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truelovepolinator · 11 days ago

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Why I'm So Sure It's Luke

I've been pretty quiet here for a while. Much of that is because of the state of the world. I had a bit of a deep spiral last weekend about things happening in my country.

And I confess that the FB comment and funeral hubbub sent me into a corresponding (though temporary) Lukola spiral to which I was doubtless more vulnerable due to my already depressed state. Did I really have to lose my daily dopamine drip (aka, Lukola) just when I needed it most?

Short answer: Absolutely not.

I had already started to pull myself out of my Lukola spiral by Monday (the other spiral is still very deep), and video and photos of Nic that emerged on Tuesday and Wednesday shored me up until I was back to effing rock solid.

I often see things I don't agree with, even on the blogs of folks with whom I usually agree, and I simply move on most of the time. I don't comment. I feel no need to argue with people in their own blogs. In friendly spaces, I'll sometimes share counter opinions because I believe respectful dialogue and debate are important — and have all but disappeared in this era of instant blocks. And we all want to share information and opinions that help us fine tune our perspectives.

But if they're clearly dug into an opinion that I view as wildly wrong, there's little value for me in arguing with them. Let them think what they want. It's not my job to change anyone's mind.

The jakola takes are the easiest to ignore for obvious reasons. I've written extensively about JD's role in Nicola's life and there's no need to do so here. (Feel free to read my other posts if you need clarity around N & J's non-romantic relationship.)

Instead, the takes I find the most frustrating are from the Lukolas who have lost hope, the so-called "realistic" ones who think that we "just have to accept that they're not together," and maybe even that "Luke is with Ant."

To this, I respectfully say, we absolutely do not have to accept any such thing because the evidence is fully on our side.

Truth be told, I suspect I'm most vexed by these posts because I used to be one of those "realists." In late summer/early autumn, I had fallen victim to the fake narratives created by the paparazzi shots of both Nic and Luke, all designed to imply a certain narrative without either of them actually saying those things were true. I always believed NicLuke belonged together. However, I reluctantly accepted that "I guess Luke is probably seeing her" and "not sure about that guy, but the photos of Nic and him do look cozy."

I understand the impulse to surrender. It's so hard to have faith, to keep believing in something when there's an apparent narrative being constructed in the public eye that tells you you're wrong. It's painful (and feels delulu) to keep believing when you've been let down repeatedly by pap photos you assume are true.

It's very easy to accept a false narrative if you don't have the energy to dig in and really pay attention to all the signs and information available when you look for it. (This is true on the world stage as well, and we should all think very critically about the stories we're being told, but I digress.)

I wrote extensively and in gory detail about how and why I'm so sure about Lukola in my blog post "Nicola and Luke Are Absolutely Together...," which I'll link here for anyone who wants persuasion or reassurance. I won't rehash all of that here, but I do want to touch on a handful of milestones & crumbs, many of which are recent, that make me quite sure about Luke being the man in Nicola's life.

One of the recent assertions I saw was that we need to let go of the significance of the Claddagh ring. (I'm not putting anyone on blast. I can't even remember who said this, and I think it was someone I like, so no offense.) But I could not disagree with this more.

Claddagh rings are worn to represent relationship status more than anything. Yes, they can be given in friendship, but the orientation of the ring on the wearer's finger is fundamental to understanding the ring. Only someone with no connection whatsoever to its heritage or meaning would throw it on willy nilly in any direction they pleased.

Not everyone follows the rules closely. I wore mine for years, on my left ring finger, heart down when I was free, heart up when I was taken. I only stopped wearing it when I replaced it with my engagement ring. (Obviously, I was not following the traditional 4 steps.)

Some wear it just on a single hand, whichever they choose. Some might wear it just while single (even engaged), then replace it when married. Some use it to indicate engagement and marriage when that time comes, others focus solely on taken or not. Admittedly, not everyone follows every step closely.

However, Nicola is from Galway where the ring originated. She is deeply proud of her Irish heritage. There is no chance she would put that ring on any finger with the heart pointing toward her heart unless her heart was taken.

Now, let's remember that she picked that ring up while she was in Galway during the World Tour. She modeled that ring in Chupi photographs, with the heart pointing up (heart taken) wearing the same outfit she wore to the screening. The same screening where she hugged her mother to within an inch of her life, then introduced her mom to Luke. That was the most tearful, emotional intro I've ever seen between a guy and his platonic co-worker's mom, huh?

Hypothetically, could her heart have been taken by someone else at that stage? Well, do you really think a secret significant other — who was important enough to warrant a "heart taken" ring orientation — would be okay with Nicola not only getting the ring while she's physically with Luke (and flirting heavily), but also making that showy, deeply emotional introduction between her mother and Luke? If you were her secret, non-Luke SO, would you be okay with it?

There is literally no chance.

Chupi told us that ring was to commemorate Season 3 of Bridgerton. Again, would a secret, non-Luke SO be fine with her wearing a ring that symbolizes her Polin season with Luke as a symbol of this secret, non-Luke SO's love?

I won't even bother digging into the symbolism of the rings on the hands, but say it were true that she just wanted it to commemorate a special season. If her heart weren't taken, that ring on her finger would have pointed down. She told us the moment those photos were snapped that her heart was taken, and logic tells us that, at that moment in time, it could only have belonged to Luke.

Since then, lots of things have happened. There were pap photos galore, all telling a very different story, right? Again, it's very easy to accept a false narrative when it's spoon fed to you. But gosh, wouldn't those pap photos also provide excellent cover for two people in love, possibly nesting together, who also wanted to keep their love very, very private?

I talk a lot more about this in the above linked blog (and others) and I'm not going to tackle it here. If you don't want to believe it, that's your prerogative, but if you're curious about whether it could possibly be true, I encourage you to have a read.

So set aside the adjacents for now and focus exclusively on our girl Nic. What we know is that she wore that ring consistently through the summer and early fall, on her right hand, heart pointing up (heart taken). Then, in October, she switched it to her left hand.

Again, not everyone follows every traditional Claddagh step, but Nicola is a Galway Girl. If she's been wearing it consistently on the right, then suddenly switches it to the left where she continues to keep it consistently, she's not oblivious to the meaning of that switch. That switch is deeply significant.

Remember, the left hand is traditionally the hand where it's worn to indicate engagement (heart down) and marriage (heart up). And when she switched, she kept the heart pointing up.

Does that absolutely mean she's married? No. As always, we don't know any of them personally, so we can't say for sure. But simple, not-a-reach logic tells us that the way she's worn that ring is significant.

With that ring, Nicola has told us in no uncertain terms that she is in a significant, committed relationship (possibly engaged or married since October). And she's been in that relationship (or at least committed in her heart to that relationship) consistently since at least June (really, late April/early May when she commissioned it).

Will we ever know exactly what happened last summer while she and Luke were apart (Sorrento, Spain, Malta, etc.)? No, we won't — and frankly it’s none of our business (as curious as we may be).

But we know that Nicola's heart was taken by the same person throughout. Because logically, would she really have been so into Luke in June when all of the above happened (commission, putting it on, meeting mom)... then break it off... then, by October, find a new person to be so committed to switch her ring to the left hand? The math just doesn't math on that one.

It was Luke in June and it was Luke in October. And she's still wearing that ring in the same direction as of Wednesday night. So yes, it's still Luke.

But I promised you more recent hints and crumbs to support my certainty. Honestly, @frantastical has this stuff so magnificently catalogued that you really should check out that incredibly comprehensive "Multitude of Morsels" if you haven't already.

Still, here's a small handful of (by no means comprehensive) things I've seen with my own eyes in just the last month that have told me I'm sitting in exactly the right restaurant on exactly the right ship:

New Pink News story posted with an old quote (that would have been approved by Nic's team) where Nicola says, "That's all I want, is the girls and the gays. And Luke."

Both Ryan Wheeler and Shondaland openly shipping Lukola ("get married for real")

Nic's year-end photo dump threaded through with Luke, both directly and indirectly

Luke's year-end photo dump threaded through with Nic

Even one of Nic’s Doctor Who photos, which isn't associated with Bridgerton at all, managed to nod at Luke

Video clip re-emerges of the Featherington women giggling when Bessie teases, "Well, two people fell in looove, I gueeessss," then they all giggle and agree that they can't say who

Both of them unaccounted for over Christmas and New Year's (days that are usually spent with significant others) while the adjacents were both accounted for on both holidays

Old story somehow emerges in which Nicola says Luke makes everything better, and Luke says about the "friends to lovers" story that "that's what happened to us when we met." (I'm probably slightly paraphrasing, but close enough.)

Nicola turns up with a tan

Luke turns up with a tan

Luke comes online very briefly, just long enough to congratulate Nic on her SAG nomination, cheering on his queen, and then he's gone

Nicola posts a birthday photo that appears to be a cozy dinner for two with several hints of Luke, most notably the red and yellow flowers (red is for love; most people focused on yellow being for friendship, and I think that's true, but I also very much think it's for Polin. And either way, "friends to lovers" or "love and Polin," those flowers say Luke.)

Luke likes a Jack Rooke post about Big Boys. Bearing in mind that JR is one of Nicola's longstanding, closest friends, this clearly suggests Luke is getting to know him

Nicola swoops in to distract from last weekend's mess with a new, obviously staged pap drop (based on weather, likely from a while in the past and kept on hand for when it was needed), once again protecting Luke and his family

And then there are a handful of crumbs and hints that point to something else that I've been reluctant to talk about. I still won't get into it here, but I will say that there are definitely recent things that are suggesting to me a very specific, very happy story. These include:

ETA: Photo of Nic with two Dunkin drinks & two straws (drinking for two?)

"Shit Stirrer" tee-shirt, holding shirt just so with photo cropped very particularly (who exactly is the shit stirrer in that photo?)

"May your 2025 be as happy as this potato made me" (which potato?)

Video with the hot water bottle

Big Boys (clearly wearing the ring)

And that is literally all I will say about that. But let's just remember that all of this has taken place while Nicola continues to wear that Claddagh ring on her left hand, pointed toward her heart. Even in those silly pap photos with Jake from Monday.

The only times we've seen her without it were when she wore special, fancy jewelry for events (showy hand jewelry that she could prominently display by placing her hands in front of her stomach instead of on her waist or hips). Every other time, it's either there or her hands are (perhaps intentionally) hidden.

Doubtless some "realistic Lukolas" will read this and say, "But you're ignoring all the photos of Jake and obvious proof of how close they are."

To which I reply, "Yes, I am." Because I've written loads about that relationship, what it is, why it is so heavily documented, and what they each get out of it (other than friendship). Again, if you want to know more, feel free to read my blog. But those photos mean nothing to me because I understand the truth that lies beneath them. I have absolutely nothing against Jake. I think he's been a good friend to Nic, but that's all he is.

Meanwhile, we've seen nary a peep from Luke except to cheer on his girl, and going back a bit further, that very happy looking S4 selfie with Nic. Has anyone ever noticed how much more he smiles with Nicola than anyone else? His actual smile ratio with Nic compared to literally anyone else is off the charts.

So, yeah, it's Luke all the way. I don't know for sure when it started (might tackle that in a different blog), and I'm not sure how many times they've pressed the on/off button before locking in, but I absolutely believe they are fully locked in now. The evidence is everywhere.

As always, I say these two things. First, we know nothing for sure until Nic or Luke or both of them together make it absolutely, incontrovertibly clear to us. So could I be wrong? Yes, it's certainly possible. If I'm wrong, I'll admit it, and I admit right now that I will be heartbroken. I'm not going to front about this. But I don't think I'm wrong.

Second, you are very free to draw different conclusions. However, if you wish to do so, I invite you to consider the evidence as presented first. Especially if you've given up the ship because you're afraid to believe.

Have no fear, Lukolas. The evidence is on your side.

