#i dunno i'm just gonna throw this out there and then continue to work on the essay i want to and am able to fully write

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

Y'know, it's unfortunate more people don't compare Louis and Violet in good faith.

Like, when I do see people compare them, it's usually through the lens of one is good, and the other bad. One is more canon than the other, and here's why. One is objectively better for Clementine, and the other is less impactful, worse written, didn't have chemistry with her, insert several insults here, etc.

I don't think it's inherently bad to express why you might not like one of them, or why you prefer one over the other. That's fine, that's a matter of opinion. It only gets to me when it becomes hostile, or passive aggressive... but even then, I've learned to just roll my eyes and move on. Some people make it very clear that they're not worth having a discussion with.

However, I wish I could read more nuanced comparisons of the two that didn't default to the "and that's why this one is better." At least some are kind enough to tack on a "for my Clementine" at the end.

You know how it goes: Louis is cute and he makes Clementine laugh, whereas Violet's boring, her love is shallow, she's still not over Minerva and she's using Clementine as a rebound. Violentine's a bad ship because Violet's actually a traitor, and they're practically the same person and that's bad.

Violet's loyal and reliable, whereas Louis is annoying, he never takes anything serious, he's a traitor for his vote, and he's nothing but a distraction. Clouis is a bad ship because how could any Clementine possibly like him after he voted her and AJ out? That's bad!

That's always the conclusion, right? One good, one bad.

This is incredibly limiting and it drives me nuts.

They're foils. They contrast one another, highlight each other's strengths and flaws, in such an interesting way that it makes Clementine's choice between them all the more meaningful.

One is not good and the other bad, they're different, and I think that's worth exploring.

Let's start with a common argument: Violet is the more impactful option due to her connection to Minerva.

Now, to be fair, I can understand why someone on Team Violet would believe this. Yes, it's true that the confrontation with Minerva is more impactful for a violentine shipper who has more investment in Violet as a character. Louis doesn't have as strong of a connection to her.

However, what they're failing to recognize is that Minerva isn't the only ghost to haunt this narrative. Violet may have Minerva, yes, but Louis has Marlon... and that doesn't just go away once Marlon's dead.

Violet's route has Minerva as her ex-girlfriend, and her bond with Tenn that all comes to a head on the bridge. Louis' route has Marlon's death and how that specifically impacts his relationship with AJ and Clementine, and the slow burn of forgiveness on all sides.

Marlon and Minerva are also reflective of Clementine's worst outcomes.

Clementine and Marlon were tied together through Brody's blood splattered on their hands and faces. They both killed a part of Brody, but only one of them lies about who killed her first.

After Marlon dies, Clementine gradually replaces him throughout the game; Rosie is her dog now, she uses his bow [which Louis gave her], she becomes the leader. Clementine gets them to fight back, and when three of her people are captured, she doesn't cut her losses. She does what Marlon couldn't; "we're getting them back."

When she chooses Louis, he does for her what he never did for Marlon: he steps up.

Clementine proves she won't become Marlon just as she proves she won't become Minerva.

After getting James to agree to help them, Clementine and AJ talk about what to do if she ever gets bit. AJ says he'd want her to bite him, too. He repeats this sentiment after she's actually bitten, telling her he wants to stay and they could turn together, peacefully.

When Minerva confronts them on the bridge, she's dying... and she wants Tenn to die with her. She doesn't care who she has to kill in the process. She's more monster than human at this point, and most times, she succeeds.

They're both bitten. Clementine could've become a monster like Minerva in the end. She could've killed AJ, and they could've become walkers together. But she didn't. Minerva wanted Tenn to die for her, and Clementine wanted AJ to live for her.

Also, I should mention she has Minerva's axe. She carries the key weapons associated with Marlon and Minerva throughout different points in the game, further solidifying these connections. She uses Marlon's bow to save her friends, and she uses Minerva's axe to save AJ, who in turn uses it to save her.

What's also so interesting about this is how Marlon's alive in episode one, and Minerva is thought to be dead. Louis has his best friend, and Violet's lost hers. But, at the end of the episode, Marlon's dead and Minerva's revealed to be alive.

Marlon becomes the ghost, and Minerva becomes the monster. Clementine becomes to Louis and Violet what Marlon and Minerva never could... how does that not drive anyone else insane?

So, no. One is not objectively better, or more impactful, because of a connection to Marlon or Minerva. They're different. It just depends on which storyline you personally find more compelling.

Actually, let's talk about that a little more.

In my opinion, the most intriguing point of comparison between Louis and Violet stems from their perceptions of survival, and how that impacts Clementine.

An argument I see made against violentine is that Violet's boring because she and Clementine are too similar. This usually comes from clouis shippers who prefer the "opposites attract" dynamic Clementine and Louis have.

On the flip side, there's the counter argument that Louis is reckless, that he doesn't take survival as seriously as he should and Clementine wouldn't want him because of that.

These are interesting to me because I get where they're coming from... but they ultimately miss the point.

The other day, I replayed TFS. Except this time, I did something a little bit differently. I played my usual clouis route, but then I had the violentine route pulled up on my laptop so that I could watch these scenes, comparing them side by side… and something occurred to me. 

Louis is about challenging Clementine's perception of survival, and Violet is about validating it.

Louis challenges Clementine from the very moment we meet him—he’s playing music. His initial philosophy on survival butts heads with Clementine’s. The fact that hunting with him and Aasim challenges your perception of “your choices have consequences.” These games have conditioned the player to think along the lines of, “Yeah, Louis is more fun… but if I don’t hunt with Aasim, we won’t have any food.”

Except that’s just it. I hate to say it, Aasim, but in the grand scheme of things… hunting with you doesn’t matter. It's actually less rewarding. You know why? Because in the next section, we get food from the train station. It would’ve been more beneficial to spend time with Louis over hunting, hence how he challenges you.  

This then primes you for the choice between choosing to follow Louis or follow Violet. I know people complain about how this is presented with Violet doing something productive [checking the walls] and Louis playing piano… but that’s the point. If you’re going through with Louis’ full route, you need to meet him at his level, and in turn, he will meet you at yours. You need to accept the challenge, the idea that Clementine isn’t entirely right about the way she’s gone about survival.

Oh, and do I even need to mention the vote? The debate over Louis’ vote is exhausting. Often times, people tell on themselves in how they talk about it. It’s not actually about the fact that he voted against them. If it was, these people would have a bigger bone with pick with Mitch, Willy, Ruby, and Omar… and yet Louis is the one who takes all the blame as if he’s the only one personally kicking them out. 

Louis is reacting to the death of his best friend, and the complicated feelings that come with it being caused by AJ. He wants accountability, even if he knows something's wrong. You can either agree with him that it was murder, and set AJ on the path of atonement… or, you can double down and tell him to fuck off, AJ was justified. 

But here’s the thing… the vote adds to the appeal of Louis’ route. To someone who hates him, or at the very least is critical of his vote, that sounds mad or delusional.

Except it’s really not.

Ever heard of a thing called tension? Because there’s a lot of it in ep2 between clouis + AJ and it’s fantastic.

Yes, Louis voting them out is problematic because we need a problem to solve. We need something to feed the tension between him and Clementine. He stepped in front of a gun held by his best friend in order to protect her, forever changing their relationship… only for that to seemingly be taken away from us the moment AJ shoots Marlon. 

Yes, Louis’ route is about being challenged, but it’s also about challenging him. That he’s able to forgive them, that he’s able to question his own survival philosophy and understand theirs, that he’s able to apologize and actually change for the better… that right there is what makes clouis so damn good. 

He becomes hardened whereas Clementine softens. By the end of the game, they’re on a similar level now without neglecting their differences, and they can move forward together. 

That’s what makes Louis’ route appealing… and it’s also what makes it unappealing to people who prefer Violet. 

By contrast, Violet’s already on Clementine’s level when it comes to this perception of survival. She validates that Clementine’s on the right path.

They have other similarities in the way that they’re both female, queer, they both have a kid they look after, they’re not always great with other people, etc. 

People who prefer Louis might consider this boring, but I think to Team Violet, it’s comforting. It’s comforting to have a partner who takes this as seriously as you do, who wants to get shit done. They’re playing Clementine with a similar attitude, and don’t believe it needs to be challenged. It’s comforting to feel validated on something you already firmly believe in. 

We also see this if we compare the hunting and fishing scenes. You have to make an effort to choose Louis by choosing to neglect hunting, but the game makes you fish with Violet no matter what.

Violet’s prioritizing fishing because they need food. That’s what they’ve set out to do, so let’s do it. The game is letting you know that’s the case, and if you value that, continue pursuing her. 

While fishing, they discuss why things are weird with her and Brody. Violet doesn’t take well to Clementine’s blunt, “Because you make it weird. Brody tries and you just make fun of her."

That’s understandable because I think she already kind of knows why and is looking to have her feelings validated. She prefers it when Clementine suggests that it’s because Brody never said sorry for what happened to the twins. 

There’s also comfort and validation in the way Violet sides with Clementine and AJ after Marlon’s death. She votes for them to stay, vocalizing how much she disapproves of the results. There’s this feeling that I recognize from a lot of the sapphic romance I read; “it’s you and me against the world, I’ll always have your back, even if you’re in the wrong, I’ll fight for you.”

In our case, it’s violentine + AJ against the rest of Ericson, save Tenn and Aasim. Violet validates that AJ was justified because Marlon was a liar and murderer, claiming that AJ and Clementine did nothing wrong. Violet fights to keep them. 

The tension between violentine in ep2 is different because instead of one pushing the other away, they’re being forced apart by the vote and there’s nothing they can do about it. That tension is somewhat released when Clementine comes back and they’re reunited, working out a plan to best defend the school. 

It’s also why Violet’s presented as doing something productive when you follow her instead of Louis, and why she asks if you want to hang out after checking the defenses. 

All that being said, allow me to reiterate that one is not good and the other bad, they're different. These concepts of challenge and change/validation and comfort exist on a neutral road as diverging paths. It’s up to the player to pick what path they prefer, but that doesn’t mean the other path isn’t worth acknowledging or analyzing. 

I should also mention that they’re not exclusive; there is overlap with validation being present in Louis’ route and challenges in Violet’s. They’re just more present in episodes 3 and 4 after we’ve made our decision. 

There are several more examples of how this all fits together, buuuuut–

Ya’ll wanna compare some allegories?

Those familiar with my content might already know where I’m going with this as I’ve made a post about Louis and the piano in the past. 

You see, I believe that there are allegories for Louis and Violet’s hearts present in their routes: Louis’ piano, and Violet’s pin. 

I already have a thorough, in-depth analysis of Louis and the piano that you can read, so all I’ll say about it is that on the night of the raid, he asked Clementine to carve a piece of herself into his heart so that no matter what, their initials will be immortalized together in its wood…

And that makes me fucking feral. 

But I'm also so normal about it.

As for Violet, her heart is the star gazing pin she gives to Clementine. She gives it to her so she’ll always remember that night… but she doesn’t give it to her until after Clementine’s saved her, and that fascinates me in the context of it being allegory. 

Louis asks Clementine to carve herself into his heart right before the raid, cementing that from that moment on, he is utterly devoted to her. I believe this is part of the reason why Louis is still happy to see her if he’s the one who’s captured. Yes, yes, he’s also incredibly traumatized from having his tongue cut out and he’d be happy to see anyone, yada yada… but listen, if you romance Louis and he’s captured, his heart remains with her—that piano with their intitals is on full display. When he sees her, he’s still so devoted to her that he refuses to accept that it’s at all her fault. Even when she says it is, he shakes his head... and he so easily accepts her when they’re together in the end. From the moment Clementine puts knife to wood, he’s hers. 

Now, look… you might think I’m going somewhere not great with this but hear me out. 

I think after Clementine’s gone star gazing with her, Violet is fully ready to give her heart to her. Y’know, give her the pin. But, think about what Violet said about how people have left, but Clementine came back. Plus, with the impending raid to think about, maybe Violet should keep the pin until the right moment. 

I believe a key difference between her and Louis is that Violet needs one last thing to solidify that Clementine’s the one. 

Louis gives her his heart prior to the raid because of everything that’s already gone down between them following Marlon’s death. Violet needs to know that Clementine’s willing to fight for her the way she fought before. When Clementine saves her from the raiders, it’s solidified. Even after she sees Minerva again, it changes nothing.

It’s also worth noting that the pin is something Clementine wears. Like the piano carving, it’s a piece on display for everyone to see, to let them know whose heart Clementine has.

Violet literally handed Clementine her heart as a means of saying, “I’m yours. I’m devoted to you.” 

This is why romanced/captured Violet is devastating, and is why she behaves the way she does in the cells. She was so ready to give her heart away and then nope, sorry, Vi! You get knocked unconscious by raiders instead! 

If anything, you kind of deserve to be told to fuck off if you romanced her and then let her get captured. Just sayin’. 

Look, I have a lot of complicated feelings about the captured violentine route, mostly with Violet being as forgiving as she is after her eyes are burned—yes, yes, I know, her eyes are burned and Minerva messed with her head so of course now she’s not hostile, yada, yada. 

But I think it’s rather telling that you don’t get the pin in this route. Sure, Violet’s willing to forgive and possibly pursue this romance in the future… but she’s not ready to hand over her heart, not truly. Not after everything that’s happened. 

And if you want to get extra angsty about it, imagine that Violet made the pin right after they parted ways, but before the raiders came. Meaning that if she’s captured, it’s possibly still sitting somewhere, abandoned. 

Mmhmmm, very normal about this. I feel normal. My normalness about this continues... normally. I'm not losing my shit thinking about that. Nope. Why would I? I wouldn't! So normal.

Okay just let me talk about their reactions to Tenn's death and then I'll shut up.

This makes me want to gnaw my own foot off, I can barely handle it.

AJ shoots Tenn on the bridge because Clementine trusted him to make the hard calls. This saves Louis or Violet's life.

When Louis jumps across, he's completely silent as he watches Tenn die... and then he's pissed; "What the fuck?! How could you just shoot him like that?!"

AJ explains himself, that he did it for him, and Louis is so upset that he forces AJ to look at what he's done, to watch the walkers eat Tenn; "Tenn's dead. He's dead! Do you realize that?! Look! [...] He's... he's gone, because of you. Just fucking gone."

If Clementine says AJ saved his life, Louis says, "So what, we just cut him loose? Gun him down like he was nothing?"

If Clementine says nothing, Louis says, "Tenn was just a little boy!"

The reason Louis responds this way is because in this moment, he just relived Marlon's death all over again, but worse. So, SO much worse!

When Violet jumps across, she breaks down, begging, "Oh, my God! Oh, my God! No, no! No, no, no..." as she watches Tenn die... and then says to AJ, "No! What the fuck?! How could you do that?!"

AJ explains himself, that he did it for her, and Violet is faaaar from okay; "For me? I can't... Tenn is gone! That soft little boy who liked to draw, he's gone, because of you!"

If Clementine says AJ saved her life, Violet says, "You think that's okay?! Just gunning down one of our own?!"

And there it is.

Louis is hardened in this situation because he already went through this... Violet hasn't, not with AJ. She softened up throughout her route due to her relationships to him and Clementine... but this is the moment where she realizes that maybe AJ wasn't as justified as she believed, and this is the consequence.

This leads us to the ending where AJ asks if they're still mad about him killing Tenn, and I just... I'm biting my foot right now because the script has flipped.

Louis is forgiving and understanding. He's soft, he's sympathetic, he shakes AJ's hand to let him know that all is forgiven and they're okay; "I... AJ, I guess it's like... You saw something I didn't. About the situation, I mean. Minnie and the walkers and Tenn, it's just all this chaos in my head when I think back on it. [...] Clem says you saved my life? Well, then, that's exactly what you did. And how can I stay mad at anyone for doing that?"

Or, alternatively, "He was your friend, AJ. I know you are hurting just as much as I am."

As for Violet? She's understanding, too... but she's not quite ready to forgive yet; "The thing you said on the bridge...that he was messing up all the time. It wasn't something new, you know. Tenn got himself or other people into trouble all the time, long before you guys got here. He was always so lost. He lived in a world that just...isn't there, you know? And that's why I tried to look after him. But when I was pulling him away from the walkers, and Minnie, I could also see...he just wasn't there anymore."

"So you're mad, but sad."

"Can I be that for a while?"

And it's completely understandable that she's hurting and struggling with how she feels about AJ moving forward! She wants to be okay, she wants to forgive him, she just needs time.

Now, because I'm forever bitter, but I'm gonna mention this as well: whenever I see someone point at Violet's scene and say, "See!? This is how LOUIS should've acted in ep2!" like... they're telling on themselves again. Not just that they don't understand Louis as a character or his route, but that they don't fully grasp Violet's part in this either. Or time frames, for that matter.

Let me put it to you in simple terms... they react the same.

After Marlon and Tenn die, they're upset. They're pissed. They blame AJ and yell at him. After they've had time to process what happened [Louis after the two week time skip, Violet after time passes between the bridge and the ending] they share the same, "I'm still upset about Marlon/Tenn. Can I be that for a while and still be your friend?" sentiment.

The difference is that Louis is treated poorly for it because of the vote, and because we feel it first hand for longer... Violet got to grieve off screen and come back after she's sorted herself out.

It's a disservice to both of their characters because it's rooted in that same mentality that I criticized at the beginning: "This is why one is better than the other."

Do I need to say it again? I'm gonna say it again.

One is not good and the other bad. They're different.

There are so many fun discussions that could come from putting Louis and Violet side by side, and examining them. I haven't even covered the different ways they're introduced, or compared their ep3 dates to see what it says about them and the overall narratives! What about the cell scenes!? How they react when Dorian's about the cut off their fingers! The way they approach James upon meeting him!

That last one in particular is especially funny! They're all under stress about blending in with a herd of walkers to infiltrate a boat to save their friends, and yet Louis easily saunters up to the guy wearing walker skins with a smile, and makes him laugh by saying, "Functional and fashionable. I'll take two."

Violet approaches James like he's an injured wild animal that's going to bite her, and bless her heart, she tries with, "I, uh… hey. Hey there, James. Sorry about Willy." Then James gives her this judgmental side-eye, like buddy? She's not the weirdo here.

There is so much potential to dissect here, and I want to see people do it... but I want them to do it fairly, in good faith.

I want to get away from the idea of comparing them to "prove" which is better because there is no objective better. There isn't! That's a waste of time!

I'm so done with The Debate™; it's unhelpful, it's annoying, and it's boring as shit. I've heard it all before, and you probably have, too.

I want to put Louis and Violet under a microscope and study them with the thought process of, "one does this and the other does that... what does it mean!? what does it say about the narrative!? Oh my god, they have the same opinion on this thing, WRITE THAT DOWN!"

So yeah, that's my ramble for the night.

I'm gonna go replay TFS for further research.

[idk6123]

Abusive And Loving (Soldier Boy X Male Reader)

Long before The Seven, there was another superhero group, Payback. And although they appeared grandiose with their god-like strength, like every superhero group, secrets lurked behind the scenes. The Seven weren’t the first to have these secrets. At least Payback appeared to have things under control, back in 1980. That’s what the public thought, at least—not the members of Payback.

As the entire team stood frozen, their teammate, Black Noir, had just been beaten to the floor. But that didn’t stop Soldier Boy, who continued pounding on his teammate. While everyone was too scared to intervene, one person wasn’t.

“That’s enough!”

Soldier Boy was shocked when his arm was pulled back right before he could kick Black Noir again, with Noir spitting blood. The leader turned to see his teammate, Chrono, also known as Y/N—the man who could manipulate time itself.

Soldier Boy yanked his arm back and glared. “Don’t fucking interfere!”

Just as he was about to throw a punch at Y/N, the time manipulator casually dodged. Enraged, Soldier Boy kept trying to punch him. But no matter how many punches he threw, Y/N dodged every one. Sometimes it took effort, but mostly it was effortless, which only annoyed Soldier Boy more.

“I can just rewind everything. Stop trying to hit me.”

Despite Y/N’s logic, Soldier Boy kept going. It got to the point where he chased Y/N out of their hideout and into an empty park in the dead of night. Even as time passed, Soldier Boy’s anger didn’t subside.

As he charged into the park, searching for Y/N, he ran past a tree—only to get smacked by a branch. Falling to the ground, Soldier Boy quickly looked up, his face stinging with pain, and saw the culprit.

“Holy fucking shit—how many times do we need to do this!?” Y/N sounded annoyed. “You always try to hit me, but you can’t, and you know fucking why!”

“Then stop rewinding and let me beat the shit outta you!” Soldier Boy shouted, standing up, ready to fight again.

“Oh my—I'm going to try something...” Y/N muttered.

Right before Soldier Boy could strike, Chrono touched him. The soldier froze completely, suspended in time. Though he could look around, listen, and breathe, he couldn’t move. When he tried to talk, all he could manage were muffled hums.

“Oh, cool, my stasis works.” Y/N said, sounding surprised. Soldier Boy tried to glare at him, but it was futile. “Anyway, I’m fucking done with you trying to beat me into a pulp, so I’ll give you a couple of options. One, I can kill you. Two, I can turn you into a child or something and raise you right. Three, we can talk, like… actual adults are supposed to do. …Dunno about a fourth.” Soldier Boy merely stared at him, not that he had much choice. “Right, you can’t answer. Just… hum the number of times for the option you want.”

After some hesitation, Soldier Boy gave up his pursuit of beating Y/N and hummed three times.

“Finally…” Y/N muttered as he removed the stasis, causing Soldier Boy to fall to the ground. “If this is some trick, I swear—”

“Shut the fuck up!” Soldier Boy stood up. Though he wasn’t trying to fight anymore, he was still pissed.

“Okay, that’s an improvement.” Y/N said casually. “Look, I’m gonna make this easier for you. Since you’re not a talker—clearly, may I add—I know a few things about processing your emotions.”

Soldier Boy groaned. “Please shut up.”

“We can go on a road trip.” Soldier Boy looked annoyed as Y/N listed out suggestions. “We can paint or do some kind of creative outlet—really fun, by the way. Uhm… a rage room, but I think we’d need a rage building for you.”

“You’re making this really hard to not beat you.” The soldier shamelessly commented.

“Fine, fine. Uhh… alcohol and drugs probably aren’t good. Oh, how about sex?”

Soldier Boy stared at Y/N, trying to read if he was joking or not. “I hope you’re not saying we should fuck.”

“Why not?” Y/N replied nonchalantly.

“I’m not a faggot.”

“Yeah, and every rich guy says that too until they go on a business trip with their ‘friends.’”

Soldier Boy sighed, looking around to make sure no one was nearby. When he looked back at his teammate, he saw a smirk. Resigning to his frustration, the soldier unbuckled his pants and got ready to take them down.

“Get those fucking pants off.”

-

Ever since that day, Soldier Boy’s and Chrono’s relationship evolved into something more than just teammates. Although it wasn’t official, they formed a bond that was more than just hook-up partners. While Soldier Boy didn’t notice it, Chrono did.

