#i do think he wants to bring about peace by wiping out ignorance

[gemkun]

i’ve been trying to identify the plant ratio is holding and i think it’s an olive branch (?) and we know the image of the dove with the olive branch so my man is a peaceful soul

[satoruhour]

toji’s reaction to seeing you in short shorts/booty shorts around the house 🏃‍♀️

PAYBACK

a/n: sorry anon i didnt exactly like how this turned out but i still hope u enjoy !!!

wc: 2.1k

warnings: sorta crack-ish in the beginning, pleasure dom toji, soft dom toji, praise, toji is obsessed w/ you, kitchen sex, clothed sex, oral (f! receiving) / cunnilingus, pussy slaps! (both w/ his hand and d!ck), fingering, clit stimulation, tit + ass fondling, unprotected sex, p → v penetration, creampie / breeding kink, brief aftercare, n*sfw under the cut

there were things that toji was good at holding back on, like telling you that you might’ve added a bit more garlic than butter for a garlic spread. he doesn’t tell you how your body heat warms him up fast and he desperately wants to pull away from you, but your slumbering state is so peaceful he would rather burn. 

and then sometimes he wishes he would just bite the bullet (even if you were his baby), because you were currently getting back at him for giving you the silent treatment. if he could do it over a trivial thing, so could you. toji’s probably still mad about your guess in charades, where you couldn’t understand that he was telling you he was riding a tricycle and not a bicycle, that mere difference of wheels causing a major roadblock in your relationship.

it was by far the stupidest thing you’ve argued about (you assume he had a bad day, too), and you were willing to talk things out and tell him he could’ve just put up three fingers instead of pointing aggressively to an invisible tricycle, but he opts to glare at you and sigh instead. you can’t believe he’s getting this worked up over a game of charades too, so you tease him the only other way you know how to.

it hadn’t been that long since you talked, but you figured you’ll need to start on dinner soon, getting a sick idea in your head when you see the new booty shorts you had ordered laying on your bed. you definitely thought it would be better for another day, but life is short and toji is not, so you pull them on and they feel divine, remembering the content smile on your face when your boyfriend had offered to pay for them — a reward well received when you check out your ass in the full-length mirror and the way it shaped your lower half.

the evening carries on as usual, but you can feel his stare once you emerge from your room in one of his shirts and he thinks you aren’t wearing any pants until you’re pulling out saucepans and reaching for the spices in the top cupboard that his shirt rides up and he can see your plump fucking ass; he chokes on his water.

with your back turned, you stifle a little grin and continue with your chores as the shorts ride up with each walk from living room to kitchen, but it’s all under the guise of cleaning and setting the table, wiping aimlessly, too, at the coffee table in front of the TV where toji sat, even if you weren’t eating there. you feel eyes on you when you return to the kitchen and continue your torture, cooking up a storm and bending over while looking into the fridge, while pulling out the plates for dinner, while—

“those the shorts i bought you?” bingo. although you’re not quite ready to talk to him yet, you succumb with a curt nod. toji obviously isn’t satisfied with your answer, footsteps approaching to lean on the kitchen island as his eyes keep his gaze locked at your butt.

“gonna ignore me for the whole day, hm?” it seemed like toji had other plans, his larger hand trailing up your thighs to your ass before curling around your waist. he’s pressing his front against you, hips grinding slightly even though you know he wants to do anything but that. you’re not wearing underwear, either, so the sensation of his bulge against your cunt is a lovely feeling and it takes everything in you not to moan.

you have to bring yourself back to reality to turn off the stove that feels so far away, hands clutching onto the countertops as you chase the familiar drag of your sex against his but toji only tuts, landing a slap onto your ass. “dinner first, baby.”

bastard. you roll your eyes and groan, but you didn’t seem to catch his innuendo, so you’re yelping when he suddenly flips you around and tugs at your shorts, pulling it off of a leg so there’s space for him. while your hands are pushing at his shoulders, desperately wanting to uphold your pride of ignoring him, you know the cool air against your cunt and the sight of fushiguro toji on his knees is only making you wetter.

and toji just smirks, looking up at you like his revered deity and you jump again at his cold hands prying your thighs apart, bringing a leg to rest on his shoulder. toji looks in love with your pussy, seeing your hole clench around nothing as your eyes beg for him to do something, anything, but he only continues to tease, running his thumbs along your folds and just missing your clit.

“use your words, sweetheart.”

“need…” toji raises an eyebrow, cheek leaning casually against your thigh and he grins as he sees you fight your own pride like you don’t want his tongue and fingers on you. give it a little more and you’ll break, because through the silence of your shared home and your heavy breathing, the tension is so infuriating that you’re willing to push away that stupid game of charades to the back of your brain.

you hate how needy you sound, though. “i need your tongue… p-please, baby,” you plead and drag out the name, and in the stuffiness of the kitchen, you think toji, one of the strongest men you know, looks the fucking best when he’s smiling up at you with a wanton want behind his eyes. “wan’ you, toji, wan’ you to eat me out!”

“oh… of course, when you beg like that,” toji plants a kiss to your puffy clit and the simple gesture makes you whine, “how could i say no to my pretty baby?”

toji delves in like he’s never eaten before, licking a thick stripe up your pussy to collect your slick before lapping at your clit, garnering a loud moan that reverberates throughout the house. you wish you never called him out on his terrible acting skills from the start, one hand keeping your balance while the other tugs on his black hair. harder and harder.

toji groans at your impatience as he feels you spread your legs further, moans and whimpers filling his ears. one hand sneaks under his shirt and squeezes at your tits, the other hugging you closer to him, fondling your ass at the same time. your boyfriend takes in everything, from your pleasured expression to your contracting tummy and he can feel himself harden below him.

but you come first, you always come first and he makes it clear when he halts for a second and you whine at the lack of contact. “eyes here, baby.” toji calls out to you, slapping your cunt and you jolt at the feeling, although it’s not entirely unpleasant; your eyes flit down to him. the other grins again and slaps your pussy a few more times, the wetness of your sex making loud, obscene noises, “tell me how good i’m making you feel, yeah?”

you mewl as you nod as his fingers prod at your hole and you swear the sudden intrusion has your stomach turning. you’re clamping down on his fingers which sets a pace, buried right up to the ends of his fingers as his palm collects your slick. your lover continues to abuse your clit, alternating between flicking his tongue and sucking.

“o-ooh, shit! they’re so deep, tojiii!” the moans you let out were almost pornographic, breathless and needy with how good he was giving it to you, the familiar feeling of an orgasm creeping up on you. his fingers keep a constant pace, stretching you out so well and the roughness of them feel so contrasting on your body, but you love it. “toji, i— fuck, i’m c-close!”

“taste so good, doll. c’mon, cum on my tongue.” the older man is ruined too, the heat of the kitchen getting to him with how the strands of his hair stick to his forehead, but more than that, he’s grinding into thin air, wanting any sort of relief for his hardening cock. “you taste like heaven, oh shit...”

“t-toji— i’m! oh, fuck, fuck fuck—!” it’s not long before you’re unravelling in his hold, legs trembling and incoherent babbles spilling from your lips as toji licks up your release leaving from your dripping, tight hole, sure to lap up every last drop. his emerald eyes hold yours as he cleans you up, body still twitching and shivering from the mind-blowing orgasm before he stands and removes his fingers, holding it to your lips.

“suck.” and you do, keeping eye contact as you wrap your tongue around him like you would to his cock, free hand already making pulling down his sweatpants that has a little pre-cum leaking through it.

“up you go, darling,” toji mumbles, plopping you onto the counter with ease, and because he’s so tall, his pelvis perfectly lines up with yours. it’s probably also because you envisioned this happening, though, that you made sure to pick out a kitchen countertop with the proper height. he slaps the tip of his cock on your glistening pussy, an angry red from being neglected, groaning as your arousal provides lube with no problem.

“just so you know, i’m buying you more of those stupid shorts,” toji confesses before he pushes past your entrance, tip already stretching you so well that you laugh and moan at the same time, arms flying to encircle his neck to feel him closer. “f-fuck, baby… so tight, just for me…”

“’s all yours, toji,” you whimper softly, an unspoken look in your eyes that just says that i’m yours for you to use, “this pussy’s all y-yours— mmf—”

by then, he’s bottomed out, taking his time in filling you up inch by inch and your submission is reason enough for him to start rocking into you, hips faltering just a little by how warm and snug you felt that it has toji catching his breath. but he doesn’t hold back once you’re comfortable, bullying his cock into you at a faster pace into your pussy that sucks him in so well with each thrust.

“your tight, little pussy’s g’na make me cum faster than usual, pretty,” toji says with a breathless laugh, mouth tasting the sweat that lines your body as he kisses your neck. 

“that’s— okay,” you choke out, pulling him away from the embrace and the sight that greets you takes your breath away. dark, lustful eyes trained on you and a stunning smile to match; you see your lover’s eyes soften ever so slightly when he hits that sweet spot in you, “i’ll take all— fuck- all of your cum, okay?”

and toji almost cums at that moment but he knows if he looks at you any longer and how your tongue lols out at how his cock fits so well in you, he just might; so he just settles for frantic nods, and nudges your head down to look at how his length moves in and out of you. your slick and his pre-cum is leaking all over the counter, squelching noises filling the kitchen. “look at how well you take me. good fuckin’ girl is what you are.”

you giggle at the praise because you know toji means every word, but your moans take over soon. there’s the twist of your core, that edging feeling that toji’s drawing out of you so well — it doesn’t help how he brings a hand to your clit, rubbing circles that you’re close, so close.

“toji, toji, toji—” chanting out his name is all you can do when you’re fucked silly, spilling over unexpectedly as you clamp down hard on his cock. toji groans when he feels you spasm over his length, hips not stopping even after you ride out your orgasm. you’re cumming so much that his stomach is wet, too, the pap! pap! pap! of his pelvis against your pussy sounding so filthy.

your babbles converge into three words, mumbling out i love yous to the older man and soon toji cums as well, swallowing your tearful confessions with a sloppy kiss and he’s releasing deep inside you. he can feel your mewls through the kiss, no doubt loving how his thick cum is spilling into you. his seed is hot, leaking from his tip in ropes and ropes until you’re filled to the brim and you sigh, content with how it feels in you.

your lazed hums make him chuckle, kissing you again and softer this time. “my baby, my sweet baby,” toji makes sure to wipe your eyes after, and mutters apologies against your forehead for the dinner turning cold, but when he sees you and your languid smile, he knows you don’t mind.

thirsts and drabble requests are open!

[callsign-mayhem]

heartbreak feels so good (part 1)

Pairing: Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw x Reader Word count: 8081 CW: Shitty boyfriends, angst, fluff, slow burn.

Your boyfriend's callsign is Viper, which is fitting. Bradley doesn't know how much longer he can watch this man destroy you, but luckily for him, he doesn't have to wait too long.

Use of Y/N, but no description of reader. THIS IS A MULTI-PART FIC.

Part Two Part Three

After another day of having your feelings totally ignored by your boyfriend, you were looking forward to some alone time. Elijah was so hot and cold that you felt as though you were in a constant state of fight or flight, just waiting for him to either make your day or ruin it completely. Most of the time, it was the latter, and although good days with him were few and far between, they were enough to make you stay. See, you didn’t half-ass anything—least of all relationships—so when you were in something, you were in it. You told Elijah that much after your first date. You’d been sitting in the front of his beemer eating ice cream, having the first of many deep talks. Between sweet, sticky kisses, you’d told him that you were dating to marry. He told you he was, too. 

He said, ‘I’m yours if you’ll have me, Y/N.’ And that was that.

And it was almost a year ago. You’d survived a somewhat tumultuous winter with him, desperately trying to cling on to the version of him he’d been during the summer. As time went on, he stopped putting his mask on, secure enough in your relationship that he no longer felt the need to pretend to be caring and considerate. The days were starting to get longer, and the weather was warming up again, but Elijah was so far from the man he was at the start that you might as well have been in a relationship with a different person. Every morning, you woke up with no idea what personality to expect that day, whether or not he was going to take all his personal drama out on you, even though you only ever loved and supported him. 

Today had been one of those days, and as you finished up with the F-18 engine currently in pieces in front of you, you silently prayed that he wouldn’t text you asking to come over. He was also a naval aviator, but you were working on different parts of the base today. Thank God. Elijah’s callsign was Viper, fitting since vipers prey on small animals by envenomating them and watching them die slowly. 

Coyote appeared behind you, helmet tucked underneath his arm.

‘Hey, we’re all heading to The Hard Deck for beers,’ he told you. ‘You comin’?’ You grabbed a rag and made an attempt to wipe some of the oil off. ‘I don’t know,’ you sighed. ‘I want to, but then I’ll have to bring Elijah, and I don’t really wanna see him tonight.’ ‘Why do you have to bring him?’ Coyote frowned. ‘He’s a lousy drunk and never lets you have any fun.’ ‘If he finds out I went out with all you guys, he’ll think I’m up to something.’ ‘Like gettin’ with me?’ He joked, wiggling his eyebrows. ‘Probably,’ you laughed. ‘You or one of the others. Or maybe he’ll accuse me of getting with all of you if he’s in a particularly bad mood.’ ‘Listen, if you wanna come, you’re welcome. We’ll just make sure nobody posts about it, and we’ll get you a fake moustache or somethin’.’

It broke your heart to think about all your closest friends having a fun night without you. Over the past year, you’d lost count of the amount of experiences you’d missed out on because you didn’t want to make Elijah upset or angry with you. The worst part was it was a double standard. He went out without you all the time, didn’t tell you where he’d gone or who he was with, and expected you to be okay with it. If you weren’t, you could kiss your peace goodbye; he’d spend the next week making your life a living hell, ignoring you entirely until you apologised to him for being hurt by his actions.

‘You know what Javy? Count me in.’ He grinned. ‘Thatta girl.’ 

It was hard to regret coming out when you felt this good. It had been months since you’d gone on a night out without Elijah, which was to say it had been months since you last enjoyed yourself. As you sipped your second sex on the beach, you mused that some kind of higher power must have been looking out for you because you’d yet to receive a single text from your boyfriend. Most of the time, when you spent the night apart, he’d call you incessantly. It was annoying, sometimes bordering on obsessive, and you didn’t need him to tell you he was checking on you, or rather, checking that you were alone in your apartment. That much was obvious. 

Dating an insecure man was not for the weak.

You were sat at one of the high tables next to the window watching Jake, Mickey, Javy, and Reuben play pool. Nat was opposite nursing a beer, glowing in the golden light of the evening. Her phone buzzed, and she picked it up, smiling at the notification. 

‘Rooster’s on his way,’ she told you. ‘He wasn’t gonna come out tonight, but I told him he didn’t have a choice. It’s not every day Y/N Y/L/N leaves the comfort of her apartment.’ You scoffed. ‘That’s not exactly how I’d put it.’ ‘No?’ Nat raised a brow. 

You hadn’t drunk in months, and despite only being on your second drink, the booze had loosened your lips significantly. 

‘No. It’s not that I’d rather stay home, it’s that staying home makes my life easier because then I don’t have Elijah breathing down my fucking neck.’

Little did you know, Javy had told everyone about your conversation earlier. Not because he was a gossip but because he was worried about you. It was rare for you to open up to the squad about your relationship, but it wasn’t hard to guess what happened behind closed doors. They all worked with Viper, for one, and they were familiar with his temperament. Not only that, but you dropped off the face of the Earth a few months after you started dating him, and it didn’t take a genius to put two and two together. 

‘I don’t know why you’re still with him, Y/N. He’s an ass.’ ‘I know,’ you sighed, frowning into your drink. ‘It’s just not as straightforward as just leaving. I still love him. If I can make this work, I don’t have to start all over again with someone else.’ Nat nodded in understanding. ‘I get wanting to make it work, but at what cost? You don’t see your friends, and he uses you as an emotional punching bag. You can’t even come to the beach with us without him checking on you every five minutes,’ she reached over the table and took your hand. ‘He’s killing you.’

This was the first time someone had spoken their mind to you about the situation. While you already knew all of it, hearing it from one of your best friends hit home. Vodka made you emotional, and if not for Bradley, you would have broken down there and then. 

