#i have come to love iz through no fault of my own

[neverhangd]

@izzyeffinhands doesn't know how to say please, apparently.

The bottle was pulled from Anne's loose grip and she frowned, turning her head to follow the bottle but making no move to intercept it. Asshole. Her frown was broken by an errant snort at the thought, an insult meant but not wholeheartedly, and any thought of pouting or badgering to get it back was blown away on that snort. Never sober. That's a funny one, though, and belatedly makes Anne snort anew, seizing up in a surprise laughing fit at it. She was hardly known to touch the shite, snottily deemed a teetotaler behind her back--not that she minded. Better a fighting Irish than a drunk one: dulled wits make for dead pirates.

Alas, boredom and unprocessed trauma, a driving need to be at work and a lack of anything the fuck else to bother working at, a touch of petty pride and a drinking contest to be won combined had resulted in her drinking well past what she ought.

Good thing it was Hands that found her after. She didn't fancy dealing with an actual dumbarse with her inhibitions blown and her hot temper made more dangerous by the liquor in her system. She leaned against him, a little dizzy but happy to be so, almost smiling (if such a thing could be said of Anne).

"I--. I'm only not sober now 'cause I'm feckin bored. Should'a seen me arter the first shot: Fang said my eye twitched an' that was that until three shots later." She couldn't help but feel chuffed with herself, managing to drink someone under the table on her first go. With dead winds and fuck all nearby, it was a lucky thing Anne had been provoked into drinking instead of fighting. Be a real shame to go down a crewman this far from shore.

"Jaysus! That en't water; come up f'r air, for fuck's sake!"

[stir-knee-oh-low]

cold yet? || matt sturniolo

matt and izaria weren't exactly friends, but they'd had their fair share of moments. it was never about love— something they convinced themselves of.

to them, it was all a game of back and forth sarcastic comments with teasing smirks and empty flirting. they lived for the chase. to anyone else, it was easy to assume they loved each other’s company, but to them it was just “fun.”

they went to a party together, but as the night went on, the temperature dropped. it was matt who subtly showed he'd been paying attention. he didn't ask if she was cold; instead, he broke her to finally admit it and then just so "happened" to have one in the back seat, pretending like he hadn't thought ahead. it was a small gesture, but the meaning behind it was clear: he cared more than he'd ever let her know.

content: fluff, banter, and flirting, flirty!matt x stubborn!reader

“so… you comin with?” his blue eyes, lazy yet expectant, staring back through the screen. there was no urgency, no rush— the dim glow of his tv casting different shadows on his face highlighting his cocky tilted smile, like he already knew the answer.

lounging on her bed, with her own tv on playing different voice in the back she replied “please... you'd be bored without me” matching his tone, knowing full well he liked having her around, more than he'd like to admit.

“yeah ok” he rolled his eyes, already hearing the sarcastic remark in her voice before she even said anything. almost as to say don’t get too confident now. “just don’t forget your jacket. might get cold later” but she might’ve scoffed a bit too loud because who was he to tell her what to do, she thought. except beneath her actions, a small part of her wondered did he actually notice more about her than she realized? "i'm sure i'll be fine" iz responded, regardless of those small feelings, still being a little too confident. "whatever... i'll text you when I'm coming to pick you up later" "alright" the call ended, leaving her alone to figure out what outfit would get under matt’s skin the most

matt was in iz's driveway waiting and as izaria walked closer to the door and opening it he couldn't help but glance briefly at her outfit as she climbed in on the passenger's side. a mini skirt and small top that basically covered nothing. "c'mon iz... you really didn't bring a jacket?" he genuinely wanted her to bring a jacket but he knew her all too well. her stubbornness was granted and he knew she’d pull something like this. holding back from smirking, he knew it’d only make the night more amusing " 'm not taking advice from the guy that wears the same outfit every time we go out" she bites back with a smirk. all matt does was shrug, keeping his eyes on the road and grinning before slyly replying "not my fault I look good in it, right?" shooting her a sideways smile, she rolled her eyes in pure disbelief "whatever" iz was annoyed at how it seemed like he always got the last word. and she hated how effortlessly he could flash his smug grin, knowing she'd never call him out on how much it got to her. but even then, he never heard her deny it.

as the night went on, the air got colder and began biting at iz’s skin, sending sharp chills down her spine. and as much as she hated to admit it her thin strapy top and a skirt that hung only a few inches beneath her waist was a cute outfit but a bold, yet stupid move nonetheless.

now that she was actually outside with the cold air mockingly brushing her skin, it was beginning to seem like an obviously bad choice as it wasn't exactly helping her prove her point. stubborn as ever, she wrapped her arms around herself and tried to act like the cold didn’t bother her.

however matt noticed. of course he did. she could feel his eyes on her from across the yard, even while he laughed at something one of his friends said. he didn’t approach her immediately, though—he waited, letting her sit with her pride for a little too long before noticing her give in, sliding the back door open and sneaking inside the house.

“cold yet?” matt’s teasing voice caught her off guard as she didn’t realize he had followed behind her. leaning against the counter, water bottle in hand, smirking like he’d been waiting for this moment.

iz turned to face him, “i’m fine,” she said oddly calm, though her shivering betrayed her.

“sure you are” he knowingly responded, taking a sip of water “the whole freezing-to-death thing kinda suits you though.” she glared at him, hugging her arms tighter. “i’m not freezing. I’m just—”

“cold?” he interrupted, his smug grin widening.

iz sighed heavily, rolling her eyes. “your impossible to be around , you know that?”

“and yet, here you are.” iz narrowed her eyes at him, refusing to let the smirk on his face get under her skin. before she could come up with a sharp comeback, matt pushed off the counter, his tone shifting slightly.

“come on,” he said, nodding toward the door. “let’s get out of here before it gets even colder. i’m tired anyway.”

her first instinct was to refuse, to stay and prove that she didn’t need him to rescue her. she opened her mouth to argue, but somehow could think of anything to say. almost like she was somewhat out of comebacks

“fine,” she muttered, trying to make it sound like she was doing him a favor. “fine,” matt copied her with a grin, already heading toward the backyard.

they said quick goodbyes to their friends, gathering their stuff before stepping into the chilly night. as they walked through the different cars in the driveway to matt’s car.

“oh,” matt said casually as he unlocked the doors, “i think i might’ve left a jacket in the backseat the other day. you can grab it while the car heats up.”

iz paused, one hand hovering near the door handle. something about the way he said it felt off—not in a bad way, just... calculated. she opened the door and spotted the jacket right away, neatly folded like it had been waiting for her.

matt watched her pull it out. he had planned this. of course he had. he’d thrown the jacket into the car earlier, convincing himself it was no big deal. just in case. no harm in being prepared, right? but now, seeing her hold it, slip it on, he wondered if it was too obvious.

“really?” she asked, turning toward him, her voice skeptical as she slid her arms through the sleeves. “so this just happens to be here?”

it was easier to fall into old habits, to tease and deflect, than admit he’d thought about her—about her being cold, about her maybe needing him. “what, you think i brought it here just for you?”

her brow arched, the fabric of the jacket soft and oversized on her. “i don’t know, matt. you don’t exactly strike me as the ‘just in case’ type.” matt’s chest tightened for a second. he could tell she was trying to figure him out, and the thought made him nervous in a way he didn’t like to admit.

“just feels convenient,” she muttered, though the bite in her tone had softened.

“or,” matt said, stepping closer and lowering his voice just enough to make her heart skip a beat, “maybe you’re just reading too much into it.” matt had no idea why he was nervous—this was iz. teasing her was second nature, messing with her was even easier. but this wasn’t that. not anymore. being so close to her it made the atmosphere feel off balance.

the way he looked at her then—like he was daring her to call him out, like he knew she wouldn’t—made her stomach flip. she wanted to laugh it off, to roll her eyes and call him insufferable again, but the words wouldn’t come. instead, she held his gaze a second too long, long enough for the air between them to shift.

she simply looked up at him, innocent and confused, and for a second, matt forgot how to breathe.

iz felt it too. the weight of the silence between them, the way her heart pounded in her chest, the way the cold no longer mattered. she hated this—realizing he could easily make her feel things she didn’t want to feel.

matt pulled back, his smirk returning, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes this time. “come on. get in the car,” he said, his voice quieter now. “before you overthink it.” yeah— would want that now would we? she thought. she climbed into his car unable to shake off the tension that she just experienced.

val’s notes 💌

pt 2?? guys plss😭 i literally said i was gonna post this weeks ago and then i got caught up with school. good thing is that i have exams next week and then im free to hopefully post more!! but pls lmk if this was good. ill post pt 2 soon (actually this time. at most in 2 weeks😭) sorry!! but anyways hope yall liked this one!!

OMGG ALSOO the first person on my taglist!! ⬇️

TAGLIST: @bibbleisking

def let me know ig you want to be apart of the taglist by commenting or sending me an inbox!! and if you want to be taken off also let me know through inbox or comments!!🩷🫶

[amuseoffyre]

Don’t Tell Mama - #457 & 458

“Good news?” Stede inquired drowsily when Ed set down his phone.

Tipping himself back into the bed and rolling over to tuck himself against Stede’s side, Ed nodded contentedly. “Iz got Jackie and Josiah lined up for the do. Got a couple of others who might be up for it, but at least now, we have a base to work from.”

“Tomorrow?” Stede’s fingers dipped into his hair, smoothing through it. “Or later?”

“Can make a start tomorrow, first thing.”

And then back out to see auntie H again. They were picking her up to go on a day trip to Tauranga. She was going there to meet some old friends and had insisted they come along and he had a sneaking suspicion she wanted to show him off to some of her other old auntie mates. Warm up for the thing. The gathering. The reunion. But was it really a reunion when you hadn’t met more than one of the people there? Auntie H definitely thought so. Either way, the do. The thing. The many people coming to meet him and so he could finally, finally meet them.

Bit late, but he’d made it in the end.

“She’s nice, your auntie,” Stede murmured.

It wasn’t the first time he’d said it since they’d left her house, each time said a bit differently, like he was still turning it over in his mind.

“Y’can just call her auntie too, y’know,” Ed said, rubbing his cheek against Stede’s shoulder.

“Yes. She said that.”

That made Ed lift his head to look down at Stede. “You okay?”

“Mm.” Stede chewed his lip thoughtfully. “It’s just… odd.”

“Odd?” Ed’s tummy went all trembly. Nerves were getting him over and over again this week. “Odd-bad?”

Stede’s nose wrinkled up a bit. “Odd that she was nicer to me than my own family were. I didn’t– I haven’t had anyone be like that to me before.”

Ed stared at him. “What? Never?”

Stede shrugged. “Maybe when I was little, but I don’t– I can’t think of any occasion.” He gave Ed such a placid look and fuck, Ed wanted to reach back through time and yell at Stede’s shitty shitty relatives. “Is that strange?”

“Yes!” Ed scrambled up in the covers to wrap Stede up in a hug. “Yes, that’s strange and shit and fucking hell.” He pressed kisses on Stede’s cheeks. “You deserve to be fucking adored. You deserve to have people like you because you are so fucking lovely.”

“Oh!” Stede’s cheeks were getting hotter under his pushy kisses. “That’s – I mean I know I’m a lot. And a little bit weird”

“You are and a lot weird,” Ed agreed, “and it’s fucking great and if your parents’ heads were so far up their arses that they couldn’t see it, then that’s their own stupid fault.”

Stede made a little hum of thought and Ed ran back his last words.

“You’re wondering if they could fit their heads up there, aren’t you?”

“It does seem like it would be quite a tight fit,” Stede agreed.

Ed planted a last wet and noisy kiss on his cheek. “I fucking love your weird brain and all the bits its attached to.”

“I like your brain too,” Stede said, fond and sleepy. “It’s a very good brain.”

“It is. And it’s smart enough to absolutely fucking adore you.”

“And that makes it a lot weird too.” Stede’s eyes danced.

“Fucking menace,” Ed informed him happily, snuggling back down beside him as Stede switched off the light. He tucked his arm over Stede’s chest, rubbing his chin along Stede’s shoulder. “Hey. Stede?”

“Mm?”

“Thanks.”

“For what?”

He shrugged a bit. “Being here. Staying with me. Pretending to be a butch dickhole to make me laugh.”

Stede’s hand found his on his chest, squeezing it. “Darling,” he said softly, “I would be a butch dickhole as often as you wanted me to, if it makes you smile.”

“…even in front of Izzy?”

Stede’s breath hitched in a giggle. “Can you imagine the look on his face?”

Ed could and did and cackled. “Fuck, yes. We’re doing it.”

“Shall I put on your things? And a fake moustache?”

Ed grinned against his chest. “You could grow one while we’re out here. Go home all butched up and scare the shit out of everyone.”

Stede giggled and tugged his hair. “You’re a terrible influence.”

“You didn’t say no.”

“I didn’t, did I?” He could hear Stede’s smile. “I’ll consider it.”

Prev / Next

[izzysillyhandsy]

I think it's funny to accuse fans of Izzy that their having too much sympathy for him because he's handsome when there's Taika Waititi, probably one of the most handsome men ever, on the cast. I know he's the protagonist, but come on... if I was after beauty, I'd make excuses for him! (I'm new to this fandom and I have kind of heard that there is a lot of debate about racism - I don't yet know what this is about so I won't comment the "white antagonist", but how does this factor into what I said? Have I given you any indication that I have more sympathy for white characters? I just don't get it.)

I'm probably digging my own grave here, replying to you all and losing all orientation in the reblog chain, but 2 more things:

There's no sign that Ed was in danger of destroying himself until Izzy brought in the cops.

I think that from Izzy's point of view there was. It's a bit like when your best friend joins a cult that "does something to their brain" and you can't get through to them anymore. Did he have to call in the Navy? Of course not, that was a ridiculous overreaction. Did Izzy's hurt feelings/jealousy play into it? Of course. But they spent years and years together, and is it really so difficult to understand that from Izzy's point of view it looked like Ed was making a mistake here?

Sure, he's obsessed with his image of Blackbeard, with what's good for Ed, but at some point you have to respect the adults in your life to make their own choices, and Izzy cannot stand that.

True. I still love Iz for pathetically and futilely fighting for his man - I never said he was right, how often do I have to repeat this! I just enjoy his spirit!

(And in the end, the thing that hurt Ed most of all was not Izzy's fault)

What I like about Izzy is that he is so sincere. Of course not everything he is sincere about is right, or helpful, and some of it is definitely damaging (to others and above all himself). But he means what he says and he is who he is, no tricks and no fuckery. He would be totally lost at the posh party - passive agression and Izzy are like polar opposites.

I don't even perceive him as being angry all the time? Most of the time he is really patient and calm, until he can't take it anymore and then he's quick and to the point (of course he can be cruel, and of course some things he said were really really bad. But I think I would prefer that to duplicity and stabbing people in the back, literally and metaphorically, every time).

[danses-with-dogmeat]

Hi! If possible can you do a romanced companions react to a sole who taught growing up that being intimate in bed was wrong/made them bad? Maybe sole still wants to try with the companions maybe not! Up to you!

By the way your works are always so fun to read! i read fan-fiction and companion reacts a lot before going to sleep and your blogs are def one of my favs!

R!FO4 Companions React to Sole who was Taught that Intimacy is Wrong

I really like this! It was such an interesting prompt to consider! And I ended up leaving it pretty open ended, as far as what Sole decides, so it could go either way, and hopefully is more inclusive that way :)

As always, let me know if you wanna see anybody else for this at all!

I hope you enjoy! ❤️

Also, it's not explicit at all, but subject matter is NSFW related, so just a heads up on that!

Cait:

"Right, I was sold that shite too, a good time ago. I thought it was just a load of crap, jus' another thing parents did te try an' control ya, but... I think maybe I believe it too. Now more than ever... Sure seems like nothin' but bad comes of it with me anyway."

Cait seemed to get lost in her troubling train of thought at the sound of her own words, and Sole had to reach for her before she snapped out of it. At the light feel of their hand on her arm, Cait was roused from her disturbing memories.

"I jus' thought maybe with you... I danno, maybe it'd be different. Maybe it could be somethin' good, with the right kinda person."

The realization came as a bit of a surprise to her, after all these years, Cait never could have imagined looking fondly at those same actions that had been used against her, forced upon her, for so long. She'd even believed her parents, when she was young, as much as she didn't want to. All of the guilt they would try to thrust upon her for any stray thought they didn't agree with, any action she could take that they knew could have lowered her monetary value, it all got to her in the end. Once her parents sold her off though, once they showed their true horrendous and selfish colors, those sentiments about purity and righteousness that they'd tried to teach her meant less than nothing. Neither to her, nor the assholes who enslaved her.