#nicola coughlan #luke newton #lukola #nicluke #lukola is real #my thoughts #just my thoughts #just my opinion #ring truther #claddagh ring #Nicola’s heart is taken

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roosterforme · 10 months ago

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The Younger Kind Part 60 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: Your bachelorette outing and Bradley's bachelor party are both hosted by the same person, but they couldn't be more different. Spending an evening at home with Noah is reminiscent of your babysitting days, but now he's asking you some pertinent questions.

Warnings: pregnancy topics, swearing, smut, drinking, angst, fluff, and age gap (18+)

Length: 4500 words

Pairing: Single dad!Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x babysitter!female reader

Check out my masterlist for more! The Younger Kind masterlist.

Natasha was outside in her SUV on the driveway, ready to pick you up for your bachelorette outing. You refused to call it a bachelorette party since it was just the two of you going out for the evening, but Bradley made sure his best friend knew to spare no expense when it came to anything you wanted.

"It's just pedicures and pottery," you whispered against Bradley's lips with a smile as he held you close so he could feel your round belly against his body. "I'll be home in a few hours."

He grunted softly, kissing you a little deeper before releasing your lips. "We'll still miss you," he murmured, letting his hands roam along your hips while Noah sat on the area rug and worked on one of the new coloring books you picked up for him. "And don't overdo it." When Natasha started honking her horn, he let his forehead rest on your shoulder. "She's the worst."

You just laughed and kissed his cheek as you said, "She's the best, and you know it, Daddy."

It would have been impossible to dispute that fact. She was the one who took care of you when Bradley wasn't stateside. "Go have fun."

"Bye, Mommy!" Noah said, popping up to give you a hug when Bradley released you. He scooped his son up since he didn't want you lifting anything, and you gave Noah a kiss on the forehead.

"Have fun with Daddy," you told him, kissing him once more before heading outside to Nat's idling SUV.

Bradley stood on the porch with Noah and waved until you were out of sight, and then Noah asked, "Can we get Mommy a coloring book?"

"Hey," Bradley said, nudging the door open while also making sure Skittles didn't get outside without her leash on. "That's a great idea, Bub. Maybe a Princess coloring book? You can give it to her for the wedding?"

His son looked so much like a tiny version of himself, and he had to stifle his laughter as Noah nodded stoically and said, "Yeah, she'd like that. I have so many great ideas."

Bradley took him back inside, and they ended up stretched out on the floor together. Noah continued with his masterpiece while Bradley started searching for options on his phone. After a few minutes, he found an independent shop that made coloring books with different themes based on photos that you send to them. "Do you like this?" he asked his son, holding up his phone.

Noah looked at the sample pages as Bradley scrolled through them. He nodded and said, "Mommy is prettier than that."

"She absolutely is," Bradley replied as he realized the wedding was in a week and didn't know if a custom book could even be completed in that short amount of time. "Let me see if we can get something like this for her. If not, we can always save it for her birthday."

His son started to pout at the mere mention of having to wait longer for it, so Bradley started typing up a message to the owner of the shop, hoping that he'd be able to explain that it was for his wedding. Once that was done, he checked the time and asked, "Do you need a snack before dinner?"

"Ants on logs," Noah replied without missing a beat. Bradley had no problem with the healthy snacks you somehow tricked the two of them into eating, but he was always told he never got the peanut butter proportions right.

"Yeah, okay. I can try to make them the way you like-"

"Mommy left some in the fridge."

Bradley chuckled as he stood up, coaxing Noah to abandon his coloring project for the time being. "Of course she did. She's the best." Somehow even when you weren't here, you had everything covered.

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"Okay, so if you could ditch Bradley and marry a celebrity, who would you pick?"

You burst out laughing in the pedicure chair next to Natasha with your hands resting on the roundest part of your belly. "Who said I would? Even if I could?" She gave you a look followed by an eye roll before you said, "You'll laugh at me, so I don't even want to say my answer."

"Just say it," she prompted as you dragged your foot through the warm water.

You groaned and said, "I like all the older, DILF-y actors."

Natasha started cackling as you covered your eyes with your hands. "You have a type!" she said amidst her laughter. "And your type is Rooster!"

You thought back to all the time you wasted with Greyson and other guys your age and grimaced. "I don't think that was always my type. It's a more recent development, and I'm not mad about it." You moved your hand on your belly and added, "Boy suck. Men are at least marginally better."

"Well," she said, leaning a little closer to you like she had a secret. "You found a good one. Or rather, I kind of found you for him. But regardless, he's a keeper. Kind of because he has Noah."

"Mostly because he has Noah," you told her, and then both of you were laughing.

After your nails were painted a vibrant purple, Natasha took you out for dinner and let you eat until you were full. You could tell your body and appetite were changing by the day, but you refused to feel self conscious about it in front of her. The two of you were sharing a slice of cake for dessert when you said, "He really did plan almost everything for the wedding. All I did was help him pick out matching suits for him and Noah to wear. And I picked out some flowers and my dress, but that's it."

Natasha hummed as she took another forkful of dessert. "I'm telling you, he'll always be good like that. He's a planner. Very responsible."

You felt silly telling her what was on your mind, but you said it anyway. "He pays my credit card bill. Not that I spend a lot! I try not to! I usually just buy groceries and things for Noah." She nodded like your words weren't as startling as you thought they were. "I kind of wanted to surprise him as a thank you, but if I buy something, he'll see it on the credit card statement."

Maybe you should have been wary of the smirk that found its way to her lips when Natasha said, "What if I rally the boys one night this week and take him out for a little bachelor party?"

"Oh," you said softly. "You'd do that? Just something lowkey?"

"Super lowkey," she agreed with a nod.

You could easily imagine them going to Top Golf or out for some drinks. "I think he might really like that."

"Or.... and just hear me out," she said, holding up her hands innocently after handing her credit card to the waiter. "Or, you let me absolutely roast him for the night."

You studied her face; how bad could it be? She was Bradley's best friend after all. Even if she was giving him a hard time, she'd probably make it fun. "What did you have in mind?" you asked as the two of you left the restaurant and headed for the pottery boutique down the block.

"A few things I'm going to need your approval for," she replied casually. And while you worked on making yourself a mug that said Noah's Mommy, you listened to Natasha's not-so-lowkey plans for Thursday night. By the time your mug actually looked like a mug, you gave her full approval.

"I almost feel bad about this," you told her with a laugh.

"I don't."

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The following evening after Noah was in bed, Bradley set you up for a nice shower while he cleaned up the kitchen from the chicken enchiladas you made for dinner. When Nat called him, he held his phone to his shoulder with his cheek and kept working.

He answered the call and asked, "Hey, what's up?"

"Your bachelor party with me and the guys starts at six o'clock on Thursday evening."

He laughed in response. "It's funny that this is the first time I'm hearing about it."

Bradley could practically feel her rolling her eyes through the phone. "Just be ready to go."

"Ready for what?" he asked, knowing better than to just trust her with this. The dating app was one thing, and that had turned out great in the end, but he wasn't going to blindly go with her on this.

"Uhhh... just some stuff."

"Natasha."

"Bradley."

"What did you do?"

There was a brief pause before she said, "Just be ready for dinner, booze and some strippers."

With a deep sigh, Bradley closed his eyes and said, "I'm going to have to check with my wife-to-be about the strippers, Nat." You had to know by now that you had nothing to worry about, and he wasn't even all that keen on going to a strip club, but he didn't want you to be upset.

"She knows the plan."

He froze as he loaded the dishwasher. "She does?"

Natasha laughed, and Bradley swore he felt his skin crawl. "She does. Be ready for six o'clock on Thursday."

"We have work on Friday-"

She already ended the call. Bradley finished cleaning up when he heard you getting out of the shower. "God damn it, Nat," he muttered as he turned off the kitchen lights and made his way back to the bedroom where you were all wrapped up in a towel.

"Hi, Daddy."

He groaned at your words and your little smirk. "Hey, Baby. Can we talk for a minute?"

Your eyebrows shot up as you held your towel around you a little tighter. "What's wrong? Is it something about the wedding? Did the marriage license not go through? We only have six days."

"No, no," he promised, reaching for you. "It's not that. It's... I just got off the phone. With Nat."

You looked relieved as you leaned against him. "Good. I was worried for a second."

Bradley didn't quite know how to approach this topic now that he was here. Natasha would be as tenacious as a junkyard dog about her plans, so he had to say something. "You don't have anything to worry about."

You laughed softly. "That sounds nice."

He cleared his throat and said, "Nat called about my bachelor party night?"

It came out more like a question than a statement, but you just nodded and said, "Dinner and drinks and the strip club."

"Yeah," he rasped. "You approved this whole thing?"

"Mmhmm. To be fair, it was all her idea. I just told her it was okay."

Bradley tipped your chin so you were looking up at him, your face fresh and perfect after your shower. "If this plan is not okay with you, then I'm not going."

"It's okay with me," you replied easily. "I trust you."

He studied your face. "I feel like I'm going to end up babysitting everyone on a work night. Two days before the wedding."

You snorted in response. "You'll have fun. And so will everyone else. You should go."

"Yeah, I'm going," he groaned. "Nat will just have the guys drag me out if I don't go willingly. But I don't really care about looking at strippers. I got you and your perfect tits right here at home."

You didn't stop him when he slowly tugged your towel from your fingers and pulled it open. And yeah, your tits looked perfect, but so did the swell of your pregnant belly and your soft skin. He was hard as soon as the towel hit the floor.

"Daddy," you whined softly, shivering in his arms. It was December, and the nights were chilly in San Diego; you had taken to snuggling with him even more than usual in your sleep. "Now you need to warm me up."

"My pleasure," he replied, scooping you up and dropping you carefully onto the king sized bed that you picked out for the room. "Let me start right here," he whispered before he kissed you softly, covering your body gently with his. "Feeling warmer?"

You shifted beneath him, spreading your legs wider so he was nestled against your pussy, his cock straining against his jeans zipper. "A little bit," you whispered innocently.

Bradley smirked, and when he brought his hand up to stroke your breast, he said, "I told you, I got these perfect tits right here."

"Bradley," you giggled as his fingers skimmed along your skin, but when he stroked his thumb across your tightly furled nipple, you arched your back and made a raspy gasping sound. Your eyes went wide as you looked up at him. "Oh my god," you moaned.

"Are you okay?" he asked, pulling his hand away, but you were already nodding vigorously.

"It felt really good." The words rushed right from your lips as you rolled your hips up to meet his. "Different, I guess. I can't explain it."

When he rubbed your nipple between his thumb and index finger, he smirked. You were instantly squirming and moaning, reaching for his zipper with one hand and his hair with the other. Your eyes were wild even though he was being gentle, and he dipped his head down to whisper in your ear. "You're extra sensitive right now. It's the pregnancy hormones." He plucked and stroked as you started panting. "God damn, Princess. You like that?"

"Yes!" Your voice already sounded broken, and he'd barely touched you.

"Shh. Keep quiet like a good girl." But his words and hand seemed to have the opposite effect on you, because you just got louder. Bradley reached down to where you had his cock free from his zipper and pulled your hand up to his lips. He kissed your fingers before shoving them a little rough into your mouth. "You have to be quiet if you want me to play with you."

You moaned around your own fingers but nodded your head, and at least you were quieter now as Bradley kissed his way from your neck down to your tits. He didn't know how he was going to manage you when there were two kids in the house trying to sleep, but at the moment, he didn't really care. You were going to be his wife in a few short days. That thought alone had him bucking his cock against the bedding as he ran his mustache along your peaked nipple, inhaling your wildflower scent.

When he pulled your nipple into his mouth and sucked, he could tell your breasts were already a little bit bigger than before. Soon you'd be bigger everywhere. Getting even more sensitive by the day. He was painfully hard right now, listening to your muffled screams and tasting you. He licked and sucked until your tits were both damp from his mouth and overstimulated from his mustache.

