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lowkeyerror · 1 day ago

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Help With The Curriculum Pt 4

Agatha x Rio x Reader

Word count: 4.2k

Notes: Smut, choking, fingering, cunnulingus, daddy!kink, mommy!kink, dacryphilia, dirty talk, edging, mentions of overstimulation, begging degradation, praise

Summary: Rio gets herself a chance with you and Agatha. The only caveat is that she has to follow instructions and even then, she might not get a reward.

An: The Ao3 curse hit me, but part 4 (potentially last part) is here, hope you like it.

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“Y/n, wake up.”

You groan, snuggling further into Agatha’s warmth. She chuckles a bit, scratching the top of your head.

“Baby, you have to let me get up. I have to go home.”

That only causes you to hold her tighter, “No.”

She sighs, “I have class later, I have to go home to change.”

“Wear mine,” you mumble against her collarbone.

“You’d love seeing me in your clothes, wouldn’t you?”

You pull away from her and wipe your eyes, “What time is it?”

“6 am.”

You shake your head, “We’re college professors, 6am is high school teacher hours Agatha.”

“Well, I need time to go home and get ready. Someone didn’t want to let me go last night,” she gets up, causing you to sit up right in your bed.

“It was late, and besides your legs could’ve given out on the way over,” you tease her.

Agatha rolls her eyes, “Funny, I’ll see you on campus.”

“Wait,” you get out of bed clumsily, she laughs at your movements. “Let me walk you out.”

“Adorable.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” you lead her to your front door.

“I have a gap around 2, if you want to do lunch?” She suggests and you nod.

“I’d like that,” you smile at her.

“Text me your order, I’ll pick it up,” she says and for a moment it feels like you’re both prolonging the goodbye.

You kiss her sweetly, not really wanting to stop, “You need to go before I take you back to my bedroom.”

You push her lightly out of the door. She starts walking to her car, but she turns back half way just to blow you a kiss. A small chuckle escapes you before you shoo her away with one last movement of your hand. You wait for her to drive off before going back inside your home.

Since you were awake so early you decided to make breakfast and get ready for work. By the time you were dressed and finished eating it was time for you to go.

Today was the day of the exam, so it was going to be relatively easy for you. You arrive to your classroom a bit early to make sure everything is set for the exam.

“Exam days always seem to drag on forever,” you lift your head at the sound of her voice.

“Professor Vidal, what do you want?” Your voice is dry when you speak to her.

“Think I made that quite obvious yesterday,” she stalks her way over to your desk.

“And why would I reward such a brat?”

She puts her hands behind her back and tilts her head. Her eyes get big and glossy, “But I’m a good girl.”

You could see why Agatha would easily cave in to the woman. She is hot; her body is damn near perfect and her beauty is undeniable.

“No you aren't, because here you are begging me like a needy slut. When we both know you should be talking to Agatha, instead,” you give her a pointed look.

“She doesn't want me anymore,” you hear a vulnerability that you aren't sure she meant to convey.

“Who said that?”

Rio frowns, “She did, literally yesterday. She told me to move on.”

You sigh taking a bit of pity on the woman, “Listen Rio, your problem is that you push too far. Agatha can't handle you being a brat all of the time. I don't think she wanted to end things with you, but if you're never going to listen to her, what's the point?”

“And you listen to her?”

You nod, “Of course, I listen to her, she listens to me.”

Rio focuses on the ground, “She listens to you. She never let me- I wanted to be in control sometimes.”

You cross your arms leaning back against the chair, “Sounds like a reward. I wonder if you could earn it, somehow?”

It's Rio’s turn to sigh, “I need to talk to her, don't I?”

You nod, “I think it’d benefit you.”

She groans, but make her way towards the exit, “You know, I'm not all bad Professor L/n.”

“I know, but you have some lessons to learn. Hopefully rewards to gain, Professor Vidal.”

When she leaves your eyes linger where she stood. It felt like she was the embodiment of temptation. You could imagine what she looked like bare, her look playful, and eager. You’re sure that her neediness clouded any sense of obedience in her body.

When the class piled in you gave them the exam instructions. While they were testing, you let your mind wander to what you could do with Rio. How you could help Agatha tame her.

You were thinking about it until it was time for lunch. Agatha said she would meet you in your classroom.

“What did you say to her?”

Agatha sits the food on your desk.

You shrug, “I told her she needed to talk to you, why?”

Agatha begins to take out the food, “She apologized for being such a brat all the time, said that what we had was important to her, and that she didn’t want to lose it.”

“And what did you say?”

Agatha sighs, “I told her that I wanted to believe her.”

“But…”

“But she would have to prove that she could be good.”

You take a sip of your drink, “And how should she do that?”

Agatha’s eyes met yours, “I was hoping you had some ideas.”

You smirk, “I’ve been brain storming since she left my classroom. I was thinking, maybe we could put on a little show for her, but the rules prohibit her from touching. If she lasts, she can have a reward, but if she can’t… we can give her a very memorable punishment. Thinking either edging or overstimulation. Depends on her attitude.”

Agatha levels with you, “I doubt she can hold out. I mean I doubt that I could if I was watching us fuck.”

You lean back in your chair, “This test isn't about her obedience, it’s about her willpower. I want to see how quickly she cracks, if she’s remorseful, or if she’s going to be disrespectful. If she meant what she said to you, she will try her hardest. Tell her to meet us Saturday at your place. I assume she knows where you live.”

Agatha snickers, “Why do I hear some jealousy in that last part?”

“I told you, I’m not fond of sharing. Don’t worry though, I plan to work through that when Rio’s watching me make you all desperate. I know what she wants from you Aggie, and I’m going to show her how much you love when I give it to you,” your jaw twitches slightly.

“I’m looking forward to it,” she begins to eat her food.

The days seem to pass slowly as anticipation builds inside of you. You’re excited but you don’t necessarily know if that’s appropriate. In truth you wouldn’t describe yourself as a naturally dominant person but something about being with Agatha and something about the thought of being with Rio really made you want to take control.

With Agatha there was much more of a give and take nature to your encounters. Sometimes you would be in control and sometimes you’d crumble under her gaze. However, with Rio’s needy eyes on you, you didn't know if it would be appropriate to crumble.

This time would be somewhat of an example for any times that would occur in the future. It was like you were setting a precedent for how things would unfold and whatever kind of relationship you decided to pursue. There was a lot of confliction inside of you the moment he saw her you did want to put her in her place. You were serious when you said you weren’t sharing but now you didn't know if that was true.

Was it really sharing if you had decided you wanted both?

“I can feel you thinking from here,” Agatha’s hand cups your face.

You’re both in her bedroom waiting for Rio to arrive. You let out a relaxed sigh as her thumb starts to caress your face.

“It feels silly, but I think I’m nervous. I’ve never done anything like this before. I know I was talking a big game, and that was real. I want this, I just don't want to fuck this up,” you admit.

“You’re adorable,” she says.

You whine, “Agatha.”

“Baby it’s not just you in here, I'm here too. I doubt you’ll struggle to preform because you haven't before this. In the case that you do, I’ll be here to get us back on track. Trust me?”

You nod and lean in to peck her lips, “I trust you.”

The doorbell rings breaking the endearing moment. You want to rush to the door but a gentle tug from Agatha has you walking at a slower pace.

“Compose yourself,” she whispers to you before opening the door.

Rio stands on Agatha’s porch in a short sundress. The nerves on her face are present, but she tampers them with a smile.

“Looks a little different than last time I was here,” Rio says peering into the house.

“You know I get bored with décor quickly,” Agatha says stepping aside to let her in.

“And how different is the bedroom?” Rio says slyly.

You speak up, “You should see for yourself.”

Rio hums at your words, making her way towards the bedroom. Agatha and yourself follow her side by side. When you’re all in the room, you’re the one to close the door.

There’s a tension in the air, anticipation of what will happen.

“So…”

“Sit in that chair,” you command Rio, before she can further speak.

She complies, sitting in the chair in the corner of the room. You keep your eyes on her, “Good listening, today we’re going to see how long you can keep it up for. You’re going to sit here and watch while Agatha and I fuck. You aren't going to touch yourself at any point.”

Rio’s eyes darken, “And what do I get for sitting here?”

You tilt your head to the side, “Why would you get anything? This isn’t a reward, this is your case to Agatha that you can be a good girl, and follow simple instructions without being a brat.”

“I can be good.”

You grip her chin so she looks into your eyes, “I hope so because I think it would be fun to play with you.”

You kiss her cheek before turning your back to her and heading towards Agatha. You stand in front of her, eyes locked on each other. Your hands find the bottom of her shirt. You raise it slowly giving her a chance to stop you.

She doesn’t, when her shirts off your hands trail up her soft skin. You let out a shaky breath, trying to control your impulses. Your head dips down so that your tongue could swirl around one of her nipples. The other nipple was occupied in between your fingers.

Periodically you look up to take in the details of Agatha’s face. The light moans and delicate tensions on her face are not enough for you. You want more, you start to use your teeth and soon her breathy moans become more fleshed out.

Agatha couldn’t take any more of the teasing, she pulls your face up so that your lips meet. It’s hungry, and you swear her lips get softer every time you kiss them. You moan as she sucks on your bottom lip.

You hear a whimper in the corner of the room and you break from the kiss. Rio looks like she has a sweat building up on her forehead. You pull your shirt from over your head and see her eyes widen as she takes in your body.

You don’t miss the way her hands grip the chair. Agatha hugs you from behind, her hand traveling down your body with no hesitation in sight. You moan, keeping eye contact with Rio as Agatha’s hand disappears into your pants.

“You’re so wet for me baby,” she trails kisses up your neck.

“I need you,” you say bucking into her hand.

She guides you so that your back hits the wall. In a swift movement your pants are down and Agatha is on her knees. She spreads your legs and your breathing speeds up a bit.

You grab a handful of her hair and laugh lightly, “Isn’t this familiar?”

She chuckles the same, “Not until you start moaning professor.”

Her hands rest on your thigh as her tongue swipes through your folds. Your grip on her hair tightens, as her pace increases. She hums in satisfaction, not caring about how far her face is buried into your cunt.

“How you doing over there Vidal?” You manage to glance at her and she looks in utter discomfort. She doesn’t answer, “I asked you something.”

“S-soaked,” she grits out.

“Fuck, Aggie were you starving or something?” You feel your legs begin to shake a little from the intensity of her movements.

She pulls away, “You just taste so good.”

“Should we give her something?” You nod your head towards Rio.

Agatha nods, “Whatever your thinking, I’m in.”

Rio sighs believing that the challenge is over and that she’s won a reward. You smile sweetly at her, “Strip.”

Her clothes are gone in under a minute and she stands eagerly.

“Ok sit back down, you were a little uncomfortable in the clothes,” you speak dismissively before returning your attention to Agatha.

“You want to taste yourself?”

You nod, “And I need those fingers inside of me professor.”

“Suck,” Agatha pushes two fingers into your mouth.

You obey her and as soon as her fingers leave your mouth her lips are on yours again. As your kiss echoes in the room, she slides fingers into you.

You gasp in pleasures as she quickly begins to pump in and out of you. Her thumb finds your clit and you can barely keep up with the kiss. Your head falls onto her shoulder.

“You like when I burry my fingers in you, baby? The way my thumb presses down on your clit? Fuck, I can feel you clenching against me. You going to cum on my fingers that fast? God you’re needy today, or is it cause Rio’s watching? You want her to see how I make you cum.”

You lift your head from her shoulder just enough to look at Rio, “I want her t-to see what she can’t have.”

With her now naked you can see every little twitch her body makes. The look of anger on her face only makes you cum harder. Agatha fucks you through it, and as soon as she pulls her fingers out of you, you’re guiding her towards the bed.

You sit with your back against the headboard and Agatha sits in between your legs.

“Open for me baby,” she follows your instructions opening her legs.

One of your arms secure around her waist while the other rubs small circles around her clit. You give Rio a perfect view of Agatha’s dripping cunt.

“You ever have her like this Rio?”

Your fingers glide through Agatha’s folds in a teasing manner.

Rio shook her head, “N-no.”

You chuckle deeply as you plunge two fingers into her, “Oh Aggie, that's so mean of you. Never opened up for your little plaything?”

“Never earned it,” Agatha says breathlessly.

You can see Rio fix her mouth to say something, but she holds back.

“Speak up bunny, I want to know what's on your mind. You think you deserved something like this?”

Your fingers work faster, intoxicated by the sounds of Agatha’s hungry wet hole.

Rio begins to shake in her spot, “I wanted it so bad.”

“Wanted what?”

Her head drops, “To fuck Agatha. To have her whimpering because of me, to give her so much pleasure that she'd be drunk on it. Maybe, maybe I didn't earn it. Hell, I doubt that I deserved it, but I wanted it. She deserved to be worshiped and I thought that would've been enough.”

You can feel Agatha’s breathing quicken at the words, “If you can't handle instructions, you couldn't handle fucking me.”

Your thumb presses against her clit and she throws her head back. You begin sucking harshly on her neck as it becomes more accessible.

You lick a long stripe along her neck sparing a glance at Rio, “Beg for it Rio.”

She’s quick to fall to her knees unceremoniously. Her legs are shaking and you can see her arousal glistening down them. Her eyes are large and filled with tears.

Her voice is hoarse with need as she speaks, “Please, please. I-I can’t watch anymore, I need to- please. Tell me to do something, I’ll do it. I-I can be good. I can listen. I’ll do anything.”

You can feel Agatha clenching around your fingers as she watches Rio beg.

“More,” Agatha growls at Rio.

“Mommy please, I’m sorry. I should’ve listened. I shouldn’t have been so bratty. I was bad, but not anymore. Please, touch me. Let me touch you. Anything, please,” Rio cries fully now.

Agatha begins to rock her hips against your fingers, “Ask Y/n.”

“Daddy please, I’m sorry for being such a slut in your classroom. I need you, I’ll do better, I’ll be better. You don’t have to share, you can own me. Please, please, please.”

Agatha’s body jerks forward as she cums. Your arm around her waist is the only thing keeping her grounded. You slow your fingers, waiting for her to ride out her orgasm before removing them from her cunt. They find their way into her mouth and she sucks them delicately.

“Come here,” you murmur to Rio.

She stands, quickly walking over to you. You unhook your arm from around Agatha, using that hand to lightly grip Rio’s jaw. She nearly flinches in anticipation from your grasp.

You swipe at her tears with your thumb. Slowly you pull her face towards you while craning your neck up to her. You kiss her and it’s a fragile thing. You can feel her holding back. Trying to restrain herself, from taking more than you’re willing to give.

She whimpers into your mouth and her legs begin trembling even more than before. Your eyes widen and you break the kiss.

“Did you just cum?”

Rio’s face tints red with embarrassment, “I-I-"

Agatha intervenes lifting Rio before tossing her gently on the bed, “God, you’re so beautifully pathetic when you listen.”

“I want to taste her, she wants to taste you. I think we can all be winners here,” you look at the tanned woman in a predatory manner.

“Can you handle it baby? You couldn’t even manage a simple kiss, without making a mess of yourself,” Agatha questions her.

“Please, sit on my face mommy,” she pants out.

You decide to give Rio some relief, “Don’t hold back, but I’m telling you right now, I’m not stopping until Agatha cums again. So if you cum before her, we’re going to keep going, understand?”