During their stay in a war zone, the team holed up in a hotel. Feeling his usual anger, Soldier Boy sought comfort beyond beating someone down. After some fun minutes, he and Y/N lay under the sheets, completely naked. Feeling slightly relieved, Soldier Boy grabbed a cigarette and began smoking.

“Wasn’t the sex good enough?”

Soldier Boy glanced back with a smirk. “You could be more… licky.”

Y/N chuckled. “Next time I lick your pistol, soldier.” The brunette chuckled again, taking another drag from his cigarette. That’s when the other hero leaned closer, looking more serious. “…Do you notice we’ve been spending more time together?”

Soldier Boy looked intrigued. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I… I feel like I see you differently. Instead of that maniac who beats his teammates, I see you as a troubled man… that also beats his teammates.”

“Was that supposed to be a compliment?” Soldier Boy asked, genuinely interested rather than angry.

“Yeah.”

Soldier Boy raised an eyebrow. “Well, what is that supposed to mean? Out with it.”

“I… I feel like we’re a couple.” The soldier looked surprised, while Y/N seemed a bit nervous—a rare sight. That meant one thing.

“You didn’t rewind this before.”

“Yeah… this is the first try to tell you how I feel…” Y/N admitted, expecting Soldier Boy to be angry, but instead, he just looked intrigued. “I’m okay if you don’t feel this way, but…”

“You love me?” Soldier Boy asked bluntly.

“…Yeah, I guess.”

Soldier Boy hummed, taking another drag before speaking. “Look, I’m okay with this whole hooking-up thing, but I’m not a faggot.” He then glared at Y/N. “Not a fucking joke.”

“I wasn’t.”

Sensing Y/N’s sincerity, Soldier Boy eased up slightly. “It’s not that I hate this. It’s just wrong to be with another man. I get that things are more accepting, but… I’m not supposed to be… this.”

Y/N hummed quietly. “You haven’t said what you really feel.” Soldier Boy wondered what he meant. “…You only said how society views this, not how you feel.”

Soldier Boy stared at Y/N, thinking for a while before answering. “I can’t promise you anything. I don’t want a relationship where we hold hands while walking, or I take you out to the movies, or we get married and everyone’s there to see it.”

“You still haven’t said how you really feel.”

Letting out a sigh, Soldier Boy wished Y/N would stop questioning him. “Look, it’s not fucking easy. Just because I want to be with you doesn’t mean we fucking can!”

While Y/N flinched, he soon calmed down. “You want to be with me…”

The soldier breathed deeply as he calmed down. “I guess…” With hesitation, he moved his hand to Y/N’s face, touching it gently. “This stays fucking between us. If you ever tell anyone—”

“You kill me. Fair.” Y/N smiled softly. “So… we’re a couple, Ben?”

Benjamin eventually cracked a smile. “Couple is a strong word… but, if you say we’re a couple, I won’t argue.”

-

A year has passed, during which Y/N and Ben often went on business trips that doubled as romantic getaways. Today, Chrono has a surprise for his lover. Inside the car, Y/N is driving while his boyfriend’s eyes are covered with a towel.

“When you said my eyes had to be covered, I thought we were doing something freaky.” Soldier Boy comments with a smirk. “Or that it was taking you this long to get to the freaky part.”

“Nothing weird. You just have to wait and see the surprise.”

As the trip continues, Soldier Boy smiles carefree, alongside his partner. Wearing something casual, it feels like one of the rare times they’re just normal people.

A couple of minutes later, they arrive at their destination. Y/N helps Ben out of the car. The soldier instantly feels grass beneath his shoes. As they walk, Ben begins to guess what the surprise could be.

“All right, we’re here.” Y/N says with excitement.

“Finally.”

“Now, three… two… one…”

The blindfold is removed. Ben now sees a big farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. Despite the isolation, the place feels peaceful. There aren’t any farm animals or crops yet, but the house looks like it has potential.

“Don’t tell me we’re going to be farmers.” Ben says.

Y/N chuckles. “Even better.” He steps in front of his partner, holding up a set of house keys.

Shocked, Soldier Boy doesn’t know what to say. “You bought a house?”

“I bought a house for us.” Y/N responds with a smirk while Ben still looks stunned. “Somewhere peaceful, so we don’t get bothered by anyone anymore.”

“You’re thinking about retiring?” Soldier Boy already sounds hesitant.

“No. This is just our getaway place.” Y/N looks back at the large farmhouse with a smile. “Just… somewhere we can go to pretend the world isn’t shit. I don’t expect us to come here every day, but… once in a while… it could be fun.”

As Y/N looks back, Ben relaxes a bit. “And here I thought you wanted us to retire, get married, grow old, and start a family.”

Chrono chuckles. “Maybe later.” He places the keys into his partner’s hand and holds it. “I get that you’re still struggling with being with another man. And… I’m proud of you for handling it so well. But I still want to feel like we’re a normal couple.” Soldier Boy listens closely as his boyfriend shares his thoughts. “So… can we at least try to act like a normal couple?”

“You say that, but who’s going to act like the wife between us?” Ben asks. “I’m not one to cook for others.”

“We’ll both be the husband, dumbass.” Y/N laughs. “Well, guess we’re boyfriends for now.”

Ben raises an intrigued eyebrow. “For now?”

Y/N sighs. “You know what I mean.”

Ben chuckles. “Fine. If it makes you happy, let’s stay here for a couple of days.”

“Thanks.” Y/N says with a genuine smile.

-

When nighttime arrives, the couple is watching TV. Feeling cheesy, they’re watching TV shows and movies featuring Payback. With popcorn on Y/N’s lap, they’re spooning while eating from the bowl. Dressed in sweats, they feel comfortable and relaxed.

“You’re a great singer.” Y/N comments.

“Thanks.” Soldier Boy replies. “And you’re a great actor.”

“Yeah, but I kinda had a bad attitude behind the scenes. Made sure to kill those damn directors before rewinding back.” Y/N laughs, taking another handful of popcorn. “Kinda wish it could be like this every day.” He looks back at his lover. “I know we’ve got jobs as heroes, but… maybe retiring isn’t so bad.”

“I get that.” Ben says, feeling completely comfortable. “Out here, I can just be myself.”

As the couple smiles lovingly at each other, staring into one another’s eyes, Ben suddenly has something to say.

“Maybe one day, we can get married and just… live here.”

Y/N’s smile grows. “For someone who didn’t want to admit we’re a couple, you sure grew out of that.”

“I’m serious!” Ben laughs. “I… really like where we are and where we’re heading.”

“Really?”

“Really.” Ben says confidently. He then gets an idea. Standing up from the couch, causing some leftover popcorn to spill onto the floor, the soldier gets down on one knee.

Y/N looks a bit surprised. “Ben, what are you doing?”

“Y/N, I know getting married to another man isn’t legal, but fuck the details. What we can do is get married illegally or something. You’ll be my husband, and I’ll be yours. We’ll live our lives in secret, but at least we’ll be married.”

As Y/N smiles, the soldier knows what his answer will be.

“Y/N, will you marry me?”

“Yes!” Y/N quickly pulls his fiancé into a hug, which Ben happily returns.

“Fuck!” Y/N exclaims.

“What?”

“You didn’t get me a ring!”

Ben chuckles. “I’ll buy you one later.”

As they stop hugging, the brunette kisses his fiancé. No matter how bad things might get with Payback, they know they’ll always have each other.

[holdmytesseract]

daryl dixon x fem!reader

🪶 part two

warnings for this chapter: typical twd stuff, walkers, weapons, 'idiots in love', insecure!Daryl? lots of tension? another cliffhanger, swear words, Carol and Daryl being besties

word count: 4k

a/n: i finished writing this sweet mini series - and i absolutely cannot wait to share the other three parts with y'all! i love this so much.

[ 🪶 part one ]

masterlist 🪶 EoH Masterlist

LITRM Masterlist 🪶 Daryl Masterlist

Daryl snorted and shook his head at his best friend's words. "Nah." A reaction the woman had kind of anticipated. "Yes, you are, Daryl. Admit it to yourself." The archer scoffed, "'M not... in love." and continued to dispute it. Carol sighed; letting go of the man's arm and slightly shifted to be able to face him better.

"Okay, where's the problem? What's so bad about being in love?" Daryl scoffed; throwing the stone in his hands away, which caused Dog's ears - who laid snuggled against his dad's leg - to perk up. "Nothin'. 'S just... I've never did this before. Not properly." "And that's okay. I'm sure Y/N understands that as well. There's a first for everything."

Another moment of silence passed, before Carol took the hand of her best friend in hers; causing his head to turn and face her. "You deserve to be happy, Daryl. You deserve a happy end. Especially after all that shit you've been through. You deserve to be loved." The archer's hand gently squeezed the woman's hand as he pressed his lips in a thin line; not saying a word. He simply didn't know what to say.

"Don't you want this?" She asked carefully then, to which Daryl only shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno," he said; voice merely above a whisper.

"Well..." Carol started, and took a deep breath. Her hand let go of his again. "No matter how you decide on this, you have to give Y/N her notebook back." Daryl grunted lowly. "Can't ya give it back to 'er?" The gray haired woman shook her head; "No." a small smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. "I won't let you run away from this, Mr. Crossbow. You'll have to face this - and Y/N."

"You really think I'm gonna find it again?" You questioned Michonne sceptically. The woman smiled and nodded confidently. "Yes. Don't worry. Your notebook will find its way back to you. I'm sure of it." "Okay..." You gave her an uptight smile and went to hug her in order to say goodbye. "If you say so..."

That's what Michonne said... Almost two months ago, right before she (and everyone else) returned to their communities... Slowly, you really started to lose hope... You sighed and clapped your diary shut; hiding it again underneath your mattress. Just as you wanted to blow out the candle and go to bed, you could hear a soft - almost faint knock against the door to the cozy, little hut you lived in. Frowning, you reached for your knife and slowly made your way over. Taking a deep breath, you opened the door - only to see a familiar figure standing in front of it. Well, rather the back of a familiar figure. Your heart skipped a beat.

"Daryl?"

Your voice caused the archer with his signature angel-winged vest to stop dead in his tracks. "What are you doing here?"

The man swallowed hard - unbeknownst to you. He had hoped that you were asleep already. That he arrived too late in Oceanside. That he didn't have to face this, but reassuring his conscience with the fact that he tried.

Well, his plan failed.

Taking a deep breath, he turned to face you; arms crossed behind his back to hide your precious notebook. "Been bringin' some stuff for the trade." It wasn't a lie. "O-kay," you gave him a nod, then frowned. "I-I mean, no. What are you doing here?" You vaguely gestured around to refer to your hut; unable to form a different sentence. The presence of your crush totally threw your already tired brain totally off-track.

"Oh, uh," Daryl started and ducked his head, while nervously chewing on the inside of his bottom lip; working hard to form the right words in his head. "I, uh, jus' wanted to give ya somethin' back." Slowly, he brought forward your notebook from behind his back, causing your eyes to widen.

"Belongs to ya, righ'?" You nodded; stunned and wordless. Daryl took a few hesitant steps closer - as if you were a wounded, dangerous animal. "Found it, 'n thought I should give it back to ya." Once he was close enough, he literally shoved the notebook into your arms and chest, before quickly stepping backwards again.

You blinked; looked from him to the notebook and back. "T-Thanks, I-" "'Course, see ya." The archer instantly interrupted you and this time really turned on his heels and vanished into the night; leaving you just standing there. What you didn't see, nor hear, was how the man pinched the bridge of his nose and repeatedly mumbled under his breath: "'M a goddamn idiot."

You stood like frozen to the ground in the doorway, just staring into the distance. Only a chilly breeze, which caused goosebumps to spread all over your skin managed to pull you out of your trance like state. Blinking again, you turned around and went back inside the hut; closing the door behind you. You made your way back into your cozy bedroom and got comfortable underneath the sheets; carefully checking the beloved notebook in your hands if it was okay. Not that you didn't trust Daryl, but...

Skipping through the pages, you discovered that everything was as it should be. No ripped pages, not dog-eared or stained. He had been really attentive. A smile spread on your face. The happiness that you got your most valued possession back finally sinking in - but not lasting long...

You reached the last page you had drawn something onto... Daryl. And suddenly sunk your heart to your boots. What if he knew? What if he had seen the drawing? "Oh gods..." You whispered to yourself. Was it a coincidence that he of all people had found your notebook? Should you confront him? Ask him? You had to, right? Or not?

Your head started to spin; one thought chasing the next. Needless to say, it was a sleepless night.

You couldn't tell yet if fate wanted to help you or kick you repeatedly in the butt. All you wanted the following day was to talk to Cyndie - thinking Daryl had left Oceanside again, but then you saw the two of them having a seemingly important conversation. With your eyes widening, you quickly turned on your heels again and wanted to 'flee'.

But you didn't get far.

"Y/N, wait!" You heard Cyndie call out. Squeezing your eyes shut in a grimace, you took a deep breath and turned to face them with a fake smile. "Good to see you. You're just in time." "O-Oh, yeah? Am I?" Cyndie nodded with a smile, then gestured towards the archer. "Daryl agreed to help us get the new solar panels we need. You know, the ones which got destroyed in that storm a few weeks ago?" "Yeah, I know... How, uh, kind of him." "Indeed," Cyndie agreed. "And you are going to go with him."

Your eyes widened again; cheeks instantly turning red.

"M-Me?"

"Her?"

Both, you and Daryl exclaimed simultaneously.

Cyndie's eyes darted back and forth between you and the archer. A borderline skeptical look was on her face as she nodded. "Yes. You know the area pretty well. Better than anybody. You know where that warehouse is," she explained, then scanned your faces again. "Is this a problem for you two? A conflict or anything else you want to talk about?"

"No."

"Nah."

You and Daryl answered simultaneously once more. The leader of the community gave you both another skeptical look. "Okay. You should gear up and get going then. Better be back before it gets dark. And be careful, yes? Take care." Cyndie received two nods as an answer. "Good," she said and turned to walk away. "Oh, and Daryl?" The archer looked up to face the woman. "Thank you. Your help is highly appreciated." The man nibbled at his bottom lip and gave her another nod; desperately trying to hide the upcoming nervosity inside him.

You inhaled a deep breath in a lousy attempt to calm your rapidly beating heart. It was beyond excited to spend time with the man it secretly yearned for. Your head on the other hand was signaling you the complete opposite. Your head told to run and hide, despite knowing that you couldn't. You agreed to this mission, after all.

"Get yer stuff. Ten minutes at the gate," Daryl's voice urged to your ears, but before you could say something, he was gone.

"Shit, shit, shit," you cursed under your breath. This was going to be a fucking nightmare

Thirty minutes later, you and Daryl were on the road together; making your way to the warehouse with the solar panels. Cyndie had described the way and even handed him a small map. You really didn't know why she nevertheless send you along. Just because you 'knew the area'? You had to suppress a scoff. Despite all that, though, were you certain that your leader had no idea which hell she pushed you through. It was torture. You absolutely didn't know how to act around Daryl anymore. The uncertainty what he knew and if he had seen your drawing of him (including the poem) was positively driving you insane.

Of course, you didn't have the guts to ask him either; too afraid of the outcome. What were you supposed to say anyway?

'Hey, Daryl, have you coincidentally seen the drawing I made of you in my notebook? Why I drew you? Oh, just because I'm totally into you.'

No. Certainly not.

Therefore, you settled on staying quiet and watching him instead. Analyzing his behavior. Daryl was walking ahead in silence; crossbow slung over his back and map haphazardly stuffed in the back pocket of his jeans. He led the way, but looked regularly back over his shoulder to make sure you were still there. It was challenging to lower your gaze in time and avoid his beautiful eyes whenever he did that. No words were exchanged. Sure, Daryl wasn't super talkative. He had never been and you knew that, but... You felt like he was even quieter than before. It was weird. His whole demeanor was weird. He was acting... different - and it gave you chills.

What if he had truly seen the drawing and is now creeped out by me? What if he thinks I'm weird? Or crazy? Or he's disgusted? Angry?

Your thoughts were a mental merry-go-round.

Little did you know that the archer was acting so distant and weird because his romantic feelings for you he had discovered a few weeks back were skyrocketing since he was that close to you for almost two hours now, and he just didn't know what to do with himself. He felt like a teenage boy falling in love for the first time. He just hoped that this was over fast and he could return back home to Alexandria and hide away.

But fate had other plans, of course. It didn't let you and Daryl off the hook that easily. Quite the opposite...

"S-Stay here? Overnight?" You squeaked out in a high-pitched, yet muffled voice; shocked and appalled. "Ain't got no choice," Daryl whisper-shouted as he carefully peeked out of one of the small, dirty windows of the barricaded door. "'S way too dangerous, 'n it's gettin' dark soon. There 'r way too many of 'em out there. We can't take 'em. Not jus' the two 'a us." He referred to the rather big herd of walkers, which had suddenly decided to flood the small town you were in. "If ya wanna go 'n die, go. Ain't gonna hold ya back," he snapped gruffly, but instantly regretted it again. The mere thought of seeing you die caused his heart to shoot an aching pain through his whole body. Oh, how he would hold you back...

You just nodded wordlessly and turned around to somehow make yourself comfortable. "Well, at least we got the solar panels," you whispered and vanished around the corner. He could hear the slight hurt in your voice.

Daryl sighed deeply and squeezed his eyes shut. "Idiot. Yer a damn idiot, Dixon," he muttered to himself and managed to barely hold back his fist from slamming it against the steel door. Attracting a ton of hungry walkers in an already shitty situation wasn't a good idea.

To keep his mind distracted with other things that weren't you - and frankly to give himself an excuse to not face you, he patrolled the whole building; checking every window and door to make sure that nothing dangerous could get in. Dead or alive.

Nevertheless, Daryl knew that he had to face you at some point. He just couldn't stay away. His selfless nature and the attraction he felt towards you literally urging him on to check in on you and protect you if necessary. So, he made his way carefully to the little camp you had set up. Wordlessly, he set his crossbow down, shrugged off his backpack and sat down opposite you with his back resting against the cool wall. He just watched you for a long moment with the pad of his thumb between his teeth; gnawing at the rough skin, as you munched on some bread you had packed.

"Barricaded the doors 'n made sure nothin' can get in," Daryl dared to speak up then. "We should keep watch anyway, though. Ain't takin' the risk." You nodded - and silence settled over the both of you again. It was nowhere near pleasant and rather suffocating. And yet neither of you knew what to say, until...

"Ya mad at me or sum'thin'?"

The archer's sudden, unexpected words cut through the silence like a knife. Daryl himself didn't even know why he said them. They just slipped past his lips. You hadn't given him a glance. Until now. You looked up slowly - almost shyly. Your eyes met his, and he could swear that his heart skipped a beat - just like yours. Then you shook your head. "No. Why should I?" The man opposite you merely shrugged his shoulders. "'Cause yer actin' pissed 'n distant." You scoffed, "Me? Distant and pissed?" and crossed your arms over your chest. "You're the one who's acting weird and distant." Daryl grunted, and shook his head; causing a few wild bangs to fall into his face. "Nah, I ain't. Dunno whatcha mean." "You're a bad liar." Now Daryl scoffed. "Yeah? How do ya know? Ya ain't know shit 'bout me."

You didn't know why, but his words stung.

You said nothing and instead turned away from him to lay down on the hard, uncomfortable underground with your backpack acting as a pillow. "I thought we were friends, but... Apparently I got that wrong," you whispered and closed your eyes. And again Daryl regretted his words. How could he act so stupidly and make the same mistakes again and again?

Another long period of silence passed between the both of you, while it got dark outside. The only source of light were both yours and the archer's flashlights. The faint but always present sounds of familiar groans and snarls reminded you constantly of the danger lurking outside - why you were trapped in this damn building, and keeping you from sleeping. Since you had turned away from the man across you, you had been staring out of the distant window; watching the moon replace the sun through a thick layer of dirt and dust.

"You could've just told me." Your quiet voice ripped Daryl out of his trance like state; deeply sunken in his own thoughts. "Wha'?" He asked; heart speeding up again as his brain registered your words and the possible meanings behind them. Tell you what? That he loved you? Have you managed to see through his façade?

"That you hate me."

Your words soothed and simultaneously hurt him. Relieved that you hadn't figured him out. Hurt that you were thinking he hated you. "Wha'?" He croaked out again; too stunned to get his mouth to say something different. You shifted and turned to face him once more. The light wasn't bright and your face barely illuminated, and yet he could see the nervosity on your face. Your eyes held fear, regret - and something he couldn't pinpoint. "You... You've seen the page, didn't you? I-In my notebook. That's why you act like that. You hate me now." You didn't know where you took the bravery from to ask him that. Perhaps it was the steady relentless nagging of the voice in your head. Perhaps you just couldn't take the uncertainty any longer.

Daryl was speechless. Way too overwhelmed by what you just said. She knows. She knows. She knows. The words echoed through his mind on repeat. His pulse sped up once more as he stared at you in shock. "I-I-" The man stammered and needed quite a few moments to get himself together. "Nah. I-I mean, yeah. I, uh, saw your drawin'. 'M sorry. I didn't mean to snoop around. I jus' wanted to figure out who the notebook belonged to."

Fuck, fuck, fuck, you cursed internally; having a hard time to hide your blush. This was beyond embarrassing. You felt like being stripped butt naked and put in front of a huge crowd of people; judging and laughing at you. Your mind worked at lightning speed to find the right words to say to Daryl. A good explanation. An apology. A white lie-

"But I dun hate ya."

And suddenly it was quiet. All the thoughts and voices in your head suddenly fell silent.

Blinking, and completely in disbelief, you sat up. "What?"

Daryl shrugged his shoulders; nervously fumbling with his fingers. "I dun hate ya."

You blinked again. "You... Don't?" "Nah."

Another beat of silence passed, in which your brain just tried to comprehend what your ears just heard. You opened your mouth to say something and answer him, but before a single word could leave your lips, a loud noise could be heard from just outside the building. It caused both your survival instincts to kick in; the conversation forgotten for the moment. "Get over, 'n turn off yer flashlight," the archer whisper-shouted as he got on his feet; extinguishing the light and drawing his knives. You quickly nodded and got over to him. Pressing your back against the wall beside Daryl, you drew your weapon as well and switched off the flashlight. It was entirely dark now in the way too large warehouse - except for the moonlight shining through the high windows. Adrenaline pumped through your body as you stood there besides Daryl; breathing shakily. The noise you had heard a few moments ago didn't repeat itself, but the snarls and growls outside got louder.

The archer stowed his knives away again and switched his flashlight back on, before he made his way over to an old shelf. "Help me get that thing over there," he said; jutting his chin towards the wall ahead and taking the flashlight between his lips. You did the same and hurried over to help him get the shelf as quietly as possible over to stand directly against the wall; not knowing what his intention was. You discovered it soon, though; watching with wide eyes as he started to climb on the damn shelf. "Daryl," you whispered. "What are you doing? This thing is old. What if it breaks?" "Ain't gonna break. 'M jus' takin' a look," he grunted and reached the top; pulling himself up to stand and look out of the window. "What is it? Can you see something?" "Jus' a burnin' car," he stated quietly, then shifted to climb down again. "Be careful," you mumbled; watching his every move.

