#i had the urge to do it yesterday too but i forgot about it then it happened again now so im actually gonns go do it but im probably gonna

[me0wie1]

I have the sudden urge to make an entire life in Toca Boca World because It sounds fun to make someone suffer

[queenpiranhadon]

╰┈➤ 𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒 ⭑.ᐟ : Your brother asked you to watch over his adopted sons for the night while he attended an important meeting. However, he forgot that he had asked you in the first place, and in the midst of all the confusion, you're now tasked with babysitting your two nephews alongside your brother's friend, Nanami Kento.

⭑ 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: Not really much, fluffy fluffy fluff, you're Gojo's younger sister by like a year, you're 28, he's 27, Yuji and Megumi are your adopted nephews, fem!reader, ooc? etc etc.

⭑ 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: Nanami Kento x Reader

𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓: ⭑

You're pulling up into your brother's driveway when another parked car catches your eye.

You frown slightly. Satoru never said anything about having anyone else over.

He had called you a week ago to watch over his adopted sons for the day, Yuji and Megumi; though knowing him, he probably forgot.

You sigh. Might as well go see your nephews anyway - since you came all the way.

Parking your car in the driveway, you make your way onto the porch to ring the doorbell.

Immediately, you hear screaming and chaos from within the house, snorting as you come to the conclusion that it's probably Yuji and Megumi clamoring to the door. Though, your idiot brother most likely had a hand in the destruction that was occurring too.

Eventually someone opens the door, and to your surprise it's someone new.

A tall man, around your age or older, with sandy blonde hair and gorgeous brown eyes. He's wearing a nice polo and slacks, undoubtedly something a little over the top for what you assumed to be babysitting, but you found it cute.

It may or may not have taken you a while to realize you were staring though.

Clearing your throat you look to the side while flashing the man an awkward smile.

"S-Sorry! I-uh, I'm Satoru's sister" you say, giving him your name while sticking out your right hand for a handshake.

The man looks amused, reciprocating your handshake and chuckles lightly. "No worries. My name is Nanami."

Just then, Satoru comes barreling in, a child in each arm. His hair is mussed up and his sunglasses are crooked, something you point out to which he groans, setting Yuji and Megumi down, only for them to run out the door and attach themselves to your legs.

"Hi Auntie!" Yuji chirps, grinning widely as his looks up at him excitedly.

Megumi doesn't say anything, being the quieter of the two, but you don't miss the small smile on his face as he smushes his cheek against your leg in a hug.

You chuckle, ruffling their hair affectionately. "I missed you too, boys. Is Satoru treating you okay?"

Yuji huffs and shakes his head vehemently. "He's a meanie."

You raise an eyebrow and your brother stares at the pink haired boy incredulously. "What do you mean?! I let you have dessert before breakfast yesterday!"

You glare at Satoru and sigh, lifting up Megumi so you were carrying him on his back, and gently detaching Yuji from your leg in favor of holding his hand.

"And I'm assuming that means you forgot you wanted me to babysit last week?" you ask, and Megumi peeks his little face over your shoulder judgmentally.

Your brother groans. "Ah shoot... completely slipped my mind. Completely forgot I texted you with everything going on..." he looks at your helplessly and you relent.

Sighing, you finally step inside the house, and turn towards Nanami, no longer as awkward as you initially were as you slip into Auntie mode.

"How about this- you go to that super important meeting you needed to attend and Nanami and I will stay here and watch over the boys. I'm sure we can handle it, right?"

"Yes, we will be fine. We'd probably do better than you anyways." Nanami says, rolling his eyes and you fight off the urge to laugh.

Ignoring his friend's comment, your brother wraps you in a one armed hug before grabbing his coat and thanking you both one last time, closing the front door and dashing to his car.

Megumi still on your back, groans. "I'm hungry."

Yuji nods. "Me too!"

You chuckle, walking to the kitchen to whip up something for dinner, setting Megumi down as you face the man behind you. "Nanami, do you want to keep them occupied while I make something? I won't be long, maybe only 15 minutes."

The blonde haired male nods, scooping Yuji and Megumi up in his muscled arms. "Sounds alright to me. We'll be in the living room."

You smile and rummage around the kitchen, praying to some supernatural force that the only thing Satoru kept in here wasn't just loads of sweets. Thankfully, your brother had some sense left in him and you found a decent amount of rice noodles in the pantry along with some broth and vegetables.

Putting together a decent meal, you put the bowls of steaming noodles on a tray and bring it to the living room where the boys are.

You find Yuji and Megumi watching Nanami in interest as he recounts a story from his work, only to bolt up immediately at the sight on you with food.

You place them down on coasters on the coffee table, warning them that the noodles were hot and to be careful, before handing a bowl to Nanami with a smile.

"Here- I'm not sure if you've babysitted these two before, but eat up, because you're going to need the energy."

Nanami smiles slightly. "Thank you. It looks amazing."

You feel the butterflies erupt in your stomach from his earnest compliment, nods, motioning to the kitchen.

"I'm going to grab some water for us - want to come?" You ask, and he nods, setting his bowl down on a coater and gets up to follow you to the kitchen.

Looking around the kitchen you groan, not realizing the step stool wasn't present in the room. You see the cabinet where your brother keeps his cups and curse your parents in your mind for giving him such tall genetics as you attempt to reach the cup on the shelf.

"Here, let me get that for you." Nanami's deep voice comes out from behind you and you freeze, realizing just how close he is, basically trapping you against the counter as his chest brushed against your back, grabbing four cups for you.

He hands them to you as you turn around, your eyes meeting with him beautiful brown ones, and yet again, you find yourself staring.

Clearing your throat awkwardly for a second time, you look away, and mumble out a thank you.

You fill up the four cups, and with Nanami's help you bring them back to the living room, handing them to the boys before digging in to your respective bowls of noodles.

Nanami offers to do the dishes, and you smile warmly as you thank him and usher the boys upstairs to get ready for bed.

However, even after they've brushed, showered, and settled into their pajamas, they still have energy for one last game for the day.

"Can we play 20 questions?" Yuji asks, plopping down on the large rug in his shared room with Megumi and you sigh, chuckling lightly as you sit down, patting the space in front of you and Megumi and Yuji sit down excitedly.

At that moment, Nanami comes upstairs, sitting down next to you across from the boys.

"What are we doing?"He asks, and Yuji grins at him widely.

"We get to ask you guys questions!" he chirps, and Megumi nods.

"Wait, that's not how-"

"Why don't you have a wife?" Yuji asks the man to your right, catching the both of you off guard.

"Uh- well, how do you know I don't?"Nanami asks, raising an eyebrow at the very inquisitive child.

"Do you have a wife?" Megumi asks immediately, mirroring the man's expression.

"Well- no."

"Then why don't you have a wife?" Megumi asks, and you want to laugh at the man's visible discomfort.

"How about we move on, yeah?" you say, trying to show a little mercy to the poor blonde.

"You many friends do you have?" Yuji asks, turning to you and you blink, unsure of how to answer.

"Um...three...?" You answer, a little sheepish.

"That's not many." Megumi says, unimpressed.

"Why do you only have three friends?" Yuji asks incredulously, his golden eyes impossibly wide.

"Well, um... back to him!" you chuckle nervously, nudging Nanami with your shoulder to change the topic.

"How come we only see you during the holidays?" Yuji asks Nanami curiously.

"Because I work an office job." Nanami answers, relieved to have a question he can answer.

"Is that why you don't have a wife?" Megumi asks and Nanami looks like he doesn't know why he puts up with the boys' antics.

He sighs, and stands up, brushing off his slacks. "Okay, enough questions - time for bed."

Yuji and Megumi groan, but you quiet their complaints with a knowing smile.

"Hey now, no frowns. If you two go to bed right now without complaints, you'll get a bedtime story."

Yuji and Megumi brighten up immediately. Your stories held a very high reputation in the Gojo household, and they knew it, racing to their beds and eagerly diving under the covers, awaiting your story. Sitting on Megumi's bed, and Nanami sitting on Yuji's you take a deep breath, and start recounting a story about a grumpy dinosaur who didn't have many friends.

"Did the dinosaur work in an office?" Megumi mumbles and Yuji is thrown into a fit of giggles.

You frown and flick Megumi's shoulder lightly. "Be nice, boys, and apologize."

"Sorry Mr. Nanami..." the boys mumble and you sigh quieting them again, sending an apologetic look to the blonde on Yuji's bed to which he responds with an amused expression.

"Good. Now, it was the dinosaur's birthday and...."

｡ﾟ•┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈꒰ა ⭑ ໒꒱┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈• ｡ﾟ

It's late at night now, the boys fast asleep as you sit on the balcony floor that overlooks the backyard.

You hear the door slide open, and suddenly Nanami joins you on the wooden floor, heat radiating off of him and you have to physically restrain yourself from getting closer to its source.

"So, you've been doing this for a long time, right?" He asks, and you turn to him, surprised.

"Huh? Oh yeah, Satoru adopted them the year we graduated, so I've had my fair share of babysitting duties since then."

"Oh, you and Gojo are the same age? I figured you'd be older, given how mature you are in comparison."

You snort. "To be fair, there isn't much maturity to compare myself against. We're basically the same age, Satoru was one of the oldest in our year and I was one of the youngest, so we're a little over a year apart. How old are you?"

Nanami chuckles. "I'm 27, so a year younger than you."

Your eyebrows shoot up. "You're kidding, I thought you were older than me! You're so put together in comparison to Satoru."

Nanami laughs. "And here I thought we weren't comparing ourselves to Gojo."

You laugh alongside him, sighing as you enter a comfortable silence, leaning against the walls of the house and staring at the stars.

"Call me Kento."

"What?"

"My first name. Call me Kento."

Your eyes widen, as the butterflies in your stomach are surely going crazy by now, but you manage to smile.

"Alright! Call me Y/N then. Don't think you'd want to call me Gojo too."

Nanami shakes his head, smiling. "No, you are far too special to be referred to by your surname."

You blink, staring at him, flustered. Did he just call you...special?

You can't bring yourself to look at him without dying from giddiness, but staring at the stars, you manage to speak.

"Thank you... I think you're pretty special too, Kento."

A/N: Heheh they're total dorks <3

𝚝𝚊𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝: @tootiecakes234 @gina239 @its-liberty-frazblair @lilyadora @callmeanythingyouwant00

@milkm4nz @lightsgore @skaiblu-e @that-one-lightskin @hahajsphaha

@marie-is-in-the-dark @beaniesayshi @abinformyobsessions @sharycatx3 @meddykip

@riririr11 @ladygojooo @abyzissupersleepy @lilaccmilk @anime2006

[monstersflashlight]

Just gonna say in advance that this ask is with watersports, so if you’re not down for that, no hard feelings and you don’t have to respond to it

But if you are…I wanna send a request for a gator monster and a reader (both male). The reader needs to piss but they can’t get it going due to nervousness, so the gator monster offers to let reader piss on his mouth and on him, and while reader’s pissing he sucks reader’s cock off and you both cum and piss

Hi anon! I’m okay with watersports, there’s one story with werewolf x fem!reader and watersports here. In this case, I took your idea and changed it a lil bit because I wanted to add the extra public situation, hope you don’t mind and hope you like it! <3

“Rain on me” or how to unlock a new kink

Gator-monster x male!reader || watersports, oral sex, lowkey dirty talk, semi-public sex || tw: piss

You two were in the club, the music so loud your eardrums felt like they were going to tear. But you loved it. You loved the intoxicating feeling of the people around you dancing, specially your sweaty skin rubbing against your boyfriend’s scales.

Your gator boyfriend moved his hips along the music like a pro. “I need to pee,” you told him. He insisted on accompanying you, always the gentleman. Or gentle-monster in his case. When you got to the bathroom, the line was so long you couldn’t even see the door. Fuck. “I can’t. I can’t wait,” you urged.

You couldn’t stop jumping on your feet, your bladder so full you felt like you were going to explode. Fuck, fuck, fuck. You looked at him with pleading eyes, trying to find the answers you needed in that moment.

“Come here.” He took your hand and dragged you along to the alleyway. He pressed your back against the cement wall. There was a strong odor around you, but his big body pressed against yours made you all kinds of excited, forgetting the dirty background. And your still full bladder.

You pushed his body softly, “I need to pee like yesterday.”

You tried to turn around, thinking about peeing against the wall, but he held you there. You looked at him perplexed. He fell to his knees in front of you as he opened your pants, taking your cock out. It gave a twitch at the contact, the soft touch of his hand-scales against your dick turning you on instantly. The pressure of your excitement plus your full bladder made your whole body shiver as you looked up, trying to forget your boyfriend on his knees in front of you.

“Rain on me,” he deadpanned. It caught you off guard and you let out a big laugh, looking down at him as tears rushed to your eyes.

“Did you just make an Ariana Grande’s reference?” The absurdity of the situation making you giggle uncontrollably, making your need to pee even worse. You held your lower abdomen as you looked at him, still giggling.

“I did,” his voice didn’t even twitch. “Now come on, piss.” Your laugh stopped, thinking about what he was offering. You looked at him so intensely that you forgot to blink and your brain got foggy. Your big gator boyfriend had his mouth open in front of your dick.

“Wha- what?” You asked, completely confused, trying really hard to focus not to peeing.

He looked at you like you were dumb, and you felt a bit dumb at the moment, too. And then he blew your mind: “Piss in my mouth, come one. I will like it.” He opened his mouth again, his big eyes shiny under the street lights.

“You- you will?” Your head was spinning.

“Yes,” he agreed. “I would prefer for this to happen at home, but I take what I can get, and right now I want you to pee on me, and then suck your dick.” His tone was so normal and collected you didn’t know how to react, why was he so comfortable talking about you pissing in his mouth? Who was this monster and what did he do with your sweet boyfriend?

You wanted to argue his point, or at least get some answers out of him, but the need to pee was too much a couple droplets escaped you and landed on his open mouth. He moaned as you stared how the almost transparent liquid ran down his tongue. Something inside of you was awoken then, you never thought you’d like that, but good lord if it didn’t turn you on to see your pee on his mouth, to see him swallow it and groan.

From that point on instinct took over. You peed on his open mouth as he swallowed slowly, some of it dripping down and wetting his naked torso. Some part of your brain registered how handy it was that he never wore a shirt arguing his scales were enough. Seeing your fluids running down his torso made you send a silent thank you to his whole kind.

And once again, he blew your mind. Or more like he blew your dick. He pushed himself forwards and took your dick inside his mouth, receiving your piss directly and humming around hit, content sounds fueling your rapidly rising desire. Your dick started to get hard in his mouth, heat surrounding your tip as he played with you. His rough tongue harsh against your skin.

Your hands shoot for his head and you scratched his scales, he groaned around your dick, rapidly approaching an orgasm. You moved your hips slowly against his face. Close, so close. His claw found the back of your clothed ass, and he groped you, the combination of sensations too much. You couldn’t give him a heads up before you were coming, your seed mixing with the pee still on his mouth as he swallowed around you. You groaned loudly, head thrown back as you melted into the wall.

He held you in place against the wall as you tried to regain your breathing. “Mmmm, that was delicious,” he told you, standing up and pecking at your lips. You licked them and found a bitter and salty taste there. Both of you moaned. Your dick gave a brave twitch, trying to get up again. Why was all of that such a turn on? You were about to ask your boyfriend just that when he asked you: “Let’s go home?” You nodded, unable to form words, and barely able to walk, your knees too weak. He held you against his body and almost carried you out of the alleyway. You smiled as you rested your head against his shoulder, he kissed your forehead softly.

And that’s how you accidentally unlocked a new kink.

[peachesofteal]

Follow up to this? 18+ MDNI / mild dark and twisty themes / spanking, dom/sub dynamics

You’re uncomfortable.

Seven bright, blazing screens of monitors sit in front of you, information filtering through your brain at the speed of light. This set up is so fast, so much faster than your agency’s at home, it’s processing capability nearly makes your head spin.

It’s a dream come true, but all you can think about is the memory of Sergeant MacTavish’s punishment from yesterday morning, and the raw, stinging skin of your ass.

“Keep em right here.” His gloved hand strokes over your knuckles, where they’re hanging on for dear life, gripping too tight against the edge of the desk. Your cheek is pressed against the cold finish of the wood, eyes clenched shut, entire body shuddering in disbelief. You’re still confused, stunned even, not sure how you ended up belly down, bent at the waist in front a member of the ONE FORTY ONE. “Dinnae move them. If ye do, we’ll have to add more.” Something is burning inside of you, an unbelievable, unbearable fire, threatening to spill over and burn you alive. Dark, awful thoughts rise to the surface. They whisper terrible things to you, try to pull you away with them. “Do ye understand?” He prompts.

“Okay.” You whisper, eyes clenched shut. He’s going to spank you. Sergeant MacTavish is about to spank you, like a child. Like you’re in trouble.

“Ye forgot something.” He chides, and you blow out a breath.

“S-sir.”

“That’s it. Good job.” A zipper echoes, and you fight the urge to turn your head and look. “Ye’re goin’ count. One for every minute late.”

“Yes sir.” Something flat, like a plank, pressed against the plush of your ass, and jolt with a whimper.

“Ready?” He asks and you nod. “This will make ye feel better darling, trust me.” He murmurs, pitch dipping into some deeper, darker. Something formidable.

The next thing you feel is the harsh, sharp swing of whatever he’s using against your skin, over your pants. It stings, hot fire spreading across your cheeks before it fades out, and you take a deep breath.

“One.”

“Hello? Earth to Cypher?” Your nickname. You blink. Your coworker is staring at you, and you shake the stupor off.

“What?” Shit. How long were you out? Did you space? Or were you-

“I asked if you had figured out that embedded code yet, on the geofencing.”

“Oh. Yeah.” She gives you a thumbs up, and you promise to send her the file, already drifting back to your muscle memories.

[mari-the-bimbo]

PLS — DON’T LEAVE US HANGING

I just love your dorm mate Geto series, there will be other parts? Plsplspls

Dorm mate Geto: Just friends pt. 3

A/N: OKAY OKAY FORGIVE ME YA’LL!! At first I just wanted part 2 to marinate a lil you know? Then I forgot to post whoopsie! Also in my defence I was depressed over jjk new chapter leaks 😭 Enjoy! <3

It’s 8pm in the morning when you woke up and made some breakfast in the quiet dorm kitchen. The sunlight seeps through the window as you munch on some cereal.

“Bit early for a Saturday don’t you think doll?” A honey-laced voice teases from behind.