He walked up to the table and engulfed you in a hug, practically pulling you off your stool. You pressed your face into his shirt, inhaling the scent of clean cotton and sandalwood. Half expecting Elijah to spring out and catch you in the act, you reluctantly pulled away. 

‘Hey, Bradley.’ ‘Hey yourself, stranger. Can’t believe you’re gracing us with your presence.’ ‘I know, it’s been a while.’ ‘A while? Try six months,’ he glanced at your almost empty glass and Nat’s empty bottle of Heineken. ‘Can I buy you lovely ladies a drink?’ ‘Do you even have to ask?’ Nat retorted.  ‘What’re you drinking, darlin’?’ He asked you. You smiled sheepishly. ‘Sex on the beach.’  ‘I can make that happen.’ He smirked.

Luckily, you didn’t have to come up with a response to that remark because he turned around and headed to the bar. You locked eyes with Nat, and both of you burst out laughing.

Just like that, all the negativity you’d been feeling dissipated like rain against hot tarmac. 

Bradley came back with the drinks, and the three of you took the opportunity to catch up while the others finished their pool game. You shouldn’t have been as surprised as you were to find out that you’d missed a lot. Bradley had started dating one of the medics, but the relationship had crashed and burned almost immediately. He hadn’t bothered trying to meet anyone else since. Nat, after watching all her friends have such bad experiences in the dating world, had decided she was better off alone. 

‘Honestly, I don’t blame you.’ You told her. ‘You should dump Viper,’ she said with a devilish grin. ‘And we can have a hot girl summer.’ Bradley laughed. ‘Can’t say I ever imagined you saying that, Nix.’  ‘Isn’t that what it’s called now? We can’t be that out of touch, surely.’ ‘I don’t wanna think about how old I am.’ You said, picking up your phone to see if you’d missed any texts from Elijah. You hated to think what kind of argument missing one of his calls would start.  Nat and Rooster shared a knowing look. ‘It rings, you know? Out loud.’

Being this transparent was embarrassing. 

‘I think I’m going to confiscate this for now.’ Ignoring your protests, Bradley swiped your phone and tucked it into his pocket. ‘If he calls or texts, I’ll let you know.’

You were tipsy enough not to try and take your phone back but not tipsy enough to be unbothered by the idea of Elijah calling and you not picking up.

‘If he calls, I need it back straight away,’ you told him sternly. ‘If I don’t pick up, I’ll never hear the end of it.’

Bradley rolled his eyes, but you knew it wasn’t aimed at you. He hated Elijah the most of all your friends. Perhaps sensing some tension, Nat slid off her stool and grabbed your arm, practically yanking you off yours.

‘Let’s go pick a song,’ she suggested. ‘We can get more drinks on the way back.’

Since it had been so long since you last visited The Hard Deck, she let you choose. You picked Rebel Yell by Billy Idol, your mum’s favourite. Admittedly, you’d been missing your home town a lot more than usual lately, perhaps because you were in such a weird place mentally. Things must be worse than you thought if you were considering running home with your tail between your legs. 

As the night went on, you got drunker and drunker. Bradley watched with a bemused grin as you dragged Bob off to the jukebox again, since he was the easiest person to coerce into doing things. How Bradley wished it was him you were clinging to. Not that he was jealous of Bob—because that would be like being jealous of a puppy—he just desperately wanted to be the object of your affection. 

While you and Bob went to change the music, Bradley struck up a conversation with Natasha and Reuben, who erupted into laughter when you pulled Bob’s arm so hard he almost toppled over. 

‘It’s nice to have Y/N out, huh?’ He observed. Nat looked at him like he was the biggest dickhead in the world. ‘Come on, Bradshaw. He might be an ass, but she’s got a boyfriend.’

Bradley sipped his beer, desperately trying to come up with a believable response. Reuben smirked knowingly, which only made Bradley more annoyed.

‘I don’t have a thing for Y/N.’ ‘Whatever helps you sleep at night, man.’ ‘Come on, Payback. You too?’ Reuben shrugged. ‘Doesn’t take a genius to work it out. You look at her like she’s God’s gift.’

The reason Bradley looked at you like you were God’s gift is because you were, but nobody was supposed to know that. 

‘Why do women stay with guys that treat them like shit?’ Bradley asked. ‘Depends on the woman,’ Natasha started. ‘But if you mean Y/N, it’s because she can’t do anything halfway. She told me earlier that it’s because she doesn’t want to start over with someone new, but I don’t think that’s it. She just loves so hard, and it takes a lot out of her. Why would she wanna start the process all over again if she already has someone?’ Bradley was incredulous. ‘Erm, I don’t know, maybe because he’s emotionally abusing her.’

You and Nat were close. In a way, she knew you better than you knew yourself, so she was the best person for Bradley to ask about things. Now, however, he was kind of regretting opening his mouth. Knowing why you were staying with a guy who treated you so badly didn’t make it easier to accept like Bradley thought it would; it only filled him with white-hot rage. 

‘It’s not as easy as just leaving. She has to come to it on her own.’ ‘Yeah,’ Reuben chimed in. ‘You can’t convince Y/N of shit.’ Natasha scoffed. ‘Yup, and believe me, I’ve tried.’  ‘So what, we just sit around and watch him ruin her?’ ‘Y/N’s a smart cookie and one of the strongest people I know. She’ll come to her senses, and when she does, we’ll be here.’ ‘You know, I read somewhere once that you can’t save anyone. You can only hold their hand while they save themselves.’ Nat raised a brow. ‘Damn, Payback. That might be the wisest thing you’ve ever said.’ ‘Hey, why do you sound so surprised?’ ‘You really want me to answer that?’

Bradley had a lot to think about. Realistically, he knew there was nothing he could do. His only option was to let things unfold naturally and have faith that things would work out exactly the way they were supposed to. The only problem was, that sounded too much like ‘sit back and do nothing,’ which didn’t feel right either. 

Bradley needed another drink. 

In fact, he was just about to head to the bar when you came bounding over, dragging poor Bob behind you. 

‘Roooooooooster.’ You cooed.

His heart just about melted when you started batting your eyelashes at him. 

‘What’s up, Y/CS?’

Everyone else was watching the interaction expectantly, waiting to hear what you were going to say next. 

‘You’re really pretty.’ Bradley laughed, hoping you were too drunk to notice the blush he could feel creeping across his cheeks. ‘Thank you. You’re really pretty, too.’ Nat, sensing the need to intervene, came around and gently grabbed your arm. ‘Hey, let’s get you a glass of water, huh?’ ‘But I need to tell Roo how pretty he looks.’

Bradley’s heart fluttered at your use of the pet name. He really didn’t want you to leave, but Nat was right. You needed some water and probably your bed. 

‘You told him already, Y/N. And when you get back, you can tell him again.’

She started leading you away, and Bradley immediately missed your presence. 

A very flushed-looking Bob took Nat’s empty stool. ‘That girl is somethin’ else.’ He murmured, pushing his glasses back up his nose. ‘I don’t think you should let her drink anymore.’ ‘I’m not her keeper,’ Bradley responded. ‘Can’t stop her from doing anything.’ Bob shrugged. ‘Maybe so, but you’re all she talked about. You and the fact that there’s no Fall Out Boy in the jukebox. Pretty sure she called it a ‘fucking tragedy.’’  Bradley leaned forward. ‘What did she say about me?’ ‘You know,’ Bob waved a hand dismissively. ‘You’re pretty. Her boyfriend is gonna kill her if he finds out she’s here with you because he thinks you have a thing for her.’ Bradley was at a loss for words. Reuben, however, was grinning like a fool. ‘What was that about not having a thing for her? Even her boyfriend’s caught on, man.’  ‘How many times do I have to say I do not have a thing for-’

An annoyingly loud ringing sound interrupted Bradley’s sentence. It didn’t sound like his ringtone, but the noise was coming from his pocket. It took him too long to remember that he had your phone in his pocket, and that it was probably Viper calling. Sure enough, when he took out your phone, he was greeted by a sickeningly sweet photo of you and your boyfriend on the beach. You and Nat were still at the bar, and he knew he should just let it ring so you could call him back later. 

But something had a hold of Bradley, and he answered the call and pressed the phone to his ear before he could really process what he was doing. 

‘Y/N’s phone.’ 

A beat of silence, then some of the most colourful language Bradley had ever heard in his life. 

‘Who the fuck is this, and why the fuck have you got my girlfriend’s phone?’  ‘Y/N can’t come to the phone right now. She’s at the bar with her friend, gettin’ another round of drinks, and I just know hearing your voice would ruin her night. It’s ruined mine, that’s for sure. If you want, I can take a message, and she’ll get back to you in the morning.’

Reuben was nearly on the floor, trying desperately not to laugh in case Viper heard him. Bob had paled significantly, like he’d seen a ghost—or worse. 

‘That you, Bradshaw? I just knew something was going on-’

Bradley hung up. The severity of the situation was beginning to hit, and despite the sick satisfaction he’d felt when he picked up the phone, he was regretting his decision already. 

‘Y/N is gonna kill you, Rooster.’ Bob told him. 

Nat made the sensible decision to cut you off, but she said you could stay out with them until closing if you promised to keep drinking water and stop fucking around with the jukebox. That was how you ended up in the corner of a booth with Bradley next to you to stop you from escaping.

Not that you’d want to escape. 

Mickey had joined, and the guys were playing cards while you and Nat talked. She was catching you up on her life, and it made a change to think about someone other than Elijah for once.

That’s when it hit you.

You hadn’t checked your phone in hours, and you dreaded to think how many texts and calls you’d missed. 

‘Bradley, can I have my phone?’

He set his hand of cards down on the table and reached into his pocket. When you reached out to take it, he pulled away.

‘Before I give this to you, I need to tell you something.’

A wave of nausea hit you. 

‘What? What’s going on?’ ‘Viper called about an hour ago. You were at the bar, and I didn’t know what to do, so I answered it.’ Reuben leaned forward in his seat. ‘Oh, this is about to be good.’

You thought you knew what panic felt like, but up until this very moment, you had no idea. Bradley was lucky you didn’t throw up in his lap from the nerves.

‘What?’ ‘I’m sorry, Y/N. I wasn’t thinking-’

You snatched your phone from him, ignoring the kicked-puppy expression he was sporting. A slew of angry text messages that were borderline abusive greeted you. You skimmed them quickly, not wanting to read too many in case you started crying in front of the entire squad. 

What started out as the best night you’d had in a while quickly turned into the worst. Your boyfriend's hateful messages reminded you why you never went out and why this was the biggest mistake you could have made.

The worst part was you saw it coming.

‘Move,’ you said, grabbing your bag. ‘Bradley, let me out now.’ ‘You can’t drive like this, Y/N. Let one of us take you home.’

Bradley sounded destroyed. You couldn’t bring yourself to look at him. 

‘Move.’

He nudged Bob, who stood up so Bradley could climb out of the booth. You were close behind him, and when your feet touched the floor, you nearly keeled over. Bradley reached out to steady you, but you shook him off.

‘Y/N. You can’t leave like this. How are you gonna get home?’

Ignoring his pleas, you made a beeline for the exit. Nat shoved Reuben into Mickey, trying to hurry them out of the booth so she could follow you, but you were surprisingly fast for a drunk person. Bradley was right about one thing: there was no way you could drive in this state. You ducked around the corner so Nat couldn’t see you and sank to the floor. Hot tears prickled behind your eyes as you did the one thing you didn’t want to do, but the only thing you could do.

You called Elijah. 

He didn’t answer the first, second, third, or fourth time. 

Half an hour passed, and you didn’t move. At one point, you heard Bradley, Nat, and Reuben talking around the corner, coming up with a plan for where to look for you. They knew you were on foot because your car was still in the lot, and since you’d disappeared so quickly, you couldn’t have gotten far. If the situation weren’t so tragic, it would’ve been funny that you were hiding ten paces away, and none of them could find you. 

It was getting very late. People were getting in their cars and leaving or jumping into Ubers. Soon, your Jeep would be the only car left. You couldn’t face the daggers, and you couldn’t drive home, so you picked yourself up and took a slow walk down the beach to where the water met the sand. 

What a beautiful night to have your heart broken. 

There was no way Elijah would ever forgive you for this, no way you’d ever be able to convince him that nothing had happened between you and Bradley. The sane part of you knew that it was crazy to feel guilty for simply enjoying a night out with your friends, but the sane part of you rarely won these days. The part of you that loved Elijah was always loudest and knew this could never have gone any other way. 

You were just about to resign yourself to calling a cab when you heard someone yelling your name from the top of the beach. 

You either had the best or worst luck in the world because it was Bradley. 

He made short work of the distance, giving you no time to come up with something to say. He looked otherworldly in the pale moonlight. His hair was slightly mused, and the same insane part of you that loved what it loved was whispering at you to run your fingers through it. 

‘We’ve been looking all over for you, Y/N.’ He sounded very concerned as he pulled out his phone and texted the others to let them know you were safe. ‘I’m sorry, I just needed to be alone.’

You hadn’t even realised you were shivering until Bradley draped his Levi jacket over your shoulders. 

‘You needed to be alone, or you needed to call Viper back?’ The tears threatened to make another appearance. ‘It’s none of your business.’ ‘What makes you think it’s not my business? I care about you and don’t want to keep watching you get hurt.’ ‘Then stop watching!’

Bradley recoiled, and you immediately felt awful. How Elijah spoke to you like that day in and day out without feeling guilty was a mystery to you. 

‘I’m sorry, Bradley,’ you sighed, pulling his jacket tighter around you. ‘I didn’t mean to snap. I’m just very drunk and very emotional right now.’

He softened immediately and seemed torn about whether he should let you stand there freezing or pull you close. You hoped he wouldn’t try to pull you close because you didn’t think you’d have the guts to tell him no. Good feelings had been so incredibly hard to come by as of late.

‘Why are you still with him, Y/N?’ Bradley asked almost pleadingly. 

Wow. He didn’t waste any time getting right to the point. 

‘That’s a loaded question.’ ‘I need you to explain it to me because it’s killing me.’

You thought about it for a moment, and Bradley waited with bated breath to hear what you had to say.

In the end, it was this: ‘I guess we accept the love we think we deserve.’ 

Until you said it out loud, this phrase held little meaning to you. Now that it was out in the open, it was very heavy. In the last few months you’d tried coming up with a decent explanation as to why you were staying with Elijah, and you fell short every time. Turns out all you needed to do was get drunk and have an honest conversation to figure it out. 

Coming to the realisation that what you’d just said was true felt like being in freefall. Everything in your life was changing shape to fit around this ugly truth. The good things in your heart shied away in the face of this monstrous fact. 

You didn’t think you deserved a healthy love. 

Somehow, Bradley was more hurt by this than when you’d snapped at him earlier. He was staring at the ground, unable to meet your eye like you’d just told him he wasn’t worthy of love.

‘You don’t think you deserve to be happy?’

Hearing him say it was somehow even worse.

‘Apparently not.’

You were both quiet for a moment, and then, for whatever reason, you laughed. 

‘This is news to me too.’

The waves crashed loudly, water lapping at your feet as the tide came in. You couldn’t stand out here having epiphanies all night. 

‘Listen, Rooster, I need to go home. I’m sorry for snapping.’ ‘I’ll take you home,’ he said quietly. ‘But we should talk tomorrow when you’re sober. Maybe we could get coffee.’ You shook your head. ‘After tonight, I don’t think that’s a smart idea. I’ll probably be spending tomorrow trying to salvage what’s left of my relationship.’ ‘You’re not serious.’ ‘I am.’

He opened his mouth to protest but then appeared to change his mind. You watched as all the fight he had left in him dissolved. There was nothing left for him to say, and he knew it. 

The irritating birds that constantly chirped right outside your bedroom window woke you up. It was too damn early, and your head felt as though it was splitting open. When you sat up, you were hit by a wave of nausea so strong that you had no other choice but to sprint to the bathroom, smashing into the corner of your chest of drawers on the way. 

Which was to say, it was a bad morning. 

After you had puked up the entire contents of your stomach, you jumped straight in the shower, brushed your teeth, and did your skincare. At least if Elijah showed up at your front door, you wouldn’t look like you got super drunk last night, even though he’d probably already guessed. 