Cait didn't know when her thoughts had changed, when she started to think that maybe somethin' like this could be really, genuinely good. But she did now. Even despite everythin' she'd been through.

It must be cuz o' them.

She wouldn't wouldn't be used to a relationship without sex, but then again, Cait's not really used to proper relationships in general... Truth is though, the act of intimacy has only ever been a source of pain and furious resentment for her, and though she believes that Sole maybe has the ability to change that, for her, it's just as well bein' able to be with 'em at all.

Curie:

"Oh! Well... Let's see, hmmm."

Quickly, the synth tried to organize her thoughts on this matter. Her own views tumbling to the front of her mind as Sole looked on with held breath.

"Well... while I zhink zhat you are entitled to whatever it is you wish to believe, I feel like I must state my own opinions on zhis matter as well, if you don't mind, my love."

She released a breath as Sole nodded to her, relieved that she would not be overstepping any bounds with her partner.

"Yes, well, I believe... intimacy between two people... it iz a very natural zhing, yes? It is a way to possibly create new life, and strengzhen emotional bonds between people. So, forgive me, but I do not see zhis as a bad zhing? It 'as great potential to be somesing beautiful, if you let it. But zhen again, it is surely not for everyone. And not you, nor anyone else, can be faulted for zhat. We can do whatever makes you 'appy, mon cherie. I love you eizher way, I assure you."

No matter what Sole's response, she'd plant a kiss on their cheek, and fix them with a sincere smile. Though she was always interested in experiencing such uniquely human sensations with the one she loves, the synth figures she's gone quite a long time without such experiences. To her, just being with Sole is much more important.

Danse:

"I understand... and I don't want to force you into anything that might make you uncomfortable."

Their confession surprised him, because for some reason, he'd always felt similarly. Danse was never quite sure why, and plenty of soldiers he knew, if not all of them, had next to no reservations about having sexual relations with another, no matter the status of their relationship to whomever it was. But the idea of participating in such activities so casually never really appealed to the (ex)Paladin, and he'd never felt the type of connection with anyone that his heart and mind would require in order to partake in the act of intimacy in earnest. At least, not until now...

"I respect your choice," He told them slowly, assessing his thoughts thoroughly before allowing them to leave his tongue, "as well as your beliefs, and your boundaries, Sole, and I'm glad you trust me enough to be honest with me. I... Well, admittedly, I've also had to come to terms with my own reservations regarding... ahem, intimacy as well, but..."

But what?

Danse knew something significant had changed in him when he met Sole, that it became more and more easy to ignore the reservations he had before he knew them, that there was more to them than just being physically attractive, just being kind and compassionate, being a capable soldier, and a loyal friend and partner that made him want to be close to them in a way he'd never been with anyone else.

How can I explain such a phenomenon?

"But... I can honestly say that I do not believe that such an act, if done with someone that you love, and who feels the same... it cannot be considered wrong, or evil."

Sex has never been high on Danse's priority list, especially before he met Sole, but even now, he values their relationship far too much to put an end to it over something like this. Whatever Sole is comfortable with, whatever they need from him as a partner, and whatver they don't need, he'll be happy to comply.

Deacon:

"Oh thank God. I was wondering how to break this to you, but now it seems the exchange'll be much less disappointing for both of us... You see, Sole, I'm actually a eunuch."

Sole's expression widened to accommodate their shocked state, before quickly reverting back to narrowed eyes and a suspicious stare. Before they even had a chance to speak, Deacon knew he'd been found out.

"Okay, yeah... no. That maaaay have been a lie." One hand came up to rub at the back of his neck as Deacon took a moment to really organize his proper response to this confession of theirs. As playful as the spy tended to be, this was an issue he needed to think through carefully.

"But really though, I know we don't get to choose who we grow up with, and what kinda influence they'll have on us... but seriously? You really feed into all of that fire and brimstone stuff? Now look, I know I'm no saint or anything, far from it, I know that better than anyone, but Sole..."

Deacon took a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly before continuing.

This vulnerability stuff really is not my forte.

"I told you, I had a wife once, and we-- well... she never could've been made bad. Not any way, not even with yours truly over here."

Deacon threw them a nervous smile, his hands shaking as his apprehension slowly began to disperse. It was moments like these he was glad to have the shades to conceal the bulk of his anxious expression, and the vulnerability in his eyes.

"An' you're like her, you know. You're good. And really, it doesn't matter to me if you're celibate or not, for whatever reason. No matter what, I'll always be your partner. No lack of bedroom funzies can change that, okay?"

At that, Deacon gave his partner a playful boop on the nose, just to try and disperse the tension he'd felt build up with Sole's reveal.

He really meant it all, and despite the fact that he's always had a hard time discussing some of the more serious bits of relationships, he really hopes it comes across to his partner that they are enough for him, no matter the state of their enthusiasm over sex. If things change in time? Great, Deacon will be excited to explore it, but if not... Sole is more important.

"Alrighty then, now that we got all that mushy business out of the way, whattaya say? Time to get back to name kicking and ass taking, or what?"

Hancock:

"Aw, well a little sinnin' never hurt anybody. Even if it did, it sure is a lotta fun." Hancock practically growled, as close to them as he could get, despite the subject matter of the conversation. Soon as he saw the way their eyebrows crinkled together and how they shifted uncomfortably at his proximity though, Hancock backed off, opting to shift himself over and sit a few more inches away from them than he really would've liked.

"Hey, but don't let me pressure ya into anythin', sunshine. Whatever you wanna do, I'm game, alright?"

He let one of his calloused hands fall to capture theirs, giving it a reassuring squeeze as a smile touched his thin lips.

"An' no matter what choice you make, you could never be bad, sweetheart. No matter what kinda... sinful influence I have over ya." At that, he'd seal their lips with a kiss, pulling back just before he got too handsy or heated for their comfort level.

Hancock has to admit, he's a little disappointed, and more than a little suspicious that maybe this hesitancy of theirs has something to do with his bein' a ghoul, but if Sole continues to reassure him that it really is just their deep-rooted belief, he'll try to believe them best as he can.

It would be difficult for him, since sex has always had such a prevalence in his life and his relationships, but ultimately, Sole makes him happier than Hancock's ever been before. Sex or no sex, he just feels honored to be able to love them the way he does, and just so long as he keeps gettin' to kiss 'em, and hold them close, he thinks he can make this work. An' if ever the day does come that Sole feels ready, or comfortable enough to try to be intimate with him, he'll consider himself all the more honored by it.

MacCready:

"Look, Sole, I don't know how much I really know about sh- stuff like this, but..."

He trailed off as he tried to gather his thoughts together under the pressure of their expectant gaze. The mercenary was definitely caught off-guard with this confession of theirs, his cheeks heating to a muted pink as he pulled back from them to speak.

"All I can say is, Sole, it's just... Well it can't be-- Okay, all I can say is that Duncan, my son, well... he's the best thing that's come out of my life. The most good that I've done. And he... well, he came from, you know, from being intimate, so... I don't know, I guess I have a hard time seeing how that could be bad, when something so good came from it."

This was... new to MacCready. He'd never even considered someone having an opinion like this, but maybe that's cuz he grew up with a bunch of kids who had very few opinions on it at all, beyond teasing and being grossed out.

Must be some leftover pre-war thing...

"It's up to you though," He finished, "If you think it's wrong, I won't pretend I know any better, and I won't make you do anything you don't want to."

He told them, and he meant it.

As confused as MacCready might be over their confession though, he actually finds himself a little relieved. Since Lucy, he hasn't really felt the urge to be intimate with anyone again, even when Sole came along. He truly was more motivated to give it a try, but still, that guilt and apprehension at caring for someone that much again, it persisted. He had a hard enough time realizing the depth of his affections for them at all, and he still felt so much guilt for being able to move on, even if it has been years since he lost his first love. When it came to what he thought was impending intimacy though, MacCready found that same guilt weighing on him even more heavily, his thoughts forcing a hesitancy his heart hated to succumb to.

Much as he loves Sole, much as he wants to be with them in every way someone can be, he still felt a bitter sting whenever he tried to overcome his own subconscious reluctance when he was with them.

For now, maybe this is for the best...

Nick:

"Hm. Well, doll, not sure if I agree with that myself, but makes no difference to me, really."

Nick meant what he said. He remembered what it was like to be intimate with someone, from human Nick's memories, but as he was now, he'd never engaged in such sort of activities. Sole was the first one he'd ever even wanted to be with so closely, so intimately, even despite his own lack of organic physicality, but if they weren't comfortable with all of that, he honestly didn't mind too terribly.

Although...

What if it's not just that?

The old synth couldn't help but smile sadly at his own thought, hoping it wasn't the truth of it, yet still understanding completely if it was.

"I only hope..." He started, unsure whether he should really voice his theory at all, "You don't feel like you need to say that, do ya? If you just don't wanna be intimate with me, I wouldn't hold that against you, darlin'. I know I got these sharp edges 'n all, not really the ideal body type, is it?"

A humorless chuckle escaped him, but as Sole fixed their partner with a sympathetic look and a definite shake of their head he found his doubts quieting in his churning mind; and as they wrapped their arms around his shoulders, squeezing him tightly, sharp edges and all, Nick found his own synthetic arms sliding over their form, embracing them tightly in return. He wasn't kidding when he said it didn't matter much to him if they slept together, but this? Their acceptance of him, of not only who, but what he was? That meant the world to the old synth.

Piper:

"Oh. Okay. Um, yeah, I've heard about some of that when looking over some pre-war writings and stuff."

Piper felt the heat rushing to her cheeks as her partner rebuked her suggestion to take their make out session a little further.

Come on, she thought, all this planning and anxiety, and making sure Nat was staying at a friend's house tonight, just for this to happen? Just my luck.

"So... okay, so you're not comfortable with this kinda stuff. Got it. It's no biggie... But do you really think it's wrong? I mean, I get it, maybe if the people involved aren't all on board, you know, that's bad. But if it's two people who love each other? Who wanna be together for a long time? Who enjoy each other's company, like, a lot? For people like us, like you an' me, Blue, I just... I don't see how it could be wrong."

She didn't really know where all of that came from. Piper knew how she felt about Sole, and she hoped that they felt just as strongly, but she'd never had an outburst quite like that before, never felt this sort of dedication to someone. The reporter took a deep breath, before looking into Sole's eyes with a small smile plastered to her lips.

"I don't wanna make you do anything, of course, no matter how cute I think you are. But I just-- I don't know if I share those same beliefs..."

She bit her lip, thinking only for a moment about losing Sole as her partner over something like this, before coming to a decision.

"No matter what though, I'm with ya, Blue."

Preston:

"O-oh, well, I... I guess I never really thought about it that way before."

His dark brows rose high over his warm, chocolate eyes, pupils slightly dilated from the close contact he'd had with his partner only moments prior.

"I hope I never overstepped anything with you, I never meant to." Preston told them, scooting away from where he sat beside them on the sofa until their legs were no longer brushing each other.

This was... unexpected. Not that he thought Sole was particularly promiscuous or anything, but, he just couldn't understand someone as perfect as them never having... well...

"But do you really..." He started quietly, earnestly, "I mean, you really believe that? I don't mean any disrespect, or anything, but... I just never thought that you, well, that being intimate with you could ever be seen as something... wrong."

Unwittingly, Preston found one of his hands reaching to grasp at theirs. Not sensually, but gently, and reassuringly as he could.

"You're a good person, General, and I love you no matter what, but something like this... even if it is wrong, it couldn't outdo all of the good you've done. I-I hope that helped ease your nerves a bit. We still don't have to do anything, not ever, even, if it makes you uncomfortable, but just know, I'm here for you, however you need me. I'll always be by your side."

X6-88:

"I see."

X6 furrowed his brows at that, thinking back to all he's heard on the subject through his years of service, but the truth was, such things had never been of much concern to him, or interest, even, before meeting Sole.

What had he heard spoken through the halls?

Of course, the Institute never bothered to supply any input or training on any form of intimacy for their coursers, for obvious reasons, but now X6 was instantly reminded of the miniscule bits of information that he did manage to absorb.

"I... was always told something similar, for my kind, especially; and before now, my life remained unchanged. There was no reason to do what the doctors and scientists warned us against, what they'd told us was wrong, and still, you will receive no pressure on my account, ma'am/sir, should your views remain unchanged. However," He continued, a small, mischievous, smirk forming on his lips as he spoke, "Should you decide otherwise, you know where to find me."

[dani-dabbles]

Blanket of Comfort (a Shadowhunters fic)

READ ON AO3

“Oh my god, Simon. What are we going to do?” Izzy asks standing at a loss in the middle of their apartment near tears. The cries coming from the back bedroom seem to fill the entire space, leaving little room for other conversations or even private thoughts.

“I- I don’t know. We’ve fed him, changed him, rocked him. I even played the guitar and sang for him. And he cried louder! Honestly I’m slightly insulted. I mean, not to toot my own horn hear, but I always draw a crowd at Hunters Moon so I think I can handle a simple lullaby lik-“

“Simon!! Focus. Do you have any other ideas? What could we be forgetting? Did we do something specifically that would’ve upset him? Or does he just hate us? Oh my god, what if he just hates us ?!” Now Izzy does sob, sinking to the couch and crying into her hands.

Simon darts over to her, kneeling down. “Come on Izzy, don’t cry. The baby is doing plenty of that for everyone.” He jokes trying to make her laugh. Izzy just huffs. “Besides I’m a vampire and you are a Shadowhunter, and yes it’s a little unnerving that we’re currently being bested by an infant, but we’ve dealt with worse. I have faith that we can get through this too.”

Izzy looks up at him, eyes bloodshot and sniffling. “I told you I would be bad at this,” she says trying to mask the anguish she’s feeling. “I don’t have much baby experience and I should have known I wasn’t ready for this.”

“Hey,” Simon sighs out cradling her face in his hands, “You are doing fantastic. You had him laughing so hard earlier. I’ve never seen him smile that big. And I took pictures as proof.”

Izzy laughs, just a little bit, before it quickly falls to a frown. “Simon, we need help. I know I said we could handle this on our own. But he’s been crying for over an hour and won’t sleep. That’s can’t be good, right?”

“You now they won’t mind if we ask for help. They said so themselves.”

Izzy slumps in defeat and grabs her phone that’s sitting on the end table. She quickly types a message and tosses her phone down on the couch. “Ugh. I feel like such a failure. I should be able to handle this.”

Simon climbs up to sit next to her wrapping his arms around her and nudges his nose to her cheek before placing a gentle kiss there. “Isabelle, you are the most amazing person I know but asking for help doesn’t make you a failure.” He then places another kiss to her temple. She turns to kiss him fully on the mouth letting Simon’s presence permeate her anxiety and replace it with calm. The sound of a portal opening and conversation coming through it causes her to draw back from Simon and look over her shoulder.

“...I mean honestly Magnus, you conjured half his bedroom into their apartment, and you still managed to forget his blanket?”

“Hey! I was distracted .”

“By what?”

“ You , darling.”

“I was just getting dressed!” Alec says exasperated.

“Exactly!” Magnus teases back with undisguised lust in his eyes.

They are fully standing in Izzy and Simon’s apartment now and the portal closes as Alec rolls his eyes, “You’re impossible.” 

Izzy rises from the couch, walks to her brother and hugs him. “I’m so sorry to interrupt your date. I didn’t want to bother you but Max has been crying for over an hour and I think he hates us!”

Alec laughs a little as his sister’s fear but hugs her back. “He doesn’t hate you. And you didn’t interrupt. We were just taking a stroll down the Seine when you text.”

“And the reason he’s crying is because I forgot his favorite blanket.” Magnus says as he holds up small plush navy, white and gray chevron blanket. “He can’t sleep without it. I’m so sorry we left it behind and caused you this unnecessary stress.”

“Yeah, don’t worry Iz, Max will always love his Aunt Izzy” he flicks his eyes to Izzy’s vampire boyfriend also standing there “...and Uncle Simon.”

Simon beams brighter than the sun.

“You’re sure?” Izzy questions, afraid to believe that the blanket’s absence was at fault and not her.

“Positive.” Alec reassures her with a quick peck on her forehead. 

“Okay, Give me that.” she demands and grabs the blanket from Magnus. “Now shoo! Get back to France and don’t come back until tomorrow afternoon.”

Magnus and Alec chuckle. 

“Okay, Okay.” Alec says hands up defeat. “But we might just steal a quick kiss from him before we leave.”