When you started bucking up, Bradley eased his hand down to cup your pussy and found that you were soaked. He couldn't remember Meredith getting quite like this as he dipped his middle finger into your slick and easing it down to your hole.

"Daddy," you gasped as you pulled your fingers from your mouth. "I'm going to come."

You looked shocked by your statement as you sank down around his finger. He could already feel your tight pussy fluttering around him as he whispered, "You want me to make it so good?"

His only answer was a whimper as you bit your lip, and he knew he'd make sure you were always taken care of in every way. Carefully, he added a second finger and started to circle your clit with his thumb. You were shaking a bit, your pretty tits bouncing softly as he ran his nose down the valley between your breasts.

"Be a good girl. You know where to put those fingers, Princess," he coaxed, watching you slip them between your lips. Then he let you have his mouth on your tits again, while his hand worked at your pussy. He carefully drew a shaking orgasm out of you as you slobbered on your own fingers, not stopping until he was afraid you'd be too far gone soon.

"Daddy," you whined around your fingers as he ran his tongue flat across your nipple.

"Let me fuck you," he begged, realizing he was already close and needing to be inside you. "Please, Baby."

You reached for his cock and guided him home, and he fucked you with his jeans barely pulled down, coming inside you after just a few strokes. You were the picture of sated perfection with his cum oozing out of your pussy and your wet fingers skimming along your swollen belly and breasts. You were his young, pristine babysitter and his pregnant wife-to-be and everything in between. "I love you."

"Keep me warm all night, Daddy."

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

As you sent Bradley off with Natasha, you shared a conspiratorial look with her. You only felt slightly bad for keeping the bachelor party plans to yourself, and ultimately it made you feel good when Bradley went out for the night in an old pair of jeans and an uninspired shirt. He didn't look the part of a man who wanted to try to dazzle some strippers, and you loved him for it.

"Bye, Bub," he said, kneeling to kiss Noah where he stood at your side. "Be good for Mommy." Then he stood and kissed you deeply. "I won't be out late, okay?"

"Stay out as late as you want," you told him, running your fingers along his cheek as he pulled away from you. "Just don't have a hangover on Saturday."

He smiled and focused on your face even as Nat and the guys yelled at him from Javy's car in the driveway. "Our wedding day. It'll be perfect. Like you."

"Go," you told him with a laugh even as you had butterflies in your belly. "Have fun. We'll be here when you get home."

With one more kiss, he was off and jogging down the walkway. You watched him climb into the backseat, then they all waved at you as Javy backed out of the driveway with Natasha in the front seat. You were wondering how long it would be until Bradley called you to tell you he had in fact been taken to see a bunch of male strippers. The guys had apparently all been so excited when Natasha mentioned the strip club, she had a hard time holding in her laughter. The plan all along was that she'd take Bradley and the rest of them to dinner and then to The Tiger's Cage- San Diego's premier male review.

But you didn't hear from them at all while you and Noah ate macaroni and cheese together. You still didn't hear a word as the two of you took Skittles for a short walk to look at Christmas lights. You even let Noah dip his hands in green paint to make a Christmas tree art project to hang on the refrigerator, but nobody called or texted you.

"Mommy?" Noah asked as you got him changed into his dinosaur pajamas. "Are you going to adopt me?"

You smiled and kissed him on his chubby cheek. "I am," you promised. But when you looked at his face, his brow was pinched with worry.

"Is it going to hurt?"

"Oh, Noah," you said with a surprised laugh, pulling him into your arms and holding him against his growing younger sibling. "Not at all! It won't feel like anything."

"Then why are you going to do it?" he asked, face muffled by your shoulder.

You soothed his back with your hand, considering his question. For all intents and purposes, you really were his mom. Bradley added you to his will; if anything happened to him, Noah was solely yours. "I kind of want to have a little piece of paper with an official signature that says we get to be together forever. Does that sound okay?"

"That's adoption?" he asked.

"That's adoption."

"Yeah, okay," he agreed with a little shrug before climbing into bed. "Can I sleep with Skittles again?"

The pup appeared in the doorway, always excited to hear her name. "She can stay in here until Daddy gets home." You set the dog in bed with him and gave him a little kiss on his forehead as he yawned. "I love you."

"Love you, Mommy." He was half asleep as you turned on his night light and left the room. When you checked your phone, you smiled, having finally received the message you were waiting for.

Bradley Bradshaw: Nat brought us to The Tiger's Cage. My name is on the marquee. It says CONGRATULATIONS DADDY BRADSHAW

You were doubled over in laughter, holding your belly and trying not to wet yourself. Because he also sent a picture. All of the guys were lined up under the marquee sign, and you were pleased to see that they all looked like they were being good sports about the entire thing. Bradley was the only one who looked slightly mortified.

You texted back Go have fun, Daddy Bradshaw!

Natasha sent you some random photos as you got ready for bed. You were surprised Jake was there, given your history with him, but even he looked like he was having fun. You laughed at a picture of Bradley drinking something pink and blended, and then the photos stopped.

You wondered what was going on, but you kept yourself busy. Bradley told you not to clean up, promising to take care of everything tomorrow night before the wedding in the backyard on Saturday afternoon. Since you had the time and the privacy, you tried on your wedding dress one last time, sliding the fabric along your legs and zipping it up your side. You grabbed your purple paper crown, which was looking a lot worse for the wear now, and set it on your head.

When you looked in the mirror, you smiled. The dress fit like a dream and hugged your bump. The crown looked fun at the moment, but you wouldn't wear it on Saturday; you were pretty sure Bradley considered it a 'bedroom' item at this point anyway. Mostly, you looked happy. Like someone who was accepted in this perfect place. Like a woman who was needed here. And you needed the Bradshaw boys to be your family.

You wore the dress around for a few minutes before carefully unzipping it and getting ready for bed. It was late now, but you requested the day off tomorrow, and you wanted to see Bradley when he got home from his bachelor party. After you checked on Noah and Skittles, you curled up on the living room couch.

Every time you stopped to think about the wedding, you got a little anxious. When you asked Bradley what he had planned for dinner for the reception, he just told you he had everything under control. He said all you had to do was show up with some sort of wedding vows, but he didn't tell you anything that he had planned.

You dozed off on the couch, somehow still exhausted all the time, and you had no idea how late it was when you woke up to the sound of laughter and a key in the front door.

"You smell like Axe body spray. I can't believe someone is marrying you."

"Jesus fuck, Nat. I smell like Axe because you took me to see male strippers."

"Well, I know I had a great time tonight," Natasha cackled as she guided Bradley inside, and you stood up with your hand clasped over your mouth. He was a swaying mess, and he was holding a huge wad of cash and a bag from a convenience store.

"Princess," he crooned softly when he saw you, and your heart skipped a beat at the look in his eyes.

"Hi, Daddy."

And then he was on you, so gentle in his overindulgence, it was almost surprising. He was looking around like he wasn't sure what to do with everything he was holding, trying to touch your belly.

"I'll see you on Saturday," Natasha said with a smile as she closed the door behind her, and then you were alone with him.

"What's in the bag? Are why are you holding a roll of cash?" you asked as you guided him to the couch.

He sat down hard and handed everything to you as you stood between his splayed legs. "The strippers were dudes. I made Nat and Javy stop so I could get you some Skittles. I'm really drunk. Can we get married soon?"

When you looked in the bag you found six packs of your favorite candy. "Wow, you must be very intoxicated if you bought a pack of Sour Skittles too."

"Did I?" he asked before stretching out on the couch. "Shit. I'll eat them. Come here."

You sat on the floor next to him and handed him the bag of Sour Skittles as you counted the nearly seven hundred dollars you were holding. "Bradley, where did this come from?" you asked in alarm.

But he just crunched on some of the candy in response. "Oh, these are fucking nasty. Baby, can we please get married?" he rambled, dumping more Skittles into his mouth.

You pushed his hair back from his forehead and kissed him there. "Were getting married in like thirty-six hours. Now can you please tell me where you got this money from?"

"Huh?" he grunted like he'd never seen it before. "Oh. Oh, that." Then he casually dumped the rest of the Sour Skittles and chewed them up while you laughed and shook his arm.

"Bradley!"

He swallowed and dropped the wrapper on the floor before pulling you up onto the couch with him. "Jake got tips for stripping, and Nat made him give me the cash."

"I'm sorry, what?" you asked with in shock as you tried to settle into a comfortable position on him.

"They tried to get Daddy Bradshaw up on stage. I pointed to Jake and said it was him."

You couldn't stop laughing now. "But you got the cash?"

"Yeah," he said, eyes drifting closed as he propped his arm behind his head. "A wedding gift. For the honeymoon."

Just as you settled your head on his chest, you popped back up again. "Are we going on a honeymoon?" You started to feel a little apprehensive about going away for an extended trip without Noah while you were pregnant, but Bradley brought his big hand up to settle on your back as he snuggled in a little more.

"Next year. After the baby's born. Anywhere you want to go."

He really did kind of smell like Axe body spray, and he definitely needed to take a shower, but you let him hold you for a few minutes while he slept.

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

Part 61 will be their wedding! Thanks so much for reading and letting me share this family with you! We're almost to the finish line. Thanks @caitsymichelle13 for the request about the coloring book; stay tuned. And thanks @mak-32 and @beyondthesefourwalls

PART 61

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@mygyn

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bweirdart · 11 months ago

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#mARTch 2024

text version (with more info!) under the readmore! please check it out if you're confused about anything <3

F.A.Q

do i have to draw every day? no!!!! there are skippable days built into the event, please use them whenever you need them! i really don't want anyone getting a wrist injury!

can you share my art? yep! i try to share entries to @bweirdevents daily during the event!! the tags can get busy tho so i might miss some posts OTL sorry

what are the tags? #mARTch is the main tag, but this year you might find posts in #mARTch2024 too!

wait, i'm confused about a prompt... full breakdown of all the prompts below ↓ with helpful hints if you're stuck!

_____

INTRO WEEK

this week is all about your artistic identity ... technically, you don't have to draw anything new this week if you have some art that already fits. the starter days are:

1 ⭐ self portrait who are you? it doesn't have to be you IRL .. if you feel more comfortable drawing a fursona or mascot, that's fine too! if you don't wanna draw, you can also just share old self portraits today and talk about why you drew yourself that way!

2 🤍 inspirations see how this day doesn't have a star? that means it's optional and you don't have to do it at all! but if you really wanna- tell us all about what inspires you to create art! this could be anything from the people that inspire you, the shows you like, the pins on your big messy pinterest board, or concepts that you're drawn to! you can draw something about it, talk about it, or just post your inspirations! anything is fine

3 ⭐ fav thing to draw what do you like drawing most? backgrounds? animals? one specific animal? bust of your oc facing left? cars? the same anime boy over and over and over? no judgement!! show us :)

_____

STUDY WEEK

this is the week we actually start drawing from reference! polished art is not required at all, quick sketch studies are fine! please don't burn yourself out

4 🤍 plant

5 🤍 body

6 ⭐ animal

7 🤍 object

8 🤍 food

9 🤍 face

10 ⭐ hand

these ones are pretty self explanatory! you can do them as realistic studies, or adapt them into your own art style, it's all fine! you can reference from your own photos or from resources on the web.. have fun!

_____

COLOUR WEEK

this is the week for playing with palettes and working on your colour theory skills! if you're really struggling with these ones, don't worry about drawing scenes or characters, you can just have fun splashing colours around on an abstract canvas!

11 🤍 RGB a set or primary colours typically used in digital/screen art - red, green and blue!

12 🤍 CMYK a set of primary colours typically used in traditional/print art - cyan, magenta, yellow ... and key (black!)

for both of these days ↑ you can add in black and white. and feel free to combine the two days into one, if you're struggling with a three-colour palette! use all six!