When you checked your phone, there were still no notifications from him, and when you called, there was no answer. This wasn’t unlike him, but it had been almost twelve hours since Bradley picked up your phone, and you would have thought he’d have something to say by now. 

To distract yourself from your impending doom, you threw open all the windows in your apartment, made your bed, unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher—all the usual morning tasks. It seemed a shame to waste such a beautiful Saturday, but you doubted you’d enjoy any of your hobbies when you were this anxious and hungover. 

With nothing else left to do, you set about making some breakfast. 

Just as you put your bagel in the toaster, somebody knocked on the door. 

Your stomach twisted itself into an impossibly tight knot. You were rooted to the spot, unable to move until whoever it was knocked a second time. 

You looked through the peephole, expecting to see Elijah standing there with his dark eyebrows knitted together in frustration. It was the only scenario that had crossed your mind, so when you saw Bradley standing there, you were very surprised. 

You took a deep breath and opened the door, greeted by the warm scent of sandalwood once again. 

‘Bradley?’

He was holding two iced lattes, which you were betting were vanilla—your favourite. Elijah hadn’t done that for you since the first week of your relationship.

‘Hey, Y/N. Thought you could use this.’

He wasn’t wrong. You ushered him inside, and he headed to the kitchen, where he 

perched himself on one of the stools at your kitchen island. This morning, he was sporting one of his more toned-down Hawaiian shirts and dark jeans. His eyelids drooped, and you wondered if he’d slept at all. 

‘I was just about to make bagels. Want one?’ ‘Sure, thank you.’

You busied yourself, putting bacon and eggs into a pan while he sipped his coffee. He eyed you with the curiosity of someone who had come over to check that you were all in one piece. Once he was satisfied that you were, he relaxed slightly. 

‘Thank you for bringing me home last night. I really appreciate it.’ You told him earnestly.  ‘You don’t need to thank me. You’d have done the same thing.’ ‘True, but still. And I’m sorry for snapping at you.’ 

Last night was gradually coming back to you in flashes, like a supercut. Each time you remembered a new detail, you cringed internally. 

‘You also don’t need to apologise. Has he called you?’ 

While the eggs and bacon were cooking, you toasted another bagel for Bradley and buttered yours. Even though you’d known him for years and been quite close until you got into a relationship, you were struggling to admit that you were pretty much being ghosted. It was already hard to walk around on base knowing that everybody was aware of how Elijah treated you. When you didn’t respond, Bradley took that as a no. 

‘Well, that’s his problem,’ he spat. ‘You did absolutely nothing wrong. Maybe if he were less of a control freak, you would have felt like you could tell him you were out with us rather than hiding it, and then he wouldn’t have found out the way he did.’

The toaster popped, and you jumped. It felt like somebody had run a cheese grater over your nerves. Bradley ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath, clearly trying to reign in his anger.

‘I should apologise too,’ he continued. ‘I shouldn’t have answered your phone. It was a dick move, and I regretted it the instant I did it.’ 

You buttered the second bagel, put one egg on each of the bottom halves, and stacked two pieces of bacon on top before adding the top part. You didn’t say a word the entire time, and Bradley was starting to get antsy. 

‘Y/N. Please talk to me.’ ‘I don’t know what to say, Roo. I’m struggling even to think straight right now. He knows it drives me fucking crazy when he’s having a go at me and doesn’t respond. I don’t understand why he does it, knowing how it makes me feel.’ Bradley sighed. ‘Because he doesn’t give a shit how you feel. He doesn’t give a shit about anything other than himself and how he feels.’ 

This wasn’t news to you, but again, it was more impactful to hear someone else say it out loud. Really, how long could you keep this up? Whether you thought you deserved it or not, you were starting to wonder if you might be better off alone than with someone who made living feel like walking next to a cliff with your eyes closed. 

You pushed Bradley’s plate across the counter and picked up your bagel. Eating felt impossible, but getting through the day with this headache would be excruciating if you didn’t at least try. 

‘Come and sit down,’ Bradley said. ‘It’s not good to eat standing up.’ Despite everything, you managed to laugh. And this time, it was a real laugh. ‘Why?’ A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. ‘I don’t know. My mum used to say it all the time.’

You did as you were told, and you walked around the island, taking the seat next to him. The two of you ate in companionable silence, periodically taking sips of your coffees. This was how easy it should have been with Elijah. 

When you were both finished, Bradley put your plates, pan, and utensils into the dishwasher. You were too tired to tell him to stop. 

‘Thanks for breakfast.’  You smiled. ‘Thanks for being you.’

Bradley’s smile mirrored your own. Unsaid words hung in the air, but you didn’t know what to say. His leaving didn’t feel right, but if he stayed and Elijah made an appearance, he’d most definitely break up with you. 

But wasn’t this radio silence all the confirmation you needed that things were pretty much over, anyway? You were starting to wonder if this weekend had all happened exactly the way it was supposed to. Your eyes were indeed open, that was for sure. Of course, you’d known that the relationship wasn’t healthy, but this weekend had really driven the point home. 

‘Do you wanna go for a walk along the beach?’ You asked, hopefully. ‘We could grab some ice cream at that little place next to the arcade.’

Bradley didn’t just look happy. He also looked relieved that you weren’t asking him to leave. 

‘I’d love to.’

It was a beautiful Spring day, perfect walking weather. Honestly, it was the last thing Bradley expected you to suggest, so he jumped on the idea before you could change your mind and send him home.

Because he really didn’t want to go home. 

He’d sensed that you didn’t want to talk about Viper, and you’d yet to bring up your conversation on the beach last night. Bradley was beginning to doubt that you even remembered everything you said—all that nonsense about not deserving a healthy love. Bradley didn’t take you as a liar, which meant you believed that you weren’t deserving of happiness. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt quite so sad and also angry at the same time. So many emotions were warring for the top spot in his heart, and as a result, his brain was incredibly foggy.

A walk along the beach with you was perhaps the only cure.

‘Did you hear about Hangman?’ Bradley assumed you hadn’t. ‘No?’ ‘He’s getting deployed. He’s leaving next month.’ ‘How long is he going for?’ ‘Six months.’ You whistled lowly. ‘Damn.’ ‘I know. I think he’s looking forward to it, though. I sure am.’ ‘You know, I don’t think you hate him half as much as you say.’ Bradley chuckled. ‘Maybe not, but being nice to him wouldn’t feel right. Even after everything that happened on the mission.’ 

The two of you walked down the beach, chit-chatting about anything that came to mind. You were about halfway to the ice cream place when your phone pinged. Bradley guessed it would be Viper, but he never could have guessed what the message said. 

It was a photo of you and Bradley walking down the beach, taken from behind. The picture had been forwarded to you from someone else. 

E<3: always knew you were a slut.

You inhaled sharply, obviously hurt by the words on the screen. Not two seconds later, he sent another text. 

E<3: PS: we’re fucking over.

The two of you had stopped walking. Bradley watched over your shoulder as you furiously typed a reply and deleted it again. You turned to face him, and his heart just about broke when he saw the tears streaming down your cheeks. You didn’t need to say a word. He pulled you close to him, wrapping you tightly in his arms. You stayed that way for a while, sobbing into his Hawaiian shirt as he rubbed your back soothingly. When you eventually pulled away, the first thing you did was apologise. 

‘There’s nothing for you to be sorry for, sweet girl. He’s the one who should be sorry.’ You sniffled. ‘I don’t know what to reply.’ ‘Leave it for now,’ he said. ‘We can go get ice cream, take a slow walk back to yours. Then I’ll help you think of something.’ ‘I don’t know if I feel like ice cream anymore.’ ‘Well, that’s too bad because I do. Ice cream is the best remedy for heartbreak.’ ‘Did your mum tell you that too?’ ‘She sure did.’ 

It turns out Bradley was right about ice cream being the best remedy for heartbreak. The two of you sat on the wall, watching the waves while he munched on a mint chocolate chip cone and you butterscotch. It was hard to tell whether it was the best ice cream you’d ever had or if it was because you were with Bradley. If you remembered correctly, you’d had ice cream from this same place with Elijah before, and it hadn’t been this nice.

Thinking back on your memories with him only made you want to cry, so you did your best to shove them to the back of your mind. Despite the fact that he was actually a very shitty person, he’d been a dream at the beginning, and that didn’t just go away. The happy moments didn’t just suddenly turn to ash, as much as you wished they would. 

‘What are your plans for the rest of the night?’ Bradley asked around his ice cream cone. ‘I don’t know, Roo. I’m kinda working on a minute-to-minute basis right now.’ Bradley nodded. ‘Okay, well, what would you say to junk food run and a movie night?’ ‘With you?  ‘If you want to. I just don’t think it’s good for you to be alone.’ ‘I don’t want you to feel like you have to babysit me.’ ‘Is that what you think this is?’ ‘No, but I don’t want to be a burden. Or a charity case.’ ‘Y/N, you’re none of those things. I always want to spend time with you. Just so happens I have a good excuse today.’ You frowned into your ice cream. ‘Okay. As long as you’re sure.’ 

The two of you finished your ice cream and took a slow walk back to your apartment. When you got in, the first thing you noticed was a framed photograph of you and your now ex-boyfriend on the side table in the hallway. When your bottom lip started trembling, Bradley picked up the photo, put it face down, and then proceeded to run around your apartment and take down any others. It didn’t feel like the same place you’d left a few hours ago. It was haunted by memories that would never look right in the light of day. Even the happiest ones from the start were tainted with the ugliness of his cruel words and actions. 

‘This place is so depressing.’ You grumbled.

Bradley stood in front of you with a stack of photos and one of Elijah’s t-shirts. 

‘It’s not. It’s your home, Y/N. We just have to pack away his stuff and put it all in a box.’ ‘An ex-boyfriend box.’ Bradley smiled sadly. ‘Yeah, exactly. It might be over, and he might be a dick, but it was still a big part of your life, and it’s important to keep the memories safe in case you wanna look back on them someday.’ ‘Or in case I wanna burn them.’ ‘That too.’ Bradley chuckled

So you helped him gather all the mementoes from your relationship and put them in an old Dr Martens box. It all looked pretty pathetic, packed away in a shoebox.

‘I found one of his hoodies and a few other things.’ You called from your bedroom. ‘Can you grab me a bin bag from the top of the fridge?’

You heard shuffling, and then Bradley was standing in the doorway holding out the bag you requested. 

‘Damn, he doesn’t even get one of the nice Trader Joe's bags?’ ‘No,’ you giggled. ‘He gets a trash bag because his stuff is trash, and he’s trash.’

You weren’t really at the stage where you believed that just yet, but saying it was really satisfying, and it felt good to laugh. Fake it till you make it or whatever. 

‘Want me to give it to him tomorrow?’ ‘Thanks, but I should really be the one to do it. I haven’t even texted him back.’ You thought about it for a moment and then continued. ‘Would it be cheeky of me to ask if you’ll come with me? Maybe Nat, too? I could use some moral support, and he’s less likely to make a scene if the two of you are there.’ ‘Of course I’ll be there. I won’t say anything unless you need me to or unless he starts. I can’t make that same promise for Nix, though.’ ‘I haven’t even told Nat yet,’ you sighed. ‘I don’t think I wanna talk about it right this second.’ ‘I’ll text her. Don’t worry about it.’

From your spot on the floor, you looked up at Bradley. The evening sunlight was streaming in through the windows, casting an ethereal glow around him. 

‘You should change your callsign to angel.’ A look of pleasant surprise flickered across his handsome features. ‘Why?’ ‘Because you’re literally my angel, Roo. I don’t know what I’d have done without you.’

Half an hour later, Bradley convinced you to go on a junk food run with him in the Bronco. He said tonight was a mandatory, post-breakup wallowing sesh because if you bottled up your feelings now, you’d explode later at a much more inconvenient time. 

The two of you had been screaming along to all the classic breakup songs: All Too Well by Taylor Swift (yes, he knew all the words), Who Knew by Pink, What About Now by Daughtry… He’d driven the long way to the store because you got so into it. 

Now, as you scanned the shelves in Target, you asked: ‘What is it about screaming sad songs that makes you feel better?’ ‘It’s cathartic,’ Bradley explained. ‘Helps you relieve the strong feelings.’ ‘You know a lot about heartbreak.’ ‘Well, I’ve had my fair share of sadness.’ You froze. ‘That was insensitive of me, I’m sorry.’ Bradley took the packed of Reeses Pieces from your hands so he could hold them. ‘Can you make me a promise?’ ‘What?’ You asked sceptically. ‘Promise you’re gonna stop apologising to me all the time. You have nothing to be sorry for.’ ‘Sorry.’ You smiled sheepishly.  He shook his head. ‘That’s not what you’re supposed to say.’ ‘Okay, fine,’ you huffed. ‘I promise to stop apologising all the time.’ ‘Thank you,’ Bradley said, releasing your hands reluctantly. ‘Now, pick out five more things.’ ‘Five? There’s already five things in the basket.’ ‘Did I ask?’ ‘I’m gonna get fat.’ ‘Don’t be so ridiculous. Wallowing means junk food, and I don’t know if you’re looking at the same basket I am, but that’s not enough junk food.’ ‘Christ Almighty, okay.’ 

He helped you pick out five more things, and then you headed to check out.

‘What movies are good for wallowing?’ You asked. ‘Well, we have to start with a couple of sad ones and then finish with a happy one.’

The cashier told you your total, and Bradley tapped his card before you could even get yours out. You gave him a withering look.

‘I would’ve paid for that. You paid for the ice cream.’ ‘So?’ ‘So we should take it in turns.’

Obviously, he carried the bags as well, and as you walked back to the Bronco, he couldn’t help but wonder if Viper made you take it in turns. If you were his girl, you’d never have to tap your card.

‘What’s your favourite sad movie?’ He inquired.  You opened the trunk for him so he could put the bags in. ‘Technically, it’s not a sad movie. But there’s this part in Inside Out…Wait, have you watched it before? I don’t wanna spoil it for you.’ ‘The part where Bing Bong gets forgotten?’ You gasped. ‘How did you know?’ ‘Because it gets me every single time.’

The way you looked at him in that moment, like he had hung the moon in the sky—God, it was too much. 

‘We’ll start with Inside Out,’ he told you, opening the passenger door so you could climb in. ‘And then we’ll think of something else.’

Without giving much thought to what he was doing, Bradley found himself buckling your seatbelt for you. You were holding your breath, and it dawned on him how easy it would be to kiss you if he were that sort of guy.

And as much as he wanted to kiss you, he was not that sort of guy. He wasn’t about to take advantage of the fact that some asshole had just taken a sledgehammer to your very beautiful heart. 

‘Can we watch Bridge To Terabithia?’ You whispered.

Bradley hadn’t moved, and you were so close that he could feel your warm breath on his cheek. 

‘Are you trying to break my heart, Y/N?’ ‘Yes. I want you to feel my pain.’ 

He was grinning the whole way around the car to the driver’s side and still grinning when he got in the car. You already had his phone in your hand, searching for more sad songs so you could continue your car concert on the way back to your apartment. He drove the long way again so the two of you could finish your rendition of ‘I Don’t Love You’ by My Chemical Romance, which Bradley didn’t know the words to. He tried his best, though, because you seemed to love it, and he couldn’t deny you anything. 

By the time you got home, the sun had almost entirely set. While he set the snacks out on the coffee table, you went around lighting candles and switching on fairy lights. He’d never seen your apartment in the dark, and it was incredibly cosy. Even though it was relatively warm, you dragged all your blankets and pillows from your bed and made a little nest on the sofa. You were so adorable, it was hard to believe that someone could treat you badly. 

If you were his girl, every night would look like this—except you’d be a lot happier, and there would be no tears. 

Halfway through Bridge To Terebitha, you fell asleep. Bradley had been trying to keep his distance despite wanting to wrap you up in his arms, yet somehow—in your sleep—you’d ended up with your legs in his lap. He’d frozen at first, but once he realised you were dead to the world, he allowed himself to rest his hands on your knees. Really, it was that or sit with his arms crossed, and that would be silly. 