"A burning car?" You asked as the archer had both feet planted firmly back on the ground again. "Yeah. 'N a hell lotta walkers, of course." You frowned. "Means someone is out there?" Daryl shrugged his shoulder. "Could be anythin', but yeah, looks like someone lit it to distract the walkers." He walked back over to your little camp to grab his crossbow. "Imma check the doors again, 'n take a look around. Stay put, 'kay?" "But..." You watched him disappear into the darkness with wide eyes.

You sighed and sat down again; back against the wall and clutching your flashlight and knife tight. Those haunting sounds of dozens of walkers attracted by that car keeping you brain on high alert. You weren't afraid of the situation. Nervous, perhaps. You were afraid that something happened to Daryl. That someway somehow found something dangerous its way past the barricades inside the building and was now lurking in the shadows to attack. Should I follow him? The thought crossed your mind more than just once - but before you could act on it did you hear some rustling. Quickly snapping your head to the right - ready to defend yourself, you watched with pure relief how Daryl appeared from around the corner. "Daryl..." You sighed; a small smile tugging at the corners of your mouth. "You okay?" He nodded. "'M fine. Doors are still barricaded. Seems like nothin' tried to get in," he reported as he put his crossbow back down. "Wha'ever it was it's gone. Think we are safe. Jus' need to wait out those damn walkers. There's even more now." He sat down beside you with a grunt. "The car..." The archer nodded. "Well, at least we are safe for now... Hopefully," you muttered and took another deep breath; leaning your head against his shoulder. Before you realized what you were doing, was it already too late. Your body craved safety and a feeling of comfort - and the man you loved was right there. Apparently did your control slip for a moment, which was enough for your heart to command your body to act as it desired.

Daryl froze at the sudden, unexpected contact; a blush spreading over his whole face and even coloring the tips of his ears. "If you don't hate me... Why do you act like you do?" Your voice was hushed and soft - almost vulnerable. It tore at the archer's heartstrings.

He swallowed; "'Cause I..." trying to find the right words to say. "I didn't mean ta push ya away, 's jus'... I've never... I..." You slowly lifted your head to look at him. You had never seen the archer struggling like that. "You never...?" You asked quietly; literally able to see the gears turning in his head. Daryl shyly tilted his head a mere few inches to be able to look at you as well - a big mistake. He didn't realize how close you truly were. Until now. He was able to see every inch of your beautiful face. Every dimple. Every dip and curve. Every mole and beauty mark.

Once more he swallowed hard; eyes dropping to your lush lips. They looked so warm, so soft, so inviting - and only a few inches separated them from his. It caused the archer's breath to hitch in his throat.

"You never...?" You repeated, seemingly unaware of the situation you both were in. Daryl couldn't do much than stare. "I-I never..." He tried again, but felt himself lose the battle. He leaned in slowly, causing a small gasp to slip past your lips as you suddenly noticed as well how close you were. "D-Daryl?" Your heart threatened to burst with each inch he bridged, until his lips were hovering just above yours.

He is going to kiss me. It's happening. Daryl Dixon is going to kiss me. Am I dreaming?

You couldn't believe this; were clearly thinking that you were caught in a dream. You would've never imagined that this was going to happen - and yet you could feel his warmth radiating off of him and his unsteady breath against your skin.

Like clockwork slipped your eyes shut; ready to finally feel his lips on yours.

[ 🪶 part three ]

tags: @dixonsdarkelf @angelwings-crossbowstrings @ellasdixon @dixons-sunshine @negansbestie @bigbaldheadname @km-ffluv @loz-3 @whore4romance @dilfdixon @mayday2007 @huntedmusicgardenn @0-aubrie0 @sweetz1919 @stitchintimefan @cakesandtom @ffsjustletmesleep @making-the-most-0f-it @erebus-et-eigengrau @belitoxx @fictive-sl0th @marvelcasey05 @secretsicanthideanymore

[steddieas-shegoes]

uh oh, feelings

for @corrodedcoffinfest popup event 'it's complicated'

rated e, 18+, minors dni | 4,512 words | cw: open ending, steve/gareth sex | tags: established steddie, NOT cheating they're all super cool and fine with this, eddie watches, virgin gareth, first time, bottom steve, top gareth, blowjob, anal fingering, anal sex, left open on purpose because i'm insane and might continue it

also on ao3

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“Dude. You’re making me sad.”

Gareth groans. “I don’t care. I feel pitiful.”

“That’s ‘cause you are,” Eddie pushes his shoulder. It’s playful, but there’s a hint of actual annoyance in it and Gareth doesn’t want that. “There’s, like, a whole crowd of women out there who would fuck you if you asked.”

“I don’t want the whole crowd of women. I want one woman, maybe two.”

“You’re not going from zero to two. So knock down your expectations a little,” Eddie starts. “Also, just throwing this out as an option: plenty of men would be interested in you, too.”

“Yeah? Like who?” Gareth scoffs.

It’s not that he hasn’t thought about it. He has. Plenty of times. More often than he’d ever admit to anyone, especially Eddie.

“I dunno. Steve?”

Gareth blinks once, twice.

“Steve who?” He only knows one Steve and that Steve is very taken by the man hounding him about his virginity right now.

Eddie throws the pillow he’s holding at Gareth. “My boyfriend, Steve! ‘Steve who?’ Fuck, dude, how many Steves do you know?”

“I dunno! Sorry for not assuming you want me to sleep with the love of your life I guess!”

“Everyone wants to sleep with Steve,” Eddie shrugs as if he’s cool with everyone wanting to sleep with Steve.

“Not everyone,” Gareth insists, but he’s not actually sure. Steve is the hottest guy they know. “I don’t think.”

“But you do.”

Gareth stays silent. This feels like a trap. He doesn’t think Eddie would get pissed or anything if he admits it, but he doesn’t want Steve to find out.

“It’s okay if you do. Steve would totally fuck you.”

Gareth’s mouth drops open. “He would not.”

“He would,” Eddie nods. He’s smirking like he’s teasing, but Gareth thinks he’s actually being very serious right now. “Ask him.”

“I’m not gonna ask your boyfriend if he’d fuck me!”

“Don’t ask him outright!” Eddie throws his arms up. “Jesus, no wonder you’re a virgin. Flirt with him, see if he flirts back.”

“Is this some kinda fucked up friendship test?” Gareth stands and starts pacing. Steve will be on the bus any minute and there’s no way he should hear any of this conversation. He’ll cut off Gareth’s balls for even suggesting he cheat on Eddie. He’ll hang them out the tour bus window while Gareth dies on the floor and post an ad for a drummer at their next stop. “Or are you testing Steve? I’m not gonna be a part of that, man. Steve loves you and I’m not getting in the way-“

“Dude. It’s not a test. Get it out of your system and then maybe you can focus on something other than your miserable state of existence,” Eddie walks to his bunk and Gareth is reminded immediately that they’re all sleeping on the bus tonight. Eddie’s plan isn’t gonna work.

“It can’t be tonight,” Gareth is surprised at his own words, shocked that he’s apparently entertaining the idea of fucking Steve. Getting fucked by Steve? “Is Steve a top or bottom?”

Eddie laughs loud enough to make Gareth flinch.

