#i DO need to wrestle my kids into the bath most days and we DID have a reward system for summer homework that involved stickers and grab bag
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trekkele · 2 months ago
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Hi this might be a weird question but how do you get your kids to be motivated for stuff that they don't feel like doing? I just started working with kids from age 6-7, and I often find myself at a loss on how to make Learning How To Write And Calculate an exciting experience. (I'm not a teacher btw, just an assisstant but I still want to help a little in any way I can like making classes go smoother.)
Do you have any tips?
Objectively hilarious ask to send to a fandom blog, but yeah!
One thing to remember is there isn't really such a thing as "no motivation". Actions or inactions are always motivated by something, you need to figure out how to redirect that motivation. My sister taught for a decade and I remember she really loved Rick Lavoie's speeches - he talks a lot about motivation.
So things like stickers, prize charts, little rewards that can be as small as a chocolate chip (that they're allowed to eat in class) work wonders, but they do need to be constant - and you cannot escalate or the escalation becomes the norm.
For calculations, what worked for me with summer homework was using mini twizzlers - they each got a sheet with a grid, and would place one twizzler in a box to figure out addition or subtraction (so 4+5 would be putting 4 twizzlers in four boxes and then 5 more twizzlers and counting up how many were on the grid). Once the sheet was done they could eat the candy, but you could probably use counters or little beads instead - with beads you could have each kid save their beads and make a bracelet at the end of the week.
Writing is harder, but maybe let each kid pick a color pencil/crayon, or let them have two different colors to make a pattern as they write? There isn't any real reason for them to be working only in pen/pencil yet. Letting the kids put their own stickers on a finished sheet also worked for me over the summer.
Also not really your job, as an assistant, but worksheets should not be taking more then 10-15 minutes to complete these kids do not have attention spans yet. Kids who finish faster should get to pick a book from the class library and quietly read while the other kids finish. Or, depending on class size or your co-workers, maybe small puzzles? Mini activities that they can finish in under five minutes? And have like five minutes between lessons so the kids work at a slower pace can also do something.
Also also! Thank you so much for being a teacher, because that is what you're doing even if you're working under someone. I appreciate you guys so much
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stardust-static · 4 months ago
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Ordered a two piece swimsuit for our upcoming family vacation. This is a big deal because I can't even tell you when the last time my stomach has seen the light of day. I'm still very insecure about my body. I was literally looking at swim dresses when considering a bathing suit, but I have this frame of mind where I think "some day you're going to be 80 and wish that you'd been more confident when you were younger".. so when I need a confidence motivation I think of 80 yr old me. So yes, I ordered the two piece. The bottoms are high waisted, but when I pulled it out of the package I was like "oh no way" because the top didn't go down very low and would show way more of my stomach than I've ever shown publicly. So I thought for sure I would return it. I still tried it on just to see, it did show my stomach and I was a little scandalized by it for a moment, but it really didn't look that bad. It made my butt look great, and the ladies.. my stomach actually looked fine in it. Now I just got to make sure my mother knows I don't want photos of this vulnerable moment all on her FB page.. 😩 that's what scares me is when my mom pulls out her camera. She has taken the most traumatizing photos of me and they always end up online. I remember when I lived with her I would just have to go to her computer and delete them myself. Now I just look at her and go "DO. NOT." Her taking photos of me has been a hard boundary I had to set. One time a couple years back we took a family vacation to a cabin and my sister and I were wrestling when we were drunk to see who would win and this is when I was at my heaviest. My mom snaps a photo of this moment where my shirt gets pulled up, and my entire stomach was out, and I'm mid drunken laughter. Mouth wide open. It's taken at an angle where I look like i have 10 chins. You can see right up my nose because of course the flash is on. You can see the stretch marks on my sides. And yeah.. my mom thought it would be adorable to post that where everyone could see. Tried to tag me in it. Sent me into a self loathing spiral of "oh my God.. I can't believe that's what I look like" so yeah.. I had to be like "hey.. you're not allowed to post these "candid" photos of me online anymore". Made me realize when I have kids someday and I feel like posting pictures of them as they get older I'm definitely going to ask if they're okay with it first 'cause you never know. I've always hated having my photo taken and I feel like people aren't really sensitive about that. I'm really trying to be better about it now. I feel like having my wedding photos taken has healed me a little, because I actually loved so many of them.
Buuuut yeah.
--Anyway.. here's another milestone added to my weight loss journey. I actually feel okay in a two piece! :)
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bibbawrites · 4 years ago
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What Happens in Hawaii Stays in Hawaii - Charlie Gillespie x Reader (SMUT - 18+)
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Request: could you do a fic with reader and Charlie where they are bffs and he brings her on the Hawaii trip but something weird in the system happened so their shared hotel room only had one bed instead of two and a whole smut ensues
Word Count: 1583 words
Summary: a simple mistake leads to confronting feelings for your best friend Charlie that you had previously tried to keep hidden
Warnings: smut (duh), slight dirty talk, swearing, unprotected s*x
A/N: this ended up being so weird and slightly uncomfortable but for some reason no matter what i did i just couldn’t make this serious lol hope you all enjoy this either way :) 
Tag List:  @happinessinthedarkesttimes​ @littlemissaddict @vicesvsvirtuesfanfic @headheartbellarke @lovesanimals​ @bartok-the-bat @juliefromaustralia @multi-universe21 @rangerelik @kaitieskidmore1
It was the most cliche scenario in the book. You had agreed to join your best friend Charlie on his trip to Hawaii with his cast mates, and somehow there had been a mix up and instead of having two beds in the room you were sharing with Charlie, there was only one. 
Which would be perfectly fine, except for the fact that you were harbouring a crush the size of Jupiter on that same best friend you would be forced to share a bed with for the next few weeks. 
“You’ll be fine.” Carolynn reassured you after you had finished ranting about the mix up, as the two of you and Tori laid on sun loungers as the boys wrestled in the ocean. 
“You sure about that?” You questioned. “You don’t even know the worst part.” 
“That you’re in love with Charlie?” Tori asked. Your eyes widened. 
“How did you know?” You spluttered. She grinned. 
“Y/N it’s obvious. Just like it’s obvious he feels the exact same way about you.” She explained, and you cringed. 
“Do you think he knows?” Tori and Carolynn shook their heads. 
“Trust us, he’s just as oblivious as you are.” Carolynn teased, and you pouted. 
“I’m not oblivious.” You muttered and the girls giggled. 
“Sure you’re not.” Tori said, as they exchanged a knowing look. 
You sighed, leaning back onto your chair and shutting your eyes. It wouldn’t be that bad. 
-
If there was a competition running for famous last words, you would definitely get a prize for saying it wouldn’t be that bad. 
Watching as your best friend, the boy you had been in love with forever, entered the room with only a towel around his waist, body still wet from his shower, you sure regretted saying that it wouldn't be bad because clearly you had temped some kind of fate. 
You tried to ignore him, deciding that the best plan would be to just focus on the TV, but Charlie had other plans. 
“Do you want me to sleep on the floor?” Charlie questioned, running a towel through his wet hair. You swallowed as you looked back over at him, and shook your head, trying to ignore the droplets of water running down his chest.
“No it’s fine, we’ve shared a bed before.”
“Okay.” Charlie nodded. He ran the towel down his chest and you tried to focus your attention back on the TV in front of you and not the dripping wet, very attractive, half naked boy across the room.
Charlie crossed the room, grabbing his clothes from a pile, and without a second thought, dropped the towel from around his waist.
“Charlie!” You exclaimed with a choke, your face going bright red as you try to look anywhere but your completely naked best friend. Charlie just laughed.
“Nothing you haven’t seen before. Remember when we were kids and we used to take baths together?” He said cheekily. 
“Yeah when we were like 7. Not fully grown adults.” You replied.
“So? You’ve seen a dick before, right?” He asked. You rolled your eyes.
“Yes, but that’s not the point.” You mumbled. Charlie didn’t move.
“Dude! Just put your fucking pants on.” You exclaimed. Charlie shook his head, finishing drying himself off before throwing his towel at your head.
He pulled a pair of sweatpants on before flopping down on the bed next to you. You looked at him and he looked up at you with a smirk.
“Enjoy the show?” He teased. You flicked the towel at him as he laughed loudly.
“No you asshole.” You muttered.
“Oh yeah? Then why are you so turned on right now?” He questioned. You blushed even darker.
“I’m not.” You denied. Charlie raised an eyebrow.
“You sure about that?” He sat up, moving closer to you so that you could feel his hot breath on your lips. Your heart was racing.
“Charlie, what are you doing?” You managed to stutter out.
“You can feel it too, right? The tension between us?” He questioned. You didn’t respond so he continued. “The same tension that’s been around for years. I don’t know about you but I’ve been feeling it since we were just kids. I’ve been in love with you since I was 12.”
You froze at his confession.
“You what?” Your voice was shaky.
“I’m in love with you.” He repeated. You threw yourself towards him, connecting your lips with his in a heated kiss.
“I love you too.” You told him. He groaned, flipping you over so that he was hovering over you.
“Do you want to fuck me as bad as I want to fuck you?” His voice was low.
“Please.” You whimpered, and Charlie connected your lips again, his hips grinding down into yours. You moaned into his mouth, allowing him a chance to slip his tongue into his mouth.
“Char.” You groaned, your hands threading through his damp hair.
“You want me to fuck you?” He repeated, mumbling against your lips. You nodded eagerly. He pulled away from your lips and began to kiss down your neck, biting and sucking to leave marks that you knew you were going to struggle to cover in the next few days.
He pulled away, sitting up, watching as you pulled your oversized shirt off, leaving you in just panties. His eyes lingered on your naked chest for a few seconds before he looked back up, his eyes meeting yours.
“Do you still have that thing in your arm to stop you from getting pregnant?” He questioned. You nodded.
“Good, cause I don’t have a condom. Wasn’t really expecting to fuck my best friend on this trip.” He admitted. You laughed, pulling him back down to kiss him again.
His hands made their way up to cup your breasts, his calloused thumb flicking over one of your nipples.
You whimpered again as he moved to suck on your nipple, his tongue flicking at the sensitive skin.
“Can you hurry up and fuck me?” You said, and Charlie chucked.
“Impatient much.” He teased, but he obeyed nonetheless, moving to pull off his sweatpants. You copied, pulling off your panties, and all of the sudden it hit you what was about to happen.
“Oh my god.” You mumbled.
“What?” Charlie frowned. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” You replied. “Just realised we’re about to fuck.”
Charlie laughed.
“No kidding.” He teased. “You know we don’t have to if you don’t feel ready.”
“No, no, I want to. It’s just... I’ve been dreaming of this for so long and now it’s finally happening.” Charlie smiled softly at your words.
“Hey, I love you.” He said, pressing a gentle kiss to your lips.
“I love you too.” You replied. “Anyways, now that the sappy moment is over, can we get back to business now?”
Charlie laughed, pushing you back onto the bed before hovering over you.
“Ready?” He questioned. You nodded, opening your legs. He lent down and kissed you again, the tip of his dick brushing against your clit, and without a warning he pushed into you.
You gasped slightly at the discomfort as he slowly slid into you, waiting once he bottomed out.
“Okay, ready.” You told him after a moment, and he nodded before pulling almost completely out and slamming back into you. You couldn’t help but scream out in pleasure, and Charlie grinned, covering your mouth.
“Shh, don’t want anyone to hear us.” He said, reminding you that Owen was in the room just next door. You nodded, and the next time he thrusted he muffled your moans with his hand.
“I’ve been dreaming about this for so long, and you’re even better than I imagined. So tight and warm around me.” Charlie spoke as he thrusted. “And don’t even get me started on your tits, god they’re perfect. Oh and that ass, I’ve always loved your ass.”
You blushed at his words.
“You really never shut up do you?” You said, and Charlie grinned. 
“Nope. Talking is kinda my thing.” He told you, his pace speeding up slightly. 
“Gee who would have thought.” You mumbled sarcastically. 
“Hey, no sarcasm while we’re fucking.” Charlie reprimanded. 
“Can we not have a normal fucking conversation right now? Surprised you haven’t commented on the weather yet.” You groaned, the sound turning into one of pleasure as Charlie hit your g-spot.
“Apparently there’s a storm coming tomorrow.” Charlie commented. You glared at him. 
“Charles I swear to god.” 
He fell silent, the only sound the both of your heavy breathing, and the sound of skin slapping together. After a moment he spoke up again. 
“Can’t do quiet. My mouth just needs to be doing something.” He whined, and you pulled him down to connect your lips, sliding your tongue into his mouth as your orgasm rapidly approached. 
Charlie sped up again and you moaned into his mouth. He pulled away quickly. 
“I’m so close.” He told you. You nodded. 
“Me too.” You replied. He pulled you in for another kiss and with a few last thrusts he came inside you, causing you to topple over the edge too, walls clenching around him as you came. 
He pulled out and collapsed on top of you, his damp hair pressed against your cheek. 
“We have to do this again sometime.” He sighed, snuggling into you. You smiled softly before agreeing. 
Now that you had slept with Charlie, you didn’t think you could ever go back to the way things were. 
And honestly? Neither of you wanted to. 
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dameronology · 4 years ago
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love in the time of p.t.a. meetings {marcus moreno} - 4/5
summary: after a few months of slightly chaotic bliss, you & marcus start to think about the next steps in your relationship. {series masterlist}
warnings: swearing 
this is up a little later than i wanted & i do apologise, i once again stayed up all night and i cannot recount a single thing i’ve done. enjoy!
- jazz
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Things between you and Marcus quickly fell into a routine.
You kind of had to when you both had kids; their lives needed structure. Depended on it, in fact. It wasn’t long before both of your lives were entangled in more ways than one, mostly for the sake of Missy and Jack having security around them but also because things between you were so good. Neither of you were trying to rush by any means, but when it worked, it worked. You were both good at communicating with each other - not that many issues really cropped up - and you both understood that your children came first. Things progressed easily and naturally, and he made you feel secure enough that you didn’t have to question whether or not it was too good to be true. 
Five months had quickly passed and you were both comfortable. Marcus Moreno was your boyfriend and it wasn’t a big deal. Okay, it had been at first - especially the first time he planted a kiss on your lips in front of the minivan brigade - but now? It was normal. It felt like he’d always been there, and you took it as a good sign. You got on well with Missy, especially since she’d witnessed your spat with Carol and started to think the world of you, and Jack...well, he was obsessed with Marcus. You couldn’t blame the kid. 
‘Jack! Put the soup down!’ 
It was another one of those mornings. It was a Sunday, so you didn’t have to worry about getting up early for school or work but you’d been at Marcus’ till late the night before. You and Jack ended up spending a lot of time at his; there was a swimming pool and a big garden for Optimus Prime to run around in, so it tired both of your tiny spawns out, which worked in your favour.
 Even when the kid had spent four hours swimming last night, he’d still risen that morning at 6AM like Jesus Christ on the third day. You’d woken to find the kitchen covered in smashed eggs and ham, then your oven had broken and the toilet was blocked again. 
You’d been halfway through reversing the problem when you’d heard Jack shuffling in the kitchen. You were stood in the hallway, still in your pyjamas, with a toilet brush in one hand and the other balled up into a fist. 
‘Jack, the soup is about to-’
You paused mid-sentence, watching as the bowl he was trying to reach for toppled straight off of the counter. You’d only washed his hair ten minutes ago, and you might as well have not fucking bothered because it was now covered in chunky vegetable soup. And the Chewbacca onesie he loved so much? Trying to peel that off him for the next few hours to wash the Heinz out of it was going to be a whole task in itself. You’d only just been to the laundrette the day before, and you’d gotten to the point in life where having a place with its own washing machine was a sign of success. 
‘Mum, there’s soup in my hair.’
‘It’s okay.’ You took a moment to breath. ‘We are not going to cry.’
‘I’m not crying.’
‘Wasn’t talking to you, buddy.’ You rubbed your temples for a moment. ‘C’mon, let’s go hop in the bath.’
So much of parenting was just...stopping to breath. Stopping to take a moment to remind yourself that although your love for your child was unwavering and unconditional, you sometimes felt like screaming. All you’d done for the last five hours was go in circles, cleaning and lecturing and cleaning some more. It made you wish you were at work that day, because at least then you could have conversations with people that weren’t about what cheese they wanted for lunch or what cartoon they wanted to watch. 
‘I just had a bath.’ Jack muttered. 
‘Yeah well, you need another one.’ You took another deep breath. ‘I’ll be there in a minute-’
‘- I don’t want a bath!’
‘And I don’t want a kid that’s covered in soup!’ You shot back. ‘C’mon, buddy. Just do as I say, please?’
Your conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door. You frowned for a moment - you weren’t expecting anyone. There was no post on Sundays and you hadn’t seen your landlord since the day you’d moved in. Your nosey neighbour knocked sometimes, usually asking about the noise (he didn’t have kids, clearly) and you were this close to telling him to mind his own fucking business. 
‘I swear to god, if that’s David again, I am going to shove this can of soup up his - Marcus!’ You almost did a double take when you saw your boyfriend stood at the door - he really chose his times, didn’t he? You hadn’t even had time to put the fucking toilet brush down. ‘Hey.’ 
‘Hey, baby.’ He greeted you slowly, eyes slowly taking in your appearance (and not in a sexy way). ‘Were you not expecting me?’
‘Shit, did we have plans?’ Your eyes widened. 
‘No, but Jack called. He said you’d asked him to ask me to come over, but I realise half way through that sentence that starting with Jack called probably means you had no idea.’ He offered you a goofy smile. ‘He said that the sofa had exploded and that you needed help.’
There was a lot to unpack there. When had Jack done that? More to the point, when had he learnt to use the phone? How had he worked out your phone password? The kid couldn’t do up his own velcro and now he was a Russian hacker, apparently. 
‘Oh my god.’ You groaned. ‘I am so sorry. Things have been batshit here this morning and I’m sure he had my best interests in his weird little heart, but he made you come all this way-’
‘- Marcus!’ Speaking of the devil.
Jack pushed past you, wrapping his arms around Marcus’ waist. He leant down to pick him up, lifting him off the ground - albeit at a distance, due to Soupgate. 
‘Hey, buddy.’ He greeted him. ‘You been causing trouble again?’
‘Not on purpose.’ Jack replied. ‘Mum says I need another bath.’
‘I think she’s right.’ Marcus said. ‘Why don’t you go pick out some clothes and come back in a minute, yeah?’
‘Okay!’ Seemingly impressed by the newfound trust in him to choose an outfit, Jack wriggled himself back down to the floor, trotting towards his bedroom. Seriously, how did Marcus do that? Perhaps his ability to have authority over your archaic child was another hidden power of his. 
‘You look like you need a break, baby.’ He reached out, gently running a hand down your arm.
‘I’m fine, he’s just been a lot today.’ You sighed.
‘You have soup on your shirt and fluff in your hair.’
‘Couch stuffing.’
‘Huh?’
‘It’s couch stuffing. Except that was Optimus Prime and not Jack, which makes a nice change.’ You muttered.
‘Look, Missy is at her abuela’s today and she’s been begging for ages to see Jack again.’ He said. ‘What d’you say I drive him over there, you clean up and we hang out? Just us, no kids, no dogs, no stress.’
‘That sounds like a fucking dream.’ You couldn’t help but smile. ‘But Optimus has consumed half the couch and I gotta keep an eye on him-’
‘-we can bring him with us!’ Marcus grinned. ‘He loves the garden.’
‘Are you sure? Because I remember you saying you had work plans today and I don’t want you to cancel them on account for the fact I can’t control my own kid. Or life.’
‘You two come first.’ He said it as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. ‘Three, including Optimus Prime.’
--
In the time it took Marcus to drive Jack to his mum’s and get back to yours, you were able to clean up. The apartment was still a state, but it hadn’t been properly tidy in...how many days had it been since Jack was born? Because it hadn’t been clean in exactly that many days. You felt a little bad dumping him on Anita when he was still covered in soup, but if anyone was able to wrestle him into the bath and some clean clothes, it was her. You’d met her a few times and she was absolutely lovely, but you had no doubt she could be terrifying when need be. She was the sort of woman you aspired to be.
By midday, you were driving out the city. There was music playing quietly over the radio and you were watching the houses go by; even though it was cold out, you had the heater on and you were bundled up in a leather jacket, Marcus’ scarf snugly around your neck. It smelt faintly of his aftershave, which had become one of your favourite scents over the last five months. The time had gone so quickly. You’d seen each other practically every day since then, and having the kids meant you’d been fallen into being domestic pretty quickly. The simplicity of it all - him and you and getting to this point so easily - was overwhelming in itself. 
Your first relationship had been so complicated - so finicky and filled with unnecessary arguments. That should have been a sign early on, but then you’d gotten pregnant with Jack and getting married had seemed like the obvious thing to do. His presence meant you wouldn’t have changed anything, not for the entire fucking world, but it made you a little sad to think about how long you’d wasted on what had clearly been the wrong person. Meanwhile, Marcus’ situation had been entirely different; he’d had the right person the first time around and then he’d lost them. You never felt like a replacement to his wife, or even thought about the notion, really. That had been another part of his life. You were a new part and it didn’t mean he was forgetting the past. The two could co-exist without taking away from each other. 
‘You’re deep in thought.’ Marcus observed. He moved one of his hands to rest on your leg, giving it a light squeeze. He did that a lot, usually whenever you were sat beside him at the table or on the sofa. It was just a him thing. 
‘Yeah, sorry.’ You tore your gaze away from the window. ‘My brain always goes a little into overdrive when things are quiet.’
He chuckled. ‘What’s on your mind?’
‘You, actually.’ You tangled your fingers with his, thumb brushing over the back of his hand. ‘I was just thinking about lucky I am and how good things are, and how it almost feels too good to be true.’
‘Better believe it, baby.’ He replied. ‘Because it is true.’
‘I know.’ You peered over at him with a smile. ‘It’s just...my only perceptions of relationships were based on the single one I’ve had. Everything was so complicated and exhausting. This is completely different and it’s so nice. And normal. And I don’t know, that sounds stupid-’
‘- it’s not stupid at all.’ Marcus peered over at you, shaking his head. ‘It’s natural to be a little apprehensive after a bad relationship and if there’s anything I can do to help, you just have to tell me. You know that, right?’
Maybe it was the way he said it, or maybe it was just him, but you knew for certain that he meant that. There was sort of a silent agreement now that you were both in this for the long haul. Your mum had always said that you’ll know when you know but you’d always written that off. Mostly because you hadn’t known the first time round. But, now you did. You did know and though you weren’t going to admit that to Marcus, you never doubted him for a second. 
‘I do.’ You said. ‘But he’s in the past now - and hopefully it’s where he fucking stays.’
‘I have contacts. I can find him and set Miracle Guy on him.’ Marcus’ grin had returned. ‘Just say the word.’
‘You make a tempting offer.’ You smiled back at him. ‘But the past is the past and I’m ready to...slam the lid on that dumpster.’
‘Do you think he’ll ever want to come back into Jack’s life?’
You pondered for a moment. ‘I don’t think so, but if he did, I dunno if I’d let him. I never wanna be the person who stops someone from seeing their kids but what he did was...it was unforgivable.’
‘You don’t have to make that decision until it actually happens.’ Marcus gently said. ‘And I’ll support whatever you choose.’
He pulled into the drive way of his house - his nice, clean, sofa-stuffing-and-soup free house. Optimus Prime leapt out the car as soon as the door was open, practically tearing past the two of you and down towards the yard. There was a moment of silence and then a splash!
‘Guess he found the pool.’ Marcus commented. ‘At least it’s heated, I s’pose.’
Truth be told, he loved having the three of you at his house. It felt like whatever had been missing before was slowly making an appearance as your relationship progressed. The irony was that you brought nothing but chaos and clutter with you, but that was exactly what made it feel like a home. It was small things; the painting that Jack had done for him at after school club was now hung up up on the fridge, and there was a photo of him and Missy on the fireplace with Optimus Prime. Half of the thousands of blankets of pillows that had been at your place had ended up on his sofa, thanks to the countless sleepovers. 
If he could have it his way, Marcus would have you live with here all the time. The energy that you and Jack brought made everything feel complete. He loved the evenings where Missy and Jack would play out in the pool, and you two would sit back inside, complaining about the cold. Then there were the nights where you’d take both the kids back here when he was working late, and he’d come home to find you piled on the couch watching an old movie, with your burnt cooking abandoned on the stove, surrounded by boxes of left over take out. It was the kind of thing that was so simple and so domestic, but it was everything he wanted. 
That was probably the flashpoint moment when Marcus Moreno realised he wanted to spend the rest of his life with you. He already knew he loved you - he’d worked that out about three months in, when you’d fallen asleep in one of his shirts whilst trying to wait up for him - but he hadn’t said it. He’d hinted at it and made back-handed comments but he’d barely admitted it to himself, let alone to anyone else. He knew what you and Jack had gone through before and it broke his entire fucking heart. You both deserved someone who stand by you and support you, someone who would embrace you both for the craziness and warm energy you brought everywhere with you. More than ever, he was realising he wanted to be that person who gave it you. After all, you’d made his life so much brighter without even trying.
Snapping out of his trance, Marcus looked over at you. You’d already ditched your shoes and dropped onto the sofa, pulling one of the blankets with you. This was exactly what you needed. A quiet house, your favourite person and a cable knit blanket. 
‘Hey, baby?’ 
You looked over at him, smiling at the name. ‘Yeah?’
‘You know I love you, right?’
You blinked in surprise, sitting up. ‘I know.’
‘You do?’
‘You’ve never said it, but I can tell.’ You nodded, before offering a smile. ‘And I love you too.’
‘I’m sorry I didn’t say it sooner.’ He slowly approached you, dropping onto the sofa beside you and taking your hands in his. ‘I think I just got so caught up in everything and feeling everything that I forgot.’
‘Why are you apologising?’ You couldn’t help but scoff at him, leaning forward to press a kiss to his lips. ‘It’s your actions that say it, Marc. Hearing it is good but you showed it a long time ago.’
‘I know, but really you deserve to hear it everyday.’ He smiled against you, helping you move onto his lap. 
‘You do tell me everyday, with the things you do.’ You reminded him. ‘Like meeting me in the parking lot with coffee, or bribing Jack into going to bed early with video messages from your superheroes, or doing my grocery shopping when you know money is short.’
‘Why wouldn’t I do those things?’ Marcus seemed genuinely confused. ‘It’s you.’
‘I love you.’ You repeated the phrase. 
‘And I love you.’
He pulled you into another kiss - this time it was a little firmer, not unlike your second declaration of love. Marcus did all those things without thinking, simply out of his intense want for you to just be happy. He was the same with Missy, always doing little things to make her life easier just because. It was just part of who he was, and it made him happy to see his loved ones happy. 
With your body pressed against his and your hands tangled in your hair, Marcus realised he didn’t want you to ever leave again. He didn’t want you to have to drive home in the dark at ten because all of your stuff was on the other side of town. You did stay over sometimes, but then you’d have to creep out at 6AM with a sleeping Jack in your arms to get home in time to get ready. He wanted you here all the time. You should have been here all the time. 
‘Move in with me?’ 
He both did and didn’t mean to say it out loud. He did because he wanted you so badly to be a permanent fixture in the house, but he also didn’t because the idea might have been a little absurd. Was it too soon? What if you didn’t want to leave your place? He knew you loved your apartment. It was your home and had been for a long time.
‘What?!’ You suddenly pulled back from the kiss, eyes wide. 
‘I mean...if you want to.’ Marcus slowly said. ‘Hell, Missy and I can move to your place if that’s what you want. It might be tight but she loves the dog and I just want to be with you-’
‘- hey!’ You cut him off, planting your hands on his shoulders. ‘You’re rambling again, but that’s besides the point. I would love to live here.’
‘You would?’
‘I would.’ You smiled. 
It made sense. Aside from the glaringly obvious fact you wanted to, it was also practical. It was closer to the school, closer to your work and it had a fucking swimming pool. Marcus was already clearly financially secure and moving in wouldn’t mean relying on him, but it would have meant that things for Jack were a lot more stable. Missy loved the company of you both, and it meant she would finally have the dog she wanted so bad. 
‘Missy would be okay with it, right?’ You asked.
‘She was the one who put the idea in my head, actually.’ Marcus admitted. ‘I’d thought about it but then she kind of asked in passing why you don’t live here, and I couldn’t give her an answer.’
‘Your kid is smart.’
‘D’you think Jack will-’
‘- I’m going to stop you there.’ You cut him off.
‘Right, I probably don’t need to ask that question.’ He chuckled.
‘Exactly.’ You pressed a kiss to his nose. ‘Don’t forget the dog, either.’
‘How could I? I can literally see him peeing on my lawn right now.’
‘Our lawn.’
--
Exactly three weeks later - and after a hefty amount of paperwork and hours of sorting through Jack’s endless amounts of crap that he insisted on hoarding - moving day came. 
Anita had insisted on having the kids again. They were both excited, but perhaps a little too much. They were probably more likely to get in the way of things if anything. Children, a dog and large boxes? It seemed like a match made in hell. Plus, she had a whole ass training course in her back garden and if that didn’t wear the kid out, then you were definitely going to take him to the Heroics to get tested. The thought alone was enough to tire you out. 
You didn’t have too much stuff to move. You’d been half-moved into the damn place before Marcus had even made the formal proposal, so that made things a lot easier. You were keeping your sofa for Jack’s room, but the rest was going to Goodwill. Most of it had come from there in the first place.
‘I think that’s the last box.’ Marcus announced, exiting the bedroom. ‘I didn’t realise that a five year could own so many variations of storm-trooper toys.’
