath fanned your lips. He considered the question a beat before saying, “No.” He kissed you a second time. 

Passion surged you both to delve further in one another. His tongue grazed your bottom lip and entered your mouth when it opened a fraction. Your fingers combed through his dark curls, tugging on several strands in the process and he let out a soft moan at the sensation. A sense of pride washed over you, elated to have elicited such a noise from him. 

Roberto pushed you down on his bed so you laid flat on the covers with his body atop yours. One hand was braced beside your head while the other traveled to your shirt’s hem; his fingers trailed farther up your bare skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

You wanted to let out a scream of pure excitement at finding yourself in this scenario with Roberto, but didn’t, lest someone heard it through the thin walls. 

You reconciled with expressing your intense emotions by dragging your nails down his back to mirror the passion clawing inside you. His pesky shirt was getting in the way though from marking him.

He had a similar idea of marking because his lips abandoned your own to nip and suck at your neck. When that area of flesh was suitably bruised, he moved downwards to your collarbone. 

You and Roberto jumped apart when a man’s voice rang clear as a bell in both of your minds. “New Mutants, assemble in my office. Now.” You cursed at Xavier; he had the worst possible timing ever. 

You shouldn’t have dilly-dallied, but you clung to him for a couple moments longer to ask, “Can we pick this up later?”

Roberto smirked at the request and said, “Absolutely.” His thumb caressed the hickies he had made. “We’ll also have to talk about the boyfriend and girlfriend thing later.”

With that he sprung off the bed and darted out the room. You smiled after him. Perhaps, the following days wouldn’t be spent in the same monotonous cycle.

[pullhisteeth]

Prompt: taking a road trip with eddie and maybe he wakes you up because he’s pulled over to see some stupid roadside attraction

I saw this and fell in LOVE so I had to write it immediately. thank you so much for the request!!! inspired partly by Nomadland, a film I love very much. &lt;3

fluff, fem!reader, mention of Eddie being bad and doing (petty) crime, a lil somethin suggestive, 2.4k

-

The pads of four firm fingers and a firmer thumb push into either side of your shoulder. His grip is eager, impatient, but never rough; even in excitement, he’s the gentlest a man has ever been with you.

You can hear him, just about, calling your name softly. He repeats it like a chant, close to your left ear and then further away, and somewhere in the fuzzy distance of consciousness you can see him, an image conjured by the thousands of times you have committed his face to memory. He’s grinning, you can hear it in the way his words curve up, and turning his head back and forth. Your lovely excitable boy.

You’re slow to wake, groaning softly at the ache in your neck. You’ve been lying, or rather curled up, against the window in the passenger seat of Eddie’s van. There’s light seeping through your eyelids and dying your vision blotches of orange and then his fingers dig further, and he says your name again.

“C’mon, baby,” he’s saying, restless but still soft as ever. His grip relents a touch as he feels you come to, squirming and rubbing your eye with the ball of your fist. You try to ask him what’s wrong but the letters come out jumbled like alphabetti spaghetti and you hear him chuckle beside you.

“C’mon,” he says again, even softer this time, and now his other hand’s on you, too; it paws at your arm, the one furthest from him, prying it from where it’s squashed between your body and the door.

“What’s going on?” you ask him, voice thick with sleep and delirium. You finally prise your eyes open and just for a moment you’re blinded by the low sun.

“There she is,” he says as your eyes find him. He’s smiling at you in a way that makes your insides ache, rotten to the core from the fondness in it, and his hair’s lit up golden from the orange sky. You could stare at this forever, Eddie looking at you like he is, pretty and bright under the sun.

“Where are we?” you ask, looking around. Somewhere in the distance you can hear the familiar rush of cars on a highway, but you’re not on it anymore. The van’s still, parked somewhere off a quieter road.

The sun’s setting ahead of you, so you know you’re still heading west. It lights up the dusty, flat landscape in a way that feels unreal, like a mirage.

“I wanna show you somethin’,” he tells you, tugging gently on your wrist. You sit up at his beckoning, unfurling your stiff legs and rolling your shoulders back with a wince.

“But-”

“Just come with me, would you?”

He’s being playful, and you love entertaining him when he’s like this. You look at his face, at the happy grin spread across it and the crinkles by his eyes, and cave once again.

Yawning, you twist in your seat and push the door open. Outside it’s warm, though not as warm as in the van - you always chastise him for it, but Eddie turns the heat up for you, knowing you sleep better that way, even if he’s a little too hot because of it. There’s half a fluorescent sun on the horizon and sand kicks up as you hop out and onto the ground. You step around the front of the van just as a car passes quickly, and grasp firmly onto Eddie’s outstretched hand.

He pulls you along to a small building set back from the road. It’s nothing special - you’d probably have mistaken it for a run-down home had you not been paying much attention - but behind it sits something that makes you bark a laugh and stop walking.

“Eddie, what the fuck.”

He turns back to you, still grinning. “Isn’t it wicked?”

You look at him, and then back up.

Between the building and a small, unassuming playpark is a ginormous model of a dinosaur.

It towers over the building and you’re not sure how you didn’t spot it from the van. It’s in dire need of a paint job, but what remains of the odd turquoise shade covering it is dazzling. And up high, its wide, white eyes stare over at the desert.

“It’s fucking crazy,” you breathe, stepping with him again. Though it’s clearly late in the day, the little building, which you see now is a visitor centre, is still open. Eddie pulls on the door and steps aside, free hand coming to rest on the small of your back as you walk in before him.

A fizzy, artificial bell sound announces your arrival, and a reluctant lady comes out from the room behind the counter. She’s clearly sleepy, and you wonder how soon the place closes, but she greets you with a smile and a wave regardless.

“Hi, kids!” she calls to you over the aisles of snacks and long-life food.

You wave back and Eddie gives her a polite nod. She settles happily on a stool behind the counter, and Eddie takes your hand again.

He pulls you down the first aisle, grabbing a shopping basket on his way, and you giggle at how eager he is. One of your favourite things about him is how quick he is to get excited; he’s so handsome, and has grown into himself so gracefully, but underneath it all he’s just a happy kid in a 24-year-old’s body.

“So,” he says, bending over slightly to whisper in your ear, “game plan: snacks, obviously a fridge magnet-” At this, he looks from the shelf in front of him to you, face serious. “-And a picnic with a dinosaur.”

You giggle, squeezing his hand. “Why are we whispering?”

“It’s a covert operation,” he tells you, smiling again.

“Eddie,” you hiss. “We are not shoplifting.”

“No,” he says, rolling his eyes, smile lingering. “How fucking dare you?”

You jab him in the chest playfully. “You can’t fool me, Munson, I’m holding onto all your petty theft secrets.”

“Hey, I’m grown now. You don’t gotta pay a thing, ‘s’all on me, sugar.”

The two of you are still whispering, faces close, and you can’t help the giggles that keep coming. He dips his head even further to kiss you at the corner of your mouth, and then stands up straight, eyes back on the shelf.

You weave up and down the aisles, pulling bags of chips and a jar of salsa into the basket, followed by packets of cookies, bags of chocolate buttons and even a box of Pop Tarts (in Eddie’s words: for the road). At the fridges, you raid the shelves, stocking up on bottles of cherry cola, your favourite, and orangeade, Eddie’s favourite, as well as three litres of water. You let him head to the counter, lingering behind to peruse the souvenirs.

You can feel his eyes on you as you slowly spin the rack of postcards around. He’s standing by the counter as the lady kindly takes each item out of his basket and keys prices into an ageing cash register. She eyes him as he watches you.

“How long’ve you two been together?” she asks, keeping her voice quiet.

He takes a moment to take his eyes off you. When he turns, he can’t quite look at her, and instead looks down at his hands, watching his fingers fidget with an old receipt in his wallet.

“Three years,” he tells her, biting back a smile.

She prods some more keys on the register. “She’s real pretty,” she says. “Y’better be lookin’ after her.”

“Yeah,” he breathes. “I do- I mean, I hope I am.”

Just as he lifts his head to look at you again, you turn on the balls of your feet and skip over to him, hands full and smile wide. He can’t help but return it.

“What’cha got?”

You lay out your treasures on the counter, beside a full carrier bag.

A postcard of the dinosaur, decorated with corny lettering and sparkles; a fridge magnet, as is your tradition, of said dinosaur, painted badly; a small snow globe, in which the dinosaur is swamped by sparkling white debris; and a necklace.

You snatch the jewellery up almost as quick as you put it down, gripping it in your fist and hiding it behind your back. When Eddie leans to catch a glimpse you step back and scrunch your face up, sticking your tongue out at him.

“Suit yourself,” he says, chuckling and turning back to the clerk. “What’s the damage?”

After checking your souvenirs and keying more numbers into the register, she tells him a number and he hands three bills over. You’re still a few paces away, swaying side to side impatiently.

He watches you out of the corner of his eye as he takes the bag and puts your stuff inside.

“Meet’cha outside,” you tell him, side-stepping to let him past. He laughs, and you lay the necklace on the table as he leaves through the chiming back door.

The lady rings it up for you, asks for four dollars, and you hand her a five and tell her to keep the dollar. She thanks you and drops it into the tip jar. You take the necklace in your hand again and slip it into your back pocket.

Outside, the sun’s almost disappeared behind the horizon. The desert’s settled under a fuzzy twilight, and in the pretty light you spot your pretty boy sitting at a picnic bench across the lot.

You look up at the dinosaur as you walk over to meet him, and catch a couple of stars around his head. A little halo for your new friend.

At the table, Eddie’s laid half the bag out: a cola for you and an orangeade for him; a bag of chips, the jar of salsa, and a pack of cookies opened and ready for greedy fingers. You round the table and sit beside him instead of opposite, and though he groans sarcastically, you relish the feeling of his arm coming around your waist. It pulls you in and you let it, leaning into him as much as you can.

“Looks delicious,” you tell him, muffled slightly by where your face is so cozy with his sweater.

“Dig in, sweetheart, ‘fore the dinosaur gets it.”

You laugh and reach over the table for a chip.

The two of you sit in quiet, save for the crunches of snacks, and look out at the barren landscape as the sky turns indigo. Eddie’s hand never leaves your waist and you never leave his side.

“My compliments to the chef,” you finally say. The chip bag is empty, weighed down by the also-empty salsa jar to stop it blowing away in the breeze. There’s half the pack of cookies left, but you’re all snacked-out and drifting slowly back to sleep at Eddie’s side.

He laughs and you feel it, vibrating through you, and you smile. He twists and kisses your forehead, lips lingering for just a moment. You move, too, leaning back so you can kiss him properly.