13 ⭐ WARM COLOURS the warm side of the colour wheel, reds oranges and yellows!

14 🤍 MONOCHROME monochrome doesn't mean black and white ... it means one colour! that can be any colour at all- shades of red, shades of purple, shades of green .. or yeah, grey if you really want!

15 🤍 COMPLIMENTARY complimentary colours are the ones opposite each other on the colour wheel! they're kinda married

16 🤍 YOUR FAV COLOURS pick any palette that works for you! where's your comfort zone? what looks nice to you? what colour combos do you always go back to?

17 ⭐ COOL COLOURS the cool side of the colour wheel, purples, blues and greens!

_____

CREATIVITY WEEK

this week is all about vibes! try to create something that matches the mood of the prompt .. they're vague on purpose! don't overthink it, just draw from the heart!

18 🤍 SMALL you could draw something that's really small, like an ant .. or draw on a canvas that's really small .. or use a really small brush .. get creative with it!

19 🤍 DANGER try to capture the adrenaline .. the rush .. the fear that you associate with the word danger!

20 ⭐ SOFT soft colours, soft textures, soft vibes ... whatever makes you comfy!

21 🤍 MIDNIGHT darkness and secrecy .. spooky witchy vibes .. the tranquility of a forest at night .. the fun of a late-night party .. there's lots of ways you can take this!

22 🤍 POWER what does this word make you think about? superpowers? control and oppression? literal electrical power? something else?

23 🤍 CHILL chill as in calm? or chill as in cold? who knows .. it's up to YOU!

24 ⭐ LOUD try to draw something that feels LOUD! BRASH! IN YOUR FACE! how can you convey sound through art?

_____

FUN + GAMES WEEK

this week is just for enjoying yourself! take it easy and have fun! also .. another reminder! there are skippable prompts! if you're tired and struggling to get to the finish line, please don't hesitate to skip a day!!! or multiple days!! as many as you need!!!

25 🤍 TRY A NEW ART STYLE copy the art style of a show you like, ask a friend if you can try their style, draw the eyes a new way, develop a totally new style on the spot... whatever you want!

26 🤍 DRAW WITH YOUR NON-DOMINANT HAND righties, draw with your left! lefties, draw with your right! ambidextrous nation ... our time to show off!

27 ⭐ DRAW WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED don't peek! try to draw something without looking! if you really want, you can colour it with your eyes open after you draw the lines/sketch with your eyes closed... but please try not to cheat with the actual drawing part!

28 🤍 RE-DRAW SOMETHING OLD find some old artwork you like, or something you feel like you can do better on now, and give it another go!

29 🤍 RE-DRAW A MEME find a silly picture on the internet to redraw .. do you have any in-jokes with your besties?

30 🤍 DRAW A GIFT FOR A FRIEND create something for someone you love <3

31 ⭐ FREE CHOICE final day! you can draw anything you want today! show off your skills! draw something you've been meaning to draw! whatever!

_____

please refrain from reblogging this post after march ends - next year's prompts will be different, thank you! if you have any additional questions, don't hesitate to shoot me an ask!

#mARTch #events

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aramynx · 2 months ago

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ALL IS FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR

KATSUKI BAKUGO X READER

You and Katsuki have known each other since middle school, and have always notoriously been at each others' throats as naturally gifted students. Things take a frustrating turn when you both end up at UA, as those darned teenage hormones begin to run high…

a/n: it's my first time in a few years writing something longer gang, you'll have to bear with my (probably nonsensical) pacing xoxo

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.* *.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.* *.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

part 1 • part 2

“Hey Kacchan!” You called out, bursting into a light jog towards the only familiar face you had seen that morning. You smirked as you watched him tense up at hearing that godforsaken nickname that you just loved to tease him with, causing him to spin around rapidly, although not to greet you.

You were feeling good in your new uniform- it was as comfortable as any school uniform could be, and fit almost perfectly. The man in front of you, however, looked like his trousers were a size too big as they pooled at his ankles. You were sure Mitsuki probably had to wrestle his tie onto him for a ‘first day’ photo before he left the house that morning, that surprisingly was still neatly tucked into the collar of his shirt.

“I can’t believe you’re wearing a tie, are you even the real Katsuki?” You teased, eyeing up and down in feigned suspicion whilst his scowl only grew stronger.

“Shut up, you’re so obsessed with me.” He scoffed, not willing to yell at you before he even walked into his dream school, “Can’t believe I have to deal with your annoying ass for another three years.”

“And the rest of our decades as pros after that! You know we make a great team- we could even put our agencies next to each other.” You smirked, knowing exactly how to piss him off.

“Why do you always have to be such a pain in the ass?” Katsuki shouted half-heartedly before continuing to walk towards your new homeroom. He didn’t refuse your suggestion- you smirked.

You refrained from teasing your long time ‘best friend’ on your way through the building, using the time to look around the halls of the prestigious U.A. High and really soak it all in. You were really here, on your journey to being a hero. Looking out through the long glass windows you observed the masses of students still making their way across the grounds, as tiny as ants from this distance.

Katsuki glanced over his shoulder, watching you for a moment as you stared out of the window peacefully. He hated to admit it, even to himself, but you might not be so bad when you weren’t deliberately trying to push his buttons. He turned away and opened the classroom door, quickly shoving his tie into his bag and kicking his feet up on the desk.

One difference between you and Katsuki was that you were willing to make friends with other people; that was something he’d never understand about you. Once you entered the room, you were practically swept up by a girl who was completely pink, with a wide smile and eager eyes.

“Hey! I saw you earlier on the way in and you are so so cute!” She said, squeezing your hands in hers enthusiastically, “My name’s Mina, wanna be friends?!”

She bounced up and down slightly, watching you as you nodded and told her your name in return before calling another girl- Tsu- over to meet you. As you waited for your teacher to arrive, you chatted with the girls about how amazing it was that you had gotten into U.A. Conversations throughout the room quickly ceased as the voice on your homeroom teacher filled the air, introducing himself with nothing but exhaustion before telling everybody to put on a gym uniform and head outside.

“Are you friends with that shouty guy?” Mina asked on your way down the stairs.

“Oh, Katsuki? Yeah, I guess you could say that.” You started, “We were in middle school together but its more like a rivalry than a friendship- I don’t think he actually likes me that much.”

“Ooohhh drama~!” She smirked in a sing-song voice, excitedly jogging ahead of you, “See you out on the field, ‘kay?”

Once you had changed into your gym clothes, you walked out into the slightly chilly spring air, the sun’s faint warmth overpowered by the cool breeze glazing over your exposed forearms.

“A quirk assessment this early?” Tsu whispered from beside you, “I hope he isn’t serious about expelling anybody.”

“He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to make jokes…” You responded, watching as Aizawa instructed Katsuki to throw the ball as far as possible using his quirk.

You weren’t surprised when you heard how far it went, after all, you already knew how powerful he was. In your way to the first assessment, you managed to catch up to Katsuki, hands in pockets as he walked over.

“Great job with the ball toss, bigshot.” You smirked, poking his cheek as his pursed lips quickly turned back into his signature scowl.

“Shut up! I’m gonna destroy you in every damn one of these tests!” He yelled, sparking up his palms towards you, but you only swatted them away and giggled, making his anger worse.

Despite his harsh words towards you, he never actually called you anything too demeaning, unlike with other people.

“Maybe in your dreams, Kacchan.”

Rivalry and teasing aside, you and Katsuki had some kind of close bond; the kind where you knew you could trust each other if it came to it in a life or death situation.

Little did you know just how soon that bond would be tested.

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.* *.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.* *.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

#bnha #mha x reader #my hero academia #katsuki bakugo x reader #bakugou katsuki #katsuki bakugou #bakugou x reader

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the-offside-rule · 7 days ago

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Pedri Gonzalez (FCBarcelona) - Secreto

Requested: yes

Prompt: this ask

Warnings: mentions of injury

Pedri adjusted the collar of his new Barcelona jersey, feeling the weight of the photoshoot ahead. He rarely interacted with the women’s team, but today was different. They’d all been brought together to model the new 2024/25 jerseys. His mind raced, though, not because of the cameras but because of one person who’d be there; Y/n.

He’d met her briefly during his time at Las Palmas, back when they were both just kids with dreams. She was an incredible player, her talent undeniable, but what enchanted him most was her laugh and the way her eyes lit up when she talked. Back then, she seemed interested in one of his teammates, so he kept his distance. But now, fate had intervened. Y/n was back in Barcelona after her loan spell, and he couldn’t let this opportunity slip.

As he stepped into the studio, he spotted her instantly. Y/n was with her teammate Jana, the two of them laughing over some inside joke. Her laughter rang through the room, and for a moment, Pedri forgot how to breathe. Gavi nudged him. "Qué pasa contigo? Pareces un tonto." (What's wrong with you? You look like a fool.)

"Cállate." (Shut up.) Pedri muttered, his cheeks flushing. They walked over to the pair, and Pedri’s heart raced as Y/n glanced up at him. When she smiled, he felt his knees weaken. "Hola, Pepi." She said, her voice light and teasing. "Hola, Y/n." He managed to say, his voice quieter than he intended. "Estás listo para ser modelo?" (Are you ready to be a model?) Jana joked, nudging Y/n. "Y tu? Siempre pareces preparada." (And you? You always look ready.) Gavi shot back, making everyone laugh.

Y/n smiled over at Pedri, her gaze lingering just long enough to make his heart stutter. He felt like the world had tilted slightly on its axis. The director clapped his hands. "Vamos, chicos! Necesitamos que se vean naturales. Rían, hablen, pásenla bien." (Come on, guys! We need you to look natural. Laugh, talk, have fun.)

They were paired together for the first set of photos, standing side by side in front of the camera. Gavi and Jana stood off to the side, watching through the monitor. "Enntonces, cómo te ha ido desde Las Palmas?" (So, how have you been since Las Palmas?) Pedri asked, his voice a little shaky.

"Bastante bien. Aunque no pensé que te volvería a ver tan pronto." (Pretty good. Though, I didn't think I'd be seeing you again so soon.) She replied, smiling. "Yo tampoco. Pero me alegra que estés aquí." (Me neither, but I'm happy you're here." He said softly, his nerves beginning to fade. Her smile widened. "Ah, sí? Por qué?" (Oh, yeah? Why?)

"Porque nunca tuve la oportunidad de hablar contigo antes." (Because I never got the chance tk talk to you before." He admitted, scratching the back of his neck. She looked at him, slightly surprised but amused. "Eso es un cumplido o una confesión?" (Is that a compliment or a confession?)

"Ambos." (Both.) He said with a grin, making her laugh. The director called out again, encouraging them to keep the natural energy. Pedri gathered his courage. "Después de esto, te gustaría ir a comer algo?" (After this, would you like to grab some food?) Y/n’s laughter caught him off guard. His chest tightened, assuming the worst, but then she saw the flicker of hurt in his eyes and quickly clarified.

"Claro que sí! Solo no esperaba que tardaras tanto en preguntarme." (I just didnt expect you to take so long to ask.) She said, her tone playful. Pedri blinked, then broke into a wide grin. "En serio?" (Really?)

"Sí. No seas tan nervioso." Yes. Don't be so nervous.) She teased, her laugh softening any sting. They both laughed, the sound genuine and warm. The photographer captured the moment, snapping the perfect natural shot. Gavi and Jana exchanged knowing looks from behind the camera.

As the photoshoot wrapped up, Pedri leaned closer to Y/n. "Espero que te guste la comida que elija." (I hope you like the food I pick.) He whispered. "Seguro que sí." (I'm sure I will.) She said, smiling up at him.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

The energy at Estadi Johan Cruyff was electric. The women’s clásico between Barcelona and Madrid was always intense, and today was no exception. Pedri sat in the stands with Gavi and a few other teammates, his heart pounding—not just because of the game, but because of her. Y/n. She was playing brilliantly, as always, darting across the pitch with precision and control. To the world, she was just another talented player, but to Pedri, she was so much more. The secret they shared made every stolen glance and subtle interaction all the more thrilling.