‘Oh, yeah.’ You replied. ‘There’s the original trilogy ones, sequel trilogy ones, dark troopers, shock troopers, clone troopers - and I realise half way through listing them that you don’t care.’
‘I never said that!’ He placed his hands on your waist, pressing a kiss to your forehead. ‘I’m excited to learn.’
‘I’m sure Jack is excited to tell you.’ You grinned. 
Then, it faltered slightly with the realisation you were actually leaving this place. You’d never intended for it to be your permanent home, but it had still been the centre of your entire universe for half a decade. Every room told a story; the crayon marks on the bathroom wall, the dents behind the TV from, the crack in the living room mirror. All caused by Jack, naturally. The last five years was contained entirely within these four walls and you got bleary eyed at the idea of it becoming someone else’s. 
‘Hey, don’t cry.’ Marcus gently wiped away a tear from your cheek. 
‘You know, the rent is still paid till the end of the month so we could revisit the idea of you and Missy living here instead.’ You tearfully smiled. 
‘You’re kidding but you know I’ll do it.’ He pressed another kiss to your nose, grip on your arms tightening. 
‘It’s okay.’ You moved so that the kiss landed on your mouth instead, capturing his lips in a brief kiss. ‘I knew we were gonna outgrow this place. I just didn’t expect it to be so soon.’
‘I know. Still kinda feels like it all came out of no-where, huh?’ He replied. ‘In the best way.’
‘You’re right. In the best way.’ You firmly nodded. ‘Can you believe I was 23 when I moved into this place? I found it on Craiglist within ten minutes of finding out I was pregnant.’
‘Do you wanna take a minute before we go?’
‘No, it’s fine.’ You shook your head. ‘We should get going.’
The apartment was just that: an apartment. And the house you were going to was just that: a house. But the people you were with? That’s what made it count. It wasn’t about the four walls or the roof over your head, or whether or not it had a big yard and a jacuzzi bath tub (though, that did help). It was about the laughter and warmth inside; the faces in the photos on the wall and the people you came home to after a long day. It was the smell of your burnt cooking and the pizza you’d ordered in place. It was Jack’s toys left in the exact place where someone could trip and it was Missy using all the hot water in the morning so that Marcus’ showers were practically arctic. It was everyday things that reminded you of the people around you; the people that made it home, and how lucky you were to have them.
That was home. And you’d found yours. 
taglist: @naivara-duneimith @1-2-3-4-5metalfingers @likeshootingstarsinthenightsky​ @lyanna-the-giantsbane @phoenixhalliwell @crazycookiecrumbles​ @bitchin-beskar​ @comphersjost
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novelconcepts · 4 years ago
Note
FOUND IT!!! Consider this an official ask for 3 and 14 combined! #wheee
smiling into a kiss and play wrestling
Having a best friend again is strange. She’d gone so long imagining the phrase as a sort of neon sign staked firmly in the past: Best Friend, already spoken for. Eddie had always been it; no other volunteers need apply. 
But Eddie’s gone now, out of her life, living out wherever his might go in another country altogether, and Dani finds the position has--slowly, without really planning for it--been filled once more. Not that she planned for it. Not that could ever could have. 
She didn’t come to Bly looking for Jamie, and if you’d told her the gardener who refused to so much as meet her eyes, much less introduce herself, would become the most important person in her life--well. Life is full of surprises.
There is so little of Eddie in Jamie, she sometimes wonders how both could have occupied the same shape in her heart. Sometimes wonders how Eddie--who prized cleanliness, routine work hours, dinners at his mother’s once a week--would look at Jamie, if he could see her. Jamie, all tousled hair, happiest with a cigarette between her teeth and both hands buried in soil. Jamie, who has never kept a nine-to-five, never craved Sunday afternoons with her parents, never looks at Dani like she expects firm posture, bright smile, neat clothes. 
They couldn’t possibly be more different--and yet, somehow, Jamie is her best friend. Unfair to think it, maybe, but she might be the best friend Dani’s ever had. Her sense of humor is dark, her vocabulary wallpapered with curse words and shorn letters; she smells of nicotine and sunscreen, dresses in wrinkled flannels and torn jeans. Where Eddie looped an arm around her shoulders, Jamie nudges her with bony elbows; where Eddie pressed his lips to her temple, Jamie leans carefully away. Different, in every measure. 
And it isn’t that she likes Jamie more. That wouldn’t be fair--not after so many years in Eddie’s company. It’s just that when Jamie looks at her, eyes bright, dirt smudged on one cheek, sometimes, she feels...
“You’re thinking,” Jamie observes. She doesn’t say it the way Eddie would--the way he always pointed out when she was clenching her fist under the table, or picking at her nails, his voice edged with concern bordering on condescension. Her voice is light, her lips curved in a small smile. 
Eddie never quite smiled at her like that. Or, if he did, it didn't pluck the same chord in her stomach. Not that that matters. Not that that affects the sincerity of friendship. 
Not that it’s making her feel weirdly flushed this afternoon. 
“Am I not allowed to think?” she asks. The sun, she thinks, is responsible for the goofy smile on her face. The heat of the day, which stretches on and on the way only early July knows how.
“Not arguing,” Jamie says. “One of us ought to.”
She’s on her knees, pulling weeds, her face shining with sweat. There’s something about days like this--afternoons where the kids are occupied helping Owen bake cookies, leaving Dani to nurse a glass of water and pleasantly-meandering conversation--that feels almost too good to be allowed. Eddie would have wanted to do something with a day like this: hike, or clear up the yard, or go visit family. 
Jamie, on the other hand, pushes to her feet and surveys the bed she’s spent all day working. “Think that’s good enough for a break. Here, budge over.”
Dani obediently scoots to the edge of her seat, amused when Jamie flops down half in her lap. A year of working at the manor, and Jamie’s gone from a woman who couldn’t make eye contact to save her life to this: gangly limbs tossed haphazardly over Dani’s, sweat-slick skin sticking where it lands against Dani’s shoulder. It’s too hot for cozying up like this, but she can’t seem to convince herself to push Jamie away. 
“There,” Jamie sighs, tilting her head back against the plastic of the lawn chair. “Christ, feels good just to breathe.”
“You breathe,” Dani says, “and I’ll think. Together, we make an almost-functional human being.”
“Almost,” Jamie says wryly. Her hand loops around Dani’s, teasing the sweating glass out of her grip long enough to take a sip. Dani nudges her. 
“Could get you one of your own, if you ever learned to ask politely.”
“Don’t like me polite,” Jamie says with a shrug. “My brand is prickly-yet-charming, and we both know I’m your favorite for it.”
“Technically,” Dani corrects, “Flora is my favorite. Mainly because she doesn’t make me remind her to say please.”
“Please,” Jamie says without missing a beat, “keep pretending you aren’t captivated by my winning personality.”
Dani laughs. “Oh, is that what I am?”
“Mm.” Jamie takes another sip, reaches over her to set the glass down on the table, closes her eyes. “S’what you were all pensive about just now, I’m sure. How entranced you are with my witty banter.”
“Entranced,” Dani repeats.
“Beguiled. Mesmerized. Drunk with adoration.” Jamie’s face is pink, a bead of sweat neatly lining her upper lip. Dani only realizes she’s staring a fortunate beat before Jamie rolls her head to the left, peering at her with lazy amusement. “Go on. Tell me how much you love me.”
“Love how ridiculous you can be, maybe.” And how sweet, and how unquestioningly soft, though she doesn’t see a need to put that into words--or a way to do it without sounding entirely out of her head. The heat, she thinks, is absolutely getting to her. 
It’s the heat, making her want suddenly to slide an arm between the plastic back of the chair and the cotton of Jamie’s tank top, pulling her even closer. The heat, making her want to displace the normal back-and-forth ease of friendship with something else entirely. 
She’s had a best friend before. She’s never quite wanted to do with Eddie what she is, more and more, thinking about with Jamie curled up beside her. 
Distract, she thinks, because Jamie is still watching her with that half-lidded expression she gets when the sun is particularly bright, the day’s work has been well-tended, and Dani’s shoulder is a cushion beneath her head. More and more, it’s been feeling like a dangerous sort of moment, Jamie’s face lingering near the crook of her neck. Jamie’s breath coasting down the neckline of her dress. Jamie’s smile sweeter than should be allowed, given the grumpy way she slouches around the grounds. 
“Thinking,” Jamie says, her voice almost soft. Dani shakes her head. 
“It’s not illegal.”
“Is,” Jamie says, “if you’re gonna just stare at me all googly-eyed while you do it. C’mon, what gives? Is today some holiday I’ve forgotten?” She sits up a little straighter, her face comic in its sudden concern. “Shit, Poppins, it’s not your birthday.”
She almost wants to say it is, just to watch Jamie turn fascinating new shades of maroon. “No--just--it’s hot.”
Jamie sags back with palpable relief. Her arm is freckled, Dani notices, beyond the norm; the summer is drawing all sorts of secrets from her skin, and it’s suddenly painfully tempting, the urge to trace her nail along these newfound constellations. 
Distract, she thinks again, more urgently this time. Without thinking it through, without considering the consequences, she dips two fingers into the glass of water and flicks the still-cool moisture directly into Jamie’s face. 
Jamie, to her credit, hardly jumps. She’s just blinking at Dani like their conversation has taken an unanticipated left turn into another language, water dripping from the end of her nose. 
“Okay,” she says. “If that’s how we’re playing it.”
Her arm reaches across without hesitation, replicating Dani’s playbook: two fingers dipped, flicked, landing back in her lap as Dani sputters. 
“You got me in the eye.”
“Cooled you off, though?” Jamie asks, almost politely. Dani laughs, and suddenly, it’s war. There’s barely enough room on the chair for the both of them to sit like adults, much less to squirm around, hips knocking, legs tangled up as the remainder of the glass finds its way--droplet by droplet--into Jamie’s face, down Dani’s neck, sometimes missing entirely and disappearing into the sizzling summer air. 
Dani is ultimately the victor, an upset decided when she grasps the glass--now containing maybe two inches of water--and upends it directly over Jamie’s head. She’s laughing almost too hard to breathe, particularly when Jamie gives a firm shake of her hair, looking like a rumpled dog after a bath.
“That,” Jamie says in a low, dangerous tone, “cannot stand.”
She’s up before Dani can stop her, sprinting toward the garden hose uncoiled in the grass. Dani twists in her seat, knees drawn up to her chest, arms extended.
“Don’t you dare!”
“All’s fair,” Jamie says, almost apologetically, depressing the trigger. 
They are, Dani notes somewhere in the back of her mind, full-grown adult women. They are thirty years old, gainfully employed, responsible for the upkeep of an entire house and the well-being of two small children. 
They are also now chasing one another across the lawn, Dani sopping wet, Jamie laughing so hard she nearly trips over her own feet taking a corner too fast. The hose is growing more and more tangled by the minute as she dashes in a zig-zag pattern, periodically firing a jet of water over her shoulder, and Dani has no prayer of catching up--not with her shoes squelching, slipping on wet grass, her lungs clenched around a soundless jag of laughter. 
Adults, she thinks, as Jamie makes the insurmountable error of trying to bolt past her like a quarterback dodging a tackle; she makes a successful leap over the tangled hose, but forgets at the last second to factor in the edge of the lawn chair. Dani has her around the middle before she can dart out of reach, the both of them tumbling over in a cackling heap of grass clippings, puddled hose water, freckled limbs. 
They’re rolling, shouting wordlessly around giggles, Dani struggling to pry the hose out of Jamie’s hands. It’s harder than it looks; Jamie is small, but strong in an annoyingly wiry sort of way. Even when Dani manages to get her onto her back, the water is inescapable, dousing in short jets across her chest, down her arms, pooling awkwardly between them. 
“You are,” she laughs, “a child.”
“Could a child do this?” Jamie replies, jerking upward at the hips with unexpected force. Dani rocks up with her, one hand grasping the sodden front of Jamie’s shirt for balance, and drops back down without budging from her seat. Jamie releases an oof as her back makes rough contact with the ground again, giggling too hard to successfully shove Dani over.
“Yes, actually, I think a child would be exactly that effective,” Dani informs her. Her body has never felt quite this alive, her muscles aching with the effort of an unplanned run. Jamie, chest heaving for breath, is practically glowing. 
“Just want to remind you,” Jamie says, “you did start this.”
“Does that mean I win?” If she hasn’t, she can’t imagine it would feel any better than this: straddling Jamie’s hips in the soft grass, cool water seeping down her back, her dress sticking pleasantly to warm skin. Jamie allows the hose to drop from her grip at last, her head tipped back, eyes closed.
“Call it a draw.”
“What if I wanted to win?” She slides a hand up without thinking, pinning Jamie by the wrist before she can decide to take up her watery weapon again. Jamie draws a deep breath, face flushed, grinning. 
“Guess you’d have to work harder for it.”
Children, Dani thinks--but suddenly, it doesn’t feel childish anymore. Suddenly, she’s overly aware of her dress rucked high around her thighs, of how short Jamie’s shorts really are, how her body is considerably less obscured than usual with her shirt plastered to her frame. Suddenly, she’s aware of Jamie’s hand flexing against the grass, pinned beside her head with a loose enough grip to break--though Jamie isn’t breaking it. Isn’t even trying.
Jamie is, instead, gazing up at her with hair mussed, eyes bright. Jamie, whose free hand is sliding up to rest along the curve of Dani’s hip. 
She’s Dani’s best friend, like he was, but this doesn’t feel like it belongs in the same category as late-night stories swapped by the fire, or letting each other steal the vegetables the other doesn’t care for off their plate. This feels like a category all its own: the way Jamie licks her lips as Dani’s head lowers, the way Dani’s fingers graze the freckles painting her wrist on the way up to notching her palm against Jamie’s. 
Her hair is wet, and Jamie’s face is sweaty, and there’s so little romance to the whole picture, it takes her by surprise. She’s always thought there should be talking before a thing like this, at least--a decision made on equal footing. 
“I don’t have to,” she says, even as Jamie is saying, “Do you want to?”
Children would laugh again, go back to wrestling, go back to how it all felt just a few minutes before. They are not, Dani notes as she lowers her head--as Jamie shifts up at the shoulders to meet her--children. 
She’s hyper-aware of all of it now: the sun beating against her shoulders, the hand Jamie is using to grip the back of her dress, the exact angle of Jamie’s mouth parting beneath her own. Her tongue is gentle, brushing Jamie’s, and the sound Jamie makes into her is anything but. 
She’s smiling, she realizes, so hard, it hurts--that deep, wonderful hurt of laughing too hard for too long, of slipping in the grass and landing in a heap with someone who couldn’t help catching her on the way down. She’s grinning into Jamie even as she’s kissing her, even as she’s letting her body stretch out to press Jamie more firmly against the damp ground. 
And Jamie, fingers curled between her own, making soft sounds of appreciation into the kiss, is grinning right back. 
“This was your plan all along,” she accuses, brushing the hair from Dani’s eyes when they break for a breath. ��Awful lot of work, for a kiss.”
“All’s fair?” Dani suggests--and she genuinely, honestly cannot decide which she likes more: the way Jamie kisses, or the way Jamie kisses and laughs at the same time. All of it, she feels, goes a country mile beyond best friends. All of it goes a country mile beyond anything she could ever have dreamed up, walking away from him the way she did. 
It couldn’t possibly be more different.
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omg-im-such-a-masochist · 4 years ago
Text
SECOND CHANCE
Prompt: Just some good old fluff with Finny boy
Word Count: Long, bitch! So fucking long
Pairings: Finn Bálor x Reader
Warnings: Angst, fluff, smut (implied)
Editor: @thenightmareismyreality
Tag: @theworldofotps , @new-zealand-chic , @sassymox , @waywardwrestlewritingwaif , @yungbludjazz360 , @starwithaheart
Notes: Found this in an old file (wrote this about two years ago, maybe?) But I kinda like this little story ❤️ If you’d like to check out my previous works, you can find them on my Masterlist 😉
A deep sigh of relief left my lips as I brushed my damp hair. I heard a commotion in the living room, and began to dread the potential fight I would have to break up between a four and six year-old over a remote control.
“Mommy, mommy, mommy!” Caleb screamed in excitement, while bursting through my bedroom door like a maniac
“You’ll never believe who’s downstairs with us” He jumped with a cheeky smile
“Cal, who’s downstairs?” I ask worryingly, instinctively reaching for the gun that I kept in my nightstand
Caleb laughed and ran downstairs again.
As a homicide detective, my cop instincts combined with my motherly instincts took over me and I ran to the living room in only a tank top and panties, with my gun already aimed to shoot.
Although, the last person I thought I would see standing there, braiding my daughter Maeve’s hair in a style reminiscent of queen Elsa, and watching Caleb showing off his somersault technique was HIM…
That caught me off guard and he must have sensed it, because the first thing he did was look up.
“Hi” He said shyly
“What are you doing here, Finn?” I asked, putting my gun down on the dinner table
“I swear I didn’t break in” He laughed, attempting a joke
“What do you want?” I decided to ignore the small talk...there was no need for that, not after everything he did
“I have an injury. So I have some time off for a while and I wanted to stop by to see the kids and you” He whispered the last part
“Injury, huh? Is it bad?”
Even after everything he did, I couldn’t help but worry about his well being, you know, for the kids sake!...
Ok fine, I still love him, but he doesn’t need to know that.
“No, nothing serious. But I got two months off and I was excited to see my family” He looked at me when he said that
“Are you going to see your parents?”
“Yeah and I was thinking if it would be ok with you if I take the kids with me?”
“Of course! Why would I mind?”
His family was always very loving and kind to me, and we became very close once the kids were born. Sometimes I would take them to Ireland on my vacation so they could see their grandparents or they would travel to New York so they could see the kids.
“Because of...you know” He trailed off
“Neither your family or the kids have anything to do with that. I’m a grown woman, Finn. I know how to separate the sheep from the goat, ok?!”
I could feel the air becoming thicker with the tension, until Maeve said
“Mommy, why aren’t you wearing any pants? Are you feeling hot? I can get you the Japanese hand fan daddy gave it to me, if you’d like” She smiled
“Thank you buttercup, but that won’t be necessary. I’ll be right back”
......................................................................
Now, properly dressed, I made my way towards the kitchen to get dinner ready.
“Do you need any help?” Finn asked from behind me
“No, thank you. You can go stay with the kids” I didn’t even bother to turn around to face him
“Y/N, can we talk?”
I sighed “There’s nothing worth talking about, Finn”
“Please?”
“What can you possibly say that will change what happened? Nothing! It will be a bunch of empty sorry’s and excuses, so let’s just save it, ok?!”
“It’s not empty, I truly am sorry”
“You should’ve thought that before you believed the bunch of lies she told you”
He opened his mouth to say something but Caleb began calling for him to go watch the cartoons with them.
......................................................................
“Mommy, can daddy have dinner with us?” Maeve asked
“Of course, pumpkin. If he would like to”
“Yay” She screams “Daddy, come!” She beckoned him
The subjects of conversation at dinner were mostly controlled by the kids. They, as per usual, asked me how many bad people I had taken down that day, but also asked Finn about his traveling, which state or city he liked the most, the best foods he’d eaten, which LEGO set was he building, if the hotel beds were soft and ‘what about the blankets?’
“Alright, I know you two are very excited to see daddy, but we need to brush those teeth! So, let’s go kiddos” I got up from my chair
“I’ll do it” He grabbed both kids, resting one on each side of his hip and went up to brush their teeth
When he came back down alone, I give him a questioning look
“They’re asleep” He smiled softly
“Oh, you already put them down for bed?! Thank you” I said, cleaning the kitchen island.
He nodded “I just didn’t bathe them because they said you already did”
“Yeah, that’s the first thing I do when I get home. Or my mom does it for me if I get caught up in a case, but most of the time I do it”
“How’s work?” He asked, sitting down on one of the high benches.
“Good, Richard is my superior again, so he helps me a lot with my shifts, because of the kids” I smiled
“The old man is still working?” He laughed, amused
“Yeah, he already said he will only leave his badge when he’s dead” I cackled “How’s road life? Amazing, I presume”
“Nah, don’t let the bright lights fool ya” He laughed, bitterly “I love wrestling, being in the ring, performing for the audience, but once I pass through the curtains backstage it gets lonely” A little bit of sadness could be heard in his voice “It’s very lonely... it’s different from when I came back home to you and the kids. Now I just get back to an empty apartment, wishing I could get back home” He looks at me
“Finn, please”
“I love you! Why can’t we just try again?”
“Because no!”
“Why?” He pleaded
“Because you don’t know what it was like ok?! You don’t know how much it hurt me, the things you said, the fact that you believed some envious woman’s gossip about me having an affair with Lucas! He’s married for fuck’s sake! To a man!”
“I- I didn’t knew Lucas was gay, Y/N”
“Yeah, you didn’t! And why is that? Oh yeah, because you did not trust your own wife, all you saw was the fact that he is a man and my work partner so you just bought the assumption that woman sold you, choosing to believe her instead of me!”
“It wasn’t like that, ok?” He tried to explain
“It wasn’t like that, you say? When you were the one who came in here filled with accusations! Saying that I had an affair with him, that I cheated on you, that you wished you would’ve slept with half of the women who throw themselves at you everyday, doubting that those kids upstairs are yours, when they’re the fucking spitting image of you! You said all those horrible things, Finn. Not me!”
He stared at his knuckles as I continued, now crying
“How do you think that made me feel? To listen from my own husband how much he wished he had cheated on me. Bragging about all of the hot young women who are waiting to be fucked by a wrestler...You know it was always hard for me to accept that you wanted me and not some hot girl in the locker room, that you had chosen me, that I got lucky enough to not only marry a man who’s physically breathtaking but also such a beautiful person on the inside. And still, it was that same Prince Charming who became the frog! I never thought that” I had to stop myself from saying the next horrible words roaming through my mind
“You never thought that, what, Y/N?”
I shook my head
“Say it”
I shook my head again and he got up from the bench, coming to where I was standing
“Say it, love. I can take it”
“I don’t want to say it” I whispered as more tears rolled down my cheeks
“Shhh, it’s ok, love” Finn pulled my head to his chest “Please don’t cry, I hate when you cry” His arms are tightly locked around me, providing me the sense of comfort that only he could give. And I hated that!
“Let me go” I tried to push him away
“What’s wrong, Y/N?”
“Just don’t touch me” I said, shoving him away
He knew that I was closing him off, I could see it in his eyes
“Say it! You never thought that what?” He insisted, more forcefully this time
“I never thought that someday I would regret meeting you! Marrying you, starting a family with you. If I could do it all again, I wouldn’t!” I spat
“You wouldn’t?” He scooted closer
“No” I answered with venom in my voice, trying to turn my undying love for him into hatred
“But I would!” Finn said firmly
I shook my head in denial, as he cupped my cheeks in his calloused hands, making me look up to meet his blue eyes
“I would do it, all over again. Meeting you, dating you, marrying you, having kids with you, in the future seeing the kids graduate high school, college, be at their wedding, take our future grandkids to the park, and spend the rest of my life with you! I would choose you over and over and over again! I choose you everyday, Y/N”
I squeezed my eyes shut
“You’re lying! Stop lying, Finn” I whispered
“Am I though? Open your eyes and look at me. I was never able to hide ANYTHING from you, I can lie to anyone but you. You can always see through me, so just look at me and tell me if I’m lying. If I am, then I promise you, I’ll leave this house right now and you’ll never have to see me again! Just open your eyes” He kissed each closed eyelid
After a few minutes, I gathered the courage to finally look at him and I could only see love, regret, pain and truth.
“I love you Y/N and always will. Yes, I was dumb to listen to some random gossip and I’m paying the price for it, but the only thing I ask you is: please, don’t give up on us! I’ll give you whatever time you need, just promise me that we’ll fix it. That we’ll be together again...You, Caleb and Maeve are my life! I would die to save you in a blink, love. If I had to choose between your life or mine I would choose yours, becau-“
I placed two fingers on his lips
“Stop talking like that! You know I don’t like it. It attracts those bad vibes, you know?”
Finn lightly chuckled “But I mean it”
“Stop! I don’t like when you talk like that... I hate to think that something bad could ever happen to you. You know, because of the kids” I tried to hide my feelings
“And you wouldn’t miss me, not even a little bit?” He teased
“I miss you everyday” I quickly slapped a hand over my mouth when I realized what I just said
He smiled sweetly, leaning down to place sweet and innocent pecks all over my face.
Finn started on my forehead, then he went to my temples, followed by the cheekbones, apple’s of the cheek, jaw, chin, side of my lips. Finn pulled back to search for any resistance signs and when he found none, he kissed my lips. A lazy kiss, that grew more urgent by the minute.
“Fuck, I missed you so much” He moaned, now kissing my neck
“Finn, wait. Wait a minute” I tried to pull his head back by his hair but that only made him moan.
“Finn!” I said harshly, finally having his attention
“What’s wrong, love? Don’t you want it? I thought that-“
“Have you seen anyone since we broke up?” I asked, not even letting him finish his sentence
“We didn’t break up! You asked me for some time and-“
“Finn, just answer the fucking question please” I pleaded
“No, I haven’t been with anyone in those 8 months. Except for my hand when I look at your pictures” He smirked
“You’re so ridiculous” I whispered in relief as my arms circled his waist
“So...do you still want to make love?” He eagerly asked
“We never made love, Finny. We’ve always fucked senseless” I laughed
“No! We’ve always made love it’s just that we’re more frantic about it” He chuckled
“Ok, we sleep together and then what?” I asked
“Then you stay here and I go back to my apartment” He simply said
My heart sunk in my chest as a faint “Oh, ok” left my lips
“So I can pack my clothes and bring them back home” He said, as a devilish smile grew on his face “That’s of course, if you want me here”
“Asshole” I lightly punched his chest “I thought you just wanted a one night stand and that’s it. You scared me!”
Finn chuckled, beckoning me closer to him
“You could never be just a one night stand, love. You fuck too good to be just a one time thing” He winked
“So you just want me for my bedroom skills, huh?” I teased
“Yes and no” He giggled “Yes, because no other woman fucks like you do” He bit my neck, growling “And no, because there’s so much more about you than the bedroom” He hugged my waist “You’re my best friend, my nurturer, my supporter, the air that keeps me alive, my everything!” He kissed me passionately
“Can we try again? Start over and leave all that shit behind us?” He whispered
“If you promise me that if we get back together, you won’t listen to other people’s gossip and will come to me whenever you hear somethi-“
“Yes!” He pecked my lips excitedly, as a wide smile took over his face “I promise you, love! That’ll never happen again, you have my word!” He gave me a bear hug and spun me around the kitchen
“Finn!” I squealed, when we almost fell to the ground “We’re going to wake up the kids” I giggled
“Oh no, shhhh” He shut me up with a kiss “We can’t let that happen! Because as much as I love our children, I haven’t gotten any in eight months and I can’t wait to change that with you right now” He pushed us towards the couch and laid on top of me
“But I thought you were going to go and get your clothes”
“I don’t need clothes, woman! You know I like to sleep naked” He winked
And roamed his head down to...
Please, if you’re comfortable with it, let me know your thoughts on this? Feedbacks are always appreciated 🥰😘
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beautiful-and-terrible · 4 years ago
Text
dazed ’n’ confused (part 2)
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A/N: omg this part was so much longer than i ancitipated sorry T__T and i promise in part 3 we will get some fun stuff ;)
Ship: Rodrick Heffley x OFC
Warnings: none (for this chapter)
---
The whole day, Nicole was distracted. She sat in her lifeguard chair, biting her nails, eyes concealed by her sunglasses and gazing at nothing. The pool manager ended up telling her off because she let multiple people dive off the board at the same time. She was a mess on the way home, too. She stopped at her favorite gas station to get slushy and almost left her bike behind, aimlessly wandering toward her house before she remembered she hadn’t walked there in the first place.
She got home and hopped in the shower, rinsing off the sunscreen and sweat, trying to forget how warm Rodrick’s hands felt under her own, how she had been close enough to smell laundry detergent and cinnamon gum. His dark eyes and full lips. 
She almost slipped getting out of the shower.
She tried to write music and get him off her mind, but all of her songs ended up sounding sad and sappy or slow and sultry. It was maddening.
The next day, Saturday, Nicole woke up more irritated than usual. She normally wasn’t a morning person, but this was next level. She did her makeup quickly and threw her hair into a pair of messy french braids. She decided to treat herself to an ice coffee, so she grabbed her wallet and headed outside to her bike.
Despite it being 9:30 in the morning, Rodrick was already outside… mowing grass? Nicole had never once seen him do that before. Giving him a short wave, she coasted down her driveway and headed into town toward the Starbucks. 
As she stopped at the sign at the end of their street, she looked back. Rodrick was looking in her direction, but Nicole shook away the thought that he could’ve been staring. She looked both ways quickly before pedaling quicker than she had before.
The Starbucks was about a 20 minute bike ride from her house, and Nicole usually took this time to listen to a podcast or her favorite album. This morning, she chose “Dr. Feelgood” by 
Motley Crue - she was a sap, sue her. She liked to remember the little things about people. She definitely recognized the chord progressions and drum patterns replicated in Loded Diper’s songs - at least, the songs that she had heard muffled through the garage door as she hung her head out her window to listen.
A short time later, Nicole hopped off her bike and locked it in place, skipping with anticipation for the sweetest, creamiest ice coffee she could get her little hands on. She walked up to the cashier, browsing the menu quickly.
“Hi, Welcome to Starbucks - what can I get started for you?”
“I’ll do a iced caramel macchiato with almond milk and light ice, please.”