He tastes like salt and sugar, and you’re sure you taste much the same. You love kissing Eddie, and here, under the domineering presence of a giant model dinosaur, you’re very happy to keep kissing him, but something sharp digs into your butt as you shift in your seat, reminding you of something.

You pull back, not missing the huff of disappointment from Eddie, and wriggle your hand into your pocket.

“Turn around,” you tell him softly.

He watches you for a moment, but when you look at him pointedly he obeys, twisting on the bench so his back faces you. From your pocket you manage to pull the necklace, and with deft fingers you lift it over his head and do up the clasp. You pull his hair out from underneath it and tap his shoulder. “Lemme see.”

He turns back to you, already toying with the pendant.

“I can’t see it from here,” he tells you frustratedly, trying to pull it out far enough to see.

“It’s just a heart,” you tell him, fingers joining his and pulling the little silver shape from his grasp. You move it up and down the black leather that it hangs on, back and forth, admiring the way it looks against his sweater. Your cheeks flare up at your next words. “From your sweetheart.”

He watches you as you mess with the necklace. He can’t contain it, the love he feels for you. It’s like there’s a balloon inside him and it’s inflating too quickly and too big for him to contain.

“I love you,” he tells you. You smile, though you’re trying to hold it down, so he wraps both arms around your body and pulls you into a hug.

“Love you too,” you tell him into his hair at the crook of his neck.

He pulls you and your tired body relents to his strength, settling comfortably on his lap. You sit like this for a while, maybe a few minutes, before you dare to speak.

“How long’ve we got left before Lenora?”

He squeezes you, and then pulls back to see your face. “A couple hundred miles. Not long.”

You trace your fingers down the side of his face. “You sure you’re okay to drive the rest? We can stop at a motel.”

He kisses you again, softly, on your lips and then your chin. As his lips dip lower, under the curve of your jaw, he says against your skin: “Sounds like fun.”

You roll your eyes and let your fingers weave through his hair. “Just mean you’re probably tired, no? It’s late, you’ve been drivin’ since six.”

“Mm-hmm,” he hums in agreement. “Think there’s one in the next hour or so. I’ll be fine ‘til then.”

“Okay,” you whisper. “Let’s go then.”

You climb off him slowly and gather your things into the bag, rubbish and all. You walk together across the lot, to a gate on the other side, and as you reach the van you turn and wave at the dinosaur.

Eddie helps you into the van and before he shuts the door, he pulls his sweater off.

“Eds-”

“I get too hot anyway. And you need a pillow.”

“But-”

“Will you just take it? Please?”

You do, begrudgingly, balling it up and resting it between your head and the glass.

Once he’s in the van, seatbelt on, he starts the engine and pulls slowly onto the road. You’re asleep again before he gets back on the highway.

-

[ivy-is-fine]

Kratt Drones

Part twooooo~

“Oh,” said the guy in green. “It is?”

Tessa made motions with her hands, flapping them about. Then, she checked the air quality and found that this was indeed, a pocket of hospitable environment on the planet of death. “Oh, you’re right.” She shook herself out. They should wait, V would surely come down any second after blasting all of the sentinels into bits. That was just a show. She couldn’t really be dead.

Meanwhile N over here was a mad wreck, he was visibly panicking, and Uzi appeared worse than usual.

N was pacing back and forth, eyes looking at the ceiling as the faint sound of sentinels roaring drifted down the elevator shaft. “We have to go back up and help her! If maybe we work together we can— but if we— but Uzi—” he started to ramble, tail lashing side to side.

Tessa turned her gaze to N. “Do that and you’ll get flashbanged and all sad and dead.”

“Is there something up there?” The guy in blue asked, the sound of the sentinels dying off.

“Yes, the sentinels. Robot dinosaur basilisk things,” Tessa said. “Where did you guys even come from?”

They shrugged. “We walked through this big fleshy door and it brought us here. I suppose we probably should have thought it through a bit more,” Green Man said. N and Uzi exchanged glances. Her arm was regenerating extremely slowly, millimeters at a time. “Oh, and I’m Chris and this is my brother Martin.”

They slid towards each other and made finger-guns. “And we’re the Kratt brothers!” they said in unison.

“Well I’m Tessa, that’s N and Uzi,” she said off-handedly. She glanced over at the elevator before looking away quickly.

Uzi stood up. She still seemed dazed, and N shifted to stand next to her. They were all in the labs now. Whatever the absolute solver had wanted, it was probably in here. This was where the answers were. Focus turned over to her. One of her eyes was shut and was glitching. N winced. “Are we gonna keep standing around like buffoons or what?” she snapped, voice breaking a bit. She didn’t want to think V was dead. In fact, she was probably going to appear in the elevator now, laughing at their faces, how stupid they were for thinking that she couldn’t shoot down a couple of cranky lizard-bots, and they would all laugh and cry and find out why the SOLVER OF THE ABSOLUTE FABRIC THERE WERE MORE HUMANS HERE? DIDN’T THEY ALL HAVE ENOUGH PROBLEMS?

There was a silence for a few minutes as they all looked at each other. The silence from above wasn’t reassuring either.

Tessa shook herself out like a dingo and twirled a pistol around on her finger, as if nothing at all had happened. “Well, let’s keep going then, ey? No point in crying over spilled milk!” She began a very determined walk down the dark corridor.

N, Uzi, Chris, and Martin looked at each other before trailing along behind Tessa.

“She’ll be back,” Uzi tried to whisper to herself. “She’ll just be in the shadows as a giant freaky centipede and we’ll have to kill her again and then a new clone will be shot back and we’ll be back to normal.”

N gave her a nervous look as they descended into the darkness. There were no lights other than the screens of the robots and N’s nanite tail.

One of the Kratt brothers lit a flashlight. Uzi felt too sick to use her tail. Her arm felt like it should have still been there. It was a terrible jolt everytime that she looked down and found it missing.

The hand that N had been holding. It was gone, and so was V. And there was a solid chance that the sentinels could be down here too.

Uzi tripped over something, and when N switched his hand to a flashlight it was a piece of an eldritch Disassembly Drone. A long claw curled in eternal agony.

Uzi looked up and saw that the halls were covered in gaping holes, broken walls, stained oil, and scattered drone parts. Many, many parts.

And it was warm down here. The two humans seemed cold. HOW COULD THEY BE COLD IN THIS SWELTERING CLIMATE?

They passed by a draft, and Chris coughed into his elbow violently. Martin didn’t appear as affected.

Tessa checked the air quality again. “You guys are gonna want filters and a suit, it’s ‘bouta get real nasty down in the pits,” she said. “One of these rooms ought to have filters.”Uzi thought it was stupid. That’s one good thing about being AI, she thought.

<;- Part One Part Three ->

[samcrosfaith]

SUMMER NIGHTS 𝟎𝟑| 𝖙𝖆𝖑𝖐𝖘

Happy Lowman x fem!oc

a/n; I just realized that ia haven't posted chapter three, four and five but six 🤦🏻‍♀️ I'm sorry about that! Here you go. 🤎

tag list; @mamawiggers1980 @elmiramager

CALLIE'S GIGGLES FILLED the living room with warmth, her red hair, which sat in a neat bun on top of her head, looked almost golden under the sunlight that shone through the large window and cast a warm glow on the large carpet.

"Look mommy, he's making noises!" Full of enthusiasm, the three-year-old pulled on a short string that was attached to the dinosaur she was playing with. Shortly afterwards, a mix of a roar and a cooing sound was heard.

"Wow, that's scary!" June put on a frightened look and pretended to be afraid, her hand pressed tightly against her chest. "What kind of things is Daddy buying you?"

"Cool stuff!" When Callie burst into laughter and pulled the string again, June joined in and pulled the three-year-old between her legs with a gentle laugh. "Will you do me a favor and put on your ballet clothes? We have to leave in thirty minutes."

"I can do that", Callie answered enthusiastically as she kept playing with the dinosaurs and a doll. "Is Ally coming too?"

"Ally always comes with us, you know that, baby." June placed a kiss on the top of Callie's head before she sat the girl back down on the carpet and stood up. "And after the dance classes we go to the stores, you girls need new shoes. Does that sound good?"

"Yes!" The dinosaur and the doll immediately flew into the toy box that stood next to the round coffee table while Callie already jumped to her feet. There was pure joy in her eyes as she looked up at her mother. "I love shoes!"

"I know, sweetheart", June replied with a soft chuckle as Callie announced that she was going to change extra quickly and rushed into her room shortly afterwards.

With her hands on her hips, June shook her head in amusement. As soon as her children were around her or she saw one of the two girls happy, she was happy tooᅳ despite the complicated circumstances.

When her phone lit up on the coffee table, June reached for it and sighed to herself when she read the message from her lawyer, whom she had contacted a few days ago about the divorceᅳ just as Happy had wanted.

Lost in her own thoughts, her blue eyes wandered around the room, a room that had changed significantly after June took over the house. Not that there was anything wrong with Jax and Tara's style, but June was someone who wanted to feel at home, someone who needed warmth.

Most of the furniture was in a warm tone. A brown leather couch stood against the white wall, a beige blanket lay folded over one armrest, and orange and yellowish pillows with different prints provided another splash of color.

There were shelves on the walls with old books and plants on them. Different types of Monsteras, Succulents, Peperomiasᅳ anything that looked green and alive actually. On the wall above the dresser on which the tv stood was a large, oval mirror with a delicate gold frame, pictures of various sizes hung around it, giving the wall a nostalgic flair.

Already dressed in a black, long sleeved bodysuit and a black chiffon Ballet skirt with beige silk tights underneath, June snaked her arms around her petite body, probably to comfort herself as she looked at all the pictures with a wistful smile. One right next to the mirror, the largest picture of all, showed Happy with six year old Alanna on his lap while he held a newborn Callie in his other arm, the proudest look on his face.

In the picture next to it, they were all in it, looking like a real familyᅳ which they were. Everyone in the photo was laughing, even Happy. And seeing Happy laugh was one of June's favorite things. There was something about the Tacoma Killer's laugh that could heal all her worries.

The rumor that Happy was a cold-hearted, brutal person who didn't care about anyone was absolutely false. Sure, he was different, maybe even had a sadistic side to him when it came to getting people to talk. And yes, he didn't trust many people and seemed cold and dangerous to strangers. But not when he was around people he cared about.

As soon as Happy felt comfortable, he could even be quite funny and at home, around June and his children, he was like a different person. And that was what June missed the most. The carefree afternoons and evenings they had spent together, whether as a couple or with their children.