“You’ll find out soon.”

~~~

Soon is two days later, when they finally have a two day break so they can stay in a hotel. None of them stray far, always choosing to be in adjoining rooms and getting room service instead of trying to go out. It’s just easier; no worrying about being seen by fans or trying to book enough security for them to stay safe.

Goodie and Jeff are in the hot tub downstairs, probably trying to pick up chicks, so naturally Gareth is sitting in Eddie and Steve’s bed while they finish their dinner. He’s not worried about being a third wheel, especially not since Eddie told him that Steve would fuck him. He’s still not sure he would.

“Steve, you’ve taken most of Hawkins’ virginity, right?”

Eddie rolls his eyes, huffs a ‘smooth’ under his breath. Steve doesn’t even flinch. He finishes chewing, swallows, and sits back in the rolling chair he insisted on staying in while he ate.

“I wouldn’t say most. A good chunk,” Steve smirks. “Why? Trying to take someone’s virginity?”

“Yeah. Mine.”

Gareth slaps his hand over his own mouth. He feels absurd. He feels like he might puke. He thinks his heart is trying to escape his body via his throat or maybe his ass. He’s unsure if gravity is involved at all, actually.

“You’re a virgin?” Steve chokes on nothing. “Eddie, you didn’t tell me he’s a virgin.”

“I didn’t know you needed to know this about my best friend,” Eddie laughs, ignores the way Gareth is watching them with wide eyes.

“I can’t believe I couldn’t tell,” Steve is shaking his head, looking more disappointed with himself by the second. Gareth isn’t sure what to make of it. He thinks he’s supposed to feel ashamed, but he doesn’t. Not yet. “I can spot them from a mile away.”

Eddie snorts, but doesn’t comment. He’s stuffing his face with his dinner, and Steve’s eyes are focusing on Gareth in a way he isn’t familiar with from anyone, let alone…Steve.

“Uh…how exactly do you know from looking at someone?” Gareth dares to ask.

“Oh, it’s easy. I can’t tell you, but you might figure it out soon,” Steve answers, shoving another bite into his mouth and then standing up.

“How will I figure it out?”

“Because you won’t be a virgin anymore.”

“O…kay?”

There’s no way it’s this easy, right? There’s no way Steve is offering to fuck him and there’s no way Eddie’s just okay with it.

“Eddie, what’s your color on this?” Steve asks.

Eddie looks between them for a moment. “Green,” Eddie smirks. “But I’m watching.”

“Watching what?” Gareth knows what. He can’t believe it’s happening, but he knows.

“You cool with fucking me? Or do you prefer me fucking you? I’m good either way.”

Straight to business it seems. Gareth is chubbing up a little already. What the fuck is going on?

“Yeah, uh.” Gareth swallows around his nerves. He performs in front of thousands of people every night. He can fuck Steve Harrington. “Yeah, I can fuck you. That’s good. Cool.”

Steve raises a brow, looks to Eddie, then back to Gareth. “Is it because he’s gonna watch?”

Gareth shakes his head. He’s fine with that part. Honestly, it might help keep him from throwing up if Eddie’s there. Eddie’s seen him in every state of undress, and every emotion, and he trusts him more than anyone else.

“Is it because it’s me?” Steve steps closer. Gareth’s asshole tightens. It happens when he’s nervous, okay? It’s like fight or flight, except no matter what he chooses, nothing’s getting in his asshole or out of it.

“I mean, it’s not not because it’s you. I’d be nervous about anyone. I guess it’s just…like you do realize that you’re with Eddie, right?”

Eddie and Steve both laugh and it makes Gareth feel dumb.

“Yeah, I do. I love him a hell of a lot,” Steve finally says. “And he loves me a lot. And we both love you and want you to stop moping.”

“You’re not in love with me though?” Gareth has to clarify. He loves Eddie, and he loves Steve, but not like that.

“No, dude,” Eddie exclaims. “Neither of us wanna make you a third. You just need to get over this thing in your head that losing your virginity is the end all be all of your life or something. I can’t stand the face you make anymore. Steve’s sick of me complaining. We love you in the way where if we have to see that face anymore, we’ll bury your body on the interstate so.”

“Right. Okay.” Gareth nods because that makes sense. It’s hard to figure out how this is gonna work later on, after he’s seen Steve like this, after Eddie’s seen him like this. “So, we’re doing this.”

Steve doesn’t answer with words. He gets close enough to pull Gareth into him, kisses the corner of his mouth as a test.

It’s a little weird, but that’s because he was under the impression they wouldn’t kiss. He assumed this was a get in, get out situation. Get the job done and move on. He didn’t expect it to be soft.

“C’mon,” Steve whispers as he pulls back, smiling encouragingly at him. He takes his hand and leads him to the bed. “You know how to get me ready?”

Gareth nods. He’s messed around with himself plenty of times to know what to do, what feels good, what’s too much. He doesn’t know what Steve likes, but he can figure it out as he goes.

Steve takes his shirt off. Eddie groans.

“You look so good,” he groans. “I wanna touch you, too.”

Steve rolls his eyes. “Not now. Let Gare have this, baby.”

“He can…he can touch you. If you want,” Gareth says. “I dunno if I want him to touch me, though.”

Eddie’s hand goes to his chest dramatically. “No? My nimble fingers aren’t good enough? Fine!” He smirks. “I’m good just watching. This is for you. I get to touch him all the time.”

Steve is slipping his pants off quietly, letting them have this moment.

“Normally, I’d make you take my clothes off, but I think you know how to do that,” Steve teases. “Unless you’re unfamiliar with this model of jeans.”

“Levi’s?” Gareth takes his own shirt off. “Half my closet is thrifted Levi’s, dude.”

And then they’re both standing in just their underwear. Gareth’s in boxers that he doesn’t remember washing in his last round of laundry, and Steve’s standing there in the tightest gray underwear Gareth’s ever seen, already half-hard.

His dick is huge. Like, way bigger than Gareth’s, maybe also Eddie’s. He’d need to see them both at once to compare, but-

“We’re gonna use colors, even though it’s not a scene, okay? Just so you’re comfortable. Red is stop, yellow is pause, green is good. Use them anytime. If Eddie sees something I miss, he’ll ask you randomly, okay?” Steve pulls his underwear off.

He’s just…naked. Comfortably standing in front of Gareth with his dick out and leaning to the left, getting harder the more Gareth watches him. Who knew Steve was into being watched?

Gareth drops his boxers and he is fully hard. Achingly so. His dick pulses when Steve’s eyes drop down to get a look. Steve’s lips curl up into a smile.

He walks up to him, drops to his knees, and gets his hand around the base. Gareth’s breath catches.

Steve licks a stripe up his dick, sucking the head into his mouth before he takes him all the way down.

“Jesus,” Gareth moans. He’s got pretty good stamina when it’s just him. His dick is sensitive, but he knows how to edge himself. He kinda likes doing it on nights when they’ve got a hotel. He can shove his face into the pillow and get himself close four, five, six times before he shakes apart. He doesn’t know if he can hold back with his dick leaking down Steve’s throat. “Do you not have a gag reflex? Fuck.”

Steve smiles around him somehow, and Eddie is trying hard not to make noise, but Gareth can hear him huffing a laugh against his hand.

Steve pops off for a moment, looks up at him with a grin. “You can touch me.”

Right. His hands immediately go to Steve’s hair, threading through the locks and pulling him in again. He’s under no impression that he’s in control here. He’s just gonna try to keep both hands on the steering wheel while Steve hits the gas pedal.

His fingers tighten when Steve’s tongue swirls around his tip. Steve moans. The vibrations are enough to make Gareth’s legs feel weak.

“Shit. Bed, bed, bed,” he’s saying as he tugs Steve off of him and to his feet. He crushes his lips to Steve’s, any lingering doubt in his mind that this was gonna ruin their friendship long gone. He’s gonna fuck Steve and make him feel good, and Steve’s gonna return the favor, and then he’s gonna keep annoying Steve for the rest of time.

He could throw Steve on the bed, but Steve’s faster. He pushes Gareth down on his back, straddles his hips, and pushes his hands above his head.

Shit, that’s hot.

“How am I gonna get you ready if you have my hands way up there?” Gareth is nothing if not a little shit.

But Steve is also a little shit.

“You’ll figure it out,” Steve’s ass is brushing against his dick and he’s trying not to think about how it will feel inside him. But the more he thinks about not thinking about it, the more he realizes he’s gonna be inside Steve very soon. His restraint is flying out the window and up the street.

He feels Eddie’s eyes on them, but he’s decidedly not thinking about what he might be doing. If it were him in Eddie’s shoes, he’d be jacking it relentlessly.

Gareth is pretty strong. Like, he plays drums every day. Got used to lugging equipment around before they had people who did that for them. Started lifting weights occasionally when no one was watching. He likes being strong, he likes the way his muscles ripple when he’s beating the hell out of his snares and cymbals, angry but beaming from ear to ear.

He likes the way Steve moans when he throws him off of him, switching their positions in less than two seconds.

He doesn’t feel the need to say anything. Steve’s blushing, a pretty pink color across his face and neck, and his lips are swollen from sucking his dick and biting his own lips. Seeing Steve like this is life-changing.

It’s not a falling in love moment, but it’s a moment where he can see why Eddie did.

There’s always a certain charm floating around Steve, and it shifts now, while he’s under Gareth. It’s brighter, damn near blinding. Steve’s glittering gold, intensely blazing as Gareth’s hands run down his chest and sides. He adjusts so he’s sitting between Steve’s legs, pushing them back.

He hears Eddie groan from a few feet away. He’s ignoring it.

“You guys have lube?” Gareth asks.

Eddie throws a bottle on the bed.

“Thanks.”

Stupid of him to assume they went anywhere without some. They fucked like rabbits. He’s pretty sure if Steve could get pregnant, he would have had at least two accidental babies by now.

Gareth stares at the bottle in his hand.

“Still green?” Steve asks quietly.

“Yeah, sorry.” Gareth opens the bottle and uses entirely too much. It’s a different brand than he uses, and he’s nervous, and he can feel two sets of eyes watching his every breath and it’s- “Yellow.”

Steve sits up and takes the bottle from him. He hears Eddie step closer for a moment, as if he’s gonna try to fix it even though he isn’t technically involved in any of this.

“What’s going on?” Steve asks, soft, careful. Unlike any way he ever talks to Gareth.

He kinda hates it. He likes when Steve’s a bitchy know-it-all to him. He likes when Steve gets frustrated at the way he pretends to be dumber than he is about band stuff.

“I just need a minute, I think,” Gareth admits. “This is a lot.”

“Okay,” Steve waves Eddie off and places both hands on Gareth’s face. It’s intimate. It blocks the outside world from view. It feels like it’s just them right now. “It won’t hurt my feelings if you wanna stop. It’s not me, it’s you.”

Gareth snorts. There’s the bitchy Steve he’s always loved.

“I don’t wanna stop. I just realized I’m fucking my best friend’s boyfriend while he watches and it’s taking me a second to wrap my head around that being a normal thing,” Gareth explains. He’s ignoring the way Steve’s dick is rubbing against his. He said yellow, so they have to stay paused until he’s mentally good to go. He knows that much.

“Should Eddie not watch?” Steve asks. As if Eddie would allow Gareth to fuck Steve without being there.

“No, that’s-” Gareth sighs. “I don’t care if he watches. It’s just a lot.”

“Yeah. You’re doing good, though.”

The praise sinks deep into his skin, courses through his veins. He isn’t able to hold back a whine. Holy shit, where did that even come from?

Steve looks thrilled.

“Oh. Well, this is interesting,” Steve says around a smile. “Didn’t think it would go like this.”

“Like what?”

Gareth feels unmoored. Something’s shifted. The entire room feels darker, heavier.

“Stevie, be nice,” Eddie says from a chair. Gareth didn’t even know there was a chair in the corner.

“I am being nice,” Steve doesn’t look away from Gareth. “This is just shocking information and I’m taking it in. Learning. Growing.”

“What information?”

“We won’t do anything with it tonight. But we’ll talk about it after. You gotta stay safe if you decide to try anything with someone and I won’t let someone hurt you.”

“Try what?”

“Later,” Steve pats his cheek and lays back again. “Whenever you’re ready, I’m right here. Take your time, honey.”

The name feels like honey, dripping between them and making them sticky. Gareth wants to lick the word from Steve’s mouth.

Gareth watches as Steve puts his hand on his own dick, lazily stroking to keep himself hard. He can’t look away. A bead of precum falls, drips down his length until his thumb swipes it up, rubs it into his skin.

He licks his lips.

His fingers ghost over Steve’s hole.

“Good?” Steve asks, breathless.

“Green,” Gareth answers as he slides a lubed-up finger into him.

He’s tight, but there’s really no resistance. Steve’s relaxed. Gareth’s relaxed.

Steve rocks back into his touch, eyes glassy as he silently begs for more. It’s easy to read him when he’s like this, wanting more, being greedy in ways no one else ever sees. Steve’s a giver, the least selfish person of all of them, but not now. Now he wants.

Now Gareth is gonna give.

He’s three fingers deep when he manages to find Steve’s prostate. It’s easier on himself, he realizes. He’s spent years figuring out what makes himself tick. He has to watch every rise of Steve’s chest, every twitch of his brow, every bite of his lip. This is finding what makes someone– Steve– feel good, and doing it so they find pleasure.

Gareth sees why they fuck like rabbits.

Steve’s back arches off the bed as he flicks his fingers just right, rubs until he’s sure Steve’s gonna squirm right off the bed. Eddie’s barely even a thought in his mind right now, but he can feel his gaze. He’s making sure Steve’s taken care of, and he’s making sure Gareth doesn’t need to back out. He’s taking care of them in the only way he knows how.

He wants to hand over the reins. Steve’s taking what he’s giving, but he wants him to take more.

He doesn’t know how to verbalize that without sounding desperate.

But something switches between them and Steve seems to just know.

He’s an intuitive guy.

Steve sits up, waits for Gareth to remove his fingers. He pushes Gareth back on the bed, so his head is resting at where the sheets have gathered at the foot.

He straddles him again, throws his hands up above his head again, smirks again.

“Condom?” Steve asks.

Gareth knows from his mom, from health class, from Eddie, from Steve he should say yes. If this were a stranger, he’d say yes.

But this is Steve, who insists on everyone getting tested every three months like clockwork, who has only slept with Eddie for the last six years, who would never even ask if he was at all concerned about their safety. He’s letting Gareth make the call on something that’s normally important. It’s not a test, it’s just Steve letting him have control.

“Can we do it without?” Gareth’s voice is barely more than a whisper. He’s shy. Why the fuck does he feel shy?

Steve nods, soft smile taking over.

“But never do it without with anyone else unless you’re in a committed relationship and both clean,” Eddie says from the chair, ever the mother hen.

“Yes, dad,” Gareth rolls his eyes.

“Don’t call me dad while you’re fucking my boyfriend,” Eddie says.

“I’m not fucking him yet,” Gareth’s words end in a whine as Steve slides down on his dick. He’s so fucking tight, Jesus Christ on the fucking cross. “Holy shit. Is it this tight all the time?”

Steve breathes out, halfway laughs, halfway trying to not whimper.

“Eddie usually does four fingers first,” Steve says. It doesn’t even feel weird to hear him talk about what Eddie normally does.

“Should I have done four?”

“No, honey. Three is good,” Steve leans down to kiss him.

Gareth’s stomach flutters.

He’s inside Steve. His dick is in Steve’s ass.

Steve lifts his body up, falls back down. He holds onto Gareth’s chest, thumbs at his nipples, finds a rhythm.

He knows Steve is athletic, has always been that way and probably always will be that way. He’s got endurance that no one can match, probably not even Eddie. He’s stronger than Gareth by a mile, and it shows when his thigh muscles tighten and relax as he rides Gareth into the mattress.

His pace picks up. Gareth’s hands hold onto his hips, but he’s not really doing anything. He’s just along for the ride.

What a ride it’s been.

“Fuck, yes, there,” Steve gasps suddenly. His legs start shaking. Eddie makes the most high-pitched whine Gareth’s ever heard. It’s a lot all at once and his brain is dumbed down to processing how good he feels and nothing else. “Fuck me, honey. Harder.”

It’s ridiculous how easily he goes along with Steve’s demands now. Normally, he fights him on everything just to be annoying.

But Steve wants him to go harder and he wants what Steve wants.

His grip tightens against Gareth’s hips and he plants his feet against the bed for leverage. If Steve’s wants to get fucked harder, then Steve’s gonna get fucked harder.

“Shit, yes, feels so good,” Steve pants.

Gareth doesn’t know if he’s always like this or if he’s playing it up a little to make him feel more confident for whoever he fucks next. Either way, Steve’s making this a hell of a fun time.

“Is it good for you, honey?” Steve asks.

How he remembers to ask is beyond him. Gareth can’t do anything but nod and moan. He feels sweat beading along his forehead and neck. He doesn’t do this much work unless he’s on stage.

“Tell me how good it is.”

Gareth whimpers. He didn’t even realize he could make that noise.

“So good. So tight, Steve, shit,” Gareth is moving faster now, and he’s really not sure how it could feel good for Steve at this point, but Steve’s eyes roll back in his head and he comes all over them.

He’s impossibly tighter through his orgasm and it brings Gareth to his own peak. He’s shaking through it, not even sure what he’s saying. His hips stutter and stop and he’s filling Steve up with his cum. It’s already dripping back down his own dick, making a mess on the hotel bed.

Steve is brushing his hair out of his face, kissing his jaw, whispering about how good he did. It’s helping and also making it harder to keep this from getting complicated.

No one warned him about the attachment. He figured it would be fine, he could get off with Steve and then they could pretend it didn’t happen or joke about it. He’s crashing from a high he’s never experienced and he’s realizing how stupid he was to think he could ever look at Steve the same.

“Shit, Eddie, come here,” he hears Steve say, but he doesn’t really feel anything anymore. He knows he’s not inside Steve anymore, which kinda sucks. He likes the warmth, might already be a little addicted to it. “It’s okay, Gare. We’ve got you.”

Strong arms wrap around him, familiar in the way they don’t hesitate to pull him close. Eddie’s always been a cuddler, and he’s always known how to hold Gareth when his head’s too loud. Right now his head is silent, but his arms provide the same comfort.

A warm washcloth is on him and he blinks his eyes open to see Steve cleaning him up. Eddie’s behind him, holding him against his chest. He’s fully dressed and Gareth is not.

But he just fucked his boyfriend in front of him, so he guesses this is probably fine.

Eddie’s humming something. He doesn’t recognize it, but he’s still feeling a little out of it.

“Hey, honey,” Steve is next to him now, his hand on his chest. “You with us yet?”

“Mmm,” is all he can reply with.

“It’s alright. Take your time.”

A few minutes pass. He feels less like he’s having a crisis about feelings for Steve and more like he just got fucked within an inch of his life.

It’s a good change.

“Hey,” he says.

Eddie’s arms tighten around him. Steve smiles.

“Hey, bud,” Steve says, and it makes Gareth laugh.

“What happened to honey?” He jokes. But he did kinda like it. More than he probably should.

Steve gently smacks his chest. “I was making you feel special, jackass.”

Gareth sighs. “I know. I did.”

Steve has his underwear back on, but nothing else. Gareth can feel his thigh brushing against his. He’s a hairy son of a bitch.

“Was it good?” Steve asks.

“It was great. Thank you for doing that for me,” Gareth hates how his voice sounds now, a little broken, scared.

“You don’t have to thank me, Gare,” Steve says, careful and calm. “I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t want to.”

“It’s true. Steve’s a stubborn bitch,” Eddie butts in. “Can’t get him to do anything he doesn’t wanna do.”

Gareth giggles, ducking his head down. He still feels a little delirious, maybe a little too sleepy for this conversation.

“You wanna stay with us tonight?” Eddie continues.

“Can I?”

“‘Course you can, bud. Need me to get you anything?”

Gareth shakes his head. He just needs sleep. Maybe in the morning, once he’s separated from this a little, he’ll have some coffee and a bagel and he’ll get over this feeling in his chest that’s trying to override the adrenaline of finally having sex.

He doesn’t know what to make of it right now.

But one thing his mom always says is to sleep on hard feelings. If it’s important, it’ll be there in the morning, and it might make more sense.

He sure hopes so.

[heartach3d]

the spoon incident..

gally x reader

not requested

1k words

kinda like a grumpy x sunshine trope type thing that's what I meant it for at least at first and then it spiraled like all my work soo

I mean usually I wouldn't let anything like this get to me but today was a particularly bad day so I guess I just fell under pressure.

I'm always trying to help anywhere I can if I'm not doing anything so today I was with fry working on some stuff in the kitchen.

there's this new greenie who's also working with him and he's already known for his little bit of.. ego? I dunno I just don't talk to people like that if I don't have to.

and so I was stirring a stew in a big pot for fry while he got some cilantro, I backed up to try and grab a different spoon and I bumped into him as he walked past.

of course I immediately said sorry and continued to reach for the spoon until he chucked what he had in his hand at me!

it missed me by an inch butwho does something like that? I apologized and it was clearly an accident.

I looked at him in shock for a second before taking the spoon in the stew and throwing it at his head.

I stormed off after checking to make sure it hit him. I already heard fry coming back anyway so if I left the stew unstirred it wouldn't burn or anything.

I felt so overwhelmed with everything and I just couldn't believe someone would stoop so low. once I found a spot I knew no one would find me I broke down.

I would rather break down here then right in front of the guy I mean I'm sensitive but not pathetic!

I cried myself out and more before hearing footsteps coming my way. alright maybe not a spot no one would find me then.. I was hoping it was gally. I mean it probably was gally. no one else would know where I was.

I crossed my fingers just in case.

I wiped my tears and looked up to see... gally! how'd he know what happened though? probably fry tellining him if I really think about it.

"oh hi gal. what're doing here?" I say as I put my head on my knees and make a light smile. not forced, because I could never force a smile when he's around, but light.

"what's wrong, fry told me you ran off somewhere and 'he'll handle the other situation'" he said and I let out a small laugh at imaging fry 'handle the situation'

"what, what's with him?" he asked crouching down beside me. "nothin something happened and blah blah blah so I guess he'll handle it"

lifting up your chin to get a better look at your cheeks and red lined eyes "does this something happening have to do with these tears happening?"

I rolled my eyes and wiped my cheeks out his grip. "no it's nothing" mumbling slightly as I speak in, mostly embarrassment.

"tell me baby or I'll go find out, hm?" he stood up jokingly to go walk off when you interrupted him and brought him back down.

"fine fine!" he has a smug look on his face so I just rolled my eyes at his look as well. "ok so the new greenie was working in the kitchen with me right? I reach back from the pot I'm stirring and accidentally bump into him. I say sorry and reach for the spoon again but he throws the spoon he has in his hands in my direction! like it didn't hit me or any-"

"he threw it at you?" I look up and nod trying to go on with the story but he shoots up and starts speed walking away.

"gally! no I'm not finished!" I say running after him. I hear him muttering obscenities and different varietys of 'who does this shuckhead think he is'

"stop walking!" I yell from behind him before giving up and wrapping my arms around his neck and clinging to his back until he stops.

"y/n get off of me" "no let me tell my story!" "fine tell it! but after it's done im gone."

"what I was gonna say was after he threw the spoon at me, or tried to I threw my stew spoon at his face and left. so really you don't need to do anything, I've finished it!" he let out a small laugh imaging the scene but was still set on going.

"how bad of a boyfriend would I look if I didn't take care of him for you!" "you don't care one bit about how you look to other people but go on."

he stubbornly shut his mouth and agreed before continuing to walk. I kicked him lightly to get him to stop so I could talk to him about it at least.

I got off his back as he stopped and stood in front of him, holding the back of his neck I said "nothing too serious to end him in the medhut alright? I don't need you getting in trouble."

I gave him a kiss and looked back at him to know it really got through his head. he thought about it at first then stubbornly shook his head alright.

"thank you baby. now go get em" I say sending him off with a kiss to the forehead.

-

"you call that not serious?" "yes actually, I could've killed him and guess what, I held myself back just for you"

"he might as well be dead by now!" "well he deserved it. I can't believe he would throw something at you"

I couldnt believe that either really so maybe he did do something good. "and I also threw it back at him?" "and I'm super proud of you for that baby. taught you real good" he said trying to make it up to you by kissing the back of your hand.

"oh my gosh, why do I even try with you?" I say before rolling my eyes and walking off. "because you love me!" I hear him say as he trys to catch up from behind me

should've made him pinky promise.

[peachhcs]

did we ever get will actually asking sammy to be his gf? like once they decide in the grace period that they want to fully commit to it.

i've been trying to write this for like weeks now and the creative juices were just not flowing so hopefully y'all enjoy this! i've been lacking ideas as of recently so that's why i haven't been as active, but hopefully they're coming back to me!

(me also when old ask..)

au masterlist

it's obvious samy & will wanna be together but how ready are they to take the step that will change their relationship forever?

they were basically a couple in everyone's eyes but their own. since the grace period started, samy and will followed each other around like lost puppies and frankly, it was starting to annoy everyone watching the two be so in love yet avoid the label of boyfriend and girlfriend. samy even wore will's t-shirts around the house as a coverup up over her swimsuit and if that didn't scream couple behavior then what did?

"are they ever gonna like..ask the other out?" gabe mumbled from the back deck where him and a few others were sitting around watching the couple chase each other around the yard.

it was samy's graduation party, so the lake house was a lot more packed than usual, but samy and will's flirting hadn't changed. they were still as insufferable as when they started going on dates a month ago yet neither of them had plucked up enough courage to ask the other out for real.

"don't be a hater," julianne said from where she was cuddled up beside ryan. gabe rolled his eyes though. "i'm not, i'm just saying. they've been flirting since we were sixteen and honestly, i'm getting tired of neither of them just making the move to ask the other out," the dark-haired boy continued his complaining.

"you're just jealous smitty's actually getting some," drew teased a bit which made gabe even more annoyed.

"real classy, fort. i just don't get their "grace period" or whatever the fuck. he likes her. she likes him. it's simple. they're together or they're not."

"ugh you just don't get it because you've never been in love with your best friend. if i was samy, i'd be fucking scared to date my best friend because what if it fucks everything up and it ruins our friendship?" julianne continued defending the younger hughes while ryan's gaze snapped over.

"hey. i am dating my best friend and that didn't stop me from admitting my feelings or being in love," the brunette defended and a bit hurt that julianne was implying that him and her weren't best friends before dating.

"okay, not what i meant. obviously, you're my best friend. i mean like...samy and will have known each other before we even came into the picture. they've been through some real shit together and..it's not easy to just..get into a relationship. i'd be terrified to lose my best friend i've known for my whole life just because of some feelings," the blonde shrugged and the boys finally started understanding where she was coming from.