They follow Izzy back to the bedroom to find the still crying Max in his crib. Izzy walks over, picks up the chubby blue baby and shows him his blanket.

“Look what we have Maxie!”

His pudgy fingers grab for the well loved fabric. He buries his face in it and snuggles into the crook of Izzy’s neck. From the doorway, Alec and Magnus watch with content smiles. 

Max instantly sets in Izzy’s arms. She sways back and forth a minute ensuring he is asleep. Before she places him back into his crib, his dads approach.

“Goodnight Blueberry” Magnus whispers, kissing his dark curls before leaving the room.

“Night my little terror.” Alec says affectionately bending to place his own kiss near the stubby horns among the unruly hair. He then gives Izzy another reassuring kiss on her forehead before exiting the room to join his husband.

Simon steps into the room after Alec and Magnus’ departure. He watches as Isabelle gently lays their nephew back in his bed making sure the blanket stays in his clutches. Then Simon comes up behind her, wraps his arms around her waist and kisses behind her ear.

“See. You got this.”

“We got this.” she says turning in his arms to grin at him.

They stand in silence for a few more minutes basking in the peaceful quiet and watching Max snore slightly. 

“Hey Simon,” Izzy finally whispers.

“Hm?”

“I can’t wait for this to be our child one day.” They have never really discussed it, but Izzy thinks that’s where they are headed and she is pretty sure - she hopes- Simon wants the same. So she throws the statement out there, her heart quickening slightly, hoping it’s not a bomb that’s going to explode and ruin everything. 

She doesn’t turn to see Simon’s reaction but waits for his response.

“You have no idea how much I anticipate that day Isabelle Lightwood.” he breathes out and holds her a bit tighter.

For now, they are content with being Max’s favorite aunt and uncle - no matter what Jace and Clary claim.

[geekwithfangs]

Simon Lewis once had been the scaredy cat, he’d been the one to stand on the sidelines, the shadows and when he did fight back it was more so for the benefit of Clary. She was his backbone, which is probably what landed him in this predicament. Why Simon was tried of feeling like the boy of dismal. He wasn’t strong, the only ability he felt now was standing his own ground. Don’t get him wrong he did understand where Izzy was standing her own ground. He would never do anything to hurt her or her family, but he just wasn’t okay with standing to the side and pretending. Pretending he was okay with the clave not knowing about the fail of the wipe, and being a secret. After all Alec and Jace already felt like he was a joke. And yes he understood there was a difference. 

But Simon felt the need to stand his own. He wanted to protect Izzy, but also not be afraid to risk it all for her. Apparently by wanting to stand his ground it was only resulting in the male letting her slip right through his fingers. He understood her side, even if Izzy was hellbend on not understanding where he was coming from. It felt like all we were doing now was rolling back and forth in circles. Stubbornness, hard headed just you name it. 

Shoulders falling in defeat, the male stood in his spot. Eyes casted down to the grass that was high tingling the edges of his ankles. And he was torn, he wanted to scream, to keep fighting rather than losing her. But the odds, impasse either of us were willing to break. “ Never stopped anyone before. Even before I was a vampire I was around the institution, I know with all your dismays cause no one approved of it, but Clary made sure I was allowed, and yeah I know it’s ultimately how I turned got caught in the crossfire. But rules are broken, and believe it or not I don’t want you to get hurt or your family. I do understand where you’re coming from Iz..” He aired out with the defeat weighted into his tone. Simon didn’t know the answer. His heart was breaking, but so was hers. We found ourselves once. We fell in love against all the odds. And Simon knew the position, the time lost between us was his fault, and maybe a part of the brunette was holding the sacrifice he made once against him. But should it be this hard? To love, to have a relationship? 

Crossroads spinning in my head. He heard the question and for the first time, Simon wasn’t going to fight. He wasn’t going to beg her to stay; we fought back and forth for a day now, love was here. He was in love with Iz, but the obstacles were present, ones that felt unshakable. Simon didn’t move as he echoed the words that forced his chest to ache. “ If that’s what you want, Maybe too much has happened, I’m sure we’ll be going on tour soon anyways..” Defeatedness in my voice, as I pulled shoulders down, eyes to the ground; and both hearts broke; both hoping for an option but perhaps the love ran its course; it wasn’t meant to be.

@geekwithfangs

Well, I don’t recall a time that you’ve managed to get yourself on my bad side yet, so it seems the odds of that happening are unlikely, and therefore, in your favor. {I aired out in a teasing tone; all the while a soft, playful grin laced across my lips. It felt refreshing to be with Simon again. Even more so upon learning that his memories of me and our relationship had returned too. My only disappointment in all of this was a year had gone by since Simon and I were last together like this. We lost a whole year… I’m just relieved that we are back together with one another now. In fact, now that we found our way back to one another, I had no intentions of losing Simon again; even if that means literally whipping Clary into shape, if she opts to break another rule that could take Simon from me. No, it was time for Clary to begin answering for her own mistakes, because so far, the only people who felt the affects and costs from her mistakes were the rest of us. I silently considered as Simon and I made our way toward the destination he had in mind} It’s okay. I assure you, you’re forgiven. I mean, in spite of how perfect and sweet you are, I don’t expect you to remember every outfit I ever wore when you and I were together. {I added with a lingering grin} All that matters is that you remember us. {I genuinely pointed out as we continued the familiar walk toward the park; assuming that’s where Simon was guiding us} You’re not a geek, Simon. A bit of a dork, yes, but an incredibly cute and charming dork… One that I am head over heels in love with. {I said with a doting grin as I leaned in closer to Simon while we walked} All that matters is that fate brought us back together once more. Just so you know, I have no intentions of losing you again though; no matter what, you’re stuck with me, Simon Lewis. {Although a hint of playfulness was in my voice, I did mean every word of that. I was in love with Simon, so naturally I would do everything in my power to avoid the feeling of losing him all over again} You have nothing to worry about, Simon, I won’t let anything happen to either one of us. {I assured Simon as he joined me here on the ground; prompting me to nestle in closer to him while we watched the bright, starlit sky together} Tonight really has been perfect… Here’s to the first of many perfect and unforgettable nights for the two of us.

[kippykasey]

Grace - Chapter 5: Hydra

Pairing: Howard Stark x F!Reader , Bucky x Reader [Eventually]

Word Count: 3522

Series Summary: A young nurse is recruited by Dr. Abraham Erskine to join the SSR to assist on Project Rebirth. Following her work with the SSR she is drafted into the US Army Nurse Corps in the war against the Nazis...and HYDRA.

Chapter Warnings: violence, torture, bad things because Hydra

Author's Note: Surprise?! I wasn't even expecting to get this done but I literally just finished and thought, eh why not. So here it is! Also I hate hurting my characters so this was a bit eh to write but I hope all is well!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the gifs they are either found on google or under the gif tag provided by tumblr. Any language other than English was translated using Google Translator, and translations will be posted in bolden italics after. I am not a nurse or in the medical field although I may do some research medical treatment written may not be correct.

Grace Masterlist | Snowdrop Masterlist | Masterlist

Pain. A throbbing, harsh pain echoed through my head from the temple. The throbbing beat opposite that of my heart. The second thing I noticed was how cold and damp it was. After battling with my body to force open my eyes I squint through the dimly lit room. A deep voice spoke in another language… German it was German but my head hurt too much for me to understand it. Seconds passed before I realized that I was sitting on the ground in a cell. The door opened and two men walked in flanked by four additional soldiers than the one that had been watching me.

“Ah Fräulein (L/n) glad you have finally woken up.” Miss.

“Who are you?” I cursed how weak my voice sounded at that moment. Though the man didn’t seem to find me a threat of escape as he spoke. “Johann Schmidt. You see we have a common acquaintance… or, well, had.” The grin he wore made my stomach drop and he didn’t need to verbally admit it for me to realize this is the man behind Abraham’s death.

I raised my head in defiance and although it made the pounding in my head worsen I pushed myself from the ground and stood within the cell. “You’re after the serum.”

“Ah, clever girl. You were Abraham’s assistant when he made the serum.” The second, much shorter man spoke. “Fault in your plans. I don’t know how to make the serum.” Schmidt smiled at me and it took all my self control not to shiver from his intense look. “I was hoping you would say that,” His eyes turned off me to the soldiers. “Bring sie zum Stuhl. Probiere es an ihr aus. Vielleicht wird ein kleiner Elektroschock Ihr Gedächtnis auffrischen.” Take her to the chair. Try it out on her. Perhaps a bit of electroshock will refresh your memory. As Schmidt talked his head also turned towards the shorter man.

I could feel the blood drain from my face as I moved back against the wall. Three soldiers stepped towards the cell. One man opened the cell door before the other two stepped inside to detain me. I managed to elbow one in the face in my struggle but it was useless. The two soldiers dragged me from the cell, out of the room into a brighter lit hall. We were in some kind of warehouse. My eyes zeroed in on a chair that looked right out of a nightmare. Stronger hands forced me into the hard chair and held me down while I was struggling against someone’s attempts to strap me in. My struggling did nothing but get me a slap to the face. The strength of the slap disoriented me long enough for them to strap me in.

The shorter man who followed us now stood next to my head. I could see the reflection of myself in his glasses. “This is only going to hurt a lot, try to hold still.” He instructs lowering two plates down around my face. It was only a few short moments before the electricity forced its way into my head. I had no control over my body as it thrashed in the confines of the chair. An agonizing scream of pain carrying throughout the building went ignored.

That wasn’t my first time in the chair but it was the only time I had passed out in the chair. Spent 30 minutes in the chair 3 times a day, sometimes longer. After a week I had to start muttering things to myself in my cell so I didn’t forget who I was. The Nazi soldiers gave me the bare minimum to survive as far as water and nutrients goes. I cracked halfway through October. I gave the short scientist, Armin Zola, the list of what I would need before I was taken back to my cell after yet another time in the cell. I was given parchment and a pencil to write things down with but it kept coming in flashes.

Nights were the worst. Mouth dry from lack of water, eyes trained on an iron grate in the ceiling. I realized two weeks into my daily chair visits that I had forgotten my brother’s name. When I noticed it caused me to cry to sleep that night. So whenever I could I would mutter to myself facts I could remember starting with my name, rank, and where I was from. The list of facts got shorter every day. Somedays I remembered more than others. There were times all I could bring myself to do was hum Amazing Grace to myself to deal with the pain.

The first time I was in the lab I tried to escape. I was left with just one guard and I thought I could take him. I smashed a beaker using a shard like a knife. I ended up knocked unconscious, my hand bleeding from the self inflicted cuts caused by the makeshift weapon. From then on I was chained to the lab table and three soldiers kept watch. I wasn’t given anything to test the serum on. So I never tested unless I thought it would work because I used myself as a test subject.

I was unconscious for two days once from a failed serum. Others cause excruciating pain. Days came and went and I lost count of days but I knew it was still October. Yet a month was close to passing as November began to be discussed amongst soldiers around me. Pressure was placed on me to recreate the serum. Each day if I didn’t recreate the serum I was sent to the chair for the torturous electroshock. That is how I figured out I had been successful in a recreation. The serum, when tested, did nothing but make me drop to the lab floor in pain. I wasn’t even given time to recollect myself before being dragged off to the chair. I lasted longer in the chair than usual. I heard the instruction to increase the power. I don’t remember what happened after that.

It took me nearly half a day to recover, then as soon as I had I was back working in the lab. Suddenly I was pulled away from my work and escorted quickly back to my cell. “Neue Soldaten wurden gefangen genommen.” New soldiers have been captured. I pressed myself up against the bars for a chance, a glimpse at the soldiers being brought in.

It was silent as the Nazi Hydra soldiers dealt with the new poisoners. Suddenly two soldiers appeared with smiles on their faces. “Komm Mädchen. Zola und Schmidt wollen dich sehen.” Come girl. Zola and Schmidt want to see you. The soldiers yanked me up and practically dragged me to the room where the chair was. My body trembled involuntarily at the sight of the chair. It wasn’t me going in the chair, given someone was strapped in but given the uniform he was American. “Ah, here iz our lovely nurse. You’ve been asking for a test subject. Here you go.” Schmidt waved at the man strapped into the chair. The man lifted his head just barely and my heart went out to him. As soon as the hands left my arms I moved to the soldier in the chair. “What’s your name, soldier?”

“S’rg’nt Jam’s Barn’s,” His voice wasn’t clear but it was clear enough for me to understand what he said. The nurse turned to Zola and Schmidt. “I wasn’t done recreating the serum when you had me pulled from the lab. I will need time to work and he needs time to rest or the serum will kill him.” I tried to give him whatever comfort I could in those brief moments before we were pulled apart. His head rose just slightly and I caught a glimpse of stormy blue eyes as he was dragged out of the room.

I never got to return to my cell that night. As my eyes zoned in on the blue chemical mixture in front of me I felt a haze cloud my mind, it wasn’t abnormal to experience but I also felt like I was losing myself when it happened. Following my own written instructions I was able to continue my work. The only other thing I forced my mind to remember were two things.

I am First Lieutenant (Y/n) (L/n) of the US Army Nurse Corps. Soldier boy is Sergeant James Barnes.

The words became a mantra in the blank canvas my mind was currently in as I blindly worked by instructions of my very own that I don’t even remember writing. My body moved on auto pilot as I was taken to a crude looking examination room. In the center was soldier boy Sergeant James Barnes strapped to the table. As my mind raced to catch up with me, flashes of memories clouded my mind from when Steve Rogers got the serum, the explosion that followed, Dr. Erskine being shot. My body tensed at a passing memory of being in the chair passed through being replaced by the pain I felt giving myself the serum.

A hand pressed firmly in between my shoulder blades pushing me forward. I stumbled to the table catching myself with a hand on his arm. Wasn’t he wearing an army jacket before? My eyes landed on the serum filled syringe in my hands reminding me of what I was about to do. “First lieutenant (Y/n) (F/n) of the US Army Nurse Corps.. You are Sergeant James Barnes.. I’m sorry for what I am about to do. You’ll be okay. I’ve used it on myself. It will hurt.” My voice sounded so… robotic and monotone as I spoke to him. My hands pushing up his sleeve.

My hands worked from memory and out of second nature my mouth moved and the hymn fell from my lips. The melody of the song was the only comfort I could offer as I injected the poor man with the serum that would change his life forever. His eyes looked up at mine until the pain of the serum changing his body caused them to shut tightly. The leather restraints holding him in began to rip as he pulled against them. Discarding the empty syringe I tried to soothe him more but the second my hand touched his head I was shot with a sedative.

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】

Steve Rogers has dressed up performing on stage like a dancing monkey to sell war bonds since he was given the serum. His first time on foreign grounds and he was performing for soldiers he should have been fighting alongside of. All to be booed off the stage by disgruntled men who just wanted to see a pretty dame.

Steve finally looked away from the rain but not quite at Peggy, “At least he’s got me doing this. Phillips would have had me stuck in a lab.” Blue eyes finally met the face of Agent Carter. “And these are your only two options? A lab rat or a dancing monkey? You were meant for more than this, you know.” Her wording might have been a bit rude but the point got across. There was a moment of silence between the two but Steve had this look to him. “What?” Peggy inquired.

The man was drawing in the rain when a familiar face popped up. “Hello, Steve.” Peggy Carter approached him from behind, making him turn from his drawing to greet her, “Hi.” She mimed his ‘hi’ back before laying her jacket down to sit on while Steve asked, “What are you doing here?” Peggy looked at Rogers and let out a small sigh, “Officially, I’m not here at all. That was quite a performance.”

Rogers looked away disappointed that she had caught the horrible show that happened earlier. “Yeah. I uh, I had to improvise a little bit. The crowds I’m used to are usually more, uh, twelve.” Steve explained looking out at the drenched ground and falling rain. “I understand you’re ‘America’s New Hope’.” Peggy states watching him. “Bond sales take a 10% bump in every state I visit.” Steve comments like a robot. “Is that Senator Brandt I hear?”

“You know for the longest time, I dreamed about coming overseas and being on the front lines, serving my country. I finally got everything I wanted and I’m wearing tights.” Steve kept looking down at his journal then squinting out through the rain. A horn alarmed behind them as a medical vehicle slid to a stop in the mud. Medics ran from the infirmary tent to help unloaded soldiers on gurneys. “They look like they’ve been through hell.” Peggy turned back towards Rogers. “These men more than most.” Steve looked up at Peggy knowing she had more details. “Schmidt sent out a force to Azzano. Two hundred men were there to back up an already injured fleet, they went up against him and less than 75 returned. Your audience contained what was left of the 107th and 34th.” Steve slowly turned his head feeling bad for the men who were lost but his attention snapped to Peggy at the mention of the divisions involved as she finished, “The rest were killed or captured.”

