#how do we feel about to game calling us mami

[woso-dreamzzz]

Injured VI

Alexia Putellas x Child!Reader

Jenni Hermoso x Child!Reader

Summary: Jenni returns to you

Mapi and Ingrid come over a lot now that you don't see Mami. They visit you and Tia Alba all the time and bring you things like new trains and toys and Ingrid even buys you new ballet pumps when you tearfully tell her that you left your ones at Mami's home.

It's different living with Tia Alba. She works from home a lot and she has plenty of time for you. That's a little weird, you think. The attention is nice but it's a little scary.

All of this is a little scary.

Last week, when Abuela came to see you and you asked the bad question, she cried. Abuela cried and cried and you cried too. She said that she would fix this, she promised you that she would fix this but one look at Tia Alba's face told you that no one was sure that this could be fixed.

You wish things were back to normal. You don't want to live with Mami right now but you miss her. You miss the Mami from before, who would take you to the train store after her games and read you fun bedtime stories with all the special voices.

You miss the Mami who would give you little kisses all over your face and call you her most favourite little girl in the whole entire world. You miss the Mami who would let you crawl into bed with her and sit on her knee before a game.

But now, Mami loves Miss Olga and baby Jaume and the train store near Mami's house is shutting down.

There is no Before anymore and you don't think you can get the Before back ever again.

You don't see Mami and you don't want to, even if you really miss her sometimes. Tia Alba looks like Mami and sometimes you can pretend that she is Mami, if you close your eyes and try really hard.

Tia Alba gives you cuddles and kisses and plays trains with you and takes you to your ballet lessons on time. If you try really hard and squeeze your eyes shut nice and tight, you can pretend that it's Mami doing those things and you're in the Before again, when it was just you and her.

"We have a surprise for you," Mapi says as she gets ready to leave," Me and Ingrid. Would you like to see it?"

A surprise makes you scared. Mami told you about baby Jaume as a surprise too.

You look up at Tia Alba and she nods in encouragement so you nod as well.

Ingrid covers your eyes and that makes you nervous too, straining your ears.

You don't want the surprise to be Mami. You really, really don't want it to be Mami.

"How's my favourite little girl in the entire world?"

Ingrid's hands peal away from your eyes and you're already moving.

The arms around you feel nice and safe. You're tucked securely into the neck of a very familiar body. Familiar hands card through your hair and squeeze you with just the right amount of pressure that makes you go all limp and boneless.

You sniffle.

"Jenni?"

"Hi, Bambi," She coos at you. Kisses land on the top of your head.

You don't even notice Mapi and Ingrid leaving, so nice and secure in Jenni's arms.

"I missed you," You whisper.

"I missed you too. I always miss my favourite little girl."

You sniffle again, pulling away. You don't believe her. Mami used to say the same thing. You want to believe Jenni but you don't because you believed Mami once and all she did was lie to you.

"I missed you so, so much. See?" Jenni says. One hand lets go of you to pull out her phone. She turns on her lock screen.

It's a picture of you and her from the last time you saw each other.

You're smiling and Jenni's smiling too and more tears run unchecked down your cheeks.

"I missed you, Jenni," You whimper.

"I missed you too, Bambi. Do you want another cuddle?"

You nod.

You're absolutely tiny compared to her, so tiny and weak and completely broken. Jenni could scarcely believe it when Mapi called out of the blue.

She was in the middle of training but something told her to pick up and she did. The words came out of Mapi's mouth like an avalanche and Jenni didn't believe them.

"Alexia wouldn't neglect Bambi," She'd replied," Don't be stupid, Mapi. Bambi is the greatest thing in her life."

It was only later that Jenni realised that maybe she was projecting. You were the greatest thing in her life and had been since you were born.

You were even smaller than you were now, swaddled in a pale pink blanket Jenni had seen at a store one day and bought randomly. You had fit so beautifully in her arms with your tiny little limbs. You were everything and more and Jenni had felt jealousy stir within her that you were Alexia's.

You were the greatest thing in Jenni's life and she couldn't understand that there was a world where you weren't the greatest thing in Alexia's too.

You still fit so perfectly against her, like when you were younger, even though you're so different to then. You're so different yet completely the same.

Your trains are scattered around Alba's living room floor. You swing your legs when Jenni picks you up and you rest your head against her shoulder until all she can feel are the soft, sleepy puffs of your breath against her neck.

"You didn't have to come," Alba says softly," I don't want you to miss your matches."

"I took time off," Jenni says dismissively as she moves you until you're tucked more securely against her, completely asleep after crying yourself out," Bambi comes first."

"Jenni-"

"I almost adopted her, you know," Jenni cuts her off, blinking her own tears away," When Alexia and I were still together. Everything was nearly finished. I still have the papers. I'd signed everything. I just needed Alexia's signature giving her permission."

It's new information to Alba, clearly, but Jenni had assumed that. It was meant to be a quiet thing, a surprise for you and the rest of the family.

"And then you broke up," Alba replies.

"And then we broke up." Jenni looks down at you. Even in your sleep, you look troubled, your hand tightly making a fist around her shirt like you're afraid that she's going to disappear. "I was still happy to go through with it but I was going to Mexico and Alexia thought it would cause too much stress on Bambi. She was right, of course, but...I can't believe she's done this."

Jenni's still in shock from it all. She'd left for Mexico thinking that you would be loved, that you would be so loved by Alexia and whoever she ended up with, whoever else would adopt you in Jenni's stead. She didn't think anything like this was even possible.

"Have you got a place to stay?"

"There's a hotel-"

"Stay here," Alba says," I've only got one spare room but I don't think Bambi minds sharing. She's been sleeping with me most nights anyway."

If Jenni didn't care as much, she'd try to resist but you feel so soft and small against her that she doesn't care. She doesn't want to get a hotel room across the city. She wants to be right here, with you.

"Thank you, Alba."

"She's got ballet at three. You can take her if you want. Parents can stay in the reception area and watch."

When you wake up from your impromptu nap, it's to the shocking realisation that Jenni is real. She's real and she's holding you, lounging back on the sofa and watching tv. She's holding you and she lays soft kisses on top of your head every so often. She's laying soft kisses on your head and her nails are gently scratching at your back.

"We've got ballet soon," She whispers to you when she notices your staring," Do you feel better?"

You nod, dropping your head back down onto her chest as more kisses rain down on top of you.

"Do you enjoy ballet?" Jenni asks. Her voice is still soft and low and it wraps you up in a nice bubble that feels like the Before.

"Yes." Your voice is as equally quiet and soft.

"More than football?"

The thought of football makes your stomach go wavy. It churns and swirls and your throat closes up. "Mami was upset," You whisper," Because I was not very good when she took me."

A few months before Jaume was born, Mami took you to a team of kids your age. She had watched you with eagle eyes the whole time as the other kids left you in the dust. She hadn't yelled. She hadn't screamed but she had gone quiet.

You'd asked her what was wrong when she was driving home, her hands clenching the steering wheel so tight her knuckles went white.

"Nothing is wrong," She'd said to you," I'm just disappointed."

She'd taken you back a few more times but every time it was the same. Every day ended with 'I'm just disappointed'.

It was Abuela that told Mami to put you into ballet, spending weeks convincing her that you not playing football wasn't the end of the world.

You're scared Jenni is going to be the same so you scrunch your eyes up tight and wait for this familiar words.

"Do you really like ballet?" Jenni asks instead.

You wonder if this is a trick. You don't know what you're supposed to say so you settle on the truth. Tia Alba always tells you that you can't get in trouble for saying the truth.

"I think I like it more than I like my trains," You murmur and Jenni lands a kiss on your head.

"Well, you've got ballet in a bit," Jenni says," Is it okay if I come to watch?"

"Please, Jenni."

The ballet studio wasn't too far from Alba's house, a walkable distance between it and Alexia's.

You seemed to get more and more excited the closer you got until you were practically vibrating as Jenni swapped your trainers for your ballet pumps, twisting your hair back into a bun for you.

There's a space of parents to sit and wait, able to peer in on the session through the glass doors.

"I haven't seen you here before," One of the mothers say," Usually, Alexia drops her off and leaves. It's nice that someone is staying."

"I'm Jenni."

"y/n's other mother then? It's nice to meet you."

Jenni knows that she should correct this woman. You're not hers. You're Alexia's. But...she doesn't. She doesn't correct her because, just this once, she wants to live this fantasy where you're hers and you're happy.

"You too," Jenni says, neither confirming or denying this woman's assumption.

Her eyes don't stray from you, not even for a second. You're more animated than Jenni thinks you've been in a while. You're smiling and you're moving and that lingering air of sadness is almost completely gone.

Jenni could pretend that you were happy if it weren't for the fact that you keep glancing out the door, looking genuinely surprised that she's there every time you make eye contact.

"It's so nice that she has someone to support her," The mum from earlier continues," It's such a shame that Alexia never stays to watch. She's so talented."

Jenni's eyes stray to the door, a bolt of lightning shooting down her spine when she notices a very familiar women trying to peer through the reception doors.

"Excuse me." Jenni dismisses herself. She grabs the woman's arm as soon as she's out the door. "You've got a lot of fucking nerve showing up here. I heard Eli banned you from seeing her."

There's a fire in Alexia's eyes that tells Jenni all she needs to know. This wasn't a coincidence.

"How can I make amends if none of you let me see her? What are you even doing here, huh? Last I checked, you live in Mexico."

"And last I checked you were a good mother!"

Jenni balls her hands up into fists to stop herself from lashing out. She pushes away from Alexia, taking a few deep breaths away.

"Just...go away, Alexia."

"No!" Alexia looks half to tears. "No, I won't! That's my baby in there! I just want to see if she's okay!"

"She's going to be okay! But you need to leave her alone!"

"I'm her mother! I shouldn't have to leave her alone! She's mine!"

Jenni sighs, turning her back to her ex. "Go, Ale."

"Jenni...Jenni, please. That's my baby."

Jenni ignores her, shoving the door open and letting it swing shut right in Alexia's face.

"Coparenting issues?" The mother from earlier asks. She tuts. "I remember those days. It'll get better."

Jenni makes a noise of acknowledgement and focuses back on you.

When you come out nearly an hour later, you're so excited, grabbing Jenni's hand and pulling her all the way over to your dance teacher.

"You're not Alexia," The woman says.

"Jenni. Jenni Hermoso. I'm y/n's-"

She has to stop herself. She's not sure what to say. She's not your mother. She's not your step-mother. She's the woman that could have adopted you, once upon a time.

"I'm Jenni," She settles on.

"Well, Jenni, if you could pass this along to Alexia? I run another class on Thursdays for the more..." She glances around, lowering her voice. "Advanced students. I really think your y/n would fit right in."

She hands Jenni a permission slip and information pack and Jenni just nods dumbly, one hand holding yours and the other this stack of papers.

"Er...yeah," She says," I'll get it to her."

The teacher smiles and bids you goodbye as the older children flood into her studio.

"Advanced, huh?" Jenni says, beaming at you as she hoists you up onto her hip.

You don't make eye contact. "Is that okay? Mami says sometimes that dance is hard to fit in with her schedule."

"I'm not Mami," Jenni says, her eyes flicking to where Alexia is standing in the car park, just watching," It fits perfectly into my schedule."

Alexia looks pathetic, Jenni thinks. She looks small and curled in on herself, nothing like the strong Barcelona captain she knows Alexia is. She looks exhausted too, more exhausted than someone with just a simple newborn.

It's eating her up inside, Jenni knows this but she can find no sympathy in her for the woman she once dreamed of parenting you with.

She dug her grave. Now she must lie in it.

But Jenni's certain that she's not going to let Alexia bury you too.

"That's Mami." Your smile drops from your face and your shoulders slump when you notice Alexia.

"It is," Jenni confirms, standing in the middle of the pavement.

She doesn't want Alexia to see you but she doesn't want you to stop seeing Alexia if you want to see her.

"Is she here to take me away?" Your voice wobbles and you look over at your Mami from under your lashes.

"I think she's just here to see how your lesson went."

"She got me a train and another present," You whisper," I haven't opened them. Will she be angry at me?"

"No, Bambi," Jenni says and her next words taste like ash in her mouth," Your Mami loves you too much to be angry at you."

"And she won't take me from you?"

"No one is going to take you from me."

You bite at your lip and Jenni hates the uncertainty in your eyes. "Can...Can we see Mami?"

"If you want."

"Please, Jenni."

Her steps are careful and measured and Alexia stands up straight when she notices you both coming. She wipes her hands on her shirt and straightens out her clothes.

Jenni places you on the ground and Alexia kneels, her arms open for you.

You shy away, ducking behind Jenni's legs and peaking out.

Alexia feels like crying as she drops her arms. "Hola, Bambi," She says, trying to control the wobble in her voice," How was dance?"

"Good," You say," I...My teacher says I can move up. She gave Jenni papers."

Alexia frowns, her eyes flicking up to Jenni. "That's nice."

Jenni holds the papers out to her. "It's a permission slip and information pack," She says," For the advanced class. Bambi is very good at ballet."

Alexia flashes you a smile. "That's good, isn't it, Bambi? You're very good at ballet, huh?"

Your head bobs up and down. "My teacher thinks so."

"I'm very proud of you."

The look of shock on your face is heartbreaking, like you can't quite believe she's saying those words to you.

"Really?" Tears glisten in your eyes and Alexia hates herself for what she's done. You never used to be so uncertain around her.

Her throat closes up and she has to push past the lump to speak again. "So, so proud of you, Bambi. I'm glad you're doing so well at ballet. Maybe I can come and watch soon."

It's clear in that moment that Alexia has maybe pushed too far. The wounds of your neglect are still too raw for you, still open and weeping blood.

You recoil again and squeeze Jenni's hand.

"I have Jenni," You say," She watches me dance."

The look on Alexia's face is heartbroken and finally, Jenni feels the smallest bit of pity.

"Maybe not soon," She says, a hand stroking down the flyaways from your bun," Maybe one day."

"Maybe one day," You repeat softly and Alexia gives you a watery kind of smile in response.

"Maybe one day," She confirms. She stands properly again, looking at the papers in her hand. "I'll...I'll get these back to you signed off soon."

Jenni nods. "I'll talk to your mother. Supervised visits might not be out of the question."

"Thank you."

Jenni picks you up again as Alexia gets into her car. You don't leave her arms all the way back to Alba's place.

Jenni wasn't your mother. There was a chance, a long time ago, that she could have been but Alexia never signed on the dotted line, a line drawn in the sand that's now a gaping chasm.

Jenni isn't your mother but that doesn't mean she doesn't wish she was.

[meazalykov]

when the lullaby turns into nightmares

mother!alexia putellas x f!barcafem!mother!reader with features of platonic!irene paredes x f!mother!reader and a baby!oc

warnings: mentions of reciprocal IVF, postpartum rage, postpartum depression, aitana did not win the 2024 ballon d'or in this universe since reader did, anxiety, verbal and physical altercations in a football match, huge angst, comfort.

the crowd vibrates through your bones as you stand behind cata inside of the tunnel.

it’s your first match back, four months after giving birth to esmeralda or mini cariño, as you and alexia call her.

your daughter, with her tiny hands and alexia’s hazel eyes, is somewhere in the stands with her abuela, ale’s mom.

you can still feel the weight of her in your arms from this morning, her soft coos as you kissed her forehead before leaving for the stadium with her mami.

you’re back with barcelona, back with alexia, your fiancée of two years and partner for eight, along with your teammates who you love so dearly (and they love you back).

everyone has been watching on your return, and by everyone... I mean nearly most of the damn community.

you played five games only after your ballon d'or ceremony before the IVF succeeded. now, the ballon d’or you won in 2024 sits on a shelf at home, a glittering reminder of the peak you reached before pausing your career for motherhood.

you remember how alexia had been hesitant about the reciprocal ivf, the idea of you doing all of the hard work by carrying her baby. in a way, she figured that she would be the one since you were now in your prime.

however, one thing you took into consideration was alexia's injuries. especially her acl injury. thankfully, you've never had any injuries that have kept you out of play for more than two weeks, which is rare for a player with much intensity like you.

alexia needed more time to make up for her missing year, and you felt as if you needed a break from football.

you’d sat across from her in your shared apartment, ale's hands fidgeting as she voiced her fears.

“you’re at the top of your game, amor,” she’d said, her voice low, eyes searching yours.

“pausing for a baby… I know we both agreed but I am scared that you'll miss out on something important that might happen this season. another champions league.. no?”

“i won’t,” you’d promised, reaching for her hand.

“there’s no world cup soon. you’ve got the euros next year, and i’ll be back before you know it. i want this, ale. you want them too. i want us to have them.”

she’d softened, her thumb brushing over your knuckles.

“okay but if the process is too much, you tell me.”

you’d carried esmeralda for nine months, feeling her grow as your body changed. the birth was exhausting, beautiful, terrifying... esmeralda’s first cry echoing in the delivery room as alexia sobbed and held your hand. shit, giving birth to her lasted exactly ninety minutes. vicky later jokes that you played a football match in the delivery room.

“you're both perfect, amor,” alexia whispered, kissing your damp forehead.

against atlético madrid, you’re on for the last ten minutes. this is the first time you've seen an actual game in over a year. exactly one year ago you left.

before the match, your blue cleats for gamedays felt stiff as you put them on in the locker room. somehow, your feet weren't so swollen anymore thanks to your daughter being earthside.

the score is 2-1, barcelona leading.

your legs feel heavy but alive, and your muscles try to rememberthe rhythm of the pitch. when you intercept a pass and send it to salma, the crowd erupts, and you feel a spark of the old you...the you who outplayed your own teammate for that ballon d’or last season.

all you did was run around, pass the ball, and even won your first duel since being back. you were still strong, maybe even stronger.

after the whistle, alexia slings an arm around your shoulders, grinning “like you never left.”

“it felt good,” you say, but there’s a tightness in your chest you don’t mention.

esmeralda’s face flashes in your mind, and you wonder if she’s okay with her abuela.

you know she is, but you miss her little face.

the next few matches blur together.

you’re playing more minutes and you are finally starting against eibar and then real sociedad.

esmeralda is at every home game, bundled in a tiny barcelona jersey with her little cute matching jeans, her mini curls peeking out from a hat that alba (esmer's aunt, alexia's sister) made for her.

you wave to her from the pitch, heart swelling when ale's mom points you out. however, something’s shifting and you do not process it.

during this match against sociedad, the opposition’s tackles feel more personal.

before the first half ended a midfielder clips your ankle, and you snap, “watch what the hell you are doing!” before you can stop yourself.

your intensity and passion for the game has been around since the start of your career. I mean, being verbal and getting into debates were never new.

thankfully, the ref doesn’t hear you. however, alexia’s eyes flick to you, brow furrowing.

“you okay?” she asks in the locker room before the second half, tying her boots while the whole team overhears what romeu is trying to say.

“'m fine,” you mutter, but your hands shake as you re-braid your hair. you think of esmeralda’s late-night cries, how you’ve been up with her more than alexia because you’re still breastfeeding partially.

the exhaustion clings to you like damp grass.

at home, esmeralda is your sol. you cradle her after training, her warmth easing the knot in your chest.

“mi cariño,” you whisper, kissing her cheeks. alexia watches from the couch, her smile soft but tinged with worry.

“she’s growing so fast,” she says.

“too fast,” you reply, voice catching.

its funny, since esmeralda is still very much a three-month old baby.

however, you don’t tell alexia or anybody else how sometimes you feel like you’re failing esmeralda and how the joy of motherhood is laced with a heaviness you can’t name.

the champions league group stage against sporting lisbon is when everything in your life cracks.

you convince yourself that things are fine. you’re starting the match, you smile in the starting eleven picture, and esmeralda is in the stands with alba and an injured esmee.

the game is tense, 0-0 at halftime. you’re marking a portuguese winger who’s relentless. shes been dribbling past you, nudging you off balance. what the hell!?

its clear that she has been pissing you off. everyone can see that. your tackles have been more brutal, and the pushes aren't so discrete.

the left-wingers shoulder catches yours in the 60th minute, and you stumble, frustration boiling over.

“fuck off!” you hiss, shoving her lightly.

the player smirks, unfazed, and you nearly decided to get into her face as a intimation tactic before alexia jogs over, hand on your arm.

“cálmate, amor. she’s baiting you.”

“i’m fine,” you snap, shaking her off.

you’re not.

your head is in rage with a mix of exhaustion and something darker... rage that feels foreign, like it’s not yours. esmeralda’s face pops into your mind, and you wonder if she’s crying, if alba is struggling to soothe her.

in the 78th minute, another player tackles you hard when you almost got into their box, her clear studs grazing your shin.

you hit the ground, pain flaring, and before you can think, you’re up, in her face.

“ets estúpid!! who do you think you are?” you shout, chest heaving. she says something in portuguese, and you step closer, blood pounding in your ears.

the ref blows the whistle, yellow card raised at the girl before she raised one at you for screaming and 'verbal attacks' as she put it.

this is your first yellow card in years. seriously, the last one you had was when you nearly tore oberdorf's ankle off in some seek of revenge after she tackled you during the '23 champions league final.

the crowd murmurs, and you feel the team’s eyes on you...ingrid, sydney, even kika from the bench who could've clearly handled and translated the dispute if she was on the pitch.

alexia pulls you back with her voice sharp, “stop that. you’re better than this.”

you don’t answer, jaw tight as you basically walk away from the insulted portuguese player. the game ends 1-0, a late goal from claudia, but you barely register the win.

in the locker room, you sit alone, head in your hands. at first you were angry, but now the guilt screams in your mind.

you’re the most recent ballon d’or winner until the next one in a month... aka the player who’s supposed to stay composed and set an example for other footballers in the community, but you lost it out there.

esmeralda’s giggle echoes in your memory, and you feel sick for letting her see this version of you (even if she is just a now four-month-old baby who is more focused on sucking her thumbs).

alba brings esmeralda to the tunnel after the game. you take her in your arms, her warmth grounding you.

“mi vida,” you murmur, kissing her forehead. she babbles, grabbing your jersey, and for a moment, the guilt eases.

alexia watches as she rubs her daughter's head, her expression unreadable.

“you were off today,” she says later, as you walk to the car, esmeralda asleep in her stroller that alexia is pushing.

“what’s going on?”

“nothing,” you lie, but your voice cracks.

“it was just a bad game.”

ale doesn’t push, but her hand that is not pushing the stroller lingers on your back, warm and steady.

the next weeks are worse.

against valencia, you shove a defender on the ground after chasing the ball, nearly earning another yellow. at training, you nearly snapped at fridolina for a mistimed tackle, your words sharper than intended. the entire team is starting to pick up that something is wrong.

however, nobody seemed to understand.

except for irene.

irene first notices the shift in you during that training session. you were sprinting for a ball when a mistimed challenge from fridoline sends you rolling across the grass.

at first, you stayed on the grass which scared some of your teammates into believing that you were injured. shit, it scared you until the anger settled in.

you leap up, eyes blazing, and snap, “this is a training session not an actual match! watch where you’re going?” the venom in your voice makes everyone pause.

frido raises her hands, apologizing, but you storm off, muttering under your breath. irene’s stomach twists...she’s seen this before, not in you, but in her wife, after their son was born years ago.

irene's wife is not a footballer, but she is a mother too. the defender knows that postpartum illneses like depression, anxiety, and rage doesn't discriminate. it should be taken seriously too.

the woman's postpartum rage had been a storm: sharp words with sudden tears and a sadness that clung like damp cloth. irene recognizes the signs in you...the way your shoulders tense, the way you retreat after outbursts, the guilt flickering in your eyes when you think no one’s watching.

it’s not just the pitch.

at a team dinner, you barely touch your food, staring at your phone, likely checking on esmeralda while alexia is holding your hand. when vicky asks about es, you smile, but it’s strained, and you change the subject.

irene remembers her wife doing the same at home, deflecting joy because it felt like a betrayal of the heaviness inside. she remembers the sporting lisbon match and your yellow card for confronting the player. that answered the defender's questions.

she knows this isn’t just you “getting back into the game,” as alexia hopes. it’s postpartum, a beast that can sometimes end up getting worse until the point of no return if not treated quickly.

she remembers her wife (and her being there for support) had help through with therapy, support, and, for her wife, a low-dose antidepressant prescribed by their doctor.

however, what happens the night after your burst on fridolina scares the crap out of alexia. a point where alexia knew she needed external help for your situation.

it is 2 in the morning. the apartment is dark since it helps the baby sleep better. you’re curled in bed, exhaustion pulling you into a fragile sleep, alexia’s steady breathing beside you.

esmeralda sleeps in her crib across the room by the nice window, her soft snores a rare reprieve as her little breathing bracelet makes sure that she is sleeping normally.

for once, the world feels still. however, a piercing wail shatters the quiet. esmeralda’s screams slice through the haze, sharp and relentless, yanking you awake first before alexia.

your heart lurches, a jolt of panic seizing your chest.

you sit up, breath shallow, as the cries grow louder, each one a needle in your fraying nerves.

you’re so tired... a soul-crushing tired. four months since giving birth, and sleep is a thief, slipping away with every feeding, every diaper change and you have to play football at the same time.

the exhaustion fuels a spark of anger, hot and irrational, at being woken again.

you hate the feeling, hate how it twists toward esmeralda, your perfect girl. you’d never scream at her, but the urge to lash out...at the noise and the sleeplessness terrifies you.

your hands shake as you stumble out of bed, not trusting yourself.

“i can’t,” you whisper, voice breaking, and bolt for the bathroom, locking the door behind you.

inside, the tiles are cold against your bare feet. you slide down the wall, knees to your chest, and the screams echo through the door.

your mind screams at you as well.

why can’t i soothe her? why does her crying make me feel like this?

your stomach churns, nausea rising as your mind spirals. something’s wrong with you, deeply wrong, but the answers feel out of reach, buried under layers of shame and fog. tears stream down your face, hot and unstoppable.

you’re failing her, failing alexia, failing the version of yourself who once had the world at her feet and the lifted the ballon d’or in her hands.

the sobs come harder, ragged, and you press a hand over your mouth to muffle them, terrified of what you’re becoming.

outside, alexia’s voice is a desperate hum, cooing to esmeralda.

“shh, cariño, mamá’s here,” she murmurs, but her tone wavers, edged with fear. the crib creaks as she lifts the baby, rocking her gently.

esmeralda’s cries soften, but alexia’s focus is on the locked door.

“amor, please,” she calls, her voice cracking.

“open the door, she okay now. please??!! everything is okay now” she’s scared...terrified by the silence from you, by the way you fled while she was still opening her eyes.

she clutches esmeralda closer, tears welling in her hazel eyes, her heart pounding as she imagines you unraveling alone.

she knocks softly, then harder.

“y/n, please. we’re okay, but i need to see you.”

you hear her, her voice a lifeline through the fog of your panic. however, the shame keeps you frozen... how can I face her when I am this broken?

your breaths are shallow, chest tight with anxiety that feels like it’s clawing you apart.

you’re supposed to be strong, the one who carried esmeralda, who promised alexia everything would be fine. yet here you are, hiding, crying, sick with a darkness you can’t name.

postpartum anxiety, depression...the terms float in your mind, half-acknowledged, but they’re too heavy to grasp.

finally, her pleas break through.

“i’m here, amor. i’m not going anywhere.” her voice is so soft, so full of love, it hurts. you crawl to the door, hands trembling as you unlock it.

alexia’s there, esmeralda now quiet in her arms, her eyes wide with worry. she kneels, setting the baby in her bassinet, and jogs to pull you into her arms.

“i’ve got you,” she whispers, voice thick with tears. you cling to her, sobbing into her shoulder, her warmth anchoring you.

“i’m so sorry,” you choke out.

“i don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“you-you''ll be okay,” she says, but her hands shake as she holds you. she knows you are not okay now, and does not know when you will be.

she’s terrified, her mind racing.

for a while, shes considered this option but didn't want to involve other parties at first. now, she knows she might need help from the one other teammate who might understand... irene.

as you tremble in her arms, alexia resolves to call her, desperate for guidance to help you through this storm.

the next day, alexia seeks irene out in the captain’s office, game plans forgotten on the desk.

“irene,” alexia says, voice low, “I'm sorry... I know this is not entirely football related but something’s wrong with y/n. she’s… angry, sad. last night she hid in the bathroom when the baby started screaming... i don’t know what to do?” her eyes are desperate as she speaks rapidly in catalan, hands fidgeting, the weight of being your fiancée and captain pressing hard.

irene closes the door, sitting across from her.