"i feel like knowing my best friend has feelings for me would just want me to be with them even more. i'd already know everything about them so we wouldn't have to go through the awkward get to know you phase. i wouldn't wanna wait or..test the waters. i dunno," the hockey player shrugged. he was getting tired of arguing back and forth with julie.

"that's the whole point though. if it didn't work out, all of that stuff would just become obsolete in your mind and it'd all be ruined. i'm sure one of them wants to say something, it's just a matter of being okay with sacrificing the entire friendship for a relationship," the boys sort of followed, but they were done arguing about it. instead, their conversation fell quiet and their phones interested them more than talking about their friends' feelings.

meanwhile, will was determined to throw samy in the lake per luke, ethan, and mark's request. at this point it was tradition and it made it even more fun because it was graduation party. the older boys thought will doing it would make her less suspicious. 

"i know what you're trying to do," samy yelled as she ran away from the blonde. 

"no you don't!" will yelled back. he knew he could overtake her stride in an instant, but he was trying to be nice and give her some length. 

"come on, smitty. i'm not dumb. i saw you scheming with luke." 

will slowed his run until he was completely still. samy realized he stopped chasing her and slowed too. she turned around and saw him with his hands up a few feet away. "i promise. call it a truce?" the boy offered with a convincing grin. 

the younger hughes raised her eyebrow. she looked over to where luke was with mark and ethan. all of them had their backs turned. she looked back at will who was doing nothing but smiling at holding his hand out for the truce. 

"if you're pranking me, i swear to god," samy shook her head, but reached forward to shake on it. the hockey player's grip was firm as they shook hands, his pretty smile distracting her from the fact that he pulled her towards him enough that he could get his other hand around her waist and hoist her over his shoulder. 

samy shrieked, " will! you liar!" 

he had a good grip, so samy couldn't escape if she tried. will ran down the yard to the dock while luke, ethan, and mark cheered in excitement. oh, they were so dead after this.  

"sorry, hughes. brother's orders," will chuckled. 

"hey, hey, i'll do you a really big favor if you don't throw me in," the brunette was desperate to try anything so will wouldn't throw her into the lake. 

"a really big favor? it'll have to be huge," will paused inches away from the edge. the water splashed against the wood making it so incredibly enticing to throw the soccer player in. 

"if you don't throw me in, i'll ask my mom if you can sleep in my room tonight." 

now that was a big favor. normally, it never mattered whenever will and grace visited because will would sleep in luke's room and grace would be in samy's, but ever since the in between started, samy was itching to have will in her room instead. their parents were a bit strict now that they were older and they knew about the feelings between them. 

"woah, trying to get a home run already?" will teased. 

"we've been at third base for how long now?" the brunette hit his back earning a chuckle. 

the offer was so tempting. as comfortable as the couch was downstairs, will wouldn't mind finally sleeping in a bed with samy in his arms. their loop hole to their parents' rules was that they'd stay up late watching a movie so they'd fall asleep together while it was still playing. the blonde put her down and samy smiled in satisfaction. it was so easy to get him.

"good choice," the girl hummed. she leaned up, an indication she wanted a kiss. will happily obliged, leaning down to meet her in the middle, but samy didn't actually want a kiss. 

when he was close enough to not suspect anything samy took matters into her own hands to forcefully push will back. the boy stumbled over his feet, losing his balance and falling into the water below. samy bursted out laughing while everyone else watched in shock. 

"holy shit," gabe mumbled as he watched the scene unfold. 

"now that was good," drew laughed. 

will pulled himself back onto the dock where samy was still a laughing mess. he was drenched head to toe when it was supposed to be samy in his spot. he shook his hair out onto her like a dog just getting out of the water. the girl moved away from him in hopes to avoid the water zone. 

"you're so dead for that," he mumbled. 

"your fault for falling for it," samy giggled. 

"so you're saying the favor was a trick?" will raised his eyebrow. 

"no, i'll still ask. i think you deserve it after this," she was so insufferable, but will couldn't like her more. the little smile and fit of giggles falling from her lips was enough to wash away any anger the hockey player might've felt for taking the fall instead of her. 

"good because you owe me now," he reached forward to pull her into his arm. her shirt was getting wet now, but it didn't matter when will connected their lips for real this time. she tasted like strawberries and a hint of vanilla frosting from the icing she stole earlier when her mom was still decorating the cake. 

a few whistles from the crowd in the yard filled their ears which broke them apart. drew was on the deck clapping and samy's brothers were snickering to one another. both of their faces heated up in hot blush. 

"what the hell are you waiting for? ask her out already!" drew didn't have any shame yelling across the yard. will's blush deepened into his ears. 

the question had been on the tip of his tongue for weeks now. he wanted to ask after their first date, but he didn't know what too soon was. samy was the one to suggest the grace period and will did not want to pressure her or scare her into something she wasn't ready for. at this point though, they'd been dancing around the question knowing they were both too scared to ask it. 

"samy?" if he didn't do it now, he'd never do it. 

samy met his gaze, "yeah?" 

"can i be your boyfriend?" 

a soft smile crept onto her lips, "i thought you'd never ask." 

their lips connected again and that was the signal that he'd done it. all of the guys on the deck jumped up in excitement seeing their friends kiss again. will and samy smiled against one another when they heard the excited screams and cheers. 

"think they're excited?" samy laughed. 

"they've been waiting years for this," the hockey player pulled her flush against her chest, his arms enveloping around her as he squeezed her tight. their hearts were full knowing this moment had been years in the making. 

the new couple made it back up the yard where their friends were waiting. gabe and ryan were pulling will away while julianne and hannah quickly congratulated samy. they were blushing ear to ear. 

"thank god. was starting to think you guys would never make it happen," gabe teased. 

"someone owes me $20!" ryan exclaimed while everyone began arguing about who owed who what. samy and will just sat back with smiles on their faces. the boy put her arm around her and she leaned into his touch, her eyes flicking up to his. 

"maybe we should let them be," will chuckled and they escaped inside before anyone noticed to hide away for the rest of the day and enjoy their new status of boyfriend and girlfriend. 

[profundcherrylady]

SINGLE DAD!SAE ITOSHI

A/N: CHRISTMAS SPECIAL! Yeah I know it's past New Years and technically mid January, I just took a looong time writing this, hope y'all like it tho.

Warnings: None I think. Just a little swearing.

Contents: Rin being a bad babysitter lol. VERY unrealistic btw there is no way none of this could be like an actual situation that could happen in real life. Very, very bad parenting because WHY would Sae let any of this happen tf.

Description: On a displeasing turn of events, Sae has to spend Christmas eve at work, in Spain. But that's not going to stop his daughter from making her Christmas wishes come true.

"...What do you mean, she's gone?" Sae's voice was starting to sound anxious, even on the other side of the phone. Missing? His daughter was missing on Christmas eve? How could this happen? If he was there, he would for sure give Rin something more than just a piece of his mind for losing his daughter.

"Exactly what you're hearing. She's not here." he explained, still looking around under tables and inside cabinets in case she was secretly playing hide and seek again. "I checked her bedroom, the bathroom, your room, the kitchen... it's like she disappeared on thin air."

"That's impossible. Why did you leave her alone in the apartment in the first place?"

"Because she is refusing to move from her room. Well, she was. Now I have no clue of where the hell she is! You know this is your fault, right?"

"Excuse me? Tell me how I'm at fault for you losing my daughter."

"She wouldn't stop asking about you; she was heartbroken when you told her you'd spend Christmas at Spain without her, saying she wanted to be with you and asking when you'd come back. She was so depressed she didn't even want to eat. I even bought her a bunch of presents but she said it'll not be the same without you here, and you know damn well that brat's spoiled. She wouldn't reject any gifts if she wasn't depressed, depressed."

"First of all, do not call her a spoiled brat." he responded. "Second, fine. Leave it at that and just focus on finding her, where could she have gone to? Somewhere that reminds her of me maybe? She must've left something behind, keep looking!"

"I'm looking, chill." he entered the little girl's bedroom once again. Just as he saw before, it was empty and quiet, no sight of her favorite bunny plushie either which meant she must have gone somewhere. She always took that thing everywhere. He peeked under the bed but there was nothing, then finally stood back up.

A paper.

Rin's eyes widened at the sight of a paper on the bed, and he quickly rushed to read it.

"Rin?" he hushed his brother on the other of the phone. The handwriting was messy and childish so it was definitely hers, and as he read line through line his eyes widened even more.

"Fuck."

"What? What is it? Did you find something?"

"So... you're not gonna like what you're going to hear. She left a note... it says she was heading to you."

"Me?" he repeated, absolutely on disbelief. "I'm in Spain."

"Yeah, she seems to know that." the younger Itoshi continued to read the note, this time out loud. "...'Dear uncle Rin, I miss papa, I don't wanba wait anymore...'? Guess she meant 'wanna'. Uh... 'Chridthsma I dunno how to spell it but you know what I mean. Too lonely! I wanna see papa, so I'll go suprise him. I wanna spend tomoreow with him. Thanks uncle Rin! Plz don't throw out my presents that you bought me. Bye-bye'. And that's it."

"WHAT? She can't come all the way to Spain just to see me."

"You bet she can't; she's under eighteen. Relax, she can't travel alone just like that; she won't go far. I'll just go to the airport."

"Okay... that's true, but she wouldn't give up that easily; I'm pretty sure she knows she can't go on a plane alone, so..." then the realization hit him. "The train."

"What?"

"The TRAIN. She'll take the train from Japan to Europe, then from Barcelona to where I'm at on Madrid."

"Sae be fucking for real. Do you seriously think a six-year-old planned all of that?"

"Believe me, she's capable. She's seen those trains before, and she would for sure be too scared to go to the airport."

"And where do you think she'd get the money to travel?"

"Her allowance."

"You give a six-year-old an allowance?"

"STOP asking questions and go to the train station for her!"

"Okay, relax, I'm heading out."

But unfortunately for Rin, little Mao was already on the train station ready to head out to a whole another continent just to see her father. She had packed well (she broght her stuffed bunny) and ate breakfast before heading out (cookies from the kitchen counter); she was even well dressed for the occasion (she put on her jacket).

She was at the train station now, waving hello to the person selling the train tickets.

"Can I go to Spain, please?" she asked excitedly.

"Well, hello. You're taking a trip with your parents? Where are they?"

"My papa is at Spain." the man let out an 'oh' after hearing that.

"On Christmas eve, whithout his family? Must be something important. I'm sorry, though, I can't sell you a ticket to another country without any parental supervision."

"But... I already got all the way here."

"Sorry, kid, it's against the rules. I mean, if you had another parent or someone that can go with you I'd gladly let you go to Spain and see your dad."

"My uncle already said no... that's why I walked here all by myself... in the snow..."

"Well, if he said no it must be for a reason. What about your mom?"

"She isn't alive anymore. My dad and my uncle are pretty much all I have."

"Oh..." now he was starting to feel bad about this poor kids and her sad puppy eyes.

"I just wanted to see my papa on Christmas eve... he said he'd send me presents but I just wanted a hug from him. That was my only Christmas wish... but I guess it won't come true... hopefully he won't miss new year's too... or my birthday... I don't wanna keep seeing him through a screen anymore..."

"Okay, okay, okay, fine." he gave up; this teary-eyed child was going to kill him from sadness. He couldn't just send her home all sad like that. "Fine... I'll make some calls, I'll get you a train ticket to Barcelona. But you have to follow my instructions, okay? Going to another country is a big deal."

"Really? Thank you, mister! Now my Christmas wish is gonna come true!" the man took the phone aside from him and started making calls to arrange everything.

"Just let me see your passport and we'll see what we can do."

"You missed her? Really?" Sae was exasperated at this point. He was confident that they wouldn't let a kid travel to another continent, but apparently they were more incompetent than he thought.

"Listen, I got here as fast as I could. It's Christmas eve and there's snow all over; traffic was horrible." Rin explained, looking over his shoulder where the person in charge was showing him the security footage where they let Mao buy a ticket and get on the train. "I asked and it seems like her train just left. She bought a ticket to Barcelona and she's now on her way to you, but don't worry too much, they told me they got someone from the staff to keep an eye on her."

"That's not as bad as it could be, but what now? I have a match today, she knows that. I told her I wasn't missing Christmas at home just because. I'm busy preparing but if she's already on her way that I might have to cancel."

"Don't get too ahead of yourself just now, her train just left. It's like 19 hours from now, and it has two connections in Portugal and France. It'll take her a while to actually get to you."

"Still, the game is tomorrow at 2:00pm. I don't know if I can concentrate in training if my child is somewhere in Europe. Just thinking about it is getting me on my nerves... I know I can't do anything until she's here but I still feel the urge to go looking for her."

"Listen, it's going to be fine. Nothing will happen to her on the train and once she gets to Spain she only has to buy another ticket from Barcelona to Madrid and then you can do something about it, but do not call off the game because of this. People are counting on you to show up, you know? Seriously, just focus on getting ready and everything will get sorted out. Even if you don't go and look for her, I think she made it clear that she's going to find her way to you."

"I suppose there's some truth in what you say, but it still doesn't feel like something a responsible parent would do. I'm just worried."

"And you don't think I am? She's still my niece; if anything bad happens to her it'll all be my fault."

"It sure will be, you better take the damn responsibility if something happens to my daughter."

"Why do I bother telling you anything? Whatever, I'll call you later."

"France and Portugal were pretty, right?" the assistant from the train watched Mao as she nodded her head with a smile. "You took a big nap earlier; must feel a lot better, hm?"

"Yeah, but I'd really like to get to Spain now..."

"Don't worry, sweetie. Look, we're already here." she almost jumped off her seat when she heard that, holding her plush bunny tightly. The woman from the train helped her gather her stuff and get off, then sweetly waved her goodbye from the inside of the train. "Take care, okay? You're almost there!"

"Bye, miss! Thank you!" Mao waved as well as the train's gates closed off again, then turned around to head to the front desk and buy a ticket to Madrid.

Looking around, she almost bumped with a couple of people who spoke in a language she didn't quite understand and seemed pretty confused to see a foreigner child alone at the train station. She ignored it, as she was busy being amazed at the difference between this place and her hometown, but she kept going until she finally got the front desk where the person in charge looked down at her.

"¿Qué?"

"Hi! Um... I wanna go to Madrid." she pointed to the screen behind the man, so even though he didn't understand the kid he knew what she was trying to say, and he answered accordingly.

"Madrid? ¿Pero qué quiere hacer una niña en Madrid?" she stared, unable to understand a word, and the man finally sighed. "Mo es mi cría ni mi problema. Toma tu boleto a Madrid."

"Thank you!" she took the ticket handed to her and payed the number on the screen and walked towards her next train.

This was it, she was almost there. So close to seeing her father it actually felt unreal! Even when she didn't even spoke spanish she was there! Just a few hours and she would be able to get that hug from him.

Of course, as the hours passed, little Mao ended up spending Christmas eve on the train, but the wait was worth it. When the sun finally went up and Christmas morning came around, Mao Itoshi arrived to Madrid. The city outside the train station was bustling with energy, with big christmas decorations on the local stors and a crowd of people walking around with their children. And so... what now?

Wait.

...What now?

Where WAS Sae? She didn't know. She knew he was in Madrid and that he had a game later, yet that was all. She didn't know where her dad was staying or where could he be now, aside from the stadium where the football game was taking place later, but she didn't know where that was either. The city was huge and full of people; what was she supposed to do now?

"Um... sorry?" she tried asking around for directions, but of course, the locals didn't speak the same language as her. The brushed her off as soon as they realized they weren't getting whatever she was trying to say.

So she continued walking, trying to find anything that might get her in the right direction. At this point, she was tired again. She was only a child after all; she couldn't walk that much without getting exhausted fast, but she kept pushing through. She was on a mission, and the goal was so close; she couldn't possibly give up now. Even if she was tired and cold and hungry... she didn't have that much time before her father's game started, and then she would have to wait even more for that hug!

After a while she stumbled across a café. She didn't have money on her, but she figured she was tired and maybe they could let her just sit for a little bit and rest so that she could get to Sae faster. She held onto her plush bunny a little tighter as she reached for the doorknob and got inside, just to be greeted by a young (yet older from her perspective) woman.

"Bienvenida!" she looked down at the child, and after a couple of seconds she became surprised that she was alone. Peeking outside the door, there was no sight of any parents or older siblings or any responsible adult. She also took note of the fact that her features didn't seem spanish, although they were slightly familiar from somewhere... "¿Hablas español?"

"Um..." the answer to that question was no. She did not speak Spanish, but she didn't know that's what she was asking.

"Ay, probrecita... no te preocupes, ven." she signaled Mao to follow, which she did, and she was sat on a nearby table. "¿Tienes hambre? Ah, es cierto, que no hablas español. Te voy a traer algo de comer, ¿sí?"

After saying a couple more things she didn't understand, the lady finally walked away, so Mao let herself relax for a moment on the tranquility of the almost empty café. The only sounds around were the soothing wirring of the coffee machine on the back, the television set on some corner and the few people that were in there eating. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, resting her head against the table, when the lady came back with a little baked pastry on a plate. She gestured Mao to not worry and just eat it, but before she could actually say anything else she was startled by the sound of another customer cursing out at the TV.

"¿QUÉ?" he exclaimed again, and so she paid a little more attention to the news on there.

"Y ahora, bueno, la noticia que ha tenido a toda España como loca. A las 2:00pm de hoy estaba programado el partido de fútbol que iba a dar lugar en el estadio de Madrid y en el cual iba a participar el llamado prodigio japonés Sae Itoshi. Ha dado muchísimo de que hablar como jugador; se le quiere un montón en su país de origen, y hoy iba a participar en este partido pero de última hora acaba de anunciar que no puede jugar. Es una locura, escúchenme que tampoco me lo puedo creer. El partido ha sido puesto en espera porque Sae Itoshi se está negando a jugar debido a que su hija está desaparecida. Dio algunos minutos de su tiempo para hablar con la prensa hace poco menos de treinta minutos y declaró que aparentemente de vuelta en Japón dejó a su hija al cuidado de su hermano, es decir el tío de la niña, y que... que ha despertado y la niña no estaba! Y en víspera de navidad, además, es que es increíble. Y para hacerlo peor todavía, la niña dejó una nota en su casa diciendo que fue a visitar a su padre, por lo cual Sae Itoshi declaró que su hija está en algún lugar de Madrid y que no puede jugar hasta que no la encuentre. No me creo que esto sea una noticia real gente, pero aquí estamos. Eh... pues ya saben, estén atentos. Sae Itoshi dejó la descripción de su hija para que quien sea que la vea lo pueda reportar o la lleve directamente al estadio. Es una niña de seis años, tiene el cabello oscuro y los ojos iguales a los de su padre; también dice que lleva con ella un... ¿conejo de felpa?"

"Dios mío!" after hearing the news, the lady was certain. This kid in the café was Sae Itoshi's daughter; her description matched and then it made sense that her features seemed familiar. So she was missing and her father was holding the whole football match until he found her... she had to do something!

She waited patiently until Mao finished her little snack and then approached her again, pointing at the TV where they were showing the footage of Sae declaring the facts of her little runaway. The kid gasped, almost trying to reach out to him.

"Papa!" that she could understand. It was very similar to the spanish word "papá" which meant dad so there was no doubt.

"Te voy a llevar con tu papá, ¿bien? Vamos." she offered her hand, which Mao took as the lady shouted that she was going out for a little bit and got out with her.

"C'mon, Sae, be reasonable. You can't just back out of the game like this! Do you know how many people are counting on you?"

"Yeah, the thing is, I don't give a fuck my daughter is MISSING. I was patient enough; I'm not doing anything until she's safe and sound."

"But... Sae! This game is very important for all of us! You're going to make us lose!"

"So you're telling me... a stupid football match is more important than my daughter's life." now THAT made him rethink his words, although not for long, because there was no way he was going to stay quiet with how much was at stake. But the next thing he said was the last straw for Sae.

"N-No... I didn't mean... fuck, Sae, she's been missing two days! Maybe it's time you consider the other possibilities and move on-"

"What did you just say?" his harsh tone and the darkened expression on his face made the whole room go quiet. "I don't care if you lose the game over this, you hear me? But that's my little girl, and if anything happens to her because of this I could never forgive myself, and the fact that you are even suggesting that she could be dead and that I just 'move on' is making me sick. You want me to play today? You better keep that stupid mouth of yours fucking closed or I'll make sure you do. I don't say things twice so you better listen up. I'm getting out of here to find her, understood?"

"Y-Yeah... I'm sorr-"

"Papa!" Sae's expression instantly switched as soon as he heard the familiar voice call for him, and as he turned around, there she was. Safe and unharmed, accompanied by a few security guards from the stadium. His eyes relaxed inmediately when he saw her ran up to him, then he crouched down and opened up his arms as he saw the little girl going for a hug, and once she was on his arms again, he let out a sigh of relief and held her just a little bit tighter. "I missed you, papa!"

Sae stood back up with her still on his arms, and frowned slightly as he looked down at her again.

"You are in very big trouble, young lady. You traveled all across Europe from Japan, through Portugal and France, just to be here. Do you have any idea how dangerous and irresponsible that was? Do you know what could've happened to you? You could've gotten lost, or worse. I am very disappointed; I was worried sick. You don't even speak spanish and you still managed to get all the way to the stadium." he saw her little smile fade away with his words, and he sighed once more as his eyes softened once again. "You must've really wanted to see me today, huh?"

"I did! Papa, I wanted to be with you on Christmas."

"We talked about this, Mao, I sent you lots of gifts back to Japan and we could always videocall today after the game; you didn't need to do all of this."

"But I did need it!"

"How so?"

"Because none of the gifts were what I wanted..."

"What? That's not possible. I sent you everything you said you wanted; I bought you that dollhouse you said was pretty and the dress you said you wanted for Christmas, there were more plush toys and accessories you told me you liked and things from your favorite cartoons. I don't know how I could've missed anything."

"That's okay papa, it's because those are the gifts from you! I did want those but they weren't my Christmas wish."

"Really? None of them?"

"Nope! They were things I wanted but they weren't my Christmas wish. But don't worry, papa, there's no way you could've known. I wrote it on my letter to Santa!"

Oh.

Didn't he tell Rin to check that as well? Damn it, he missed his daughter's Christmas wish and he didn't realize. Of course it didn't come true if he didn't know what it was to buy it...

"Well, can I know what it is? Maybe there's still time to get you whatever it is."

"It's okay, I already have it! It was a hug from you." and then his heart melted down. How could he still be mad after that?

"You little rascal. Why did you tell Santa and not me?"

"I figured he'd talk to you and maybe you would change your mind and go home. But then I found out what was his plan really was! I woke up yesterday and there was a letter under the tree! And it had money and the train schedule so I could get here today! And then a lot of miracles happened, like the person who sold me the ticket and the nice lady from the train and the café and me getting this far without knowing any spanish!"

"You found a letter with money under the tree? I didn't do that..." he whispered, and he certainly knew Rin didn't do it either.

"Of course you didn't; it was Santa!" Sae rolled his eyes and gave her one last hug.

"It still doesn't mean you're free from punishment. You're grounded for a month."

"Why?!"

"You traveled to another continent without permission and you're asking why you're grounded? Hand over that plush bunny, miss."

"Noooo, not that! I'm not gonna do it again!"

"You bet you won't."

"Don't take it, please! He's my best friend."

"I know." he huffed. "Fine. Now, I'm gonna need you to wait for me; I have a game to win."

[mewnewew]

Sir Crocodile x Reader

I'll do a double posting this week cause I'm gonna be working on Christmas (don't ask) Here's something to make y'all a bit better since the last one.

On a professional and generally personal note, he would make a disgusted face if one talked to him about love. Hell, if someone even implied that he maybe loved you he would throw them his hardest glare and if already in a bad mood, probably threaten them.

But now? He wasn't sure what he was feeling. You weren't really.....at your best, he would say. Right now, you were pacing up and down looking frazzled and slightly crazy while he sat on the edge of the bed, watching you. The worst part? You weren't making any damn sense.

"Would you just tell me what's the problem here?" He snapped, losing it slightly.

"Nothing! Just go back to work or whatever! It's fine! There no issue at all!" You yelled back. Your face was deliberately not looking at his, as you just continued to pace back and forth maddeningly.

That's it. He needs to know what the hell is your problem. You weren't looking at him, you weren't making any damn sense, this was eating his brain. He was going to get to the bottom of this.

He grabbed your arm and yanked you to a standstill, making you stand in front of him.

"What is it."

"It's nothing! Just-"

"Just tell me. Now." He bit out.

"Like I said! Its-"

"Dammit woman! Just fucking tell me!" He yelled, finally losing it.

"It's you!" You cried out. Wait. What?

He blinked. His arm didn't lose its grip.

"Explain."

