#his refusal to apologize just confirms what we already know

[hislittleraincloud]

anon for obvious reasons but nick used to talk to me (i’m 16) and he said he’d like to kidnap me 😭not the panty-peeler he thought it’d be

Oh gods. I've been watching him for a bit (much longer than yesterday, because I had a feeling about him that I can't explain). I see he's still answering the thirsty anons, and they don't seem to be phased by his disgustingly nihilistic attitude towards education/life experience, which he keeps hidden underneath all of the yammering about authors, writing, and depression. Maybe they've got a case of the Fixits ("I CAN FIX/HEAL HIM!"), but young girls can't fix something that broken — it's not your goddamn job anyway.

He does seem to be anti-r*pe and kidnap fantasy:

BUT I still believe you/your experience until I see otherwise since groomers can put up great fronts. It was when his mask totally slipped yesterday that I had to speak up. Sweet child, be safe. 🧸🎀✨

And speaking of 'n0t the panty-peeler', it was his letter that really creeped me out about him. He says he's a former writer, but when I read it I was like "...Y'all like this shit? I sincerely hope that this guy isn't an English teacher because this is boring and uninteresting." (and stalkerish/predatory)

But oh look

💀💀💀💀💀

That's okay bc my ex-BFF also has degrees in English and can't write or punctuate for shit. Degrees ≠ skill.

He said he deleted The Letter 'because it got too much attention' but guess what! Reblogs are forever, even if they're just chillin' in Drafts. 👹

Y'all teacher crushers are too easy if this is what you're lusting after (there is nothing in here that I find remotely seductive):

"Me, me, me, lookit my stalker eye watching and knowing everything about your superficial quirks, barely a scratch about what I think of you as a person rather than an object of my desire."

I think we found the real banner boy for mediocrity here. The real imitation crab in gas station sushi. Yeah, it's supposed to be his feelings about a student he's crushing on, but what can we see/hear/feel about the student? A supposed special one who vanished years of work? It's so generic that it could be applied to any young girl, and as a former young girl, this wouldn't have made me feel like he saw me (no, not stared, not stalked, but saw me).

It kinda read me like the passages of Lolita when Humbert talked about his feelings re: the young girls he watched, but without the gorgeous language. Without feeling.

But yanno. All we can do is just continue to make his targets/potential targets aware. He's not in search of, nor does he pine over, a Cairo. He's in search of something soft and vulnerable. That's all. He's got nothing to teach you because "Remember that this all ends in death, and everything you've gained will disappear."

I s2g this is a huge distraction from what I need to be doing (holy Hell, I fell asleep in front of my laptop last night...again 🫠), but I feel like it's a good cause. It relates directly to the subject matter of what I write about and what fucking NOT to do.

[hottiesforhockey]

mutual pining ⎜n.hischier

pairings: nico hischier x afab!midsized!reader genre: romance ⎜fuff ⎜ slow burn? ⎜ warnings: pure cuteness ⎜ nico is literally so sweet ⎜ p in v ⎜ body worship?⎜ slight overstimulation ⎜oral (f receiving) ⎜fingering ⎜ nico is a giver ⎜ reader goes by bee (its a nickname)⎜midsized!reader ⎜ reader is a little insecure sometimes ⎜ mentions of previous shitty ex ⎜ sad nico? ⎜confused reader constantly⎜ apologies in advance for the ending ⎜ synopsis: your sister convinces you to tag along on her trip to Switzerland to visit her long distance boyfriend - you didn't expect his younger brother to be there let alone just your type. word count: 12.6k authors note:  this is my first nico story ever and it's a doozy! it was the clear winner of my poll so I hope those of you who voted will enjoy! also just incase you didn't see in the warnings but the reader will go by the nickname bee!(barely) but I tried to keep her descriptions to a minimum

(unedited)

“He said he would be waiting at the baggage claim for us.” You sister says as she glances down at her phone, confirming her statement with the message her boyfriend had sent earlier. 

“I still don’t know how you ended up in a long distance relationship with a professional athlete.” You retort, pulling your backpack higher on your shoulders before adding, “Just kind of a wild situation, you know.” You sister just nods in agreement, having stated herself how strange the relationship had come about. 

“What can I say? I must just be that addictive.” She coos, at you, her face lighting up as the doors to the baggage claim slide open. She leaves you in the dust as she rushes forwards dropping her bag before leaping into the arms of her admittedly much larger boyfriend, who looks equally as excited to see her - whispering in her ear as she digs her face into his shoulder. 

Your sister had met the Swiss Hockey Player while on a short vacation around Europe stopping in Switzerland for about a week before planning to move on to Italy - she had called you the night she met the large Swiss man already head over heels for the charming brunette after one, slightly tipsy, night together. 

And as it stands the large Swiss man was equally as obsessed with her - the two immediately starting a long distance relationship after spending another week together in Italy, where he had followed her refusing to let their time together finish so soon. 

Judging by the goo goo eyes they are already making at each other it was going to be a long three weeks. 

“Hurry up.” You sister shouts as you dawdle over to the couple, trying to give them some time out of earshot to greet each other properly. “Luca, this is my little sister, Bee.” You sister introduces you quickly, Luca turning to you with a beaming smile, and a friendly hand extended. 

“Nice to meet you, Luca.” You say quietly as you join your hands giving it a firm shake before letting your hand fall back to your side. “Sorry I’m not as energetic as Mia but it’s been a long trip.” You laugh softly, pushing some loose hair off your forehead before shooting your sister a look. 

“Oh yes, we better get you two back to the house.” Luca says quickly, his hand firm on your sisters waist as he guides her to the baggage carousel. “Just let us know which bags are yours.” Luca says quietly, leaning over your sister to make sure you heard him. 

“Us?” You question in confusion. 

“My little brother Nico is staying with us too.” Luca notes casually, your eyes shooting over to your sister who’s already mouthing a silent apology. When you had agreed to come on this trip, your sister had promised it would mainly be you and her and the beautiful summer mountains of Switzerland - it wasn’t until two days ago that she informed you, you would be staying with her boyfriend. 

You had no issues with your sister wanting to spend some time with her boyfriend who she hadn’t seen in months but the idea of forced socialisation was not high on your vacation wishlist - and now another stranger would be thrown into the mix. “Suck it up.” Your sister hisses through her teeth as she leans towards you. “Nico is really nice, I think you two will get along.” She adds, motioning her head to the broad brunette now standing besides her boyfriend. 

“Nico this is Mia’s little sister, the one I was telling you about.” Luca says quickly, his hand guiding his brothers attention in your direction. You don’t miss the pointed look Luca gives his brother, his reminder obviously sparking something inside Nico who quickly turns his full attention to you - his big brown eyes stealing every thought you’d ever had in your life. 

You give Nico a quick nod of acknowledgment before spotting your baby blue suitcase coming around the corner, avoiding anymore stunted silence by moving forwards to grab hold of it. “Here, let me get that for you.” Nico says softly as he follows behind you, grabbing hold of the suitcase before you can, pulling it off the carousel with ease. “Which one is your sisters?” He asks, not looking away from the baggage as you point out the soft pink suitcase following closely behind yours. 

Nico does the same for your sister’s bag, gently pulling it from the track and setting it beside yours. As you reach out to take your suitcase back, Nico pulls it just out of reach, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

“I’ve got it. Don’t worry.” He says with a playful grin. “It’s the gentlemanly thing to do, right?”

You can’t help but smile at the teasing tone, though inwardly, you curse your body’s reaction to men you barely know. “I guess so,” you reply, trying to sound casual as you meet his gaze.

Luca and Mia are already a few steps ahead, engaged in a quiet conversation. Nico is right beside you now, still holding your suitcase with an effortless air, as though it’s no more than a feather in his large hands.

“So,” you start, trying to fill the awkward space with something, “What’s it like being a professional hockey player?” The question feels a bit dull, but it’s the first thing that comes to mind. You remember your sister mentioning how despite Luca being a professional Swiss hockey player the families true pride was in the youngest, Nico, being selected to play in the NHL. 

“It’s not all glitz and glamour,” Nico replies with a casual shrug, his voice easy and unbothered. “Early mornings, long practices, and constant travel. It’s hard being away from home, but hockey’s my life. I wouldn’t trade it.”

You nod, impressed by how down-to-earth he is despite his career. It’s a side of athletes you don’t often see on TV.

“That sounds… challenging.”

“Yeah, but the game is worth it,” he says, glancing over at you with a quiet smile. “Plus, there’s always Bern to come back to. The city’s never too far from my mind.” You both walk out into the warm Bern summer afternoon, the sun still high in the sky, the city alive with activity. Luca locates the car quickly - ushering your sister into the passenger seat as he pulls the trunk open, helping his younger brother lift both suitcases inside before shutting it, sliding into the drivers side besides your sister. 

Nico’s eyes flicker to you again, his smile widening. “Ladies first.” He comments as he opens the back door for you, watching as you slide into the seat, shuffling across to the far side of the car - Nico joining you shortly after. 

The car hums to life, and Nico leans back in his seat, one arm casually resting on the door as the vehicle pulls away from the airport. You settle into the plush interior, your hands neatly folded in your lap, though your mind is anything but calm. The way Nico speaks, his deep voice a contrast to the soft, warm tone, it lingers with you, a subtle undercurrent beneath the otherwise normal conversation happening in the front seats.

Mia is already chatting away with Luca, the two of them laughing about something you didn’t quite catch. You find yourself glancing at Nico once more, his posture relaxed but somehow still commanding in the space of the car.

“Are you excited to be in Switzerland for the summer?” Nico’s voice breaks through your thoughts, and you blink, realising he’s been waiting for you to respond.

“Yeah, I think it’s going to be nice. It’s a lot different than where I’m from, but it’s peaceful, you know?” You hesitate, wondering if he’s even interested in hearing about your home, but Nico’s focused attention encourages you to continue.

“It is a bit of a change,” Nico comments. His voice seems warm, as though he’s trying to put you at ease, despite the subtle tension hanging in the air. “I’ve never been to Australia, but I’ve heard good things.”

“You should visit,” you say before you can stop yourself. You immediately feel a flush creep up your neck, the way his eyes lock with yours making your words feel too forward, too personal.

Nico smiles, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Maybe someday.” He seems to be considering it, and something in your chest tightens, like an unspoken promise hanging in the air between you.

Mia and Luca continue their conversation in the front seats, but you’re no longer focused on them. Nico is still looking at you, his gaze soft, as though he’s waiting for you to say something more, something deeper. But what could you possibly say to someone like him?

“You and Mia seem... close,” you finally say, choosing something safe, but it’s enough to break the tension.

Nico’s smile widens, but there’s a flicker of something deeper in his eyes—something that makes you feel like you’ve just scratched the surface of who he is. “Yeah, she’s like a sister to me. We hung out a lot last time she came to see Luca,” he says, laughing softly. “She’s just... a force of nature. I know she’s happy with Luca, though, and that’s all that matters.”

You nod, feeling a little more at ease now that the conversation is off of you. The drive continues for a few minutes in silence, save for the soft hum of the car and the occasional laugh from the front seats. You can’t help but steal glances at Nico every now and then, though, wondering what else lies beneath that easygoing exterior of his.

The city of Bern slowly gives way to the lush, green landscapes of the countryside, the picturesque mountains rising in the distance. Your thoughts keep drifting back to Nico’s calm demeanour, his gentle teasing, and that fleeting moment when it felt like the world had narrowed down to just the two of you.

The car takes a turn off the main road, winding through smaller paths that lead to a beautiful chalet nestled among towering trees. The house looks like something out of a magazine—modern yet rustic, with wide glass windows framing the serene mountain view. You’re just about to comment on how stunning it is when Nico speaks again, breaking your thoughts.

“You’ll like it here,” he says, his voice quieter now, more assured. “It’s not much, but it’s home.”

The words are simple, but they carry an unspoken weight that makes you feel, for a moment, like you’ve been let in on a secret. You give him a small smile, unsure of how to respond to that, but grateful for his reassurance.

Luca parks the car in front of the house, turning off the engine. He leans back in his seat, glancing at the two of you in the back. “Well, welcome to Bern,” he says with a grin. “Let���s get inside before the jet lag hits you two.”

Mia opens her door first, quickly followed by Luca. Nico hesitates for a moment before stepping out of the car and rushing around to the other side of the car offering you a hand, which you take gratefully, feeling the weight of his hand in yours for a second longer than necessary.

“You head inside, look around - I’ll grab your bags.” Nico says his voice quieter as he slowly pulls his hand away from yours, his other hand holding the car door open as you slip further away from the car. You hesitate for a moment, Nico nodding for you to go ahead, your feet not wasting any more time in following after the couple who just went inside - hoping to god you find a bed soon. 

“You can sleep in here, there is a bathroom through that door and a closet if you want to unpack anything - we’ll be just down the hall and Nico’s room is right across there.” Your sister explains pointing in different directions as she goes, her eyebrows raising briefly as she points to the door to Nico’s room. 

“Don’t even start with that.” You sneer, your sister throwing her hands up in defence. 

“I’m just saying he’s not a bad dude, and after what happened with Joh—” 

“Don’t please.” 

“He’s a good guy, Bee. Give him a shot to worm his way into that cold dead heart of yours.” Your sister continues, ignoring the glare you send her way, patting your head lightly before making her way down the hall to her shared bedroom with Luca, the door closing softly behind her. 

You let out a long sigh, pinching your nose before retreating into the bedroom - closing the door behind you before flopping onto the mattress, melting into the plush blankets as sleep overwhelms you. 

+

+

The room is bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun when you finally stir, a sense of disorientation tugging at you. For a moment, you forget where you are—the unfamiliar warmth of the air, the faint hum of nature outside, and the plush comfort of the bed beneath you all feel dreamlike. It isn’t until you turn your head and notice the neatly folded blanket draped over you that the pieces begin to fall into place.

Sitting up slowly, you glance around the room. Your suitcase sits neatly in the corner, its zipper slightly ajar as if someone had checked to ensure it made the journey unscathed. The thought pulls a soft smile to your lips; you already have a suspicion about who might have taken the time to do that.

Stretching out, you catch the faint sound of laughter drifting through the open window, voices carrying from somewhere outside. Curious, you pad over to the window, pushing aside the sheer curtain to peer out. Below, you spot Mia and Luca sitting on the edge of the deck, their legs dangling over the side as they sip what looks like glasses of wine. Nico is standing a few feet away from them, leaning casually against the railing with a beer in hand, his posture as relaxed as ever. You watch as he says something to your sister - her head nodding before he turns to make his way back into the house, your steps leading you over to your bed to refold the blanket and place it at the end of the bed where it was when you arrived. 

A gentle knock on the door pulls your attention away, and you turn just in time to see it crack open. Nico's head appears, his dark eyes meeting yours with a soft, apologetic smile.

"Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you," he says quietly. "Mia said you might still be out, but I wanted to check if you’re hungry. Dinner’s ready if you want to join us."You hesitate, still shaking off the remnants of sleep, but there’s something in his tone—gentle, patient—that makes you nod.

"Yeah, give me a minute," you say, your voice still a little groggy.

Nico steps back, nodding. "Take your time. We’re on the back deck."

As the door clicks shut, you take a deep breath, smoothing down your hair and glancing in the mirror. The sleep lines on your face are a stark reminder of how exhausted you were, but there’s no undoing that now. Besides, the promise of food—and maybe a little fresh air—sounds too good to pass up.

When you finally step outside onto the patio, the warm, golden light of the sunset greets you, casting long shadows over the wooden floorboards. The air is cool but pleasant, carrying the scent of pine and something delicious wafting from the small grill set up nearby.

"There she is!" Mia beams, waving you over enthusiastically. "Thought we’d lost you to the jet lag forever."

"Almost," you admit with a sheepish grin, taking a seat at the table where a spread of grilled vegetables, fresh bread, and what looks like marinated chicken is waiting. Nico moves to set another plate down in front of you, his movements quiet but purposeful.

"Hope you like simple meals," he says as he straightens up, his expression unreadable but not unkind.

"Looks amazing," you reply, meaning it. The sight of the food is enough to make your stomach rumble audibly, earning a laugh from Mia. Dinner is lively, Mia and Luca carrying most of the conversation with stories and jokes, their chemistry palpable. Nico chimes in every so often, his dry humor catching you off guard but making you laugh nonetheless. You find yourself stealing glances at him when you think he’s not looking, curious about the subtle shifts in his expressions as he listens to the others.

As the evening deepens, the conversation begins to quiet, the group falling into a comfortable lull. The stars begin to appear overhead, and you find your gaze wandering upward, the beauty of the glowing night sky pulling a soft sigh from your lips.

"Pretty different from the city, huh?" Nico’s voice is quiet, meant just for you. You glance at him, finding his eyes already on you, reflecting the faint light of the stars. For a moment, you forget to breathe, caught off guard by the way he looks at you—steady and intent, like he’s truly seeing you.

"Yeah," you manage, your voice barely above a whisper. "It’s… peaceful." Nico’s lips curve into a small, thoughtful smile, and he leans back in his chair, his gaze lifting to the stars above. 

"You get used to it. But it’s nice, seeing someone appreciate it for the first time." You don’t know what to say to that, so you let the silence settle between you, a strange but not unwelcome tension hanging in the air. It’s not uncomfortable—it’s something else entirely, something you can’t quite name but don’t want to push away. For the first time since you arrived, you feel a flicker of something unexpected—an unfamiliar warmth that has nothing to do with the summer air. 

The warmth lingers as the night deepens, wrapping around you like a comforting embrace. The gentle murmur of crickets rises, filling the silence between the sporadic bursts of conversation around the table. You watch as Luca pours another glass of wine for Mia, his hand brushing hers in a way that seems unconscious yet deliberate. There's something soothing about their easy familiarity, the way they move around each other like pieces of a puzzle that have always fit.

Your gaze drifts back to Nico. He's leaned back in his chair now, one arm draped casually over the backrest, his beer long forgotten on the table. There's an ease to him, but it’s clear he’s observing, soaking in the atmosphere in a way that feels distinctly different from the others. It makes you wonder what he's thinking, what stories he keeps locked behind that quiet demeanor.

"Hey," Mia calls, pulling you out of your thoughts. "We were just saying we should go for a hike tomorrow. There’s a great trail not far from here. You up for it?"

You blink, caught off guard. Hiking wasn’t exactly on your agenda when you arrived, but Mia’s enthusiasm is contagious. Before you can answer, Nico speaks up, his voice calm but firm.

"Let her settle in first. She just got here." He glances at you, his brow lifting slightly as if to gauge your reaction. "You don’t have to feel pressured."

Mia rolls her eyes but laughs. "Fine, fine. You can play tour guide when she’s ready."

You chuckle softly, appreciating the out Nico has given you, even if you don’t take it. "A hike actually sounds nice. Maybe not anything too intense, though."

"Deal," Mia says, grinning. "We’ll start with the easy trail. It’s mostly flat, but the view at the end is worth it."

The conversation shifts again, and you let yourself fade into the background, content to listen. The laughter and camaraderie feel grounding, a stark contrast to the chaos of the life you left behind, if only temporarily. It’s been a long time since you’ve felt this relaxed, this… present.

When the gathering finally winds down, Nico is the first to rise, collecting plates and stacking them with quiet efficiency. You stand as well, reaching for the empty glass in front of you, but he shakes his head.

"I’ve got it," he says simply, his tone leaving little room for argument.

"You sure? I don’t mind helping," you offer, unsure why you feel compelled to insist.

He pauses, meeting your gaze again with that same steady look. "I’m sure. Go enjoy the stars while you can."

There’s something in his voice that makes you obey, though you linger just a moment longer, watching as he carries the dishes inside. It’s a small thing, but the gesture feels significant in a way you can’t quite explain.

You step to the edge of the deck, leaning against the railing as your eyes lift to the heavens. The stars are brighter than you remember, each one like a tiny pinprick of light in the velvet sky. It’s breathtaking in its simplicity, the kind of beauty that makes you feel both small and infinite all at once.

Footsteps approach behind you, and you glance over your shoulder to see Nico returning, his hands stuffed casually into his pockets. He stops a few feet away, his expression wondering.

"Thanks for dinner," you say quietly, feeling the need to fill the space between you. "It was really nice."

He nods, his lips curving into that faint smile again. "Glad you enjoyed it."

For a moment, neither of you speaks, the silence stretching like a thin thread between you. Then, almost imperceptibly, Nico shifts closer, resting his forearms on the railing beside you. His shoulder brushes yours lightly, and the warmth of the contact sends a faint shiver down your spine.

"You planning to stay out here all night?" he asks, his tone teasing but gentle.

“I guess it is getting a little cold.” You agree, finally pushing yourself off the railing, crossing your arms over your chest as you rub the bare skin - Nico falling into steps besides you as you both climb the small hill towards the house. The silence is comfortable, the two of you sinking into your own thoughts as you make your way up the stairs and to you respective doors, Nico glancing once over his shoulder as he watches you enter your bedroom and slowly close the door, a small smile on his face. 

He knew what his brother was doing when he suggest Nico stay in the room opposite yours - and he knew what his brother and your sister were doing by insisting he come spend the summer at the lake house instead of at the family home closer to the city. 

And yet a large part of him was thankful for their meddling, cause without them he wouldn’t have met you. 

A girl who looks at the stars as if she’d never seen them before. 

+

+

“Luca said it’s probably a good idea to wearing a bathing suit under your clothes.” You sister says as she swings open your bedroom door, your shirt just being pulled over your head. “He said there’s a small waterfall near the top and it’s nice to go for a swim.” She adds, looking down at your outfit before shaking her head. 

“Nope, you can do better then that.” She dismisses, walking over to your suitcase starting to dig around before you even get a chance to respond. “This one is perfect.” She says pulling out the black high cut one piece from your suitcase, throwing it across the room to you. 

“What? No, I can’t hike with that on underneath my clothes.” You exclaim, looking at the swim suit in shock, you forgot you even packed that. 

“Why not - it’ll make your ass look fantastic.” 

“Umm, maybe because it offers no support and it’s essentially a thong.” You respond, turning it around to show her the barely there strip of fabric that was suppose to cover your ass. 

“Yeah well not everything is about functionality.” She snorts, insisting you wear it before leaving you to change. You hesitantly pull on the one piece swimsuit, already feeling the fabric riding up your ass, before pulling on your shorts and oversized t-shirt. 

“At least I thought to pack hiking boots.” You mumble to yourself as you tighten the shoes on your feet, thankful that you at least could try to avoid some blisters if your sister was determined to give your butt crack a rash. You stomp your way downstairs, glaring at your sister as you watch the two brothers fill two hiking packs with snacks and water - Nico shoving a few towels in a third pack. 

“I can take that.” You say quickly, snatching the bag off the counter as he zips it shut - shooting him a smile and turning to follow the couple out of the house before he has any room to argue. 

The morning air is crisp and cool as the four of you set off down the dirt path leading away from the house. The forest is alive with the sounds of chirping birds and the distant rustle of leaves in the gentle breeze. Despite the awkward start to your day, you’re beginning to feel the excitement building. The idea of a hike—complete with a hidden waterfall—feels like the kind of adventure you hadn’t realised you were craving.

Mia and Luca lead the way, their hands brushing occasionally as they walk side by side. You trail behind them with Nico a step or two behind you, his presence quiet but grounding. The pack on your back isn’t meant to be heavy, but you can feel the straps digging in slightly, a reminder of the towels you insisted on carrying.

It’s just towels how the hell does it feel so heavy? 

"Sure you don’t want me to take that?" Nico’s voice pulls you out of your thoughts. He’s looking at you with a raised eyebrow, his hands shoved casually into his pockets.

"I’ve got it," you insist, your tone light but firm. You’re not about to let him think you can’t handle carrying a simple bag.

He nods, his expression unreadable but faintly amused. "Alright. Just say the word if you change your mind."

The trail begins to incline, the terrain growing rockier as you ascend. Sweat beads on your brow despite the coolness of the morning, and you focus on your footing, determined not to trip over a loose stone or stray root. Mia and Luca are chatting animatedly ahead, their voices carrying back to you in bursts, but you’re too distracted by the strain in your thighs and the increasing awareness of the swimsuit under your clothes to pay attention.

"You okay up there?" Nico’s voice comes again, closer this time. You glance over your shoulder to see him just behind you, his dark eyes scanning you with mild concern.

"Fine," you say quickly, though your breathlessness betrays you. "Just… haven’t done this in a while." He smirks, his pace matching yours effortlessly. 

"You’re doing fine. Mia usually drags people up here faster. Guess she’s going easy on you."

You snort softly at that, grateful for the distraction of his dry humor. "I’ll have to thank her later."

The trees begin to thin as you approach a clearing, and the sound of rushing water grows louder, the promise of the waterfall spurring you on. When you finally break through the last of the foliage, the sight takes your breath away. The waterfall cascades down a rocky ledge, its water glistening in the sunlight as it spills into a crystal-clear pool below. The air is cooler here, misting faintly around you as if the scene itself is enchanted.

"Wow," you breathe, pausing at the edge of the clearing.

Mia grins, already kicking off her shoes. "Told you it was worth it!" She turns to Luca, who’s already peeling off his shirt, revealing a tan, athletic frame.

You hesitate, your gaze flicking to the pool and then to Nico, who’s unzipping his pack and pulling out a bottle of water. His movement is efficient, and there’s something about the way his shirt clings to his back that has your mouth going dry. You shake the thought away quickly, reminding yourself to stay focused.

"Well," Mia says, turning to you with a mischievous grin. "Time to test out that swimsuit."

You groan, your cheeks heating as she waves you toward the water. "Don’t make it weird," you mutter, kicking off your boots and socks. You push you shorts down your legs glad for the oversized shirt still covering your ass that’s hanging out, hoping no one’s paying attention as you take a deep breath stripping off your shit down to the swimsuit. The high cut and minimal coverage feeling more scandalous out in the open, and you resist the urge to tug at the fabric as you step to the edge of the pool.

“Wowza my little sister has tits.” You sister whistles from the water, Luca glancing over his shoulder as he shoots you a teasing grin, letting out a low whistle. 

“If I wasn’t dating your sister, you’d be top of my list little bee.” He coos, letting out a grunt as your sister slams her elbow into his side. He whispers a soft apology kissing her cheek gently before paddling away from her. 

"Looks good," Nico says offhandedly, his tone neutral but enough to make you pause. You glance at him sharply, but he’s already looking away, his focus seemingly on the towels he’s laying out on a flat rock.

Your sister giggles, shooting you a knowing look, but you refuse to acknowledge it. Instead, you take a deep breath and step into the water, the coolness wrapping around your legs and immediately refreshing your overheated skin.

"Cold?" Nico asks as he steps up beside you, his voice low enough that Mia and Luca don’t hear.

"A little," you admit, glancing at him. He smirks again, his eyes glinting with amusement, raking slowly down your body before snapping up to your face, his expression now stone cold as he takes another step towards the water. 

"You’ll get used to it." And with that, he wades in farther, the water lapping at his waist before he ducks under completely. When he surfaces, his hair slicked back and water streaming down his face, you feel your breath catch—not from the cold, but from the way he seems utterly at ease, like he belongs here.