“don't worry, its okay to come to me. i’ve seen it, ale. the way she snaps, the way she pulls away... it’s not just her. my wife went through it too. it’s postpartum rage and depression. my wife would yell over nothing, then cry for hours, feeling like she was failing us. y/n’s showing the same signs: the outburst at frido, the yellow card, how she shuts down after games. she’s carrying esmeralda and the high expectations from everyone... it’s too much.”

alexia’s face falls.

“she says she’s fine. i don’t want to make her feel worse.”

“she’s not fine,” irene says gently but firmly.

“she might not see it yet. with my wife i learned to be supportive without fixing. listen to her, love her through it, but don’t let her brush it off. postpartum isn’t just emotional since it can need more than words. she might need therapy and medication. the club’s medical team can recommend a therapist, maybe a psychiatrist for y/n. they helped us find someone for me and my wife...." she says.

alexia nods, eyes glistening.

“i just want her to be okay. her and es.”

“she will be,” irene assures.

“be patient. show her you’re there, no matter what. and talk to the club after you leave me here. they’ll know resources... therapists, support groups, even medication if it comes to that. you and y/n are not alone in this, ale.”

over the next few months irene becomes your quiet mentor, checking in after training, sharing her story to ease your shame. she teaches alexia to hold space for your pain, and together, they guide you toward help.

a seven month old es is at home with a sitter, and you miss her so much it aches. you’re sleeping less, the baby’s nighttime schedule leaving you drained.

when you look in the mirror, the woman staring back feels like a stranger.

alexia sees you looking at yourself. your face is full of concern, as if you were staring at a stranger. from behind, she cups your face, eyes locked on yours.

“you look beautiful." she lightly smiles, one of her hands going around your waist.

you frown, not sure if you believe that yourself.

"you don't believe that, but it is true. y/n, I'm sorry that you’re not at your best.... however, that’s okay. you carried our daughter, and gave us this beautiful life, but you don’t have to carry this alone.... let me help you, please.”

tears spill over, and you hate how vulnerable you feel.

“i don’t want to be weak,” you whisper.

“you’re not weak,” she says fiercely, “you’re the strongest person I know, but even the strongest people need help sometimes.”

the next day, you call a therapist recommended by the club’s medical team. the first session is hard...talking about the pregnancy and the birth. it was hard because of the rage and the guilt you feel after all of the pregnancy glory came crashing down.

what hurts is how esmeralda’s cries sometimes make you want to scream. you told the therapist that, and you feel like a monster.

however, talking about your problems is a start.

alexia sits with you at home, holding your hand as you process. “don't worry... we’re in this together,” she says, kissing your knuckles.

on the pitch, you’re more cautious, channeling the anger into focus. against bayern munich in the champions league, you score a header. it is your first goal since being back from giving birth.

esmeralda’s name is written on the tape beneath your wristband. the crowd chants your name, and for the first time in months, you feel like yourself again.

this is the first game where you didn't let your anger take control of your gameplay, and you let tackle errors from an opponent pass by.

after the game, you stayed on the pitch to talk to pernille, who is one of your closet friends outside of the barcelona team, for around twenty minutes.

as you walk back towards the locker room, alexia meets you at the tunnel, esmeralda in her arms, and you hold them both, heart full.

“i’m proud of you,” alexia whispers.

“for fighting for yourself, and for us.”

you kiss her, then esmeralda’s soft cheek.

“i’m trying,” you say.

it’s not perfect.

some days, the rage creeps back, or the sadness feels too heavy. however, you talk to your therapist, lean on alexia, take your needed medications with the advisory of the club's doctor, and hold esmeralda close.

masterlist

[spliffymae]

forgotten connie drabble (18+ mdni)

★　*　　°　　　　🛰 　°. 🌓　•　　.°•　　　🚀

“SURPRISE!”

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY CONNIE!”

you moved to the side once you were inside, coming in behind the man of the hour himself. sasha had been running rampant to throw him an amazing surprise party. and you were in on it, tasked with bringing connie home from work and acting as if you know nothing about what the current day was.

which proved to be hard the second connie got into your car after putting his bag in the back seat. “ahh shit! they got mi cielita to take me out. where we going, mami?” connie was grinning ear to ear as he looked at you, dimples popping below red freckled cheeks.

he was so cute, and you were gonna hate to do this but, “what’re you on about, springer?” you scrunched your face up in confusion at him. you then quickly looked ahead to pull out the parking lot. if you looked at him for too long you were sure you’d crack.

connie rolled his eyes, not buying your ignorance. “oh stop that, y’know what i’m talking bout.” he said as he buckled himself in and then reclined the passenger seat.

with the strongest will you could muster, you kept up the confusion, looking back at him and with a quirked brow, “you got a game or sum?” you asked, knowing damn well he had nothing going on today. his birthday happened to land on the off day for ball practice AND track practice, not to mention he didn’t have class either.

now, when sasha told you to act like you forgot that his birthday was today, she failed to mention to you that it was something connie’s mother had done plenty of times in his life…not as a joke, though.

connie really cared about four women in his life: you, sasha, his little sister, and his mom. so you forgetting his day took a pin to his bubble and popped the fuck out of it. he didn’t dwell on the subject anymore, changing to now talk about your days. however, connie was feeling down on the inside. all his friends had wished him a happy birthday either via call, text, or social media post. have you not been on your phone today?

when you pulled up to his and sasha’s shared apartment, you flashed him a smile but it was not reciprocated. connie was staring ahead, zoned out in thought. so much so he doesn’t feel you turn the car off or hear you call his name.

“con” you pushed his shoulder slightly, getting him to snap out of his own head.

“hm?”

“we’re at your place. is it cool if i come up to use the bathroom?” you usually wouldn’t say anything and invite yourself into his apartment. days when you’d get him we’re days you set aside to hang with him. but today seems to be different. connie wondered if you had made plans that made you forget about his birthday.

“uh yeah, sure.” he said lowly. he reached back to grab his backpack and with that, got out the car. you could see the defeat in his walk towards the doors. he was mumbling to himself, more times trying to dissect what the hell was going on with you. because you wouldn’t just forget, right?

you got out the car and sped walk to catch up, sending sasha a quick text to let her know yall were back. you also cussed her for telling you to do this to connie, knowing how pouty he gets.

the walk to the elevator was quite, along with you two getting off at his floor and going to his apartment. however, before connie turned the key he put into the lock, he turned to you. his eyes were glossed over and cheeks dusted with a crimson red. he was chewing on his bottom lip, hazel eyes filled with worry. “did i do something, mami? you mad at me?”

and oh my god you wanted to break the act right there…but you were RIGHT THERE.

you blinked, “what do you mean, con? why would i be?” you wanted him to just open the door. once he opened the door you could drop the act, you could give him all the birthday love you were holding in since midnight.

connie let out a sigh and turned back around, giving up on the matter and turning the lock to go in. the day was no longer felt good. what good was a birthday if the one person he wanted to spend it with forgot about it?

when the door opened, connie walked inside and turned on the light and was immediately met with screams, cheers, and camera lights in his face.

which brings us here, to where he freezes and looks around at his friends from his basketball team, work, childhood, and sasha standing in the middle with a cake.

connie spent a good couple seconds taking everything in, he was slightly embarrassed to say once he believed you had forgotten he immediately forgot the day, choosing to just wallow in his room as he smoked a spliff.

you took a step forward, hands behind your back and coming up on his right. “happy birthday, connie.” you bumped him with your hip, once again snapping him out of his own head and bringing him back to the present.

the big, toothy smile he had in your car came back, now decorated with deep dimples and eyes watery with tears of appreciation.

just as he was about to say something to you, jean pulled him away, leaving you two with an unfinished conversation.

•　　.°•

you were talking to sasha in the kitchen as connie was socializing with all his guests. he hadn’t had the chance to come back to you just yet, but you weren’t worried. you didn’t plan on going anywhere.

“i told you! he’s so brain dead when it comes to you that he’ll completely forget everything. did you see how lost he looked when he saw us?” sasha was so happy that her plan had turned out well. she knew her best friend well enough to know it wasn’t going to take a lot to get his mind off his literal day of birth. not when you were the one thing that stayed on his mind and could pull his attention from anything.

you playfully rolled your eyes, “i still hated seeing how sad he looked. why didn’t you tell me i was damn near triggering him?!” you were nursing your second cup of a mimosa, slightly tipsy.

sasha giggled. she, on the other hand, had been four shots in from when you guys came in. “i forgot. but it’s all good now. oop—here he comes.” before you knew it, sasha had stepped away and now connie was in your space.

his eyes were low and bloodshot, having just come back from a hotbox with his guys in the car. “mami, you really are sum special.” he grabbed your hand, lacing your fingers together and pulling you to be flush against him.

you smiled, “sasha made me, pa. you know i would never forget your day.” you traced his lips with your finger, your acrylic nail going along his prominent cupids bow. connie held your hand still and kissed your finger, then moved your hand so it was at the back of his head. it brought you closer into his space, his cologne taking over your senses. he loweeeed his head to touch yours, looking in your eyes.

“¿dónde está mi regalo, princesa? his hands trailed up from your waist to your back, to your elbow and then shoulder. he tucked one of your locs behind your ear, staring at you as if you held both the moon and the stars. “i been dying to unwrap it” his eyes were scanning all over your face, taunting you with his hidden meaning.

“quiero mi pastel, ma. soy hambriento.” he undid the button with ease, bringing you to gasp and instinctively grip the small curls on the back of his neck.

“later.” you said softly, giving him a sweet smile to match. but connie smirked with wickedness, red eyes gleaming of mischief. his hand trailed back down to the waistband of your baggy pants.

“c-con.” you could feel his long and slender fingers pad over your core. he pressed his index and his middle against your clit, sending a jolt up your spine. “this party’s for you.” you bit your lip when you felt him move them in a circular motion, the wetness of your pussy dampening your panties.

“it’s my birthday, right? i can do whatever i want, right?” you were gonna answer, but then he pushed your panties to the side. he had rubbed your lips to collect your slick on his fingers, and slowly began to push them inside of you. your mouth opened, but no words came out.

“oh princesa, did you forget how to talk? just like how you forgot papi’s birthday?” he tsked, shaking his head, “made me so sad. y’know” the force of his thrusts picked up, knocking you back to grip the edge of the counter behind up. “a mean joke you guys pulled on me.”

“pa…i-i can’t be quiet” you panicked, looking at connie with worrisome eyes. he knew you were a screamer, fuck it was what he loved about you. pleasure would overwhelm you quick and all your composure would go flying out the window. you got animalistic when you’d approach your peak, and connie never missed the chance to see it. but today, you were doing your best to show restraint the clench of your jaw let him know you really wanted to get it out but were resisting.

connie took his other hand to rub a thumb on your clit, turning his ears off to anything that wasn’t your faulty breaths or straggled moans. “hm…guess i forgot.”

[lqveharrington]

Many Kisses | M.M

summary: miles is just too cute and you can’t contain it anymore, him returning it back <3

pairing: earth 1610!miles morales x fem!reader

warnings: (not proof read !!) no use of y/n, fluff, loads of kissing, miles being an adorable person and great boyfriend in general, lmk if i missed any

a/n: my brain just thinks on a daily that miles is so cute that i wanna pocket him and keep him for myself, ALSO, i do truly believe miles would call his s/o cute names in spanish a lot because of his mother. (p.s. the other one-shot is under way !!)

————

You were beyond bored, scrolling through your phone to at least sufism the boredom Miles left you in. He was playing video games and you were curled up in his bed, not entirely sure why he invited you over in the first place.

You had changed into some of his clothes upon arriving, picking his oversized shirt and old shorts to feel more contented despite the lack of affection coming from your boyfriend.

“Miles?” You call out, turning to face his backside.

“Amor?” He responded back in his subtle flirty way.

You huff in amusement, pulling his blanket closer to yourself as the smell gave you comfort. “How much longer do you have?”

“Uh, I don’t know… It could be awhile. Why?” Miles leaned with the game, slightly jumping. “You good?”

“What? Yeah, m’just bored.” You smile at how he focused on the game, knowing that his tongue was poking out.

It was normal for Miles to put all his attention on one thing and still be so cute while doing so. Working on a school project, helping his mother cook, or simply sleeping next to you. But for you being the only one to enjoy his adorable face making and mannerisms, you felt like pocketing him up and keeping him for yourself.

You stared at him while he was gaming, but being too quiet brought Miles’ attention back on you.

“Mi vida?” Miles pushed away from his set up as the loading screen pulled up, spinning around to face you instead. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

You hum, pink dusting your cheeks. “Jus’ thinking.”

“What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” He take your hand and laced it with his. “Besides me of course.”

“Technically, nothing else.” You mumble, glancing away from him and down to your intertwined hands. “Your just so… I’m not too sure how to describe it. Like, ugh.”

“Like, ugh?” He raised his brows.

You click your tongue, “Like so cute, I guess is a word to describe it. I just wanna squeeze you so hard with a hug and never let go.”

“Cuteness aggression comin’ outta no where.” Miles’ pecks your hand. “Give me a sec.”

You shut your eyes as he lets go of your hand, sinking into the comfort of his bed. Only when you feel the weight shift on the bed do you open your eyes.

“What’re you doing, Miles? I thought you and Ganke had to game for a bit?” You question as he slots himself in between your legs, head resting on your shoulder.

“We did, but I realized that my amazing, cute girlfriend needed my attention.” He pecked some of your exposed shoulder, slowly making his way up. “You’re just so incredible, mi vida.”

You blink, feeling tired from the weight on you.

He continued to leave light kisses and kissed all over your face. Your forehead, cheeks, nose, anywhere accessible to him he would kiss. The one place you wanted a kiss he was purposely avoiding.

You give a joking pout, still patiently waiting for the kiss on your lips but still received none.

Miles left one last kiss on your forehead before laying back down, moving his body to lay on his side to face you.

Staring at his lips then back to his eyes, you sigh. “Miles?”

He hummed, keep his arms around your waist secure as your legs were tangled with his.

“I wanna kiss.”

“You got plenty of kisses.” He tried to hide his amusement, knowing you weren’t going to stop until you got a kiss on your lips.

“Yeah, I guess…” You bit your lip and think about your next move. “But you kinda missed a spot?”

“Where, mami?” Miles took one of his hand and brought it under your chin. He left a soft kiss to your cheek, “Here?”

You let a small smile slip through, “No…”

“You gotta tell me where, baby.” He rubbed the soft part of your check with his thumb. “Otherwise, I won’t know.”

“Here.” You pointed to your lips, his eyes following your movements.

He pulls you close to him, kissing you on the lips with his own soft ones, smiling into it when you quickly return the kiss. You cup his face, kissing him multiple times and giggling when he copies you.

“I love you so so so much.” You mumbled between kisses.

“I love you so much, more than you will ever know.” Miles says after giving you one last kiss and rests his forehead on yours. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

————

© lqveharrington — all rights reserved. do not copy, translate or share my work on other media platforms.

[ramenhue88]

Kyoko and Homura

I was reading some fan work (It's about Kyoko and Sayaka baiting Homura to help them with their summer homework) online and the author pointed something out. (Read from right to left)

And it really is true, Homura never calls Sayaka by just her first name. Homura only calls two people by their first name. The first one is, of course, Madoka. The second one is...

Kyoko Sakura I immediately thought of the relationship between these two in the series.

^ This one where Kyoko respects Homura and their deal. She lets Homura deal with Sayaka instead of interfering. There was a vibe of friendly banter with the two of them. Something Homura hasn't shown the other girls in the series. It's because everyone was automatically hostile towards Homura (I mean... can you blame them?). Surprisingly, even when Homura threatened Kyoko (their first meeting where Homura saved Sayaka), Kyoko never took it to heart. She still had the heart to banter with Homura even after that exchange.

^ In this scene where Homura introduces the Walpurgis to Kyoko, she tries to connect to Homura by telling her that the two of them are exactly the same. As the saying goes, birds of the same feather flock together. But I see this as an attempt of Kyoko to get Homura to open up to her instead of having such a professional relationship.

^ This, where Kyoko doesn't angrily lash out at Homura for trying to kill Sayaka, but she tries to get an answer to Homura's actions. Kyoko understands that Homura is a person that acts on reason not on emotion. (But we know she acts more on emotion when it comes to Madoka) So Homura suddenly wanting to kill Sayaka was mysterious to her. (But not for us because we know what prompted her to want to kill Sayaka was for Madoka's sake)

^ In the series' timeline, Kyoko was the only one who knew what Homura can do because Homura told her, AND ONLY HER because Homura knows that she's substantially A LOT weaker if people knew what she can do, see Mami vs Homura in Rebellion. Homura's whole game plan hinges on the enemy not knowing what she can do. So, her telling Kyoko what kind of magic she has, shows that she trusts Kyoko with this knowledge. (Also, side note, Homura really is just the number 1 Sayaka hater, telling Kyoko to "toss that useless hunk of meat aside" lol).

^ In this part Kyoko repeats what Homura told her before and you can see that Homura feels some regret talking to her like that. I would like to think that Kyoko was referring to herself when she said "burden" because Walpurgis IS THE FIGHT and Kyoko will be a burden if she were to survive. But I think what's really happening is that she's just returning what Homura told her. (Like the friendly banter I mentioned earlier). Calling Homura a burden as a one last "GOTCHA!" to her friend. Now let's go to Rebellion.

^ Homura called out to Kyoko first because she was "acting differently from what I know". This just implies that Homura knows Kyoko more than the other 2 (Mami and Sayaka). Homura knows Kyoko as the aggressive and 'in your face' type of person. I also like to think that Homura is closer to Kyoko than them. If Homura were to rank them, it would be. 1. Madoka 2. Kyoko 3. Mami 4. Sayaka (Sayaka hater inbound) When it came to Kyoko too, she also saw Homura as someone who was acting out of character. Thus her comment..

(Bonus: Kyoko's act of friendship is sharing her food because how important it is to her.)

When Homura found out who was the witch, she called Kyoko immediately and updated her.

^ We get this scene where she hurriedly wants to help Homura. Dropping everything that is going on, wanting to help her friend with the problem she's facing.

^ Homura also apologizing to Kyouko as a last farewell to her. In Homura's POV this is her last call before she dies, before she becomes a witch. Homura chose to call Kyoko for 4 possible reasons. 1. It's to update Kyoko on what happened to her. 2. Bid farewell to a dear friend (I like this one the most) 3. Apologize to Kyoko for putting the Quintet in risk, so that she can ease some of the pain in her heart. She wouldn't call Madoka because she already had a heartfelt moment with her in the flower field. This scene, this wonderful scene of these two.

^ This scene alone shows so much about the relationship of this two. Kyouko mourning the loss of her friend and that face touch. It shows how emotionally intimate Kyouko is as a person (We already saw that in the series with Sayaka). And maybe she blames herself for not being able to help Homura with whatever happened. These 2 really trust each other and care for each other. I am inclined to believe that in one of Homura's timelines, Kyouko told her all about her past and Homura in return told her of hers. That would explain the connection these two have. I can see these two as very, VEry ,VERY close friends. In the end of Rebellion. Homura made Kyoko their classmate and put her beside Sayaka because she knows that these two are close to each other and care for each other. Homura knows that this is what will make Kyoko happy.

(Oh Homura, how nice of you)

^ In the final scene we can see Kyoko and Sayaka having fun in their new life thanks to the new world Homura sewed up for them.

^ I don't know what Homura and Kyoko's relationship is in this new world. But I hope it's a good one because the friendship in this two is something that I've always held in high regard in the series.

BONUS This is from a memoria from the gacha game (RIP NA) Magia Record titled, "My School Life". The descriptions reads: Perhaps another world could have existed where Witches weren't a part of my day-to-day life. Maybe I would have gone to school like normal, chatted with friends like normal, and gone home after school like normal. And it's cute that the picture they used is Homura and Kyoko.

[sunsetsover]

honestly you are so right with saying people condemn KB for being so toxic while praising FS for their "pure love" and sure they expressed the common concept of love more than KB cuz there were less stakes for Style so he was allowed to be more honest and open compared to Kant

BUT THEY ARE ALSO TOXIC

lets not forget how it started, Style was not forced Kant was ready to find another solution and then Style HIMSELF suggested the stupid car, and proceded to me an absolute menace to Fadel: he stalked, forcibly kissed and made fun of his support group all FOR A FAR

yeah sure he started to like Fadel in the process but it's hard to pinppint clearly when ut happend, smae for Fadel when did he start to like Style? I feel like tho for him is easier he was lonely and Style quenched that loneliness with attention, if Kant used lovebombing making him appear "fake" Style used annoyance to break Fadel which is as bad as all Kant did! but no people think he was "funny and charming" no babygirl he was being an ass and came closer to Fadel shoving a spatula in his neck and honestly I would not have faulted him that much, and as far as characters go Fadel I was more kind to cuz aside from the assassin thing he had to deal with Style which was a lot but yeah thw punch was a little overdoing it(especially after the sex if it was just a kiss and then the punch I feel it would have been less bad) even tho Style did crush his support group

but yeah people seem to forget all of that cuz they are now more "lovely dovely" and "true to themselves" and duh of course they are cuz Style is not being forced to do this cuz he has to protect his brother! and yes he was now dragged into knowing and is lying too but he doe not have the same stakes Kant has! so he can be more free, plus he is the most optimistic one of course he would believe things would patch up and they can road into the sunset together

anyway all of this paragraph was to say I agree with you and that FS enjoyers have rose tinted glasses on and only see the parts they want to see aka: Style and Fadel love eachother more and their feelings are true while Kant and Bison aren't it's only onesided Kant would literally bolt as soon as he can, failing to realize that it's meant to look like that cuz of circumstances and the 4 as characters SF are more honest and straightforward while KB are more calculating and guarded thats how they operate Bison himself has played a whole fucking chess game with Kant to see if he should actually date the guy Fadel folded the minute he got attention and thats the point! they are opposite to how they appear: Fadel stoic and meticulous on the outside while emotional and lonely on the inside, Bison fickle and reckless on the outside observant and calculating on the inside

it's just how they are and if you like a couple more thats fine you CAN(general you now talking to the KB haters FS enjoyers that feel called out) we are not saying KB are better cuz so and so you can love FS more it's the comparing and constant hate thats pissing us off, because it feels like you need to hate on KB to feel validated and that is shitty on so mamy levels, cuz you refuse to see the fucked up sides of FS only caring about what you WANT to care about disregarding the toxic parts which are inherent to the show and characters because spoilers they are did fucked up shit for one reason or another

so let people love and enjoy who they want, be it KB, FS or any other character and keep the hating to your blog or private and don't go into Kant and KB enjoyers blogs or inbox to try and change their ideas cuz it wont happen thanks to poorly expressed hate

sorry for this massive rant but sometime one need to express themselves

don't apologise, i can tell you've been holding this in and i KNOW this felt good af to get off your chest 😭😭

and i really don't have much to add, i agree with you! it just pisses me off sooooo bad when people try and moralise these characters/relationships and go around acting like fadel/style are 'better' or that kant/bison are 'worse'. like by what logic? bc babygirl i can argue this inside out. like ok sure everyone loves to talk abt kant spiking bison bc it was objectively the worst thing that any of them had done to each other (at least until the boat thing, which was very interesting to me bc i did see a surprising number of ppl being really harsh on bison abt that. which is funny bc he literally had no idea how deep that fear went or where it come from and also weren't we all excited for bison's revenge? where did that energy go?) (also thought it was funny as hell that the fs girls looooved to bring this up as proof that kb r sooooo toxic and bad for each other only to have fadel try to do the same thing to style in ep 7 😭)

but! i think it'd be wrong not to consider the intentions and motivations behind all these characters' actions. and in MY personal opinion, style's actions AND his motivations were much shittier than kant's at the beginning. kant's were more extreme, sure, but he is cornered and desperate and trying to keep himself out of prison so he can keep custody of babe (who he's been raising since a baby btw). style was acting like a compete dickhead to that man, stalking and harassing him, over a car. like literally doing the most so he could get a car. his best friend's car. which was like the only thing his dead father left him btw. (and ppl love to call kant a shitty friend too which, ok, the whole settling him up with a hitman thing without telling him thing was not great. but style KNOWS that's the only thing kant's dad left him and apparently keeps asking for it ANYWAY so he's hardly friend of the year if we're honest). and i know ppl these days rarely have the capacity to actually look at things that objectively and go 'ok this thing was bad but lets try and understand it in context' so i shouldn't really be surprised but it's still annoying !

anyway i've said it before and i'll say it again, i truly believe there's only two real reasons people hate on kant and kant specifically: either they aren't paying close enough attention and/or don't have the media literacy to fully understand his character and his motives (as seen by people thinking he was doing all of this for MONEY like bitch hello? open ur eyes?) OR they're just don't like him and are so biased against him they can't be objective and they're using anything they can to tear him apart even if that makes themselves look goofy in the process.

and listen to be real i've felt that way abt characters myself before so i'd be a hypocrite to sit here and go 'no! you must be fair and like all the characters!' bc sometimes you just can't and your inner hater is just stronger and that's fine! i get it! but what i do have a problem with is people then projecting that hate outwards and being like 'um actually ☝️ he is a bad character who doesn't gaf about anyone but himself and none of his feelings are real and he's faking literally everything and him and bison shouldn't even end up together' bc its like. bitch you just made that up in your head!

like there is just so much nuance and depth to all these characters and they're so fun to sink your teeth into and i get that not everyone likes to consume shows like that and wanna see everything surface level which ok fine if that's your prerogative. but like. i feel like kant is not THAT difficult a character to understand. the police have him by the balls. he's got a baby brother to protect. he'd do whatever it takes to protect him. it's literally all there in episode one??

but tbf i have seen a lot more sympathy for kant after episode 7 (and like i said a lot more hostility towards bison than i would have expected. which is not a lot by any means but still a lot more than i would have thought) which is great! we love that! but i just don't get why it took so long. or i do tbh but that doesn't make me feel any better. like apparently media needs to spell everything out for us these days. apparently if a character isn't screaming crying throwing up and expressly spelling out their emotions in words they don't have any.

anyway moral of the story is that all of these people crying out for toxic yaoi are liars and that i WILL be gatekeeping kant from all these turncoats who wanna switch up now !

💞

[maguro13-2]

Downfall ~ Origins of the Ink Demon : Demon Days Pt.11

*At the Seattle/Bellevue Area*

"Downtown Park...Bellevue, Washington"

[Music: Outset Island Theme playing]

Nintendo Characters : Cheers!

*gives them a toast*

Magical Girls : Huzzah! Hooray for the Magical Girls!

Madoka : Thank you, thank you all. But no need to thank us. Just doing our jobs and our pleasures.

Back at Washington State, both the Magical Girls and the veterans of Nintendo were having a celebratory victory party of saving the beloved land from the heartless threat. As well for overthrowing the Dokeshi Shotaro who tried to get his revenge on Drawcia. Thinks worked out for

Miss Osaka : So it seems that the Shinigami faker has shown his place. I'm impressed. Serves him right for screwing things over. So what's up with you and time girl, feeling a little bit edgy that men were such delicate creatures?

Kyouko : If I was impregnated by an evil man, I'd still fight another one if I were you.

Mami : Well, I'm pleased, on behalf of it, that Shotaro the Dokeshi fella was behind this whole DWMA thing wasn't it?

Kyouko : Yeah, what a punk he is. Good thing Washington State is safe from harm. Although, the Time Eater from that hedgehog's world disappeared, I wonder Homura had her brother's will.

Miss Osaka : Now, I'd like to have a toast...for having this experience of the teacher of tomorrow!

Mami : Indeed. Saving the people, defeating the forces of evil, getting all the fame and glory from both countries, me and Kyouko had became partners for a very long time as heroes who defend the city from the evil forces.

Mami : However, I heard that Sally the Witch decided that this treaty in Washington would be a piece of cake.

Kyouko : But now that Homura time traveler fulfilled her brother's promise, wonder what that witch from the science corporation means about the powers from Homura's soul. I bet it's like a fairy tale, but isn't Sally from a fairy tale world as well for it?

Miss Osaka : You're heroes, you do what it's best, and now I do for the rest.