You turn around to see Geto. The usual mischievous dark coloured eyes which stared at you adoringly. His tall, broad figure towers over you, and his hands in his pockets but you can’t focus, all you could think about yesterdays confessions and kisses.

“Well good morning to you too” you tease back before placing your bowl in the sink about to walk away. He chuckles at your quick wit, he can’t help but swoon over you.

Until his large hand stops you by simply grabbing your mid section.

“Where you do think you’re going doll? I said we’re going to talk later remember?” He says like a demand but his tone is still so soft, causing butterflies in your stomach. “B-but Gojo is still here-“ you say, suddenly losing the last drop of the confident facade you had left.

“He’s still asleep after his late night. It’s just you and me doll” he reasons, unwilling to let you slip away out of his arms again. He sits at the dining table, one hand tugs on your hand, and the other pats his thigh, urging you to sit on his lap.

“Geto..”

“don’t be shy with me. You know I’m all yours y/n” he rasps as he stares into your eyes, making you grow hot and bothered, nevertheless you comply. You sit on his lap and he lets out a relaxing hum as your butt rests on his thighs.

“How you feeling after yesterday?” He asks like a whisper in your ear, rubbing your upper arm to help ease it out of you.

“I feel okay” you say, keeping it brief, even though you knew you could probably write a whole essay about it. But so did Geto.

“I need you to feel more than okay hun” he says so sweetly, making your stomach stir again.

You sigh, knowing Geto knew you too well. “Well I guess I still feel a bit bitter about you with other girls but I understand it’s not your fault because you thought your feelings were one sided.”

He nods empathetically, he’s always been so mature. You watch a strand of his black hair fall out of his hair bun, “those girls will never mean what you mean to me. And I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you if that’s what it takes.”

“It’s not been easy having feelings for you since the day I met you, you know?” He adds, and your mouth slightly opens at his confession. Sure, you’ve liked him for a long time too, but you can’t imagine how painful it must’ve been pining for the same person since the day you met them.

He laughs softly at your reaction, his hand playfully grabbing your chin to close your mouth. “Don’t worry, it was all worth it in the end right? Don’t feel bad” he said as if he read your mind.

Your eyes soften, asking him the same question you asked last night before he kissed you. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” you ask, your frail cold fingers touching his face, you feel him relax against it. “I guess I was scared that you wouldn’t like me back” he admits with a sad smile which felt unusual on the usually confident secure man.

“Well that’s not true. I like you…a lot” you say, causing him to give you the cheesiest handsome smile. “Yeah? I like you a lot too” he says, kissing your fingers, both of you dancing around the word ‘love’.

“Then are you gonna kiss me or what?” You say impatiently with a cute pout, he chuckles at your princess behaviour before pulling you closer by grabbing your cheeks with his one large hand, taking advantage of the size difference, pressing his lips against yours. His lips feverishly move against yours. He pulls away for a second to let you gasp for air before attacking your lips once again.

You’re dizzy when you pull away from the handsome man who cuddled you in his lap, your arms wrapped around his broad shoulders. All you can smell is his musky woody scent and all you can feel is his wet lips on your jaw.

“Y/n?” He murmurs against your skin, “yeah?” You ask breathlessly.

“I love you”

Your eyes widened as you felt your heart beat hundred times faster. You pull away only enough to see his face again, his eyes are genuine as he stares up at you as if you’re an angel.

“I love you too pretty boy” you say, playing with his black ear studs shyly.

He feels happy yet so smug at the same time. “Yeah? What do you love about me the most?” He asks with a smirk.

“Free barista”

He laughs so joyfully at your answer, and he looks so pretty as he does it. Geto genuinely doesn’t mind if that really is the reason you love him, he’s happily make coffee for you for the rest of his life.

“Good, that means you’re all mine”

You suddenly feel shy at his words, choosing to mess with his ear stud again. “You really love me huh?” You ask, with a hopeful smile, anything to hear him say it again.

“Oh doll, you have no idea” he says as he tucks your hair strand behind you ear, kissing your cheeks.

“C’mon now” he says patting your butt, “lemme make my princess some coffee”

[lottesreads]

Why Me? - Part 12

Pairing: Bob Floyd x Mitchell! Female Reader (Callsign Mantis)

Warnings: Forbidden relationship, some angst, mentions of nightmares, mentions of PTSD, swearing, mentions of anxiety and panic attacks, therapy (we love), mentions of death/being sick, mentions of limb loss (it'll all make sense),

Word Count: 9500

Summary: Everyone prepares for the storm, and you're left with a lot to think about as some forgotten feelings come back.

A/N: Hiiii guys, I am so sorry this took SO LONG. For some reason it was so hard to write and school started so ya know how that goes. But hopefully this makes up for it?? I love all of you and as always I hope you enjoy. Reblogs and comments feed my life force just btw

p.s. you know I love to hear what you think, so fire away

Masterlist

Bob knows he messed up. He knows that, and as much as he wishes he never put you in this situation to begin with, he can’t undo what he said. Things have just gone completely downhill since he told you how he felt and it just…. feels like it’s all his fault. You’re quiet, secluding yourself, and almost scared at work now. But there’s not much he can do if you refuse to open up to him. He can’t help but worry for you, but it’s up to you now. If you want to talk to him, great. If not, he just hopes you talk to someone else.

The wind has slowly been gaining speed since early this morning when he took Sylvia out for a run. It was his last chance to get her out of the house before the shit hit the fan and he wasn’t gonna keep her cooped up anymore than she had to be. He’s been in a daze since yesterday. Can’t quite seem to focus on anything he puts before him, including the several garden gnomes and pieces of porch furniture belonging to his neighbors.

“You sure all of this will fit in the garage?”, he asks while carrying a chair down from the front steps.

“Oh I’m sure”, Rich replies. His eyes have been more focused on placing their gnome collection inside the house, but he’s been making room for everything else in the garage. He’s skeptical as he eyes the rest of the room, they’ve still got to fit their cars inside, too. He’s sure if he moved a couple of those storage bins to a higher shelf he’d be able to-

“You’ve already done enough for us, why don’t you come inside for some sweet tea, huh?”

“I’m ok”, he tries to brush him off.

“I’m not taking no for an answer Bob”, Rich offers with a raise of his thick eyebrow. Bob gives in, like he does most of the time with these two, and follows Rich inside. Harry sits at the table as he wraps up the rest of their pointy-hat clad lawn ornaments, but pauses at the sight of his husband.

“How’s everything going out there?”

“We’re just about done”, Rich responds from behind the fridge door, “I thought we deserved a water break.” Bob laughs to himself, he really hasn’t done much except move a couple pieces of furniture. He probably could have been finished by now if they didn’t keep offering him water or tea.

“Oh that reminds me”, Harry turns to his husband, “We need to bring the hose from the side of the house in. I forgot when I finished watering the garden yesterday.” Bob isn’t able to take one step in the direction of the door before Rich urges him into the seat across from Harry.

“Don’t you worry about that one young man, I got it.”

“It’s really no trouble-”

“I insist, you take a seat and drink your tea. You can take a turn listening to Harry complain for once.” Rich slides a glass of sweet tea in front of Bob before patting Harry on the shoulder and stepping outside.

“I just wish I could help you boys more”, Harry starts. “But ya know the leg starts acting up whenever a storm is coming.” He emphasizes his point by tapping his metal prosthetic onto the side of the table, shaking it the slightest bit. Bob’s never sure if he’s talking about the actual prosthetic hurting, or what’s left of his leg, but at this point he’s too scared to ask. All he knows is that whenever he gets a call from Harry early in the morning, there’s bound to be a storm before the day’s over. This time however, he got his weather from the news, like a normal person.

“So-”, Harry starts as Bob takes a swig from his glass, “Are we going to be seeing Miss Mitchell anytime soon?” The sweet tea halts in Bob’s throat, sliding down the wrong tube and causing him to choke on the beverage. He does his best to not drop the glass onto the table in order to stop himself from spraying the drink everywhere, but Harry looks like he could care less as his brow raises. Bob clearly was not expecting him to bring you up, and Harry’s squint gives into the fact he’s happy to catch him off guard.

“I’d make an assumption, but I’m not quite sure how to make one out of that kind of reaction.” Bob continues trying to clear his throat by coughing, but Harry waits.

“No”, he chokes, “She uh- she won’t be coming by anytime.” Harry hums to himself as he turns back to the bubble wrap.

“That’s too bad. She was quick, I liked her.” Me too, Bob thinks to himself. He just gives him a slight frown at the news. “Seemed like you were pretty fond of her, too.” Bob’s cheeks heat up at his insinuation, and he tries to make a run for it.

“Ok! I should probably go help-”

“Sit back down”, Harry groans. Bob begrudgingly does as the man says as he begins to toy with the condensation forming on his glass. “All I’m saying is, you both obviously like each other. What gives?” All he can do is shake his head at the thought. There’s too much, but maybe he’ll understand.

“There’s just a lot of other stuff involved.”

“Oh yeah, like what?”

“Well, for starters her title isn’t ‘Miss’... it’s Lieutenant.” Bob’s gaze flicks over to watch Harry’s eyes widen in realization.

“Shit. Is she a WSO, too?”

“Nah, she’s a pilot”, he smiles, “A damn good one.” Harry chuckles as he crosses his arms.

“I shoulda known.” Bob furrows his brows, silently asking him to explain. “She just had this look in her eye…Can’t really explain it.” Bob knows the one. The silent determination he sees whenever you climb into the cockpit. No matter what happens on the ground, once you ascend that ladder… you’re focused. And no one can take that away from you.

“So that’s it then? You're just gonna let her go?” Harry probes as Bob shakes his head. He focuses on a grain of wood in the table, avoiding the man’s gaze.

“It’s against strict rules”, Bob shrugs, “I don’t want to be the reason she gets into trouble. It’s better if we just leave it.”

“Is it?” Bob grabs his glass of sweet tea and takes a sip before Harry leans forward in his seat, “If I know anything about you Bob, it’s that you’ve got a level head on those shoulders. And from what I can tell about Lieutenant Mitchell, it’s that she does, too. But you can’t forget underneath all of that, you have hearts. You can’t leave that out of the equation.” Bob stills as he taps his finger on the rim of his glass. Yeah, Bob has a heart, but you do, too. And who knows if deep down this is what you really want? If he’s what you really want.

His thoughts are interrupted by Harry once again, this time as he finishes wrapping up the last gnome.

“Mitchell, huh?” Bob mindlessly nods. “You don’t happen to know if she’s got any family who served, do ya?”

“Yeah, actually. Her dad just happens to be our captain. Pete Mitchell-”

“Maverick?!”, Harry all but yells. “That cocky motherfucker’s still in service?” The front door slams shut as Rich makes his way back inside.

“What cocky motherfucker are we talking about?”, he asks as if this is a normal topic of conversation for the two of them.

“Pete Mitchell”, Harry tells him as he stares at Bob in awe.

“Now that’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time”, Rich replies as he grabs himself and Harry their own drinks. Bob pivots in his seat as Rich brings both glasses to the counter, eyes wide in shock. “Don’t tell me-” He’s obviously already made the connection as Harry nods at him. He simply shrugs and continues to pour their drinks, brushing off the fact that Harry seems to be stuck on. Something he thought Rich of all people would want to talk about.

“Did you fly with him?” Bob directs the question at Harry. He rolls his eyes.

“For a very brief time. He’s a few years younger than me, but always acted like he was the best of the best. Didn’t even win the goddamn Top Gun trophy.”

“Well”, Rich chimes in as he sets the glass in front of Harry, “That wasn’t entirely his fault.” Bob’s eyes unintentionally squint as he tries to think back on what he actually knows about your dad. There’s very limited information he sought after Hangman revealed he flew with Rooster’s dad, and- then it hits him.

“Wait”, he stops the two men, “Were you guys here when they had the accident?”

“I wasn’t”, Harry responds, “But Rich was. He was actually one of the-” Rich’s hand claps down on his husband’s shoulder, effectively stopping him from finishing the story. He grants Bob a forced smile.

“I was. It was a… a very sad day.” Rich keeps moving, leaving his glass of tea untouched as he moves the box of packed up gnomes to the living room. Bob leaves it at that. If there was more to the story he wouldn’t want to probe where he’s not welcome to.

After helping move the small outdoor coffee table into the garage, he insists on parking their cars himself. Just to make sure he did leave enough room for everything to fit. And with his many years experience with Tetris, he’s able to pack anything that the wind might sweep away into safe hiding spaces for the night.

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

If the puffy eyes that greet you in the mirror are any indication that you’d been crying, the wad of tissues scattered around your trash can would certainly do the trick. It was an ugly cry, one that you realized was futile to resist against the snot dripping down your nose. You’d cried more in the past couple months than you had in the past five years. Not to mention you haven’t cried to the point where you kept a roll of toilet paper to use as tissues next to your bed since you were a teenager. But even then you had mastered to cry in silence, to not alert anyone or “bother” someone with the noise of your anguish.

It wasn’t a question that was the reason for your headache. You even forgot you got hit in the face until you tried wiping the sleep from your eyes, only to pull your hand away as soon as it brushed near the red and purple bruise.

“Son of a bitch”, you muttered as you made your way to the bathroom. The wind howls outside your room as you splash your face with cold water, hoping to reduce the swelling before inevitably seeing your father. Gently, you wipe your face with a towel, taking a good hard look at the aftermath from the night before. You huff out a breath before tearing your gaze away from the mirror, gathering the tissues you’d thrown half-heartedly in the direction of the trash can the night before.

Your father is already up and moving as you descend the stairs. Granted, you did allow yourself to sleep in today. He’s sitting on the couch, slipping his shoes on when you make eye contact. He immediately smiles with a grimace upon seeing your face.

“Hey sweetheart”, he greets you, “How you feeling this morning?” You simply scoff and turn to the kitchen. The coffee machine is still warm, your dad already having at least his second cup of the day.

“Like I got hit in the face”, you respond. The machine hums while you let it work, and you grab an emblazoned Navy mug from the cabinet. You turn to lean on the counter, watching him finish lacing up his boots. “Where are you going?”

“Well, Penny’s moving everything at the bar and I figured since I took care of our stuff yesterday, I’d go help out. Plus it’ll be my last chance to take the bike for a spin this weekend.”

“And they say chivalry is dead”, you comment as the coffee seeps into your cup. He chuckles and makes his way over to you. You turn, mug in hand as he walks up. He grimaces again at your face, but his shoulders slump as he notes your puffy eyelids. “How’d you sleep”

“Alright”, you mumble.

“I can stay here if-”

“Dad”, you groan as you roll your eyes, “What am I, five?”

“No- but I’m just saying, if you need me I’ll be here for you.”

“I know, but I’ll be fine.” He seems unsure as he glances between you and the front door. “Go”, you urge him, “Be a knight in shining armor.” He laughs again as he bids you goodbye and leaves. The rumble of his motorcycle tapering off as he exits the neighborhood.

Truly, you are fine. You’re not great, but you’ve been worse. In fact, this is probably the most down time you’ve had in a while. If you were still talking to Bob you would probably text him and see what he was up to, but alas. There’s not much to do except waste away for the rest of the day. Which is exactly what you do. You turn the t.v. on and throw your feet up. They almost hit the large box Bradley left yesterday. You guess you could see what’s in there for you, but you’re already so comfortable and it's just so… far away. And soon enough, your eyes are drooping shut again.

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

The day passes by painlessly as you switch from folding laundry, to eating whatever is left in the fridge. Your headache slowly dissipates with every bite of food and drink of water, but as it gets closer to evening, the noises from outside get louder and louder. A leaf from a palm tree being ripped from its home and hitting the side of the house, ran pattering, and thunder booming in the distance.

Deciding you’ve had enough of scrolling aimlessly through your phone, you move back to the living room and turn on something you can watch without much thought. The cardboard box Bradley brought over still sits on the coffee table, and huffing out a breath you decide to take the lid off. There’s a bundle of old photos, a couple of dirtied up baseballs, and an old envelope you move to look at, but your phone rings before you can inspect it further. Your dad’s face appears on the screen and you swipe to answer.

“Hey dad, what’s up?”

“Hey kiddo, listen, there was a lot that needed to be boarded up and taken care of at the bar, I just barely got back to Penny’s. I know everything’s taken care of at the house, but the wind and rain are picking up. I don’t want to leave you alone, but it might be safer just to spend the night here. Are you gonna be ok?”

“Dad, I'll be fine. I’d feel better knowing you’re at Penny’s rather than driving your bike in the storm.” You can hear him sigh on the other end. Even with your permission you know he still feels guilty leaving you.

“Are you sure you’ll be alright?”

“I swear. I’ll be fine.”

“Ok sweetheart. Promise you’ll call me if anything happens or you need me, ok?”

“I promise”, you can’t help but smile through your words at his protectiveness.

“Alright, well I love you, and hopefully things will slow down and I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“Love you, too, dad. Bye.” He bids you goodnight, even if it isn’t 8 o’clock yet, it feels like much later with the storm clouds covering up any chance of dying sunlight.

Turning back to the box you pick up the envelope, there’s an unexpected weight to it and you hold your breath at the sight of Carole’s handwriting. There’s one word on the front and it’s simply labeled “Bug”. Your once steady hands shake as you trace the folded edge that has been sealed for almost two decades. You can’t open it fast enough, but at the same time you’re hesitant to see quite possibly what her last words to you could be. Slipping your finger under the seal, you try to minimize the damage as it rips open. As if it were an extension of the woman herself.

Inside sits a lined piece of journal paper, folded neatly into thirds. But your eyes linger on the item weighing it down as you huff out a breath in disbelief. Your fingers reach inside, and once completely taken out of its hiding place, a silver chain with a butterfly pendant hangs from your hand. 

 With the necklace still wrapped around your fingers, your eyes water as you reach for the note, unfolding it. The paper shakes as your heartbeat quickens. And her voice fills your head while you trace the all familiar cursive with a featherlight touch.

My Darling Bug,

Did you really think I wasn’t going to notice this found its way back into my possession? I don’t know why or when you did this, but I thought I told you it wasn’t mine anymore. I gave this to you for a reason, Bug. I wanted you to know that Bradley, your dad, and I will always be with you. I think you might need it now more than ever. It might be a little different, but I don’t want you to look at it and be sad I’m not with you. I want you to look at it and be happy that I still am, no matter what.