You shake the thought away, diving in after him. The water envelopes you, cool and invigorating, and when you resurface, you feel lighter—freer. 

“Want to climb up there?” Mia’s voice interrupts your thoughts, and you turn to find her pointing to a ledge halfway up the waterfall. You squint at the spot, the cascading water making it look more slippery than inviting.

“What, so I can slip and break my neck?”

“No, so you can jump off!” Mia exclaims, her eyes lighting up. “It’s not that high, and the pool’s deep enough. Luca’s done it a million times.” Luca, now fully sprawled on his precarious rock, overhears and shoots a thumbs-up.

“Highly recommend! Best adrenaline rush you’ll get around here.”

You hesitate, glancing toward Nico as if for a second opinion. He doesn’t say anything, but the faintest hint of a smile tugs at his lips as he raises an eyebrow.

“Don’t look at him,” Mia chides, grabbing your arm. “You’re doing this.”

With no room to argue, you let her drag you toward the rocks along the edge of the pool. The climb isn’t as treacherous as it first seemed, though your heart pounds with each step closer to the top. When you finally reach the ledge, the view takes your breath away—a panoramic glimpse of the forest stretching out beyond the pool below, sunlight glinting off the water’s surface like diamonds.

“Okay, now just jump!” Mia says, beaming as if this is the simplest thing in the world. You glance down, your stomach flipping at the height. It’s not exactly terrifying, but it’s far enough to make you hesitate. “What if I land wrong?”

“You won’t,” she says, rolling her eyes. “Just aim for the middle and tuck your legs if you’re scared. Easy.”

“Easy for you to say,” you mutter, peering over the edge again. From below, Luca hollers encouragement, and Nico’s gaze is locked on you, calm and steady.

“You’ve got this,” Nico calls, his voice cutting through the rush of the falls. It’s not loud, but it carries enough conviction to steady your nerves.

Taking a deep breath, you step to the edge and count silently. One, two—

And then you leap.

The fall is exhilarating, a brief moment of weightlessness that sends a rush of adrenaline through your veins. The water greets you with a cool, refreshing embrace, and when you resurface, the sheer thrill of it has you laughing out loud. Mia cheers from the ledge above before cannonballing in after you, her splash sending ripples through the pool. Luca hoots his approval, and even Nico offers a nod of acknowledgment as you float on the surface, still grinning.

“See? Told you it was worth it,” Mia says, shaking water from her hair as she paddles closer.

“Okay, you were right,” you admit, your heart still racing. “But I’m never doing that again.”

“Liar,” she shoots back with a wink.

You glance at Nico, who’s watching you with an expression you can’t quite place—something between amusement and quiet admiration. For a moment, the world feels smaller, quieter, the sounds of laughter and rushing water fading into the background.

And then, just as quickly, he breaks eye contact, slipping back into the water and disappearing beneath the surface. You watch the water where he disappeared, waiting for him to pop back up with no luck - is he aqua man how is he holding his breath for so long? 

You tread water, watching as Luca and Mia exit the water, setting up camp on two towels right under the sun, a harsh tug on your ankle ripping a squeal from your as you’re pulled under the water.  Firm hands land on your waist as Nico hauls you back to the surface, his laugh echoing in the space as you both surface, his dimples digging into his cheeks as you swat at his chest. 

“Not funny, Nico.” You hiss, frowning at him as he lets out another round of laughter, the sound so unlike anything you’d heard from him before - sounding so similar to that of a giggle then the manly voice that usually escapes him. 

“Okay, I’m sorry.” He apologises quickly adding, “It was just too good of an opportunity to pass up.” His hands are still firm on your waist as his laughter dies away his expression serious for a moment as he leans in whispering softly. 

“They’re right you know.” He says, his gaze flicking to your siblings before back to you, “the swimsuit looks incredible on you.” Nico leaves you sputtering his hands gently grazing down to your hips before releasing you, and making the short swim back to shore, your brain taking a moment to catch up before you swim after him. 

You follow Nico back to the shore, your heart pounding—not just from the exertion of swimming but from the lingering sensation of his hands on your waist and the low timbre of his voice. Did he really just say that? Your cheeks burn as you replay his words, and you’re grateful for the water concealing any hint of your flustered state.

Mia and Luca are sprawled on their towels, already engrossed in some lighthearted argument about what to cook for dinner. Nico grabs another towel from the pile, running it over his hair before draping it around his neck. He doesn’t glance your way, but there’s a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, as if he knows exactly what kind of chaos he’s left in his wake.

You sit down on your own towel, keeping your gaze fixed firmly on the horizon as you attempt to gather your thoughts. The warmth of the sun on your skin and the gentle rustle of the forest around you should be calming, but your mind is spinning. 

What did he mean by that? Was he teasing, or…?

Mia interrupts your internal spiral by nudging you with her foot. "So, when’s the next jump?" she teases, her grin wide and mischievous.

"Never," you reply quickly, grabbing the towel and wrapping it tighter around yourself. “I’m retiring from cliff diving.”

“Sure you are,” Luca says with a laugh, tossing a granola bar your way. “You’ll be back up there before the day’s over.”

You roll your eyes but catch the granola bar, peeling it open and taking a bite as you sneak a glance at Nico. He’s leaning back on his elbows now, his gaze fixed on the sky as if he hasn’t a care in the world. 

As the sun begins to dip lower, painting the clearing in hues of gold and orange, the group starts packing up to head home. Nico’s quiet for most of the walk back, but you can feel his presence behind you, steady and grounding. Every now and then, you catch him glancing your way, his expression unreadable but leaving you wondering what’s going on in his head.

When you finally reach the house, the familiar smell of fresh air and pine clinging to your skin, you’re met with a new challenge: pretending everything is normal. Mia and Luca immediately collapse onto the couch, talking animatedly about their plans to make pasta for dinner. You excuse yourself, heading upstairs for a much-needed shower.

Under the hot water, you replay the day’s events—the jump, the laughter, the way Nico looked at you. His words echo in your mind, and you find yourself smiling despite your confusion. By the time you finish and step out of the bathroom, you’ve convinced yourself it was all just playful teasing.

But when you head back downstairs, Nico’s the first to look up from his spot at the kitchen counter. His gaze locks on yours for a heartbeat longer than it should, and the faintest smile tugs at his lips.

Maybe it wasn’t teasing after all.

+

+

Two weeks moved by quickly - your days often starting with a hearty home cooked breakfast and lounging by the lake - more often then not your time spent sprawled on a beach towel, watching your sister and her boyfriend fall deeper in love with each other. Luca had pulled you aside early on Sunday morning, your final week in Switzerland quickly approaching. 

“I wanted to talk to you about something, really quickly.” He says quietly, his gaze shooting over to your sister who is sprawled across the couch, fast asleep. You nod, letting Luca lead the way out of the house, his eyes glancing over his shoulder every now and then to make sure no one follows you out of the house. When you reach a spot a safe distance away Luca finally stops, taking in a deep breath before blurting out. 

“I want to marry your sister.” 

Your breath catches for a moment, not out of shock but at the suddenness of his confession. Luca's face is flushed, his usually calm and collected demeanour replaced by an almost boyish nervousness. He quickly continues, his words tumbling out in a rush, as if afraid you'd interrupt.

"I know it might seem fast, and I get that. But I’ve never been so sure about anything in my life. She’s… she’s everything to me. And I wanted to come to you first because I respect you, and I know how close you two are."

He shifts his weight, running a hand through his hair, his usual confidence wavering. "I’ve been carrying the ring around for weeks, waiting for the right moment. But I need to know you’re okay with it. That we have your blessing too."

You’re silent for a beat, the gravity of his words settling over you. It’s not as though you hadn’t noticed the way Luca looked at your sister—like she was the sun and he’d never tire of basking in her warmth. But hearing his intentions laid out so plainly catches you off guard.

"What if I said no?" you ask, your tone light, testing.

Luca’s eyes widen slightly, but to his credit, he doesn’t falter. "Then I’d keep trying. I’d keep proving myself until you saw what I see. But I hope you won’t say no."

A small smile tugs at your lips despite yourself. His sincerity is disarming, and as much as the thought of your sister marrying someone might make you protective, you can’t deny the truth in his words. They’re good together—good for each other.

"You’re sure about this?" you ask, tilting your head. "Because it’s not just about loving her, you know. It’s about being patient when she’s stubborn, supporting her when she’s feeling lost, and—"

"—And reminding her every day how incredible she is," Luca finishes, his voice steady now. "Yes. I’m sure."

For a moment, you study him, searching for any cracks in his resolve. But there are none. What you find instead is a man who loves your sister with his whole heart. And in that moment, you know you can’t deny him.

"Alright," you finally say, crossing your arms with a small smirk. "But if you ever hurt her, you’ll have to answer to me."

Luca exhales, relief washing over his features, and he nods earnestly. "Deal."

The two of you start walking back to the house, the tension from earlier replaced with an easy camaraderie. As you step onto the porch, Luca pauses, looking at you one last time.

“Thank you," he says softly. "It means a lot."

You nod, glancing toward the window where your sister is still asleep, oblivious to the conversation that just took place. "Just make her happy, Luca. That’s all I ask." Luca nods once with determination, turning back to you quickly with an apologetic look on his face. 

“Um, there’s a chance we might not be home tonight.” He warns, a wide eyed look on your face as he bounds up the stairs, the small square box more obvious in his pant pocket as he walks. 

“I take it he finally told you?” Nico’s voice makes you jump, his body radiating heat as he steps up besides you, a small smile on his face as he looks up to where his brother just disappeared. 

“You knew?” 

“I knew since the first time he told me about her.” Nico admits, his smile growing as the memory of his brothers immediate infatuation hits him. “I guess it’s just you and I tonight then.” He adds, his grin changing from soft to teasing, his eyes dropping to yours for a moment before glancing back up the stairs. 

“I suppose I better make it worth your while.” He says, his voice barely above a whisper as he leans forwards, his breath ghosting over your lips - his finger tip ever so gently pushing a piece of hair away from your face. 

Your heart skips a beat as Nico's words hang in the air, the playful glint in his eyes offset by the way his gaze lingers on you, filled with something deeper. You’re caught between his closeness and the sudden intimacy of the moment, unsure whether to lean into it or laugh it off. 

Before you can decide, the front door creaks open behind you, and both of you instinctively step apart. The interruption feels jarring, pulling you back to reality. It’s just the wind, you realize, but the moment has shifted.

Nico chuckles softly, scratching the back of his neck. "Sorry, I couldn’t help myself," he murmurs, though there’s no real regret in his voice. Instead, there’s a teasing warmth, a sense of waiting to see how you’ll respond.

You give him a playful nudge, breaking the tension with a small laugh. "Smooth, Hischier."

Nico grins, his dimples on full display, and the sight makes your stomach flip. Turning back toward the house before he can see the blush creeping up your neck. "I’m not as easy to impress as my sister, you’ll have to work hard to gain my favour."

"Challenge accepted," Nico calls after you, his laughter chasing you through the house.

+

+

The evening comes quietly, the house settling into a tranquil lull without Luca and your sister around. True to his word, Nico sticks by your side, his easy humour keeping the night light as the two of you make dinner together.

You find yourself watching him as he moves around the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, his focus shifting between the chopping board and the stovetop. There’s a comfort in his presence, an ease that you hadn’t realised you’d grown to enjoy over the past two weeks.

At some point, Nico catches you staring, his lips curving into a slow, knowing smile. "What?" he asks, his voice soft but curious.

"Nothing," you say quickly, looking away, but the warmth in his gaze makes it hard to hide your smile.

Later, after the dishes are cleared and the sun has set, the two of you find yourselves on the couch , a bottle of wine between you. All the windows in the house are open, the cooling breeze just barely easing the burning in your skin, Nico’s gaze heating you up from the inside. 

"You know," Nico begins, breaking the silence, "I think this is the first time I’ve had my brother to thank for something like this."

"Like what?" you ask, raising an eyebrow.

He tilts his head toward you, his expression soft but intent. "For meeting you."

The sincerity in his voice catches you off guard, and for a moment, you’re unsure how to respond. But as you meet his gaze, the guarded part of your heart begins to crack, just a little, under the weight of his honesty.

"I guess I’ll have to thank him too," you say softly, and Nico’s smile grows, quiet and full of promise. 

The stars above seem impossibly bright outside, their reflection on the lake shimmering like liquid silver in the quiet night. The air feels thick with unspoken words, the kind that settle into comfortable silence but beg to be released. You steal a glance at Nico, his profile illuminated by the soft glow of the low lights in the house. His eyes are fixed on the lake, but there’s something contemplative about his expression, like he’s wrestling with whether to speak.

Finally, he turns to you, his voice low, intimate. "You ever have one of those moments where you feel like everything’s exactly as it’s meant to be?"

His question catches you off guard, but the way he’s looking at you—like you’re the answer to that very thought—leaves you breathless.

"Maybe," you reply, your voice just above a whisper. "I think I’m starting to understand what that feels like."

Nico’s lips curve into a soft smile, the kind that’s both tender and sure. He leans a little closer, his elbows resting on his knees as his gaze stays locked on yours. 

"Good," he says simply, his voice carrying more meaning than the single word could hold.

"You don’t make this easy, you know," he murmurs, his thumb tracing gentle circles along the front of your thigh.

"Don’t make what easy?" you ask, your voice trembling slightly, though you already know the answer.

"Not wanting to kiss you," he admits, his tone both teasing and earnest. His words send a jolt through you, and you’re suddenly hyper-aware of everything: the warmth of his hand, the faint scent of cologne clinging to him, the way his breath hitches slightly as he waits for your response.

"You don’t have to not want to," you say, barely recognising your own voice. It’s an invitation, one he doesn’t hesitate to accept.

Nico leans in slowly, his free hand reaching up to gently cup your face, his touch featherlight as if he’s afraid to break the moment. His big brown eyes search yours one last time, giving you the chance to pull away.

 But you don’t.

 Instead, you lean in too, meeting him halfway.

When his lips finally press against yours, it’s soft, tentative at first, as though he’s savouring the moment. But as you respond, your hands finding their way to his chest, gripping his shirt and pulling him closer towards you, his kiss deepens, growing more confident, more certain. There’s a warmth in it, a mix of passion and tenderness that leaves you dizzy, the world around you fading until it’s just the two of you.

When you break apart, your chests are heaving the two of your looking at each other for a moment, Nico’s hands finding purchase on the back of your thighs, lifting them to manoeuvre you more comfortably on the couch, your back leaning against the arm rest, your legs bent at the knees, falling open slightly to make room for Nico’s broad build. 

Nico takes the invitation, slipping into the gap between your legs before lowering his mouth back to yours, your hands lifting to cup his jaw as his hand sit firmly against the back of your thighs, lifting them to circle around his waist, as his mouth leaves yours, his lips finding the tender curve of your jaw, just below the ear, his kisses firmer on the underside of your jaw. 

“Nico?” You speak in a whisper, Nico humming his response against your skin, his lips never stopping their movements.  “I don’t know if this is a good idea.” You add, your hands dropping to his shoulders, digging into his corded muscles as he sucks a particularly sensitive spot. 

“You want me to stop?” He asks, pulling his face away from your neck to look down at you, his brows furrowed in concern, his eyes trying to read yours. 

“No, I just…” You start, your teeth catching your bottom lip as you fumble for what to say. 

“You’re overthinking it.” Nico guesses, his head nodding quickly as he begins to understand the situation. “Come.” He says, pulling himself off the lounger, your brain having to fight your body to let him go. He offers you hand to help you stand, watching as your adjust your shorts and run your fingers through your hair. 

“Where are we going?” You ask, as Nico keeps his hand in yours slowly guiding you towards the stairs. 

“To my room.” He explains, sending you a reassuring smile as he adds, “Do all the thinking you want, but if you step through the door with me then you need to turn your brain off.” He walks slowly up the stairs, his fingers still locked with yours as you trail behind him, your mind racing at a million miles an hours as the two of your silently make you way to his bedroom, stopping just outside the closed door. 

Nico pauses, his eyes locked with yours as he watches you for a moment. He always thought you were so hard to read - keeping yourself closed off from most of the world, but right now, in this moment Nico can see everything. 

“Let me take care of you, Schatz.” He whispers, the term on endearment slipping off his tongue with no concern in the world. The term something you had heard his older brother call your sister countless times. The playful ease was gone from Nico’s face, his expression only holding a soft patience, his eyes refusing to break contact with yours. 

“Okay.” You nod softly, eye contact never breaking as Nico turns the door handle the door swinging open, the large man taking a few steps inside before pausing to wait. 

You pause at the threshold, your fingers still curled around Nico’s, your heart thundering in your chest. The room beyond feels impossibly intimate, softly lit by a single lamp on the nightstand. The air carries the faint scent of his cologne, mingled with the warmth of the day that still lingers in the walls.

Nico doesn’t rush you. He stands just inside, his gaze steady, his patience unwavering. His thumb brushes lightly against the back of your hand, a gentle anchor in the storm of your thoughts.

"You don’t have to," he murmurs, his voice low and careful. "But if you do… I promise I’ll take care of you. No pressure. No expectations."

There’s something disarming in his honesty, in the way he’s offering you the choice without pushing for a particular outcome. It makes your chest ache, that guarded part of you cracking just a little more.

You take a step forward, your breath hitching as you cross the threshold. The door clicks softly shut behind you, the sound somehow final and freeing all at once. Nico lets go of your hand only to reach up, brushing a strand of hair away from your face. His touch lingers, his palm warm against your cheek.

"You’re sure?" he asks, his gaze searching yours one last time.

Instead of answering, you close the distance between you, rising on your toes to kiss him. It’s slower this time, deliberate, your hands settling on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath your palms. Nico exhales softly against your lips, his arms circling your waist, pulling you closer until there’s no space left between you.

When the kiss breaks, you’re breathless, your forehead resting against his as you try to steady yourself. His hands trail down your back, stopping at the curve of your hips.

“Follow my lead,” he murmurs, guiding you toward the bed. He sits first, his legs spreading slightly as he pulls you between them. His hands find your waist again, holding you steady as he looks up at you, his expression open and full of unspoken promises.

You settle into his lap, your knees on either side of his thighs, your hands tentatively tracing the line of his jaw. His stubble is rough beneath your fingertips, a grounding contrast to the tenderness in his eyes.

Nico tilts his head, catching your hand and pressing a kiss to your palm before placing it over his heart. "Whatever you need, however far you want to go—just tell me."

The weight of his sincerity leaves you speechless for a moment. You nod, unable to do much else, and Nico smiles, that same soft, patient curve of his lips that always seems to put you at ease. "Good," he says, his voice a soothing rumble. "Now, let’s take this one moment at a time." And as his lips find yours again, slow and steady, you let yourself sink into the moment, the rest of the world falling away.

All of Nico’s movements are slow and purposeful, his large hands smoothing down from your hips and under the hem of your shorts, grabbing fistfuls of your ass, a grin growing on his face as your grind forwards against his lap. Nico rolls the two of you your back landing against the mattress with a bounce as he rolls on top of you, his hands teasing the edges of your panties before he pulls them away. 

“I think your ass is the best thing I’ve ever touched in my life.” Nico mumbles, his pupils blown as he sits back on his knees, his hands smoothing up the front of your thighs, watching as you gasp a little and his hands dip underneath your shirt, tracing the underwire of your bra. “But all I can think about is getting a taste of you.” His voice is gravely, a devilish grin on his face as his hands make their way back down to the waist band of your pants. 

“Wait.” You cut in, your hands gripping his wrists as his hands pause their movements on your shorts, his eyes shooting up to yours in concern, a raised brow as he waits for you to explain. “I’ve just never…” You start hesitating as you realise how stupid you’re about to sound. 

Nico reels back a little in surprise, his brows pinching in a frown as he thinks for a moment before spitting out, “But you’ve had a boyfriend, no?” He seems to reconsider his words for a moment before adding, “Mia told me you’ve dated before.” 

“I’ve had a boyfriend.” You explain, “But he never saw the importance of…that.” You try to get out the words but they seem stuck in your throat, your head nodding down to where Nico has his hands as if that will explain everything. 

“Well then he sounds like a bad boyfriend.” Nico cuts in, his smile back on his face as he slowly inches your shorts down, both of you silent as he slips them down and off your legs, throwing them to the side. “This.” He says giving you a pointed look, “Is the bare minimum.” Nico slowly shuffles back on the mattress until he has no choice but to lift himself up and onto the floor, perching on his knees as he reaches for your thighs again. 

His grip is firm on your legs, his hands splayed against the plush flesh as he shoots you a quick smirk before tugging your roughly down the bed, until your throbbing cunt is level with his face. “I want to hear every pretty sound that I can pull out of you.” Nico warns, his fingers looping over the sides of your panties before pulling them off as well. 

“I want you to do whatever feels right…” He looks up at your in anticipation, as you lift yourself onto your elbows, watching as he places soft kisses against the inside of your thighs, “Mainly I want you to feel good, so use your words.” He gives you one more look, your head nodding at his instructions as he leans forwards. 

The first swipe of his hot tongue has your arms collapsing out from under you, your back hitting the mattress roughly as you feel Nico smile against you, going in for more. Nico’s tongue works wonders with long slow swipes against you, his arms looping around your thighs to hold them steady, his grin never leaving his face as you let out a soft moan, your hands leaving the mattress to tangle in his long locks. 

It’s when his mouth closes over you, sucking that your back arches off the bed. “Holy shit.” You whine, your fingers tugging lightly on Nico’s hair, a rough grunt leaving him as his efforts double. You can feel his muscles straining as your hips buck against his face, his arms still holding you in place as his fingers tickle soft circles against your skin. 

“Nico, please.” You cry, yours hips bucking again as you feel your pleasure climb. How you’d never experience something like this before was insane to you. 

“Nico what?” He asks, leaving your wet pussy for a moment while he waits for you to respond, his stubble scraping up the inside of your thighs as he catches his breath, your hand still tangled in his hair. 

“Fingers.” You pant, “Please use your fingers.” You beg, Nico kissing your thigh once more before diving back in, one of his hands leaving it’s spot against your thigh, slowly dipping to your entrance, gathering a mixture of spit and arousal before plunging inside you, your hands releasing Nico’s hair in favour of gripping the bed sheets. 

“Fuck, Nico.” You curse, letting out a harsh pant before adding. “Another one.” Nico happily obliges, his second finger joining the party as his rubs them against the soft spots inside of you. Nico lifts his face away from you, his fingers doing all the works as he takes you in. 

You hands tangled in the sheets, grounding you for dear life as his fingers pump in and out of you. Soft whimpers leaving your mouth as you bite down on your lower lip, your eyes squeezed shut as tight as they can go, your cunt squeezing his fingers desperately trying to keep them inside. 

“I’m so close.” You hiss, the feeling borderline painful as you try to hold on. 

“I know, Shatz.” He whispers, his hot breath caressing over your wetness, “Just relax into it.” He whispers before his mouth descends on you again, your orgasm ripped from you, as your legs shiver besides his head, trying their hardest to squeeze shut around his head. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” You swear, as Nico pulls his fingers from you, his tongue not finished as you try to wiggle your pelvis away from his face. 

“No.” Nico growls, his hands moving faster then you can, gripping your thighs and pulling you straight back to him, his tongue lapping up every drop until he’s certain he didn’t miss anything. Nico’s grip on you loosens as he feels your body relax, almost melting into the mattress. “Good girl.” He coos as he dips his fingers into his mouth, licking them clean before climbing back onto the mattress, his body hovering over yours. 

“Was it too much?” He asks softly, leaning down to press a chaste kiss against your lips, your eyes finally popping open, the colour in your eyes almost completely disappearing behind your dilated pupils. Nico’s breath catches, your eyes shining like the night when you first saw the stars. 

Nico knew then that he was a goner. 

“I want more.” Your voice is quiet, almost ashamed of the request but you can feel the flutter in your chest as Nico nods with determination, pushing himself off the bed once more as he starts to strip himself of his clothes. 

“Shirt off.” He says quickly to you, your mouth falling open at his authoritative tone, “I want to see all of you.” He adds as he notices your hesitation, your throat bobbing as you lift yourself into a sitting position to pull of your shirt, throwing it to join the rest of the pile on the floor, your hands reaching behind you to release the clasp on your bra. You cross an arm over your chest as you drop the bra to the floor, your hand only dropping once you see the scolding in Nico’s eyes. 

“Fuck me.” It’s Nico’s turn to curse as he takes you in. “Stay right there, I need to commit this to memory.” He groans as his eyes skim over every inch of your body, your skin flushing as you watch him take you in. 

“The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” He whispers to himself, palming himself through his boxers to release some of the tension. “I’ve never been with anyone like you.” He admits, your eyes rolling as he finally strips himself of his underwear, his rock hard cock springing free, he leans forwards sliding open a bedside table drawer, pulling out a foil package. 

“Yeah, you’ve only ever been with perfect model types.” You laugh, watching as Nico rips open the package, slowly rolling the condom onto his dick before climbing onto the mattress, sitting with his back against the headboard. “Typical NHL player.” You joke, your laugh faltering as you notice Nico’s continued expression of awe. 

“You are perfection.” He cuts through your silence, his hand reaching out for you to join him. “You are like a gift from Aphrodite.” He adds, your heart thumping heavier at his praise.  

Nico watches you climb on top of him, your thighs straddling his, your hands bracing against his shoulders. Nico tilts his head back against the headboard wanting to be able to look directly into your eyes as often as he can. 

He looks at you like you’ve hung to moon, because in his opinion — you have. 

Nico watches - like he always does - as you softly grab hold of his cock, pumping it a few time, a soft hiss of air escaping him as you line him up with your cunt. Nico’s patient as you slide down him, pausing to adjust every few moments until your sitting comfortably in his lap - your pussy fuller then it’s ever been. 

Everything is in your control. 

Everything revolves around you. 

Nico’s head falls into the crook of your neck, soft curses leaving him as his arms wrap around you tightly, pulling your body against his, your hips slowly rolling forwards and back, forwards and back.

“You’re a goddess.” He whispers against your skin, his arms holding you steady as your movements speed up, a soft creak of the bed filling the room. 

“I would give you anything and everything.” He continues, the words almost falling out of him like a prayer, as he presses featherlight kisses against your bare skin, your breasts pressed firmly against his chest. You let out a whine as he bucks his hips to meet your movements. 

He lifts one thumb to his mouth, briefly dipping it inside before dropping it your where your hips meet, his thumb slowly putting pressure on your throbbing clit - rubbing in soft circles. He can’t help but smile as your hips stutter and your pussy clenches around his cock, the signs of your incoming orgasm relieving him as the feeling builds in the pit of his stomach. 

The two of you finish one after the other, Nico coming first with a curse his hands gripping your hips to keep them moving as he feels your orgasm wash over you, your body almost collapsing against him as you let him continue to guide your hips, riding both of you through the orgasms. 

Nico finally lets your hips go, your movements stopping as you both take in deep breaths of air - the room silent other than your breathing.

“I think you’ve ruined me.” Nico whispers against your skin, placing one more kiss to your shoulder before pulling his head away from you, his hands raising to push your hair out of your face as he helps you sit back up, your eyes dazed as you look down at him. 