King Boo : Miss Osaka. I have finally got all things wrapped up. Death the Kid is in plain sight as a portrait, but that clowning poser Shotaro the Dokeshi is now a portrait in my brethren hands. You ladies are a wonderful bunch that we had to take care of some business around the multiverse.

King Boo : Especially bozo over here had a quenched up thirst for the skinhead punks.

King K. Rool : *with his iconic laughter* Get a load of the "Shinigami", he's not Shinigami when he's a dokeshi meaning clown! Ha! What a joke!

Shotaro/Shinigami (portrait) : "Ha-Ha-Ha!" Very funny, laugh while you can laughing gator! I know all of you villains thinking I'm the responisble. The Hakutaku would be known as a good fellow if you weren't like this!

King K. Rool : Oh, shut your pie hole. It's not like you had sympathy for magic and stuff, so why did you really hate witches.

Shotaro/Shinigami : It's because of my revenge for Drawcia and Adeleine, who sabotaged my entire life! And I Shotaro the Dokeshi would've made everyone a big threat, if it hadn't been for...

King K. Rool : Those meddling magical girls, we get that. Once a villain, always a villain.

Kyouko : I wonder how long we can give him a ruse. But I still have no idea of where is the actual Lord Death. Some say that anyone in this planet would be a dancing sensation.

Mami : Like wisely. It's prettier that I wanted to be in the fair game as well. Not funny as always, but it's a neat set up when it comes to the final curtain call.

Madoka : Just before you and me, I was having a friendly chat with the Sailor Senshis. You see, they had something in common with the shuttle's crash, and it turns out that it was the Red Stone that has been causing all of that.

Kyouko : Oh really? But haven't I seen that part about it? No chances on whether we seen witches and demons coming from afar, I see no dragons or no wizards, but witches and demons have been like this for a long time it's a part of their relationship.

Madoka : I see...That means a lot to them. Unlike the witches from our universe, witches and demons are a pretty good combo, I'm not sure if they are trust worthy to each other.

Sayaka : If there was a witch that needs to be disciplined or burned, you don't wanna get on their bad side. Pretty how much the witch haven stuff did a pretty solid job. Luckily, we have a good way of seeing our fortune seeking the glory.

Sayaka : Wonder what will this tomorrow of ours be ahead of us?

Miss Osaka : Pretty decent I might add. Although, would it be nice if I let someone out of the cage? I mean all of my demon pets or my former friends have given all the goods they need. After all, Washington State is a solid place of love and peace.

Kyouko : In the tomorrow, there will be some future magical girls that will arrive in this land to meet Sally the Witch. It could be the new era for all of us in the 21st century, you seemed to conked out with all that hard working stuff.

Miss Osaka : What can I say? I'm really paid out. Didn't even break a sweat. In case you haven't noticed, I want you meet the student of tomorrow. Is where I'm gonna meet.

Yotsuba : *waving hello* Hello!

Kyouko : This is where you will be meeting someone for a better tomorrow?

Miss Osaka In around 23 years, we just make it in history.

Yotsuba : Oh yah! Born to make history in 23 years!

Miss Osaka : Nice to see of it, I'll get along from being this "teacher" thing. She came here for a visit when I needed to get communications established. I bet that computer girl is holding up with all of that data. Wonder how she's doing back in Japan.

Meanwhile, at the Iwakura Residence, Lain was getting information about another Ink Demon that bears the Big Rex on it's body.

*keyboard typing*

Lain Iwakura : There has another robot that hasn't been established with communications.

Alice : What are you doing up on the computer, Lain? doing another research? What you're up to now?

Lain Iwakura : Trying to get in communications established to this robot. I bet you're organizing with the other Abe characters.

Alice : Seems fair. Lots to do with Mr. Abe, huh? Tough break, but there's a reference guide on the wall, you see it?

Lain Iwakura : Yeah, I have everything worked out. Bingo, I got communications established. It should be working by now.

Alice : Ah...Now I see.

[Music cue: The Base by Tomoya Ohtani]

Alice : Hey, get a load of this. Before G Wing's tenth anniversary, there used to be entry that happened around 10 years ago. Ah yes, the Mysterious disappearance of Gundam X.

Lain : Wasn't that robot show cancelled due to an ongoing incident.

Alice : Oh yeah, I heard it was given a bad rep, I still don't know why they disappeared, well since Gundam X hap a bittersweet rep, it had a fan base and then show just ended with 39 eps a day. That's why it got cancelled.

Lain : All because one incident that happened along time ago. According to this, what caused the show's cancellation is that Tiffa had given birth to a demon that was supposed to be impregnated by humans. Worse, it was revealed that the humans has somehow manage to make a terrible fate about messing with woman.

*images shows bodies of slaughtered humans*

Lain : He was a demon with a big X on his body, and is the brother of Inky Jr. Calling him Inky X.

*changes to X*

Inky X, the brother of the ravenous Ink Demon, also known as Ink Demon Who Xes out. Once a malevolent being, X and his brother were the two sons of the original Maka Albarn, who had years of glorifying Demon Days since his mother was imprisoned underneath Brooklyn due to the humans' revolution against Maka Albarn the traitor.

Putting his hatred against humans, Inky X had slaughtered many humans for their selfishness and arrogance, killing a single soul who dares to hurt his family and go against the queen for defiance. In 1994, he worked with Oswald the rabbit to make humans and witches understand the demon days were all about victory towards demons. However, humans and witches were not the ones that broughht their own desires for their selfish ends.

*DBZ SFX : Destructive Sounds*

Inky X : *laughing sadistically*

[Music: Judgement Path by Fumie Kumatani]

Inky X also has the will of killing Super Robots when going into a one army battle against robots. Meaning that the human controllers called Pilots were feared by him and even for the pilots of Gundam with exception. The Gundam Pilots bravely battled against Inky X again and again and again, all endless times for robots that war was never an option for them.

Inky X was so powerful, no robot or humans was ae to defeat him in person, not even he stand victorious against the Gundam Wing crew. So he faced the robot Deathscythe and wants to defeat him in battle. However, Deathscythe was the first robot to go against the mighty demon with the request of a young Lain and eventually...Inky X was defeated and Deathscythe victorious, thus ending the battle between him and the humans with the Demons Days gone.

His remains where the blood of the demon itself, since the Crona Twins were created from his blood, and he has found a vessel to remain inside a human being goes by the Tiffa Adill.

Alice : So a demon was responsible for this to happened, what about the day she got impregnated by a human?

Lain : On the contrary, she wasn't impregnated by humans, before mating a human child. Humans of the Gundam were so sinful, humanity's sins has pushed their mind over the edge, human trafficers that dare approaches me, got what they deserve. After Inky X remained in the body of Tiffa Adill, she started to make her grudge against the humans, only those that are men.

*a memory shows Tiffa slaughtering men*

Tiffa : You humans will pay for your transgressions!

*men screaming*

Duo in Memory : Hey are you crazy! What do you think you're doing!? Ma'am that's enough! Please, stop! That's enough humans for you to slaughter no more! I promise that men won't hurt you again!

Tiffa : I have to! I will never forgive these men for trying to get a hold my child! *butchers a man with a butchering knife*

*man screaming agony*

Lain : No! Please! No more! I beg of you! What's the matter with you! Why are you doing this!?

Tiffa Adill : I only found out my child was not human, there won't be a single soul who wanted impregnate me to gain motherhood. So I did it anyway, all thanks to Oswald's incredible discovery that I, Tiffa Adill, would help me re-dignify the Demon Days. That's what I must do to be a proud mother to an Ink demon...so I finally healed my body with the powers of this I seek.

Lain : *Gasping and then screams in horror*

[Echo Night - Beyond BGM : Track 14]

Amuro : Hey! Did anyone here that?!

Domon : That sounded like a scream!

Lain : Everyone, come quick! It's this girl! She did something that mean men weren't supposed to do!

Heero : Holy...Tiffa, not you.

Tiffa Adill : How very quaint...Today's been another day for judgement day. *licks blood off the fingers* I can't wait to see how my son has grown stronger.

Heero : My God...What we have humans done for ourselves?

So after that, the Gundam X show cancelled due to that incident, Tiff Adill remained silent to be a proud mother to Inky X, while X himself was reborn a new when he came from his mother's womb. His desires of finding his brother would be in America, where he could finally free his true mother out of the darkness she has prolonged for 70 years. Even though, she only wanted to make her son proud.

[Echo Night - Beyond BGM : Track 19]

Tiffa Adill : I wonder if it's like to go back into the stars where I find true love and not war. Is it all right to be on earth to have all conflicts be stopped and find love itself? How can war could effect the planet easily.

Inky Albarn : Do not judge yourself, humans aren't worthy as witches, but demons had presence of making a young female like you would become a proud mother like my son.

Tiffa Adill : You're son...Is it Jr., As in Inky Jr.?

Inky Albarn : That would be it. We are destined to become proud mothers to the Ink Demon serving this wonderful night of ours.

Tiffa Adill : I've slaughtered so many humans when I had this child to think that it's your child, it made me unleashed my sanity, but was it worth it to have the power I have to seek? What I had to do something is that I want freedom from these humans able to take dignity away from others for their selfish desires.

Inky Albarn : No need, I had everything covered by me. I slain many humans that dare go against a queen like me, the original Maka Albarn is who I am.

Tiffa Adill : Should I make someone who will remember me?

Inky Albarn : Indeed. You had someone in your life for a long time ago.

Tiffa Adill : I'll try. *speaks into radio* Ran? It's me, Tiffa? Can you hear me?

Garrod Ran via Radio : Who is this? Tiffa is that you?

Tiffa Adill : Ran, it's me Adill. You remember, over.

Garrod Ran via Radio : Tiffa, it's been so long since you had that, I'm sorry that I couldn't make you happy after what happened. What I'm saying to you is that I'm sorry for everything.

Tiffa Adill : That's okay, Ran. I don't want to allow myself to cry. Is X there?

Garrod Ran via Radio : Yes, he's okay.

Inky X : Ran, this is X. Reporting for duty. We are currently alright from ever happening. The love of your life is alright from now.

Garrod Ran via Radio : Good. I'll be glad to be hearing that. I will see you there.

Tiffa Adill : Arigato gozaimasu.

Inky X : Since he knows about you, mother. I humbly accept my other to make a great effort, when it comes to fighting off the forces of true evil myself. It's because I have the solution, to make me this stronger. Powerful and almighty, It reminded me what fathers are supposed to be. My brother will ever hearing seeing fathers like this nowadays.

Tiffa Adill : In the end, I take my gratitude to the next level as I go, I certainly do what a demon like would be in your brother's grand battle plan, but are you two get along with each other?

Inky X : I admit, my brother and I had something in common to this whole protection thing. But didn't you know that the benevolent spirit Bai Ze considered to be a good fellow spirit?

Tiffa Adill : Yeah, the one that is being used as a scapegoat by Lord Death.

Inky X : True. Which is the True Shinigami is a girl.

Tiffa Adill : Let's hope Lord Death can those eat those words when this planet will be in our hands to unify the Demon Days.

Inky X : Agree.

Tiffa Adill : Ran. I'm finally glad that I could to return to you. Thank you. *disappears in a white flash*

Inky X : You're welcome, mother.

Inky Albarn : You are right, my son. After all, every Demon has is days.

*changes back to Lain in today*

Alice : So Inky X is trying to relive in the Demon Days? What did the Hakutaku meant about himself being a scapegoat?

Lain : It means one thing in common...the Maka Albarn from the past reveals that the Maka Albarn of today was facing the wrong way. The Hakutaku was a benevolent spirit that protects is good and not evil. There were no Kishins neither the Evangelist from Shinra's world was...

Lain : The three eye symbol of the Kishin was just a concept originated from a Magical painting that was unlawful by Drawcia's orders, the witches were only protected by the Hakutaku's of seeking their selves into the light itself.

Alice : So the bastard Shinra Kusakabe lied to us all, didn't he?

Lain : Hai, Alice.

Alice : Why that son of a...I'm gonna get to the bottom of this.

*cuts to the G Wing crew playing video games*

Alice : Duo. Heero, Boys. Looks like I found out who the true villain is. It's not the Hakutaku because that creature's a guardian of the innocence. The villainous mastermind behind this facade was none other than Lord Death himself. He's responsible for the unleashing the heartless as the "Evil People" of Soul World.

Alice : It was all part of his plan to free his brethren into the atmosphere and become the ruler of darkness itself.

Heero : Then those kids from Soul World were a bunch of degenerated idiots. Why would they trust a heartless to fool them before now?

Duo : So that's why this Dr. Stein guy went insane, it's all because of Shinra's foolishness.

Trowa : Yeah, and someone who was in this game of riddles and lies had the tables turned. Now we all know one thing, it's time for another decision...another war is set to begin.

Wufei : Who does he think he is, trying to make humans the monsters the witches, the witches that are the monsters to humans?!

Quatre : Perhaps the Get Backers would be hearing about this.

*cuts to the Get Bakcers duo*

*Super Shooter plays on the Radio*

Ginji : Hey, Ban, dude. What's making The year 2k12 the end of the world joke by the Mayans?

Ban : Every World will have it's end, that has been a joke from the Mayans since that End of the World thing is not even the world ending event. That's sounds lamer than before.

Ginji : Well, dude. Ever since the Mashimaverse was packing heat with it's heroes, them Fairy Tail dudes got me way hanging over the hang tens during that surfing contest in Hawaii. Maybe it's best that the Mashimaverse is A-Okay, but we haven't heard any recent news about some circumstances with the Ohkuboverse.

Ban : Yeah, I felt bad for the kid named Maka, she had a reputation in the year between the Astral Babylon incident and the Dark Gaia Incident. But eventually, everything went double downs for the past years. Man where did it all go wrong for Soul World? Time sure does fly by.

Ginji : Hold up, I know she had a reputation as a hero, but we're the ones who got her involved as a hero ever since we saw that Shinra fella when we found a soul just like his resurrected himself in a life-form's body.

Ban : Oh yeah. That explains the details with a 24/7 salary cut, this will be understanding what does making the world fallen into despair means.

Ginji : Cause something's not right with this picture. Get a load of this. This was caused the hated between us and humans and silly nannies with magic called witches. This is the tale of Salem, the witch haven of New England.

Ban : This is where it all started after the Story of Shinra Kusakabe. Accoring to legend, when Inca Kasugatani was forced to become due to her punishment by the Son of Solaris, she was left alone in modern-day Massachusetts in search of a new haven.

Ban : After a long journey from Mount Greylock, she finally made it to the mouth of the Bay State and declared Salem as the Witch haven of New England where all of the witches shall make the city as their only sanctuary in a pristine paradise in the honor of Inca's platonic love.

Ginji : So basically the reason of this human-witch hatred thing was caused by the curse itself that Shinra left it for 1000 years, basically we have no idea if this getting way out of hand. I'm sure that luck means necessarily done when it comes to this place of ours and the place in America.

Ginji : So what's Shinra cooking, getting all flirts from these girl problem from his world and story.

Ban : Yeah, that explains why Madness would be a force, it's because he has a 1000 year problem with women, but despite having a trust with men. So the best way to have to resolve that problem, all he need is a little "rizz".

Ginji : Yeah, that Rizz from his 1000 years of death, doesn't make me think he had problems with women just because he has a...

"RIZZ"

Ginji : Of course that's why his people called him the devil because of his problem with women. What's the deal with Shinra and women all the time, why would be the problem to the Ohkuboverse?

Maka : It's because of me. I was Shinra's liability, I knew about his story of what made me a hero and you boys seemed to understand of what's going on here.

Ginji : Huh? Hey, girl. How many times do we have to tell you?

Ban : I told you to...*they both see Maka for the first time*

Maka : Hello, Get Backers. Remember me?

Ginji : Hey, we know you. You're that Ohkuboverse kid that our assistant was talking about!

Ban : You just came back to see our assistant's face, girl. I know what you are, you're one of the devil's spawns, aren't you? Oh yeah, I know why. It's because of Shinra Kusakabe, an inspiration to the devil's will. I'm right and you are wrong, just to let him spit on our faces.

Ban : And this why...you and your nakamas are nothing but filthy liars!

*Maka catches fist*

Maka : Nice try. *does a judo flip* Ha!

Ban : Woah! *slam* Ugh!

Ginji : Woah! You do martial arts? I never thought a girl would do this in the real world.

Maka : I had years of practice in the Hang Castle dojo, I've done martial arts and learned self-defense. I've been strong the whole time back from the moon and from the castle, including my hometown San Francisco.

Ban : San Francisco and Hang...

[Music : Mystery G by Sota Fujimori]

Ban : Hold on a moment. That skill, those moves, are the you legendary hero Maka Albarn we knew about?

Maka : Yeah that's me and...

Ban : Hey, girl. Look sorry for our attitude, but we got mixed up, yo.

Ginji : Allow us to introduce to you, the ones who made up the Ohkuboverse. I am Ginji Amano and this one over here is my partner Ban. We are the Get Backers, incredibly popular battle shounen dudes of Japan.

Maka : The Get Backers, yeah...I remember you guys, you used to be with our author who made us in the past and the future.

Ban : I was wondering if you refer anything in the real world. That time Traveler named Homura Akemi told us that you're our assistant's little hero, a battle shounen hero.

Ginji : So this is the ultimate hero influence mighty minds of Shinra Kusakabe. But as a battle shounen like you, all battle shounens are heroes and villains that faces in Mortal Kombat.

Ban : So as proud boys of Battle Shounen, why would a battle shounen story like you be a girl? Girls can't fight you know, but if it's Shinra's ordeal with women, then it's the Ohkuboverse's problem not ours.

Ginji : Okay, Maka. If you're so stingy about being the Ohkuboverse's number one "Hero", we the Get Backers are going to test your abilities and might to stand against a popular duo of a battle shounen story, like how we made entire Ohkuboverse.

Maka : You'd wish, but don't tell anyone about this.

Ban : You betcha.

Ginji : Bwahahaha! Alright, girlie! Let's see what you got and what you have for us in store! But if you win, we might give you some info on how the Ohkuboverse was made up.

Ban : Just let us do the warm up first then we can talk about it for later.

Maka : Heh. You're on!

[Music: Brain Cleaner by Hidenori Shoji]

Ginji : Hope you're willing to be ready when you're the girl of the Ohkuboverse thing. Cause you're about to get Ice cold.

Ban : It's gonna get crazy tonight, it's us the Get Backers vs the Scythe Wielder who we haven't faced with in a long period of time.

Maka : Right back at ya, boys.

Master Hand (Announcer) : 3...2...1...GO!

Ginji : It's party time!

*battling sounds*

Ginji : So this is the legendary "Maka Albarn" they call. You were the first of our asisstant's greatest heroic masterpiece, but that masterpiece of what led to the Ohkuboverse intention, you really are something.

Ban : Since you were gone too soft on everything in the past, you've managed to spice things up.

*battling sounds*

Maka : I've always been like this. I've been the hero of this world in order to get stronger, battle my way through, get all the fame and glory! I was born to carry out a hero's ambition because Shinra was my inspiration to make me a hero. I've read that story, but where it leads is that Shinra wanted to create a world full of hope and peace.

Maka : But without the despair that could've unleashed darkness, Shinra's world and story would never be the same and I was taken advantage to bring me my freedom.

Ginji : So what you poppin' about girl? What's this thing you call it a freedom.

Ban : Yeah, what's the Sitch?

Maka : Because...I wanted to break free from Shinra's will! I don't want to be the hero of my story anymore!

Ginji : And that's because someone deceived you into becoming a hero?

Maka : Yes, because I was thought of being a hero would give me fame and glory, but I was wrong, I was wrong from the beginning. I wasn't a hero to Nevada, neither a native to Nevada, I was only native to the west coast, lies all lies, and it was Shinra's fault. Nevada was not the home for the Ohkuboverse and you two should definitely know it!

*battling sounds*

Maka : Why!? Why did Shinra go and tell everyone a lie! Why can't I just make believes, just to accept that I was his inspiration!? I worked my whole life way out just glorify the days of a hero!

Ginji : And is that you treated both Ashley and Marisa's kind to think they were the enemies?

Ban : You got some serious issues about magic and stuff, why witches be the enemies to your kind?

Maka : Because of Shinra's problem with women in his story, that's what hits us when it's because of one thing, his charisma on women was his smile of a devilish look and that's why Death despises them.

Ginji : Are you trippin? You mean both your's and their kind got involved because Shinra has a problem with women?! That's what this is about?!

Ban : Man talk about some swindling set backs. Looks like the Kusakabe family had some nerves to keep this all a secret, but I wouldn't mind that putting the hatred on witches would be a stupid idea. I mean who hates witches that are the tradition of halloween?

Ginji : Witches are amazing and your kind put the hate of them because of Shinra?! What was we he thinking?!

Maka : I...I just wanted to be a hero like him, and then the demon told me hating witchkind was a foul move, it's always the fault, the Ohkuboverse's fault of ours!

[Music: Scenario - Deadlock by Fumie Kumatani]

Maka : That's why we were like this way! All I wanted to show the courage with everybody! I wanted the courage to fulfill that statement like Shinra saved the world in his world, and what did the demon to say to me?

*cuts to a flashback*

Inky Jr. : If you and your kind wanted to be heroes, then the witches will never have love without peace. That will be your undoing from the devil's will.

Maka : But, demon. I...I wanted to bring love to anyone in my life. I just had to...

Inky Jr. : I gave you a statement and don't pull that showing the world with courage crap from that dream jester Nights! Just admit that love and peace is what Vash the Stampede would say and get your mind straight!

With the Ink Demon's epiphany of any statement, Maka and others have been tore apart when he reveals that there was no love and peace for witches on planet earth. But she and her friends a hard lesson when it comes to rage, hatred, and envy. This is what Syndrome said before his demise.

Syndrome's voice : You can't count on anyone, especially your heroes.

Maka : And that's what made us feel like heroes to inspire Shinra Kusakabe's greatness before he became a washed up Life-form in Chao World!

Ginji : Okay, you were right. Shinra was wrong to push you and your friends that way and got you all mixed on hating the witches thing.

Ban : And you would just accept the truth and admit it? Well, Shinra was really sorry to you. He could fix this entire mistake if means what it means to you being a hero, that's not a total sham.

Maka : Yes, to fix that mistake, I had no choice but to work with somebody.

Ginji : Someone with who...

Maka : *shows her license* The HCSF organization, Seto the Deathless told that I was a child prodigy given by the scythe when I was in school. I had the weapon of a scythe since Demon Weapons were forbidden to use due to them being unlawful.

Ginji : And what got the DWMA in trouble...Yeah we knew that, lawsuited by one of their kind, Drawcia, head of Drawcia Family science corporation.

Maka : And how did you know it was Drawcia who did all of this?

Ban : Because we requested her put a shutdown on the DWMA, which turns out to be a subsidiary for World Heroes Force organization.

Maka : ...Drawcia did what?! *clenches fists in frustration*

[Echo Night - Beyond BGM : Track 4]

Maka : You mean Shibusen was sued for hurting "her" kind?! That's why I didn't attend the school?! You mean I went all that trouble for making the witches heartless monsters?

Ginji : Oh no, no, no. Witches were not the monsters the face of this world, our kind, humans were the real monsters and even for Lord Death himself. The runner of that DWMA joint.

*Shows a drawing of Darkside*

Ginji : Is not what you think of.

Maka : So Darkside deceived me into thinking I was the hero of the world against witches. He hid the truth from me and to all of us as well, even for the witches. *screams in frustration* DARN IT! I WASTED WHOLE LIFE AS A HERO FOR THIS!? Even though, I felt like Black Star and Death the Kid abandoning me for no reason.

Ban : You mean those two skinny dudes who fought alongside and combined your efforts in a story Shinra created? Yeah we remember them.

Maka : You do?

Ban : Yes, cause those guys were "Dead Meat" to us!

Ginji : You weren't a hero to humankind, you were the monster that wanted to destroy witchkind, including the monsters of halloween as well! Your kind has been ruining halloween with your so-called "Fancy-Schmancy" lifestyle as a hero! Do you have any idea what it's like for you to be in the shadow's of Shinra's influence?

Ban : We known that Shinra Kusakabe has been a freakin' Chao from H-E Double Hockey Sticks! You've been in H-E-Double Hockey Sticks in your life, would ya!? Would you vow to respect any kind from Halloween or would you rather be a inspiration for the devil himself?

Maka : I confess. But I hearby to announce that we yield this battle.

Ginji : Okay, well that's enough for now.

Voice : conflict resolved.

Ban : So, two guys name Black Star and Death the Kid. So how long have you been abandoned?

Maka : Yeah, How long have I worked for HCSF? Oh yeah, the Ink Demon gave me a rejection letter to the DWMA. They all abandoned me. The food in the Ohkuboverse...isn't what it looks like. They abandoned me in the castle, all by myself with Seto and Solva, I was so lonely that all my friends had to forced working for Grim the Hedgehog.

Ginji : You worked for Grim the Hedgehog?

Maka : Yes, he's the reaper that own Hang Castle Security Force. And I was promoted to First Class.

Ginji : First Class, alright! Although, you have to get promotion to first class. Now if we can just find something proof worthy for you...Something that is icky gooey stuff like...GUNK! *all evades the gunk of ink.*

Maka : Where did that stuff come from?

Ban : I don't know, but someone is invading our private peace here and someone has got to go!

Maka : I got nothing here, but who in the heck is spewing ink?

Ban : Well, on the contrary, you might wanna look up.

Maka : Huh? *looks to see someone* B-Black Sta...

*creepily turns head his*

Ginji : Holy...

Ban : Holy mother of pearl! That's not the guy! That's not him!

Ginji : It's the Ink Demon, Maka! The Black Star you knew is dead!

Of course Get Backers, that's not the Black Star Maka knew, the Black Star Maka only mentioned is gone.

Black Star (Ink Demon) : *laughs evilly*

Maka : BLACK STAR NOOO!!! *gets strangled by Black Star*

[Echo Night - BEYOND BGM : Track 7]

MAka : HANASE! HANASE!

Ginji : Hey, What the hell do you think you're doing!?

Ban : Get off her, ya freakin' douche!

Maka : *choking and gagging* Hanase...HANASE....!

Ginji : Get your filthy hands off her, you kuncklehead!

Ban : She's not your type, you coward! Do you have realize what you're doing!?

Ginji : This guy's body is filled with Gunk in his system!

Ban : I can't get him off! He's too slippery and slimy!

Black Star (Ink Demon) : *laughs evilly* DARKNESS SHALL BE UNLEA...

*Ki Blast Sound*

Maka : *coughs out* Who did that?

Black Star (Ink Demon : *gasps* Inky X...You!

Inky X : Surprise to see me, punk? What were you thinking on killing the kid by your grimy little hands? I don't think she's yours to deal with. End of the line!

*Ki Blast Sound*

Ginji : It's...another demon.

Ban : It's the brother of the Ink Demon, Inky X.

Maka : Inky X...You're the demon's brother?

Inky X : You must be Maka Albarn...My brother heard things about you, the legendary hero that Shinra called. I should look upon a hero who will change their fate. Listen up. I got a new tactical approach. Would you aid me...in stopping an evil menace? But...you haven't seen a demon like me who is stronger than my brother. I've gained enough power to take a menace down.

Maka : Yes. And here I am with you going against my will. But if you

Sora : Yo, Maka!

*Hearts a Jet Roaring sound*

Maka : Sora? *sees Sora on Endymion*

[Music: Strategy (SA2/Shadow) by Tomoya Ohtani]

Sora : What's up Meister? Long time no see. You remember me before?

Maka : Oh, that Sora.

Ginji : You must be the legendary keyblade charmster, Sora.

Sora : I heard that I fought you along time ago, you helped us stopped the evil forces. So I finally figured it out who was controlling the snake witch that you fought against back at the end of the Dreamcast Era. Turns out the heartless were behind all of this. We gotta figure it out on what's causing all of this Soul Eater that everyone is pushing up daisies.

Maka : I see that. Which is why they made one fatal mistake, they attacked my hometown San Francisco and I joined the HCSF to make them pay everything for what they've did! I will get them back even if it's the last thing I do.

Sora : Well that settles it. Looks like we're going to pay a visit to this Asura fella, the grandson of the Kusakabe, and I'm sure that his dream of bringing the curse upon this planet has got something to do with this being a "Kami" to him. He's on the Moon of the Ohkuboverse, but Drawcia is planning to turn "that" moon into a painting soon.