"It's just- you! You have this big thing of y'know your damn ego, cause of your ambition which is like, okay I get it. But at the same time you're dating me. That means that with all of your fancy stuff and your ruthlessness and your big huge dream of wanting to attack and destroy the Navy--which I fully support by the way-"

He watched you ramble, absolutely baffled by what he was hearing. His cigar almost fell out from this, his frustration was also climbing. This blasted woman-

"Cause honestly, fuck the Navy, but, not the point. Look, you have that, and that's a huge part of who you are and what you stand for and your big secretive past that you don't want to tell me and that's fine! Perfectly fine! However the issue comes when-"

"Would you get to the damn point already?!" He burst. His arm tightened around your wrist, face close to yours.

"I love you!" You yelped, staring with wide eyes straight into his purple ones.

He froze. Face dropping into one of quiet shock, with a very cold realization.

"I love you, Crocodile" you said, looking guilty. Guilty? Your free hand went to your hair, pulling, getting tangled, running through it, your eyes full of anxiety.

"I love you and frankly keeping in mind your ego, your ah, ambition and you-which I all love and respect by the way--I just, I just can't help but feel this could go very uh....pear shaped for me"

His hand eased slightly, brows furrowing.

".....Pear shaped?"

"Oh, uh....bad. Things might end up bad for me"

"How?"

"You, well, you could be I dunno, using me or something. Cause you don't love me really. You said it yourself. This is a business transaction." Your voice went quieter as you mumbled, gaze falling lower.

"Look at me"

"-And I know that you don't, so I'm not going to push it since this is fine and I respect your wishes but really! I just really don't like the idea of possibly be led on but dont worry I wont push it okay? You-" Your eyes grew wide as suddenly you were pulled into him, closing the distance. Your face was tucked into his neck, letting you get a whiff of cigar smoke, and expensive cologne.

"You silly little thing" He whispered, pressing a kiss to the crown of your head.

"You aren't.....completely wrong. But things have changed." He murmured into your hair, limbs holding you tight to him.

You stayed perfectly quiet. Holding your breath, you were stunned. This....this was new. This was new.

"I love you too."

[distorted59]

HIII! I have a request if you have time, but after seeing what you did for Larsy Poo I need, - in fact, I am on my hands and knees for head cannons for James Het PLEASE 🧎🏻‍♀️

Thank you 😊 MWAH

Hey lovely!!! sorry it took a whole while, I'm finally back home and school and work are biting my ass. but, here it is!!! hope you enjoy! @buzzbuzzbowie also asked for this, thank you both! <3

Okay, so if we’re talking about 80s James, (like ‘81-’87), he’s definitely submissive asf!! he’s just… just… he was so shy and pretty LIKE SHUT UP SFKFSKSFSKJS. (he still is)

He def has mommy issues. So, he craves validation and care. Especially in the beginning, he’s still young and just into fame, could learn a thing or two. Once he gets older, more masculine, angrier and his voice deeper and deeper. He still has that need, it’s an itch no one can really scratch but you.

He was sexually inexperienced, (due to his family’s religions he had to leave health class and all that stuff). so just IMAGINE teaching young Jamie some things!!!! oml i’m melting!!!!! 

“Am I doing okay?” James pants from in between your thighs. He’s looking up at you through his bangs that are sticking to his sweaty forehead. His blue eyes twinkling with eagerness and lust.

“You’re doing great, baby.” You reassure him as you caress his hair lovingly. 

“Hmm, you taste so good.” He moans into your pussy and continues fucking you with his tongue.

Loves it when there’s a emotional connection, normally he’d fuck the shit out of girls/groupies without thinking twice. But, he loves it when he’s taken care of.

Loves the aftercare as well!! Cuddling or showering together, loves it when you wash his hair!

praising kink, mommy kink????? i dunno. I just know his whimpers and begging would be so pretty <3. 

Would get jealous pretty fast, he wants all of your attention on HIM. 

He’s also pretty protective of you, even as friends. Like, just imagine you and the bar hanging out at a bar, early Metallica days, and some guys are bothering you. This man would be prepared to throw hands. (just like he did for Larz, cuz he has a big mouth).

He has a big nose, so you can sit on it. (no headcanon tho, it’s the truth.)

He would call you all needy from his hotel room. (I see black album!James in my head). And i mean you know he’s fucking groupies, you know he is. but, he’s never satisfied, you got your fucking claws in him.

“Come on, pick up…” James mutters into the phone, he’s horny and desperate, only wanting to hear your voice.

“Hello?” Your tired voice rings through his ear.

“H-hey, sweetheart.” James stammers. “How are you? i miss you. Did I wake you?” he rushes through his words not wanting to be rude, but he is just so horny.

“hm, I’m good, baby.” you yawn. “You did wake me, but that’s okay.” 

He stays silent for a bit, he’s slowly stroking himself. Just your voice is enough to make him crazy. You can hear some hitched breaths through the phone and decide to play with him a little.

“What are you doing, baby?” 

“N-nothing, I’m just tired.” he quickens his pace, knowing what you’re doing.

“Do you miss me?” you ask, your hand wandering to your panties.

“Fuck, yes. Of course, baby.” 

“I miss you too, your voice, your touch…” You sigh. “you inside of me.”

“Oh, baby…” James lets out a strangled moan. “I need to feel you wrapped around me, I can’t take it.” 

James starts stroking his cock faster while you already have started playing with your clit. 

“Every night when I come off stage. I just think of you and I can’t….” James groans. “Can’t take it… need you here.” 

“You wanna know what I'd do?” 

“Yeah…”

“I’d ride you silly, until you’d see stars.” you moan.

“Fuck, so i can look at your pretty tits?” James gets closer to cumming.

“That’s right, darlin’.” 

“Are you playing with yourself too?” He asks, his mind is driving him wild. He is so jealous of your fingers right now. 

“Mhm.” you hum.

“Oh fuck, gonna cum, baby.” 

“Cum with me, babe.”

Both of you would cum all over yourself and say loving words to each other before falling asleep <3.

Now, if we’re talking about current James. holy fucking shit. the dilfiest fucking dilf on this fucking earth. 

His hands!!!! his fingers are super fucking skilled, this man can WORK them. stroking your hair, holding your hand, squeezing your thighs, making you suck his fingers while you look up at him innocently, lightly squeezing your throat with his other hand when you stop looking at him, finger-fucking you ‘till you cry… I can go on.

James and his cigars>>>>>>

Just imagine you sitting on his thigh, needy and desperate. He’s wearing some bootcut jeans that fit him perfectly. You’re in some comfortable pj shorts and slowly rubbing yourself on the material of his jeans. He’s really enjoying the view while smoking his cigar and puffing the smoke in your face. 

“What’s wrong, baby?” He places his free hand on your hip, secretly guiding your grinding. 

“Need more…” You whimper. “Please.” 

“Hmm… I don’t think so, baby.” he takes another drag and slowly blows the smoke in your face. “I think you can easily cum like this, can’t you?” 

He grins and holds the cigar close to your mouth, making you take a drag. You slowly inhale while maintaining eye-contact, James groans loudly and grips your hip tighter. You blow the smoke back into his face and try to kiss him. 

He gladly accepts the kiss and you can taste the cigar on his lips. You start grinding faster and moan into his mouth. James keeps guiding you and smirks up at your needy state. 

“Gonna cum all over my jeans, princess?”

He’d spoil you like crazy. You don’t want much, just him. but, he still takes care of you in every single way he can. 

 Feel like he might have a breeding kink, daddy kink and all that. He just wants to fill you all up and claim you. Mark you, show the world and everyone in it you are his. <3

 Imagine car rides with James???? I’d sell my left tit for that. (maybe not). Just a chill ride in one of his muscle cars, or his truck, love me some of that. Some music on low volume, the weather’s nice, the sun's about to set. Yes, just yes. 

Or staying at his house for dinner??? I would fucking love to chill in his backyard and he’s working over at the bbq. I just know this man can cook up a mean steak. 

Damn, now I’m hungry for James AND his cooking. 

[sturnboos]

[ 🌧️ ] Rainy Days

characters: caregiver nick, little chris

this story contains: small tantrum, sleepy chris.

Nick sat up on the couch and looked at Chris who was just laying on the floor currently regressed and was using his finger to move a toy car across the floor.

"What are you doing little one?" Nick asked.

"I dunno, I playin wif dis car dat matts gave me, but Is boredd, wan do somethin!" Chris explained.

"I know hun, but we just gotta be patient okay? The rain should stop soon" nick replied.

"You sures?" Chris asked.

"Yes bug, I'm sure."

As soon as nick said that tho, he hears the raining pick up harder than ever outside.

When he looked out the window behind him, the streets were starting to look flooded and there was a bunch of rain water going into the gutters on the side of the road.

"Woah. I've never seen it rain THIS hard in spring. It usually only gets this bad when it's around winter time" Nick muttered to himself but apparently Chris overheard Nicks muttering.

Chris whined causing nick to turn back around.

"We no go to park todays.?" Chris asked softly with a pout.

Nick hesitated for a bit, knowing that if he told Chris they couldn't go anywhere today that he would end up throwing a tantrum.

Nick sighed. "No bug, we can't go to the park today, but maybe we can go tomorrow?"

Chris started to tear up and kick his legs out of frustration, so Nick knew that he had to stop Chris before Chris REALLY threw a tantrum.

"C'mere bud. It's gonna be alright."

Chris crawled over to Nick as he started crying even more, sniffling and rubbing eyes to get rid of his little tears.

Nick rubbed Chris's back and bounced him slightly, soothing the younger who was full on sobbing now.

"Shh. it's alright buddy. How old are you feeling right now?"

Chris was thinking about this for a few seconds, but then he held up two fingers and then put one finger down, symbolizing that we was slipping smaller and smaller.

"Aww, such a small boy"

Nick stood up and walked over to Chris’s room to put Chris down on his bed, having to lay him down since he wasn't able to really hold himself up at the age he was currently regressed to.

He went to Chris’s closet, to find clothes comfy enough for Chris to nap in since he knew the jeans and Boston jersey Chris currently wore were not going to be comfy enough for a nap.

Nick then changed Chris into fresh love sweatpants and one of his oversized white tees and then popping a paci in Chris’s mouth after a little protesting from Chris but that was normal, Chris would always hesitate a pacifier unless he was already falling asleep or feeling unwell.

"There you go, all comfy little one?" Nick asked the younger.

Chris just clapped and giggled a little bit when he was all comfy. Nick couldn't help but smile at him, he was too adorable!!

A few minutes later, Nick saw that Chris had started yawning and rubbing his eyes, so Nick knew that Chris was tired and ready to take a nap.

Nick tucked a blanket over Chris then lays beside him. When they were both comfy in bed, Nick turned on the tv putting on a White Noise video that often helps put Chris to sleep doesn’t matter if he's little or big it always worked!

Nick brushed a few strands of Chris’s hair out of his face with his fingers.

Not too much later, Chris was fast asleep, snoring softly as the white noise sound continued playing the soft fan like noise.

Nick fell asleep a few minutes later and they both slept peacefully.

word count: 623

divider credit: @saradika-graphics

tag list: @riasturns @sturnshood (comment 🎀 to be added to tag list)

a/n: man now I wanna take a nap, this was a really cute chapter that I really enjoyed writing, and I hope that you guys enjoyed too!

take care my loves! <3

[watarfallar]

Shoving these down your throats

Mumbo: Did you bring Lizzie? Cleo, gesturing to Etho: No, but I brought the next best thing. Mumbo: Etho? The next best thing would be Gem. Etho: I would be offended, but Gem is freakishly strong.

artyn: You're just jealous. All my friends tell me I remind them of Gem. The Squad: *screaming* Skizz: They look like Gem? Are you out of your fucking MIND? Scar: Gem, sweetie, I am SO sorry. I am SO SORRY that an ugly-ass bitch like this would even say that. Oh my god. Skizz: Gem? Gem? Gem? You know who you fucking look like? You fucking look like BigB!

Tango: Hey, how did my phone break? Lizzie: You were drunk yesterday. Tango: And? Skizz: You threw it. Tango: Why? Scott: You turned on airplane mode and kept screaming “FLY DAMN YOU!” Tango: And why didn’t you stop me?! Ren: We were busy laughing our asses off.

Bdubs: Hey, can we stay in your dorm tonight? Mumbo: Why? Bdubs: Impulse fiddled with an ouija board and cursed ours. BigB: Jimmy doesn't know how to banish spirits, so they just throw salt at them and yell "DOES THIS LOOK LIKE A HOTEL TO YOU?!"

Grian: What's the scariest horror movie you've ever watched? Pearl: IT. Scott: Annabelle. Jimmy: Paranormal Activity. Joel: High School Musical. All throughout high school I was scared that everyone was gonna randomly get up and start singing and dancing, and I would be the only one who doesn't know the words.

Etho: You know what? Etho: When I join this friend group I thought you guys would be dealing with my bullshit. *Scott, Skizz and Grian continue screaming about mold water* Etho:Not the other way around. Impulse: I dunno, sounds like you need to drink the mold water.

Impulse: How do I ask someone out? Jimmy: Roses are red, violets are blue, guess what, my bed has room for two. Impulse: No! BigB: Twinkle twinkle little star, we can do it in a car. Impulse: Stop! Joel: Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream, merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily I can make you scream. Impulse: I feel like the last one is verging dangerously into serial killer territory.

Martyn: When I see really attractive people like Scar, I just laugh because I know if we lived in the Aztec culture, they'd be sacrificed for their beauty. Jimmy: I mean, that's one way to cope with not being attractive. Impulse: Works for me.

Tango: What's the most efficient way to burn calories? Skizz: Exercise more! Scott: Set yourself on fire. Jimmy: There are two kinds of people.

Bdubs, writing in a letter: "I'm going to kick.. your... ass." Bdubs: THERE. Now send it. Joel: Dude, your handwriting's terrible, are you sure you want to- Bdubs: JUST DO IT! later Etho: So what does it say? Lizzie, reading the letter: They say they're going to "lick my...." Etho: Lizzie: Etho: Gross-

Ren: Why did you kidnap Etho!?!?! Pearl: Ah- um- well- the reason for that is, uhh... Joel: Sometimes, we must work together towards a common goal. Ren: NOT TO KIDNAP PEOPLE!

Tango: Subs are so fun to play with. All you have to do is hint at what you might do, back them into a corner with a look, or grab their wrist in a certain way and they're a wide-eyed mess. Scar: What the fuck kind of Subway are you going to? Ren: Substitute teachers deal with so much shit. Skizz: Guys.

Gem: It’s Christmas! Are you all in a Christmas mood?! Jimmy: Merry crisis. Ren: Jingle bells, jingle bells, single all the way. Scott: Hoe hoe hoe. Gem: Guys, please.

Mumbo: How would you guys deal with a toxic friend? Gem: Tell them how you really feel. Pearl: Slowly distance yourself from them. Lizzie: Engage in a 1v1 sword battle and if they lose they have to stop being toxic or pay the price. Mumbo, being handed a sword: …well heck.

Bdubs, filling out legal paperwork: Were you guys born AMAB or AFAB? Tango: Bold of you to assume I was born at all. Cleo: I personally was created in a lab. Jimmy: I just straight up spawned lol.

Gem: Is the plural of milf/dilf milfs/dilfs or milves/dilves? Impulse: Milfs. Grian: Milf/dilf is an acronym, you can't change the spelling to milves/dilves. Gem: Wait, they're acronyms? What do they stand for??? Tango: Mom in late forties, dad in late fourties. Tango: I learned that from the movie called M.I.L.F that I saw the trailer of in theaters probably 5 to 7 years ago. Grian: Mom/dad I'd Love to Fuck. Gem: WAIT, WHAT THE FUCK— Gem: I NEVER REALIZED IT WAS ACTUALLY HORNY! Tango: Oh, is it not mom in late fouries? Impulse: What? No! It isn't! Tango: THE MOVIE TRAILER LIED TO ME! Grian: Tango... Tango: THIS IS WHY I DIDN'T THINK CALLING PEOPLE MILFS WAS ALL THAT BAD BECAUSE IT STOOD FOR SOMETHING HARMLESS IT JUST HAD A SLIGHTLY SEXUAL CONNOTATION! Grian: I am entirely unsurprised that this is coming from you. Tango: GEM, DOES IT MAKE SENSE WHY I CALLED THE DIARY OF A WIMPY KID MOM A MILF NOW BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS LITERALLY JUST A DESCRIPTOR WITH FUNNY CONNOTATION! Gem: The word milf has been ruined for me. Impulse: THAT'S ITS DEFINITION, IT CAN'T BE RUINED THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS! Grian: Y'all are dumbasses.

Martyn: Why are you smiling? Jimmy: What? I can’t just be happy? Cleo: Ren tripped and fell in the parking lot.

Tango: A stake to the heart won't kill a vampire if their tits are big enough. Ren: Yeah, you just catch it. Impulse: Nah nah nah, deflects it. Stake? Just bounces right off. Done. Back to doing hot girl shit. Scar: Then I just use a spear instead. Tango: You are trying so hard to kill a vampire with big bazongas, and for what? Why would you do that to the ecosystem?

Scott: I have a question. BigB: Shoot. Scott: Is the S or C in scent silent? Martyn: Fuck you, I’m going to be thinking about this all day. BigB: Okay well, cent is pronounced the same way as scent so I’m gonna say the S is silent. Scott: Okay, but sent is also spelled the same way. Martyn: Google says that the C was added in the late seventeenth century, so I guess the S is silent. Lizzie: Plot twist, both the S and the C are silent and the E actually makes the sss sound. Martyn: Lizzie is not allowed to talk anymore.

Skizz: I didn’t know that air fryers are a real thing. Used to think that they were made up by the internet as a funny joke and that their purpose was to “fry air”. Impulse: WAIT, BUT IT FRIES THE AIR TO FRY THE FOOD?? Skizz: I DIDN’T KNOW IT WAS A KITCHEN APPLIANCE, MY FIRST ASSUMPTION WAS SOMETHING AKIN TO AN AIR CONDITIONER! Scott: IT’S NOT LIKE AN AIR CONDITIONER???? Scar: You guys clearly don’t own an air fryer.

*The gang when they drop food on the floor* Etho: Aw man. *Throws it away* Ren: Five second rule! Grian: Foolish germs, thinking they can stop me!? *Eats it off the floor* Tango: *Sobs on the floor*

Tango: I’m gonna die alone. Bdubs: Tango, you’re not gonna die alone. Tango: Jimmy, was my safety net, okay? They got married and now I have to get a snake. Etho: Uh-huh. Why is that? Tango: If I’m gonna be an old lonely person, I’m gonna need a thing, you know? A hook. Like that guy in the subway who eats his own face. Tango: So I figured I’ll be “Crazy Man With A Snake”, you know? Crazy snake man. Tango: Then I’ll get more snakes, call them my babies. Kids won’t walk past my place, they will run! RUN AWAY FROM CRAZY SNAKE MAN!

[cyanide-sippy-cup]

Fuck it. It's been a rough few months. I'm doing a Starkid ranking. Keep in mind that I have not watched very many of their works so it will be a short list

1- Nerdy Prudes. I mean yeah. There's nothing I can hold against it. It succeeds in every way that it wants to and the music absolutely fucks. The characters are memorable, funny, well-acted. The production quality jumped way up from Black Friday. The only thing I can really lob against it is that I don't really love the ending, which is probably just a personal thing and still far from dislike. Besides TGWDLM this is probably also the most quotable musical out of the ones I've seen. They even got the color coding on point first try. The story can maybe be a little reference-reliant for new viewers but also it is part of a trilogy so I feel like that point is moot.

2- Cinderella's Castle. I so desperately wanted to rank this number one but it's got just a few problems. It's still my ranking tho so it gets to be here. Like they fucking ate I dunno what you want from me. It still bothers me that the 'Neon Lights' song goes to the prince for no reason. The most romantic/sexiest song I've ever heard and it goes to the 'cunny' guy. Coulda gone to Thadeus or just make the prince and Thadeus the same guy. Why. And also there's some songs that are just fine. Nothing wrong with 'just fine' but when they sit next to some of the biggest bangers in Starkid it makes them feel boring. Not a single track that I dislike tho. Just know that in my heart this is number one and it's not even close.

3- TGWDLM. I mean what do I even need to say. Can't wait for the remaster. I bet Will Branner's gonna kill it as Hidgens. And I appreciate that the color scheme is actually blue this time. I really love that there's just a random unrelated anti fascist song toward the end.

Edit for more: On further thought, yeah Neon Lights' idea is a lot more fitting for the prince's character. The song fucks way too hard tho. Easily my favorite from the soundtrack. I don't know what magic they added when they were cooking with some of these songs (and choreo) but damn that shit's good. Also, on the note of the prince. I do appreciate how they continuously give him bits for potential "true love" but he keeps throwing away every chance to have anyone who likes him by being a total tool. Other positives I didn't include are the costume design (holy hell that dress), the puppetry, the romance, and also I gotta go down my favorite songs. 1- Neon Lights. I guess Starkid shines in questionable but sexy songs. 2- Ash to Ash/the concluding song that I can't guess a name for. The "in trappings of starlight" song. They're tied because I'm not boutta pit two baddies against each other. 3- I Look Good In This and I Want You To Watch. They may not be as iconic as other Starkid villain songs but they still totally rock. Also since I didn't really elaborate on problems I'm referring to things like how the ending feels a little weird and rushed, some of the comedy feels ill timed or out of place, certain aspects get a little too much time while other important ones kinda get sidelined (Thadeus for example has like two interactions with Ella, one of which isn't even positive). Anyway-

4- Twisted. Debated putting it at 3 but I have bias, so... but yeah no it's peak. If I'm being honest, I don't like Wicked. Like at all. It just doesn't strike out to me. Twisted, on the other hand, absolutely kills. It took me so long to realize the cover was a parody of Wicked's and a much shorter period to even realize it was a parody. It just stands on its own really well. This one and Tigwiddlim are easily the most quotable. There are skips in the soundtrack for me but also I just don't really like that classic Disney song style so that would probably be why.

5- VHS Christmas Carol. No I didn't expect this to be up here either. Like Nerdy Prudes there's just nothing I can say against it. It's a good adaptation, the music slaps, it really just achieves everything it tries to do. I just don't think it goes hard enough to warrant being above the rest.

6- Black Friday. Don't get me wrong. I love this one. It just has some issues that hold it down and it doesn't reach the highs of the rest of the Hatchetfield trilogy to accommodate (not that it has to to be clear). The characters are so real and interesting. Plus this is General John MacNamara's best appearance period. I think the way Wiggly is handled is so cool. The threat of him "touching down" on Earth is so tangible, which I feel like is really important. Besides Honey Queen, I don't think any of the Nightmare Times manage to capture that Lovecraftian terror quite as well (Time Bastard comes close tho).

Special shoutout to Starship, which I haven't seen in full but Kick It Up A Notch absolutely fucks.

If you wanna know where I'd put the Nightmare Times, they'd go right below Black Friday. I think NT2 just barely edges out NT1. The stories are good and some of the songs are meh while others are stuck in my head right now (damn you Time Bastard). Also yeah I watched Nightmare Time btw. Meant to post some art for it. Didn't.

And Working Girls. Honestly that would be like number 5. Professor Hidgens is endlessly entertaining.

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #557

Ohhh... Sephiroth. It is very late. It's already 11:26pm.

...Well. On the bright side, I did get about 9 hours of sleep, which is pretty rad. My body definitely needed it. I went to work, and spent most of my shift reorganizing the baking racks, putting away trays, consolidating used pans to be washed, packaging and labeling rolls, and slicing, bagging, and labeling day-old Italian bread. Overall, this is probably one of the easier shifts I've had, which is good because I'm still pretty tired from yesterday.

With my shift completed, I gathered some groceries for my house, as well as the supplies needed for making steamed salmon, crispy asparagus, and sauteed zucchini and yellow squash. I got home, and discovered that J had brought home donuts from a local shop to enjoy.

...The Gengar one had whipped ube cream filling. The Pikachu one had orange cream filling. And the other two were some kind of chocolate. And they were all very good.

J was also kind enough to chop up everything I needed to make dinner; check it out:

An was supposed to visit. Originally, he was supposed to visit at 3. Then, he texted me to say that it would be more like 4. Then 4:15 rolled around. 4:30. 5:00. And just as I was beginning to think he was gonna no-call-no-show, he rang the doorbell at around 5:15.

...I'm not sure what to make of it. I know that sometimes things just come up. I know sometimes you get so caught up in the world around you that you simply can't be on your phone to notify people of things. But... this, combined with the fact that his responses to my texts are usually very brief (not even an, “I don't have the energy to respond to this properly right now), and sometimes he simply ignores queries (as opposed to, “I don't have an answer for that” or “I don't want to answer that”)...

...I don't know if he actually wants to be friends, or if he just puts up with me because he thinks it'd make him a jerk to ask me to stop interacting with him. Or if he thinks I'd react badly to such a thing. But... if he wanted me to stop interacting with him, I'd like him to just... ask.

...I just don't know. He seemed to have fun while he was here (I watched him play Hitman on the PS5, and it was delightful), and he seemed to very much enjoy the noms I made (he eagerly accepted a container of the noms to bring home), but... I dunno.

I prepared the salmon and the asparagus and the macaroni-and-cheese in the usual fashion, outlined in previous letters to you. The only thing different was the squash and zucchini, which I normally don't make because J thought he hates zucchini (spoiler alert: not the way I make it, he doesn't!).

Squash and zucchini are easy, though. You just cut them into quarters, then cut those into slices. Dice up some garlic. Cut an onion into quarters, then slices. Melt some butter in a pan over medium heat. Throw in the garlic. Then the onions. Then the squash and zucchini. Once the squash and zucchini are a little translucent, add some salt and pepper. Very easy. Very delicious.

Here were the finished noms.

...They really were very good this time. The asparagus wasn't at all crispy, but... the seasoning on it was good, so whatever. I think I'll just need to get thinner stalks next time or something. But everything else came out damn near perfect. No complaints overall.

I got to watch An play Hitman until around 10:30; he's very good at it, so it was absolutely delightful.

...I don't really know how to continue interaction from here, though. I don't actually know if he enjoys talking to me or spending time with me. So... I don't really know what to do. And I don't know him well enough to know how to address it in a way that won't frighten him. And I don't know him well enough to know he'd tell me the truth if I asked about it.

...Maybe it's a problem for later.

After he went home, I immediately began breathing life into today's wishes. I added additional wishes to the list; you'll probably see them tomorrow and the next day.

…

May all those you wish to have meaningful, lasting connections with demonstrate consistency and predictability of behavior, integrity of word and deed, and respect for your time.

For now, Sephiroth... it's definitely time for bed. It's going on midnight, and my body still kinda hurts from being on my feet for so many consecutive hours. And there's still so much I gotta do yet before I can sleep.

Good night. I love you so much. And I hope you'll make it a point to rest, too. Weird things happen when we push ourselves beyond our limits, and... Sephiroth... I don't wanna see you do that anymore.

Please stay safe. I'll write again tomorrow.

Your friend, Lumine

[the-real-treasure]

Treasure Treasure!

An OPLA Sanji x Reader

Master List Here

Previous Chapter: Whispered Wishes and Demanded Dishes

Chapter Four: Big Big Top Trouble and the Risks of Show Business

Summary: In a big top in a ruined town, a man claims a map he didn't steal, steals a hat that was never his and when things don't go his way, ends up in pieces. Just another night in show biz.