She nods the best she can, “I understand.”

Agatha grabs Rio’s wrists, holding them above her. The older woman straddles Rio’s head, not loosening her tight hold on the submissive’s wrists.

“You know the signal if it’s too much,” Agatha speaks tenderly.

Again Rio nods the best she can.

That’s the only sign Agatha needs before fully sitting on the woman’s face.

Rio’s legs open for you with the sound of her sticky cunt echoing in your mind. She is absolutely drenched, you can see her clit twitching in anticipation. You can tell she’s sensitive, but you can’t help yourself.

Without hesitation you got straight to sucking her clit. Her back arches off of the bed, and you have to hold her legs in place. You can hear the low groan she let slip into Agatha, causing the other woman to grind down on Rio’s face.

Every calculated thought or worry that you previously had leaves your head as her taste seeps into your brain. All you want to do is make her cum. You eat her sloppily, not holding anything back. You can feel your jaw growing tired from how obsessively you’re eating her out.

You assume she’s doing the same to Agatha as the woman with the unoccupied mouth has not stopped making sounds since Rio’s face has been in her pussy.

When you finally detach your mouth from the woman, you stay close to her cunt. Letting your breath fan over her as you try to form any type of coherent thought.

“I understand why Agatha let you be a brat for so long. Your taste is so intoxicating baby, I just want to drown in it,” you say as you slide your middle finger into her.

You feel her cum instantly at the sensation and it makes your eyes roll back.

“You close professor?” You ask Agatha who only answers by nodding vigorously. “You’re going to give me one more then Rio.”

Feeling your own orgasm build, you began to feel needier. You want to feel Rio against you. So you change your position so that your cunt is aligned with hers. You hold one of her legs up and begin to grind against her.

The feeling of her hot sticky cunt rubbing against yours is bliss. You could feel her hips bucking into yours and it made you smile sadistically.

“Feels so good when you fuck yourself against me like that baby. Make us cum, like you begged for. Show us how desperate you are. Suck her clit, swirl your tongue around it, graze it with your teeth. Make her cum in your mouth, like the good girl you are. Don’t stop meeting my hips either, want you to show me you can multitask.”

Your words send Rio into a frenzy. She begins to speed up her movements, even though her body is fatigued. She works hard to send you both over the edge and she does.

Agatha cums first her hands abandoning Rio’s wrists to grab a fistful of her hair instead. She removes herself from atop of Rio only to meet the woman in a sloppy kiss. Rio doesn’t stop grinding against you even when fresh tears prick her eyes.

“Make daddy cum, baby,” Agatha kisses the top of Rio’s forehead moving stray hairs off of her face.

You fall apart at the same time Rio does, nearly collapsing against her. Agatha’s arms hold you up so you don’t flatten the woman beneath you. You can feel her squirt dripping down your abdomen, which sends a strong aftershock down your entire body.

“Fuck,” you say rubbing your hand against the mess she made on you.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, exhaustion hitting her like a truck.

You shake your head, “You’re perfect.”

Rio blushes and then cover her face with her hands.

Agatha laughs softly at her behavior, “Underneath all that bratty attitude, is one of the softest girls in the world.”

“You’re just a sweetheart trying uphold some bad boy image aren’t you,” you run your hand through Rio’s hair.

She leans into your touch, “I’m a badass.”

You indulge her for a moment, “For sure. I know plenty of badasses who beg mommy and daddy to fuck them.”

She shoots back at you, “Whatever you say miss ‘I don’t share’.”

Agatha intervenes, “As much as this bickering turns me on. I’d say it’s time to clean up, because I’m going to have to wash these sheets before sleeping tonight.”

“So now what?” You prompt.

“Aggie?” Rio’s voice holds a vulnerability to it, “Can I stay?”

Agatha looks at you, a small uncertainty passes through her.

“Let her stay, the brat is growing on me,” you say, smiling down at Rio.

“She tends to have that effect on people,” Agatha also gives her a small smile.

“We usually just eat and watch tv after the mind blowing sex, so don’t expect too much excitement Vidal,” you say, getting out of the bed.

Agatha follows suit and Rio just sits up.

“I’d offer to cook, but I don’t think I can stand right now,” she laughs.

“Do not worry professor, we’ll help get you all cleaned up,” you send her a cheeky wink, before scooping her up in your arms.

She yelps in surprise, but wraps her arms around your neck so she doesn’t fall.

“Well aren’t you charming?”

You smile, “So I’ve been told.”

True to your words, the three of you clean up. It’s a group effort as you shower, Rio seriously having trouble standing up right. Agatha lends you both some comfy clothes to lounge in and you find yourselves on her couch eating takeout and watching Glee (your request).

“So she sent that girl to a crack house?” Agatha questions.

“It’s inactive,” you and Rio say at the same time.

“You two might just be too similar,” Agatha chuckles.

You and Rio share a look.

“Good taste,” you say at the same time.

Agatha rolls her eyes, “A few hours together and she’s already corrupting you, Y/n.”

“I actually think you might be the biggest brat here Agatha. Lying about needing help with the curriculum just so I’d fuck you silly… pretty brat like behavior,” you retort.

Now it’s Agatha that is blushing and Rio who is cackling.

You smile innocently, taking in the moment. Though it’s unconventional, this is something that you hoped you wouldn’t lose. Moments like these that transcended the bedroom always put it into perspective for you. You wanted to build something with these women. Unbeknownst to you they both wanted that very same thing.

#lowkeyerror #agatha x reader #agatha harkness x rio vidal #agatha harkness imagine #agatha harkness x reader #agatha harkness x rio vidal x reader #rio vidal x reader

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winonaparadise · 2 days ago

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Maybe I’m somehow super unaware that I missed it but where’re you posting GWH nowadays? ;3;

Thank you for asking, and thank you for reading GWH! Unfortunately, it basically doesn't exist right now outside of like, the things I'm trying to make behind the scenes. I lost a lot of steam when the new format I worked really hard on lost a lot of traction and didn't sell as much as i had hoped (not anyone's fault besides my own and, maybe also Elon Musk's for kind of fundamentally destroying twitter dot com as we knew it) and also the second installment of it being 90% finished and then just being entirely lost to a hard drive failure also really just sent me into a spiral. And I also kind of just started hating my own work and art after that, have been working to try and improve, and keep my chin up despite watching a lot of my peers find success before me. Which is admitting one of my very selfish, ugly thoughts - but I do feel like maybe my webcomic was stupid and a waste of effort because it was never "legitimized" via publication like a lot of others surrounding me have been.

I've been kind of struggling with what to make lately. I have tried a lot of things that didn't really take off and it's left me confused about what to do. I feel like every shot I take at something isn't really met with much enthusiasm (again, nobody's fault but my own but if you want to blame this one on Musk as well sure why not) and I don't know how else to gauge if I'm doing the right thing. I think and write something for GWH almost every day, though. I am slowly chipping away at this vague idea of a "visual novel" version that will hopefully allow me to tell a contained story in one piece rather than falling off like I've done in the past. I really, really want to make that.

And in all total complete probably unsurprising honesty I'm just very depressed. Like seriously-considering-suicide-every-week-depressed. I'm sorry if that is a flippant way to express it, but I don't know how else to than to try and couch it in some flippant language. I don't have a lot of money, my health hasn't been very good, and I spend days and sometimes weeks entirely by myself. Making stuff is very difficult with these conditions and unfortunately (fortunately?) the cure to at least some of that is probably making more stuff! It's just taking some time and I really apologize for that. I hope you can forgive me and you'll like whatever I manage to make next. Thank you.

#ask winnie #suicide mention #girls with horns #sorry to trauma dump on you anon i am just #having one of those days

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peachhcs · 2 days ago

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sweet, sweet memories

hughes!sister x will smith au (samy + will)

the holidays bring the hughes’s and smiths back together in cape cod where nostalgia and the holiday spirit washes over everyone

wc: 5.7k

requested by anon to write about samy + will celebrating christmas and hanukkah. this turned into less samy and will and more all of the hughes siblings and smith siblings instead. also less hanukkah, i’m sorry about that but it is mentioned a lot! i forget sometimes that the hughes are half jewish, so this was a nice touch to add. i wanted to try a new writing style so i sprinkled in some old memories between the plot and wrote more grace x quinn x jack dynamic bc i feel like i never write about their relationship growing up, but anyways, this is long so enjoy!

au masterlist

for the first time in probably four years, all the hughes kids were coming home for the holidays. the hockey gods aligned for the devils and canucks allowing the three boys to have three days off before their next game which meant three days to fly home and spend the holidays with family after doing it through facetime for the last few years. the sharks followed the same schedule which meant will was flying home too, so with the knowledge that all the kids were coming home, ellen and colleen decided to plan a joint holiday at the smith's family home in cape cod.

so all their kids booked their flights for monday night and tuesday morning to fly out to cape cod. jack and luke were the first ones in after their game finished late that afternoon. ellen excitedly greeted her boys when they came through the door. "hi, hi. it's so good to see both of you," the older woman kissed her son's cheeks as they returned her tight hugs.

"hey mom, good to see you too. hi colleen, hi bill," jack greeted his "second parents" next, quickly exchanging similar hugs.

"it's so good to see you both. how was the flight?" colleen wondered, kissing the boys' cheeks too.

"really good. quick. thanks for hosting here," luke smiled brightly.

"of course. we're so excited all of you will be here for a few days. you two are the first ones here," colleen laughed.

"figures. when's everyone else coming?" jack wondered as he shedded himself of his jacket.

"samy and grace should be here in another hour. quinny and will aren't coming in until tomorrow afternoon," ellen explained everyone else's whereabouts.

"tomorrow afternoon?" luke sounded surprised that his older brother wasn't getting there sooner. ellen nodded though, "their game isn't starting until 9pm our time, so they're catching the earliest flight out tomorrow morning."

"damn. that's crazy. at least quinny has one more day of vacation than we do," jack chuckled. the boys ventured downstairs to the basement with their things. the usual rule was that luke stayed in will's room, samy stayed in grace's room, jack and quinn stayed in the spare room down in the basement, and ellen and jim were in the guest room upstairs.

when they were younger, the boys made the entire basement their "man cave" during the summer where they just took over the entire downstairs and will and luke bunked down on the couches. the same applied to the michigan lake house too before more friends started coming by. things were probably going to change now that will and samy were together, but that was a later problem the parents could work out tomorrow when everyone got in. for now, jack unloaded his bag in his and quinn's room while luke just threw his backpack and suitcase in the corner of the room.

the older boys caught themselves up with the parents while they awaited the girls' arrivals. jack and luke gladly told colleen and bill about their season so far, explaining how luke's second full year has been and jack overcoming his shoulder injury. finally, an uber pulled into the drive that was definitely either samy or grace. everyone crowded the front windows to see and much to their surprise, both girls jumped out of the vehicle and raced up the porch steps.

"surprise! we ran into one another at the airport," samy giggled when she pushed the door open.

"what a coincidence! i'm glad you did," ellen chuckled and pulled her daughter in for a hug. more hellos and hugs were exchanged between everyone as the girls got themselves inside.

"heya squirt," jack nuzzled his sister's head in typical older brother fashion. the brunette quickly squirmed out of his grasp.

"what's up rowdy," samy cheesed, flicking jack's hat off in response.

"good to know you haven't changed in a week," the older boy mumbled and let her go so she could say hi to luke.

"how were the flights?" jim asked.

"it was quick and painless. i made it through tsa in 10 minutes which i think is a new record for me," samy explained, bending down to greet the smith's dog they brought everywhere.

"good. glad to hear that. quinny and will are coming in tomorrow afternoon. we have the pregame talkshow up now," colleen nodded towards the big tv.

"ooh, good. i'm excited to watch this one," samy grinned and followed grace upstairs to put her things away for now.

the two girls came back downstairs a minute later and both families got themselves comfortable around the tv to watch their last two members battle it out on the ice in an hour. ellen and colleen busied themselves in the kitchen knowing they had a lot to start prepping for the christmas and hanukkah dishes since hanukkah started on the same day as christmas this year. the kids got the big couch where they spread themselves out between it and the floor. samy slumped down between luke and grace, sending messages to will that they were all watching the game from cape cod.

"so what've you been up to gg?" jack directed his attention to the oldest smith, the nickname being one he's called her since they were kids.

"not a lot really. trying to find my footing and thinking about moving," the older girl explained.

"moving? where to?" luke chirped up.

"i don't know yet, honestly. i really liked the west coast when i was there moving will in, but i don't know if i can be that far away from home," she explained.

"you'd have quinny kind of..close by-ish..you two would be on the west coast together!" luke exclaimed making grace giggle.

"i've been thinking about it and trying to look up apartments. i guess we'll have to see," she smiled softly. "what about you jj and moosey? how's the garden state?"

"it's a dream, g. you have to come visit us sometime. come to a game," jack said like he was so enamored by new jersey still after being there for five years.

"i know, i've been meaning to make plans to come see you guys, but i got caught up with college graduation this past may and then traveling," grace explained and the boys nodded in understanding.

"sorry we missed that. things got crazy busy in may," jack chuckled a bit as his head leaned back against the edge of the couch.

"don't sweat it, i get it. the card from all of you was super nice," the blonde smiled. it wasn't often that the older siblings got to really catch up with one another, so they were really taking advantage of it these next few days.

when they were younger, it was always quinn, jack, and grace against luke, samy, and will. the older three took charge of the younger three—a perfect split—but as life happened and things got busier, all six of them were never around at the same time anymore. being in cape cod reminded all of them of the memories they made in the house and out on the beach fifteen steps away if they widened their strides.

summer of 2012

"why would i listen to you?" luke protested to his 13 year old brother. quinn rolled his eyes, already not excited about going out to the beach, "because i'm older than you and in charge."

"who put you in charge? you're not even that much older than me," the younger boy continued and poor quinn was losing his patience with luke.

"mom put jack, grace, and i in charge because she's gonna take her chance and trust all of us out on the beach today without her watching which means you have to do what we say," quinn emphasized the last part.

"i'm 9. i don't need a babysitter," luke complained. "i'm a year younger than grace!"

"i don't make the rules, moose. i'm not arguing with you anymore," quinn walked away for his own sake. he heard luke huff and then probably hurry off to find their mom. the older boy wandered back into the kitchen where will and samy were at the counter finishing their snacks and grace was doing samy's hair for her.

"moose is being an idiot," quinn mumbled in annoyance.

"don't call him an idiot, q. he just wants to feel included," grace defended luke.

"included? i am including him. i was just telling him the rules for today. i'm not taking the fall if he chooses not to listen to us," the brunette shrugged.

"dude, what'd you do to moose? he's all mad now," jack came into the kitchen a moment later.

"i didn't do anything! he's being a brat," quinn argued while jack just shook his head.

"you shouldn't poke the bear. you know how he gets," the younger brunette dug himself out another juice even though ellen said only one before they left.

"whatever. you guys are dealing with him if he starts again. i'm already done," quinn shook his head.

all 6 of them finally made it out of the house after another fifteen minutes. luke and will took off to the water where quinn was yelling at them to only go out to their waist since their parents weren't there. he was probably the one who took this "in charge" thing the most seriously. samy wanted to build a sandcastle so grace opted to help her do so.

things were going fine for a good seven minutes until luke came running back up the beach holding his palm with teary eyes. quinn, jack, and grace immediately rushed to the boy's side. "moosey, what happened?" quinn urged and then they all saw the piece of glass sticking out of his skin.