“Ditto.” Is all you manage out, a soft chuckle leaving you as you try to pull yourself away from Nico, his dick sliding out of you at an excruciating place. “Do you have a shower in here by any chance?” You question as you finally make it off the bed, the sticky, sweaty feeling finally hitting you. 

Nico nods quickly, shuffling off the bed to walk around you, grabbing a towel from his closet and showing you into the bathroom, your arms covering your chest as he turns the shower to a mildly scalding temperature for you. “I’ll wait outside.” He says quickly, making his way to the door before hesitating. 

He turns back around, stepping forwards to pull you in for one more breath stealing kiss, his smile lighting up his face as he mumbles a quick “sorry,” before leaving you alone in the bathroom, your legs shaking from everything that had happened. 

The two of you ended up tangled together in Nico’s bed - the man having the decency to change his sheets before almost begging you to join him - his arms opened wide and inviting as you step out of the bathroom - his shirt hanging over the foot of the bed in offering of some modesty. 

“I really really like you.” Nico whispers against your hair as he wraps his arms around your middle, pulling your back tight against his chest, his breathing lulling you both to sleep, your bodies both depleted. 

It isn’t lost on Nico that you don’t respond, but he can feel the way your fingers squeeze his and he knows, you feel the same too. 

The early rising of the sun guides you as you slowly slip out of Nico’s arms, tugging his shirt down to cover as much of you as possible as you bend to pick up your clothes off the floor. You’re almost at the door when you hear Nico sit up in the bed, his hand pushing his hair off his forehead as he squints at you. 

“Where are you going?” He questions, a small pout growing on his face, “Why are you leaving?” He adds, his expression so genuinely distraught you falter, rushing towards the bed to press a soft kiss against his mouth. 

“Back to my room - Luca and Mia will be home soon.” You respond, pressing a second kiss to his mouth before fulfilling your original plan of escaping back to the bright sun lighting up your bedroom. 

+

+

By midweek, something had shifted. Nico couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but the ease that had settled between you both after that night now seemed... off. He’d catch you pulling away when he leaned in too close, or your smile would falter just a second too soon when he said something meant to make you laugh.

It wasn’t dramatic, not really. Nothing explicit had been said or done, but Nico could feel it like a weight on his chest. You still smiled at him, still reached out for him when you thought no one was looking, but there was a distance now—something unspoken and sharp.

Wednesday evening found Nico sitting on the edge of his bed, elbows resting on his knees as he stared at the floor. His fingers itched to call you, text you, something, but he didn’t want to come across as needy. He ruffled his hair with both hands, frustrated with himself for feeling so thrown off.

“What did I do wrong?” he muttered under his breath.

The question had been swirling in his head all day. Everything had seemed so perfect that morning—your soft kisses, the way you lingered just long enough to make it feel like you didn’t really want to leave. But now, it was like the world had tilted slightly, throwing everything off balance.

By Thursday, Nico couldn’t take it anymore. He cornered you in the hallway, gently grabbing your wrist as you tried to brush past him.

“Can we talk?” he said softly, his dark eyes scanning your face for any sign of what was going on. You hesitated, your lips parting like you might brush him off, but something in his expression stopped you. His hand on your wrist wasn’t demanding; it was desperate.

“Okay,” you said, barely above a whisper.

He led you outside, the cool evening air biting at your skin as you stepped onto the patio. Nico let go of your wrist but didn’t move far, his hands now shoved deep into his pockets.

“Did I do something?” he asked, his voice barely steady. “I just... it feels like something’s changed, and I don’t know what. If I messed up, I need you to tell me, Bee. I can’t—” He broke off, looking down as his jaw tightened.

You stared at him, your heart sinking at the vulnerability in his voice. He wasn’t just confused; he was hurt.

“It’s not you,” you said quickly, stepping closer, though your arms stayed wrapped around yourself. “Nico, it’s not you. I just... I’m scared, okay? About what this is, about how fast everything’s moving. It’s not that I don’t care—” You stopped yourself, biting your lip. “I do care. That’s the problem.”

Nico’s eyes softened as he looked at you. “You don’t have to be scared,” he said, his voice low but firm. “I’m not going anywhere, Bee. I just need to know where we stand. You can tell me anything.”

Your throat tightened at his words, the sincerity in his gaze almost overwhelming. You reached out hesitantly, your fingers brushing his.

“I’m trying,” you admitted, your voice trembling. “I just... I need time to figure this out. Can you give me that?”He nodded quickly, his relief evident even as his expression remained serious. 

“Yeah, of course,” he said. “I’ll wait. Just—just don’t shut me out, okay? I can’t handle that.”

You nodded, squeezing his hand. “I won’t,” you promised.

Saturday morning hit everyone like a train - your sister had decided to stay in Switzerland for a few more weeks, wanting to spend some time making rough plans with her new fiancé, which left you catching the almost twenty four hour flight home, alone. 

“You’ve got everything?” Your sister asks as you put your suitcase in the back of the car — Nico standing by the drivers door with the keys in his hand. 

“Yep, thank you guys for everything - I think this was the best holiday I’ve ever had.” You say softly, leaning forwards to pull your older sister into a tight hug before turning towards Luca and pulling him in for one too. 

“We’re family now, you can come back anytime.” Luca says cheerfully, patting your head softly before turning to wrap his arms around his now sobbing fiancé. “No need to cry, she’ll be okay.” He coos at your sister, his words only making her sob harder. You chuckle at your sisters dramatics, waving a final goodbye to Luca before slipping into the passenger seat of the car, Nico sliding in besides you. 

The drive to the airport is quiet, the morning sun casting a golden glow over the mountains. Nico keeps his hands on the wheel, his jaw tight as though he’s holding back something he doesn’t want to say. You glance over at him, studying the curve of his brow and the tension in his lips.

You want to memorise as much of him as you can, before you go. 

Finally, as the airport looms into view, he pulls the car into an empty space and cuts the engine. The silence stretches between you, heavy and loaded. Then he speaks, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I don’t want you to leave.” He takes a deep breath before adding “Please stay.” The words hang in the air, and your heart tightens painfully in your chest. You want to say yes, to give into the magnetic pull between you and stay in this dreamlike moment forever. 

But reality is relentless.

“We have our lives to return to, Nico,” you say softly, looking down at your hands. “We can’t just stay here trapped in time, forever.”

He turns to face you, his eyes filled with a vulnerability that makes your resolve waver. “Will we see each other again?” he asks, his voice trembling just enough to reveal the weight of the question.

You pause, the enormity of your feelings crashing over you like a wave. “Someday,” you say, meeting his gaze and offering a faint smile.

“Someday,” he repeats, the word a lifeline he’s choosing to cling to. Then, as if convincing himself, he nods. “I can live with someday.”

You reach over, placing a hand over his. For a moment, the world feels frozen, just the two of you in this car, this fleeting moment that feels both heartbreaking and hopeful. Then, with a deep breath, you pull away, opening the door and stepping out.

As you grab your suitcase from the trunk, Nico stays by the car, watching you with an expression you know will haunt you for a long time. You wave one last time before heading into the airport, your heart heavy but filled with a quiet determination.

Someday.

You can live with someday too.

[lesservillain]

older!alpha!steve harrington x younger!omega!reader

cw: SMUT, omegaverse dynamics, unprotected piv, modern setting, steve is a divorcee and single dad, steve is in his early 40s and reader is in their mid to late 20s an: this is just a self indulgent lil one shot bc i love older men ugh

“She was totally checking you out, by the way.”

Steve pushes the frame of his glasses up the bridge of his nose, his attempt to hide the pink that dusts over his cheeks at Robin’s comment.

“What? No she wasn’t. Don’t do this today.”

The plastic of the menu bends in Steve’s grip by Robin’s ringed fingers. He tries to focus on the suns glare hitting the laminated paper rather than his best friend’s knowing gaze. He hates that she does this to him.

 It wasn’t their first time at this diner, nor was it their first time being waited on by you. What started as Robin’s attempt to get her depressed best friend out of the house after a quick but painful divorce has turned into a regular bi-weekly Sunday outing for the pair. And thanks to Robin’s commitment to a bit, she makes sure to arrive before Steve every time to sit in your section, all because she caught Steve checking you out one time.

“Why don’t you believe me that she likes you?”

“Robin—”

“Steve.” The tired battle of lifting Steve’s confidence was one that Robin refused to lose. “How many times do I have to tell you that you still got it? A little gray hair and a dorky mustache is, like, the new six pack abs for girls in their 20s.”

“Oh, god, do I need to have Hailey touch up my hair already?” Steve’s hands fly to cover the sides of his hair where his grays tended to show the most. The sudden movement sent his menu flying down to land on the floor next to him. 

“Shit—”

“Here you go—”

Skin meets skin when you went to grab the flimsy plastic at the same time as Steve. A shock wave runs from Steve’s finger through the rest of his body, leaving goosebumps in their wake. His hazel eyes jump up to meet yours, and he can feel the breath from your gasp on his cheek. You shoot up, frozen in place as you look down at him. The tension is palpable between you. 

Suddenly, you bolt, leaving Steve still leaning over his seat as he watches you take off out of sight.

“What was that about?” The tone in Robin’s voice had Steve sitting up straight, annoyance clear in his expression.

“What was what, Robin?”

“Um, are we just going to ignore that pheromone drop you just did?”

Steve shifts in his seat, eyes wide as he looks around the diner. A few heads were turned to him, mostly older alpha’s with death glares as their marked omega’s sit blissfully unaware across from them. “Sorry.” He says in a hushed apology, shrinking back into his booth seat.

“Well, at least we have confirmation your girlfriend is an omega,” Robin says over a sip of her coffee. Steve’s ears perk up, but he does his best not to show his interest in the topic of you.

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Steve says with a roll of his eyes. “I honestly probably just scared the shit out of her. Did you see how fast she ran off?”

“I’m sure you were watching.” Steve’s head falls back with a scoff, making Robin giggle at his embarrassment. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I’ll stop now.”

“Thank you.”

“Are we ready to order?”

Robin and Steve turn to the waitress at the end of the table, immediately noticing she’s not you. They give the girl their order, and Steve can’t help but feel some type of way about how you would have just asked them if they wanted their regulars. With a heavy sigh Steve stares at the table’s vintage pattern until Robin calls his name. Her expression is soft, knowing in a way that is both relieving and disheartening.

“Maybe she’s on a break?”

“She hates me.”

“She does not hate you.”

“Yes she does. I’m a grown man who couldn’t control his pheromones all because a pretty girl touched his hand? We should probably just leave.”

Robin grabs Steve’s arm with a laugh as he attempts to make an escape from their booth. “Steve, it’s fine. I doubt you’re the first person that’s done that to her. Just relax.”

Steve sighs and nods. “Okay, okay. I’m good now.”

SPACE

“So you’re good to pick up the girls from practice this week, right? I’m hoping that this project will be wrapped up by Thursday--”

“Of course, Steven,” Robin says as she opens her car door. “You think I’d ever turn down the chance to spend time with one of my favorite nieces?” 

“I just want to make sure. I don’t want to give Becca any ammunition against me, you know.” Steve’s hands flex, thinking back to the argument him and his now ex wife had those months back.

Robin opens her mouth, but decides against whatever she had to say, simply nodding instead. “I’ll see you later, Steve.”

Steve nods back, watching as Robin gets in her car and drives away. He leans back to see her car disappear down the road before swinging his own door open and leaning inside. Reaching into his center console, he pulls out a pack of smokes and a lighter, bringing the butt to his lips and flicking the lighter. The flame refuses to stay, however, the clicking grating his ears with every failed attempt causing him to curse.

“Need a light?”

Steve spins around, bewildered, large hazel eyes like saucers when they land on you. A bright pink lighter sits between your fingers, and with a flick the flame emerges, waiting for him to lean in. He puffs until the heat hit his throat, pulling back to take in a deep drag, letting the smoke blow upward above him. 

When he looks back down at you, you’ve barely moved. Eyes lidded slightly and lips parted just so, almost like you were mesmerized by him. It makes Steve chuckle out of nervousness, not used to being ogled at his “big age” as his daughters would say.

“Thank you,” he says with a smile that seems to bring you back to this planet, eyes blinking rapidly before you pull out your own pack of cigarettes. 

“Yeah, of course.” Your eyes flicker up to him for a moment before giving yourself a light.

“You’re too pretty to be smoking,” Steve says passively, smoke billowing out between his own lips.

You look up at him through your lashes. For a brief moment you look annoyed at his comment and Steve is sure he fucked up again. The words of his oldest going on about how men shouldn’t comment on what women do rings in his ears and he wants to slap himself.

“Well, I could say the same for you.” There’s a teasing lit in your words, but the cute shuffle and bounce combo that you do gives Steve butterflies as it fuels his delusions. 

Channeling his former self, his mind shifts into King Steve mode after 20 years of retirement. He takes a step into your space and internally celebrates when you don’t move away. “Awe, you think I’m pretty?” The tone of his voice surprises him, coming out more sensual than he intended. But your reaction tells him that he must be doing something right.

“You’re definitely nice to look at.” Your words come out even but breathy. Was he really having this effect on you? Maybe Robin wasn’t wrong about him still having it in him.

“Oh, so you like to look at me?”

“Only for about an hour every other Sunday.”

Steve sucks in a breath. The way you’re looking at him right now is making him have thoughts that aren’t appropriate for the very public parking lot of your workplace. But he can’t get over the fact that you’ve been looking at him of all people.

“Is-is that so?” 

“Mhm,” you hum, taking a drag of your cigarette and blowing it out. “Would be nice to look at you for an hour from a different angle sometime.”

Steve coughs on his hit, completely thrown off by your forwardness. But you don’t seem to be deterred, rather you close the gap between the two of you, chests touching as you look up into his eyes.

Lips move in a feverish kiss as Steve pins you against his front door, keys fumbling in his hand as he attempts to unlock it while keeping the two of you connected. You giggle against his neck when he pulls away, leaving a few kisses against his skin as he finally gets the door open. His hands fly to your hips, walking you backwards into his home where his lips crash into yours once again.

“Nice place,” you say as he moves to leave heated kisses against your neck.

“Thanks,” he says between nips on your skin. A low groan pulls from his chest when he feels your hand slide down to palm at his crotch. A smirk forms on his lips at the little gasp you let out when you feel his size, and he bucks his hips into your hand playfully.

In one swift motion he lifts you up and over his shoulder, delighted by your laughter filled squealing as he carries you to his bedroom. Kicking the door open with a gentle shove, he walks you over to his king size bed and plops you down on the comforter. The huge smile and wild look in your eyes spurs him on, all the blood in his body rushing to his dick when you reach your arms out for him. 

Steve pulls off his shirt with haste, and your eyes fix on the healthy patch of hair that covers his chest that tapers down his stomach to where it disappears into his jeans. He feels a little self conscious under your gaze, but the way your tongue darts out of your mouth, licking across your bottom lip has him climbing over top of you to chase it with his own. 

Hands move between your bodies and clothes go flying until the two of you are fully exposed to each other. Steve’s hard, leaking cock presses into your thigh, laying heavy against your already hot flesh. Your fingers run through his soft locks as his mouth attaches to your breast, nipping and biting until his mouth reaches your hardened nipple. 

While his mouth pays your sensitive chest attention, his large hands have wandered down between your legs and began running his fingers through your folds. His fingers skim over your clit with each stroke, sending little jolts through your body.

“God, you’re so wet,” he breathes out, his blown out pupils meeting yours.

“Just for you,” you say with a smirk, one that turns into an open mouth moan when he finally plunges a finger into your waiting cunt. 

There’s no mercy as his fingers move inside of you just right, hitting that spot with a curled finger over and over. Your hands grip his shoulders, instinctively trying to push him away but he doesn’t relent. He just watches the way your face contorts as another thick finger joins in stretching you out for him. 

“So beautiful.” Steve doesn’t even realize he’s said it out loud, but he can’t think of another word to describe the way you look under him. “Doing so good for me, honey.”

His praises send you over the edge and you cum hard on his fingers. The way you squeeze his fingers mixed with the smell of your pheromones releasing has Steve’s cock twitching in anticipation. When you come down from your high, your arms instinctively wrap around his neck and pull him in for sloppy, appreciative kisses. 

“Mmm, gonna need you to fuck me now, big boy,” you say into his ear, tongue licking at his lobe in a way that makes his hair stand up on the back of his neck. Your soft hand slides down between the two of you to grab his cock and pump it a few times in your hand. “Do you have any condoms?”

Steve freezes above you. 

“Um, well no…” he stutters. “Me—uh, my wife— ex wife—,” he looks at you directly with his clarification, “she had her tubes tied so we, um, we never used them so I don’t have—”

You put a finger over Steve’s lips, hushing his babbling immediately. 

“It’s okay,” you say with a sympathetic look, “I understand. We can stop…or.”

“Or?” Steve asks.

“Or, if you don’t care…then I don’t care? Just pull out?”

Steve felt like he was going to bust in your hand as it worked his aching cock. Deep down he knew it was irresponsible. But the way you were making him feel was lowering his inhibitions. And when was the last time he’d ever been reckless? 

“O-okay,” he swallows dryly, “I’m okay with that. But, um, I do want to be transparent with you.” Your head tilts to the side waiting for his response. God, could you be any cuter? “I, um, I haven’t been with an omega in, like, 20 years. So, I just—just know I’m not sure how long I’m going to last, you know…”

“Your wife—”

“Ex wife—”

“Ex wife, she wasn’t an omega?”

Steve shakes his head. He’d never been one to care about second gender dynamics. Sure, there were elements to their alpha x beta relationship that didn’t fulfill him like an omega would, but he loved Becca all the same during their relationship.

You go quiet for a moment, and Steve is sure he’s completely ruined the moment between the two of you. He’s mentally preparing himself to take you back to your car, but you suddenly move beneath him in a way that flips him on his back. He watches as you straddle his lap, your dripping cunt hovering just above his cock where you still have your hand wrapped around it.

“You poor thing,” you say with faux perturbance, lowering down far enough that you can rub yourself against his length. “Gone all these years with no omega to make you feel good?” Steve nods dumbly, completely entranced by the dynamic shift between you. “Do you want me to fix that for you? Wanna fill me up with your alpha cock?”

“Yes—yes, please.” His voice comes out a pathetic, whiny plea as his glassy eyes stay laser focused on yours.

Without warning you sink down onto his cock, both of you moaning out at the sudden connection. Even with him stretching you out on his fingers and the amount of slick your body produced, your tight cunt still squeezes Steve like a vice as you take each inch of him like a champ. You move up and down, working yourself open on him and Steve can barely stand it, wanting to grab your hips and move you himself. But Steve breaths through it, nostrils flared,  until you’re seated completely against him, his cock buried to the hilt inside of you. 

“Hooooly shit,” he breathes out. Steve needs a second to keep himself from cumming too soon, but it’s a second that you don’t spare him as you begin to bounce on his cock. Leaning over him, your hands rest against his chest, giving him the perfect view of your tits as they bounce in his face. 

“Fuck, you’re so big,” you moan out, brows pinching as the head of his cock reaches deep inside of you. “Even for an alpha, you’re s-so fucking big.”

Steve finally lets his hands grip on your hips, but instead of moving you how he wants, he fights against you to still your movements. 

A pout forms on your lips as you look down at him, and Steve wants nothing more than to shove his cock in your mouth to get rid of it. But, you feel too good wrapped around him so he takes his thumb and pushes it past your lips instead. Immediately you begin to suck and mouth on it, slowly grinding your hips against him to get any bit of friction between you.

When he pulls his thumb from your mouth, it lands on your clit to rub slow circles into it. You whine at the stimulation, trying to buck your hips faster in order to chase your high. 

Loosening his grip, he lets you move against him again. Steve watches in awe at the way you come undone above him, picking up the pace on his thumb as you move with little rhyme or reason. He feels your body stiffen, jaw dropping with a silent scream as your cum all over his cock, your slick coating his balls and dripping down onto the bed sheets underneath you.

Steve is generous enough to give you a second to come down before he’s pulling you off of him and back onto the bed. He watches the way your chest rises and falls as you catch your breath, the far off look in your eyes fading away as you look up at him with a satisfied grin.

“Did so good, sweet girl,” Steve says between peppered kisses against your face, making you beam. His gentle hands maneuver your limp body until you're flat on your stomach. He rubs up and down your back until his grip lands on your ass, kneading at the flesh there and spreading you apart for him to admire.

“Such a pretty pussy,” Steve praises. Your body jumps when you feel his fingers run through you again, followed by an almost pained groan. Looking back over your shoulder, you see Steve’s fingers in his own mouth, eyes squeezed shut as he savors the way you taste. “Fucking amazing. Forgot how good omega pussy is.” 

You hum at his words, finding the energy to raise your hips to present yourself to him, wiggling them back and forth. “Why don’t you come get some? Straight from the source.” 

Steve’s eyes go wide with shock. “Really? That’s okay?”

“Of course it is,” you say with a chuckle. “Why would it not be?”

Steve wants to bring up how his ex would only let him go down on her when they had the time, which wasn’t often for two full time parents. But, he didn’t want to bring the mood down by bringing up his wife or how he felt like he might have been bad at it since she never wanted it.

“I just, uh, wanted to make sure. That’s all.”

“Okay,” you say, moving your hips playfully, “Less talking and more doing then.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Steve salutes before diving in tongue first. The taste of you is like divine nectar in his mouth. Something he could see himself getting addicted to if given the opportunity. 

Flattening the thick muscle, he pushes it between your folds and licks a long stripe from your clit to your hole, letting the tip catch on it teasingly. He feels your body shiver under him, sending a confidence boost through his veins that encourages him to keep going.

Another quicker swipe through, but this time he lets his tongue slip into you completely. His thumb makes its way back to your clit, working it in tandem with his tongue in a way that makes you dizzy. Then, they switch places, his lips wrapping around your bud to lick and suck while his fingers curl inside you, his nose right up against your slit.

Steve feels the way you squeeze around him, familiar enough now that he knows your third orgasm is quickly approaching. But the thought of not feeling you cum on his cock has him pulling away from you all together. He laughs when you let out a whine, only for it to turn into a moan when he pushes the head of his cock inside you. He watches the way it pops in, disappearing in your tight cunt as you suck him in.

He wants to take his time with you, but the way you push back against him has him laughing. “Okay, I’m sorry, sweet girl. No more—teasing.” He punctuates the last word with a snap of his hips, thrusting all the way inside of you. His heavy balls audibly slap against your clit. 

Steve manhandles your hips until they’re just where he likes them and begins to pound into you. Not too aggressive, but hard enough that his bed frame hits the wall with every thrust. Your vocalizations echo off the walls in competition, and he’s never been so thankful that his kids were staying with their mom for the weekend, because he doesn’t know what he would do if he had to tell you to stay quiet like he was used to.

“Fuck! Fuck! Steve! Oh my god, fuck me, Steve!”

Steve is sure he can taste blood from how hard he’s biting his bottom lip. His mind feels like it’s turning to mush again, pussy drunk from how right it feels to be inside you. Biology be damned, but he couldn’t deny it.

Slumping forward, Steve’s arms wrap around you and pin you to the mattress below him. His nose presses into the back of your neck, nostrils flaring again as your sweet scent fills them up. Drool spills from his mouth and onto your skin, and every fiber of his being is screaming at him to bite down onto that sensitive spot. He lets a canine drag against it, and he sees the goosebumps forming on your skin. 

“Oh, fuck!” 

Steve feels you cum on his cock, body shaking and eyes rolling back as you cry out. It’s all too much for Steve, bringing him to the edge where he’s about to cum himself. 

He goes to pull out, but struggles as your body pins his arms under you. “Shit, shit!” He panics, only managing to pull out about halfway, unable to stop himself from cumming inside of you. 

Steve knows that he should feel bad, and he probably will once he finally stops cumming. But, at the same time, he’s pretty sure he’s never cum so hard in his life. And before he knows it, he feels the blood rushing into the base of his cock where it begins to swell. He pulls out of you just enough that his knot sits snugly against your hole, practically begging to be inside of you.

“Holy shit, did you knot?” You pant against his bed sheets, turning your body to look back at him.

“Y-yeah,” He pushes himself off of you, sitting back on his knees. He looks at the way his knot is pressed against your entrance, feeling only a slight resistance when he rocks forward a bit.

“I’m surprised you pulled it out,” you say, giving him a look that he isn’t sure how to read. Heat creeps all over his body as the guilt starts to set in.

“I was trying to pull all the way out, I promise. I’m so sorry. We can stop at the drugstore on the way back to your car and—”

“Steve.”

“Yeah?”

“It’s okay.” 

He feels the way you push back into his knot, rocking back and forth on his still hard length while his cum subtly starts to leak out of you. 

“Yeah?” He asks again, eyes locked on his knot as you work yourself open on it. You’re so tight, but he can feel the resistance starting to give. Maybe if he just…

“Oh my god!” You squeal out. With one hard thrust, Steve was able to push his knot fully inside of you until it locks in place. Whether it be the natural connection between an alpha and an omega or, if your pussy was just that good, Steve can’t help but cum again, filling your already stuffed pussy up with more of his seed. 

“It’s…it’s..”

“What is it, Stevie baby,” you ask in a sugary sweet voice, mind clearly on cloud nine from the soft look on your face. 

“It’s just, it’s been so long…so long since I’ve felt like…”

“Awe, come’er,” you motion for him to lay with you, and Steve follows your command, taking you in a strong arm and maneuvering you both comfortably onto your sides. Underneath the covers, the two of you hold each other like you’ve been doing this for years rather than being a random Sunday afternoon hookup. The hairs of his mustache tickle the skin on your shoulder where he leaves kisses over and over again.

The two of you are quiet as you lay there in his bed. Steve’s mind races as the post nut clarity kicks in. Guilt plagues his brain first, but not in the way he thought it would. He thought he would feel guilty about sleeping with someone he didn’t vow his life to almost 20 years ago, but that’s not the case. Instead he feels guilty wishing he’d not wasted all those years with someone who couldn’t make him feel like this. All those years of putting her needs first…

“Are those your daughters?”

Steve’s head pops up to look over yours. Following your gaze, he sees the picture in question—well, he can’t see it clearly, his glasses being lost in the shuffle to get here. But, he knows what picture you’re talking about. It’s a picture of him and his two daughters, Hailey and Kristina, at their soccer tournament when they were 9 and 7 respectively. Their team had won 2nd place, but the both of them didn’t care because their dad had shown up to watch them play. It’s one of his favorite pictures of the three of them.

“Yeah, those are my girls,” Steve says with pride.

“They’re cute.” You look back at him with a smile, “They definitely get their looks from you.”

Steve feels the heat on his cheeks and ducks his head. “Thank you. Do, uh, do you have any kids?”

“Nope,” you say with a shake of your head. “Well, not yet at least.”

“Again, I am so, so sorry—” You bark out a laugh at his embarrassment and Steve tries to ignore the way you squeeze him.

“I’m just teasing, Steve.”

“Oh-okay,” he settles, daring to squeeze you a little tighter to him. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure,” you say excitedly, taking his hand in yours and rubbing circles into the back of his hand.

“Well, okay actually it’s, like, a series of questions. But, I guess the first one is…why me?”

“Why you? Like, why did I sleep with you?”