Maka : So...I have to pay Shinra's grandson a visit for him. Next stop, the Ohkuboverse's Moon.

Sora : Right.

Inky X : Come along with me, but I have to admit, the D.T.D is going to be opened soon enough.

*Endymion flies away*

Ginji : I hope everyone is gonna be alright, would get a piece of our mind

Can Maka's courage from her heart change the world from Shinra's foolishness or everyone's lies within the hands of the Ink Demon itself? Only a hero who can face a powerful threat that could be the end of the world or the end of the planet earth.

Stage 11 : The Mighty X

[jaesrri]

Music Hunt

Despite being completely terrible at actually listening to new musics, I'm feeling the desire to collect some. So, if anyone feels like pitching:

-What's your favorite character songs? Ones that make the blorbos go *brrrrr*.

Bonus: tell me about the blorbos

-What's your favorite story song? Either in the sense of the song *tells* a story, or the song *evokes* story vibes

Bonus: storytime

-Wildcard- what songs do you just want to chuck at me for reasons of your own?

Some from me below the cut in fairness:

Blorbo and story vibe songs: many. This is largely how I musics of late, songs attach to OCs or plotlines, playlists grow, and my entire wrapped is pretty much connected to my TTRPG games

Bones by Imagine Dragons is a core song for my changeling enchantment wizard politician antagonist as is Early in the Morning by Rob Thomas, and Immortals by Fall Out Boy is firmly attached to their relationship with their lich necromancer bestie. These two are antagonist/ally/foils for the main party of that campaign.

On the main side of that campaign we've got Walking the Wire by Imagine Dragons and Desert Rose by Sting and Cheb Mami for my Fighter Cleric main character and her bard husband, plus White Flag by Bishop Briggs, Awaken by Valerie Broussard, and Legends are Made by Sam Tinnesz for her more general badass vibes.

The campaign's primary songs are Warbringer by The Fat Rat with Lindsey Sterling and Evan Maxwell (if you only check out one thing make it this it's sooo epic), Glory by Friday Pilots Club, and The Violence by Rise Against.

We do be having a time of it in that campaign :p

My *other* game is tonally quite different- Triangle Agency is an absolute *delight* with Crazy=Genius by Panic! At the Disco serving as the core song, Pressure by Billy Joel, Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie, and Land of Confusion by Genesis backing it up.

My plant lady first character brought Strangers Like Me by Phil Collins, Wolves by Selena Gomez, and Secrets by One Republic

One of the factions we interacted with was well represented by Heathens by Twenty-one Pilots and People are Strange by the Doors

Clocks by Coldplay was originally brought in for another player's time traveler, but ended up a core song with such lines as

Am I a part of the cure

Or am I part of the disease? 

And

The lights go out and I can't be saved

Tides that I tried to swim against

Have brought me down upon my knees

Which at various points in the story just completely took us out at the knees. Our poor characters were put in *situations*.

On a different note both because tis the season and because the story it tells is *so fucking cute* and the mood of the song is *so goddamn relatable* and people frequently don't seem to know about it, I will also call out Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses. Bail now to avoid excessive burbling about it lol.

It's by FAR my favorite holiday song, partly because of aforementioned vibes and also because it's simply a banger. I mean we got a strong beat, electric guitar, holiday vibes, good energy and then it opens with:

Bah Humbug; now that's too strong! Cause it is my favorite holiday But all this year's been a busy blur Don't think I have the energy

And if that isn't the goddamn vibe of every holiday season since adulthood (granted I wouldn't call it *favorite* but still)

Then they go btw we're telling a love story here:

To add to my already mad rush Just 'cause it's 'tis the season The perfect gift for me would be Completions and connections left from last year Ski shop encounter most interesting Had his number but never the time Most of '81 passed along those lines

Also. Sort of comforting that the damn season's been like this since before I was born.

So deck those halls, trim those trees Raise up cups of Christmas cheer I just need to catch my breath Christmas by myself this year

Vibe. Then we get to hear a little about what lead up to it:

Calendar picture, frozen landscape Chill this room for twenty-four days Evergreens, sparkling snow Get this winter over with! Flash back to spring time saw him again Would have been good to go for lunch Couldn't agree when we were both free We tried, we said we'd keep in touch

Didn't of course 'till summertime Out to the beach to his boat, could I join him? No This time it was me Sunburn in the third degree Now the calendar's just one page Of course I am excited Tonight's the night I've set my mind Not to do too much about it

Like damn. Haven't we all been there.

And the chorus- look I love seeing fam n everything but there hasn't been a year in over a decade where this hasn't spoke for at least part of the leadup

Merry Christmas, merry Christmas But I think I'll miss this one this year

The cute story and intense relatability continues:

Hardly dashing through the snow 'Cause I bundled up too tight Last minute have-to-dos A few cards, a few calls, because it's RSVP No, thanks, no party lights It's Christmas Eve, gonna relax Turn down all of my invites

Last fall I had a night to myself Same guy called, Halloween party Waited all night for him to show This time his car wouldn't go Forget it, it's cold, it's getting late Trudge on home to celebrate In a quiet way unwind Doing Christmas right this time

The perfect frustration in this one gets me, and then we follow it up with the ghost of a dead grocery store and the cutest most adorable and relatable conclusion:

A&P has provided me With the world's smallest turkey Already in the oven, nice and hot Oh damn! Guess what I forgot? So on, with the boots, back out in the snow To the only all-night grocery When what to my wondering eyes should appear In the line is that guy I've been chasing all year

"I'm spending this one alone," he said "Need a break, this year's been crazy" I said, "Me too, but why are you? You mean you forgot cranberries too?" Then suddenly we laughed and laughed Caught on to what was happening That Christmas magic's brought this tale To a very happy ending

Can you handle the cute? I can't. And then it wraps with the transformed chorus

Merry Christmas; Merry Christmas Couldn't miss this one this year.

[futbolfanficpunk]

Who is it?

Player: Pedri Gonzalez x Fictional Female Word count: 6330+ Summary: Pedri and his girlfriend break up when she can't handle the downfalls of being with someone famous, as they try to navigate their post-breakup friendship Pedri is having a really hard time because he is not over her, at all. Themes/Warnings: Fluff, Angst, Love Smut, Alcohol A/N: This came out pretty quickly, in a week and a half, which is really rare for me. Got inspiration from Rauw Alejandro's Dime Quien?. The timeline goes back and forth a bit, so be mindful of that. First time doing a long sex scene with a real plot, hope it works.

Pedri couldn’t get Camila out of his head, it’s been four months since they broke up. She left even when he pleaded, and pleaded, crying his eyes out like a teenager being rejected for the first time. She assured him that they could stay friends, he hadn’t done anything wrong, she just wasn’t ready for all the attention and outside drama of being in a relationship with him. They dated in secret for six months and once they went public she couldn’t deal with it anymore, four months later they were done. She wanted to be his friend but she needed some time by herself before that could happen.  He accepted what little she had to offer. Two months ago Camila texted him late at night saying hi and asking how he was. Pedri was miserable, if he had been honest that’s what he would have said but he didn’t want to take a step back and lose contact with her because he was needy. He replied

<Hi Camila, doing good. How about you?>

<I’m good, just wanted to check on you>

<Thanks. How’s everything?>

< Not much. Lots of work. 

I’ve seen your games. Glad the team is doing so well>

< We appreciate the support from our fans 🙂>

<hahahaha. Let’s chat soon or whatever. Going to sleep. > < I’m down. Good night>

He just smiled, reading the conversation again. He still loved her, wanted her, missed her, loved her, loved her, loved her. He ran his hands through his hair and pulled it in desperation while letting out a small groan. The first time they kissed, they made out for an hour, he couldn’t get enough of her, and she of him. Now Pedri couldn’t get Camila out of his head, if he could, if someone showed him how he would but he couldn’t. He had a small dip in training the first few weeks after the breakup, causing him to get benched for two straight games, and then got subbed into the third game with a sketchy game at that. He just couldn’t get his head straight. His teammates were trying to be understanding but outside people started noticing and he was getting criticized heavily. He wasn’t his normal self, not smiling in team photos, and Camila was nowhere to be seen in games or his cars, although she was very private she would be seen with him in public once or twice a month. The last month? Nothing, plus all her socials were now private. It got so bad the rumors got to his mom’s circle and mom, who at times treated her son as a friend, called him “Mi amor, todo bien?” (My love, is everything all right?) “Si, mami todo bien” (Yes, mom, everything’s all right)

“¿Cómo esta Cami? No me has enviado fotos con ella hace semanas y están comentando en internet cosas sobre ustedes” (How’s Cami. You haven’t sent me a pic with her in weeks and their saying things on the internet about you two)

“Ma’ , Camila  y yo no estamos juntos ya” (Ma’, Camila and I aren’t together anymore)

“¡Cariño! ¡Que pena!, ¿pasó algo?”  (Honey! What a shame! Did something happen?)

“No, mami, lo de ser famoso es un puta hostia” (No, mom, just that being famous is shit)

“Lo puede ser, sí….de veras, que pena. ¿Quieres que te vayamos a visitar?” (It can be, yes…it’s a real shame, Do you want us to visit you?)

“No, no te preocupes, ya me voy sintiendo mejor. Estamos de amigos” (No, don’t worry, I’m starting to feel better. We’re just friends now)

“Vale, te quiero, mi niño. Sabes que estamos aquí para ti” (Okay, I love you, my boy. You know we’re here for you) “Lo se, mami, yo tambien te quiero, chau (I know, mom, I love you too, bye)

“Adios” (Good-bye)

And after that call he decided that everything else would have to suffer except his football career, he would have to get used to not thinking about her before or during games or training. He had a habit of going through the photos he had of Camila on his phone whenever he was missing her desperately. He would touch himself when he felt lonely looking at pictures of her modeling lingerie she had sent him for away games. Nobody could make him as hot and hard as she did, he missed being inside her while kissing her the most because at that moment he felt like they were one thing, she was his and he was hers. He felt so empty every time he came, hand full of cum, he hated not having her around. In private he could hate himself and his situation all he wanted but not in public, not in football. He didn’t want his family to worry anymore. He usually shut the world off from his brain when he was playing but this last month Camila was creeping into his mind but from then on, he shut her off from his safe space, the pitch. He started playing better at training. Next month, he tried his best, even Camila herself noticed he was doing better and she started thinking maybe enough time had passed by and they could actually start talking again soon. She missed him too, she missed his friendship the most.  Even though they had said they would talk soon, they didn’t but they did start subtly interacting with hearts and likes on their social media, and neither of them was really ready to talk for another month. Pedri went by himself to a restaurant they used to love to go and decided to take a picture of his food and send it to her <“Guess where I am at?” >. Camila didn’t answer right away, so he just ate the delicious food that was in front of him and enjoyed the view of the city even if he had a bit of a knot in his chest. After asking for the check his phone vibrated < Is that fucking Don Jordi?>

<Yep! You guessed right> 

<It’s sooo good! I love that place! What I wouldn’t give to eat their chocolate mousse cake>

<If you’re home I can bring one over>

<I’m home but you don’t need to do that! >

<Oh, don’t be silly. Don Jordi is not far from you>

<You don’t have to ! I was just wishing out loud>

<I’ll bring it over and be on my way, see you in 20>

<god, I shouldn’t have said anything but okay, I love chocolate too much> He just needed an excuse, anything to see her in person. It had been three months and a week since he last saw her, Camila leaving his house with the last box full of her things, never to return. He order the dessert to go and went to the bathroom to check how he looked. He looked fine, this new fine of having eyes of someone who never sleeps through the night, just needed to fix his hair. 

He knocked on her door and waited, small bag in hand with a small dessert inside. She knew it was him, she had buzzed him in. “That was fast! Hope you weren’t speeding” she said as she opened the door “Hi”

‘Hi, and don’t worry, I wasn’t ” he replied with a small smile She gave him a small hug and said “It’s good to see you”. He could barely move, his mouth was dry, and his nerves were on edge but that hug made him feel a tingling all over his body he hadn’t felt in months. He wrapped his free hand around her and gave her a small squeeze back. “You too”. He said

She stepped back and looked at the bag he was carrying

“This is for you,” he said as he gave her the bag “I hope it’s not ruined” “I’m sure it’s not,” she said with a smile “Thanks so much!” “No problem” he said as he took the opportunity to look at her for a second. Her hair was longer, but she looked the same. She was wearing a cropped sweater and tight-fitting joggers. He could see part of her belly and lips were shiny from wearing a bit of lipgloss. He could fight 10 men at a time just to get to kiss those lips again. 

“Well, thanks again” She interrupted his thoughts ”Maybe we can hang out soon and catch up?”

“Yes, lets. Now go inside and eat it” 

“Oh, I will!” she gave him a lil pat on his left arm “Bye” she turned towards the door and opened it, she turned around and said, “I’ll see you soon, okay?”

He smiled, nodded and turned around to go towards the stairs, down to his car. 

His heart was racing when he got into his car. Time had not changed anything at all, maybe his love-wounds hurt less but seeing her again in person made him want her back more than ever.

From that day on he would put his cell phone right next to him with the sound notifications on just in case she texted or called, even when he went to bed early because he had training the next day he placed his phone next to his pillow hoping she would. He would stare at it, trying to conjure her with his thoughts. A week and a half had passed since they saw each other when his phone vibrated and made a noise when he was putting on pajama pants to sleep, he took his shirt off and jumped into bed to check his phone. And there it was, a text from her, asking to meet up next Sunday, at the time of his choosing, whenever he could. He said that he could meet her after 3 PM, anywhere she liked. She decided that they would meet at The Café on Rosell Street at 4pm. He counted the days, every day waking up to check how many days were left. He got a haircut two days before. He had a game the day before their meeting, and he was sure he would be in the starting eleven, so it wouldn’t look like he was trying too hard since he usually got a haircut before big games. 

     Rosell Street, 4pm. The Cafe. Camila was there already. Pedri saw her right away because she was already looking and waving at him when he got in. She must have seen him coming from the street. Camila stood up “Hey, you” opening her arm as to welcome a hug. Pedri gave her a shy hug and quick kisses on her cheeks being afraid of himself and his reaction “Nice to see you” he said while pulling away from her “Is this table okay? She asked said nervously “What kind of question is that? Of course” he said, surprised. Something is off, she’s nervous, he thought. She asked about the game and training, she had seen the game and congratulated him on his goal. He was so concentrated on this day’s arrival that a goal seemed like something so stupid and unimportant, he never thought of bringing it up in their conversation or known she would bring it up “Yea, that was awesome. I got a good assist from Frenkie, so it was pretty easy” “You always make it seem easy, then I try to play and I feel embarrassed at how bad I am” she said laughing.

Pedri laughed with her, she’s right, she’s pretty bad. “You’re not that bad, Cami” he said

“Yea, THAT bad” she replied giggling Pedri drank water and the waiter came over. They both order drinks and a few small plates. “I’m so glad you came, it’s so good to finally be able to talk to you, I missed talking to you“ she said “Me too, a lot” he replied, feeling himself getting excited with hope “ Speaking of talking to you. I have something to tell you” she said

“Oh?” he said with curiosity

“I want to tell you before anyone else tells you. I’m seeing somebody. It’s been going on for a few weeks. It’s not super serious yet but, you know, I thought you would probably want to know”

He felt his chest burn and his stomach churn while she was speaking, every word that kept coming out of her mouth was worse than the one before, the more she talked, the worst it got. “Who is it? he said as he frowned

“It’s a friend of a friend from work. You know, Daniel?  We met a party at Daniel’s apartment, his name is Unai”

“Ugly fucking name”

“Hey, be nice!” He held his face in his hands and breathed, “Get it together” he thought

“I’m just kidding. I’m happy for you” taking his hands off his face “At least one of us is not a single idiot”

“You’re not an idiot, anything but”

“I am single though” “And I’m sure I won’t be won’t be for long" she said as she flicked her hand against his forearm “Oh, I don’t know about that” “I’m sure of it, you’re a great catch, you could have anyone you want”

“Not the one I want, though” he mumbled “What was that?” “I don’t want anyone, though,” he said, speaking up, “Does he treat you well?”

“Yes, very much”

“Good” he looked up and saw the waiter coming “Our drinks and food are here”. He really wanted to change the subject

They spent the rest of the time catching up on their every day, their families, talking about what movies or series they were watching, making jokes about each other. He paid their check even though she protested and they said their goodbyes, she said while nervously moving “Thanks for coming out, today was really important. You know I care about you a lot and I really hope we can keep being friends” 

“I care a lot about you too, honey, of course we can be friends. Even if you date guys with ugly names”’ he replied shrugging

She laughed and hugged him  “Chau, Pedri” “Bye, Cami” he said as she walked away and picked up her phone from her purse. 

He really just wanted to jump off a bridge, feeling the cold water hit him like a brick when landing would have hurt less than his whole being right now. She was moving on and he was not. Three weeks later, they had only texted twice. Once after a game. He had scored again and she had watched. She complimented him. And he sent her a picture of a meme he thought she would find funny, and he was right.  Almost every other day Pedri thought about her with her new guy. Who was that asshole? Why was he the one getting to kiss her? To be with her? To make her laugh in private? Why can’t it be him? Why were things outside of his control fucking up his happiness? It was Wednesday night and she texted him. <Hey Pedri! Are you going to Sira’s get-together? she invited me>

< Hey Cami. I’m planning to> <oh, cool! at least I’ll have more than just Ferran and Sira as people I know at the thing>

<It’s me, the dude you know. 😛 I’ll see you there. Should be fun>

< haha.for sure, and we get to hang out>

< looking forward to it>

< 🙂 bye> <later>

This interaction made his head spin. Was Cami going to be there with the dude with the ugly name? Or by herself? Why did she care if he was there? But the first thing he thought was “I need a new outfit for it”

     That Friday, he got to Sira’s place, new outfit on. She opened the door and he gave her a gift bag with booze as a thank-you gift for inviting him. They said hellos with the customary two kisses and he met Ferran right after. He didn’t see Camila right away when he scanned the room but he thought he would see her at any minute because he came fashionably late and she was always on time for everything. He sat down with Ferran and Eric, who was there too, and talked as they all had a beer. After talking and joking around for a bit, he noticed her. She was coming in from the kitchen by herself with a drink in hand. It had been over four months since they broke it off, and nothing had changed about the way he felt about her. He was still in love. He excused himself to go to the bathroom, he was freaking out. She came by herself. He splashed himself with cold water and fixed his hair, he didn’t know how else to make himself more comfortable and less pathetic. He came out of the bathroom to find her in the hall. 

“ Pedri!” she shouted “ I hadn’t seen you! When did you come in?” “A while ago”

“You can never come to parties on time, can you?” she said in slight slurred voice

He laughed “ I guess not” “Let me go to the bathroom, but wait for me here”

“Here?” 

“Is anyone waiting for you?” she said frowning

“Besides Eric and Ferran? No” he replied raising his eyebrow

“They don’t count”

“Definitively not, then”

“Then stay here, don’t get lost”

He did not move, he didn’t know what to think, he was confused but his heart was racing from just getting this much attention from her.

She came out of the bathroom and said, “Let’s go get a beer and go out to the balcony. I have gossip to tell”

“What?” “You heard me, come on!” she said almost stumbling on her words They went to the kitchen to get some Estrella Damm beers. She pulled him by holding his hand to get to the balcony, it looked down at the patio at Sira’ house, which was lit and landscaped by a professional, no one else was hanging out there. Everything was getting more confusing for him. She let go of his hand and leaned into the edge. “It’s so pretty here, Sira’s lucky. My balcony just looks at the street” she said and had a good amount of beer from her bottle. He didn’t say anything, he just looked at her and realized she was trying to get drunk, fast, on purpose. “Don’t drink so fast, honey, unless you want to go home early”

“Oh, whatever. Don’t you want to know the gossip?”

“Let’s hear it”

“I broke up with Unai” 

“Oh, fuck. Are you okay?”

“I’m great, actually. I don’t think I was as into him as much as I thought. Or maybe I’m just a cold bitch”

“Or maybe he just sucked”

“And the sex wasn’t that good”

“No surprise with that ugly ass name”

She laughed and flicked his arm

He smiled. He was happy to hear the news. Best news since she decided to text him again. He hated the idea of someone else being with her. He didn’t own her or anybody else but he was happy there wasn’t going to be another guy kissing her and calling her at bedtime to say good night before she went to sleep.

“Have you been with anyone?” she asked looking towards the garden leaning towards the balcony again putting her beer on the ledge.

“Not really” he said as he leaned into the balcony looking at her; placing his beer on the ledge as well.

“Not even a one night stand?” she said now looking at him “No” “There’s no way, you were such a low-key fuck boy before we started dating, no te creo.”  ( I don’t believe you)

“No, de verdad que no”  (No, the truth is no)

“Why?”

“ 'Cause”

“ 'Cause of me?”

He sighed, “Yea”

Camila bit her lip and smiled, she got closer to where he was until she was in his space

“What would you say if I said I want you to fuck me?”

“I would say you’re drunk” he replied

“And you’re not?”

“No, and even if I were, I wouldn’t fuck you while you’re drunk”

“You don’t want to fuck me?” “You wouldn’t want me if you weren’t drunk” “I would” “I think you should stop drinking now and leave it that”

“I want you to kiss me, take my clothes off and fuck me, Pedri” she said in a low voice “Cami, I’m not going to. I’m going home. I can’t deal with this right now. I’ll come to your place tomorrow and we’ll talk about it. But not like this.” he insisted

“No, please, don't leave”  she said grabbing his hand “ Cami, I’m going, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow” he said caressing her free hand with his other hand, a bit of sadness peaking through his eyes. “Can you at least kiss me?” she begged He cupped her cheeks with his hands and gave her a small kiss. He left the balcony to excuse himself from leaving the party. Camila just looked at him leave, not knowing what to do next.

Pedri got into his car and just looked at the dashboard lights. “Joder!” he screamed. He tugged his hair and groaned “¡Que hostia, carajo!”. Everything he wanted just happened in the worst way possible. Did she really mean it? or was she just lonely? horny? Did she love him? a bit? or at all? Right now, he just wanted to get home and sleep it off. Tomorrow they had the last training before Sunday’s game.

          The next day after training he was driving towards her apartment, he had texted that he was on his way and she sent him a thumbs up in return. His hands on the steering wheel were sweating and fidgety. He was thinking of two possible scenarios;  she still feels the same or last night was a mistake. He was trying to prepare himself on how we would react to either of them because what he really wanted to do is say he loved her the same way he did before, the same as always, kiss her, make love to her, and be hers forever but wouldn’t dare, couldn’t. Not unless she showed interest. He played loud reggaeton to calm and distract himself.

           Camila buzzed him in. He went up the stairs and was met with an open door and her head and half her body sticking out waiting for him. “Hola” he said as he got closer to her door. “ Hola” she replied and stepped back to let him in. Pedri gave her one kiss on each cheek and asked her “ How’s the hangover?”

“It’s okay now. This morning? Not so much” Camila replied

“Lesson learned?” he said while he fidgeted with his fingers behind his back.

“Oh, please” she chuckled. “Should we sit down?”

He nodded

They sat down in her small couch in her studio apartment, small golden rays from the hour of late sunshine coming in between the white curtains from her balcony that faces the street

She sighed “Te pido perdón por lo de anoche” (I want to apologize for last night ) she stayed silent for a moment while looking at him looking for any reaction

“It’s okay” he said quietly after the awkward silence

 “I’m sure that made you uncomfortable, and if we’re to be friends, that’s not cool”

“We all have said and done things when we’re drunk that we don’t mean really mean”

“It’s not about meaning it or not, I shouldn’t have said that while I was drunk”

“Wait what?”

“I’m sorry, I've just missed you”

“ I miss you every day, Camila” “You never act like it, though” she said holding her own hands

“But I do, I just wanted to respect you and your wishes. I didn’t want to ruin the chance to be your friend. I care about you too much” “Fuck” She said as he pulled her knees toward her torso and wrapped her arms around them, she sighed “What did you mean when you said ‘it's not about meaning it or not?’” asked Pedri

“Um…” she lowered her legs and shifted her body towards him ” ‘cause I did mean it, I wanted to sleep with you”  she said “Oh…were you feeling lonely or something?” “No, I miss being with you, Pedri” That’s all he had been wanting to hear, just a hint of wanting, of interest, of love, just an excuse.

He acted almost on instinct, didn’t wait, didn’t ask;  his lips landed on hers, letting his lips feel her to remember what it was like to kiss her. The kiss from the night before was so fast and full of nerves that he didn’t get to feel the kiss, or how she reacted to it, that wasn’t happening now. She let out a lil' approving hum contrived in her mouth and she opened her mouth a bit so that she could feel her lips eat his. He pulled her in by wrapping his arms around her as he deepened the kiss with his tongue. He had been starved of her for all these months, he would be damned if he didn’t take this opportunity to have her, so show her his love. She tilted her head and let her tongue savor every inch of his mouth as she held onto the back of his neck. She felt him pulling her in even more, chest almost touching, her legs open to make room for him. He unwrapped himself to touch her hair, gave her one last small peck, and said “ We can sleep together tonight if you want”, giving her another kiss. 

“I want to, obviously” she said as she caressed his face with her finger and gave him another kiss.

“I don’t have condom, though” he said in between kisses

“I think I do. In my nightstand. You wanna come to bed?” she replied 

He nodded

The bed was hidden behind a vintage hand-painted divider between the couch and the bed, so they went around to the bed where he sat while she looked through her nightstand’s drawer

He looked around, she lives in a studio that somehow she managed to make cozy, styled in a sophisticated but simple manner. Kind of like her, an amazingly beautiful woman, who’s smart yet unassuming and was never full of herself,on the contrary, quite sensitive with a simple yet classy sense of style and self. He loved being around her and her things, her vibes again. 

“Found it,” she said, showing the wrapped product off like it was a golden ticket. “but, why are you still wearing all those clothes?” she said with a smirk plastered across her lips.

He chuckled, “I was waiting for you”

She put the condom on top the nightstand “No, sir, you take it off first. It’s not like you’re shy, you get naked in front of dozens of men all the time”

“god, okay” he said. He took his jacket and shirt off showing her his athletic physique. He looked up at her, looking to be desired. He hadn’t been with anyone in almost five months and he wanted to, needed to be desired.

She got close to him, still standing next to the bed, placed her hands on his shoulder and caressed them and his chest “You’re so hot, it’s unfair” she said as she sat down next to him, as he smiled. 

“You’re turn, bonita”. She was wearing a short skater dress with string sleeves and a cardigan. She took off the cardigan, slipped the sleeves off, and took the whole thing off while he looked on, staring at her while she was only wearing her tiny panties. 

“Eres hermosa, no me cansaría nunca de mirarte quitarte la ropa” (You’re beautiful, I would never get tired of looking at you take your clothes off)

She went over to hover over him, reaching for his belt and pants. She commanded him to take it all off and so he did. 

He went in for her mouth while his hand slipped in between her panties and her slit, feeling her wetness, he rubbed her up and down then went for her clit, drawing circles on it. She let a few small moans die in his mouth.

“I want you, now, please” she said

He reached over the condom, his cock was throbbing hard. He slid in the condom on saying “I haven’t been with anyone in a long time. I might not last as much as we both want to”

“I don't care, I just want you inside, please” she said laying down, taking off her panties. 

He kissed her again, and got himself lined up in between her legs, he slid his member up and down her slit getting her juices all over his dick. She moaned and whined with “baby” when he did. He thrust himself inside her and then again slowly, to get adjusted and to not hurt her. She was so wet it went right in without any resistance. He was beside himself, she was the prettiest girl and she was under him taking him in. He kept his thrusting steady as he felt a warmness in his chest and cock at the same time, he never wanted and loved anyone so much in his young life. 

“ I love you” he said as he kept giving it to her and kissing her  “dios— so much” he said between breaths,

She opened her eyes, taken out from her pleasure trance, and said “Sit down”

He kissed her cheek, got off her, and followed her orders. She got on his lap, held his hard and wet member with her hand and put the tip inside herself, then slid into it, they both hissed at the overwhelming feeling. She started riding his dick with intent. In between moans, groans, and breaths she asked

“Do you still love me?”