“The 107th?” The confirmation had him darting out into the rain, Peggy following holding her jacket over her head for coverage from the rain. The two ran all the way to the tent Colonel Phillips was sitting in signing condolence letters. “Colonel Phillips.” Steve called for the man’s attention as he approached. “Well, if it isn’t the Star-Spangled Man With A Plan. What is your plan today?” The colonel responded looking up at the pair now standing in front of him. “I need the casualty list from Azzano.” The tone he used was definitely fitting for the role he plays on stage. Phillips however did not appreciate it. “You don’t get to give me orders, son.”

“I just need one name, Sergeant James Barnes from the 107th.” Rogers responded un phased. Phillips pointed his pen at Peggy, “You and I are gonna have a conversation later that you won’t enjoy.” Steve was insistent though and again requested the information he wanted, “Please tell me if he’s alive, sir. B-A-R..” “I can spell.” Phillips cut him off before muttering, “First Stark and now this.” He stood from the table and paged through the letters he just finished signing. “I have signed more of these condolence letters today that I would care to count. But the name does sound familiar. I’m sorry. To the both of you.” Phillips looks from Rogers to Peggy and the woman knew he was referring to her friend from the 34th.”

“What about the others? Are you planning a rescue mission?” Rogers was something else, optimistic maybe. “Yeah, it’s called winning the war.” The look of disbelief that Steve sent the colonel as he spoke might have been the first red flag for Peggy Carter. “But if you know where they are, why not at least..” Phillips once again cut the man off, “They’re 30 miles behind the lines through some of the most heavily fortified territory in Europe.” Phillips was eyeing the spot on the map as he talked about it, even pointing the place out directly. “We’d lose more men than we’d save. But I don’t expect you to understand that because you’re a chorus girl.”

The colonels' dig at Roger’s lack of status didn’t seem to phase the man but it did fuel the plan he was formulating in his head while staring at the map, memorizing it. “I think I understand just fine.”

“Well, then understand it somewhere else. If I read the posters correctly, you got someplace to be in 30 minutes.” The colonel walked past him giving Rogers a very clear view of the map marking out exactly where he needed to go, and where he was. “Yes, sir. I do.” Perhaps the time staring at the map was the second red flag that Peggy noticed. As her eyes flickered between him and the map as he left the tent it all clicked into place and she hurried after the taller man.

“What do you plan to do, walk to Austria?” Peg asked as she entered the tent used as the changing room. “If that’s what it takes.” Steve answered not looking up from where he was struggling with boots. “You heard the Colonel. Your friend, and mine, are most likely dead.”

“You don’t know that.” Steve disagreed as he continued to get ready. “Even so, he’s devising a strategy. If he detects..” Steve cut her off as he put on a brown leather jacket, “By the time he’s done that, it could be too late.” He snatched up his bag and shield and headed for the exit. “Steve!” Peggy called following him to the vehicle he tossed his things into. The rain had stopped leaving the sun to rapidly evaporate the water leaving puffs of smoke in the air. Steve looked at the brunette in front of him. “You told me you thought I was meant for more than this. Did you mean that?”

“Every word.”

“Then you got to let me go.” Steve turned to get into the jeep and started the engine before Peggy was at the side. “I can do more than that.” She told him.

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】

Peggy hadn’t lied. She got them a method of transport much faster than the jeep. Howard Stark sat in the pilot seat flying a plane with the slight chance his fiancée may still be alive. Stark was devastated when he first found out that the 34th was attacked and that only doubled when the attack at Azzano took out the 107th as well.

“The Hydra camp is in Krausberg, tucked between these two mountain ranges.” Peggy infomed Rogers as she pointed to the map she was holding. “It’s a factory of some kind.” She gave him as much information as she could. “We should be able to drop you right on the doorstep.” Howard called over his shoulder.

“Just get me as close as you can.” Steve called back up to the pilot. He looked back over at the woman in front of him. “You know.. You two are gonna be in a lot of trouble when you land.” He was worried about her getting into trouble for him but she looked at him just as worried. “And you won’t?” Steve dismissed her worries, turning his head. “Where I’m going, if anyone yells at me, I can just shoot them.” There was a small click of a loaded gun.

“They will undoubtedly shoot back.” Peggy surmised. Steve turned to the shield he had been using on stage giving it a knock, “Well let's hope it’s good for something.” Steve turned back to her just as Howard called back, “Agent Carter? If we’re not in too much of a hurry, I thought we could stop off in Lucerne for a late-night fondue.” Howard was teasing the agent, the smile on his face hidden from those being him. Peggy shifted in her seat choosing to ignore him and keep conversation going with Rogers. “Stark is the best civilian pilot I’ve ever seen. He’s mad enough to brave this airspace. We’re lucky to have him.”

Steve however was still not fully over the comment Stark made. “So, are you two… do you…” There was an awkward pause as Steve thought of the proper way to ask if they were seeing each other by reusing Stark’s words, “..Fondue?” Stark tried not to laugh from the pilot’s seat as Peggy simply shook her head and handed him a device. “This is your transponder. Activate it when you’re ready and the signal will lead us straight to you.” Steve took a moment to look at the device now in his hand before calling up to Howard, “Are you sure this thing works?”

“It’s been tested more than you, pal.” Howard defended seconds before gunfire hit the side of the plane. The plane shook as bullets pelted the sides, shaking the aircraft from the force. Steve stood grabbing his shield and heading towards the door. That he opened. “Get back here! We’re taking you all the way in!” Peggy ordered yelling over the wind rushing into the plane. “As soon as I’m clear, you turn this thing around and get the hell out of here!” Steve ordered back over the noise of the wind, gunfire, and the pinging of bullets on the plane.

“You can’t give me orders!” Peggy disagreed.

“The hell I can’t! I’m a Captain!” Steve looked over at her, giving her a smile that made her weak in the knees. He grabbed the goggles from his helmet, lowered them over his eyes and launched himself out of the plane. Peggy watched him fall towards the ground before the red fabric of his parachute was visible in the night sky from the flying bullets. Howard turned back as instructed by the Captain. Now all they could do was wait.

[a-drop-of-nightshade]

Black and blue, black and green, he almost snorted seeing how their robes almost complimented each other, “And you bloody well know I wouldn’t call if it was out of my hands. Do give Shego my regards though.” He retorted, gesturing down at his alter and Izzy, as well as the Lurker who was going absolutely mad, screeching angrily trying to drive the unknown danger away from L and Izzy, the two he had called them to protect, to help and save.

“Oh yes no shit sherlock.” He said rolling his green eyes, he then looked at the alter, “Taming magic, that’s not a common one. Looks like he’s doing is mostly subconsciously too.” He said gesturing to the Necro who shot some bone shards at Cin when he got too close. The little Necro seemed a awfully determined to try and protect the two, even if one was dead and the other dying. However as L was healed the champion grimaced at the sound of snapping bones, watching his leg reset and heal, he could hear more snapping inside his body and he could only imagine what had been broken inside of him.

At Cinder’s quip the champion gave the him a look, “You don’t need to tell me that Cinder, but that’s easily fixed if I just replace the god damn floor.” He said stamping a foot down, the floor rolled out from underneath this foot rippling and changing the blood stains vanishing as Cin sent the two off and their little pet off. He sighed and looked at the god, “Shame, that little critter would have been fascinating to study.” He sighed sadly, “Now go in shoo! Herma’s been in a bad mood as of late, Miraak’s being a real little shit and I’ve been working constantly to keep him happy.” He said waving the god away.

The tamer didn’t quite understand what had happened, he didn’t know what went on or where they were, he didn’t know if they were alive but all he knew was he was still clinging to Izzy, even when the staff had to pry her from him to fix her up they were smart enough to put her back, the little Lurker was hidden under the blankets with L, curled up against him not understanding what was going on but refusing to be seen or let anyone hurt them. L’s body may have been healed but his mind was in a state of its own, one didn’t simply connect to a whole group of necromoprhs which were part of a hive mind that worshiped their final stage, their gods, which in turn worshiped their creator without taking some mental hits.

He was the last to wake up, even when his body clung to hers, and when he did he was dazed and lost, yet finally his eyes opened and he shifted to see Izzy, he sat up in an instant causing the Lurker to squeak in alarm under the sheets as he pressed a hand to her cheek, “I-Iz?” He stuttered out before he saw her eyes, those empty hollow eyes and pain tore through him, he gently stroked her cheek with his thumb, “Oh Iz… I’m sorry… It’s all my fault… I’m such an idiot.” He whispered, leaning down he rested his forehead to hers, “And I’m so sorry… but I love you… I love you so much.”

He kissed her softly on the lips, tears dripping onto her face, “Please iz… come back… I need you… I need you so bad.” He whispered, he pleaded her, he wanted to see her smile and laugh and tease him, so he just spoke and he told her that, he whispered to her every last thing he could remember, he told her how he loved her for her quirks and her faults, he told her how he didn’t care if she was blue or a little funny in the head, she was his everything and she was all he had that truly mattered to him. He didn’t know how long he spoke, but his lips were cracked, his throat drying out, and all he could do was just tell her how much he loved her, how much he needed her… until his head pressed to her neck and he just begged sobbing to have his Izzy back. She was his only reason for living.

“Izzy Izzy look! It’s a lil baby bean!” L exclaimed, holding up a very live and eerily tame looking Lurker who had its tentacles hidden away, it hissed at her slightly, but L just hugged it to his chest and carefully squished its face, “Isn’t it just the cutest?! Can I keep it? Oh please!”

( @a-drop-of-nightshade )

Izzy had frozen the second she'd seen the necro. Why were there any here? They were supposed to be safe. Hands shaking a bit she just stared at the thing waiting for it to strike. The hiss had her reaching for her cutter which she wasn't wearing at the moment. Each movement waa instinctive and she didn't look like she was having a good time in her head. "L that's a fuckin necro." She managed to slur as she watched him.

[thefloatingstone]

I’m not joking about the JV thing btw.

I’ve been in the Invader Zim fandom since 2005. And even back then JV was vocally unimpressed by his fanbase. Heck while the show was AIRING he would take things the fanbase wanted to see and actually do them but like in a monkey’s paw kind of way.

“Zim should have a love interest!” JV introduces a female Irken who Zim tries to woo when he thinks she’s a human girl just to make his disguise more believable. She ends up being someone whose life Zim ruined and her entire goal is to murder Zim. They end up hating each other’s guts.

“Zim should have a human friend!” JV introduces Keef. probably one of the most terrifying characters in the show as he obsessively follows Zim around and becomes stalkerish and possessive in a way that starts bordering on being too real to be funny.

“Zim should find out his mission is fake” Enter the Florpus happens

JV is not only against the ideas and tropes his fandom has asked for but literally gives the fandom the exact opposite in some cases. Or when he doesn’t give the exact opposite he makes fun of common tropes in the fandom. Zim and Dib being friends a big one.

And although there are fans who come and go or who many years later will still be annoyed that JV doesn’t give them what they want, it’s been going on so long now that the long time fans have reached a point of

“LOL That’s our Vasquez!”

Seeing JV make fun of his own fanbase and troll them without outright being viscous or hateful towards them is just what being in the fandom is. And it works because of the nature of IZ in the first place. It’s a cynical, dystopian dark comedy that parodies modern American culture. Every character gets the short end of the stick at some point and the humour comes from how stupid everything is, often due to the character’s own faults. So having a fanbase where the most favourite tropes are what gets turned onto its head and made fun of? That’s perfectly on brand with the entire tone of the canon itself.

And honestly? I really adore this. A fandom of “Don’t ask JV what the canon for this one idea is because he’s gonna tell you the most anti-climactic answer on the planet. Just make up your own headcanon.” or “Zim and Dib are friends in this comic/fanfic and I don’t give a fuck I just wanna write it lol. It’s not canon at all but honestly who cares.”

There’s very little argument about “how canon” something is because it’s either canon or its completely not and not even pretending to be.

Also compare this to how several shows have suffered in the age where Twitter is a thing and you can directly communicate with show creators.

You get My Little Pony. a show that started out being about friendship and lessons about inter personal relationships told through funny humour and likeable characters. It attracted an adult audience by accident, especially a young adult male audience, who then as time went by more and more and more wanted focus on the LORE. On background characters. On the MYTHOLOGY of the world. And as time went on the show devolved into a mess of memes, pandering to the fans, references to other pop culture until it just became a mess of trying to solve world shattering events and wars with “we should all be friends” type logic.

You have Steven Universe which has a lot of writing problems, and when fans point out the problems have the writers try and EXPLAIN why the problems weren’t actually problems because see there’s actually this behind the scenes thing that happened and we’re showing it in a NEW episode that completely justifies the original problem! Which as a result ends up creating a community of “Theory crafters” so obsessed with what they’re NOT getting told because what is being given to them doesn’t explain things properly. With then theories getting taken as canon and so when the actual show doesn’t MATCH the theories those who liked those theories end up pissed.

You have shows like Star Versus the Forces of Evil which actively tried to bait its audience with different ships across its seasons and actively putting shippers against each other, while yoyo-ing the characters back and forth between potential love interests just to keep a certain aspect of its own audience invested in the romance side of things until it inevitably crashed and burned in its finale.

And then you have JV. Who doesn’t give a single fuck about what his fandom wants or thinks and if you try and bother him about it he will actively do the opposite of what you want just to spite you. Resulting in a relationship of very clear distinction between what is canon, and what is not. And not being bothered if your Zim and Dib Friendship fic could happen in canon or not. Because it can’t and it won’t. And you don’t care you writing it anyway.

This is why the Invader Zim canon has managed to remain recogniseable as itself despite the internet and social media becoming what it is. Because JV has no interest in placating fans. And at this point, the fans have no expectation for him to do so.

And although there is still discourse and bullshit and arguing and antis and fights... at least Invader Zim as a cartoon, movie and comic, is still 100% Invader Zim.

And that’s why JV being such a troll to his fanbase is something I honestly love.

[wonder-kid-pugh]

Charmed - (Christen Press x daughters!reader)

Because I go back to school today here something to brighten up your day hopefully. Hope you enjoy!!!

"Momma please I'm tired!" Isabella whines while rubbing her eyes. I shake my head, "So is Momma. Besides your a big girl now, you need to get use to walking by yourself. I can't always carry you Bella". She tries to give me her puppy dog eyes but I shake my head at her again, "It's not going to work Bella".

She huffs and crosses her arms and stomps away. Kelley rocks up beside me while I rub my temples, "I don't know why you bother". I look at her, "What do you mean?" she shakes her head, "What I mean is that little girl has the team wrapped around her little finger but there is one person that could never say no to that kid". I'm about to ask her what she's talking about but Isabella's giggles catch my attention.

I turn to see Bella giggle while Tobin lifts her up in her arms. Bella smiles before wrapping her small arms around her neck and resting her head on her shoulder closing her eyes. Admittedly I melted at the sight of the two together and smile at the two. Kelley chuckles, "I'm telling you Pressy your kid has Tobin wrapped around her finger".

I roll my eyes, "It's one time Kels. Besides what's the worst that could happen". Kelley smirks and shrugs walking to the bus, "Guess we'll see won't we?"

~~~

"Momma! Momma! Momma!" Isabella yells as she runs up to me. I smile and scoop her up in my arms tickling her tummy, "What's up Love Bug?" She gives me her big toothy smile as she quickly pats my shoulders, "Can we go get ice cream?" I frown and look at the time, "I don't think so. Not today Bug." Her smile drops and she frowns while squirming in my arms a bit, "But Momma!"

I shake my head, "Sorry bug but you know I don't like you having ice cream close to bedtime". She lets out a small "humpf" before patting my shoulders to let her down before running off towards Mal and the other youngin's.

"I will never understand how you could say no to that little angel" Julie chuckles, "I would cave at the first sight of her puppy eyes". I laugh as an arm wraps around my shoulder. "Well she does take after her mother. She's an adorable little bean" Pinoe smiles. I smile brightly, "She's my little mini me".

"Hey! Get back here!"

We all watch as Bella runs across the field while a wet Sonnett chases her. "Run Speedy run!" Lindsey shouts which makes Sonnett stop and turn on the blonde, "How are you on her side?" Isabella giggles as she makes it to me while Lindsey shrugs, "She's cuter duh". Sonnett gasps and holds her hand over her heart in mock hurt, "How- actually nevermind your right".

Ash walks up beside me and tousles Isabella's hair making her giggle again, "Yep just like her mother".