For the duration of the movie, his attention flickered between you and the TV. Every time he tried paying attention to what was happening, his eyes wandered back to your peaceful face. He marvelled at your astounding beauty, the delicate way your eyelashes rested against the tops of your rosy cheeks. Bradley had always admired you, and you’d been good friends for years, but what he felt in that moment was something else entirely. By the time the end credits started rolling, he knew without a doubt that he’d set whole cities ablaze to keep you warm. Feelings as rapidly growing as his should have been terrifying, but Bradley wasn’t scared. Falling in love with you seemed to be as easy as wading out into a calm ocean on a warm summer’s day. 

He knew you’d yet to learn that falling in love and staying in love should always be this easy. He knew it was going to take some time to convince you that you deserved healthy love, that the right person would never run away from you and keep turning around to make sure you were chasing them. 

But Bradley was a patient man, and he would wait as long as he had to.

End of part one.

[kayhi808]

So I was thinking about first crush and after your Uncle Steve one shot I was wondering what would Bucky do if reader and/or Abby got sick?

Maybe reader gets sick so he offer to take care of Abby while she gets better or Abby gets sick and she only wants Bucky. And his left hand is cool enough that it relieves her fever, which only makes Abby love his left arm more!

Idk if you had something planned for the series like this so feel free to ignore!

Anyways I love the series so much!

Val, you are the sweetest!! Thank you so much for you support and for always being so encouraging! xoxo

"What are you doing here??" You opened your door to find Bucky with a bag of take-away food. Your hands go to your hair trying to tidy up your appearance. Abby's had a fever and is miserable. So, you're a bit of a mess as well.

He drops a kiss on your brow, "You sounded beat on the phone. I thought I'd bring over dinner and help out if I can."

"No, I don't want you catching whatever she has, shaking your head & nudging him towards the door.

"Super serum. I don't get sick." He gives you a smug smile.

"Mama!" You hear Abby start to cry. "Pwease help, Mama." You turn away from Bucky and rush to Abby's room. "I called-ed you, Mama! You runs away."

"No, baby. I'm here. Mama's here." You sit on the bed and cradle her in your arms, rocking her. "I had to answer the door." You press your lips to her brow and it's still hot with fever.

"What happened here?" Bucky walks into Abby's bedroom and Abby cries harder.

"I...I sick and doctor says I has to take yuck me'cine." Abby throws her head back sobbing dramatically like the drama queen that she is. You roll your eyes and glare at Bucky because you see the mischievous glint in his blue eyes.

"No he didn't!"

"He did! And I don't wike it!"

"How dare he treat my girl like that!"

"I knows," wiping her snotty face into your shirt.

"Ew, Abby!"

"C'mere Princess." He holds his arms out to her & you pass her over while getting tissue to wipe her nose. She fights you and it only makes her cry harder into Bucky's shoulder. You're ready to scream as well.

"Why don't you take a shower? Calm down. I got her." He drops a kiss at your temple and another on your neck. "Take as long as you need. We'll be fine." You're on the verge of tears at his kindness. "Go. You need this. It's ok."

You're able to pull yourself back together. Cleaning yourself of sweat, tears and baby snot. You stay in there until you run out of hot water.

Feeling human again, you find Bucky laying on the couch with Abby. Her little body is wrapped around Bucky's Vibranium arm. Her cheek is squashed up against his arm and she looks peaceful. You brush the back of your fingers against her forehead and its cool to the touch.

"Feel better, doll?"

You give him a smile but before you can answer, Abby pipes up, "I's good."

"You feel better, my baby?" Kneeling down by them.

"Bucky's arm is so cold. I loves it." She closes her eyes and snuggles around his arm and falls asleep.

@waywardhunter95 @wintrsoldrluvr @rebeccapineapple @ordelixx @onceithough @crazyunsexycool @thezombieprostitute @ilovetaquitosmmmm @julvrs @unaxv @s-a-v-a-n-a-34 @winterslove1917 @ozwriterchick @mrs-bucky-barnes-73 @mrsnikstan @hisredheadedgoddess28 @itsteambarnes @otterlycanadian @purplecolordeer @samsgirl93 @buckitostan @blackbirdwitch22 @littleredwolf @mcucatlady @silas-aeiou @hzdhrtss @florie1 @thecubanator2 @enchantedbarnes @selella @fireeyes-on-teller-dixon-grimes @cjand10 @pancake-05

[niiwa-angel]

Yesterday was Mothers Day in Canada and given that I work at a restaurant, we got to see a lot of families "celebrating" the occasion. And Gyns, when I tell you men are fucking worthless!!

One family came in, mom, dad, grandma, and two young kids. Probably three and five, if I had to guess. As soon as they get in, Dad plops himself down at the table and immerses himself in the menu while Mom takes the kids to the bathroom. Ignoring the fact that Dad could have easily taken his little boy to the men's room to help use the toilet, or at least tried to help in any way. Nope. He just sat and looked at the menu. Then when their food came, it was mom and grandma feeding the kids, making sure they sat still, wiped their faces so they weren't sticky, and actually got the food into their mouths. Dad ate his burger in peace without lifting a finger.

Next family, grandparents, parents, three kids. Two preteens/early teenagers and one kid who was like, 8. Dad and grandpa busy themselves in conversation and don't even acknowledge their wives and children. At one point, grandma asked Grandpa is he wanted to share the fish and chips with her and he completely ignored her. I repeated the question "are we sharing the fish and chips" and he just laughed to Dad about how women always eat your food. I offered to have the cook prepare a 1 pc fish and chips portion for grandma, using a smaller cut of fish, because our portions are big.

Third family, mom and dad with two toddlers. The kids are crazy, they can't sit still at all. I offer that we have some play equipment outside and they can play out there while their food cooks and I'll wave them down when it's ready. So mom goes out to the playground with the kids while Dad sits and enjoys his beer. I bring the food to the table when it's ready and go to wave down Mom and the babies. By the time she manages to get them inside and seated, Dad's halfway done his meal, he couldn't be arsed to wait for them.

Fourth family, mom and dad with two kids, elementary school aged. Kids order their meal and run off to the playground to play with the other kids, so mom and dad have a chance to relax. Mom and I get talking about our beer menu while Dad scrolls on his phone. She orders her drink and he just adds that he'll have what she'd having. I bring the drinks and they're enjoying those when the food comes. Guess who gets up to get the kids. Is it dad? Nope!! Mom again! And once again, dad starts eating before she gets back.

We had tons of families in and it was rare to see the fathers actually take an active role in parenting their children or actually helping their wives. There were a few! And they were great! Like the dad that took his toddler daughters to the play equipment so his wife could enjoy her mimosa and cheesecake in peace. But they were few and far between. So my ladies out there thinking about partnering up with a man and having children, do so with the knowledge that even on a day meant to celebrate you, your husband likely won't step up to the plate. You'll still be the one in charge of tending to everything while your husband sits in his ass and reaps the benefits of your work.

[sopiao]

OMG HIIIIII ^^

i feel like there’s not enough price love on this app >:( so i wanted to request a reader that moves in across the hall from Price. and gets a little crushy crush on you 😻

LIKE OMG he helps you move in, do all the heavy lifting. such a gentlemen. always there whenever your AC breaks down. he just so happens to run into you in the complex’s laundry room. somehow always awake when you need him.

please ignore this if you want or don’t feel like it!! take care of urself boo!

PLS IVE BEEN SO EXCITED TO DO THIS THE SECOND I FIRST READ IT. honestly such a cute idea :^

anyways- 👀

Price was a very private man, never discussing any deep or emotional issues or feelings with anyone. He hated small talk, always found it awkward or bothersome. He didn’t feel as lonely as he thought he’d be, he liked the peace and the time he has for himself. Yes, he will be polite, but would rather prefer being by himself. But he’d try his best to avoid any interaction without being rude.

That was until he heard talking and a series thuds outside. Price was always very nosy and curious so he looked through the peephole of his door and saw you standing in front of the apartment across from his, it was empty for as long as he’s been there. Boxes were scattered along your feet.

He’s not sure why, but he felt like he should help you. He told himself it was just to make a good first impression of course. He scrambled to find the nearest clean shirt he could find. Coming out to meet you, Price was awkward at first, feeling like it was a bad idea at the last second until he saw your face, a soft and welcoming smile.

“Hi! Sorry about the boxes, I’ll be quick” You chuckle awkwardly, looking at the boxes that took up one side of the hallway. A smile instantly grew on him as he reassured you that it was alright and that it wasn’t a bother.

“You need a hand? I have some free time” He offered, lying, not wanting to seem like an eager creep that’ll snatch a pair of underwear from you while your not looking.

“You sure? I don’t wanna take up any of your time” Of course you were grateful for the offer but didn’t wanna be a bother. He insisted that he helped and that he wouldn’t be late to the nonexistent plans he made up. You didn’t doubt that he couldn’t do it. I mean, just look at him. His arms alone made you drool.

He made sure to make a show of it when he helped you out. Holding a box close against his barrel chest, making sure to subtly flex his arms he knew you were eyeing. Occasionally, you’d sneak a glance of his ass when you would go back out to bring in another box.

Price even helped you bring in all of your furniture from the downstairs lobby to the second floor. Doesn’t sound like much but when your bringing in furniture up and down and up and down— it gets tiring as hell. And fortunately for your case, sweaty.

Right after bringing in the couch, he did 80% of the lifting, you plopped down across it for a little break. Price pulling up the bottom of his shirt to wipe the sweat off his neck and face, showing you what you’ve been thinking about since the beginning. He was turned to the side so it didn’t look as obvious that he was showing off for you, but you still got that full view.

—

Price was excited when he heard a knock on his door, even more when he saw you, if he was a dog his tail would be wagging side to side.

“Sorry to bother you again, but do you know how to fix an AC? Or a repair number I can call?” You asked, chuckling nervously, again he pretended that he had free time in between plans he didn’t really have. Plus, it took him away from his heaps of paperwork and got to be in your presence, even if it’s for a short while.

“‘Course. I have some time” Flashing the charming smile you always thought about. Following you into your apartment with a reasonably sized tool box. He couldn’t help but eye how you looked, dressed to try and accommodate the hot weather without a functioning AC. Loose black tank top and grey sweatpants.

“Thank you! I would’ve probably roasted to death if I went one more minute with out it. So sorry to bother you again” You grinned, relief washing over you, the cool air against your boiling skin and sweat woke you instantly.

“No problem at all” He shrugged, putting his tools back in the red metal box, resting his surprisingly soft hand on your shoulder.

“Feel free to call me anytime anything needs fixing” His touch seemed to linger, along with your and his gaze on each other.

—

Price sprang up in a second and came running into your apartment when he heard a scream, the door was unlocked. He found you sitting on your counter with a pan, clearly afraid and scared.

“What?! What happened?!” He yelled, looking around your apartment for an intruder or something, his wooden bat being held over his shoulder, ready to strike.

You stuttered, too scared to reply, even think to form a sentence.

“A spider”

“What- Wait- Seriously?” He let the bat drop to his side, laughing at how seriously afraid your expression was.

“Yes, seriously! It’s huge, John! It’s as big as my hand!” You yell, trying to get to him while he laughs.

“Fine. Where is it?” He smirked. You followed him to your bedroom where the spider was. It really was as big as an atom, he couldn’t even find it until it moved up the wall.

—

When John heard your knock at his door he took no longer than a second, ready to open the door and greet you. Wondering what you’d want at this time of the night. He stopped for a second, realizing that he may be a little too eager. Waiting a couple seconds, like one or two, and opening the door, pretending that he just ended a call.

“Hm?” He tilted his head, forearm resting on the edge of the door as he leaned against it. Somehow you were more charming than the last time he saw you. Looking so excited with a paper towel on your hand with a single treat on it. He pretended he didn’t see it, but was internally hoping it was for him.

“Oh, good. You’re awake” You chime happily, taking the thick brownie and pressing it up to his lips for a bite. Wanting for him to take the test brownie, but being to awkward to ask him normally. He hummed in surprise, accepting the baked good. Placing his hand under his chin to keep it from falling and leaving crumbs.

“So?” You asked a couple seconds later, he’s still chewing. He chuckles at your eagerness, nodding his head as he tried to finish up his bite.

“I- Uhh. Wow. This is—this is good. Mm, really good” He nods, taking another bite of it as he dusted of his hands. Making you delighted that he liked it. He held the last bit of it up to your mouth to take it. Biting it from his hands you looked to the side, nodding to yourself and taking mental notes.

“Good. Good. Needs chocolate chunks, a little too dry” He stares as you just talk to yourself, a soft smile on his face.

“Oh. Caramel! Or is that too thick?” You perk up, snapping your fingers and looking up for confirmation or disapproval.

“Frosting?” He adds cluelessly, knowing nothing of the science of baking.

“Frosting!” Your eyes light up, pointing your finger at the idea.

“Mocha, maybe? Or nuts?” He tried his best to help and contribute to your little brainstorming session. Nodding along with the idea you thank him and walk back to your apartment to tweak the recipe a bit.

[yenqa]

cranberry juice

sypnosis : riki’s prank goes too far… and suddenly you’re ignoring him! how will he fix this?

warnings : more angsty than i thought it would be, enemies to enemies, uhh public embarrassment, tears mentioned, uhh i think thats it

wc : 0.6k

pairing : riki x afab!reader

a/n : again anon im so sorry for the waif and how its kind of rushed :( thank u for being so patient with me

“god why are you always studying?”

riki plants himself down onto the empty seat in front of you, putting a deep red drink onto the lunch table.

you internally groan, placing your textbook onto the table.

“i don’t have time for you riki.” you say firmly, he laughs.

“why don’t you call me niki? what- do you want my attention that bad?”

he has that stupid smirk he always has, taking a gulp of that mysterious burgundy colored drink.

“you wish,” you reply.

you stare at the drink, considering all the options it could be. wine? no he’s still in school, pomegranate? maybe.

“want some of my cranberry juice sweetheart?”

cranberry juice, you didn’t necessarily liked how the taste of it. it was weirdly bitter, and left a horrible taste in your throat.

“i’m good” you give him a disgusted look.

“are you sure look- doesn’t it look good?”

he shoves the open bottle onto your uniform, staining the light colored skirt you had happened to wear that day. you stand up, the liquid quickly falls on the floor, leaving a bright red stain in the middle of your skirt.

he laughs loudly gaining the attention of the many others around you. they giggle and laugh at the sight of you, covered in the unknown bright red liquid to them.

“god- what is wrong with you riki?” you quickly grab a napkin, wiping off whatever you could.

he smirks at your anger, throwing his shoulders up.

“looks like someone forgot a pad!” someone yells out.

you suddenly become aware of the situation around you, many eyes stare at you as you walk from the opposite side of the cafeteria to the office, where hopefully they’ll allow you a change of clothes.

the laughs continue to grow as you walk quickly to the office, leaving you with tears that start to swell as you push open the doors.

🍷

the sweatpants the office had gave you weren’t horribly bad, but were certainly spirited.

walking around with text that boldly said “DECELIS HIGH SCHOOL” was better than a burgundy stained skirt, so you took your chances.

“hey you got free pants?” niki teases, the smirk ever so present on his face.

he waits for your reply, but is met with a cold shoulder.

you couldn’t see how his smirk slightly falls, or how he fails to keep his eyebrows for furrowing as he watches you pull open the door to your next class.

he figures you just didn’t hear him, brushing it off for next time.

you shared the last period of the day with him, and fortunately for you, he sits behind you!

you internally groan, placing down your bag and grabbing a pencil.

surprisingly, the ignore tactic works. he eventually gives up in the middle of class, letting you have some peace.

after class you rush out of the class as quick as you can, speed walking to the entrance doors and leaving the building.

you hear someone chasing after you, you look around to see the per som you would expect least, riki.

“look y/n i’m sorry-“

you roll your eyes, taking a few steps away before he stops you, gripping tightly on your arm.

“y/n i really didn’t mean for the prank to go that far, i’m sorry for spilling the cranberry juice on you. will you forgive me?”

you’re shocked, riki? apologizing to you?