“god, yes” he said looking up at her

“ Do you love being- joder, que rico- inside me?” (fuck, so good). She felt him getting even harder inside her

“It’s my favorite place to be” he answered pulling her closer to him 

Resting her forehead on his she asked  “Are you going to come for me?”

“Yes”  

“Now?”

“Almost”

He helped her go faster with his hands on her hips as her juices flooded his cock and part of his inside thighs. “Do you love me?” he asked kissing her neck

“I love you so much” she let out a desperate little moan “ I want you to come for me”

 He couldn't hold it much longer, her words were putting him over the edge

“Me voy a correr” (I’m going to come) he said as her riding got faster and harder, feeling the friction of his cock riding up against her walls.

“Come for me, baby” she said, riding him until he was a mess of groans and whines feeling his cock twitch inside her. He let out a loud moan and let his body collapse against hers, his face landing on her chest, breathing like he just had sprinted across the pitch. “Joder, te amo tanto” (Fuck, I love you so much).

She hugged him and peppered his cheek with kisses.  “yo también, amor”. (me too, love)

“Lay down for me” he said as he tried to calm himself down from his high. He took his condom off, knotted it, and threw it on the floor while she moved to rest on her pillows. He told her to open her legs as he went in to eat her out, not wanting her to go unsatisfied. Pedri sucked, touched, licked and teased her clit and core until she was begging him to keep going, to not stop, she was so close. He looked up at her, while he kept fingering her hole and licking her clit, met her eyes staring down at him, mouth open only being able to make noises. Camila came on Pedri’s mouth just as he wanted, screaming “sí, Pedri, sí”,  his mouth and chin full of her. He wiped his face with his fingers, and while she looked at him unable to catch her breath yet, he licked his fingers clean and said “You always taste so good, Cami”. Camila let an embarrassed giggle out and said “Come here, Pedro Gonzalez!”  while signaling for him to come on top of her. She kissed him, tasting herself all over his mouth. He moved next to her, and laid there looking at her, the happiest he had been in months.

Camila ran her fingers through Pedri’s hair, styling his messy waves, “Can you stay the night?” she inquired.

“Only if I can stay over tomorrow night after the game and the day after that too” replied Pedri, caressing her naked hips.

“Only if I can stay at your place the rest of the week” she said 

“Deal” Pedri said and gave her a small and soft peck on the lips. 

       The last game of the season was coming up, and Pedri had asked Camila to come and sit with his family to see his game and join the La Liga trophy celebrations. They had guaranteed the league title win two matches before. Pedri and Cami had kept their reunion on the download, telling only friends and family. When he sat down to ask her, he gave her a mini-speech about how much he loved her and respected her wishes to be private but he really wanted to share this important moment with her at Camp Nou, his first league as champions. Camila didn’t need a lot of convincing, she had been thinking about it since they had the mathematical win of La Liga. “I’ll be there, next to Fer” she told Pedri, she was ready. He gave her a long hug, kissing her neck. He loved her and wanted everyone to know she was his girl, he wanted to share everything with her, including this very important but public moment in his life.

The whistle blew on their last game and all the players ran to the pitch, jumping and celebrating. The first league title for Fc Barcelona since Messi left, since the 2018-19 season. Camila sat next to Fer and Pedri’s parents. They all talked, laughed, and got excited during the game. Fer was making Cami laugh during the game trash-talking against the rival team, Celta Fc, and at one point said, “You wait, I’m going to tell Pedri he was shit for missing that goal opportunity”. Cami laughed and said, “Don’t you dare, Fernando!”. People had already seen Camila with Pedri’s family and fan pictures and videos were already being shared on social media, although she noticed some phones pointed at her, she decided that these things were not going to affect her today, today was Pedri’s day and she was focused on being happy.

There was Pedri trying to look up at where his family was, waving towards them. The trophy and celebration decor were being put up and the players went to change into the champion's shirts. “We’re going down after they present them with the trophy, going down to the pitch, ok?” said Fer 

“Okay” said Cami giving him a thumbs up and wink.

After the trophy was presented and Xavi, Busi, and Alba gave speeches, they played music on the speakers, and families were cued to come down. They went down along with Ferran Torres' family and Sira. Sira covered her mouth and whispered, “Pedri is really excited you're here, you can see it on his face”. Camila just smiled and looked up to see if she could also see him. She saw him jogging down to meet them. He first gave his mom and dad a big hug and then met Fer who also gave him a hug. Camila was just a few steps behind. Pedri pulled away and his eyes met with Camila's. He couldn’t believe how pretty she looked, wearing an Fc Barcelona jersey, her hair down, red lips, and a big smile on her face.

“Hola, mi amor” (Hello, my love) he said as he went to hug her

“Hola, bello”  (Hello, beautiful boy) she said as she embraced his hug

“Felicidades, campeón” (Congratulation, Champion) she said as she pulled back to look at him

“Thank you, honey” he said smiling and gave her a small kiss on her lips.

She gave him another hug. “Come on, let’s go take a picture with the trophy” said Pedri The whole family took a few pictures and he also asked for a picture just with Camila. She looked up at the stands and saw there were thousands of people still in there. The team, along with the families, went around the whole stadium waving and celebrating with the fans. After walking with his parents Pedri walked towards Camila again, who was goofing around with Sira, Ferran, Eric, and Gavi, and held her hand. 

“Thanks for coming, Cami” he said covering his mouth with his free hand “I love you”

She looked at him and smiled, her eyes sparkling with joy, without covering her mouth she said “ I love you too”. They finished doing the lap and they all went to the tunnel. He said bye to his family. “I’ll see you later at home, yea?” he said to Camila “Vale, nos vemos en casa.” (Okay, see you at home) she said, gave him a kiss and walked away with his family The video of Camila and Pedri's moment on the pitch went viral, people had figured out she had said “I love you too” by reading her lips. The reaction was positive, unlike last time. She wasn’t going to be negatively harassed en mass like before. Pedri was so happy while changing in the dressing room, he had a stupid grin on his face, it meant as much as the league trophy to have had her there that night. The boys celebrated even more in the dressing room and he just sat down on a bench, laughed, and sang, getting hugs and cheek kisses from his teammates, thinking how lucky he was. It had been 7 months since Camila had walked out of his house, to turn his happy life into a miserable one and now he was the happiest man in Barcelona. He had his Cami and her love. No one else to claim her, to kiss her, to call her, to hug her, to miss her, only him, to love her, love her, love her.

[juletheghoul]

Oblivius Chapter 5

I have so many feelings about these two, Spills & Francis may be two idiot babies but they're my idiot babies and I LOVE them. Lots of yearning in this chapter, and maybe a different side to Claudia.👀

Likes & reblogs are appreciated

Frankie Morales x F!Reader

Pairing: Frankie x F!Reader

Word Count: 3K

Warnings: Angst, yearning, 18+ language, mentions of alcohol / being drunk (Please let me know if I forget anything)

Masterlist Series Masterlist Part 4 Part 6 Playlist

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Age 18:

His truck was full.

He was driving, you were shotgun - like always - and there were three more friends in the back. The trunk held boogie boards and towels, sunscreen and a cooler full of food and drinks.

You got there early enough that you found a good spot and within half an hour you were completely set up. There were three big beach blankets spread out with two big umbrellas to hide under when the sun got too hot.

“Spills, can you get my back?” He was handing you the sunscreen as he pulled his shirt up.

You were momentarily taken aback, you’d known him for so long, this wasn’t your first beach trip but he looked… good.

You spent a little longer than you should have making sure every inch of the golden skin of his back and shoulders was covered in sunscreen. Making sure to dip your hands just under the band of his swim trunks. When he turned he had a big smile and you had to ignore the way your stomach flipped.

Get a grip, it’s just Francis.

You couldn’t get a grip though, not with the way butterflies swarmed in your stomach whenever you paid attention to him. His hair was growing out a bit, curling slightly at the edges. You’d never thought about him this way and you had to keep reminding yourself to look away.

Later on in the day when you were in the water you played the same games you’d played since you were kids and when you jumped on his back he didn’t push you away; his skin warm from the sun. Instead he let you wrap your legs around him and everything felt right.

“You okay back there?” He laughed as he held onto the back of your knees.

“Peachy.” You smiled as you held on.

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

**Present Day**

“Hola Mijo, you better go in there and calm her down.” His mom greeted him at the door when he walked in, her eyebrows raised at him.

“Hola mami, what happened?” He kissed her on the cheek like he always did before making his way further into the house. She couldn’t say - just that Claudia was upset. He was walking towards her, but his mind was still back with Spills. He could still smell her hair as he made his way into the den.

It’s the same shampoo, she still uses the same shampoo. Focus Francisco.

Claudia was almost shouting into her cellphone.

“Well I need it here sooner than that. My wedding is in three weeks and I need everything to be perfect - so I don’t give a shit what you have to do to get my dress here in time but you better find a way to do it!” She was looking daggers at him and he let her finish the phone call before he spoke.

“What’s going on babe?” He put his hands on her arms and started trying to calm her but she shrugged out of his grasp.

“What’s wrong Francisco, is that I told you this would be difficult.” She wasn’t yelling but her tone was icy. “How am I supposed to get married without a wedding dress. Would have been fine if we were back home.”

Not this again.

“Claudia, I told you when we got engaged that I wanted to get married here and you agreed. I explained to you very clearly that I’ve been away from my home, my life, my family - my friends for years and I wanted to get married here. Now tell me what the problem is.” He wanted his feelings to be clear. He loved Claudia, he really did. She was sweet and beautiful and she treated him well. She could be a little spoiled though and if he didn’t put his foot down now, he’d never have a choice about anything ever again.

He would not live his life that way.

“Yes I know I agreed, and for the most part I’m okay with it. I know your whole life is here, but it would have been so easy to get married there.” She pouted and it didn’t invoke the feeling it should have. It didn’t spur him to try to please her, it annoyed him.

He momentarily thought about when Spills pouted up at him, it never annoyed him. He pushed the thought away.

“Maybe, but we’re not getting married there. We’re getting married here, now what can we do? Let's look for a solution.” He softened up at her a little bit, after all he wanted her to be happy.

She sighed loudly and put her arms around his neck, her voice got a little higher as she tried to appeal to him.

“Frankie, baby- I just want everything to be perfect.”

That doesn’t work on me.

“Let’s just try to have everything go smoothly. It’ll be our day regardless, right?” He put his hands on her waist to bring her close, trying to get her out of her head.

“How long do we have to stay here Francisco?” She leaned back to look up into his face and he sighed.

“We have to talk about that, after the wedding we’re going back to stay with your family for a little while but then we have to talk about where we’re going to live.” He held her, but she pulled away.

“I don’t want to live here after Francisco. I appreciate that you grew up here and everything and we can visit but I do not want to live here.” She crossed her arms petulantly, and he took a deep breath to steady himself. They’d spoken about this before and she had agreed to give it an honest try, but they’d been in town less than a week and already she was telling him she hated it.

“You can’t know that in three days babe.” He sat on the couch.

When they agreed to get married - he’d been scared of this, he’d been scared that she’d do this. He knew she loved him, and he loved her - as much as he could - but the look on her face when he’d put his foot down about spending this time at home should have told him everything.

She didn’t say anything, she sat with him and reluctantly agreed.

“You’re right, I’m sorry. I just miss home. I’ll give it another shot.” She sounded genuine and he wanted to believe that. “How was your night with Spills? Is she feeling better?” She smiled at him, putting her hand on his thigh and he placed his over hers. A silent truce.

“She’s doing much better, we ate dinner and watched a movie.” He held her hand as he spoke and she smiled at him.

“I’m glad to hear that - hopefully she doesn’t get that drunk at the wedding.” She laughed lightly.

He knew she didn’t mean it in a nasty way, but he bristled at her words.

“She was just nervous about meeting all of you, and even if she did it would be fine. Everyone gets drunk at weddings.” He tried not to sound defensive but she raised her eyebrows at him. “I just don’t want you to think that she’s a mess. She’s like a-” He couldn’t say sister, he’s never thought of her as a sister. She was so much more. “She’s just really important to me.”

“I know babe. I didn’t mean it like that, she seems sweet.” She smiled at him. She was still trying to get back in his good graces, taking his defensiveness as residual anger. Thankfully.

“We should plan something for all of us to do together. It could give us more time to bond.” He thought about it momentarily then agreed, he knew exactly what to plan.

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

There was something playing on the TV, you caught vague flashes - people talking but you weren’t taking anything in. Your sweatshirt smelled like Frankie and all you wanted was to cuddle up to him. He had been so sturdy beside you, so strong and comfortable.

What the fuck is a wedding emergency?

The mature - adult part of your brain said she was a nice person and if Frankie was with her it was for a reason. Obviously he was happy with her or he wouldn’t be marrying her. Frankie had never been the kind of person to settle.

The other part of your brain, the jealous possessive part told you she was a bitch. She was ruining the life you’d planned out with Frankie. If he’d never met her you’d be together now, laughing and planning the rest of your lives together. He’d be in your bed, or you’d be in his.

[Francis]: Hey Spills, we’re planning a get together for the wedding party - day after tomorrow - beach day. I’ll be there to pick you up at 7am.

It was like the universe was testing you. How many memories could he taint with Claudia?

[you]: sounds good, Claudia, you, me and who else in rustbucket?

[Francis]: Just you and I, and don’t call her that. Claudia’s family is coming so she’s going to ride to the beach with them. I’ll grab coffee on the way. =)

[you]: Hope you have a new tape in there, if I have to listen to queen I’ll jump out of the car

[Francis]: lol a ride is a ride Spills, see you then

[Francis]: was really nice hanging out with you today btw, goodnight

[you]: I had a great time with you - like always, thanks again for all the food, goodnight Francis!

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It was easy to ignore everything when you were getting work done, you had taken off a few days when you knew Francis would be home and you were taking advantage of it. The day before your beach trip was used to do all those little tasks you tended to put off.

Your laundry was done, the kitchen was clean, even the fridge had gotten a bit of elbow grease. Everything was ready and packed for the trip.

You tried not to think about the ride to the beach with Francis, you tried not to think back to your previous trips to the beach with him. Those memories were so precious and thinking about how your next memory would be with him, and his new in-laws was tearing you up inside.

Please let this go well, please don’t let me make a fool of myself.

You hoped someone was listening.

The anxiety didn’t let you sleep and you watched the clock crawl closer to morning; it seemed pointless to lay there.

Might as well get ready.

-----

He wasn’t nervous, but he wasn’t excited.

He made his way over to her house, stopping to grab coffee on the way. He thought about his conversation with Claudia, about the possibility of leaving this place. He really didn’t want to. He wanted to be close to his mom, he wanted to be close to his friends and his home.

I want to be close to Spills, I want to see her everyday.

He scolded himself, he was going to marry someone else. He kept trying to remind himself, but when he saw her walking towards his car it all went out the window.

God Spills, you’re killing me.

She put her beach bag and a small cooler in the backseat and got into his truck with a big smile, pushing all other thoughts out of his mind. He handed her the coffee he bought and she took it gratefully, brushing against his fingers, even now - she affected him so much.

Snap out of it Francisco, you aren’t a teenager anymore. This is your friend.

“Hazelnut?” She asked as she smelled the steam floating around her pretty face.

“Of course.” He pulled away from her place, making his way towards the highway. It would be an hour or so until they got to the beach.

“Open up.” The buttery bagel half she put into his mouth as he drove tasted better than he remembered.

------

The drive was over much too soon.

If only it had lasted all day - catching him up on all the gossip he’d missed out on while away. Watching his excitement when he talked about flying, you could have listened to him talk forever.

“Finally!” Cheers rang out when the two of you arrived. The boys had set up a bunch of blankets and umbrellas and you suddenly remembered the state you’d been in the last time they saw you and you felt the blush creeping up.

Benny smiled big when he saw you, tapping the place beside him after you’d all said your hellos. You had no reason to deny him so you sat, setting up all your stuff within the space he made for you.

Blessedly, Claudia hadn’t arrived yet and you cherished this time without her, maybe it was mean - maybe it was selfish but you couldn't help it.

“Hey - Thanks for the other night, for getting me home and making sure I was okay.” Pope set up his stuff on the other side of you.

“No problem, glad to see you feeling better.” He was talking to you but you noticed him give Benny a curious look. Benny ignored it. You watched as Will and Frankie set up a volleyball net, you studied both men and there was no denying that Will was gorgeous; but your eyes were drawn to Frankie. You couldn’t help it, your eyes raked over him greedily.

He was so broad, stronger than he had been in his teen years and his belly had gotten a little softer with age but it suited him. He was gorgeous, he had always been gorgeous. He felt your eyes on him then and he smiled at you, walking over to you with the sunscreen in his hands like he always did. His smile faltered slightly when his gaze landed behind your place in the sand.

“Hey babe, how was the drive?” Claudia and her family had arrived and they were setting up just behind you.

Do you have some sort of alarm? How are you always ruining every single goddamn moment?

“It was hectic! Left a little later than I meant to but we survived.” She was breathless as she came to greet him. You busied yourself with something, anything in your bag to avoid watching them kiss. When you looked back she was squeezing sunscreen onto his back, rubbing the lotion much the same way you used to whenever you’d come to the beach together.

He didn’t meet your eyes when she did it, and you were thankful. You didn’t think you could handle seeing him enjoying her touch so much. Instead you focused on the people around you. You focused on Benny and Will and Pope, trying your best to ingratiate yourself to them. Hopefully erase the memory of you as a belligerent mess.

---

As the day went on you found that you liked these guys, not just as an extension of Francis - but because they were fun. They made you laugh, they spoke to you like they’d known you your whole life. They almost distracted you enough. You also noticed that Claudia was only here to lounge in the sun. She had absolutely no interest in getting in the water, no matter how many times she was asked by Frankie to join him.

He played it off like it didn’t bother him but you knew it did, and that in turn hurt you but your heart leapt when he turned to you.

“Spills, wanna come in the water with me?” He smiled and held out his hand and you gladly accepted. Following him in like you always had.

“Not much of a swimmer?” You couldn’t help but ask when the two of you were in the water.

“Not really, it’s a shame - the water's perfect today.” He floated, making sure to splash you and you waited until he was perfectly relaxed to splash him back. “God I love it here.” he spoke as he floated closer and closer.

“Me too. I want to live near the ocean one day.” You spoke absentmindedly, trying to feel for little shells or rocks as you walked further and further from the shore. He followed you.

You felt him splashing you from behind and you tackled him. The two of you turned into children in the water and it ended with you wrapped around his back like always. His hands on the back of your knees as you held on. You both watched the shore in silence, everyone too focused on whatever they were doing to notice your closeness and you were thankful for it. It made you hold on tighter, trying to get closer and he wrapped your legs around his tummy.

Maybe it was inappropriate, maybe if Claudia had been watching she would have had some words for him, or you, or both of you - but it didn’t stop you.

“Let’s just stay out here Spills. Let’s stay in the water forever.” He stroked the skin of your shins under the water and it was so hard not to cry right then and there. “Just you and me, living in the water.” He laughed but it came out sad.

“I’m game.” You rested your chin on his shoulder briefly and he bumped your head with his. This one little moment made the whole day worth it, and when he pulled away as you knew he would, your heart broke just a little bit more.

You were both wrong in your assumptions however. The moment you had thought was private, that you thought you’d stolen without anyone knowing had been seen and catalogued by someone on the shore. Pope had seen the whole thing, and he had some words for Francis.

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

Tag list: @frannyzooey @foli-vora @danniburgh @sambucky21 @greeneyedblondie44 @lola4pedro @ezrasbirdie @221bshrlocked @artsymaddie @supernaturalgirl20 @sleep-tight1 @softdindjxrin @wheresarizona @sherala007 @freak-nasty-thick-dick-mando @marydjarin @cannedsoupsucks @thirstworldproblemss @ilikechocolatemilkh @lori-tovar @freeshavocadoooo @hrk-fic-recs @greeneyedblondie44 @maxwell--lord @princessxkenobi @the-feckless-wonder @kirsteng42 @girlimjusttryingtoreadfanfics @thisshipwillsail316 @feministfanboi @dihra-vesa @gaiuswrites @stevie75 @sweet-creature98 @readsalot73 @tobealostwanderer @elegantduckturtle @diogodxlot @alczysz17 @evyiione @absurdthirst @beskarboobs @andruxx @littlemissoblivious @1800-fight-me @goldielocks2004 @maievdenoir @gracie7209 @omlwhatamidoinghere @bellaorisa @hellovanessax

[ceruleanchillin]

5 Day Stay

| Or, Angel down bad for a week |

Angel x F!Reader

Warnings: language, infidelity, Angst (?), lil bit chili spice at the end

Mon:

Angel felt he was too young to consistently feel so bone-tired, yet that’s how his day had been ending for weeks now. Sometimes it was all he could do to get off his bike and make it to the door, only to have to rest his head against it to prepare to make it to the couch and collapse.

Tonight was one of those nights, and he wanted to be dead to the world until it dragged him back into it.

It was the smell of mixed spices that hit him first. It felt like he was in suspended animation, and slowly being released as different things started to register to him.

His TV was on, someone was rummaging through his kitchen, and music played faintly from his desk. Thinking back to the last time an unwanted guest was in his kitchen, he placed a hand on the holstered knife fastened to his back.

The fridge door closed, and you appeared in the window, eyes focused intently on whatever you were cooking on the stove.

He exhaled, feeling like complete shit. It only spoke to how weary his mind was that he could forget you were staying with him for the next week. Especially after the conversation that led to it.

“I don’t know Angel…really I can afford a motel for a few days.”

“Here? Rusted-through pipes will be the last thing your landlord is worried about when you bring back bedbugs and shit.”

Your eyes had widened at that, but still you brought up the thing that had been chained to your hesitation. “I mean….do you think it’s ok to do this? After we…Nails..Ang-“

He remembered a flash of irritation, more so at himself than you, when you said that. “Yes querida, fuck. If you’re so scared, I most likely won’t even be there the way things are going. Nails is out of town til’ next weekend…”

“Relax Ignacio.” you had cut your eyes at him, and he’d felt his dick jump like it did whenever you gave him attitude. “I’m just not trying to be a problem.”

Your voice calling his name brought him to the present. He caught the last part of your statement, that you didn’t know he’d be back.

“Yeah, we got in earlier than expected.”

“While you’re standing there like a weirdo, let me shame you real quick. How does a man in his thirties still have the kitchen of a frat boy?” You leaned on the sill of the divider. “You’re lucky I already knew you were sad in the kitchen. I had to bring my own tagine.”

He stepped into the kitchen, his stomach coming alive with interest. “One, I don’t know what that is, two, I can’t help it if the kitchen isn’t my preferred room of work.”

He peeked over your shoulder, but the unique pot kept him from seeing what you were making.

“Neither is the bedroom, unless that work is piling up dirty laundry.” you stuck your tongue out at him and turned back to your simmering dish.

“Ha ha. Dinner and a show, she does it all folks!” he collapsed at the table, the day catching back up with him. “Should put your ass on the club’s payroll. End the cashflow problem real quick.”

You turned to him, concern etched on your face. “I heard from Hank about that…sorry. I know now isn’t a great time for that at all.”

Things got awkward like they always did when you referenced the recent changes of his life. He wasn’t sad about getting another chance at fatherhood, this one more tangible than the last. However, he wasn’t entirely sold on everything he’d accepted along with it, and he was pretty sure you at least suspected that. It threw the previously comfortable confusion that was your relationship off track when it was touched on.

“No, it’s not.” was all he could manage.

It was quiet for a beat, the simmering of the food and quiet Neo Soul the only sounds.

“Well,” you started, turning off the burner. “At least you don’t have to eat like a ‘we got food at the house’ meme for once.”

He laughed, a genuine and needed laugh. “Ok, you know what? Keep talking about my pantry stocking skills, and I might take it personally.”

The rest of his night went that way. Anytime you and Angel got together, things were just…easy…better. You spent the evening eating in front of the TV (Angel getting all the way to thirds for what turned out to be olive chicken and roasted potatoes), trading jokes, and going over the finer points of Golden Girls. Angel learned you took it very seriously, and mocked you for being “old”.

It wasn’t until you were nodding off, and he was left with his own thoughts, that he realized he hadn’t enjoyed coming home this much since he moved in.

Tues:

Angel had dreamed he’d been back in his childhood home, but as a grown man. There was music coming from his parent’s room, and when he got to the doorway, his mom was at her dressing table. She hummed along to the soulful seventies music and smiled at him from the mirror. She said something, but he couldn’t make it out, and woke up in the frustration.

He jerked up from his position on his stomach, and slowly came to. With a grunt he wiped his hand down his face, glancing at his phone to find it was six in the afternoon.

It then occurred to him the music wasn’t just in his dream, it was coming from his bathroom. He got off the couch and followed the sound.

“Hey coma head.” you grinned at him from where you were doing your makeup.

He shook his head, trying to let go of the last vestiges of the dream, and how eerie the scene before him was.

He focused instead on the nightmare of products and alien looking tools surrounding you.

He kind of liked the mess, even if he couldn’t see the counter anymore.

“Hey hurricane Ulta.”

You made a face that was a cross between being amused and suspicious. “You sleep in your jeans and buy your shirts in pack form. Don’t act like you know what that is.”

He made a face of mock offense. “That’s so classist.”

This time you paused completely in you what you were doing and twisted your body to meet him. “Uh oh…let me find out you’re actually learning something from EZ.”

“Angel Reyes can know something about something, damn.”

You laughed, lowering your hands from where you’d been lining your eyes to avoid a mistake. “I’m only teasing you Angel Reyes.”

“Looks like you plan on teasing more than me. Some clown is gonna get his hopes and tiny dick up for nothing.”

“There’s this new club in the city that Belinda’s getting us into. It’s bad luck to buy your own drinks on the first night at a new place.” you adjusted the bodycon mini-dress for emphasis. “You doing anything?”

“Club shit.” he started picking through the products, sniffing them every so often. “Then I think I’ve got a call with Nails at some point.”

“You think?” you popped his hands when he got too close to the good stuff, or the things you were using currently.

“Yeah..I think.” he shrugged, only realizing how short he sounded when you winced.

He didn’t know why he got so annoyed when she was brought up around you. He wasn’t like that with anyone else, and he knew you were only trying to support his incoming changes.

“Ok..”

Awkward silence settled in before he found the words to break it.

“Why do you wanna know? You want me to be that clown?”

“Never.” you pinched his cheek, tone pure saccharine jest.

He muttered in Spanish, stepping around you to the toilet.

“Angel!” you exclaimed.

“What?! It’s my bathroom, I have to piss.”

“You better never make me angry Reyes, I could end your whole Casanova game with ease."

Wed:

“You holding on a little tight there mami!” Angel called over his shoulder with a laugh. “You said go fast."

“Shut up!” you giggled, but he wasn’t lying.

You’d asked Angel to take you to work on his bike since even though you spent so much time with bikers, you hardly got to ride one. You were going to the same place anyways. He had been all too happy to shake up his commute, but your speed challenge took it over the top.

He didn’t know how you were up so early, he personally felt like the bags under his eyes were like a PEZ dispenser. You’d gotten in at two am, and still got up with him at eight.

He loved watching you in the morning, you managed to be cheerful without being obnoxious, and it worked better than coffee for him.

He loved how much he was learning about you.

As he pulled onto the street beside the cafe you’d asked him to stop at, he felt your arms uncoil from around him. He may have pretended to shift just to make you pause and hold him a few seconds longer, but he wasn’t going to acknowledge that.

“I didn’t scream, and I’m not shaking, so you still have to buy my breakfast.” You unclipped your helmet, grinning the whole time.

You looked so pretty to him, with the sun hitting your eyes and hair just right. He could catch you at just the right moment, and you’d look so gorgeous, he struggled to believe you were real.

He cleared his throat, afraid his voice would crack if he didn’t. “Fair enough, come break my pockets then.”

You laughed, squeezing his chin and pointing out his pout. “You don’t even have to tell me once sir, I know my worth.”

Once inside, he trailed after you to the counter, using your head like an arm rest when you reached it. “That’s good.”

“Boy!” You swatted his hand away, and it was his turn to laugh at your adorable pout.

“New bet,” he stepped around you while the customer ahead of you wrapped up. “If I get your entire order just right, you buy lunch.”

“Deal.” you leaned on the counter, eyebrow raised at him in challenge.