~~~

I knock on the door and wait a minute before it opens again revealing Alex, "Hey Christen what's up?" I crane my head to the side trying to look past her, "I was wondering if Bella's here. She said she wanted to play with Tobin". But she shakes her head sideways, "No I think they went out with the youngsters but they should be back soon".

I nod, "Okay thanks Alex. See ya later". She smiles, "Bye Pressy". I start to walk back to my room but stop when I hear people coming towards me, "Hi Chris!" I turn with a smile but quickly frown as I see them, "Hey guys. Did you get ice cream?" Isabella tries to hide behind Tobin's legs and hides her ice cream covered face. I sigh, "Bella I thought I told you no ice cream today. You know I don't like you eating this close to bedtime".

She looks down at the ground, "I'm sorry mommy. But I asked Toby and she said yes!" I raise an eyebrow at Tobin who now mirrors my daughter's sheepish stance, "She gave me the puppy eyes! I couldn't say no!" I sigh and take a napkin from her and clean Bella's face, "Cmon bug it's time for bed". She takes my hand but doesn't follow as she looks at me and then back at Tobin, "Please don't be mad at Toby..."

I crouch down to her height and smooth down her hair, "I'm not mad at Toby. Just next time when I say no ice cream that means no ice cream okay?" She nods her head feverishly and I smile and give her a kiss and pick her up. "If I say I'm sorry do I get a kiss too?" Tobin says with a dopey smile. I roll my eyes but give Tobin a quick peck.