Trigger Warnings: Trigger Warnings: Threats and descriptions of violence, Reader's Devil Fruit power is overwhelming and overstimulating, yelling, torture, drowning, being dowsed in sea water is akin to being drugged Word Count: 6,344 **Edited 12/09/24**

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

The only sound was the clicking of the safe, echoing across the empty ocean. At this time of night the water was barren of any other life, only the crew of your small sailing boat awake.

Luffy hung upside down above your heads, with you hovering next to Nami as she works. She glares up at him.

"Can you not do... that?" 

"Sorry. It's hard to sit still." He dropped his hat on to the deck and flipped down with it. Nami had turned her head away from him and was now staring at you.

"I noticed, you both have that problem." She muttered, eyes narrowing at your bobbing leg, heel hitting the deck in a continuous thumpthumpthumpthumpthump. You didn't hear her, staring at the deck and gnawing at the hard scar tissue peeking over the bandages at your thumb. Luffy stood and fixed his hat atop his head.

"I'm just feeling so.. so piratey!"

"Yeah? Well, you're gonna end up feeling watery if I have to throw you overboard. STOP. BOUNCING. YOUR LEG!" She gave you a hard whack. "I told you both I need absolute silence." You scooted away from her.

"I wasn't even doing anything."

"We know, we know," Luffy clambered up on the railing of the boat and began walking between the rigging, "Absolute silence. It's just that," You followed him and grabbed his leg nervously as he leaned over the bowspirit of the ship, "this is my first real pirate score. Can you believe that?" He twisted round to look back at the pair of you.

"Yeah, I can, because you told me right after you asked me, yet again to join your crew. I can't believe Y/n isn't a pirate though." You sighed.

"Again, why do you think that?"

"I dunno, maybe a combination of the suspicious bandages, the goofy outfit and the intense rage while fighting, how are you anything else?"

"I work in a restaurant, I literally just clean dishes and do stock orders." She eyes you suspiciously, and you shrug, "And occasionally tell rich clients they suck incredibly."

"And punch Marines!" Luffy chimed in helpfully.

Yeah, and punch Marines. Also," you flipped your jacket collar and pulled the flared skirt up to reveal the shimmery silk lining, "I have it on very good authority that I look cute."

"Authority from who, a blind seal?"

"I'll kill you and hide your body somewhere no one will ever find it."

"In the ridiculous giant pockets on your trousers?" You stuck your arms elbow deep into said pockets and glare at her.

"THEY'RE USEFUL FOR PUTTING THINGS IN!"

"Okaaaaay," Luffy calmed patting your shoulders as you snarled down at the orange-haired woman. "I was just thinking about how, when we're not fighting, we make a pretty good team." Luffy pulled you along to the mast before releasing you and leaning down over Nami's head to listen with her. "Is it open yet?"

"No." She gritted out. And can you please give me some quiet and some space?" With a whack, she knocks Luffy's hat off his head, the wind catching it. You and Luffy both lunge to catch it before it blows into the ocean, and you grab at the back of his shirt as he dangles over the side, arm outstretched. He had caught it, just. Pulling him back on to the deck he calls back to Nami.

"Hey. Not cool. Don't mess with my hat."

"Why do you care so much about that old thing anyway? It looks like you fished it out of the trash." He sits down inspecting it.

"One man's trash is another man's treasure."

"Will you three knock it off? I'm trying to take a nap" You glare into the small covered section at the back of the boat where Zoro was laying, having migrated across the boat a few times for prime napping position, hands behind his head.

"Oh I'm sorry, were we interrupting your beauty sleep?"

"Don't like what you see? Look away." You gagged and pretended to vomit over the edge of the ship. As you straighten, you hear the lock thunk and a gasp from Nami as she finally opens it. Twisting the handles, she pulls the safe open to reveal a map tube atop a confidential document and a bounty poster neatly rolled and tied with string.

"You did it!" Luffy breathed excitedly and she smiles at him, pulling out the tube and popping it open. She unfurled the paper and revealed the map depicting the portion of the Grand Line bordered by the East Blue, the islands littered across it labelled in neat but flowy script. Zoro walks up behind you all and pulls open the safe to look for himself.

"That's it? Isn't there supposed to be gold inside a safe? Or jewels? Huh, Treasure Treasure?" He rolls his head to look at you and you curl your lip at him. Nami scoffs.

"This is more valuable than gold. It's knowledge. This is a map to the Grand Line."

"The Grand Line! Ah," Luffy fixes his hat, "The Grand Line is just right... where is it exactly?" Nami looks between the pair of you.

"You're going there, but you two don't know where it is?"

"I know, it's," Your body pivots in place and you end up pointing south again. "Somewhere over that way." You shrug, "Just don't know, the specifics like."

"Guess I'll need a navigator on my crew." Luffy replied gleefully. Nami rolled her eyes and turned away.

Pulling out some chalk and sitting at the small hanging table, she started drawing.

"The seas are divided into four quadrants. East Blue, North Blue, West, South. This," she taps the squiggly drawing she had made, "thin strip of land that circles the globe is called the Red Line, and this," she draws a line curving though the centre of her world circle, "band across the middle is the Grand Line. A treacherous stretch of ocean with bigger islands, bigger cities, bigger pirates. Flush with riches and ripe for the picking."

"And that's where we're gonna find the One Piece!" Luffy cheered.

"I've taken out a lot of pirates looking for that thing. What is it? Like, a big diamond or something?"

"It's Gold Roger's treasure. He hid it somewhere in the Grand Line. All in one piece." Nami smacks the table.

"It's a myth. The reason no one's found it in 22 years is that it doesn't exist." Luffy smiled.

"Can't wait to see the look on your face when we find it."

An explosion ripples across the water, and red lights up the sky, pouring in through the small windows on either side of you.

"Is that the Marines?"

"How did they find us again?"

You all leave the cabin and stare up into the sky as red smoke starts falling around you, the scarlet cloud completely encompassing the sailing boat. Another whistling fire work cracks above you as the smoke starts to settle around you.

"This smoke smells weird." Nami and Zoro drop to the ground and Luffy runs back inside the small shelter. Without the door closed, hiding away is pointless, but you ignore his movement as you lean against the wall, head swimming and eyes watering as you peer desperately for your assailants through the thick bloody fog surrounding you. Dizziness overtakes you and you stumble backwards, falling limp to the deck and are stuck, watching with rapt attention as Luffy takes the map tube and slides it down his throat.

That's the last thing you see before the blackness dancing at the corner of your eyes as consciousness leaves you. Glowing gold pupils and swirling aqua irises snuff out like candles leaving only a milky white, and everything goes dark.

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You blink open your eyes to the wood of a crate. All of you were cramped into the wooden box, just enough room to stand between the four of you. Luffy leans over and shakes Zoro's leg while you and Nami shift back upright.

(helphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelp)

Although, it was just the four of you, there were more people outside. Their energy rippled through you and the air around you, their pleas fizzing at the tips of your ears. You were somewhere inside, with a few hundred people, and something was wrong.

"Hey." He pushes in close to Zoro's ear and whispers his name. Understandably, he wakes and flinches away from the proximity. He shuffles for a moment, then pauses.

"They took my swords."

"And my rucksack, ugh, with all my navigation gear." You and Luffy grab at your coat and hat respectively, both sighing in relief when they're still there.

"They didn't take my hat."

"Or my coat." Nami stared at you with narrow eyes.

(helphelphelphelpelphelphelphelp)

Your eyes were starting to water and your ears were ringing. There were too many people, all wanting the same thing.

"Yeah, small blessings. Damn it, we've lost the map." You can barely make her out as she speaks.

"No!" Luffy shoots up straight and bashes his head into the lid of the crate. "No, we didn't. It's in a safe place." He pats his stomach and Nami stares.

"Ew."

"Yea, not pleasant to watch happen, I'll tell you that. Hey!" You shouted as Zoro punches the wooden wall.

"Stop. Stop that, stop that!"

"What? I'm trying to find a way out."

"We've been captured, you absolute mossball. We've no idea who or what is out there. Or how many." you snap, head starting to pound as the people around you continued their panicked subconscious wishing.

"They're right, we need a plan."

"I don't need a plan, I just need to beat the hell out of every Marine I see."

"Hey, everyone, relax. We're fine."

"We're not fine. The Marines will throw us in jail if we're lucky. Execute us if they don't."

"They-they're not Marines. Before I got knocked out, I saw a Jolly Roger. We've been captured by pirates." You and Nami stare at Luffy as his words sink in.

"How does that make this fine?" Nami agrees.

"Yeah, because it's such better news."

"No, he's right. Marines have training. Pirates are easier to kill." You spin round to him.

"What pirates have you been hunting exactly? Pirates win against Marines constantly, that's why your title even exists!"

"Shanks used to say not every situation can be solved with violence." You watch him lower himself to the ground.

"Who the hell is Shanks?"

"Wait, Red-Haired Shanks? Of the Red Hair Pirates?!" You stare at him aghast.

"Yeah! You know him?"

"Barely. Are you mental? He's notorious! And hardly ever pays his tab!" Luffy smiled up at you.

"I said, who the hell is Shanks?" Zoro repeats.

"Don't worry about that. We don't need to fight. I can talk to them. Pirate to pirate."

"That won't work."

"Why not?"

"To start, you're not a pirate."

"Yes. I am. I have a crew." And he threw his thumb back towards you.

"No. You are some stretchy guy in a tattered hat, dragging around a blood-thirsty magic compass that barely knows what direction to point." You stare at her.

"Why are you insulting me, I'm not even talking?"

"You exist near me, that's enough."

"We're a different type of pirate."

"Pirates are pirates. There's only one kind."

The lid of the crate is ripped from above you as bright lights shine in. All around you, circus music blared and you all watched in a stupor while performers circled you and the box was lifted and removed by them. A fire breather is pushed in front of you and the audience cheers grow louder. Nami pushes Luffy's hands down from where they are applauding as well.

A man comes marching into the centre of the big top, roaring no.

"No, no! No! No! Stop clapping! No, stop! It's all wrong!" Complete silence falls in the big top tent. "The spotlight was late. You completely missed my entrance." He waved for the spot light to shine on to him, bright light revealing his swollen red nose, blue hair and clown costume. Uniform? "And where, oh, where was the dancing lion?" He got into the face of the terrified performer wearing a lion hood, who cowered away.

"Hey I know you. I saw your wanted poster in Shells Town. You're the clown guy. Um, uh... Binky, right?" You just barely caught the cackle before it left you, hiding it in a coughing fit instead. The captain snarled at you both.

"Buggy. Buggy the Clown." He said with a showman's smile. "Buggy, the Flashy Fool. Buggy, the Genius Jester."

"Wow. You have a lot of names." Buggy smiled mockingly at your captain before turning on you.

"This one, this one knows who I am right kid?" He leers down at you as you straighten. "Go ahead, tell your little friends," he swirls his finger in the direction of the other three, "who I am."

"Oh I'll tell 'em alright." Turning to smile at them, you say, "he's been barred from Baratie since it was founde-URK" He grabbed you by the neck and gave you a harsh shake. Your gut scrunches as the feeling in your chest pulses.

He drops you back to your feet, your eyes milky and irises flashing as his wish flashes through you. Hands flapping at his sides, he rounds back on your captain.

(A ship travels through the Grand Line, a black haired captain and moustached Jolly Roger at the helm)

"I bet everyone in the East Blue knows who you are." You winced back to reality for a moment as the audience gasps, side steeping away from Luffy as you rub at your neck.

"What'd you just say?"

"Just that everyone knows who you are."

(A grand podium towers over a crowd, the captain laughing as he insights adventure amongst the people below)

"NOSE?!" He screams, lunging forward and taking a grip of Luffy's face. You go to defend him, but pause as the circus performers start to move in around you all. You were surrounded. You grab hold of your wrist as it tries to lift in a point, finger outstretched and hands shaking. "Are you making fun of my nose?"

"Weww..." Luffy's cheeks and lips were smushed, making him hard to make out. "I wasn't. But now tha you mention it, is that thing fo real?" He reaches up to touch it, but his hand is slapped away by the clown. Another gasp rings out from the audience.

"What's real is I've been scheming for months, to steal that map from old Axe-Hand Moron..." he pushes Luffy away. "Only to find out, that I was upstaged by four little nobodies, who stole it from right out under my no-NO! It's in my head now. Ah!" He growls and storms off.

"Hey! I'm not a nobody. I'm Monkey D. Luffy. And I will be King of the Pirates."

(Two boys stand in the rain, one blue haired, the other red. A treasure left for another to find)

Buggy laughs, "OH! Well that's funny" the audience begin laughing pathetically along with the pirates only to be called to a stop. "My bounty poster graces the marquee of every Marine outpost for miles. And my menagerie of outcasts and freaks is the most dreaded pirate crew the East Blue has ever known. I am destined to find the One Piece."

(And when I do)

"And when I do..."

(I will be)

"I will be king."

"No, you won't, 'cause I'm gonna find it first."

"You? Don't make me laugh." There's no enthusiasm as the audience is riled into laughing again. Buggy turns on them. "I said don't make me laugh!"

"All right, listen up. I'm Roronoa Zoro. Drop your weapons now, and I may let you live." Buggy chuckles at him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a celebrity in our midst. Too bad I hate sharing the spotlight." Metal screeches as the light is shifted back to him. "Now, maybe we should skip right to the finale." He pulls back his hand, revealing knives held between each knuckle. "My freaks put quite a bit of rehearsal time into this little abduction. And if I can't reward them with that map... I suppose I'll have to offer them a pound of flesh instead."

"Wait. Wait, what if I have something else to offer you?" Nami steps up in front of him. "Something more valuable than the map? What if I give you a new freak for your crew, and!" She reaches back, grabbing and digging her nails into the skin of your arm as you keep it held close, "A magic compass, that can point you right where you wanna go? A pair of rare talents. The most spectacular act in all of the East Blue. Besides you, of course." She laughs. Buggy raises his eyebrows at her. Your chest begins to pound again.

(FREEFREEFREEFREEFREEFREE)

"Go on." Snatching the hat from Luffy, she tosses it into the air, before throwing you headlong into the clown pirate as she makes a mad dash for the door. Your arm snaps up, finger pointing and strike Buggy in the face as you stand, frozen, your eyes misty and her energy rattles in your chest.

(A grove of orange trees and a windmill made from the peels)

Luffy's hand flys into the air, arm stretching after to catch his beloved treasure.

(A blue-haired girl chases her little sister, both squealing with laughter.)

Buggy stares at you both in shock. Nami is dragged back in by two of Buggy's pirates and is released in front of the captain.

"What did you do?! What did you do to their town? You destroyed everything!" Buggy is leaning against a barrel mindlessly.

"Not everything." He shrugs. " I let 'em keep their hands." As one, the entire audience begins to clap. "Okay. Here end the theatrics." All the spot lights dim and swirl down to focus on your crew. "I know one of you has my map, and I'm gonna get it back. What was it you said rubber boy? That it was in a safe place?" Luffy's eyes flicker away from him. "Don't look so surprised! I've got eyes and ears everywhere. So... Please make our guests uncomfortable in the green room." The performers grab Zoro and Nami and drag them into the darkness, leaving the rest of the crew to surround you, Luffy and their pacing captain. "I am gonna have a chat with my stretchy new pal. And, uh, work out just where you were pointing, little compass spectacular."

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Luffy screams as he’s pulled tighter on the stretching apparatus. His yells turn to a laugh, and you stare, gobsmacked, at the length of his arms and legs, pulled taut across the centre ring. Buggy knelt on the ground near one of the stretched limbs, not far from where you dangled from the roof, arms suspended above you, toes barely touching the ground.

"I want you to think of this like an artistic exercise, because pain leads to art." You felt your eyes rolling into the back of your head.

"Good grief."

"And art reveals truth. But there's only one truth I need from this exercise. Where is my map?"

"Truthfully? I'm-I'm kind of hungry. Don't circuses have cotton candy?"

Buggy laughs and straightens with a groan. "What could you possibly need that map for anyway? You've got your magic compass," he wiggles his fingers at your dangling form. "You wouldn't last five minutes in the Grand Line."

"I already told you. I'm gonna be King of the Pir-"

"BORING!" The clown screamed in his face. He gestures to the man at the winch, "Let's go another ten feet." The rope groans as they go through the pulleys, tugging Luffy's arms out further and further.

"You can stretch me all you want. I can do this alllll day."

"I'm not asking the right questions. We need to go deeper, get you out of your comfort zone. You!" He spins to where you hang. "What makes a boy want to grow up to be King of the Pirates? Tell me about him, who is he trying to impress."

"Look Bluey,"

"Buggy"

"Whatever. You're asking the wrong person, I've known him, what, two-three days, Luffy?"

"I think so?"

"Let's say three tops, and ignore how long we were in that crate. I know he likes to eat, I know he likes that hat, and I know he wants to be King of the Pirates." You dismiss the memory of the red-haired pirate, his silhouette dark against the blinding sun. Instead, you wiggle your hands hopelessly, "That's about it." Buggy waves his arm towards the roof of the tent, and you're pulled further, toes no longer brushing the floor, bones creaking in your shoulder as he stalks around your kicking legs.

"Who was it? A lost love? An absent parent? Or was it someone..." He strolled back over to your captain, and you're slowly dropped back to just about standing. "...that you worshipped? A false idol?" Luffy's eyes moved away from the clowns stare and a smile grows on his painted lips. "That's it." He snatches the hat from Luffy's head and walks away.

"HEY! Give me back my hat."

"I used to know a pirate that wore a hat just like this. Red Haired Shanks."

"You knew Shanks?"

"Ginger? Three scars, left eye? We served together on a pirate crew when we were about your age. For a time, I even thought we were friends. Until he betrayed me. Just like all the others." He laughs quietly to himself. "He wanted to keep ME out of the spotlight! He wanted to keep my star from shining too brightly!" He pauses, staring at the hat, before turning to look at Luffy. "Is that what he did to you, Rubber Boy? Did Shanks betray you too?"

"Don't talk about him that way."

"Aahhhhhhh. Now we're finally getting to the truth. Stretch him until he breaks."

The man on the winch wheel hesitates. "Please, don't make me do this."

"I invite you to take part in the splendour that is my show and this is how you repay me? With a no?"

"You've destroyed our town. Made us your prisoners. Isn't that enough?"

"Well, maybe you'd prefer it, if I threw one of your constituents on the rack instead." He tosses Luffy's hat to the ground and moves over to the stands, approaching a little boy with open arms.  "Hey kid!" Buggy grabs the boy by the collar. "You wanna get tall fast?" You grit your teeth with a snarl and Luffy calls,

"Boogie. I'm warning you."

"It's. Buggy! And you're warning me? Now that's a laugh." He looks around disappointed. "I said that's a laugh." The lion performer holds up the LAUGH que card and the audience begins to laugh along. You and Luffy begin to pull against your restraints, you twist and flail, toes scrabbling against the dirt floor looking for any purchase on the just out of reach ground, and Luffy yells at the strain of pulling free of the ropes.

(hhelphelphelp)

(LETGO)

With a snap and a thunk, the leather binding your hands above you tears and you drop and stumble to your feet. At the same time, Luffy slips his hands from the rope and falls to the ground. Luffy clambers up and you're both glaring at the clown.

"Put him down."

(LETGO)

"But why? He's having such a great time! Aren't you junior?"  Buggy grabs a hold of the boys face and pulls it towards him. "YES!" He pantomimes the boy's voice, "THE BEST, BUGGY!" He laughs as Luffy reels his arm back for a 

"GUM GUM" the sound is like a rubber band, "PISTOL" His arm snaps forward.

And knocks Buggy's head clean of his shoulders.

The head is sent flying into the crowd, and they start to scream hysterically when it lands in a poor woman's lap. As the boys screams pick up a pitch, you scramble forward and rip the boy from the now headless body's grasp. He continues shrieking as you shuffle him up into the stands, returning him to his people and away from Buggy's still standing...

(I will be)

...not dead body.

"Well, well, well!" His head flips upright in the woman's lap. "Looks like we three have something else in common!" You join Luffy in the centre of the ring as his head pops back on to his neck.

"You ate a Devil Fruit?"

"The Chop Chop Fruit." He pulls off his long furred coat. "So you can slice me, and you can dice me! But I will always put myself back together again." And with a grunt his arms and legs disattach from his torso "Want to see what else I can do?"

Spotting movement out of the corner of your eye, you look over your shoulder to spot his disembodied hand holding a red ball. With a pop, red mist spills from it and with a one two punch, you and Luffy are back in the darkness.

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The sound of water pouring was what woke you up this time. You're in a glass tank slowly filling with water and force once, the entire world is...

(....)

Silent. No energy radiating through you. No residual whispers of people surrounding you endlessly hoping, hoping, hoping. Where the entire word thrummed with power and prayer, longing and light outlining every person, place and thing with a dream or a wish, now the world sat.

Dark, cold, silent.

Empty.

Buggy stood, staring down at you as you struggle to your knees. A thump from behind him grabs your attention. The noise is dull, like your head was wrapped with layers of cotton. You spot Luffy, also trapped in his own glass cell, also slowly being filled with the same water that was splashing over your head. You lick your lips.

It's salty.

"Don't both. It's seawater." Buggy turned from looking to you to your captain. "Hardly seems fair. All those wonderful powers rendered useless from a few splashes." He crouched down to be eye level with Luffy and you turn your head, eyeing the rows and rows of Buggy's captive audience seated in the dark around you.

(...)

Still dark. Still silent.

"Of course, you could always give me my map if you don't want to sentence your crew to dying with you in these tanks."

"My crew..." Luffy struggles to get the words out.

"Your crew?" Buggy chuckles. "You mean the ones that abandoned you? Just like Shanks did?"

"Don't." You shout over the water cascading over you, pulling his attention away for a moment. "Don't give him anything Luffy. We wouldn't abandon you! You're good, so stop projecting on him you coward of a clown!" He snorts and turns back to Luffy.

"Aww, did that make you sad?"

"They will come back for us." He answers quietly. "Y/n's right, they won't leave us here."

"No one's coming for you. Your only chance is to turn over that map, and if you do, I may have a very special place on my crew just for you."

With a grunt, Luffy begins to painfully pull himself up, snarling at the clown as he spits "Never!"

"Why not?!" Buggy smacks the glass but hurts his own hand, pulling away growling. "You're an outcast, just like the rest of us. A freak, scorned and abandoned! Join me... and you can serve the man who will become the King of the Pirates. When I have that map, I will find the One Piece, and then everyone will know my name. And they'll love me."

"Why would he choose," you call over the splashing of the water, "to serve you as King? When he's going to become it himself! You can't make people love you with the power of a position, or the fear of a title!"

"Just like you can't make them smile. I'll never give you that map."

"Well then. I guess it's curtains for you." Turning a large wheel on one of the pipes, the water starts surging from the pipes above you, filling the tanks faster and faster.

As Buggy pulls at the woven reeds of the hat, Luffy roar echoes over the waters' own, "DON'T TOUCH MY HAT!"

"What was that?" Buggy asked giggling "I-I couldn't hear you over all the drowning!"

The water is well over your head at this point, the curse of the Devil Fruit stopping you from floating. It's funny, for how happy you were that you coat was still on you when you woke up, you never knew how heavy it would get soaking wet. You can hardly blink your eyes open as you hear a 'clink' against the outside of the glass. Opening them a fraction you watch as cracks spiderweb up the panel, a roar of "WHERE ARE MY FREAKS?!" as it shatters under the pressure of the water inside. As the water spills across the ground, you are sent with it, the waves from both your and Luffy's tanks sending you skittering across the floor.

A pole stops you from going any further, and looking up, you see it is Nami's staff pushed against the ground. Grabbing your shoulder, she helps you up, keeping her eyes plastered to the cackling clown as he lifts the map tube that had finally escaped Luffy's stomach.

"Sorry about earlier," she whispers as you stand, brushing fragments of glass from your person, "the whole, selling you out to a mad clown thing."

"It's okay. I mean, it's not and I'll probably be mad for a bit 'cause that sucked, but we can say we're even for the whole, 'getting stuck dealing with Marines a second time in so many days' thing. I'm normally good at holding grudges, Sanji thinks I'm too kind to, but I think I'm just good at hiding it then he thinks. Maybe just stop actively insulting me and we'll be fine." She smiles ruefully at your blabbering and you turn to watch Zoro move towards Buggy.

"You want a piece of me? Let's see what you got."

"Zoro, he-!" But his sword had already swiped through Buggy's neck, his head bouncing up above the swing, "-'s a Devil Fruit user..." Zoro continues his advance, cutting though and across Buggy's chest, leaving smaller and smaller segments only for him to pull himself back together.

"Ha ha ha! Surprise shithead!" He twirls the tube and points it menacingly at your face, "Stop ruining this for me." Before his laughter begins anew, body separating more and more, pieces spiralling through the air of the big top as the light, the colour, the sound begins to return around you. It's back to overwhelming, but its what you're used to.

(HelpUsHelpUs) (StopHimStopStopHim) (Help)

You, Nami and Zoro end up back to back to back as the spinning segments surround and push you closer together.

"How I am supposed to slice a guy that's already in pieces?"

"This is not part of the plan."

"There was a plan?!" You're all yelling over the shrieking cackles of the dismembered Buggy as he spun around and around you.

You are pushed, punched, knocked and bumped over and over as the aerial swarm of body parts loop about, not one of you spared as Nami falls into the seating area, Zoro sends one of the tanks skidding on its side, you are rushed headlong into one of the support poles, knocking into a few empty prop crates as you go. Staggering to your feet, you watch as he reassembles and approaches the just barely upright Luffy.

"Well would you look at that. Somebody escaped my Tank of Doom. Well I'll be back to finish you off. Right after I tear apart your sad excuse for a crew. Ha ha ha ha ha!"

"You can dump seawater on me, and I'll let it slide. But don't you ever threaten my friends." You peer around the pole as, with a yell, he punches forward an elastic punch, knocking a perfect circle in Buggy's chest, which easily reinserts itself, leaving no trace behind.

"So you want to die first?" He pulls out his hands, all knuckles armed with a knife each, and you can't escape the thought of how cool it looks. "Be my guest." His arms and legs separate from the torso, and then the elbows and knees, then wrists and ankles, becoming a chain of arms and legs. "CHOP-CHOP CANNON!"