“For sure, anything else?”
“No, thanks,” Nicole said, pulling out a five dollar bill and some ones.
“Hey, aren’t you new in town? You came into school at the end of the semester.”
Nicole looked up at the cashier, just now noticing what she looked like. She was cute in a pixie, petite kind of way, with short brown hair and big green eyes. If Nicole hadn’t been so enamored with Rodrick, she probably would’ve developed a big whopping crush on this girl, too.
“Yeah, I’m Nicole. You go to PVH, too?”
“I’m Caitlin - we were in bio together, I think.” Nicole wracked her brains, thinking back to the last bit of school she could remember.
“Oh, right, we partnered up a couple times.” Nicole said, smiling.
“Hey, if you want, a couple of friends and I are having a party tonight. You should come,” Caitlin said, flashing a dimpled smile. Nicole felt her tummy flip - mostly from excitement, and the elation of feeling included by her peers.
“For sure, just text me the number.” Nicole wrote down her number on a hot beverage sleeve and slid it towards Caitlin.
“Cool, see you then. Oh, and your drink will be right over there.”
“Thanks.”
Biting her lip to keep from grinning like a crazy person, Nicole moved down the divided counter to wait for her drink. The whole bike ride home she couldn’t help thinking that maybe moving to this town wasn’t such a bad thing after all. The day ended up not being as horrifically hot as yesterday, and Nicole’s mood had improved significantly after a heavy dose of caffeine.
But, when she rounded the corner back onto her street, Rodrick was still outside, mowing the lawn. And lord have mercy, for such a skinny looking boy, he had some seriously toned arms. Nicole almost crashed her bike into the curb, narrowly avoiding spilling her drink all over herself. She rode past him up her own driveway without acknowledging him, even though this time he was the one who waved to her. Payback for flaunting his ridiculous arms in front of her at 10:30 in the morning.
She went inside to change into her bathing suit and the usual denim shorts she wore over them. She didn’t need to leave for work for another hour, so she plugged her electric guitar into the amp in her room and fiddled around with learning some Motley Crue riffs that she remembered from her morning bike ride. Nicole wasn’t a prodigy by any means, but she had been playing guitar for long enough that she knew the basic chord structure of most of their popular songs. 
As she stood up to slip on her black converse, she saw her phone had lit up with a text. Unknown number.
“Hey, its Caitlin :) the address is 460 Norfolk Drive. Party starts @ 10!”
Nicole did a little dance. “Cool, I’ll be there :)” she texted back, and ran down the stairs back to the garage to get her bike again. She was so excited by the idea of hanging out with people her age that she almost didn’t see Rodrick leaning against his own bike at the end of her driveway.
“Your lawn looks good,” Nicole teased as she rode by. If Rodrick had any snarky reply, she was gone before she heard it. Looking back over her shoulder, she saw him standing with his mouth agape. She laughed to herself before starting her regular route to the city pool.
Not long after she started her shift, perched in her lifeguard chair with the umbrella angled to deflect the worst of the sun, Rodrick showed up with his two friends. They seemed to be attached at the hip. One was shorter than Rodrick, with long, surfer-style blonde hair, and one was about Rodrick’s height, with short dark hair and a cool slit in his eyebrow. 
Nicole was glad her sunglasses were dark enough to not see her eyes, because she definitely would’ve been caught staring by now. Rodrick wasn’t muscular by any means, or athletic, but there was still something cute and boyish about his gangly frame, and the way his shoulder muscles flexed when he took his shirt off was… for lack of a better word, distracting.
The first couple of hours passed uneventfully, and Nicole started to doze in her chair, chin propped up on her hand. The combination of warm sun and cool breeze lull her into a half-awake state. It was adult swim, so there weren’t any kids to worry about. She could close her eyes for a few minutes and…
She heard him before she saw him. The signature sound of the diving board being bounced once, twice, and then…
Nicole was doused in freezing cold water.
The huge splash covered both sides of the pool, high enough to reach her in her life guard chair. Moaning with displeasure, Nicole wrenched her sunglasses off her face and pointed an accusing finger at the grinning boy in the water. Fucking Rodrick.
“You’re dead, you little shit.” Nicole growled, and left her sunglasses on the seat of her lifeguard chair before diving in the pool.
The cool water enfolded her, silky and calm, before she came up under Rodrick and unleashed all hell. Still under water, she grabbed his ankles to pull him down. She heard his shout of alarm before it transformed into bubbles.
Underwater, her vision was blurred, but Nicole could still see Rodrick laughing and the dark outline of his eyes. She found herself laughing too as they briefly wrestled and tried to drag the other farther underwater before they both broke the surface, gasping for air.
“Okay, okay mercy,” Rodrick gasped as Nicole wound her arms around his neck in a headlock.
“Stay off the diving board, or I’ll make you drink the kiddy pool water.”
“Oh my god, kids pee in there!”
“Exactly,” Nicole laughed before shoving him away, though it wasn’t very aggressive considering the water softened the blow. Rodrick was still laughing behind her.
“Damn, if I get that kind of a reaction every time I jump in the pool, maybe I’ll do it for a living,” he called after her.
Nicole dunked her head under water once more to adjust her hair before climbing out of the deep end on the latter, electing to ignore that last comment. Now that she was back in her life guard chair, she couldn’t believe how impulsive she had been. Some kind of instinct took over and before she knew it, she had been flying out of her chair to give Rodrick a taste of his own medicine.
And now that she was thinking about it even more, the more embarrassed she became. Oh God, had she been super obvious? And more than that, had she been unprofessional?
She looked around the pool to see if her manager was watching - luckily, no sign of him. Most of the other pool guests weren’t paying that much attention either, except Rodrick’s friends, who were still laughing hysterically as Rodrick dried himself off by shaking his hair like a wet dog.
Nicole had touched more of Rodrick than she had the other day when they accidentally touched hands. Way more of him. Not that she exactly remembered the feeling of every limb, but the contact still made her feel more than a little weak in the knees.
They didn’t even know each other that well! What was she thinking!
Nicole spent the rest of her shift biting her nails anxiously, and when her co-worker came to switch chairs she ran to hide in the employee lounge next to the girls bathrooms.
By the time five o’clock came, she had calmed down a little bit, but was still embarrassed by her frankly juvenile behavior. She helped clean up the pool area by hosing it down and picked up some left over trash before heading to her bike.
And, because Nicole had maybe the worst (or best, it was hard to say) luck in the world, Rodrick was waiting for her.
“Figured I could ride home with you, since you like being near me so much,” Rodrick called as she approached. Nicole groaned, rolling her eyes.
“I wouldn’t have to get near you if you didn’t a) act like a child, and b) violate pool rules.”
“I’m pretty sure “almost drawing a patron” counts as violating pool rules, Nikky.”
“Don’t call me that,” Nicole spat with no real heat behind it.
“If you’re gonna ride home with me, you’re gonna pay for my slushy,” Nicole called over her shoulder as she started pedaling away.
“Ooo, is this a date?” Rodrick laughed, and Nicole flipped him off without looking. “C’mon, I thought we were getting along since I fixed your tire?”
Nicole, tired of the banter and not able to think of a better response, decided to take mercy on him.
“No… no. We’re cool. I’d rather have my dumb neighbor as a friend than no one at all.”
Rodrick pulled up next to her on his bike, tongue peeking between his teeth as he tried to suppress a grin. “Yeah, you seem cool. At least, your music taste isn’t completely horrible.”
“Oh, and yours is perfect, I’m assuming?” 
“Naturally,” Rodrick said, pedaling faster to pull a wheelie in front of her, obviously trying to show off. In all honesty, it was a pretty cool trick - but Nicole would never tell him that. The evening was cooling down, but the sun was still a couple hours from setting, so everything had a deep golden glow - the trees seemed greener, and the grass softer, and random birds would occasionally chirp from deep within the woods. The world felt alive and wonderful and terribly, terribly exciting.
“So, why the hell did you move to Plainview?” Rodrick asked. 
“Wasn’t like it was my choice. My Dad got a new job, and my Mom works from home so she can take care of us - so me and my two little sisters just got the short end of the straw.”
“You have sisters?” 
“Yeah, Caroline and Georgia. Do you have siblings?”
Rodrick rolled his eyes, “Yeah, two shit head little brothers, Greg and Manny. Well, Manny isn’t really a shit head, ‘cause he’s like three, but I know he will be once he hits four.”
Nicole laughed. They were nearing the gas station she liked to get slushies from, so she suddenly started pedaling faster and yelled behind her, “First one there buys!”
She narrowly made it there before him, laughing at his red face and shaking legs as he dismounted his bike.
“No one should be that fast,” he panted, but smiled as he opened the door for her. 
The blast of air conditioning felt good on Nicole’s heated skin, and she made a B-line for the slushy machine.
“Blue raspberry is the obvious best choice,” Nicole said, filling her cup up to the brim.
“No way, cherry is the only valid flavor,” Rodrick said, already munching on a bag of sour gummy worms. She raised an eyebrow at him and he simply winked in response, causing Nicole to turn her head away when she felt the heat rise to her cheeks.
Rodrick paid for their stuff and they spent the rest of the bike ride home trying to throw gummy worms at each other and catch them in their mouths.
“So.. there's a van. Outside your house. With your band name on it,” Nicole said, pointedly looking at him. Rodrick looked straight ahead.
“Yeah.” 
“And yet, you’re out here riding your bike. With me.”
“Yeah.”
“So what's the hold up? You don’t have your license yet or something?”
“I can drive!” Rodrick said indignantly, his voice cracking slightly, causing you to throw your head back in laughter.
“I’m saving up money to get it fixed,” he grumbled, pulling another wheelie.
“Doing tricks won’t distract me from this, Rodrick.
“Fine. Once its fixed, I’ll take you for a ride, deal?”
“Deal,” Nicole said primly, taking a sip of her slushy. 
Sooner than she thought, they ended up in front of their respective homes. The time had flown by - she hadn’t even noticed they were close.
She was about to wave goodbye and turn to go up her driveway when Rodrick cleared his throat.
“Hey, um… my band and I - we’re having practice tonight. Again. We have a gig later this week so we wanna practice as much as possible. Uhm. Would you wanna stop by? You can bring your guitar or whatever,” he said, looking down at his shoes that he was currently scuffing against the sidewalk.
“How do you know I play guitar?”
Somehow, Rodrick looked even more sheepish. “Uh, you left your window open, earlier. When you were practicing.”
This time, Nicole was the one to blush. Fuck. She hadn’t even thought about any one being able to hear her. And after Rodrick told her Loded Diper was originally a Motley Crue cover band.... Oh, he definitely knew she was whipped. Fuck!
“Haha, oh, yeah… uh, sure. I can come over.”
Rodrick grinned - a genuinely excited smile, not his usual impish smirk. It made Nicole’s heart stutter in her chest.
“Come over in an hour - I’ll get snacks.”
Nicole turned away without another word, deciding they would have plenty more to say to each other very soon. But fucking hell, what was she going to wear?
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raiseyourcups · 4 years ago
Text
Cabur
Chapter Eighteen
Pairing: Din Djarin x OFC (Aili Verdella) Warnings: choking (and not the sexy kind), miscommunication (so much of it), cursing, Kuiil attempting help Mando and Aili Word Count: 4.4k Also on AO3
Masterlist//Main Masterlist
Summary: The whole gang is on the way to Nevarro, Mando is being weird after a quick talk with Kuiil and Aili is suspicious. Cara and Mando have an arm-wrestle and secrets are revealed about the child which leads to several people putting their foot in their mouth at different times.
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They were loading up the blurrg when Kuiil spoke up. “That one is good for you,” he said without preamble as usual. That didn’t make his words any less jarring for Mando to hear as he barely stopped himself from accidentally pulling too hard on the blurrg’s reins. The last thing they needed was for him to piss off the blurrg again. 
“What?” was the only thing he settled on saying. 
“The smaller angry one, Aili. You two are good for each other, sooth each other’s anger from the past.” Kuiil wasn’t stupid, he had seen too many things during his servitude to the Empire. He didn’t need to know any details to see the similarities and he was sure the Shock Trooper had seen it too. 
“We’re not together,” Mando said stiffly. 
“That is not what I see when you two are around each other.” 
“She doesn’t-”
“I have spoken.” Kuiil said before Mando could even finish his sentence. 
Mando didn’t even know what else to say or do after that so he just kept leading the blurrg onto the ship. He was just glad that neither Aili or Cara were on the ship yet. Cara because she would just start laughing at the two of them again and Aili because he had no idea how she would react. As much as he wanted to know, a bigger part of him, the smarter part, didn’t want to know. Didn’t want to hear her own rejection out loud. 
They got everything packed onto the ship quickly after that, Mando trying to avoid Aili just a little bit. He almost succeeded but right after Cara and Kuiil went on board, Aili stopped him from heading up the gangway with a hand on his arm. “Is everything okay? Because if this is about the plan, we don’t have to--”
“We don’t have a choice,” Mando said shortly, slightly shrugging out of her grasp and walking onto the ship. Aili stared at him as she followed behind him with Little Green’s cradle floating between them. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion but she quickly schooled her face back into it’s usual passive expression once Cara was in sight. No need to have Cara start asking questions or making teasing remarks any time soon. 
She watched Mando from the corner of her eye as she made sure that Little Green’s cradle wasn’t going to be in the way of anyone. He went up to the cockpit and they were soon taking off from Arvala-7 without another word. Weird but whatever, Aili shrugged to herself and went over to where they kept their rations to get the kid something to eat to keep him from starting any trouble. 
Whatever Mando’s problem was would work itself out eventually or she could always kick his ass, whichever happened first. She was willing to bet on the latter option though. There was the small lurch that sent them into hyperspace and a minute later, Mando was sliding back down the ladder just as Aili was turning to walk back over to Little Green. 
Aili let out a quiet sound of surprise when she barely stopped herself from getting a face full of beskar. “I am getting you a bell once this is all over.”
“None of that, please, there are children present,” Cara called from where she was sitting. She had a smirk on her face as she watched the two of them almost crash into each other. She honestly couldn’t believe the two of them were still acting so oblivious to each other’s feelings, but she was starting to get the impression that it was mainly coming from one more than the other. 
“Who, you? I think it’s too late to give you the talk,” Aili bit back, side stepping around Mando so she could give Little Green his snack. Hopefully after that he’d be ready to go to sleep and then he really couldn’t start any trouble before they got to Nevarro. 
“Just a little late,” Cara said back, a large grin on her face now. Her gaze slid over to where Mando was still standing stiffly. “Hey Mando, let’s settle a bet.”
“What?” That finally snapped him back into reality and Cara pulled out a few credits, placing them on the crate she was sitting in front of. 
“Let’s find out who’s really stronger, me or you.” 
Mando paused to think it over before walking over and placing his own credits on the makeshift table. “I won’t go easy on you.”
“Trash talk doesn’t work on me.” 
Aili watched as Mando and Cara arm-wrestled out of pure boredom and a need to finally prove who was stronger. Further back Kuiil was feeding the blurrg and Little Green was curiously watching Mando and Cara as well from his cradle. He had just finished his snack and Aili was still trying to decide how much longer to let him stay up. She had given him the snack and moved back over to the other side of the ship where things were a little less crowded.  
“I got you, Mando.”
“Care to double the bet?”
Aili rolled her eyes at the two of them, mostly Mando because he had no problem making bets with Cara but he couldn’t have a simple conversation with her before they left Arvala-7. She had no idea what had happened during the time he was loading the blurrgs with Kuiil but if he wanted to act like a child, she’d let him. He had done that to her plenty of times. 
Her eyes went wide in surprise as soon as Cara started to choke on nothing. Like something invisible was choking her. She rushed forward when Cara brought her hands up to her throat in an attempt to do something. She didn't even notice Mando staring at Little Green as she tried to figure out what was wrong with Cara. 
“No, no, hey, stop!” Mando shouted, grabbing Little Green a little too roughly as the child let out a small squeak of surprise. “We’re friends. Cara is my friend!”
Cara took several harsh breaths. “That is not okay!” She angrily exclaimed, pointing at the kid with one finger while she tried to catch her breath. 
“He...has he had powers this whole time?” Aili questioned, eyes still wide in shock. She’d heard rumors of things like this, had seen a couple of girls taken out of the Program with no reason given. But guards always talked and they spoke of weird powers, something the Emperor was always looking out for. Other than that she had never asked for details. She wouldn’t have been given answers anyway no matter what her rank was within the Program. 
“Hmm, very curious,” Kuiil said, coming closer to look at the child in Mando’s grasp.
“Curious? It almost killed me!” Cara exclaimed, not even noticing when the kid let out another quiet sound of distress. 
“He’s a child and didn’t know what you two were doing,” Aili said harshly, moving around Cara to go over to Mando to hold her hands out for him to hand Little Green over to her. He hesitated for a second before doing so. She barely noticed the way he tensed up when their hands brushed against each other, she was too focused on making sure the kid was okay. 
“The story you told me of the mudhorn makes more sense now,” Kuiil said, still looking at the child with surprise in his eyes. 
“Mudhorn?” Aili asked, throwing Mando a look of displeasure when she saw the slight tears in Little Green’s eyes. He had obviously gotten scared by Mando shouting at him and Cara yelling at him. 
“What is it?” Mando asked, ignoring the look Aili was giving him for now. It wasn’t the most pressing matter at the moment to tell her about the mudhorn incident. 
“He,” Aili muttered under her breath, too low for anyone to really hear it. They had both given him enough baths and cleaned his small robe enough times that Mando should know that Little Green was a boy by now. Of course he was probably still trying to act like he wasn’t as attached to the kid as she was. 
Kuiil shook his head slightly, “What it is, I don’t know. But what it does, this I’ve heard rumors of.”
“What, when you worked for the Empire? And what about you Aili, you know about this too?” Cara questioned, her tone a little too accusatory for Aili’s taste. 
Aili threw a look of incredulity towards Cara, angry that the Shock Trooper would accuse her of something with no proof. “Okay let’s not go there just because you’re pissed off.”
“And you mean when I was sold to the Empire, in indentured servitude,” Kuiil added, his own voice taking on slight anger. 
Cara let out a scoff, gesturing towards them both, “Yet somehow, you both walk free.”
“I bought my freedom through the skill of my hands and the labor of three of your human lifetimes. Do not cast doubt upon that of what I am nor whom I shall serve,” Kuiil said, short and to the point but not without quiet anger lacing his every word. 
“I had to blow up a whole base to be able to “walk free”, you do not get to judge me or the things I did before then,” Aili stated, staring at Cara with a withering look in her eyes. So much for being friends if this was all it took to cause distrust. She turned around again, her back to Cara now as she muttered to herself, “I do that plenty to myself every day.”
No one noticed Mando making half an attempt to bring a hand up to Aili's shoulder before he stopped himself. With a subtle shake of his helmet, he brought his hand back down to his side, clenching both hands into fists to stop himself from trying again. 
IG-11 had walked over to them at the sound of raised voices but stood down a little when he saw Aili was comforting the child already. Mando let out a deep sigh knowing that both Cara and Aili were going to be pissed off for hours now. Not exactly two people he wanted angry on his ship, worse that they were angry with each other. 
He turned to Kuiil and made sure to keep his voice even as he spoke, “Tell you what, I could really use your craftwork right now. Any way you can pad this container better so the child can sleep better?” 
He knew that even though Aili had agreed to switch out when they used the cot, she spent most of her nights letting the kid sleep on the cot. He had come down from the cockpit more than once and seen her curled up on the floor in front of the cot with nothing but a blanket and one of her bags as a pillow under her head. So if Kuiil could make the kid’s cradle more comfortable, maybe then she’d actually use the cot for once. He knew it wasn’t the most comfortable place to sleep but it was better than the ship floor. 
“I shall fabricate a better one. Then perhaps this Dropper can see how one can win their freedom with the skill of one’s hands.”
"Thank you. We need to go over the plan again,” Mando directed the last part to Aili and Cara who were still not looking at each other. Cara wasted no time in heading for the ladder, still rubbing at her neck before she went up to the cockpit without another word. 
"You two go ahead,” Aili said shortly, keeping all of her focus on Little Green for the moment, rocking him from side to side without thinking about it. 
"This involves all of us,” Mando replied, barely holding back another sigh. He knew she was upset but that didn’t mean she could get out of making sure the plan was fool proof. 
"Yeah well unless you think Little Green will be able to contribute somehow, someone's gonna have to get him to calm down,” Aili shot back, looking up at Mando and that was when Mando finally noticed the small amount of tears in big brown eyes. He let out another sigh before nodding. 
“Okay, but once he’s asleep, come up to the cockpit.” 
“Is that an order?”
Mando winced behind his helmet knowing that he had chosen the wrong thing to say if the blunt way Aili spoke said anything. He tried to fix it quickly, “A request.”
“Fine.” Some of the tension in Aili’s shoulders faded away but he could tell she was still angry. Probably would be until they reached Nevarro and then all her anger could be redirected towards the Imps that were in the city. Mando just hoped they could all make it to the planet in one piece. He shook his head once more before heading up to the cockpit, hoping that maybe he could talk to Cara before Aili rejoined them, let her know how badly she screwed up without telling her too much of what Aili had told him. 
Aili watched from the corner of her eyes as Mando finally went up the ladder before she closed her eyes and let out a sigh. “Stupid,” she whispered to herself before biting her tongue to distract herself and to push away the dumb tears that had come to her eyes. Mando had been nice enough to not mention them, or just smart enough for once. Either way she was grateful. 
She watched as Kuiil started to work on a new cradle for Little Green, this one round rather than a rectangle. She was perfectly fine with staying in the cargo hold while Cara and Mando were up in the cockpit trying to come up with some semblance of a plan if everything went sideways. Which it probably would like most of the things that Mando was involved in. 
Aili was just trying to get the kid to go to sleep before rejoining them. She knew that was why they had brought Kuiil and IG-11 along but she couldn’t help herself. It had become a habit at this point and she wasn’t even sure if Little Green would let anyone else put him to sleep. 
Kids got weirdly attached like that considering he would rarely let Mando put him down to sleep if Aili was there. It had gotten worse after the job on Tatooine which is something Mando had mentioned once and Aili couldn’t disagree with him for once. Waking up with a concussion and not knowing where Little Green was had sent her back to the base for a moment which was not a place or time she liked to think back on. 
But she was also okay with any time spent avoiding Cara for a little while, the other woman’s comments had hit a little too close to home for her. The accusations had been worse, the implication that she was in any way still working for the Empire. She had thought she had made it obvious what she thought of Imps. 
So to hear the comments come from someone who she had just been joking around with, someone who she had thought was her friend? Had Cara said something to Mando and that was why he was acting so weird now? She let out an annoyed sigh and tried to shake the thoughts away. She didn’t care what either of them thought of her, she knew where she stood and that was all that mattered. 
“You and the Mandalorian are good together,” Kuiil stated when he paused for a break, hoping Aili would see more reason than the Mandalorian did. 
“Excuse me?” Aili was pretty sure she was hearing things but she didn’t stop her rocking motion aside from a slight wobble. 
“I can tell, I saw things during the Empire’s rule. Children, girls not even old enough to walk or talk yet, taken from their parents and never seen again.”
“I--” Aili hadn’t even thought that there could have been girls taken from the workers on gene farms. But it made sense, they were desperate to pay off debts and for not the first time, she wondered about her own parents. She pushed the thought away quickly, it didn’t matter to her anymore, she knew they weren’t workers on some farm. Her file had had that much information at the very least even if it didn’t have the right birth year. 
“It’s not hard to spot the hard edges left by the Empire. Both of you have them for different reasons but they are very much the same,” Kuiil continued, not noticing the way Aili was almost lost in thought. 
“Yes but-”
“You both round out each other’s edges. I have spoken.” Kuill said before turning back to his work before Aili could even say anything. She stared at the Ugnaught in stunned silence before a quiet coo brought her attention down to Little Green. He blinked his own big brown eyes at her like he understood and agreed with Kuiil.
“Not you too, you little womp rat,” Aili whispered to him. Little Green had the nerve to smile at her before reaching up to reach for a loose curl of hair. Aili let out a deep sigh, adjusting her grip on the kid so his head was resting against her chest and he could wrap his little hand around her hair. 
She had no idea why he always had to do that but it was cute regardless of the times he accidentally tugged too hard. To her it was just like when Shaeli and Jaesa were younger and couldn't sleep. If Mando only knew how many times she had slept in the Covert that first year, one or both of the girls piled on top of her so they could sleep soundly to the sound of her heart beat. 
It took another couple of minutes before Little Green fell asleep deeply enough for Aili to put him down in the cot, tucking a blanket around him. A couple minutes too long for her to be alone with her thoughts and the comments Kuiil had made. She knew how Mando felt about her, probably felt about her, she corrected herself. It wasn’t like they had sat down afterwards and discussed their feelings but she was sure she had picked up on it anyway. The helmet could only hide his expressions but not his actions or body language. 
She just didn’t know how she actually felt about him. It wasn’t like she had any kind of previous relationship experience to fall back on, none of her experience had come from a place of emotion of any kind. She knew she loved the girls but that was obviously different, they saw her as their older sister or in Shaeli and Jaesa’s case as their mother. But romantically? She didn’t know what that would feel like even if it was right in front of her. 
With a deep sigh, she glanced at Little Green once more before shutting the hatch and giving Kuiil one last nod, she headed up to the cockpit to help with planning. Anything to keep another child from the Empire’s grasp.
“So we’re heading to Nevarro?” She walked in as soon as Cara asked Mando. 
“Have you ever been?” 
Cara shook her head, “No, we lost a lot of forces there.”
“You’re not missing much,” Aili muttered as she took her usual seat. “Rocks and lava, that’s about it.”
“Hey, I’m sorry about the shit I said down there.” To her credit, Cara actually did seem sorry about what she had said to Aili. It made some of the anger Aili was still holding fade away, but not much. She knew better than most that things said in anger were things you thought while not angry as well. 
“It’s fine,” Aili said with a small shrug before trying to deflect the conversation. “You were saying about during the war?”
“Um, yeah, the city’s dug in pretty deep which I’m sure you both know already. So no cover when you drop in. It stayed in Empire control until the war was over.” Cara explained while continuing to clean the blaster rifle she had chosen from the weapons locker earlier. Aili hadn’t even noticed her taking it up the ladder with her but then again, she had her back to the woman at the moment. 
“The warlord we’re taking out was an Imperial officer.”
“What station?” Cara asked. She didn’t know very much about how the Empire worked but she was willing to bet that between her and Aili they could figure it out. 
“Hard to tell. No insignia anymore. I took out the safehouse when I snatched the kid. More Imps have reinforced since.”
Cara and Aili shared a quick glance before Cara spoke again, “There’s something more going on.”
“I agree, something doesn’t feel right. Imperial officers didn’t do their own dirty work during the war, why would they now? What was this guy’s name again?” Aili hadn’t known officers that were high ranking that would also do their own work. Even the Emperor had other people to do his bidding, it was the whole reason the Program existed. And she had even heard about some group called Inquisitors but they had a whole different hierarchy and she had never met one before. 
“I only knew him as the Client.”
“Hmm, definitely something else going on,” Aili said, brow furrowed in thought now. 
“Maybe. We’ll find out more when we land.” The cockpit doors opened before Mando could continue and IG-11 stepped in, stopping right beside Aili and Cara meaning he was right behind Mando. Aili cringed knowing Mando wouldn’t like that at all. 
“I have prepared second meal. Would you care to be served here or below?” 
Mando slowly turned to look at the droid and Aili could just about see the anger coming off of him before he turned back around. “I’m not hungry.”
IG-11 paused for half a second before backing out of the cockpit. 
“Under no circumstances does that thing leave the ship,” Mando said stiffly once the cockpit doors were closed again.
“You’ve got a real thing for droids, don’t you?” Cara laughed, finally done checking over and cleaning the rifle. 
“I got a real thing for that droid.”
“Mando, you shot at pit droids not too long ago.” Aili raised an eyebrow that Mando couldn’t see with his back to her but she hoped he could hear the tone in her voice. 
“Yeah, I’m not going near that one but the Ugnaught said he rewired this one,” Cara said even as she furrowed her brow at the thought of Mando shooting at a pit droid. Those were the most harmless of droids that she had ever seen.  They literally only had one job and that was to help fix ships. If there was one thing the Razor Crest needed, it was pit droids to fix half the things wrong with it. 
“That droid was designed to kill things, I don’t care how much wiring he replaced. It goes against its nature.”
Aili knew it was stupid but Mando’s choice of words didn’t sit right with her. Not because she cared about the droid in any way. She hadn’t been around the droid long enough to care about it anymore than she cared about the last blaster she bought. But with Cara’s earlier comments still running through her head, Mando’s comment despite not being about her added to her earlier feelings. 
“It shouldn’t be a long job anyway. We take out the head Imp, the rest will run like rats,” Cara grinned wide before getting up to get that meal that IG-11 had made. No point in going into a fight on an empty stomach. 
Mando and Aili sat in silence, nothing but the stars of hyperspace passing by them for a long moment. “You were only talking about the droid, right?” 
“What?” Mando asked, turning around to look at Aili. Behind his helmet, he was giving her a confused look that she couldn’t see. 
“I-nevermind,” she said quickly before pushing herself out of her chair. “I’m going to head down for some food, you sure you don’t want any?”
“Not if the droid made it.”
“Of course, can’t trust food made by a killing machine,” Aili said before walking out of the cockpit before Mando could reply to her. He sat there in silent confusion wondering what he had said now that had made her mad. He went through everything he had said about the droid. The only thing he had said was that it was designed to kill things and no rewiring would change its nature.