“uhm- i’ll think about it,” you walk away, leaving riki with a slight sulk to his walk.

riki soon picks himself up, realizing that you didn’t hate him if you were considering it. he smiles, telling himself to never bring cranberry juice again.

perm taglist : @jwnghyuns @ja4hyvn @trsrina @redm4ri @badmuni

[oleander-nin]

Valen-time 02: A Hand to Hold(Future Rise Leo x Reader)

A/N, not important: If you're wondering what is going on, I have nothing to tell you because I don't either. Any criticism is welcome, constructive or not. This is supposed to be a gender neutral reader, so if I screwed up somewhere, please tell me.

-Ollie

CW: Guilt, rottmnt bad end, apocalypse, brief mention of loss, unorganized and poor writing, short

Words: 913

Summary: Leo finally breaks down.

Tag list: @f1oricide @itsyagurlchip @lordfreg @acutiewithagun @rottmnttmnt2012 @lixnininotnay @lexiechr @ssak-i

Your eyes scan over Leo’s head, taking in the dark void that Leo had claimed was our room. You feel the arms around you tighten their grip the smallest amount at your movement. You look back down, seeing Leo’s tired eyes staring back at you. “You’re supposed to be asleep.”

His voice is heavy, a quiet testament to the stress weighing on him. His face was outlined in the dim light, the blanket you both slept on in place of a bed scrunched up and messied. You  couldn’t help but stare, his every feature making you swoon. He looked peaceful despite the pain he was working through, his eyes anguished and his face still full of grime despite the many times he scrubbed it after his patrol. You lean over, giving him a soft kiss on the forehead, hoping dearly it would help him settle down and trick his racing thoughts into believing he was safe. "So are you."

He rolls his eyes at your response, pulling you closer as he buries his face into your neck. His constant nuzzling reminded you of a wounded animal searching for safety. He stays quiet for a while after, neither of you pulling away from the other. It’s comforting being beside him, the worries of outside and your imminent death no longer weighing in your mind, even if it’s only for a small moment. Leo’s hand was wrapped around you, pressing firmly into the small of your back so you couldn’t leave his side even if you wanted to.

It was comforting. The way he smelled, the way he felt, the way he was holding you so close you couldn't help but feel loved. Everything about him was everything you ever wanted, everything you ever needed. Despite the apocalypse, you couldn't help but be happy when you were near him. Leo was your one and only, your life and death. You lean down and press a kiss to the wrinkles forming on his forehead, the commonly coined 'Raph' chasm seeming to spread amongst the other brothers as well.

Leo leans up after the kiss, his eyes watering and a pained expression plated across his face. You quickly shifted the way you were laying, your arms leaving his sides to cup his face and wipe away any tears that might fall. 

"Leo? Hey, baby, what's wrong?" You say, ignoring the obvious answer of what was wrong. Right now, everything and anything was wrong, but you just hoped it was something you could help fix. Leo continues to just look at you for a moment, his eyes studying your face and constantly flickering between you and the walls behind you. You patiently wait for him to speak, not wanting to force him into an explanation before he is ready.

“Do you remember?” His voice caught you off guard, the soft spoken words coming out of the now leader of the resistance. He sounded so broken, so unlike the hopeful persona he slapped on earlier when tucking Casey Jr. into bed.

"Remember what?" You ask, confused and dearly hoping he wasn't thinking about what you knew he was. Leo looks into your eyes, the pain and guilt breaking through his tough exterior he had managed to keep up for so long. Leo takes a moment to gather his thoughts, to bring himself back down from the spiral he was about to become caught in. 

"It's my fault." He repeats, sounding absolutely broken. "It's all my fault. I ruined everything."

He doesn't even give you time to respond before he pulls you close, his arms trembling around you as he tries his hardest not to sob. There were too many people around, too many ears and eyes just a few feet away for him to truly grieve the world he lost. For him to grieve the opportunities he would no longer have, the family and friends that had succumbed to his mistakes. Every quiet sob tore your heart in two. 

You waste no time pulling his face close and quietly shushing him, whispering sweet nothings into his ear to try and make him feel even marginally better. To see your husband break down like this was something that almost never happened, a once in a lifetime event. You knew that his cocky and proud facade would collapse eventually, but you had at least assumed there would be some indication beforehand.

“It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know.” You gently soothe, both thumbs rubbing his cheeks and wiping his tears. Leo doesn’t comment, his wet and warm face stricken with regret. You didn’t know how to help, how to bring his spirits back up. So instead you wait, letting him cry in your arms for as long as he needs. You could talk about his doubts and guilt later, comforting him and making sure he could process the loss he has to face everyday was your top priority. You don’t stop massaging his cheeks until you feel his weight start to press down on you more, and his cries start to lessen.

You barely breathe until you’re certain he was finally asleep, a tight frown despite no longer being awake. You let out a soft sigh, pulling him closer and settling down. You continue to watch him for a while, making sure his chest moved and his eyes stayed closed. Him being so distraught earlier pained you, but you understood the stress and remorse he had weighing down on him. Putting those thoughts aside, you press your forehead against his and fall asleep, not letting go for a moment.

[buttfishfan]

People aren't completely wrong about Kara's story being really weak, but i also feel like people dont realize the amount of missed opportunity in her section of the game.

Kara's story could've been AMAZING if only David Cage knew what he was trying to write.

Sooo here's some ideas ive been mulling over for a couple weeks about how id fix Kara's story.

1. Making Alice human

Even when i was blind to a lot of the bad writing in Detroit this plot twist made me so agitated and confused because there was no plot twist it was seriously just david cage lying to the player for 12 hours 😭 making Alice human would fix many inconsistencies in Kara's story like how she just chooses to ignore the fact that Alice is an android and acts shocked when she finds out. Having alice be human also opens up the story to a more interesting themes about the bonds that can be formed between humans and androids like holy fuck david did you forget the story you were writing midway through 😭 If Alice was human it could also lead to new game mechanics or plot where kara would need to take care of Alice's human needs like food and water which then leads into Kara being put into situations where she is forced to do the "moral" thing and sacrifice comfort or to fight for Alice's survival.

2. Giving Kara's section of the game an actual overarching choice

The biggest reason i believe people think Kara's story is so boring is because in a game that prides itself on letting its players choose their very own story Kara's story allows for the least amount of choices. Both Connor and Markus have overarching distrinct choices that lead to VERYYY polar outcomes. Connor has the ability to deviate or stay a machine and markus has the ability to lead a peaceful or violent revolution. The only distinct outcomes in Kara's story is if you make it to Canada or not and even that is just if you chose the /right/ choices instead of the choices you consciously made. I wish there was more opportunities for Kara to be really evil and fucked up but all in the name of giving Alice the world. I know you're able to steal and lie in various chapters but it never felt like it had any true weight to how kara or the story progressed.

3. Give Alice an actual personality

Throughout the entire game Alice kinda doesn't do or say anything of value like I've seriously lost count how many times she's said "im cold". It makes no sense to me how you get the relationship status of family with her as Kara when you genuinely know nothing about Alice. She doesn't talk about anything. Even as an android she like must've had some sort of interest programing to act like a child but she just never shares anything even with the people that are supposedly the closest ones to her?? I feel like her personality should've been dependent on the way youd approach Karas story. If kara is willing to do immoral things for Alice's sake I feel like Alice should also be fucked up and evil cuz like, shes a kid and kara is her role model of COURSE she'll try an be similar to her mama. If Kara chooses to sacrifice comfort for morals then Alice takes after Kara in that respect too. So not only would you be responsible for how Kara acts you'd also be responsible for the way Alice acts which gives the player the choice of do they want this little kid to follow in the wrong steps or not?

Some ideas i have for how the story should've gone

Todd brings Kara home after she gets fixed and she meets Alice for the first time. Alice obviously knows Kara but after attempting to make Kara remember her she realizes that Kara's memory has been wiped. Since Kara would've probably been the only person to care for Alice before she was broken this would lead to Alice having a breakdown where she realizes her only protection and source of comfort is gone. Alice would probably resent or be distrustful of Kara a little in the beginning because of this.

I feel like running away should've been a more difficult decision on Kara's part. She's just come home from being fixed and she's already deviated i don't think she fully knows what she wants to do with Alice. Especially when they've started off their relationship with nothing i don't think Kara should've been leaning into the whole mom thing. It would've made more sense if their interactions started off as Kara just making sure Alice stays alive and then over time their relationshio actually has room to develop instead of starting off as mother daughter and ending off as mother daughter.

These are only some ideas. Im obviously not a writer but i just really care about this game and feel like it had too much lost potential 🙏🙏

[totallynotokguys]

Lego Monkie Kid Rewatch: Specail

Embrace Your Destiny 3/5

Last Time: Mei got monkey-napped, MK yeeted Red Son into his friend group, Macaque did not beat the theater nerd allegations, and Froggie died. Rest in peace my beautiful son.

And now- On with the show!

Wait… that guy. Is just a guy.

No seriously. He’s just a dude. You don’t realise how much this is blowing my mind! I thought this whole time it was the Jade Emperor! I thought she’d managed to do what Monkey King almost did in the Journey to the West! Defeat the Jade Emperor! 

But look at him! Look at that regular dude! How did I ever think this guy was supposed to be the head honcho of all the immortals?

Things are making so much more sense now, like why the Heavenly Realm wasn’t in an absolute panic over LBD rising again. If she only tried to wipe out an earthly kingdom I can see why no one in the Heavenly Realm bothered to aid the Wukong and Noodle gang. Besides Ne Zha. Because Ne Zha is cool.

“But you and your advisors showed me how little you care for the interests of mortals.”

“M-mortals?”

What I thought this conversation meant-

LBD: Cares about the little people.

Emperor: Completely forgot that mortals exist and doesn’t get why anyone would even bring them up.

What it really meant-

LBD: Outing herself as not human by using a term only immortals and demons would use to classify humans.

Emperor: Caught off guard with her terminology because he thought she was a regular human just like him.

I’m so embarrassed. Look how far my silly assumption has led me astray.

And further still! I had no appreciation for LBD speech here about the rise and fall of centuries. How absolutely freaky her show of power would have been for this simple human leader. 

WAIT! WAit wati wait waitk! That means definitely-not-a-mayor is also definitely-once-a-human-mortal-thing. I can’t believe it! I thought he was some immortal head of guard of the heavenly realm who turned on the Jade Emperor! But he’s also just some guy! Or at least he was at one time. This makes him so much more impressive to me! This human fought against Wukong, and didn't get turned to mush!!!

“If I hear da word destiny one more time!”

Thank you Pigsy for representing us. 

Look at this dad. Look at how he tries to care for his son. He was all doom and gloom until he saw the optimism and hope start dying in his son’s face. Now he’s taking action!

Ever realise that all of the LMK main villains are driven by the same thing? Discontentment with current world order. And their answers are to take over so they could be the ones in control.

Spider Queen’s and Demon Bull King’s goals were smaller scale (thank goodness) and they were just unhappy with their own place in the world. LBD and Azure Lion had much larger ambitions and they were unhappy with injustice in the world thanks to current world order.

And the season 5 villain?... They just wanted out of the system all together. Just wants to be a hermit, ya know? 

But what does that say about the heroes? What is the message here? Because the villain's motivation boils down to “I don’t like the status quo and seek to enact change,” does that mean the heroes are just here to keep things the way they are? Ignore the injustice, pain, suffering that Lady Bone Demon and Azure Lion noticed? Punish anyone for trying to reach above their station like Demon Bull King and Spider Queen?

Yeah, actually, that is kind of what they keep doing. Think about it. The heroes are reactionary only. Demon Bull King tries to take over the city, noodle gang reacts. Lady Bone Demon starts freezing everything and takes MK’s powers, noodle gang reacts. They aren’t trying to bring about any change, to make life better for people in disadvantageous situations like demons (why was the spider queen living in the sewers? Why did she have to hide her true form when out in public if not because she knew she would be hated… and this was before she tried to take over the city) or fight to hold the heavenly realm accountable for every time they do something that affects mortals (like dropping a dumpling that will crush an entire city and doing nothing to help or compensate the people they just doomed to a ridiculous death).

Instead the heroes just wait until someone disrupts the way things are and then they attack it. Never mind that Scorpion Demoness lives in a society where she has to hide her true form when trying to make friends because the moment anyone knows what she really is they either attack her or run. Never mind that most of the Heavenly Realm seems to care nothing for the Earthly Realm despite their own kind often jeopardising it.

There is need for change in this world but only the villains seem to be the ones to want to change it.

Now of course I do not agree with the methods the villains take to enact change. Purposely hurting others to achieve your goal is never the answer. Sacrificing people and life for your end goals does not achieve the kind of peace you say you desire. But at the same time, I just keep thinking, if Martin Luther King Jr. were in this world… would he have been seen as a villain? MLKJ wanted to stop the injustice he saw happening. He wanted to make the world a better place. MLKJ wanted to reach above the station society had put him and others like him into. MLKJ believed he and others born into the same social standing deserved more.

In some ways, MLKJ is like the LMK villains. Of course there is a difference. MLKJ wasn’t trying to destroy everything so he could have a clean slate. MLKJ did not take away anyone's freedom of choice or sacrifice others for his cause. But the first 4 seasons of LMK seem to showcase this want to make a difference, enact change, fight against corrupt leaders as wrong. 

‘Hey’ I hear you say, ‘If you hate this show so much then why are you still watching.’

But I don’t hate this show! You gotta believe me! Its just… I’ve seen this problem again and again in most superhero movies and shows. The villains are the only ones allowed to try and make a change, and the heroes are stuck being the keepers of the status quo. So I’m not too surprised to see it happening in this show. Sad, but not surprised...

And then season 5 rolled in. Say what you will about season 5, whether you loved it or hated it. I know a lot of people felt disappointed, or it just didn’t hit the same way the previous ones had… but I love the way season 5 flipped the script. For those of you who haven’t seen it, I’ll try not to spoil it too much. Just know that MK and his friends end up being the ones trying to enact change. That MK sees something in the status quo of the world/universe that he doesn’t agree with, that he believes is wrong, and tries to enact change.

Finally, a kids show where the heroes are the ones trying to make a difference instead of just the villains.

And now back to our regularly scheduled goofiness, in which everyone thought a bit of rope would hold the guy that can literally disappear into shadows.

Both Sandy and Red Son fight to be the one to say the lines. My poor B Teamers. I know, you guys deserve to have more relevance.

I don’t get this part. Pigsy just got done saying they can’t trust Macaque’s word because he could be leading them into a trap and Tang responds with a speech about writing the final chapter, living up to the legends of before, and doing big scary battle together.

…

…

What? 

This so far out of left field!

Seriously, was Tang just not listening to Pigsy’s concerns at all? Was he lost in his head this whole time just trying to build the courage to fight? How does a speech about “their story becoming our story” answer Pigsy’s question? Can they trust Macaque? Is he working for LBD or not? Is this just a trap?

Maybe, if Tang directed his speech to the new guys (Red Son and Macaque) I could see the speech being about how they all have to work together. But NOOOOO. He’s just talking and looking at the OG noodle gang. Just hyping up his well-known bros to fight together.

Which, by the way, MK already said all of this ‘friendship is power’ and ‘we gotta stick together’ stuff, just not so fancy like. Tang! BE RELEVANT and don't just sweep Pigsy’s very real concern under the rug with PRETTY WORDS! 

I was so caught up with MK finally living up to his voice actor’s legacy that I didn’t think about how vague and unhelpful his plan really is.

Thank you Red Son for bringing me back to reality.

Love that in MK’s mind, Pigsy is being more helpful to the plan than Red Son who is just screaming flames into the air.

And then there’s Tang.

“Look, I brought you the Lady Bone Demon’s lap dog, but I’m not up for being a hero, kid.”

“We don’t need to beat him. We just gotta keep him busy.”

Anyone else find it interesting how MK answers him? At first I thought, what does defeating Wukong have to do with being a hero? Heroes don't have to be assured victory to be heroes. They just have to step up and try to do the right thing despite the difficulties.

But then I realised, MK is answering Macaque's true fears, not the words he using as a distraction to his true motivations. Macaque isn’t against being a hero. He's afraid of Wukong. 