"Ewwww Mally they're kissing!"

~~~

"Mommy! We need to get snackies for movie night! WE'RE WATCHING THE LION KING!" Isabella shouts followed by her best roar. I chuckle as I look at her. I will never know why but her favourite movie has always been the Lion King. She's just fascinated by it.

Last time we watched it at movie night, Rose started talking during it so Isabella plopped herself right in her lap and watched the rest of the film with her hand over Rose's mouth.

"Don't worry Bug I got your snackies okay. Just remember not to eat to much. Too much sugar before bed makes you hyper" I tell her. She nods but I can tell it went in one ear and out the other, "Yeah yeah okay. Now let's go!" I chuckle as I watch her run out of the room and down the hall to Mal and Rose's room. She knocks rapidly on the door before the door opens, "Mally!" Mal smiles and picks up my daughter, "Hey Izzy". The forward smiles at me, "Hey Chris". I smile as I walk up to them, "Hey Mal". She nods her head, "Cmon the teams inside. We were just waiting for this little one".

Bella squirms a bit as Mal tickles her and squeals, "Mally! Stop". I roll my eyes playfully, "Cmon you two". I smile as I slide onto the bed beside Tobin who looks up and grins at me, "Hey". I give her a quick kiss, "Hey". We all settle into our seats before we start to play the movie. I lean into Tobin as she wraps an arm around me. Isabella was lying all wrapped up with Mal in blankets as the end of the bed her eyes never leaving the screen. Apart from when she got up and started singing along with the movie.

"Okay I'm cutting you off bug" I say as Bella reaches for another packet of jellies. She pouts but is quickly forgotten about as her attention is pulled back to the screen. I was checking my phone when I hear a wrapper crunch beside me. "Bella!" I sigh exasperated as she freezes mid reach. The whole room looks at us as Bella freezes as she's about to take an Oreo from Tobin who also freezes.

She holds my stare but quickly stuffs an Oreo in her mouth and chews while I sigh, "Bella I said no more". She gives me a cute look while she continued chewing. I sigh again as I look at Tobin beside me, "Don't think your getting off easy here". Mal laughs, "It's not Tobin's fault". Tobin smiles, "Thanks Mal". Mal shrugs, "Izzy has her wrapped around her little finger". Tobin pouts while Bella smiles brightly.

"Yeah. It's hard to tell who Tobin's more whipped for. Christen or Izzy?" Sonnett laughs. The whole team laughs while Tobin shrinks back. She looks at me for help but I shake my head, "They're right. You crack at the first sign of her eyes". She throws her hands up, "I can't help it! She has your eyes and I'm weak!" I scoff but I can't stop the smile coming to my face, "Stop acting cute I'm supposed to be mad". She pouts even harder at me making me chuckle, "Fine but your dealing with her when she is bouncing off the walls from a sugar high". Tobin nods, "Okay".

The movie ends and everyone goes back to their own rooms but Bella shows no signs of slowing down for the night. "Bella it's time for bed" I say gently. She clings onto Mal, "Noooo can I stay with Mally?" I shake my head, "Not tonight Bella maybe another night okay? But we have training tomorrow and Mal needs to sleep". She frowns but nods before turning back to Mal, "Nighty night Mally". Mal smiles and kisses her head, "Night Izzy. I'll see you in the morning". I pick Bella up and wave goodnight to Mal and Rose before heading back to our room.

After getting Bella to stay still long enough to put on her pyjamas there's a knock on the door. Before I can even register Bella's already at the door opening it, "Hey Mommy". She smiles and picks up Bella, "Hey Iz". She carries her to the bed and smiles at her, "Ready for our sleepover?" She flashes her toothy grin, "Yeah". I get ready for bed and watch as Bella tires Tobin out until she eventually convinces her to go to bed.

"I told you. She gets a crazy sugar high if she eats too much before bed" I laugh as Tobin drops onto the bed. "Noted" she says but it's muffled by the blanket. I sigh and run a hand through my hair, "Seriously though you need to stop giving her everything. I know it's hard and I hate saying no sometimes but it had to be done. Like tonight for example". Tobin sighs and sits up and nods, "Yeah okay. But like I said she's a mini you and when I see her eyes she just...makes me melt. But I promise I'll try harder to not cave to everything". I nod, "Good".

I turn to my smiling 4 year old, "Now you!" I lift her and put her in between the two of us on the bed, "You need to stop targeting Mommy because she gives you everything. If one of us says no to something, that means no okay?" She nods with a small smile, "Okay Momma". I smile and kiss her head, "Good now time for bed".

She nods while lying down cuddling into my side, "Okay night Momma. Night Mommy. I love you". Tobin kisses the back of her head, "We love you too". And after a few minutes you could hear soft snores coming from her. When I look over I see Tobin has fallen asleep as well. I close my eyes and start to drift off.

Thinking of how long it takes before Tobin cracks again.

[julessworldd]

I love them Poly!Guns x reader

I seen where someone wanted more Poly!Guns, so you asked so you shall recieve. Who doesn’t love Poly!guns anyways.

Summary: The reader’s mom and sister show up unannounced, planning on taking the reader back home. Tabloids showed up her in her hometown, the family was worried about her in LA. I always wondered how Poly realtionships work when telling the parents, so here’s my take on it. 

Warnings: The boys being protective, silly with the reader. Cussing, arguing, implied smut. Think that’s all, sorry if I missed any

I moved to L.A. the day after graduation from high school, and had been saving money since I was 13. Living in a small town Colorado, where you’ve gone to school with the same kids since Elementary school, becoming a townie scared me. Since then, I’ve not talked to my family that much.  I met the boys one night after a show, Izzy bumped into me while walking down the strip. We all became friends and then our little thing started, we dated each other. It had been a thing for two almost three years now, I loved every minute of it, and loved my boys as well. 

Duff and I were making breakfast as slowly each boy came down, pissed that they had to start their day. “Did you open that one envelope? Looked like it was from home”, Duff asked. “I’m not sure how they found me. I’ve not gave them my new address”, I laid eggs on a plate. “Why don’t you talk to them anymore?”, Duff asked again. “Just don’t. I’m the black sheep of the family, babe. I never wanted to stay in Colorado,work on the family ranch or get pregnant with a shitty high school football player. They didn’t like it so I left after graduating.”, I said. “I’m glad you left”, Izzy passed by us. “I’m not saying I’m not glad she left, but it’s weird that the envelope has stayed on the counter, unopened”, Duff said. “Fine, I’ll open it after I eat and shower”, I groaned. I know Duff was only being nice, but I didn’t like hearing from my family.  There was knock on the door, “Come in”, I said, sliding into some black skinny jeans. “Hey”, Duff said, shutting the door behind him. “You’re really determined to have me open that aren’t you, baby”, I smirked. “Yes. It could be a death in the family and you wouldn't know it”, Duff stubbed up.  “Alright”, I slides my finger under the seal and opened the envelope. 

 Jacqueline Bennett

It was my mom’s name and my childhood home’s address. “What the hell do you want?”, I groaned.  The doorbell rung, “You expecting anyone?”, I asked Duff. He shook his head no. “Y/nn!”, Slash yelled. I dropped the letter on the dresser and headed downstairs. “Think it’s you with the visitor babe”, Duff said, following suit. “Who knows”, I said. I made it downstairs, in the living. I looked up, it was my mom and older sister, Kelly standing in front of the door. “Mom. Kelly. What are you doing here?”, I swallowed. “We came to bring you home”, My mom said. “No, you’re not. I have a life here and did you forget I’m 24”, I said, crossing my arms across my chest. 

The boys stayed silent, watching me and my mom go back and forth. Kelly was checking Izzy out. “I left for fucking reason and swore I would never move back. Leave mother!”, I ran upstairs, slamming my door. 

Izzy’s pov-

 Y/n’s mom and sister stood there in shock, tension was tight. I stood up from the couch, “I’ll go check on her” I reached her door, heard crying. “Y/n. It’s me, Iz”, I said. A little ‘come in’ was said, she was crying her eyes out before I walked in. “Hey baby. Wanna talk about it?”, I said, shutting the door, her back was turned to me. Y/n jerked up, “Why does she think I need to come back home? It’s hell there, Izzy. I’m overlooked there, they forget my name, if I’m sick or not. My siblings have families and have good careers, I have five siblings, I’m just the second middle kid. Please don’t let her take me back”, She cried. “We’re not gonna let her. You’re 24, you have your own life. Screw what your siblings have, you have us, friends, free travel when we’re on tour. They’re stuck in some hick town while you get to see the world, don’t worry about them. I’m not being mean, but they really don’t care. Just worried that you’re with five guys instead of one. It’s not their business how many people you date or have kids with, you’re an adult”, I said. Here lately every magazine has been exposing our relationship with each other. Y/n has been called a groupie, whore that can’t be satisfied by one guy. Guess it made it to Colorado.

Y/n calmed down and was sitting on my lap, brading a strand of my hair. “Think I’m gonna take them on the patio, I hate that you guys were stuck between it.”, Y/n said. “Okay, I’ll have Duff take them out. Give you a little more time”, I said, walking to the door. “Thanks. Hey Izzy?”, Y/n asked. “Yeah?”, I turned back at her. “I love you”, She smiled. “I love you too, princess”, I smirked. “Hey Duff”, I said, locking eyes with the tall blonde. “She okay?”, Duff started to worry. “Y/n asked if we could take her mom and sister to the patio. She wants to talk to them in private. Can you take them out there please?”, I asked. “Of course”, Duff said. I watched as Duff brought them through the kitchen and out to the patio. Y/n’s mom gave me the stank eye.  “Izzy, are they out there?”, Y/n asked. “Yeah. You gonna be okay?”, Duff answered. “I think so. I love you, Duffy”, She kissed his cheek. “I love you too, Princess”, Duff kissed her lips. We both watched her go out there. “We’re not letting them take her back”, Duff said. “Oh hell no!” Axl and I said at the same time. “She won’t go down without a fight”, Slash said. “Okay, lets quit being peeping toms”, Duff said. We all went downstairs.  

Y/n’s Pov

“Okay tell me how wrong I am being with them?, I sat down at the table. “Why are you with them? Do they pay you?”, My mom asked. “Because I love them very much, I feel safe and loved by my boys. No, I don’t get paid to have sex or whatever crazy ass thing you’re thinking”, I giggled. “Are you together or it’s a groupie thing?”, Kelly asked. “What’s a groupie?”, my mom asked. “Someone who has sex with a couple members of a band or the whole band. No strings attached, some have girlfriends or are even married. But when on the road, they get lonely and their girl isn’t there to you know?”, I said. “And Kelly, we’re together”, I said. “Okay, huh. What made you get into a relationship with them?”, Mom asked. “I don’t know, it just kinda happened. Nobody hasn’t spoken up and said they wanted out and to be with another person.”, I said, looking at her face. Confusion and disgust was all over her face. Kelly was from my time, understood what groupies were and sure she’s married but she was passed around the offensive line and the quarterback in high school. 

“What it is called? When you go out with multiple people, honey?”, My mom asked. “Polyamorous”, I sighed. “Poly what?” “Poly means multiple”, Kelly said.  “Right. Mom, I know this isn’t something you wanted to hear that your daughter is in love with five guys. I didn’t think I would either but life put it that way. I’m happy with them, they all make me smile in their own way. I get something different from each other. You don’t have to worry, this might to be anything any longer, but let me enjoy it while it’s still a thing”, I said holding her hand. “Guess, we didn’t see that way. You do glow more, I’m sorry for never realizing how unhappy you were back home. I love you so much, Y/n. Please keep in contact with us okay?”She smiled. “Okay, you two want to stay for lunch?”, I asked. “No, thank you sweetie. We’ve been here a week trying to find you. Our plane leaves in a few hours”, My mom stood up. “Sorry, you didn’t find me sooner”, I sighed. 

“Can you at least meet them? I’ve met half of their parents”, I smiled. “After our tiny argument?”, Mom asked. “They don’t care, come on”, I giggled. They were just spooked that their girlfriend was yelling at a random lady in the living room. I would be too, if their mom came in guns blazing.

“Boys. I want you to meet my mom, Jacqueline and my sister, Kelly. Sorry about earlier”, I said. They were at the table, Duff was digging something out of the fridge.  “This is Izzy, Slash, Axl, Steven, and who is gonna hit his head is Duff”, I pointed at each of them. “I am not! Son of a-”, Duff groaned, after hitting his head on the edge of the counter. Kelly giggled. “You didn’t bust it open this time, bonehead”, I rubbed his head, for any nics or blood. “I hated having staples in my head”, Duff raised up, rubbing his head. “I know you did, I hated them too”, I giggled. Duff had pulled me into his side and brushed a piece of hair out of my face. I caught my mom smiling at us. “Honey, I hate to leave but we have a plane to catch”, My mom said, tearing Duff and I apart. “Right. I’ll walk you out”, I said. “Axl, what are you doing?”, I asked as the red head followed us. “I have to get something out of my car, babe”, Axl smiled, grabbing my hips. “Not now”, I whispered, feeling his bulge poke my ass. “Not my fault you and your sister have ass”, Axl smirked, passing me to go to his car. “I’ll kill you”, I mouthed as I approached their rental car.  “It was nice seeing you, sis”, Kelly smiled. “You too. How are the kids?”, I asked. “Good, growing like a weed. Conor almost passes me”, Kelly said. “Wow, that means he towers me”, I giggled, thinking of my nephew. Kelly was 5’8, means Conor is at least 5’10, and I’m still 5’3. “Yeah. Annie starts 3rd grade next year, they miss their Auntie Y/n a lot”, Kelly gave a small smile. “Next time, if we’re close to home I’ll see what I can do to come see everyone. Tell everyone I love them.”, I said, pulling Kelly into a hug. “I love you, Kelly”, I whispered.  “Love you too, kid”, She tightened the hug. “Okay, my turn”, My mom whined.  “You’ve changed into a beautiful woman, Y/n. Your Dad would be so proud of how you’ve grown, he misses his buttercup a lot. Call him when you can, okay?”, My mom said. “I will, Momma. I love you and Dad”, I smiled. 

I watched them as they drove down to the neighbor, going to the airport. “You okay, Y/n?”, Steven asked. “Mhm, oh yeah. I’m good, Stevie”, I smiled. I walked over to Steven and smiled. “You forgot something?”, Steven smirked. “My good morning kiss”, Steven pouted. “Nobody got theirs, Stevie”,I giggled, leaning up to kiss his lips. Steven opened the door, there stood Izzy with his arms crossed,pout on his face. I pulled him down to kiss him, “There you, big baby. That better?” “Very much so”, Izzy grinned. I laughed, walking upstairs. Slash pulled me to his lips, “You’re off your routine girl” “Sorry Slashy”, I rubbed his cheek.  “Are you still gonna kill me?”, Axl asked, smirking. “No”, I kissed him. “Good girl”, Axl smirked, smacking my ass. Duff’s back was turned, I wrapped my arms from behind. “Hey Baby”, He said. “Hi. You wanna a kiss?”, I asked. “Mhm, I’ll take a makeout session instead”, I knew he was smirking.  “Put me on the counter and I’ll deliver”, I smirked as he picked me up. I kissed him. “Hey Y/n, is it weird I find your mom sorta hot?”, Axl yelled from upstairs. “Very! She’s bitcher than I am”, I yelled back, rolling my eyes. “I like your bitchyness, it’s hot”, Duff pulled me into  him more. “You’re fucking crazy”, I said. “That song is about you, you know?”, Izzy smirked. “Fuck you, Izzy”, I flipped him off before hopping down from Duff’s arms. “You did last night, hot lips”, Izzy said as he disappeared upstairs. 

[somuch-4-stardust]

can i hear about all three!!!!

YES YES YESYESY!!!

(also u dont have to read these they r very long but thank u for asking :DDD i really really liked ranting abt em :D! i love youuu)

okaokaokyoakyokay we r starting w frogs!!! frog fun fact (sorta)!!! dyeing poison dart frog range in many different colors/patterns!! they r black n yellow and blue mainly, but the amount of each color changes n there r poison dart frogs that r dyeing frogs that r just black n white!! i think the black n white ones r very neat bc they look like ghost frogs to me :D n i like ghosts (there r actual ghost frogs tho! idk much abt them but theres one thats like. a glass frog [which r clear/white frogs! u can see their internal organs n stuff!! don look em up if ur squimish tho)] but green??? so kinda a green translucent boi??? n their eyes r cool i think? idk! but theres another type of ghost frog thats like. Camouflage Colors TM [dark green n brown n stuff] but they have a see-through belly i think??)

AND THEN MLP WE R ACTUALLY TALKING ABT MLP:EG!! equestria girls :DDDDAND U MY DEAREST DEMON WILL BE GETTING A SUMMARY OF ALL FOUR MOVIES!! no okay that would be too long we r doing only the first one (i am so sorry aasdfnas;df)

i think first we have Just Equestria Girls (it might have an actual name but it might not idk i dont remember) iz the first one!! honestly i dont remember why but twilight sparkle (the pony) and spike (her dragon sidekick/best friend/pet???) make a portal that takes them into the human world! twilight becomes human and spike becomes a puppy! they go to a school called canterlot high (for the life of me i cannot remember why they go to the Human World or why they feel the need to attend high school but THEY DO!!!) n they meet the rest of the mane six!! (fluttershy, rainbow dash, rarity, applejack, and pinkie pie) who r not to be confused with the Pony Mane Six who r still ponys and did not come w Pony But Now Human Twilight thru the portal! these mane six (or??? mane six minus twilight ig alskdfnsd) are humans n have always been humans. they r unaware of the pony world. (alternatively, the ponies did not know about the human world until now) n e ways! twilight befriends the Human Mane Six (which now thinking about it??? is a little weird??? considering she has her own Pony Mane Six. idk lkansdfasdf) n they. what do they do. OH OHOHOHOHO THEYRE TRYING TO HELP TWILIGHT WIN spring fling queen??? homecoming queen??? Queen Of A School Dance/Event!! BECAUSE THE LIKE. Event Queen CROWN IS TWILIGHTS CROWN WHICH CONTAINS HER MAGICAL JEWEL THING!!! i do not remember how it got into the human world but thats why she came bc iz a really important magic jewel n stuff so she needs it back :D n to do that she needs to win Event Queen to get it!! (i dont remember why she doesn't just steal it ig that would be a bad example to kids) the problem is she has to win against Sunset Shimmer (and the crowd goes wild! sunset is a fan favorite :D shes pretty cool! but evil rn so u cant like her yet >:[ ) who's won Event Queen for the past few years! shes really mean n popular n stuff and everyone in the school is divided by groups (jocks preps nerds etc etc) bc everyone's afraid of each other (which was sunsets fault somehow i dont remember how she did it tho) ACTUALLY! i think the mane six hate each other until twilight shows up too (they all have very different personalities alsdknfsdf)? sunset told them some nasty rumours abt each other n twilight helps clear things up and show them that even tho ppl r different they can still be friends :] ( that her whole thing, shes the princess of friendship n stuff ye) OKAYOKAOKY IM GETTING OFF TRACK! she gives all the other kids the same 'we r different but we can be friends iz okay!!' speech (iz a song actually :D) n all the other kids r like 'omg so true bestie we r gonna vote for you for Event Queen bc ur so nice and sunset is so mean' and twilight is like 'fuck yeah :D' but then sunset shimmer tries to sabotage twilight a few times but it doesnt n so twilight wins but uhoh! sunset steals the crown form twilight n tries to use the magic from the jewel thingy but it turns her into a demon n stuff n she fights w twilight who uses the power of friendship w the mane six to defeat sunset shimmer whoz like 'wait fuck oopsie i am sorry pls be my friend :(' and the mane six is like 'okay :D' n twilight is like 'okay love u guys gtg now!' n she goes back to the pony world where she becomes a pony again :D n thats the end of the first movie :D i think twilight also has a love interest. also sunset shimmer was originally a pony but came to the human world years ago alskdn;flaksndf; thatz kinda important and i forgot to mention it adslkfnadfs cuz sunset shimmer is also trying to get the crown bc she wants the magic n she knows abt the magic bc she was a pony once n humans dont have magic n no one else knew the crown was magic n okay I SKIPPED A FEW MAJOR PLOT POINTS BUT THATS OKAY!!!!

N DSMP!! :DDDD idk what to do for this one but tiktok keeps giving me cosplays from a sbi fic that i kinda wanna read but iz bad dad phil n theres lots of angst n would probably make me really very upset n also i cannot read sbi fics bc it makes me maladaptive daydream too much :[ i miss fics tho a lot! i also dont like feeling like I'm missing out on smth u know? i cant usually watch stream vods for that reason too bc i feel left out when the streamer talks to chat and asks them questions n stuff! also i heard theres new tales from the smp which sounds cool but i dont really like tales from the smp alknfasdf;aslkdf n fun fact its only a 2 months to one year since i first watched a dsmp video!! which is exciting! also u n i got into dsmp around the same time which i think is really cool also we met almost a year ago too!!! I've been waiting for the anniversary of when we first met for a while now n i cant wait :D also my favorite dsmp character is Steve the polar bear! bc i like polar bearsand i desperately want to give steve a hug bc he looks fluffy n i think it would be a really good pressure stim to just lay on him n put my face in his fur :D yes i am aware I'm talking abt a Minecraft bear leave me alone! he is a cuddly friend!!!

i think those r the three things i mentioned asd;lkfnas;dlfknasdf :D idk BUT!!! :D thank u for asking hehehehe happy stim happy stim happy stim happy stim happy stim!!!

[danses-with-dogmeat]

Howdy! I got an ask/react for the Fo4 companions! How would a romanced companion react to Sole (preferably female) doing things to make them feel 'stronger' or 'protective' over her? Some random examples: Sole "can't" open something and has to ask for help/Sole conveniently forgets her overcoat when she knows it's going to be cold out, etc. the little things :) (Extra thing: you don't have to but if you could go into a bit more depth for Deacon and Hancock's response that'd be great :D )

Okay, this was so. much. fun. I took a few... creative liberties with the prompt, but I hope it’s still in the realm of what you were looking for! And, of course, thank you so much for the ask! I hope you like it!

Cait: 

     Sole pressed a cold cloth to Cait's cheekbone, and she hissed at the pressure of the contact on her swollen cheek. 

"Shit, sorry, Cait." 

"Eh, I've had worse licks than this."

"I know, but still… this one is definitely my fault." 

"It's hardly yer fault, luv, I'm the one who got meself inte this."

"How? I'm the one who started the fight." Sole protested, pulling her hand back so she could look her companion in the eye. 

"Maybe, but I'm the one who gave you yer drinkin’ problem, and that's what got us inte the fight in the first place." Sole chuckled at that, shaking her head. The two had had this discussion what seemed like a hundred times, both trying to take the blame for the constant slew of bar fights that they found themselves getting into. 

Tonight, it had been four intoxicated men who had decided it was a neat idea to discuss the details of what they’d do to Cait if they could get her drunk enough. While the redhead hadn’t seemed to hear, Sole had briskly made her way over to the group to give her two cents on these ideas of theirs. So, Cait had a point, maybe if Sole hadn’t had quite so much whiskey, she could’ve tried to solve the problem more... verbally. But alas, her confrontation had officially started with her fist landing at the temple of the man nearest to her, effectively knocking him out. And it had ended with Cait hauling Sole to her feet after disposing of the man’s companions. 