“Dank farrik,” he hissed out to himself. Every time he thinks he can’t put his foot in his mouth again, he does. He could understand how she could misinterpret his words especially since he knew how she was raised pretty much since birth. Probably thought that made her no better than a hunter droid sometimes and now she had both Cara and him make comments that made it seem like they thought that of her. 
He checked the solar clock on the console and wondered if he had time to fix his latest screw up before they reached Nevarro. He let out another curse when he saw that they had barely any time before they would drop out of hyperspace, maybe a few solar hours. He was about to get up to go find her when there was a knock at the cockpit door but no one came in. With a confused tilt of his helmet, he went to the door to find a small plate of food sitting on the ground.
There was a small bit of flimsiplast laying on top of it with a note written on it that simply said “Not made by a droid, eat it” in handwriting that Mando didn’t recognize. But only one person on board the Crest would even bother with the note let alone one demanding he eat it. He bent down to pick up the food, now even more confused than before but he would admit to himself that he was hungry and he doubted Aili would lie about the droid not touching this food. With one last look towards the ladder that led to the cargo hold he retreated back into the cockpit and after making sure the door was locked, he ate the food she had left for him. 
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lobster-tales · 4 years ago
Text
Falling Back in Love With You
Summary: Link wakes up in a strange house, with no memory of the night before. After crawling out of the bathtub with a pounding headache, Zelda calls. She tells him that he needs to gather their friends for an important sports club meeting, and that they only have an hour. As he retrieves each of the athletes, his memories slowly return, and so do his feelings for one of his teammates. Basically BOTW but it’s a college AU. Alcohol CW
This work is available here on AO3. 
Chapter 1: Rhoam Residence 
An electric darkness pierced the sky. Mechanical monsters crawled over the ruined walls, their bodies scraping against stone. Voices called, thick with fear and import. He grasped at the words helplessly, knowing their meaning would be lost when he regained consciousness.
Link woke to the flutter of piano notes. He shifted slightly, his body protesting against the hard surface beneath it. His confused fingers searched for blankets, but instead found cold walls. Link opened his eyes, gazing up at the shower head and popcorn ceiling. 
 A husky groan tore through his throat, betraying his pain before he even recognized it. His head pounded as he looked around the cluttered room, reading the clues in a haze: a crumpled bath mat, a splatter of bile on the toilet seat, empty beer cans scattered on the tile. The piano melody resumed, and he discovered that the sound came from the sink, where a phone teetered precariously. Link touched the blinking ‘snooze’ button on the screen, flipping it over to look at the intricate eye pattern on the black case. 
Once the alarm disappeared, the phone lit up with notifications. He read silently, 16 missed texts from Zelda, 7 missed calls from Zelda, 3 missed-
The screen went black. Link panicked for a moment before an image of a dying battery appeared. He huffed quietly, stuffing the phone into the pocket of his blue jeans. He crawled out of the tub and stood in front of the mirror, piecing his appearance together. Dark circles formed under his eyes, his blond hair messy but contained in his usual low ponytail. He was shirtless save for a stained blue towel that crossed his chest. His arms were bruised, his feet bare, and… Link frowned and leaned forward, brushing a finger against his lips. Is that… lip gloss?
His stomach lurched, then emptied itself into the porcelain toilet. Wiping the back of his hand across his mouth, Link collapsed on the bath mat, his back pressed against the tub. 
His thoughts swam, sludging through the fog in his mind. They formed into loose questions: Where am I? How did I get here? What happened last night? All of them were quelled when a burning sensation hit his throat. 
Link twisted the cold-water knob and stuck his head under the sink faucet. He drank deeply, easing the thirst. 
“Oh hey, you’re awake.”
Startled, Link bumped his nose on the faucet. A man stood at the door, with a thick beard and curious eyes. 
“You know, kid,” the man said. “She left you a water cup. You don’t have to drink straight from the tap.”
At that moment, Link noticed the large plastic cup on the counter, having overlooked it amongst the mess. 
“Man, you kids really know how to party.” the man chuckled, crossing his arms. “I remember those days. How’s your head?”
Link hesitated, unsure how to answer. 
“What’s the matter? That bad?”
Link shook his head, pointing to himself, then closing his hand into a fist with his thumb at the side. He brought his knuckles to his lips. 
“Oh. Right,” the man said, one hand easing behind his neck in embarrassment. “She mentioned you didn’t…” He cleared his throat. “Either case, I uh… Sorry, but I don’t understand sign language as well as my daughter.”
Thus far, Link hadn’t identified the man or his surroundings, but he tilted his head and threaded his eyebrows as if the movement would magically offer an explanation. 
“I’m Zelda’s father,” the man said. “You can call me Dean Rhoam-” His muscles seized up and a grimace clouded his features, but in seconds he was composed once more. The quick recovery seemed oddly familiar to Link. He sensed that he had watched someone else hide their feelings in the same way, many times before. 
“Actually, um… just Rhoam now. I used to be the Dean until Ganon… Well anyway, you may have seen me-”
Link’s stomach snarled, interrupting Rhoam, and he looked at his host apologetically. 
Rhoam grinned. “Let’s get some food in you.”
Breakfast was baked apples and coffee. Rhoam also handed Link a spare flannel shirt, gingerly taking the stained blue towel to the laundry room. Refueled, Link focused on his surroundings, exploring the house while Rhoam’s voice echoed down the hall.
“I didn’t hear either of you come in last night. Just found Zelda in the kitchen a few hours ago. Said you had been out drinking last night, she brought you here, then you fell asleep in the bathtub.”
Link felt his cheeks grow warm, facing away from Rhoam to examine a set of family portraits. One of the photographs was a young girl, freshly graduated from high school. Her blonde hair was long but neatly kept, eyes glinting with that same inquisitive look as her father. 
Of course, he thought. How could I forget her? 
Now the memories came back, taking shape. Zelda. His best friend. 
“Yeah, she was in a hell of a mood when she left this morning,” said Rhoam. “No clue where she was going so early on a Saturday. Before she went out, she said, ‘Make sure Link checks his phone.’”
Uh oh. Link pulled the device from his pocket, frowning as he looked around for a charger. Rhoam silently pointed to a cord beside the coffee maker. 
Link hovered over his phone, watching the screen flash in a lightning pattern. After a few moments, his home screen reappeared, along with 18 missed texts from Zelda, 8 missed calls from Zelda, 5 voicemails from Zelda. 
He winced and went first to the voicemails, careful not to budge the charger as he held the phone to his ear. 
“Link!” her voice rang out so loud that even Rhoam jumped. Link pictured her, still graceful even when she was furious. “Ugh, why aren’t you awake yet?! I need you to call me back as soon as you get this.” Desperation seeped into her tone. “I know you don’t like talking on the phone but it’ll be faster. We’re running out of time; please hurry!”
  Within seconds, she answered his call. 
“Finally! Just in time,” she said breathlessly. “Listen, you remember the sport club budget proposal we were supposed to bring to the dean on Monday?”
Nope. Zelda didn’t wait for an answer. 
“Well, Dean Ganon changed the date at the last minute.” The anger crept back in. “He sent an email at 2:00 in the bloody morning, saying he can only meet today. I barely finished the proposal this morning; I’m going to present in a few minutes. But in order to pass it, we need five sport club representatives to vote. That’s where you come in.
“I have you for the fencing club, Mipha for swimming, Revali for archery, Urbosa for volleyball, and Daruk for wrestling. But if they were half as drunk as you were last night, who knows if they’re awake. I already asked my dad and he said you could borrow the van to pick everyone up. Start with Mipha; she gets off work at the rec center at 11:00.”
She paused here, growling softly, “I should have known Ganon was going to do something like this, the cheapskate… If Hyrule University doesn’t accept this budget proposal, he could cut most of our funding. No new equipment, no trips, no tournaments…” Zelda took a deep breath, calming herself. “The meeting ends at noon; they’ll do the vote last. Please, Link, get all four of them here before the hour ends. I’ll stall in the meantime. I’m counting on you.”
Link held the phone to his ear for a few more moments after she hung up. Slowly, he lowered the device to look at the time: 10:45 AM. 
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kindness-bliss · 4 years ago
Text
New Beginnings Ch. 8
Timothy Thatcher x OC
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: none
Maya got ready at her shoot as she looked at herself in the mirror and scrolled through her instagram feed to let time pass, searching Tim’s name in the search bar as she looked through as raised a brow at how many fans adored him and posted pictures with him and events   “Well damn, he’s wanted” she nodded impressed as she continued to read captions, not understanding most of them since they were in German, raising a brow as she saw heart emojis on captions “Too bad he’s mine”. She grinned as she saw more and more from men she assumed were his friends always talking about how respectful and hardworking he was in the business   She sat up startled from her lurking when she heard a familiar voice and sighed “Are you kidding me ? What the hell are you doing here ? This is a private shoot”    Marcel sighed as he stepped through and thanked the security guard “I saw you on the same company’s page who works hair and makeup for NXT, I put 2 and 2 together when I saw their stories and you happened to be tagged. I know, it’s very stalker of me”    “Extremely” she answered sternly as she covered herself in her robe “who does that ? This is my job you psycho. Once again, head empty no thoughts in that pretty big ass head of yours”    “I don’t even know what that means” He admitted quietly as he stood in shame in front of her “are-are you calling me stupid ?” Maya let out a breath as she shook her head “Kind of, now tell me why you’re here ?” she asked as she got touched up “and make it quick preferably, this is my work remember”     “What’s this I heard about Tim insulting you ? Why didn’t you tell me when it happened ? I’m gonna assume that’s why you were crying the other day at the store ?” he asked, giving a small nod when he saw her face look down at the floor “and yes, Walter told me everything so don’t worry you don’t need to go into details I just wanna know if you’re okay”   “I am fine, we’re all good” she nodded “I’m going to see him tomorrow, he has a match and he invited me”
  “What ?” he whispered as he looked up at her “y-you’re gonna go see him ? After what he did ?”. Marcel knew how much wrestling meant to him, how much he prided himself in his work. He knew Tim inviting Maya over was a big step for him in how he felt about her.
  “Absolutely I am, I wanna see him wrestle and how he is in that environment. I’m gonna assume you’re gonna be there too ?” Maya asked as they got her ready 
  “Yeah, we have a match too and well chances are Tim’s gonna introduce you to me so what are we gonna do ?”
She stiffened at his question and fixed her curls as she looked in the mirror as she slid off her robe revealing a one piece bathing suit with a deep plunge as she turned to look at him “If you think I’m gonna tell Tim that you and I had a 3 year long relationship then you’re dead wrong. No way I would ever tell him something like that at his workplace, so let’s get this straight alright ? Tomorrow you keep your mouth shut and you tell your little friends or whomever to not say a thing or I’ll have my other model friends put a word out that you guys like screwing around when you’re on the clock”
     Marcel widened his eyes at her look and tone as he clenched his jaw “Maya I-”
“Maya nothing” she snapped back “You really think I didn’t know ? You really think Walter also wouldn’t tell me that you tried to get Alex and Fabio or whatever the fuck his name is to tell Tim for you ? To do your...our dirty work ? He texted me everything just before I got here, how you wanted to tell Tim abruptly and then I’d have to deal with the rest. Alex ? Yeah did you forget I also helped his wife out with her bridesmaid dresses and got to know the both of them really well ? He sent me an instagram DM telling me everything too, basically apologizing for your shitty actions. You’re a spineless little coward Marcel, 3 years and you haven’t changed one damn bit”
  “I-I...it w-wasn’t like that” he stuttered out nervously stepping forward
“Bull shit !” she exclaimed as she slapped him across the face and breathed heavily
Marcel stood back as he rubbed his cheek and gave a frown as his blue eyes stared at hers “I’m sorry, I just….I still love you” he whispered as he left hastily
  Maya sighed as she rubbed the feeling back in her hand and let the makeup artist fix her eyes “Mickey, did you tell him I was here ?”
 “You try saying no to that piece of German goodness” Mickey shook his head “His accent came out and I melted, then he did the whole pleading puppy dog thing with his blue eyes and well, I was sold. I’m sorry Maya, I didn’t realize how big of an issue it would be. You really gave it to him good though, he walked away as if you stomped on his heart”  
“Yeah well I didn’t wanna do that exactly” she admitted “He’s just being sneaky and I hate it, it reminds me of what happened when we were in a bad spot”   
“Well I’ll tell you this girl, Timothy Thatcher is all man and would never do that shit to you” he giggled Maya raised a brow as she let out a chuckled “and how do you know I’m seeing Tim, what’s going on here that I’m not aware of ?”   Mickey smirked as he dabbed some gloss on her lips “Tim from what I’ve seen and heard is quiet but apparently he told some of the guys that you’re gonna go see him and he’s a little...giddy. Now I’ve been working hair and makeup there a while and I’ve been there since he got there and nothing has made that man do a complete 180 like you have”   She blushed as she listened and looked around the room “So you think he...likes me likes me ? Like he wants me to be his...you know ?”   “Girlfriend ?” he chuckled “oh yeah, I heard from Candice, who heard from her husband Johnny who heard from his friend Oney that Tim told him tomorrow was pivotal”  “Oh” she whispered softly as she walked with him “I’m not gonna expect anything though, especially after this whole fiasco. I’m gonna have a nice day with him tomorrow and focus on that. Now let’s get this thing done so I can call him”   “You’re just as whipped as he is” Mickey chuckled as he helped set her up ______________________________________________________________ “What’s with that face ?” Tim asked Oney “You’re red and you’ve been on your phone for like 5 minutes, Oney ?” he sighed as he walked over and took his phone and let out a tight cough “this-this from today ?”   “Yeah” Oney nodded as he took his phone back and put it in his pocket 
“Um all I can and want to say is….you are one very very lucky man Tim, very lucky”
  “I like her for other things besides her looks” Tim rolled his eyes as he grabbed his gym bag “she’s a good person, she’s understanding, she’s really smart and funny. She’s a great cook, she’s super funny” he chuckled “and she-what ? why are you looking at me like that ?”
  Oney grinned as he walked with him to the showers “You really like this girl, it’s not just a little rendezvous like you had thought it’d be. I’ve known you for a while and never have I seen you act this way towards a girl”
  “Don’t” Tim warned as he took off his shirt “It’s just that I like her and I feel she feels the same about me and you know that’s it”
  “So it’s okay if she dates other guys while talking to you ?”
“I never said that” he said almost immediately as he turned around “Why ? Is she ? Have you heard anything ?”
 “Chill out, I was just joking but point proven” Oney chuckled “I say you ask her out, officially like to be your girlfriend”
  Tim nodded as grabbed his things “I was thinking about that after tomorrow”
“I think you should” Oney nods as he looked around “oh look it’s Marcel, shit look at his face” he grimaced
  “What the hell happened to you ?” Tim asked concerned “Your cheek is red as can be, are you okay ?”
“We need to talk” Marcel said sternly “Alone, and it has to be now”
Tim nodded as he changed and followed him outside
   Maya arrived at her apartment as she exited her elevator and saw Tim standing against her door “hey” she grinned “what are you doing here ?”
  “So when were you gonna tell me you were engaged to one of my closest friends ? Or did you plan on keeping that a secret forever ?” he asked wasting no time as he crossed his arms trying his best to stay calm
  Her stomach turned as she blinked trying her best to catch her breath “I-I…. Tim listen, I wanted to tell you I did, I promise I did but things happened and then the Walter thing and I just couldn’t find the appropriate chance to do so but I promise I was. I promise, you have to believe me” Maya pleaded as she reached for his hand flinching when he yanked it back
  “I don’t believe a word you said, I don’t. I don’t even trust anything you’ve told me in the past, probably more lies from you. I’m not gonna insult you or demean you like I did last time because quite frankly...you’re not worth it” he said coldly as he stepped back “Have a nice life and don’t contact me again”    
 “Tim, please don’t do this” she whispered tearfully as she grabbed his arm lightly
“Don’t touch me” he responded quietly as he carefully lifted her hand and placed it by her side “Goodbye Maya”
  He left her apartment quickly, and didn't look back knowing if he saw her face he wouldn’t be able to leave. Once in his car, he wiped his eyes quickly as he turned on the radio and sped off back to his place where he knew he could release his emotions freely and privately
  “What did you do !” she practically screamed into her phone “You fucking told him !”
“It needed to be said” Marcel said quietly “I’m sorry, I am but we both know you were gonna wait it out too long and it would only make things worse. I did this for the both of us”
  “I fucking hate you” she spat out “and I will never ever speak to you again in my life, ever. You’re dead to me” she hung up
  Marcel rubbed his face as he threw his phone across his room and laid down in bed as he looked up at the ceiling and drifted to sleep, trying his hardest to forget about the chaos he selfishly created
  All eyes were on Tim as he entered the Capitol wrestling center the next morning, he heard and saw it all as he walked into the locker room. The looks of pity people gave him, the mumbles and whispers they gave each other as rumours about what had happened at the gym went around. None of it mattered, at least not to him. The damage had been done and if there was one thing that was hurting him other than his heart it was his pride. He knew deep down it had been kept for him for a reason, but the lying and deceiving still hurt.
  “Hey” Marcel said quietly as he opened his locker “Listen I won’t bother you but I just want to say I’m sorry about what happened and it's my fault entirely. Maya wanted to tell you after today” he finally admits “After your match, she wanted you to have a good match and then break it down to you on he own time and I selfishly told you because I still love her and in my stupid head I thought that once you knew and let her know she would somehow want me but instead she told me I’m dead to her”
   Tim nodded as he laced up his boots and didn’t bother to look at him “yeah well, that makes two of us. I don’t want her around me, I don’t wanna hear from her again or anything like that. It’s done and over with and we should just not speak of her again. She’s something of the past and well I’m not gonna hold your past against you”
  Marcel furrowed his brow “Y-you’re not going to attempt to talk to her ? She’s pretty sad Tim….”
“Nope” he shook his head “She’s the one who started this so it ends, I don’t like things like that and I can’t just let it slide by. Her choice was made to lie, so now we leave it at that please. I don’t care nor do I wish to hear about her again”
  “I understand” Marcel nodded as he put on his tracksuit and headed down seeing everyone glare at him as he sped down the hallway to catering sitting down by himself in a table and beckoning over Fabian and Alex “Over here guys”
    “No thanks” Alex muttered as he looked at him and turned around “I prefer not to deal with you unless it’s necessary for tv”
“Agreed” Fabian nodded
“I know it was a mistake okay, you can stop with the harsh punishment.I should have never tried to involve you two either and I’m sorry I did. I regretted this whole thing as soon as I opened my mouth and saw his face. I was selfish and it was wrong, can we just stop now ? Please” he pleaded “I hurt Tim, I hurt Maya, Walter isn’t answering any of my messages or calls. I get it now, I do” Marcel rambled “Please just sit with me, you don’t have to talk to me but just sit with me so I can at least have some company while everyone stares at me”
    “No” they both answered in unison as they shook their heads and left him alone
Marcel looked down as he played with his plate of food feeling all eyes on him as he tried his hardest to ignore the stares and whispers and took out his phone seeing still no messages or calls from Walter and sent one last message   “Hasst du mich jetzt ?” (do you hate me now ?) “Nein, nur sehr enttäuscht” (no, just very disappointed)
He sighed and put his phone away as he shook his head, upset at himself for what he had done but knowing deep down he didn’t regret it. Maya was his one true love, the one person who understood him and helped him cope with the loss of his father and deal with the emotions rather than ignore them and hold them in.
  “Are you gonna go after her ?” Tim asked nonchalantly as he sat with him “because you can, I don’t care”
  “What ?” Marcel asked his head shot up quickly
“Don’t act stupid Marcel, you still love her and I know you did this in a way to get me to be mad at her so I”d leave her alone and therefor you could go after her”
   He knew him so well, so well it truly fucked with him “Yeah” Marcel nodded “I let her go once and it ruined me and now she’s here and right now she wants nothing to do with me but I’ll give her that space and then I’ll fight, I’ll fight like I should’ve fought for her 3 years ago and this time, she’ll end with me” he looked in his older friends eyes “We’ll get that happy ending we both wanted”
  Tim simply give a short nod as he sipped his water “Then go ahead”
Marcel looked around as he got up and left back to the locker room, not wanting to cause anymore awkwardness between them and sat by himself as he listened to music
  “Well if it isn’t the life ruiner” Oney rolled his eyes as he stood in front of him “Are you happy with your actions ? With ruining the one thing giving Tim genuine happiness ?”
  “Oney, please” he rubbed his face “This is something you don’t understand, don’t get involved”
“You ruined the one thing my friend wanted, I’m sure as hell gonna get involved you traitor” he shoved him 
  Marcel sighed “Don’t do this, I don’t have the energy to-” he stumbled back as he held his eye and groaned
“You deserve that and way fucking more” Oney spat out as he left ______________________________________________________________    Maya wiped her eyes for what seemed like the 500th time as she once again got sent to voicemail and let out a frustrated cry getting up when she assumed her takeout was delivered “I said to just leave it at the door” she whined putting on her hoodie “stop knocking !” she finally yelled as she opened the door ready to rage “I clearly said-” her eyes widened at the scene in front of her “what the hell happened to you ?” she asked   
“Oney punched me” Marcel said quietly as he removed the ice bag he had and revealed a bruised and bloodied eye
  “Oney ? That’s Tim’s friend” she said as he remembered his face from the gym
“Yes him, he punched me in the locker room for….for what happened” he said quietly “I needed to get out of there and the only place I could think of was here. I know you hate me and wish I was better off dead but I just had to come. I’ll leave though if you want me to”
  Maya looked up at him as she opened her door and stepped aside “come in”
He stepped inside and sat down on her couch “I’m sorry, I am so so sorry” he whispered “I acted so selfishly”
    “What’s done is done” she whispered “You unfortunately can’t take it back, and truth be told you were right” she admitted “I would’ve just kept waiting and waiting to tell him and let time pass by, in a way what you did benefited me more than anyone Marcel, you did the hardest part and all I had to do was explain myself”
  He shrugged as he bit the inside of his cheek and looked up
“Don’t cry” Maya chuckled weakly “I’ve been crying since last night, and I’m positive I can cry for the both of us and this whole fiasco
  “I’m not” he blinked away tears quickly
“You’re doing the thing, the cheek thing and looking up. You really think I wouldn’t forget how you try to hide emotions after all this time ? she scooted over as she gently patted his hand “You’re the ugliest crier too” she joked trying her best to lighten him up
Marcel gave a light laugh as he sniffled “You’re really good that you know ?”
  Maya gave him a small grin as she dabbed his cheek with a tissue and got the alert of her food delivery “stay for dinner ?”
“Absolutely” he answered as he nodded. Sometimes life truly does work in weird weird ways.
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seiin-translations · 4 years ago
Text
2.43 S1 Chapter 4.1 - Drifting Yunichika
1. LINE JUDGE
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Heeeeeey guys I’m back
Translation Notes
1. Tora no Yu is the name of a public bath
2. A lariat is a wrestling move where a wrestler runs towards their opponent and “ strikes them by extending their arm straight out and moving it forward against their neck or chest area. “
Previous || Index || Next
“If that’s how it’s going to be, Yuni,” Nagato Ryo said quite simply after he stuffed all his belongings from the locker in the room into his enamel bag.
It had been less than three months since he joined the team in April, so he didn’t have much stuff. The inside of the empty locker was also clean. They didn’t have a lot of members, and they weren’t tyrannized just because they were first-years, so they were given their own individual lockers as soon as they joined the team. They were a small team where everyone had to work together, regardless of rank, or there wouldn’t be enough people to prepare for practice. It was very hard on the team to have people quit.
The volleyball shoes that were transferred from his locker to his bag—they went to a sports shop together to buy them when they entered high school because the ones from middle school had gotten smaller. He wondered what kind of fate would befall those shoes that they had bought together at the store entrance after they examined them seriously but still excitedly, after he brought them home. He wondered if they would be put away somewhere.
“Ryo, are you really…”
Even while standing by the doorway to clear his path, Kuroba said in a way as though he was still unwilling to give up, Is there any way I can talk you out of this? He and Nagato had been together since elementary school and middle school. Since they entered the same high school and joined the same club, he freely thought that there wasn’t really any doubt that they would hanging out together again for the next three years.
“If Haijima’s joining, I quit.”
His chest throbbed when he flatly said that. Even though he wasn’t the one being rejected, when he thought about Haijima, his chest ached. Nagato gave a little exasperated sigh.
“I want to have fun in club. I just don’t want to make bad memories with a guy who ruins the mood. What’s so weird about that? Do you have to put so much effort into club activities?”
“No…”
Kuroba shook his head, his face slightly looking down. The purpose for joining a club was different for everyone. There were those who were ready and willing to spend their entire high school careers aiming for nationals, and there were those who just wanted to enjoy their hobbies and interests with their friends.
Nagato shouldered his bag and walked past him. He turned his body towards him at the door.
“Yuni, you’re still doing it, aren’t you?”
He said, as though it was the final confirmation. He felt like he was telling him that they could still go together.
Until that point, he had been mumbling his words, but when he was asked that, Kuroba raised his head and answered without hesitation.
“I’m doing it.”
Last summer, the prefectural tournament of their third year of middle school. Though they advanced to the semifinals, Kuroba ran away from the competition. He ended his middle school volleyball career with the regret of doing something that couldn’t be undone and the indigestion that grew larger and larger within him afterwards. He didn’t want to feel those things a second time.
But most importantly, he finally brought Haijima back to the volleyball team.
His middle school teammate, Haijima Kimichika, was a volleyball fanatic who loved volleyball. It was already at a level where it went too far. He was always serious towards volleyball, and what’s worse, his ability was so high that he often left the others behind and went on a rampage. He had the irredeemable flaw of not being able to read the mood of the team. The way he spoke was also awful. 
He certainly was a guy who was unusually good at making other people angry. Even Kuroba had been irritated by him many times.
…But even so.
He joined the volleyball team in high school as well, had a good relationship with his senpais, and though the serious practice of high school was tougher than he expected, he had never thought that it was so painful that he wanted to quit. Every time he jumped off the gym floor with a squeak of his shoes, every time he hit a ball someone set to him, the feelings he had a year ago buzzed in the back of his body—while he chewed upon the joy of volleyball Haijima taught him, every day during club activities.
There was one thing he always thought.
“I want to play volleyball with Haijima.”
⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆
Around seven o’clock in the morning, the sky was already bright as though painted in ultramarine blue, and thick columns of clouds were gradually rising. On both sides of the one-lane farm road that continued straight ahead were rural landscapes as far as the eye could see. The rice plants that were still green were growing quickly. The slightly hazy and blue-green mountaintops surrounded the perimeter at 360 degrees.
Blue and green and white. Monshiro’s summer, distinctly color keyed by these three colors, was arriving.
On the paved road in the middle of the rice paddies, a light pickup truck was driving fast with enka music coming out of it at a loud volume. His relative yelled cheerfully, adding embellishment to the song while he gripped the shaky steering wheel. It’s not a residential area, so it won’t bother the neighbors, but the Kuroba family acts way too freely in town… the son and heir to the Kuroba family sitting in the passenger’s seat, Kuroba Yuni, was feeling quite fed up. For the Kurobas, the entire town was like their own yard. Most of the mountains in Monshiro were privately owned by the Kurobas, so that wasn’t necessarily wrong.
“Uncle, can you turn down the volume a little bit…”
“Aah? You said something, Bon?”
His yelling voice returned from the driver’s seat, still with the strange intonations of enka.
“…Nothing.”
Exhausted, he leaned against the side door, his temple reaching the upper frame of the window. At that moment, they passed a bicycle that was travelling below the window and left it behind.
“Ah!”
He immediately tried to poke his head out of the window, but scraped his forehead against the window frame and groaned, “Oww…”
“Mm?” his relative stepped on the brakes. “Is there someone there?”
“Ah, yeah. A guy on my team…”
After he said that, he realized that there was also a delicate distance with “guy on my team.” He could say “team member” again, which was progress, but he didn’t feel like he could say “friend.” They were still more distant from each other than middle school—than kindergarten if they went back farther in time.
As his relative backed the truck up, Kuroba opened the door and jumped down onto the road. He stumbled a step forward and then ran.
Haijima, who had been pedalling his bike with his head down, looked up and stopped his bike by putting one foot on the ground. He was dressed lightly in a T-shirt and knee-length track pants, but heavily equipped with his baggage of box-shaped enamel bag and drum-shaped sports bag that were slung over his shoulders.
His relative stopped the truck.
“Oi, get in, get in. I’ll send you all the way to school.”
His relative tried to lift the bike that Haijima was riding on, and Haijima hopped his bike on one foot, looking annoyed. “You’re the kid at Ooe-san’s house, right? I’ll bring your bike home later. You’re gonna stay there for five days. If you leave it at the station, it’ll get stolen. I’ve heard things have been getting a bit dangerous around here lately.” His relative chatted as he carried the bike onto the back of the truck with an astonishing amount of power, even though he was past sixty. “It’s four stays over five days,” Kuroba corrected, but his relative basically didn’t listen to people. “There’s no way for this town to be dangerous. Everyone knows each other…” Haijima grumbled in a low voice.
“Well, get in. I said I’ll give you a ride while I deliver provisions to the training camp.”
Not being completely one-sided like his relative, Kuroba shyly stretched out his hand for the sports bag Haijima was carrying. He was relieved that Haijima didn’t push away as he obediently lowered his head and pulled the strap of his bag from around his neck.
“’Provisions’? You mean, all of that?”
While fixing his glasses, Haijima looked at the back of the truck with his eyes half-closed.