I know I made you promise me to be brave. And you have kept that promise, so if you think you haven’t, you’re wrong. But maybe I should have worded it differently, because you don’t need to be brave like anybody else. I want you to continue being brave like you. Because I know you are. Even so, I want you to remember how I got this necklace in the first place. It all happened because Goose was brave enough to ask. He taught me that being brave doesn’t mean you’re not scared anymore. It means that even though you are scared, you do it anyway. You don’t run from it, you face it head on. He always told me I wasn’t born with the fear part of my brain intact, but he was wrong. When we lost him, I knew for a fact that part of my brain was there. I was so scared, but I knew I had to keep going. If not for me, then for Bradley and your dad. Heaven knows your dad was scared out of his mind, but that’s what makes him one of the bravest people I know. He kept flying, and then soon enough, you came along and changed our lives completely. And I know I’m rambling, but I just need you to know how much you mean to me- to all of us.

So I don’t want you to live your life in fear or with regrets, wondering the same things, so please; continue to be the brave girl I know you are. It’s hard to take those first steps. But it is so worth the risk, because you deserve everything good this world has to offer.

And this may or may not make it easier, but I just ask that you take this back and wear it with pride. I will always be with you, bug. And I can’t stand another moment having this sitting in my jewelry box, collecting dust when you can wear it and put it to much better use. You deserve it. I love you very much, don’t forget that.

P.S. I know Bradley’s a big boy and he acts like he can take care of himself, but I know he’ll need you just as much as you need him. Same with your dad. Be there for each other.

-Love, Carole

You move the letter away from under your face as you feel the tears start to fall. You’re just quick enough as they hit your lap instead. The necklace is now safely encased in your grip as you take in a ragged breath. All this time- You can’t stomach the thought. This entire time, these past 16 years you’ve been separated from this last piece of Carole you never even knew existed. And the necklace you thought was lost to time now sits in your palm. You hold on to it. Tight.

You still don’t let go as you gingerly place the letter back in the envelope. Deciding you need to put these two things in a safer spot than your living room, you walk up to your room and go to the shoebox above your closet. Inside, you move the velvet box with your Academy ring to the side, making room for the letter. You almost place the necklace in with it, but you’re not going to disobey Carole by not putting it on the next chance you get.

With the silver chain still wrapped in your hand, you put the shoebox back, just about tripping over your flight suit in the process. In everything that happened yesterday after therapy you must have forgotten to put it in your laundry basket, or hang it up at least. As you pick the jumbled green fabric up, your ears prick up at the sound of something hitting the floor. The gleam of a copper coin catches your eye and you drop your uniform altogether, opting to pick it up instead.

Carole’s words swirl through your head as your heart rate picks up. You stare at the penny in one hand, and open your other to reveal the silver butterfly. The memory of Bob’s crooked smile fills your senses and your heart beats faster again. There’s a phantom ache of his hand cradling yours, gently placing that first penny into your palm on the tiled floor of the locker room. Even before you kissed there was this urge to want to get to know him from deep inside the dark recesses of your heart. From places you thought you blocked off and boarded up after your last boyfriend. You left no room for weakness, no room for anyone to have the upper hand, but yet, you feel safe around Bob. You still do, even after it tore you to shreds resisting that same urge to talk to him, to look at him. It scares you, how after only meeting him a few months ago, it feels like he knows the darkest parts of you, and still wants to learn more. To care for you in a way that you haven’t let someone in a long time. And you want to do the same for him.

That urge sends chills up your spine as thunder booms in the distance, the once small patter of rain picking up as it hails on your roof. Clenching the penny in your fist, you delicately hold the necklace in the other, and you swear the lightning reflects off the silver butterfly, almost winking at you. In the glint, you hear Carole’s voice from when she first gave it to you, and again through her writing. “Be brave”, her whisper echoes. And in that moment, your heart beats louder, anticipating what you know you’re going to do next before your brain has the time to catch up. Placing the necklace on your side table next to your bed, your feet sprint down the stairs the moment the chain leaves your fingers.

You can hardly differentiate the thud of your feet  from the thunder that is somehow getting closer by the second. Throwing on the nearest jacket and lacing up your shoes, you grab your keys and head to the garage. Your old faithful Toyota lays dormant as you jump in, and start the engine. Or at least try to. It sputters a couple times as you turn the key again, and again.

“No, no, no. Please”, you plead as you take a deep breath, holding out hope as you try one last time, “C’mon!” With a final twist, the engine roars to life. “Yes! Thank you!” The garage opens and closes with the click of a button as you peel out of the driveway, probably a little too fast, but who would be crazy enough to be on the streets in these conditions?

The rain doesn’t stop on your account, and both hands are white knuckling the steering wheel as you attempt to maintain the little control you have of your vehicle over mother nature. Your windshield wipers are moving as fast as they can, but it’s little to no good as you traverse the streets. You might have been better off with a canoe.

Nonetheless, you’re so close. Your destination is only a couple blocks away, practically in sight as your car lurches forward, sputtering, before ultimately slowing as you pull to the side of the road.

“No, no, no, are you kidding me?!”, you scream as you hit the steering wheel. She was doing so good! What happened? Placing the car in park, you remove the key and try again, but nothing. Squinting through the rain pattered window, you make out the street sign up ahead as it sways in the wind. This is ok. You can do this. Clenching your jaw and ensuring your phone is buried deep in one of your pockets along with your keys, you push against the gusts of wind and open the car door.

Your face is immediately pelted with ice-like bullets, raining down on you without mercy. Even with the hood of your jacket on, it does no good as you run across the sidewalk and turn down the street. A few house lights are on, but you can barely see as the rain washes over you in sheets. A gust of wind almost gets the better of you as you try your hardest to hold the hood to your head, creating any kind of cover you can. You are so close to throwing in the towel. So close to going back to your car and hiding away until the storm is over. But you didn’t come this far just to turn back. You will not give up.

Shining just a bit brighter than every other house on the street, your destination is in sight. Just one block and your feet make the decision for you to move faster. To run like you never have before, because this time you’re not running from anything. You’re running towards something. The rain hits you quicker, but it’s hard to feel it soak through your clothes as your feet pound against the pavement. 

Your shoes slip on the step to the front door, and your fist meets the entrance much sooner than you were expecting. It creates a loud knock, but there’s no sign of life behind the door. Gaining your footing back, you knock once more. Nothing. You knock twice again. Damn it. He must not be able to hear you through the storm’s havoc. You don’t care anymore, you weren’t thinking when you hopped in your car, and you aren’t trying to stay out in the rain all night. Your knuckles are knocking repeatedly on the door, and that’s when you hear Sylvia bark. She’s getting louder as she moves closer to the door and you continue your knocking, hoping he’ll hear you over her.

“Please, c’mon”, you mutter to yourself as your teeth chatter against the words. Your knuckles are going raw from the sheer cold and the fact that you’ve been hitting them against the door for what feels like 20 minutes. The door opens with a rush of warm air and you’re greeted with the halo wrapped face of someone who only feels like warmness and comfort. The light shines around his features as they contort at what stands in front of him.

“Mantis, what the hell?!”, he yells through the wind while reaching forward to pull you inside. “Oh my god, are you crazy?!”, he exclaims as he holds your arms in place. Your teeth are chattering as he tells you to stay put before coming back with a towel that he promptly throws over your shoulders. It doesn’t do much good as you’re soaked to the bone, but he’s frantically looking for more before you reach out for him.

“Bob-”

“What are you doing here?!”

“I- I’m being brave”, you explain through the pounding rain and thunder. He pauses just for a moment, then shakes his head as he stares at you in utter confusion.

“Did you.. run here? Mantis, are you ok?”

“Bob I’m fine-”

“Do you know where you are? How did you get here?”

“Bob!”, you finally raise your voice and he meets your gaze instead of your rain-drenched form. “I will explain everything, but please just let me say what I came here to say”, you breathlessly supply. He looks back to you, hesitant, but nodding to let you continue.

“Ok”, he whispers. You can barely feel your fingers, or your toes for that matter, but your shaky hand reaches into your pocket and grasps onto the single penny you came here with. The only thing that you made sure to bring.

“What did you mean by this?”, you ask as you hold it out in front of him. “When you gave this to Phoenix, what did you want me to make of this?” His eyelashes flutter in a series of blinks as he silently takes in a breath. Without meaning to, the coin shakes in your hand, and he rushes an answer before you have to stand there any longer.

“It means what it’s always meant. I know I messed everything up, but I still want you to feel like you can trust me, and talk to me. Because you can. I know how scary it can be, and it’s…rare to find someone you feel so comfortable to be around and talk to about the nitty gritty parts of your life. And I like to believe I was that for you for a little bit, ‘cause… you were that for me.” Your heart melts at his sentiment as you continue to drench the walkway of his home.

“Now can you please tell me why you drove here in the middle of a hurricane?” You swallow, hoping whatever fears you have fall to the back of your throat to make room for what you need to tell him. Because, here you are: Soaking wet, standing in Bob’s home, with nothing but a penny and the knowledge that even if you’re scared, you can do this anyway.

“Bob”, you sigh, “You have not messed anything up. In fact, you did something I was too afraid to do.” Taking another deep breath, you ignore the lines riddled in his forehead and continue.

“I have been scared for most of my life. I know sometimes I act like I’m invincible, but I’m not. But I am also sick of being scared. I am sick of pretending. Life is too damn short, and for once instead of just acting like I am, I am trying to be brave. I can’t let this be another ‘what if’. I won’t let you be that. You deserve to at least know how I feel.”

“Mantis, you don’t have to-”

“No, but I want to”, you nod with authority, solidifying to Bob that this is a risk you want to take. You take in another deep breath as it fills you with courage. “Bob, it’s hard to explain, but- you make me feel brave. But at the same time you also scare the shit out of me”, you can’t help but laugh as the crease in his forward melts a little bit. “You scare me because you care so deeply for the people around you, and you’re so generous, and kind, and I can’t help but want to be around you all the time. And- and I’m rambling aren’t I?”, you ask as he breathes out a miniscule laugh. And then you’re gifted with the slightest uptick of his mouth. Just enough for you to know that he’s still listening. But when is he not?

“Anyway. I just- it kills me that you think so lowly of yourself, and I need you to know that I care about you. A lot. And if it hasn’t been blatantly obvious by how I’ve kissed you”, he blushes and looks down at his feet as if he didn’t kiss you with just as much passion, “I like you beyond the point of being friends. And- I feel like you see me. Not just as an aviator, not just as a woman, but as a person. But that’s also scary in itself because you’ve seen my flaws, and each time you didn’t look away. You stayed. You stayed and made sure I didn’t stay down.”

“You didn’t need me for that”, he shakes his head. And you smile through your shaky breath. “You don’t stay down long.”

“Maybe not, but it’s easier to get up when someone lends you a hand.” He stills at your words and your mind tracks back to find the courage you came here with. It’s not hard when Bob’s standing right in front of you with Carole’s voice running through the back of your mind.

 “I’ve tried brushing these feelings off, and staying away from you, thinking I was doing what was best for the both of us. And… I don’t know about you, but it’s only been like two days without talking to you- and I miss being around you.” The tell you’re about to cry starts with your throat straining, and at this point you’re trying everything to talk through it. “I don’t want to mourn you while you’re still here-”, you choke out as you clench your jaw to stop your teeth from chattering any louder than they already are.

“Hey”, Bob whispers as he moves closer to you, “It’s ok-”

“I don’t want to lose you when I’ve never even had you”, you breathe a shaky breath as he places his hands on your shoulders, the warmth permeating through your jacket and towel.

“Whoa, where is all this coming from?” Your breathing is rapidly increasing, as he stares down into your eyes, concern painted through the way he looks at you. That and something else you’re too hyped up on adrenaline to identify at this moment. 

“It’s ok, just breathe for me. Can you do that?” You nod as you stare back at him, his hands reaching out to grasp your own, placing one on his chest. Just like he did in the locker room. God, it feels like it was ages ago.

“Jesus Christ, you’re freezing”, he mutters as he puts both of his hands atop your own. Your fingers thrum over the soft cotton of his shirt, and you’re almost certain his heart is beating just as fast as your own.

“Your heart’s beating really fast”, you comment as you watch your fingers underneath his.

“Are you sure that’s not your own?” You exhale a laugh, but continue to feel that familiar thump from his chest.

“No, that’s definitely you.”

“Yeah”, he manages a nervous smile, “That usually happens when I’m around you.” Your hand is slowly gaining feeling back under the protection of his own, and your eyes meet his. He whispers your name softly, and this time you don’t flinch. You don’t break away, you don’t blink. Your teeth are still chattering, the noise distracting him from whatever he was going to say.

“Let’s get you into some dry clothes, yeah?” Silently you nod as he gives you a brief smile. He’s seemingly already accustomed to the idea of you staying the night, something you didn’t think of before running out of your own house. Taking your hand in his own, he leads you to the bottom of his stairs before jogging up to what you presume to be his bedroom. You wait as you attempt to clench your jaw to stop chattering your teeth, but that’s when you spot a shiny black nose poking out from the corner of the living room. 

“Hey Syl”, you whisper while bending down. She retreats almost immediately at the sight of you, but reappears at the familiar voice. You realize you must look kind of scary with your jacket hood plastered to your face. In an attempt to get her to come closer, you peel your hood off of your head and tempt her again with your outreached hand. “It’s just me sweet girl”, you whisper as she moves forward to sniff your hand. Her tail starts a wag at the appearance of your face and you smile as she gets close enough for you to pet her head. 

You’re scratching her ears as Bob returns from upstairs, now carrying clothes for you to change into.

“Ok, I’ve got some sweat pants and a t-shirt”, he explains as he sorts through them, “But I do have a sweatshirt in case you’re still cold.” He shifts his attention back to you as you stand and accept the clothes with a quiet ‘thank you’. Without the hood obstructing his view of your entire face, his brow immediately furrows at the shadow just to the side of your eye. He doesn’t get a good look at it before you’re turning to change in the bathroom. He must be seeing things. A shadow from your hair, the dim lighting, it just can’t be what he thinks it is.

Peeling your wet clothes off your body was something you didn’t think about while sprinting full speed down Bob’s street. But here you are, in his downstairs bathroom, admiring the softness of both the shirt and sweatpants he’s offered you. You’re soaked right down to your underwear, and rather than sitting uncomfortably in a wet bra and underpants, you decide to go commando. If you get cold enough Bob did offer you a sweatshirt. Tossing your wet clothes over the shower curtain, you slowly walk out of the bathroom. It’s quiet. Other than the occasional rumble of thunder, or whip of wind and rain against the windows, the only thing you’re aware of is your own breathing. Until you get into the living room and find Bob picking at his thumbs on the couch. He doesn’t notice you, and for the first time tonight, you hesitate. You run your fingers over the bottom of Bob’s shirt, holding it out slightly in front of your body. Just admiring how quickly he offered his own clothes to you. Your hair is slightly damp, but not dripping like it was moments ago, thanks to the towel he gave you when you first came in.

He must hear you shift on your feet, because soon enough his eyes follow your form in his clothes, the pants tight in some places, loose in others, but the large t-shirt does its job. He stops on your face as you give him a nervous smile and make your way over to the other end of the couch.

“Oh my god, what happened?”, he all but rushes out as you sit. His eyes are frantic with worry as you trace his concerned gaze to your cheek.

“Oh that”, you try to laugh, “It was an accident.” He swallows while he stiffens in his seat. Bridging the gap you left between the two of you, he catches your gaze as you look down at his hand.

“Mantis”, his voice darkens, “I need you to be completely honest with me.” He’s staring so intently into your eyes you feel like you’re center stage in a show you weren’t given the lines to. A kind of intensity you’ve never seen directed toward you from the man. “Did somebody hurt you?” You’re stuck in your spot, and without hesitating you answer him.

“No”, you breathe as you softly shake your head, “Bob, I promise you it was a complete accident. I was playing catch and wasn’t paying attention.” He eyes it one more time, and you see his hand twitch in his lap before it slowly makes its way to cup your face, turning it to take a better look. You hold your breath at the movement, but once his thumb strokes lightly over your skin you melt into his warmth.

“Well whoever you were playing catch with knows how to throw a pretty wicked fastball”, he mutters as he takes in the bruising along with the indent of the stitching.

“Yeah”, you sigh, not able to say much as he holds the weight of your face and much more in his gentle hand. “Rooster was a pitcher on his high school team.”

“You were playing catch with Rooster?” You let out a breathy laugh, knowing how confusing this must be.

“It’s a long story”, you tell him. “I just wasn’t paying attention.”

“And he still threw it at you?”

“I try not to make sense of Rooster’s actions anymore.”

“Next time you wanna play catch, you come to me. Ok?” His eyes are still on the bruise, analyzing it from every angle.

“Are you saying you won’t throw the ball at my face?”

“No. I’ll make sure you’re ready first.” His smile fades the tiniest bit, but his hand has yet to move. It’s quiet again until a particularly loud burst of thunder has him dropping his hold on you.

“Um, let me get you some ice.”

“I’m fine. My face, feet, and hands are pretty much still numb.”

“May I?”, he asks, reaching for your hands. You’re facing him now, and he turns to mirror your own crossed legs as his hands clasp your own. Slowly, without looking back at you, he brings them closer to his face and before you have the good sense to realize what’s going on, his warm breath fans over your dead fingers. Something flips in your stomach as he starts rubbing his thumbs over the back of your palms after each slow and agonizing breath.

The contrast in temperature hurts your fingers down to the bone, but you can’t seem to take them away from Bob. He stops the breaths just for a second as he rubs your hands in contemplation.

“Mantis… Why are you here?” You’re almost certain your swallow is audible as you stare down at your joint hands. He doesn’t push you when you don’t immediately answer. He only continues to soothe your aching extremities. But when he starts breathing on them again and his glasses fog up slightly, that’s when you truly start to feel the discomfort seep from your fingers. And that’s when you know you have your answer for him. Because he will truly put your needs before his own. His clothes on your back, his sight for your warmth, his happiness for your own. But he doesn’t quite know the true extent of your own unhappiness without him in your every day.

Your answer sits on the tip of your tongue, but truly, your brain speaks before you can formulate the words you need him to hear.

“I went to therapy”, you blurt out as you stare at him. God, why can’t your mouth just say what it needs to? Why is this so hard? Bob looks at your face at your admission, blinking away his shock at the volume at which you spoke them.

“That’s- that’s great.” He goes back to rubbing your fingers, ruminating on your words, then stopping suddenly. “It wasn’t ‘cause of me, was it?”