Tara had never understood why she had hung the pictures in the first place, after all, the two were no longer a couple and in the doctor's eyes June should've left town to escape the toxic lifestyle. But June didn't want to leave, she didn't want to take her children's father awayᅳ and Charming was her home, whether she was a fan of it or not.

Sighing, she shook off the thought of driving to Happy's and their old house and begging him to just start over. But she couldn't forget the pictures of that one night, even if for others it had been 'only' a kissᅳ for Gemma, for example.

Without answering the message of her lawyer, June put her phone aside and followed the dull rock music that, as so often, came from Alanna's room. Before she opened the door, she knocked twice and only entered when she heard a soft 'come in'. In contrast to her own mother, it was important to June to give her children some privacy.

In order to be able to talk to her daughter, June turned the control of the older stereo system down until the music stopped and a comfortable silence took over.

Just like her, Alanna had a weakness for vintage things and the boho style. A stack of Polaroid pictures lay on the stereo system that Jax had given her when they moved in a few months ago. He actually wanted to throw it away, but when Alanna discovered the stereo system in his garage while clearing out, she wanted it immediately.

Alanna's room, tidy but still a little chaotic, consisted of walls painted a soft yellow, exactly the opposite of Callie's room, which was literally bathed in pink. Pinks walls, pink bedding, even a pink carpet.

There were also plants on dark brown shelves and on the desk in the same color. A find from the flea market that June and Alanna always visited together. A hobby that both of them shared.

The mattress next to Alanna gave in as June sat down next to her and brushed some dark strands of hair from her face, which covered it as she kept her head bowed.

"Why are you still so angry with Dad?", June asked softly, carefully even.

Only a quiet sigh fell from Alanna's lips as she stared at the Polaroid pictures in her hand, memories of the weekend at the lake. A weekend that she had secretly enjoyed but didn't want to admit because she was just as stubborn as her father. Another thing she had inherited from him.

"He just left us", she murmured, and there was so much disappointment and sadness in her voice, so much anger in her words, that June had to swallow softly. "He promised me he would always stay with us and that he would never leave me like my biological mom didᅳ and he didn't keep his promise!"

"Aren't you angry at him anymore at all?" Tears gathered in the nine-year-old's doe-brown eyes, her head snapping up to look at her mother.

June, quite moved by Alanna's words and the little outburst of anger, squeezed her eyes shut to hide her own tears. Seeing your own children suffer was probably the worst thing for a parent.

"Of course I'm still angry", she answered honestly, sincerity but also a certain warmth in her blue eyes as she placed an arm around Alanna's shoulder.  "But you know, sometimes adults primise things that they just can't keep. I know that sounds like a bad excuse, but your dad just wanted the best for us, sweetheart."

Confused, and Alanna had every right to be, she shook her head. "So leaving us alone is the best thing? I don't understand, mom."

"God, you've grown up so much", June said with a wistful smile as the nine-year-old answered as if she were much older already. "What your dad did doesn't make senseᅳ but it made sense to him in that moment. Sometimes we're so blinded by fear that we do stupid things. And that's exactly what happened."

"Well, but if he knows he acted stupid then he can make it up to you, to us!" Despair evident in Alanna's frustrated voice, her lips began to tremble as she threw the pictures on the floor. "I miss him, and I freakin' hate that he just left!"

The moment the nine-year-old burst into tears, allowing her emotions to flow freely for the first time since her parents broke up, she threw herself into June's arms that immediately closed around her body. Sobbing and sniffling, the girl hid her face on June's shoulder.

"I'm here, baby", June whispered, no longer able to hide her own tears. This outburst of emotion came so unexpected that even June was overwhelmed at first. So she decided to just hold Alanna and give her the comfort she needed. "And Dad is always there for you, too, even if he's not here every day. You know you can call him anytime and he'll be here within ten minutes."

"It's not fair that he's not here!" Was all Alanna could choke out before another deep sob burst from her throat and tore June's heart apart.

How could she make a clean cut and draw a final line when she knew that her children missed their father as much as she did?

ᅳ

HAPPY ENTERED THE CLUBHOUSE, his kutte sticking to his back as he wiped the sweat from his forehead, finally surrounded by cooler air instead of the intrusive heat from outside.

It was quiet, most members in their rooms to rest after the exhausting morning and just unwind or let off steam, preferably with a Croweater.

Only Jax sat at the bar, having learned from his mistakes and now knowing better that it was smarter not to cheat on Tara again. But just like Happy, he just wanted to push his Old Lady away to keep her safe. But what worked for June had the exact opposite effect on Tara, the doctor clinging to Jax even more now.

"Hey." Happy sat down on the bar stool next to his brother-in-law and ordered a whiskey from Rat, who was standing behind the bar washing glasses. "You okay?"

"Nah man, everything is threatening to escalate and I just don't know what to do anymore." It was rare that Jax admitted to himself that he was overwhelmed by a situation, that he had no idea how to keep shit running. "The war with the Argent Devils, it's even worse than the one with the Mayans back then."

"Then we have to make sure that their club disappears, we gotta have to wipe them out", Happy answered, downing the glass of whiskey. After the breakup, he had drunk so much of the liquor that he didn't even feel it burn down his throat anymore. "I want my wife back, my kidsᅳ which means the Argent Devils have to go, fast."

"What?" Jax' eyes widened in surprise, his body now turned towards Happy. "You really want my sister back?"

"What do you think?" Letting out a snort-like sound, the SAA shook his head. "That was the plan from the start. As soon as there is no more danger, I'll get my family backᅳ and that has to happen soon before I'll lose them completely."

Happy was silent for a while, as was Jax, who noticed that Happy still had something to say. And Jax gave his brother-in-law the moment, curious to hear Happy's next words.

"June wants a divorce", he grumbled, tapping on the counter to tell Rat to refill his glass. "She gave me the papers three days ago, told me to sign them. Her signature was already on them."

"Shit." Jax ran a hand down his face, scratching his beard in thought. "She never mentioned anything about a divorce. I would've warned you, man, I hope you know that."

Happy just waved it off with a grunt, downing the next glass. "I don't think she told anyone. Maybe Amber, but she would never tell anyone if June wanted her to keep it to herself."

"Probably not, no", the blonde sighed, shaking his head before placing a hand on Happy's shoulder, squeezing it. "I'll talk to her, I wanted to stop by her studio later anyway to see if she's okay."

"Why? Did something happen?" Immediately alarmed, Happy swept around and stared at his Pres.

"Nah, she just had a few problems with Ma. Gemma doesn't want to understand why June wants her to stay away for a few weeks", Jax explained with a slight grin that faded as quickly as it had formed. "June's feeling like shit, man. She's not the same without you, but I know my sisterᅳ if you really want her back, you'll have to try hard. Cheating on herᅳ that's something June can't forgive, she's not Gemma or Tara."

"I didn't even cheat on her and you know that", Happy insisted stubbornly, tapping his glass on the counter. "Another one, Prospect."

"Uh, are you sure?" Rat asked carefully, visibly tense when Happy gave him his famous death glare. "Sorry", he mumbled quickly before he refilled the glass.

Jax just chuckled, amused by the little scene that had just unfolded before he became serious again. "But June doesn't know that you only hired Jenny, that the whole thing was agreed upon and only started when June showed up."

"You think she could forgive me if I explained everything to her?" Dejected, Happy finally drained the newly refilled glass before looking back at Jax. "You know that I'd never actually cheat on your sister. June was and still is the only one for me."

"I know that, bro, you don't have to tell me that." With a slap against Happy's shoulder blade, Jax folded his arms on the counter and stared at his beer with a frown. "And June actually knows it too. To this day she still can't believe that you really did it. So yeah, I think if you explain everything to her there's a chance that she might forgive you."

"I fuckin' hope so", Happy sighed deeply, rubbing both hands over his exhausted face before he stood up.

"Where are you going?" Jax wanted to know, his eyebrows drawn together in curiosity.

"Tell your mom to give June the space she needs", Happy explained as he was already on his way towards the door and shortly afterwards crossed the lot to get to the workshop's office.

He may have had a lot of respect for Gemma, but he had more respect for his wife, whose well-being was more important to him. And if she didn't have the nerves for Gemma right now, he would take care of it.

[b4mpyre-k1zz3s]

Rules of the Harem (Rule 2)

Tensions start to rise in the house, so a method of resolving conflicts is proposed.

Steve-O X Fem!Reader, Chris Pontius X Fem!Reader

(Fluff, Angst)

1k Words

Warnings: Highly suggestive content, nudity, violence, fighting, alcohol, electrocution, BDSM mention, use of honorifics (Ma’am)

An: Hello again! I’m really enjoying this series so far, and I hope you all are enjoying it as well! Fun fact: I wrote all of these chapters in the same week while on vacation! If they read slightly differently, it’s because I couldn’t get in contact with my usual beta reader during that time, but let me know which style you prefer! Thank you for sending in your requests, and please keep them coming! :)

That afternoon, your backyard was a scene straight out of one of those Greek myth stories with all the flirty nymph girls giggling and splashing around naked in the streams. You were about a month or so into the six of you living together, and given how close the guys had gotten. They decided out of the blue to go skinny dipping even though they had their trunks on hand. Chris said something about getting rid of those pesky mankini tan lines, but you knew they were putting on this show for you because how could the lady of the house expect any less? You had a huge yard, anyways- five thousand square feet of carved marble and intricate stonework, fenced in with meticulously groomed shrubbery- and your neighbors at this point knew not to try and steal a peek, so it’s not like anyone would see them. You sat back poolside in your lounge chair, in your long, silky robe, and watched.

Now this would be all fine and dandy and the kind of thing you would revel in if you hadn’t neglected one detail: Steve was gone. Well, not gone gone, but out of your sight. He was, as you would come to find out, on the roof, and yes, he was still naked. As he took a running start to leap into the water, the only image you saw was the glowing halo of his silhouette from the sun. His landing and the resulting splash were both incidentally directly in front of Ryan, completely soaking him. Standing up, he jumped in after Steve, but you were distracted chatting up Chris, who was sunning that spectacularly muscular body of his to notice. You didn’t exactly see when the play fighting transitioned into real fighting, but It was probably around when Steve stuck his head out from the froth and yelled to Chris, alerting your attention to the way Bam and Ryan had been ganging up on him. Rushing to his buddy’s aid, Chris dove in after him, and you still sat exactly where you were sitting twenty minutes ago, just watching.