"oh no," jack muttered.

"i-i was just trying to find seashells and then i felt something poke my hand.." luke got out in sobs.

"hey, it's okay. it's not your fault," grace was quick to shush his cries, always the one who knew how to manage everyone's emotions.

"mom's gonna freak when she finds out," jack mumbled.

"she's never gonna put us in charge again," quinn frowned when he realized he already messed up his role of protector. he wanted to fix this, so he had to act fast. "j, you run inside and find a bandaid, wet cloth, and antiseptic," the older boy instructed.

"roger that," jack took off back towards the house.

"it's gonna be okay, moosey. we're gonna get you fixed up. it doesn't even look that bad," quinn assured and grace nodded in agreement.

"i-i'm sorry, quinny. i didn't mean to," the younger boy was still crying.

"it's not your fault, i promise. you were just playing around. it's whoever left glass on the beach," the older brother mustered his best smile in hopes of making luke feel better.

"when i was 8, i cut my foot on glass too. not a fun at all, but with the right medicine, it will be okay," grace added, trying to lift the boy's spirits.

"will i be able to swim still?" luke wondered, his tears finally settling.

"maybe not today, but once the cut heals, yes. it should only take a few days," quinn nodded with another smile.

jack came back running with all of what quinn asked for. the three got to work with fixing up luke's hand. quinn took the lead and pulled the little piece of glass from his brother's hand. grace used the antiseptic to clean the cut up real good before jack laid the bandaid down.

"see? good as new," grace grinned.

"thanks, guys. sorry again," luke frowned.

"not your fault, moose," quinn said and urged his brother to go have fun again. will begun helping samy with her castle in the meantime so luke quickly joined in. the oldest hughes held his hand up for a high five.

"good work everyone. mom will be proud of us," the older three grinned.

now two of the oldest tuned themselves in to the game beginning to unfold as quinn and will took the ice, a scene their 13, 11, 10, 9, and 7 year old selves never would've even dreamed of.

—

the next day, christmas eve and the night before the first night of hanukkah, everyone awaited will and quinn's arrivals. colleen and ellen pulled samy and grace to help them in the kitchen while somehow jack and luke evaded the help and went outside to the beach. it was cold for a december day, but warm enough that the breeze felt refreshing instead of freezing.

"god, i love being back here," jack hummed, his toes sinking into the soft sand.

"it reminds me so much of being little considering we don't come out here a lot anymore," luke shared the sentiments. the last time either of them could remember being in cape cod was probably years ago when luke was just starting the dev program. it seemed like being in cape cod was filled with old memories while the lake house in michigan was the bridge to the new memories and friends that filled the house each year.

cape cod would always be the hughes's and smiths to keep close to them and a place to fill whenever the families wanted time together.

as the day ticked by, there was probably dishes worth of food to eat in the next couple of days which wasn't surprising at all. ellen and colleen always went overboard with the food anytime they started cooking, so they were trusting all the kids and bill and jim would eat it all.

the last uber holding the final two kids pulled into the driveway around 4:40pm. samy was rushing down the steps to greet her boyfriend and brother first. she embraced quinn who eagerly scooped her into his arms much like jack and luke did. "wow, long time no see, little hughes," quinn grinned.

"glad you're finally here quinny," samy beamed and jumped towards will next. the blonde lifted her into his arms in a similar manner even though they did just see one another a little over a week ago.

"hi pretty girl, i missed you," will kissed her cheek.

"i missed you. great game last night. you guys were so good," samy praised both boys as they got their things from the back.

"eh, it was nothing," quinn played off the canucks win with a small shrug.

everyone else was waiting on the porch step for the boys. they went through all of the hugs with everyone and smiley hello's. ellen was finally glad to have all of her kids under one roof plus grace and will. the younger smith squeezed both of his parents and sister in tight hugs. "so good to see you again, will," colleen gushed after not seeing her son since visiting a few months ago.

the large group made their way back inside, tasteful aromas filling their senses from all the cooking happening. "good flights i assume?" ellen asked.

"long eight hours, but yeah. it was fine," quinn nodded.

"he snored the whole time," will exposed the older boy, snickering with luke and samy.

"alright, i get it. i snore. you do, too," quinn poked the rookie's shoulder.

"you guys get settled and then i'm sure everyone's hungry so we can eat dinner fairly soon. everything is almost all ready," ellen grinned.

"i'm assuming you're kicking me to the basement, right?" luke motioned between will and his sister who's faces flushed at his words. "i don't have to sleep in—"

"nah, it's fine. my stuff is already all down there anyway. gg, you get a room to yourself for once," luke teased while grace laughed. even though the couple had been together for more than a year now, the older three were still adjusting to seeing the new dynamic within their family. what used to be a divide between girls and boys most of time was now mixed in as they got older. they also just weren't around anymore to fully get used to the idea of samy and will dating after avoiding one another because "boys and girls had cooties."

"just don't be too loud when you start—"

"and that looks like the cue for will and quinn to put their stuff down," samy cut luke off before he finished his sentence. the curly-haired brunette just winked while the others snickered. the young couple's blush got worse as samy rushed will upstairs before anyone said something else uncalled for in front of their parents.

"it never gets old," luke mumbled to himself, collapsing back onto the couch.

"and i'll never get used to it until they get married probably," jack shook his head slightly.

quinn, jack, and grace could picture the first summer they started noticing changes in samy and will's relationship.

summer of 2018

samy and will were 13. luke mumbled something to jack in passing one day when he claimed that will kept inviting samy to hang out with them when he's never done it before. jack didn't really think much of it, also not really caring for luke's 15 year old moodiness as a 17 year old. no one really thought anything of it until quinn caught sight of the two younger ones on the porch together playing cards by themselves. he raised his eyebrow.

"what are you creeping at?" grace noticed quinn by the window.

"samy and will are out there playing cards by themselves," the older boy pointed out. grace went over to look for herself and sure enough, her brother and samy were smiling and laughing as they played two person uno.

"do you ever feel like this summer feels different?" the 18 year old wondered.

"different how?" grace grew curious.

"i don't know like everyone feels a million years older," quinn shrugged.

"i mean..we are older. you're starting sophomore year of college. luke's starting usntdp this fall. jack's almost done with usntdp..." grace listed off all the differences.

"yeah, yeah, but besides the obvious. something just feels different. like maybe everyone's all grown up now that we aren't needed anymore? quinn admitted and grace's expression fell.

"not needed? i don't think we can ever escape that being the oldest siblings," the girl laughed a little.

"i mean with the smaller stuff, you know? it feels like everyone's found their footing. i mean samy and will don't avoid one another anymore. cooties must've rubbed off," the brunette laughed too.

"we'll always be needed, q, just for different reasons, but i understand where you're coming from. it is weird seeing them get along so well now," grace peered out of the window again to catch another glimpse.

samy followed will to his room. it was roughly decorated with famous hockey players he picked out when they were like eight and stayed exactly this way since colleen and bill never found the need to redecorate the beach house rooms. "wow, i feel like i'm eight again," will admired the old medals and posters on the wall.

"this whole house feels like a time capsule to me. we like never come here anymore," the girl settled onto the bed.

"i know. it's cool being back though. feels like those really old times when we were little," will grinned when samy giggled at the memories. the blonde began unpacking some of his things before joining his girlfriend on the bed.

"how've you been?" he wondered.

"i'm good. you?"

"better now that we get to spend a few days together," the blonde cheesed earning a blush on samy's cheeks.

"i love you. how are you feeling about the game from last night?" because of how late everything was and will's early flight, the couple hadn't gotten a chance to talk about it like they usually would.

"fine. it was fine. i knew we would lose against quinn again," will shrugged, playing it off even though samy saw right through the disappointment settling into his body. she tugged his glance towards her, "i know it's hard losing so much, but it's nothing on you."

"i know, i just..it's still weird adjusting to the whole pro life and going from being one of the best to..semi average," the blonde shrugged.

"semi average? babe, give yourself some credit. you're way better than semi average. it may not seem like that right now, but you're gonna prove yourself. the fans love you," samy quickly reassured.

"i just wish our program was stronger or..we had something different. i don't know. i know having mack and i on is definitely turning it around slowly, but..still," will released a sigh, deflating even more with samy hated seeing.

"i get it. it's discouraging, but it's all the more reason to keep pushing for that change. plus, you have at least 3ish..maybe 2 by this point days off, try to take advance of them and just let your mind rest for now," will knew his girlfriend had a point so he smiled and tried forgetting about the team and hockey for now.

"i will, thanks. i love you too," he leaned in to peck her cheek. samy flushed, threading her fingers through his messy curls before heading back down stairs knowing someone would come up looking for them if they didn't.

the dining room finally got put to good use again as everyone found their unassigned, assigned seats while the boys helped bring the dishes out. colleen bill took each head of the table while everyone else filled in around them. likewise, the older siblings sat on one side while the younger ones sat across from them—the old and young divide still showing.

"i wanna say how grateful i am to have everyone here to celebrate the holidays this year. i couldn't be more grateful for having all my sons here and colleen and bill for opening this cherished home to us this year," ellen spoke up before anyone dug in. her expression glowed with joy and happiness seeing all four of her babies look back at her with similar expressions.

the entire dinner was spent with loud laughter and stories of the past few months since summer. hockey was the main topic, but samy continued getting praised for her recent win along with the excitement of being almost halfway done with college already. quinn shared updates about vancouver. jack and luke talked about jersey like they've been living there their whole lives and will expressed how happy he was in san jose. it seemed like every kid was finding their footing which warmed the parents' hearts.

once dinner concluded, the yearly tradition of receiving matching pajamas the night of christmas eve continued. it was even more special this time around because hanukkah was tomorrow too. all six kids opened the familiar shaped gift at the same time, wondering what the theme would be this year.

"oh my god, it's all of our teams," jack saw it first, always being the first one to rip through the wrapping paper. he held the pants up to examine it closer.

"we got them custom made so the pants have your team logos and your shirts are tailored to your specific team," ellen explained.

"wow these are awesome. thanks so much, mom," luke beamed, going to kiss the older woman's cheek.

"we want pictures, so go put them on!" colleen said and urged all the kids to change. they ran to the bathrooms or the bedrooms making the parents laugh. five minutes later, all 6 of them were in the new clothes sporting their teams.

"wow, i love them. you guys look so good," ellen gushed.

"i could totally fuck with these. i'd wear them out honestly," jack proudly declared and posed him his set.

"okay, everyone on the couch like usual," ellen instructed. the kids got themselves in order where the younger ones sat up on the actual couch while quinn, jack, and grace crowded them at their feet. wide smiles painted everyone's lips as the parents squeezed together to capture the memory.

"sooo adorable, oh my god. thanks for being good sports about this guys," colleen smiled when the last photo was taken.

"you guys better get some sleep, we have a big day tomorrow. santa is coming and we're lighting the first candle on the menorah," mrs. hughes clapped her hands together in excitement. obviously, everyone was too old to believe in santa, but she liked saying it nonetheless because they were all still kids in her eyes.

"if you hear commotion on the roof, it just may be the reindeer," jim teased making everyone giggle with childlike excitement.

it was nice because none of them had really felt this excited about christmas like this in awhile. maybe it was something about being all together again that brought the magical feelings back.

"see you all in the morning," jack cheered and made his way downstairs. everyone else said goodnight to the parents and retired to their rooms.

samy and will cuddled together in his bed. "so what'd you ask santa for christmas?" the blonde cheesed in a whisper.

"well, i want one of those dyson air wraps for my hair. i asked for some new socks. some shirts and pants. all the usual. you?" samy giggled as she tried remembering the list she sent her mom a few weeks ago.

"honestly, i didn't really know what i wanted. new sweatshirts? more dress shirts," will shrugged a bit.

"i didn't really know what i wanted either honestly. i kind of told my mom to surprise me. i'm excited for you to see the gift i got you though," the girl grinned.

"oh really? am i gonna love it?"

"i mean, i hope so," samy snuggled in closer to her boyfriend's chest. he squeezed her arm and kissed her temple.

"i'm sure i will. i love anything from you," will laughed and they actually fell asleep pretty fast. after the long day of traveling, will was knocked out and samy fell asleep from his familiar scent alone.

the morning of christmas, a very special tradition was always carried out and luke and samy were already awake to continue it on. the two met in the quiet kitchen, "ready?" the older boy wondered.

"so ready," samy grinned.

every year since they could learn how to be quiet, samy and luke had a tradition of waking up everyone in the house super early using a different method each year. in past years they've splashed water on people's faces, blew air horns in their ears, threw fake rubber bugs on people—it was endless and the most fun the siblings had.

this year they were going with silly string. hoping that 5 cans was enough, they crept downstairs to where jack and quinn were.

winter of 2016

"shh, we have to be quiet," luke whispered to his little sister as they crept upstairs to jack's room. they were giggling like crazy with one another in hopes that no one would hear them coming.

their mom bought them the air horns weeks ago, hoping that by asking for them weeks in advance, she wouldn't find out what they'd be using them for. the tactic worked because no one in the house knew what was coming as they inched closer to their brother's room.

jack was a pretty heavy sleeper in general, so they hoped the loud air horns would do the trick. once they blew them, everyone in the house was bound to hear, so they had to move fast throughout everyone's rooms so they could all get a taste of the loud handheld machines.

"we go on my count," luke instructed and samy nodded. he carefully pushed jack's door open where the middle hughes was spread out across his bed snoring loudly.

it was seven in the morning, the latest they left anyone sleep before they set their yearly tradition and prank into motion. luke and samy hovered right over jack's head.

"3"

"2"

"1"

the loud sound blew through the air straight into poor jack's ears. he jolted straight out of bed, eyes wide with fear.

"wake up it's christmas!" luke and samy yelled before hurrying out of the boy's room. they pushed quinn's door open right next door, not hesitating to blow the air horns.

"get up! get up! it's christmas!" the oldest hughes jumped straight up too.

grace was their next victim in samy's room. "wake up!!" she yelled in the girl's ear who flinched.

they ran into their parents' room, jumping on ellen and jim's king sized bed and blowing the horns. "merry christmas!!!"

they were such menaces because mr. and mrs. hughes woke up startled and scared someone was breaking into their house until they realized it was just samy and luke.

they kept blaring the horns as they ran downstairs to the basement where will was asleep. the poor blonde grumbled something and tried covering his ears with the pillows. samy and luke ran back up the the main floor where they spun themselves around to announce the day ahead.

"it's finally christmas! everyone wake up!" the two yelled.

it was the cruelest way to wake people up, but it worked every year because everyone was usually awake within the thirty minutes samy and luke made their grand entrances.

this christmas was going to be no different. luke pushed his brothers' door opened where jack was spread out on the bed and quinn was sleeping the opposite direction. the siblings shared a glance, feeling bad for just a second, but knowing everyone should just expect it by now.

"you get quinn, i'll get jack," luke whispered and samy nodded.

she pointed her fire at her older brother who looked so peaceful sleeping. when luke gave her the signal, she shook her can and started spraying directly in the boy's face.

quinn, who wasn't a heavy sleeper, woke up immediately, "hey, what the fuck!" he yelled which woke jack up.