Macaque knows his power level isn’t anywhere near the great sage. He knows he can’t win. That's why Macaque always fights underhand, in the shadow, poking at the ones around Wukong instead of ever directly facing him (and when he did try to face Wukong, it was with stolen power).

MK, our beloved little scamp, has figured this out about Macaque and is assuring him this is exactly the kind of fighting he’s used to. Underhanded and sneaky. It's not a fight where opponents have to overpower the other to win. It's not a real fight at all. It's an illusion.

“Stop! You keep playing at being this bad guy, acting like you’re just in it for you. But I know, deep deep down. You’re not that guy.” 

Look at that face. That is the face of an ancient lone wolf who has just realised the super jumpy wolf pup can read him like a deer track. MK knows Macaque beyond his facade and it surprises him. 

He shooketh.

Also, Macaque, you’ve been doing a poor job of covering your tracks. Saving MK from Blue Wukong twice, Bringing them a key puzzle to defeating Lady Bone Demon, offering advice. Did you really think he wouldn’t connect the dots? He knows what you’re portals feel like. Just because he didn’t immediately try and call you out the first time you rescued him doesn’t mean MK wasn’t aware it happened.

“What can I say, I’m dramatic.”

Love it when characters just admit to their personality quirks. Like the fandom is whisper-screaming about him being such a theater kid and then bam he casually confirms our accusations like it's no big deal.

[chericherilvr]

I bring all the drama - M.L.A

Pairing: Marcus Lopez x fem!Reader

Summary: Being in a secret relationship with Marcus was easy, I mean it still is even after I see Maria flirting with him. After all, I thrive for drama

Reader specifics: Said to have hair, reads romance, fem reader cause they call themselves a cool girl, hinted and pretty much told neurodivergent reader (with autistic and adhd in mind)

Warning: this is so fluff I wanna cry, my humor is broken, probably ooc (like all of them), reader talks to themselves, not proof read like at all

2.1k words hehe

a/n: this is for my pookie @lucifertoxics and my pookie only, if you aren't my pookie you can keep reading it who am I to stop you tbh xx-

He grabbed her hands, a tight embrace resembling those of sweet love stories. "I love you," he whispered melting inside her eyes. "I love you," she replied whising to whoever was listening for this moment to never end.

"When are you going to finally find a boyfriend and stop reading those books?" It's in times like this I thank that the school I'm in. He looks so killable, maybe could use him to ace Mr. Denke's class. I nod to myself as I stare at Billy my eyes narrowing, (i) Why do the school rules imply you can't kill any other student? I let myself roll my eyes, he's a lucky bastard. "How about you find yourself one and let me read in peace? Please and thank you" I smile at him turning back to my book. The chair creeks as he sits pointing out just how much care they added into the library. "I mean it," Billy whispers leaning on the table, "I'm not calling you a lonely loser, but that's exactly what I'm calling you" Would I be too mean if I laugh at him? I shrug and let myself snort at his suggestion, Billy grabs my book out of my hands and throws it far on the table, out of my reach. Can't a girl just enjoy their free time for once? I turn to look at him. "Okay, I'm listening" He grins at my words choosing to ignore the annoyed tone that they came out with.

"Just don't want you throwing away your romantic life cause you prefer spending it with people who don't exist" I smirk, if he only knew, my heart beats quick, I try to ignore the burning feeling, we said to keep it secret "They are real" I chuckle at his stare, snickering trying to not burst out laughing I keep talking "they are real to mee" I slap my hand to my mouth if I'm going to laugh at least I will try to not be so loud for the library. "You're helpless" I follow Billy with my eyes trying to calm down from the big laugh, my tingles hurting from laughing too much. "Oh man if he only knew" I wipe a tear shaking my head, and standing up from my chair. Man, I really needed a good laugh. Look around the room, look around the room. I shift around for a bit trying to not act eager, and as a cartoon movie I slowly walk out the library, yes I am skipping so what?

Truth be told, Billy was far from the truth. Don't get me wrong, I love my fictional boyfriends, but I would never choose them over my fluffy ball of chaos and depression, Marcus, my boyfriend. I giggle when I think of him quickly wiping a face in front of my face to turn my expression into a more neutral one. Cool girl y/n, cool girl. Omg I could maybe start a band and get a bike? That's pretty cool girl style, right? I usually tend to get lost in my own thoughts, and I wonder how people saw me, I mean I was litterally just skipping down the hall my eyes unfocoused and looking around the walls, incohearent mumbles bouncing around me. Oh fuck I must look crazy to them. I shrug, eh who cares.

I'm not aware of how long it took me to reach the spot, our spot. Sure it was a big rock laying around but seeing it makes my stomach jumping with butterflies. I would totally twirl my hair and kick my feet with a giggle if it wasn't for what I saw. "What the actual fuck" I blink a couple times, Marcus sitting on our spot with a smiling Maria standing next to him. I mean, it's a public space, it's not like they're together locked up in a room, but why was she raising her hand to brush his hair back. Girl I get it, but his hair wasn't even messed up, why would someone even? Oh. Everything stops, and by everything I mean me, who was still aproaching them. Oh fuck she's flirting with him. I would tell you everything I thought in that moment, but I would be lying if I didn't say my brain was racing so fast not even I caught most of it. Yet I can explain how my body tenses, fingers tapping each other, the sun that suddenly looked brighter, the wind on the grass, the birds chirping, it's too much, their breaths, oh wait no, my breath, the one I can't control right now. I force myself to look at him, and I'm met with silence.

A peaceful silence that wraps around my body massaging the tension out of it. A comfort silence that fills my heart back to life. I've never been so happy to see my boyfriend's face filled with disgust. My boyfriend. As if a button was pressed my human body reacts again, walking back towards them. Towards our spot. It takes all strength within me to not laugh when Marcus pushes Maria's hand when she tries to touch him again. "Hi" They turn to look at my smiling face, and I'm sure I must have also pressed a button in Marcus cause he looks like he's about to call me his saviour. I'll tease him for that later, I could get some extra cuddles. Do I want to be mean? I mean Maria is kind of my friend as well, and my relationship with Marcus has been kept secret since it started. But a bit of teasing can't hurt, can it?

I savour every second every slow milimeter that I move my head to look at Maria as if it was sweet candy. My eyes widden in surprise and I make sure to pull the best smile I could muster. "Omg Maria you're here too!" I cheer giving her a tight hug giggling. "I swear I didn't even saw you, how's everything?" She frowns a bit looking side to side, but there's no camaras filming you, bestie, this is all real. I grab Marcus hand rubbing my thumb along it giving him a quick kiss on his cheek and a lovesick smile before turning back to look at Maria, head tilting as I wait for her answer. Fuck am I a bad person for enjoying her shocked face right now? I mean I'm training to kill people, but that's a whole different story, right? "What the fuck?" I chuckle when she speaks, covering my mouth with my hand. "Fuck did I messed up languages again? It's hard sometimes to realize" And I swear to God, I deserve to get a grammy for the self-pitying face I'm doing right now, I whine a bit selling the act, "I asked how you were doing, we haven't seen each other since thursday back in class" I smile at her leaning a bit closer to Marcus but not really whispering to ask him "That was in english, right?" He nods at me trying to hold his laugh when he sees my worried face, I sigh in relief looking back at Maria.

"I've been good," aaah, the sweet taste of confusion, "sorry it's just," she pauses again proably trying to understand what was going on, I'll give her that, she does look like gears are turning in her head to think right now, "it's just, are you two together?" Maria points at us, I gasp out in pure shock. Damn someone should just cast me already for a telenovela. "Oh my god!" I exclaim dropping Marcus' hand, "fuck babe I'm sorry I forgot we were keeping it a secret" I cover my face and groan, "fuck I'm sorry"

Cheeky bastard decides to finally speak, grabbing my hands out of my face and pulls me to stand in front of him. Fuck you Marcus Lopez Arguello, now I'm going to blush because of you. I melt when he cups my face into his hands and chuckles shifting his mouth into a smirk. "It's okay Love, it was bound to be known someday, it's not your fault" He ruffles my hair and if it weren't cause I'm in my acting era I would have already glared at him for daring to mess with my hairstyle. "I'll get-" Maria doesn't even finish her words before she darts out towards the main building, and I can't help but wonder if she felt bad for flirting with someone taken (which has never stopped her before) or if she was already telling everyone in school (which if I'm honest, it's what I think was happening) I giggle once she's out of sight turning back to face Marcus.

"Don't look at me like that" I allow myself to glare him this time, if I ignore my hear begging to kiss him I can act mad at him right? "Like what?" "With a big smile, it makes you look too cute, not fair, making me want to kiss you and everything. Also how dare you!" I exclaim, I migh not be an actress, but I am dramatic, I try to make my hair look good again, "I come in here, looking cute as fuck, my hair giving everything it needs to give, and you go and ruffle it that's not fair like-" This motherfucker kisses me.

I mean who am I to reject a kiss from him? Specially when he still tastes like today's desert we had for lunch, now I want icecream again. I love when he kisses me, but I hate how he knews how much it affects me. I surrender to him, not being able to pull away, not wanting to pull away. He quiets down my brain, so much it's concerning, each time after my brain powers on post-Marcus effect, I consider calling my psychiatrist to test him, this can't be human, he can't be real, am I going crazy or does he share the same effects my pills do. Don't tell this to my psychiatrist, but his effect works even better, it might not help me concentrate but I love the quiet silence that fills my brain. He pulls away, and I add it to another reason as to why I hate Marcus; He's so perfect, and I'm so desperate for him.

"You're hot when you're jealous" It takes me a couple seconds to react to his words, I was being for real, post-Marcus effect lingers for a bit before I regain control of myself. "I wouldn't call it jealousy" He rolls his eyes smiling, licking the corner of his mouth and I just know it's cause of his ego being filled up, he raises an eyebrow challenging me to explain myself. I start speaking a couple of times trying to defend myself, but pause before a single word can come out. I throw my head back groaning before dropping it on his shoulder, burrying myself in his shirt, relaxing at his sweet smell. "Okay, I was jealous, but I don't think it quite was that" He humms and I giggle when I feel his neck vibrate to produce the sound, "my head was turn between wanting to run away and cry, and the other part was begging me, screaming at me to just punch her away from you" I raise my head just as he rubs my waist up and down, shivering when it got a bit too low, curse the tickles. He looks into my eyes, but doesn't force mines to be on his, he knows I'm listening. "Love, you know how much I love you, right?" His voice is so soft it could put a baby to sleep, I adore it.

"You're amazing, you're sweet," he kisses my forhead, "you're funny" he kisses the tip of my nose, "you're a pure soul trapped in a hellhole" I chuckle even with my eyes slightly watering, he keeps going, "you're so loving, you're so lovable, you're so much that fuck if it wasn't cause I really, really, want to say something else, I could be here all day. You're enough" he kisses my lips, I taste my tears. "how did you know?" I plead him, he ruffles my hair. "that you were feeling insecure? Cause I'm the best boyfriend ever" I can't argue with that, I think to myself as he kisses me again after a soft laugh.

He grabs my hands, a tight embrace resembling those of sweet love stories. "I love you," he whisps melting inside my eyes. "I love you," I reply whising to whoever was listening for this moment to never end.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH HOW DARE YOU NOT TELL ME-?!" Billy shouts.

[blue-sadie]

Can you please do a part 2 for

"A wanted criminal"? I want to see what happens next.

Take your time, but it would be amazing if you did a part 2.

Kiss, love!!❤️❤️❤️

Thank you lovey💓 hope you enjoy.

The Mistake You Can't Take Back

Anakin x Criminal Reader

Prt 1. Prt 2

Summary: he put you in this position and he thinks you'll still be there for him when he wasn't there for you.

Warning: none, kinda short

Yn/3rd person pov

They locked you away, they locked you away like you were some sort of animal "yn ln you are here for your disobedience against the order and your stealing of weapons" the trooper spoke coldly as they stood outside your cell.

They stared in at you like it was a zoo you ignored them only staring at the person who put you here, the person who you thought loved you but he only used you to get a stupid promotion "how do you plead" you stayed silent just staring at him and he couldn't even meet your gaze.

"Yn if you tell us where the weapons are we could get you a reduced sentence" obi wan stepped forward but again you ignored him the silence annoyed them "you will talk" obi wan muttered before leaving with the troopers so it was only you and the traitor.

"Yn I-" "did you become a jedi knight" I interrupted him my eyes glistening with tears the feeling of hurt resurfacing he opened his mouth to speak bit instantly shut it and stood up "answer me" I shouted.

"No ok" he muttered finally looking at me in the eyes "they said I wasn't ready" I rolled my eyes and let out a dry laugh "your never going to be ready" I spat leaving against the wall.

His eyes flashed with anger as he looked at me but they were soon replaced by sadness and guilt "look I'm sorry ok" he said coming closer to the cell.

I laughed again "no your not" I muttered "I am" he tried to reason but I just shook my head and wiped away the fallen tears "no your not because your selfish selfish like the rest of the people that are here" I yelled causing him to take a step back.

"I didn't take those weapons for me I took them for the people who can't protect themselves who the order doesn't protect because their to high and mighty to help with the common folk" I growled out.

"It's still stealing" anakin said quietly I clicked my tongue "they get stuff stolen from them and the order doesn't do anything about it" "because we're out their trying to bring peace to the galaxy" anakin raised his voice as he slammed his fists against the cell.

"There is never going to be peace anakin you should get that through your thick scull" I muttered kicking off the wall "there will always be conflict between races, lovers, family's even friends it will never stop" I laughed bitterly.

"We can fix it" anakin breathed out as he slowly sunk to his knees I crouched in front of him his eyes staring back at me through his fringe.

"If you think that's gonna happen might as well let the imperial finish you off"

[password-door-lock]

Content warning: manipulation

Unknown has never been very big on giving comfort— or so he tells himself as you sob into his jacket. You’re grabbing fistfuls of leather, trying your hardest to pull him close, though of course, it doesn’t really do much— you’re not very strong. It wouldn’t take very much effort at all for Unknown to simply push you away. But he allows you to cling to him. With one hand, he returns your embrace, and with the other, he pets your hair.

Does that really make anything better? Unknown can’t imagine that it would. If he were in your position, he’d want to be alone. In fact, he’d be shoving people out of his way, yelling, screaming, and slamming doors just to get some peace and fucking quiet. He’d destroy the contents of whatever room he’d manage to lock himself in, and only then, only after all of that, only with no other options, would he allow himself to break down crying. He certainly wouldn’t do it in front of anybody else. 

“Shhh,” he hushes you. Unknown assures himself that he’s only doing this because he wants you to shut up, not because he cares about your feelings enough to actively soothe you. Why would he give a shit about your feelings? He only brought you here in the first place because he thought that it would hurt those liars, and your time in the apartment did not instill him with very much confidence in your ability to handle important tasks. 

You respond by nuzzling his chest and, in doing so, staining his jacket with salt. Unlike all those times when you attempted to initiate a text conversation with him, you don't seem to have very much to say. “Quiet. You did fine.” The comfort that he offers is stiff and unnatural, but that doesn’t seem to bother you as you gaze at him. 

If only he had something he could use to wipe your face. You’re such a mess, with snot and tears everywhere— seriously, he’s probably going to have to get a new jacket.  You blink the tears out of your eyes. “You don’t hate me?” 

This isn’t such a bad question. Theoretically speaking, Unknown has every reason to hate you— you did ruin his original plan, after all. You could at least have spoken to the RFA and emailed a couple of potential party guests— that would be enough to bring those people to paradise. Instead, you sat around doing nothing, waiting around  for somebody to tell you what to do. In that sense, Unknown supposes, it’s his own fault for not giving you clear instructions, and besides— it’s touching to think that you’re so torn up about causing a minor setback for him. You barely know him— you’ve been here less than a day— and already you’re loyal enough to shed tears over the idea of inconveniencing Unknown. 