Of course it was Johnny, the most responsible of the five, that broke up the fight. Reaching into Steve’s backpack, which was sitting slumped against the leg of a pool chair, he found something he knew would get the guys’ attention- firecrackers. So before they tore each other limb from limb, he lit them up and beamed them down onto the pool deck. Under the same logic that works on dinosaurs in movies, the loud cracking and sparkling was very effective at breaking up the brawl, turning aggression to confusion. It was like when the lifeguards call adult swim, only a lifeguard would probably have a little more grace than Johnny, who unceremoniously grabbed Bam by the hair and yanked him to sit on the edge of the pool. That left the rest of the guys in the water, trying to shrug off embarrassment.

You actually had one of the other guys go grab Steve due to the fact it was hard to predict where he was at any given time: normally sleeping in a closet or on the floor somewhere, sometimes in an actual bed, and once hanging from the French cast bronze chandelier by his ankles. But wherever he was, he was in your room, now in his usual outfit consisting entirely of his too-low pants that showed off his flannel boxers. Steve crept into your room like a kid who was just called into the principal’s office and didn’t feel bad in the slightest for what he had done. “You are unbelievable…” He snickered, getting that mischievous glint in his eye as he sat down on the bed next to you, “What’s the matter? You’re gonna punish me?” He was lucky he sounded cute all waterlogged, but even though you would typically be down for that, you put your foot down. “I’m serious! I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we have rules here.” Guilt crept onto his face as you kind of lectured him. “If you keep this up, I might have to kick you out.” Usually he wouldn’t fall for this kinda thing that easily, but under the pressure of your scrutinizing gaze, Steve sighed, relenting, “Alright, I’m sorry, ma’am…But- I’ll make it up to you!”

In exchange for starting the fight, you pushed the responsibility of determining a less violent way of settling disagreements onto him, and Steve whipped up with an idea straight out of the Middle Ages. It came from, of all places, an episode of Wildboyz they filmed in Argentina, and a stunt that boiled down to him and Chris dueling each other with cattle prods. The matches would be staged in the backyard, two men to a duel, no shirts (per your request)- but instead of the winner being designated by who was still standing, it was more of a game of electrical chicken seeing who could stand getting shocked the most before they threw in the towel.

This gave you something new to watch. Going back to that Ancient Greece metaphor, it was as if you had your own personal gladiator ring, and this image was in any way dissuaded by the fact that the first time you tested it was with Chris and Ryan, who both had that sort of strong, warrior build. See, they were having a disagreement over a game of pool because Bam leapt onto the green felt of the table before either could win, and after you suggested it, both were happy to go back and forth nailing each other. The way they stood across from each other silhouetted by the setting sun made them look like cowboys preparing for a duel before Ryan made the first move, lunging at him. And as the duel raged on, they actually seemed to be enjoying this, the atmosphere turning less aggressive and more playful with every yelp or surprised laugh. Even the spectators- Johnny, Bam, Steve, and you- were all having a fun time watching this sport.

Ryan gave in, dropping his cattle prod in a sign of defeat, “Dude- dude, I’m done. Fucking Christ- that sucks.” Rushing to his side, you wrapped your arms around Chris’ shoulders and planted a kiss on his cheek as he chuckled triumphantly. Oh, he would be getting a reward from you later, both for winning and looking so good while doing it- and hell, Steve deserved one too for coming up with that plan. What a smart guy.

[soobjvn]

TULIPS 🌷⁎︎° ✳︎ CHAPTER 19 : “ the c word ,,

↳︎ cw: written + smau; lightly proofread

[ prev. ✧︎ toc. ✧︎ next. ]

“YOU LOOK NICE,” winter commented from behind their market booth, looking up from the keychains she’d just arranged to y/n’s outfit. she wore a summer dress scattered with a strawberry pattern, a matching white purse in one hand and her phone in the other. “i wonder what the occasion is…”

“ok shut up.” she retorted while winter snickered. “how can i help?”

“admit you like yeonjun.”

“i meant with the booth,” winter smiled as she took note of the blush that painted y/n’s cheeks at the yeonjun remark.

“i know, y/n. and, nothing! yunjin went to go get the rest of the bags from the dorm; the two of us will be fine.”

“alright, but if you need help, just call me, ok?”

“y/n, we’re selling crochet not building a bomb. but sweet of you to abandon your man for us!”

“he’s not-“

“ah, ah, ah,” winter held her hand up, stopping y/n from continuing. “if i say it, it’ll happen.”

“yeah, okay.”

“can you just admit there’s a little something there?” y/n crossed her arms.

“maybe a teeny, tiny bit. like a smidge.” y/n pinched her fingers. smidge my ass, winter thought.

“finally!” as if summoned by the confession, yunjin appeared behind the booth with a box of their handmade purses and totes. “i think the earth just shook; mercury went into retrograde.”

“you guys are awful,” y/n laughed. she looked at her phone for the time. 1:27 it read; the market didn’t officially start until 2, meaning she’d have a bit until yeonjun came. she didn’t expect him to show up right when it opened, but they hadn’t specified a time either. she felt a bit disappointed to have to wait for his arrival.

“liar, you love us,” winter responded.

“whatever. i’m gonna go look around. i’ll see you guys later?”

“she’s growing up so fast,” yunjin and winter wiped fake tears while linking arms, causing a snort from y/n as she walked away to explore the market.

Y/N WAS LOOKING at a jewelry booth when her phone buzzed in her hand.

jun!: hey y/n, i’m here :)

y/n caught herself smile at the text. dammit.

y/n: hey! i’ll come meet you. what booth are you by?

jun!: ok! i think it’s some sort of paper mache tent…? 💀

y/n: yeah that one ALWAYS sucks.

jun!: seriously who is buying these??? idk if this one’s a dinosaur or a fallopian tube but it has no right to be 45 bucks.

y/n: PLS 😭

y/n: i see the tent! i’ll be there in a sec

jun!: y/n hurry this booth scares me

she walked over to the booth yeonjun had (concerningly) described, and couldn’t hide the grin that spread across her face when she saw him. he was dressed in a light blue button down with the sleeves slightly rolled and navy pants, and his black hair rustled in the summer breeze. his dark brown eyes wandered the surplus of students, seemingly looking for one in particular. he had a neutral expression, almost disappointed, she noticed.

truthfully, yeonjun had arrived before texting y/n; 12 minutes prior, to be exact. he presumed the market would have flowers he could buy y/n, feeling a surge of confidence to hint at his feelings. kai agreed the notion was sweet, especially since he’d planned to buy her favorite flowers: tulips. yet, he scanned what felt like 20 booths of flowers, none having the desired type. he sent kai a disappointed message. it was then he then finally texted y/n.

but, he replaced the frown by reciprocating y/n’s smile when his eyes finally met hers, and he walked over to wrap her in a friendly hug. y/n didn’t recall feeling bubbly when she initiated a hug the first time they’d went out, or anytime they’d seen each other in between, for that matter.

yeonjun, on the other hand, was used to the turning of his stomach in her presence, which had only happened 10 times more often and intensely since their conversation at the karaoke booth. he, too, took the time to study her stature, which he’d officially deemed as perfect. he watched as her eyes lit up under the sunlight as she released from the hug.

yeonjun ran a hand through his hair. “where to first?”

“I WARNED YOU about my skills, y/n.”

“you threatened me with your ‘nobel peace prize in ring tossing’, so excuse me if i wasn’t all that intimated,” they both laughed as they walked nearly shoulder-to-shoulder. the two had been exploring the market for nearly an hour and a half now, and were departing the fair game booth. y/n had, sadly, been defeated in practically every game. yeonjun made it up to her, though, by giving her the plush he had got from winning basketball. “what should we name him?”

yeonjun smiled at the ‘we.’ “yeonjun junior.”

“absolutely not,” she laughed when he dramatically frowned. “oh, jun, that’s our booth over there!” she grabbed his hand, skipping over to yunjin and winter. the two girls smirked at the sight of them. they giggled seeing yeonjun’s ears red with adoration and a giddy smile plastered on y/n.

“finally,” yunjin said. y/n rolled her eyes. “we thought you’d forgotten about us.”

“i still can’t believe you left us for your boyf-” yunjin nudged her, holding in a laugh. y/n glared at winter. yeonjun’s grin widened.

“so i’m your boyfriend now?” he turned to look at y/n, who would typically remain composed in most situations. when the situation involved yeonjun, however, that quality did not apply.

“no! i didn’t say that! well, not that it’d be a bad thing,” yunjin couldn’t keep her laugh in any longer. “but not that i’m asking for that, either! i’m very happy being single!” the embarrassment finally set when yeonjun, too, giggled. winter didn’t dare laugh, thinking about the scolding she’d later receive.

“you’re cute, y/n.”

TAGLIST 🌷 @bangchansbae @raehyun-byeoll @yyawnjun @junhuicosmo @n034sy @wintertxt @fanfangying1304 @crystal-jellies @gyuszie @lightprincess-world @hyuneyeon @tocupid @cookiehaos (bold couldn’t be tagged)

↳︎ pssst, feel free to use my asks / comment here if you’d like to be added to the tag list <3

A/N 🌷 hey… how’s everyone doing 🚶‍♀️… i know its been forever since i’ve updated; i was traveling, and i’m starting up school again so my stress was just 📈📈📈. but we’re all good now!! i’ll continue to post whenever i can, which will most likely be weekends 🫶. thank u for the patience and support thus far!

[alwerakoo]

Baby Blue (Chapter 6)

Rise of the TMNT Leonardo/Yuichi Usagi Chapter 6 of a longer fic THIS IS PART OF A SERIES - might be confusing to read without context

AO3

--

The first thing Draxum tells them when he opens the door is: “Were you rolling around in the dirt or something?”

Leo huffs; Draxum's tone a bit too monotonous to be considered a joke.

But Usagi just brightens up, adjusting his shoulders and his armful of dinosaur. But if Leo's being honest, his shirt does look more gray than white. “Not this time, Mr. Barry!”

Draxum doesn't look like he was expecting any visitors – more like someone who just woke up and would much rather go right back to bed.

He's wearing a faded and well-loved bathrobe, and old bunny slippers, that look less like something he'd choose for himself and more like a well-meaning present from Mikey.

(Leo knows something about that. On his last birthday, his brother had given him a hand-dyed sweatshirt made with a color palette that could only be described as 'experimental' at best.

Leo has been using it exclusively as pajamas, mostly to keep Mikey from learning how attached to it he's grown.)

Draxum doesn't move to let them through the doorway, but he didn't even blink when Usagi slips inside under his outstretched arm.

Or when Leo runs right after him.

His brothers' house always smelled of warmth, fire and faintly of soot, probably from the fireplace he had yet to see not lit up. Even from the hallway, Leo can hear the softly creaking wood.