Angel knew the best part of his day would be watching your expression go from smug to shocked out of the corner of his eye. He nailed every pastry, the iced coffee, and their preparation with ease.

The simultaneously impressed and amused barista looked to you for confirmation. She got a shocked nod in response.

“I know my worth too mama, so don’t skimp on lunch.”

“Fair enough.” You shook off your shock as you repeated his earlier words and shrugged. “Can’t complain I guess. I trained my work husband too well.”

He scoffed loudly, and the two of you went back to swapping smart ass barbs while he tried to ignore the lingering dip his stomach did when referred to him as “husband”.

Thurs:

Angel was a grown man, with years of grown man experience, yet he was sitting on the edge of his bed feeling like a teenager again.

The end of your stay was nearing, and every time he thought about you going back home, he felt weird. He was pretty sure that’s why he’d been a little snappy and annoyed easily at the club the past couple days. He just wasn’t ready to delve into that too much.

Regardless, he had to admit you had some growing effect over him. All morning, while he should’ve been resting and preparing for a charter visit, he was fighting off hard-ons thanks to you.

“Can I borrow your kitchen for the day Angel?” He mimicked your voice in a nasally mocking tone. “I’ll save you some when I’m done baking.”

He’d thought nothing of it when you asked the night before. Really didn’t even feel like you had to at that point.

He realized why when he saw that the desserts you were making for your friend’s brunch were elaborate as hell. The effort took all your attention, and unfortunately for him, his too.

You were baking a lot more than dessert and didn’t even know it.

Now he was hiding in his room, fighting off arousal he knew wasn’t appropriate. You weren’t his and he wasn’t yours.

That didn’t change the fact that you in a short silk lounge set, singing in French (how the hell did you know French?), doing domestic things in his home, did it for him.

He ran a hand over his hair, still damp from his cold shower, and forced himself to finish getting dressed. He had to be ready to face a room of dangerous bikers and prove his patched in worth. He couldn’t be thinking of weird little fantasies and parallels to his parent’s marriage.

He must’ve zoned out again, because you startled him enough to almost make him hit his wardrobe.

“Oh my god Angel try this! I think I did magic.” You excitedly thrust a red cookie his way.

Angel took the offered treat, and found it was a red velvet cookie. “It’s fucking good mi dulce.”

“Really?” You looked so hopeful, so beautiful, that he would’ve lied if the situation called for it.

“Yes, but you know you kill it in the kitchen.” He turned away to put on the flannel he’d fished out.

Now you were in his personal space, smelling amazing, and all his senses were under attack. He couldn’t trust Angel jr. at the moment.

“Baking is different. It’s a whole thing for me...I go all in.”

“I noticed your little Broadway production in my kitchen.” He kneeled down, pretending to look for his shoes as something to do while you were there.

“Don’t shame me.” You pressed your foot into his back, gently pushing him. “It makes for better results.”

‘shit.’ He cursed mentally at the contact.

Luckily, he heard you turn to leave the room. “Oh, EZ said to tell you to hurry up or pick up your phone.”

He rose up once you were gone and checked his phone. Sure enough, he had several missed calls and texts from Gilly, Coco, and EZ. He cursed aloud this time and finished getting ready, determined not to get distracted again.

Of course, his boys having to physically come in and get him when he did just that destroyed that promise.

Fri:

It had come down to the last night of your stay with him, and what he thought was a favor to a good friend, turned out to be more for his benefit.

The hell with the club seemed so far away when he was home now, and he’d laughed more times that week than he had the previous few months total.

Tonight though… Tonight had him so in his head he didn’t know if he was coming or going.

You, sensing something was going on with him, had invited EZ and Felipe to dinner. He didn’t know how you got the latter to agree, his dad had never even been in his home before, but you did it. It went over a hell of a lot better than the last time they tried it too.

The missteps that reared their head when his family tried to talk to each other at length were mitigated by you. You were the perfect buffer, able to get them to engage with you and then each other.

He saw his family in an unfamiliar, but favorable light. His father was actually enjoying his time with him in his house. He knew that night wouldn’t have happened if not for you.

Now, as he distractedly dried the dishes you’d washed, listening to you hit all of the high notes in Loving You, it hit him.

‘She should be my wife’ the thought came so quick, and was so loud he almost jumped, confused if it came from him or someone else.

“Hey dishwasher-less!” you nudged him with your hip. “Move those hands.”

“Why can’t we be a thing?” he blurted.

You dropped the silverware you’d been washing, eyes wide and focused on him. “Um..excuse m-…what?”

He knew that wasn’t the most tactful way to introduce his thoughts to you, but it was his way. Fuck…he didn’t even understand them fully himself.

“You heard me querida,” he put the dish down on the counter, turning to you. “When I stayed with you that weekend that my head was all fucked up-“

“Angel.” your tone made it a warning, but he kept going. He was never afraid of a challenge.

“I was inside you so much that weekend I forgot that’s not how I came in this world. I can’t believe I’m saying it out loud, but I felt home cause I was with you-”

“Stop it!” you hit the sink, rattling the contents.

“Fuck that!” he shouted back, startling you both. He stayed silent for a moment before speaking in a calmer tone. “Fuck that. Why can’t we talk about it? Why couldn’t we talk about it then?”

You didn’t say anything, but he saw your chest heaving with adrenaline, and realized you were just as affected by the conversation as he was.

“You just decided it didn’t matter and put it in this space we can’t touch now. It’s all fucked up!”

“Because,” you hissed. “If you remember, it was all over that Adelita chick, and I don’t know what kind of hold she has or had over you, but it was deep.”

He cringed at that, and turned his attention to the light fixture over your head, unable to meet your heated gaze.

“Whatever feelings I have for you Angel, I put them away in a place where I can still be your friend and keep things in perspective.”

“Feelings you have for me?” he latched on to the lack of past tense, hopeful.

You inhaled sharply. “You are having a baby and just got engaged. What is wrong with you?”

“Nothing..I mean a lot, but nothing to do with this. I know-“

“I know,” you pushed away from the sink and reached up to cup his cheeks. “That you’re scared Angel. You’re scared, because you’re gonna take two steps you’ve never taken before at once, and you’re trying to sabotage it.”

He shook his head, taking your hands from his face and holding them tightly in his own. “No..mi dulce, no. I’ve been struggling with this all week, longer if I’m being honest. Tonight sealed it.”

You snorted humorlessly, looking around the kitchen as if something in the room would help you get through to him. “I cook you some big boy meals, and treat your speakers to some musical taste, and you’re ready for vows?”

“Don’t put this all on me. Tell me you don’t feel it. Right here and now, to my face.”

He watched your expression soften, and let you put one hand back on his face, your thumb gently stroking his cheek. “Ok, I can’t do that, but I also can’t just fall into a situation with you either.”

He scoffed and shook his head. “We both know we didn’t just fall into anything. We sat here and let it build and didn’t say shit, and now I have to. This week just made it too real not to.”

He placed his forehead to yours, his own hands cupping your face. “Please…”

He watched you have an internal battle by your changing features before you finally leaned into him. The moment you did, his lips were on yours.

He knew it was more than just a kiss a few seconds in. Everything he’d felt that the previous week was alive and confirmed between you too. He could feel you telling him you had moments like his own.

He palmed your thighs under your sundress before grasping them tightly and lifting you up. He placed you on the counter while you two separated for air. Your chests heaved in unison, and neither of you had to say you wanted the other touching you again before it happened.

He gripped your hair, tilting your head back for access to your neck. The smell of vanilla and cocoa butter surrounded him as he worked his mark all over your skin.

Your legs wrapped around his waist, and you pressed yourself against his jeans.

He hated he couldn’t feel the heat he knew was emitting from your core through the thick material of his jeans, and slid his other hand up your thigh to your panties.

Your entire body twitched when he ran his fingers over you through the thin cloth. It wasn’t just hot it was soaked.

“You need me that bad mami?” he pulled away from your neck, satisfied with his work, and beginning to work at his jeans.

“And quick.” you breathed into his ear, your tone and the sensation making him shudder.

The ache against his jeans didn’t need to be told twice to find its way into your heat. He slid your panties to side and pressed his thumb against you. You jumped, whimpering your need again, and he pulled your panties way from you.

You’d gotten them around one ankle before he was inside of you, and they were no longer your focus.

You clung to each other so tightly there’d be evidence on both of you.

In the quiet, he wondered if your mind was racing with the same thoughts that his was. What now? How do we get this again?

He pressed kisses to your cheek just as he started to move. You inhaled, your nails sliding down his back. Not quite catching the skin, but enough to set him on fire all the same.

He mapped out a rhythm by your whimpers and how you grasped at him until he crafted the right one.

This was the conversation he’d needed. Every thrust from him, every cry from you, every bit of give and take to heighten the other’s pleasure. The two of you were admitting that everything that was between you was deeper, realer than you’d wanted to admit. He loved you, and you loved him, and you were engraving that on one another.

The flirtation, the way you could be yourselves around each other, the heatless jabs. Good friends was always a ruse.

Your face was buried in his neck, and when he felt dampness he knew came from your tears, he hiked your legs higher, moving deeper.

You cried out so loudly it echoed in the kitchen, drowning out the soft crooning of an eighties songstress.

“I know baby, I feel it too.” his voice was choked by the threat of tears of his own.

He’d never been here before. Not with Adelita, not even close with Nails. He was terrified. Terrified for it to end because he never felt so good. Terrified for it to end because it might never happen again.

“Angel..” your voice sounded so small, but it was strong enough to anchor him back with you. “I’m close, I’m so close.”

“Let go,” he encouraged. “Let me have it querida.”

Your body seized up with your release, his name the only thing he caught in your unintelligible babble.

You clenched up repeatedly in the aftershocks, and that drug him over the edge with you, biting your shoulder.

His vision tunneled, pinpricks of pleasure traveling up and down his spine. Your hands smoothed up and down the area, and he realized it was because he was shuddering.

He gripped the counter for support, pulling back slowly. He was searching for a way to ask if he’d changed your mind, but the act hadn’t made words for his thoughts any easier to find.

It didn’t matter, before he could even speak you stopped him. Your eyes were glazed over with tears that had nothing to do with pleasure this time.

“That was all that I can give you Angel. It’s not right, none of this is, but it’s all I can give you.”

AN:

Am I the only one who wishes she had reference photos for their home/club layouts? Lol, it’s such a weird non-factor thing, but still. From memory, I’m pretty sure Angel only has one bedroom though.

No shade, no hate but this was partially inspired by how over Nails Angel looked when she was putting her back into it….🥴

I played with a few canon-timeline things + knocked the dust off my smut writing ability (I’m going under my humiliation rock now, no calls plz)

[detectivesvu]

Permission to Rest

__

Rafael Barba x Fem. Reader

Warnings: Language, Sexual reference.

Word Count: 1,348

“What’s in the news today?”

__

“Hey, Raf?” You called for the second time from where you sat in the living room.

You were curled up on the sofa as you held a copy of the morning newspaper. He often teased you about how you were one of the only people who still read a handheld copy of The New York Times. You just preferred it that way. You were off from work for the weekend and Rafael had been required to take some time off after a long, hard case. It was a relaxing weekend...or at least, it was supposed to be. Rafael could never really leave work at his office, which was why he had a home office and an office office. 

Working from home could be difficult, considering you were always wanting to talk about something. He didn’t mind, he liked talking to you. 

“Yes, mi amor?” He called back from the next room.

You tapped the pencil in your hand on your temple as you continued to brainstorm the final answer to this crossword puzzle you were working on;

“What’s a ten letter word that starts with ‘S’ and ends with ‘D’?” You asked, beginning to feel stumped.

You heard his chair squeak, a sign that he had leaned back in his chair to think. He was silent for a moment before responding;

“Category?” He asked.

“Mode of transportation.”

He was silent again for a bit before replying;

“Skateboard.”

Your face brightened with delight at the solved puzzle that you had spent an hour or so working on;

“Oh! Thanks!” You responded gratefully.

He smiled and shook his head, returning his attention to his work in front of him. You set your pencil aside and thumbed to the next page. The title of the article caught your eye;

East Side Rapist Walks Free After Jury Finds Him Not Guilty: What We Know.

You grimaced at the remembrance of the hard loss that Rafael had taken just two days earlier. He had really taken it hard, considering he had spent so much of his precious energy on it. You scanned the article, recalling some of the details that Rafael had told you about. It was gruesome, violent, and horrifying with what had happened to those poor women. You couldn’t even imagine.

He suddenly entered the room, so you quickly folded the paper and tossed it on the coffee table in front of you. He was clad in sweatpants and a flannel that he didn’t even bother to button up. 

“God almighty, I swear if I never had to go into the office again, I’d be a happy man.” He proclaimed, rubbing his face stressfully.

“You know, you don’t have to work from home. That’s why it’s called a day off,” You corrected; “Most of your stress is self-inflicted.”

He snorted at that. He was a hard worker (a little too hard in your opinion) and he rarely let a day go by where he didn’t work in some form or another.

“Things don’t get done when I’m not busy.” He replied.

“Your gray hairs grow faster when you are.” You fired back, matching his tone.

His jaw dropped slightly, he was amused but a little offended;

“Hey, I don’t have that much gray hair.” He retorted.

You pursed your lips into a smirk. He was usually clean shaven and didn’t let his facial hair grow out more than a little bit of stubble. Whether that was because he didn’t want more gray hair to show or because he just preferred it clean shaven, you weren’t sure. 

You’d been with him for ten years, married for the last seven. But only in the last three or four had you noticed his appearance change. It seemed that the older he got, the harder he worked. Not the other way around. Not that you minded these changes. He was still just as handsome as when you first met him.

“Nothing wrong with a little silver in your hair. I find it rather attractive myself.” You purred.

He was more flattened and sunken into the couch, he looked over at you fully now;

“Is that so? Well, then maybe I should start working overtime to speed up the process.” He smirked.

You laughed lightly, leaning down to kiss him. He kissed back with a happy hum. Maybe he didn’t always love his job, but it afforded him most weekends off, which he was so grateful to have that time with you. He caught a glimpse of the paper on the table, picking it up.

“What’s in the news today?” He asked, opening it up.

“Uh, Rafael. I wouldn’t-”

Before you could finish your thought, his face drained of all color at the headline. He skimmed over the column before you plucked it from his hands. He looked to you with defeat in his eyes.

“Do you want to talk about it?” You asked, setting the paper off to the side.

He sighed heavily, his shoulders drooping.

“I just thought we had it. I spent so much time on it. It was clear cut...” He said softly.

“You did the best you could. You all did.” You said truthfully.

“I know, I know,” He said, dropping the conversation; “So, what’s on the agenda for the day?” He asked once you pulled away.

A blankness came into your head. You hadn’t really gotten that far;

“Uhh..” You trailed off.

He laughed;

“I like the sound of that. We haven’t had a lowkey weekend in ages.” He praised.

“What happened to your whole ‘things don’t get done when you’re not busy’ motto?” You recalled.

He shrugged;

“Believe it or not, there are exceptions. Baseball games and my lawfully hot wife.” He grinned proudly.

“Oh, well I am honored to be up there with the best of the MLB.” You joked back. 

He blushed at his poorly worded statement, rubbing your leg with care;

“You know what I mean. I’m just glad to have some time off with you.” He claimed.

“Me too. Maybe we’ll finally get around to watching that movie that your mom keeps telling me about.” You suggested.

“Oh my God. Cariño, for the sake of us both, don’t watch anything Mami recommends. I grew up with her and I can confirm that I have watched more terrible films than good ones.” He criticized.

It was true. Rafael’s mother had horrible taste in films. 

“I admire her for trying to advise something notable. We should have her over for dinner tonight.” You suggested differently.

He had moved now to where his head was in your lap, his eyes closed as you ran your fingers through his previously discussed hair;

“Hell no. I just saw her two days ago. Even a momma’s boy needs a break,” He ranted; “You know that all she talked about the entire time was grandkids? That woman has grandchild fever.”

You laughed sweetly;

“Did you tell her that we’ve only been trying for a few weeks?” You questioned.

He scoffed;

“Of course I did. You were right. We should’ve waited until after you got pregnant to tell her, not before,” He confessed; “Because now it’s all she talks about.”

“Awh. Let her be excited, Rafael. She just loves you a lot.” You bantered.

He opened his eyes, looking at the ceiling;

“I know. She’s just a passionate lady I guess,” He ended that conversation, beginning a new one; “Speaking of trying…”

You shook your head;

“No, no, no. It literally hasn’t even been an hour since the last time.” You laughed as he sat up and pushed you into the sofa cushions.

“Alright, so this classifies as a round 2.” He cheekily said.

You laughed as he kissed you, your hands going to the waistband of his sweatpants. He stopped for moment to look at you before continuing;

“I love you.” He purred.

“I love you too, Rafi.”

The kisses continued and the rest of the weekend went by without a hitch. It was a perfectly warm and well deserved break.

A weekend that could warm even the coldest of hearts.

[brattyfics]

drunk dialing | writer wednesday

Pairing: Angel Reyes x Black!OFC

Summary: Angel's ex-girlfriend gives him a call one night when she has too much to drink.

Tags: Angst, Toxic!Angel, Unresolved Feelings, Alcohol Consumption.

Word Count: 1.5k

1:16.

“She doesn’t need anymore.”

The words barely register over the hustle and bustle of the packed sports bar. Basketball reruns play on the television, old school r&b blaring over the loudspeakers. The bartender takes one look at Summer and the way her frame is slumped over just slightly, the way her dark brown eyes have glazed over, and nods his agreement. From their places on barstools, her friends thank him, not-so-subtly sneaking glances at Summer from the corners of their eyes. She can’t bring herself to care. They don’t understand. She’s drowning in the liquor but also an ocean of misery. The waves steadily pull her down further at each turn.

No one understands, so she takes special care to savor the dark amber liquid as it burns her from the inside out.

2:29.

Last call in the state of California is 1:30 am for any establishment that sells alcohol. Businesses like the bar that so graciously hosts Summer and her friends can stay open later, and they usually do. Most patrons abide by state law, using the time to sober up by stuffing themselves with greasy foods-- pizza, fries, chicken wings. Instead of drinking, they make plans to come back and meet up with the strangers they have become fast friends with or say goodbye to their college buddies in town for the weekend.

If You Think You’re Lonely Now plays as patrons began to shuffle out. Summer hums along.

If you think you’re lonely now, huh

Wait until tonight, girl (If you think you’re lonely now)

I’ll be long gone (You just wait until tonight girl)

And you’ll never find another man that’ll treat ya’ right

And then there are the lonely.

The ones at the bar every evening without fail, using it as home in place of the one they lack. They slide the servers bribes, crisp and crumpled twenty dollar bills across the bar top. She watches with tired eyes as they slide shot glasses back in exchange. Summer thinks she would try her luck if it weren’t for the mother hens watching over her with careful eyes. Her friends-- Aliyah, Jasmine, and Nia already think she’s a ticking time bomb. The last thing she needs to do is give them the ammunition they need to call her an alcoholic.

3:34.

It takes a while for the bar to clear out. Nia has to use the bathroom at the last minute, complaining about it being filthy when she returns. Jasmine mutters an obviously while Summer pitifully sips the last remnants of her drink. The melted ice cubes ruin it, she can’t taste the bourbon at all, but every little drop counts, right?

Summer refuses the hand offered to her by Aliyah as they stumble out into the parking lot. Aliyah hovers with her arms poised to catch her just in case. Nia absentmindedly plays a card game on her phone behind them, and Jasmine heads up the group, her keys noisily jingling as she swings them back and forth. She’s the designated driver and the only one sober enough to drive.

It’s a typical summer night in California, dry but cold and windy, so they quicken their pace. With every step, Bobby Womack’s crooning is stuck on replay in Summer’s mind. The lyrics resonate with her…

When it’s cold outside who are you holding?

...and she’s about to voice her thoughts when she sees it.

“Is that a phone booth?!” The words come out more hysterical than probably they should. Sure, it’s been like ten years since she’s seen one in person, and she didn’t know they still existed, so she’s a little excited and a lot drunk, but it’s just a phone booth. One that’s narrow and brightly lit in the midnight blue of the night. Aliyah, who forgot her glasses at home, squints at the white blob until she can make out its shape.

“I think it is.” She sounds a little mystified herself, and that’s all the encouragement Summer needs in her state. One minute she’s cheesing wide, and the next, she’s sprinting across the street towards the phone booth, giggling and tugging her short dress down the whole way.

The girls yell after her, but she tunes them out, snatching the ice cold phone off the hook. She’s even more enamored when she pulls the heavy metal to her ear and hears the dial tone.

It works!

High heels click loudly behind her. Summer turns just in time to see the girls come to a stop behind her, out of breath and unamused. Jasmine leans over and rests her forearms on her knees. “What the hell?” She hisses, glaring daggers at her friend. Summer ignores her, punching the chunky silver buttons like she’s in a trance. Even inebriated, she knows them by heart. One number after the other, she dials the one person she knows she shouldn’t.

Angel Reyes.

She vaguely registers her friends telling her to put the phone down. She knows that she’s making a mistake, but the armor she wears to protect herself from the world is too heavy. She strips it away, her inhibitions lowered. All she wants is him.

Ring...

“She’s been drinking. We should do something.” Sweet Aliyah is always the voice of reason. Nia sounds bored and over the situation. “This is so dumb.” Jasmine tugs on her arm. “Come on. You’re drunk.”

Ring…

“There’s no harm in a phone call, right?” Aliyah says, but her voice is shaky. She’s wrong, and they all know it.

Ri--

“Hello?” The reception is shitty, and the volume in the earpiece low, but with one word, Summer’s hooked all over again. She doesn’t say anything for several moments, the sound of her harsh breathing the only thing that transmits. There’s a long, tense moment where Summer tries to convince herself to hang up, but then Angel says, “Baby, is this you?” She hates the sob she releases into the phone from the simple words. She draws her bottom lip into her mouth to quiet the sound. Her girlfriends freeze, unsure of what to do.

“Y-yeah, it’s me.”

“You been drinking, mami?”

“Maybe.” Summer sways, and Aliyah is there, using her arm to prop her best friend up. It’s a silent act of support, a reminder that Angel isn’t and shouldn’t be the center of her universe. She has supportive friends, a loving family. She doesn’t need him.

“Where you at? I’ll come get you.” She doesn’t need him, but she’s tempted to tell him to meet her back at Jasmine’s place. It’s only a ten-minute ride from his place, five minutes if he speeds the way she knows he does.

Speeds the way he did when she caught him at Vicki’s with Adelita. He had been acting shady for months, whispering on the phone, keeping odd hours. She had felt like a crazy woman when she put the tracker on his bike, but her intuition was validated when she saw his location. She followed him, expecting to find him with one of Vicki’s girls. Instead, she found him there with Adelita and her protruding belly, rubbing it with his large, ringed hands like a doting father. Like they were some happy fucking family.

Summer had nearly lost her mind, knocking over furniture, breaking bottles from behind the bar. Luckily for them, EZ caught her wrist and restrained her. The sight of Angel shielding that woman, protecting her when he hadn’t protected her feelings, was ingrained in her mind. Realizing that all the men she regarded highly and looked up to as older brothers and uncles had been lying, and helping Angel hide his cheating, was something she would never forget.

Being betrayed like that should have been enough to make her stop loving him, but... it just wasn’t. Summer often found herself wondering what was wrong with her. Why did she pine after a man that hurt her so badly? Sure, Angel’s handsome, and funny, and sweet, and really, really good in bed, but he’s not good. Not for Summer.

She sniffles into the phone, “I don’t want you to. I don’t want you.” She tries to will the words to be true, but the tears gliding down her face tell a different story.

“Why call me then?”

“Too much liquor.”

He snorts out a laugh but then pauses as if considering something. “Yeah, me too.” Summer swears she can make out the sound of Gilly shouting something in the background, but maybe she’s so drunk that she’s imagining things. Maybe she’s making it all up in her head because she longs for their relationship back. She always finds herself back at square one when it comes to Angel, wishing things could go back to how they were, that she could erase all the bad and keep all the good.

You see the night's the time when the needs come out

When your needs come out to breathe

And the jonesing starts and there ain't no way you can sleep, ooh

“You hurt me.” Summer doesn’t bother to hide her bitterness. She knows Angel won’t acknowledge the words because the only pain he can recognize is his own.

“Summer, why are you calling?” His voice has an edge to it this time. He’s daring her to make a decision, pick a side. Either she wants to be with him, or she doesn’t. His gruff tone, the callousness with which he says the words should make her want to turn away from him.

Instead, it makes her heart lurch.

She feels desperate to hold onto him, so she says, “'Cause I-I...I love you.”

Notes: The prompt is from @autumnleaves1991-blog Weekly Writing Challenge. Summer Walker - Drunk Dialing...LODT & Bobby Womack - If You Think You’re Lonely Now inspired this fic. Let's all pretend you don't have to pay to use a pay phone lol. Do you like to see moodboards/covers for fics? Please let me know. Hope you all enjoy!

General Taglist:

@woahitslucyylu @briannab1234 @sheeshgivemeabreak @breakingnewsin-no-oneasked @angelreyesgirl @blessedboo @glimmerglittergirl @apantherinmypastlife @brownsugarcoffy @marvelmaree @starrynite7114 @scuzmunkie @thewarriorprincessxo @sadeyesgf @pearlkitten33 @imanerdychubbyqueen @literaturefeen @ourlittlesecretsoveragain @everyhowlmarksthedead @yourwonkywriter @trulysuccubus @sparklemichele @luckyharley1903

Angel Reyes:

@claytoncardenasbabymama @adaydreamaway08

[corvus--rex]

Next in this bizarre collection of abandoned, semi-abandoned, and deeply sleeping wips is one that has more direct time travel. It's more in the deeply sleeping category as I'm still picking at it. It's also another Omegaverse, so if that's not your thing, feel free to skip it. Also, both Lance and Keith practice polytheistic religions that have been altered to fit an ABO setting

~*~*~*~*~

A few years after the war, the Paladins made the newly rebuilt Castle of Lions their home. Shiro and Adam retired from the Garrison and into diplomatic careers for the Coalition. Pidge’s parents were still with the organization, but she and Matt preferred to be more hands-on, maintaining the places on the castle and with the now-former rebellion. The still close-knit team were still recovering from the recent bonding ceremony for Hunk and Shay, who were also staying aboard the castle, although it was still uncertain as to whether or not human and Balmeran genetics were compatible; they were just waiting on genetic compatibility testing. Lance and Keith, however, were ahead of the game. They had gotten engaged while on the way back to Earth, announcing it to Lance’s family on their return. Not wanting to wait, and with no way of knowing what would happen in their war with Honerva, they’d held a small bonding ceremony the night before leaving Earth for the second time.

Keith had it the worst when it came to post-Hunk/Shay bonding recovery. He wasn’t going to miss Hunk and Shay’s bonding for anything, even if it meant dealing with Lance’s fussing. It had gotten bad enough during the reception that both Krolia and Lance’s mother Mariana told him to sit down and let his pregnant mate be. Keith could understand where Lance’s caution came from. While their little one was only one quarter Galra, and developing as a human child would, Keith’s half-Galra physiology had other ideas, his body and hormones changing like a shorter Galra pregnancy. It meant that he needed to be monitored more closely than he would if the pup’s development and his body’s lined up. It also meant that they didn’t have a concrete due date, and that it was entirely possible he could deliver a premature pup. But at sixteen weeks Earth time, there were still another two months until they needed to watch for their little one’s arrival. They had stayed behind on Earth an extra couple days after Hunk and Shay’s bonding ceremony for some of Lance’s extended family who wanted to see them both before the pup was born. Keith was exhausted from the three days of parties surrounding the ceremony and the event itself, but they were headed back to the castle after that and wouldn’t be back for another eight months, and by then the pup would be at least two months old.

Nadia and Sylvio were excited about their cousin, and had to be reminded that Keith was tired from everything going on. Right then, they wanted to see the inside of the Altean pod the matepair were taking back to the castle. Keith and Mariana burst out laughing when Lance appeared with his niece and nephew each tucked under an arm.

He “dropped” the giggling, squirming pups in front of his oldest brother. “I think you lost something.”

“Who, me? I haven’t lost anything,” Luis said, feigning ignorance.

Still laughing, Nadia and Sylvio began scaling their mountain of a father. Once they got to hip height, he grabbed them both the same way Lance had been carrying them and took off running while mock screaming, making his pups shriek with laughter. Lance just laughed to himself and shook his head at his brother and niblings.