There were about ten bales of rice stacked in a pyramid on the tray. A huge mound of round cabbages that still had dirt on them. Tightly lined up buckets overflowing with potatoes, onions, and tomatoes…
“Do they think we have a hundred members or something?”
“I told them we didn’t need it. But they said it was Grandpa’s order…”
With the cargo of one bike and one human added on board, the truck started driving down the farm road again. This time, he and Haijima rode in the back of the truck, so they didn’t have to listen to his relative’s singing up close. The sound of the car radio in the driver’s seat and the rough voice of his relative were blown back by the wind.
Haijima sat with his back to the mountain of cabbages, hugging his knees, and Kuroba sat cross-legged with a bucket full of tomatoes in his arms. Haijima’s bike was precariously balanced in the gap between two rice bales.
“Ah, it’s hot…”
Haijima held up his hand to the sunlight beating down on the back of the truck and squinted his eyes.
It was now summer vacation, and the summer training camp for the boys’ volleyball team was starting today. It was taking place at school, so their practice environment didn’t change, but just the idea of staying there overnight made him a bit excited.
“Hey, how many pairs of underpants did you bring?”
When he inadvertently asked that, Haijima screwed his face up, looking very annoyed.
“Is this an elementary school field trip…Don’t get carried away.”
“Okay, but this is my first training camp. So, how many underpants?”
“I don’t know. Grandma packed enough for me.”
“What, you didn’t pack for yourself? I think you’re the one who’s like an elementary schooler.”
The man named Haijima didn’t have the nerves to spare time for anything else other than volleyball, so in the way of a first-year high school boy, he cared little about his clothes or looking good. However, looking at the shirt of his uniform and his T-shirts, he was always made to wear proper and pure white ones. It was probably the concern of his maternal grandmother who he lived with.
“This is my dominion, but…” With a haughty looking expression for some reason, Haijima pulled the enamel bag he usually carried around for club activities to his side. “I don’t know anything about that,” he said, indicating with his chin the duffel bag that thrown on top of the ragged pile of cabbage behind him. While he let someone else prepare his underpants, he was certainly very careful about his volleyball gear, to the point where he didn’t want anyone to touch them.
“You’re a guy who has clear judgement about your own ins and outs…”
Even while shrugging his shoulders and sighing, but he found himself reflecting on their conversation.
Their last tournament of their third year of middle school was held exactly one year ago, in July of last year. Because Kuroba evaded his responsibilities, Monshiro Middle School was lacking an attacker and were eliminated from the semifinals, and then Haijima got injured, so they ended up withdrawing from the third-place playoffs. Ever since that tournament, Kuroba and his other teammates had severed ties with Haijima. After a year of not talking to each other, he thought that they were finally able to communicate rather decently now. Even if for now, he was still no more than “guy from my team.”
“Hey, didn’t my mom go talk to your grandma? Can’t we make some kind of parents’ association or something…? It’ll make donations and gifts more convenient, Apparently she talked with Nagato’s mom at first, but Nagato quit, so she said she’ll go talk to Chika’s grandma…”
He began speaking in a good mood, but when he noticed Haijima’s expression becoming increasingly grim, he stopped talking. “Parents’ association…” Haijima spat out those words in a chilling voice. Kuroba faltered, wondering what set him off as his neutral mood was suddenly dropped into low gear.
“Haven’t you learned yet that club activities aren’t a good place for parents to butt in and meddle?”
“Well…sure, but it wasn’t my idea, it was Nagato’s mom’s.”
“Well, now that Nagato quit, there’s no need for this conversation then.”
Haijima turned to the side in a huff and sank his back into the mountain of cabbages. Even Kuroba felt annoyed at that attitude.
“Don’t talk like that. Whose fault do you think it is…”
“It’s mine, right? If he didn’t like me joining so much that he quit, then he wasn’t serious from the start.”
It’s no good. It’s not worth talking. Nothing changed…This guy’s lack of consideration. For Haijima, the people who played volleyball seriously and everyone else were clearly divided into those he cared about and those he didn’t. It was the same as the things he took good care of in his club activities bag and everything else he didn’t care about.
He didn’t believe Nagato’s quitting was Haijima’s fault, but he honestly wanted him to share a little bit of the bad aftertaste he himself felt.
However, when he tried to say something and inhaled, he couldn’t think of any words that would make Haijima understand. Ah, geez, sometimes I don’t know why I brought Haijima back, even to the point where I ended up cutting ties with Nagato.
Shit, he cursed, and took a tomato from a bucket and threw it at the side of Haijima’s face. He stopped it with his left hand, looking startled.
“You—”
“Eat it, it’s tasty.”
He also took out a somewhat large tomato and took a big bite out of it. The sweet juices trickled down his chin, and he wiped it off with the back of his hand.
“I picked them in my relative’s field. I’m sure our senpais would love them.”
It had actually become a traumatic experience for him, when he had gotten nervous and lost his bearings with the huge cheering squad of all his relatives appearing at that middle school game. He really wished they would cut it out with that sort of thing. At any rate, in this case, they overdid it with the scale of the “little favor”. But, putting that aside.
“I think you’re doing this with good intentions. Even if you don’t want a PTA, you should accept these. And then they’ll be satisfied too.”
Although he often felt embarrassed or irritated by them, he didn’t hate or detest his grandfather or relatives or his parents.  If someone talked bad about them, he didn’t feel good about that.
Holding the tomato in his hand, Haijima looked at him in silence for a while. The dazzling summer sunrays reflected off his pale face, and he couldn’t see his expression behind his glasses. He then clicked his tongue and turned his face from him again.
“…That’s something a well-bred guy would say.”
He said bitterly, throwing his gaze towards the scenery streaming past them. In the end, the tomato just rolled around in his hand, and he never ate it. Even though it had been a year and a half since he moved to town from Tokyo, he seemed to persist in not becoming a member of the town. It felt somewhat lonely. I might still be dragging the image of “Chika” from kindergarten around, he suddenly thought. He knew that “Chika” went to Tokyo and got lost and would never come back. The only clue to finding “Chika” was volleyball, and it wasn’t like he was only playing volleyball for that reason, but it was probably a big part of it.
A light horn sounded from the driver’s seat.
They passed another bike near the shoulder of the road. Haijima, looking behind him, noticed something and muttered, “Ah.” Kuroba also took notice of a jet-black umbrella that completely disregarded the weather and was somewhat meandering along under the blinding summer sky. “Ah,” he said, and half-rose.
“Kanno-senpaaaai!”
When he called out to him from the back of the truck, a pale freckled face, even whiter than Haijima’s, peeked out from beneath the umbrella. He was holding his umbrella, so he was riding with one hand.
It was Kanno Akito, who, in his long jersey pants and long-sleeved hoodie, he looked just like a boxer who was in the middle of losing weight. On top of that, he was wearing his hood entirely over his head and his hands were tucked into his sleeves (by the way, all of it was apparently of UV cut). He was their senpai on the volleyball team and came from the same middle school, Monshiro Middle, as Kuroba and Haijima. He looked like a lanky and tall scarecrow wearing clothes and carrying an umbrella. He hated to say it about themselves, but it was unavoidable that the volleyball team’s boys were often described as pasty.
Recognizing the two’s faces, Kanno’s mouth moved to form a “’’Sup” and he bobbed his head slightly in greeting. Kuroba turned around to the driver’s seat and raised his voice to not be overpowered by the loud enka music.
“Uncle, stop! There’s one more passenger!”
***
“Great, as soon as camp is over, it’ll be time for the Autumn Tournament. We’ll finish up the team during these five days. Some of you might have come here thinking you’re going to play around at night, but be prepared to be worked so hard that you won’t have the energy for that.” The captain, Oda, gave them a pep talk. “Yes!” the first- and second-years shouted, somewhat out of sync. The vice-captain, Aoki, was standing half a step behind Oda. Oda nodded in satisfaction at the team members’ response and turned diagonally behind him.
“Anything from Sensei…”
He was about to say, and then his face stiffened.
The old teacher who was the advisor for the boys’ volleyball team was leaning his frail body back in his folding chair, snoring comfortably. Slivers of light shone over the handrail of the second floor gallery, creating a stripped spot of sun in the gym, and the advisor’s face, his wrinkled mouth half open, looked like a fish being cooked on a grill.
“…Someone. A first-year. Move him to the shade before he becomes a dried fish.”
Oda ordered with a grimace. “Ah, yes!” When Kuroba tried to run, Haijima jumped at the same time, and there was an atmosphere that restrained them both for an instant as they wondered which of them was going. “…The two of you do it.” Oda sighed.
Heave ho. They lifted the chair on both sides at Kuroba’s call. They carried the chair to a corner of the gym with their advisor, who showed no signs of waking up even when he was in midair. Kuroba was about three centimeters taller, so it was slightly tilted towards Haijima’s side. When Kuroba lowered the position of his hand, Haijima raised his arm high as though indignant.
He’s still the same guy who hates to lose.
Now, if “first-years” was called, then it would be himself and Haijima who would move. After the provisional club enrollment period in April was over, three first-years, including Kuroba and Nagato, officially joined the club. Of course Haijima didn’t join the team at that time. It was after the ballgame tournament in June when Haijima finally agreed to join after Oda’s persistent persuasion. However, Nagato and the other first-year quit at the same time as Haijima joined. Apparently Nagato asked him to quit, but he hadn’t bothered to catch that person to find out the truth.
Since the ban on first-years quitting or leaving clubs was lifted at the end of June, three months since enrollment, it seemed that every club had members who left one after the other after the ballgame tournament either way.
“It was us third-year’ decision to take Haijima, even knowing Nagato’s opinion. There’s nothing a freshman needs to feel responsible for. There’s nowhere you can complain.” Aoki must have sensed Kuroba’s worries, because he reassured him with that.
For the current boys’ volleyball team members, there were two first-years: Kuroba and Haijima. Four second-years—Kanno, Uchimura and Hokao who were there from the start, and Okuma, who transferred over from the rugby team. For the third-years, there were still the same two people—the imbalanced captain duo of the 163 centimeter Oda and the 193 centimeter Aoki. There were fluctuations within the grades, but if you added the three years up, there were eight people, the same number as before the ballgame tournament.
The finals of the ballgame tournament, where they were betting on getting either Haijima or Okuma, ended in the victory of Team F led by Oda, so the right to obtain Okuma (well, it hadn’t existed in the first place) had disappeared, but Okuma himself came knocking on the volleyball team’s door. The rugby team had an image of being a tightly unified group, and there must have been a good reason for him to change clubs at this stage of his second year. Perhaps something about volleyball appealed to him.
“It’s as Oda said about practice. I’ll talk about the rest.”
While Kuroba and Haijima carried chairs over, Aoki took over the talk and continued the meeting.
“Well, it’s the same camp as last year, so the second-years already know, right? There are no baths, so you can either use the school showers or go down to the Tora no Yu. (1) No bikes allowed when you’re going to the Tora no Yu. Either way, you’d be drenched with sweat on the way back. For laundry, you can use the coin laundry at the Tora no Yu. We don’t have a specific person on duty, but it’s cheaper to use it all at once, so ask each other. Don’t let it pile up since it’ll stink. After dinner and the meeting, we’ll have a study session until lights out. The only time I’ll look at your homework is during camp, so make good use of it. Lights out strictly at eleven. If there’s anyone awake, I’ll assume you have too much energy and have you do twenty dashes on the slope. Now finally, for the meals, which you guys are probably wondering about the most…breakfast and lunch are sold in the cafeteria, but we’re making dinner ourselves. I’ll post the rotation chart in the kitchen, so keep an eye out for it. Anyways, we’re having yakiniku tonight.”
A small cheer went up. Aoki held up his hand and said, “However, starting tomorrow we’ll only be having curry. Kuroba’s parents have contributed tons of meat and vegetables, so everyone thank him.”
His name suddenly brought up, Kuroba, who was about to put down the chairs and return to the meeting circle, shrank back.
“Yo, land-owning rich kid!” Okuma clapped his hands and teased, and the other team members also applauded. “N-no, it’s not my parents, it’s my relatives. They can’t possibly eat all these vegetables and they think there’s about a hundred people on the team…” Before he knew it, he ended up copying the lines Haijima said this morning. Although he said something self-important to Haijima, when he was praised before everyone, he was embarrassed about acting like a rich country bumpkin giving everyone a lavish feast.
“What are you saying, Kuroba? It’s the kindness of your guardians. We’re grateful for it.”
“Well, if you throw it all into curry, then it wouldn’t be too hard to consume.”
Oda and Aoki backed him up in their own ways. The third-years are so mature, he thought.
⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆
“Hey, Kuroba!” The spike he hit with all his strength became a home run and hit the opposite wall, earning him a warning from the setter, Uchimura. “You gotta hit them with each and every one of your nerves. There’s no point in practicing. Oda-senpai says it’s during practice when you should think. On the contrary, you think too much during matches…”
“Oh, okay. Got it.”
He pouted as he answered, but his gaze was pulled in another direction. Oda had just beckoned Haijima over and started talking to him.
“So, Haijima, how’s our attackers?”
“They’re not bad at all. I’ll match up with everyone during the training camp. Since the right side hitters seem useful, I’d like to increase the combos involving them and the centers. Like A and D double quicks or a C quick and a right broad jump or a tandem attack with the center and the right side…”
Haijima began to easily enumerate tactical terms that Kuroba couldn’t imagine very well just by listening.
“Oh, oh, wait a minute. Oi, Kanno, the white board. And, Okuma!”
Oda hurriedly called the two second-years over. Kanno ran over with a sketchbook-sized whiteboard under his armpit. “Me too? Alright.” Okuma did a lariat (2) to Kuroba’s neck for no reason and passed him. “Gueh…” It was quite irritating that this senpai always seemed to not be satisfied unless he did one unnecessary thing.
“And, Kuroba!”
“Ah, yes!”
He responded while rubbing his throat.
“I said center and right. Let the guys on the left do receiving practice.”
Haijima said without even looking at him. Kuroba, who was about to run, froze. Even the other team members were startled at the way he spoke, like he was cutting him off.
Haijima was the only one who didn’t notice the tensing atmosphere, and he put the whiteboard on the floor and knelt down, beginning to let his mind unfold on a two-dimensional court. Haijima’s position, setter, was also called the playmaker, and it was the team’s brain, the backbone of all the attacks from its own side. In Haijima’s mind, he probably stockpiled an infinite number of tactics that could be combined as long as he had the right pieces to make them happen. Dragging in the centers Aoki and Okuma and the right-side hitter Kanno, Haijima’s talk became excited, and even the captain Oda was left out.
Oda approached them, scratching his head.
“Let me join you guys.”
The remaining four people began receiving practice.
“He was like that since middle school, right?”
Oda said, while underhand receiving the ball Uchimura hit to him.
“Yes…like that.”
“He must have something special in his head. Like, apparently shogi masters are able to visualize the movements of all the pieces of the board dozens of moves ahead in their minds. I don’t know anything about shogi though.”
“I know a little about it. My grandpa’s hobby is shogi.”
He unintentionally mentioned his grandpa and felt embarrassed again that he might get thought of as a grandpa’s boy, but Oda didn’t make fun of him like Okuma.
“For him, instead of shogi pieces, it’s the ball on the court and the opposing team’s players…he can picture the movements of everything on the court in an instant. He’s really the embodiment of a volleyball brain…but well, everything off the court slips out of his head right away.”
“He’s extreme. Inside and outside.”
“It’s up to the team to make the best use of him or hold him back. It feels like if he was such a good all-rounder, he could be the top player anywhere, but it’s actually the opposite. There might not be a lot of teams that can accept him. If he goes somewhere bad, he’ll be pretty easily destroyed, so it’ll be too dangerous.”
“Haa…”
Feeling dejected, Kuroba’s shoulders slumped. Haijima had failed because of that in middle school. Probably at his Tokyo middle school too… There was an incident that forced him to transfer from his powerhouse private school to this countryside. Would he just repeat the same thing in high school? What was he brought back to this court for?
“We’ll make use of him.”
Oda’s voice suddenly became stronger. After he received the ball with his knees bent, he turned his eyes towards the circle with Haijima in the center. Haijima had his backside towards them now and his forehead almost touching the floor, absorbed in moving the pieces on the whiteboard.
“I started thinking, ‘Isn’t it my responsibility to protect that talent and send it off to university?’”
“Senpai…”
Something hot spread in his chest. Our captain is so cool…he thought proudly. He knew that the other clubs made fun of the fact that boys’ volleyball’s captain was tiny. But he didn’t care what other people said. Oda had the ability to make them want to take this person to the national stage before he graduated. That was why for the members of this team, there was no question that Oda was their captain.
That kind of existence didn’t exist when he was in middle school, where there were only vague, indistinct horizontal ties. They’ve never decided on a leader, and Haijima only served as team captain at the time of the tournament because of the difference in experience levels. Their middle school team was completely reliant on Haijima alone. Haijima was the only one who seriously wanted to win the prefectural tournament, and everyone else, including himself, still felt like they were participating to make memories.
I’m sure that with this team, this time for sure we’ll be able to say, “Let’s fight together” with everyone.
Now, if I could just get stronger individually…
I’ll work even harder at practice. So that I’ll be an attacker who Haijima will firmly place his trust in for any situation.
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kervinredfire · 4 years ago
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My Other Fanfics in the Future
Well, I made announcements about my 2 Loonatics fanfics-related stories coming soon. So here are my other fanfics that I am making. But before I am going to show you my other fanfics, I like to share what most of them are like. Kervinverse related. If you checked my Tumblr header it's pretty obvious.
As you may wonder what is the Kervinverse is all about? The Kervinverse is like the multiverse but with all different kinds of Kervin. Inspired by Spiderman Into the Spiderverse all the versions of Kervin contained different personalities, stories, almost the same appearance, fighting styles, and special abilities. One of the most signature outfits is the black and red formal suit.
I already made a folder in toyhouse. However, most of it are unfinished and still ongoing.
https://toyhou.se/Kervin619/characters/folder:812137
People think that those stories a self-insert but it is actually not. Me and my other Kervins are the same but they are different the appearance, abilities, and personalities. An example is Denk Ops’s Chris Danger from the WWE games. And note that this is another long announcement for the other fanfics
So anyway, here are my Kervinverse stories that I would really like to share about Wattpad in the future. So are book covers later
KERVINVERSE STORIES (Including crossovers):
Grand Theft Auto Origins: Kervin Made Liberty – Set in the GTA HD Universe. Before Kervin (GTA Online) came to the place called San Andreas, he was just a very young boy who was born in the place called Liberty with his parents. His father Claude who became rich and retired to a life crime and his wife Misty who used to be a prostitute. It was normal and happy life for him and his parents. But when years passed when he is getting older, he slowly starts to realize what kind of broken world he is living in.
Now for those who played the HD Universe of the GTA Games you know every protagonist in the HD universe like Niko, Johnny, Luis, Michael Franklin, and Trevor. As much as they have different stories and perspectives but this story about GTA OC that he was living with full of offensiveness, disrespectfulness, brutal honesty, and others. An example in GTA IV a radio commercial of Babies Overnight that said that someone was not satisfied with the baby it can be disposed of. Although it would be interesting to have that backstory for my next OC for GTA. So, this story may contain a lot of murder and crimes on what led to him going to San Andreas. So, watch out. And for those who have not played GTA Online why his parents are both Claude and Misty is because it was part of the premium edition for free in Epic Games.
Def Jam X Kung Fu Panda: Book 1 Fight for A New Fight (maybe a working title) - After the events of Def Jam Vendetta, Fight For New York, and The Kung Fu Panda Trilogy including Legends of Awesomeness. Set during Paws of Destiny Season 2 in the Kung Fu Panda universe while in Def Jam 2 years later in the year 2005 after Crow's death (Fight for NY still takes place in 2003) Kervin (Def Jam Fight For NY) the new leader D-Mob's crew but also officially known as the Def Jam Crew after Blaze appointed him to take his place. Kervin has to manage every venue, club, and arenas in New York including places that Crow took over. But in Chinese New Year there was something strange that Kervin and his crew got transported to a different universe. Including former members, fighters, and circuit fighters.
Now, this fanfiction sounded really odd. As you may know why I am making crossover fanfic of Kung Fu Panda X Def Jam? Easy. The first one is because this is what would have been my PS2 games if I ever have a PS2. I was thinking of Mortal Kombat or Yakuza for Def Jam but Kung Fu Panda is the only thing I know when I was 7 years old. The second is because back in the days Hip Hop mixed with Kung Fu was very popular. Although Def jam may be a wrestling game martial arts stole my heart in Def Jam Fight For NY. I heard about things like the Wu-Tang Clan for example but the biggest problem for me is that I am not a true fan of Def Jam because I don’t know about hip hop artists. Just only the games so I will be focusing on their video game counterparts in their fictitious manner meaning pretending real-life characters with their real name are fictional characters. So, if there and fun facts in those real-life counterparts I may add them to it like easter eggs. The third is that there are Kung Fu Panda characters that did not get enough love and mostly art. So many recognizable characters like Po, Tigress, Tai Lung, and many more have become the most recognizable characters in the movies. But what about the tv shows like Legends of Awesomeness and Paws of Destiny? One of my favorite characters of Legends of Awesomeness is Peng, in short, he is the nephew of Tai Lung and he is such an interesting character that he deserves a lot more love. While for Paws of Destiny is Xiao because she is such a cute character, so is her personality and the best character to have hugs with. So, what I am trying to say is that I need to start off with the character that is unrecognizable then bring it recognizably. I may also add characters from shorts like student Mei Ling in the future book and it would be funny and to see rogue Mei Ling. 2 Mei Lings in one. Even Su and Master Snow Leopard because are both female leopards with the same appearance and outfit. I may also include some characters from the flash game Tales of Po and may possibly rewrite them in different stories because I love the character designs thanks to Blue Maxima’s FlashPoint. And the fourth and final part is that to make the Def jam games more recognizable. Def Jam in music is not absolutely enough but video games are. The Def Jam games did not bring a sequel after Fight For NY so I might as well make a sequel with interesting and experimental crossover fanfic just like The Loonatics Road.
The Red Fox (Kingdom Force Spinoff and maybe a working title) - The Kingdom Force has 5 members defending the 5 Kingdoms. Luka the wolf who leads in red, Jabari who runs in yellow, TJ who drills in green, Delilah who swings in orange, and Norvyn who strengthens in blue. Each of the 5 drives Kingdom Riders and turns them into Alpha Mech to fight against evil in the 5 Kingdoms. But even if they save the day multiple times the 5 Kingdoms are still filled with more crime and every antagonist came back doing other crimes and evil deeds because they were not arrested or eliminated. That's is when a red fox came along...
I have seen popular fandoms in cartoons that were supposed to aim at younger kids like Lion Guard, MLP, Paw Patrol, and even Bluey. But Kingdom Force is the cartoon that did get enough love. It's like Power Rangers and Voltron but with anthropomorphic animals like Zootopia. However, the stories and episodes in the show is very confusing and give me almost a lot of questions. But I do like the character designs in the show. My favorite hero is Luka who is a leader with and cute cuddly character personality and my favorite villain Envie Fernadez which she has a pretty hot design, name and voice and so is her personality. Reminds me of Sly Cooper but I have not played the game yet. But for the red fox also OC Kervin (Kindom Force) It’s still at work.
APB Reloaded X Zootopia: Anyone Can Be All You Can’t Be: - In Zootopia “Anyone Can Be Anything” But in San Paro “Be All You Can’t Be” Zootopia is a place where vicious predators and meek prey live in harmony. This means that people in Zootopia live together without the prey getting eaten by predators and predators not getting feared by the prey. They almost eat like us, they sleep like us, they speak like us, they walk like us, they run like us, they bathe like us (well almost), and most importantly they use technology like us. While San Paro maybe has a good look to sightsee but this city has a lot of crime. Robberies, bombings, thefts, drug dealing, murders and causalities, vandalism, and much more that we can think of. But that does not mean there is no justice in this world. When the Criminals like the Blood Roses and the G-Kings try to take over San Paro? The Enforcers Prentiss Tigers and Praetorians from come and save the day. What would happen when a human Enforcer meets a police fox and a police bunny? And how did it happen? Only one way to find out.
Now this one is also a Kervinverse crossover story. It focuses on Kervin (APB Reloaded) meeting Judy and Nick. I am trying to find a way on how will they meet each other. But the only thing ideas I know is that it can be a delivery gone wrong, an invention gone haywire or maybe a criminal stole something magical that is transported to a different universe. But I have a lot of strange things in the game like the Christmas events and Halloween events. I like to see any volunteers who play APB Reloaded. And for those Zootopia fans who have not played APB Reloaded you check it here. https://store.steampowered.com/app/113400/APB_Reloaded/
Well, that is it for the Kervinverse stories. Now it’s time for the other stories that I also planned in the future.
OTHER FANFICS:
Alza Flare (Road Rovers Fan Spinoff)- Alza is a black cat born in the place in New York City, USA. He was born inside a pet shop without cat parents since he was born. His parents' status is unknown. Although he did make friends with other cats and non-cats in the shop. But it was a short while until a human customer named Drayson Flare and adopted him as Alza Flare. Alza has been Drayson's pet for 3 years and they instantly became best friends but when during the time when they are about to go home from the park. A terrible accident happened.
A long time ago I watched Road Rovers on my phone just to try something nostalgic and the show is pretty good though although there are some parts that don’t use their powers all the time. One part that caught my eye is how brutal car accident in the episode “Dawn of The Groomer” which gave me an idea of my new anti-villain OC character named Alza Flare. Sadly, he does have an image of him yet. But I will tell you that I will give you an interesting revenge story for him.
The Best Surfer In The World (Surf’s Up Spinoff. Maybe a working a title and synopsis change) - After the events of Surf's Up and Surf's Up 2: Wavemania. There was once a wolf who lives in the place of Chicago Illinois. He quit his own career due to being a rejected member of Hang 5 for being too unstable and after beating J.C. in a tournament years ago and after his early retirement, he spends his normal life as an ice cream man in his own ice-cream motorcycle with one of his own freshest ingredients and swears to himself that he would never in the waters again. Until he met a young Toyger.
Surf’s Up is my first favorite mockumentaries since I was young. It’s like you are watching animals andromorphic animals absolutely existed in the world we live in. It had an interesting story and writing so are the interesting characters. But when I watched Surf’s Up Wavemania. Well, I honestly love the WWE Superstars and Diva came into the movie but the story did not actually surprise me a lot. Even if the movie has a lot of beautiful locations it still did not surprise me enough because it is more like an adventure than a tournament. That is why I am planning to start my fanfiction in a new different approach with a real story and a real rivalry. Starting with wolf inspired and based on CM Punk during the part when he won the WWE belt against Cena in Money in the Bank when I watched it since intermediate school with a little rename change so it won’t be obvious. And of course, my Toyger OC because he would be trained by his own surfing master. Also, I added a Slam City easter egg
Fire Pro Wrestling World Origins: Story of 2 Angels – There is no synopsis of them yet. But I will tell you they are brother and sister with the last name “Angel” The brother who is a pop artist while the sister who joined a motorcycle club. What they both have in common is they both can fight. Their stories about my 2 new Fire Pro OCs will be coming soon. But they are not part of the fighting roads.
Well, that is all for all the future stories with some summaries that I really want to share coming soon. Thanks for following including Wattpad
For those who are new here follow me on both Tumblr and Wattpad with the orange word link
Feel free to donate to me in PayPal
Also making fanfic is really long to make just like making an announcement. So again. I only post all chapters in 1 book.
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babbushka · 4 years ago
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Mind & Soul (8/10)
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The story of how one man fell out of love and into it again
Charlie (Marriage Story) x Reader
7.6k ; N S F W, minor angst 
Tumblr masterlist for previous chapters // Available on AO3
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I love you for sentimental reasons I hope you do believe me I'll give you my heart
I love you and you alone were meant for me Please give your loving heart to me And say we'll never part
                                                  September
The summer days are filled with light and joy, after that, after the big explosion between Charlie and Henry. It was an explosion which he knew was coming, had to have known was coming for some time. It feels good to have gotten all that out of the way now, Henry seems lighter for it.
Heatwaves come and go, and with them so do the lingering clutches of pain. Now the crunch of early autumn leaves snap under foot, and Henry is back to school. A new grade and a new opportunity for growth. His reading is improving significantly, as is his mood; there’s no real arguments anymore. It’s hard sometimes, because of course it’s hard, but you’re all in it together, and that makes things a little easier.
Charlie thinks back to before all of this, thinks back to how miserable he had been, trapped in a marriage he didn’t want anymore, stuck with a wife who hated him. He thinks about it, about how rough the last year had been, how cold she had been to him and how warm you were, how warm you always were.
He thinks about it; the hiding, the sneaking, the lies.
He thinks about it as you shift and turn in bed, the soft sheets kissing your naked body, dawn pouring into the bedroom and casting you into the most gorgeous pink glow Charlie’s ever seen. Birds chirp and the sounds of early morning traffic come to life, and Charlie just feels good.
There’s still hiding, sneaking, and lies. But it’s your bed now too, and that makes Charlie grin against the top of your hair as you hum out a little stretch to greet the day.
“’Morning.” Charlie’s voice is thick and syrupy to his own ears, he’s barely got his eyes open but the moment he can feel you stirring, he finds waking up a lot easier of a task.
You snuggle up closer to him, impossibly close as the little alarm on his phone rings. Charlie groans, smacks a hand over to the nightstand and unplugs it from his charger.