“Yeah…”

“Um, partly because you’re, like, really, really hot.”

Steve laughs at that, “Should’ve seen me when I was your age.”

“I’m sure you were super hot then, too. But you look like one of those guys who gets better with age.”

“Thanks…”

“Anyway, I also slept with you because you’re always really nice when you and your friend come in. I thought maybe you were, but honestly I couldn’t tell if you were flirting with me or not. I also wasn’t sure if you and her were dating and I didn’t want to embarrass myself so I never said anything. But when you pheromone bombed me earlier…I had to take my break because I thought I was going to go into heat.

“Jesus, I’m sorry about that, too,” Steve internally scolds himself for forgetting about that. “Forty two years old and I can’t even contain myself. Acting like I’m a newly presenting alpha again.”

“It’s okay…honestly it was kinda hot. That’s why when I saw you leaving, I thought ‘Fuck it, might as well shoot my shot.’ Glad I did.”

Steve is trying his damnedest to stay collected, he really is. But the more you talk about wanting to pursue him, the more he feels like he needs to get away from you before he falls for you. He knows it’s just the pheromones and the fact that he hasn’t felt wanted since Becca left him, but damn does it feel good to have someone want him.

He feels you snuggle back against him. You look over your shoulder at him with a sly expression. 

“Ready for round two already?” You say with a teasing lit. His eyes go wide.

“What?” He asks with a nervous chuckle.

“I’m just kidding,” you say, sticking your tongue out at him.  “Just felt like you got harder when I was talking about how I wanted you.”

Steve sucks in a breath. “I mean, if I can get this knot to go down enough…” It’s been a long while since Steve’s been able to go for a second round. But, he’s pretty sure he’d do anything you asked him right now.

“It’s okay, I don’t mind this for a little bit longer.”

The two of you ended up fucking for a good majority of the afternoon. At some point Steve fell asleep inside you, leaving you to scroll through his barely touched instagram until his knot went down again. He warned you that pictures of his wife were still on there since he didn’t know how to delete them. But when you told him you didn’t care about his past he ended up fucking you again, which is how you ended up in the position you’re in now.

When Steve rouses from his nap, he’s sad to find you not in bed with him. It felt good having someone to share his bed with again. A king size mattress is too big for only one person to occupy Steve has thought many nights now.

Steve puts on a pair of gray sweats and a tee shirt and searches the house for you. He gets a little nervous when he doesn’t find you anywhere. With a slight panic, he runs back to his room and checks his clothes from earlier. When everything was still in his pockets he grabbed his phone to see if you’d texted him that you were leaving. That was until he remembered that he never asked for your number…

Plopping down on the edge of the bed, he grabs his phone and taps the screen. The picture of Hailey and Kristina opening gifts at Robin’s house over Christmas break comes up, making him smile. But when he looks at the bottom of the screen, he sees the little notification bubble and scrolls up. 

His eyes widen when he sees your name attached to a text message. He opens the message quickly, squinting his eyes to see the screen without his glasses on. 

wanted a smoke so I’m sitting in your car hope that’s okay ♥️

Steve is up instantly, grabbing his coat and house slippers before pushing out the front door. He saw you in his passenger seat, bundled up in your coat with a cigarette still lit between your fingers. You were on the phone with someone, distracted as you looked out the front window. He could hear you speaking with someone through the cracked window.

“Yeah, the older guy. The divorced one…Girl, oh my goooooood…I will when I see you later. He’s so hot though…I don’t know. I kinda hope so. Like I’m sure my parents would be so pissed if I started dating a guy in his 40s…I don’t know. But girl we went at it for hooouuuursss, so I hope so.”

Steve was sure his face was the same shade of red as a tomato. He could hardly believe a girl was sitting in his car talking about how much she liked him to presumably one of her friends. And you were talking about dating?

“Do you want to go on a date with me?”

The words come out on their own. Your head snaps to look at him, eyes wide like a deer in headlights. You mutter a quick good bye to your friend and open the car door.

“S-sorry, I was talking to my friend. What did you say?”

Steve debated on back tracking. There’s no way you could be serious about liking him, so why embarrass himself, or even scare you off by taking things further. You were right, you were old enough that your parents wouldn’t approve even if you both wanted it. As a father of two girls, he can’t help but think about how he would feel if one of them brought home someone at least 15 years older than them…

“Steve?” The way you looked at him had him folding in an instant.

“I asked if you wanted to go on a date with me.”

A smile played at the ends of your mouth. “Really?” You ask coyly. “This isn’t just some little fantasy thing for you? Older man hooking up with a younger girl to make himself feel better?” Steve shook his head.

“God, no. Those aren’t my intentions at all.” Steve’s hand reaches out for yours, which you gladly take, swinging them between the two of you. Steve clears his throat before looking you in the eye as he speaks.

“I’m not the type of guy that does…” He gestures vaguely towards his house. “Does the hook up thing. At least I haven’t been in a good while.”

“I knew you were a player when you were younger,” you say with a cheeky smile.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He laughs.

“I saw a picture that your friend Robin tagged you in on her instagram of the two of you back in the day and…” You gave him a look that made him duck his head. 

“I guess you could say that I was a bit more debaucherous back in my early twenties. But, I think the longevity of my marriage should stand as testament that I am capable of being a loyal, faithful partner to the right person.”

“And you want to see if I could be a candidate for that “right person” position?”

“Mmm, that sounds like you’d need to convince me.” He pulls you into him, looking down at you as you’re pressed against him. “But I’m pretty sure you’ve already got me hooked on you. Just need to prove to you that this old man is worth keeping around.”

The way your smile crinkles your eyes as you look up at him has Steve’s heart fluttering. And when you reach up to kiss him, that fluttering swells into a blooming warmth that runs through his veins the second your lips touch.

“Well, when and where does this “old man,” you echo his words with finger quotes, “want to have this date, hmm?”

The two of you iron out the details over a smoke in Steve’s warm car, and continue to talk well past the setting of the sun. Eventually, Steve takes you back to your car, where the two of you make out parked next to it until you’re pretty sure you hear your closing coworkers coming out the back door from the end of shift.

Steve makes you promise to text him when you get home to make sure you got there safe. You throw a casual “sure thing, dad” at him, and as he watched you get in your car he has to question himself as to why he liked you calling him that…

thank you for reading.

[seoulmatez]

"give them back," tsukishima grumbles, harshly rubbing his tired, golden eyes with the heels of his palms. his already blurred vision is even more bleary when he pulls his hands away.

"mm, no," you refuse, resting the stolen frames on the top of your head. "i don't think i will."

the lines of a frown are etched into the skin between his eyebrows as he stares at you from his desk chair. you're sure his aim is to look intimidating or at least annoyed, but you can't take him seriously knowing that he probably sees you as nothing more than an indiscernible blob of colors without his glasses.

"come on, i need to finish this." he points to the intricate yet unfinished drawing sitting on the table in front of him. you're sure your eyes would cross just attempting to pick out all of the details; you can't imagine how strained tsukki's eyes must be from staring at and adding on to it for hours.

"what you need to do is rest your eyes," you scold him. "this little artist gig is going to be over before it even begins if you keep this up."

he doesn't respond because he can't argue with you; you're right. late nights spent working under nothing more than a soft, dim lamp have become the norm for him. he's grown accustomed to the irritation burning at his eyes and the need to squint in order to focus on whatever project sits in front of him. before now, he would have excused his irresponsibility as hard work—dedication. thanks to you, he's willing to acknowledge it as a bad habit.

tsukki sighs. you're nervous that your words were too harsh, worried that they bordered discouraging. you open your mouth, readying to apologize for your brashness when the man clears his throat. "fine. i'll be done for tonight."

"good." you curtly nod. if you’re being completely honest, you weren't sure that you'd be able to convince him. you tell him as much, too. "if you said otherwise, i would have dragged you out of here myself."

for the first time since you barged into his studio, a smile breaks out on the blonde's face. "is that so?"

"mhm." you hum in confirmation. seeing his lips curled upward makes you grin as well. you jerk your head in the direction of the door, stretching your open hand out to him. you wiggle your fingers and ask, "shall we go?"

he takes your hand in his, gently squeezing it as he stands up from the chair. "can i have my glasses back now?"

"nope," you pop the 'p'. you almost forgot about the lenses perched on the top of your head, but, even so, he isn’t getting them back. tsukishima is stubborn and you wouldn't put it past him to end up browsing his phone for inspiration if he got a hold of his glasses again. "you should keep your eyes closed. i'll lead you down the hall and get you comfy in bed all on my own."

he clicks his tongue, shaking his head. he can't say he's seeing clearly at the moment, but the thought of being blindly guided down the hallway keeps him from closing his eyes. "you have way too much faith in yourself."

you scoff, "take it back or your sleeping in your studio tonight."

[lady-mimis]

I WISH YOU WOULD - BATMAN

Summary: Where your relationship with Bruce didn't end up well but you still love him

English is not my first language, so I apologize for any mistakes that might be on the text

Notes: Hey guys! I'm back with an imagine of my favorite hero. I stopped to write for nnt, but I still have some imagines ready so I will post eventually. For me Bruce is such a dads girl. This took me a long time, I hope you enjoy!

Warnings: Violence and language

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"Mommy?" Your daughter called you. You were working on your laptop while your daughter was watching TV.

Tim and Damian asked for your help in some kind of security program they developed, so you were just reviewing and improving the system

"Yeah baby? what's wrong?" You stop typing and look at her.

She was hugging her giraffe plush. It was a gift from her dad. She is such a daddy's girl

"I was wondering..... if you could tell me about you and daddy?" She ask curiously with those big blue, bright eyes

The question took you by surprise. She is still a curious kid, of course, but you wonder why she wants to know it now

She was a copy of her father, except that she has some of your features. Its funny how you waited nine months for your baby to be born with her fathers features

"Hmm, what do you wanna know? Can i ask why the sudden interest?" You asked your baby daughter, then sat beside her on the couch, putting a cushion in your lap

"I want to know how you two met each other, I mean you two are not together anymore but you were one day, right?" She questioned you with an innocence that you felt your heart shake a little.

Thinking about how she feels with her parents not being together. You remember once she was saying something about all of her friends having parents who are married and live together. Of course, you tried to explain that your situation is not so simple, but she was just a kid and couldn't understand anything

"Yeah, darling well.... I met your father at work, he was my boss"

You revive everything in your head

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

"Good morning, Lucius! I brought some coffee for us" You entered the laboratory, greeting your coworker and put your bag on your table

You worked for Wayne Enterprises and were responsible for the technology that Batman held since the company funded him and his equipment

You were working on a motorcycle for Batman since he asked for

This project was a direct order from your boss, Bruce Wayne. You had never meet him, he was always busy being a playboy

Lucius was the vice president of the company, so he had a lot of work to do. You impressed with how he would help you and find time to be a businessman

"I'm glad you're here, today we have a lot of work" He thanks you for the coffee

After hours in the laboratory, you get ready to leave

"Hey baby let's talk please, don't dare ignore me again!" An unknown number sent you a message, but you already knew who it was

"Answer bitch!" Again

"I need you baby! I can't live without you!"

Your ex boyfriend calls you, but you refuse the call

How did he find your new number? You were angry about him harassing you since you two broke up

"Stop calling me! we broke up. Stop it" Sighing deeply, you reply

"You're okay?" Lucius asks you curiously, raising his eyebrows

"I'm just tired, you know, Matthew has been kind of asshole and... " You fake a smile for him not worry about you

You stop your commentary after hearing the voice of the artificial intelligence of the laboratory announce someone

"Access confirmed. Welcome, Bruce Wayne" The AI greets him

"Bruce, what a pleasure! (Y/N) this is Bruce" Lucius introduce you to him. He is excited for Bruce to finally meet you

Well, you have to admit that he is not only handsome. Bruce Wayne is hot as hell

He looked at you, head to toe and licked his lips. He smiles to you with an arrogant smile and offers his hand for you to shake

What a skirt chaser!

"Enchanted to meet you" You shake his big, rough hands. He looks around, analyzing the lab

Bruce Wayne has an elegant posture. He was wearing a black, expensive suit, probably tailored just for him. This suit must have cost all of your salary

He walks through the lab with a confident posture, analyzing everything around him

"So you're the one who made the Batmobile upgrades" He states uninterested

Okay, you were not hoping for him to know that

"Yeah, it's me. I'm working on the motorcycle project too" You said proudly, pointing to the prototype that was in the center of the lab

Adjusting your white coat, you grab the sketches of the project in your pocket

"Well, I see you're doing good. Have you already made any tests?" He looks satisfied with the prototype

"Not yet, still working on the motor " You give him the sketches, then point at the motor sketch

"it looks excellent! I'm really impressed. Now I know why Lucius trusts so much in your work" He smiled charmingly, winking at you

You couldn't help but roll your eyes. Is he really like this?

"Thank you.... I think" Looking at your watch, checking the hours

"I better go. It's starting to get dark" You grab your things and walk to the door

"Take care (Y/N)!" Lucius bids you farewell

"It was lovely to meet you (Y/N), I hope to see you again" Bruce gave a head nod

"Wait (Y/N)!" Bruce calls you, making you stop and stare him, raising an eyebrow at him

"What you think about a dinner?" Bruce asks with a cocky smile, and you find it charming, but no way you're going on a date with him. That could work with other women, but not with you

Bruce asked you out the first day he met you! HE WAS TRULY A WOMANIZER LIKE THE NEWS SAYS

You had recently broken up so you were not thinking about a relationship at that moment

"Thanks but no" You fake a sorrowful look and then smile, winking, teasing him

You leave to your house before gets too dark

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

That night, you were watching TV on your couch. It was almost midnight

You heard a car stop by the front of your house and assumed that it was one of your neighbors

"Where are you? I'm here. Let's talk " he typed

Okay, you're starting to get scared

You walk towards the window, seeing his car in front of your house

"No! Leave!" You reply in panic

"Baby, open the door!" He knocks on the door, gently at first but then harder

"Leave me alone! I don't want to talk to you!" You say it loud enough for him to hear it

"Open the fucking door!" A strong knock. He was beating the door, and in a little time he would open it

You grabbed your phone and ran to your room, calling the police. You close the door of your room, hiding yourself in your closet

Tears were all over your face

"911, what's your emergency?" The policeman asked by phone

"My ex boyfriend.... is trying to enter my home and i ...... " A loud thud echos through the house. He entered in your home

"He's here, please help me!" You whisper, crying in despair

You passed your address to him

"We are sending the police, stay hidden until the police come, please stay in the line"

You could hear him on the underfloor, looking for you

"Baby, let's talk. You know how much i love you!" He always said this

"I can't live without you, you're so good for me, I will kill myself if you don't show up. IT WILL BE YOUR FAULT!!" He screamed with angry

He was coming closer, and you knew that the police would not make in time

"Let's just talk, babe, we can fix this. I CAN FIX THIS!" His voice echoed behind the door as he tried to get into the room

He was kicking the door, and you knew how the material would not resist

"We can comeback together, it's just show up and say yes!" He broke in

He was close, and you could see his shadow through the door of the closet

He has a knife with him

You knew he had found you. He was walking toward the closet

"I don't want to talk to you! LEAVE ME ALONE! I FUCKING HATE YOU, WHY YOU DOING THIS TO ME??" Screaming stunned

When he stops by the closet door, something caught him by surprise and he falls to the floor

A shadow figure was in top of him

The shadow figure knocks out your ex boyfriend

"It's safe now, you can get out of there" A male deep voice spoke, it sounded almost robotic, maybe it was some kind of voice modification

You got out of the closet, and you stared at your unconscious ex

That shadow figure was standing by the side of your ex's damaged body

Then you saw your hero, Batman.

"I..." You could not say a single phrase without sobbing

He stayed there till police siren sounds could be heard, then he just disappears

Batman had saved you that night, if wasn't for him, probably you would not be alive. You were grateful to Batman

You're remembered that night all too well, it was a complete nightmare

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

The next day after the incident you were given the day off by Lucius.

You stayed at your sister place until you found a new place for you

You had to comeback to your work, everything was so stressful and worst Bruce keep showing up and continue flerting with you

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

You were on the park lot alone, fetching your car keys, and you feel a presence behind you

You froze

Someone put a hand on your shoulder

"Hey, you alright?" Bruce Wayne ask in a worried tone

You felt so relieved to see it was just him

"Yes, i just got scared, you simply didn't make any walking sounds" You observe him, and take a deep breath

"Oh, i'm sorry about that.. what do you say about dinner as sorry?" Bruce offered, scratching his throat, making a slight frown, and put his hands on his pocket, trying to hide his nervous

That's new, he was always too confident and cocky. Now he just look like a normal guy

So you decide to be honest

"Look, Bruce i will be honest with you, I recently broke up. It's been hard times for me, i am not looking for a date at the moment" You look at him with soft eyes, denying his offer gently

That made Bruce nod in knowledge and look at the floor for a moment. He admired your honesty

"Well... that doesn't mean we can't be friends" Still not convinced he waits for your response

Friends? WITH BRUCE WAYNE? That was a good joke, but he seemed serious about it

With everything that has been happening, maybe you need to relax. You didn't have many friends. All of your friends live in other towns. So why not?

"Hmm.. fine we can dinner together as friends" You hesitantly accept looking at his ocean blue eyes. Somehow, his eyes pass you peace and truth

"Friends then" He smirked and offered his arm to you, guiding you to his car

It was a great night. Nice jokes and good food

That has become a tradition between you and Bruce since that day. You get to know Bruce better and overcome your prejudices about him

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

You could say that you had a soft spot for Bruce

You even met his first kid.

It was a surprise when he told you about Dick. You had never thought about Bruce being a single dad.

You tried help him with his dads duties but he always declined your help. Even with his interventions, you continued to help him to raise Dick

You remember telling Bruce to go easier with Dick

And finally, he opened up with you, asking advice on how to improve to be a good dad for Dick

Dick was a nice kid but had a sad story. He always used to tell you how Bruce was hard on him and how he wanted some freedom

So sometimes you would take him to do things that a normal kid would do

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

When you found out about Batmans identity, you freaked out

You were working on the maintenance of the security of the labs

Everything there was powerful and presented some danger. So the technology couldn't end up in the wrong hands

The access was only permitted if the people had registered fingerprint and eye identification

You noted that Bruce and Batman had the same fingerprint and eye identification.

He had saved you that night

When he entered the lab, you embrace him so tightly

All you could say was "thank you" sobbing

Bruce got very confused and worried about you

After a few moments he connected the pieces

He asked you to work only for him in his cave and his Batlab, as you called it

You accepted Bruces offer to work for him.

Most of the time, you would work with him or Alfred on the projects. Alfred always commented to you about how you and Bruce were a good duo

Alfred told you, you were the first person that Bruce let into his life. How was he different after you

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

You had been friends with Bruce for almost two years

You were at the annual Wayne gala

Bruce had invited you personally and told you how much Jason insisted on your presence. Bruce had recently adopted Jason since Dick left for Jump City

Of course, you didn't approve the kids being his sidekicks. It was not ideal for them, but that was the form they found to let go of the fury and anger they felt inside. Bruce knew it better like no one

Jason was a tough kid, but all he wanted was Bruce's attention. Yet Bruce would be more hard on Jason than he has been with Dick

Jason had a hard life, and even being tough he was still a kid. All he needed was love and kindness. So you did what Bruce didn't. You helped him with everything, homework, patching him, you both played video game together

You taught him everything you knew, how to cook, how to hack, how to make analysis, how to program and more.

"(Y/N) You heard me?" Jason poked you but you couldn't take your eyes of Bruce

Bruce is the host of the party,and of course there will be people around him but you can't avoid to feel jealous at the surrounding women

Bruce was talking with a blonde beautiful woman for a long time

"Sorry jay, what were you saying?" You give him a soft look, messing with his hair

"Its about the new ship you are working, I liked the design its so badass" He said, excited about this project.

Jason was your little assistant in the Batlab

You nod, smiling and keep talking with him until Alfred interruption

"Sorry to interrupt you, Miss (Y/N), but I believe its time for Master Jason go to bed" Alfred explained and put a hand on Jasons shoulders

"Can (Y/N) put me to bed?" Jason asks in a low tone, looking at you with pleading eyes

How cute, your heart melt away with that. How can you say no to him?

Alfred looks to you, waiting your response

"Don't worry, Alfred, I don't care doing it" You shrug, guiding Jason to his room

You were both in his room. His room was all decorated with cream and red tones. The room has some posters of some old popular cartoons you both watch together, and some action figures on the shelf on the wall where the writing desk is. Some books you had gave him as gifts are on top of the desk

He was laying on bed, and you covered him with the red blankets

"Do you think you can sleep with that music?" You ask, fixing the blankets so he could be warm

"Yes, it's not that loud from here" Jason makes himself comfortable

"Thanks (Y/N), it makes me feel home" Jason smile to you, the mix of blue and green of his shining eyes makes he looks so innocent

He was looking at you like you were his whole world

"Good night Jay, I'll see you tomorrow after school in the Batcave" You kiss his forehead and turn off the lights

You lead to the door, ready to leave

"Good night, mom" Jason whispered sleepy

OH MY DID HE JUST CALLED YOU MOM? You stop, stunned in front of the door, felling a mix of emotions

When you got out, Bruce was standing there like a ghost

"Ohh! You scared me! Stop showing up out of nowhere" You raise your hand to your chest, breathing heavily

"You didn't need to do it" Bruce crossed his arms seriously, taking a look at Jason's asleep form

Bruce was in front of you, blocking your passage back to the party. His huge form was hovering you

"I wanted to do it, Bruce" You state, putting your hand on his chest to get him out of your way, but he does't move

So you raise an eyebrow to him. What was he doing? Trying to intimidate you or whatever?

"I thought you would pass the night talking with that blonde woman?" You comment. Maybe a little too rude

You perceive the frown on his lips and how his eyebrows grew closer

"As the host, I have to talk with the guests" He narrows his gaze to you. You hate when he does it

He unblocked the passage, still staring you

You turn back to the party, ignoring his stare

After that, you felt frustrated and resolved to drink to drown your sorrows

At the end of the night, you were a little drunk....okay, so much drunk that your voice was nasal and you were hiccuping

That time, Bruce was chatting with a beautiful brunette woman, and she put her hand on his chest. Okay, that's enough. The jealousy made your face turn red and warm.

You roll your eyes, ready to leave the party.

Bruce was so stupid, why do you care about the women around him? You are nothing to him, just a friend. You hated that feeling, you hate how Bruce makes you feel stupid

You were leaving, but an arm grabbed your hand, stopping you. In the movement to turn around, you stumbled on your feet.

The arms hold you by the waist so you don't fall

"I got you" Bruce is the one helping you. His arms are so big and warm

"What you're doing? leave me... hic.. Bruce" You tell him, trying to get out of his hold while he leads you to the manor

"I'm not gonna let you leave alone in this state. You're drunk (Y/N)" Bruce keeps his hold on you, until you are in his room

"It's your fault, when you were talking with those hotties, I was... hic...drinking by myself" You say with a joking tone and get out of his hold to sit at his bed

"Are you jealous (Y/N)?" Bruce asks, having fun with the situation

"NO! nrgh!" You sink your head into his pillow

"So do you care to share why you are so drunk? We both know you do not drink like that" He asked curiously, looking at you with those beautiful eyes

"Just to shut out... hic.. my emotions. Its was... hic...so loud" You said, snorting with your nasal voice

Bruce chuckles at your comment and leans himself on the wall

"You know you can tell me, right?" Bruce crossed his arms, but his voice sounded soft

"Right, I just disappointed...hic.. that you didn't have any time for me just because you were talking..hic... with your hotties. We are friends, right?" Whispering the last part.

Who were you trying to convince? You or him? You were already over heels for him

Bruce just raised an eyebrow for you, he knew you, and the fact that you just lied to him

"Tell me (Y/N) what really happened for you to get that drunk?" He came closer and stopped in front of you, analyzing you

He is curious, you are not the heavy drinker type. To be honest, he never saw you so drunk as tonight

It was dark in the room, just the moonlight light it. Bruce eyes shone intensely in the dark of the room, his eyes look like the ocean

"You happen, Bruce, I cant keep pretending that i don't feel nothing for you" Your voice is so low that you barely hear it

Nervousness ruins through your body. You start to roll your rings on your fingers.

"Pardon me?" Bruce says confused

He doubts that he heard what you said. He shifts his weight, trying to stay calm. Probably you are just too drunk and were babbling

So you decide to speak out loud

"Damn it! I was so jealous, you can have any woman in your arms anytime you want! I hate see you with another woman, and how I'm not the one in your arms. Your stupid blue ocean eyes that hypnotize me..." Bruce interrupts your sentence and kisses you with desire

"You're the one that I want. The one who has my heart. (Y/N), you don't have to worry about the others women" Bruce cups your face and rubs your cheeks, pecking your lips

He let go of you and stepped back smirking at your shock form

"Okay Bruce now you got me! You always found a ... hic.. way to shock me" You toss yourself in his bed, and your nasal giggles fill the lifeless room

"Well? what can i do? I have been waiting since the day we met for you to realize the great eligible bachelor that I am" His crooked smile makes you laugh hard

"Tsc, you're to cocky, hic.. that time you were the biggest womanizer of the whole country" You state, and hear his laugh echo in the room

Bruce chuckles at your state the bed, your cheeks are red from drinking, and your hair is a little messy, but he finds it cute. You are a sloppy, happy drunk.

How you love his laugh, his smile, and his beautiful eyes. You love everything about him. Okay, sometimes he's a pain in the ass, but still you love him

Then he walks to the door without making any sound

"I should let you rest" Bruce says, opening the door

"Can't you stay?" You watch him hesitantly stop in the front of the door

"Pleasee?..hic" You plead

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

At first, your relationship was wonderful. Bruce was a caring boyfriend and a good partner

Then Jason died

You were completely broken

You loved him so much. The pain was unbearable

Bruce was dealing with his grief on his own. You knew how he blamed himself for Jason's death. He felt regret for being so hard on Jason

You hated how Bruce closed himself off from you

Everything has changed

Bruce was cold, quiet and reserved

Bruce was not the same person you used to know

The fights started

Time passed, and you two had to move on

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

When you discovered about Damian's existence. You felt devastated, mostly because Bruce didn't plan to tell you

It was a shock for you when you found a boy who looked like Bruce in the living room

He was just seven years old. About the time you and Bruce started to date

The fights started all over

You were in the batcave. Where you help Bruce with the technology and projects he and you create

"What hell Bruce? Is that kid really your son?" Inhaling deep. You couldn't stop the shake of your hands

God, you were so nervous

You already knew the answer, but you need a explanation

Bruce just murmurs in response

"That's not even an answer, Bruce!" You state, tapping nervously your foots on the floor

"Do you have a son with another woman? I suppose you know who is his mother?" You wait for him to respond decently

You were standing by his side while he didn't even bother to glance you

"His mother is Thalia Alghul" Bruce shrugged it off, like that was nothing

Did he already know about the existence of this child?

"Bruce, look at me for a second! You cannot give a shit about this, but I do!" You shout, trembling

"Bruce! Did you already know about the existence of this kid?" Your voice wavers and the tears rush down your face

You felt betrayed

This time, Bruce slightly shivered and narrowed his eyes, analyzing you. Probably he was thinking you were out of control

Bruce was thinking of a response to calm you, but he couldn't find it, so he stayed in silence.