"woah, what the fuck is that?" they covered their faces.

"merry christmas!" samy and luke yelled before racing out of the room and back upstairs.

they went to ellen and jim's room, not even waiting to start spraying in their direction. "wake up! wake up! it's christmas!" the older couple winced when the substance touched their faces.

"luke. samy," ellen said sharply making her kids run out of the room before they were caught. samy bursted into will's room and she felt so bad getting up and leaving him alone in the bed, but it was also still so fun to wake him up like this.

"merry christmas smitty!" luke started spraying first. it rambled into the blonde's hair where he flinched away, hiding under the covers.

"hey! what the hell!" he grumbled.

"sorry, baby. get up! it's christmas!" samy giggled and ran out of the room to grace's.

no one was thrilled with the silly string wake up call and what samy and luke forgot was that they left their extra cans down in the kitchen where quinn and jack found them after they ran up the stairs.

the older brothers raced up to the second floor and sprang into action, spraying down samy and luke in return for the cruel wake up alarm.

"take that!" jack exclaimed and now all four siblings were having a silly string battle in the middle of the hallway. it was going everywhere on the walls, in their hair, on their clothes.

will and grace came out a second later when they heard the yelling. "take one!" jack threw a can to grace.

instead, she decided to spray the older boys back. they freaked and tried running away back down the stairs, but everyone just followed them instead.

the war continued in the kitchen. will grabbed his own can and now it turned into every man for themselves. counters were used as shields. corners weren't safe anymore. entryways became hiding places. silly string was everywhere.

when ellen, jim, colleen, and bill finally made it out of their rooms, they were greeted with a large amount of silly string everywhere.

"i can't say i'm mad because samy and luke always think of something clever to wake us up with," bill laughed.

"let's just be glad it wasn't water this year," ellen mumbled and decided to brave going downstairs where the war was still happening between the kids.

they had all made it outside at this point. the entire yard became free range. samy tried hunting down will, but he cornered her first and sprayed her hard with yellow.

"can it be a truce if we're dating?" samy said, blocking her face from the string.

"truce. nah, i come to play," will shook his head. the girl took off towards the beach knowing they couldn't spray on the beach because it was public property.

will still followed her but stopped when he saw that she had stopped too. he raised his eyebrow until he got closer and saw nothing but white covering the sand.

"oh my god, it snowed!" the girl squealed and ran onto the snow covered beach.

the blonde grinned, watching his girlfriend fall back into the snow even though she was still in nothing but her pjs. he quickly followed after her.

"will, it snowed! i haven't seen snow on the beach in so long," she was so happy and the silly string war was forgotten.

quinn, jack, luke, and grace came looking for the two. when they got closer to the beach, they caught sight of the snow and all of their faces lit up.

"no fucking way, it snowed!" jack hurried ahead.

"i haven't seen snow on this beach in so long," grace mumbled in disbelief.

jack copied samy and will. he stared making his own snow angel. being from michigan must've made them have thick skin because none of them were complaining about the cold in just pajamas.

"this is so cool," luke mumbled, pulling his phone out for a picture.

the silly string war quickly turned to a snowball fight. when the parents finally made it outside, they couldn't even be mad anymore because the joy on their kids' faces was like no other.

it really was some christmas miracle.

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mamiobesssionfics · 2 days ago

Text

A Night of Laughter

Rhea Ripley x Reader

Summary: After a fun date-night, you two feel closer than ever.

You enter the cosy little diner, the kind of place that feels like a secret only a few people know about.

The lights are soft, casting a golden glow over the wooden tables, and the smell of garlic and fresh bread fills the air.

You're holding hands with Rhea, her fingers strong yet gentle, and the warmth of her hand instantly comforts you. The two of you have had a busy week, and tonight, you decided to go out.

Tonight is about nothing but the two of you. No work, no cameras, just laughter and each other.

As you sit down at a candlelit table, Rhea leans back in her chair, her grin widening as she eyes the menu.

“You know, I could totally go for the steak… but I’ll probably wrestle it into submission if it doesn’t cooperate,” she says in the hopes of making you laugh.

And it almost works.

You roll your eyes, a smile tugging at the corner of your lips.

“Maybe the pasta will be better for you, Ms Champion.”

Her laughter fills the air, and you give in.

That laugh of hers was deep and unapologetic.

Her laughter, what you love so much, is what makes her who she is, strong and confident, herself. The kind of sound that makes your heart skip a beat every time you hear it.

Oh, how you loved her.

Dinner arrives, but the food hardly matters.

The night is a blur of jokes, playful banter and flirting.

Both of you tell stories about everything from her latest match to your childhood memories.

“Remember that time I tried to make spaghetti and ended up burning the entire thing?” Rhea asks.

You laugh, shaking your head.

“How could I forget? You were convinced the fire department was going to show up, and you spent the next hour ‘saving’ the pasta from the garbage can.”

“Well, you’ve got to save the noodles!” she responds dramatically, and you both burst into laughter again. “A champion never gives up, even on burned spaghetti.”

By the time you’ve finished with dessert, your stomach aches, but it is not from the food, but rather from laughing so much.

After dinner, you take your time walking back to your apartment.

The weather is rather cold so Rhea pulls you close, wrapping her arm around you.

The warmth of her body presses against yours, and you rest your head against her shoulder as you walk side by side, content and comfortable.

When you arrive home, instead of changing, you decide to head to the bath.

Rhea tugs you gently toward the bathroom, where a steaming bath awaits.

You strip down together, and she decides to add a lovely-smelling bath bomb.

Rhea looks at you with a smile, as if she’s got a secret she’s dying to share.

“What if we just stayed here for the rest of the night?” she asks, her voice low and playful. “No phones, no plans, no responsibilities. Nothing more, just us, and this bath.”

You smile.

"The water will get cold." you mention playfully as you slide into the warm water beside Rhea, letting out a deep sigh as the warm water surrounds you.

Rhea joins you soon after.

Rhea pulls you close, her arms wrapped around you in a loose embrace as she sits behind you.

“You know,” she says, her voice soft as she rests her chin on your shoulder, “Sometimes, I think this is the best part of my day. Just being with you.”

"Think? You think it's the best?" you tease back and she pinches your side, making you jump a little and splash some water out of the bathtub.

You turn your face toward her, your lips brushing lightly against her cheek. “I couldn’t agree more,” you say, this time with a serious tone. Your words are as gentle as the moment itself.

You kiss her cheek and she kisses your shoulder.

You loved these days. A simple date filled with laughter and a lovely bath with kindness and the smell of flowers.

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griefabyss69 · 3 days ago

Text

A Day After

Written for @steddiemicrofic!

[ AO3 ]

'TIME' wc: 485 | rated: T | cw: Canonical character death, Grief

Steve writes to Eddie.

Even though he wakes up every single day, celebrates holidays when he's supposed to, and shows up to work when he's scheduled, Steve never feels the passage of time.

It's like he's stuck outside of it; like maybe whatever affliction the Upside Down had, he has it too, and he's made of nothing but mold and rotten water.

I dunno though. he scribbles in his notebook.

It seems like it's just me, nobody else feels the like, weight of all of it. Once the graves were all shut with dirt it's like everyone forgot how many fresh ones there were, like it got erased from their minds.

What does that make me? Too caught up in the past, right? It's the new decade tomorrow and all I can think about is four years ago. I shouldn't write to you still, but I keep doing it anyway.

Robin says she's gonna make me do psychotherapy, but it doesn't feel like it's all just in my head, it feels like I got some of those spores into my DNA or however that works. Now I'm just another demo-whatever without the gruesome teeth.

I dunno.

There's always unfinished business, right? But I can't figure out what the hell it is that I need to finish up. I want to move on but anytime I try nothing happens.

Maybe I died too. Maybe I'm a ghost and don't know it. Ghosts get stuck in loops too, maybe I'm just ghost-hallucinating it when I change the calendar.

Whatever. I know I'm being a downer. Maybe something good will happen soon. I promise if it does I won't forget you.

Goodnight Eddie. I'll write to you tomorrow.

Steve closes his notebook and buries it under everything else in its drawer. It'll be time to buy another one soon, this one is getting full. He has a shoebox of the old ones hidden in his closet under a bunch of porn mags. He hopes that somewhere Eddie's ghost thinks that's funny.

He gets ready for bed and doesn't look himself in the eye when he brushes his teeth. Despite how crazy it is, he still thinks maybe someday he can show Eddie some of the letters he's written to him. Sometimes it's the only thing that keeps him going, even though when life feels more normal he's too embarrassed to even think about it.

As soon as he falls asleep that night, just like every night, invisible fingers brush against his cheek and soft invisible lips press a brave kiss to his mouth.

Eddie lays at the edge of the bed and Steve instinctively makes room for him, though he technically could just float or literally share the space. He passes through people quite easily. He watches the furrow between Steve's eyes ease away with satisfaction.

"Hang in there," Eddie says with a voice like staticky TV snow. "Something good is coming."

#griefabyss69 writing #steddiemicroficdecember #steddie fanfiction #steddie fanfic #now with errors fixed!

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theartofcollapse · 3 days ago

Text

Her Intern - Casey Novak

a/n: i'm taking requests, so feel free to dm me :) summary: Casey begins to develop unexpected feelings for her intern, Y/N. pairing: Casey Novak x female reader warnings: none word count: 5.1K

masterlist

Casey Novak was never one to flinch in the face of the unexpected. As an Assistant District Attorney, her job demanded quick thinking, ironclad resolve, and a moral compass that rarely wavered. Yet here she sat, staring blankly at the case file in front of her, completely derailed by something, or rather, someone.

You.

Her new intern, Y/N. Bright, capable, and passionate about justice in a way that reminded Casey of herself when she first started. You were sharp, your insights always cutting straight to the heart of the matter, and your enthusiasm was infectious. But it wasn’t just your intellect that threw Casey off balance. It was your smile. The way you’d bite your lip when you were deep in thought. The way your laughter would echo softly in her office when you’d share a joke.

And that’s what terrified her.

She had never been attracted to women before. Never. But here she was, feeling her cheeks warm whenever you entered the room, her heartbeat quickening when your eyes met hers.

It was enough to send her into a tailspin.

That evening, she found herself at Forlini’s, nursing a glass of wine and waiting for Olivia Benson. She’d called her friend in a semi-panic, vaguely explaining that she needed advice.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Olivia said as she slid into the booth across from Casey.

“I feel like I have,” Casey muttered, running a hand through her auburn hair.

Olivia raised an eyebrow. “What’s going on?”

Casey hesitated, her fingers tightening around the stem of her wine glass. How was she supposed to explain this without sounding completely unhinged? Finally, she sighed and decided to just rip off the Band-Aid.

“There’s… someone,” she began.

Olivia’s lips quirked into a knowing smirk. “Ah, so this is a crush talk. Who’s the lucky guy?”

Casey winced. “That’s the thing, it’s not a guy.”

Olivia blinked, her smirk fading into something more thoughtful. She leaned forward, giving Casey her full attention. “Okay. Tell me more.”

“It’s my intern,” Casey admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “Y/N.”

Olivia’s eyebrows shot up. “Your intern?”

“I know it’s inappropriate,” Casey rushed to say. “And I’m not acting on it. God, I’d never act on it. But I… I can’t stop thinking about her. She’s brilliant, and she’s kind, and…”

“And she’s a woman,” Olivia finished gently.

Casey nodded; her throat tight. “I’ve never felt this way about a woman before. It’s throwing me off. I don’t even know what to do with these feelings. Am I going crazy?”

Olivia reached across the table, placing a comforting hand on Casey’s. “You’re not crazy. Trust me, I’ve had my share of confusing feelings about people I never expected to fall for. Sometimes the heart doesn’t care about what’s ‘expected.’ It just knows what it wants.”

Casey stared at Olivia, her chest tightening. “But what if I don’t know what I want? I’ve never even considered..”

“You don’t have to have all the answers right now,” Olivia said firmly. “This isn’t about labels or figuring out your entire identity in one night. It’s about acknowledging what you’re feeling and letting yourself sit with it. And if you want to talk about it more, you know I’m here.”

Casey exhaled, some of the tension in her shoulders easing. Olivia always had a way of cutting through the chaos in her mind.

“Thanks, Liv,” she said softly.

“Anytime,” Olivia replied with a smile. Then, with a teasing glint in her eye, she added, “But for the record? You’ve got good taste. Y/N seems pretty incredible.”

Casey laughed; the sound surprising even herself.

The next morning, Casey walked into the DA’s office determined to keep her emotions in check. She reminded herself that she was a professional, and whatever strange feelings she had for you didn’t change the fact that you were her intern.

But all her resolve flew out the window the moment she saw you.

You were perched at your desk, typing away on your laptop. Your brow was furrowed in concentration, and a strand of hair had fallen across your face. Without thinking, Casey stopped in her tracks and just watched you.

It wasn’t until you looked up and caught her staring that she snapped out of it.

“Good morning, Ms. Novak,” you said brightly, offering her one of those smiles that seemed to light up the entire office.

Casey’s heart did an unprofessional little flip. “Good morning, Y/N,” she said, forcing her voice to stay even.

You tilted your head, studying her for a moment. “You okay? You look like you didn’t get much sleep.”

Casey cleared her throat and brushed past you toward her desk. “I’m fine. Just a late night.”

This was getting ridiculous.

The day wore on, and Casey tried to throw herself into work, but you were always there handing her files, asking for feedback, discussing strategies for cases. Your enthusiasm was infectious, and as much as Casey hated to admit it, she found herself looking forward to your conversations.

But it also made her job harder. How was she supposed to focus on cross-examinations and legal briefs when her thoughts kept drifting to the way your eyes lit up when you talked about your goals?

By lunchtime, Casey knew she needed a break. She grabbed her coat and told you she’d be back in an hour, then headed to the park for some much needed fresh air.

She was halfway through her walk when her phone buzzed with a text.

Olivia: How’s it going? Still freaking out?

Casey rolled her eyes but couldn’t help smiling. She quickly typed back.

Casey: Yes. But I’m handling it. Sort of.

Olivia: “Sort of” isn’t exactly reassuring. You want to talk tonight?

Casey hesitated. She appreciated Olivia’s support, but she also knew she couldn’t keep running to her every time she got overwhelmed.

Casey: No, I’ll be okay. Thanks, Liv.

She put her phone away and took a deep breath. She needed to figure this out on her own.

When she returned to the office, you were waiting for her in her chair, flipping through a case file.

“You’re back!” you said with a grin, standing up. “I was just going over the deposition for the Simmons case. I had a few ideas I wanted to run by you.”

Casey nodded, trying to keep her expression neutral. “Let’s hear them.”

You launched into your thoughts, pacing the room as you spoke. Casey watched you, completely captivated not just by what you were saying, but by the way you said it. The passion in your voice, the determination in your eyes.

It hit her all at once: she was falling for you.

Hard.

And she had no idea what to do about it.

That evening, after you’d left for the day, Casey sat alone in her office, staring at her reflection in the darkened window. She thought about what Olivia had said the night before, about sitting with her feelings and not rushing to figure everything out.

Maybe that was the answer. She didn’t have to act on her feelings or even fully understand them right now. All she had to do was acknowledge them.

And maybe, just maybe, she could let herself enjoy the way you made her feel, terrifying as it was.