“No!”, you’re quick to correct him. “Not at all.. I mean it wasn’t your fault, but I did talk about you a little bit”, you admit bashfully. He nods, seemingly drawing his own conclusions. “It wasn’t anything bad. Just-”. You’re hesitant to tell him about your dreams, about why your dad called him that day. Why you were so fidgety and couldn’t even look him in the eye. But then you look back at him, and you know everything will be ok. He won’t run, or look at you with pity. He might be concerned, sure, but he’ll still be there for you.

“After Nat’s party, I had a nightmare. I haven’t had one in years, and it kind of rattled me. And then I had another one. They usually happen after I feel like I’ve done something I shouldn’t have. Something that would- make my mother mad at me.” He stiffens at your words, brows drawing up once more. He knows. And you don’t want him to blame himself. “But yeah, I got back in touch with my therapist. Gonna make it a regular thing now… but after my session she asked me to list three people who make me feel wanted. And it was very clear to me you’re on that list. And I hope I make you feel important, too. I know I haven’t this past week- and I’m sorry-”

“Hey”, he tugs your hands toward him just enough to get your attention, “You had enough going on, you don’t need to worry about me.”

“But I do. I can’t help it.” He whispers your name and averts his gaze from your face like he can't even bear to look at you right now. You didn’t think this was news, last time you were here he told you essentially the same thing.

“What?”, you whisper back.

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

Bob did not imagine even in his wildest dreams you would run to him in the middle of a storm. But here you are, pouring your heart out to him, your hands in his, his old t-shirt draped over your shivering body, but there’s still that tiny part of his brain telling him it’s too good to be true. And in reality, it is. Because what is he supposed to do now? What did you hope to achieve by coming over here? Your feelings don’t change the fact that this is still wildly against rules in place.

It might have been easier for him to deal with it on his own not knowing exactly how you felt, but now? He can’t put you in a position for someone to take your dream away from you. Especially after how much you’ve had to sacrifice to get to where you are. And there’s still so much for you to do.

“What do you want me to do with these feelings?” He finally asks and you’re caught off guard.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean- a few days ago when you came to me you were so sure this wasn’t a good idea. And now?” He searches your face for an answer in your silence. “What changed?”

“I found a letter from Carole. It was meant for 12-year-old me, " you can’t help but release a watery laugh, “but she just reminded me that some things are worth the risk.” You pause for a moment, squeezing his hands for reassurance before continuing.

“Our jobs are dangerous, and even if they weren’t, life is so precious. And I don’t want to continue breathing if I’m only half-living. I already did that, and I refuse to do it again. And I’m not asking you to do anything with what I’ve told you, I just had to let you know. And that might be selfish, but I know running from what I’m feeling isn’t fair. To you or me.”

It’s quiet again, you’re not sure if Bob is looking at you anymore, but your eyes are drawn back to his hands. One of the single greatest comforts you can’t help but indulge yourself in. A flash of lighting pierces the corner of your eye and the boom of thunder follows shortly after. It almost bleeds into the rasp in his voice as he speaks.

“Is it selfish if we both want it?”. Your eyes snap to meet his and you’re hit with that intensity again. It’s slightly masked by insecurity, but you can see how much this means to him. You’re so sure he can hear you release a sharp breath.

“What do you want-” Your thought is cut off by a deep rumble of thunder, almost shaking the structure of the house. You flinch as if the roof were about to collapse on the two of you, but you’re not catching a break as the remaining kitchen lights click off.

“Damn it”, he mutters under his breath. Bathing you and Bob in total darkness, you instinctively squeeze his hands and he squeezes right back.

“It’s ok”, his voice echoes as he tries to see anything around the darkened room. Sylvia whines from beneath her hiding spot as he blindly searches the coffee table for his phone, petting her in the process to calm her nerves. With his phone located, he turns the flashlight on and you wince at the harsh white light. Sylvia continues to whine even as she scurries out from under the table and runs up the stairs. He runs a hand through his hair as he stands and you’re left in his absence. Goosebumps crawling up your arms and legs force you to shiver and Bob sees it out of the corner of his eye.

“Here- you can take my bed. It’ll be way too cold down here.”

“Bob, no. I’ll crash on the couch”, his mouth opens to protest but you stop him before he even starts, “Plus, I think your daughter might need you up there.” He moves his hands to his hips, deliberating his choices until he eyes you.

“I mean- we could always, ya know…”

“What?”

“We could share my bed. It’s not like we haven’t already slept in the same bed together- Not that I’m assuming you want to! But it’ll keep you extra warm if we’re both there, and that way we’re in the same room and-” With a soft smile you cut off his rambling.

“I think that’s a great idea.” That crooked smile graces his face for the first time in what feels like forever, and your nerves are put at ease. You want to be the reason he smiles like that for as long as you’re able.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

He silently leads you up the stairs and offers to let you use the bathroom first while he tries to tidy up the mess you hopefully didn’t see through the lens of your phone’s flashlight.

There’s not much, just a couple of dirty shirts he didn’t have the time or energy to throw into his laundry basket. And then there’s the laundry basket of clothes he was going to fold today, but got distracted at Rich and Harry’s. Shoving the basket in the corner of the room, his eyes catch on the rain-pattered window. Palm trees sway in the wind, and thanks to a flash of lightning, he watches the street run like a river. He squints, trying to find where you parked your car, hoping the damage won’t be too bad.

The click of the door opening has him turning to you, brows still furrowed.

“Hey, where’d you park your car?”

“Oh, that. Funny story”, you laugh, “It stopped running about a block that way-”, you point up the street, “And I kinda ran the rest of the way.” His eyebrows shoot up to his hairline as you stand there chuckling.

“Mantis”, he sighs, “Why did you think any of this was a good idea?”

“I wasn’t really thinking, I just knew I had to talk to you”, you bashfully admit. A flash of lightning reflects in his glasses, and you’re brought back to your conversation downstairs. Your unfinished conversation. The hairs on your arms raise before Sylvia whines from underneath Bob’s bed.

The two of you glance back and spot her nose peeking out from under the frame. You’re on your knees, petting her head as Bob stands at the window.

“It’s ok sweet girl”, you coo. With the two of you distracted, he takes a minute to finish getting ready for bed. God, he just can’t believe you’re actually here. Granted, he wishes it was under better circumstances, but still. Stepping back into his bedroom, he’s pleased to find you already underneath the covers, your back facing him. His heart speeds up at you already so comfortable in his bed, but he gathers himself quickly before turning to close the door to the room. The bedroom the two of you are currently sharing… with his dog lying on his side of the bed.

“Before you say anything”, you rush out as you sit up, “She got up here all by herself, and I don’t have the heart to tell her to get down. So you’re just gonna have to look into those big brown eyes and be the bad guy here.” He bites down a smile as he pretends to deliberate on what he should do. Not giving in and telling you that she normally sleeps on the bed with him.

“Plus, I don’t think she’ll be as scared if she’s up here with us”, you add. With us. Yes, that word just came out of your mouth. And it might not be a big deal, but you just used that word and Bob is having a hard time not pinching himself to make sure this is all real and not another dream. Clearing his throat, he manages to cough out a “yeah”. Or something akin to agreement.

He starts to settle onto his side of the bed, and you scooch as far away from the middle as you can. Sylvia moves down the bed in between the two of you and you finally lie back on your respective pillows. You can hear his glasses hit his bedside table as his hand falls to Sylvia. There’s an unspoken tension in the room, and you’re not sure if you can wait until morning to break through it. But neither of you say anything. You just lie there like a lifeless body whose heart is also about to burst through her chest.

Another flash of lightning slices through the curtain, followed almost immediately by a horribly loud boom. Sylvia whines again and your hand falls to her. You knew his hand was there, but it doesn’t stop the shock at the feeling of your fingers brushing his. As your hand swoops over Sylvia’s fur he almost moves back as you stop. But that single touch in the dark makes you want more. So with a clear mission, you bring your hand back over her fur and start to slowly trace his knuckles and fingers. His hand turns over, inviting you to do the same to his palm before he halts your motions and instead intertwines your fingers. He’s still so much warmer than you are, and your hand melts in his. It makes you feel safe.

You don’t say anything as his thumb rubs your hand. The two of you lay in the backdrop of rain and thunder, staring at the ceiling as if it had some kind of hidden message you have to decode. Bob must find what his side says because he clears his throat before speaking.

“What you asked earlier, about what I want- I want you to be happy. Above anything else.” Your heart turns over as you face him.

“I want that for you, too… But you should know you make me really happy”, you whisper into the night. His hand flexes as his pillow rustles to your right.

“You mean that?”, his voice is clearer as he turns his head, and although you’re having a hard time seeing through the dark, you can imagine the look of fear and insecurity in his eyes.

“Of course I do.”

“Cause you make me happy, too”, he rasps, his voice somehow even deeper. And you just can’t help the way you move closer to him. Reaching with your free hand, you hold onto his bicep and rest your head on his shoulder. He welcomes it with a relaxed sigh as you get comfortable. Sylvia doesn’t seem to mind being squished in between your legs, and you’re happy for the warmth these two provide you.

There’s still a lot to talk about. A lot to figure out as to what happens next, but right now? You can’t seem to care what happens tomorrow because you’re content to hold onto Bob tonight. And as you feel him kiss the top of your head, you get that deep butterfly feeling in your stomach. The good kind this time. No overwhelming urge of anxiety or doom washes over you and you know everything is going to be ok. It has to be.

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

Hey Siri, play Fearless by Taylor Swift

Taglist:

@lemmons1998

@itsmytimetoodream

@theamuz

@harrysgothicbitch

@mygyn

@luckyladycreator2

@marve2014

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[differentpostrebel]

Lost and Found: A Pirate's Promise

This gif cause wait til yall read that section (hehe), like hell I would have folded too...

This gif because we get Cavendish in this also! and well I tell you its hilarious and next chapter too.

Chapter 32: Blood and Bounty

A/N: We are back at it again with another Chapter! Woot! This was originally suppose to be posted yesterday but I had been working on more chapters and I completely forgot, we are getting to the long awaited fight yall! we got some Sabo, Sanji and Y/N POVs. And in the next chapters we get some more Sanji POV, to see how he is holding up with everything and what is going on in Zou… I cant wait for you guys to read these chapters!, Thank you guys for everything! And without further a do let the adventure begin!. Also P.S the masterlist will be available tomorrow!

Word Count: 5.7K 

Sanji X Reader, Sanji x Y/N, One piece X Reader 

Sabo POV…

As Doflamingo continued his announcement, he began naming the 12 individuals with bounties, promising rewards to those who could bring him their heads. His voice echoed menacingly through the palace, and with each name, my jaw dropped further in disbelief.

“Now for the head hunchos, worth three hundred million berries each…” Doflamingo declared. My name popped up first, followed by Luffy, Law, and King Riku. My jaw dropped. “Looks like you have some fans,” Hack commented, a mix of amusement and concern in his voice.

“Seriously!” I said, my voice tinged with frustration.

Doflamingo continued, “And the final one for this tier…” As the name “Usopp” appeared, worth 500 million berries, I let out a relieved breath. “Good, Y/N isn’t in any danger,” I thought.

But my relief was short-lived. “And lastly, as an added bonus, we have the six-star bounty worth 600 million berries,” Doflamingo said. My heart sank as I braced myself. “Please don’t tell me it’s…”

The image of you appeared on the screen. You weren’t in the outfit I left you with. Instead, you wore a red corset dress and a red ruby tiara, your appearance a cruel mockery of your dignity. My blood boiled. “Bastard!” I gritted through clenched teeth, fire beginning to emit from my clenched fists.

“Sabo…” Koala said, sensing my rage. “Calm down.”

Doflamingo’s voice grew even more sinister. “This princess… is to be brought to me alive. That’s right, alive. For those of you wondering why… well, let’s just say I have special plans for her. After all, royalty deserves a proper welcome.” His voice dripped with malice. “And once I have her, I’ll make sure she never escapes my grasp again.”

Beside us, Bartelomeo was geeking out at your image still displayed for all to see. “The beautiful Princess Y/N looks even more stunning in red!” he said, tears streaming down his face. “I can’t believe she’s actually here!”

“Quite the fanboy, isn’t he?” I remarked, trying to mask my fury with a forced calmness.

“Ah, this is the infamous woman you speak about every so often, Sabo,” Hack said, a hint of understanding in his voice.

“Mmm, she’s... incredible,” I muttered, barely holding back my anger. “She means everything to me.”

Nearby, murmurs from the pirates and civilians filled the air. “Did you see her? She looks amazing, even if she’s in danger.”

“Six hundred million berries for her? She must be important.”

“There’s no way someone with a bounty like hers isn’t the deadliest pirate out there. I’ve heard rumors—she’s not just some princess. She’s lethal.”

I gritted my teeth, the flames around my fists flaring up as I fought the urge to punch something. The idea that they were talking about you like some prize or target, especially after what Doflamingo said, made my blood boil.

"Hey! I spot some 1 stars, and a 3 star!" yelled a pirate from behind us, pointing in our direction.

Koala instantly tensed up, her fists clenched and ready for a fight. "Sabo, what do we do?" she asked, eyes darting to me.

I quickly scanned the surroundings. "We need to make our escape. Get to the surface, hurry!" I ordered, leading the group as Robin, Bartolomeo, Hack, Rebecca, Koala, and I bolted from the chasing bounty hunters.

As we raced through the underground of the colosseum, Robin pulled out her transponder snail. "Zoro?" she said, breathless but composed.

"Yeah?" Zoro's voice came through, rough but calm as usual.

"Where are you?" Robin asked as we weaved through narrow alleys, trying to keep our pace.

"I think it’s called King’s Plateau. Anyway, I’m here with Luffy, Y/N, Viola, Riku, and Law," Zoro replied.

"Y/N!" Her name instantly grabbed my attention. Relief washed over me for a moment. So she's with Luffy... I thought. At least she'll be safe with him for the time being.

"Things are getting a bit messy, aren’t they?" Zoro continued.

"Hey, Robin!" Luffy’s voice chimed in, his usual energy evident even through the snail. "Did you see Mingo? Man, he makes me so mad!"

"You and me both, Captain. That bastard’s got another thing coming, that’s for sure," she said onto the transponder snail, feeling a surge of anger again.

Finally hearing your voice over the transponder snail, took every ounce of self-control not to grab it from Robin’s hand. Just hearing you made my chest tighten.

"The whole thing with Usopp is pretty hilarious, though," Luffy laughed, clearly trying to lighten the mood.

"Shut up, Luffy!" Usopp yelled, clearly not amused by the situation.

"Come on, Usopp," you chimed in, trying to stifle a laugh. "You gotta admit, it was kind of funny."

"Ohh, you’re one to talk, Miss 600 Million Berri bounty!" Usopp shot back, his voice strained as he was carried by the Tontattas. "What did you do to piss him off so much that he’d slap you with that amount?"

"Simple," you said, frustration lacing your voice. "I kicked his ass three times, outsmarted him every chance I got, and, above all, I won’t back down to him. So, yeah, he’s got it out for me bad. What’s worse is the whole island’s probably hunting me down, and I can’t even change out of this outfit!"

"Don’t worry!" Luffy cut in, his usual confident tone lifting the weight of the situation. "I’m going to give Doflamingo the beating of his life! Make sure you all live to see it, okay? I’ll end this stupid game in no time, so just stay safe, you hear me?"

I clenched my fists tighter, both proud of your defiance and angry at the situation that put you in such danger. Luffy’s words were comforting, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t be rushing to find you myself.

The transponder call ended, leaving us all momentarily silent as we continued running.

Y/N POV…

Luffy ended the call with Robin, and I exhaled, trying to ease the tension running through me. Releasing my hair from its bun, the tiara slipped from its place, and I held it gently in my hands. But my thoughts were far away, with Sanji. A pang of guilt hit me as I whispered, “Sanji, wherever you are… I hope you’re safe. I didn’t even get to say goodbye.”

I turned to King Riku, who was kneeling, tears streaming down his face, clearly lost in painful memories of that tragic night. Viola stood quietly beside him, offering support. I stepped forward, holding the tiara out toward him.

“King Riku,” I said softly, gaining his attention. “This tiara belongs to you. Doflamingo may have put this ridiculous outfit on me, but this crown… it was never mine to wear.”

King Riku’s eyes filled with emotion as he slowly looked up. “Princess Y/N…”

“No,” I shook my head, interrupting him. “I’m not a princess, not really. Although my wanted posters dub me as ‘Princess Y/N,’ that title… It was given to me by King who rules the all male island. But in truth, I’m simply Y/N.”

My words lingering in the air. I held out the tiara again. “This crown… it belongs to its rightful rulers.” 

King Riku stood there for a moment, eyes filled with emotion, but he shook his head with a soft smile. “No, Y/N. This tiara represents more than just royalty—it represents strength, honor, and the will to protect others. You’ve earned that, and more. Keep it, as a reminder of what you’re doing for Dressrosa, and for what you stand for.”

I stared at the tiara, the weight of his words sinking in. Before I could respond, Luffy chimed in with his usual boisterous tone. “Yeah! You’re not just a princess on paper. You’re our princess too! A badass one!”

Viola smiled at me warmly. “It suits you, Y/N. Not because of what the world sees, but because of who you are to all of us.”

I hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly, feeling a strange sense of acceptance. “Alright… but I’m still just Y/N. I’ll never stop fighting for what I believe in, tiara or not.” 

As I gently placed the tiara on my head, my gaze lingered on Law, still cuffed in sea prism stone handcuffs. His shirtless torso was covered only by his coat, the exhaustion clear in his face despite his usual stoic demeanor. Feeling a pull toward him, I walked over and rested my head on his shoulder, the warmth of his skin easing some of my own tension.

I sighed, feeling a sense of calm wash over me as I pressed closer. "You know," I whispered, my breath teasing his neck, "even with all that’s going on, you still manage to make being chained up look good."

His body tensed slightly at my words, but he didn’t pull away. Instead, he tilted his head just enough to glance down at me, his eyes meeting mine. A flicker of something passed between us.

"Is that so?" he said, his voice low and teasing, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "I thought you preferred me when I’m free to use my hands."

I chuckled softly, tracing a finger along his chest. "Maybe I do. But I think I like this view too." I bit my lip, holding his gaze a moment longer before I pulled back slightly, feeling the weight of exhaustion but also the warmth of the moment between us.

After a few minutes of silence, Law’s voice cut through the air. “Do you even know what you’re doing, Strawhat?” he asked, drawing the attention of Luffy and Zoro.