The silence was the worst answer he could give you. You know how right you were about your suspicious

"ANSWER ME, BRUCE! DID YOU EVEN PLAN TO TELL ME?" Pointing a finger at his chest, accusing him

Bruce gets defensive when you shout at him

"That's none of your business, (Y/N)" Bruce shouts back feeling attacked. Maybe it was, but he didn't think of that because he is too proud

"IT'S NOT MY BUSINESS, OKAY MR WAYNE, THEN IF THAT'S NOT MY BUSINESS, WE SHOULD NOT BE TOGETHER SINCE MY FUCKING BOYFRIEND HAS A CHILD WITH ANOTHER WOMAN AND NEVER PLANNED TO TELL ME ONE FUCKING THING ABOUT IT" You snap with anger. You shed tears like a crying baby

You felt terrible, weak, and disrespected.

The shouts echo through the cave

He was supposed to trust you, right?

There was a time you two were best friends and told each other everything, even the most silly thing in the world. You were a good duo, you were always partners

But the things changed

The love that was pacific became heavy and cold

What you and Bruce had become?

The sound of your cries attracted Tim's attention

"Hey mom! you're okay?" Tim asks gently, giving Bruce a disapproving look

"I.... just need to rest" You take a deep breath, accepting Tim help

You stare Bruce with watery eyes. You waited for him to say something

He stares at you with a blank expression

"Takes your mother to her room" That's the only thing Bruce says before turning back, walking to another part of the cavern

Bruce simply turned his back to you

It means nothing to him anymore. He didn't fight for you two

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

The situation became more difficult because Damian disliked you

He thought his father should be with his mother, not someone like you. His words were sharp like a knife

To be honest, you thought the same thing. You aren't rich like Bruce, you two had different lifestyles. Two completely different world

In all of these years he never cared to propose to you. Did he ever think of having a future with you?

You started to question yourself after almost six years together

The day you finally decide to leave

You were sick, having nausea, dizziness and vomiting

Alfred realized that and advised you to go to the doctor

You took a few exams

In the same week, Damian got sick. He was in bed, shaking with fever. You were so worried about him

You checked up on Damian sometimes, even with his sharp comments about you or how he disliked you

He was just a kid who was created with a rigid education. He had a hard personality. You couldn't totally blame him

Alfred asked you to give Damian some soup for dinner. You agreed and went upstairs with the soup

"Hey Damian i brought some soup for you" You knock on his door before entering his room

"Tsc you can leave it here" He said with a tedious tone of voice

"Hmm do you need help to eat?" You ask, leaving the bowl on his expensive white nightstand

"No! Leave!" Damian says annoyed by your presence. Okay he didn't seem to be on a good day

Still, he doesn't have the strength to get out of the bed or eat alone

"But... Alfred helped you eat the meals, right? I could help you if you want" You tried one more time

"Don't you understand? I DON'T WANT YOUR HELP" Damian shouts aggressively, he tries to pick up the bowl but ends up toppling it

You look at him in shock

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you" You say in a low tone, holding back your tears

You leave Damian's room quickly and walk towards your room

You couldn't take it anymore. You are unhappy, sick and tired

You were in your room. The room you and Bruce shared together one day

You grabbed your bags and started to pick up your things

"What you're doing?" Bruce's voice surprised you. He was downstairs the last time you saw him

"I'm leaving, Bruce" You didn't hold back your tears. The tears rush freely in your face

Bruce felt his heartbeat skip when he heard what you said. You cannot be serious

"I don't understand..". Bruce comes closer to you, trying to understand why you were doing this

You stop to pick up your things to look at him

He is in shock, and even with his facade, you learn to see through it

"No! I know you don't, Bruce! You don't even realize whats happening around you" You snap angrily

"What? you cannot do that (Y/N)!" Bruce tries to change your mind, arguing with you, but you have already decide

"WHY NOT BRUCE? YOUR SON HATES ME! YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT US ANYMORE" You are so close to him but yet so far away. Giving a pleading look for him, you shake your head in deny

"Damian is just a kid..." Bruce answered back facing you.

You could swear that you saw a few of emotion on his eyes

"FUCK IT! WHAT ABOUT US BRUCE? DIDN'T YOU EVEN REALIZE THAT I AM SICK THE WHOLE WEEK? DID YOU EVER PLAN TO PROPOSE TO ME ONE DAY?" You screamed with agony, feeling your throat dry

He could see how you were hurt and unhappy

Bruce avoid to look into yours eyes. Not a single word left his mouth

"Your silence answered everything. I hoped you would be honest with me considering all of these years, tsc you are really a dick" You curse, turning back to pick up the rest of your things

You grabbed your bags, and turned around, ready to leave.

You give Bruce a final look, pleading to him to do something, say something or fight for you

You hoped he would say something or ask you to stay, but he didn't

If he had asked you to stay, you would

So you leave

Your words echo through to his head

Bruce's heart stops when he sees that you are really leaving, but he can't move

Maybe that was better for you. Maybe it was better for you to live without him always disappointing you

Bruce stays in silence, watching you leave

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

You were completely heartbroken after the break up. You moved to your old apartment

Everything looked so empty, it was so strange to live there all alone.

You miss the kids, the noise of the manor, Alfred astute comments, and more... You miss Bruce

You and your sister went to the hospital to get your exam results

You remember all too well

In the doctor's office, sitting in a chair, waiting for the doctor to say the results of your exam

"Well, miss (Y/N), the results are not satisfying, but i have good news you might like" Isla gave you a sympathetic look and read some documents

"So I prefer the good news first, doc" You tried to sound optimist

You looked like crap, and you knew it. The last week had been so lonely. Tim and Alfred passed by your apartment to check on you, but it wasn't the same thing

"You are pregnant, congratulations (Y/N)!" She gave you the news

Your face goes blank

"(Y/N)? You alright?" Isla asked with worry in her eyes

"Yes... I think, I was not hoping for that, Isla" You explained, trying to calm yourself

She wrote something on her computer

"Right, but you have anemia, and this isnt good for you and the baby. It might bring you problems if you don't start to treat it. So you will have an obstetrician consult and I will accompany you with the anemia treatment, okay?" Isla smiles, handing the results to you

"You might consider to consulting a psychologist too, you don't look so well, it will make you good. Take care of your mind health" Her voice was kind, and you knew how she was right. You were a complete mess

"I will prescribe you some medicine" Isla catches the pen on her table and starts to fill out some papers

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

When you got the results of the exams you couldn't believe it. You are Pregnant

"So? Whats got you so sick?" Your sister gives you a concerned look, as she come closer to you

"I.. cant believe it" You hand her the papers, still in shock

"OH MY! I going to be an aunt!" She is excited about the news

"That's not so bad, you just have to treat yourself" She tries to cheer you up

"Oh no. Why are you crying?" She embraced you while you cried. You were so hurt. It was so much for you

...

You had been consulting the obstetriciann, and everything was okay with your baby. You discovered you preganant for 3 months

Your sister were sleeping in your place to help you with the pregnancy

Your sister went out to some cheap club with her friends

You wake up to drink some water. Your throat was dry

You heard some steps behind you, so you stay alert

"Who's here?" You turn around to see it was Batman

Bruce was standing right in front of you, after all of those weeks

You relaxed since you're not in danger

"You know you could enter from the door like a normal person" You comment, rolling your eyes

He observed the place and looked at you head to toe

His presence is annoying you. Still, you could tell that his presence made heart beat faster

"What do you want?" You ask, breathing deep

"What is that (Y/N)?" He took some papers off his utility belt and shook them in front of your face. It was your exams

"Are you stalking me? Who gives you the right to pry your nose into my life?" You took the papers out of his hands

"Its not of your business Mr Wayne!" Your harsh look makes him shrugs

He was with his cowl, his blank eyes were observing you through the mask

"Not my business? It's my child!" He stated, with a frown on his lips

"I'm not going to repeat myself again. What are you doing here?" Walking closer to him, you could feel his scent. It felt stronger, maybe it was because of the pregnancy. How you miss him

Is he here to upset you more? To hurt your feelings again? You wish he could forget about you and leave you alone for a moment, since you two are not together anymore. But he always found a way to upset you

"The child... You cant have it!" He states in a deep, low tone

You could not believe him. His words were like a sharp knife in your heart

"What makes you think you can choose it? How cowardly are you, Bruce? hm?" You aggressively question him, pointing a finger at his chest, and staring him with fury in the eyes

"You cant have it! It's my child too!" He argues back, taking off his cowl. His blue eyes lost their shine. He looks tired, with dark circles around his eyes, his face is slightly skinnier

"WHY? YOU'RE JUST AFRAID CAUSE YOU CANNOT BE A GOOD FATHER TO ANY OF YOUR CHILDREN!" You know how to hurt him. Maybe it was too cruel to say it, but that was the truth

Bruce steps back with the comment, feeling hurt. You didn't like to hurt him but, he needs some sense

"Are you hearing yourself? Whats that Bruce? Why you doing this with me? don't you think you have made enough? Leave please! I don't want to see you anymore!" Pleading with watery eyes

His eyes wide, and the realization pass through his blue, tired eyes

What had he turn?

Indeed, He was afraid of not being a good father, but demanding those things from you was not right. He had no right to say those things to you

He broke you into pieces, and left you when you needed him

"I... sorry" Bruce whispered before leaving through the window

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

The birth of your baby changed everything.

You were so surprised to see Bruce there to watch his daughters birth. At first, you were hesitant, but inside, you relieved

Bruce was watching your daughter sleep in your arms

"Look, I'm sorry for what i did to you. You didn't deserve that. I wasn't there when you needed me. Everything that I did upset you in a delicate moment" Bruce apologizes to you

His face full of regret makes you know that Bruce was being honest. He wasn't a man who expressed himself easily

"I want to be a good dad for her, let me help you. I want to be present in her life if you let me" Bruce held a sorrowful look

You had to make amends with him for your daughter sakes

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

The kids and Alfred visited you in the maternity hospital

You were surprised that Damian was there to see you too

Dick, Tim, Jason, Your sister and Alfred are somewhere in the hospital, probably eating in the cafeteria

Bruce was taking a shower while you were arrested in that hospital bed, and Damian was staring at you with a doubtful look

"Hey kiddo, a penny for your thoughts?" You try a joke in a hesitant tone

"Tsc...What would I do with a penny? Anyway I have enough of money already" He says cockily

"Now you sound exactly like your dad" You giggle, having fun with his similarity with Bruce

He stayed quiet, still looking at you. This time, he was looking at you like a lost puppy

"You can say whats on your mind, dear" You look at him with soft eyes

He stared at you in shock. No one has ever called dear or been so soft with him like that

"Hm, I've been planning on how to apologize to you. I'm sorry its my fault that you left my dad" He apologizes in a low tone and avoids eye contact with you

"Hey dear, its not your fault. I didn't leave because of you" You sign for him to come closer

He hesitantly came closer, sitting at the end of the bed

"Any of the problems that i had with your dad weren't because of you. You're just a kid, any of this is your fault, Damian" You squeeze his hands

Damians face turns red, and he smiles slightly at you

"Since you're gone, my dad is so grumpy. No one can stand him anymore" Damian complained about his dad being a pain in the ass like you and Jason would say

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

You really tried to move on, but the man didn't like the idea of dating a single mom

You swore to yourself that you would forget Bruce, but every time you were on a date you remember him.

What if everything was different? You wish it was

But life goes on

You left your work and opened your own workshop. You had your own laboratory and atelier to work on your engineering projects or whatever you would create

You moved to a bigger and safer house to live with your daughter

It has been like this for years

Now your baby is almost turning 6 years. She is your entire world. The biggest present you could ever have

You two were passing the time in the living room before her bedtime. You were working when she asked you about you and Bruce

You just told her how you two met

"Isn't daddys birthday coming?" She climbs into your lap

"Yeah, baby, it will be in three weeks" You caress her hair

"Daddy always looks at you like you are a diamond, mommy" She said, closing her eyes, enjoying the caress

"Hmm, baby lets take you bed"

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

Talking about diamond

Bruce Wayne left the jewelry shop with a diamond engage ring. The Gotham prince has finally decided to settle down?, the news is on the screens

Maybe its for Selina? Maybe they had come back together?

"Hey (Y/N) you still there?" Barrys voice brought your attention back to the call

"Yeah, sorry about that... and no, your new suit is not read yet" You state, shaking your head, trying to forget the toughts about Bruce

"Hmm okay, isn't Bruce's birthday coming? Barry asked worried

"Why everyone keep asking me that? Yes, Barry his birthday is in three weeks" You say, annoyed by the question, grabbing your mug, starting to organize everything that is on your table

"Sorry, hahaha, I just didn't buy anything for him yet" He was having fun with your annoyance

"You don't need to worry about it, he's not a material man. He will like anything you give to him, you know" You organized the things, and fetched your car keys in your purse

"Sorry Barry, but i got to pick up my baby from school!" You say it in a rush tone

"Right, bye (Y/N)! Tell Gennie that Uncle Barry sent her a big bear hug"

You couldn't help but laugh

"You bet Barry!" You hung up

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

"Mommy, can we eat ice creamy as dessert??"

You stopped on the mall to eat lunch and shopping with her

"Sure baby, let me just take another photo of you, you're so cute in this uniform" She was just the most adorable thing you have ever seen in her school uniform

She was in kindergarten, and Gotham Academy was a very secure and good school. Evangeline was even learning spanish and french

You pass in front of a decor shop. Once you had been there with Bruce

"I still cant believe you're serious" Bruce stares at you incredulous

"Why not? If i moving to live with you, lets just pretend that we are moving together and shopping new decor to our room" Smiling excitedly to him

"Alright! But nothing too colorful!" He surrenders

"NO WAY! I NOT LETTING YOU WITH THAT DREADFUL ROOM!" You say it loudly, and put one yellow duvet in the cart shop

Yellow was definitely your favorite color

"You need some color in your life, honey" You hold another duvet, but this time a yellow neon with purple leopard print

Bruce couldn't help but frown at that

You graciously laugh, catching his attention

"Whats so funny?" He asked crossing his arms with a grimace on his face

"You look so cute doing this face. Did you know you pout?" You pecked his lips

Bruce facades are gone with that. He holds you with his strong arms

"What? I do not pout!" You felt his breath in the back of your neck, he was laughing

"Mommy!!" Your baby girl shakes you, and you realize that you were standing there for a while

"Oh baby, i'm so sorry" You felt a little stupid to still think about Bruce even after all of this time

"I want ice creamy, and suddenly you stop in front of the decor shop. They don't sell ice creamy" She was pouting exactly like her father

"Tsc, You look exactly like your dad. I cant believe it." You say annoyed, shaking your head in deny

"What? My dad?" She had a curious look

"Lets get you your ice cream, baby!" You ignored and, she seemed to forget that you talked about her dad

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

"Thank you!" You told the waiter

"Is it of your liking mini chef?" You ask, taking a sip of your milkshake

"Its yummy, mommy! but I think that if they put a handmade ice creamy, it would be more good"

"Why do you say that mini chef?" You lick your lips

"The industry ice creamy has so much sugar. Nothing its like Alfred's handmade ice creamy" She said, enjoying her ice creamy

"Well, with all the odds, you almost over with your milk shake" You state humored, laughing at her dirty milkshake cheeks

"Its still very yummy..." Shes was interrupted with screams

"What the fuck?" All you could do was protect your daughter from the danger

Some masquerade guys entered the place. They were high armed, and started shooting at everyone

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

"Oh my! How terrified that girl must be. I know them. Her mother, she does some projects for me and the police force. You know, she is the mother of one of Bruce Waynes children, she created the other kids as well. I cant stop thinking that is one of the main reasons that the thieves got her and the kid" Gordon was the talking to someone on his cell phone when Batman showed up on the terrace of the building

What a terrible day. Bruce couldn't believe this was happening to him.

You and his baby were kidnapped, and he didn't find anything. He spent the whole day in front of the batcomputer searching for any trace of you.

All Bruce could feel was fury and fear. Fear to lose you two. Fear that he will never see you again. Fear that he could never say how sorry he is about messing up and how he was a dick with you. FEAR THAT HE COULD NEVER SAY AGAIN HOW HE STILL LOVE YOU

Bruce wishes he was a better man for you, he wishes things were different from the now on circumstances

Maybe its late for that. Maybe its too late to apologize

Bruce wished he never messed up with you. Maybe he wouldn't feel the regret filling his soul every moment since you gone

He wished you stayed, but it was so much for him to ask that of you

Maybe he was too proud. Maybe he already hoped that one moment you would leave him like everyone else did?

All he could do was watch you leave. It was for the best

At least you would not suffer anymore, and it would be safer for you. But God, that was the worst pain he felt in his life

What if he fought for you and him? He would give everything to come back in time. What if he asked you to stay? would you?

"Hey Batman, I assume that you already know the news?" Gordon hung up, looking at the man in the black suit. Batman seemed lost?

"Anyway, we need your help that Vick Vale don't stop calling looking for a scoop" He rolled his eyes, annoyed by the memory of the journalist

"The situation is that armed man entered in a fucking ice cream shop in the Gotham Mall and started shooting at innocent people and left with a single mother and a kid. We believe its a kidnap, and they are keeping they as hostage but they didn't call to her family asking for money though. In the worst case they might be... you know" He whispered the last part

"I wont let this happen! Not in my city!" Batman growls, making Gordon widen his eyes. He never saw Batman like this

"Any death?" Batman asked, holding his hands in fists, trying to calm himself

Gordon realized that Batmans body language indicated anger or better fury

"No, only injured people. Just five" Gordon said nervously

"Well, we talked to the people that were in the shop at that moment. They told us that they took the girl and the woman. The mother tried to fight, but there were many goons. One of them came behind her and hit her head to get her unconscious" Gordon told the statement of the people of the store

"Batman, I found one of them" Nightwing voice echos through the bug

"I'm on my way" Batman ansewered, and looks at Gordon giving him a nod, disappearing in the darkness of the night

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

"I will only ask one time, Where are they?" He said it with threanteing tone

That mans face would be unrecognizable after that night

"I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T WORK FOR THEM. THEY JUST CAUGHT SOME OF US AND PAID TO DO THAT" He screamed, fearing for his life

A hard punch

"OUCHH! I SAID I DON'T KNOW NOTHING"

Batman punched that man until he spoke. Poor man

"Man, if you want some advice, you might start talking" Nightwing said from behind, watching the interrogatory batman style

"STOP! I WILL TELL YOU, OKAY? JUST STOP!" He screamed scared

Batman stopped waiting for him to say something useful

"THE GUYS SAID SOMETHING ABOUT JOKERS WANTED TO TAKE THEM AWAY FROM CITY, COUNTRYSIDE, OR OTHER CITY. SO THE BATMAN COULDN'T FIND THEM SO FAST. AS I KNOW HE HAS BEEN PLANNING THAT SINCE HE RAN AWAY FROM ARKHAM ASYLUM"

"WHERE IS HE?" Batman growls aggressive

"I DON'T KNOW"

"WHERE IS HE?" Batman punched him harder

"I SWEAR TO YOU I DON'T KNOW WHERE.... OHH STOP"

Batman felt the fury through his veins

"Batman stop! you gonna kill him!" Nightwing said, pushing him away from the beaten man

Batman stop and looks at his bloody gloves and the mans face.

"Hes still alive, call the cops"

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

The mood at the manor was not one of the best. Everyone was worried about you and your daughter. The Batman was trying to find you, and all they had were the goon words

Its been a week since you two had been kidnap

Bruce was on batcomputer all night searching for some trace of you

"Bruce, you should have some rest. We can handle it" Dick said in a worried tone

"I'm okay, Dick" Bruce told him without a glance

Dick was about to say something, but the phone started to ring

Bruce got up quickly, picking up the call

"Hmmm, helloooo Brucieee!" The Joker voice

"Can you guess who it is ? hahahahah" He laugh maniacly

"Joker" Bruce murmured deeply, and sign to Dick start to track the call

"You right, Brucie, its me!"

Bruce wanted to yell at him for taking you and his daughter away from him, but he knew it was not appropriate

If he wanted to find you, he would have to stay on the line long enough to track where the call was coming

"Well, I have something that might be of your interest" He said humming

"What do you want, to give them back?" Bruce asked in an angry tone. He would do everything in his power to get you two back

"Just some money, you know the bank don't liberate loan for prisoners hum, hum what a prejudice, right?" He said it with irony

"How much? How much do you want?" Bruce asked, sinking his nails in his palm hand nervously

"If they are really important to you. You would not care if I asked you for 30 million dollars. I know you are a generous man" Joker said humored

"Right, you will have it. Let me talk to them, i need some proof that they are alive" Bruce required with authority

"Talk to your daddy, girl" Joker demanded

"Daddy? Is that you? I miss you. Uncle joker told me that you would come here soon, but its been a week" Evangeline's voice had an upset tone

Bruce felt relief for hearing the voice of his baby

"Yes baby, its daddy. Im coming for you soon. You just need to wait a little more" He told her in a soft tone, trying to comfort her

"Where is mommy? I miss her too" She asked in a crying voice

Bruce heart skipped a beat when he heard it. Were you not with her?

"That's enough. You heard your kid. She's very, very alive" He laughed at his own words

"What about my woman?" Bruce asked in a harsh tone

"Your woman? Well, Brucie, shes not one of your properties, we gentlemen don't talk about woman like this" The Joker scolded his words, not liking his tone

"And last time I checked, she was completely single. So no, shes not your woman, Brucie" Joker stated excitedly

"I must admit Brucie, you had a beautiful woman, her beauty really amazed me. If I had the chance, I would get her pregnant too. But what a shame, Brucie. How could you let go of a woman like that?" Joker let out a snort of disapproval

That fucker. Hearing Jokers words about you only made him angrier

"Fuck you, I want to talk with MY WOMAN" Bruce growled aggressively

"Bruce? Is it really you? Please tell me our daughter is safe...." The sound of your voice is one of fear, and then they shut you out

Dick gave him a thumbs up. He tracked where the call was coming

"We had enough idle talk. Send the bat with the money in 24 hours. Be in Gotham docks. I will be waiting for you. Don't be late Brucieee" The Joker hung up

"MOTHER FUCKER" Bruce yelled at the phone, throwing it on the floor

He would not let Joker kill someone he loved. Not again

"Master Bruce, don't let the emotions overwhelm your reason. Focus yourself in the search, the time is passing" Alfred adviced him

Alfred was right. He don't have much time. He has to find you

"Indeed, the call was coming from the docks" Dick said, marking the place on the map on the big screen that was showing some information about the investigation

"They have (Y/N) in another place. Shes is not with Evangeline. We have to find her quickly" Bruce told him in a serious tone

"Really Bruce? Did you realize that we spent the whole week searching for them and got nothing until Joker called? He planned everything so you couldn't find mom in time" Dick snapped with a frown

"We know they are far away from the city, It seems they are in the woods" Bruce told him with a narrow gaze

"What we gonna do?" Dick asked worried about you and his baby sister

One thought passed through Bruces mind

"Call Jason" Bruce demand

"Jason? Why do you think he will find it before us?" Dick has a big doubt in his face

"Tell him to look in the woods close to Gotham and Bludhaven. Even the borders" Bruce ignores his question

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

"I'm not helping you. Im helping mom, old man" Jason stated through the bug

"Copy Jason. Just find your mom, please" Bruce pleaded him

"Don't worry, old man. I will bring her back to you. Just don't mess up again or I kill you" Jason told him before Tim shouted at him

"Jason, come take a look" Tim had found your purse. Your wallet was empty, and your mini mirror was broken

It means that they were on the right trail. They were close to Bludhaven Cemetery

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

Batman, Robin and Nightwing were observing the place.

Joker goons were everywhere, and Joker was playing with his daughter

"Hmm kiddo, The time is passing, and your daddy still didn't show up to pick you up. Maybe he forgot about you" Joker pretended to be sad

"My daddy would never forget about me Uncle Joker. He's just late." Evangeline defends her father, pouting upset with his comment

Batman looks at Robin and Nightwing, signing to them to follow the plan

They knocked up the goons from the shadows

"Joker, Batman is here!" One of the goons told him

"I know, its part of the game. Hahahaha Hey, Evangeline, lets play hide and seek? " Joker asked and the girl agrees excitedly

"So, we both have to hide from the bat, and we win if he doesn't find us" Joker explains to the little girl

"And what if he find us?" She tilts her head, pouting in doubt

"We will make him a surprise" Joker told her excitedly, and grabbed the girl running from the shed

Nightwing and Robin were fighting with the goons

While Batman fight with other goons

"Go catch him, Batman. We can handle them" Nightwing shouts out

Batman runs in the same direction the Joker ran

"We found mom, B. They keep her trapped in Bludhaven Cemetery. They have just a few goons, but they are all high armed" Tim reported

"Don't die" Batman warns them in a harsh tone

"I'm the only one who got the permission to do that, old man" Jason jokes with irony

"This is not funny, Jason" Dick scolded him

"Actually it was" Damian chuckles, evilly

Batman silenced the bug

Batman was surrounded by sheds

Hearing the sounds of one of the sheds, he walked quietly towards it

An image projector was in the middle of the room

A video started to play

"Hey lady, How about you say goodbye to your family?" One tattooed man told you, holding your face

"Fuck you!" You spat at his face, trying to gel off his hold

"You bitch! I will teach you how to behave" He punched you hard in stomach

The record has a cut

You shows up beaten and all bloody on the screen

"Bruce, please save our daughter. Do not come after me. Take care of the kids and go easy on them. Do it for me... do it for us. Please be safe. I love you" You said goodbye for him

"No!" He cant stand the pain in his heart seeing you hurt like that

Batman got caught in a trap

a fishnet made of barbed wire trap him

"It seems like the bat is not that smart" Jokers voice echos through the loudspekears

"Lets take a look at your woman"

Your unconscious form appears on the screen. You were tied in a chair by ropes

"Hey batman! Are you seeing this beautiful woman here? She will explode in minutes, I hope you enjoy watching it" The tattooed goon said with a big grin on his face

A thud echoes in the background. Some gunshots

"What do you want Joker? Free her!" Batman growled at the clown

"What do I want, Bat? I want to play with you! You know, Ive been feeling lonely since you trapped me in Arkham Asylum again. I think it would be cool to gain some money and play a little with you! Isn't it funny?"

You were in the chapel of the Bludhaven Cemetery

"Shit! Red Hood and Red Robin are here, boss!" The tattooed goon shouts out to the camera

More shoots, and the door is cracked on the floor.