The next few weeks were a whirlwind of late nights and high-stakes cases. Casey buried herself in work, thinking the chaos of her job would be enough to keep her feelings for you at bay. But no matter how many hours she spent in court or how many legal briefs she pored over; she couldn’t escape the growing connection between the two of you.

And, to make matters worse, you seemed completely oblivious to the way you were throwing her world off balance.

One night, after everyone else had gone home, you knocked lightly on Casey’s office door. She looked up, startled to see you still there.

“Y/N?” she asked, setting aside the stack of papers she’d been pretending to read. “What are you still doing here?”

You stepped inside, holding up a thick file. “I wanted to go over the witness prep for tomorrow. There are a few things I think we should address.”

Casey sighed, gesturing for you to sit. “You should be home. It’s late.”

You smiled as you took the seat across from her desk. “So should you.”

Casey rolled her eyes but couldn’t help smiling back. “Touché. Okay, let’s hear it.”

As you walked her through your notes, Casey found herself hanging on every word. You were so sharp, so intuitive, it was impossible not to admire your mind. But it wasn’t just your intelligence that drew her in. It was the way your eyes sparkled when you got excited about an idea. The way your voice softened when you spoke about the victims they were fighting for.

Before she knew it, an hour had passed, and the two of you were still talking.

“I think that’s everything,” you said finally, closing the file with a satisfied smile. “Thanks for staying late to go over it with me.”

“Of course,” Casey replied, her voice softer than she intended.

For a moment, the room was quiet. You glanced down at your hands, then back up at her.

“Can I ask you something?” you said hesitantly.

Casey’s stomach tightened. “Sure.”

“Do you ever get scared that you’ll mess up? That you’ll make the wrong call, and it’ll cost someone everything?”

Casey’s heart ached at the vulnerability in your voice. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the desk. “All the time,” she admitted. “This job is terrifying. But you can’t let that fear stop you. You just have to do the best you can with what you have. And trust that it’s enough.”

You nodded, a small smile tugging at your lips. “That helps. Thanks, Ms. Novak.”

“Casey,” she corrected gently. “You can call me Casey.”

Your eyes widened slightly, as if the offer surprised you. But then your smile grew, warm and genuine. “Okay. Thanks, Casey.”

Something shifted in the air between you. It was subtle, but Casey felt it.

She quickly stood, breaking the moment. “We should both get some rest. Big day tomorrow.”

You nodded, standing as well. “Goodnight, Casey.”

“Goodnight, Y/N.”

As you walked out of her office, Casey let out a shaky breath. She leaned against her desk, her thoughts spinning.

For weeks, she’d been trying to suppress her feelings for you, convincing herself that they were a distraction. But now, as she replayed your conversation in her mind, she realized something else.

Her feelings weren’t just a distraction. They were a source of inspiration. You reminded her why she’d become a lawyer in the first place, why she fought so hard for justice, even when the odds were stacked against her. And maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing.

The weeks that followed were a quiet evolution. Casey remained as professional as ever, maintaining the boundaries that were expected of her. But beneath her polished exterior, she allowed herself the smallest moments of indulgence, moments where she let herself appreciate you without guilt or panic.

Like the way your focus sharpened when you were cross-referencing evidence, your pen tapping softly against your lip as you thought. Or the way you carried yourself with confidence and compassion in the courtroom, even during the toughest cases. Casey noticed it all.

And she also noticed how natural it felt to have you in her orbit.

One particularly late evening, the office was quiet again, save for the sound of papers rustling in Casey’s office. You were there, as usual, seated across from her with a cup of coffee in hand. The two of you had developed an easy rhythm, debating legal strategies, tossing ideas back and forth, and even exchanging dry quips when the cases became too heavy.

Tonight, you were working on a high-profile trial, and the tension in the air was palpable.

“This witness is our best shot,” you said, your voice steady but thoughtful as you scanned the notes. “But I’m worried their credibility might take a hit if the defence brings up their record.”

Casey leaned back in her chair, watching you for a moment before responding. “You’re right. We need to get ahead of it. Acknowledge the record before the defence can weaponize it and then redirect the jury’s focus back to the facts. It’s a risk, but it’s the only way to keep their testimony intact.”

There was a beat of silence as you made a note in the margins of the file. Then, without looking up, you said, “You’re really good at this.”

Casey blinked, caught off guard. “At what?”

“This,” you said, gesturing vaguely around her office. “Making tough calls, strategizing, keeping everything together. It’s inspiring, honestly.”

Casey felt a warmth rise in her chest at your words. She cleared her throat, attempting to downplay the compliment. ��It’s just part of the job.”

You finally looked up, meeting her eyes. “It’s more than that, Casey. You care about these cases, about these people. It shows.”

Her name on your lips sent a small shiver down her spine, but she kept her composure. “I appreciate that,” she said softly.

The moment lingered, a quiet understanding passing between you. Then you broke the silence with a sheepish smile. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to get all sentimental. Guess I’m just tired.”

Casey chuckled, the tension easing. “It’s okay. I’ll allow it this once.”

You laughed, and the sound felt like a balm against the stress of the day.

As the clock ticked closer to midnight, you finally stretched and stood, gathering your things. “I should get going before I fall asleep in your office.”

Casey stood as well, walking you to the door. “Get some rest, Y/N. We’ll pick this up in the morning.”

You nodded, giving her one last smile before disappearing down the hallway.

Casey lingered at the doorway for a moment, watching you go. She couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at her lips.

This was enough, she decided. She didn’t need to analyse or act on her feelings, not when she could have these moments with you. You were in her life, and that was enough.

Over time, your dynamic deepened. There were no grand confessions, no sweeping gestures just small, quiet moments that slowly built a foundation of trust and understanding.

Casey found herself looking forward to your presence, not just for your insights but for the way you lightened the weight of her work. And though she never said it aloud, she hoped you felt the same.

A cold winter wind swept through the streets as you and Casey exited the courthouse. It had been a long day, closing arguments for a particularly brutal case had drained both of you, but the jury was deliberating now, and all that was left to do was wait.

“Want to grab a coffee?” you asked, tightening the scarf around your neck as you walked beside her. “I think we’ve earned it after today.”

Casey hesitated, glancing at her watch. She rarely allowed herself these little detours, preferring to keep her professional life strictly business. But when she looked at you, your cheeks flushed from the cold, your smile hopeful, she found herself saying, “Sure. There’s a place a block over.”

The two of you ducked into a small café, the warmth inside instantly soothing. You placed your order and found a quiet table by the window while Casey waited at the counter for her coffee. As she stood there, she caught herself glancing in your direction. You were scrolling through your phone, your brow furrowed in concentration, and Casey felt a now-familiar tug in her chest.

It was a strange, delicate feeling, this quiet pull toward you. She’d always been good at compartmentalizing her emotions, but with you, it felt impossible. Every time you were near, her guard slipped just a little.

When she returned to the table, coffee in hand, you looked up and smiled. “Thanks for this. I needed it.”

Casey sat across from you, her fingers curling around her cup. “No need to thank me. I needed it, too.”

The two of you sat in companionable silence for a moment, watching the snow flurry outside the window. Then you turned to her, your expression soft.

“How do you stay so composed all the time?” you asked, leaning forward slightly. “I mean, today’s case was… awful. And yet, you were so steady, so in control. I don’t know how you do it.”

Casey’s lips parted slightly, caught off guard by the sincerity in your voice. “I don’t always feel steady,” she admitted after a moment. “Most of the time, I’m just as affected as everyone else. I just don’t show it.”

You nodded, as though you’d suspected as much. “You’re kind of amazing, you know that?”

Casey’s heart skipped a beat. She looked down at her coffee, hoping you wouldn’t notice the faint blush creeping up her neck. “I’m just doing my job.”

“You do it really well,” you said softly.

Something in your tone made her look up, and when your eyes met, she felt that pull again, stronger this time, almost tangible.

Her pulse quickened, and for a brief, reckless moment, she wondered what it would be like to let her guard down completely. To tell you the truth about the way she felt.

But then she reminded herself of who she was and what was at stake.

She broke eye contact, taking a sip of her coffee to steady herself. “Thank you,” she said finally, her voice measured.

You didn’t press her further.

Casey woke up the next morning feeling unsettled. She had dreamed of you again, not in any explicit or dramatic way, but in a quiet, tender moment that felt more vivid than reality. The two of you had been standing in her office, the room lit only by the soft glow of a desk lamp. You were smiling at her, and she’d reached out, brushing her fingers lightly against your hand.

The dream had felt safe, comforting, but now, in the harsh light of morning, it left her rattled.

Shaking the thought from her head, she got ready for the day and headed to the office.

By the time she arrived, you were already there, flipping through a case file with a look of concentration. Casey hesitated in the doorway, her pulse quickening at the sight of you. It was becoming a habit, this quiet moment of watching you before you noticed her.

“Good morning,” she said finally, stepping into the room.

You glanced up, your expression brightening. “Morning, Casey.”

There it was again, her name, spoken so easily by you. It shouldn’t have made her heart stutter, but it did.

“Big day today,” you said, gesturing to the stack of files on your desk. “Jury’s coming back with a verdict this afternoon.”

Casey nodded, grateful for the distraction. “Let’s make sure we’re prepared, no matter which way it goes.”

The hours passed in a blur of meetings and last-minute preparations. Casey threw herself into the work, but every now and then, her gaze would drift toward you.

It wasn’t until lunchtime that she allowed herself a break. She sat alone in her office, staring at the untouched takeout pasta on her desk.

“Get it together,” she muttered to herself.

But the truth was, she couldn’t. Not entirely. You’d become a fixture in her thoughts, and no amount of logic or professionalism could change that.

For so long, Casey had prided herself on her control. But you were unravelling her in ways she hadn’t anticipated.

And it wasn’t just the attraction that threw her off. It was the way you made her feel seen, understood. The way your presence brought a sense of lightness to her otherwise heavy world.

She thought back to her conversation with Olivia weeks ago. Sometimes the heart doesn’t care about what’s expected. It just knows what it wants.

But what did she want?

The thought haunted her for the rest of the day, even as the jury returned with a guilty verdict and you both celebrated a hard-fought win.

That evening, as you packed up to leave, you paused by her office door.

“Good work today, Casey,” you said, your smile warm. “You were incredible in there.”

Casey managed a small smile in return. “You weren’t so bad yourself.”

You laughed, the sound sending a familiar warmth through her chest.

“See you tomorrow,” you said, giving her a little wave before disappearing down the hallway.

Casey watched you go, her mind a tangle of emotions.

The precinct was buzzing with laughter and conversation, the air filled with the scent of mulled cider and pine. The annual Christmas party was in full swing, a rare moment of levity in the chaos of their work.

Casey had almost skipped the event entirely, but she’d let Olivia talk her into it. “You work too hard, Casey. You deserve one night to just be human,” she’d said with a smirk.

Now, standing by the bar with a glass of wine in hand, Casey regretted letting herself be persuaded. She felt out of place among the twinkling lights and festive chatter. But then she saw you.

You were across the room, talking to Detective Tuttle from Vice. You were wearing a simple but elegant black dress, your hair falling loosely around your shoulders. You looked radiant, and Casey’s breath hitched as she watched you laugh at something Tuttle had said.

And then Tuttle leaned in, a little too close.

Casey’s grip on her wineglass tightened. She tried to focus on the conversation around her, but her attention kept drifting back to you.

Tuttle was laughing now, his hand resting lightly on your arm. You didn’t seem to mind, you were smiling, your eyes crinkling at the corners the way they always did when you were genuinely amused.

Casey felt a wave of something she couldn’t quite name. Jealousy? Protectiveness? It was a sharp, unfamiliar pang, and it unsettled her.

“Careful, Novak. You’re glaring,” came Olivia’s voice, low and teasing, at her side.

Casey turned sharply to find Olivia holding a beer, her expression far too amused.

“I’m not glaring,” Casey said, her tone clipped.

Olivia raised an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. You’ve been staring at Y/N and Tuttle for five minutes straight.”

“I’m not…” Casey stopped herself, exhaling sharply. She looked away, taking a sip of her wine.

Olivia smirked, leaning in slightly. “You know, if you’re feeling territorial, there’s a simple solution.”

“I’m not feeling territorial,” Casey snapped, but the heat in her cheeks betrayed her.

Olivia just chuckled, taking a sip of her beer. “Sure, Casey. Whatever you say.”

Casey tried to ignore her, but when she glanced back at you and saw Tuttle leaning in again, this time whispering something in your ear, she couldn’t stay silent any longer.

Before she could stop herself, she set her glass down and crossed the room.

“Y/N,” she said, her voice sharper than she intended.

You looked up, startled. “Casey! Hey, I didn’t know you were here.”

Tuttle straightened, clearly surprised by Casey’s sudden appearance. “Novak,” he said, nodding politely.

Casey barely acknowledged him. Her attention was focused entirely on you.

“Can I steal you for a moment?” she asked, her tone leaving little room for argument.

“Uh, sure,” you said, glancing at Tuttle apologetically. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize to him. Who cares about him?!” Casey mumbled under her breath.

She led you toward a quieter corner of the room, her pulse racing. She didn’t know what she was going to say, she only knew she couldn’t stand watching someone else flirt with you.

“Is everything okay?” you asked once you were alone, your brows furrowed in concern.

Casey hesitated, suddenly aware of how irrational she might seem. But the words spilled out before she could stop them.

“I didn’t like the way Tuttle was looking at you,” she admitted, her voice low.

You blinked, taken aback. “Tuttle? He was just being friendly.”

Casey shook her head. “It wasn’t just friendly.”

Your lips parted slightly, surprise flickering across your face. “Why do you care?”

The question hung in the air, heavy and unspoken. Casey felt her throat tighten. She could deflect, make an excuse, brush it off. But as she looked into your eyes - wide and questioning - she realized she didn’t want to hide anymore.

“Because I like you,” she said softly, the words trembling on the edge of a confession.

You stared at her, your expression unreadable. “Casey…”

“I know it’s unprofessional,” she continued quickly, her voice quiet but firm. “I know I’m your supervisor, and I’ve tried to push these feelings away, but I can’t. You’re important to me, Y/N.”

The silence between you was deafening. Casey’s heart pounded in her chest, every second stretching into an eternity.

Finally, you spoke, your voice soft. “I… I didn’t know you felt that way.”

Casey let out a shaky breath. “I didn’t mean for you to find out like this. But seeing him with you, it made me realize I couldn’t keep this to myself anymore.”

You looked at her for a long moment, something unreadable flickering in your eyes. Then, slowly, a small smile tugged at your lips.

“I’m glad you told me,” you said gently.

Casey blinked, her breath catching. “You are?”

You nodded. “I’ve always admired you, Casey. And I’ve always felt something. But I didn’t think you’d ever see me that way. I mean, you’re you, after all.”

Relief washed over her like a tidal wave, and for the first time in weeks, she felt like she could breathe again.

“Maybe we should talk about this,” you said, your smile widening. “But somewhere less public.”

Casey chuckled softly, the tension in her shoulders easing. “Yeah. I think that’s a good idea.”

The precinct’s Christmas party ended with a warmth Casey hadn’t expected, both from the holiday spirit in the room and from the lingering glow of your smile as you’d left together to talk.