There's something to it, some innate warmth and comfort etched into every brick. Something his brothers had never had to learn to create on their own.

Leo looks away and decides not to think about it any longer.

“What is that thing?” Draxum asks, watching Usagi's luggage with surprising indifference. “His name is Spot,” Usagi says, in the tone of an exceptionally proud parent. Leo interrupts before his friend has a chance to pull out an album full of baby dinosaur childhood photos out of his pocket. “Are Mike and Don home?” He asks, noticing the unusual silence.

Their house always felt peaceful, and very rarely was it quiet. Draxum snorts, grabbing a mug he must've put down earlier. There's ''#1 DAD'' written in bold letters across it, and it fully completes the look of someone opening their rather predicable Christmas presents. “You'd think so, wouldn't you,” he mutters under his breath. “I had to call them and ask where they were. Can you believe that? I had to call my kids and ask where they were.”

Leo glances at Usagi, who currently seems fully absorbed in smuggling grapes from an ornate plate to feed Spot. He's not being as discreet as he seems to think he is.

“Tragic” Leo says, correctly guessing that Draxum won’t catch the sarcasm in his tone. “And they barely pick up their orbs anyway,” he adds, like it's the final nail in the coffin. Leo doesn’t even know whose funeral they’re at. “You know,” he starts, very carefully. “If you ask, Donnie can make you a pho–” He cuts himself off, raising his hands in a defensive gesture. “Okay, okay, nevermind then. Keep just complaining.” For a parent with a rather relative concept of discipline, Draxum has a look that can freeze any of them in their tracks. Leo finds himself falling for it more and more often, to his own dismay. “Are they gonna be back anytime soon?” He asks, feeling the chances of his plan succeeding diminishing at a rate proportional to Mikey’s absence. Draxum spreads his arms, shrugging.

He lifts his cup, tilting his head back, apparently forgetting that it’s already empty. An exceptionally bitter grimace shows on his face. “Spirits if I know. Michelangelo said he went ''for a walk'', so he's probably vandalizing something again.” He puts the cup down with a quiet clink and enormous disappointment. “Or loitering with that boy... What's his name, Lawrence?” “Leatherhead,” Usagi corrects with his usual politeness. “You know Leatherhead, you've met him many times.” Spot managed to devour all the grapes and has now taken to chewing on Usagi's sleeve. Draxum waves his hand, casually dismissive. “The tall one,” he says, as a way of compromising. He doesn't say anything about Donnie. Leo knows he's at April's school, and he suspects that the conversation with his father was rather curt and unclear. He's not sure what Donnie could've possibly told him, and the chances that Draxum himself has already begun to suspect something are definitely not zero. (Lies have never come as easily to Donnie as they did to Leo.)

Especially now. He's been showing up on the Surface New York more and more often, to the point where Leo mentioned it to April. She just laughed and shook her head, which made him think. But whether he wants to or not, Donnie has never kept anything from him for too long. And Leo's willing to wait until this secret too comes to the surface. “Okay,” he says finally, resting his hands on his hips. “Then we won't bother you for long. We just came to drop off your new roommate.” Forcing a smile as sincere as possible, he jerks a thumb over his shoulder. “What?” Draxum glances at Usagi. “You're moving in?”

He sounds completely unsurprised, at most a little irritated by the short notice. Leo would've laughed if he wasn't trying to swallow down his own nerves. He's not sure what Donnie is doing right now, but he'd be rather grateful if at least his heart wasn't echoing so loudly in his chest. He's not scared of Draxum, of course. On a completely objective surface, he's not even scared of his reaction or rejection. Despite his rough and rather prickly personality, Draxum has always seemed to soften under the influence of his family. Leo knows that at least some of that affection spills over to Raph and, probably to a much smaller but still significant extent – to him. The chance that he'll be met with objection is high; as is the chance that Draxum will give in sooner or later, probably largely due to the influence of his youngest child. But still, some small, uncertain part of Leo can't stop clenching his fingers until his knuckles turn white.

(There's a part of him that's always afraid.) He's not doing this to start an argument. He's not talking to his father. He just wants his body to realize that too. “Not yet,” Usagi replies, painfully optimistic as always. “We're talking about Spot.” Draxum blinks, looking at the animal as if he's just now remembered its existence, which might be the case. Like his older son, he can be rather single-minded. “Pardon?”

There's a new tone in his voice; something Leo can't quite decipher. He raises his arms, awkwardly waving his hands. “Surprise?”

Draxum, very slowly, shifts his gaze back to Leo. “No,” he says, calm but curt and harsh.

Leo lowers his arms. “But why not?”

At that, the first signs of shock on Draxum's face turn into blind disbelief. “Why not?” Draxum raises his voice, outstretching his arms as if trying to visualize the absurdity of the whole situation. “This is my house, and there will be no animals in my house.” “That's what everyone says,” Leo says, trying to sound almost indifferent. “You said Donnie and Mikey can't have pets. You never said I can't.” “I didn't know you were even alive when I said that,” Draxum huffs, crossing his arms over his chest.

Leo slows down for a moment, feeling a sudden surge of bitter-sweet nostalgia. He'd known Donnie, his heart, their entire lives, and meeting him really seemed to change less than it probably should have. But as time goes on, he's starting to forget he can't say the same about the rest of Donnie's family. Their family. In one way or another. The thought stirs up something warm and far too sappy for the current situation. He takes a deep breath, stepping back toward his friend and smoothing Spot's scales with the deliberation of a cat show presenter. The animal leans his head into Leo's hand, but still curls his left paw close to his chest. “He's hurt. You can't throw an injured guy out into the streets. Are you scared Donnie will eat him too?” He asks, clicking his tongue softly as if he were actually considering the answer. “I think he's a little too big for him.” Draxum groans. “I'll eat him,” he hisses, gesturing at Usagi. “I'm not keeping your boyfriend's mutt in the house.” Leo's smile drops. “Hey!” Usagi perks up, surprisingly genuine irritation in his voice. “Don't call him that.” For one incredibly long moment, Leo's chest tightens with something burning and painful, and it's only when he finally realizes that Usagi meant Spot, not him, that he's able to draw in another breath. His face feels hot and heavy; he raises his hands, pressing cool fingers to his cheeks. “I wouldn't let you keep him even if he wasn't,” Draxum says, clearly indifferent to Leo's sudden embarrassment. Or more likely – completely unaware of it. Leo glances back at his friend, watching the animal in his arms with an unseeing gaze. Spot lets out a shrill, rather dramatic squeal, shifting in Usagi's embrace, pressing his right paw to his chest. Leo blinks.

He straightens, suddenly brought back to reality. He raises a hand, silencing the growing argument in one movement. “Wait,” he says quietly, resting his hands on his knees and leaning down to look the animal in the eye. “Wasn't that... Can I?” He reaches out and without waiting for an answer, he grabs Spot by the sides, pulling him out of his friend's embrace. Usagi frowns, rubbing his hands together in an uncertain gesture, like he's struggling to keep himself from protesting. But all the hesitation on his face disappears as Leo crouches down, stretching his arms, holding Spot in the air above the floor. “Hey,” he leans down, as if planning to physically pull Leo upright. “What-”

Leo, unceremoniously, relaxes his hands, letting the animal fall to the ground. Spot drops to his paws, with all the grace of a rather clumsy cat, and an equally great temperament. He hisses, jumping away from Leo on both paws. Usagi kneels, wrapping his arms around him completely out of instinct before freezing, blinking. He drops his arms, allowing Spot to stand on his own. “You fucking lair,” Leo hisses, barely holding back the slightly hysterical laughter building in his chest. Spot seems completely unconcerned by being exposed, carefully sniffing the pockets of his new owner. “Oh,” Usagi says, his tone surprisingly calm. “He was faking it,” Leo raises his head to look his friend in the eye. For a moment, Usagi's face passed through many emotions. In the end, he just shrugs, taking the animal into his arms again. “Well, look how intelligent he is,” he states with complete seriousness. “I'm not keeping a con man in my house,” Draxum says. Leo looks up at him, but before he has a chance to say anything – he straightens suddenly, spotting in the corner of his eye how Usagi's ears shift towards the door. From outside, there are quiet but hurried footsteps; footsteps that Leo has learned to recognize from any distance. He grins, crossing his arms over his chest. “We'll see about that.”

***

As all of them expected – Draxum had no chance against the power of persuasion of his youngest son. Donnie's later return and his support of Leo's legal loophole fully solidified Spot's fate.

The creature's love and affection for Usagi seems impossible to beat, but Mikey's influence and far too many treats quickly seemed to earn his affection for the entire family. “You're overfeeding him,” Leo warns, watching as Mikey offers Spot another piece of meat. Spot, as if to demonstrate the wrongness of that assumption, swiftly jumps onto the armchair, settling himself on the lap of rather frazzled Draxum. Out of the corner of his eye, Leo spots an outline of a smile on Donnie's face, and his chest suddenly feels unusually full. He wonders if he should call Raph.

He glances over his shoulder, feeling a sudden warmth in one of his hands. Usagi intertwines their fingers, squeezing Leo's palm. “Thank you,” he says, quiet and raw. The light from the fireplace reflects in his eyes, painting his pupils with an orange glow. Leo swallows hard. “You're welcome.”

[iztarshi]

The media the 87 turtles like both as a whole and as individuals says some really interesting things about them. Things which I'm about to overthink.

First off, when it's all of them the media of choice is monster movies. Kaiju, creatures and aliens all included.

They seem to identify with the monsters more than the heroes despite being fairly heroic themselves. They have a special fondness for turtle-monsters and avoid any monsters that remind them too much of their enemies (The Brain from Dimension X for instance).

Which makes sense! They remember being helpless animals, the fantasy of being huge and powerful and scary to humans is a valid one and it gives them a chance to let off some steam in their imagination when they wouldn't hurt anyone in real life.

Donatello really likes Film Noir, at one point quoting Dirty Harry, and reads an expy of The Dark Knight Returns (The MidKnight Crusader).

Donatello's a turtle with a lot of aggression that he tries to keep at least somewhat buried. He's often too blunt or indifferent without intending to be so he tries not to be deliberately mean as well. He also stays within the lines for dealing with enemies but against enemies where it's less clear what the lines are he can be ruthless - throwing lit dynamite after a nightmare spirit, torturing an AI for information, and leaving an energy being to be eternally bounced between two satellites.

It makes sense that he fantasises about people who don't have to try to tone themselves down to be part of a team. Lone wolves who do what needs to be done and get results.

Raphael likes game shows and stand up comedy, but also art films. At one point he teases Michelangelo that he'll have to get into opera since he can't get the comic series he wants, which might or might not imply an interest in opera.