"What a terrific news!! It seems that the birds have come to join Mommy in her explosion!" Jokers laughed excitedly

The vigilantes appear on the screens, running towards you, unaware of the bomb or the camera

"Fuck! what they did to you, mom?" Jason whispered, cutting the ropes in your fists and ankles

"You know how Jason is my favorite Robin, don't you Bat?? He is going to die again because of you! Just because you sent him to search her! And poor Timmy! Hes just a teen that will blow up with his mother and brother HAHAHAAHAHAAHAHAHAH"

Jason held you tightly in his lap

"Everything will be okay mom"

Tim walked around the place they kept you arrested, and observed the chapel

"Jason are you hearing that?" Tim asked, looking in the direction of the beeps

"Until they found that I put a bomb there. Everything will blow up. BOOM!!!!" The joker laghed mischievous

"RUN" Jason shouts out

The bomb exploded

"NOOOOOO" Batman screamed

"AHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH"

"The joke is on you BAT!!! HAHAHAAHAHAHAHAH"

"TICK TACK TICK TACK. Time is passing, you don't want to lose Evangeline too, right? Tick tack tick tack"

Batman heard sound of steps in the shed

"OH forget Bat! You did find us or we found you, whatever. HAHAHAHAHA" Joker entered in shed with a gun against Evangelines forehead

"Did you know how upset I was with you when I discovered about your girls? You didn't even bother to introduce them to me" Joker pretend to be hurt

Evangeline cries, hurting Bruce in his soul. All he wanted to do was protect her, but he couldn't

"Please let her go! I will give you whatever you want!" Batman pleaded in defeat

"HMM, What a interesting offer but I will pass Bat" He denies, smiling creepy

"I just want you to watch my grand finale" Joker would shoot in Evangeline head

Joker was about to pull the trigger when a blade was thrown into his hands making him drop the gun, and a stick hit hard in his spine

Joker screamed louder, falling on the floor

Robin walks close to the clown and holds him by his purple blouse collar

"Don't mess with my ummi, my sister or my family ever again, or I will kill you with my own hands" Robin kicked hard his spine

"HAHAHAHAHHAHAAHAH YOU'RE SO CUTE ROBIN HAHAAHAHAH" Joker laughed hard and louder with every beat

Robin was infuriated. Didn't he get hurt?

"That's enough Robin!" Batmans voice scolds him

Robin looked around, seeing Nightwing comforting his baby sister while Batman stood in the corner with crossed arms, watching Robin beat the Joker

With a final strike, Robin knocks the Joker out

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

"When will mommy wake up?"

You open your eyes but shut them in pain. It felt like a truck had run over you

You moan in pain, trying to feel comfortable where you laid

You open your eyes slowly, trying to adjust with to the light

"Hey, she's waking up!" Jason warned everyone

Everyone shut up and come closer, looking at your dizzy form

"MOMMY!" Evangeline runs to you, hugging you tightly and you breathe deeply in pain

You felt relief to see everyone safe. You hold your daughter in your arms, making a grimace for your sons

"Go easy with her, Ginnie, shes bruised" Dick told her, chuckling at your grimace

The kids were all around you

Your daughter let go of you, leaving space for the other kids to talk with you

"I got really worried about you. I'm happy that you're awake mom" Dick smiles at you warmly, hugging you gently

You opened your mouth to answer, but your throat was dry. You only cough in answer.

Then Tim offers you a glass of water. You drank it

"Thank you Timmy. I was really thristy"

"Its good to see you mom" Tim hugs you quickly

"You scared me as hell, i love you mom" Jason whispered just for you to hear, and hugged you like you were going to disappear any moment

He hold you for a long time until Damian pushed him aside

"I missed you Ummi" Damian squeezed your hand lightly, and you pulled him into your arms

"Its good to see my boys and my girl safe" You smiled caring at them

Alfred walked up to where the kids were

"Its good to see you Miss (Y/N)" Alfred greets you, smiling fondly

You look around, seeing watchful eyes over you. Was he there all the time?

"How you're feeling?" Alfred asked you, checking the serum that was in your veins

"It sucks, it seems that I was hit by an car" You joke humored

Alfred nodded in knowledge

"My whole body is aching, I have a headache, and I'm very hungry" Your stomach is snoring

"I suspected that you were going to say that. I going to bring you something to eat" Alfred heads out of the cave with the kids following behind him

"It seems the anesthesia effects were gone." Bruce deep voice caught your attention

"Anesthesia?" Confused, you question him

Everyone had gone, giving you two some privacy

"You were shot. You lost a mount of blood. When the boys found you, you were unconscious. We had to take the bullet out. You almost had a hemorrhage" He explained

"How long I have been out?" You ask, staring down at your body

You were dressing just in a black top and a yellow Batman loose short

You had some bruises, and some parts of your skin were purple. Your ribs were bandaged. You had stitches on your right arm

Bruce was looking for something in the nursery cabinets

"One week and three days" He states, turning around, looking in the other cabinets

"Oh, your birthday is in two days" You murmur, staring at his back

You could see how his back tensed when you said it. He got quiet for a while, and focus himself on what he was doing

"Yes, Alfred is planning the gala for the weekend. I don't have time to do that" He scratched his throat, walking towards you

"Here take it" He hands you some analgesics and a glass of water

He sits beside you on the bed. You could tell that he was lacking sleep and his beard was to do. He had some scratches on his face

"You lack sleep, when was the last time you slept?" You ask worried about his well being

You raise your hands, fingering his scratches

"You don't need to worry about me, the only one who needs care is you" He says softly, holding your hand in his

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

You stared at the mirror for a long time. The gala for Bruce's birthday was happening down in the salon

You were wearing a beautiful yellow gown that Bruce had gifted you on your last birthday. You never had the chance to use

You felt uncomfortable with your stitches showing up. Your body was bruised. You couldn't help but feel ugly, even all dressed up

So you decide to stay in the room where you were staying for the week

For a few minutes in the room, you got restless and walked to the library

You loved the manor library. It was a cozy place where you always loved to stay. The big window had a beautiful view of the gardens. You remember staying here with Bruce when you wanted some time alone. You loved the yellow candlelight and the beautiful decoration, it was so classic.

You sit next to the window, looking out at the garden, where some guests were chatting

"I imagined that you'd be here" Bruce entered the library without making a sound

"I don't get scared anymore. I'm used to it" You roll your eyes, annoyed that he doesn't make any walking sounds to enter the places, you raise your eyebrows at him in doubt

Bruce was wearing a beautiful tailored tux. His beautiful blue eyes contrast with the black tux but match his navy tie

"You didn't show up. I come to check up on you" He states, looking at the view of the big window

"I'm sorry for not being there. I don't feel good enough to be around people" You felt guilty for not showing up

"Are you feeling unwell? Do you need anything? What are you feeling? Bruce asks in a hurry, getting closer to you

You stand up, raising a hand for him to calm him

Then Bruce stops, looking at you head to toe, amazed by the view of your beauty. His jaw fell open, and he whispered something you could not hear and licked his lips, straightening his posture

"Wow, you're marvelous tonight" He notes the yellow dress he gave you

"Hm thanks" You doubt he was being truthful. You didn't feel marvelous

You stared at your hands.

"What? You don't believe me?" Bruce asks in shock, realizing your deny his compliment

"Yeah, how could you think that I'm marvelous tonight if I look like this?" You point to your bruised body, looking at your stitches in the right arm

"I don't see nothing but the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in front of me" Bruce states firmly, looking into your eyes

"How?" You whisper, denying

"I can show you if you don't believe me" Bruce steps forward

Bruce gently holds you by the waist and run his fingers through the bruises, kissing them softly. His touch makes you shiver

He looked right into your eyes, asking for permission to kiss you

You lean closer, kissing lightly his lips, closing your eyes and enjoying the moment

The kiss was passionate. How you miss his lips. How you miss the good years. How you miss him

He holds you tightly in his arms

You slowly separate and breathe deep. Widening your eyes in realization. What have you done?

You step back brutally

"Damn it! What we did? We shouldn't do this" You said rude, cursing yourself for letting that happen

You were walking in circles in anxiety

"What? If you regret about it..." You cut him off quickly with a sharp look

"How can you do this? You are engaged and then kiss me, messing with my feelings" The hurt in your voice makes him want to hold you in his arms

"Easy (Y/N). I'm not engaged with any woman" He claimed with a firm tone

"Wait? You're not engaged? But the news said you bought a engagement diamond ring, you didn't propose to Selina?" You tilt your head, doubting if he said the truth

You groaned in pain. You have put too much effort into walking around, the pain fills your ribs and you breathe deep

"Be careful. You cannot make an effort or the stitches in your ribs will open" He warned you, coming closer, guiding you to sit on the leather couch

You stay quiet, staring at the window. The silence was uncomfortable but you didn't want to say anything to him

He was the one who needed to say something

"Hmm... look. I did buy an engagement diamond ring but it is not for Selina. I bought it for someone I cherish and love dearly" He states gently, holding your hands, making you stop to stare at the window

You blink slowly and stay quiet, waiting for him to continue

"I know that I was a dick to you. How I mess the things up with you.... When you left, I felt the regret consume me every day for not fighting for us. I wanted to ask you to stay, but I couldn't. I couldn't be so selfish, I knew you would be happier and safer without me. You would be better off without me. Although I realized that I was nothing without you, just a poor and miserable man" He said in a deep, low tone. It was something so intimate for him to share about his feelings

You look into his eyes, seeing his regretful gaze. His husky deep voice hold honesty over his words

"I was so scared of losing you and not having the chance to apologize for my mistakes. I miss the good years, of our partnership, you were my best friend. I was afraid I could not tell you everything that I wanted. All I wanted to do was hold you in my arms and protect you"

You stay quiet, not finding the words to say something

"I know how I hurt you, and I understand if you don't accept it. But I feel like i had to do it before its too late for us. I still love you (Y/N)" Bruce eyes had a brightness that you had never seen before

Bruce got on his knees in front of you, taking a little velvet red box out of his tux pocket

You were taken back by his confession. Your heart races with his words

"(Y/N) Will you marry me?" The red velvet box had a beautiful diamond ring

You stare at him in shock, speechless. He was proposing to you. You couldn't believe that.

He stares at you, uncertain of your answer, but the big crooked smile you gave him makes him feel more confident

"Oh my! Yes!, I do marry you Bruce" He felt relief with that

Placing the ring on your finger, Bruce kisses your hand tenderly

"I was afraid you would say no" He admitted, getting up and pulling you up gently

"The thought didn't pass my mind, but now i considering it" You pretend to think about

Bruce face went blank with your joke, but then he relaxed seeing you laughing of him

"Don't joke about that. I want to get old with you" He fake a scolds making a frown

"Well you already are old so don't worry" You snap with a teasing grin on your face

"Wow, that hurted my feelings" He put his hand on his heart, faking a heart pain and pouting

You peck his pouting lips and hold your arms around his neck while he holds you by the waist

"I love you too, Bruce" You confess, burying your face in his neck

"I swear to be better for you" You feel his hands tracing circles on your back

"You just need to fight for us when the things get rough. Don't let me go ever again, and stay with me" You embrace him tightly

"I promise" He whisper

"I'll kick you in the ass if you don't keep your promise" He laughed, caressing your hair locks

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

"DAMN Damian! You let Joker stuck in a wheelchair forever" You curse under your breath

Damian was ready for the scold but you only smiled at him, messing his hair

"Well done Dami, I'm so proud of you" You whispered so only he could hear and winked at him

"Dick gave me a little help hitting the stick on his spine" He smiled slightly, feeling proud about his achievement. Now that maniac would not be able to hurt anyone

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

[odiesbun]

...♡He forgets about date♡...

There may be errors in the text, as my native language is not English. Thank you for your likes and your request!

genre: fluff, a little angst at some points.

warning: established relationships, dating, resentments, food references, a lot of apologies.

w.c: 1.2k

♡Heeseung♡

•As soon as he realizes his mistake, the realization of the absurdity of the situation hits him in the face. Especially when you come home cheerless, your lips pressed together and your eyebrows furrowed.

He rushes over to you, helping you to take off your jacket, his heart dropping all at once, when you accidentally touch your palms and he feels the cold coming from you.

- „Honey, I'm sorry... Jake and I accidentally played a computer game, and by the time I got home, it was too late...” - Heeseung ready to almost cry, his hands are shaking a little, and he hesitates before he tries to hug you. - „I called you, but you didn't answer... We can have a home date now, if you want.”

•Naturally, you refuse because it's way past midnight on the clock and you're not in the mood for that. So he decides to just order takeout and put on his laptop an interesting movie that you and he have wanted to watch for a long time.

As soon as Heeseung realizes that you've given the okay for him to forgive you, he quietly walks up behind you, gently pulling you toward him and laying his head on the top of your head(because he's a huge, tall boy, YES).

- „I'm really, really sorry... I'll make it up to you, honey.” - He sighs, burying his nose in your neck.

♡Jay♡

•Jay has always been afraid of this, he was afraid of looking like a laughing stock in your eyes and now, his fears have been confirmed. Once he realizes his guilt, he'll go crazy, tearing up your phone with calls and texts.

- „Are you still there?“ - Gasping, Jay asks, listening to you sigh softly.

- „No, I'm home now.“ - You answer. Jay is silent for a few seconds, on the other end of the phone you hear the car door slam, he's about to drive home.

- „Find that movie you wanted to see. I'll be there soon, we'll have a date at home.“

•He manages to stop at a few stores with your favorite food on the way, so he'll come back with huge bags, apologies, and a cute, apologetic face.

- „I didn't know exactly what you wanted at the moment...“ - He mumbles, handing you one of the bags, making you smirk.

- „Is that why you bought up the whole store?“ - You smirk, arching an eyebrow.

- „Yeah. Sorry. And I'm sorry for forgetting about the date, too...“ - Jay smiles, kissing you on the cheek.

(I'm begging, just give me a boyfriend like Jay and I'll be satisfied, I REALLY I love Jay, aaaaaaahhhhhh.)

♡Jake♡

•Jake accidentally lost track of time and he honestly thought it was Wednesday and not Friday, so he went home like nothing happened. However, when he walks into the empty apartment and he sees your beauty products on the dressing table, his heart bleeds and he's already rushing to the door when a distraught you walk in.

After an awkward pause between the two of you, Jake sighs, biting his lower lip nervously.

- „How long have you been waiting, baby?“ - He looks at you fondly, reaching his hand out to brush away a loose strand of hair.

- „An hour and a half...“ - You sigh in response, averting your frustrated eyes, making Jake gasp in guilt.

•He'll probably draw you a hot bath so you can rest and put on some scented candles. He'll be quietly apologetic then as he leans over your face, maybe he'll even give you a massage.

- „Relax...“ - Jake whispers quietly as he runs his hands down your back. He hears your quiet, measured breathing, Sim smiles. - „Sorry again. I suggest we have a date this weekend, is that okay with you, baby?“

♡Sunghoon♡

•He'll be perfectly calm on the surface, but his heart will jump out of his chest and his eyes will run frantically around the room. I don't think it was Sunghoon's fault, but the app probably picked up the wrong date and Sunghoon didn't double-check. So when you were peacefully waiting for him at the restaurant for hours and he was already home in the bedroom, he didn't understand for a long time why you left so late.

- „I guess she went out to the store?“ - Hoon went over and over in his head several times, but when you showed up in the bedroom in your beautiful dress and makeup, he understood everything.

- „Oh... You... I'm sorry.“ - He sighed, running his hand through his hair. He expected you to ignore him, that's why you did it.

- „If I'd known, I wouldn't have rushed into this date.“ - You press your lips together, rattling to close the door and run to the bathroom.

•Sunghoon is the kind of person who will take the day off to intelligently explain to you the reason you missed your date and spend more time with you. Maybe even give you a number two home date because date number one was a bust.

- „Hey, princess...“ - Sunghoon smirks as he affectionately intertwines your fingers with each other. - „What do you think of the idea of going to the park now? The weather's nice outside, we can go out, I hear there's a new cafe opening up in that park.“

♡Sunoo♡

•Sunoo gets scared. He realizes how badly he screwed up, so he's afraid to see your reaction. Regardless of whether you keep quiet, cry, curse, or just sigh and give up on the problem, Sunoo will still stand behind you with an apologetic expression on his face.

As you make your way to the bathroom to wash off the rest of your makeup. Sunoo is left standing in the doorway, awkwardly playing with his fingers and afraid to even look at you.

- „What?“ - You see his reflection in the mirror, and your gaze softens, but there are still notes of sadness and irritation in your voice.

- „I'm sorry...“- Mumbles Sunoo, shrinking.

•I sincerely think that Sunoo apologizes with actions and not with words. So probably the next morning, when Sunoo leaves for work early, on your bedside table you'll find a bouquet of flowers, a bag of your favorite food and mint chocolate (if you don't like mint chocolate, read: your favorite chocolate).

- „Flower, did you get my gift?“ - In the middle of the work day, Sunoo finds the strength to call you. You naturally thank him, to which he chuckles. - „It's an apology for missing your date last night.“

♡Jungwon♡

•Jungwon was on the set of the new music video for the comeback and filming dragged on a little longer than planned... So when he was coming home tired and hungry, he saw you upset at your doorstep. At first he wanted to ask you what happened, but his heart gave the right answer.

- „You're freezing, let's go home...“ - Jungwon sighs, throwing his jacket over your shoulders and reaching out your hand to help you stand up. He probably asks you several times how you're feeling, not just physically, but mentally. If you don't want to talk to him, he'll let you know he's sorry and apologize several times before asking if you want him to sleep in the same bed with you or if he needs to go to the guest room/living room.

•In the morning, Jungwon will hundred percent make you breakfast in bed and send Maeumi to you with a note of apology sticking in him collar.

- „Jungwon, what's that?“ - You smirk, taking the note out of Maeumi's collar, which was hanging around your feet. The young man looks away embarrassed, smiling.

- „The note... With an apology... It's difficult for me to apologize with words, so I wrote here what I thought last night...“ - Quietly Yang answers, turning over another pancake in the pan.

♡Niki♡

•The absurdity of this situation was that Niki. He just fell asleep. And the only people who knew about the situation were Jungwon and you, but Jungwon wasn't in the dorm at that moment, and you couldn't reach Nishimura. But as soon as he woke up and saw the 30 missed calls from you and about 12 messages, he stormed out of the dormitory.

You were still sitting in that park, scrolling frustratedly through your phone in your hand, about to leave, when Niki swooped in with a hug and an apology.

- „You're late...“ - You sigh tiredly, unable to contain your smile. Niki smiles back, kissing your forehead, cheeks, and finally your lips.

- „But I came after all.“ - Nishimura smirks, intertwining your fingers together.

•As an apology, Niki won't tease you for three days and succumb to you in all the games you'll play in the games.

- „You're just lucky I love you.“ - Niki hums as you raise your hands victoriously in the air, winning Riki once again for the day, and he leans over to give you an affectionate kiss on the cheek.

[russenoire]

on first watch as an anime-only, i remember feeling like ritsu kageyama's descent into evil in episode seven needed a little more air, more space to breathe. i... no longer do. if that slide down the slippery slope feels a bit sudden, there is a reason; and if you know what to look for, it's not actually all that sudden. bear with me here.

from the first episode, the anime sets ritsu up as shigeo's kind, solicitous younger brother. we don't see much of him for the first three episodes, but when we do, he's making bids for shigeo’s attention: helpfully straightening his spoon when it bends and deposits a bite of his dinner on the dining table; noting that he seems out of it and offering himself up as a confidant at least twice; checking in on him in the morning so they can both leave on time. (i actually love the anime for doing this. ritsu doesn't even show up as a character until maybe the middle of the manga's second volume?) except for the spoon, shigeo gently turns him down every time.

and yet. the interview ichi mezato snags with ritsu in episode four confirms a distance between the kageyama boys. you are not seeing things here. he initially refuses her desire for detailed information about shigeo’s powers, only indulging her to find out what shigeo’s been up to. ritsu holds those powers in such awe that he uses a rather hyperbolic phrase to describe shigeo for her: '世界の基本', or sekai no kihon, literally the standard for [his] world.

after he coldly walks out on her, she reviews what little she’s gleaned from their chilly meeting: he's hawt, at the top of his class, athletic, very popular... all things his older brother decidedly is not. the story establishes a duality here between ritsu’s image—indirectly revealed through mezato’s notes—and the reality of ritsu, sat hunched across from her, sullen, barely tolerating her until she coughed up the information she promised him. later on that evening, we see just how deep ritsu's awe goes... or rather, how snared up it is in resentment and envy as he attempts in vain to bend a spoon, just like shigeo did when they were younger. all the trophies of others’ esteem already gathering dust on his shelves don’t mean shit if he can’t have this.

ritsu intercepts shigeo as he leaves for class the next morning: no student council meeting, so an opportunity to actually talk to him. this is rare, his brother notes. and of course dimple is haunting shigeo. when the specter comments on their apparent closeness, the boy side-eyes him hard. this can easily be read two ways: ‘why the hell are you talking to me when no one else can see you?’ and ‘man, fuck you for sticking the knife in deeper.’ ritsu doesn’t ask about the cult meeting here or ever in the entire series. was he really all that interested in mezato’s news? no, he only wants to know why his brother doesn’t use his powers anymore. and this is the first time they’ve talked about this.

it’s such a neat little mystery, these breadcrumbs the story leaves for us until ritsu’s formal introduction in episode six. even though they share the same home and appear to be on friendly terms, the kageyama brothers may as well live on opposite sides of the planet. we don’t even get a sense of why this state of affairs exists until episode five, where teru chokes the breath out of shigeo and his pissed-off soul levels teru’s school before catapulting him into the stratosphere to reflect on his sins: several years prior, shigeo nearly killed ritsu (and possibly ended three much older boys) in an accident neither boy understands; fragments of memory flash before his eyes as his consciousness shorts out.

‘brother, you’re home late, sopping wet. here’s a towel. are you hungry? you seem down; is everything OK? if you need to talk, i’m here for you.’

instead of turning down this bid for connection like all the rest and turning inward again, shigeo actually opens up. he apologizes for the accident—for the first time—then asks for some clarity, since his memories of it are broken. and ritsu clenches the knob to his brother’s bedroom door tighter. he lies to his face, tells him to ‘get over it already.’ this after asking shigeo to confide in him again, no less: too terrified to be honest with him, too used to being shot down. this boy is soaking in fear he has no context for, and he heads downstairs to soak in it alone. shigeo at least has reigen to process his own fears with, though he never trusts the man enough to take full advantage.

ritsu has no one.

he’s already keeping up appearances at home and has been for years; over the course of the spring cleaning big cleanup arc, we learn the extent to which he’s been doing so at school.

(all those expectations of him weighing him down for so long… he can’t hold out forever.)

student council vice president tokugawa calls him out on trying to melt into the scenery like his brother; his considerable gifts make that impossible. said gifts, however, are so ego-dystonic for him that they’re yet another part of Ritsu Kageyama’s Big Lie. the academically-gifted, popular sprinter so many of his fellow students swoon over isn’t real: why does everyone praise him for things anyone could do? he doesn’t actually have friends, just associates. who cares about charisma? why does everyone think he’s perfect when the only thing he truly wants will never be his? and why does his locker leak chocolate every valentine’s day?

gentle reader. are you still wondering why he snaps when he finally gets his wish? and why it looks the way it does?

[snickerdoodlles]

Loved your answer to the: "How would you rank the Theeranyakapuls in terms of clinginess?" ask. Can we have Kittisawats as well please?

(prev) (and ❤❤!!)

if the theerapanyakuls are "everything i've let go of has claw marks" boys, the kittisawats are "i will cling until it shatters in my grip"

Porsche: man does not let anything go except grudges. the only reason why he doesn't hold grudges is because he's too busy trying to hold onto EVERYTHING ELSE. Vegas is shooting him but Porsche refuses to lose a friend. Kinn fucks up crossing lines but Porsche won't let go of his cute smile. absolutely never would've taken up Kinn's demand he runs away because it'd mean letting Kinn go. bows to mafia recruitment before giving up his childhood home. Porsche is still holding onto a promise he made to his mother when he was like six years old max. i maintain the only reason why Porsche tells Arthee to go away is because he was already negotiating his mafia contract in his head and couldn't risk anything on Chay's safety because he knew he wouldn't be around, he never would've let Arthee just walk out of their life without those special circumstances. honestly this is such a large part of why Kinn and Porsche work together so perfectly, neither of them ever want to let go of their people and they collect people under their umbrellas at a downright alarming rate.

Chay: also clings to things until they shatter except he is extremely choosy in what he clings to. he has to be, he doesn't have a choice given how hard he loves and how little he has. as furious as he is with Porsche leaving him to join the mafia, he will bow and accept all of Porsche's choices so he can keep his brother. there's no other choice to him really. Chay's already shown he's willing to give up everything else for Porsche, from their home to his dreams to their uncle, and he can't have already drawn that line and then give up Porsche too right after he got him back. he clings to Kim just as hard until Kim shatters it-- i will always maintain Chay approaching Kim after the mafia reveal was just to confirm if he was reading Kim's feelings correctly (he was). Chay would've accepted the mafia and the scheming in a heartbeat so long as Kim's feelings for him were real (they were). Kim walks away from him then, but even then, that isn't what shatters them-- when Kim interrupts him at the club, Chay lets Kim pull him away. he is more than willing to hear Kim out then, he just wants to know if Kim cares (he does). except instead of explaining himself when Chay demands an explanation, Kim says "fine, i'll stay out of your business from now on." that's when Chay gives up Kim, because Kim keeps showing that he cares but claiming the opposite, and Chay can't hold onto someone to his typical degree of sacrifice if he doesn't think they'll stay in the end. that's why he blocks Kim. that's why "why don't you stay" is the perfect apology-- the song that first brought them together, the song they worked on together, the song where Kim lays himself bare to say "i have nothing to offer, i can't drag you into my mess, i desperately want you to be here with me anyways." of course that would reach Chay, who's only wish in life is that his two people stay with him through hell and fire and let him take care of them as much they take care of him. of course that'd open the door back up with Chay, who just wants Kim to explain how he cares and stay.

the kittisawats' clinginess is actually the heart of one of my most favorite kp story concepts ever, which is pushing the mafia aspect to the point where it shatters something in Chay and he has to leave. because Chay will give up so much to stay with Porsche. if he's pushed to the point where he leaves Porsche, either Chay has Kim to fall back on or Chay has nothing, and both options are so much fun for different reasons. and then for Porsche...oh my god, Porsche. Porsche holds onto everything, but his top priority is still Chay. a large part of why he can hold onto everything else is because Chay works so hard to make himself okay and hold Porsche back, so having Chay hit a point where he can't would destabilize Porsche so bad. sure, he has everything else, but what does that matter if he doesn't have Chay? Porsche and Chay are so tightly intertwined and so desperately clingy in the same way that even just straining their relationship brings all this out. "what happens when you can no longer hold onto the person you'd give up everything for?" is a delightfully crunchy story question and so good for these two especially ❤

[guapoduoshipper]

q!Cellbit has already noticed that something is off. But that doesn't mean he's falling out of love with q!Roier, let's try to see things from his perspective because then we'll notice that this is not what is happening:

q!Cellbit returned from purgatory, after which he himself said he had been fighting and killing to survive, every day the same thing, for weeks, months? he doesn't know. He lost track of time, time is a spiral, it seemed like an eternity but in the blink of an eye, he was back. Everything is still confusing and he doesn't remember things well, so after returning from almost hell he finally meets his husband again, smiling, happy? q!Roier knows how to hide his pain very well behind a smile, so after asking how he is and explaining that the choice to stay in purgatory was made because he thought that q!Roier would be better off away from him... he has a confirmation of this ?