Cait picked absent-mindedly at the scabs forming on her knuckles as Sole brought the wet rag up to her face once more, dabbing at the blood next to Cait's lip. 

"God, how is it that you always end up with the injuries? All I got was a bruise to the cheek, and yet, here you are, looking like a human punching bag."

"I can tell ya that. It's cus it's always me rushin' in te save your arse. Why do you always take on more than ye can handle?" Sole snickered, not knowing if Cait found her own words as amusing as she had. 

"Because, I know no matter how many assholes I take on, you'll always be there to save me." Cait made a disgusted sound, rolling her eyes at that, much like Sole thought she would, before letting her emerald gaze meet Sole's eyes. 

"I wish you weren't, but yer damn right." Cait said, and Sole felt a little jump in her chest at the sentiment. Cait wasn’t the most tender person in the wasteland, but somehow, she always seemed to know what to say; to Sole, anyway.

The pair sat silently for a bit as Sole finished cleaning up her defender. Wiping down her bloodied hands, and the remainder of the crusted crimson on her face.

"Are ya done fussin yet? I'm tellin’ you, I'm fine. Can we just go te sleep already?"

"One more spot left." She told her, bringing the rag up to her bruised face once more. Sole's eyes fell to Cait's swollen lips as she drew the cool fabric over them, before leaning in to press her mouth softly to Cait's. Sole pulled away, but stayed close enough for Cait to feel her warm, whiskey-tinged breath fan over her as she whispered, 

"Thank you for saving me tonight. I really was way in over my head." Sole looked down, embarrassed at her admission, as Cait smiled at her. 

"It was my pleasure, luv. As you said, I'll always be there te save yer arse." 

Curie: 

     "You know, you don't have to come to me for something as small as zhis." Curie said as she examined the minor cut on Sole’s arm. “You could patch zhis up yourself easily!” 

“Well…” Sole felt heat rise to her cheeks as she searched for an explanation. She knew that every time she came to Curie for something like this, she was taking up the doctor’s precious time, but she couldn’t help herself. What was she supposed to do when Curie insisted on working all day when they were at a settlement? They usually came to settlements to relax, to help make repairs and look into any problems the settlers might be having, but Curie always insisted on doing check-ups for everyone in their vicinity. Sole loved her selflessness and dedication to her work, but… When were they supposed to spend time together? This is what I get for having a workaholic for a girlfriend.

“You know, infection is a big problem out here. I just thought it would be best to seek the help of a professional.” 

“Oh, of course, of course. How responsible of you.” Sole bit at her lip as Curie laughed at her. Well, she really has caught onto the whole ‘sarcasm’ thing.

 “Fortunately, you do not need to worry about infection in zhis, it iz not deep. But come here, with me.” Curie urged Sole off of the cot she was seated on and brought her to a table at the back of the clinic. 

“Wait here, se vous plait.” With that, Curie disappeared around the corner, and Sole stood around, twiddling her thumbs, as she tried to think of an excuse to get Curie off of work early. 

“I was going to clean my supplies with zhis, but we can do your arm first.” Curie said as she came around the corner, a bucket of soapy water in-hand. 

“Here.” Curie set the bucket onto the table and had Sole hold out her arm as she produced a clean rag from the pocket of her lab coat, and dunked it into the warm water. Sole watched as Curie wrung out the cloth, and brought it to the miniscule wound on her arm. 

It was comical, really, the care that Curie took in cleaning the cut that couldn’t have been more than an inch long, and was almost too thin to see. Another rush of heat made its way to Sole’s cheeks as she realized how ridiculous she must seem to the doctor, but Curie made no complaints as she used the other side of the rag to dry off her arm. 

“Zhere! It should be all better. I can wrap it for you too, if you’d like.” 

“Thanks Curie, you’re a lifesaver. But I don’t think you really need to wrap it.” The synth laughed at her as she threw the rag into a basket and picked up the bucket again. 

“Oh, mon dieu, I don’t know about zhat.” She shook her head, a pink tint coming to her pale cheeks at Sole’s flattery as she turned to go into the back of the clinic again. 

“Wait!” Sole said, reaching out her “good” arm to stop Curie before she could vanish around the corner once more. Curie looked at her, a questioning expression on her face. Sole stood, her hand still wrapped around Curie’s forearm, utterly at a loss of what to say. I just don’t want you to go. It’ll be another four hours until you get off. 

I think you should take a break?

Maybe you should have a half day?

Do you need some help here at the clinic? God, when did I become so damn clingy?

“Hmm.” Curie’s eyes pierced into Sole’s as a knowing look washed over her face. “I zhink I know what it is you want.” Sole just stared ahead, wondering silently if that were true. The doctor set down the bucket yet again, delicately taking a hold of Sole’s “injured” arm once more. Slowly, she brought it upwards, then lowered her head to place her lips gently over the cut. “Iz zhat better?” 

Sole giggled, still embarrassed, but definitely glad she had come to interrupt Curie’s work. I guess I can wait a little longer. Maybe make us a nice dinner for tonight...

“Much. Thanks again, Curie.” 

“Of course! Anytime, mon amour.”

Danse: 

     Sole sat at the kitchen table, draining the last of her coffee as her gaze fell to Danse, where he was seated on the steps outside the front door of her Sanctuary home. He stared ahead blankly, brows knitted together above his lusterless eyes as his hands worked to remove a spot of rust from a piece of power armor he had taken off his suit temporarily. Lately, the ex-paladin had been adept in putting on a show for Sole, making her think that he was okay, even after everything that had changed in his life over the course of a few hours. It had been over a week since he had found out about his true identity, and in that time,  Sole could tell that he had tried to remain strong. For whom, she wasn’t sure. She thought she had made it clear to him that she didn’t care about his “strength” in these times, she just wanted him to get through them, whatever the means. Yet, he only seemed to don this look of despair and hopelessness whenever he thought she wasn’t looking, and if she tried to bring it up, he would always attempt to change the subject, or he would tell her not to worry and simply say that he was still working on “adjusting.” 

She hated when he didn’t talk to her. The seemingly insensitive man was always happy to listen to Sole’s problems and offer what advice he could, often suggesting that she discuss her own issues as a form of therapy. But God forbid she tries to get him to do the same. Sole sighed as she mulled over what to do, and noticed Danse’s head twitch to the side, listening, before his gaze dropped down to focus on his task.

He’s been working on that same spot for almost an hour. If it’s not out yet, I don’t think it ever will be. Sole looked around the room, trying to find something that could possibly serve as a proper distraction for Danse, and her eyes fell to the wooden stereo below the window in the living room. She had left it there because she simply didn’t have the heart to scrap the old thing. Too many good memories surrounded it. Memories of her and Nate, dancing the night away as the records spun on and on playing soft love songs until the sun rose; of her rocking Shaun in her arms as she mosied around the living room, listening to the nursery rhyme vinyls that she had received as gifts at her baby shower... But those memories, they were from another life.

Sole shook her head. This is about him, she thought, not me. I can deal with my shit later. Right now, I need to focus on Danse.

She huffed another sigh, this time a bit louder, and watched as Danse ceased his hand movements and tilted his ear towards her again.

“Is everything alright?” He turned to look at where she sat, and Sole tried to look melancholic.

“It’s just… You know… nevermind, it’s not important.” Just as she assumed he would, Danse stood up and walked inside the house, setting the piece of armor and the rag on the table, and pulled out a chair so he could sit beside her. He looked down at her hands, which rested on top of the table near her empty coffee mug. She could practically see the sweat beading on his forehead as he hesitantly brought one of his large hands to rest over the top of her own. Ever since he found out what he was, he’s been afraid to touch me. So... this is a good sign, at least.

“If something’s wrong, I want to know.” He said as he looked up to meet her gaze, his worried expression matching the concern she was feeling towards him. Sole took a breath to appear as though she was steadying herself.

“It’s just… being in this house. It’s great, I mean, it’s still my home and everything, and I don’t want to go anywhere else, but…” she trailed off, her troubled expression only half-feigned at this point, given the truth behind her words. His eyes never wavered, silently encouraging her to continue.

“Some things are harder to look at than others. And that damn stereo over there just has to be staring straight at me every time I sit down at the table, it’s the hardest one for me to see. It's just, it was a house-warming present from my parents. They gave it to me and Nate after the wedding, and now… well, there are no more records to play on it. They were all ruined, and even if they weren't, I don’t think the thing would work anyway. But every time I see it, it reminds me of the people I’ve lost. My parents… Nate… even Shaun.” Sole didn’t have to fake the tears that came unbidden to her eyes as she recalled the memories of her loved ones, and she knew Danse hadn’t missed a thing when he started rubbing her hand softly with his. They sat there in silence for a moment, as Danse tried to reassure her with his gentle touch.

Then, still remaining silent, Danse stood, reaching his hand forward to brush his thumb over Sole’s cheek, wiping away the tear that had fallen. He then turned towards the living room, but instead of going straight to the stereo, as Sole thought he might, Danse opened the side door that led to the covered driveway. She watched as he doubled back, now approaching the stereo. Sole wasn’t sure what she had expected him to do when she mentioned her problem to him; maybe offer to help her take the thing apart, or try and see if it still worked, or simply give her another perspective on how she should view the piece of 200-year-old furniture. Whatever she expected, it certainly hadn’t been this. 

Danse squatted down in front of the large wooden beast of a stereo, wrapped his broad arms almost all the way around it, and stood, lifting the whole damn thing up until he was standing completely upright with the stereo held firmly to his chest. Sole’s mouth hung open as she remained seated at the table, seemingly paralyzed by the shock of what she was witnessing, as Danse sauntered awkwardly towards the exit. A thick vein protruded from his neck as he twisted the piece of furniture to fit through the door, and made his way out into the driveway.

Sole heard a groan from outside, accompanied by the sound of something hard hitting concrete. She stood up, prepared to head outside and see what exactly he’d done with her “problem,” but before she reached the doorway, she heard him call from outside,

“You can’t still see it, can you?”

“Um… no. But Danse, is it-- I mean, are you okay? It took like, four people to bring that thing in when we first moved it to the house.” The brawny ex-soldier appeared in the doorway, his chest still heaving from the effort of wrestling the wooden monster outside. He nodded to her,

“I'm fine." He huffed, "You don’t need to go out there. I’ll take it apart later, if you’d like. Or we can store it somewhere for the time being.” She shook her head at him, a little smile touching her lips. Even after everything he’s been through, he's still always looking out for me. Even with something as small and insignificant as this.

“You know,” she said quietly, “you didn’t have to do that.” Danse looked down at his feet, seemingly searching for something to say in response.

“But thank you.” Sole finished, and his eyes came back up to meet hers. For a moment, she saw a spark return to Danse’s amber eyes as the smallest hint of a smile softened his expression, and Sole felt hope. Hope for him overcoming his grief in this time of crisis, and hope for herself in being able to move on from the memories that had kept her chained to her past for so long. Together, she felt like the two of them could overcome anything.

Deacon:

     “Yes. Two please.” Sole said as Takahashi voiced the only question he ever seemed to ask. The robot placed two bowls of scrumptious smelling power noodles in front of her, and she reached for the bag of caps hanging from her belt. As she looked down to count her money, she heard a clatter of bottlecaps hitting the counter beside her.

“Got it covered. Come on, let’s dig in.” Deacon grabbed a bowl in each hand and headed over to a couple of empty seats at the bar.

“I thought you were still trying to stay undercover?" Sole gestured to the Diamond City guard outfit that the spy donned. "Doesn’t it kinda ruin the illusion if you’re seen in public with me?” She said as she followed him over, sealing up her cap purse once again.

“What? You’ve never seen one of these guys at the noodle stand? Cuz I sure have. Just don’t talk to me, and I’ll be good.” Sole shook her head as she took a seat beside him, instantly deciding to ignore his request.

“Hey officer, I’ve got a question.” Sole swirled her chopsticks around the steaming bowl in front of her, before taking a bite.

“Yes, citizen?”

“Hold on--” she said through a mouthful of noodles.

Deacon laughed as he looked at her full mouth,

“Why--” He tried to talk through his bout of chuckling, “Why would you say you’re going to ask me a question and then take a big bite of food? What did you think would happen?”

Deacon thought he heard her tell him to ‘shut up,’ but it was hard to tell, given the noodles that filled her mouth, and the fact that she was nearly choking in her own fit of laughter.

Eventually, she managed to swallow her food successfully, and was finally able to get some words out.

"No, okay, serious question--" Deacon interrupted her with a snap of his fingers,

"Serious answer." Her genuine curiosity forced Sole to ignore him, and continue with her question.

"Tell me, why do you always pay for everything?" She asked.

"Ma'am, I am a law-abiding security officer. I always pay for the products that I intend to consume."

"I said serious, Deacon."

"Hey, shush!" He brought a hand up to Sole's mouth at the mention of his name, "What part of undercover did you not get?" She cocked a brow at his faked panic expression, noting the grin that he was trying to hide, as he lowered his head and turned back to his noodles.

"Like, okay," she continued, expanding on her inquiry, "whenever we go anywhere, you always pay for everything, and it's really odd. I've never met anyone in the wasteland who's done that, everyone's too busy trying to keep themselves alive to worry about paying for others. So, what? Are you, like, rich or something? I mean, c'mon, what's the deal? I have caps on me all the time, you know that, right?"

"Oh?" Sole saw his eyebrows rise above the tops of his sunglasses as he turned to look at her, "you don't think I'm doing this out of the goodness of my cold, black, heart, do you? No, I'm running a tab over here, honey. You owe me, big time." Sole narrowed her eyes at him, her uncertainty keeping her lips sealed.

"You mean, you didn’t know? Look, I don't know what to tell you," Deacon continued, "I thought you knew! Man, I'm glad you found out this way. Now it won't be such a rude awakening when the invoice comes."

Deacon turned back to his noodles, shaking his head at the thought. Sole's gaze bore into him, trying to figure out his level of seriousness. I really wish I was better at this. This is why I believed he was a synth for a month and a half.

"And if I don't have the money… you're not gonna call out a hit on me or anything, are you?"

“Hmm," he brought a hand to his chin, stroking his finger over it animatedly, "surely there must be some way you could pay me back…” He turned to look at her, wiggling his eyebrows as he did so, and she rolled her eyes, looking back to her noodles as she scoffed.

"Hey! What's with the face! I was talking about community service. Y'know, helping the children, and the elderly, all that good stuff. Get your mind out of the gutter, perv. And to think, I was going to have you volunteering at the children's hospital next week."

Sole instantly regretted taking another bite, as she tried desperately to fend off a fit of giggling in an effort to keep from choking again.

"I can't keep up with you Deacon," she said as she swallowed her food. "You're gonna kill me one of these days."

"Eh, don't worry, I can pay for the funeral." Sole raised a hand and shoved him in the shoulder playfully as he grinned at her.

"Okay, really, though. You do know I can pay occasionally, right?"

"Yeah, I know, I'm your partner, remember? I'm pretty much right next to you whenever you get paid.”

"So… then, why do you do it?"

"Do what?" Sole's nostrils flared at his obnoxious question.

"No? Joke didn’t land? Okay. Serious time," he flung his hands in the air as if surrendering, "I read about something… wasn't it, like, customary before the war to pay for stuff for your… friends?" Sole scrunched her eyebrows in thought,

"Friends? Not really. Significant other? Yeah, a little more common." She looked to where Deacon stared down at his noodles.

Is that, is he... blushing?

"But hey, I don't mind if you don't." She finished, tilting her head forward, in an attempt to catch Deacon's eye. She spotted a flushed little grin spread on his face, before he leaned his head back, restoring his cool composure.

"Oopsies, sorry about that, then. But I did warn you, I'm pretty new to this whole friend thing. So… you know, that's on you."

Hancock: 

     The ghoul lounged comfortably on the couch in the Old State House, idly playing with his combat knife as he waited for Sole to finish readying herself for their outing.

“Ahhh!” 

Hancock leapt from his place on the couch at the sound of Sole’s shriek, his combat knife instinctively falling into a position poised for violence.

He ran across the hall, crashing through the door and into the bedroom. Teeth bared and eyes wide, his head lashed from side to side in search of Sole’s assailant. He spotted her, cowering in the corner as she raised a shaky hand to point at the opposite side of the room.

Hancock’s glare followed Sole’s fear-stricken gaze, and he started towards the desk in the corner she had pointed to, but ultimately failed to see what it was causing her distress.

He turned back to her, an eyebrow cocked, as he raised the silent question of what had been the cause of her terror.

“On the desk!” She said, pointing towards it again, this time with greater intensity. Hancock slowly approached the corner of the room, knife still at the ready, as his eyes continued to search for any sign of… well, anything, really. An exasperated smile spread across his lips as his eyes fell to your attacker. A small, brown, spider picked its way through the objects littering the top of the desk, and Hancock had to hold back a laugh. 

“This is what had you all riled up? Oh, sweetheart, he’s just a little spider. C’mon now, he won’t hurt ya.”

“You don't know that.” She said firmly, her round eyes still trained on the desk. It had sounded like a joke, but her expression remained serious.

“Alright, you want me to get rid of him for you?” She nodded her head vigorously, and he chuckled as he turned his attention to the unsuspecting arachnid. He watched as it delicately stepped over a series of writing utensils, and Hancock frowned. Bringing his knife up to the top of the desk, he rested the flat of his blade directly in the spider’s path,

“That’s it, up you go, little guy.” He said quietly, as it stepped onto his steel vessel. Hancock twisted the knife around in his grip as the spider crawled around it, and made his way to the balcony. Once outside, he tipped his knife to the railing, encouraging the spider to crawl off the tip of the blade. Once the spider was safely making its way along the top of the railing, Hancock turned back towards the doorway.

“There,” he said, stepping back inside, “Now he can’t hurt ya, he’s all the way out there.”

“You… you didn’t kill it?” She asked, tentatively standing up.

“Nah, we only hurt the ones who hurt somebody else first, remember?”

“You don’t know that he didn’t hurt anybody.” She mumbled as Hancock sauntered over to her.

“Aw, give him a chance, maybe he can change, y’know? He doesn't really seem like the troublemaking type to me, anyhow.” He brought his hands to your waist, a smug expression playing on his face.

“Oh yeah, just like the way you always tell people you’ve changed?” She said, sliding her hands up his chest to rest them on his shoulders. “Way I see it, you’re still just as bad an influence on me as when I met you.” She said, a playful glint dancing in her eyes.

“Hmm, maybe you’re right, sunshine. Maybe I can't change any more. Maybe it's just my nature to be a bad influence on you.” He said quietly, a wolfish grin spreading across his face as he leaned into her. 

“Huh, maybe so. But bad influence or not," she pulled away from him slightly, to look up into his smoky eyes, "you really did save me back there. And, I know it seems silly... but I am grateful." His eyes softened at her little confession and, though he knew this too was silly, he couldn’t help but feel a swell in his chest at the thought of "saving" her. 

“And I’ll always be here to save you... from any spiders we happen to come across.” He pecked her lips tenderly, their close proximity practically forcing his mouth to hers. He should’ve known better, once he had a taste, he couldn’t get enough of her. 

“Even though,” He continued, as he pressed a kiss to her nose, “I’ve seen you,” then to her right cheek, “take down,” now her left, “deathclaws,” another to her jaw, “single handedly,” and now down to her neck, “I’ll be sure to handle all the unruly arachnids.” He whispered into the crook of her neck, before moving upwards again and pressing one more kiss to her forehead. He watched, grinning like an idiot in love, as a crimson flush crept up her cheeks. He wasn’t sure if it was from the embarrassment she felt regarding her phobia, or from the heat of his lips on her skin, but he decided it didn’t matter. Either way, he found it irresistibly adorable, and with that, he set his sights on her lips once more. 

MacCready: 

     MacCready sat on the floor, legs crossed, as he counted his ammunition cartridges. There were four of the .308, six of the .50, ten of the 10mm, and a few of the .38. There certainly wasn’t as much as he’d hoped there’d be, but he wasn't worried. Sole always seemed to have ammo to spare, and she wasn't stingy with it like he was. It was yet another perk to being with her.

He gathered his full magazines together near the ammo bag resting beside him, so he could begin placing them inside in preparation for their next outing.

"How are you doing over there, babe?" He asked as he stored the outlying bullets in little bags.

"I think... you know what, nevermind. I'm good." MacCready ceased his action, turning to look at where Sole knelt on the carpet of her Diamond City home. A pile of bullets and empty magazines surrounded her, the stack of seemingly full cartridges was pitifully small compared to his own.

"You, ah, need some help?"

"... No.” 

"Mmhm, okay.” he narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously, but she wouldn’t look up at him.

“Well,” he continued, “I'm going to put my full mags in the ammo bag, why don't I grab yours too." The sniper stood up, and made his way over to her, bending down to grab the cartridges that looked full.

"Wait! No, these, um, these ones aren't done yet." MacCready's eyebrows furrowed, but the shadow of a smile began to spread to his lips as he realized what was going on.