“Like you can talk. You know damn well you're going to be just the same with ours,” Keith called.

“Yeah, probably,” Lance admitted, walking over.

“‘Probably’ nothing, mijo. I know you will,” Mariana said, “Just don’t forget to call when that little one arrives. We’ll be praying for a safe delivery.”

Lance’s parents, grandparents, and aunts and uncles all practiced Santeria, and while Lance and his siblings had been raised in it and still believed, none of them actively practiced. His lack of participation didn’t lessen his appreciation of his mother’s intentions. He would have been worried when it came to telling Keith about his family’s practices if he didn’t already know about his Omega’s neo-paganism. Keith, likewise, had been relieved when Lance didn’t immediately declare him insane and instead explained about his own family.

“Thanks, Mami. So will we,” he said, hugging his mother.

“Doesn’t matter where you are in the universe, the Orisha will hear you,” she told him, then pulled Keith in, “And so will your gods, mijo.”

“I know. Thanks, Mami,” Keith answered.

The pod’s comms chirped, and Lance disentangled himself from his mate and his mother, disappearing into the small craft. Mariana wrapped an arm around Keith’s waist and he leaned into it, fully appreciating her maternal warmth. She was one of a very small number of people who had open permission to touch him. She understood that, especially after Lance had explained about Keith’s childhood in the foster care system and that he was largely touch-averse unless you were one of a select few who had earned his complete trust. She’d earned it through being the woman she was and treating Keith like one of her own children.

She reached over, resting a hand on his growing belly. “I pray for this pup every day. You two are going to be wonderful parents. And I know that you both will be safe up there – you and this little one.”

Keith breathed a laugh. “Altean technology makes humans look like we’re still playing with sticks and rocks. I mean, on an interstellar level, we kinda are. I’ve been thinking about that lately,” he admitted, “The ‘we’ part. I’m still half-Galra. Most of the time I feel like the only places on Earth I feel like I belong are out at my Dad’s place, and here.”

“Oh, mijo. It doesn’t at all matter that your wonderful mother isn’t human, or that you share her blood. What matters is what you do with it. And both of you used your heritage to do the right thing. And now she’s leading her – your – people to a new way of thinking. You both have done so much good. Never forget that. Or that you’re family. You’ll always belong here. And not just because you're carrying my grandpup.”

“We weren’t exactly planning on this.”

Mariana laughed. “Neither was I. For any of them. None of my five children were planned. We always wanted pups, but we decided to let it happen however it was going to happen. And we were blessed with five beautiful pups.” She nudged him gently. “Tell me, do you have any thoughts on what your pup might be? I knew for all of them, even when my mother was trying to tell me that I was wrong. Especially with Lance. She was convinced he was an Omega. And then he was born all Alpha.”

Keith nodded, understanding. “Yeah, that’s apparently not just a human thing. Mom said she knew I was an Omega before I was born. I think this one is too. I’m pretty sure it’s an Omega boy. Little brat keeps moving and won’t let us see, so we don’t know for certain yet, but I feel like it’s an Omega boy.”

“Oh, Veronica was the same. We didn’t know until she was an Alpha girl until she was born. And she’s still stubborn and independent.”

{What do you think, sweetheart? You an Omega boy?} she asked the unborn pup.

Her question was answered with a sharp kick.

“Is he always like that?” Mariana asked in surprise.

“Yes. Yes he is. I’ve been feeling him moving for almost two months, but it got more intense about three weeks ago. That, apparently, is a Galra thing.”

“What’s a Galra thing?” Lance asked, walking down the loading ramp.

“How hard the pup kicks,” Keith said.

“Yeah,” he agreed, “It really is that bad. I’ve woken up in the middle of the night before because of it.”

“Now imagine how I feel! Anyway, what was the comm call?”

“Oh, right. Just Allura asking when we were planning on going back up. I told her we were finishing getting the pod packed up and we’d be leaving within the hour. Varga. Whatever.”

Mariana hugged them both again. “Don’t forget. I want to know.”

Keith’s lips twisted in an amused smile. “As soon as we do,” he said.

Lance didn’t ask about it until they were settled in the pod’s cockpit and on their way to the wormhole point. “What are we telling my mother when we know it?”

“Huh? Oh, the pup’s primary and secondary sexes. I said that I feel like it’s an Omega boy, but that we haven’t been able to confirm it,” Keith explained.

“Yeah, he’s being a little brat about it,” Lance agreed, “We will find out eventually,” he added, poking the unborn pup only to be rewarded with another kick. “See? Brat.” He stood up, stretching hard enough to pop his spine. He let his arms drop and extended a hand to his mate. “Come on. Allura’s not opening a wormhole until we’re way out of system, and I want snuggles.”

When they first packed the pod to leave for Earth, Lance had shifted a few things around in the passenger compartment, making room for Keith to set up a nest. He was worried about their pup and was trying to just be a good Alpha for his Omega. Keith was particularly hormonal that day and broke down in tears when he saw the cleared space, his favorite nesting materials neatly sitting in the middle of it. Lance had been afraid he’d accidentally done something wrong until he found himself with his arms full of sobbing, pregnant Omega telling him how amazing he was through hiccupped tears. The nest was built and stayed there until they landed on Earth, where it was taken down and rebuilt in Lance’s old bedroom, right on top of his queen bed. Now it held their scents mixed with Lance’s family’s. Lance also knew about the sweater Krolia had given Keith for the express purpose of fitting it into his nest.

Keith let Lance lead them through to the rear of the pod and got settled into the nest. Leaning back against his Alpha, Keith reached into his shirt and pulled out the crystal he always wore. A clear quartz point, with a triple moon carved from rainbow moonstone woven into the silver wire wrapping the top of the crystal. He ran his fingers over the moonstone, feeling its carved lines and points, the smooth gem comforting. He was safe and comfortable in his Alpha’s arms, tucked into their temporary nest, but he still worried. He knew better than anyone that their pup could come earlier than anyone was comfortable with, especially him. He sighed, letting the quartz drop.

“What’s up?” Lance murmured sleepily into Keith’s neck.

“I’m just thinking again,” he said, the pad of his thumb following the back of his fingers in a small line on his belly.

Lance knew what he was thinking, read worrying, about, and wove their fingers together. “I know. But even worst case, even if he is three months early, he’ll be ok, and so will you. There is literally no one else like you in the entire universe, and all of this is new to everyone. Best we can do is take it one day at a time.” He grabbed the tablet from outside the nest, checking the autopilot. “We still have about an hour before we get to the wormhole point. Get some sleep. I’ll wake you when we get there.”

Keith yawned, curling up in the nest, Lance wrapping his arms around his Omega. “Nap sounds great,” he mumbled, half-asleep already.

Lance didn’t last much longer, drifting off the second Keith’s breathing evened out in sleep.

They were woken by alarms blaring throughout the pod. Keith shot up, startled and growling. Lance went for the tablet, checking the readings from the pod’s sensors. They should still have been twenty minutes out from the meeting point, but the star map showed them being in an entirely different galaxy, the familiar Milky Way nowhere in sight. He leapt from the nest, running for the cockpit. When Keith had calmed a bit and hauled himself out of his spot and to the cockpit, Lance was at the controls.

“Get yourself strapped in,” the Alpha said without looking up, “We’re headed straight for an asteroid field and there’s no time to change course.”

Lance changed the controls to manual and the front shielding changed from opaque to transparent, showing the looming ancient debris in stunning real time. Keith sat himself in the co-pilot’s seat, fastening the 4-point harness over his chest just in time for the first asteroid to go whipping past. He wanted to take the controls, but he knew that his awkward current shape made it nearly impossible for him to fly with the deftness an asteroid field required. Lance had no such problem, weaving through the asteroid field with his usual liquid grace.

When they finally broke through and into empty space, they still had no real idea of where they were. Keith brought up the galactic map. He noted several familiar planets and systems, realizing that they were on the far side of the Andromeda galaxy. As he was relaying all of that to his mate, the pod’s comm chirped with an incoming hail. It was the castle, but something was different and they couldn’t quite put their finger on it. Lance answered the hail, Allura’s face filling the screen.

“Hey, Allura. Do you have any idea what the fuck just happened? We were on our way to the rendezvous point for the wormhole and now we’re here,” Lance asked.

Allura stared at them in complete shock. “I – I don’t understand. How are you two there? You can’t be there. You’re both here on the castle.”

Lance and Keith shared a confused look. “No. We’re not,” Keith said slowly, “We just left Earth a couple hours ago and were on our way to the spot you designated for the wormhole back to the castle.”

“Earth?! What the quiznak are you talking about?! Stay there. I’m going to tow your pod into the castle and we’ll talk about whatever prank this is.” The shock was in her voice at first, before it became almost angry. She looked back at them from her projected control screen, and then looked at them both more carefully. “Lance, how in the quiznak do you have Altean marks?”

“From you?” he answered, now totally confused. Had she forgotten reviving him after he took the full damage of an energy attack meant for her? Did she not remember that he’d ended up with sky blue Altean marks as a result of the sheer amount of quintessence she poured into him?

“That’s impossible. I can’t give you our markings. And Keith, have you gained weight?” She was still confused, but turned it to the Red Paladin.

“Not in the last three days,” he said, then glanced down and back to her, “Not that way, anyway.”

They felt the pod guided into the pod bay and land softly. “Stay there, inside the pod,” Allura said, “I’ll be right there.” The screen cut out, leaving them alone again.

“What in the absolute fuck is going on?” Keith asked.

“I wish I fucking knew,” Lance answered. “Does she really think this is some kind of over-elaborate prank? She can’t. She knows us. Knows we’re mated. Knows you’re pregnant.”

“Yeah, that was weird. Asking me if I've gained weight. I mean, I know I've put on about fifteen pounds, but that’s almost completely directly related to him. I haven’t really changed anywhere else.”

Lance sighed. “Yeah. I don’t know. We’ll figure it out. But at least we’re back. We can get your nest rebuilt in our suite and take a fucking nap.”

Something told Keith to leave his nest as it was, and he told Lance as much. They also decided not to get back into it while they waited for Allura. The matepair waited in the open seating, Keith nuzzling into Lance’s scent gland. It was something they’d come to realize was a side-effect of his pregnancy. He couldn’t get enough of his Alpha’s scent and would use any and every excuse to get close and scent himself, not that Lance minded it at all. It always stroked his Alpha’s ego that their Omega was so devoted to them.

They both looked up when there was a failed attempt to open the rear door of the pod, which was followed by a polite knock. “Hang on a tick,” Lance called. He extracted himself from his snuggly koala of a mate with a soft kiss to his temple and a gentle hand on their pup.

Allura stood in the doorway, possibly even more shocked than she was on the call. He was still in the faded blue t-shirt and grey sweats he’d been wearing all day, not having been bothered to change. He was expecting an off-hand comment about not being up to his usual standard at most, but she just stood there, staring like he was a new race they’d never met before.

“Allura?” he asked.

“Lance, what the quiznak is going on here? Where’s Keith?” she asked when she found the words.

“I was going to ask you the same thing. And Keith’s right here. The kids were all over him this morning and he’s still pretty tired.”

He didn’t think it was possible for Allura to be any more confused or her eyebrows to arch higher, but she was and they did.

“What kids? Why should he be tired?”

Keith listened to the questions being fired back and forth. Something wasn’t adding up. Allura knew they’d been with Lance’s family. She’d met Nadia and Sylvio before and knew what kind of energy they had. It shouldn’t be a surprise that he was worn out after dealing with them. Keyword shouldn’t. But she was. He decided to see her for himself, or more to the point, for her to see him. He slid out from the seating area, turning the corner to where she and Lance were asking questions without answering any. He stepped up beside Lance, sliding an arm around his Alpha’s waist, his free hand resting on his pregnant belly.

Allura’s jaw dropped. He knew she could tell that he wasn’t faking, and that she somehow either didn’t know or had forgotten that he was four months pregnant, even if he looked farther along because of his body’s reaction.

“I – how?! How did this happen?! When?! What is happening?!”

“Allura,” Lance said softly, “Has anything happened in the last two or three quintants?”

“What? No. Nothing. And you two are here onboard the castle. Keith, you said you would be in the training deck for at least a few vargas, and Lance, you were helping Hunk in the kitchen. How did you two end up out there and in a pod I didn’t know had gone missing? And don’t tell me you were on Earth. That’s utterly impossible. We can’t go back without leading the Galra directly there, you both know that. And how have you been hiding not only your apparent relationship but also – Keith, you're pregnant! How do you expect to be able to fly the Red Lion in your condition?”

The feeling of something being fundamentally off continued to tickle Keith’s brain. An impossible thought hit him. “Allura, I need you to answer this question honestly. How long have we been out here with you?”

“What do you mean? It’s only been about three phoebs, but we’ve made good progress in the war effort. I really believe we’ll win. But you already knew that.”

Lance cut her off before she could voice a suspicion about them being spies. He realized as soon as Keith said it. “I think we somehow managed to go back in time. We really are who we say we are, and so are you. But you obviously don’t know anything about us as we are now. I can promise that we’re not hiding anything from you.”

“Well…I don’t know that we can really say that…” Keith said, trailing off. If the them that Allura knew had only been in space for a few months, then he and Lance were already seeing each other secretly. But then they decided that keeping it from their friends made absolutely no sense, even if it meant that Pidge lost her bet with Hunk.

“Ok, fair,” he said, then turned to Allura, “What was the last major event that happened related to the war? It’ll help us narrow down when exactly we are.”

“You two seem awfully accepting of this,” she said, a note of accusation in her voice.

“We – we’ve been through a lot,” Keith said, intentionally not elaborating. They had been through a lot – alternate reality, quantum abyss, the quintessence field, Bob, finding themselves inside Honerva’s mind – but they couldn’t tell Allura any of it.

“And if we tell you anything, we don’t know if or how it could affect anything,” Lance added.

“Hm, I suppose that’s true. The last major event? Well, we’ve only just found out about your Galra heritage, but after meeting with Kolivan and Antok, I have come to realize that your blood does not define you. You both have only just returned from separate missions. Keith, you and Hunk went to retrieve the Scaultrite from the Weblum-” Keith shuddered involuntarily at the memory “-and Lance, you, Shiro, and Pidge went to rescue Slav from Beta Traz. He’s still here on the castle with us.”

“Wait wait wait – Slav’s still here?” Lance asked. He turned to Keith. “If Slav’s still on board, then he would be able to help figure out what happened. Maybe find a way to get us back to our own time. And hopefully before…” he trailed off, giving Keith a look that the Omega understood. Before the pup comes.

Allura also understood what Lance hadn’t said. “Um, how – how far along are you, exactly?” she asked awkwardly.

“That’s a little complicated,” Keith answered. “The pup’s developing like a normal human, but because I’m half Galra, my body is changing and reacting as if I were completely Galra. Pregnancies are shorter. Six Earth months, or about four and a quarter phoebs, to a normal human ten months or just over seven phoebs.”

“So, you're saying that with how your body is reacting, your pup could be premature?”

“It’s a distinct possibility. But to actually answer your question, sixteen Earth weeks. Almost eleven and a half movements. It gives us no more than five movements to figure this out and get us back to our time.”

Allura nodded, making her decision. “All right. We’ll meet in the lounge first. Paladins and Coran only. Shiro…doesn’t exactly do well with Slav.”

Lance and Keith laughed. “That’s something we will never forget,” Lance said as they followed her out of the pod. Keith turned, locking it with their biometrics. Given the alteration to Lance’s DNA thanks to Allura’s quintessence infusion, they knew that it would stay locked. Their younger selves didn’t have a chance.

They walked in silence for a while, following Allura down lesser used corridors to the lounge entrance that was never used. “Is there anything you can tell me?” she asked, “About your time. How far into our future are you?”

“I don’t know that that’s a good idea, Princess,” Lance said, “You already know that we make it to Earth safely, and I don’t know how that might already be affecting our time. I understand that you want to know if it’s all worth it in the end, but I can’t tell you.”

Allura thought for a few seconds. “I understand. My knowing about the future could affect the present. It could change our decisions about things that will change the outcome of the war. And I take it that however the war does end, it’s the best possible outcome.”

“We think so. There’s a lot more going on than just Zarkon, but if you knew what, I don’t know – there are just too many variables.”

She paused in the doorway to the lounge. “I really do understand. There are more factors and facets to this war than I am currently aware of. Knowing about them now could upset the balance. Well,” she said, gesturing to the room, “Make yourselves comfortable. You already know where everything is.” Her smile was one of genuine affection for the Paladins in front of her.

“Thanks, Allura,” Keith said, maneuvering past her.

Once they were seated comfortably (“Comfort is a bit relative for me at the moment,” Keith told her with a laugh) she called for the Paladins and Coran, and them only, to come to the lounge.

Lance was the first to arrive, ready to drop onto the sunken sofa from the floor above, but stopped himself when he realized he was looking at something that looked like the back of his own head. He only knew what that looked like after a prank involving his siblings and every single mirror in the house. He saw Allura sitting at one end of the semicircle and slowed, turning to her.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“Ah. We should wait for the others to arrive before we explain,” Allura said.

“Actually,” one of the unknown people said and Lance nearly choked at hearing his own voice. A little rougher and maybe older, but it was definitely his own voice. He realized the other owner of his voice was still speaking. “I think we should start now. I know we’ll have to repeat ourselves, but I know that you’re kinda nauseous right now,” a long, tan finger pointed in his direction, “And I really think this is the better solution.”

“If that’s what you –” Allura was cut off by the next arrival.

“Allura? Why are we meeting here?”

Pregnant Keith snorted at how young he sounded. His mate patted his head. “I know. We sound like babies.”

The younger Keith froze.

“Yes we’re real. No you're not hallucinating,” pregnant Keith said without moving. He knew what his younger self was thinking.

“Well, as long as we’re both here,” Lance said, “We should explain as much as we can.”

The younger Red and Blue Paladins walked around to the steps and froze again when they were suddenly face to face with themselves. Their older selves were snuggled together in the middle of the sofa horseshoe, not caring who saw them. There was too much for them to take in all at once, but they did notice Lance’s Altean marks and the undeniable fact that the older Keith was significantly pregnant.

“Yeah,” pregnant Keith agreed, “It’s a lot to unpack. We’ll tell you what we can.”

The younger Paladins sat together opposite Allura, not knowing what to say.

“As far as we can tell, we’re from your future. We don’t know how we got here. We were on our way back to the castle and decided to let the autopilot handle the flying while I had a nap and woke up to all the alarms going off about a half hour later. We realized that we weren’t where we should be and found the castle after clearing the asteroid field nearby.”

“And, I’m – or, you – I don’t even know how to phrase that,” the younger Keith stumbled through.

Older Keith just laughed. “We? Since we’re the same person, just at different ages. But yes, I’m pregnant. I'm due fairly soon, so we need to figure this out as quickly as possible.”

Both his mate and Allura noticed how he phrased himself, but said nothing, understanding why he had done it.

It was the younger Lance’s turn to stumble through a sentence. “So, you’re – and – is that –”

Older Lance snickered at his younger self. “Yes. Yes we are, and yes it is.”

“What?! But -”

“But nothing,” older Lance said, “Although that might have prevented this.”

“Yeah, sure. You try telling my heat brain that,” pregnant Keith said.

The younger Keith pointed at his older self. “That. But, how? I mean, I’ve always been so careful about taking it on time. Unless…”

Pregnant Keith shook his head. “No, that hasn’t changed. It failed. We weren’t planning on this. But it happened, and we wouldn’t change it for anything.”

“Ok, so I just need to know one thing. Not about the future, not that.” His hand went to his chest almost unconsciously. “Just so I know. That you’re really me.”

Without moving from his spot snuggled into Lance’s side, Keith reached into his t-shirt and pulled the quartz and moonstone pendant out, letting it fall to his chest. “It was the first thing I ever bought for myself after Dad died. He taught me the basics of the Craft and I've kept it up ever since. Helps me feel connected to him even though it represents Omegas.”

Younger Keith nodded, holding his own crystal. “Yeah. It does.”

Looking from his not-so-secret boyfriend, the younger Lance turned to his own older self. “And he knows about…”

Older Lance cracked an amused smile. “Yeah, he does. But wait, haven’t you already told him about us?”

“Oh, well, yeah. I guess that didn’t really make sense, did it?”

“No, not really. But the last thing Mami said to me when we left her last was that it doesn’t matter where in the universe we are, the Orisha will hear us.”

“That – that’s –”

“What Mami said when I left for the Garrison. Yeah, she still says it.”

Pidge was next to arrive, and stopped when she saw the two older versions of her friends.

“No, you haven’t been up long enough to hallucinate yet,” pregnant Keith said through laughing.

“Come sit down, Pigeon. We’ll explain once everyone’s here,” Lance said, waving her forward.

They were all surprised that it hadn’t been Shiro to appear first, but he and Hunk were next, walking in together. If they thought that Pidge had been surprised, it was nothing compared to the double take from the Black and Yellow Paladins. Allura had yet to say anything once her Paladins began filtering in, and she still didn’t, letting the two older Paladins take the lead.

“Hi, Shiro,” pregnant Keith said. He still hadn’t moved from his mate’s side, enjoying the warmth and safety of his Alpha’s touch.

“What in the almighty fuck is going on?” Shiro asked, stunned.

“We’re just waiting for Coran, and then we’ll explain.”

Shiro and Hunk sat down, among the other Paladins. Hunk seemed to look for some kind of comfort from the familiarity of Pidge, and Shiro sat himself between his Lance and the older Keith with an expression told them that he was trying very hard to wrap his head around the idea of Keith being pregnant. Coran came running in a few minutes later.

“Oh, my apologies, Princess. The scanners went all wiffeley for a few ticks. They’re perfectly fine now.” He noticed the two new additions for the first time. “Erm, Princess…” he started, scratching his cheek with one gloved finger.

“Yes. It’s why I’ve called you all here,” Allura said, “When I was alone on the bridge briefly, scans picked up a single Altean pod. When I hailed it, well…”

“It was us,” the older Lance finished, “We seem to be from your future.”

Everyone stopped, if only briefly, before exploding into questions and demands. Questions about what happened, how they got here from their own time, how did the war end, what’s it like now, did everyone survive…

Lance put a hand up, silencing the onslaught. “We can’t answer most of those questions. Anything we tell you could possibly alter the timeline, and I can’t risk that.”

Pidge pouted, her curiosity getting the better of her. “Well, we already know you two end up together. And if you're here, then you guys obviously made it out.”

Pregnant Keith shifted, sitting up but not leaving his Lance’s personal bubble. “Yes, we did make it out. And yes, we know what it’s like now. But is it worth it to know about our future when it could change your own?”

For maybe the first time in her life, Pidge didn’t have an immediate answer. Her natural curiosity demanded to be sated. The older versions of two of her best friends were sitting in front of her with the answers to so many questions. So much of her own personal stress could be relieved just by knowing if she ever found Matt and Sam. She could know the outcome of the war. But thinking about those things, she realized that Keith was right. If she did know, it would change what she did, how she could react to things. The butterfly effect wasn’t real, or, if it was, it didn’t quite work that way, but a change to a major event could lead to a cascade of differences. And there was no way to know if those would be good changes or bad. But she didn’t get to answer the semi-rhetorical question because Slav walked in at that exact moment.

“So we’re in this reality,” he said, seeing the future Lance and Keith. He narrowed his eyes at them. “You haven’t told anyone anything, have you?”

“Nothing that wasn’t immediately obvious,” Keith answered, settling back against his mate.

“Ah. Right. I need to confirm things about you two before I can recalculate probabilities, but we should discuss this –” His owlish eyes narrowed again as he looked around the room. “- privately.”

~*~*~*~

Links to the rest of the series:

1 | 2 | 3* | 4 | 5* | 6* | 7 | 8 | 9* | 10 | 11 | 12* | 13 | 14 | 15* | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19*

[youllneverknowrac]

Oscar Diaz-Shut Up Mom!(MBS)

Hey guys! Hope you enjoy this request!

Make sure to show some love if you liked it!

@b3mybunnybaby

~

“Mommy can you help me with a Tik-Tok prank on daddy?” Carlos asks from where you rest on the couch with your swollen feet up, Alexander taking a nap in your arms.

“I wanna watch Tik-Tok.” Angel says as he sits in time out from a tantrum he had minutes prior.

“No talking. You sit there and think about what you did.” You warn him before turning your attention to your third born,”What do I have to do?” You ask him with a smile, you needed some excitement in your life and this was the perfect way to get that. Especially since your little girl was about to be here any day now.

“Okay so all you need to do is...” Carlos begins to explain the instructions, even showing you a few videos as a reference,”Got it?”

“I do, but do you think you can out run your dad? Maybe we should tell Anthony or Junior to do it.” You suggest, already knowing that Oscar doesn’t play when it comes to your kids being disrespectful.

“Junior won’t be back until this weekend.” He says as he thinks his idea over,”Let me go ask Tony.” He decides before taking off up the stairs and into their shared bedroom.

“Mommy? Can I come sit with you now?” Angel asks quietly from the corner,”Pwease?”

“Are you sorry for being mean to Alex? You have to share with him, he’s your little brother. And soon Santana is gonna be here, are you going to be mean to her?”

“No mommy, I’ll be good. I’ll tell Alex sorry when he wakes up.”

“Okay, but if you mess up one more time today I’m telling daddy.”

“No! No daddy! I’m a good boy. Pinky promise.” He says as he runs over and jumps on the couch next to you,”I’m gonna be a good big brother.” He says as he carefully places a kiss to the sleeping boys head before doing the same to your stomach.

“I believe you. Now shhh, don’t wake him up.”

“Shhh.” He repeats with a head nod before laying back against the cushion and grabbing his tablet.

“Okay mom, I’ll do it but if he ends up grabbing me I’m throwing hands.” Anthony says as he comes down with Carlos.

“I’ll have your back.” Carlos says firmly with a clap on his back. Angel chiming in that he will to as he keeps his eyes focused on his game.

“Then you better run fast.” You laugh,”He should be home any minute now, so stretch those legs.”

You guys end up practicing a few times, Alexander awake in his pack n play by the time Oscar’s truck is pulling into the drive way,”He’s here, get ready!” Angel screams as he peeks out the window. Carlos hands you his phone, the app already set up before taking a seat with Angel. Anthony sitting on the steps mentally hyping his self up.

“Best looking Diaz is home!” Oscar shouts out after walking in the house and kicking his work boots off by the door,”Whatcha all doing?” He asks as he joins you all in the living room, undoing the buttons on his dirty uniform.

“Nothing I’m just trying to get these boys to clean up their rooms.” You sigh after pressing record, Oscar leaning over the back of the couch to peck your lips in greeting quickly,”They haven’t been listening to me all day.”

“Why aren’t they clean?” He asks as he looks in between the three older boys,”I’ll go throw away every toy and video game I bought if those rooms aren’t spotless by tonight, when your mom says to do something you do it. Understand me?”

“Yes sir.” All three boys nod simultaneously.

“Well go on then, I’ve been telling you all day. Anthony please clean y’alls bathroom too.”

“Oh my god, shut up mom. Quit nagging so much.” He says as he stands up, Oscar snapping his head over to the older boy so fast and dangerously walking towards him.

“The fuck did you just say?” He asks lowly,”I know damn well you ain’t talking to your mom like that.”

“I did and what?” He retorts, you guys deciding to take it a bit further than the original videos.

“Getcho ass over here!” Oscar shouts as he reaches out for his shirt, Anthony two steps ahead as he takes off in the opposite direction.

“Now Angel!” Carlos screams as they each grab onto Oscar’s legs and hang on for dear life.

“It’s a joke Oscar! Chill out!” You laugh as you scramble to your feet,”Look it’s for a video, I knew he was going to say that.” You add as you stop recording and show him.

“Oh y’all trying to play me for a fool?” Oscar says as he reaches down and picks up Angel by the ankles and holds him upside down,”Where you in on this? Huh?” He asks him with playful anger.

“No! Mommy help!” Angel laughs as he swings his body back and forth.

“Put my baby down.” You scold with a smile as you grab him with a low groan,”You’re so heavy now.” You comment as Oscar snatches Carlos up from the ground and holds him at arms length,”I know this was your idea.”

“Maybe.” He says innocently as he flashes his smile, a few baby teeth missing and being replaced with incoming adult teeth.