But, then again, he’s been monitoring the RFA messenger, and actually, your disappearance has done a lot to disrupt the typical functioning of the organization. Thanks to you, he’ll be able to sway the RFA to his savior’s side, anyway, though it’ll take a bit longer than he initially planned. “Prince(ss),” he coos, patronizing you. It’s to keep you where he wants you, he assures himself, ignoring all the other reasons he could have to behave this way. He has no reason to care about your feelings, no reason to want to make you more comfortable, especially not if you’ve already bought into the doctrine of the Mint Eye. One little speech was all it took to get you to abandon everything you thought you knew about the RFA— but, then again, that speech was quite a lot longer than any conversation you’ve ever had with any of those liars. “If I hated you, I think you’d know it by now, hm?” 

“You’re not mad?” You try again, eyes shining as you gaze up at him. 

Unknown ruffles your hair. It actually feels good to know that he can make you feel better so easily. “No,” he informs you flatly. He supposes he can’t really blame you for not wanting to talk to the boring and selfish members of the RFA— though he doesn’t say that aloud. He doesn’t owe you his reasoning. Unknown does not owe a thing to anybody, with the notable exception of his savior. 

“Okay.” You continue to cling to him like a lifeline, as though your well being truly does depend on it. He supposes that if you really thought that way, you wouldn’t necessarily be wrong— after all, Unknown is the one who can decide what to do with you. “Thank you for saving me,” you breathe. This is music to his fucking ears.

Unknown continues petting your hair. Within the next few hours, he and his Savior will have a new and better plan. Within the next few days, if everything goes as he expects it to, Unknown will have his revenge. No thanks to you, he supposes, but still— even if you couldn’t handle working as his eyes, you’ll make fantastic bait. “You’re very welcome, prince(ss).” 

[animestsstuff2]

Hey I saw you were asking for aot recommendations, so I wanted ask if you could write maybe a Zeke one? There's not much about him

Attack on Titan

Zeke x reader.

I haven’t watched attack on Titan since it finished so I hope this is okay I didn’t really know how to write Zeke

Content warning: established relationship, trauma, fluff, before Erens invasion period, kinda angsty

——————————————————

You sat waiting for Zeke to come home from one of his meetings, humming as you stood over the stove making dinner. You and him would be together two years as of tonight and you made all his favourite foods.

You perked up upon hearing the door opening and shutting, turning to greet him only to see him glance in at you from the hallway and head immediately upstairs. Your brows furrowing as you moved the pots off the stove to colder rings and followed him.

“Zeke? How was the meeting?” You called as you slowly ascended upstairs. You wondered if something had happened, sometimes when the meetings don’t go how he likes he likes to he left alone.

You headed down to his small study, knocking as you entered and seen him at his desk. A glass of whiskey on the desk as he ran his hand through his hair before glancing at you again.

“I’ll be down shortly Y/N” he told you, you walked over to him ignoring his hint that he wanted to be alone as you smoothed your hands up his shoulders, leaning down to rest your chin atop his head.

“What happened at the meeting?” You hummed, rubbing his shoulders through his shirt feeling him relax slightly as he sighed.

“Nothing important just the usual discussions” he mumbled, he never really did tell you what they spoke about.

“Clearly something, why are you so sad. You know what today is don’t you?” You asked, moving to kiss his cheek as he swivelled in his chair to move so now you stood between his legs.

“I do remember love and I can’t wait to eat the delicious food you’ve prepared” he gave a small smile as he picked your hands up with his.

“Well the sooner you tell me the sooner we can go eat” you chimed a grin forming as you thought about the sweet apple pie downstairs.

“Not now. I dont want to ruin today” he mumbled, his smile falling as you thought about what could ruin today, did he have to leave? Are Paradis making a move.

“Ruin today? Zeke what happened at that meeting” you pressed firmly as you squeezed his hands.

“Y/N don’t push you won’t lik-“

“Tell me Zeke. You always feel better after we talk things out” you told him, it was true he has always been secretive but with you he felt at peace and could tell you anything. He sat for a moment.

“They chose my successor today” he told you and your heart stalled. You hated Titan stuff, Zeke was nearing his thirteenth year as the Beast Titan.

“Oh..who is it?” You asked softly, not wanting to think of your boyfriends inevitable death.

“Colt Grice. A young warrior” he told you, looking up to see your saddened eyes.

“I told you Y/N you wouldn’t like it. I-..I thought about this on the way home, it would be better if we, we went our separate ways now instead of down the line” he told you, you pulled your hands from his and his head snapped back up to yours.

“Not this again Zeke. I won’t hear it.” You told him, trying not to let your eyes water.

“Y/N its only reasonable. I don’t want to hurt you more than I will. I don’t unde-“

“I love you Zeke! I know you’re going to die and that I will be alone but right now I want to spend that time together with you!” You told him, eyes watering as some tears dripped. His heart ached as he stood.

He reached for you, wrapping his arms around your waist as he pulled you into him, resting his chin on your head. He pulled away wiping the tear from your eye as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to your pouty lips.

“Im sorry for bringing it up my love. I just think too rationally sometimes. I don’t ever want to be without you but knowing I will have to leave you alone pains me so much” he whispered and you nodded accepting his reasoning. He pressed another kiss which you returned, wrapping your arms around his neck as he pulled you in closer.

You both pulled away as he gave you a small smile which you returned.

“Now, im pretty sure I smelled apple pie downstairs” he mumbled and you giggled nodding as you pulled him with you.

The dinner and desert were amazing. Zeke continuously complimenting your cooking throughout till now where you both sat in the living room, fire lit and cuddled up with a glass of wine he brought back. It was a special wine he was gifted.

[player1064]

Ok after the amazing angst one about their first time might I request a hurt/comfort… I love the complications of them being secretly together as players. Maybe Gary (srry bby) gets injured in a match and it’s scholes that has to tell Jamie and that’s how they come out to their friends or to the world, maybe Jamie’s there, idkkkkkk but something in the following of the SAF finding out one? 😁❤️

tbh like. at this point this is fully just a full length fic. perhaps I'm insane about them...

LOVE the idea of them being together in their playing days. wish I could find footage of Gary breaking his ankle but there's none!!!!!

Set as a sort of prequel to this one from a few days ago

---

17th March 2007

Jamie is on the team bus headed for Birmingham when it happens. Up front, the radio is playing match coverage, but he’s sat further back, he and Stevie too busy holding court with the players sat around them to pay it much attention. It’s always a good idea to keep an eye on what United are doing, but as it stands they’re twenty points clear of Liverpool and are certainly going to get another three today – it’s only Bolton, and they’re at home too.

So, he’s on the bus when it happens, but he doesn’t find out until the team is sat around watching Match of the Day later that evening. Even then, he doesn’t get to see the footage, the only mention that anything happened at all being a short “Gary Neville came off after 11 minutes with an ankle injury.”

His teammates cheer and Jamie tries to laugh along, but all he can think is why hasn’t he texted.

“Reckon that’s him off England squad this summer, then” Stevie says, grinning, “finally, some peace and quiet. An’ they’ll be needing someone to step in for ‘im, Carra, you might get more minutes.”

“I fuckin’ hate playin’ right back,” he groans, rolling his eyes (why hasn’t he texted why hasn’t he texted why hasn’t he texted).

He makes a show of looking at the clock, says something about needing to call his parents to let them know he’s got to the hotel alright, and high-tails it out of there to go back to his and Stevie’s empty room.

Still no texts, so he brings Gary’s number up and calls, pacing the floor while it rings.

It takes longer than usual, but eventually he’s greeted with a quiet “’lo?” and breathes a sigh of relief.

“Are y’alright, love?” he asks quickly, his words rushing together. “Only just heard, else I’d’ve called sooner – what ‘appened? That twat Lineker was so vague.”

There’s a long pause, long enough that Jamie starts to wonder if his signal’s dropped out, and then:

A voice which he now hears is definitely not Gary, saying “this is Scholes.”

“Fuck,” he hisses, and snaps his phone shut.

His phone starts ringing a few seconds later.

Jamie, because maybe he’s a bit stupid, answers it.

“Yeah?”

“Er,” he hears Scholes say, “Who’m I speakin’ to, exactly? Gaz’s only got this number saved as ‘J’.”

“Um,” Jamie says, panicking. “I’m just a friend of ‘is, heard he got injured so wanted to check he were alright.”

“’e’s still waitin’ on some scans, but they reckon it’s broken,” Scholes says. “Gaz doesn’t really have friends, does he, outside of team. An’ you sound –”

“—Okay, good t’hear he’s alright, bye then.”

Jamie snaps his phone shut again and tosses it onto his bed, wipes both hands down his face.

Broken. Fuck. That’s him out for the remainder of the season, then, he’ll be devastated. At least he’s already racked up enough appearances to get a medal when United inevitably win the league, not that the prick needs another one of those.

This thing of theirs, whatever it actually is, it’s not been going on that long. Not even a full year, if you’re ignoring the few mistaken fumbles at England camps over the years and only counting from when they’d made it – not official, exactly, because again Jamie’s not entirely sure what it is they’d be making official – but as close to official as it’s likely to get.

Gary, the prick, would probably give him a smack if he said all that to him. It all comes a lot easier to him, the – the words, and the feelings. Jamie can almost hear him now, why’s everythin’ always so complicated w’you, Jamie, stop bein’ a baby and just admit I’m your boyfriend.

His ankle is probably broken. Jamie should be there.

He has a match tomorrow.

He sits on the end of his bed, hunched over with his head in his hands while he tries to sort through the mess in his head to work out what he’s meant to do. There’s a buzzing in his head that feels so loud he doesn’t notice the soft click of the door opening until there’s a dip in the mattress beside him and Stevie’s hand patting him on the shoulder.

“Y’alright, lad?” he asks gently, shifting his hand to rub firm circles on Jamie’s back. “We’re headin’ down for dinner soon, boss sent me to find you.”

“I’m fine,” he says automatically, but when he looks up he can see the disbelief in Stevie’s face. “I am, I just – if somethin’ happened to Alex, like, if she’d been hurt. Would you go home? Even if you’re meant to be startin’ tomorrow?”

“Of course,” Stevie replies, like he doesn’t even have to think about it. “’Course I would, you know that. She’s – y’know, she’s the mother of my children, in’t she? I’d drop anythin’.”

Jamie groans, puts his face back in his hands. “’s not helpful, Stevie.”

“Well, no, ‘cause you don’t ‘ave kids.” Stevie pauses for a second, frowns. “Unless you –”

“—No!” Jamie says quickly, shaking his head. “Christ, y’think I could ‘ave a secret family? Give us a break. No, it’s just – I dunno, I been seein’ someone, for a little bit now, and somethin’s happened, and – and I feel like I’m meant to go home, aren’t I? Help out? But I –”

“But you can’t miss the game tomorrow,” Stevie finishes for him, because of course he knows that, he knows him, knows how his head works. “So there’s yer answer. Carra, she won’t hold it against you. If she – I mean, does she love you? Are the two of yous, like – why’ve you not said anythin’?”

Jamie feels a twinge of guilt. “’s complicated,” he says with a sigh. “But we – I s’pose so, yeah. I s’pose you might say that we’re – that.”

Stevie, god bless the man, seems to lose any trace of annoyance or upset over being left out of the loop, and throws an arm around Jamie’s shoulder with a grin. “My boy’s in love!” he says, squeezing Jamie tight. “Too much of a prick to tell ‘is best mate, but what else is fuckin’ new? Look, Jay, I know you, don’t I? And if she knows you, then she’ll know you ‘ave to play this game. Long as she’s not dyin’, I’m sure she’ll understand waitin’ ‘til tomorrow evenin’ for you to get home.”

“Ha,” Jamie says humourlessly, still feeling guilt clawing away at his insides, “prob’ly won’t notice if I’m there or not, anyway.”

Stevie pats him on the shoulder one last time and then stands back up, nodding his head towards the door in question.

Jamie gets up too, but they’ve only taken a couple of steps towards the door when another wave of guilt crashes into him and he blurts out “Stevie –”

“I’m bloody starving, Carra, c’mon now.”

“Stevie,” he says again, clenching his fists at his sides. He can’t look at Stevie, is staring up at the ceiling instead as he says “’s not a girl. That I’ve been seein’. That’s why I couldn’t tell you.”

There’s a long pause, where it feels like the air between them is humming, and then Stevie just nods and says “okay.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

They make it all the way out of the room and into the lift down to the dining room when Stevie’s brow furrows for a second and then he turns to Jamie, eyes wide.

“Carra,” he says grimly, “please tell me the guy you’ve been seeing that’s got hurt today’s not another footballer.”

Jamie feels himself blush. “Um,” he replies.

“Jesus fuckin’ Christ, Jamie, what is wrong w’you?”

*

When Gary is wheeled back into his private hospital room, it’s to the sight of Scholesy sat in an armchair looking thoughtfully at the phone in his hands.

He blinks when he hears Gary come in, looks up with a grimace. “X-ray gone alright?”

Gary shrugs, looks away. “Broken,” he says, trying to sound nonchalant. “Like they thought. Guess it’s gonna be more’n just three weeks out, then.”

Scholesy sighs, deflating slightly. “’m sorry, Gaz.”

“Is what it is. They said I can go home now, at least, so that’s somethin’. You got all my things?”

“Yeah, give us a second,” Scholesy says, turning around to rummage through the pockets of the coat that’s hanging on the back of his chair. He pulls another phone out, opens it up. “I’ll call us a cab, yeah? Want me to stay at yours tonight?”

It takes a second to compute that if the new phone is Scholesy’s, then the one he’d been staring at when Gary came in was –

“Erm. Were there any calls for me, while I was out?”

“Yeah,” Scholesy says, back to sounding sort of distant.

Please be from my mum, Gary thinks desperately, almost wanting to squeeze his eyes shut while he waits for Scholesy to elaborate.

“Um, texts from the family, of course. But just the one call.”

He hands the phone back to Gary, who opens up the call log to see exactly what he was hoping he wouldn’t.

Still, there’s a little glowy feeling in his chest at the fact he’d called.

“Ah,” he says. “Did you, er, d’you speak to him?”

“For a minute,” Scholesy says carefully. “Said he were a friend of yours.”

“Yeah,” Gary says with a relieved chuckle. His idiot boyfriend is good for something, after all. “Yeah, he’s a good friend. Good of him to check up on us.”

Except, then Scholesy adds: “Sounded Scouse.”

“Ah, yeah,” he replies, rubs a hand over his jaw. “Well, can’t hold it against him, I s’pose.”

Except, then Scholesy looks him dead in the eye and says: “Called you ‘love’.”

Fuck,

Fuck.

“Scholesy,” he says, feeling panic rise up inside him, “Scholesy, I can explain –”

“First boyfriend in how many years and it’s a bloody Scouser,” Scholesy mutters, which –

Which isn’t what Gary had thought he’d say, not even close.

“You don’t – you don’t mind that he’s – that he’s a man?”

Scholesy frowns at him like he’s lost his marbles. “Well, what else would he be?”

“I – a woman, Scholesy!” Gary screeches.

“But you’re gay?”

“You’re not meant to know that!”

Scholesy’s eyes flit up towards the ceiling. “Oh my god,” he mutters. He looks back at Gary, voice even. “You are so annoying, d’you know that? Nobody cares about the gay thing.”

“Oh,” Gary says, even though his head is screaming other people know too???

“He sounded worried, your lad on the phone.”

Gary feels himself relax a bit as it finally clicks how nice it is to be able to talk about this. “Yeah,” he says fondly, “’cause he’s bloody stupid.”

Scholesy hums thoughtfully. “What’s ‘is name?”

Ah, right. There is still that one, teeny tiny little problem.

“Um,” he says. “’s name’s Jamie.”

There’s a brief second while Scholesy’s brain works through the complicated equation of ‘Jamie + Scouser’, and Gary can tell the exact moment it computes because his eyes go wide and he says “Carragher?”

[cheekiepascal]

Chapter 2: The Package

Pairing: Joel Miller X fem!reader 

Rating: 18+, no minors 🔞

Word Count: 3.5k ;)

Chapter Triggers: Tiny amount of tension, sassy Joel Miller, neighbor Joel Miller

Series Warning: Age Gap (22/45), alcohol, Eventual toe curling smut (will specify with each chapter), fluff, secret relationship, A/N: Long awaited second chapter hehe :) Let me know whatcha guys think and if you want to be added to the tag list!