His hands, still laced with knives, along with the rest of his arms and legs going pelting at Luffy, who springs and flips and dodges through them with ease to knock into Buggy's torso. He doesn't stay there long though, as a swift kick from a disembodied foot, sends him rolling in your direction, hitting the same pole. A knife follows swiftly, stabbing through his beloved hat and pinning it to the wood. Eyes wide, he rushes to grab it as it falls to the ground, only to be knocked about by more flying limbs and a swift punch to the gut.

The same hands grabs him by the neck and pins him there, choking grip on his neck as his eyes roll and bulge. He makes eye contact with you as you duck another oncoming boot, and flash at something behind you. Spinning to follow his eyeline, you can make a guess at his plan and yell across the ring to your friends (he said it, they didn't deny it. You're all friends now.)

"NAMI!" Her ginger head peeks over the barrier to you and you point behind you, "The crates!" She hops the colourful barrier and sprints to join you, as Luffy flips upright and chucks the hand towards you both.

You lift one of the smaller chests and she swings the hand in with her staff. Dropping it to the ground you stomp your foot down on top as the hand thumps around inside. You do it again and again, working as a team to collect and seal away the flailing body parts. Luffy flings them towards you with his powers, Zoro catching them on with his swords and pinning them down, as you and Nami catch and lock them away in the pile of empty crates, chests and boxes surrounding you. Buggy yells as you lock away more and more of him.

As the madness dies down, Luffy lifts his hat and dusts it off gently.

"What've you done to me?" Buggy screams as his head drops to ground on his hands and feet, literally.

"Cut you down to size!" Luffy chirps happily.

"The One Piece will never be yours! You're just a s-sad lonely little boy wearing another man's hat!"

"What did we say about projecting Buster?" Across from you, Luffy smiles.

"I know exactly who I am. I'm Monkey D. Luffy." He affixes the hat on his head.

(And I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!)

"And I'm gonna be King of the Pirates." Buggy huffs as Luffy's arms stretch backwards towards the walls of the tent. "GUM GUM-"

"Whoa, whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa, whoa, wHOA! NO NO NO! Wait, wait wa-wait."

"-BAZOOKA!" And he snaps his arms forward, knocking Buggy's remaining parts flying, ripping a hole in the tent roof and sending him far, far away. With that, Luffy picks up the map tube and you all regroup in the centre. He hands it to Nami with a smile.

"You're giving this to me?"

"You're the navigator."

"Let's get out of this clown show." Luffy catches his shoulder as he goes to move away.

"Still one more thing we have to do." With a clap to his shoulder, he walks off, moving to the stands and pulling the chains free from their blocks. The lights click back on as the three of you move about the crowd, unlocking the chains at people's feet.

The older man, the mayor, looks down at Luffy as he works on the manacles on their legs. "Are you our new captors?"

"What?" Luffy looks up at him, confused.

"W-well, you're a pirate, aren't you?" Luffy smiled as he straightened up.

"I'm a different kind of pirate."

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

A small dog snuffles about the feet of the mayor as he walks towards the pier your crew's small sailboat is docked at.

"We don't have much, but please, take this as a token of our... of our gratitude."

"You need it more than we do." Luffy replies, though he looks longingly at the food offering they had brought, and you all turn to walk to the boat. As you clamber aboard, Luffy pauses. "Well... maybe just a snack." As he grabs a piece of bread from the tray and stuffs it into his mouth.

The people call out their farewells and goodbyes as you begin to make headway back on to the open ocean, pulling open the sail.

Luffy watches you thoughtfully as you pull the straw through the hole stabbed through his hat, gently pulling it through to close the hole up. Nami looks up from reading the map beside you as the boat drifts languidly in the water.

"Looks almost finished." You hum back, concentrating.

The hole closed, you hand it back to Luffy. He took it with a smile.

”You fixed it. Thanks.”

”You said it was your treasure. You have to keep those safe.” He smiled at you, and from the back of the boat Zoro spoke up.

”Is everyday gonna be this crazy with you?” Luffy placed his hat on his head and moved down the boat towards him.

”Shanks always said, that if the path to what you want seems too easy… then you’re on the wrong path.” Zoro looked at him thoughtfully.

”This Shanks guy sounds all right.” Luffy stands again, hopping past you to stand at the prow, looking towards the horizon.

”Next stop, the Grand Line!!”

As you sailed into the sunset, all you could smell was sticky sweetness on the wind.

Next Chapter: Sweet Syrupy Lies

[guppybubbles]

Sweet Dreams are Made of This. [1/3]

(A/N: Kind of a sequel to my other fic, ROLL ME A 6 ! :> You don't need to read that though to understand this!)

Borrower Tommy accidentally shifts into a universe where his homebrew DND world is real. He still sucks at being a giant.

WORD COUNT: 1,341 words

WARNINGS: None.

"Tommy opened his eyes and what he saw was unlike anything he's seen before…"

Tommy listened in anticipation. What could it be? A new friend, a new foe? He looked at his dad, a smug little smile barely hidden by his serious storytelling.

 

"And we'll find that out in the next session."

Halfway through his sentence, he and his brothers already knew it was the end of their game for the day. All groaning and complaining about Phil leaving it in such a dumb cliffhanger, Phil only laughed. 

It couldn't have been hours already, had it? They barely started! He still had to redeem himself and his character into great glory! "No, come on, let's do one more hour— please, please?" He begged, holding onto one of Phil's fingers like he had all the power to hold him down and force him into another round. 

With his other hand, Phil picked up the die and tossed it into the container— folding up the map before putting it back in the box. Tommy knew it was over, they'd start another session again sooner or later. 

But he wanted to do another hour, or maybe two more, now. "Pleasee, I rolled so low every turn, I need to redeem myself!" 

"I wish we could continue, mate." Phil smiled, "But I got work tomorrow and it's already…" He stared at the clock, making a surprised sound at the 11:48 PM on the wall. Phil cursed under his breath, gently, slowly pulling his hand away from Tommy’s hold. "Alright, get to bed you three." 

The blond borrower knew there was no convincing Dad anymore. He crossed his arms with a humph, upset with his bad luck during the game. "Cheer up, Toms! I'm sure luck will make you do justice next time." Wilbur consoled, pushing his chair into the table and picking up the box with their fantasy map and die. 

“You are horrible at throwing the die for me,” Tommy grumbled, narrowing his eyes at his older brother who had offered to throw the dice for him earlier. Wilbur’s luck when it came to the game was pretty good, yet whenever he tossed the die for Tommy, the luck seemed to plummet- doing worse than when the borrower himself threw the die. 

In the corner of his eyes, he could see Wilbur’s lips press into a thin line. He was stopping himself from being amused at Tommy’s anger. “It really wasn’t on purpose.” 

“Yeah, I know,” Tommy replied. Not upset at Wilbur, nor was he upset at the game. He swears he would be able to throw the dice better if he was just… more human-sized. 

“You’ll do better next game, I’ll make sure of it,” Wilbur promises.

Tommy looks at him incredulously, slightly laughing. “What, are we gonna cheat or something?”

In response, Wilbur shrugged, a playful smile tugging at his lips. “Dunno, maybe.”

Holding the game board, he placed his other hand on the desk. A trust exercise that slowly grew into a habit none of them thought was strange anymore, Tommy hopped on the hand and held onto the fingers for support. He used to have to walk from place to place, no matter how far it was because the big man was too stubborn to accept and ask for help. In response, they all worked together to install little stairs everywhere so Tommy would at least be able to reach things without having to heave himself up with a rope and a hook. He almost cried in front of them because of how much he appreciated the gesture. 

That night, Tommy lay in his bed, uncharacteristically quiet as he stared at the ceiling. His room looked so much like a human's room- constructed by his family after nearly a year of accidentally revealing himself to them. It wasn’t exactly like him to be upset for the dice throws during the game, it really wasn’t Wilbur’s fault. On a good day, he throws exceptionally well for Tommy’s character too. 

But Tommy isn’t upset about the dice, is he?

It was never the dice, never Wilbur, never his family, but him. 

If he was truly meant to be their family, then couldn’t the universe make him human? Did he seriously have to be something that was never allowed to mingle with larger beings? It was a written code since the beginning of time that borrowers were never allowed to be with humans. Never share anything, what you are, what your name was. Most importantly, never be seen. 

Were they never supposed to be a family then? Did he have to break the borrower’s code just to be a part of something he’s not supposed to? He’s not a borrower anymore, he knows that. He barely even follows the code anymore, but he’s not human either. Too exposed to be a borrower, too small to be a human.

Then what was he?

Tommy released a loud, exasperated sigh. His calloused hands rubbed over his face. He knows he shouldn’t think about such things, but lately, he’s been more aware than ever. He notices how Techno looms over him when they do woodwork together, Wilbur’s singing voice goes from soothing to too loud, and Phil barely gives him any chores (Maybe he shouldn’t complain about that one, actually).

They don’t mean it, of course, they didn’t. They probably don’t even notice it as well. Something so small and insignificant to them could be so overwhelming for him. He just wants to be bigger, to fit in… 

He should go to sleep. He'll forget about it tomorrow and everything will continue on like it usually does (until the nagging feeling returns and he feels like he's rotting in bed).

Goodnight, me. Tommy closed his eyes, unable to rid of the heavy weight in his chest. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

If Tommy could recall this correctly— and while he may not have the best memory, he can certainly tell when something is just plain wrong… He fell asleep on his bed, right?

His eyes blurred as he gained consciousness and though he wasn't aware of where he was— he could sense danger even from a mile away. His shoulders ached, raised high above him. Something was holding his arms upwards. Cold, tight metal gripping his wrists, uncomfortably pressing into his skin. He tried tugging it downwards, but it barely moved. 

Instead of lying on a soft, warm bed, it felt like he'd been kneeling for Prime knows how long. His legs felt numb, ringing uncomfortably no matter how much he tried to move. It didn't matter because he was stuck in place. 

It was hot. Sweat was dripping from his forehead to his nose and down to either his clothes or the floor (he made a mental note that he wasn’t wearing his pajamas). 

He sucked in a deep breath, humid air filling his lungs in a way that didn't calm him down, but just made him panic more. 

Tommy's vision began clearing up and despite the little ache in his neck, he decided to look around. The room was dimly lit, weak artificial lighting barely reflecting the big, metal room he resided in. 

There were mini stairs and platforms built around him. The platforms in front of him connected through the middle and had a door on each side of the wall. Above the platform in the wall in front of him was glass, he couldn't make out anything inside, it was darker than the room he was in.

The metal room he sat in was quite spacey. The ceiling was quite high but he couldn't stand up even if he attempted to— his ankles were chained as well, shorter in length compared to the ones around his wrist. Tommy struggled against the chains, everything looked so.. small yet so oddly detailed. 

Where was he? Who were these stairs for? Were there more beings smaller than a borrower? Prime, how would they even look next to a human?

Does his family know where he is right now..?

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

yayaya thank you sm for reading! & holy shit guppy writing fics comeback??? no way!!!

[frenchfrywrites]

Mammon's Morning Sickness

MINORS DNI

Dom(ish) top amab gender neutral reader, sub(ish) bottom pregnant trans man Mammon, pregnancy kink, emeto, piss, cunnilingus, mommy kink, daddy kink, demons having animalistic traits (purring, chirping, etc)

Terms used for Mammon: chest, tits, tdick, clit, pussy, cunt

Thank you to @arloheart for the commission!! Such a delight to write (haha. rhyme), thank u very much for the support <3

It's the second day in a row that you've awoken to the sound of Mammon throwing up in the bathroom. You pull yourself from the comfort of your bed, and join him where he is on the floor, hunched over the toilet.

He whimpers and groans when you wrap your arms around his waist, placing gentle touches on his upset stomach. You kiss his shoulder, holding him through it, until his body finally decides it's done.

"I dunno whats the matter with me," he pouts, slumping his full weight against your body. You rub comforting circles into his skin as you think.

"It's not something you ate?"

"'m not Beel," he huffs. You pinch him and he yelps, giving you an accusatory look. "Listen, I swear it's nothin' I ate! I've been eating all the stuff I normally do," he whines.

"No other symptoms?" you ask, feeling his forehead for a fever. Mammon shakes his head,

"Nope," he pauses to consider something, "I mean, shit there's been some kinda weird things." You hum, urging him to continue. Mammon makes himself more comfortable in your lap before continuing, "like okay, I had a really shitty headache a couple've days ago, n' I've been peeing a lot? Plus my periods late, and ugh," he folds his arms in front of his chest, "my tits have been killing me."

You consider this for a moment. None of these seem very strange on their own, but put together...

"Mammon-"

"No fuckin' way," he cuts you off. It seems like you've come to the same conclusion. "No fucking way," he repeats again, his eyes wide. You give him a sheepish look,

"I mean, it wouldn't hurt to do a test, right?" Mammon nods his head,

"Yeah, of course, we gotta-" he rises to his feet quickly, then lets out a little hysterical  breathless laugh, "right now, we gotta get one right now." He's grinning from ear to ear, quickly brushing his teeth to remove the taste of any remaining bile.

The two of you, giddy and filled with adrenaline, practically skip to the nearest drugstore. Mammon makes you pay for the pregnancy test, which is fine by you because you notice the way his hands shake as he picks it up.

"I can't wait til we get home," he tells you, yanking you towards the back of the store.

"Do you want me to come in with you?" you ask, and Mammon doesn't even answer, just drags you into the bathroom with him.

He shoves his pants down and sits on the toilet, hastily opening up the package. It takes him a while with his nerves (or excitement. Likely a mix of both), but he's finally able to pee on the pregnancy test.

The next three minutes that pass by feel like hours.

"Um, so," Mammon starts awkwardly, "if it's negative, that just means I'm sick huh?"

"Suppose so," you say, "do you... want it to be negative?"

Mammon chews the inside of his cheek, squirming from the question.

"No, I think. I think I want it t'be positive," he finally says. You smile, leaning down to kiss him sweetly,

"I do too," Mammon smiles, leaning in to kiss you again.

"'kay even if it's negative, we'll make sure it's positive soon," he laughs, a flush working its way to his cheeks. "Has it been long enough?"

You check your phone and nod. Mammon squeezes his eyes, taking a deep breath before looking down.

"Pos-" he laughs, looking up at you with wet eyes and the biggest smile, "positive!!" he squeals, thrusting the test into your hand.

You're able to catch a look at it for a moment, while he yanks up his pants, before Mammon crashes into you, wrapping you into a hug.

"Oh I love you, I love you," he cries, "I'm gonna have a baby, yer baby!"

You kiss him, all the while still holding his piss covered pregnancy stick.

There's a few minutes of tears; happy, excited, coming-off-adrenaline type tears. You hold and kiss one another until there's a knock at the bathroom door, and you're reminded of where you are.

There's a lot to do, a lot to say, but for now the two of you rush back, holding hands and giggling all the way back to the House of Lamentation.

-

Two weeks pass and you're still waking up to Mammon's morning sickness.

"Morning sweetheart," you greet him, joining him on the floor as you often do. Mammon groans, lifting his head from out of the toilet.

"Did I wake ya?" he asks sadly. You hum, rubbing his hip with one hand, and his little baby bump with the other.

"No," he breathes a sigh of relief, and then dry heaves, "how long have you been up?" you ask.

It takes Mammon a moment to answer, a wave of nausea causing him to hold his mouth open, drool dripping from his lips as he waits for something to come up. Nothing happens and he swallows, then says,

"Dunno, like half hour maybe?" your heart aches from how long he's been alone. "God I had these crazy dreams, ya wouldn't believe, 'm gonna have t'tell you about 'em," he gags, then heaves again. You figure he'll have to tell you about his dreams when he isn't being cut off by his nausea.

You're nearly certain it won't happen, but it does, suddenly. Mammon manages to throw up as you rub his clenching stomach, quietly savoring the soft feel of his skin under your fingers. Your cock has started to fill inside your sleep pants, but you pay it no mind in favor of comforting him.

"Ugh," he moans when he's done. "I think that was the last of it," he says, but the two of you stay in front of the toilet for a good couple of minutes to make sure.

"Oh no," Mammon says after a moment, and you think that means he's going to throw up again. It's only when you hear the sound of liquid hitting the tiled floor that you look down. He's wetting himself, unable to make it to the toilet even though it's right in front of him.

"Aw baby," you coo, rubbing his bladder gently. "There you go, let it all out, this is completely natural," which is true, because the new weight of the baby has been pressing against his bladder a lot these days.  

"'kay," he breathes, "feels good." You groan, letting your hand drift from his belly to his pussy. Mammon whimpers, leaning back into you.

Touching him through his wet— getting even more wet with each second— pajama pants, you press your thumb against his clit. Feeling his stream through the fabric, you listen to the way that Mammon's breath hitches. Your cock twitches as you rub circles around his hardening tdick.

Eventually he stops pissing, and the two of you are left sitting in a puddle on the bathroom floor while Mammon writhes, purrs, and moans from your touches.

"Wait, wait," he gasps. You stop your touches, "my knees hurt," he whines, and as soon as he says it, you feel a numbness in your legs.

"We can move this to the bed," you mummer seductively. Mammon whines,

"Yes, please," and with that the two of you rise to your feet. Mammon peels off his drenched pants, leaving them in the puddle to deal with later. You're both far too needy and desperate to be bothered with it now.

With sticky legs, Mammon scurries to your bed, lying himself down on his back, spreading his legs for you.

"You sure your stomach's alright?" you have half the mind to ask as you settle in the space he's made for you. Mammon huffs,

"Yeah 'm fine," he then gives you a smug look, "you'd like it even if I did get sick on yer bed anyways," and fuck, you can't argue with that.

Instead, you lean down to kiss his belly. Mammon lets out a noise similar to a squawk in surprise, like he hadn't expected you to kiss him there, like you haven't already kissed his growing belly a million times since he started to show.

Looking up you can see him staring down at you with anticipation and giddiness, his bottom lip trapped between his little fangs. You don't want to tease him much, but you can't resist the urge to lay at least twenty or so more kisses along his brown skin.

And of course, you have to give his tits a little attention too. They've been getting more full, and more sore with each passing day. You wrap your lips around his nipple and suck. Mammon cries out, because the sensation boarders perfectly on painful and relieving. You cannot wait for the day he starts leaking milk. He lets you suck and play with his tits for a while, getting so worked up over how sensitive they are.

"Ungh, please?" he whimpers eventually. You look up at him, cocking an eyebrow. Mammon flushes, then brings a hand to his mouth, and chews on the skin at the tip of his finger for a second. "Please, can ya eat me out already? Please?" he finally asks outright.

Smiling, you kiss your way from his chest, to his belly, down to his pussy. Mammon continues to chew on his finger, a clear sign that he's excited about what's to come. You kiss his inner thighs before giving his cunt any attention. His skin is sticky from his drying piss, and you're unable to stop yourself from licking the taste of it between kisses.

Above you, Mammon makes an assortment of noises, from chittering and chirping to little high pitched and breathy moans. When you eventually reach his cunt and lick between his lips, Mammon lets out a garbled pronunciation of your name.

"Yes, yeah, please, more?" he babbles, and fuck he's so wet you can't help but dive in. As you bury your face in his cunt, lapping at his hole and sucking on his clit, Mammon melts into the bed.

His legs wrap around you, his thighs clenching against the sides of your head.

"Feels good, you're so-oh good at this, it ain't fair," he whines. Instead of pulling your head away from his cunt to laugh at his comment, you purposefully scrape your teeth against his tdick.

Mammon hiccups, his legs squeezing tightly around your head, pushing your face further against his pussy.

"Yes, do that again, mommy please, gonna make me— ooh— cum, I'm gonna cu-uh!" you cut him off by again grazing your teeth lightly against him.

With a choked moan Mammon cums from your mouth. You happily lick up the slick that gushes from his pussy, practically devouring him.

Your lips find his clit again, and you suck on it, relentless even as overstimulated whimpers fall from his lips.

"Hurts," he moans, twitching in your mouth, "mama, I want yer cock."

His begging reminds you of how uncomfortably hard you are. Finally pulling away, you lick your lips, then pull back so you can get a good look at Mammon.

"Fuck, look at you," Mammon flusters under your gaze, "aw no need to get shy daddy," you coo, leaning down to kiss him. He kisses back wrapping his arms around your neck to keep you there.

"I really want ya," he pulls away from the kiss just enough to say. You groan and kiss him again before pulling back.

"Just have to get you opened up darling," you explain when he whines at the loss of your touch. He pouts as you strip your pants off and find the lube. That pout quickly dissipates when you lube your fingers and press them against his hole.

"Still feeling okay daddy?" you ask, pushing two fingers into his slick cunt. Mammon clenches around your fingers,

"Good," he breathes, "feelin' good."

You hum, smiling to yourself as you make quick work of stretching him open for your cock.

Mammon squirms a bit under your touch, but he's completely relaxed, opening up nicely for you.

"I'm ready," he whines, "c'mon n' fuck me mommy," he gasps. You curl your fingers and he chokes out a rushed, "please, please."

"That's better, daddy," you purr, and Mammon trills happily. You pull your fingers out of him slowly and gently, and then fumble for the lube.

Quickly slicking your cock with it, you hiss at the rush of pleasure that hits you as you touch yourself. In turn, Mammon whimpers, staring you down, unblinking, with his bright gold eyes.

He's already made it very clear that he's ready for you, so rather than ask him if he's feeling okay, you hold his thighs and align your cock with his pussy.

"Yes," he whispers softly when he feels your tip press into him, maybe speaking more to himself than he is to you.

Mammon squeezes and flutters around your cock as you slide into him, sighing contently, and purring up a storm.

"Oh," he gasps, when you're finally balls deep inside of him.

A question of whether or not he's okay is on the tip of your tongue, but you can't get it out before you feel a hot liquid splash against your skin.

"Oh," you muse, watching as Mammon wets himself on your cock. "Oh daddy, baby, Mammon," you moan, impulsively shallowly thrusting into him. "Was it too much? Too much in your belly, pushing against your bladder?"

He nods erratically, "yeah, ungh," you reach down to let your fingers be drenched in his piss, "fuck."

Mammon opens his mouth, inviting you to push your fingers into his mouth. He moans at the taste of his own piss, squeezing tightly around you.

You start fucking him in earnest, the two of you so worked up by him pissing all over your cock that neither one of you pay any mind to the puddle soaking into the sheets beneath you.

Mammon gurgles and drools around your fingers, clenching his soaked pussy tightly around you as you fuck him nice and deep.

Your arousal has clouded your brain, and all you can think about is how lucky you are to have Mammon under you like this. He looks so good, all wet and needy and belly swollen with your child. In the haze of your lust, the pace you've set is unrelenting, but Mammon takes it all and more, rolling his eyes back in ecstasy as you re-angle your hips and brush against his walls in a way that has him moaning and squealing around your fingers.

If you weren't chasing your own pleasure, or only thinking about how good you want to make him feel, you might have realized just how far into Mammon's mouth your fingers had sunk. You may have pulled back, and let him suck on your tongue if he wanted his mouth full.

Instead, your fingers slip, and suddenly Mammon's gagging, yanking your fingers from his mouth, and twisting so he can heave, then puke over the side of the bed.

You stare, in awe, faintly registering just how wet and tight Mammon got as he vomited.

"Fuck," you whisper as he pauses for a moment (making sure nothing else will come up), before laying back down on his back, sinking into the plush pillows under him.

"Are you okay?" you finally find the words that have been on the tip of your tongue. Mammon lets out a groan, shimmying his hips around at an attempt to feel you moving inside of him again. "Mammon, babe, I'm so sorry, are you—"

"Swear t'fuckin' christ, if you don't keep fuckin' me I'm gonna kill ya," he whines, his voice rough and scratchy. You wait a moment, checking for any little sign that he wouldn't be okay to continue. Upon finding none, you start moving your hips again.

He moans happily as your hips find the rhythm they'd set earlier, and before you know it, he's back to purring.

Your hands clutch at his thighs first, holding him open so you can look at your cock stretching and fucking his cunt. They wander, from his soft thighs, to his hips, and then finally you're rubbing his hard clit.

"Ungh-yes, yes thank you mommy," he gasps, twitching around your cock. "Close, close, gonna cum— please, can I?" you groan, feeling yourself getting close to climax as well.

"Yeah daddy," you lean down, kissing his collarbone affectionately, "hah, cum for me, baby," Mammon lets out a high keen, clinging to your skin, his nails digging into your skin, "make my cock even more messy."

And that's all it takes. With a squeal of your name, he cums, letting out hot, staccato breaths as you fuck him through it. You're close, but it's not until Mammon starts to wind down, nuzzling his face between your shoulder and neck and chirping happily, that your orgasm crashes over you.

"Mammon," you groan, fucking him full of your cum. Mammon kisses all over your skin as your climax wracks itself through your body, petting your skin and clinging to you tightly.

Once you come down from your high, you pull out slowly, and fall next to Mammon. He nuzzles himself into you, purring when you wrap your arms around him, and hold him close.

"Love ya," he murmurs softly.

"I love you too," you say, kissing the top of his head.

You lay there for a while, and you know Mammon could fall asleep like this— despite being absolutely covered in filth— so you're the one who's gotta take the lead here. You tap his hip gently,

"C'mon, let's go get you cleaned up."

His legs are wobbly and weak, but the two of you make it to the bathroom, where you plan to absolutely smother Mammon with care. As soon as you deal with the mess you left there earlier.

-

"When is this supposed to end?" Mammon whines, his head buried in the toilet as he makes his way through another bout of morning sickness.

"Somewhere between the 2nd and 3rd trimester," you answer. In response, Mammon groans. "Hey," you start, pinching his belly playfully, "y'know I'm gonna make you feel better after this, right daddy?" He lifts his head, giving you a wicked smile,

"I can't wait."