“Maybe you need a reminder,” Law continued, his frustration clear. “We needed to destroy the factory to provoke a conflict between Kaido and Doflamingo. Did it ever cross your mind that if we kill Doflamingo prematurely, it’ll just redirect Kaido’s wrath towards us? Is that what you want—taking on an enraged emperor?”

I stood up, meeting Law’s gaze with a determined expression. “Listen, Law,” I said, “sometimes things don’t go as planned. You have to ride with the current or risk being swept away. We can’t always control everything.”

Luffy chimed in, his voice urgent. “Did you even think about the Kingdom? If we take it out now, what happens to them?”

I turned to Luffy, understanding the weight of his words. “I know it’s complicated,” I said, trying to stay calm. “But we have to make decisions and deal with the consequences as they come. We can’t let fear of what might happen stop us from acting.” 

Luffy’s rubber arms pulled us into a tight group hug with him, Zoro, and Law. “Well, let’s go!” he said cheerfully.

“Wait! What about my handcuffs?” Law said, clearly frustrated.

“They’ll fall off... eventually,” Luffy said, waving off Law’s concern.

“That’s not how it works!” Law argued.

“Luffy, maybe there’s another way down!” I suggested, pressed closely against Zoro due to the tight squeeze.

Zoro’s gaze drifted from my chest to my face, his eyes lingering with a mischievous glint. “You’ve got a way of making things... unforgettable,” he said, his voice low and teasing.

I shifted uncomfortably, trying to maintain my balance. “Not exactly the kind of unforgettable I had in mind,” I replied, a hint of warmth in my cheeks.

Zoro’s smirk widened, his eyes meeting mine with a playful intensity. “Well, it’s certainly a memorable situation,” he said, his gaze moving from my eyes to the subtle contours of my corset. “You know, it’s hard not to notice how… close we’re getting.”

I met his gaze, feeling the heat rise in my face. “You’re really not making this any easier, Zoro,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

He chuckled softly, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Just making the best of a tight situation,” he said, his tone light but warm.

“One sec, I’ll help,” Viola said, her voice steady. “You know where the key is?” Law asked.

“Sorta, it fell, so it has to be somewhere around the plateau. Hold on, I’ll look…” Viola began, but Luffy was already moving.

“You know how we’re getting there?” Zoro asked as Luffy sprinted with us.

“Yeah, straight through!” Luffy replied, preparing to jump.

“Luffy, wait!” I called out as Luffy leaped off the plateau, taking us with him. I screamed, feeling the rush of the descent.

“Y/N! Grab on!” Zoro shouted, his hand reaching out. I grasped it tightly, holding on as we landed with a jolt.

Luffy and Law landed first, then Zoro and I touched down. I was still holding onto Zoro’s hand, feeling the warmth of his grip.

“That was some ride, Luffy,” I said, trying to steady my breath.

Zoro looked at me with a smirk. “Well, I guess you’re not letting go of me anytime soon,” he said, his eyes lingering on our clasped hands before meeting my gaze. “Could be worse, though. At least you’re holding on to someone reliable.”

I felt a flush creeping up my cheeks at his words, a playful smile tugging at my lips. “I suppose I’m just trying to avoid another surprise landing,” I teased.

Before Zoro could respond, Law, still shackled, interjected with a touch of irritation. “Zoro, back off,” he said firmly.

The spot that Luffy had choosen however, was surrounded by marines, and pirates, looking to claim their bounty. “Dammit, Luffy! You just had to pick this spot,” I muttered, grabbing both my blades from the thigh halter. The familiar yellow light began to emanate from them, casting a warm glow in the chaos.

“Hey, Strawhat!” Law shouted, struggling against Luffy’s grip. “When these cuffs are off, I’ll kill you myself!”

“Law, now is not the time for threats,” I said, stepping closer to Zoro as guns and blades were pointed at us, surrounding us.

“Come on, Law,” Zoro said, drawing his swords. “No place is safe. We’re targets wherever we go.”

“Don’t let them escape!” one of the bounty hunters yelled. “It’s the 2-3 stars, a 2 star, and the 6 star!”

“We’ve got to move!” I shouted. “Zoro, cover me.” 

“What?!” Zoro responded, still running beside me.

“Just do it!” I urged, feeling the weight of our situation pressing down on us. “I’m going to block their path!”

Without waiting for further confirmation, I leaped into the air, the glow of my blades lighting up the surrounding chaos. “There she is!” someone shouted from below. “Get her!”

In midair, I raised my right leg and spun, gathering energy for my attack. “Tremor Strike!” I called out as my foot descended. The impact created a powerful tremor, causing the ground to shake violently. The force sent several of the bounty hunters tumbling and created deep cracks in the earth.

As I landed, I saw the stunned faces of the hunters and the damage I had caused. The path was now clear, at least for a moment, allowing us to continue our escape.

I began to catch up with Zoro, Luffy, and Law, breathing heavily as I wiped the sweat from my brow. My blades still glowed with a faint yellow light, a testament to their power.

“Well, I bought us some time,” I said, catching my breath.

Zoro turned to assess the damage with a smirk on his face. “Nice job,” he said, his gaze lingering on me with a hint of admiration. “You really know how to make an entrance.”

Luffy, still carrying Law, glanced back at us with his usual exuberance. “Great work, Y/N!” he shouted, his grin wide. 

Just then, a figure appeared next to Luffy, running alongside him. “Big brother Law! It’s so good to see you!” the voice called out with excitement.

“Who’s that?!” I asked, my gaze shifting to the newcomer.

“That’s Dellinger,” Law warned, his tone serious. “Take extra precautions with him.”

Dellinger was already closing in on me. “My, my, and you must be the princess the young master wants,” he said with a smirk, aiming a swift kick in my direction.

I deftly dodged the kick, my movements precise. “Hahaha, not bad,” Dellinger chuckled, clearly amused.

Suddenly, Luffy stumbled, his voice filled with confusion. “I tripped, some weird swimming man baby grabbed me,” he said, looking back.

“Luffy!” I shouted, alarmed.

“Vice, you’re up!” the man baby called out as Vice appeared overhead, preparing to crush him with his weight powers.

“Watch out! He’ll crush you with his super weight powers!” Law shouted, urgency in his voice.

Luffy managed to avoid the initial attack but found himself in a tight spot.

Dellinger appeared in front of Luffy, preparing to strike. “Last time I made a boo-boo—pistol heel” he sneered, readying a kick.

Without hesitation, I sprang into action, lifting my left leg and dashing towards Luffy. In a fluid motion, I positioned myself next to Dellinger and landed a powerful blow to the side of his torso, sending him crashing into a nearby building with a resounding thud.

Zoro turned around sharply, his expression serious. “Let’s go!” he commanded.

“Right!” both Luffy and I replied, ready to move.

But just as we attempted to advance, we were blocked by a group of pirates, their expressions eager. “Hold up! You guys are worth 800 million berries, and they’ve got the Princess with them too!” they exclaimed.

“Crap, Zoro, got any ideas?” I asked, my stance still tense and ready for action.

“Damn, what a pain,” Zoro muttered, scanning the area for a way out.

Before we could react further, a familiar voice cut through the chaos. “Shut it down!”

“It’s Fujitora!” I said, recognizing the authoritative tone.

“It’s the gambling old guy!” Luffy said, his voice tinged with frustration as we now faced a new challenge. 

Sanji POV..

My frustration was palpable as I paced the deck of the ship. “Damn it! Why isn’t this thing picking up?” I growled, slamming the transponder snail down.

Brook, sipping his tea, glanced up with a concerned look. “I’m sorry, Sanji. The signal’s not coming through.”

My anxiety was mounting. “I can’t stand this! My angel Y/N could be hurt! She could’ve been shot by Doflamingo!” I said my voice was tight with worry.

“You heard her say ‘Damn it!’ and then a bullet fired. She could be in serious danger!” I started pacing faster, the gripping on my hair becoming tighter.

Brook’s gaze softened with sympathy. “Sanji, you’ve got to keep your cool. We’re all worried about her.”

I ran a hand through my hair, already having gone through three cigarettes. “I should’ve stayed behind. We should’ve gone back! I can’t just sit here and do nothing!”

“Sanji, relax!” Nami’s voice cut through his panic. “Have faith that Luffy and the others will reach her.”

I shook my head, frustration evident in my eyes. “I can’t just wait around. I need to know if Mosshead managed to get to her in time.”

Unable to contain myself any longer, I stormed upstairs to cool off. I stumbled into a room that I hadn’t seen in a while—Y/N’s room. The sight of her belongings brought a fresh wave of sorrow. Her sword was tightly wrapped in a corner, and the shirt I had given her to sleep in was sprawled out on the bed.

I picked up the shirt, holding it close to my chest, my voice trembling as I spoke softly to the empty room. “Y/N, please, please be okay.”

I laid down on the bed, the memory of a night I had cherished rushing back to me. I remembered the first time I had seen her in this bed, wearing my shirt and looking so adorable. I was about to leave when Y/N had pulled me close, cuddling against my chest while still asleep.

With a choked sob, I gently laid my head on her pillow, trying to find some comfort in the memory. “I didn’t want that night to end. I just wanted to hold you close and keep you safe.”

The room was quiet, save for my muffled sobs, and the only thing I could do now was hope that Luffy and the others were making their way to you in time.

Y/N POV… 

We were all silent, Fujitora's presence unnerving, every one of us on high alert. Surrounded.

"I'm about to go kick Doflamingo's sorry ass, you're in my way!" Luffy said with defiance, his voice echoing across the square.

"That's quite a mouth on you," Fujitora replied calmly, his blind eyes unwavering, "but it'll take more than words to shake me."

Without hesitation, Luffy dropped Law with a heavy thud onto the ground, causing me to quickly make my way over to him, kneeling down to assess the situation. My eyes darted between Law and Fujitora, feeling the weight of the moment.

Luffy charged forward with Armament Haki, fists darkened and ready to strike. Yet, to all of our surprise, Fujitora effortlessly blocked the attack with his blade.

"How is he blocking Luffy's attack?" I muttered, watching in disbelief.

"He's using that weird technique again!" Zoro growled as he lunged at Fujitora, swords clashing with the Admiral’s blade, each strike getting blocked like it was nothing.

Just then, the ground began to shake violently, the rumble unsettling everyone. "What the hell is happening now?!" I said, trying to keep my balance as the earth seemed to quake beneath us.

Our gazes locked onto a massive stone figure rising from the ground, its size towering over the battlefield.

"What the hell is that?!" Luffy exclaimed, eyes wide.

"The wall guy?!" Zoro echoed, disbelief lacing his tone.

"Any fool who opposes our family shall be dealt with by me!" Pica's voice boomed, but it was absurdly high-pitched, completely mismatching his imposing figure.

The moment he spoke, Luffy, Zoro, and I couldn’t hold it in anymore. Luffy was the first to burst into laughter, doubling over. "Hahaha, his voice!" he cackled.

"It's funny!" I said, barely able to contain my own laughter as I pointed at the stone giant.

Pica, clearly insulted by our laughter, took action, his massive stone arm swinging down to crush us.

Zoro, Luffy, and I bolted, with Luffy grabbing Law and carrying him as we scrambled to avoid the blow.

"We didn't think this part through, huh Luffy?" I shouted, glancing back as the enormous fist came crashing down.

"Y/N, Luffy! You two really gotta stop screwing with the enemy," Zoro huffed, but even he couldn't hold back a snicker.

Just then, Luffy stumbled, losing his grip on Law and falling behind. Zoro and I both turned our heads, shouting in unison, "Luffy!"

Before we could react, Pica’s powerful punch slammed into the ground, the force of the impact sending both Zoro and me flying into the air.

"Luffy!" we both yelled again, spinning through the sky as the force of the blast threw us like ragdolls. Zoro’s hand shooting out to grab mine. He pulled me close, twisting mid-fall to shield me from the impact. We crashed hard onto the ground, Zoro taking the brunt of it as I landed directly on top of him, my face buried against his neck.

For a moment, everything was still. His chest rose and fell beneath me, his steady breathing almost calming against the chaos around us. Zoro’s strong arms were wrapped around me, holding me securely in place.

“You alright, Y/N?” His voice was low, almost amused, as if the entire situation was nothing more than a minor inconvenience to him.

“I think so…” I managed, slowly lifting my head, my heart pounding as I realized the position we were in. My cheeks flushed instantly, and I couldn’t help but notice the way Zoro’s smirk deepened as he stared up at me.

“You sure?” he teased, his voice laced with mischief. “You don’t seem so steady. Maybe you should stay right here.”

I froze, my face inches from his, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. His grip on my waist tightened slightly, holding me in place as if he wasn’t in any hurry to move.

“Zoro…” I began, trying to push myself off him, but his hand slid up, gently tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. His fingers lingered there, brushing against my cheek before slowly tracing along my jaw.

“I think I like this position,” he murmured, his eyes darkening with a hint of something more. “You on top of me like this… feels kind of nice.”

I stared at him, my breath catching in my throat. His hand remained on my waist, his thumb brushing against the fabric of my dress, the touch sending a wave of heat through me.

“Don’t get any ideas,” I shot back, trying to sound stern, but my voice wavered, betraying me.

“Oh, I’ve already got a few,” Zoro smirked, his gaze flicking from my eyes to my lips. His free hand rested on my lower back, keeping me close, as if he had no intention of letting go anytime soon. “You look comfortable right there.”

I swallowed, feeling my heart race. “I… I should get up.”

“Should you?” he teased, his voice dropping lower as his thumb traced circles against my waist. “You’re not complaining much. Maybe you like it here too.”

I tried to form a coherent response, but his teasing, combined with the intimacy of our position, left me completely flustered. I felt his breath brush against my cheek as he leaned in slightly, his lips just inches from mine.

“Zoro…” I whispered, but before I could say anything else, he tilted his head, brushing his lips against the shell of my ear.

“Admit it,” he whispered, his voice husky, “you don’t mind being this close.”

I blushed deeper, my mind racing as I felt his fingers tighten slightly on my waist, his body warm beneath mine. He wasn’t letting me go anytime soon—not until he had his fun.

“You’re impossible,” I finally managed, trying to regain some sense of control, but Zoro’s teasing grin only widened.

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes,’” he said, finally loosening his hold just enough for me to move. But before I could fully pull away, he caught my hand, his thumb brushing gently over my knuckles.

I shot him a glare, my heart still pounding as I stood, but the teasing glint in his eyes made it clear he was enjoying every second of this.

Zoro stretched as he got up, his smirk never fading. “You might want to watch where you fall next time… unless you plan on making a habit of it.”

I rolled my eyes, my face still flushed, but I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at my lips. “You’re insufferable.”

“Maybe,” Zoro said with a lazy grin, “but you didn’t seem to mind.” His playful tone made me flush slightly, though I tried to ignore it as we continued to search for Luffy and Law.

“Luffy!” I called out, my voice echoing in the surrounding chaos. “Law!” Zoro added, his frustration evident. We looked around, searching for any sign of them.

“I have no clue where they could be…” Zoro was cut off mid-sentence by Luffy’s enthusiastic shout.

“Hey! Zoro! Y/N! Hi! We are up here! Up here!” Luffy’s laughter carried through the air.

“Luffy!” we yelled in unison, relief washing over us as we followed the sound. As we approached, Luffy fell on top of Law, laughing uncontrollably.

“Get your ass off of me! What’s wrong with you! You know I’m injured!” Law’s voice was filled with annoyance.

Both Zoro and I exchanged a knowing look before turning back to the scene in front of us. “I’m starting to think that you want us all killed,” Law grumbled, still in his sea prism handcuffs. “Laughing at Pika’s voice is a death sentence on its own.”

“Well, his voice was kind of funny,” I said, giggling despite the situation.

“That stone bastard is something else,” Zoro said, scratching his head. “Damn, never thought we’d see someone bigger than Oars, but here we are. How am I supposed to fight someone that size?”

Just then, both Zoro and I sensed a new presence approaching. “Strawhat,” a voice called out. We turned around to see a figure approaching.

“Cabbage!” Luffy exclaimed, recognizing him.

“Cabbage?” I muttered, puzzled by the name.

The man’s eyes narrowed as he looked at each of us. “Pirate Hunter Zoro, I presume? Trafalgar Law, is it?” He eyed Law with disdain. “And you,” his gaze fell on me, “you’re the infamous Princess Y/N, aren’t you?”

Before I could react, he pulled out his blade and made a move towards me. My eyes widened in shock, but Zoro was faster. He grabbed my arm and pulled me out of harm’s way just in time.

“You worst generation scoundrels!” the man spat, his anger palpable. “Why do you steal all the glory from me!”

Zoro’s grip on my arm was firm but reassuring, and I glanced at him gratefully.

“Stop yelling! Got a beef with my crewmates or something?!” Luffy shouted, his usual carefree demeanor overshadowed by the seriousness of the situation.

“I’m not in your crew!,” Law snapped back, clearly irritated.

“Let me guess, you still have a grudge against us?” Luffy asked, crossing his arms.

“You’re wrong,” Cabbage said, his tone unexpectedly calm. “I shall no longer be a threat to the Straw Hats.”

“You sure about that? Because that dent on the ground says otherwise,” I said, pulling away from Zoro’s embrace.

Cabbage’s eyes softened, and he continued, “It’s because of your brave crewmate, God Usopp. He selflessly saved me from a life of doom and gloom.”

“Usopp did that?” Zoro asked, clearly surprised. “Are you talking about the same Usopp we know?” I said.

“That’s right,” Cabbage affirmed with a nod. “I won’t forget his valiant deed. He spared the lives of hundreds… or so it’s been rumored.”

Luffy scratched his head and smiled, “Well, thanks! It’s nice to hear you compliment my crew!”

“Oh, also Trafalgar,” Cabbage said, pulling out Law’s hat. “I happened upon it outside of the Colosseum. I’m sure you’ve been longing for it... lend me your head for a second!” Cabbage’s eyes were menacing as he eyed Law.

“Get away from me! I don’t trust you!” Law retorted, trying to move away.

“I’ll take that!” I said, stepping forward and yanking the hat from Cabbage’s hand. I made my way to Law and gently placed the hat on his head. “There we go, much better,” I said with a warm smile.

Law’s cheeks flushed as he looked at me, clearly touched by the gesture. “Thanks, Princess,” he murmured, his gaze lingering on me.

As I turned to face Cabbage, he continued, “As for you, Princess…” I rolled my eyes at the title. “Yes… Cabbage?” I said, unamused.