Raphael's preferences for media are eclectic, but it strikes me that the things he watches on his own don't really contain violence. He's happy to watch monster movies alongside his friends, but on his own that's not what he goes for. (He also responds to Leonardo feeling sick during a gory dinosaur movie by assuming that's what's causing it and teasing Leonardo, which makes me think maybe he's the one that finds it a bit much.)

He's willing to fight when necessary (as long as he's sure it's necessary) but on his own Raphael doesn't care much for physical violence.

Michelangelo does go for monster movies on his own, even if they sometimes give him nightmares. He's had to be torn away from a couple he was watching by himself. He's also the only one who seems interested in a series where the focus is on the hero fighting the monsters and the monsters are regularly defeated - Michelangelo is the turtle who most likes humans and is happy to identify with them.

He reads a lot of comics, which seem to be more traditionally heroic as opposed to Donatello's interest in the grittiest Batman take, although his favourite one is about Bugman who could be considered a mutant like them, or at least like Splinter.

There's also a mean chat show focused around putting people the host doesn't approve of "on trial", which has vibes of "Michelangelo, why?" but I guess he likes to sit back and watch the drama.

Leonardo loves Samurai movies and remains convinced that everything they do was possible in ancient Japan (although circumstances seem to prove him right). He's the most interested in their Japanese heritage through Splinter and always interested in martial arts.

He also wants to watch kickboxing, making him the only one of them interested in watching sports.

There's also literature with Leonardo the only one of them to seem interested in reading much - starting with The Three Musketeers. Once again it's about swords. I suspect it's also about the intense friendship, fighting alongside one another, and "all for one" element. These turtles don't think of themselves as brothers, so Leonardo doesn't quite have a word for what they are. I can imagine he's looking at the musketeers going "that's us! we're that!" when he didn't have a model for it before.

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #1109: Rivalry Beach (King of Fighters)

12:19 p.m. Southtown's South Beach............

Krohnen: (Walks up to his Arch Nemesis, K' Dash) Well well well. If it isn't one of Ikari Warriors' Lapdogs, K'Dash.

K': Krohnen. You're looking more of a whiney shit-stain than usual I see.

Krohnen: ('Tch') This is rich coming from a lazy ass failure who's still second fiddle to that Kusanagi prick.

K': At least I know how to keep my flames in check. Unlike a blue haired punk in front of me who still don't know his own place.

Krohnen: (Already Fuming in Anger as He Turns his Arm into a Drill and Points it at K') I KNOW how to control my own powers just fine, shithead! And I'll be more than happy to give you full course test drive if you keep fucking with me!

K': (Grits his Teeth at Krohnen) Try landing a hit on me. (Balled his Gloved Fist as it Lit Up into Flames) And it'll be that mistake you do in your miserable life.

While the boys are busy glaring and threatening one another, their respective friends group begins to interact with one another as well.

Angel: ('Sigh') Ay dios mio.....Those two are never gonna get along, aren't that?

Kula: (Turns Away While Puffing her Own Cheeks) ('Hmph') No surprise there. You and pinhead are biggest jerks in the entire planet after all.

Angel: (Turns to Kula with a Pouty Look) Hey now. I'm way more nicer than my cookie is.

Kula: (Glares at Angel) Then why do keep making fun of me every time see each other!?

Angel: Cuz you're an easy target for me to mess with! (Forms a Teasing Smirk on her Face) And besides, I can't think of any other way to spent ny time here than to put a whiney, snot-nosed ice brat like you in your place.

Kula: (Fuming With Anger of her Own) GO AHEAD AND TRY IT THEN, YOU HUSSY! See if I won't freeze you solid if you do!

Kula begins to blow raspberries at the silver haired young haired who in return, snickers at the childish threat.

Rock: (Causally Talking to the King of Dinosaurs) Hey, how's life been treating you?

K.O.D: Rawr!

Rock: Huh. You don't say? How's that been going for her?

K.O.D: Rawr Raaawr Rarawwwr!

Rock: (Happily Nodded) Good, good. I'm glad Jenet and her crew aren't getting themselves in trouble for once. You think it'll last?

K.O.D.: (Shrugs) Rawr rawr.

Rock: ('Sigh') Yeah, I don't think it will either.....

Shingo: (Bows to Antonov with his Girlfriend, Leona, Standing Next to Him) We are so sorry for disturbing your time here, Mr. Antonov sir.

Leona: Had we known Krohnen would try and antagonize K', we would've never agreed to come here.

Antonov: (Smiles Brightly) Oh it's quite alright, you two. I'm just happy to see my boy Krohnen rekindle his long awaited rivalry with that friend of yours.

Shingo: (Smiles Sheepishly) Yeah......rivalry.....

Leona: (Rolls her Eyes) If you could call it that......

Misha: (Rusjes Over to the Trio) MR. SHINGOOOO! Sorry for wasting your time for at the moment, but....(Shows Shingo an Opened Book of Some Kind) Would you and Ms. Leona sign my Book for Fighters please?

Shingo: You....(Eyes Begins to Sparkle in Awe) Want my autograph?

Leona: And mines as well?

Antonov: (Chuckles Lightly Places his Hand onto Misha's Shoulder) Yes, our little Misha here has been a fan of you two for quite sometime now.

Misha: (Happily Nodded) Mmhmm. You guys are the coolest! (Turns to Leona) You're use your hands pierce through anything in a stealthy, flashy fashion while looking pretty.

Leona: (Blushes a Little) P-Pretty?....

Misha: (Turns to Shingo) And you always give it your all out there despite not having fire powers like that Kyo guy. Plus, you're really strong too! Not as powerfully strong as Mr. Antonov, of course, but you're definitely getting there!

Leona: (Smiles a Bit) Well, I suppose it would be rude of us to turn down a fan's request, don't you think, Shingo? (Turns to Shingo as She Hears the Sound of Sniffing) Shingo-Kun?

Shingo: (Already Has Tears in his Eyes) I-I-I...('Sniff') I have fans.....('Sniff') (Turns to Leona) Leona, I have fans now.....

Leona: (Happily Gives her Boyfriend a Hug) I know you do, darling. I'm very happy for you. (Turns to Antonov and Misha Woth a Sheepish Smile) Apologies. The emotions are getting the better of my boyfriend at the moment, so it'll might take us a bit of a while before we sign anything.

Misha: It's okay! I don't mind waiting.

Antonov: ('Sigh') I remember the day I first started to gain fans of my own.....(Eyes Begins to Water as Well) It was the best moment of privilege life!~ (Covers his Face Up While Crying)

Misha: (Pats on his Idol's Back to Help Calm Him Down) There there.

Meanwhile......

Mary and Ramon watches their respective groups' interactions with one another (Or more specifically, K', Kula, Krohnen, Angel's interactions) in the mid distance.

Mary: (Already Has a Deadpinned Look on her Face) Honestly. It hasn't even pass thirty minutes yet, and they're already at each other's throat.....

Ramon: ('Sigh') Can't say I'm surprised by the outcome really. I don't think I've ever seen a history more messy than those four.

Mary: (Shrugs) Eh. I've seen messier. (Turns to Ramon) So how are you following enjoying the wrestling limelight so far?

Ramon: (Smiles Brightly)I'm enjoying it quite well so far. I've met a lot of new faces: some friendly, some non sp friendly, and most of which are all so gorgeous looking~ (Let's Out a Flirtatious Purr)

Mary: (Playfully Rolls her Eyes) Of course they are....You still thinking about a certain redhead?

Ramon: Who? Vanessa? No, i haven't thought much about her as of late to tell you the truth

Mary: (Eyes Widened a Bit in Genuine Surprise) Wait, really? Not even a little bit.

Ramon: (Shrugs) Si, but not as much as i used to in the past. I have a sea of hermosos peces awaiting for my ferocious performance to worry about at the moment. And besides, isn't she still in cahoots with that King woman?

Mary: (Happily Nodded With an Excited Grin on her Face) Oh yeah, big time!~ Those two are a match made in heaven. (Searches For Something on her Phone) Vanessa been sending me pictures of her and Kingy as of late and look hella cute togethe-

Krohnen: (In the Distance) YOU BITCH!

'THUD'

Crowd: (Starts Chanting) Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!

Mary: .................They're fighting right now, aren't they?

Ramon: (Turns to See K and Krohnen Beating Each Other Up) To the surprise of no one unfortunately.

K': (Choking the Day Lights Out of Krohnen In the Distance) I'll show you who's a bitch, you insufferable defect!

Angel: (Slapping Hands With Kula) Quit breathing the same air as me, loser!

Kula: You quit breathing my air, you big fat meanie! ('Smack') Ow! You hit too hard!

Angel: Says the walking crybaby! ('Smack') Oi!

Rock: Mary, could you and Mr Ramon come over here before K' kill this guy?

Krohnen: Hell no! I ain't going down with a fight!

'Smack'

K': Argh! Damnit! That was my favorite pair of shades you just broke!

Krohnen: Goodie for you, dumbass!

K': You piece of shit, COME HERE! (Went Back to Choking Krohnen)

Mary: ('Sighs Heavily') We're coming, Rock! (Pinches her Nose in Annoyance) I finally have the day to relax here and they go on and start doing THIS crap.....

Ramon: (Shrugs Sheepishly) At....least they're not using their powers.....

Kula: THAT'S IT! I'M GONNA FREEZE YOU SOLID!

Angel: DO IT, EL MARICA!! SIN BOLAS!!

Mary: (Turns to Ramon) You were saying?

Ramon: My words are a blessing and a curse in disguise. Vamanos!

Ramon and Blue Nary quickly rushes over to the scene to stop the two former NESTS agents from fighting one another before everything escalates quickly.

@thelexhex

@tampire

@cyber-wildcat

@albion-93

@helsic

@caleb13frede

[purpleruneleaf]

so i played with the horror and farm dolls, but decided i didn't like them as much after all. not putting this on ao3, but putting this out in the universe in case someone else might enjoy it. i dunno, i don't feel like i captured either of them very well. rottoncrops (farmer/horror)

3am coffee

He'd heard the stories of UFOs and aliens beaming up cows and people, so when the flashes of light and strange noises seemed to be coming from his barn, Farm's first thought at 3am was Aw shit, I've got me uh intergalactic problem...

With that in mind, Farm did what any sensible person would have done in the same situation.

The skeleton got out of bed, stepped into his slippers, put on his robe, and made his way downstairs. In his kitchen, he put on a pot of coffee and whipped up a quick batch of biscuits. While the dough rested, he washed his hands, stuffed and lit his pipe, grabbed his shotgun and flashlight, and headed towards the barn. 