This specific scene has a lot to analyze, first when q!Cellbit says he felt saudade [the strong feeling of missing, longing for someone or something] of q!Roier and apologize, he makes a joke and says "You left me alone culero", probably Doied thought that would be the most appropriate and safest reaction to fake being q!Roier, right? Maybe that would be correct if it weren't about such a serious situation that lasted so long, because we know that q!Roier told Richas that he felt like he was just existing, he was preparing a plan and doing everything to find his husband so that would definitely not be the appropriate reaction that q!Roier would have to this situation. Then q!Cellbit says "I thought you'd be better off without me and you..." at this moment his voice breaks, despite believing in what he's saying he doesn't want it to be real. "You're okay, aren't you?" it's as if you can perfectly feel the mix of sadness and fear that q!Cellbit's voice transmitted when saying this. "Yes, I'm fine! I'm feeling good, I'm feeling new!" - "See? Maybe that was the best thing to do" the confirmation that q!Cellbit was terrified of having, his sad tone of voice when he said that maybe being away from him was what brought the joy back to q!Roier it's heartbreaking. But q!Roier [Doied] doesn't seem to want to talk about these things for long, changing the subject, speaking only superficially or just going somewhere else.

Doied once again seems to have understood well how q!Roier works most of the time and with most people, but that's not all he is, that's not the essence of q!Roier. Doied cannot fake the deeper layers that make up q!Roier's existence, he becomes just a puppet with ready-made lines and repeated actions. And maybe that's why in a way he's also avoiding deep talks with q!Cellbit because if there's anyone capable of noticing that something isn't right with his husband, it's q!Cellbit... and that's exactly what's happening. Doied needs to divert topics and tries to move away because if he spends more time around him, the facade will become too obvious and this was shown to be true after two big things that Doied failed to replicate, the aspects of q!Roier's personality, and q!Cellbit noticed.

1- q!Roier would never attack q!Cellbit to hurt him. They already had a pvp fight, in which q!Roier lied about the result to make q!Cellbit feel better, they give each other shoulder pushes, light slaps on each other's arms and are very close physically, always talking close and with physical contact, they are known for always having their foreheads together when talking and this hasn't happened even once yet. During purgatory q!Roier really refused to kill q!Cellbit, constantly nodding his head to say no and stopping attacking but when he killed q!Cellbit, it was something that was soon explained as it was part of the event and it wasn't "real deaths" since things remained with them after they died, but even so, after this event q!Roier stopped smiling and demonstrated how much that affected him. There's even a moment that could almost be a parallel, in one of the days of purgatory, q!Roier had a very strong sword and asked q!Cellbit if he wanted it to be tested on him, this time q!Roier [Doied] simply started attacking q!Cellbit without even saying anything, and after q!Cellbit got very confused and said "Well... if that makes you happy", Doied chooses the safer answer "It's just a joke!"

2- q!Roier is extremely protective of his family. Upon seeing Pepito and Richas fighting a boss and q!Cellbit asking for help, Doied was just making jokes and took a while to actually try to help, something that q!Roier would never do, he would be the first to ask them to stay away and would be fighting to protect them.

So with everything that's happening now, what is q!Cellbit feeling and thinking? It's necessary to keep in mind that the key issue in all of this is something that is impossible for q!Cellbit to discover on its own. He doesn't even know about Doied's existence, q!Roier doesn't remember anything about his past and nothing was ever said about body swap, despite knowing that the federation carries out absurd tests and experiments, nothing like that had ever happened. However, there is something similar that may be considered in the future, the existence of something like q!Quackity and ElQuackity, perhaps at some point q!Cellbit will begin to suspect that perhaps this is not his husband because no matter how much he hates himself and has a very low self esteem, by now he must be confused as to why his husband is acting like this, but the love he feels for q!Roier is something that saved him, so it is strong enough to survive everything. I keep asking myself, what will happen when he discovers that the person in front of him has the same smile, the same eyes, the same body but the soul is not the same, that's not his soulmate.

[baldval]

ART DECO PART 3!₊˚⊹♡

characters: valentino x gn!reader

wc: 2.2k

warnings: cursing, allusions to smut, mentions of drug use, sligthly ooc val.

a/n: decided to give you guys a whole lot of fluff as an apology for last chapter, hope you like this!!!!

series masterlist!

"-and I mean, I know it's a fuckin' tough challenge to make her look good in blue, but I think we can do it. I don't know what's Vox obsession with that colour, like- our whoole campaign doesn NOT have to be all fucking blue. I don't even know why we need a campaign. We've got enough people on our side, and I got a call from Zeezi this morning - I'm gonna see if I can convince her. So, we definitely need you in that fuckin' meeting."

Silence.

"Are you even fucking listening to me? Hello?"

"... What?"

"I said, we need you at the meeting this afternoon. Vox made me promise I'd show up with you."

"Oh. Yeah, sure. Whatever."

Velvette looks you up and down carefully, brows quirked in curiosity.

"The fuck is going on with you? You've been super weird these last couple of weeks."

That confirms your suspicions that Vox hasn't told anyone about that day at Valentino's apartment. You were wondering if he had.

"I'm just... tired. I'm fine. Don't worry about me, okay?"

Velvette doesn't look convinced, but nods anyway.

"Come on," she says, jumping from his chair. "We better get to that meeting early, Vox wants to talk strategy."

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

You're sitting silently, curled up in an expensive leather chair. Vox and Velvette are talking business, the complex jargon going straight over your head. You're in a world of your own, completely detached from your current reality, when you hear it.

Velvette says it off hand, not thinking anything of it. You watch as Vox flinches ever so slightly, almost imperceptibly. Your throat tightens, your heart kicks up in your chest. Then, she says it again.

His name.

Valentino.

"I know if you push him the right way, Valentino could do anything you want him to do, you just need to make it look like it's his idea."

Valentino.

Valentino, Valentino, Valentino.

The word plays on repeat in your mind, like a broken record. Vox's eyes flick to you, as if to gauge your reaction, but you refuse to give him the satisfaction. You haven't spoken since your argument, which makes most work things hard, considering he is your boss. You worried Velvette was starting to suspect something, seeing as how she always had to deliver messages from Vox to you.

"Yeah, yeah, I know we can use him, I just think, maybe, he's a bit... how can i say this? an impulsive bastard?" He glances at you before he says. "I know he's been doing some things I know he's regretting."

Velvette is oblivious to Vox's reluctance to speak on the subject, clearly.

"Well it's Valentino, when is he not impulsive? can you fuckin' talk to him or something? You know, I think you're like the only person he'll actually listen to."

Vox's eyes are darting between you and Velvette frantically.

"Yeah, sure. I'll talk to him."

You scoff under your breath, but he hears it.

"You got something to fuckin' say, Princess? Huh?"

Princess. You haven't heard that one in a while. It was a nickname given to you by the rest of your coworkers, seeing as you were pretty much Vox's favourite employee. At least you used to be. He wants to get under your skin, throwing the term in your face.

"Nothing you haven't said already," you say, biting your tongue, Vox knows you're lying.

He's about to make another sarcastic remark when Vox's assistant enters the room, cutting the moment short. You're not sure if you're grateful or spiteful.

One by one, your coworkers file in, taking their seats at the table. You're holding your breath, sitting at the edge of your chair, waiting for the inevitable. You can predict it now, the way you're going to feel when he walks in - chest tight, lungs knotted, fists clenched.

Valentino walks in, and the opposite happens.

You exhale your held breath, and relax slightly. The tension leaves your shoulders for a moment, your lip gets released from in between your teeth. It's like seeing him has cured you, even temporarily. As if he's your own brand of medicine, your personalised prescription.

His eyes catch yours, and you have a silent conversation. So much is said in such a short time.

Hi. Hi. Are you okay? No, are you? No. Not at all.

The room is oblivious to this emotional exchange - except for your boss. Vox watches Val's every move like a hawk. He's trying to figure out if the two of you are still together, still sneaking around behind his back. Val hadn't spoken to him since he stormed out of his apartment, meaning he has no idea about the events that occurred after his departure.

The meeting goes off as usual, full of tension and sniped remarks. You don't listen to a word anyone says, too focused on keeping your attention away from Valentino across the table. You're determined not to look at him. You know that if you do, he'll see right through you. He'll know how you really feel. And that is something you're not at all prepared for.

"Okay, well, if no one else has anything they'd like to cover, I think we're done here. Meeting adjourned."

Everyone rises from their places, shaking hands and having quick discussions before leaving through the tall glass doors. You stay put, in no rush to exit. Vox approaches Valentino, and you watch the exchange with a clenched jaw.

"Hey, uh... yeah, we need to talk. I think we should talk."

Val takes a long, hard look at Vox, before chuckling humourlessly.

"Hmm... Not sure if I've got something to day to you though."

Your boss stays stuck in his place, staring at the floor beneath him. As Val leaves, he can't resist running his fingers across your shoulders gently. You look back at him, but he's already gone.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

Home doesn't feel like home anymore.

Everywhere you look, you're reminded of Valentino.

You're in the kitchen, and all you can think about is the time the two of you slow danced in the middle of the night, slipping and sliding on the tiled floor. There's a half finished bottle of wine on the counter, abandoned in favour of gliding around the room in your socks. Val clicks on some low, jazzy music, and pulls you into his arms. You feel like you finally belong somewhere.

You're in the bathroom, and you can't stop thinking about when the two of you took a bubble bath together, lavender scented steam filling the air. Your back is pressed to Val's chest, sitting in between his legs as he massages the shampoo into your hair. He's humming softly, a song his Mother used to sing when he was a child. There's not an ounce of tension in either of your bodies. You feel like you finally belong somewhere.

You're in the living room, and you can't avoid the memories of curling up with Val on the couch. He always lets you pick the movie - sarcastically rolling his eyes at your choices, but never protesting. You sit there for hours, bodies tangled together like two pieces of the same puzzle. You feel like you finally belong somewhere.

You're in the bedroom, and you can't stop picturing the way that Val would take you apart and put you back together again. Before him, all of the sex you had was quick, transactional, impersonal. But it was different with Val. He genuinely cared about your pleasure - learning your body inch by inch, memorising it like a sculptor. You allowed yourself, for the first time ever, to let go. You put your soul in his hands with full faith. Lying there, limbs intertwined beneath the soft sheets, there was no doubt in your mind. You belonged somewhere.

And now that safe place is gone.

Home doesn't feel like home anymore, and it's all because of him. You could move at the drop of a hat, find a new apartment tomorrow if you wanted. But you can't. You can't leave all of these memories behind. As painful as they are, they're all you have.

You turn on the TV, and flick through the channels, you stop at a commercial that seemed to be promoting a free hotel that worked as a rehab for sinner. What a stupid idea. Yet you sat and watched the whole thing, unable to tear your eyes away from the screen. When it ends, you turn it off, and sit in silence.

You sit there for hours, in the quiet, just thinking. About everything. You found the whole thing stupid, of course, but there was something that stuck with you.

Sinners wanting to change.

It seemed as if the minute anyone got into hell they had 2 options: kill or be killed. Hell felt more like an extension of life rather than a punishment itself, maybe that was the punishment.

All of a sudden, you're sick of waiting. Sick of being told how to do everything. Sick of trying to conform to these ideals that people are placing on you. Fuck them. You are already in hell, you have to keep living for you.

You're pulling on your shoes and grabbing your keys before you can even process it. You call the number for a car, but no one answers. Fuck it, you'll run if you have to. If it means you get to hold the man you love in your arms again.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

The knocking on the door is so loud, Valentino's half convinced he's about to be murdered. He swings open the heavy oak to be met with the sight of you, looking like you just ran a marathon.

You stand still for a moment, staring at each other, as if you can't believe what you're seeing. You're here, in each others vicinity again. It'd be so easy to reach out and touch him.

So, you do.

You barrel into him, jumping into his arms, throwing yours around his neck. He catches you easily, holding onto you as tight as he possibly can. You wrap your legs around his waist and press yourself even closer, as if to merge both of your bodies into one being.

You breathe him in, and it's the first time you've taken a full breath in weeks. He smells the same as he always did, floral and woody and expensive and yours. He still smells like he's yours.

You don't realise you're crying until you pull away from him slightly, and see the wet spot on his t shirt. He puts you down and closes the door, locking it behind you. He grabs your hand and leads you into the kitchen, parting from you to pour two glasses of wine.

You jump up onto the counter and part your legs, Val coming to stand between them instinctively. He places a hand on each of your thighs, warmth seeping through his palms. You're face to face, unsure where to start.

"Darling," he breathes. "What are you doing here?"

He sounds unsure, almost scared. If only you knew how frantically his heart is beating in his chest.

"I'm already dead," you reply quickly. "I'm literally in Hell. It can't really get that much worse. And if it does, I'd rather have that if it means I got to choose that path."

Valentino looks at you carefully, brow quirked in confusion.

"Honey, are you on drugs? Because they're really not good for you, you know."

"Says the man who did coke off my ass last month," you tease defiantly.

He fights back a smile, but it curls at the corner of his mouth. You grin at him, hands moving towards his neck.

"I'm not on drugs," you reassure. "I was just watching tv, and it kinda put everything into perspective. We should get to choose what we do in our deaths. We should get to try to change our path. Why am I so stuck to an eternity trying to appease stupid concepts of success?"

He smiles at you softly, nodding as you continue.

"I just - this is hell. We get to do whatever the fuck we want, we're fucking dead. I make a choice for myself, and all of a sudden everything I've worked for is gone? How is that fair?"

"It isn't," he agrees, squeezing your thighs in reassurance. "Vox's a hypocrite. Do you know how many stupid decisions I've watched him make over the years? He thinks he knows everything, but he doesn't."

You lean forward and press your forehead to Val's, exhaling the tension from your shoulders.

"I'm really sorry," you whisper. "For everything. I treated you horribly, and none of it was your fault."

"It wasn't your fault, either. You know that, right?"

"I don't know. It's so hard to get a view on things when they're happening. But when I took a step back, it gave me a clearer look. And it made me realise something."

"And what's that?" he murmurs.

"I realised that I cannot live a day without you, Valentino. I don't want to."

"Thank God," he breathes in a laugh. "I've been going fucking crazy here without you."

You beam a grin at him, so bright it's a wonder that the lights don't shatter.

"I love you, and I won't apologise for it," you confess. "Whatever the consequences are, I'll accept them. Nothing can touch me when I'm loved by you. You're like my own personal armour."

Val leans forward and captures your lips with his, arms wrapping around your waist to pull you closer. You get completely lost in each other, revelling in the feeling of being back together. You feel like you can finally breathe again. The other half of your heart has returned.

[shikai-the-storyteller]

For everyone asking "What do you MEAN Cucurucho might've been reset / replaced / had his memory erased?!?!" we actually have strong evidence that this has happened at least once.

Roier had a very close playful relationship with Cucurucho in the beginning of the series. However, on Day 4, Roier and Cucurucho have a fight and Roier (half-jokingly) says “You know what Osito Bimbo, you know what? I’m tired of you treating me badly. You and I are no longer friends,” and dramatically logs out.

This is the last time we see "our" Cucurucho.

On Day 5, Cucurucho left Roier this message:

Translation: 0037 [Roier's ticket #] Through this I want to express my most sincere apologies for treating you as a slave. We are sorry for any discomfort I may have caused you. We hope you continue to enjoy the island at its best. You won’t see me, but I will see you. Best regards, Federal QSMP Commission

There are a few things weird about this message, namely the fact that it's signed by the Federal QSMP Commission. (It's worth noting that upon seeing this message, Roier says “No! No!!! I want to keep seeing you Osito!” and responds to that message with "Hello my dear Osito Bimbo :) I like you, please keep showing up. And that’s all, uwu."

Day 10:

Cucurucho comes back, but he isn't the same. Cucurucho keeps his distance from Roier, refusing to answer his questions or acknowledge why he hasn't been visiting like usual.

Roier: Do you not like me anymore?

Cucurucho: …

Roier: Do you not like me anymore? I thought we… I thought we were buddies.

Cucurucho: Maybe. I don’t know.

[ A short time later, Roier sings and does a little dance for Cucurucho that he's done before ]

Roier: – And that’s how it went. Huh? Don’t you remember? How come you don’t remember? Those were good times, when we spent time together! How come you don’t remember? Remember!!!!

Cucurucho: I don’t know. (It repeats this several times)

Roier begs him not to leave again, refusing to abandon him even when Cucurucho fires several warning shots. Eventually Cucurucho runs off where Roier can't follow.

Day 32:

Roier encounters Cucurucho, and yet again asks Cucurucho why he stopped visiting. [Timestamp: 2h 41m]

Roier: Where were you all that time? Why did you stop talking to me? Why did you leave my life?

Cucurucho: Classified.

Roier: Cucurucho, Cucurucho, Osito Bimbo, why did you stop talking to me? [...] Did you leave because you had to, or did you leave because they made you? What happened?

Cucurucho: …

Roier: I already know what happened, I know what happened. It was Mariana, Mariana bothered you and told you, “YOU LIKE ROIER, you like him, you like Roier!” Right? Was that it?

Cucurucho: [ Turns away and hangs its head ]

When Cucurucho starts to leave at the arrival of Bad and Dapper, Roier says: "If you want to leave, you can leave if you don’t love me anymore, it’s ok."

But Cucurucho stays (that is, until Bad starts being a "nosy gossip" and tries to get too close to see what's happening).

Day 34:

Roier has a private conversation with Bobby sharing his thoughts on the sudden change he's seen in Cucurucho. [Timestamp: 3h 57m 45s]

"I think Cucurucho is sad. It’s just that, I remember I used to hang out with him a lot when I first came to this Island. I hung out with him a lot. He always came to see me and help me. But from one moment to the next, I realize that he had changed. He stopped being so kind to me."

A lot of people theorize that the inhabitants of the Island have missing memories because of the Federation (which has been more or less confirmed since so many of them can't remember things that happened before coming to Quesadilla Island), and with this information, I think it's safe to say that they aren't the only ones whose minds have been messed with.

So the question is: is this really our Cucurucho, or has he been replaced? Or has he merely had his memory wiped over and over again? And if his memory  was wiped: why? Is it because he upset an Islander, or is it because he's becoming too fond of Roier, and the Federation is worried that might affect Cucurucho’s ability to do his job?

If you're interested in learning more about the strange interactions Roier has had with Cucurucho, look here! I've compiled all of them since Day 1.

[moongothic]

You know. If Crocodad Real. How would Luffy even react if he found out. Like really, how the fuck would he feel about it.

'Cause like how I went over in this post (briefly at the end), we don't even know how Luffy feels about Crocodile as he is right now, so can you imagine how that bombshell would impact things

Like my running theory is that Luffy still hates Crocodile but maybe not quite as much as pre-Impel Down since he kiiinda owes him etc

And Luffy does not seem to give a shit about blood connections, at least not that much. Like don't get me wrong, Luffy's family are the people who were there for him when he was a child, those are the people he cares about and his bio-parents don't really matter. But also, honestly, I think the reason Luffy doesn't give a shit about who his parents are is because he doesn't know them. Luffy cares about people who he knows and likes, and while he doesn't give a shit about Dragon right now, it's arguably because he simply just doesn't know him. If the two actually get to meet and know each other, like if Luffy takes a liking Dragon, he'll probably accept Dragon as his dad and as his family. But on his own terms. It's up to Luffy to decide

And that's why like. How would Luffy react to finding out he has another dad and that one is fucking Crocodile. Because he already hates the man. It would not be happy news for him I'm sure

The other thing is that normally Luffy does not give a flying fuck about people's sad backstories. He didn't care to hear what happened to Nami and her village for example, because what really mattered was that there was a person he cared about who was deeply hurt and in danger and he wanted to help said person. And that's where I'm so torn. Because on one hand, it would be perfectly on-brand for Luffy to not give a shit of Crocodile had a sob story to tell. But also, I could imagine Luffy being so fucking confused over the news that he'd want to hear the truth of like, who what where how why, in detail. So that, you know, he could make his own decision and figure out if he wants to considder Crocodile is other dad or disown him.

Like, both feel like things Luffy would do

So really, would the real deciding factor might be just... the circumstances where Luffy finds out???

God knows, I can not imagine Crocodile himself telling Luffy anything ever. The kid already hates him, he knows it, so he'd probably think it'd be for the best if Luffy never found out

So how else could Luffy find out then?

As far as we know, the only other person who could confirm it would be Dragon himself, and considdering how he probably feels about his ex (see: Alabasta Coup Attempt), I can't imagine him wanting to talk about Crocodile to Luffy in lenght or in a positive light. Like I can't imagine Dragon wanting to tell Luffy at all is the point, not unless he wanted to like apologize to Luffy because it is arguably his fault Luffy and Crocodile fought in Alabasta to near-death to begin with. (Sidenote since we don't know how the break-up happened to begin with, it's totally possible Crocodile could've asked Dragon to never let their kid find out what happened to his "mom")

And now, this is where I'm gonna go completely off the rails, but. As I was wondering if there was any other way Luffy could find out...

S-Croc is made with Crocodile's DNA.

(And actually before I even go into S-Croc, super quick sidenote: If Kuma can extract memories out of people and allow other people to literally see them... Like I can't tell if Kuma's memories got absorbed by Bonney when she looked into them or if Kuma's Memory Bubble is still on Egghead, but if viewing the memories isn't the same as having them inserted into a vessel permanently... Like if Kuma isn't turbo-dead, could there be a scenario where we have Kuma (or S-Bear) yeet out Croc's memories and have Luffy just look into them? Because god knows Crocodile might just refuse to speak about it and that could be the only way to get The Whole Truth if Dragon doesn't want to talk about it either?) (Of course, Crocodile would understand just How Persistent Luffy is so if Luffy just kept on annoying him about it, Crocodile could maybe give up eventually because he knows he can't get Luffy to piss off until he spills the beans)

So currently the Strawhat's plan is for them to go and escort the Vegapunks to Elbaf (if nothing goes funny after the flashback is over, which remains to be seen)

2. There is the mystery of what sex S-Croc is going to be, because there is a possibility that if Crocodile is trans then his Seraphim could be pre-T (though this entirely depends on whether or not Ivankov's HRT changes even the DNA of person. Since it's MAGIC HRT I would prefer it to, not gonna lie, and I would not appreciate any "you may look different but your DNA will tell the truth!" rhetoric in the story but I may be asking too much from Oda)

3. And there's also the mystery of what Devil Fruit ability S-Croc might have, since all the Seraphim have been given Fruit powers, and we know Vegapunk can't replicate Crocodile's Sand Logia.

All things considdered, I think the actual, most likely known ability S-Croc might end up with would be like, Mr 3's wax powers (hilariously), mainly because I could imagine it being flexible enough to work in Crocodile's fighting style, so it'd be the easiest for S-Croc to adapt to (like if you can make anything from wax, then why not sharp blades to fling at people) (Also we know Vegapunk would have access to this power since Mr 3 was in Impel Down, when they also got Daz' powers)

But also I had joked before how it'd be funny if S-Croc was a Crocodile Zoan for no reason. Like it'd be fitting since Crocodile was already the Only Logia of the OG Shichibukai, so making his Seraphim the Only Zoan would be funny as hell (if it's even possible, which we can't say if it will/won't be). Additionally, making him a Crocodile Zoan would be hysterically on-the-nose.

(Sidenote: If there was a crocodile Zoan Fruit, what sub-category do you think it'd fall into? Like would it be Ryu Ryu like all the dinosaur-themed Zoans are, or maybe even a different model of Uo Uo (same as Kaidou)? Since "wani" could be considdered a different type of serpent-dragon, and if Vegapunk was researching how to recreate Kaidou's fruit, it's plausible he might've accidentally recreated some other related-fruit in the process or afterwards?? (Also since Kaidou's Uo Uo is a specific model (Seiryu) it would make sense if there was another Uo Uo model Fruit, and this could be an excelent opportunity to use it))

The thing about Zoans though is that, as it's been brought up once or twice before, Zoan fruits can kind of have a "mind of their own" and influence the user in unexpected ways.

And as all we Crocodad Truthers know.

Crocodiles are protective of their babies.

ALSO: The Seraphim do have enough personal will-power that they may (slightly) disobey orders they've been given. Case-and-point, S-Snake undoing the Petrification on the Strawhats after Luffy asked her to, since S-Snake is fond of Luffy just like Hancock is

Sidenote, it was kind of made a point how Vegapunk considdered his artificial replica of Kaidou's dragon fruit a compete failure simply because instead of a blue dragon, the user would turn into a pink one instead. So if Vegapunk tried to make a Seraphim of Crocodile, knowing full-well he couldn't even give the Seraphim the same ability as the OG, and then the Seraphim turns out the wrong sex for no reason?? I could see him being confused as hell and considder S-Croc "a failed Seraphim"

So really, all we'd really need to happen would be for the Strawhats to somehow encounter the remaining three Seraphim while escorting the Vegapunks to Elbaf. Mind you, IDK how that could even happen since as far as we know they've been deployed the Emptee Bluffs

And then just have S-Croc either disobey orders to hunt Luffy or even even have him be protective of Luffy (following that Zoan Instinct, one even he can't explain, it's just Instinct). Have Sanji be like "hey why the fuck is this one a girl, isn't it supposed to be Crocodile", followed by Vegapunk explaining this Seraphim was a failure for reasons even he can't understand

Then have Jinbei remember the conversation Crocodile and Ivankov had at Impel Down (suspicious considdering Ivankov's abilities and this "failed Seraphim"), and maybe if Crocodile had any involvement with the Revolutionaries and Robin was suspicious of him she could even bring that up

Along with any other minor details that may be bothering the crew about the whole deal

And so if the Strawhats and Vegapunk just put all their braincells together and rubbed them real hard, they could maybe come to a hypothesis as to why S-Croc is a "failure" and protective of Luffy, and maybe even a potential explanation as to why The Real Crocodile was protective of Luffy in Marineford for no fucking reason

And maybe, just maybe, Vegapunk could confirm that suspicion with a DNA test. All he needs to do is check Luffy's and compare it to Crocodile's.