“You are just as lovely as everyone makes you out to be,” Cabbage said, stepping closer, causing me to instinctively take a step back.

He pulled out a rose from his coat and extended it towards me. “Why don’t you and I become an item? Just think of the press coverage—everyone would be talking about us, and the glory would come back to me.”

I took a step back, feeling a bit flustered. “Cabbage, is this really the time for this?” I asked, trying to keep the conversation polite while maintaining my distance.

Cabbage’s eyes sparkled with a hint of ambition. “Imagine the headlines: ‘Princess Y/N and Cavendish—the perfect match!’ All the fame and glory would be mine again.”

Before Cabbage could continue, Zoro stepped forward, his expression darkening. “Like hell it wont!,” he said, pulling me into his embrace once more. “You’re not touching her, not after what you just tried to do.”

“Listen, Cabbage, now’s not the time for declarations like that,” I said, trying to stay close to Zoro to keep Cabbage at bay. The tension between us was thick, and it was clear that Zoro wasn’t about to let Cabbage get any closer.

Law, still restrained by his sea prism stone handcuffs, glared at Zoro. “Roronoa, quit gripping Y/N like that!” he said, his voice tinged with frustration and jealousy.

Zoro tightened his hold on me slightly, his eyes never leaving Cabbage. “And why should I? After everything that’s happened, I’m not letting anyone near her.”

Cabbage’s eyes flickered with a mix of irritation and calculating interest. “How very protective of you,” he said with a smirk. “I’m sure the press would have a field day if they saw you like this.”

I could see the frustration on Cabbage’s face as he envisioned the fame and glory he could regain. “You see,” Cabbage said, “if you and I were seen together, the headlines would be all about how I’ve won the heart of the famous Princess Y/N. The spotlight would be back on me where it belongs.”

Zoro’s jaw tightened as he pulled me even closer, his voice low and dangerous. “Like hell it will!. She’s not some trophy for you to flaunt.”

Just as I was about to respond, Cabbage cut in with a smirk.

“Very well,” Cabbage said, “I have a busy schedule to uphold. My offer still stands, Princess.” He then shifted his attention to Luffy, who was watching the exchange with his usual casual demeanor.

“Aren’t you going to inquire why I’m so busy?” Cabbage teased, his eyes glinting with mischief.

“I’m good,” Luffy replied nonchalantly.

“Very well,” Cabbage said with a flourish, “I shall tell you all! I have decided to repay your debt by getting the head of Doflamingo.”

“What the hell!” Luffy exclaimed, his eyes widening. “No thanks, I already said this was my way of repaying Rebecca for the lunches she bought.”

“Seriously? You’re going head-to-head with a warlord over some food?” Law interjected, his voice a mix of disbelief and frustration.

I slapped my forehead, watching as Luffy and Cabbage began to argue over who would get Doflamingo first. Cabbage went on about how killing Doflamingo would bring him fame and riches.

“He’s got a loose screw, I see,” I muttered to Zoro.

“Alright! Time to go!” Luffy declared, grabbing Law and lifting him with ease. “Let’s move, guys.”

With that, Zoro and I joined Luffy, heading away from the scene. We left Cabbage to his fantasies and delusions, focusing on the more immediate task at hand.

[hughiecampbelle]

Fucking Married (Lukas Matsson x Roy!Sibling )

Character/s: Lukas, Connor, Kendall, Shiv, Roy, Logan

Word Count: 1,908

Inspired By: Fucking Married by Harriette

A/N: I love writing for Baby Roy so much omg. This song is the main inspiration, it's so good!!! I hope you guys like this as much as I do because I'm screaming!!! Feedback is always appreciated 💜💜💜

Something bight and peachy hit your bloodline, warming you from the inside out. You could feel your cheeks heat up against his chest, swaying side to side. You pulled yourself closer, feeling unsteady on your feet. He laughs a little, kissing the top of your head, squeezing you harder. There isn’t a second of his life that goes by where he isn’t grateful for you. All of you. Music plays from the speaker of his phone in his pocket, an old one you’d heard thousands of times. About love and life and loss. One of his favorites. Of course he would pick this, you smiled. His hand on your back, the other in your hand, swaying softly. He even hums along to the chorus, not saying anything. Not patronizing you, or lecturing you, or reminding you how expensive this whole day was. He’s just grateful to have you to himself for a few moments, getting the dance you promised him regardless of the circumstances. Behind you, they gather by the bar, ordering for themselves. No one had told the staff it was all over. It wasn’t going to happen. The worked quickly, quietly, eagerly. The rest walked gingerly, serving appetizers on silver platters. It made their eyes light up, each grabbing greedily, knowing they hadn’t eaten much since yesterday. He spins you sweetly, making you laugh, feeling childish. At the sound of this, they perked up, their faces breaking out in grins. He always known how to get you to smile, even when you weren’t really feeling it. Even when you’d been crying minutes ago. 

Everyone else has gone, even the groom. Especially the groom. None thought to look here the way they had. Surrounded by colorful, oddly shaped glasses with toothpicks of fruit stabbed down the middle. Peach, mango, pineapple, apple, grapefruit. Mixed drinks of little rainbows, one spilled down the front of your white corset. No amount of rubbing will get that out. You shrug, grabbing for another. Thats how they found you. Drinking yourself drunk, chewing up the bits of fruit, hiding from everyone like you’d been doing since you were little. You were sure you stunk of some sixteen year olds favorite mixer, the sweetness of all this leaving you feeling bitter. Wronged. You were under the tables at the reception, crying softly, feeling yourself ease up a little. The whole morning had been nerve wracking. So much so you forgot how to breathe. Greeting everyone, thanking everyone, your own mother late, your father not showing up at all. You played the part, good enough to convince everyone else but yourself, and a few watchful eyes. Those that knew you, who saw you through it all, could see these pre-wedding jitters were more than that. You were petrified. Are you mad at me? You asked so much like a child, tucking your knees to your chest, trying to hide the skirt of your dress from their view. It was too big to hide under the tablecloth. Mad at you? Are you kidding? Come on kid, come and talk to us. You sniffled, chewing a cherry. When you didn’t even consider moving, you heard the groan of a man more than twice your age, watching him get to his knees. The rest protest, but he doesn’t listen. You wipe your cheeks, knowing you must look mad, your makeup ruined. He pokes his head through, wearing that familiar smile. The kind that promises everything will be okay, that you did the right thing, that he could never, ever be angry with you. It only makes you cry harder. I made a mistake. You repeat this over and over again, unable to catch your breath. He urges you out, unable to crawl under with you. Come on kiddo, it’s okay. It’ll be okay. No one’s mad at you. Eventually, you follow him out. 

Kendall taps Connors shoulder, wanting to cut in. His eyes meet yours, asking if this is okay. You nod, taking Kens hand. You rest your chin on his shoulder. He’s changed the song to something more his speed, not the kind of song to slow dance to of course. It looks and sounds ridiculous and yet, you can’t help but grin. It’s so him. You did the right thing. It comes out barely above a whisper. You don’t stop moving, though you hesitate for a second. You hadn’t thought about right and wrong, only that you were overcome with an overwhelming sense of dread. Not just today, though it was definitely amplified. Ever since he popped the question, ever since you were expected to say yes. What other choice did you have? Did I? The question comes out before you can stop it, your voice a lot shakier than you expected. Do you feel better? There’s not a second of hesitation. Of course you do. That sinking feeling was totally eradicated. You nod. Then you did the right thing. He made it sound so simple. It couldn’t be, could it? His hands on your waist, in your hand, always wrapped around you, like he was afraid you’d run. Maybe he knew all along. The look on his face said another story. Those knowing, self-assured eyes were wide pools of blue, calling after you, but you were too far to understand what exactly he was saying. He was hurt and angry. You hurt him. But you knew, if you went through with it, you’d hurt for the rest of your life. You were young, too young. You had so much more time, so many more mistakes to make. Not the kind like this. You’d only looked back once, to see his face. Kendall immediately stood up, holding him off from running after you. Were they speaking? You couldn’t see, only that your brother stopped him in his tracks. Connor stood in the middle of the aisle like a deer in the headlights. He was walking you down, not Logan. He hadn’t thought his appearance was necessary. How angry he’d be, you could picture it now, calling after you. He would have killed you. 

She turns off Kendalls awful music, putting on something that’s more your taste. Shiv holds her arms around your neck, and yours around hers. She looks beautiful, as always. What do you think Dad’s gonna say? Like a child, you fear the man in charge. If not him, then it would have been your husband. There is always an angry man in every scenario. She shrugs, searching your face, searching for the right words. He won’t be happy, she starts slowly, but it’s not like he can drag you down the aisle, right? She tilts her head to the side, a trait she’s carried with her all her life. I guess you’re right. Though it isn’t anymore comforting. She sees this, senses it, and tries to reassure you. Hey, hey he’ll understand. Maybe not now, but he will. You’ll always be his baby, no matter what. You think we haven’t colossally fucked up before? You try to hide your smile. Your smart sister, taking care of everyone. Where would you be without her? When you’d asked her to be your maid of honor, she was wary. You didn’t sound so sure. Not that you doubted her role for a second, rather that she’d take the brunt of the blame if you decided to take off, as if it were some great master plan between you and her. She would have taken that fall, though. She would have found a way to spin the narrative. Save both of you. She was always doing that: saving sinking ships. Is that what your marriage was, could have been? Probably. You weren’t a good match, you and him. You didn’t want your world to be business dinners and investors. You wanted to explore, see the world, make a name for yourself outside of the Roy/Matsson conglomerate. He was perfectly happy rotting away in meetings. You didn’t have the same interests, the same hobbies, nothing. He spoke Swedish in front of you, probably about you, constantly leaving you out of the conversation. What kind of life would you have lead? A bad one. A miserable one, no doubt. 

You know you can never come back to Sweden after this. You’re like banned, permanently, for life. You slap Roman on the chest, trying not to laugh. I’m serious! He will get every Swede on his side and they’ll all gang up on you. They’ll never forget the day you left him at the altar. That strikes something in you, a deep fear. Did you make a mistake? Was this the best you’d ever do and you ruined your chances? Quickly, Roman tries to undo what he’s done, of course with a joke. Kid, come on. Matsson as my brother? Barf. This is a good thing. You did a good thing, for everyone involved. Besides, you didn’t want to have sleep with that guy every day for the rest of your life, right? He’d get tired of looking at himself in the mirror every night. Roman pretended to snore, “dozing off” as you swayed, until your smile came back. You hadn’t even been involved in planning the wedding. His assistants took care of most of it. Not even the date or the place had been cleared by you. You were just expected to show up, get married, call it a day. Everything you’d heard about weddings were magical, the kind of thing that brought couples closer. He was in Sweden not long after you said yes, you in New York. you maybe talked twice a week, if you were lucky. It was almost laughable how silly it all was. Of course you ran. Of course you bailed. He was, essentially, a stranger. A handsome one maybe, if you were in the right mood, the right lighting, but still. Had your mother really bought this? Had everyone? Were they fucking stupid? Do you think he’s upset? Who, Matsson? Fuck no, he probably forgot all about it. He’s got, what, a thirty second memory? He always knew the best thing to say. They all did. Where’s the ring? Hm? The ring, what did you do with it? Oh. You’d thrown it over the deck of the reception dance floor, feeling too claustrophobic to leave it on. It fell down somewhere in the foggy wilderness. After that, you grabbed your tray of drinks and climbed under the table. Are you kidding? That’s hilarious. Roman laughed a hearty laugh, peering over the glass bannister. That things fuckin’ gone. Forever!  Lukas could spend the rest of his life, or his assistants life, searching. There was no way you’d go back to him, take back what you did. You could be wrong, but your whole family? It wasn’t often you and your siblings came to the same conclusion. When it came to this, though, you were all in agreement: he could go fuck himself. Everyone at the wedding could for not seeing this sooner. Let him cry like a little baby. Let him keep his money, his houses, his everything. All of sweden, too. You had your brothers and sister. They’d have your back no matter what, regardless of the situation. They’d look after you, look after your best interest at heart. Look on the brightside, Roman said, you’re saving a hell of a lot on the divorce. I gave it five years, tops.

[aernx]

꒰ 💭 ꒱ OH, NIKI YOU’RE SO FINE! ˖ ⌨︎ ⁩◞❪니키❫

— 25 ! sunoo has a plan…

this is the continuation of last chp!

Once again, Riki neared the entrance of the archery field. Looking at the gates with a certain gaze, the boy can’t help but feel some sort of familiarity.

Looking through the gates in search of his friend (again) Niki can’t help but remember the unfamiliar guy from the other day as a glimpse of that confusing interaction replayed in his mind.

Shrugging those thoughts away, Riki reverted his focus to his mission: find Sunoo and leave immediately. No more unnecessary detours.

you: Sunoo where r u?

☀️oo: i’m inside. js go in

As his feet venture towards the wide field, he was surprised to see fewer archers than usual. Not doing anything particular with that information, he continues to search for Sunoo.

He walked across the field, crossing fingers praying that he won’t see you and that Lino guy again. Okay maybe he hoped he saw you a little bit…just not with that Lino dude. But oh was fate in his side these days.

“Riki! Is that you!?” His head snapped in the mention of his name. And there you were, with your bow strapped on your back, you approached him with a smile.

Gosh did he missed you. It’s been days since your last encounter (not counting yesterdays’s because let’s just forget about that right?) and Niki was missing you more and more. (Little did he know, you did too.)

With the constant pace of practice, it was evident to see that the space between you and Riki grew, and Riki wasn’t the only one who was upset about this.

Missing your time spent with the boy, you can’t help but feel giddy as you notice him in the fields. “Hey you.” Niki greeted you as you drew closer. “How’s practice?”

Just like before the two of you quickly catch up with each other. With you standing ahead of him, attention only on him, he almost forgot about about what he saw the other day. Almost.

“Y/n! There you are!” Striding towards the both of you was someone Niki has been dreading to see. Great is that Minho guy. Why did he had to ruin everything. As he draws near, Riki can see Sunoo from afar, trying to call Lino back.

With Minho now amongst the two, Niki felt the breeze of awkwardness coming through as Minho looked at him with a certain gaze. “Oh…who’s this?”

You can practically hear the smirk from his question. Sighing to yourself before looking up to only to see the mischievous glint evident in his brown hues.

“Right, I forgot to introduce you two. Uhm, Riki this is Lino oppa or Lee Minho, he’s training me for the upcoming tournament.”

The boy let out a small “o”. Bowing his head slightly in respect and Minho does the same.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Lino raised his eyebrows at you and you resist the urge to slap him across the face.

Riki felt out of place as he watched the two of you bicker. But still, he stood there waiting for you to continue.

“He’s also my…uh.”

“Say it.”

“Gosh can’t you just shut up?”

“Just say it! Are you embarrassed of me or something?”

“Yeah if you keep acting like this!”

“I’ll say it if you don’t say it.”

“Ugh fine!” Looking back to Riki you continued. “He’s also my…brother.”

Oh. Brother. Oh. OH. OH.

Riki’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment as he recalled cussing the man out in his mind. Unbeknownst to him he has been praying the downfall of his crush’s brother?

The boy bowed his head once more. Still flushed and embarrassed, he decided to greet him again, properly this time. “Nice to meet you, Minho hyung.”

Minho nodded and smiled at him in response. “And you are?”

“I’m Nishimura Riki, Niki for short. But you can call me Riki.” He introduced himself before continuing. “I’m Yn’s uhm…friend.”

Hearing him addressing you as “friends” made your heart clenched the way it shouldn’t. After all that’s what you guys were. Just two friends who support each other. Nothing less nothing more.

“Okay Riki now I need to ask you. Are you good enough for my hmph-” You clasped your hand on you brother’s mouth before he could even continue. Feigning a laugh as you ignored Minho’s protest and spotted Sunoo in a distance.

“Oh hey Sunoo! Riki’s here!”

OH, NIKI YOU’RE SO FINE! — CHP TWENTY-FIVE

𖥻 masterlist ⟲ prev | next ⟳

aerin’s notes ☆

warrr is overrr (for now) expect a lot of fluffs before the climax baes 😘

TAGLIST. closed !

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© aernx 2023 / do not steal, copy, translate — hope you enjoy my works! let me know if you have any suggestions ! comment ur thoughts n reblogs n likes wld be appreciated <3

[patxhwrk]

Guys look i said id write stardew valley for sebastian but i have too much shane thoughts

he may be mentally ill but i am too

Also didnt have an jncorrect quote last night so have this instead

-ˋˏ✄— Uncoincidental

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳ Shane x Reader

Pronouns: they/them

"Look in the mirror say, "What's up you useless fuck?""

.navigation. // .stardew valley masterlist.

CW!!

—past alcohol addiction

Shane felt so useless, staring at his reflection in his dark bedroom. The television screen was dark and so was his reflection. His eyebags were heavier, but at lease his stubble was shaved, right?

This was pathetic, he thought.

Pathetic, pathetic, pathetic—

He shook off his thoughts and instinctively reached for something on his desk. His hand made contact with the cold wood and he sighed. Bringing back his hand to his face, he dragged it down as if it would wake him.

Right, he thought and scoffed. No more drinking, dumbass.

He sat on his mattress with his thoughts. Laying down on the soft plush did not help them ease. He raised both hands to his head and covered his eyes as he groaned.

Sunday mornings were so lame. It had barely been ten am but his room was still so dark. At least this was better than Joja, maybe.

Shane was left alone with his thoughts racing and running and loud and loud and if he could only drink one beer—

A knock echoed from outside his room. A knock?

He groggily and hesitantly stood up, fighting the urge to stop by the kitchen for the single beer can that was left in the fridge. Maybe he should just grab it, not let it go to waste. It was just one, and it was so close. It wouldn't be too bad if—

He opened the front door of the ranch empty handed.

"Hullo," the farmer up the hill greeted him with a bright smile. And Shane smiled back. Because he would smile for the farmer any day that he found them standing in front of him. He'll smile for them whenever they showed up to lighten his mood.

"Y/n." He smiled and his shoulders slacked. His thoughts were moved on, the beer in the fridge a past afterthought. And then he realized. "What are you doing here so early?"

They stared at him confused. "Shane. It's five in the afternoon."

Shane glanced at the outside behind them where the sun slowly set and the sky started dimming. Maybe his room was dark because it was five. "Oh."

They shook their head and heartily laughed. "Anyways, I saw the sign you posted yesterday about needing a shad for something, so I decided to get you one since I was fishing anyways. I—uh—got distracted and forgot to give it to you yesterday and—"

Shane cut them off. "Hold on, did you go fishing out in the rain without a cover? Again?"