By the time he got over there, of course, the light show was over, and everything seemed normal. To the point that Farm briefly wondered if he’d dreamt it in the first place.

Better safe than sorry, he thought with a sigh, huffing out a puff from his pipe. Shotgun draped over his elbow, he clicked on his flashlight and got the barn door open. His eyes followed the beam his flashlight made. Nothing seemed out of place.

But he could smell it.

Something faint, bitter, and rancid tickled his nostrils. It was a smell Farm was familiar enough with that he smiled a little.

Fear.

“Yuh can c’mon outtuh hidin’,” he said out loud. Something tensed in the air like a held breath. “I ain’t gonna hurt you none. I got fresh coffee made, and the oven’s warmin’ up fer biscuits. Why don’chyuh c’mon out, an’ we can talk over some fresh biscuits ‘n’ gravy?”

“What’s the catch?” a voice hissed from the shadows around him.

He swallowed hard. Every instinct in him now warned Farm not to make any sudden moves. The voice almost sounded like it was behind him. Farm forced a smile. “Ain’t no catch, I swear. Just a peace offerin’. Yuh come a long way, right? Yuh must be hungry.”

There was a quiet while the stranger considered Farm’s offer. “I… don’t have anything to give in exchange.” A knife flashed in the corner of his eye, the blade curved towards Farmer’s throat. “This is some sort of trick!  You’re going to try and kill me for food!”

“Fer… what?”

The knife edged closer to his throat. Farm lifted his chin. “Food, you simpleton! There’s not enough to go around, remember? You ‘re going to kill me and eat me!”

Farm chuckled nervously, holding up both hands. “I don’t know what’s goin’ on on yer planet, friend, but we got plenty of food here. I don’t gotta kill nobody to live, I promise. ‘Cept fer the occasional pig ‘r cow… or chicken. Or rabbit, but that’s a treat I save fer the holidays.”

The hand holding the knife wavered; the blade came away from his throat. “Rabbits? You… raise rabbits?”

“Sure do!” Farm replied with a grin. “Got me some sheep and a goat too. And a funky little lizard that looks like a dinosaur. Got all sorts uh critters.” He laughed. “Darn learnt everything but uh fishin’ pond, and even then, river ain’t too far away. If yuh stay past sunrise, yuh can mee’ em iffin yuh want.”

Again that hand lowered a little more. “I don’t have anything to give in exchange,” the stranger repeated. “I can’t pay you back.”

“Don’ need tuh,” Farm assured. He shrugged. “But iffin it’ll help yuh feel better ‘bout the whole deal, I can put yuh tuh work. If yuh like, you can stay as long as yuh need. Ah don’ mind none.” His smile fell. “Awful lonely way out here since mah brother moved to the city. Could use some company.”

Finally the knife came away from his throat. The shadows to Farm’s left solidified and moved, taking the form of a skeleton that stepped into the light of Farm’s flashlight.

Immediately noticeable was the chunk missing from the stranger’s skull. Farm did his best not to stare, turning his gaze to the stranger’s bloody, dusty hoodie and shorts. The stranger was both taller and wider than Farmer, and his teeth seemed both sharper and harder. Like they could break bone… His single red eyelight stared at Farmer with wary suspicion as he slid the knife back into his sleeve.

Farm moved the flashlight to his other hand so he could offer it to shake. “Farmer Sans,” he introduced himself. 

The eyelight flicked between the offered hand and his face. “Horror,” replied the stranger, not accepting the hand.

Which didn’t offend Farm at all. He suspected his guest had a list of reasons why he should keep his guard up. Farmer shrugged and changed flashlight hands again. 

“C’mon,” he offered with a grin. “Coffee’s gonna burn iffin we let it sit too long undrunk. Yuh like coffee?”

The red eyelight shifted to one side sheepishly. “It’s… been a long time since I had coffee…” 

Farmer patted his back. “Well, lucky fer you, I grow mah own.” He led the way out of the barn and closed it up behind them. “I even got uh special greenhouse so I can grow ‘em out of season.” He laughed. “Yuh’d be surprised how nice it is tuh have good, fresh coffee in the middle of winter!”

The skeleton paused to look back at his guest when Horror didn’t reply and found the stranger standing several paces behind, his gaze turned up to the sky. Black tears trickled down Horror’s cheeks. Farm smiled and looked up as well.

“Stars are mighty purdy tonight,” he said with a wistful sigh.

“Stars…” mumbled Horror. “Real stars…” He nodded and wiped his face with a shaky hand. “Yes… They are rather… pretty…”

Farm took a hesitant step closer. “Yuh ain’t never seen the stars before, have yuh…”

Silently the other skeleton shook his head.

“Well tell yuh whut…” Farm’s grin returned. “How ‘bout yuh make yerself nice an’ cozy on the porch swing while I make our coffee? That way we can talk an’ watch the stars together, a’ight?”

Horror wordlessly nodded. Though he remained unspeaking and his expression betraying nothing, Farm still sensed a deep, profound sadness, like a wounded animal just about to give up hope. And a small flicker of wonder at those stars. Saying nothing else himself, Farm led his guest to the wide porch swing. The hinges and chains squeaked a little as Horror hesitantly sat, wobbling as it tried to swing under him. It didn’t escape Farm’s notice that Horror sat on the edge of the swing, ready to leap to his feet at a moment’s notice. He would have said something about it, but Farm knew his guest wouldn’t simply accept the words “you can relax, it’s safe.” 

“You jus’ wait right here,” Farm told him. “I’ll get started on them biscuits an’ bring out some coffee, a’ight?”

Again, Horror only silently nodded, looking more and more like a child unsure if they were in trouble or unwelcome.

I just wanna wrap him in uh blanket an’ hug ‘im ‘til he gets it, Farm thought with a sigh as he retreated inside. 

He put away his gun and flashlight and got the biscuits rolled out. Cooking was little trouble for Farm; he enjoyed the task and saw it as a form of meditation. There were certain recipes he’d make on certain days, based on the weather or his mood. Focaccia was good for when he wanted to punch something, and fudge was for when the humidity was just right. 

Rolling and cutting out the biscuits gave him something to focus on so his mind wouldn’t wander in worry to his quiet guest.

He got the biscuits on a baking sheet and in the oven, then made coffee. Unsure of how Horror took his, Farm mixed one with extra sugar and creamer and one with just sugar, and would let his guest choose. 

As he left his kitchen, booty-bumping the door since his hands were full, Farm expected his guest to be gone.

But when he stepped outside, he found that Horror was right where Farm left him, sitting on the swing, crying black tears as he gazed up at the stars.

“How do yuh like her coffee?” Farm asked gently as he sat beside Horror on the swing. 

The broken skeleton shrugged.

Taking that to mean he didn’t care, and figuring Horror needed the extra goodness of it, Farmer gave him the bug with the cream-and-sugar coffee, keeping the black with sugar for himself. Farm leaned back on the swing and stretched an arm over the back of it. He crossed one leg over the other and used his foot to slowly rock them. Horror fumbled a little about to spring up and flee, but once he realized the movement was only them, he relaxed visibly. Leaning forward onto his elbows and knees, Horror rocked the swing with him.

For a while, neither spoke. They existed together in a comfortable quiet, sipping coffee, rocking on the swing, watching the stars. Farm had all the time in the world, and his patience was rewarded.

“I’ve never seen the stars,” Horror admitted. “I’m from a place so far away from them, we had a room that mimicked the night sky. Sparkling crystals embedded in a high ceiling… There was even a telescope you could look through for five undollars.”

“But…” Farm nudged him. The broken skeleton was speaking in the past tense.

Horror huffed a brief smile. “But it’s gone now. We needed the room for something else. We needed the crystals for something else. The star room was the first to go.”

“You don’ gotta talk ‘bout it iffin yer not ready.”

The broken skeleton nodded, and that was the end of the conversation.

[let-the-living-beware]

Diabolik Lovers multidimensional Dinosaur AU - Part 5

“Have a good eye on your cousin ok Christa?” the woman spoke. She had a purse in her hand and had a stern expression on her face.

“Sure mom!” the girl answered. The woman smiled and turned towards the door.

“I am very proud of you and Karl. I will be back in just a few hours.” And with that she closed the door.

Christa turned towards the little girl. She was playing a few of her Schleich horses and a small smile came over her. She was so happy that her mom would give her so much responsibility and she didn’t wanna disappoint her. If anything would go wrong, which it wouldn’t she was sure of that, Christa always had her big brother to help her.  She was interrupted by her sister coming downstairs. Her long violet hair was tied up in a curly ponytail revealing the kiss marks her boyfriend, or Ex-boyfriend Christa couldn’t count anymore, left in her neck. She wore a black crop top and a black jean. In other words, she was about to go out.

“Mom didn’t allow you to go out.”

Her sister only let out a small laugh and fiddled a cigarette out of her pocket. “As if I give a shit besides-” She walked towards the door, the now lit cigarette in her mouth. “-if you should tell on me school is gonna be hell on earth for you.”

Christa didn’t say anything after that and just turned around to join her brother and cousin in the living room. She loved watching her play, it was way to cute. Coras birth was the reason she decided to have children herself. She was just the cutest being on the planet.

“Chrisa” the little girl held one of the toys towards her, a white unicorn with a pink mane. Christa let out a little laugh and took it.

“You want to play? How about we play outside. Look its sunny.”

“Outside!” Cora replied and stood up. She still was somehow wonky on her legs as she walked towards the garden. Christa took the other toys and followed her.

Karl sat outside when they sat down in their patio. Cora immediately was busy with her toys again but now with Christa together.

✦≃≂≃☾-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------☽≃≂≃✦

After you returned to base you were immediately brought to Yui. She patched everything and gladly you didn’t have any further injuries like a concussion or something alike. Yuma patiently waited outside and almost scared you to death when you stepped outside.

“Ya good?” he asked after the initial scare.

“Oh yes besides the few scratches I’m all good.”

Yuma wanted to answer you but was interrupted by a little girl.

“Papa!” she shouted happily and ran up to you too. Yumas expression changed from a kind of stoic one to a soft one. The little girl jumped in his arm and was promptly thrown into the air by her father. Her black hair fell before her eyes when she landed in his arms again. You were surprised that they would allow such a young child here. She can’t be older than 6 years, you thought to yourself.

“If it isn’t my little angel. How’s your day been?” he asked and put her hair aside so they could look each other in the eyes.

“It was super cool! I was playing with Laiko in uncle Reijis lab! She showed me something that turned red when you shake it.” She excitedly told him.