His burner phone lives in the bottom of a drawer somewhere now. He doesn’t need it, not really, not anymore. He isn’t living under the constant surveillance he once was, and though he can’t just be outright with you, it’s much less strict that it was before. He doesn’t save any pictures still, he’s too paranoid for that, for them saving to some cloud somewhere. But the calls, the texts, those all feel like something he can give himself, something he can give you.
His regular phone chimes and rings and clangs through the quiet of the room, and Charlie fumbles to shut it up, making you laugh out a little groan of your own.  
“How did you sleep?” He asks you, combing his fingers through your hair. He smiles, because you’re not really bothering to move away from the pillow you’ve made of his chest. It’s a steady weight, a warmth he’s wanted for so long.
“Like a baby.” You grin up at him as the early dawn of morning bathes the room in oranges now. You kiss his chin where you can reach, press your smile against his face, tickling him with your voice as you ask, “You?”
“Pretty damn good.” Charlie holds you by your hips and pulls you up the last couple inches for your lips to be level with one another, and you get the hint, rising up onto your hands and knees on top of him, his hands smoothing around your back, “But I’d much rather be awake with you.”
“Kiss me?” You grin, biting your lower lip around a smile, rubbing your nose against his as the sky goes golden from an autumn sunrise.
“I thought you’d never ask.” Charlie smiles back at you, before opening his mouth up to yours, lips parting, seeking your touch.
You settle yourself against him and kiss him for what feels like hours. Eyes closed, Charlie breathes you in, every drop of you, even the taste of your sleep-sour breath. It doesn’t bother Charlie, not one bit. He lets one of his hands clasp around the back of your neck possessively, his other hand pinching grabbing nipping down your back until he’s got a palmful of your ass and gives it a good squeeze.
He wants you, so fucking badly. But these aren’t summer days where the house sleeps in, no, there’s a schedule and as Charlie kisses you, he’s painfully aware of it. Your tongue is hot and slow against his, and it’s turning him on, the head of his cock lightly brushing against your ass from where your body is moving on top of him.
He’s got to pull you off of him soon, otherwise you’ll both be too desperate to do anything else. He groans against your lips and kisses you three more times, before making a move to sit up. You chuckle and go along with him, climbing off his lap and getting out of bed.
“What time is it?” You ask as you stretch and shake the last little remnants of sleep from your limbs.
“Too early.” Charlie replies, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and watching you move around the room, beautifully nude.
“Better get up and dressed before he wakes up.” You hum playfully tossing a towel at Charlie’s face.
His reflexes are fast enough that he catches it no problem, and if things were different, if Henry knew you were here, Charlie could wrestle you to the bed and the sound of your laughter wouldn’t be such an alerting noise.
But as it were, Henry doesn’t know you’re here this time, he doesn’t know you’ve spent the night, so Charlie lets you get away with whatever you want, towels being thrown at his face included.
“He’s old enough to make himself breakfast now, don’t you think?” Charlie’s never been the most morning person around, but the sight of you walking towards the masterbath that’s connected to his room has him feeling playful in his own way.
“Are you going to shower with me or do I have to be all alone, soaking wet, covered in suds and -- !” You start, before he’s rushing after you and smacking your ass with that towel, making you cover your mouth so your laugh doesn’t ring through the quiet of morning, as he chases you into the bathroom.
                                              ---------------------
It’s not long after a little joint-jerk-off session in the shower, that you’re coming back from your house in a fresh pair of clothes, hair done up and chipper. You let yourself in with the key that’s gotten so much use Charlie’s almost worried it’ll wear out, and make a beeline for the kitchen.
School mornings are pretty fast-paced, and it isn’t long before Henry is bounding down the stairs when he smells the brew of coffee – a tell tale sign that you’re here.
“Good morning Henry!” You smile at him, he’s all ready for the day except for his shoes which wait by the front door. Henry���s gotten better at figuring out what clothes go together, and he’s in this very sweet stage where he’s trying to emulate Charlie, so he’s wearing a little button down that’s maybe too big for him.
“Hi (Y/N), whatcha making?” He comes over to you but you put a hand out to stop him from getting too close to the stove as you turn the heat on and grab a pan.
“We are making scrambled eggs, can you help me and get the cheese from the fridge?” You correct, and his eyes light up at the prospect of being a helper and also because he loves scrambled eggs.
“Can I have mine like dad gets?” Henry asks from the fridge as he rifles through the shelves to find the bags of pre-shredded cheese from the grocery store.
“Are you sure? He likes his more runny than you do.” You’re pleasantly surprised, like most kids Henry was a picky eater.  
“Yeah I’m sure, I wanna try.” Henry nods, coming back over with an assortment of cheeses and dumping them on the counter.
You begin cracking a couple eggs into a bowl and whisking them up with a pinch of salt, a good handful of pepper jack and cheddar just the way you know the boys like it. Henry hovers behind you standing on his tip-toes to try and look over your shoulder because you won’t let him too close to the stove as you swirl the runny eggs around and around with butter.
“I’m very proud of you for being open minded to trying something new kiddo. And if you don’t like it, I can always cook them a little bit more.” You smile over your shoulder at him and he gets embarrassed from being caught, right at the same time Charlie finally descends in a nice freshly pressed suit.
“Morning dad! (Y/N) and I are making eggs, look.” Henry beckons Charlie over and you can’t help but chuckle a little from his excitement.
“I see, good that you’re being a helper. What can I do, want me to make pancakes?” He asks you, because now that you’re back and there’s coffee in the pot ready for him to pour, and eggs are scrambled he feels like he could be a morning person, he could be a morning person with you.
“Yes! We can use the blueberries.” Henry pipes up, answers his question even though he wasn’t asked.
The blueberries in question were just picked up last weekend at the farmer’s market. It had become a bit of a tradition, you and Henry going to the farmer’s market on Sundays. Sundays Charlie had been working in the theater, taking an extra day to make sure rehearsals were going well, making sure Tom & Jerry were liking what the troupe was doing.
It reminded Charlie of the old days, where he’d call you to watch Henry during his meetings, when he’d ask you to babysit for long rehearsal nights. Every time he came back, you and Henry had found a whole array of treasures, from fresh produce to interesting art pieces and crafts that Charlie had begun to display.
But these blueberries were huge, and even though Charlie hadn’t been there to pick them out, he was excited to taste their sweetness. Charlie smiles at the domestic bliss of it all, goes to the fridge to get the little carton.
“Set the table please, hot pans over here.” He tells his son, and Henry groans and rolls his eyes playfully as he does as he’s told.
The minute that Henry’s out of the room, Charlie steps next to you and begins whipping up the box mix of pancakes for the sake of time, accidentally or maybe not so accidentally bumping your hip with his as you work on scrambled eggs right beside him.
“He’s in an adventurous mood lately.” You remark, gesturing with your spatula to the dining room.
“I know I don’t know what’s gotten into him but I’m glad.” Charlie replies, because he really is glad that his son is starting to develop a more adult palette, and isn’t just demanding sweets for breakfast every morning. Charlie looks around, makes sure Henry isn’t coming back and quickly steals a kiss from your smiling cheek. “You want pancakes too?”
“If you don’t mind.” You nod, taking the eggs out, a perfectly creamy buttery cheesy consistency.  
“I don’t, any chance to stay next to you a little longer I’m going to take.” Charlie replies, and you have you nearly duck your head from your own blush.
“You’re such a charmer.” You shake your head, scooping the eggs out of a pan and putting them into a serving bowl.
“Oh I’m more than that.” Charlie’s voice drops as he flips a pancake, leans down to your ear and whispers, “I took the day off work, when I drop Henry off I’m coming straight back to you.”
“Yeah?” A slow smile begins to spread across your face, as you stick the pan in the sink to be dealt with later.
Charlie reaches out to you and you go to him, cross the little kitchen and let his arm wind around your waist. His lips tickle your ear when he nuzzles his face near your cheek.
“Yeah, and when I step through that door, I’ll be very upset if you’re not naked and waiting for me in bed.” He says, and there’s that deep dark quality to his voice that reminds you so much of the very beginnings of this affair, the beginnings of his wanton desire for you.
“I’d never want to upset you, Mr. Barber.” You whisper, and Charlie nearly breaks out into goosebumps from it, from the way you’re able to flip that switch inside him so easily.
And then you’re stepping away, walking the bowl of eggs into the dining room where Henry is waiting patiently. Charlie smiles to himself, flips another pancake off the griddle, and he’s not too far behind.
                                              ---------------------
Charlie doesn’t carry too much stuff anymore, when he walks Henry to school. Now he always has a free hand for his son to hold when they cross the streets, they leave with enough time that Charlie doesn’t have to scramble to make it to the theater. Henry doesn’t have to run to keep up with him, and instead of protests, Henry chatters away about all the gossip and news around his school, in his class.
“You’ve got everything you need, right?” Charlie asks as they approach the brick wall that Charlie knows is the start of the school property.
“Ugh dad, that was one time!” Henry rolls his eyes, and they check both ways before going through the crosswalk.
“I know but accidents happen, it’s okay.” Charlie says anyway, careful of his footing as he approaches that uneven part of the sidewalk. “Watch the lip.”
“Are we doing anything this weekend?” Henry asks, completely ignoring him in that way kids do sometimes when they’re wrapped up in their own heads.
“No, what did you have in mind?” Charlie asks back, the two of them stopping in front of the school.
“I was invited to Edgar’s birthday party and I really really want to go they’re going to have a bounce-house.” Henry replies, and that makes Charlie smile because honestly a bouncy house sounds like a pretty fun time.
“If you give me the invitation I’ll make sure you get there honey. We have to get him a present, start thinking of something he might like, okay?” Charlie makes sure that Henry’s backpack and coat and everything are on him and that his shoelaces are tied because he’s that kind of parent, and Henry laughs, shrugging his dad’s hands away.
“Okay – are we still going to go to the park after school?” Henry asks, right as the bell rings and all the other kids start walking a little faster to get up the stairs.
“If the weather stays nice we will. Okay, have a good day!” Charlie gives Henry a hug right as some of Henry’s friends run up the stairs.  
“I love you dad.” Henry hugs Charlie back quickly before wrangling out of his hold and joining his buddies, the group of them happy to be reunited after a whole night of not seeing each other.
“Love you too honey!” Charlie calls after Henry, smiling, glad that his son is doing alright, glad that everyone’s alright.
I think of you every morning Dream of you every night Darling, I'm never lonely Whenever you are in sight
When he comes back home, he closes and locks the door behind him, steps out of his shoes and hangs his coat up. He puts his keys in the dish by the door, and runs a hand through his hair, and then looks up and sees you, standing at the foot of the stairs, completely in the nude.
“I thought I told you to wait in bed.” Charlie grins, drinking in the sight of your body in the morning sun. It’s only a little after seven o’clock, he’s got so much time – fuck he’s got all day to spend with you, and your body is so inviting, the way that it’s posing so seductively for him.
“Maybe I wanted to wait for you here.” You shrug one shoulder, being difficult, doing whatever you want.
Charlie will always let you do whatever you want, and you know, you grin, flash him your teeth.
“It’s not fair, to tease a man like this.” Charlie takes a few slow steps towards you, and you take a few steps backwards up the stairs in response. He shakes his head with a smile, licks across his front teeth, wants you.
“It’s only teasing if I don’t let you take me.” You lick your lips, muscles in your breast twitching and drawing his attention immediately, drawing his gaze to the way your nipples are perked up and begging to be pinched, bitten.
“Are you?” He asks, growing hard in his slacks, stepping closer closer closer, “Are you going to let me?”
You only turn around, crook a finger to beckon him forward, and it’s a race to see who can get to the bedroom faster.
He practically tears at his clothes, his crisp button down and suit jacket, his slacks. He hops out of each leg as you roll onto the mattress with a laugh, the bed frame bouncing as he joins you, as he covers your body with his own, stripped down as quickly as he can to nothing but his socks.
He goes dizzy for a second, because the rush of blood from his head to his dick is so fast that he huffs out a groan as you contort your body into all these alluring shapes, soft colors of your skin in the sun blending together, making him so fucking hard.
“You’re so gorgeous, you know that? Look at this, look at you. I should get a mirror and stick it on the ceiling so you can watch me fuck you, watch all the slutty faces you make when you’re drooling for my dick.” Charlie’s voice is deep yet insistent, as he wedges a hand between your thighs.
“Touch me, touch me please I need you.” You pin your wrists up over your head, letting them clutch at the pillow while he drinks in the sight of you.
He doesn’t know what he wants from you first, there’s so much he wants to do with you, so many ways he wants to make you feel good, to feel good with you.
“Spread your fuckin’ legs,” He settles on, because his cock is really aching for you, his whole body aches for you, yearns for the pleasure that only you can provide. Your knees fall apart and his hand slides against your slit, already so wet. “That’s it, there’s that pretty pussy.”
You nod, and you let out a breathy moan as he curls two fingers inside you, pushes them past the slight resistance of your body and up against the tight wet heat of your walls. He sits back a little because he loves the sight of it, loves watching his body disappear into yours, watching you take him so well, watching you want him.
“Your cunt just swallows me up, doesn’t it,” Charlie groans as your pussy squeezes around his fingers, his thumb lazily stroking teasing circles around your clit that makes your cunt drip with slick, slick that’s only letting him finger you deeper, “It’s practically begging for these fingers.”
“Your hands, oh they’re so big.” You moan, hands gripping the pillow, back arching enough that your pretty tits push out.
“Bigger than my cock?” Charlie bends you then, fingers you nice and slow, gets you worked up. He loves it when you’re worked up, loves it when you’re blissed out from a well earned orgasm, or two, or three, or or or.
“No – no nothing’s bigger than your cock.” You sigh out happily, voice like liquid gold, like velvet as he licks up a stripe between your tits, kisses at your nipples.
“Hmmm, if you want it you’re going to have to beg for it.” He pretends to think, pretends that he doesn’t know exactly what he’s doing, giving you exactly what you want to hear.
He thrusts his fingers in and out of your cunt until he knows you’re good and stretched for him. He’s bigger than average, bigger than most, he knows. He doesn’t ever want to hurt you, and he takes the foreplay very seriously. He fingers you, and kisses licks bites sucks at your tits, until your chest heaves from pleasure and your throat clicks as you moan.
“Can I have it, please? Please Charlie I’ll do anything – anything you want if you fuck me with that big cock of yours, come in me, all over me I don’t care just give it to me.” You demand, a needy selfish brat that he adores, that he wants to please, that he’ll give anything to just the same.
“What if I fuck you all day, hm? Make you sticky all over, come in you so hard that you taste it.” He listens to the sick squelch of your cunt around his fingers as you just get wetter and wetter, desperate for something more filling, desperate for anything to really satisfy that urge.
“Charlie, yes, please!” Your legs bend and straighten, thighs trembling as your hips rise, as you egg him on, encourage him, beg for him, pleas rolling off your tongue like the easy whore you are for him. “Please, please give me that, come in me, make me smell like you.”
Without any warning he pulls his fingers out of you and lines his cock up, pushes it all the way in with one sharp thrust, one that punches out a high whine, a gasp, a moan all mixed up into one, tears it from your throat as you smile so wide, getting what you want, spoiled and greedy and all his, all Charlie’s.
“Oh baby you’re so tight, didn’t I fuck you enough last night? You sweet needy thing, I’ll fill you up.” He grunts as his hips begin to thrust, begin building a fast rhythm that’s got his eyes shut tight, already wanting to drool from the pleasure of it.
“I need it, oh my god.” Your hands dig into his shoulders, feeling the way his muscles move and flex above you as his hips shove themselves right up against yours, his cock splitting you into a thousand pieces.
It’s incredible, it’s intoxicating, the velvet blazing hot grip your cunt has on his cock feels so good, makes him sweat. Your body wraps around his as you try to get impossibly closer, moving and writhing and taking this pounding, taking it so well as he pulls his cock all the way out only to slam it back in.
“You like that? Like feeling me inside you – feel how hard it is?” Charlie’s jaw is clenched from pleasure and he alternates between holding himself up and grabbing at your body, his hips rocking the bed, shaking the headboard, making it smack against the wall from how fast he’s railing you.
“Don’t stop don’t you dare fucking stop – oh, oh yes!” You shout, head thrown back in pleasure as you claw at his shoulders with your nails, as your legs hook around his hips and push his ass, the back of his thighs closer to you, your tits bounce, your mouth is dropped open and all that comes out are yelled curses.
“You’re so loud, shouting out my name, call my name baby.” Charlie grunts, pinches your nipple and tweaks it hard as he angles himself better to get your gspot stimulated at the same time. He searches for it, the head of his cock nudging up hard against your walls.
“Charlie!” You gasp loud loud loud as he finds it, as he grinds his dick against it over and over, making your back arch, your toes curl, your cunt grip him so tight, “Charlie please!”
“I bet all our neighbors can hear you, I bet they all know what a dirty little slut you are.” He pants, his cock throbbing, aching for you, sliding against the wet wet wet heat of your walls. His dick is so sensitive, and with each drag of the head of his cock in and out of your body, he feels like he can’t suck down air fast enough, not even from your lungs, and he tries.
“Yours, all y—oh shit—all yours.” Your body shakes shudders trembles under him as he kisses you deeply, passionately, sloppy.
His hand slides from your nipple to your clit, and he gathers up some of the slick that’s made your inner thighs go nice and shiny, smears it between his fingers and uses it to lube up your clit as he pushes hard and fast circles, zig-zags, back and forth motions times with his thrusts that have you screaming his name.
“That’s – that’s fucking right, you’re mine, my whore,” He encourages, bites down hard on the spot where your shoulder meets your neck, “I bet they’re touching themselves thinking of you, listening to you get pounded, I bet they wish they could hear this pussy weep for me.”
“Ch—Charlie!” You shout, tears starting to collect in your eyes as you gush around his cock, soak through to the sheets, soaking through into his heart, his soul, his cock.
“Shh baby, it’s okay, it’s okay, let go.” Charlie’s not far behind.
Your eyes roll back into your head as your pussy pulses, sucking him in just like it did his fingers, coming still. Your teeth chatter a little as your body jolts with pleasure, and that’s so fucking hot that he comes hard in you, hips slamming against yours one final time before he blows his load into your waiting body, pelvis flush against yours as your legs fall limp onto the mattress.
He comes and pants hard, grunting and groaning out his orgasm as your pussy milks him for what he’s worth. His arms are a cage above you, beads of sweat drip down from the tip of his nose and he’s so grateful that it’s turtleneck season because your throat is a series of beautiful blooming bruises that he put there.
The sight of the markings, his markings, his claiming of you, makes more come force itself out of his cock, and Charlie winces, moans and sighs against you as sparks of his own pleasure snap up his spine.
“Mmm, I’m not done with you yet, not yet.” Charlie presses the words into your cheek, kisses you with swollen lips, licks at the corner of your mouth as his hips slowly grind against yours, still not having pulled out. “I’m still hard – roll over for me?”
You’re boneless, but you try your best. He pulls out to give you enough space to flop over onto your stomach, and he grabs his pillow from the other side of the bed, uses it to prop your hips up. Your arms fold under your own pillow and you mouth at the soft cotton pillow case, wetting it with your spit as he slowly slowly slowly slides his cock back into your pussy from behind.
“Oh,” You sigh happily, “God that feels good.”
“Not too much?” Charlie nibbles on the shell of your ear as you take a great deal of energy to wriggle your ass up against his crotch.
“You’re never too much, I never get enough of you.” You moan as he plugs you full of his come, as he fucks it back into you from where it was threatening to spill down your thighs in a steady stream of sticky white.
“Relax for me baby, relax, feel good?” Charlie takes you slowly now, takes his time. He got out his pent up tension and stress, this is about dragging out another orgasm from you nice and easy.
He kneels behind you, your legs bent on either side of his thighs as he rocks his dick into you. Each time he pulls out he sees your come mingling with his, and he’s so fucking thankful that you decided to go on the pill, so thankful that he lets you have this, this gorgeous sight of your pussy drooling his come.
He’s going to give you more, because he’s got so much more to give, and your body accepts it so willingly, it’s enough to make him cry. He smacks your ass because he can, because it’s right here in front of him, and your toes curl and flex. He does it again, and you moan, making out half-way delirious with your pillow.
“So good, you’re so good to me.” You sigh, moan, eyes closed and reveling in the way his cock stuff all his come back into you, the smack of it filling the room.
“You tired?” Charlie asks with a smile, he’s got so much planned for you, he’s going to eat you out for hours, he wants you to ride him, he wants to so much with you, but even as he’s fucking you, he can’t help but think how nice it is to simply sleep beside you too.
“Yeah, but don’t stop, don’t stop – go slow, fuck me slow.” You mumble as you meet him for every careful thrust; and that alone makes Charlie’s own head tip back, like he’s looking up, up at the heavens, thanking them for giving him such an angel as you.
“You’re so wet, I love the sound your pussy makes for me, it drives me crazy.” Charlie murmurs as he rocks into you slow and sweet, feeling your cunt pulse and flutter around him. There’s a steady stream of his own come that’s oozing out of you that he just can’t fit, and that’s okay, he likes knowing you’re stuffed full to the brim.
“I like you when you’re crazy – oh, oh.” You moan, and he takes the opportunity of your open mouth to slip a few fingers against your tongue.
Something about the soft rasp of your mouth sucking on his fingers, coupled with the tight clench of your pussy has Charlie’s chest on fire. You suck on those fingers and moan around them, and his stomach quivers, his thighs shake as he fucks your hot cunt lazily, with more restraint that he really has.
“Touch yourself for me, let me feel you come around me again.” Charlie says, voice even and steady somehow, somehow despite being so close to coming himself again.
And you do, you bring yourself over that edge a second time, and this time it’s more of a slow build, a wash over Charlie’s nerves as he pushes somehow more come into you. He knows he’ll need a break in a minute, his balls have to be empty by now, his cock finally beginning to soften as it throbs inside you.
He sits back and stills his hips, watches as his dick just twitches as he pulls out an inch, just enough to watch himself drain his come into your body.
“Keep this safe for me, you got that? Keep it safe, all of it.” Charlie lets a hand slide underneath you, caressing your stomach, rubbing circles there.
“Mhm, fill me up.” You nod, so tired, lazy and blissed out, your eyes not even bothering to open.
He pulls out for the second time, but this time he rolls over next to you on the mattress, collects you in his arms as his cock softens. Despite his demands, your thighs grow slippery with an overflow of come, it drips down onto Charlie’s side where you sling a leg over his, tangling your limbs together as you both try and catch your breath.
“Shit.” Charlie huffs out a laugh, a pleasure weak hand coming to scrub up at his face.
“What?” You hum out a smile, kissing his ribs.
“We promised to take Henry to the park after class, remember?” Charlie winds his arms around you, holds you close to him as the birds chirp outside, still morning, still sunny.
“Yeah?” You’re confused, having a bit of trouble to catch his meaning, being so blissed out and comfortable.
“Are you going to be able to walk?” He asks, looking down at you with serious concern.
“Shit.” You echo with a frown, not even thinking about that, before looking back up at Charlie.
The two of you chew your lips for a second, before bursting out into bright happy laughter, especially when he rolls over you and smothers you into the mattress, making you complain playfully that you’re right in the wet spot, dammit!
Oh well, Charlie thinks, he’s got plenty of hours left in the day with with you – hours to make you come, laugh, sigh, shout his name, and recover with time to spare.
                                               ---------------------
Hours, laughter and many many orgasms later, you and Charlie shower, change, and are trying desperately to not act so pleased around the rest of the world as you walk through Central Park with Henry. True to his word, Charlie brought everyone to the park after school let out for the day. The weather was perfect for a long walk – or in Henry’s case, a run – down the pathways.
“Dad can we get a dog?” He asks after saying goodbye and thank you to a friendly golden retriever whose owner let Henry pet after he asked politely.
“No I don’t think that’s a good idea right now.” Charlie shakes his head with an apologetic smile, walking so close to you that you might as well be arm in arm, hand in hand. “But you know, maybe in our next house we can get a dog.”
“We’re moving?” Henry asks with a confused arch of his brow.
“Not today or anything, but we’re going to have to move eventually.” Charlie thinks out loud, knowing that they’ve already sort of outgrown their space. Charlie mostly wants to be done with it, with the way it still reminds him of Nicole. “But that’ll be nice, won’t it? We can start fresh and paint the walls any color we want.”
“Can the kitchen be green?” Henry asks the both of you, and Charlie grins, glad for his excitement.
“Sure, why not.” Charlie looks at you with so much love in his eyes, because your kitchen is green, and that’s always been something Henry never shuts up about, whenever you used to babysit him at your place.
“And then can we get a dog?” Henry tries, making you laugh a little at how persistent he could be.
“Maybe if you can prove to me that you’re responsible and will take care of the dog, yes we can get one.” Charlie very hesitantly says, before waving a hand around, “But I’m telling you right now if me or (Y/N) has to pick up the slack it’s not going to happen, okay? That’s not fair.”
“I’ll be responsible I promise! I promise dad.” Henry skips around, making his sneakers light up on the paved path, “I’ll be the most responsible that you’ve ever seen.”
“Okay okay.” Charlie chuckles, and you stop in your tracks, which makes them stop too.
“Hey do you guys smell that?” You look around for a second, “I think we’re right near Pizza Pete’s! I’m starving, how about I get us a couple slices?”
Henry immediately begins jumping around, always thrilled at the prospect of pizza.
“You want any help?” Charlie asks, but you shake your head, knowing it’s only maybe a ten minute walk. You were always such a fast walker, the pizza would be perfectly warm by the time you got back, not so burning hot in the way cheese could sometimes be.
“Nah, I’ll be right back.” You say, adjusting your purse on your shoulder and ruffling Henry’s hair. “Don’t wait up for me, I’ll find you!”
Charlie watches you leave, your boots carrying you down one of the side paths out of the park, leaving just Charlie and Henry together. He knew what you were doing, giving them space like this. You did it sometimes, wanting to make sure you never overwhelmed them with your presence – as if you could ever overwhelm Charlie.
“Hey Henry…” He knows, and he appreciates it, because he’s had something he’s wanted to ask Henry, and he feels that talks like these are easier when it’s just them. “I was hoping you and me could talk for a minute.”
“Oh boy.” Henry groans playfully, and Charlie’s glad that he’s in good spirits, glad he’s in a good mood.
“Hey,” He lightly swats at Henry’s arm as they wander over to an empty bench, sitting down next to each other and watching people go by. “I just. I just wanted to make sure you’re doing okay. I don’t want us to have another fight, so I know it’s uncomfortable but I gotta ask and make sure.”
“Yeah, I’m okay dad.” Henry says with a small smile, and Charlie can’t help but feel sad about how fast his son’s had to grow up from all this, how strong he’s had to be in the wake of Nicole’s leave.
“Because if there’s something bothering you, I want you to know you can talk to me, or to (Y/N), or if you feel like you want someone else – ” Charlie starts, but Henry shakes his head, cuts him off at the mere suggestion of a therapist.
“I don’t want anyone else, I’m okay, really.” He nods, putting his hands in his hoodie’s front pocket, his feet swinging from where they don’t quite reach the floor, sitting on the bench. “Are you okay?”
“It’s not your job to worry about me honey.” Charlie gives a soft smile, pats his shoulder.
“I know.” Henry shrugs. He doesn’t look up at his dad, “But I still do.”
Charlie taps Henry’s shoulder to get his attention, and the kid looks so much older than almost-nine, that it kills him.
“I’m okay.” Charlie puts as much sincerity into his words as he can.
“Do you like (Y/N)?” Henry asks out of nowhere, making Charlie freeze.
“…What?” He slowly asks, blinking, trying not to seem suspicious and failing spectacularly.
“You know, like.” Henry looks around to make sure you’re not there, and then he leans over to Charlie, cups a hand over his ear. “Do you like her. Like her like her, I mean.”
“What makes you think that?” Charlie’s heart beats in his throat as he tries to be aloof, frowning, mind racing, palms starting to sweat as a litany of curses string together in his mind, nothing but shit shit shit shit how the fuck does he know does he know did he hear did he see something did he --
“I dunno. You’re happier when she’s around. You’re a really bad pretender dad, it’s embarrassing how much you smile when she’s around.” Henry doesn’t sound accusatory, doesn’t sound angry about it. He sounds embarrassed more than anything, but then he sounds hopeful when he asks, “Things are better with her, I think, aren’t they?”
“I think so. Are you happier when she’s around?” Charlie asks back, because he has to always put Henry first, has to always make sure that Henry’s happiness comes first.
Henry mulls over his words for a little while, and Charlie wonders if it’s hard, trying to express emotions he’s not had the experience for yet, doesn’t have the words for yet.
“Yeah. I miss mom a lot, but (Y/N) is…she’s good, isn’t she? I like her, I like that she’s with us.” Henry says, and there’s an honesty in his voice that has Charlie tearing up, has his heart thud thud thudding in his chest.
“Do you think maybe, one day she could move in with us and be around all the time?” Charlie all but whispers, not believing that he’s even saying these words out loud.
“You do like her!” Henry calls out triumphantly, and Charlie immediately scrambles to pull the brim of Henry’s beanie down onto his face to get him to be quiet, making him laugh.
“Shh!” Charlie tries, but to no avail.
“I knew it.” His son is so smug, so smug that it’s almost unbearable. “You should ask her out, take her on a date.”
He snorts a laugh then, because oh if only this kid knew. Actually, no hopefully he never knows, never finds out the real truth of it all. But damn, what sort of irony was this?
“It’s not that easy Henry.” He settles on eventually, which isn’t a lie, that part.
“How come?” Henry asks, always full of questions, questions that Charlie can’t answer, can’t find some way to sugar coat it for him, can’t find a way to break that fall.