Mouth stretching across their face in a line, they looked away. "...Maybe."

Shane couldn't stop the soft smile growing in his face, but he sighed to cover it. He knew Y/n wouldn't be able to miss it, though. "Dumbass. Get in here."

They entered the warm ranch and sighed in relief, taking a seat in the kitchen and placing the basket—one which Shane only noticed now—on the table. There was a piece of cloth covering something inside, the fish atop it. "Thanks, it's so fucking cold outside."

"It's fall, Y/n."

"I know that!"

"And you're not wearing a coat."

"...I know that."

He sighed and shook his head. How could someone be so stupid and so—

He paused his thoughts to look for the right word, glancing towards the farmer smiling down at their basket of goods.

—cute.

He blushed red and moved towards the kitchen counter to hide it from them. "Want anything? Tea, coffee?"

"Oh, no need really! I just wanted to stop by and give these to you."

They passed him the basket and he gently moved the fish somewhere else. Lifting the cloth to peek underneath, his eyes widened at the sight. The basket was filled with hot peppers, plenty good quality he assumed.

"A lot grew last summer, so I decided to save some for you," they stated with a scratch to their warming cheek. "And I thought, since it's fall, why not restock your supply?"

Shane could marry them then and there, if he was more confident in himself.

"You are a fucking deity." He grinned bright and joyous and genuine. He then shook his head. "And no, you're not going out without at least warming up. Tea or coffee? Or maybe hot cocoa?"

Y/n sighed, smiling softly at Shane's back before choosing their drink. "Thank you, Shane."

He paused. The look over his shoulder towards them and a soft smile was enough to tell Y/n that he wasn't just talking about the shad on the counter, or the peppers in the basket, or for stopping by just as his thoughts were so near to bringing him a can of beer to his hand. "I should be thanking you, y'know?"

Y/n smiled. "I know."

—PATCHWRK !

[byhuenii]

⊱☆⊰ i like your…facade

shuntaro chishiya x fem!reader

synopsis in which chishiya likes to get under the skin of ryoheiarisu’s protective twin sister and, maybe he likes it when your annoyed at him even if it comes off as rude.

warnings annoying!chishiya twin!reader fluff?? crack NOT PROOFREAD i think chishiya is into people degrading him?

a/n i miss my silly little man and had the sudden urge to write about him 😘

𓈒 ˙ ♥️ ּ 🦢⠀ . ࣪𓇻 ݁

“so. how do i know i could trust you?” yn leaned on a wall arms crossed near her stomach, her eyes bright big boba like though that was contradictory to her demeanor.

chishiya whom yawned scratched his head titling it to the side, “you don’t trust me?” a sarcastic pout formed his chapped lips, rolling your eyes you licked your bottom lip while pressing them together. “i don’t owe you a reason chishiya, i just want to get out of here with my brother.”

“i’m trustworthy enough for you and your brother join kuina and i!…and usagi can join too sure” chishiya maintained your eye contact sticking his hand out for you to shake it. you looked at his hand glancing back to his eyes giving him an annoyed look. “i don’t trust you once again so no. but since you saved my brother,” you heaved a sigh “i’ll join.” you shook his hand before pulling it away giving him a flat smile.

arisu seemed nervous yet ecstatic he didn’t know how much longer he could last at this so called beach, usagi just wanted to go home no surprise. “ig we’ll meet you at your room tomorrow and discuss plans” usagi smiled at kuina and chishiya before turning around on her heels walking closer to you.

kuina and chishiya watched as the three of you walked away, telling from your body language it’ll take him a lot more to earn you and your trust. he liked that for some reason, what kind of issues did you have? why did he like that? something is definitely wrong with him.

“well that went whats the word..Fabulous!” kuina empathized the Fab in a sarcastic tone. chishiya stuffed his hands in his pockets giving small nods. “i’m going to play a game tonight, i’m running low on time.” he walked ahead of kuina, kuina furrowed hee brows in confusion he just did a game yesterday..

𓈒 ˙ ♥️ ּ 🦢⠀ . ࣪𓇻 ݁

that game was dreadful annoying and muscle inducing. for a spades game that felt like so much work—the card you guys already had so it was pointless. frustrated you harshly run your hands through your hair groaning outloud, god you just wanted to leave this damn hell hole. “you know what my little ladybug!” a low cheery voice rumbled the empty lobby.

rolling your eyes you had already knew who it was and you didn’t even want to deal with him right now, just the cherry on top of a beautiful ice cream sundae, “what do you want fleabag.”

“i think you put up this whole facade.” his hands were stuffed in his pocket. the hood of his hoodie rested on his head as his hair rested out, an earnest scoff left your lips. the scoffed turned into a laugh.

chishiya felt his stomach do a little tingle, it felt like butterflies were flying all over the place, how could he find a laugh so attractive? “you’ve never been so wrong in your life fleabag. i don’t put on no facade.” your voice was a sweet but harshly bitter,

chishiya just had a lipped smirk. he knew he somewhat got under your skin and it was kinda hot. “this “facade” you say i’m having is just me, it’s me only caring for my brother and i getting out of the jail.” you put your fingers up in air quotes.

“so if you excuse me i would enjoy my rest before i have to deal with those stupid speeches you executives have to tell us.” you finally took a deep breath, you turned on your heels to leave but you kicked your dry lips facing back towards the hooded man.

you had almost forgot about the card in your hand, 5 of spades. it was useless, “i forgot i had this. here yours stupid card” you gave him the crumbled up card. huffing you walked back to your empty room.

chishiya had been smiling like a mad man, he doesn’t think you realized. well he didn’t care. his heart was thumping, he felt his ears get hot. the slightest touch from you sent his body into this trance, and hell it wasn’t even a hug it was graze of the fingertips because she was mad and handed him the card.

it’s safe to say chishiya went to kuina’s room to tell her and recap the whole conversation with you, if you could even call it a conversation. his ears were still tainted red. maybe he was into you.

[silvercap]

HHNGG there's so many good ones for the whump drabble challenge!! Hmm okay, what about 87. Overworked! <3

<33

Also this isn't going to be 100 words gahhshds I'm only partly doing the challenge 😭

Overworked

Leon's head is pounding, the overhead lights blaring painfully into the back of his eyes as he sips at his coffee and tries to force himself to focus on the mission report he's typing up. It's been a long day--the report is due 48 hours after extraction, no exceptions--and an even longer month, a slew of punishing missions leaving him sore and exhausted. The only reason he's not still out in the field are the cracks in his ribs, but it's far from the only injury he's sustained in the past week. Advil can't take away the ache of his recently-dislocated shoulder, tied up in a sling because he can't even move it without getting nauseous, nor can it dull the throbbing lines of stitches holding claw marks closed on his back.

It takes him a long time to finish and hit the print button, frustration and a yawning emptiness making it difficult to care whether or not it even makes sense. His head throbs as Leon rises to his feet, stepping out into the office to pick up from the printer--only for Hunnigan to step into his space the moment he's outside, looking just as tired as he is.

"Can you sign these project forms for R&D? They need them for Monday, but it would be best if you could get them done ASAP. Did you finish your report?" She hands him a new stack of papers, all tiny print and official jargon that will no doubt strain his already blurry eyesight until he can barely see straight. That's how it always goes.

"Yes." Leon tries not to get irritated, and fails. His head throbs sharply. He grits his teeth when she continues.

"Good. I also need you to look over updated SOP before my supervisor gets after me for it, and I've emailed you an old report from last year that was apparently missing a few details." She sighs. "You forgot to date it properly, again. Director wants a rewrite."

"What?" Leon frowns, struggling to control his tone. There's something filling the back of his throat with acid, headache jamming fresh spikes into his skull. "That's--I still have to go over that report from Wisconsin. I won't have time today."

"I know, but they want this done yesterday, and there's only so much that I can put off. There's a new online training module, too, on the updated office software--"

"Hunnigan, I don't fucking care!"

Leon regrets it the moment it's out, eyes widening as he realizes that his hands have curled into fists, chest heaving and heart thundering under his ribs. Hunnigan just looks stunned, the concern that's already bleeding into her expression putting something desperate and sharp in Leon's throat. The inexplicable urge to cry itches behind his eyes, but he forces it down, aware that his entire body is trembling. Around them, other DSO workers stare.

"I--sorry," Leon stammers, running an anxious hand through his hair. "Just...let me--"

He turns on his heel to dart back into his office, not bothering to close the door since he knows Hunnigan is on his tail anyways. He plants his hands on his desk as she follows him inside and closes the window blinds, glancing up as she shifts closer and wordlessly puts a hand on his back. The wound beneath pangs lightly, and Leon can't hide his flinch.

"I'm sorry," he says raggedly, voice cracking.

"It's okay. Why don't you sit down? You're shaking, Leon." Hunnigan doesn't wait for an answer, nudging him towards his chair until Leon sinks into it gratefully, clutching his skull against the ache. He can't stifle a groan. He feels Hunnigan drape something over his shoulders, and it takes him a moment to crack open his eyes and recognize it as her blazer. She's looking at him, worried.

"I'm fine," he croaks, to which Hunnigan shakes her head.

"No. How bad is it? I haven't had time to coerce medical into giving me your file."

"I'm just tired."

"You're not." Hunnigan shoots him a softer look. "Let me get you some water and I'll call you a taxi. If you're done the report, the rest can wait. I'd rather have you recovering than working yourself to the bone."

"Hunnigan--"

"I won't let you do this to yourself, Leon. They're working you hard for a reason--don't let them win."

[midn1ghtdreamer]

Deku X Reader

Missing Date Night

You had planned this date months ahead to your boyfriend’s busy schedule, but it seems like he forgot yet again.

Contains: slight angst, fluff ending

You were so excited about your date that you took the time to remind Izuku about it every 5 minutes. Purging his phone with various messages of Hope you’re excited for tonight!! And Don’t forget it’s at 6 <3.

You put on your favorite outfit for this date, taking extra time to get ready, and drove to the restaurant. Not only was it difficult to get a reservation there, but this restaurant was also a huge staple for your relationship with Izuku, since you had your first date here.

The waiter lead you to the far back where the private dinning area was hidden. This was the only way you could share private time with your boyfriend out in public. Under normal circumstances he would be bombarded with fans asking for pictures and autographs. The crowd would separate the two of you for who knows how long, but nothing would happen this time. Everything would perfect.

That’s what you thought at least. Sitting there patiently waiting for your green haired partner to arrive.

You held onto hope, ordering drinks and food for the both of you. All the hope you had dwindled away when the restaurant started closing at 10.

The entire time there was spent by yourself and the sympathetic waiter. “I’m sure he’ll show soon,” she said. “Maybe he’s busy. I’m sure being the number one hero is a hard job.” She even brought you a free dessert when closing hours hit as an apology for kicking you out.

You weren’t sure what made you feel worse: knowing that you were walking away from this date by yourself or how small the waiter made you feel with her empty promises.

The urge to reach for you phone and contact Izuku took over you with an overwhelming rage. How could he forget about you? Were you really not that important to him? Are you really that forgettable?

A confrontation was forming in your mind the entire way home, but it wasn’t used. Because he wasn’t home. There was no sign that he had ever been home to get ready for your date.

You couldn’t contain yourself anymore, typing aggressively while tears made your hands slick. Why aren’t you home yet?

He never opened the message.

It was 1 in the morning when Izuku finally made it home, exhaustion pulling at his body. He took his time taking off his shoes when a takeout box caught his eye. He hurriedly grabbed his phone, checking the date, as dread swept over him. How did he forget? Sure he had a ton of work to do, but you had planned this date for the longest. He knew how excited you were to have your own time with him away from his work.

He knocked on the bedroom gently, not expecting to find you asleep. When he saw the dried tears on your face his heart sank. He had to make this up to you somehow.

You felt soft kisses on your face the next morning and promptly turned over not wanting to talk to the man in front of you. He didn’t deserve your attention today, not after what he did to you last night. A sigh could be heard, “I deserve that,” Izuku said. “I’m sorry about what happened yesterday, baby. I really am.”

“Where were you,” you mumbled, your arm hiding your face from him.

“The agency.” You hummed knowing that would be his answer. “I got caught up in work an—“

“And you lost track of time, I know,” you sniffled.

He reached out turning you to face him and wiping the tears from your face. “I’m really sorry, honey. I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

You averted your eyes from him, “I’m tired of all the empty promises Izuku. I just…you never following through with what you say.”

“I know darling…I know. I can keep the promise this time though. I have today off and rescheduled our dinner date. See,” he held his phone out. Showing the time of the reservation. “I made breakfast too.”

“Izuku…,” he reached out to hold you whispering apologies in your ear. He knew he could unintentionally ignore you at times when he’s deep in his work, but it was never like this.

“How about this. Next time there’s a date I’ll plan it. It’ll be harder for me to forget if I coordinate it, you know?” You nodded against his chest, attempting to collect yourself.

You would do anything to fix the bumps in your relationship with Izuku and you can tell he would do the same. That’s what made you love him so much.

[meadowziplines]

You are so good at writing the whump so how about this, for any sandman rarepair:

“...I thought you forgot about me.” “I’m sorry. Today has been… a lot and I– I wish I could have called you sooner.”

Thank you!!!

Johanna/Ric the Vic incoming!

---

"…I thought you forgot about me.” Ric sounded amused, teasing even. "Don't tell me you've been exorcising in other churches."

The weight of that night in the rain came crashing down over Jo again, the bloody Sandman with his bloody sand and Rachel, who deserved a million times better than Jo's sorry arse. "I’m sorry. Today has been… a lot and I– I wish I could have called you sooner."

"...Today? You mean the past two months, right? I've had to get other exorcists in. The last one mucked up the job, nearly died, and destroyed one of the altars."

"Bet they didn't cost you triple the fee, though."

"It didn't come out of my pay, CoE can afford it," Ric said. "Seriously, though. Where've you been?"

Not doing that many jobs, that was what. Johanna was surprised she still had a flat. There hadn't been any nightmares the past couple of months, either. Not like she deserved that, but she had no urge to seek out Dream of the Endless and tell him to give her nightmares again. That was the kind of cosmic power you didn't want noticing you again.

She had been trying to find the grimoire, though. Anything that could bind an Endless needed to be burned. And no, it wasn't just because he'd looked, for a moment, like any traumatised human would, despite being far beyond that. Artefacts of the Endless were too powerful to be left adrift in the mortal world. Jo hadn't even known what the sand was.

"Jo?"

"Sorry," she said again. "It's a long story."

"If I buy you a drink, will you tell me?"

""Yeah. Sure, fine." Jo flopped her head back against the couch, debating if Ric would mind that she was in yesterday's clothes. "The usual place? Tonight?"

"See you there."

[greypetrel]

thank you for answering, here is my reaction request, feel free to deny it if it's something you don't feel like doing:

Dragon Age 2, between Acts 1 and 2. Mage!Hawke, Fenris, Varric, Aveline + whoever else you would like to include. FenHawke being the main focus:

Hawke faints while walking around Kirkwall, surprising everyone, eventually they find out Hawke has been starving themselves to make sure their family has enough to eat… I headcannon that magic and spellcasting consume a lot of the bodies natural resources, so mages need to consume more calories, hence why they like bread and cheese so much

Hello!

Sorry if I’m late, it took me a little thinking and I am generally a little intimidated from writing Fenhawke, as much as I love to read it. It feels like so much has been told already, but I eventually took the courage. Thank you for pushing me towards something I wouldn’t have done on my own, I hope you’ll like it!

I interpreted it as “how each would react seeing Hawke faint” and went with it. For Fenris, it’s a little ficlet. I had my fenrismancer Hawke in mind, but I tried not to make it too specifical for him. I only allowed myself one little concession, which is some terrible humour (and a reference to pop culture, let’s pretend in Kirkwall they know Backstreet Boys as a travelling band of dancing minstrels). Adding Sebastian too even if he's not recruited yet. It felt bad to leave only him out, and I think it'll be sweet to have him around. everything under the cut, because with no one's surprise, IT LONG.

Varric: “Hawke? Shit, Hawke! Don’t do this to me, you’re too heavy for me to bring you back.”

He will bring you back on his own if he has to. You’ll wake up in a room at the Hanged Man, with Varric and Anders in the room. Anders will sigh and bid you good morning, and comment that you have been lucky in not bumping your head against something. You just need to eat, and plenty. Before going, he will tease Varric about acting like a mother cat defending her kitten. Once alone, Varric will sigh and tiredly scold you: You only should have told him that you had trouble with food. Didn’t you trust him for help, already? After Bartrand, you’re a little like family, and he’ll love to help at least you. No, he’s not at all offering you a room and plenty of food because he may or may not have made you the main character of a thing he’s writing. Pointless slander.

Aveline: “Hawke? Hawke, wake up!”

She didn’t move you, in case you bumped your head too strong. She called a guard passing by to bring Anders here, you’re waiting for them to be back. She’ll ask you how you’re feeling, you fell down like a wet shirt and she got worried. You’re also looking pale, and she told you that you were overdoing it and she doesn’t want you to be sick and- Her rant gets interrupted by Anders. He heals you, checks that your skull isn’t in fact broken, does a check up. He frowns and tell you that you really need to eat. Aveline’s worry only grows: You’re not eating? Why? How? Why didn’t you ask for help? Of all the shenanigans and reckless things, she wasn’t expecting this. She grumbles, helping you stand and forcibly bringing you to the first inn in sight. On her: she never really thanked you for helping her out of Fereldan and into the city, this seems a good chance as any. And oh, the Guard Captain will know that people in Lowtown have no food. He’ll know it.

Anders: “What- Hawke!”

You’ll wake up with him glaring daggers at you, complaining that you’re an idiot, and you thought you could hide it with him? Oh no. He knows of being hungry, and you really only had to ask him. He’ll produce from his pocket a linen cloth with some homemade snack in it. It’s a bar made with cereals and honey and dried nuts: the wife of a patient gave some to him this morning, he’s happy he was late to meet you and he forgot the one he wanted to eat for breakfast in his pocket. He’s fine, he ate yesterday and you didn’t. He’ll urge you to eat: it’ll give you enough strength to make it home. He'll tell you that you can’t help anyone if you starve yourself: and that if you need help, you have friends to ask for. You can ask him, after all: you showed him your friendship more than once already, and he’d be glad to give something back.

Isabela: “Hey! It’s too soon for swooning!”