Previous | Next

The work week flew by and you didn’t see much of Joel for most of it. Mostly just the occasional nod of the head in passing, and things seemed pretty much back to normal. The weekend finally came around which meant that you finally got to rest and take your weekly shopping adventure in town. On today’s agenda, you had plans to hit up Target and a new local bookstore that just opened up. That is until you opened your front door and slammed your sandaled foot into the most enormous box known to mankind...

“Fucking Christ” You cry out. 

While trying to ignore the throbbing pain in your big toe, you search the box for a label to see who this monstrosity is for. You hardly ever get packages that aren’t just books from Amazon, so getting a box this big delivered to your house is just mind-boggling.  

After finally locating the label, you see that it’s addressed to Joel Miller. Rolling your eyes, you once again, huff your way down the driveway and up to Joel's house. All you wanted to do is to do your errands in peace and here you are again, chasing Joel down because he can’t seem to keep his shit out of your way.

Almost reaching the front door, you notice that the garage door is open and a vast amount of grunting sounds and tools clanging is spilling out of the garage. You decide to wander your way into the garage you see Joel bent over and under the hood of a navy blue 1984 Bronco looking sexy as hell. He’s wearing a red flannel with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows so that it accentuates his veiny forearms and a pair of worn jeans. 

The sight of him makes something in your lower stomach flutter. Yes Joel was older, and you knew that you shouldn’t have any other feelings toward him other than your typical friendly feelings, but there was just something about him that made you want more. 

The sound of a bolt hitting the floor and rolling toward you jolts you from your deep thoughts. 

“Nice car,” You say, bending over to pick up the bolt then walking towards Joel. 

“Whatcha want now lil lady?” Joel says, continuing his tinkering under the hood.

“One, stop calling me ‘little lady’. I’m an adult, not a child. And two, there is a huge ass package on my porch with your name on it and it’s gotta go” You say pointing your thumb in the direction of your front door.

“Why didn’t you just pick it up and bring it over?” He says standing straight, with the wrench in his hand.

You roll your eyes, handing him his missing bolt  “Because it’s the size of a small child and it’s heavy?”

“So you’re saying that it’s too big for you to carry right?” He asks as you watch him bend under the hood again to screw the bolt tight with a socket wrench, staring at his forearms flexing 

“Well, Yeah” You replied impatiently, trying your hardest not to think about how you so eagerly wanted to be the socket wrench… or the bolt. Or even the car.

“Well, then that makes the name valid. You are a little lady.” He smirks standing up again and wiping his hands on a rag, wiping the grime off.

You roll your eyes and try to summon the strength to not strangle this man where he stands. Joel was hot, but Jesus you did not have enough patience for this man’s inconvenient sass.

“You just love testing my patience don’t you?” You grumble

“Maybe if you weren’t so sassy, I wouldn’t have to.” He says chuckling and turning around and tossing the dirty rag onto his workbench.

“This yours?” You ask nodding towards the Bronco, changing the subject to save your sanity.

“Yup, I bought her off one of my guys so I could have somethin’ to fool around with in my free time”

You’re definitely not into cars much, you’ve always had a slight interest due to Greg, one of your mom's boyfriends. He was the closest thing to a dad you have ever had, a full-time lonely mechanic who had always wanted kids to teach cars things too. So when he linked up with your mom, it was a perfect situation. Greg got to teach you about cars and your mom got free car maintenance. You spent every second of your free time out in the garage with him while he tinkered on Mom’s piece of shit station wagon that broke down every 100 miles or so. He taught you how to change oil, plug a tire, change fluids, replace brake pads, and even to replace a transmission one time. So it’s safe to say you knew a few things about vehicle maintenance, but when it came to classic cars and their history? You knew nothing but the basics. Unfortunately for you, your mom dumped Greg right after replacing said transmission, so you didn’t get to dive into the history of automobiles with him before he was abruptly removed from your life.

“Nice, does it have four-wheel drive?” 

“Mmhmm. Why? You gonna steal it from me or somethin’?” He asks 

“No, I was going to be nice and tell you that there were a few off-road trails near here that you could take it down when it’s done” You said crossing your arms sassily.

 “Oh” He says smirking, his mature face wrinkling at the corners of his deep brown eyes.

“Anyways,” You say, rolling your eyes and turning towards your house, “You coming or what cause I have things to do.” 

Joel shakes his head and watches you march your way down his driveway briskly. 

“What a piece of work” He mumbles, following after you.

Arriving at your door, you point at the large box that is taking your walkway hostage.

“That’s the one, it has your name on it” 

“Alright.” He says picking up the massive box with ease and starting to walk down the driveway with it.

“Come on. I need ya to open some doors for me” He shouts over his shoulder at you 

“A please would be nice” You mutter as you speed walk, catching up to him.

After walking beside him for a few moments you decide that maybe you should try to be nice and create some small talk. He is your neighbor after all, and you have been a bit sassy with him here recently. You don’t want him walking around thinking that he has a massive bitch for a neighbor. 

“So where are you from exactly?” You ask, looking up at him.

“I was born and raised in Austin.” He says as he shifts the box, getting a better view of you.

“So why did you move to Arlington?” 

“I wanted to move my daughter into a better high school. She wants to go to UT for Computer Science and this new school has some fancy early college program that her old school didn’t have” 

You snap your head towards him looking surprised. 

“What?” He laughs.

“N-nothing.” You stutter, quickly shaking your head, bewildered. “How old is she?” 

“15. She’ll be a freshman this year comin’” Joel smirks

“Oh wow… Cool”

Your mind begins to reel. A daughter? Joel a dad? You knew he was older, but he didn’t seem old enough to have a 15-year-old daughter for crying out loud.

After walking the rest of the way up to Joel’s in silence, your mind spinning with the little bit of information Joel revealed, You finally reach the garage and he puts the box down and stretches, before flipping the box on its side and picking it up again.

“Can you get the door?” he asks, his head nodding towards the door.

“Oh, sure.” You say reaching for the doorknob. 

Following Joel inside and into the kitchen he sets the box onto the counter and starts unboxing it. 

The kitchen is stunning. It’s industrial-inspired but modern and spacious, very well-organized with high ceilings and large windows that allow natural light to flood in.

“Your kitchen is beautiful,” You say breathlessly, inspecting the brand-new appliances.

“Thanks” He gruffs 

You walk over to the stunning black stainless steel fridge and look at all the different polaroids stuck to the side of it. You notice one photo of Joel sitting next to a young girl as she blows the candles off of a cake that reads “Happy 15th Birthday Sarah!”. 

You weren’t expecting Sarah to be so beautiful. Not that you were expecting her to be ugly, but she was prettier than you thought you looked at her age. Beautiful chocolate brown ringlet curls frame her face, stunning olive skin tone, and the prettiest hazel eyes. You also notice that she has Joel’s cute nose and it makes you smile. She’s absolutely gorgeous. 

“Where is she?” You ask, staring at the rest of the Polaroids.

“Huh?” Joel asks as he plugs in some sort of appliance and sets it on the counter turning it on. 

“Where’s Sarah? Is she here?”

“Oh, no. She’s with her mom” He turns on the machine, it beeping and coming to life.

You walked to the middle of the kitchen and bent over the huge island, leaning over it and letting your chest settle onto your crossed arms that sat on the granite island, showing off your perky breasts. You silently thanked yourself for choosing to throw on a scoop neck tank top rather than an old ratty t-shirt that you typically wore on your days off.

“That was in the huge ass box?” You say when you finally get a good look at the contraption Joel pulled out of the box. It’s a state-of-the-art smart coffee machine, complete with a 6-inch touch-screen and a hot and cold frother attachment. It looks nice but you think it’s odd that Joel would buy this. He seems like a normal “cup of black coffee in the morning” type of guy, not a “mocha frappe with cold foam” type of guy. 

“I promised Sarah that if she stopped asking me to stop at damn a Starbucks every day before school, I would buy a fancy barista machine.” He said, shaking his head in amusement. “She drinks those decaf fancy things with some kinda cream on top. But not whipped cream, some other typa’ cream. I got her one with whipped cream once and she got sassy with me” 

“It’s called cold foam,” You said laughing at his way of describing coffee like it’s a foreign object. 

“Yeah that stuff,” He said, his eyes quickly wandering down to your breasts and back up to your eyes. He swiftly turns back towards the machine and begins to set the time. 

You smirk at his apparent flustering and decide to wander into the living room. The decor screams Joel Miller. The dark brown hardwood floors, dark green rug and brown leather couch facing a big flat screen mounted on the wall, all ooze his burly mountain man aesthetic.

You see some more photos hanging on the wall and walk up to them peering at all his memories that are hung meticulously on the wall. 

You zone in on a particular photo of Sarah with someone whom you guess, is her mother. She has long curly black hair, deep blue eyes, and a hardening expression plastered on her face. She looks young in the photo and normal, but something feels a bit off in her body language. Defensive almost. 

“So do you like workin’ at the BayLeaf?” Joel shouts towards you from the kitchen.

Still studying and analyzing the photo of the mystery woman you reply, “Not really, but the pay is good. If I budget my money right it floats me through the school year so I don’t have to work while taking classes.”

You hear Joel walk out of the kitchen towards you. 

“Classes? So you’re like 20?” He asks with a strange look on his face. 

“No, I’m 22 Joel.” You say. “Why, is 20 your preferred age?”

He stares at you with a shocked look. ��NO… er, I-I thought you were older than that” 

“Well I’m not, sorry to disappoint.” You retort 

“What are your going to school for?”

“Engineering. I want to design skyscrapers one day. I graduate in December thank God” you reply 

“Oh, so you’re almost done.” He says, looking oddly relieved.

“Yeah… Did you go to college here?” You ask turning back to photos, searching for any images of Joel when he was younger.

He shifts uncomfortably. “No. I started my own construction company right outta high school. Then when my brother finished school we became partners.” 

“Oh cool. Very Entrepreneurial of you” You reply turning back to Joel staring into his addicting brown eyes.

“Yeah.” He mutters, his eyes boring into yours.

You don’t say anything for what seems like an eternity, just accepting the silence between you two. You start to feel those annoying flutters deep in your stomach again as your gaze is locked onto his. Joel’s eyes wander down to your mouth and your breathing hitches, wanting so badly for him to just kiss you, right then and there in the middle of his living room. Your heart beats faster and faster, just waiting for him to make some sort of move, grab you, kiss you, something. Anything. 

“Joel I…” You’re cutt off by the sound of a car door slamming in front of the house, making you both jump in unison. Joel rushes over to the front door and peers out the small window next to it. 

“Shit.” He says rubbing his hand roughly up and down the back of his neck. “Listen, I hate to do this but can you wait in the kitchen for me? My ex-wife is a lil’ bit on the crazy side, and she’ll flip her lid if she saw a woman standin’ in my doorway.” 

You nodd your head rapidly “Oh sure, yeah that’s fine. I guess” 

You scramble into the kitchen and up to the sink, leaning over it, trying to control your thoughts as they scramble. “What the fuck am I doing?” You think aloud. 

“Um, hello?” 

You spin around so fast that you almost fall over. Sarah is standing in the kitchen doorway looking confused and eerily suspicious of you. “Who are you?” 

“Oh, Hi!” You said gasping trying to catch your breath after almost busting your ass on the tile. You tell her your name and start to explain that you are the neighbor from across the street.

“Oh, okay… So like why are you in my kitchen though?” Sarah askes looking confused. 

“I was helping your dad bring in your new coffee machine. It was delivered to my house by accident.” You say pointing at the coffee machine Joel set up on the kitchen counter. 

Sarah zones in on the coffee machine and rushes over to analyze it. “Oh my God he actually bought it! I didn’t think he was serious.” She turns back to you with an embarrassed look on her face, “I’m really into coffee” 

“Yeah he might have mentioned that” You reply

You don’t hate kids, but teenagers were scary. It wasn’t long ago that you were a teenager yourself, but this newer generation was so different from how you grew up. You had no idea how to level with them. 

While Sarah becomes deeply engaged with the coffee machine, you stick your head out of the kitchen to see if Joel is coming back anytime soon.

“You are not taking my child to New Mexico so you can join another one of your damn hippy dippy cults. I won’t have that shit, Amber.”

You freeze. You knew Joel had some sass to him but hearing him flat out angry was strange to you. You stick your head out a little bit further and catch a glimpse of the woman you assume is Sarah’s mother. She looks the same as the picture you were just looking at, but much older. Her black curls are gray and frizzy with age and her face is tight with annoyance. She’s wearing a pair of flowy overalls and a cropped bandeau top that hugs her petite frame.

“It’s not a cult Joel, it's a yoga retreat.” She says exasperatedly. “Listen, I am allowed to take her on trips Joel, you can’t deny me that right.” 

“Yes the fuck I can, and I will” Joel angrily whispers back. 

 “You are allowed to take her on vacations, not to enroll in some fuckin’ cult in the middle of the goddamn desert” 

“Yoga retreat.” Amber replies, crossing her arms in annoyance. 

“Whatever. It’s not happenin’.” Joel says in a normal tone of voice

“You are the last person who can tell me what I can and cannot do Joel.” She says, her voice getting louder. “She’s coming with me and If you have a fucking problem with it, you can take me back to fucking court.” 

“Maybe I will” He shot back 

“You won’t. Cause you know I’ll make sure they reevaluate child support while we’re there and I’ll make sure to get every spare penny you make. Don’t tempt me.” She says poking her finger into Joel’s chest. 

“Fuck you Amber.” Joel growls

“Remember who you’re dealing with Joel. I don’t play when it comes to money. We both know that” She says with a smirk. 

She turns around and storms away from the front door, leaving Joel standing there alone. He balls his hands into a fist and takes a few deep and uneasy breaths. He closes the door slowly and turns around catching you half-hidden behind the kitchen doorway.

“I suppose you heard all that.” He says rubbing the back of his neck, embarrassed.

“Just the tail end. Sorry.” You said feeling awkward as hell.

“It’s fine. She’s just… a lot” Joel says, sighing. 

“Is she always like that?” You ask unsure of what else to say.

He stares at you, with an uncomfortable look. “Sometimes” 

You both stand there in the foyer in silence for a few minutes. Both unsure of what to say next. The situation seemed sticky to you, a crazy ex-wife, a teenager? You needed to nip these feelings you had for Joel in the bud. It was clear that he didn’t have any time for anything extracurricular in his life. Not that you wanted to be one of his extracurricular activities... 

“I guess I should be going now.” You finally say

“Yeah”

“I’ll see ya around?” You say walking towards him and the front door.

“I guess so.” Joel says, stepping out of the way of the door, letting you pass. 

As you attempt to walk past him and out of the door he grabs your wrist making you stop dead in your tracks. He stares at you again with your wrist in hand, his brown eyes piercing into yours. 

Being this close to him, you could finally take a good look at his face. You weren’t sure exactly how old Joel was, but you guessed he had to be over the age of forty, and oddly enough, you realized that you didn’t care as much as you thought you should. Soft wrinkles splayed around his eyes and forehead giving him a mature yet youthful look, that made you internally swoon.

He begins to slowly lean into you, his hand sliding up your arm, making your breath hitch. Your wanders to his perfect plush lips, the sound of your heart pounding in your ears and making you lightheaded. You look back up to his eyes, Joel’s hand now resting on your shoulder and rubbing his thumb softly on your skin making your arm flourish with goosebumps.

You open your mouth daring to say something, and the sound of Sarah coming through the kitchen door makes you both jump apart. 

“Dad, I can’t figure out where the coffee grounds go in this thing. Do you have the instruction manual still?” She says tapping her foot and waiting for an answer 

“Yeah, it must be in the box. I’ll see if I can’t dig it out for ya” He says clearly shaken.

“I gotta go anyways, I still have to run my errands.” You say backing your way to the door and opening it. Your face blushing with embarrassment.

“Okay,” Joel replies. “Well, we’ll see ya around then?” 

“Yeah, See ya around,” You reply quietly, stepping out of the door and closing it behind you.

You break out in a jog and quickly make your way home before your dirty thoughts persuaded you into busting your way back into Joel’s house and fucking him right in his foyer…

Previous | Next

__________________________________________________________

tag list:

@ilovepedro