“Because of mom, I’m still married to mom.” He sighs, and Henry frowns, as if he somehow hadn’t realized that.
“Oh.” Henry says very quietly, his face scrunched up the same way it does when he’s come across a word in his books that he doesn’t understand. “But…but if she’s not coming back, then why – ”
“Because she could come back, and she would be very upset if she found out. And it would be very bad if we were upset.” Charlie’s chest pangs with horrible guilt, wishing beyond belief that things were different, that he had any say at all in the separation, in any of this.
But he doesn’t, and life doesn’t ever work out the way anyone wants, and Charlie’s just lucky to have Henry and to have you.
“I still think you should ask her out.” Henry hops off of the bench and holds out a hand, waiting expectantly for his dad to take it, “One day.”
“Okay.” Charlie groans dramatically, pretending to be old and have stiff bones until Henry is laughing again, smiling again. “Maybe one day I will.”
I love you for sentimental reasons I hope you do believe me I've given you my heart
                                             ---------------------
A few days go by, since his talk with Henry at the park. It feels good to be even a shred of honest with his son, even though he isn’t really, not fully. He doesn’t know if he ever will, about that. The affair will be one of those dark secrets that you pretend never happened, something you and Charlie will take to your graves.
That little admission, that little truth of liking you feels better to have said out loud. Henry likes knowing, Charlie thinks. He thinks Henry likes having a secret with his dad all their own, so many adults have so many secrets. Charlie doesn’t try to dwell on it too much, tries to keep things light.
But every now and again, Henry will give a smug smile, or an encouraging glance to Charlie when you’re around, and he has to pretend that he’s got no idea what Henry’s on about. You think it’s so endearing, because of course Charlie told you, but you’re good, you play along and pretend to be none the wiser.
Charlie is dropping Henry off at school once again, checking his coat, his laces. The bell has rung, and Henry’s friends are waiting, and in his backpack are birthday invitations of Henry’s own, a weekend party at the go-kart place that Henry is so excited about.
“Have a good day honey!” Charlie waves to Henry as he bounds up the steps.
“Bye dad – love you!” Henry calls over his shoulder as he meets up with his pals.
“Love you too I’ll be here to pick you up right after class, okay?” Charlie keeps waving, until a twinkling laugh grates his ears. He turns and sees a woman sticking her hands into her coat pockets. Charlie collects himself and stands up from the crouched position he’d been in to hug his son and asks, “What?”
“Nothing, it’s just sweet. Don’t see many handsome single fathers dropping the kids off these days.” The woman is clearly trying to pull something, trying to flirt. “Definitely don’t see many kids shouting out I love yous.”
“I do my best.” Charlie tries his best not to grimace, the last thing he wants is a war with someone on the PTA or something.
“You’re Charlie Barber, right? I recognize you from the newspaper. Broadway, or something right?” She smiles at him, tucks a lock of her hair behind her ear in a way that he thinks is supposed to be alluring.
“Or something.” Charlie mutters, looking around, trying to find some escape. He sees the little coffee shop, the one he brought Henry to, the one he used to bring you to too. “If you’ll excuse me.”
He crosses the street just in time before the little red hand begins to flash, and he thinks he’s safe behind the security of the glass door as it closes behind him, when instead he’s faced with a ghost in front of him.
“Oh my god.” He can’t help himself from saying, stunned, trying to blink away this apparition.
“Hi Charlie.” She says, and he almost can’t look at her, his stomach immediately churning.
“What the fuck are you doing here.” He feels his knees start to give out from under him, before he completely registers some tall strong and handsome LA meat-head standing next to her, his mouth going dry, mind spiraling, reeling, panicking, “Who the fuck is he?”
“I’m here to give you these.” The man says, handing over a manilla folder filled with what has to be divorce papers.
“And I’m here to take my son.” She says just as coldly, as casually.
And Charlie wants to scream and shout and rage and throw a fucking fit, because for the first time in six months, he’s standing in front of Nicole.
                                            ---------------------
Tagging some pals!  @steeevienicks @heldcaptivebychaos  @solotriplets @formerly-anonhamster @lookinsidemyhead @candycanes19 @adamsnacc-kler  @whiskey-bumblebee @magikevalynn @tinyplanet-explorers @chelsjnov @romancedeldiablo @helloimindelaware @elfieboxcat @autumnlovesadam @peterisparker  @goodboybensolo  @the-marvelatic @miasera @emily-strange @proxyfoxy @disaster-rose @hazydespair @yosoymuyloca @1-800-choke-that-snoke @ktellmeastory @anongirl007 @zimmerxman​ @okk--maaan​ @flapjacques​ @aweirdlookingtree​ @callmemania-pls​ @theold-ultraviolence​ @og-selene​ @pinkmoontribe-blog​ @schopenhauerdeathsquad​
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agerefandom · 4 years ago
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Books and Pigments
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(art by @sparrowinged​, story written for @sparrowinged​)
Fandom: Critical Role
Characters: Regressor!Caleb, regressor!Jester, featuring Mama!Nott, caregiver!Ford, and the rest of the Mighty Nein in the background (Beau, Yasha, and Molly)
Words: 3,000
Summary: Upstairs, Jester gives Caleb a bath and they both find the process nostalgic. Downstairs, the others discuss ‘somechildren,’ people who never fully grow up. They’re well-known in Wildemount, but much more accepted on the Menagerie Coast.
Content warnings: ‘Little’ is used as an adjective, but not a noun. Caleb’s backstory is briefly alluded to, as is memory loss from trauma. There is drinking (done by adults). Nott is considered a mother and is referred to as such.
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Note: I’m only on episode 47, please excuse any backstory gaps!
Nott was the last to join the table, crawling onto a chair and grabbing a drink that was already on the table, downing most of it in one go.
“Nott!” Molly greeted her from the other side of the table, raising his own tankard to her. “Are the others not coming?”
“Jester has insisted on giving Caleb a bath,” Nott said once she was finished with her beer. “I left him in her capable hands.”
“Capable at many things,” Fjord pointed out. “I hope she’s feeling kind this evening, or Caleb may be in trouble.”
“He’ll be fine.” Nott crawled partly onto the table to drag a plate of meat towards herself, tucking some of it into her pockets. “He does have magic, after all.”
“So does Jester,” Beau said from across the table. Nott flapped a hand at her dismissively.
“Caleb is better.”
“Okay, but if the two of them were in a fight,” Beau started, leaning forwards.
“Jester would win,” Yasha finished.
Nott glared at them both, crossing her arms. “You don’t have enough faith in him,” she said reproachfully. “He’s a very powerful wizard!”
“Yeah, but have you seen Jester’s biceps?” Beau asked.
Nott gave up on the battle in the interest of fitting as much ham as possible into her mouth, and the conversation moved onto arm wrestling shortly after that, shifting with the usual chaos of the Mighty Nein’s evenings off.
--
Meanwhile, upstairs:
Jester was gentler than Caleb had expected, double-checking the temperature of the water and adding another half-bucket before gesturing for Caleb to undress. She hovered around him, snatching his clothes as he removed them and folding them to lie on the bench by the door. Once he was naked, she ushered him towards the washtub.
Sure enough, the water was perfect as Caleb sank into it, not hot enough to scald but warm enough to turn his pale skin rosy as it met the surface.
“Look at your freckles!” Jester cooed, poking Caleb’s shoulders as she bustled around him, preparing the soaps. Caleb hunched forward, self-conscious despite himself. They had all been in the public baths together, and had helped each other with their armour many times. Nevertheless, he was aware of his scars and spots, and didn’t appreciate Jester’s wandering hands.
“Relax,” Jester ordered, as if sensing Caleb’s wandering thoughts. “I am a good girl, I can keep my hands on task.” This was apparently all the warning she deemed necessary before dumping a bucket of lukewarm water over Caleb’s head, plastering his hair over his face until he spat it out of his mouth and tried to push it back.
“Leave it!” Jester’s hands batted Caleb’s away, and she guided him to lean against the edge of the washtub, combing his hair back with sudsy hands. “You’ll just get it more dirty with your stinky fingers.” Caleb was about to protest her wording when she started to dig her fingers into his scalp, and he abruptly found himself melting into the touch. He had not had someone else wash his hair for a very long time, not since far into his childhood. He closed his eyes, although he wasn’t sure if he wanted to chase the memories or push them away. Parts of his childhood had been missing when he’d returned to himself, gaps in his memory that led to disorienting echoes like Jester’s fingers in his hair. Jester’s voice brought him back from the confusion, humming a quiet tune that Caleb did not recognize.
Caleb found himself drifting through the rest of the bath, with Jester’s hands shielding his eyes from the suds she rinsed out of his hair, guiding him from position to position so that she could rub sweet-smelling lotions into his hair, his cheeks, his back. She even washed the bottoms of his feet before smearing a handful of soap into his palm and gesturing for him to finish the rest of his body. Through every motion, her humming got louder, until she was singing little pieces of foreign songs to herself as she brought over the final bucket of water.
The washing water had become quite dirty, and Jester rinsed Caleb’s body with the last fresh water as he stood up from the tub. She wrapped a soft blanket around him and tugged him out of the bath with a giggle. Caleb followed where she led, feeling pleasantly distant and oddly content.
Jester sat him on a stool and started to comb out his hair, making tiny braids as she sang those little snatches of simple but unfamiliar songs.
Jester had been singing for long enough that her speaking voice almost startled Caleb when she put down the comb. “Do you want to take a nap?” She ran her hands through his hair. “Or I could give you a haircut.”
“Nap,” Caleb said quickly. It was the preferable of the two options: Jester had been gentle enough with the comb, but he didn’t want to test their luck with a sharp blade near his ears. “Nap is good.”
“Naps are the best,” Jester corrected, pulling Caleb off the stool and towards the door without sparing a glance at his clothes. “Come on, let’s go!”
“Clothes,” Caleb managed to protest.
“Who needs clothes?”
“Me!” Caleb managed to pull his wrist free of Jester’s grasp and scoop up his abandoned clothes with one arm. His outer layers and everything important were back in his room, but he didn’t want to leave things in the bath room to get taken.
“We’ll get fresh clothes in your room, but I want to nap in my bed,” Jester said, in a tone that invited no challenges. Caleb nodded and followed her down the hallway, watching Jester’s skirts swish as she skipped past each door, her tail bobbing behind her. She stopped outside of Caleb and Nott’s room, gesturing for Caleb to go in and get changed. Caleb wandered into the room, sat down on the bed, and decided that he didn’t want to get up. The warm water of the bath and the gentle washing had made him too sleepy, and there was no way he was budging.
“Caaaaleb,” Jester whined from the doorway. “I want to go to my room!” Caleb ignored her, leaning back on the mattress and wrapping his blanket tighter around him. It was soft and perfect and he wasn’t leaving, no matter how loudly Jester protested. “Caaaaleb!!” Although her voice was rather disturbing the tranquility of the room. “Nap in my room! Get your clothes!”
With a huff, Caleb rolled sideways off the bed and managed to collect a few items of clothing, stumbling towards Jester in the doorway and accepting the hand she had stretched out towards him. She pulled him down the hallway and into the room that the girls shared, shutting the door behind them before jumping at the double bed with an impressive leap and rolling across it in a blur of petticoats and skirts.
“Sleepover, Caleb!” Jester popped back up to sitting, and patted the bed beside her enthusiastically. Caleb wandered over and she pulled him down on the mattress with a little more force than necessary. It was very comfortable, Caleb acknowledged. Maybe even more comfortable than the bed in his room. He wiggled back and forth to get himself properly wrapped up in his blanket, and then let his head rest against the covers of the bed. Jester was arranging herself beside him, wrapping one arm over his swaddled side and pulling him back against her. She was inhumanly warm, impossibly cozy, and as she started to hum a quiet song, Caleb felt his eyes drifting closed.
--
“Oh, that was nothing, remember the time that she decided to drop a box of manure on that priest of the Allhammer?”
“Classic!”
“Y’all think Jester is a troublemaker now, you should see her when she���s feeling little,” Fjord offered to the discussion. “No one is safe.”
“Jester’s a somechild?” Molly asked, leaning forwards. “I’m surprised I didn’t realize sooner.”
“Oh yeah. She isn’t little often.” Fjord finished his drink and wiggled it in the air for a refill. ��Sweetest thing but a handful for anyone. I met her when she was little, actually.”
“Are somechildren more common where you come from?” Nott asked.
“Yeah, the Menagerie Coast is a lot better about them,” Fjord said. “Nicodranas has a whole district dedicated to them, and it’s the loudest part of the city. Empire kids come there all the time for a break, I hear.”  
“Most of the Empire’s not big on them,” Beau confirmed. “Never understood why, I think they’re sweet. And it doesn’t stop Jester from being the most badass tiefling I’ve ever met—no offence, Molly.”
“Jester can have the baddest ass as long as I have the sweetest,” Mollymauk laughed. “Also, I bet I could take Jester in a fight.” Beau made a doubtful sound. “What, don’t believe me? I’ll go and get her now, settle it here.”
“Fuck yeah!” Beau sprang to her feet. “I’ll come with you and get her.”
“Two gold on Molly,” Nott muttered to Fjord.
“I’ll take that bet. He’s gonna go easy on her.”
“You clearly don’t know him well enough,” Yasha interjected. “He doesn’t go easy on anyone over the age of fifteen.”
“Either way, I think we’ll be spending our bet money repairing the bar if we don’t convince them to take it outside,” Fjord pointed out, and made to follow the two who’d already left. The others brought their drinks, but trailed obediently up the stairs to watch the outcome.
--
“They only need to drink every few days, and retrieve much of their hydration from the plant matter they consume.” Jester giggled at Caleb’s fancy words, focused on the drawing that she was working on. “They can eat up to seventy-five stones worth of vegetation in a single day, but do not kill the trees they feed on.”
“They eat stones?” Jester asked, reaching for a different colour.
“Nein!” Caleb laughed. “Die bäume! Leaves!”
“Ohhhh.” Jester added a rock anyways in the grass. “Keep reading!”
“Um… The trees of the area are best known for their wide leaves, and their layered appearance.” Caleb’s voice was different when he was reading, his accent lighter with the care he used in pronouncing each word. Jester looked critically at the tree she had already drawn and was about to start on another one when the door opened.
“Here they are!” Molly’s voice came from behind her.
Jester turned with a smile, putting down the stick of pigment that she had been using to draw. “Hi Molly! Caleb is teaching me about South Marquet! Have you ever seen a giraffe?”
“Can’t say that I have, sweetheart.” Molly leaned himself against the doorframe, all sparkly and pretty. Jester wanted to draw a star on his cheek, but she would have to wait until he was asleep, probably. “Have you?”
“I saw one in a cage once! It looked like this!” Jester showed Molly her drawing.
“Hmm, that’s pretty neat.” Molly came closer to look at it. “You’re a very good artist, Jester.”
“I know I am!” Jester had to lean around Molly’s legs to look at Caleb. He was curled up on the bed with a pile of blankets around him, a big book open on his lap. He’d stopped reading when Molly came in and now he looked like he was trying to hide himself in the blankets. “Caleb, what are you doing?”
Jester received no answer, only a muffled squeak from the pile of blankets. She pushed herself to her feet, ready to go extract her friend from his hiding place, but Fjord walked in the door and she froze, tucking her hands behind her back and puffing out her chest.
Fjord’s gaze travelled over the room before landing on her, and he sighed. “Jester, you know you’re supposed to come and find me when you’re little.”
“I’m not!” Jester protested. “I’m big!”
“Uh-huh. Because I know for a fact that big Jester wouldn’t be very happy to get pigment all over her nice blue dress, and tends to use paper like a big girl, and not draw on the walls of an inn that she’ll have to pay for.” Jester glanced back at her drawing, which was indeed on the wall of the room.
“That was Caleb,” she tried. “I didn’t do it.”
“Oh.” Fjord nodded understandingly. “And did he get pigments on your dress as well?”
“Yep!” Jester bobbed her head. Thank goodness, he was going for it! Maybe Caleb would get in trouble and she would get to watch.
“Alright.” Fjord got really close to her, all unfairly tall and wide and green. “Let me see your hands.” Jester hesitated, but when Fjord put his hands out, palms-up, she obediently put her hands into his. He traced the lines of colour on her palms, showing where she had held the sticks of pigment. “That’s what I thought.” He dropped Jester’s hands and she hunched her shoulders, embarrassed at being caught in the lie. It wasn’t her fault! Fjord was just really smart. That was why he was going to the Academy when they got there!
“You ready to be honest with me?” Jester nodded her head wordlessly. “That’s good. Are you little, Jester?” Jester couldn’t help pouting at the question, but she nodded anyways. “Thank you. And why are you supposed to come and get me when you’re little?”
“Cause it’s dangerous,” Jester sighed. “And I could get hurt.”
“That’s right.” Fjord put a hand on the top of her head, right between her curved horns. “We’re visiting the Empire right now, and they aren’t as friendly as in Nicodranas, so it’s important to stick close.”
“Okay.” She didn’t know why they were visiting the stupid Empire anyways when people in Nicodranas were so much more fun. Stupid Empire. Stupid Fjord.
“Where’s Caleb gone, anyways?”
Jester lifted her head to see that Molly had left the room at some point, and Caleb had effectively hidden himself in the blankets, with only the still-open book poking out from the pile.
“He’s playing hide and seek!” She shook off Fjord’s hand and bounced towards the bed. “Caaaleb, I’m coming to find you!” Caleb stayed quiet, but Jester knew where he was. She pounced on the pile and sure enough it squirmed underneath her, trying to push her off.
“Lass den Quatsch!!” she heard Caleb protesting, and she rolled off with a giggle, helping him remove the blankets. Once Caleb was revealed, he was pouting, his hair a staticky mess from the struggle.
“Found you!” Jester pulled him in for a hug and he allowed it, wrapping his arms back around her. When she finally released him, he wriggled backwards into the blanket pile again, pulling one around his shoulders. Caleb sure liked blankets a lot!
Jester glanced over her shoulder at Fjord, who was watching them curiously without saying anything.
“Do you want to play with us? You can hide next if you want!”
Caleb made a sound like a deflating balloon and flopped forwards, his blanket covering his head.
“Stop that!” Jester pulled him back up to sitting. “You’re not supposed to hide anymore, I found you.” Caleb whined, tugging against Jester’s grasp on his blanket.
“Caleb?” Nott appeared in the doorway as if summoned by the noise, and was pushing Jester away before she could even blink.
“Hey!” Jester protested, trying to get back to Caleb.
“You were hurting him!” Nott accused, standing between them. She was eye-level with Jester like this, with Jester kneeling on the bed, and she looked super mad and scary.
“I wasn’t! He was hiding!”
“Mama?” Caleb’s voice was quiet, but Nott immediately turned to him. “She’s nice.”
“Okay. I believe you.” Nott gave Jester a second look, still not looking very friendly, and then swept Caleb up in a hug, her arms and legs wrapping around his shoulders and torso. Caleb buried his nose in her shoulder, and Jester subsided onto her butt, letting them have their moment.
“Do you want me to send them away?” Nott asked, her voice quiet. Jester was still close enough to hear the question.
Caleb shook his head, and Nott detached from him, lowering her feet to the mattress and keeping one hand on Caleb’s cheek. “Okay.”
“I understand why you were asking about the Menagerie Coast now,” Fjord said from behind them. “Didn’t realize you were a caregiver.”
“Mother,” Nott corrected him, stroking clawed fingers through Caleb’s newly clean and shiny hair. “I did tell you that he was my boy.”
“Right, right.” Fjord nodded. “I’m sorry for intruding, I didn’t know he and Jester were playing together.”
“He was telling me about giraffes!” Jester said, pointing to her art again.
“He’s a very clever boy, isn’t he?” Nott sounded proud. Jester thought she was probably a really good mom. She could tell those kinds of things about people.
“He can read all kinds of books and he doesn’t even sound really funny most of the time when he’s reading!” Jester said. Caleb made a ‘hmph’ sound. “I mean, he doesn’t sound funny at all ever!” she added. “He’s really smart.”
Caleb’s hands reached for the book, pulling it onto his lap and hugging it to his chest.
“Would you read to me again?” Jester asked, scooting forwards on the bed. “I was really enjoying it.”
“Do you want some paper for your illustrations this time?” Fjord asked, already holding it out in her direction.
“Yeah!” Jester stretched her arms out and waited for Fjord to bring it over. “I can make you more pictures!”
“Mm-hm.” Caleb opened the book and spent a few seconds flicking through the pages before settling on one, looking up and waiting for everyone to settle down. Fjord closed the door and took a seat on the floor by the bed once Jester’s paper had been delivered, joining the audience for Caleb’s story. Caleb glanced nervously at him, and then up at Nott standing beside him.
“You are very good at reading,” Nott told him. “But you don’t have to.”
Caleb cleared his throat, put one finger under the line he was reading, and started again. “The trees in the region are best known for their wide leaves and layered appearance.” Jester started on her drawing, all four of them settling in for an unplanned quiet evening.
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gvf-imagine · 5 years ago
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Weekend with Jake
——————————
You and the boys relaxed in Jake and Josh’s basement, it was a calm saturday afternoon and most of your free time was spent with these men in this basement. They were your friends, your best friends even. Sam was the first one you met , he was in your biology class to which you both showed up late and were paired together to dissect a frog. Which you both protested, instead of cutting up a poor frog you and him talked about music the whole class hour. You failed the class but gained a friend, well four friends after he introduced you to his brother’s that lunch period. That was a few years ago now, back in freshman year. Now you're all seniors, who barely attended school. The boys at least had good reason, they were investing their time in their band. You just didn't want to go to school if your friends weren't there, you did what you needed to graduate and coasted through the rest.
“Thirsty?” Jake inquires , noticing you'd been quiet for a while. You didn't realize any of them had spoken; you were adrift in reflections of the past.
“Yeah I could go for some soda” you answer, offering him a kind smile, he grins back and hops off the black suede couch, his imprint still left in the cushion next to you. You hadn't noticed the warm presence of his body heat until it was gone. He moved across the room and jogged up the stairs headed for the kitchen.
“I'm bored” Danny utters, looking at an old magazine. He let it fall out of his grip and settle lightly on his lap.
“Me too” Sam announces, he had been situated in the corner of the room and was fiddling around with his Bass, he often played small compositions to himself. You looked to Josh who you expected would be the next to say something, he was far too enthralled with his phone to even regard that any of you were here.
Jake's footsteps descended the stairs before he hopped over the back of the couch landing perfectly in his fading imprint.
“Here you go!” he voices handing you the cold can. You grab it and inspect the label, your eyebrows peak up towards your forehead in thought.
“You got me diet?” you inquire looking to him. His face goes pale and panic fills his chocolate brown eyes. He shifts his weight on the couch, adjusting his posture. He gulps telling you his throat went dry. You tried your hardest not to laugh, but couldn't help it. It was cute seeing him all flustered at the thought of insulting you.
“Jakey, I'm just kidding, I prefer diet, thank you” the words escape your lips and Jake sighs with relief sneaking in a small chuckle as well.
“Good….because I didn't mean anything by bringing you diet, I mean I know you like it but I dont - I dont think youre ya know, I don't thi- you look really good to me like you don't have to change anything about your- I just-” you put your finger to his mouth, his haphazard words coming to a stop.
“Thank you Jake” you speak softly, you knew what he was trying to say.
“Let's go swimming” Josh proposes, finally lifting his eyes from his phone. You had almost forgotten what you were talking about.
“Swimming? We don't have a pool” Sam replies, setting his base back in its case. Josh shrugs looking at his tall, slim, younger brother.
“no , but the neighbors do and they're out of town” he offers with a sly grimace.
“Problem solved” Danny chimes perking up with a toothy grin.
“I’m in” Jake replies nodding.
“(y/n)?” Josh asks, they all look at you in waiting. Your eyes flicker between the four of them.
“Sure….but I don't have a bathing suit” you realize.
“That's ok you can just wear your birthday suit” Josh winks. Your eyes roll, as they often did in Josh's direction.
“You can borrow Ronnies,here come on I'll take you to her room” Jake offers, touching your shoulder gently indicating it was time to stand. You agree and follow him up the stairs and down the hall to her room. You walked in and it smelled just like her, vanilla and cashmere , her signature perfume scent. Jake looks around the room and silence settles in the air he looks over to you his hand tucked snugly in his back pockets.
“Here it's right here….dont worry its clean '' he says pulling the bikini out of Ronnie's drawer. You look at it as he hands it to you , it was the color of strawberry milk, which you liked, it was also a two piece, which you didn't like.
“Oh it's a bikini” you utter, you didn't mean to say it out loud. You did not usually wear bikinis , you didn't feel very comfortable in them, especially not in front of four boys. You just didn't feel like you had the right body for a bikini. Jake must have noticed your unease
“You can wear one of my shirts if you're not comfortable in just that” he offers gently. You smile and thank him but decline, you didn't want his clothes to get ruined from the chlorine.
“Ill just wear this, its no problem, plus I really wanna go swimming its hot as fuck out” you chuckle. Jake nods in agreement
“Well I'd better go change too” he announces, leaving you alone in the room. You slip your clothes off and shuffle into the bikini. You looked at yourself in the mirror that hung on the back of Ronnie's door. You didn't look as horrible as you thought you would have, but you were still kind of nervous about the guys seeing you like this, they'd never seen you in such a small amount of clothing.
“Most of your body will be underwater, they'll only see you for a moment” you give yourself a small pep talk.
“Come on (y/n) were leaving!” you hear danny call from the living room. With a fortifying breath you give yourself one last look and walk out of the room. You make a pit stop in the bathroom and grab a towel to wrap around your body , you grabbed an extra four for the guys as well. The soft shag carpeting of the bath mat in the bathroom grounded you and calmed you.
“Just getting some towels!” you yell down assuming they heard you. You had the towels and you were ready to go, butterflies slammed incessantly into the sides of your stomach, begging to be released.
You walked down the stairs and found the guys waiting by the front door.
“Alright let's go” Josh says as he turns the bronze door knob, the sun gleamed in the sky, you squinted trying to combat its powerful rays.
“Jesus christ” Sam spat holding his hand up above his eyes.
“Good day for swimming,” Danny adds as you all walked towards the backyard, the neighbor in question was a few houses down. The warm soft grass felt inviting on the bottoms of your feet the sun bathed your skin with warmth like a hug from mother nature herself.
The pool was actually pretty big, you were almost surprised something like this was in someone's backyard and not on an episode of ‘cribs’. The boys begin pulling their shirts off with no thought , you were almost jealous at how little they had to worry about their bodies. You, on the other hand, were a little more reluctant. A few droplets of water hit your face as Jake jumps in the pool, then Danny then sam.
“Come on” Josh nudges you before joining his brothers. You watch them with a smile before dropping your towel , slowly. Jake was watching you intently only with his head visible above water. His lips part and his tongue smooths across them as he takes in the sight of you. His hair was wet and small drops of water cascaded down his face, he didn't seem to notice he was too engaged with you. You didn't see him looking at you at first and the first person to say anything was danny.
“Jesus…” he muttered, in a good way you had hoped.
“I'll take that as a compliment Daniel” you chime walking closer to the pool, using the ladder to slowly dip yourself in the refreshing water. It wasn't too cold or too hot, it was perfect and your body thanked you for it.
The guys swam around for a while, all of you splashing each other, laughing and probably being far too loud to go unnoticed by the other neighbors but none of you cared. It was freeing to be in the water, all your worries fade with every splash , ebb and flow just like the artificial waves Josh and Sammy were causing while wrestling in the water. You felt something grab your leg and pull you under before you could let out a sound. You smile when you see Jake's long hair floating aimlessly in the clear blue water, he waves to you then brings his hand to his lips and blows you a kiss before resurfacing. You stayed under a few seconds longer than followed him up. The noise of the outside world filling your ears once again. Jake flipped his hair out of his face, you watched in slow motion as droplets of water flung of the tips. You couldn’t help but take not of how attractive Jake is, his smooth sun kissed skin covered in droplets of water racing down his body
Stop stop stop.
You pull your eyes away from him , you could swear you saw him smile.
Your heart was fluttering in your chest, you hadn’t felt like this before about Jake, you’ve always seen him as a best friend. The night went on and now you and Jake found yourselves back at his house , upstairs on the balcony that was attached to his second floor bedroom.
“You want a drink?” He questions
“Wine?” You inquire with a smile.
“Yes ma’am, your favorite too, pink moscato” he returns the smile. You were at the kiszkas so often for dinner they’d always kept a bottle of your favorite wine in their liquor cabinet. Jake stepped out of his room and downstairs. You turned your attention to the sky. Pinks and oranges painted across the lazy sky as the sun began to set. You closed your eyes, your body tired from spending the day in the hot sun. The clinking of glasses brings you back to a more present state of mind. Your eyes flicker up to Jake who stood over you, holding a wine glass out to you , once you took it he returned to the wooden patio chair he was sitting on.
He poured your drink first and then his, the wind gently blowing his hair. You took a sip of the sweet and tart liquid, it was ice cold and delicious.
Your eyes find their way back to the sky.
“What a beautiful view” you chime to no one in particular. Jake looks to you, he watches the wind sweep through your hair , his eyes scan your profile lingering on your lips.
“Yeah...you’re gorgeous” he says , his words softly float out of his mouth.
“I means ITS- it’s a gorgeous...view” he corrects himself quickly, he curses himself under his breath. You pretend like you didn’t hear the first part but you did and it made your stomach flip. Did he really think you’re gorgeous?
“Are you sleeping over?” He asks, taking another drink from his glass. You mull the idea over in your head.