She managed to drag you into a shady corner, out of the way. She’s sitting beside you with a dagger out, to make sure no one gets any ideas. She’ll ask you if you made sweet dreams, and tease you that she’s beautiful, but you could at least contain yourself and avoid swooning. It was really embarrassing on your part and look, she was forced to show a conscience and that was very rude of you. She’ll tease you while fussing over you, and a joke after the other, it’ll turn out that you’re just hungry and not eat it. You can tell her, or your stomach will grumble. Her smile will turn sad, but she’ll cast everything off with a joke. That’s just it? You’re hungry? Why didn’t you say sooner! She knows just the place: the dirtiest hole in the Docks, it’s not the Hanged Man but it can hold its own. More interestingly, the innkeeper owes her a favour, and it’s surely lunchtime, somewhere. She could eat and she will: you can come with her if you’d like. She won’t make you feel bad one minute, and accepting her help will only seem like your own decision, not as pity.

Merrill: “Hawke? Hawke! Oh Mythal, no no no!”

You wake up with a balsamic smell in your nostrils: focusing, it’s Merrill’s hand, crushing some dried leaves with her fingers. Your feet are up on a wooden crate, and she rolled her scarf under your head as a makeshift pillow. She smiles when she sees you’re awake, and lowers her hand to start trafficking with her pouches. She tells you that she got worried, and didn’t know what to do. Thankfully you were close to the stalls she buys her fruit from, and she asked the kind lady that owns it for help to move you to the side. She also gave her the crate, you know that when you faint is very important to keep your feet up? So the blood can rush to your brain again, you need that more than your feet. Not to say that you won’t need your feet anymore! She fumbles with words, and soon enough you’re both laughing. She keeps smiling, and tells you that when people fainted, in the clan, the Keeper always said that some sugar was just what was needed. She picks some dried fruit from a pouch, and urges you to eat it: it’ll make you feel better right away, she’s sure. She dried the plums herself, and always carries them and some roasted nuts with her, as a snack. You can have it, come on. She gave you a full handful -your handful of it, but if you make her notice, not thanking her right away, she’ll casually shrug and say she can’t never tell with humans, you’re all so bigger than elves. Her pouch is already secured at her belt.

She’ll wait for you to eat and be ready to stand up again, chatting all the way about her clan, and what she did when someone was sick. She pushes on good food and plenty of rest, very casually. Once you’re ok, she’ll insist to stand by your side, and accompany you somewhere. She’ll suggest the Hanged Man -it’s close!- or Anders’ clinic, but will walk you home if you insist. Anywhere you go, you’ll be discreetely served food without an explanation. It’s not lunchtime, but people are eating with you. If you go home, the next morning there’ll be a basket full of groceries and food. No note, nothing at all: but a small pouch filled with more dried plums.

Sebastian: “Sweet Andraste, Hawke!”

You wake up in a shady corner, this time under the covering of a stall. He knew the stall-owner, they met in the Cathedral and prayed together. He sells cheese, here, you can have some, lad, it will make you feel better. Sebastian isn’t doting on you, properly, but he is helpful. He asks you if you’re feeling well, and if he can help. Please let him help, it’s the least he can do to repay you from your kindness. Pointing out to him that he doesn’t have to do it, you didn’t help him to have anything in return will make him sigh, heavily. It’s with the utmost seriousness and sincerity that he’ll answer, promising you that he’ll help you nonetheless. Not only because the Maker wants him to, but because your differences don’t matter much. He won’t leave any companion he spent time with in need. He may not be sure of what he wants to do in life, but he’s very sure that he wants to help you and show you some kindness. As you have shown him. Can he offer you something? Can he help? Your choice in accepting it or not: he won’t recognize what’s going on, but whether you want to be brought at home, to Anders or anywhere else, you have him by your side. He’ll stop by your house the next day to check you’re all right. The moment he’ll know you haven’t been eating? It’s not stealing from the Church if the food was meant to be shared with those in need.

Fixing a Hole (🎶)

[ FenHawke || No warning || 2389 words ]

And it really doesn't matter if I'm wrong, I'm right Where I belong, I'm right Where I belong See the people standing there who disagree and never win And wonder why they don't get in my door - Fixing a Hole, The Beatles

The world blurred first, and then it quickly became black.

“Hawke?”

It was the last thing Garrett heard, noticing with exhilaration what was happening. A last moment of clarity when he felt his limbs losing strengths and saw the world shifting. Fenris’ voice sounded alarmed, which only contributed to the excitement of the moment. Thankfully, everything went black and he lost conscience before he could blush.

He dreamt of the farm.

A sunset in early summer: the air was still warm from the long day, and the sun painted the wheat field in firey oranges and golds. Everything looked gold, and Garrett smiled at the sweet memory. He could smell the fields, the earth baked by the sun, and he knew that if he turned, he would have met with Bethany, leaning out of the windowsill and calling him for dinner. He longed to turn and see her, and at the same time knew he shouldn’t. It was still too painful, at least in his dreams, to see his little sister there, smiling. If only…

You can have it.

Someone whispered, voice brought by the wind. Garrett closed his eyes, away from the sunset, away from childhood and happiness. He had been happy, then: he didn’t fully realize until everything was lost. But it was not the first time he dreamt of home. A home where they thrived, a home where they had been happy, a home where he didn’t let Bethany die, and Carver hadn’t hopefully been killed by the Wardens he left him with. A home where he could look at his mother in the eyes without feeling blame and guilt creeping up his throat.

It wasn’t the first time and he knew what to do.

Take a deep breath, concentrate on how your chest rises and falls, on the sensation of air filling your lung. Stay in the moment, in the present, the past is gone and the future an illusion. The dirt under your feet, the smell of summer in the air, the warm caress of the last sunrays: they are gone, you can’t have it, they don’t exist anymore. They burnt and you couldn’t have done nothing to prevent it.

He concentrated on the good things he had: he was alive, his mother was alive, things were looking up and soon enough he would have sold everything and had the money to get a home for real. He had some friends, some real ones that knew he was a mage and he didn’t need to hide from. He loved them, and they loved him back. They wouldn’t want for him to stay there, lose himself in dreams. Kirkwall was nice, from the bazaar in Hightown the sunsets were pretty. Prettier, when he was there, leaning on the balcony and chatting with-

“You can have this. You can have me.”

He startled, his eyes opened as he felt a hand closing on his own. At his side, there was Fenris, looking at him with his usual serious expression. Something melted in his eyes, tho: something soft took place of the constant challenge he saw in them, the suspicion and mistrust. His heart did a double leap as he saw his lips curve up in a smile.

“You just need to say yes,love. And we can stay here. Forever. Far from Templars, far from Magisters. Far from guilt. It will be just as you want, and I will never leave your side.”

For the first time in years, Garrett felt tempted. He didn’t realize he had it so bad for the elf: he was good company, reliable in battle, and he liked him, sure. Physically, and his humour. He also knew it was impossible, between him being a mage and the other’s past. And now… He realized that yes. That was what he wanted. Something impossible in real life, and…

… Something was wrong.

The way Fenris turned, the way his lips opened in a wide smile, showing teeth, and he leaned so minutely towards him, still holding his hand.

“What about Danarius?” Garrett forced himself to ask.

“What about him? He doesn’t matter.”

“Don’t you want to get your freedom? End the chapter?”

“It doesn’t matter anymore. I have you, I’m happy like that.”

Garrett closed his eyes, the illusion clear as day in front of him. He held his hand, lingering on what never could have been for a moment still. It had been nice, until it lasted.

“He would never say that.” He opened his eyes and smiled at the demon. “And I would never say yes to him. Not in this way.”

He explained. Kindly, because it was just the way it was. Getting angry wouldn’t have brought him anyway.

The face of Fenris rippled and twisted in a snarl, the details got blurred.

I know your one desire.

“Oh well, as the wise man said.” He sighed, letting that hand go. It had started to grow talons and pinch uncomfortably against his own, anyway. “Ain’t nothing but a heartache.”

He quietly sang, stepping back and snapping his fingers.

Magic, at least, always came easier in dreams. He watched, as flames engulfed the demon, Fenris’ shape twisting and morphing, showing horns until he blinked, skin turning purple, teeth growing sharp. A piercing shriek filled the air, and soon enough everything was on fire. The wheat in the field, the old oak tree at the end of the courtyard, the chicken coop, the well and the farm, Bethany still on the window, frozen in place.

Would you set your own home on fire? The demon shrieked, in a last attempt at swaying him.

Garrett smiled, genuinely sorry for ruining the demon’s day like so. It was its nature, after all, and a part of him was grateful for the small glimpse of clarity it gifted him. It was easier to fight, if you knew your limits and what you wished.

“I already did.”

His eyes opened, and he looked blearily at… Wooden planks that looked old and like they were just about to crumble to dust.

Not the sky framed by Lowtown sandy buildings.

Weird.

“You’re awake.”

Garrett turned, blinking bleariness away. He didn’t recognize the place, but he recognized that voice.

Fenris was sitting on a stool, leaning his back against a wall whose paint was so scrapy and dirty that it could only mean that they were at the Hanged Man. For a moment, Garrett thought it was yet another dream. But the elf was typically grumpy, and frowned at him with an expression that was all too familiar.

“Am I?” He asked, still dubious.

“Hawke.” Fenris rolled his eyes, already exasperated.

It only made Hawke grin, calming down as he realized that it wasn’t, maybe, a dream. Only one way of knowing it. He just needed to wait for the right occasion for it.

“Where are we?” He asked instead.

“The Hanged Man. You fainted on the street, we were close.”

“You brought me all the way up here? I’m flattered.”

“So little you think of me, to believe I would have left you in the middle of a street?”

Hawke turned to his side, to face him better. His head still spinned something nasty, and he knew that standing up would not have done him any good. He saw one too many patients in Anders’ clinic to know that he would have had to be dragged up to bed again. It wasn’t a particularly appealing option. Or well, it was, but the context was wrong, and as many things he would have joked about, that wasn’t one. So, he just settled down better, and looked at Fenris in front of him, turning serious.

“I do not. But thank you anyway.”

“For what?”

“For staying.”

He saw the other scoffing, averting his eyes to the side and shrugging it off with a remark on how irresponsible it would have been, after a whole year of looking up for one another in battle. It brought a smile on Garrett’s face.

“How are you feeling?” Fenris asked, after a while.

“I’ll be good, I just need to lie down a bit.”

“Hawke.”

“I swear! I’ll take a nap and be as good as new. Nothing happened.”

“Hawke.”

“What’s the worse it can happen? Maybe I’ll die, so what. Everybody dies, sooner or later, is just another part of life. Never understood why people are so scared about it… I’ll be one Mage less, at least.”

“Hawke.”

There, the chance. He didn’t think about why that “Hawke” sounded different. It was all typical, but…

“Do me a favour.” He asked him, sighing as he rolled back heavily on his back. “When I die, cremate me.”

“Are you-”

“It’ll be my last chance to have a smokin’ hot body, after all.”

He arched his back, stretching just for show. The low, exasperated groan that followed was part a victory, part a relief. It wasn’t the Fade after all. In the Fade, all the demons laughed at his jokes, they were a great appreciative public.

“If you’re jesting, it means you’re feeling better.”

Hawke turned, grinning from one ear to the other as the elf, in a clear complaint, kicked back the stool and rose up. He saw the faintest trace of a smile on his face, and it was then impossible to pretend he was sorry.

“Leaving me so soon? All by myself? What if I die.”

“I’ll risk having you on my conscience.”

He reached the door and opened it, placing half a step on the threshold. He hesitated then, eyes lost fixating on something in front of him and brows furrowed in thoughts. Hawke stayed there, not that there was much choice but that.

“I am not so cruel as to leave you in such a state.” He said, finally, as if each word burned in his throat. He turned towards Hawke, still a crease between his brows that wasn’t totally obscured by a silver lock of hair. “I know we have… Our differences, but the next time, please tell me.”

Hawke frowned at that.

“Tell you what?”

He couldn’t know, could he? He would expect Anders to notice, or Merrill. People with experience in treating others. Surely not the broody warrior. As much as he tried to flirt with him, suddenly the idea of being so much in the open, so vulnerable and raw, scared him. He swallowed, not daring lowering his eyes first.

“Just tell me, Hawke.”

He didn’t say another word: just nodded to the side, casting him a look that was all too eloquent, and on another person, another less broody and aloof person could almost have been taken for worry, went out the room, without a word more or waiting for an answer.

Hawke turned on his back and groaned aloud, covering his face with both hands. Of all the people he could faint in front of, it just had to be Fenris. His typical luck. The one he shily wanted to impress, and the one that he didn’t really feel like he could complain about his situation without sounding whiny about it.

He wondered how he was gonna pay for the room.

He wondered, a little later, how was he gonna pay for the full meal that was brought inside the room. Steaming soup, a whole roast with vegetables, drowned in gravy on the small table before he could protest. Peas and potatoes with a thick slice of ham. Two pints of beer.

Hawke almost fell ashamed, but it was a fleeting moment. Fenris shrugged, as he took a big gulp from the tank and scrunched his nose in disgust, glaring at the offending beverage. It broke the tension, and soon enough they both were eating and drinking, friendly arguing about whether beer or wine was better. Hawke laughing and Fenris smiling.

“Fenris?” Hawke asked, in the end when conversation has naturally ended and he felt better, both physically than emotionally.

“Yes?”

“I do not think you’re cruel.” A pause. “I never did.”

An eyebrow rose in his direction, skeptical, as the only answer he got.

“You just have shitty opinions about us mages, but cruel? Nah.”

He huffed, shrugging it off, and rose again, changing the topic abruptly and informing him it was time for him to go. And that the room had been taken care of and not to worry about it. He could stay until the next morning. A pang of guilt and shame rose back in Hawke’s throat, but he nodded, without complaining.

“The next time you feel like I need to change my mind, please find better ways to prove it.” The elf told him, helping him out the bed when Hawke insisted to at least rise up to bid him goodbye. With his belly finally full after days, he felt strong enough for it.

“Were you worried?” Hawke meant it as a mock, but it slipped out of his lips without a bite. It sounded all too hopeful for his tastes and he would have bonked his head against the wall.

“Yes.” Fenris just replied, seriously enough.

“Ah.” He averted his eyes, embarrassed. “Well, I’m sorry and… Thank you, I mean, for helping me. You didn’t have to.”

There was silence, for a full minute, heavy and tense. Or maybe it was Hawke reading too much into it, as the topic fell dangerously close to feelings and crushes he knew were totally one-sided and would never have been reciprocated.

“I am of the understanding, that helping is one of the basic requirements of friends.” Fenris finally spoke. “It would be pointless to be so lucky as to have some, without accepting help in return.”

He patted, quickly, his shoulder, and nodded a goodbye, leaving him for the night. Hawke, smiling again, stepped out of the door, watching his back as he strode down the corridor.

“Fenris?”

“Yes?” He stopped and turned.

“Is the mysterious benefactor that paid for this Varric, or is it you?”

Fenris bent one corner of his mouth.

“I promised not to tell. But I’d order the lobster for breakfast.”

Garrett Hawke hated Kirkwall. He missed the countryside, the wheat fields and the pumpkin patch, fresh vegetables and a clean stream. Today, tho, he hated it a little less, and let hope bloom in his chest.

[mannylikessims]

The True Story of the Villareal Family [2.3]

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The Villareal children were in for a treat they didn’t want.

They arrived home from school, already feeling collectively below-average. Hugo staggered in like a zombie, having barely slept. Luna kept checking her phone and sulking because a certain someone wasn’t texting her. And Max – actually, Max felt ok. Maybe a little bored.

But none were in the mood for another attempted Family Fun Day, even though their father had spent the entire day preparing for it.

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While the children were at school, Jacques Villareal had taken the day off from doing nothing to redo the pool.

"There, much better."

“Come, offspring!” He called out to his children, cackling to himself. “I remodeled the pool. Let’s have a Family Fun Day pool party!”

“You remodeled the pool?” said Hugo. “It doesn’t look any different to me.”

“Well, it is,” said Jacques. “Now get in.”

Meanwhile, Luna was still anxiously checking her phone,

but there were no new messages. Anguish welled in her chest.

You ok? she typed woefully. Did I do something wrong? What’s going on? I miss talking to you.

There had been no response all day from her mystery knight about why they never showed up to their rendezvous, but maybe this 127th text in a row would finally do the trick.

She put her phone back and resisted the urge to pull it out immediately again. After all, she didn’t want to come off as desperate.

“Do we have to go swimming right now, Dad?”

Hugo threw up his hands in exasperation. “I’m so tired. I slept like two hours on a bench outside the Von Haunt Estate because you forgot about me and left me there yesterday.”

His father rolled his eyes. “Of course I didn’t forget about you, Hugo. I ignored your calls on purpose. Now quit complaining and. Get. In.”

Hugo groaned. Fine. He was too tired to argue. He teetered from exhaustion as he headed towards the diving platform.

Jacques turned around and set up a chair at the edge of the pool. “You kids go first. I’ll join later.”

The kids changed into their bathing suits and lined up. Hugo was first.

“You’re doing swell, Hugo,” said Jacques in a rare moment of paternal encouragement. “Luna, you’re next!”

“Ugh, whatever, Dad.” She didn’t care about anything anymore.

Little Max was last to cannonball in, and he was the only one who was having fun. Besides Jacques, that is. Jacques was still chuckling to himself, watching his children swim in circles.

Hugo’s arms started to feel very heavy, as did his eyelids. He relaxed his muscles, his head lolling for a moment, just a moment, and rested his eyes for a moment, just a moment, when

his eyes suddenly snapped back open.

Whoa! Almost fell asleep there, big guy. It was definitely nap time for him, one way or another.

Hugo swam to the edge of the pool and grasped the ledge to pull himself out.

“What are you doing?” asked Jacques, shocked.

“I’m going to bed,” said Hugo. “I’m so tired–"

“No, I mean, how did you get out of the pool?”

“… by pulling myself out over the ledge? Look Dad, I just really wanna sleep–"

But Hugo didn’t get a chance to finish, because Jacques suddenly broke into a scowl and stood up furiously, slamming his chair into the ground, mumbling under his breath.

“Guess they don’t make pools like they used to.”

And Jacques stormed off into the house, livid, leaving behind his three bewildered kids.

Hugo was baffled. What was up with Dad? He had gone real quick from being excited about the pool to having a full-blown conniption.

“Aw, does this mean Family Fun Day is canceled again?” said Max behind him, disappointed.

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