"Tranquilo, hermano." Gavi teased, noticing how focused Pedri was on her. Pedri didn’t respond, his eyes glued to the match. The tension peaked when a Madrid player lunged into a reckless slide tackle, sending Y/n crashing to the ground. Pedri stood up instantly, his heart in his throat. "Siéntate. Está bien." (Sit down. She is fine.) Gavi said, tugging at his sleeve. Pedri hesitated, his jaw tight, but stayed where he was—until he saw the stretcher being brought out. "No está bien." He muttered, brushing past Gavi. "Vuelvo enseguida." (She’s not fine. I’ll be right back.)

He made his way down to the sideline, ignoring the stares from fans and staff. His entire focus was on Y/n, who was now sitting on the pitch. But to his relief, she waved off the stretcher and began limping toward the sideline instead. As she reached him, Y/n glanced up and offered a half-hearted smile. "Pepi? Qué haces aquí?" (Pepi, what are you doing here?)

"Quería asegurarme de que estás bien." (I wanted to make sure you were okay.) He said, his voice soft but firm. As he helped the physio bring her into the dressing room.

The physio began examining her ankle, bending it carefully and asking her to do a few tests. Pedri stood close, listening intently. "Parece un esguince. Nada grave, pero necesitarás unas semanas de descanso." (Looks like a sprain. Nothing serious, but you'll need a few weeks of rest .) The physio explained. "Me aseguraré de que descanse." (I'll make sure she rests.) Pedri said without hesitation. The physio paused, grinning knowingly as his eyes flicked between the two of them. "Claro." He said with a small chuckle before walking away.

Pedri furrowed his brow. "Qué fue eso?" (What was that?) He asked, turning to Y/n. "Es que no hablo de novios con ellos." She admitted, shrugging. "Pero viéndote aquí y diciéndoles que vas a cuidarme, pues… ya lo saben." (It’s just that I don’t talk about boyfriends with them. But seeing you here and saying you’ll take care of me, well… now they know.) Pedri sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Lo siento. No quería arruinarlo." (I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to mess it up.)

Y/n grinned, her eyes softening. "No te preocupes. Solo el fisio lo sabe, así que estamos bien." (Don’t worry. Only the physio knows, so we’re fine.)

"Gavi lo sabe." Pedri admitted sheepishly. She rolled her eyes, though her smile didn’t fade. "Por supuesto que sí." (Of course he does.) Pedri leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Te cuidaré. Te lo prometo." (I’ll take care of you. I promise.) She tugged on the oversized coat he was wearing, pulling him closer before planting a quick kiss on his lips. "Sé que lo harás." (I know you will). She whispered.

Just then, the door to the locker room opened, and her teammates flooded in for halftime. Y/n and Pedri jumped apart like guilty teenagers. Alexia smirked. "Es lindo, pero él tiene que irse. Tenemos trabajo que hacer." (It’s cute, but he needs to go. We’ve got work to do.)

"Sí, claro." Pedri stammered, his face burning. "Buena suerte." (Yes, of course. Good luck.) Y/n chuckled as he turned and hurried out of the room. The moment the door shut, her teammates erupted into laughter and teasing.

Meanwhile, Pedri returned to his seat, only to find Gavi and the rest of the guys grinning at him. "Qué?" Pedri asked, sinking into his seat. "Solo digo que estarás escuchando esto por semanas." (I'm just saying, you'll be hearing about this for weeks.) Gavi said, smirking.

#pedri blurb #pedri gonzalez imagine #pedri imagine #pedri x reader #pedri gonzalez #pedri gonzalez x you #pedri gonzalez x reader #pedri gonzalez blurb #pedri gonzalez oneshot #pedri gonzález x reader #pedri gonzalez fluff #pedri gonzalez fic #pedri gonzalez fanfic #pedri fanfic #pedri fluff #pedri

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nanowrimo · 1 year ago

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5 Tips to Avoid Burnout as a Neurodivergent Writer

When taking on a project as big as writing a novel, you may run into the risk of burnout. NaNo Participant Joana Hill gives some tips on avoiding burnout as a neurodivergent writer.

Burnout. As writers, we all know it. For neurodivergent writers, burnout can be even more damaging than usual. We can be much more sensitive, both mentally and emotionally, than our neurotypical friends and family.

This means avoiding burnout, and taking care of it when it does happen, can be even more important for us. I’m here today to provide some tips for my fellow neurodivergent writers to tackle just that.

1. Write What Interests You

Write what interests you rather than what you think you ‘should’ be writing. Many of us get caught-up in pleasing others. For neurodivergent people who’ve spent much of their life masking, or hiding their true personality and needs because of fear of rejection, it can be a hard habit to break.

If you want to write a 50k slow burn coffee shop AU of your favorite fandom, an epic space opera starring ants, or a main character with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, or any other disorder or condition you have, go for it.

2. Get A Support Network

For neurodivergent people, we’ve often lived our lives with special interests no one wants to hear us talk about. It often results in us not talking about them at all before someone can tell us they don’t want to hear about it.

Whether it’s offline with friends and family, or online here at NaNoWriMo or other sites, having people who are actively interested in listening to you and helping you plot and write can be a game-changer.

3. Celebrate As Many Victories As You Want

Many years, my personal goal is that I can get the new Pokemon game, which always comes out around the middle of November now, once I hit 50k. But you don’t need just one grand goal.

Get a bag of your favorite candy and say you can have a piece every so many words. Find something on Amazon you want (and can afford to get!) and say you’ll get it once you hit the halfway point. Whatever motivates you to keep going, set it into motion.

4. Plan For Flexibility

That may sound like an oxymoron, but hear me out. Neurodivergent people often love to have a plan. I know I can get frustrated and upset when I’m expecting something to happen and something different does. For a big goal like writing a novel in a month, a lot of things can end up going wrong.

Carry a notebook and pen or tablet with a keyboard case in case an errand takes longer than expected. Back your writing up to several places in case your main writing device crashes. Make sure at least one of those is a cloud service in case you end up writing on a device that isn’t yours. The more contingency plans you have, the better prepared you are when life happens.

5. Be Kind To Yourself

Some days you may not get the minimum goal, or you might not write at all. You may feel like you just can’t do it because you’re behind on your word count, or you decide you don’t like what you’ve written.

I get it. But don’t beat yourself up about it. Take a break. Play your favorite game or read your favorite book. Go for a walk. And remember that you’re awesome. No one can write this story like you can.

Joana Hill is a writer of young adult stories, as well as novellas inspired by Japanese light novels and anime. You can find her books, social media, and anything else you could imagine wanting to know about her on her LinkTree. Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

#nanowrimo #writing #writing advice #self-care #neurodivergent writers #writer's life #by nano guest #joana hill

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lukolabrainrot · 5 months ago

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Calm theory anon here again part two. I was just going to do the one post but seen some crazy lives and comments and decided to bring some more theories. Every single person that you see on social media doesn't have actual facts not one of them. Everybody has opinions and theories. So for the people that are calling Ant his girlfriend that is your theory. The fact is he's never once addressed her to the public. That's actually starting to get on my nerves because you're taking away his right to speak for himself. Already made a post about the dumb pictures. I've already stated that I don't think things are as simple as we the fans are assuming they are. I've already said I think that we have a lot of smoke and mirrors going on. And I truly think that. I think Nic and Luke allow us to get crazy with our theories they are protective of each other but there is real people at play here. All these players have real life feelings. And these fans can get intense some time. I was so overwhelmed myself with my actual life then what I see the masses think I couldn't imagine them. They since Italy have been doing this Smoke and mirrors bit. That's not going to stop now. Don't take anything as fact unless it's coming from Nic or Luke. Also just to remind people this girl has been known to take old photos and post them at a latter time so I have always taken her stuff with a grain of salt. Remember when L went to the wedding by himself, and people assumed she went cuz a picture she uploaded looked like she was getting ready for the wedding and it turned out it was from LA. Do y'all think she changed? Nope so stop assuming girl has been posting someway to let us know she was with him yet we got nothing no pap picture no nothing when we seen pap pictures his last two vacations. Come on people. Breathe take a break.

#calm theory anon #❤️️#lukola theories #just some thoughts

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cheerleaderman · 2 months ago

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Twst- The Shooting star over the Castle

Yuya doesn’t have a consistent personality throughout the main story as they are constantly going through changes. This is how they protected themselves through their life doing it subconsciously despite not having their memories.Some might say they’re a bit of an actress.

Yuya’s true personality does shine through at times mainly when they actually get to relax. They can be childish, petty and pretty chaotic sometimes letting the intrusive thoughts win but still an overall friendly person. Even then Yuya isn’t one to tell others how they’re truly feeling especially if they’re hurting. Even with all those things Yuya does know how to take charge and deal with serious situations. They’re definitely not the goody two shoes some perceive them as more of a trouble maker everyone will later learn.

💫Basic info💫

Age: 18

Pronouns: Doesn’t really care but others mainly refer to them as She/They

Height: 172cm

Birthday: August 8

Voice claim: JP - Ibuki Mioda(Danganronpa) ENG- Veronica (Heathers the musical OG)

Hometown: Earth, USA

Family: Lilian (mother-Deceased), Yolonda and Desmond (cousins) Yuya doesn’t concern them Family: Aunt and Uncle, Damien (cousin) , has a pretty big family in general

Class: 1-A

Dominant hand: Left

Favorite food: Chili oil Noodles, candied lemons , Strawberry lemonade

Like/hobbies: Cooking,Rhythm games, Horror movie/ Games, collecting bags , Photography, Crocheting and Knitting

Dislike: Forgetting things , Bland food , Green tea, overly strong smells, feeling sweaty, smell of alcohol, fuzzy socks , ants

Best subject: Alchemy

Talent: lock picking, cooking,Just having things , playing the Wind Instruments mainly the Flute

Club: Hops between clubs but mainly at the Board game or Basketball club

💫Extra Info💫

Yuya has thoughts of what were they like before Twst, this effects their relationships by them wondering if the way they are now is truly the real them. Would everyone still like me if I get my memories back and become myself again? Even with these thoughts Yuya still wants their memories back good or bad.

Yuya uses how others perceive them as to their advantage using this to navigate how to deal with situations.

Yuya doesn’t get their cardigan until Book 2 while everyone was visiting Trey.

The have a fight response most notable when they fought Riddle during orientation. Others thought it was some kind of adrenaline but Yuya does know how to fight and fight dirty.

Yuya was honestly in deep denial about being in Twst. Really much thought that they were in a dream up until the end of Book 2 from getting a scar from Leona’s overblot. This really woke them up to their new reality as before they thought “since I don’t belong here sure I’ll wake up to the place I truly belong.” [Also adding Yuya’s eyes technically wouldn’t be shown until this moment to show them waking up to reality]

Yuya develops a bit of an obsession for photography as the photos represents their memories. They hold these photos dearly scarred to forget again. Some say that Yuya’s photography can be scary being it can be used as blackmail

Yuya did have a hobby of journaling/ scrapbooking given the journal that they had in their bag when arriving to Twst but that was taken over by photography

The mirror called Yuya a shattered soul which not even Crowley understands why. This is due to their soul being shattered when being transported to Twst. Their soul will forever remain shattered

After every Overblot Yuya’s eyes will get darker they don’t really notice until after book 2. They will also get the full movie context. With movies not involved with the Overblots Yuya will get dreams in similar fashion and get the full movie after 3 dreams

Some of Yuya’s more noticeable habits has to be their strange ability to have everything in their pockets. No one knows where or how they even got it from. Another has to be staring only a few close to them can tell if Yuya likes or dislikes something by the way they stare.