“Do you want me to?” You respond , a loaded question.
Jake catches this and smiles at you.
“Of course” he coos. This would not be the first time you slept over so it wasn’t a big deal.
The rest of the guys were downstairs drinking around the fire pit, you could see them from where you were sitting.
“Wanna join them?” Jake asks, noticing you gazing down at them.
“Sure!” You chime. The two of you grab your drinks and make your way to the fire pit.
“We should make s’mores” you propose making a pit stop in the kitchen. You open the cupboards looking for graham crackers and some chocolate bars. Marshmallows were on top of the fridge as always.
“Here I can carry that” Jake offers, taking the food from your hands , such a gentleman. His fingertips gently brush against yours and by the look in his sparkling eyes you couldn’t help but wonder if it was intentional.
“There they are,” Josh exclaims as you and Jake sat down. You sat next to Danny who welcomed you with a side hug and a kind smile. Jake sat across from you with Sammy. Flames of blazing heat separating the two of you, obstructing your view of him.
“We brought snacks” Jake chimes tossing the marshmallows to Sam who tore the bag open happily.
Conversation flowed as easily as the drinks, the sun was gone now, the heat of the alcohol was all you needed to keep you warm. The five of you spent a few hours around that fire landing you all in a drunken stooper.
“Well...I think I’m gonna go to bed ladies” you say, struggling to stand up. Danny holds your arm stabilizing you. You turn and give him a good night hug, his hand brushes up and down your back as he says goodnight. You take a lap hugging each of them , all of them saying goodnight. You stumble again as you walk towards the house.
“I’ll help her” Jake says standing to his feet, you feel his hand lay above your hip bone and his other hand grab your arm as he stands behind you holding you up.
“Went a little heavy on the wine huh girl?” He laughs as he moves you through the house.
“Yeah” you slur.
“Think you can make it up the stairs?” He asks, trying to catch your gaze. You shrug. He chuckles and just picks you up bridal style , carrying you gracefully up the stairs. He sets you down on his bed gently, his mattress shapes to your body , you feel him drape a thick comforter over you , his body weight settling next to you. He brushes your hair out of your face and kisses you softly, reluctantly on the cheek. It felt right, being here with him in this bed , with his arms wrapped around you , your body against his, his face nuzzled into your neck planting kisses on your shoulder. He whispers a soft goodnight.
The next morning you woke up to an empty bed, it took you a moment to realize where you were, your head pounded , the night before still knocking against your brain.
Jake was nowhere to be found , well, at least in the bedroom. You squint your eyes as the sun gleamed through the blinds
“Good morning” Jake voices as he steps into the room carrying a tray with breakfast foods laid out attractively.
“I brought you breakfast, I bet you’re feeling pretty rough” he chuckles as he sets the tray down so it’s stationed across your lap. You smile at the plate of delicious food in front of you and then turn to Jake.
“Oh Jake this is so sweet, thank you so much”
“You’re welcome girl….I made it all myself” he adds.
“Well here we can share” you chime scooting over so he could get closer, he wasted no time doing so.
You rest your head on his chest as he takes a drink of juice.
It all felt right, for the first time in your life everything felt right.
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kylo-rens-scar · 4 years ago
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Weekend (Clyde Logan x Reader) 6k (!!!)
Note: Two years of extreme on and off writing and now I finally have something! Answering the prompt of “I'm so excited to see this and currently am looking forward! :D How about something fluffy as a good start for the audience?” from @creamyvanillalove Hope you and everyone enjoys it! This is actually part of a series of multiple one-shots I have cooking, because thinking about my dream life with Clyde Logan has been one of the only constants in my life for the past few years.
Sleeping in until 10 am on a Saturday was something rare in the Logan household especially with 22 month old triplets. Clyde came home around 2:30 from the bar and was still sleeping. You kiss him on the cheek and get out of bed, making your way to the bathroom. You throw on some yoga pants and wash your face. It’s surprisingly quiet in the house, and you thank the lord above the boys are still asleep. You have some much needed emails to catch up on.
You walk into the kitchen and turn on the coffee, and start to think what to make for breakfast today. You spot some overly ripe bananas Clyde swore he was going to eat a few days ago when you bought them, and yet there they were. Banana pancakes it is then. The boys are not too picky with breakfast so this would be easy for everyone. And Clyde would finally eat the bananas.
You are finally able to sit down at the dining room table to check your email when the first fussing is heard from matts monitor.
You make your way to his room and slowly open the door to find him standing up in his crib, rubbing his sleepy eyes and scrunching his face
“Good morning sweet boy,” you coo as you grab his glasses and put them on him. He yawns and makes grabby hands up at you and you pick him up. After quickly changing his diaper, you scoop him back up and carry him to the upstairs family room. You put Matt on the couch and turned the tv on quietly to Paw Patrol. Someday, you want to get they boys a dog, but they’re too young. Matt is immediately engaged to what ever show is on and you go back to finally checking your email.
Ben is the next to get up, but he sounds more of screaming bloody murder when he wakes up, something you pray to god he grows out of. And as usual, he’s fine, nothing’s wrong with him. As soon as you open his bedroom door, the screaming stops and regular crying begins. Very typical of Ben. The crying turns into sniffles when you pick him up.
After another quick diaper change, ben is plopped down next to Matt, both now engaged in the morning cartoon. Taking after his father, you know kylo will very much sleep until noon or later, so you let him sleep a little longer, so you can get to those dang emails.
——
About halfway through your inbox, you hear shuffling downstairs, and then slow footsteps up the stairs. He walks up to Matt and Ben an ruffles their hair before sitting down next to you on the couch. They boys were too engaged in to the tv to really notice their father. Clyde puts his arm around you then kisses your temple. You’re finishing up you last reply and smile.
“Where’s kylo?” Clyde yawns.
“Still sleeping, I checked on him when I got the other two up and he was still sound asleep.”
“Hmmph” he grunts as he sips some of his coffee. Clyde isn’t that big of a morning person, especially after a long night at the bar.
You close your computer and and stretch. Y’all have a busy day today and you were pretty sure Clyde didn’t hear you last night about it.
“Honey you and the boys are getting hair cuts this afternoon then we have that football tailgate party with the colwells tonight but before then I have to run to the store and get some things for them. I told Them I’d bring dessert and some tortilla chips. Clyde did you even hear a word I said?”
“Huh? Yeah I got everythin’ what time we leaving?”
“I’m hopin’ by 1:45, your sister said anytime after 1:30 was fine for us to head over to the salon”
“Why ain’t you getting you’re hair done?”
“Because I get mine done during the week when the boys are at daycare”
“Huh”
The two of you sit in comfortable silence for a little bit, Clyde was still waking up and the boys were still glued to the tv, with occasional chatter from them. It was about 11:15 and you decided to get Kylo up finally. You told Clyde to bring Matt and Ben downstairs for breakfast while you woke up the last triplet.
———
Kylo was sound asleep still when you walked into his room. You opened the binds slowly to let the sunshine in. He stretched and yawned, then standing in his crib with a sleepy smile.
Kylo was the furthest along in potty training. He usually could hold it in at night and sometimes let you know when he had to go. Matt was the next furthest but usually didn’t have a dry night or could hold it in time to tell you. He tries as best he can but gets frustrated a lot. And then Ben showed absolutely no interest yet.
It was another dry night so after you took his diaper off you set him on his training potty. You praised him after he went and you let him put a sticker on the potty poster before heading back down with the rest of your family.
Clyde had Ben sitting on the counter, Matt in one arm and had a carton of eggs in his other hand. Ben was just about to get into the flour before you quickly whisked it away from his reach. Disappointed, Ben huffed and crossed his arms and looked at the ground, something he copied from Clyde a couple months ago. You ruffled his hair and helped Clyde by taking the egg carton and giving him kylo.
“Darlin I had things under control down here, we was just about to start fixin breakfast.” He protested
“You can help by putting the kids in their seats and getting their sippy cups.” You reply, kissing his cheek. “also kylo had another dry night!”
“Good job bud!” Clyde says and kisses his forehead.
With breakfast underway and the boys settled down in their seats, Clyde takes a moment to stare out into the backyard. He noticed the leaves in the tree line were beginning to rust into beautiful crimsons and oranges. Fall is Clyde’s favorite season. The changing of the leaves, cooler days, shorter days, warm drinks, you’d think he’s a basic white girl. Some mornings he’d see some turkey or deer rummaging in the grass, even a black bear once. This morning was quiet out there, nothing to be seen.
“Clyde honey, are you okay? I’ve been callin at ya for the past few minutes” You ask walking up him an putting your hand on his arm.
“Wha? Yea I’m fine darlin’, just zoned out for a lil bit. Sorry I wasn’t paying attention.” He apologized and kissed your cheek.
“Well breakfast is ready and we got a big day ahead of us.”
———
After breakfast, you take the boys to your bathroom to bathe them and you send Clyde upstairs to get their outfits. You were smart enough the night before when you put the boys to sleep that you had their clothes out and ready.
Bathing three squirmy little boys was something you managed to master very quickly. Each one liked doing their own thing in the bath. Matt enjoys drawing with the bath crayons on the tub wall, Ben likes any kind of bath toys and Kylo prefers the bathtub stickers. Kylo is usually first, then Matt, and finally Ben. As each little one was finished you wrapped them in their towels and sat them on your vanity bench in the bathroom. Most of the time they will sit there and wait for Clyde to get them ready one by one, but sometimes they crawl down and scamper off to the closet and get into trouble. Today was one of those days.
Matt was sitting perfectly content on the bench with Kylo until he spotted his daddy’s shiny new belt buckle on the closet floor. Clyde won it at the fair a few weeks ago in the arm wrestling tournament.
Clyde was still upstairs grabbing the boys clothes at this point and you just started rinsing the shampoo out of Ben’s hair when Matt bounded towards the closet. Kylo was thankfully still on the bench and looked like he wasn’t moving off.
“Matthew James, you best not be getting into trouble in there...” you warn as you finish washing ben.
After discovering the shiny object and carefully inspecting it, Matt decided to run over to show you. But the towel was in the way and Matt tripped on it, causing him face plant straight onto the bathroom rug, followed by crying. You come to his rescue and scooped him into your arms. Clyde is back downstairs and walked into the bathroom to investigate the commotion. Ben and Kylo were wrapped in towels on the bench, both sliding off and shuffling over to Clyde.
“I’ll get these two ready?” He asked, herding the boys out of the bathroom.
“Please, Clyde. We might be a minute” you reply.
Matt has tears streaming down his face, and you see the worst possible place he got a rug burn: his chin. And to top it off, the burn was very much indeed raw. Ouch. Wrapping Matt back up in his towel you sit him down on your counter and open the first aid drawer. His chin and left palm had carpet burns.
“It’s gonna be okay baby, just a couple of little boo boos, hmm?” You try to reassure him.
After the small fiasco and a couple bandaids later, you and Matt emerge from the bathroom, Matt still bundled up in his towel. You hand him over to Clyde, who kissed Matt on the cheek and Clyde started to get him ready while you got dressed and ready yourself.
———
“Darlin I got all three ready to go, should I start loadin everyone in the car yet?” Clyde asked, peering into your closet. You were getting your boots on.
“Yes babe thank you I’ll be right out. I’ll text mellie we’re heading out now.” You nod, grabbing your coat. While making sure you had everything before heading out to the garage, mellie texted back, telling you not to rush. You get out to the suv to see Clyde in the passenger seat, turned around towards the boys with a stern look on his face. As you open the door you are greeted with a chorus of crying.
“BEN QUIT SMACKIN YOUR BROTHER HE AINT DONE NOTHIN WRONG TO YA!” Clyde bellowed to the back seat as you stepped into the drivers seat.
“What in the world has happened in the 10 minutes I was gone? Hmm?” You ask your husband.
“I swear everythin was for fine, Ben started smacking Kylo for lord knows why then Kylo hit back and also took Matt’s stuffed animal and threw it into your footbed.” Clyde motioned towards your feet.
Nodding, you pick up the stuffed animal giving it back to Matt. Like Clyde, you turn around in you seat to look at the boys. “Now, I don’t wanna have any more crocodile tears in this car or for the rest of today, got it?” You chide, elbowing Clyde for support.
“Uhh yeah boys, don’t get momma upset today.” he adds.
Knowing that little pep talk probably did nothing for them, but it was the thought that counts, you face the front again and start up your car. The boys remained quiet, except for the occasional unintelligible babble to one another, which was normal. Clyde was adjusting his prosthetic, humming contently when it was to his liking.
———
When you got to the salon, you saw that Ben had fallen back asleep on the drive. You gently get him out of his seat first and pass him over to Clyde, along with the diaper bag. Matt and Kylo were easy to get out of the car, but Matt insisted on being carried in, not loosening his grip on your top. Locking the car, you and your family walk in to the salon to see mellie near her chair, checking her phone. She looks up to Clyde and immediately comments on his hair.
“Good lord almighty Clyde, you’re growin a mop! According to my records it’s been 8 dang months since you last been here and honey it shows.” She says.
“Now Mellie you and I both know you done cut it too damn short last time so I been lettin it grow out again, short hair don’t suit me. My ears stick out.” Clyde huffed.
“Well then how ya want it done then? Last time you said ‘shorten it up for me, it keeps bothering me at work’ and now you said it was too short!”
“I dunno, just don’t do what ya did last time I guess?!”
“Clyde Logan of you don’t tell me ima buzz all it off!”
“Okay fine then, ask Y/N!”
The both turn towards you, Clyde lookin all worked up and mellie looking annoyed at her brother. You crack a smile and roil your eyes.
“Wet is head down first and then let’s go from there?” You offer.
“Sounds good to me, who’s first?” She replies, looking to all your boys.
“I think we’ll start with mister Matthew, but he’s gonna have to sit on my lap it seems like. He tripped this mornin after bath time, and now he doesn’t wanna go near the floor now.” You sigh, stroking Matts blonde curls.
Matt was very anxious during his haircut, lots of squirming and tears. It’s something that has happened the past couple of times, and you and Clyde were a little concerned. You make a mental note to call the doctor about it. Ben was next and was very good in the chair. He just loved the attention, from Aunt Mellie, Clyde, and you. Kylo was calm too, but his hair grows really slow so he didn’t have much cut.
All three boys had different haircuts, with Kylos the longest and Bens is the shortest, with Matt being in the middle of the two.
Clyde was last to go, you pull up a picture of him from a while back to show Mellie a desired length. Clyde asked to look but both you and his sister declined his request, saying that it was gonna be fine. Clyde argued that it’s his hair and his head so he should be able choose his hair style.
You narrow your eyes at him, “Clyde William Logan I swear on the lord himself, you are actin far worse than the boys right now! Now you need to trust me and your sister and if you don’t we’re gonna just buzz all of it off!” You snap. He sighs in defeat and nods, finally letting go of the whole situation.
After all of the boys had their hair cut and styled, you tried squaring away the bill with your sister in law. That was impossible because all she said “y’all are my family I don’t need to be chargin’ ya’ll!” She laughed.
“You sure? They were extra rowdy I don’t want it to be any trouble to you!” You say, trying to hand her $40.
“oh stop it, you’re gonna start insulting me!” She retorted.
You roll your eyes and put the money back in your wallet. “ Alright then, at least come over for supper one night? It’s the least we can do.” You know mellie can’t resist your beef brisket or your Mac n cheese.
“Oh alright!” She finally agrees.
———
“Darlin are you sure you know where ya goin? I thought cooper and them was on the other side of town,” Clyde commented when you pulled out of the salon.
“No babe they do I just gotta run into the Kroger and grab the chips”
“I thought you was bringing a dessert too?”
“You’re right I am. The boys and I made cookies and brownies yesterday afternoon but I already put them in the back of my car this morning when I woke up. “
“Okay, what kinda cookies y’all bake?”
“Just sugar, the boys helped decorated for about 7 minutes before they got restless so only a few look a little crazy. I did the rest when they went to bed.”
“Ya think I can tell who did what cookies?” Clyde smirks.
“Oh definitely,” you giggle.
Once you guys were pulling into the driveway, you see one of the dogs trailing you to the side of your suv.
“Who is it Clyde? I didn’t catch the fur color too well.” You ask.
“I think it’s Hank, he’s the pointer, right?”
“Yeah he’s the pointer, keep an eye out that he doesn’t get too close to the car.”
“Mommy mommy mommy!” You hear Matt from the back.
“Yes baby what’s the matter?” You glance in the rear view mirror.
“Potty mommy!” He whines.
“Okay okay we’re almost there, you can make it Matt,” you try to encourage him as you pull up to a grassy spot in the side yard.
“If you wanna run him in you can, I’ll try to get everyone else organized.” Clyde offers as you open your door.
“Thank you babe that’d be great,” you say unbuckling Matt.
“Mommy...!” Matt reaches out for you. You grab the diaper bag too and run inside. You say your ‘hey y’all clydes coming in with the boys’ and ‘gimme one second we have a potty situation’ as you b-line it to the powder bathroom with Matthew in you arms.
Before even getting the door closed you see Matt scrunch his face and tense up his body- it was too late. You sigh. Even though he still had his diaper on, you sit him on the toilet to finish and go through with the motion of using the toilet. You still praise him and even flush the toilet together
Matt starts crying when you change him. You have a feeling it’s because he didn’t make it in time again to the toilet. You feel bad for him, you know he is trying his best but he can’t seem to get the hang of letting you or Clyde know in time. It’s just something you will have to work on with him.
“Shh it’s okay baby mommy isn’t upset. I’m happy you let me know you had to go potty,” you try to calm him down. He stops crying after a little bit and you kiss him on the cheek.
You pick Matt up again to carry him to his brothers and the rest of the kids. They were all in the basement playing various things. Ben and kylo were with some older boys playing with trucks. You set Matt down with them and ruffled your other two boys hair before heading back up. All three were entertained with the others so you let them be.
As you headed back up to everyone else you see Clyde talking with cooper and lance. You grab a beer from one of the coolers and walk over to Clyde. He kisses your head and puts his arm around you.
“Didn’t sound good from what I got to hear” he sighed.
“Yeah poor thing didn’t make it again. He needs to tell us sooner, I think he hasn’t connected that he needs to tell us way before versus right before.” You leave it at that.
“Mhmm. I brought everythin in too. Game got pushed to 5:30 cuz rain I think.
“Oh ok.” You respond. You take a sip of beer before properly saying hello to everyone else.
A little into the first quarter you send Clyde down to check on the boys and give them some sippy cups. He comes back up with nothing unusual to report, everyone is still content. With that, you decide to get some food for yourself.
———
At halftime you are talking with Maggie and Carter about the fall carnival at school when you see ben crawling up the stairs and heading straight to you.
“MAMMA MAMMA!!!” He wailed as you picked him up, not sure if he was ok or not.
“Yes little man what’s wrong?” You ask, looking for anything off.
“Food?” He asks, pointing to the counter with all the food.
“Of course baby. Do you know if brothers want food too?” You ask him.
“Yea.” Ben nods, pointing to the other two who were making their way up the stairs too.
You set him back on the ground and walked over to the plates, getting one for each and getting them a few things. All three are at you feet, on their tip toes to see what foods there are. You ignore their begging for straight desserts and chips, and scold at them for trying to reach up for food too.
“Cmon guys, let’s get over to the table” you say as they follow you back to where you were sitting. All three fit on the bench seat together so you helped each one up and gave them their plate. Once they were all eating and have mostly quiet down, you sat back down and took a sip of your beer. Both Maggie and carter looked shocked at what they just watched you orchestrated.
“Girl how in the world do you do it with triplets? It looked like y’all rehearsed this or something before y’all got here! I am so impressed with your patience and mom skills.” Carter laughed.
“Yeah that’s more impressive than the game honestly,” Maggie adds.
“Awe well thanks y’all. I can tell you it’s not always this organized, every once and a while all three seem to be on the same wave length and they’ll listen. And I’m even impressed considering they did not get a chance to nap before getti- Kylo do not grab food off Matt’s plate you have the exact same thing on yours!” You snapped over to the boys.
“See? It’s not always perfect.” You suppressed a giggle.
———
After the game was over, everyone still stayed behind a little while longer to socialize and help clean up. The kids were all back downstairs watching a movie, with most of young ones passed out on the floor with some blankets.
You head downstairs about 10 to see how your boys were. Sure enough they were still up, eyes glued to the tv. Getting them ready for church tomorrow was going to be fun.
You head back up to get Clyde to help you get the kids. He yawns and follows you down, stealing a kiss at the stairs landing. You turn the lights on downstairs and announce to all the kids it time and Clyde added “yea y’all better hurry I heard y’all’s parents are gonna leave without ya!” He says with a straight face. All the kids scramble up to their own parents, all with looks of fear of being left.
“CLYDE WHATCHA TELLIN MY KIDS DOWN THERE??” You two hear lance yell down. Clyde bursts into a roar of laughter.
You and Clyde gather your three and their shoes, which unfortunately happened to be littered all around the basement.
“Momma?”
“Yes kylo?” You respond as you put his other shoe on.
“Go home now?”
“Yes we’re all going home now.”
“Oh okay.”
You get all the boys in their seats and start the car, Clyde still saying his goodbyes to everyone. The boys were overtired and grumpy, Matt surprisingly the worst. Clyde opens the backseat door to put the leftovers on the floor when Matt screams and tries to kick and push Clyde away from him. Ben and kylo start crying as a response.
“Ow- Matthew quit it!!” Clyde says and shuts the door, retreating to the passenger seat. “What in the hell is up with him and the other two?” Clyde asked you.
“No nap today. Get your seatbelt on so we can go. These three need to go to sleep. “ you plead.
The drive home was fun to say the least. All three boys did not fall asleep in the car and were fussy when y’all got home. You get the boys upstairs and ready for bed while Clyde gets them sippy cups of milk.
Once all three were changed for bed, Clyde was upstairs helping you get each one settled in their cribs. Kylo was the first to go down. Once he had his sippy cup he got super sleepy and was asleep in no time. Matt was next and was overtired to the point he didn’t want th lay down. He just stood up in his crib and sobbed, wanting to be picked back. You and Clyde felt bad but knew if you picked him back up it would only make it worse. You kissed his forehead and put his sippy cup in his crib with him and you let him hash it out by himself. Ben was fast asleep in clyde’s arms when he handed him to you. You kiss him on the cheek before setting him down.
With all the baby monitors on and alert, you and your husband head back down to your room. All the monitors were quiet, even Matt’s which meant he gave up and went to sleep. You sigh and kick your boots off, walking in your bathroom to take your makeup off and change out of your clothes. Clyde went off into the kitchen which meant he either went for a glass of milk or a late night snack before bed. You changed into one of his big old T-shirts he doesn’t wear that much. Partially because it’s neon green and well, Clyde doesn’t wanna look like a damn highlighter in public. He only wears it sometimes if he’s doing yard work or sick at home. All the other times it’s in your pajama drawer. Clyde doesn’t understand how that god ugly shirt looks so adorable on you, even if it goes to right above your knees and you practically are swimming in it.
You quietly head to the kitchen to see Clyde halfway through a pb&j. You lean against the island across from him and watch him eat.
“Did you not eat over there during the game?” You ask genuinely curious. Not only was there the typical game day bites, but there were also burgers and hot dogs on the grill.
“I did, I just wanted a little something before bed, wanna a bite?” He offers.
“No thank you, I’ll be in bed. Don’t forget to turn off the lights out here before coming into the bedroom.” You say, standing on your tip toes to kiss his cheek before head you the bedroom.
———
You’re settled in bed on Pinterest when Clyde walks in, leaving a trail of his clothes to the bed wearing only his boxers. He takes his prosthetic arm off and carefully places it on his night stand before getting into bed. You shut your phone off and turn to face Clyde, scooting close to him too. He leans to kiss you and you only scoot even closer to him. You drape an arm over his waist and tangle your legs with his.
“We goin to church tomorrow mornin’?” He asks, his hand starting to wander down your side.
“Not until after lunch for evening service. The boys don’t have bible nursery tomorrow morning and I already said we might not be there until the afternoon,” you say.
Clyde grunts in satisfaction with your answer. He was hoping to not have to wake up early for church.
His hand settles for your hip and he kisses your forehead. You exchange I love yous and both of you fall asleep rather quickly, in each other’s arms.
You two are both awakened to the crying coming from a monitor. You roll onto your back and rub your eyes before looking to see which child it is. You look and see it from bens, so you head upstairs to see what the fuss is all about, Clyde close behind you. Coming into his room you see his stuffed animal fell out of the crib, away from his reach. You pick up the toy and pick up ben too, kissing him on the cheek. He wraps an arm around your neck and holds the stuffed animal with the other, when you see Clyde walk in after checking the other two.
He mouths an “all good” with a thumb up, indicating Matt and kylo were still asleep. Ben quickly falls back asleep in your arms, so you put him back in his crib and head back downstairs with Clyde.
Back in bed, Clyde laid on his back while you curled up under his arm. You two fell back to sleep almost instantly.
———
The next morning, you are woken up by Clyde sliding into bed-with kylo in his arms. You blink again to see if you were still sleeping, but sure enough Clyde was putting kylo down in your bed, with ben and Matt, who were also still sleeping You close you eyes and try to fall back asleep for a little bit longer. Ben woke up first, Clyde picking him up and holding him on his lap.
“Daddy, mommy sleeping?” You hear Ben ask.
“Yeah buddy we gotta stay quiet for mommy” Clyde replied, whispering and putting a finger over his lips for him to be quiet. Ben nods.
You managed to doze back off for about 45 minutes until you feel someone crawl over you.
Barely open an eye to see its kylo, staring intensely at your face.
“Mamma? You sleeping?” He asks, poking your cheek.
“Yes baby, mommy is sleeping!” You exaggerate and flip over to you back and cover your eyes and loudly fake snore. You hear three little giggles you continue to loudly snore until you feel the other two crawl on top of you. All three were bursting with laughter as they sat on top of you. You finally exaggerate a yawn and a stretch, rubbing your eyes and acting completely surprised when to see the boys on top of you.
“What are ALL three of y’all doin!? How’d y’all get in mommy and daddy’s bed?!” You say with a fake surprised voice and look up at your husband. Clyde looked away towards the window and took an innocent sip of coffee.
————
For a moment, you thought about just not going to church today. You could say Clyde or one of the boys are sick, or even yourself. The idea was nice, but wouldn’t sit well with your conscience as the day went on. Clyde was in a good mood today, something you rarely see on a Sunday. He never cared too much for church, thought it was a waste of a day for getting dressed and then being packed into a room with people. A lot of Sunday’s it was just you and the boys who went to morning service, with Clyde showing up for lunch and afternoon activity/service. Clyde would get home at sometimes 3 in the morning from the bar so you let him sleep in.
“Babe you want me to get you coffee? Clyde offers, you nod in response. The 5 of y’all were still in bed, all cuddled up watching a Disney movie. The boys wanted to watch Tangled- for about the 15th time this past month.
“Momma? Has some?” Matt asks you, pointing at the coffee Clyde just handed you.
“No baby you can’t have any,” you calmly reply, taking a sip yourself.
“Why?” Matt presses, pouting a little.
“It’s very hot and not good for little boys” you answer.
“Why?” He asks again. You sigh, ready to answer again when Clyde butts in.
“Mommy said no Matthew,” he sternly warns him, knowing this may develop into a tantrum or the other two will get involved. It’s the later.
Ben and kylo turn to you and Clyde, now curious to try both of your coffees, with Matt still wanting the coffee too.
You look at Clyde dead in the eyes and raise a brow. “You’re coffee cooled down?” You ask him. He narrowed his eyes at you and nods, not sure of your little scheme. Clyde takes his coffee black, while you on the other hand have cream and heaps of sugar. You know if the boys tried yours they would enjoy it but if they had your husbands they most certainly would not ask to try it again for a long time.
“Alright alright y’all win, you can try Daddy’s coffee! But be careful, it’s a little hot!” You warn and Clyde hands you his mug. “Matthew you can try it first ok?” You say as Matt scoots up to you. You grab the spoon from your mug and swirl it around clydes coffee before gathering a small sip on the spoon for Matt. He took an eager sip and immediately spit it back out, all over your pajamas. He scrunches his face and you start to see some waterworks. You smile ever so slightly and Clyde chuckles and takes his coffee back. You hold Matt’s face and look at him. “See baby? Mommy said you wouldn’t like it, but you wanted to try it, which is ok! I’m glad you tried it, now you know that it’s icky.” You praise him. He nods and hugs your arm.
“Kylo? Ben? Do you want to try daddy’s coffee?” You ask the other two, both surprisingly nodding. With Matt still holding onto your arm you have Clyde hold the coffee mug while you used the spoon to feed them the coffee. Kylo just made a sour face and pushed the spoon and mug away after he tried it. Ben took the whole spoonful and spit it up on you, then threw a fit.
“Benjamin why are you upset? Was it daddy’s coffee?” You ask, watching him roll around sobbing. You see him nod a little. “Is there a way mommy or daddy can help?” He nods again. “Baby use your words so we know what you want,” you encourage him. He lifts his head from the bed and rubs his face.
“Cuddles... Daddy,” he finally says.
“You want to cuddle with daddy?” You confirm.
“Yea,”
“C’mere bud,” Clyde offers his arm and pulls Ben into his lap. Clyde kisses his forehead once he settles. Kylo decided he wanted in on this family cuddle pile and makes his way right in between you and Clyde. Matt stopped crying too and was still curled up in your lap. You still had spit up coffee on your shirt. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling but you ignored it because you and your family were cozy, watching the same Disney movie for the umpteenth time and you wouldn’t trade this moment for the world.
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