The two of you found yourselves in a quiet dive bar down the block, the buzz of the party left behind. It was cozy and dimly lit, with only a few other patrons sipping mulled wine or beer.

Casey fiddled with the corner of her napkin, her nerves showing in the way her fingers fidgeted. You sat across from her, your eyes warm and patient, giving her the space she clearly needed.

“So,” you said softly, breaking the silence. “Where do we start?”

Casey looked up at you, her lips pressing together in a tight line before she exhaled and finally spoke. “I don’t know. This isn’t something I’ve ever… dealt with before.”

Your head tilted slightly, a soft smile on your lips. “You mean liking someone you work with?”

Casey hesitated, then shook her head. “No. I mean… liking a woman.”

Your eyes widened slightly, and Casey rushed to explain. “I didn’t even realize it at first. I thought it was just admiration, or respect, or...” She paused, closing her eyes briefly. “But then, you’d smile, or laugh, or just walk into the room, and everything felt different.”

She opened her eyes, meeting your gaze, and there was something vulnerable there, something raw. “It scared me. It still scares me.”

You reached across the table, your fingers brushing against hers. “Casey, it’s okay. I know this is new for you, but you don’t have to figure it all out right now.”

Casey stared at your hand on hers, the warmth of your touch grounding her. “What if this complicates things?” she asked quietly.

You smiled, squeezing her hand lightly. “It might. But I think it’s worth it, don’t you?”

Her breath caught at the sincerity in your voice, and for a moment, all the fears and doubts melted away. She nodded slowly. “Yeah. I think it is.”

The two of you stayed there for a while, talking about everything and nothing. Casey found herself relaxing, her usual guarded demeanour softening as she let herself just be with you.

The next day at the office, things felt surprisingly normal. Professional, but easy, like always. It wasn’t until later in the day, when you brought her coffee without her asking, that she caught your knowing smile and felt a flicker of something new, something exciting.

Olivia caught on first, of course.

“So,” she said casually one evening as she leaned against Casey’s desk. “You and Y/N seemed pretty cozy at the Christmas party.”

Casey didn’t look up from her file. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Olivia smirked. “Uh-huh. Sure you don’t.”

Casey sighed, finally meeting her gaze. “It’s… new.”

“And?”

Casey hesitated, then allowed herself a small smile. “And it feels right.”

Olivia grinned, clapping her on the shoulder. “Good for you, Novak. Just don’t let McCoy catch wind of it. You know how he is.”

“I know,” Casey said, rolling her eyes. “We’re keeping it discreet.”

And you did. At work, nothing changed. Your professional rapport remained strong, your banter sharp, your respect for each other unshakable.

But in the quiet moments, when no one else was around, there was a new kind of intimacy. A lingering glance. A brush of hands as you passed her a file. A shared smile that spoke volumes without a single word.

One evening, weeks later, the two of you were working late in her office. The building was quiet, most of the staff long gone, and the only light came from the lamp on her desk.

You stood by the window, gazing out at the city lights, your arms crossed over your chest.

Casey watched you from her chair, a soft smile tugging at her lips. “What are you thinking about?”

You glanced back at her, your expression thoughtful. “How lucky I am to be here. To work with someone like you.”

She stood and crossed the room, stopping beside you. “The feeling’s mutual,” she said softly.

You turned to face her, your eyes searching hers. For a moment, neither of you moved. Then, slowly, tentatively, she reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear.

“I’m still figuring this out,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “But I want to figure it out with you.”

Your smile was gentle, your hand coming up to rest on hers. “You’re not alone in this, Casey. I’m right here.”

And in that quiet moment, with the city glowing behind you and the world feeling far away, Casey leaned in, her lips brushing softly against yours. It wasn’t rushed or dramatic, it was gentle, tentative, and filled with the kind of emotion she’d spent so long trying to ignore.

When she pulled back, her heart pounding, you smiled at her, your eyes shining.

“I think we’re going to be okay,” you said softly.

Casey smiled, her fears fading in the warmth of your presence. “Yeah. I think we are.”

#fanfiction #lesbian #lgbtq #wlw #2024 #english #fanfiction writing #casey novak #casey novak x reader #Casey Novak x y/n #law and order svu #ada Casey novak #detective #Olivia benson #Elliot stabler #odafin tutuola #john munch #Alex cabot #law and order

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sadistichaunt · 2 days ago

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@dickgraysonsptsd : #i've been thinking about this sooo much mal .. sladick dynamic is so sexy when focusing on dick as brain and slade as heart

YOU GET ITTTTT

I dunno this is gonna be such a rambling post but. I definitely think that they themselves believe they embody the opposite (dick as heart and Slade as brain). Dick, especially in opposition to Bruce, is bright and funny and loud. He was Robin , for Christ's sake. But on his own, when he's not under Bruce's wing, he's analytical, he's a bitch, he's downright cold when he wants to be.

But he wants emotion to come easy to him. It doesn't. Look at how he acts- yes, he lashes out at times, but the way that he intellectualizes things leaves little to no room for processing the emotional part of things. (Dick strikes me as the type to be like "well. I understand *why* so and so did this thing- I'm going to act upset because I *should* be upset, but it's mostly playacting through emotion rather than actually feeling it. I know why they did it, I know how to avoid this situation in the future, so it's no skin off my back.) (not that he doesn't feel emotion- he absolutely does. But at his core he's a performer. Who's to say how much of his intensity is real?)

(I'm not as much of an expert on dick as I am Slade, this is my general take on him, not the complete analysis of him)

So when he sees Slade- someone who's cold and analytical and professional, being *emotional?* He gravitates towards it. He craves that realness, that genuine feeling (even if it hurts him in the end) because it's something that he's never been able to obtain for himself.

Slade, on the other hand, fights tooth and fucking nail to keep that Deathstroke reputation. He refuses to give up a name to save his own son for that reputation. But when it comes down to it, Slade is such a deeply emotional person that it colors *everything* he does. There's this line somewhere in TNTT vol.1 when Grant first dies. Slade *knows* the Hive got him killed on purpose. He knows that they were trying to get to him. He tries to play it off as a "I have to finish my son's legacy" but the only reason hes doing anything is because he cares. He loved Grant, in his own fucked up way, and his hurt + anger at his death was what fueled everything for him. No one would blame Deathstroke for ignoring a contract that wasn't even his. No one even knew that Ravager was his son, at least not the people that mattered.

So, just like Dick, he gravitates towards what he doesn't have. He sees someone who, supposedly, has the same mask that he's wearing. A professional and aloof facade. But where they differ is that Slade drops his mask, sometimes. When they're fighting, when the contract gets a little too personal, when Dick says something that digs a little too deep. What pisses him off is that he can't seem to find any cracks in Dick's mask and he wants to be the one to pry underneath it.

Somehow, the personalities between Dick and Slade have gotten totally mixed up in fandom??

Slade is an INCREDIBLY emotionally-person. Nearly all of his major decisions come from his connections with other people. He took up the Titans contract because his son died during it. There's like, at least a dozen lines in TNTT where Slade admits that he doesn't care about contracts, he doesn't care about the money, he takes most important contracts based on his personal investment in them. At his core, he's prideful, but even that is set aside in favor of his relationships.

(even with Joey. Joey just wasn't important enough for him)

Dick, on the other hand, is cold and calculating in almost every sense of the phrase. He's quick as a whip and clever, and his compassion + empathy somehow makes this... Disappear when it comes to fan content. He turns into a caricature of the "bubbly, golden retriever" stereotype instead of the FAR more intriguing personality that he has. He cares, of course he does, but that is overshadowed by his analytical brain. Look at this like from TNTT (I forgot which issue- it's when him and Kory's relationship was in it's infancy)

Dick: Besides. I think I've always been too introspective for my own good.

Kory: I know I love you. Isn't that enough?

Dick: I don't think so. You see, I only think I may love you.

#dunno this is super rambly #rats is probably gonna reblog this he started rambling abt dick grayson when he was proofreading this post #but YOU GET IT DGPTSD YOU GET IT

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elderberries-and-honey · 2 days ago

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Dear Gladys,

I have been home with Beth and my sisters for a little over a week now. Mostly, I have been working on my cross-stitch; Beth says I have some of the best embroidery skills for a girl my age that she has ever seen! I suppose this shouldn't have shocked me so much, since Ms Hoffman always complimented my skill, but it seems to mean more from Beth since she is so good herself.

Beth told me that when she was a girl, she was very poor, and she sewed all of her and her sister's clothes by hand. She says this is why she often makes mine and my sisters dresses; she calls it 'a habit she never grew out of'.

But even though I love my needlepoints, my hands grow sore and sometimes I just can't stand it anymore when the needle keeps biting my fingers! So, I cannot imagine how Beth does it for so long. If I was ever rich, I think I would buy a sewing machine instead.

Beth and I have worked in the kitchen together before, but now, she says, I should learn more since it will be good for me as a wife. She has been teaching me to bake all sorts of things, and of course, I thought of you and your family!

First, we started with bread, and she taught me to knead dough by hand, which I did not realise was such hard work! I think I will savor every bite of the bread from your bakery from now on.

After I mastered the bread well enough, we moved onto some pastries, and I liked that a whole lot more. She has taught me how to make Papanasi, which is my father's favourite dessert. Next week, we will make Kissel, since the big cranberry harvest is this Saturday afternoon. Though I am not too fond of them, I am still excited anyway.

Something to know about Beth, is that she is what my mother calls, 'very devout'. My mother says this is why she respects Beth so much, because Beth practices her beliefs everyday, not just on Sundays like some people.

And so, Beth and I have started to read the Bible together at least a little bit everyday. But reading with Beth isn't like it is in church at all; she actually makes it fun! When we're finished with our daily passages, she even lets me ask all sorts of things about our reading, and never, ever sighs impatiently. I think this is what my mother means when she says Beth practices everyday because most grown ups I know do not like it when you ask so many questions.

I think Beth might be the kindest woman in the entire world, and I must say, if we all must become grown ups someday, I hope that I am like her.

Goodness, I miss you so much; it feels like it's been years since I've seen you, rather than a week. I hope I receive a letter from you soon, and you simply MUST tell me what is going on with everyone in class.

Sincerely,

Flora Belle

Thank you again to @antiquatedsimmer for the bible pose pack who without this scene would still just be fever dream in my head. Be sure to check out my lovely friend's other pose packs here!

#she says she hopes she's like beth....#then starts reading the bible before bed 😉#ts4 historical #ts4 decades challenge #ts4 legacy #ts4 storytelling #ts4 gameplay #decades challenge #generation 01 #the baudelaire legacy #1890 #florence baudelaire #beth herbert

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forestshadow-wolf · 24 hours ago

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Christmas Brainwashed soap thought in not Christmas time?

Soap still in Makarov's clutches, he's back in the cell he keeps him in, settled for the night on the hay bedding he's got like some kind of animal. The skin-warm metal of the mask digs into his face, a constant pressure of discomfort that he's learned to live with, velvet green gas tickles his lips, his nose. It's a thin, constant stream of it, soap doesn't know what it is, but it makes him docile. He doesn't like it. He wishes it would go away, or stop, or run out. It never does.

The lock clacks open, and makarov steps through the door.

"Come here."

It's wrong. Soap knows it is. But he's not quite sure what's not wrong anymore, so he goes. Sat infront of the man like a dog.

"Take it off." Makarov commands. He does. Unscrewing valves, and popping latches. The suction releases with a hiss, and he has to pry the metal hooks from his skin. He does so unflinchingly. The fresh air feels good on his face, in his lungs. Residual wisps of green waft away from the mask and out the tubing, but nothing more, nothing wasted. His mind whispers something about cruelty, of how he can remove his own mask and yet he cannot, but he's not sure what abouts, so he pushes it away.

Something clatters next to his leg, and when he looks it's a new mask. A skull face, painted- no. Dyed red, it has straps that look around his head instead of hooks to go into his skin. Its got modified attachments that'll connect to the valves and latches of his suit.

"Put it on." Makarov tells him, "it's Christmas. And I have a very special surprise for a very special someone."

Soap complies. Placing the metal mask to the side, and picking up the skull, and the previously hidden muzzle looking mask underneath that he hadn't seen before. He glances up at makarov once, but just as quickly looks back to the thing in his hands.

Unfortunate, he thinks, to have just a moment before being flooded with the green gas again. He clips the muzzle on, connecting it to the left side valve, and latching it onto his suit. A sigh escapes him as he slips the straps over his head, adjusting the skull until he can see out the eye holes correctly. Then he tugs on the loose ends until the edges of the mask dig harshly into his skin. He snaps and screws the rest of the gas intake together before looking back up at makarov.

"We have some fun to make." He grins, and it makes soap shiver under his skin. It feels wrong.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He's tired, but concern about that must be pushed out of his mind, he has orders. Infiltrate this military base, and blow it sky high. Makarov says there's information or assets or something that can't get out, it's soap's job to make sure it doesn't. He sets another charge. A gasp.

"Johnny?"

He whips around with a glare. Nobody was supposed to find him in the dead if night, the whole place should be asleep. He grips his gun, aiming it at the voice. A man dressed in typical army fatigues, and an atypical skull mask. He flinched at the weapon shoved in his face as any sane person would, his hands came up in obvious surrender.

"Wha- Johnny, what the hell?"

He didn't know who the hell this "Johnny" was, but it certainly wasn't him. Makarov calls him Nautilus, sometimes Soap, but recently qith the new mask he's been calling him Red. His other hand came up to stabilize as he lined up the irons.

"Wait wait wait wait wait! Wait! Just- wait!" The man's eyes looked panicked. "What the hell?" He mutters to himself, then to soap, "Don't. Don't do this, Johnny. Please." He begs.

Soap curses internally. He's already been caught, no way will he be able to finish the job tonight. He'll have to cut his losses, blow the charges He's already set. Then he camp it, and look for and opening to take out the rest of it place. He can't go back. He can't. Makarov said not to return until the job is finished.

He turns abruptly, sprinting back the way he came, hoping to get to the balcony exit he spotted on the way, before the man giving pursuit catches up to him. Left. Right. THERE! Just down at the end of the hall. He careens down the stretch of concrete, crashing through the glass door, he leaps the railing. The landing had pain lancing up his legs but his shoved it away, back on his feet and escaping the perimeter, he detonates the charges as soon as he's withing minimum safe distance.

#el rambles #john soap mactavish #simon ghost riley #ghostsoap #soapghost #call of duty #cod #cod mw3

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goddessofroyalty · 1 day ago

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Hey! I binge read all of your Work/Life Balance fic last night and loved it. The way you kept them in character was amazing. For Viktor, I could hear his lines in my head in his voice.

I saw you were still low-key taking prompts for it. An idea came to mind about Viktor's own reaction to finding out he was pregnant? Especially to be about 3 months when he found out?(If I mathed correctly lol) I know you alluded to his whole "testing multiple pregnancy tests" but I think it would be interesting to see his full reaction, coming to terms with it, and potentially his failed attempts to tell Jayce because it wasn't the perfect time?

Prompt Idea: Viktor's reaction to actually finding out he is pregnant and the failed attempts to tell Jayce that you mentioned in Work/Life Balance? Idk, just kinda think it would be cute

Glad you enjoyed the fic! I think I got all the parts of these two prompts.