“I didn’t know children were allowed here.” You tuned in and smiled at them. Yuma just shrugged and began talking after putting her down to really fix her hair.

“Turn around.” he said and took a hair tie out of his jacked. “Children aren’t allowed but Shus mother is a really high employee at the company that funds all of this and that we are apart of. So, she arranged that for us.”

You smiled and nodded but couldn’t shake that feeling of uncertainty of. You weren’t sure how good it was to have a six year old with you. You couldn’t think about it for long as you were interrupted yet again, this time by one of the soldiers.

“Miss your presence is needed at the main portal.”

“Of course, I am coming.” You turned to Yuma and the girl. “Until later!” you waved and followed the man towards the portal. Before it stood a young man, about your age, with blueish-black hair and piercing red eyes. Reiji, you thought annoyed.

“Hello.” You greeted him and only now did you notice Ruki standing beside him. You gave him a small smile and then looked at Reiji again.

“It is nice to see you again.”

“Yeah, yeah nice to meet you too. So, who are we waiting for?” you could feel how your halfhearted comment made Reiji boil inside. He always was a control freak and manner freak and God how you hated it. Alone by being in his presence you could feel yourself wanting to commit a suicide and he probably wanted to kill you. In short, you couldn’t stand each other.

“Beatrix Sakamaki.” Ruki answered, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the air. If only you knew that he knew everything and that he would use it against Reiji or maybe you if necessary.

“So, it’s a control visit?” you asked but didn’t get an answer as a woman stepped out of the portal. She wore a black striped suit with a black blouse under it. You immediately recognized her as Shu and Reijis mother. Even though you had never seen her personally you saw some photos in their house.

She looked around, her heels slightly sinking in the dirt, and you could have sworn you saw a look of disgust on her face. After a short sigh left her mouth, she turned to you and a small smile build as she walked up to you three.

“Hello Ruki, it has been quite some time since our last meet up.”

“You can say that.” Ruki shook her hand and then looked at you wich in return focused her gaze on you.

“And you are? Wait. You’re Socrates child, it’s a pleasure meeting you.” She spoke and held out her hand to you. You quickly shook it, a bit nervous that she recognized you.

“The pleasure is all mine.”

“Well shall we go?”

✦≃≂≃☾-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------☽≃≂≃✦

A slow tune wandered through Reijis lab when Yui opened the door. Mei told her to get something before she could end her shift and accidentally bump into Ayato like every day. If only she knew what but maybe Laiko could help her, she thought to herself and looked around the room. The music was a food indicator that she was in here somewhere and it wasn’t that hard to find her. After all Laiko was strapped to a steel chain so she wouldn’t try to escape. Yui took another look around, this time following the chain and it ended...above her? She looked up and indeed Laiko laid on a shelf that was littered with different flowers. Her eyes were closed and her breathing rhythmic.

“I couldn’t have come to a worse time huh?” she whispered to herself. Since Reiji was showing his mother around the area, she only had Laiko to help her, and she was sleeping. Yui looked at the woman a bit longer. She never realized the dark read feathers growing on her forearms and cheeks, it looked cute Yui had to admit.

“What do you want?” Yui moved a step backwards at the sudden noise. Was she awake after all? She must have been, either way she could now ask her for the medicine.

“Ehm I am supposed to get this, but I don’t know where it is, could you help me?” Yui held the note Mei gave her in Laikos direction. She looked at it and jumped down before snatching it out of her hand.

“Sure,” Laiko stretched with her arms upwards what caused her shirt to move up and reveal her black bra. “, but what do I get for helping you.”

Yui was dumbfounded. It was a simple act of service to help her, she shouldn’t have to give Laiko anything in return. It wasn’t the first time such behavior crossed her, Kou once shouted at her during their first weeks. He had given her a bunch of roses and destroyed them when she couldn’t return the favor. Still she couldn’t understand that line of thinking and she couldn’t really think more about as she realized how Laiko was slowly creeping closer. With every step she took towards Yui, she took one backwards.

“I really don’t know how I could help you.” Yui said.

“Really? Well, I see something.” A smirk formed on Laikos lips, and she grabbed Yuis waist. Whatever she wanted to do Yui didn’t like it and thankfully she was saved by the door opening.

Laikos head turned around. In the door was Reiji together with Ruki and a woman in her thirties or fourties, Yui couldn’t tell.

“May I ask what is going on here?” Reijis eyes narrowed and Laiko let go of Yui, throwing her hands in the air.

“Calm down I was just getting my payment, see?” she presented a small bar of chocolate in her right hand, Yuis bar of chocolate. Ruki shook his head and walked inside. Laiko was now completely focused on the new faces in the room.

“Nice to finally see you Beatrix, not only hear and smell you.” She laughed and took a bite of the snack. Beatrix didn’t even recognize her existence beside a small nod, and it clearly got on Laikos nerves. If you had found out something about her, during the weeks she was kept here, than that Laiko hated being ignored. She was a narcissist, at least that’s what Subaru always called her when he was around. They didn’t stay for long and eventually, together with Yui who got the things she needed, left.

Laiko looked at the door for a while longer, her eyes narrowed. Something seemed of this time, something about Beatrix wasn’t right. She recognized this with everyone, it wasn’t like before.

[lalaryneee]

Steps and Stories in Yuri's Early Years

As a parent, watching your child grow is both a beautiful and challenging experience. For Junie, this journey has been filled with milestones that have shaped her son Yuri from a tiny toddler into a curious little boy. Between the ages of 3 and 5, Junie observed significant changes in Yuri’s physical abilities, cognitive skills, and social interactions. These early childhood years are important, and through her experiences, Junie learned not only about the milestones but also about the challenges that come with them. In Junie’s story, we will explore the various physical, cognitive, and socioemotional milestones that Yuri reached during these formative years, the challenges he faced, and the deep satisfaction Junie felt as a parent.

During the early years of Yuri's life, Junie witnessed numerous physical milestones that filled her with joy. When Yuri was around 1 year old, he started crawling with ease, quickly transitioning to walking. The first time he took his first steps unassisted, Junie felt a rush of pride. It was a moment she would never forget Yuri wobbled across the living room, arms outstretched for balance, and his face lit up with excitement as he reached for her.

As Yuri continued to grow, his fine motor skills began to develop. Junie noticed how he could stack blocks and manipulate toys with increasing precision. Simple tasks like holding a crayon and drawing shapes became easier for him. One sunny afternoon, Junie sat with Yuri at the kitchen table, where he concentrated on coloring a picture of a house. She admired how he carefully stayed within the lines, a skill he had worked hard to master. However, there were challenges along the way. At times, Yuri struggled with coordination, especially when trying to catch a ball or balance on one foot. One day at the park, he excitedly ran to catch a butterfly but tripped and fell. Instead of getting discouraged, he jumped back up, brushing off his scraped knee, and said, "I can do it, Mommy!" Junie patiently encouraged him, understanding that these were natural parts of his development.

Every time Yuri accomplished a new physical skill, Junie felt a deep sense of fulfillment. Whether it was mastering a new drawing technique or finally being able to ride his small motorcycle, each achievement brought them closer. The joy in Yuri's eyes as he celebrated his victories made Junie realize the importance of supporting him through every stage of his physical growth. 

Yuri's cognitive development was just as remarkable as his physical milestones. Junie observed how his thinking and problem-solving skills evolved during these early years. When Yuri turned 4, he began to ask questions about everything around him. “Why is the sky blue?” or “How does the car go?” were common phrases in their home. During breakfast one morning, he watched a bird outside the window and exclaimed, “Mommy, why can birds fly? I want to fly too!” These questions showed Junie that Yuri was not only curious but also eager to understand the world.

However, there were times when learning new concepts was challenging for Yuri. For example, he struggled with the idea of counting past ten. Junie tried different approaches to help him, such as counting toys during playtime or singing counting songs. They would count together as they built towers with blocks or sorted colorful balls. With patience and encouragement, Yuri eventually grasped the concept. When he proudly counted to twenty for the first time during a car ride, Junie's heart swelled with pride. She knew that these moments of struggle and triumph were essential for his cognitive growth.

One of the most memorable moments for Junie was when Yuri completed a simple puzzle by himself for the first time. He had always needed help before, but this time, he worked diligently on a dinosaur puzzle, turning each piece over to find the right fit. When he finally placed the last piece, he jumped up and shouted, "I did it, Mommy!" Junie cheered for him, and Yuri's face beamed with accomplishment. These moments of progress in learning made Junie realize the importance of nurturing Yuri's curiosity. 

As Yuri grew, Junie noticed significant changes in his behavior and ability to interact with others. Initially, at age 3, Yuri was shy and reserved around other children. At a family gathering, he would cling to Junie’s leg when meeting new cousins, hesitant to join in their games. However, as he neared 5, things began to change. Yuri became more adventurous and confident, especially when he started preschool. Junie recalls one particular day at the playground when Yuri approached a group of children playing tag. Instead of waiting for someone to invite him, he confidently asked if he could join. Watching him make new friends filled Junie with joy and relief, knowing that he was becoming more comfortable in social settings.

Yet, this social interaction was not always smooth sailing. There were moments when Yuri struggled with managing his emotions, especially when he did not get his way. One day at the grocery store, he wanted a toy car, but Junie explained they were only there to shop for groceries. He threw a tantrum, causing other shoppers to look their way. Junie took a deep breath and knelt down to his level, calmly discussing his feelings. “I know you’re upset, but we can get a toy next time,” she said. It was moments like these that reminded Junie of the importance of teaching him how to express his feelings constructively.

Through these challenges, Junie found it rewarding to see Yuri develop empathy. One day, while playing in the backyard, she noticed him comforting a friend who had fallen down. He hugged the child and offered his favorite toy truck to cheer them up. These moments reassured Junie that her guidance was making a difference. Watching Yuri grow socially and emotionally, building friendships and understanding his feelings, was truly rewarding for her as a mom. She felt grateful knowing that her support played an important role in his journey toward becoming a caring and confident individual.

In Yuri's early childhood, Junie feels a mixture of pride, joy, and gratitude. Each milestone, whether physical, cognitive, or socioemotional, has shaped her son into the wonderful little boy he is today. While there were challenges along the way, these challenges provided opportunities for growth and learning for both Yuri and Junie. As she continues to support Yuri in his journey, Junie knows that these early years will serve as a strong foundation for his future. The love and encouragement she provides will help him manage life’s challenges and embrace new experiences with confidence. For Junie, there is no greater reward than witnessing her child's growth and development, and she looks forward to all the adventures that lie ahead.