Yuya is able to form bonds with many different beasts, creatures etc especially ghosts. Ghost often mistake Yuya as one of their own. Yuya thought being called a “beast tamer” was far fetched but can’t deny that they have a particular liking to them

Yuya grows insecure about the scar they gain after overblots even has troubles looking in the mirror.

It did take them awhile to warm up to others also given that in the beginning they were pretty quite. Grim, Ace and Deuce were the ones Yuya warmed up to the quickest.

Yuya does have conflicting feeling about being the Perfect but is scared of how others would treat them if they stopped.

Gave up on the thought of ever getting to go home during book 4 and focusing on how to get their memories.

Yuya does overblot which is triggered by them getting their memories back from fully dying in their original world.

Yuya never really asks for help for their self specifically but in a way that would help someone else. For example Grim asking them to call Crowley + text Ace and Deuce in book 4.

Yuya doesn’t really like the memory of orientation so doesn’t really attend things like assembly unless it something important like getting an Award. In the beginning they would get scolded but dropped it later on.

Yuya does sleep walk it’s a combination of stress/ Trauma and their shattered soul. When they sleep walk others will say they look like a wandering spirit.

Book 3 is when Yuya’s most noticeable changes happen waking up to their reality and changing the way they behave also every happening with Azul. After 3 Overblots they believe that this will be a reoccurring thing (they were right not to their shock)

Yuya is actually good at driving even when they have to be a bit reckless

💫Backstory💫

[ implied abuse]

Yuya lived with her mom Lilian pretty happily. One day Lilian had to go on a work trip promising to take them to the aquarium when she gets back but that day never came.

At the age of 5 Yuya lost their mother and was sent to live with their Aunt and her family. At first everyone was pretty sympathetic to Yuya but the true colors showed after so time. The Adults in their life valued appearances over everything. A stubborn child didn’t fit into their picture perfect ideal. So Yuya had to learn how to fit themself into the role their Aunt wanted them to. Sometimes using their mom against them other times different punishment.

This made Yuya close off their emotions and change their personality to whatever is deems fit. Throughout the following years Yuya would see themselves as “A shiny trophy for them to show off”.Put others before yourself, Help others with whatever they need. Earning them being seen as the “Star” of the community. But the one thing Yuya remember the most is Don’t expect anything in return that’s selfish.

“And selfishness gets you punished”

Enduring for years Yuya at 13 started to grow resentful. It started with small things misplacing items mainly targeted at Aunt, Uncle and Damien. This gradually grew into destroying things causing fights in the house. Things came to a head during a family reunion Yuya now 15 had a fight with Damien which lead to them falling down the stairs.

This event turned the family upside down reveling things happening behind closed doors. The main factors were Desmond waiting to expose the family and doctors seeing other injuries on Yuya. This lead to Community shunning most of the family. Other members would claim to not have known anything trying to get in Yuya’s good graces.

Yuya and Yolonda were sent to live with their grandparents who had no involvement distancing themselves from the family long ago. They have this belief that leaving that house would solve the situation and make them happy but nothing. Given everything that happened Yuya was honestly just tired and didn’t really trust their grandparents. They ultimately chose just to go on with life and leave things behind once they go to college.

💫Entering TWST/ NRC💫

The day before Yuya was supposed to be heading off to culinary school they wanted to visit their mom’s grave one last time. Unfortunately after saying their goodbyes they ran into Damien.

Trying to ignore the nonsense he was spewing they walked away. This was supposedly the wrong move as he grabbed Yuya still yelling. How Yuya ruined the family, how selfish they were and so on.

Scared and annoyed , Yuya started to fight their cousin off. This went on until they both heard the sound of horses running . Within only a few seconds Yuya saw the black carriage then everything went black.

The thing is only half of Yuya’s soul got transported to Twst that day. The other half survived currently in critical condition at the hospital but doctors are unsure if they’ll recover.

💫Gallery 💫

Divider

#cheer!yuya #cheer!art #twst #twst oc #artists on tumblr #oc bio #oc intro #twst yuu

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afrsconp · 2 months ago

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So this account was only going to be used to reply/comment to other people's posts, but then CBS released new Nissac pics and this happened, instead.

Inspired by the photos from S04E07, and especially this one:

“– you don’t even like dinosaurs, you’ve never cared for them, and you know that I myself love dinosaurs dearly – just as much as you love your ants! So you see–”

“Take it.”

“I–you–what?” Isaac exclaims, unsure if he’d heard correctly.

Nigel sits very still and keeps staring straight ahead, not even glancing at Isaac beside him on the bench.

“Just take the bed,” he repeats.

“What are you– After all the arguments and fights and squabbling, now you’re just letting me take it?” Isaac stares at Nigel’s profile, more than a little disbelieving. “Just like that?”

Nigel takes a deep breath. “Do you know why I even wanted it in the first place?”

Isaac frowns. “Petty revenge?” he guesses.

Nigel smiles thinly.

“Perhaps,” he acknowledges. “Partly, at least. But no. That wasn’t the real reason.”

He's silent for some time, and when he speaks again, his voice is so quiet that Isaac has to lean a little closer to hear him.

“When we were engaged,” Nigel begins, “we were unable to exchange rings. We had no tangible, physical evidence that we were – that what we had was –”

He cuts himself off there, pressing his lips together, as though forcing the words to remain inside his throat, unspoken and unheard.

“And I thought,” he continues eventually, “I thought the bed could become that for me. One that came too late, I know, but still. A keepsake, if you will, of… what we once had.”

Nigel turns to look at him, finally, but the expression on his face is utterly blank: the kind of look one would give a featureless wall, or an empty canvas, or a – a complete stranger, Isaac thinks, as he tries and fails to read something of Nigel’s thoughts there, and finds nothing at all.

“But it’s becoming clear to me now,” Nigel adds, “that what I thought we had... was not what we actually had, and so–” He stops suddenly, swallowing whatever it was that he was going to say. “What’s the point of a keepsake that signifies nothing?” he asks instead.

He smiles again, but it's an awful expression, one that reminds Isaac of the way Nigel looked at him right after the aborted wedding, when he'd tried to explain why he called it off and Nigel told him, eventually, that it was all right and he understood.

"Besides," Nigel adds now, still smiling that awful smile, "it's the perfect replacement for the new daybed you always wanted. Symbolic of something you love... and only sleeping one."

Isaac jerks back slightly, the unexpected reminder only sharpening the sting.

“So take the bed, Isaac," Nigel says. "Take whatever you want.”

Then he stands and walks away, and though his shoulders are visibly tense his steps don’t falter and he doesn’t look back, not even once.

Isaac watches him go, until his figure disappears into the woods in the distance, and all at once he's struck by a strange sense of inevitability. That now, that hard-won bed will no longer remind him of fun little dinosaur facts or an afterlife-changing lapdance, but that it will forever remind him of this, instead: the sight of Nigel's red coat vanishing into the trees; Nigel never saying the actual word but the last thing he said still sounding very much like goodbye.

Isaac glances at the bed's box nearby, then looks back at the woods again. He's won the battle; the bed is his now. But for some reason, this doesn’t feel like a victory at all.

#cbs ghosts #nisaac #isaac higgintoot #nigel chessum #fic snippets #I don't actually think their convo will go this way at all #It'll most likely just be petty squabbling for lulz since it's a sitcom after all #But a girl can dream #(or write fic)#cbs ghosts spoilers

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notinmyvocab · 18 hours ago

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Wrong Number

It's just your luck. The one time you decide to send nudes, you send them to the wrong number. Not just any wrong number. The wrongest number you could have accidentally sent them to: Professor Calderu

Warnings: fem!reader x Professor!Lilia Calderu (brief mentions of fem!reader x unnamed male character), possessive!Lilia

The concept of Professor Lilia has a chokehold on me

For whatever reason, these were supposed to be the best years of your life. You didn't know who decided that, but you wanted to have a word with them because they were an absolute liar.

College hadn't been a bad time, but the best years of your life? No. No fucking way. Oh sure, you had friends. You did activities. You studied hard. But that was it. It really wasn't that much different from high school. Just a little more drinking and a little more weed.

Which was why you decided your last semester was going to be your wildest. Screw the studying. Okay, maybe not that. But you upped the ante at parties, daring to drink a little more, daring to have a little more fun.

Daring to flirt a little more.

In your drunken haze, the boy had been cute enough and nice enough and what the hell, it was your last semester! It wasn't like you would have to worry about running into him on campus for the next four years if things went awry.

So your number found its way into his phone and vice versa. And the next day, you were surprised to feel that you didn't actually regret it. You spent the whole day nursing a light hangover, reliving your little adventure. In your memory, whatshisname was cute... though it would be nice to know his first name. You went through your phone and found that you unhelpfully named the contact Lil Cutie. Weird. Had he been short? You couldn't actually remember.

Still, the thought of this new endeavor was exciting.

Even that night in your bed, you were enticed by branching out like this.

You wanted to say that you were still drunk from the night before. But you knew that wasn't true. The decision to snap some... tasteful photos, was a completely sober one.

Did they look okay? You kept asking yourself that as you studied the photos. You kept looking closer, and every time you saw a flaw to nitpick. Bad lighting. Bad angle. Bad body part.

No! You were overthinking it. Just send it. Just send the photos. Go on, just send.

And sent!

Then your heart plummeted to your stomach.

The contact at the top was not Lil Cutie. The contact at the top of the messages was for your academic advisor.

Lilia Calderu.

You let out a yelp of horror and threw your phone to the end of your bed. Oh god.

Gripped by panic, you lunged for your phone and desperately tried finding a way to delete the message, to take it back. You frantically googled, but nothing. There was nothing you could do.

The message had been sent. Not only had it been sent, but you watched in horror as the read receipt appeared.

Then came the typing bubbles.

Once again you yelped and threw your phone. Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck!

You spent the rest of the night laying awake in horror. Fear sank its fangs into your neck and refused to let go. You couldn't even doze. You just lay there, staring into space as you envisioned the different punishments you would have to face. Oh god, would you get to graduate?

That fear was amplified when you picked up your phone again the next morning and saw a text message from her. With shaking fingers, you opened the message.

My office. 3 PM.

You could see it now: Lilia Calderu next to the Dean of Students, both glaring at you, damning you to a ruined academic career.

Feeling like you were moving through molasses, you showered and got dressed for the meeting, your heart in your throat the entire time. You trudged across campus until you reached Lilia's office. You hesitated outside of the door, realizing that the worst part of this was that you were going to lose Lilia's friendship.

As your academic advisor, Lilia had been with you through the worst and best of it. She helped you develop your thesis. She always made you tea when her office hour ran late, which usually did because she and you always had a good time talking about anything and everything. Now all of that was destroyed.

You knocked on her door and then stepped inside.

Professor Calderu was at her desk. She was alone, no Dean of Students at her side. Somehow, this made it worse.

"Close the door," she instructed. Her tone was sharp; it was startling. All of the warmth you were so used to seeing in her eyes was gone.

You shut the door and sat down across from her. There was a tense moment of silence that you couldn't bear. You took it upon yourself to break it. "Professor I'm—"

"Who were they meant for?" Lilia interrupted.

"I'm sorry?"

"Your photos," Lilia enunciated. "Who were they meant for?"

You could feel your cheeks grow hot. "Um... I met a boy at a party."

"Some boy at a party? Some stranger you don't know?"

Wait, now you were confused. Was she... offended? Not because you accidentally sent her your nudes, but because they weren't meant for her? "I... I don't..."

Lilia stood up from her desk and walked over to her door, locking it. The sound of the snick made you jump; you were hyper aware of everything happening. You were aware of how quiet it was. You were aware that Lilia was now standing behind you. You were aware of her hands on your shoulders.