In the version of the final scene in my head before I wrote it Jayce actually kept going out and getting a new pregnancy test after the previous ones positive. I feel like what I’ve gone with is possibly funnier (and a lot less repetitive to write/read).

Tags: omegaverse, mpreg, thoughts/concerns about miscarriage

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

The nurse hands Viktor a pregnancy test with the same amount of enthusiasm as she had the paperwork.

It is the correct amount of enthusiasm given the circumstances.

Nobody actually thinks he is pregnant. The doctors having years ago had the conversation with him about how, with his health, he would very likely be unable to conceive. They had been so gentle with their words and moved the tissue box closer with them despite how little it had actually bothered him. Relationships and children barely worth a thought compared to his work.

Policy dictates that, as he is being sexually active, they must check to be sure before doing any scans that may harm a fetus if he was carrying one.

He’d just lie about it if it wasn’t for how Jayce’s habit of scenting him every opportunity he can means half the time the box is already ticked before he’s even handed the form.

So Viktor takes the cup and the paper-wrapped stick to the bathroom and waits the ten minutes it takes for the little negative sign to appear so the nurse can tick the box on the form that says, yes, they checked, and Viktor can return to his notepad while he waits his turn. His plans for what work he should be able to get done after his appointment is finished well-formed when the results finally show up.

Viktor grabs the piece of plastic and only pauses to look at the thing because it doesn’t seem to be the familiar negative he knows.

Probably just a different brand than they usually get.

He digs the instructions out of the bin just to be sure.

After unfolding and refolding the leaflet so just the bit with what the results mean is on the front he holds the instructions in one hand and test in the other. Comparing the results against which means what.

Pregnant.

The two lines in that exact position apparently mean he’s pregnant.

When they had first started making him take them Viktor had looked up the reliability of them hoping for some argument that they were a waste of everyone’s time. It hadn’t succeeded at his goal at the time but had left him with the knowledge that false positives were basically impossible.

He is, apparently, pregnant.

He returns to the front desk in the reception on autopilot. Standing before the bored-looking receptionist who expects him to tell her that the test was negative as expected and that she can finish checking him in for the scan.

Because he shouldn’t be pregnant.

He can’t be pregnant.

Yes, perhaps, maybe he and Jayce were not as diligent with protection as they could be. Sometimes they got caught up in their excitement of their latest breakthrough and getting the condoms the last thing on their minds. But nothing should have come from it because Viktor’s body had never been healthy enough to even give him a consistent heat schedule.

“I will have to cancel my appointment today,” Viktor says. Only realizing he had brought the test with him when he clenches the hand not holding his cane and feels the plastic dig into his skin.

The receptionist opens her mouth to no doubt ask why he would need to cancel when he’s already there for it. A flash of surprise crosses her face as she no-doubt remembers what she had had him do and the obvious conclusion of the two pieces of information she has before returning to professional friendliness.

“Of course. Let us know if you need to rebook.”

She doesn’t say congratulations or any of the other things you are apparently meant to when somebody informs you they are pregnant, which is good, because Viktor doesn’t know how would respond.

“Yes, of course,” he says with a sharp nod. “Thank you.”

The smile she gives is devoid of any excitement or judgement. The smile of a professional who has been taught that something like this can mean something very different to different patients.

Viktor shuffles out of the clinic, ignoring the bored stares of the others in the waiting room until he is out on the street. The pregnancy test still in hand.

He tosses it into the first bin he finds of course. It is very unhygienic to carry around something that has had his urine on it. Keeping it with him won’t change the situation. If he needs evidence when he tells Jayce he can always take another one.

How is he ever going to tell Jayce?

No.

No he needs to be realistic. False positives are impossible but it may be a case that an embryo was created and implanted before his body rejected it. A reminder that they should stop being lax about the condoms. There no point mentioning it to Jayce if that is the case.

No, first Viktor should book an appointment to test again under doctor’s supervision. By then if it was just a momentary thing the hormones will have cleared from his system and he can forget all about it.

There is no need to get Jayce involved yet.

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

“When was your last heat?” the doctor asks after Viktor returns from peeing on another stick that does not return the expected negative despite it having been long enough since the scan appointment that had it been an immediate miscarriage any residual hormones should have left his system.

“A year ago.” His heats had never been regular so skipping three was hardly a cause for suspicion or concern.

The doctor’s brow furrows because a lack of an obvious heat makes it harder to figure out any kind of timeline of conception.

“Have you experienced any bleeding?”

“No.” Not that it really proved anything from the reading Viktor had done after the initial positive result. If his body had rejected the pregnancy early enough it is easy for even omegas to miss the resulting passing.

“Has there been a single incident of your contraception methods failing?” the doctor asks. “For example, did the condom break during-“

“Eh-“ Viktor grimaces because there wasn’t really a single incident of a condom breaking but rather a common enough occurrence of them forgoing using one entirely.

“Right,” the doctor says, thankfully saving Viktor from having to say it. “In that case I think it is best to arrange an ultrasound to confirm if there is any evidence of pregnancy, and, if there is, how far along.”

Viktor nods as he tries to figure out where to fit another appointment in with the new project. It would be far easier if Jayce was around more instead of being dragged around by councilors and investors in wherever their whims take them.

“I also wouldn’t suggest informing anyone about this,” the doctor continues. “You may be very early into a pregnancy, and, with your other health concerns-“

There is a good chance he still may miscarry. No reason to bring it up with Jayce until they are more certain.

“Of course.”

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

“Have you told your alpha yet?” the ultrasound technician asks as she smears gel over Viktor’s exposed stomach.

“No.” there is no point considering it would likely end in miscarriage.

“Well that’s hardly fair to keep all the excitement to yourself,” the technician says as she reaches over for the ultrasound, moving it around his stomach clearly searching for his uterus.

“It is still early. I will tell him once it is far enough along to not be likely to miscarry.”

“You shouldn’t think like that!” the technician says, glancing at him quickly before returning her attention to the screen.

“I am just being realistic.” A pregnancy does not necessarily mean you will end up with a baby. Especially not if one’s health is like Viktor’s.

“So you are just going to keep it to yourself until you’re 3 months along?” the technician asks, her movements less broad. Likely trying to find any evidence of a very early pregnancy.

“Yes.” Things are easier that way.

“In that case you’re gonna’ want to figure out how to tell him,” she says before spinning around the screen so he can see his uterus and the baby-shaped blog within in. “Because three months is about where’d I put you. Congratulations.”

Viktor likely wouldn’t have believed her if he couldn’t see it with his own eyes. Which is probably why she showed him the screen. But, sure enough, there it was. Not a full baby but also not a bundle of cells of a new implantation.

“I haven’t had any symptoms.” Nothing that made him think anything had changed other than his sickness.

“Some people get lucky like that,” the technician says with a shrug. She presses a button on the screen that causes it to pause on the images while she removes the ultrasound from his stomach and offers him a tissue to wipe the gel off. Her hand suddenly resting on his knee. “I’ll arrange for a printout for you at the front desk. Maybe that’ll help you with telling your alpha yeah?”

“Thank you.” He doesn’t know if a print out of an ultrasound will actually help him tell Jayce but he supposes it is better to have it and not need it than not have it.

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

Viktor stands in front of the mirror in just his boxers staring at the reflection of his still completely flat stomach. His hands running along it feeling for any sign of a swell that could be the baby that was apparently in there and finding nothing.

It always takes longer for omega men to show, the ultrasound technician had said with a laugh like he was stupid for asking how he could possibly be 3 months along without a single outward sign. Your hips hold everything a bit further back. I wouldn’t worry through. Give it a couple weeks and you’ll have a bump for you and your alpha to fall in love with.

It still doesn’t feel real though. Not even with the print out of the scan that shows the very real fetus apparently resting in his uterus.

The door swings open but Jayce immediately turns around when he notices Viktor’s state of undress.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realis you were changing,” Jayce says despite the fact they have both seen each other completely naked. The fact that they had managed to make a baby together, even if Jayce doesn’t know that piece of information yet.

“It is fine,” Viktor says, grabbing his shirt and quickly buttoning it up on himself. It’s ridiculous, if Viktor can’t see any evidence of pregnancy there is no way Jayce will. But the idea of Jayce finding out before Viktor has the chance when it is clear Viktor should know is unpleasant.

Viktor grabs his cane from where he had hung it over the edge of the desk. Shoving the scan printout under some notes as he does.

“You can look now,” Viktor says because Jayce clearly isn’t going to unless he’s told he can.

Jayce turns around immediately. Beaming at Viktor in his fond way.

“Does this mean you’ll be joining the dinner tonight?”

“What? No! I was just-“ trying to see if he could see their baby. Which, if he were to tell Jayce now, would not see the alpha attending the dinner either. And while Viktor does not actually care about stealing Piltover’s Golden Boy from his adoring fans, Jayce’s growing social requirements are an necessary evil for their progress. “It does not matter. I will not be attending.”

“Come on Vik, please, for me,” Jayce says, coming over to wrap his arms around Viktor. He easily slots his head onto Viktor’s shoulder, the pout on his face reflected back on them in the mirror. “You can’t force me to go to another one alone.”

“I think you will find I can,” Viktor says, but leans into the warmth of Jayce’s body. “Anyway, they do not want me there.”

“I want you there.” Jayce’s grip tightens as he nuzzles against Viktor’s neck more like a young pup than the proud alpha he is. “Please Viktor.”

“I-“ could cause a scandal if he really wanted to. Drop the news halfway through the party when the gaggle of over-interested omegas swarm Jayce in the hopes of winning his attention. Have all of Piltover talking by morning. “-have work to do.”

It is hard for Jayce to argue with that. Their work as important to him as it is Viktor.

“It’s unfair you know,” Jayce says as he draws away, fixing his coast in the mirror. He looks every bit the charismatic leader Piltover imagines him to be. “That you get to stay in our lab working while I have to keep listening to the same conversation about the weather all night.”

“That is the price you pay for being the face of progress.”

“Not funny Vik,” Jayce says, but leans down for a quick kiss all the same. “I’ll try and sneak out and join you after the first round of being introduced to everyone.”

“Do not do anything that would have Councilor Kirramman unhappy with you.”

“Don’t worry – I’ll get Cait to cover for me,” Jayce promises before slipping out to head to the event.

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

Strong arms wrap around Viktor as he stands in front of the blackboard in their lab. Jayce’s head coming to rest against the top of his as the warmth of the alpha’s body seeps through the back of Viktor’s clothes.

“I missed you,” Jayce mumbles against Viktor’s hair. Nuzzling into it was if it is at all an effective way to pick up someone’s scent so far away from any of the actual scent-glands. “You smell good.”

Viktor tenses at that. Of course the pregnancy would be starting to affect his scent, making him even more appealing to his alpha in a biological attempt to keep their support there for the pregnancy and hopefully beyond. If he was as far along as he apparently was it’s surprising it hadn’t started to change already. And Jayce is not stupid. He will likely realize what could be causing it.

It might work in Viktor’s favor though. Let Jayce figure it out and claim ignorance.

All he has to do is act surprised. He can do that.

“Sorry,” Jayce says, drawing away. “I didn’t mean to break your focus.”

He didn’t think anything of the change in scent then.

“It is fine.” Nothing ground breaking had been happening. “Are you finished for the day?”

Viktor could just tell him about the pregnancy. It is not as if there is anything he cannot pause for the afternoon.

“I wish,” Jayce says with a whine. “I have another meeting in an hour. I just wanted to come check on- ah- our work!”

There will be no telling him today than.

“In that case there is something I wanted your opinion on,” Viktor says because he will take what he can get of Jayce’s mind before he has to hand him back to Piltover’s elites.

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

“Jayce do you have a minute?” Viktor asks on what is becoming a rare afternoon where Jayce can just stay in the lab without having to run off to some social engagement or investors meeting. Nothing that he need not be distracted for.

“Yeah, of course,” Jayce says, dropping what he is working on to come over. He leans over Viktor’s shoulders to examine what he is working on, expecting it to be about that. “What do you need?”

“What I need is to tell you something.” Viktor can feel how Jayce almost freezes at it. The alpha’s attention now fully on him.

Viktor wonders what Jayce thinks he’s going to tell him. Likely not that he is pregnant.

Before Viktor can find the words the door to the lab swings open and Mel hurries in with a hustle that is as close as Viktor thinks he’s ever seen her do to running.

“Oh good you’re here – I need you to talk to the new investor.”

“What? Why?” Jayce asks, craning his neck to look over to Mel but not moving from where he is leant over Viktor.

“He has concerns about the safety of the Hexgates and is threatening to pull funding as a result.”

“That is ridiculous. The Gates are perfectly safe!” Heimerdinger wouldn’t have let them go ahead if they weren’t.

“I know that! But he isn’t being convinced by me. I have him in a room and he’s agreed to discuss with you first, but, we do not have much time before he walks.”

“Go,” Viktor says before Jayce can think about refusing. “My news can wait.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” The pregnancy isn’t going anywhere but the investor apparently is.

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

“You deserve this more than I do,” Jayce says, holding out a drink to Viktor now they have both returned home from the investors meeting where they displayed their latest prototype. An identical glass in his other hand. “You did more of the work than I did.”

“You kept the investors happy.” Viktor would also rather Jayce in the lab with him but somebody has to be the face of their work and Jayce is far better suited for it than Viktor. “And, ah, none for me.”

Alcohol and pregnancy do not mix. Not that Jayce knows about that fact yet. The two barely getting to spend more than a moment together the last few weeks.

“You can take one night off to celebrate,” Jayce says still holding the glass out.

They do have the night off. The project finished and investors and council happy. Nothing that needs to be done that cannot wait until morning. Nothing he might be taking Jayce away from by telling him about the pregnancy.

“It is not that,” Viktor says, meeting Jayce’s eyes and the adorably puzzled expression. “I cannot drink at the moment on account of, eh, being pregnant.”

The surprise that overtakes Jayce’s face is exactly what Viktor expected all the times he thought about telling him.

“What?”

“I am pregnant,” Viktor confirms.

“Really?” Jayce asks, glancing down at Viktor’s stomach which remains completely flat.

“Yes. The doctors are quite sure.” Viktor wouldn’t be telling Jayce if they weren’t.

“The doctors?” Jayce asks before realization crosses his face, because he does actually know of Viktor’s frequent medical appointments – partners and all. “Right. Of course just-“

Jayce puts the two glasses back on the counter and runs a hand through his hair and this is exactly why Viktor hadn’t told him right before he had another obligation. It would be cruel to send him into a council meeting in the level of shock he is in.

“I-“ Jayce starts, before swallowing and nodding, having made up his mind about something. “Wait here.”

“Wait- what?” Viktor asks as Jayce grabs his coat and heads to the door. “Jayce where are you going?”

“I just need to get something. Don’t go anyway!” Jayce says before racing out the door leaving Viktor alone in the apartment.

“Don’t go anyway. Why would I go anywhere?” Viktor asks to nobody but himself. Sighing before making his way over to the couch to sit and wait for Jayce to return. Setting his cane down beside him.

He is sure Jayce will return and not just because it is his apartment Viktor currently is in. Yes, he’s heard stories of Piltover alphas seeming head over heels for an omega in Zaun only to vanish as soon as a pregnancy is in the picture, but Jayce isn’t like that. Their work, at least, is far too important for him to abandon.