Not sure Luffy would want to do the DNA test, like knowing Luffy he might prefer to just ask Crocodile in person if they ever ran to each other again

But boy, if he somehow did agree to a DNA test, and there was a match... oh boy

But again. This entire scenario is BEYOND off-the-rails. Technically plausible! But honestly if Luffy is ever gonna find out (assuming Crocodad Real) then it's gonna be from Dragon

I just wanted to get the theoretical scenario out of my system okay, I had to get the brainworms out of my brain

[ryuichirou]

Re: Gaslighter Rook. I wanna preface this by saying ofc people are free to hc whatever they want but I have some issues with what the other person said and how dismissive they acted about the whole thing. I apologize if this invites drama or discourse, that is absolutely not my intention, I moreso just want to share the other side's point of view for the sake of balance since you said you don't mind civil discussion even if we disagree. Firstly, yes a lot of the arguments for this come from the labcoat vignette. However, it is not all just because of one line. In the same vignette, Rook tells Vil he can't trust his own eyes because Rook knows him better than Vil knows himself which is a very common gaslighter tactic. He then further mentions that people will leave him unless he does what Rook tells him to and puts down the "me or everyone else" argument. Rook further tries to undermine Vil's ability to trust other people in Vil's dorm vignette by saying the other dorm members would never appreciate Vil's efforts for them even if they knew about them – a blatant lie that however still makes Vil withdraw from talking to them about it. During Vil's overblot, Rook refuses to give Vil personal space while he's having a mental breakdown and repeatedly asserts that Vil "doesn't deserve" it as well as claiming to be responsible for punishing him. After VDC, Rook not only claims that his vote was the deciding one despite having no way of knowing that but also claims it was the objectively correct thing to do as, again, Vil didn't deserve to win, simply because having a mental breakdown is ugly (since he was referring to the overblot, not the attempted cursing – which was never confirmed to be intended to be lethal by the way, that was also just Rook's assumption, one Vil, a character who already struggles to communicate with people especially if he feels they see him negatively, didn't fight but also didn't confirm). I also take issue with the claim that it cannot be abuse just because Vil respects Rook. Even ignoring how often irl abuse victims don't realize they're abused because of their warped perception of their abuser, we have examples of this even in twst. Mrs. Rosehearts wasn't a wonderful mother who suddenly became abusive when Riddle stopped making excuses for her behavior. Abuse doesn't stop being abuse because it isn't recognized and to a lot of us gaslighting victims, Rook's behavior is spot-on with things we went through, hence why we call him a gaslighter. Oh and a small note before anyone claims anything, according to multiple psychology sources, gaslighters aren't always aware of what they are doing. Me and others calling Rook a gaslighter don't automatically mean he WANTS to be evil toward Vil. Some of us see it that way while others don't but regardless, acting as though this headcanon comes from one single out of context line and not from a pattern of behavior Rook consistently displays feels very disingenuous and like it's trying to make us seem crazy when all we try to do is explain why we may not be comfortable with a character.

You don’t have to explain why you are uncomfortable. Neither me nor that Anon have made any judgment about it, and frankly, who cares why you don’t like a character. You don’t need reasoning for not liking him, a person might just think Rook’s hair is stupid or dislike characters with green eyes, and that’s enough. None of this makes you crazy, and this isn’t that deep.

If you look at the first ever reply I did on this topic, I said it then (and after that I said it time and time again):

Based on what you’re saying, your opinion is influenced by your past experiences. Which isn’t a bad thing, we all have our own biases, but it makes a proper discussion quite difficult, especially when there is trauma involved.

Because we love Rook as much as you hate him, and I fail to see why we should align our feelings and experiences with yours. This is not a public debate platform, this is not a discord server, this is my personal blog, and my opinion is always going to be prevalent here. I usually try to take the position “agree to disagree” also to avoid situations like this.

You’ve said that you just want to explain and share your side of the conversation, but in that case claiming that the other side’s opinion is dangerous or uninformed is a pretty shitty thing to do, just as it is shitty to completely ignore the points they were trying to make and put words into their mouths instead, alluding to them victimblaming and dismissing real victim’s struggles. What I’ve said multiple times at this point is that Rook Hunt isn’t a gaslighter. Not that it’s Vil’s fault for trusting him, not that if Vil respects him that it automatically makes Rook not an abuser (Anon didn’t say that either). Not that Rook is always right. Not that Rook has never hurt Vil. I’ve even said that we can’t say for certain that Rook’s brutal honesty is always helpful and doesn’t affect Vil in any bad way:

Maybe sometimes it would be better for Vil to just take it easy and relax instead of perfecting every single thing, but this isn’t what Vil wants for himself: he doesn’t want to be pampered, he wants to be appreciated for his hard work.

Just because this is what Vil wants doesn’t mean that this is what’s best for him. I still don’t think that it makes Rook an abuser, by the way (which is also a completely different topic from Rook being a gaslighter). You have ignored every single argument I’ve made in all of my previous replies, which is fine, but then I don’t really see the reason for you to explain yourself if you’re not even going to listen to me again.

No one tried to paint you as crazy, and even if I or Anon thought that this entire argument (argument, not you) was weird, it doesn’t concern you. If Rook Hunt hurts you, why would you even interact with any discourse about him? Why did that very first Anon confront me for not calling Rook a gaslighter, if all you (collective “you”) people wish for is to explain your point of view? I am not an emperor of Rook Hunt land; I am a rando writing hcs about dicks on the internet. And Rook Hunt is a character of a gacha game.

I’ll repost another thing from my very first reply.

Just ignore shit that you don’t like because while it might be traumatic for you, to us it might be one of the few things that bring us happiness.

Please read this part carefully. And respectfully, let’s stop this. I don’t agree with any of your points/interpretation, I find them drastically off from Rook’s actual characterisation to the point that it’s almost baffling at times (I have read all the scenes you’ve mentioned and I disagree with your every single point.) And guess what, it’s absolutely okay. Like I, wow, have said time and time again, we all have our biases. Yours happens to be to read everything that Rook does in the worst way possible and to compare him to Riddle’s mom. Mine happens to be very different, and insisting on me just missing the point or thinking or feeling the wrong way or not being educated enough about gaslighting or abuse (something that I also experienced, and you are aware of that) feels pretty disrespectful. This isn’t what I meant when I said that I don’t mind a civil conversation. This doesn’t feel like a conversation. Because, you know…

Even if it feels completely off to how I view it, I can appreciate or at least respect it if they respect the way I do things. And don’t imply that I don’t get it or I am stupid.

I won’t write an actual rebuttal to your points because one thing hasn’t changed from my very first post about the topic: this isn’t about Rook Hunt. And I don’t want to discuss the so-called danger of fictional tropes that don’t even apply to the character in my view. Also, stating that the way I headcanon a character’s behaviour and share my thoughts with others is dangerous to other people in real life (because someone is going to take my opinion as a course for their actions, I guess?) is also ironic. Why isn’t me drawing problematic ships or writing dark headcanons dangerous then? It’s the same logic, I have heard this argument multiple times, and I fail to see how it’s different right now. Rook Hunt is not a real person, we see his interactions with others from all points of view, he has actual writers with their own intentions (none of which is to portray Rook as a terrible, atrocious person, he’s not even 100% a villain, he’s a character that helped the princess in the original story, and I believe that his writers keep that in mind, ffs), and it is drastically different from the way I would treat this situation in real life: exactly because I would have to base my opinion on the lack of other perspectives and not witnessing the situations myself, and a bunch of other factors connected to the fact that this is real life, and in those cases I would prioritise the victim of someone’s suspicious actions. What a surprise.

I also believe that Katsu and I did our part so you could easily ignore our Rook-centric posts that make you uncomfortable. So please do your part and don’t interact with our Rook-centric posts (this applies to anyone who is deeply uncomfortable with this character or any other character, for that matter). Coming up with ways to mention Rook in posts so it's easily mutable for you and only you and still getting treated like an abuse apologist who spreads dangerous ideas makes one feel kind of silly for ever trying to be considerate and respectful. You’ll have to come up with ways to deal with that on your own now. This conversation is over.

This is also the last post I’m writing on this topic, every follow-up ask or comment about it (from anyone, anywhere) won’t be replied to.

[venus-is-thinking]

DRDT Chapter 2 Episode 12: Initial Thoughts

Hello everyone! I thought it'd be fun to do a post going over some of my first thoughts from the episode after each release. "Initial" is a bit of a stretch, considering I did watch it a second time while making this post, but it's more "initial" in the context of being before the next episode drops. It's sort of like my "initial thoughts" of the Milgram MVs, which are actually the result of, like, 3 hours of obsessing and research, lol.

(By the way, @accirax and I watched the episode together, so apologies if her initial thoughts end up being, like, the same as mine.)

SPOILER WARNING FOR DRDT CH 2 EP 12!

T/W: Body image issues/body dysmorphia, murder, suicide

The Reactions

Confirmation of what I think most of us already suspected! I do think it's a little weird that Nico didn't bring up their testimony about all of the fish being there at the last time they fed the fish. That probably means it's being saved for later in the Trial, I guess?

It's okay Teruko, I saw literally no one in the entire fanbase figure this one out either!

Why is everyone so mean to her though. Everyone here has been an idiot in the Trials at LEAST once

God I missed David

This was so funny. Get his ass.

(In all seriousness, though, I do wonder if we're going to come back to what J said. I don't currently (?) think Arei was drenched, unless the real purpose of the water WAS just to confuse the time of death, so if the water didn't connect with her enough to cool her down, it might be weird that the body isn't warm after all.)

This took me out. Who let you say that. What.

Okay, but Ace, outside of a killing game... why. Like, literally why would a plastic surgeon need to know how to do an autopsy. King.

Like Felicity...? /hj

All in all, though, this was a really interesting character moment for Arturo! And god, the fact that he started learning medical knowledge and spedrun plastic surgery specifically since age 12 HAS to mean something. My vague theories of Felicity having struggles with body image/dysmorphia (Arturo's section of this post) are... maybe real???

Honestly, I'm starting to wonder if Arturo is going to go farther in this game. I don't expect him to survive or anything, but I could see it taking him a surprisingly long time to die. He feels like he's got too much lore to unpack to die, like, next chapter. Unless he gets HELLA focused next chapter, which is definitely possible.

This is so silly. I love them.

(Note: I'm not a Whit mastermind truther, but if I were, I would point out that MonoTV sort of covering up a rules violation for Whit could be relevant. I'm not a Whit mastermind truther though, so I think this is just a very silly joke a la "no wifi! why live :(" )

Well you see Eden, the killer would have actually had all night to prepare. If, say, they mentioned that they could dial in and focus on their work for like 14 hours straight, they could have gotten a lot done before 7:30 AM!

I'll talk about this more later, but the fact that J, David, Veronika, Hu and Nico seemingly have alibis that actually matter is so iconic. I can't believe that many theories died that quick. I'll talk about that more in my theories section, though!

It's been said before, but. Funniest fucking reaction to being declared innocent of murder.

"David still has a family history of depression even if that isn't his secret" nation where you at?

This one made me laugh out loud. Who does it like him

How truthful do we think David is in this next section? I refuse to believe it's 100% a lie, just because he's cooking SO hard on SOMETHING, but I could also believe David thinks he's lying to an extent. I could definitely see a "the best lies are based on the truth" kind of thing?

Also, damn. Xanvid really is real. LGI got me to believe it but WOW David's just being gay on main now

This was a really good, succinct way to have Teruko show her opposition to David's ideas. Even if it is to end the killing game or do something "good' or whatever, Teruko is still hurt and betrayed by what Xander did. Xander tried to kill her, and presumably would have tried to kill everyone else. David is now doing the same thing.

It's going to be really interesting if, whether genuine or not, David is kinda taking on Xander's position. That's going to give Teruko a reason to (outwardly) hate him even more. I'm really looking forward to learning more about how both Teruko and David view Xander.

Also, it's so fucking funny that Teruko and David are literally fighting over Xander. Like, valid, but. Guys.

(Also, David soooo knows Teruko's secret is the killing game is all your fault. Idk if he specifically knows that Xander's plan was to kill Teruko no matter what, but he's definitely caught on to some extent.)

This was crazy. Is Xander famous? Why would everyone recognize him? Like, did David just take particular notice of Xander because he's a simp, or is there something else going on?

Notably, it's also extremely interesting that David says "Even if you all lost a year of memories for this killing game." It almost implies that David didn't? What do you know???

Also, if David DOES have weird memories about this that no one else does, it's a really interesting comparison to Teruko remembering the existence of a killing game in the area investigation when she was talking to Veronika. Are these two getting special memory privileges because they're important? Or does everyone have some kind of memory that they all should have, but only one person knows each thing?

At first I was confused when David said this, because I really don't know how dear anyone in DRDT's life to him was other than Xander. But then I realized, if David is talking about killing 15 others and yourself, he's definitely still talking about Xander's mindset. Xander had something worth the lives of 16 people that he was trying to do.

I don't know how much David cares about ending the killing game. I wonder if "belief in Xander" is the thing he's willing to kill 13 people plus himself for?

I'm starting to get REALLY curious what J's deal is. Between this and her voiced line earlier in the trial saying something along the lines of "it's like you all still haven't grasped just how serious murder is," she definitely seems to have strong opinions on specifically the morality of killing other people. WHY is she being singled out with these beliefs, what does it say about her, and where is her character headed?

(If she is the mastermind, does this couple with the "all murderers must be held accountable" rule?)

"Any answer" is so funny. I think she's looking for the truthful answer, David. This is why no one believes you when you say anything ever /aff

Notably, this is VERY similar to the plan Eden came up with that Veronika described: using the fact that TV shows need entertainment to continue to end the killing game. It's the same thing, but with a much more depressed "everyone should just give up" kind of flavor.

The level of similarity does make me think David is probably not being 100% truthful, and that he just repurposed Eden's escape plan to be something sort of similar to what he was going for.

I do think that he WAS trying to defeat the killing game by killing people through the class trial. I just think that, between Xander's actions and the motive secret he received, he was trying to kill Teruko specifically. Yet another way that David's unhinged behavior ties into the Chapter 2 secrets.

*Hu hopeless child looms in the distance*

I'm so glad that Hu gets to pop off though. She really hasn't gotten, like, any content in the series so far. Here's hoping this is kicking off her getting a bunch of time to shine!

Interesting that they had both Ace and Hu cut Nico off in this interaction. The staging definitely implies that they're trying to show that while Ace is wrong for talking over Nico and not letting them say anything, Hu is also wrong to an extent for not letting Nico defend themself and running to their rescue all the time.

I am begging you. Please discuss the murder method. I didn't realize until my rewatch of the trial that they have actually literally not talked about the murder method at ALL except for telling David that he doesn't know shit about it.

HUH?????????????

Theory Update/Analysis

Well, I'm gonna start this off by saying that I'm still pretty locked into Eden being the killer. We still need to address the tape, and I personally still found her to be decently shifty now behavior wise (she seemed nervous when we turned back to solving the trial, and she says something about "it's too hard to narrow down the killer :/" when people were talking about morning alibis). I just think it makes the most sense.

While obviously my logic for why Levi would be the accomplice has to be at least somewhat flawed, given Levi's surprise confession (!!!), I still think it's possible that Levi is the accomplice here. He could be doing this to further confuse/complicate the state of things (hence why he calls it leading people astray), and it's possible he's not being 100% honest here.

Something that Levi could be doing here is taking control of the situation and spinning the truth in his favor. Hu mentioned earlier (e11, I think?) that the secrets are phrased dramatically. Similarly, Levi may be trying to offer an explanation for his secret that might be more tame, but still believable.

For example, if Levi says that he killed one of his parents because of the circumstances he grew up in, but it turned out that his parents were extremely abusive to him in some way (cough cough Amane Momose), wouldn't people be more willing to forgive the fact that he's a "murderer"? There are different levels to the culpability of murders.

So, it's definitely possible this is still an attempt by Levi to conceal the truth of his secret. It's true that, right now, no one's really trying to match all of the remaining secrets up with the remaining secret holders in-universe, but the entire fanbase pretty much slam dunked this one. Once the content of the secrets was revealed, it wasn't too difficult to track the origin of this secret to Levi. Levi might know that, and might be trying to spin it in a positive way while he can get everyone's attention and tell everyone the same narrative here in the class trial.

I don't think any Levi accomplice or killer truthers have to fully give up on the idea, or at least not until we see what Levi actually says after this. It's a WILD topic to reveal we're going to talk about, but we haven't actually talked about it yet. If we were told "we get David's motivations for trying to throw the trial," I doubt literally any of us would have locked in the prediction of "David is trying to follow in Xander's footsteps by killing everyone via the trial because he kind of remembers Xander." So, until next week, I'm keeping an open mind!

This was insane. I can't believe we actually got a new episode, and that we're gonna KEEP getting new episodes until the chapter finishes. What the fuck!!!

[nahoney22]

Hi! I am such a big fan our your writing and every time I see you pop up on my dash I get so excited!! 🤍🤍

If you are looking for ideas, how do you think the batch would react to you trying to throw them a collective birthday party? I know they don’t really have a “birth”day but maybe they agree to celebrate on a specific date (maybe an important day for them)?

Birthday Surprise

All Bad Batch X GN!Reader

word count: 883 words

warnings: none, fluff. Platonic relationships.

authors note: so sorry for the wait, this is only short but I was drawing blanks and I’d rather post something than nothing at all. Hope this is okay ♥️

As rumors of a surprise spread among the members of the Bad Batch, excitement and curiosity filled the air. Each member pondered over what awaited them, their imaginations running wild. But as they stepped inside the Marauder, their jaws dropped in surprise.

The interior of the ship had been transformed into something neither of them could ever imagine. Vibrant balloons floated cheerfully, adorning every corner, while colorful banners draped the walls, displaying the message ‘happy birthday’. A massive birthday cake, meticulously crafted (that none of them would believe that you made if you told them) took center stage on the control panel in the cockpit, its sugary aroma tantalising the senses of certain clones.

Hunter couldn't hide his surprise as he glanced around. "What's all this?" he inquired slowly, his eyes locking onto your mischievous grin.

"Happy birthday!" you exclaimed, a twinkle in your eyes.

The confusion on Tech's face was evident as he analysed the unexpected scene. "To whom are we celebrating?" he inquired, searching for answers amidst the festive chaos.

"All of you!" you proclaimed, your response causing Tech's brows to furrow even deeper as he struggled to comprehend the unusual situation unfolding before him.

Wrecker, ever the cheerful and boisterous one, erupted with joy, a wide grin stretching across his face. “Do we even have a birthday?” He wasted no time in donning a party hat, playfully placing one on Omega's head as well. He even attempted to coerce Echo into joining the festivities, though Echo's patience dwindled with each failed attempt, swatting Wrecker's hands away until the pink hat finally sat on his head.

“Well, with thanks to Omega she told me that you guys were actually… made….?” You trail off, unsure if that was the right terminology to use but it was clear to them what you meant, “on this day!”

Hunter chuckled and with a playful kick, he sent a balloon soaring across the room. "Really?" he inquired, a hint of amusement in his voice.

You nodded, a broad smile spreading across your face. Extending your hand, you exchanged a high-five with Omega, who beamed at her brothers. "Absolutely," you confirmed, your voice brimming with genuine enthusiasm. "I thought it would be a fantastic idea for you guys to celebrate something special, together!"

"That is rather interesting information for me to log, actually. I was never aware that it was this particular date," Tech remarked, a faint smile gracing his lips as he pulled out his data pad to record the newfound knowledge. "Although this type of celebration is not necessary for the likes of us. We were made to be expendable, not to have celebrations."

"Oh, lighten up, Tech," Crosshair chimed in, his voice laced with playful sarcasm. He swiped a bit of frosting from the cake with his finger and licked it off, savoring the sweetness. "Say thank you."

"I believe you are yet to say that," Tech quipped, glancing at his brother over the top of his data pad. Crosshair smirked in response, then turned his gaze toward you.

"They already know I am," he acknowledged, gratitude shining in his eyes.

Tech looked at you and offered a small smile. "I apologize. This is great. Thank you."

"No worries, it's just a little something," you replied cheerfully, refusing to let their banter dampen the festive atmosphere. After all, with cake, games, and party hats involved, it was hard to feel anything but joy.

The day unfolded seamlessly, with the boys and Omega basking in the celebration. Laughter filled the air as they reminisced about past missions, sharing humorous anecdotes that never failed to bring a smile to their faces. At one point, you pulled Echo aside, quietly reminding him that although the day wasn't specifically tailored to him, it actually coincided with the time when he joined the others.

"This is really kind of you," Echo expressed, seated beside you amidst the lively music within the Marauder.

"You guys have done a lot for me! It's only fair that you get a treat, even if it's just once a year," you responded softly, observing everyone's enjoyment. Even Crosshair seemed to be reveling in the fun.

As the night neared its end, each of the boys approached you individually, surprising you with heartfelt gestures of appreciation. They expressed their gratitude with hugs, while Tech opted for a handshake, true to his analytical nature. Crosshair, unexpectedly, even gave you an awkward side hug before retreating to his bunk, a smudge of frosting lingering on the corner of his lips.

"This meant a lot to us. Thank you," Hunter conveyed, being the last to embrace you. As he rubbed gentle circles on your back, you could sense the sincerity behind his words. He had always believed that he and his brothers didn't deserve the recognition they received, but seeing them all calm and content for once on their "birthday" made it all worthwhile. The vibrant and bold colors of the celebration had momentarily overwhelmed his senses, but he chose to say nothing, not wanting to spoil the experience for the others or undermine your effort.

With hearts full of gratitude and newfound memories to treasure, the boys all settled down to sleep, their hopes eagerly fixed on the promise of next year's celebration, just around the corner.

Masterlist

Tags; @andyoufollowyourheart @littlefeatherr @kaitou2417 7 @eyecandyeoz @captxin-rex @cwarssimp @jesseeka @ashotofspotchka @oohyesplease @theroguesully @mustluvecho @ladykatakuri @jambolska-grozdova @arctrooper69 @padawancat97 7 @rain-on-kamino @either-madness-or-brilliance @staycalmandhugaclone @ko-neko-san @echos-girlfriend @fiveshelmet @dangraccoon @plushymiku-blog @chrissywakingup @kixs-husband @pb-jellybeans @tech-aficionado @grizabellasolo @therealnekomari @tech-depression-inventory @brynhildrmimi @greaser-wolf @tinyreadersmur @seriowan @kaminocasey @marvel-starwars-nerd @ladytano420 @ladyzirkonia @imalovernotahater @crystal076 @blustalker @the-good-shittt @s1st3r @by-the-primes @the-bad-batch-baroness @nunanuggets

[autisticlancemcclain]

While making his final nightly rounds of the castle, Coran sees the training room lights on, and seconds later he hears a frustrated yell ring through the hallway. He sighs, knowing he’s in for an argument with their newly appointed black paladin, and it’s far too late to ask Lance to do it. (He has a much easier time convincing Keith to take a break. Coran is at a complete loss as to how he does it — one moment they’re arguing, at each other’s throats, and Coran is convinced that not only is Keith going to double down and refuse a break but that they’ve destroyed their relationship in the process. The next second Keith is agreeing to a meal and a full night’s rest. It’s absolutely flabbergasting, how Lance does it.)

Reminding himself to be firm, he pushes open the training room doors, mouth already open to remind the boy that rest is of equal if not more importance than training.

But the words die on his tongue, because Number Four is not the one training so late at night, for once.

Lance lets out another frustrated yell, angrier than the one Coran heard before, and runs at the gladiator. He swings his sword — his sword? — at its torso, but the manoeuvre is sloppy, anger making his movements choppy and predictable. The gladiator dodges easily, and with one more furious growl Lance throws his sword at the training room’s emergency power kill switch, making the gladiator dematerialize mid-swing and plunging the room into darkness.

For a moment there’s only silence, except for the red paladin’s heavy panting, and then he sighs, and there’s the unmistakable sound of his sword clattering to the ground and him flopping down after it. The emergency lights flicker on, confirming Coran’s thoughts. Lance lays sprawled on the ground, hand pressed harshly to his eyes.

“I want to go home,” he mutters defeatedly, clearly not intending anyone to hear.

Coran waits a moment, processing all he has just witnessed. Then he takes a deep breath, steeling himself, and clears his throat. Lance screeches at the top of his lungs, scrambling to his feet and looking around frantically.

“It’s just me, lad,” Coran rushes to assure.

“Jesus fucking — you scared me, Coran!” He presses a hand to his presumably galloping heart, panting. “Fucksake!”

Coran can’t quite bite back his smile. “Deepest apologies.”

“Uh-huh, sure,” Lance says, rolling his eyes, but he doesn’t look upset. “What’s up?”

Coran hums, rocking back slightly on his heels. He gestures to Lance’s forgotten sword, which has returned to its bayard form. “I could ask you the same.”

Lance’s expression turns bitter again, and he glares at his bayard. “Oh, that.” He kicks at it slightly. “Nothing to worry about. I promise I’ll get the hang of this stupid thing soon.”

In the decaphoebe or so they’ve been in space together, Coran has spent a lot of time with Lance. He quite likes the boy’s company, and enjoys exchanging stories of home with him. He’s seen Lance excited, bubbly, seen him determined, even seen him insecure. He’s seen almost every mix of emotions he’s ever seen on a person when Keith is brought up in conversation — which is frequently.

But he’s not sure he’s ever seen Lance look so bitter and defeated, before. It’s an unsettling expression to see on his usually cheerful face.

“I was unaware you’d unlocked a third bayard form,” he starts carefully.

Lance scoffs. “Yeah. Because every stupid thing has to change, now.”

“What do you mean?”

“Everything, Coran,” Lance repeats, throwing his arms up in the air in frustration. “First we lose Shiro, which is probably the worst thing that could ever happen. I mean, Shiro, who is probably the most important person on this team and who has already been through enough. And then Blue decides she doesn’t like me anymore, and I have to go to Red, who would rather Keith than me any day of the week, and then I get to look even more like Keith’s replacement when I get this stupid sword!” He scoops up his bayard, and, as he glares at it, it glows in his hand, stretching into a heavy broadsword. He drops it again in disgust and it clatters to the floor, glowing again as it changes back. “I dunno if I can even get a gun anymore, because clearly Lance McClain has nothing to offer. Point fucking taken.”

Coran blinks, more than a little shocked at the onslaught of real pain in Lance’s voice.

No wonder he’s been so withdrawn lately.

At Coran’s silence, Lance begins to shift uncomfortably, guilt beginning to cloud his brown eyes.

“Sorry,” he says quietly. “I didn’t mean to dump all that on you. I can handle it. I swear. It’s just been something of a rough night, is all.”

“Oh, Lance,” Coran says, rushing forward to pull the boy into his arms. Lance resists for a moment, tense, but then he sags forward, letting Coran hold his weight.

“This sucks, Coran. I’m not good enough anymore.”

Coran holds him tighter, rapidly trying to formulate a way to fix this. It turns out that it is insecurity, as much as it’s bitterness — Coran has noticed that it always takes Lance time to fully adjust to big changes, but at the same time he gets frustrated with himself when he can’t handle the new status quo with ease. He hates it when he feels like he’s falling short.

Coran might have an idea.

He squeezes Lance once more, then pulls back slightly, still resting a hand on his shoulder. “You are more than good enough,” he says firmly. He shushes Lance’s immediate protests, continuing on. “You are adjusting, dear. We all are. You’re allowed to struggle for a moment.”

“We can’t afford time for me to struggle,” Lance argues.

Coran raises an eyebrow. “We are fighting an empire that has dominated for longer than your planet has had civilization. We don’t have time to eat or sleep. And yet, we must make time.”

Lance hesitates, then scowls. “I hate it when you’re right.”

Coran laughs, patting him on the back as he guides him to the door. “Then you’re going to hate my suggestion to have some rest.”

“You’re right. I do. Also, no.”

Lance tries to resist, but Coran easily yanks him along. “How unfortunate.”

Lance continues to resist, so Coran decides to let him in on his plan — at least a little.

“I’ll make you a deal,” he starts, and Lance immediately looks intrigued. “You go to bed now, and tomorrow evening after regular training and supper, you meet me here. I’ll help you learn how to use that sword to your strengths.”

Lance perks up. “Really? You know how to use this thing?”

Coran smiles. “I have a few ideas.”

———

part two