"I had a terrible night. You see, I received these pictures and couldn't help but just stare at them—"

"I'm really sorry—"

"—imagining, hoping that maybe you had sent them on purpose."

Your breath hitched in your throat, one of her hands sliding down from your shoulder to down the front of your sweatshirt. She cupped your breast and your head lolled back, eyes fluttering shut.

"Do you want me?" Lilia murmured in your ear, her breath warm.

"Yes," you admitted.

"Do you want me like I want you?"

"Yes." Yes, you would say yes a million times to whatever she asked, realizing that despite your horror at your mistake, you had actually loved the idea that you had done it. It excited you inexplicably, and now it was a fantasy realized. Professor Lilia Calderu was touching you in the way that you always wanted her to touch you.

"And you will only want me?" She gently bit down on your earlobe and you gasped. "No more silly boys at parties."

No, no more silly boys. Only her.

#my writing #lilia calderu #agatha all along #lilia x reader #college au

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roosterforme · 2 years ago

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The Younger Kind Part 15 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: You start to regret showing up for Noah's birthday party once you feel exactly how awkward things are between you and Bradley. But when you witness his jealousy and learn that his hurtful words were more lies than truth, you agree to at least hear him out.

Warnings: Angst, swearing, and age gap (18+)

Length: 5000 words

Pairing: Single dad!Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x babysitter!female reader

Check out my masterlist for more!

When Bradley managed to pull his head out of his ass long enough to invite you to Noah's birthday party, he hadn't anticipated what it would be like if you actually came. You texted him back on Friday, letting him know you would try to stop by. But now that he and Nat were setting everything up, Bradley was feeling anxious.

Every time a guest arrived, he poked his head outside to see if your car was there, only to be disappointed. He wanted to see you. That much was plainly evident now. But he wanted to do way more than that. He missed you so much.

"She'll be here," Nat told him as she held Noah. "There's no way she's going to be able to live with herself if she disappoints this little guy. Isn't that right, Noah? Now pout at your dad."

Bradley laughed as Noah and Nat both made sad, pouty faces at him. "You're right. Nobody could say no to that," Bradley said, blowing a raspberry on his son's neck until they were both laughing.

Jake strolled in with two six packs of beer and looked around. "Happy birthday, Noah. Where's your babysitter, little dude?"

Bradley rolled his eyes in response, and just as he was about to say he wasn't sure if you were even coming, you opened the front door and met Bradley's eyes right away.

"Hi," you said softly, your arms filled with gift bags and treats as you shifted everything around nervously.

"Princess," Bradley said before he could catch himself. His heart was pounding as you bit your glossy lip anxiously and turned your attention to Noah.

"Happy birthday!" As soon as you said those two words, you had Noah's full attention, and he squirmed to get out of Nat's arms and run to you. Bradley watched you kneel and set everything on the floor so Noah could hug you.

"See? He needs her here. And I don't think he's the only one," Nat whispered as she shoved Bradley toward you. But Jake was right there as well, and Bradley knew for a fact that Hangman was interested in you. He'd been not so subtly asking about you since he saw the photo of you on Bradley's phone at the Hard Deck. The photo of you wearing your purple crown.

"You must be the babysitter," Jake drawled with a grin as he approached you on the floor with Noah. He was looking down the front of your little dress, Bradley just knew it. And when you looked up at him with innocent eyes, nodding and introducing yourself, Bradley was on the verge of kicking Jake out of his house. Because it looked indecent, the way you were positioned and the way Jake was easing himself a little closer still.

Bradley cleared his throat loudly. "I'll just take these into the kitchen," he said, scooping up the gifts. And that's when he noticed you'd made a whole container of ants on logs wearing party hats made out of lettuce. Bradley wanted to throw you over his shoulder and take you to his room, make love to you, and never hurt you again. He met your eyes, kneeling just a foot away from you while Noah pawed at you.

"Okay," you whispered. You looked far less pleased when you were looking at Bradley than you did when you were looking at Noah or Jake. He deserved that. He knew he did. He was lucky you even decided to come today to make Noah happy.

Oh god, Bradley wanted to take back every horrible word he said to you, but he couldn't. The damage was done now, just as he had originally intended. And he had to watch as Jake helped you stand and run his fingers up your uninjured arm.

"Hi!" called two of the moms of Noah's daycare friends as they walked in with their own kids, taking Bradley's attention away from you. He greeted them and their children, and ended up adding even more gift bags to his arms.

Then Mav and Penny arrived. Bradley let Penny take his face in her hands and pat his cheeks, something he probably wouldn't let anyone else do to him. And then she kissed him and asked, "How's the dating thing working out for you?"

Bradley laughed sardonically. "I've pushed that to the back burner, Pen."

"Yeah. Mav told me that Meredith is giving you a hard time. If there's anything we can do...?"

"I appreciate it. I'll let you know."

When Bradley finally went into the kitchen to put Noah's snacks in the refrigerator and set down the gifts, he froze. You had already made your way in here. Your back was to him, and you were talking to Jake. Bradley could hear your laughter in response to something Jake said, and he had never been so jealous before. He was so used to coaxing that gorgeous sound from your lips himself. Those glossy lips that Jake was eyeing up, no doubt thinking about doing something dirty to them.

Bradley's breath caught in his throat as you turned to glance at him over your shoulder with a bland look. He was so used to your flirtatious smile and bright, wide eyes being focused on him. God, he had taken it all for granted, and now you couldn't stand him.

And if Bradley thought he had been jealous a moment ago when Jake made you laugh, it was nothing compared to the outrage he felt as he watched Jake touch your waist. He squeezed you gently, letting his fingers dig into the fabric of your floral dress. All of the gifts tumbled out of Bradley's hands and onto the table, and you sidestepped Jake's grubby little hand to turn and look at him.

"One of my gifts is fragile," you said with annoyance, rooting through the pile to make sure it was okay. But Bradley was looking at Jake, and Jake was looking right back at him before his eyes dipped down to your ass.

"Seresin. Let's go outside. Now," Bradley growled, pointing at the sliding glass door off the kitchen.

Jake's little smirk grew as he said, "Sure thing, Bradshaw," and headed out.

Bradley slid the door closed with a thud and rounded on Jake. "Don't touch her."

Jake laughed heartily. "You fucking her, Rooster? Damn, you must be. Or you were." He paused, and Bradley could feel his cheeks heating up. "Maybe it wasn't any good for her? Because right now, she's not looking at you at all, man."

Bradley ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek and clenched his fists. "Don't touch her, and don't talk about her. Don't even fucking look at her."

But Jake just cocked his head. "Hey, that's some great advice. And here's some for you. If you have access to a hot little piece of ass like that, you don't keep her tucked away in your house. You show that off. Let everyone know about it. That's what I'd do."

"Jake. Just stop." Bradley was fuming now, and also annoyed that he was letting Hangman get under his skin. But Jake was right; Bradley should have been showing you off when he had the chance instead of going on dates with the women from the app. Maybe then you and he would be in a place where he could be bold enough to ask you to stay with him in spite of Meredith.

"Why should I? Are you dating her?"

Bradley closed his eyes for a beat and let out a puff of air. "No."

"If you don't want her, why can't I have her?"

Bradley shook his head. "I never said that."

You opened the sliding glass door and poked your head outside, and both men stood at attention for you. "The pizzas are here," you told Bradley. "Want me to pay the guy with the money behind the TV?"

Bradley cleared his throat and glared at Jake for a second. "I'll take care of it, Princess," he said, pausing in the doorway with you. He had missed being this close to you, close enough to smell wildflowers. Your expression was softer now, almost that of an injured animal. He wanted to apologize for hurting you, but he settled for letting his fingers trace your knuckles before he pulled out his wallet for the pizzas.

You didn't flinch. You didn't back away. But that look in your eye grew a little sadder, and Bradley knew he had put it there. "Princess," he whispered, softer this time, and your lips parted before you turned and walked away from him and outside to Jake.

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

You were a mess. You shouldn't have come to the birthday party. All you wanted was to see Noah and bring him some treats, but it was killing you to be around Bradley, pretending like you weren't crushed.

And the second you had let your guard down, Jake started flirting with you. Which was fine. It didn't really matter. He seemed sweet enough even though he kept cornering you in conversation every time you tried to talk to Penny. You did manage to sneak away as Nat waved you over. But you could tell by the sympathetic look in her eyes that she knew Bradley had basically dumped you.

"Hey, Natasha. It's nice to see you," you managed with a small smile.

"I'm really happy you came," she replied as Noah ran up to hug your leg before returning to his friends. He had been hanging out with you more than anyone else, really. "And clearly so is the birthday boy."

"Yeah, well... I'm kind of attached to him, sadly," you said with a forced laugh. Then you asked the question that had been on your mind since you arrived. The one you were afraid to hear the answer to. "Hey, is Meredith coming?"

Nat's eyes went wide and she almost dropped her slice of pizza. "Hell no. Why would Meredith be here? In fact, I would go so far as to say that if she decides to show up, I will drag her outside myself and make her leave."

You were gaping at her. "She and Bradley aren't... talking? About getting back together? For Noah?"

Now she really did drop her pizza right onto the hardwood floor. "Who told you that?!"

"Nobody."

Bradley had lied to you about Meredith. But why? What would be the point in that? And if he wanted to hurt you, then why did he invite you here today? Why was he looking at you like he missed you and calling you Princess instead of ignoring you?

You bent and used your napkin to wipe up the cheese and sauce, and when you stood, Nat looked like she was about to rage. Without another word, she took off in Bradley's direction leaving you with so many questions swirling around in your mind.

When you made your way back into the kitchen to throw the napkin away, you decided it would be a good idea for you to just sneak out the back door and head home. You once again felt drained and undesirable and disrespected. It didn't really matter how badly you wanted to be here for Noah if Bradley wasn't going to be honest with you about what was going on. You reached for the container of snacks for Noah and set it in the refrigerator, and then you turned to find Jake right behind you.

"Oh!" you gasped, jumping awkwardly. "I didn't know you were in here."

His smile was so charming, you could do nothing but smile back as he said, "Just came in for more pizza, but found something so much nicer instead." He touched your arm again, and you rolled your eyes.

"You're a shameless flirt," you informed him, as if he didn't know that already.

"What? You don't like that?" he asked, taking a step closer.

You matched his smirk with your own. "Maybe I like a guy who can be subtle sometimes."

"Hey, that sounds like my good friend Bradshaw," he said, running his thumb slowly up to your shoulder. "But maybe he's a little too subtle? A little too reserved? You deserve to be set right on a pedestal. All out in the open."

You laughed. You couldn't help it. This was absolutely ridiculous. "No, I think I would prefer a throne. Like a Princess. In a castle," you told him, thinking about all the castles you and Noah had built out of blocks while wearing your paper crowns. Thinking about the times you and Bradley had been so comfortable together, talking on his couch.

"Okay," Jake drawled. "I like where this is headed. And if Bradshaw doesn't want you, I definitely do, Princess."

You opened your mouth to tell him not to call you that, but he was already leaning in and kissing you.

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

Bradley saw red. He never really understood that expression before. It never made sense. Until right now. It felt and looked like all of the blood in his body was obscuring his vision. And all he wanted to do was make Jake Seresin hurt.

Jake's hands were on your face and neck, and his lips were pressed to yours. Right in the middle of Bradley's kitchen.

Bradley just got finished being reamed out by Nat for being the world's biggest dickhead, so he was already on edge. Already looking to apologize to you and hoping you'd listen to him. But the sight of Jake kissing you was just one step too far, and he wasn't going to let this fly.

With three swift steps, Bradley was right there, grabbing Jake by the shoulder and pulling him away from you. The startled look in your eyes, and the way you were still holding your arms tight to your sides had Bradley shoving Jake against the refrigerator.

"I warned you, Hangman," he growled, but Jake just smirked and licked his lips like he was savoring the way you tasted. The fact that he now also knew how nice your lipgloss was had Bradley seeing double.