“Can you not inherit his recklessness?” Viktor asks his still flat stomach as he leans back on the cushions and waits.

The door swings open at Jayce’s hast when he returns. The alpha not wasting time taking his coat off, instead rushing to where Viktor is and all-but slamming a handful pregnancy tests on the coffee-table.

“I know you said the doctors are sure,” Jayce rambles before Viktor gets the chance to say anything. “But please, for me?”

It makes sense with Jayce being who he is that he would want tangible proof of his own. And, really, it is not that arduous for Viktor to indulge him this.

“Can I have some water first?” Five tests will require a rather high amount of urine from him after all.

#Arcane #Arcane mrpeg #mpreg #Jayvik #Jayce Talis #Viktor Arcane #I accidently a ficlet #Anon prompt #Prompt Fill #Prompt Fic #Ramblings of the Goddess #Work/Life Balance

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apoptoses · 2 days ago

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So I think there's a real world point and also a meta point here that serve as some kind of explanation, and unfortunately (in my opinion) the real world issue holds the greater weight on why Lestat is the way he is.

In America, we (sadly) really don't study French literature. The great American novel forms the backbone of most schooling, and then the British greats, and more recently scattered works by people who belong to minority/oppressed groups in the US. People know basically of the Count of Monte Cristo, the Three Musketeers, and Les Mis. And most of those because they've been made into films or stage shows. French philosophy is a fairly niche category one would only encounter in college, if then, or via encountering someone well versed in it who introduces them to those works.

(French history that's not exclusively Louis XIV, Marie Antoinette, or the French revolution? Forget about it. We don't learn any of that in school, except in brief mentions, and for the hobby historian French history books are pretty much limited to those topics)

For Anne, who grew up Catholic, those works would have been even more narrow. The Catholic Church has a list of 'banned' works which would tempt one into sin, and during her childhood Dumas and the Count of Monte Cristo was actually on it. Her awareness of Roman and Greek history was due, in part, to the fact that those cultures have biblical ties and thus history books about them were okay'd by the Church.

Then on top of that we have her admission that she struggled to read until sometime after college. Why, she doesn't really say, except to say her mind 'wandered' when she was assigned to read in school (which imo points to possible adhd considering she did take adhd medication later in life). And so she struggled with all reading to the point she didn't actually finish reading some of the works required for her master's thesis. Finishing a single book by Dickens, which she did love, took her over a year. Most of her early knowledge of literature came from stories she heard read over the radio or by her parents. And her later knowledge, which she had at the time she was working on iwtv, was that which she was assigned to read in college- which again, was mostly American and British works.

Which makes the blurring of her and Lestat all the more relevant here: Lestat himself does not learn to read until he becomes a vampire, and even then we don't see him mention reading at all until sometime after his return from Paris. At that point he picked up detective novels which, like Anne, he'd first heard read aloud on the radio.

And so like many underprivileged people who learn a skill later in life and then feel shut out by those who'd known it from their youth, I have to wonder if Lestat himself didn't feel some kind of way about reading and literature and eschewed reading for a good while after picking it up. His own mother knew of his desire to read, even read in front of him, but never shared literature with him and didn't push back against his father when he was brought home from the monastery, where he might have learned to read some.

That's a great wound right here and I wouldn't be surprised if for a time he felt derisive of French literature and those who were well read. Lestat was one of those harecatcher lords, aristocratic in blood but not in daily life, an outsider to the group he technically had the right to be a part of. Anyone who grew up like that would be liable to reject those things valued by those who spurned them, or those they feel like they're outside of. I can picture him in iwtv times sneering at Louis for picking up a book by Dumas and refusing to read it himself, though he very well could have, and mocking him for being a backwater intellectual.

(And sure, in iwtv he knows Shakespeare- but was he reading it, or did he pick it up the way he picked up his lines for his own plays? By hearing them over and over again?)

And you're right, him being so admiring of the British doesn't really make sense at all, unless you look at it from the angle that his pop culture awakening came at a time when British was synonymous with cool in the US. And by that time Lestat doesn't really seem to care for France at all (and why should he? He experienced mostly pain during his brief time in that place, much like Armand has little positive memory of Kyiv: it's all overshadowed by his kidnapping and loss of homeland)

So it's funny because despite his past in some ways Lestat is the most American of vampires. He embodies the American ideal of an immigrant who sheds their nationality, takes up the English language, and submerges themselves in American media. And via that Americanness he can be anything but also in some ways be nothing all at once.

I'd love to know what he read after his return to Auvergne and the establishment of the Vampire Court, and if he returned to his 'roots' so to speak. But sadly he's too busy dealing with kidnappings and replimoids for us to hear much about that lol

Armand, Haussmann, and Paris:

The thing about Paris that's not really discussed in the VC books themselves is the Haussmann project.

In 1853 Napoleon III commissioned Haussman to completely renovate Paris. The plan was to tear down all of the old structures and rebuild the city; reorganizing the streets and reshaping them to accommodate more green spaces, and replacing smaller buildings with taller apartment blocks in more uniform style.

The Paris Armand knew when he arrived as the coven master and which he came to know as the theater leader would have looked something like this:

Dark, winding streets leading off wide boulevards and short, leaning buildings.

The Haussman project would see all of these places systematically torn down, occupants removed to other areas of the city while new buildings were put in their place. In some areas workers were destroying and rebuilding things 24 hours a day.

At this time Armand would have been living at the theater on the boulevard du Temple, Paris's street of theaters:

This dagguerotype shows the boulevard in 1838. This painting, in 1862, looks much the same:

But by 1863 all but one theater on the street had been destroyed, and that was only because that theater was on the opposite side of the street shown in the painting. How and why it wasn't pulled down, I don't know- no information on it seems to exist, just like no explanation for the very small handful of other old structures that were left untouched.

That theater, the Théâtre Déjazet, still exists today. But it was established in 1770 by Comte de Artois, so while it could have been Anne's inspiration for Armand's theater it's not the 'rickety wooden rat trap' that seats 300 that Lestat describes in TVL.

Anyways, knowing all of this, I think it makes even more sense why Armand so quickly grabbed onto Louis and was ready to run away with him at any cost.

Armand, who'd been kidnapped from the monks, who'd had his palazzo torn out from under him, who'd established something of an existence under Les Innocents and was then ripped out of that world when the cemetery was destroyed. Who was watching the city he'd finally come to know get systematically torn apart. Everything that was familiar to him was being taken again.

So why not let Louis burn the theater? He arrived in Paris in 1870, just as Haussman was dismissed. But the work of destroying and rebuilding Paris was set to carry on. Chances were the Theatre de Vampires would be next, and if that were the case there's no way the crypts beneath the place would remain safe and undiscovered.

And if he'd stayed where would they go during the renovation? What would they do? What would the point be in continuing trying to run a coven he was bored of and a life he didn't care for in a new location?

Armand was going to have to begin again somewhere- better that be with Louis, out in the world, than roaming a now unfamiliar Paris. And even though he didn't burn the theater himself, allowing/instigating Louis to do it still gave him more control than letting a stranger come in at some unpredictable moment to demolish things all over again.

(And what of Lestat, what does he feel about these changes? He never could have shown Louis the Paris he knew and loved, which existed when Louis was still mortal- that Paris was largely gone)

Chances were Anne might not have known most of this at the time she wrote interview or even TVL. But I think it still makes a lot of sense and brings up a point about Armand and immortality that I don't see brought up much- that not only do vampires lose every mortal they've ever known, but with time they also see the destruction of every place they've ever known or loved.

(ps: I'm not an expert on this topic or anything, so if anyone does know why some buildings were unchanged or has any interesting historical info to add by all means please, reblog and add it on!)

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iloveelliefanfics · 2 days ago

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um... wuhluhwuh? part 2

a/n: heyy loveliest ellie fans thank you so much for loving the first part of this, i wanted to start by thanking you. here's the second part, if you haven't read part one here it is: part one, so yeah enjoy it and thank you for all the support!!

synopsis: it takes place a day right after, you ask her out to go to the Winter dance together :p (i saw a cute dellie edit and i thought I'd go with this)

proofread! wc: 1,6k

pairing: awkward ellie x reader

What the hell even happened yesterday? You question yourself at 2:13 am. You couldn't sleep. She was all over your mind, you tried to crush the imagination of her in your thoughts. Tried to get rid of how good you fit in her arms, how good it makes you feel hugging her. You can't even imagine how it would make you feel if she had the courage to kiss you yesterday. You thought to yourself "maybe I should've made the first move", there were a lot of maybe's and what if's. That didn't change anything even though you wished it would've. Does she sleep well? Does she even sleep? All you could think of was Ellie and the way she smiles at you, the way she makes you laugh, the way she makes you feel things you never thought was possible. You made the decision that you'll be brave. You'll ask her out. You'll ask if she'd like to go to the Winter dance. You knew she wasn't fond of these things but maybe spending time with you and being with you would make her want to go to that "stupid dance" as she liked to call it.

In the morning you woke up with four hours of sleep, tired but excited with a mixture of being nervous. You were excited for the dance but nervous of what Ellie would say. You did your morning routine, ready to go to Ellie's place to talk to her, -about the dance, about yesterday- you also had the feeling she wanted to talk to you. As you walked through town in the morning, greeting people, it reminded you how good it is to be a part of a community. Sometimes the days you spent outside and the feelings, the memories came back. You tried to think of something else on your way to your so-called friend. You wished those days never happened. You happened to have talked about those days to Ellie, in "exchange" she told you her story. You two were so similar it hurt. As all these thoughts were running through your mind, you arrived at Ellie's garage, hesitating before knocking. "C'mon Y/N, don't be a fucking coward, it's just a dance."

You knocked on the wooden door, with shaking hands, hearing loud footsteps from inside. As Ellie opened the door you noticed that she definitely had just woken up. Her hair was a mess, tiredness visible on her face that had come along with a big yawn. "Good morning Ellie!" You welcomed her with a big grin, trying to play off your nervousness.

"Morning Y/N." She said between yawns. You giggled at how sleepy she was. "Didn't sleep much last night huh?" You asked, mischievously.

"Couldn't sleep at all, but I'm guessing you didn't get much sleep either." She looked all over you, taking every inch of you. "Anyway come on in!" She stepped aside so you could walk through the door. "Yeah I... I couldn't either.." You mumbled while going inside. You sat down on her couch looking at the current comic she was reading. She sat down right next to you.

"So um, i kinda wanted to talk about something, specifically two things." You looked at her hoping she's willing to have the talk. "Yeah, Y/N, I'm all ears, wassup?" She asked and leaned closer to you, paying full attention to what you had to say.

"Basically just about yesterday... and today. I was actually wondering if you'd like to go to the dance with me... I know you said it's some stupid dance but i thought it would be great hanging out and y'know, ju-" You couldn't finish, she put her hand on your left thigh and gave you a reassuring smile.

"Of course I'd like to go with you" You looked at her tattooed arm that was resting on your thigh now, feeling flushed. "N-nice! Um... and about yesterday... uh, y'know the almost kiss..." It's like she can read your mind, she finished your sentence. "It didn't happen cause it wasn't the right time. I hesitated because i didn't know if you'd want it, if you'd want me. But now that you're bringing it up, I have a feeling you would've wanted it." She was now caressing your thigh. She never showed this side of hers. It was bold and just not that Ellie awkward who's all about her comics. What demon took her? You questioned.

"Okay first of all, when did you become so fucking bold and straightforward about kissing me or even wanting me? Second of all, of course I wanted it, third of all, what is happening??" It was like you panicked, she sensed how tense you were and placed her left hand on your face, forcing you to look at her.

"Hey, it'll happen when the right time comes. I want it to be special. I want it to be so fucking memorable because that's what you deserve." She was now caressing both your thigh and face, making you feel relaxed and safe.

"O-Okay... Um, so what do we do now?" You placed your hand on hers, pressing your cheek to her palm.

"Let's watch a movie, then we could find out later what we could do." She smirked at you, which made you flushed even more. But she seemed to be really smitten by you and her face was all red. It was adorable.

The two of you spent your time until the dance with watching movies, playing games, and Ellie made you read some comics with her. She was actually just explaining the lore of her current comic while you tried to read it. It's been a while since you laughed this much. You were glad it was with her. She always made you smile, and always made your day brighten up. You were so thankful that she is your friend. Or maybe soon to be girlfriend. You two now started flirting, and getting closer, the stolen glances lasted longer. It was really a matter of time now. Before the dance the two of you separated to get ready, both of you agreed to meet later on.

At the dance

You arrive to the dance feeling nauseous from how nervous you are. You walk in and see your friend Dina dancing around and Jesse and Ellie talking at the bar table. You wipe your hands in your jeans, and walk towards your friends.

"Hey guys, wassup?" You try to be casual, but can't stop grinning when Ellie looks at you and walks up to you to hug you.

"Heyyy Y/N" She hugs you tightly, taking your scent in. "I'm glad you're here" She pulls away from the hug, setting her drink down.

"I'll let you two talk." Jesse nods towards you and Ellie then winks at her, he walks away, leaving you two alone.

"Let's go dance!" You try to yell over the music that was playing and you pull Ellie towards the dance floor. She smiles at the way you intertwine your fingers with her. She puts her arms around your waist, pulling you closer to her. You put your arms around her neck and tuck a strand of her behind her ear.

"Sooo... did you miss me in those very long hours we spent separately?" You chuckle while asking it as a joke, but her expression doesn't soften, it hardens and her face turns from happy to serious.

"I very much missed your joking ass." Her tone is serious and tough but still has a hint of mischievousness. You were left speechless. As you dance with her it feels like it's the best night of your life. The memories you made together so far, and how far you've overcome your fears with her. So deciding it is the right time you lean closer to her face.

"I think this is the right time." You whisper and kiss her. At first she doesn't kiss you back, surprised by your sudden move but when she comes back to Earth she kisses you back.

Ellie's pov:

She thought to herself that she can't believe you wanted to go to this dance with her, She never thought you'd want to be with her.

"How the fuck did I win this gorgeous girl?" She mumbled as she put down her journal. You only ever lived in her journal, the sketches she made of you, the songs she's written about you.

"Maybe I could play one of them tonight after the dance if it goes well with her." She said to herself again, lost in thoughts.

"Okay Ellie you can't fuck this up, if you fuck up, you fuck up your friendship too." She mumbled to herself as she put on her outworn converse sneakers, ready to go to the dance.

At the dance; Ellie's pov:

She's at the bar with Jesse talking about you.

As the two of them were talking she sensed your presence, as she turned around she saw the biggest grin on your face that she could ever imagine. As she hugged you tightly she wished she could stay in this moment with you. You felt so good between her arms, your scent was the best thing she had ever taken in, you were mesmerizing. You invited her to dance, she was thinking whether or not would be the time to finally take matters into her hand and kiss you. She was so nervous but happy. Happy to be with the girl she's had a crush on from the very first day. You took the first step and kissed her, taking her off guard, but she kissed you back. After this you can be sure as hell that her journal pages will be dedicated to you even more, and a song will be played for you tonight.

#fanfic #lesbian #ellie williams #tlou ellie #wlw fanfic #tlou2 #lgbtq #ellie x reader #ellie the last of us #ellie x fem reader #ellie #ellie tlou #ellie williams x reader #fem reader #wuh luh wuh

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