“Haha. You all think you’re so funny, I was about to air the whole roof off of this house. Y’all need to ask about me, you just don’t know what dads capable of.” Oscar boast as he lightly shoves the scrawny kid away with a push to his forehead.

“Um can I come back down?” Anthony yells from the top step.

“Yeah come down!” Oscar says, rubbing his nose with his thumb and index finger,”I ain’t gonna hurt you. Don’t be scared now.”

“It was for Tik-Tok.” Anthony says as he slowly descends from the steps,”I wouldn’t talk to mom like that for real.”

“You’re lucky.” Oscar jokes as he throws a few punches in his direction,”Don’t mess with the big dogs hyna.”

“Aye, I’m not that scared.” Your second born laughs as he doges the hits,”You ain’t that athletic anymore dad, old age is getting to you.”

“Hey! We’re practically the same age and another thing I’m your wife. Once upon a time I was your hyna, but you can’t call me that no more.” You scoff playfully as you sit back down with Angel, Alexander growing upset that he hasn’t got any attention yet.

“Yeah, but you look like a teenager, dad not so much.” Anthony laughs

“Aight, ima let that slide for now.” Oscar smirks as he goes over to pick up the baby after blowing a kiss and wink your way in understanding,”When you’re least expecting it though ima be on that ass.” He jokes before turning his attention to Alex,”You wouldn’t play a prank on daddy? No you’d never do that.” He says, placing a kiss to the top of his head after.

“What’s a hyna?” Angel asks looking between the two of you,”Whatever I don’t care, I have fruit snacks. Um mommy can I go get some pwease?”

“Yes, just one bag though. You can all go get a little snack, I’m ordering Chinese for dinner so don’t go overboard.”

“Awesome!” Carlos says before all three boys head into the kitchen.

“Y’all better eat at the table!” Oscar calls out behind them,”I don’t need any roaches in this house!”

“Yes sir!” They all shout back

“Bring me him.” You say and wiggle your fingers in their direction.

“You have a baby in your stomach, hold that.” Oscar says as he takes a step away,”Besides he’s the only one that didn’t play a prank on me so I’m gonna go give him some juice and cuddles.”

“What?!” You laugh as you throw your head back,”If you don’t give me my baby back and go change out of your dirty work clothes I’m gonna...”

“You’ll what? Chase after me?” Oscar teases as he bounces Alex in his arms,”Come on mama, come take him from me.”

“I don’t even have to get up, watch this...Alex, mommy’s baby boy. Come here.” You say and hold your arms out from the couch,”Come to mama.”

“Mama.” Alex says as he reaches out for you with a smile, his legs kicking out,”Mama.” He repeats with grabby hands, not waiting even two seconds before he begins to wail.

“Not fair.” Oscar says with squinted eyes as he hands him off to you,”That’s okay cause my princess is gonna be all about daddy. Then you’ll finally see how it feels to be second favorite.”

“It’s cute that you think your second, you know that’s Cesars spot.” You joke, Alex already calm in your arms as he sucks his thumb.

“What’s this, make Oscar upset day?” He scoffs as he leans over you,”Cause it’s working.” He tells you before pressing his lips to yours lovingly once again.

“I’ll make it up to you tonight.” You mumble against him mouth with a smile,”But you need to go shower first.” You laugh and turn your head away a second later,”Now please.”

“This smell coming off of me is called hard work mami. Hard work and money!” He laughs as he walks backwards towards the master bedroom,”Get on my level!”

“I’m above your level papi. I stay home all day with my baby’s and take your paycheck at the end of the week. You wish you were on my level!”

“You’re a smart ass.” He chuckles as he points at you,”But I love it.”

“Hmh love you.” You say and stick your tongue out at him, Oscar flicking you off before disappearing out of your sight.

“Mommy!” Angel shouts from the dining room,”Come in here with us!”

“Coming, give me a second.” You huff as you set Alex down and opt for holding his hand instead as the two of you head to join the other Diaz boys. A good time to ask them what other prank could be played on their daddy.

[noladyme]

La Cuervo - Chapter 4

She is used to the biker-life, having grown into a woman in the familiar embrace of SAMCRO. A bad decision and a gun-shot later, she gets whisked off to Santo Padre, and put under the protection of another club. What is supposed to be a short stint in the Mayan headquarters just north of the border to Mexico, turns into something more; when la quervo begins to develop feelings for el angel - and he seems to return them in kind...

TW: violence, blood, drug use, alcohol, smut, fluff, angst

In the spirit of "The Crown Princess of Charming", this is a story about O.C. Nina and Angel Reyes. It is obviously non-canon, as characters who have passed on on Mayans M.C. are present in it, and others have been excluded completely. Nina is written as a cis-female, but I have tried to keep her race and looks as ambigous as possible. Should you find any of this story offensive, please let me know.

Nina spent the next week doing her best to avoid Angel. He, in return, acted like they’d never had the encounter in the cage – or any encounter at all, for that matter. He spoke to her about as much as the next girl in the clubhouse; though, unlike with the other girls, he avoided all kinds of flirting or terms of endearment, other than the occasional mami, when he asked for another drink. Women crawled all over him, and he seemed perfectly content and used to the fact. Deciding she was better off for how everything had turned out, Nina threw herself in to helping Chucky in the office, and reading some of the books EZ had left in the trailer; when she wasn’t slinging beers behind the bar. The atmosphere was still awkward, though; and she was beginning to feel something like homesickness.

Not having heard anything from Charming since she’d arrived, Nina went over to Bishop with a pair of beers for him and Taza, who were deep in conversation one evening; after they’d just come back in from some meeting or other. They’d been sending her discrete looks throughout their discussion, and she thought now was as good a time as any, to check in with them. Setting down the beers on the table, she paused for a moment, before speaking. “Bishop? I don’t mean to intrude, but I was just wondering if you’d heard from Chibs? Or Tig, maybe?”. Bishop shook his head. “Sorry, sweetheart. No word from either of them”, he said earnestly. “We boring you here?”. “No, of course not… I didn’t mean… I really appreciate you taking me in. I guess I just don’t see the need for all the secrecy…”. Taza gave his president a hard look, and Bishop nodded. “Take a seat”, he said to Nina.

Sitting down, Nina felt her heart racing. She didn’t like the look on the faces of the men in front of her. “Do you know who El Palo is?”, Taza asked. Ninna nodded. “He’s president of Vatos Malditos…”, she said. “How do you know that? Have you heard about our relationship with them?”, Bishop asked. “Of course not”, Nina replied, knowing that would be the right answer. Bishop let a smile ghost his face. “So SAMCRO told you. Are they working with them?”. He was testing her. “I just serve the beers”, she said. “Good girl”, Bishop said. “If you know who he is, you probably also know that he’s a grade-A psycho”, Taza said. “I’ve heard things…”, Nina muttered. Palo’s reputation was terrifying; SAMCRO spoke of him almost like a ghost – one of the murderous kinds. “Palo used to have a cousin up in northern California. About a month back, he was shot and killed by who Palo thinks is a hooker, in a date turned mugging”, Taza said. “It turns out that the truth is a bit more complicated than that”, Bishop said. Nina was beginning to connect the dots, and felt her heartrate go up. “Palo’s cousin’s name was….”, Taza began. “Gael…”, Nina interrupted him in a whisper. “Yeah”, Bishop said. “You in serious shit, sweetheart”. Nina’s hands were shaking. “I didn’t know… I thought Chibs brought me here to keep me away from the police-investigation. I mean, it was self-defense, but…”, she croaked. “Why didn’t they tell me?”. “They probably didn’t want to scare you”, Taza replied.

She eyed Bishops smokes on the table, and he handed her a cigarette. The two men frowned at her, as she grabbed her inhaler from her pocket, and took a hit, before lighting the cigarette. “Don’t… I get enough shit from Tig about this”, she said. Another smile ghosted Bishop’s face. “Palo contacted El Padrino… Alvarez; as Gael died so close to our Oakland charter territory”. “San Joaquin county”, Nina said, and took a huff from her smoke. “He called in Mayan help to find you… Offered good money for any info”. “Why didn’t he hand me over, then?”, Nina asked. “Marcus’ loyalty to SAMCRO, and the promise he made to Jackson Teller, to stay on good terms with them, weighs more than money”. Nina closed her eyes and sighed. “I guess I owe you more than I know”, she said. “Well, reaper paid us a bit more on top of the loyalty we owe them”, Taza chuckled. “But, you’re safe with us. Palo won’t think to search in his own back-yard”. “What do you mean?”. “The Vatos’ territory borders our own. In more ways than one”, the VP said. “They’ve claimed the area just south of the wall”, Bishop said.

“Fuck… Fuck!”, Nina rasped, and ran a hand over her face. “So why are you telling me this? If Chibs didn’t think I should know”. “Keeping it a secret from you won’t keep you safe”, Bishop replied. “If we’re going to protect you, and keep our promise to SAMCRO, you need to know how serious this is”. Nina narrowed her eyes. “But you’re not letting the rest of the club know…”, she said. “The lady’s got a point, Bish”, Taza said. Bishop held up a hand, and hardened his expression. “We talked about this, Taz’. You know the shit we’ll get in to at the table, if they find out we’re double-crossing a business-partner like this”. “We haven’t dealt with VM in months. There’s no money between us anymore”, Taza said. “And there sure as shit won’t be in the future, if Palo finds out about this”, Bishop said, and gestured towards Nina. When he saw her expression, he sighed. “Look, I made a promise to our brothers in SOA, but I’m not going to risk future Mayan-business over it. For now, this stays between us, you got that?”. “Yeah… whatever you say”, Nina muttered. Bishop raised a brow at her, and she made a frustrated sigh. “I know how club business works; it’s not my place to mess with it”.

The door to the clubhouse opened, and Coco, Gilly and Angel – accompanied by the blonde he’d ignored the night Nina had arrived in Santo Padre – walked in. Nina was about to get on her feet, and walk back to the bar, when Bishop grabbed her hand. “This is also why I don’t want you starting things up with Angel. All due respect, I don’t need him losing his head over some croweater from Charming, if this blows up in our faces”, he said. “You have nothing to worry about. Nina said, an edge to her voice. Bishop tightened his hold on her hand. “I’m serious. I need my men focused on business; and if Angel starts thinking with his dick, instead of his head, there’s a good chance he won’t be able to make the right decisions, when push comes to shove”. “As in, you’re worried he won’t be able to hand me over to Palo, if necessary”, Nina almost hissed. “That’s not what I’m saying, Nina…”, Bishop said. “Then, what are you saying?”, she replied. The president let go of her hand, his expression turning almost guilty. They both looked over at Angel, who’d put his arm around the blonde. The girl tugged at his beard, and he leaned down, letting her kiss the corner of his lips. “Like I said, you have nothing to worry about”, Nina muttered, and walked away as quickly as she could.

---

Once behind the bar, she put on a mask of calm indifference. “Can I get you anything?”, she asked. “Sol. Thanks, niña”, Coco said, holding up two fingers to imply one for him and one for EZ. Nina served the beers without correcting Coco. He’d stuck to the nickname since the moment she’d climbed onto his bike, and she decided to take it as a compliment. EZ and he went over to rack up a game of pool. “You?”, she asked Angel. “Dos Equis”, he said, with an indifferent smile. Nina – knowing his regular order – had almost already grabbed a bottle with XX on the label, and put it on the counter; before he finished speaking. The blonde girl pressed against Angel, and ran her hand inside his cut. “It’s about to be tres equis, baby…”, she giggled. Angel cleared his throat, and stretched his neck. “Take it easy; yeah, mami?”, he said, keeping his eyes straight ahead. He gave her shoulder a standoffish clap, and walked over to the pool-table to join his friends.

The blonde gave Nina a saccharin smile, and tilted her head slightly. “Sorry about you and Angel…”, she said in a phony tone. “I’m sure you are”, Nina smiled as friendlily as she could. The girl looked at her for a moment, narrowing her eyes. “Do you know how to make a screwdriver?”, she asked. Nina was taken aback. “Do I know how to make a screwdriver…?”, she repeated back at the girl. The blonde scoffed, and laughed a little. “Yes, a screwdriver… I know you’re new here, but if you don’t know how to work a bar…”. “Yes, I know how to make a screwdriver”, Nina cut her off, and turned around to get some orange juice from the fridge. She began mixing vodka and juice in a glass, ignoring the daggers the blonde was staring at her. “You should really be less rude to me… Consider who you’re talking to”, the girl said. “I’ll keep that in mind”, Nina said, and set the drink down in front of her. “We’re out of ice”. “Just go get some from the freezer out back”, the blonde scoffed. “I don’t want to”, Nina replied, and walked out from behind the bar.

There was a gush of wind behind her, when suddenly Nina felt her hair being yanked, and she stumbled backwards. In the flash of an eye, her face and top were drenched in vodka and orange juice. “I told you, I want ice; bitch!”, the blonde snarled. Nina reacted promptly, lifting her arm over the girls, and then hooking it underneath. She lifted her bent arm upwards, making the girl squeal in pain, as she had her arm in a lock; and she let go of Nina’s hair. Bishop and Taza quickly got on their feet; and Angel, EZ and Coco ran towards them. Nina’s hand gripped the blonde’s throat, and looked coldly at her. “I’d call you a nasty skank, but I’m a lady; so, I’m just gonna ask you nicely to never do that again”, Nina hissed. The blonde was gasping for air. “Let go of the nasty skank, Nina”, Bishop said, his hands up in a calming gesture. Nina let go of the girl, and she stumbled backwards into the arms of EZ. She was about to step towards Nina, when Coco got between them. “Nah… Don’t be like that”, he said. EZ and he pulled the girl away to the other end of the room, and the prospect held her there, while Coco stood in front of her; his eyes on Nina, as if she’d explode at any moment, and attack. Nina locked eyes with Angel, who looked at her in disbelief. His eyes were deeper than ever, and his stance was tense. Nina’s shirt was cold and sticky, her breath was raspy, and her blood was pumping; making it tricky for her to keep her voice even. “I’m gonna… go. Now”, she said, and left the clubhouse, walking as calmly as she could towards the trailer.

---

Through the sound of her own blood pumping like waves of the ocean in her ears, she heard loud talking from outside the trailer door. “You saw what she did!”, the blonde woman was complaining. “You’re just gonna let her do that to me?”. “Go home, Daniella”, Angel replied. “Aren’t you going to give me a ride?”. “No”. “Puto…!”, the girl snarled. “Puta! Get the fuck out of here!”. There was a volley of curses flung through the air, mostly from the blonde; before Nina heard EZ come outside, and offer the girl a ride home. Soon after, a bike started up, and drove out of the lot.

Nina was standing stiff as a board, clenching her fists, and trying to calm her breathing. There was knock on the trailer door, and she shook herself out of it, to go open. Angel was standing outside, looking sheepishly at her; one hand leaning against the doorway. “You ok?”, he asked. “She ruined my last clean top”, Nina muttered, and stepped aside for him to enter. He went over to a cubby in the small bathroom-area, and pulled out a white t-shirt. “EZ’s”, he muttered, and handed it to her. “Thanks…”. Leaning against the counter, Angel looked her over. “I don’t know whether to be impressed or scared of you right now”, he said with a slight smile. “Maybe even a little flattered”. “Why?”, Nina asked, still standing in the middle of the trailer, unmoving. “You weren’t defending my honor back there?”, he asked. “I was trying to get a crazy woman to let go of my hair”, Nina replied coldly. “And, what honor?”. Angel scoffed, and shook his head. “Shit, woman. Talking to you is like a bullet to the head”.

She didn’t know it had happened, before she’d done it. Her palm was stinging, and Angel held his hand to his cheek; where she’d slapped him. “What the fuck was that for?”, he growled. “You… Don’t say that…”, Nina croaked. “Not that”. Angel clenched his jaw, and the furrow between his eyes grew deep. “I’m trying here, Nina”, he said. “I tell you I wanna spend time with you, you get pissed. I give you space, you beat up a chick…”. “It was self-defense!”, Nina exclaimed, unsure which situation she was referring to. She was still stuck on his words. Bullet to the head… “And now I’m trying to talk to you again, and you smack the shit out of me…”. He moved his jaw from side to side. “Shit, how much do you bench, querida?”.

They looked at each other for a long moment. Adrenaline was still surging through her, and pent-up energy was threatening to split her at the seams. Angel just stood there, looking like everything she wanted and needed just at that moment. “Look, I’m just…”, he managed, before she shut him up, by planting her lips on his. He pulled back, and looked at her confusedly; before his eyes darkened, and he grabbed her by the back of the head and kissed her back. Their kiss was frantic and wanton; one that made it clear that this was only headed in one direction. Tugging at her wet top, Nina managed to get it off, while Angel opened his pants. She quickly pulled down her shorts and panties, and used Angel’s shoulders as leverage to get her butt onto the counter. Angel took the time to – unnecessarily – spit into his hand, and make the head of his cock wet; before he sunk in to her. The hard edge of the counter was digging in to her butt, but all she could focus on, was the man between her legs. Holding on to his shoulders, and burying her face in the crook of his neck, Nina tilted her hips; to let Angel get as deep as possible inside her. With groaning whimpers, Angel thrusted possessively in to her. She dug her fingers into his shoulders, and struggled to keep her legs lifted to get the best angle. Angel grabbed one of her thighs, and held her leg around his waist. He hooked his free arm under her other leg, finally getting into a position that brought him as deep as it was possible for him to get.

They didn’t speak in words, only communicating through grunts and moans. Nina felt the coil in her lower belly tighten, and had to bite into Angel’s shoulder to keep from crying out. “I gotta… soon”, Angel croaked. “Uh huh”, Nina nodded fervently. Her walls began tightening, and the thin thread keeping her from falling over the edge finally snapped; making her spasm around him; and all the pent-up emotions wash away as if by a wave. Angel groaned when he felt her come, and it was barely a second later that his own climax came; and he spilled himself inside her.

The door swung open. “Yo, is she cool?”, Coco asked from the doorway. “Fuck, mano!”, Angel growled, and covered Nina’s mostly naked body with his own mostly clothed one. “My bad”, Coco said, and closed the door quickly. Angel looked down at Nina apologetically. “Sorry”, he muttered. Nina nodded, and gave him a slight smile.

Angel gently pulled out of her, and quickly grabbed a paper towel for her to clean up, so she wouldn’t have him dripping down her leg; before giving Nina a hand to get down from the counter. After tucking himself back into his pants, he grabbed the blanket from the cot, and handed it to her; and Nina wrapped it around her chest, to cover herself. “I’m gonna… take a shower”, Nina said quietly. “Yeah”, Angel said. “In there”, she reiterated, and gestured towards the bathroom area, which Angel’s tall frame was blocking. “Yeah, sorry”, he said, and moved for her to pass. Before she could make it all the way, he grabbed her arm. “Nina… I do want to…”. “I know”, she said. “But not now”. “When?”, Angel sighed exasperatedly. “It’s like you got all this shit going on you don’t wanna talk about, and I just want to… I want you to trust me”. Nina took his hand, and merged her fingers with his. “I hear you. I do. Just… Not tonight”, she said. “You should go”. Angel clenched his jaw, and shook his head in frustration. Nina tugged at his t-shirt under his cut. “Please”. Angel let out a defeated grunt. “Ok”, he said, and walked out the door, closing it behind him.

Nina locked up after him, and stood for a moment; leaning her forehead against the door. Then she dropped the blanket, took off her bra, and went to take a cold shower.

---

“Good morning, slugger”, Taza said, as she came out of the trailer the next morning. He and Bishop were having a smoke on the porch of the clubhouse. “I didn’t hit anyone”, Nina muttered. “No, you just almost broke the arm on one of our regular hangarounds”, Bishop said. “Sorry”, she said. Bishop shrugged. “She looked like she deserved it”, he grunted. “But let me know if you want a turn in the cage, with one of the boys, at some point. I’m sure we could make some cash on bets”. Nina chuckled embarrassedly.

EZ came out of the clubhouse, a mug of coffee in hand. He handed it to her with a smile. “From Chucky”, he said. “Thank god for that freaky-fingered, little man”, Nina said, and took a big gulp. “Is that my shirt?”, EZ asked. Nina looked down at herself. “Yeah… Daniella messed up my last clean top”, she said. “You said something about a laundromat?”. “Yeah, I can take you”, he replied.

Coco and Letty came out of the clubhouse at the same moment. Coco did his best to look anywhere but at Nina; who stifled a smile at his embarrassment. “Sorry. I need the prospect on the lot today. Laundry’s gonna have to wait”, Bishop said. “I’m fine with going on my own”, Nina said. Bishop frowned slightly at her, and she sighed. “I’ll keep my head down”. “I can take you”, Letty said. “We can use Coco’s car”. Coco nodded. “Yeah, uh huh. You… take my car. Anything”. His eyes met Nina’s for a fraction of a second, before he looked away again. Bishop grunted defeatedly, and went down the steps to talk to her. He nodded at EZ to take a hike, before looking at her meaningfully. “You carrying?”, he asked. “.38”, Nina replied shortly. Bishop nodded in recognition. “Straight to the laundromat. Straight back. Anyone asks, you’re a Mayan hangaround”. “I got it”, she said. “Hmm”, Bishop said. “I’ll send EZ by to check on you, if we can spare him”. He handed her an outdated smartphone. “Prepaid. It’s got mine and Taza’s number on it. Use it if anything comes up”. Nina nodded, and went to grab her laundry from the trailer. She wedged her gun down the waistband at the back of her shorts.

Letty was waiting behind the wheel of a black lowrider, when she came back outside. Nina got in the passenger-seat next to her. Coco came over to the driver’s window, and handed Letty a small wad of 20’s. “If you need to buy something… Like pants, or whatever”, he muttered. Letty frowned in confusion, and Nina once again had to chew her lips to keep from grinning.

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The laundromat was luckily mostly empty from people when they got there. EZ had been right in his proclamation that it smelled like feet; but Nina was overjoyed at the prospect of having clean clothes again.

Letty was reading a magazine, seated on top of one of the washers. Her phone was buzzing constantly, and the first few times, she looked at it; before finally throwing it in a pile of towels someone had left behind. “You don’t wanna get that?”, Nina asked. “Nah… It’s just some guy”, Letty replied, looking at her from the corner of her eyes. “Should I be worried?”, Nina said. “What are you, my dad?”, Letty grunted. Nina raised her brows. “Sorry”, she said. Letty looked suddenly embarrassed. “No, it’s ok. It’s just… You know when you meet a guy, and hang out for a while; and then he won’t just let up calling you?”. “Yeah, I’ve met a few of those in my day”, Nina chuckled. Letty’s face lit up. “Yeah?”. “Oh yeah!”, Nina said. “You find out you’re not on the same page, and try to break it off. And then he’s calling you, like; but baby. We had something good…”. Letty nodded fervently. “Exactly like that! And then he tries to ask you out again, even if you said no thanks, so you gotta ghost him”. “Sometimes it’s like that”, Nina shrugged. Letty jumped off the washer, and went over to help her fold her clothes. “And then he shows up at your school in his truck, with a sixpack and a gas-station bouquet of roses. And you’re just like; dude, I sucked your dick onetime…!”. Nina narrowed her eyes at the teenager. “How old are you, Letty?”, she asked. “18…”, Letty replied. “Ok…”, Nina said, feeling calmer – though not by a lot.

“Is it like that with you and Angel?”, Letty asked, catching Nina off guard. “Like what?”, she asked. “Like, you fucked, and now he won’t give up?”. Nina thought for a moment, not sure how to answer. “No… That’s different. Angel is a good guy, I think. I’m just not sure that he can deal with my shit right now”. Letty smiled crookedly, and for a moment, her family resemblance with Coco was very obvious. “For what it’s worth, I think you’d make a cute couple”. Nina chuckled, and began putting the last of her now clean clothes in the bag.

Letty’s phone buzzed again. The teenager groaned, and finally picked up the call. “What…? No… Because I said so… Yeah… So? You, and everyone else… Yeah, he is…”. When she uttered the last words, Letty’s face suddenly looked anxious. “Well, he can be. I’ll just call him, and he’ll be right here… Yeah, you do that”. She hung up the phone. “We need to go”. “Everything ok?”, Nina asked. “I just wanna get back to the clubhouse”. “Let me just get the last of my clothes”. “I’ll go start the car”, Letty said, and hurried out of the laundromat, and down the side of the building to the alley where they’d parked.

Nina got her last things from the dryer, and quickly packed up. She left the laundromat, and went to go after Letty, when she heard commotion behind a dumpster. “Let me go!”, Letty was yelling. “You can’t do that to someone. You led me on, you little slut”, a darker voice said. Nina ran over to see what was happening, and found a broad-shouldered man holding Letty against the wall, by her wrists. She had a bruise on her jaw. Fear and anger bubbled in Nina’s chest, and she stormed over to the pair. “Let go of her!”, she snarled, and pushed the man away from the teenager. “You stay out of this, bitch!”, he growled, and went to take a swing at her. He was halted, when Letty slammed him in the back with a discarded shopping-basket. The man stumbled forwards, and Nina and Letty made to run, when the man grabbed Letty by the neck, and slammed her against the wall again.

It was like her body worked of its own accord. Nina slipped her arm behind her, and grabbed her gun, before holding it to the man’s head. “Let her go”, Nina said, her voice sounding like it came from somewhere deep within her. “You’re not gonna shoot”, the man laughed. She pulled the hammer. “I said, let her go”. The man slowly released his grip on Letty, and stepped backwards; all the while, Nina still aimed her gun at him. “Listen, lady. This girl, she’s…”. “Shut your mouth, you piece of shit”, Nina hissed. The man raised his hands in the air. “What are you gonna do? I let her go. You won’t shoot me now… Right?”. Nina felt physically sick. Letty was looking at her with scared eyes. “Nina, he let me go… You can put down the gun”, she said. “No”, Nina rasped.

There was the roar of engines, as what sounded like two motorcycles came up behind them. “EZ!”, Letty yelled. “We’re back here!”. Nina heard running, before EZ’s voice called out to her. “Nina…?”. She didn’t reply, it was like her arm cramped up, and she couldn’t lower the gun. “Shit. Angel! Get back here!”. Still frozen in place, her eyes were locked on the man in front of her. Another pair of feet came running up behind her. “Nina?”, Angel said. The man began stuttering. “Shit, man. You gotta do something. We were just having a conversation, and this chick pulls a gun on me…”. A small group of onlookers had gathered, and were staring at the situation with almost vulgar interest. Nina clenched her free hand, struggling to regain control of herself; as her audience awaited her next move.

“He was going to hurt her”, Nina said. “He was going to…”. Angel looked at Letty, who nodded slightly. The biker walked over to the man, and slammed his fist into his gut; making him fall to the ground. Nina moved her gun, continuingly aiming at his head. “Fuck…”, the man groaned. “Get that crazy bitch to put away the gun!”. Angel stormed forward again. “Shut the fuck up!”, he growled, and kicked him in the ribs; making him curl up even more. “Call Coco”, he said to EZ, who fished out his phone; while leading Letty over to the car.

Nina’s arm was beginning to hurt, but she couldn’t move. What if the man got up, and went after Letty again? Angel stepped in front of her, his arms raised calmingly. “You can put the gun down, Nina”. “I can’t…”, she whispered. Angel stepped slowly closer, and put his hand on hers, gently pressing it down. “Come on, querida. You’re ok. It’s ok”. He pried her fingers from the gun, and took it; putting it in his pocket. “See? Everything’s ok”. “Fuck that!”, the man on the ground rasped. “That bitch is crazy…”.

Before Angel had a chance to stop her, Nina had attacked. She was on top of the man, pounding her fists in to his face and chest; and when he tried to cover himself with his arms, she scratched at his skin. The man got a few shots in, before Angel wrapped his arms around Nina, and managed to pull her off him. “No, querida. Stop. He’s down”. “Get off me!”, Nina hissed like an angry cat, and pushed Angel away; looking at him with wild eyes. Moving her gaze to the bystanders, her chest tensed up, and she let out a choked gasp. Their eyes felt like literal fire pokes, prodding at her skin. Angel noticed her looking at the people around them, and broadened his frame; getting between her and the onlookers. “Get the fuck out of here!”, he roared. “You didn’t see anything. Go!”. The crowd quickly scattered, and they were alone in the alley.

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