"Bradley, it's okay. Stop." Your voice was soft, and then he could feel your hand on his back through his shirt. He turned away from Jake and focused his attention on you instead, unclenching his fists.

"Come with me, Princess." His voice was deep and raspy, and when he wrapped his arm around your waist, you spun away from him.

"Bradley!" you demanded, a little louder this time.

"Please?" he asked, and when he leaned down and kissed your forehead in front of anyone who might be looking, you let him take your hand and lead you into the bathroom. When he closed the door, you leaned back against it and bit your lip in silence.

"What the fuck are you doing to me, Princess?" Bradley asked, his tone pleading. "I can't even look at you, baby. I can't even smell you without hating myself even more."

"Good," you whispered as your gaze settled on his lips. "Where's Meredith?" you asked maliciously. "I haven't seen her all day."

He knew now that you and Nat had spoken. You knew he lied to you last weekend. "She's not coming, and you know it."

"Why did you lie to me about her?"

He swallowed hard. "Princess, I'm so sorry, I-"

"Why? I don't understand! And why do you suddenly care about me today? You told me I'm not right for you. You told me you needed someone better. You said you didn't want this." You gestured to yourself and looked away from him like you were ashamed.

Bradley gently guided your chin with his fingers until you were looking at him again. "I fucking lied about that, too. You're the only thing I want." He eased himself closer to you, desperate to feel your body against his.

You narrowed your eyes at him and pushed on his chest. "You can't keep doing this to me. Leave me alone, Bradley. I don't have time to mess around with you. I know how much you hated doing that with me."

"We weren't just messing around, Princess," he said softly as he backed away from you. He was silently begging you not to open the door and leave him as he swallowed hard. "It meant something to me."

Your eyes fluttered closed as you tilted your head back against the door. He watched your fingers grab at the hem of your dress as you looked at him reluctantly. "Bradley," you whispered. "It meant something to me, too." The anger was gone from your eyes now as you asked him, "Why did you try to hurt me like that on purpose? If you want me, why would you do that?"

"I'm just trying to protect you." He knew he was pleading, and he knew you deserved to hear everything. You also deserved a hell of a lot more than he could give you, and he didn't want to have an hour-long conversation with you in his bathroom during Noah's birthday party.

"Protect me?" you asked softly.

"Yeah. I just want to protect you," he whispered, running his fingers along your bandaged arm. "Will you let me touch you, Princess?"

You reached for his hand, and Bradley let you take the lead. When you linked your fingers through his and gave a little tug, he went willingly. You pulled him close until you and he were breathing the same air, and he could feel your body heat.

"Protect me from what?" you asked softly, and Bradley had to brace his other hand on the door next to your head as you kissed the edge of his lips softly. "I don't need you to protect me. I need you to appreciate me. Show me some respect. I'm not stupid."

His heart was pounding at the feel of your lips on his skin. "I know you're not stupid, baby. I'm the one who can't get his shit straight. Not you. I'll tell you everything," he promised, panting slightly. "I swear. Just stay. After everyone else leaves, please stay. Let me explain? Let me be good to you?"

Your eyes were alert, examining his face, trying to make sense of everything. When your tongue darted out to wet your lips, you said, "Okay. I'll stay. But you only get one chance, Bradley."

"I won't fuck it up. I promise. I've missed you so much."

This time you kissed him square on the lips, pulling him closer still by your linked fingers. The soft fabric of your dress was rubbing along his hand, and he knew he would give you anything you wanted. But he had to know, so he released your lips.

"Baby, what the hell were you doing with Jake?"

You paused before saying, "Just talking."

Bradley shook his head at you. "No. Your lips don't need to be touching his if you're just talking."

You sucked in a breath as he brought your hand up to his lips and pressed a kiss to each finger. "He kissed me," you whispered. "He called me Princess."

"No," Bradley grunted. "I call you Princess. And he doesn't get to kiss you. Especially not in my house. Tell me I'm better."

Your eyes flashed with sudden need. "You're jealous."

He nodded and kissed your pinky. "You're goddamn right I'm fucking jealous." The softest smirk touched your lips before Bradley leaned in and kissed you. "Am I better than Jake?"

You were smiling now, your eyes wide. "I can't believe you're jealous over me."

Bradley growled. "Am I better?"

"You're better, Bradley."

He covered your lips with his while you rubbed your hand gently along his abs.

"You're such a good girl. Too good for Jake."

"Bradley!" you moaned as he kissed you again. He couldn't keep his lips off you now. This was all he wanted to do. Just kiss you. But he needed to get out of the bathroom before he did something stupid again.

"I know, baby," he whispered against your cheek. "We're gonna talk later. Let's go back out there. And you can tell Jake that you're not interested in him."

You laughed softly. "You want me to go tell him that I'm not interested in him? Because you're jealous?"

Bradley just nodded again. "You go tell him, Princess. Now. And then later on we can talk more."

"Okay, fine," you whispered smugly, and Bradley opened the bathroom door. He watched you walk on slightly unsteady legs as you made your way toward Jake in the living room. Every couple seconds, you smirked back over your shoulder, and Bradley silently urged you on.

Jake eyed you up and down and then met Bradley's eyes as you spoke to him. He looked annoyed now. Bradley felt elated.

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

Bradley was jealous! He had lied to you about everything, and now he was jealous that you were giving Jake attention. This day was turning out so much better than you thought it was going to.

You took a deep breath, looked at Jake and said, "I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression earlier, but I'm not interested in you. Not like that."

"Huh," Jake grunted. "Well, I can't say I'm not disappointed, Princess."

It sounded so wrong, hearing that nickname from anyone other than Bradley and Noah. "Please, don't call me that."

Jake's smirk, which was kind of cute an hour ago, was grating on your nerves now. You wanted Bradley to haul you back to the bathroom again, or better yet, his bed. His handsome face was all you could think about as you caught sight of him out of the corner of your eye.

"You know, Bradshaw's alright," Jake drawled, and you turned back to him. "Just the slowest one to make his move on a girl. Don't wait around on him if you want more. He has more baggage weighing him down than anyone I've ever-"

You immediately cut him off. "Don't talk about Noah like that."

"Whoa," he said, chuckling and holding his hands up in surrender. "That's not what I meant. I mean the emotional kind. He's been through a lot. It slows him down, makes him hesitate. That's all I'm saying."

"Well thank you for your concern," you replied sarcastically. "But I think they are both worth the wait." You turned toward Bradley where he was talking to one of the daycare moms, and when you walked past him, you let your fingers trail along his lower back. He turned, and the look he gave you almost made your steps falter as you made your way into the kitchen.

If Bradley and Meredith weren't trying to work things out, if there was another reason why he tried to break things off with you, then you'd figure things out with him. And you wouldn't rush him. Because he couldn't stay away from you, and you couldn't stay away from him either. And you didn't want to have to try to fight it.

"Help me get the cake ready?" Nat asked when she saw you.

"Sure," you replied, opening up disposable plates and getting four candles ready for Noah. You had to keep biting your lip at the memory of kissing Bradley in the bathroom. You were distracted, and Nat must have asked you something.

"I'm sorry, what?"

She just shook her head. "I know Bradley is an idiot, but please, give him another chance. And you should stay away from Jake."

Had everyone seen him kiss you before? "I wasn't trying to-"

"When Bradley settles down, it will be for life. Meredith definitely stunted his ability to commit, but that fact still remains. Jake's got a different method, if you know what I'm saying. Not one to commit to a hairstyle, let alone a woman. So don't listen to him. Now, can you carry the birthday cake out to the living room?"

You just nodded slowly at her words and took the cake to Noah while Nat lit the candles. The room was full of people, and there were so many voices singing to Noah while Bradley stood next to you with his son in his arms. But it felt like just the three of you. Just like all the other times in Bradley's living room and kitchen. His deep voice warmed you everywhere as his fingers stroked up your spine when Noah blew out the candles.

"Did you make a wish?" you asked, and Noah's exaggerated nodding made you laugh. "I'm sure it will come true."

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

Bradley kept glancing your way as you and Noah opened up one of his new toys to play with on the living room couch. You liked his eyes on you. You liked his attention. You liked knowing he was jealous earlier.

"You want me to make you some coffee, Princess?" he asked, popping back into the living room as you and Noah raced cars across the floor.

"No, we're busy," you told him with a smirk, looking up at him. "Aren't you supposed to be cleaning up with Nat and Penny?"

He took a step closer and said, "I just want to make sure you're not leaving yet?"

You shook your head. "You asked me to stay. I told you I'll stay."

Bradley grunted and went back into the kitchen, and a few minutes later, Penny and Pete came out. "You ready to go, kiddo?" Penny asked Noah. "You're coming with us for a sleepover." Noah looked up at her from his spot on your lap before he turned around to wrap his arms around your neck.

"That sounds like fun, Noah!" you told him, giving him a squeeze back. You were going to miss him so much. You'd already been missing him like crazy after just a week without him. Hopefully Bradley would help you make sense of things, because you didn't want to have to keep missing him or his son.

Noah gave you a kiss, and then Bradley handed Penny an overnight bag and scooped Noah up in a hug. "I love you. Be good for Penny and Mav." And then they were gone, and Bradley was looking at you on the floor in front of him.

Nat poked her head out of the kitchen as Bradley reached down to help you up with hopeful eyes. "How do you want me to wrap up the rest of this cake?" she asked, holding up a roll of aluminum foil. Then she looked between the two of you, and you stepped away from Bradley as she asked, "Wait, it's just the three of us left? Wrap up the cake yourself," she said, tossing the roll to Bradley and grabbing her bag. "Bye."

You watched Nat breeze out the front door without a backward glance. "What was that all about?" you asked, suddenly very aware that you were now alone with him.

He laughed softly. "She wants me to finish talking to you. Now, apparently."

"Well then, talk," you said, taking another step away from him toward the kitchen. "And don't make me cry again. If you do, I'm leaving."

He looked a little panicked, which made you feel like you were completely in control of things for once. He followed you cautiously as you went to investigate how much of the cake was left. Just when you turned toward him to reach for the roll of foil, Bradley set it on the counter and shook his head.

"I can take care of that later, Princess," he mumbled, caging you in against the counter and kissing you softly.

You moaned and reached for him immediately, kissing him back, he was still so sweet, and even less demanding than he had been in the bathroom. But then you jerked back, bracing your hands on his forearms.

"What's going on, Bradley? You're still all over the place. Tell me everything," you demanded, your volume rising with each sentence as he looked abashed. "Nat spilled the beans about Meredith. Then you told me you lied to me. You got jealous about Jake. But you sent me away in tears a week ago. Just...what the fuck?"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should have never said those things to you last weekend. I didn't mean a single word of it. I was just trying to protect you."

"You keep saying that!" you complained, pushing on his forearms until he let you move away from him. "But you're not saying anything at all." You ran your fingers along your bandaged arm. "And I already got hurt."

"Princess." Bradley followed you across the kitchen to the table, but you pushed on his chest and shook your head.

"Do not make me regret staying here right now," you whispered, and he took a deep breath. "Don't make me regret kissing you in the bathroom."

He stood up straight and ran his hands through his hair. His lips looked pouty and kissable. His cheeks were flushed like they had been earlier. But you were going to stand your ground with him.

When he didn't say anything, you pressed harder. "Talk to me." You watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed and looked at you intently, but he still said nothing. "I'm leaving."

"No!" gasped, reaching for you again, pulling you closer. You were going to protest again, but then he whispered, "I need you."

"For what, Bradley?"

His voice sounded soft, almost defeated as he told you, "Meredith wants custody of Noah."

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

Come on, jealous Daddy! Tell Princess everything! Hope you enjoy your fic, @beyondthesefourwalls And thank you @mak-32 !

PART 16

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