"So," he said, kneeling down so he could see her pretty little embarrassed face. "You haven't finished loading any of them?"

“No." She said quietly, refusing to meet his gaze. MacCready lowered his head so that he was looking up at her as her eyes stayed fixed on the floor. A lock of hair was draped over her forehead, obstructing his view. He reached a hand up and gently pushed it behind her ear, leaning in to give her nose a small peck with his lips.

"You want some help?" He said as Sole raised her gaze to meet his, a small blush forming on her cheeks. She didn't say anything, only nodded yes.

"Alright, you know, you could’ve just asked. I might have said ‘no’ the first time, but you know me, I eventually would’ve come around." MacCready said as he set to work with the magazines that had appeared full, but in reality, only housed half of the amount of ammunition that they could fit within them. He snickered in understanding, it really was the second half of bullets that was hard to load.

"Thank you, sweetie. You’re just so much better at it than I am." She said as she watched his practiced fingers make quick work of what probably would've taken her another hour.

"Of course... but, you are paying me for this, right?"

"Ohh, I think we might be able to work something out." She said, a sly grin playing at her lips.

He just chuckled at her words, but she could've sworn his fingers starting moving a whole lot faster at her suggestive phrasing.

Nick: 

“Tell me, why is this now a regular part of my job duties?" Ellie asked as she finished sewing up yet another tear in Nick's trench coat. "You know you're just going to end up with more holes in this coat every time you leave the office, and I don't seem to recall you ever caring about this old thing's appearance before…" she trailed off.

Nick knew that Ellie was fishing for answers. One specific one in particular, but he liked the ambiguity of the situation. It was this little game he and his secretary would play. He would leave clues here and there that pointed to the nature of his and Sole's relationship and wait to see if Ellie would say anything. All while she continued to try and force the truth from him verbally. He wasn't going to lose this round.

"What? A private detective can't keep up appearances for his clients? I think it's just good for business."

"I think it's a load of bologna. You know we gave Sole her own trench coat after she saved you, right? She could just wear her own, rather than steal yours every time you two go out on a case."

"What kinda fun would that be? I don't mind it, it's not like I get cold anyway. And the poor little lady never knows how long we're going to be gone, so I don't think it's her fault when we're out after dark and she wants to wear it."

Ellie rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh as she poked the needle back through the worn, beige fabric once again.

"She's got you so tightly wound around her finger, it's a wonder she doesn't call you 'Jared'."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know, it’s something I’ve read about, I guess it was a ring shop, or a jewelry company, or something before the war. I thought it sounded clever. Just humor me, won't you?"

The synth just shook his head, uttering a low chuckle as he watched Ellie tighten the thread, forcing the last hole closed.

"There." She said, tying up the last bit of string left over, before cutting off the excess. "It's done." 

"Perfect, thanks a million, doll. I'll see you soon, I've just gotta head out for a--"

"Date?" She finished the sentence for him suggestively, raising her eyebrows in question.

"A case. We're going to head out on a case, Ellie."

"Uh huh, sure. Well, here," she handed him back the coat, "now she doesn't need to worry about the cold air seeping in through all those holes. Let me know if you want me to insulate the damn thing when winter rolls around."

Valentine smiled, an uncharacteristically goofy smile, at Ellie's words. He was so obvious, why didn't he just come clean already? 

"Will do, I’m sure she’ll enjoy that. Thanks again, Ellie. You're the best."

"And don't you forget it." She said, turning back to the mound of paperwork still on her desk beside her sewing supplies.

“Ah well, I’ll get him to admit to it one of these days.” Ellie mumbled as she began sorting through the files in front of her.

Piper:

     Piper looked up at Scarlet from the table in the corner of the Dugout Inn, 

"Yes, so I think we'll both have a nuka cola to start off. Then I'll do the crispy squirrel bits, and she'll have the Salisbury steak." Piper pointed her finger to Sole, who was busy looking down at the table, before making a last-minute decision, "Aaand you'd better bring some of those snack cakes at the end, too." 

"Hm, as usual." Scarlet chuckled at that as her pen scribbled across the notepad in her hand. 

"But that sounds good, you two. I'll have that out in just a minute." The waitress grabbed their menus, Sole reaching up to hand it to her with a smile on her face before turning to peer at her partner from across the table. She waited for Scarlet to disappear around the corner to the kitchen before speaking.

"You really don't find it annoying?" She asked. 

"What?" Piper loosened the scarf around her neck as she looked questioningly at Sole. 

"I know that I ask you to order for me whenever we go out to eat, or drink, and it's gotta be getting a little old at this point, right?" 

"No, not at all, Blue!" Piper said as she took her hat off and placed it on the table, mussing her hair a bit with one hand. "This reporter actually finds it to be pret-ty endearing. It's like, the one thing you can't do. You’re good at, like, everything else, but this I get to help you with. It's a welcome change." Piper's hands dropped to the top of the table as she began absent-mindedly fiddling with her silverware. But her eyes stayed on the woman across the table as Sole smiled at her, still appearing a little embarrassed. 

"I don't know why I can't do it," Sole tried to explain, "I've just never been able to order for myself, even before the war. Just one of those bizarre anxiety things, I guess."

"Well, like I said, I don’t mind at all. In fact, I think it's cute." 

 Preston:

     Sole approached her Lieutenant, shaking her head at him, and she saw him sigh.

“No, the river just keeps going until it reaches a ravine." She told him, "And it’s too steep to climb down. Any luck on your end?”

“Hmm, not really. It's a little more shallow upstream, but it’s still about ten feet wide.”

“Damn.” She said, “We need to get across.” A settlement had sent a distress call across radio freedom almost an hour ago, if Sole and Preston took any longer, they might be too late.

“I guess we’ll just have to go for it.” She said, her face painting a picture of clear disgust at the thought of wading through the murky water.

“Well, let’s at least head upstream a bit. To the shallow part.”

“Okay.” Sole said begrudgingly, her footsteps unconsciously heavy as she followed her companion to the shallow part. Not shallow enough, I bet.

And she was right. As the pair arrived, Preston turned to Sole to gauge her reaction, noticing the way her nose wrinkled at the sight of the brown, swirling water.

Preston heaved a sigh, and started forward. Before he reached the waterline, he turned to see Sole still standing back, feet seemingly glued to the muddy ground. He couldn’t help but smile sympathetically at her, eyebrows creasing upwards as he watched her eyes look longingly at the far shore.

“Come here.” He said.

“I know, I know. Just start going, I’ll follow.” Preston chuckled at the exasperation in her voice. Instead of repeating his command, he simply walked over to her as her eyes remained locked on the other side of the river, when he reached her, he slowly pressed his hand to the small of her back.

“Hey, what are you--?” Before Sole could finish her question, Preston had scooped her up into his arms, bridal style. She let out a squeak of surprise, and he couldn’t keep himself from grinning.

“Is this okay? He asked, the brim of his hat pressing against Sole’s forehead as he looked at her.

“A warning would’ve been nice.” Preston laughed, shaking his head as he adjusted his grip on her, ensuring she was secure before making his way towards the river.

“Hold onto me.” He said, and Sole wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders.

“Ready?” Sole nodded to him, and Preston took a step forward, frigid water seeping in through his boots as he waded in.

“Wait, are you sure you want to do this?” She said, her eyes trained on the river as it raised up to Preston’s knees.

“I might be wrong, General, but I think I already am.” He said, the amusement in his voice faint as he gritted his teeth against the cold.

She felt his body shutter as he continued forward, the water reaching up almost to his waist, as he held Sole up higher to ensure it wouldn’t reach her. She let out a small sigh of relief as they reached the end of the channel. The water became more shallow, and Preston quickened his pace with each step that brought him closer to their destination.

Once completely out of the water, and past the muddy shoreline, Preston finally set Sole down gently. As her feet touched the ground, Sole kept her arms wound about Preston’s neck.

“Thank you, love.” She said, her voice soft as she addressed him as her partner rather than her Lieutenant.

“It was my pleasure, m’lady.” He said, briefly removing his hat from his head as he did so. Sole smiled at him warmly, but detected the faint chattering of his teeth, and when she looked down, she couldn’t help but notice the goosebumps littering his skin. 

“Oh, Preston…” Sole said as she pressed herself to him, rubbing her hands against his back and arms quickly, in an attempt to warm him with her friction. She felt hot air wash over her neck as he released a shaky breath of relief, leaning into her touch. The pair stood there for a moment, Preston syphoning off Sole’s warmth as she tried to repay him for his earlier act of kindness. Her hands slowed from her vigorous rubbing to a more tender sort of touch, before Preston’s head shot up.

“Shit, Sole, the settlement! We’ve got to move!”

X6-88: 

     This had become a common routine of theirs, and X6 wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about it. Every time they were in Sole’s Diamond City home, she would insist on making dinner for the two of them. That, X6 didn’t mind too much; although, after consuming nothing but food supplements in the Institute for so long, it did take some getting used to. But eating the food wasn’t the issue, it was the making of it that had him perplexed. 

As far as he knew, Sole had been the one to install the shelves in her kitchen; and yet, every time she was in need of a spice of some sort, or a condiment, or one of her dishes, she would ask X6 for assistance, given that the shelves were apparently too high for her to reach. Why Sole continued to store her items on the too-tall shelves, he couldn’t begin to guess. But here she went again, asking him to reach for the box of blamco mac n’ cheese on the top shelf, the highest one, one that he could barely even reach. X6 decided it was time to voice his confusion.

“Ma’am?”

“Yes?” She asked distractedly as she focused on the strength of the flame burning on her stove.

“Why do you use these shelves?”

“What else would I use, silly?” X6 scrunched up his face at that, trying to hold back a verbal scoff at her wording.

“Would you rather I just store everything on the floor?”

“Well, no. That would… hardly be sanitary.” He wasn’t sure if she was joking with him or not. Did she think he was joking with her?

“Why do you ask, X?” She grabbed the box from his hand as he extended it towards her, and began tearing at the top of it with her finger.

“Well, it seems nonsensical to me, for you to continue placing all of your items out of your reach. What happens if I’m not here?” Sole placed a saucepan filled with water over the stove and turned to look at him.

“But you are here.” she said, shrugging, “What? Don’t you like helping me out in the kitchen?”

X6 blinked. What the hell did this have to do with what he liked?

“Well… I don’t dislike it. I’m just having trouble with-- I don’t-- I just... do you want me to fix the shelves so they are the right height for you?”

“No, I like them the way they are.”

X6 felt his eye twitch from beneath his shades. Confusion built up inside him, making the courser feel as though he might explode.

“Ma’am--” His voice faltered as he realized he didn’t know what else to say.

“I know they’re not practical, X. But you can reach them, and I like that about them. Even when I’m here alone, the fact that I can’t make dinner without you makes me smile.” X6 furrowed his eyebrows. That explanation didn’t help at all.

“Don’t you get hungry?”

“I'm not completely helpless, you know, I can usually figure something out.” She attempted to look annoyed at his question, but her grin gave her away. X6 narrowed his eyes at her, still not completely satisfied with the way the conversation had gone. He was still just as confused as he was before.

“Huh.” He said, mulling over all she had said on the subject. “Perhaps... in that case, we should ensure that I am by your side for any missions near Diamond City. That way, I can be sure the future director of the Institute doesn’t go hungry.”

“Well, if you think that’s necessary, who am I to argue?” The left side of X6’s lip tilted upwards in an expression of amusement, and Sole openly smiled at him, laughing a little to herself as she turned her attention back to the boiling water on the stove.

“Can you hand me the pepper mill? Second shelf.”

“I know which shelf. But yes, I can.” He said, turning around to grab it, as Sole continued grinning to herself.

Now I just have to make sure he never looks under my bed. Sole thought. If X6 ever found the step stool she had hidden there, what would happen to her kitchen helper?

[pagingevilspawn]

Loving You Is A Losing Game- chapter seven

i actually hate this, so ew. but i’ve forgotten that i write, so i’ll try to type some stuff up tomorrow! regardless, i hope everyone enjoys! click here to read on ao3. 

TW// domestic abuse

~*~

"small town boy in a big arcade. i got addicted to a losing game."

~*~

alexandra: you do realize how crazy that sounds right?

joseph: it's not crazy at all if you ask me.

alexandra: jo, asking for lollipops for your christmas present sounds very crazy to me.

and christmas isn't for like, a while.

joseph: dude, christmas is in two weeks and one day

and plus, i'm settling on lollipops. what i really want is a pony, a shiny, pretty one with rainbow hair, you know those? that's my dream right there

alexandra: oh crap really?

yeah yeah, ha ha. laughing so much right now.

joseph: hate to break it to you, but it's the 10th alex.

and i know, what a shame i wont be able to have my pony. it was at the top of my list this year

next to an ice cream sundae the size of manhattan, obviously.

alexandra: very funny. can't you tell how much i'm laughing.

crap, got to go, robbins is letting me in on an esophageal atresia on a newborn. i'm her favorite you know.

joseph: ugh, lucky.

make sure to kick ass and not kill anyone. that would suck. 

actually... your big head could use some ego deflating. make sure robbins has to save you halfway through. maybe then you'll earn some humility.  

alexandra: wow, you're such great help. so nice too.

joseph: you know it ;)

she turns off her phone, a small smile on her face as she looks out the window, passing by houses that all looked exactly alike; white exteriors with a bright green lawn. the only thing that could help someone tell them apart was the door colors. her and paul had just come back from a dinner with some of his coworkers, but he wasn't talking to her so she decided to text alex. the silence in the car was tense, though she was unable to grasp the reason why.

they'd been texting non-stop since the conference three weeks ago, talking about each other's days, complaining about annoying coworkers and classmates. they really enjoyed having a friend they could just talk to because they felt like it. it was refreshing. they'd never had anyone like that before. in the past they had friends that they felt comfortable around, but it was different when you had someone who understood you so well. not to mention, being able to make self deprecating jokes about their crappy childhoods and receive a laugh in response was so much nicer than the pity stares they were both so used to getting,

she snaps back to reality at the sound of the engine turning off, cutting the music as the expensive car door opens. she sees paul angrily walk out of the car, slamming the door behind him, not stopping by her side of the car to open the door for her like he normally did. (she was actually thankful for that. she was a grown women, she could open a damn door herself)

weird, she thinks, but decides not to question it. her husband had been a bit more moody and temperamental lately, so she supposed it was just that. but the dinner seemed to go really good in her opinion. she got along with his colleagues and paul certainly enjoyed himself, getting to be around all his coworkers and interact freely. she liked to think that his colleagues liked her as well. they complimented her all evening and included her in all of their conversations. though, she did wish that they would've referred to her by her name more, rather than 'mrs. stalder' or 'paul's wife.'

she gets out of the passenger side and shuts the door behind her, walking up to the steps after she hears that paul had locked the car. she places the small clutch she had on the entry table and walks to the kitchen, seeing paul sitting at the kitchen island, nothing in front of him except tea that he had heated up in the minute or so he'e been in there. she kisses his cheek and starts talking, knowing that it would probably help calm whatever he was feeling.

she gives him a smile, rubbing his shoulder affectionately. "it seemed like the dinner went really well, all of your coworkers are super nice and-"

"you talked to steven too much." he cuts her off, sending an icy glare her way, and look she had never seen on him before shining darkly in his eyes.

she cocks her head to the side, "huh?"

he stands up from his place abruptly, making her jump back slightly. "i said," he spits out, eyes narrowing as he stares her down "you talked to steven too much."

she lets out a loud laugh, thinking that he was just joking around and messing with her. at any second he was going to join her giggling, ignoring the way his eyes had only seemed to darken the second the sounds had escaped her mouth."oh, that's funny." she says in between laughs, eyes shining with childish glee. "jesus you really scared m-"

pain.

her words get cut off by a fist coming directly into contact with her face. she feels the stinging sensation burn from her eye to her cheek, her brown eyes watering with tears as she realizes what had just happened. she lifts a palm up to touch it protectively, almost making it seem like it was more real if she touched it.

oh god, it hurt. it hurt like hell. his gold wedding band adding to the impact was sure to leave a scar by the corner of her eye. she'd been punched before, multiple times actually by foster parents and girls while she was in high school, but this hurt so much more. it was so much harder than she'd ever been hit before.

her husband just hit her.

"oh brooke, baby." paul says, taking her into his arms and brushing her hair back immediately, trying to get her to relax into his embrace. "i just got so mad. you just made me so mad brooke. you can't make me mad like that" he tells her, eyes dripping with some kind of emotion she can't place as he places light kisses on top of her sea of brown curls, ignoring the way the way she stood stiffly in his arms, a few lone tears making it's way down her cheeks.  

"i love you. you know that brooke" he whispers, wiping the tears from her face, his hands feeling usually rough against her skin, his touch not easing over the bruise that hard already begun to form.

she nods. it was okay. he loved her. he didn't mean it. he just got angry. it was okay. it was fine. he loved her, it was okay.

she thought she probably deserved it. after all she'd cheated on her husband just three weeks before, and had continued to keep in contact with the man she had cheated with. it was only karma.  

"i'm sorry paul." she apologizes sincerely as he cups her face in his hands, giving her a sweet smile. it wasn't his fault. it was hers.  

"it just better not happen again." he states, eyes burning into hers intently, his grip on her face tightening without her even realizing it. all she really felt was numb, as if all of her senses had seemingly shut down to avoid dealing with the pain that was spreading throughout the side of her face.

she nods her head up and down as she pulls her back into him. "i'm sorry" she whispers into his chest.

he smiled.

and that's when he knew he had her.

____

alex finished scrubbing out of a surgery, shaking off the excess water on his hands, grinning internally. it was always so much better when he was able to help save a kid. the success was just that much more fulfilling. he's about to push the door open when it swings in itself, making him come face to face with cristina, the expression she was wearing was more worried looking than he'd seen in a long time. he'd known yang for a while know, and he knew whatever was about to come out of her mouth would be bad. cristina yang was never worried.

"what do you want yang?" he asks, noting how she had her hands crossed over her chest and was avoiding his gaze.

"there's a merger happening." she says, looking up to meet his eyes to let him know that she was serious.

his narrows his eyes, scrunching up his nose. "what?" he questions. a merger? as in, combing two hospitals into one?  

"you just missed the announcement. apparently we're merging with mercy west." the raven head repeats, a slight trace of fear in her voice, a very unusual thing for cristina yang.

he lets out a deep breath, tugging his scrub cap off and running a hand through his hair as he leans over the scrub sink, gripping it so tightly his knuckles begin to turn white. "i can't loose this job yang." he says to her softly, making her nod in agreement.

"you and me both." with that she walks out of the room, alex not far behind her, both of the surgeons heading up to the resident's lounge to change, which was filled to the brim with chatter, all of the doctors talking about the newest topic, the merger.

meredith sits down next to him, slipping a long sleeved purple shirt over her head when she casts a glance to alex, who was sitting still looking down at his phone's empty screen, seemingly deep in thought, almost as if he was waiting for something to magically appear on it.

the blonde nudges him, snapping him out of his trance. alex sighs, resting his elbows on his knees as he buries his head in his hands. "what am i gonna do about iz?" he asks her, judging by her face that she was drawing a blank, much like him.

jesus, this was great. these past few weeks he had hardy been able to look his wife in the eye, because every time he saw her he was reminded that he slept with someone else. not to mention, he was just texting that certain someone just a few hours ago. he was really screwed. izzie had currently been home on bedrest, not being allowed to return to work until two weeks from now, which apparently would also be when the mercy westers would turn up. fucking great. he felt as if the universe was rallying against him at this point, no matter how much he knew that wasn't possible. he dug his own grave, it was just a matter of time before he would need to lay in it.

"she'll be okay." meredith reassures him, but he can tell by the look on her face that she was unsure as well. who knew would end up getting cut? they would need to pull their heads out of their asses and prove that they deserved to stay. none of them could lose their spot. not only because of their job, but also because of the people there. they were a family. they couldn't lose any more of their family. they'd just lost george, and they couldn't lose another.

"evil spawn, put on a shirt!" cristina yells, balling up a shirt from his locker and throwing it at him, hitting him square in the chest as he glares at her. he pulls on the shirt silently and heads out, not bothering to say goodbye to anybody as he leaves the lounge and heads straight to joe's across the street.

he slides onto a barstool, ordering a beer and thanking the bartender with a slight nod of his head. how was he supposed to tell izzie about the merger? he knew that if his wife knew, she would want to return to work immediately, but he knew she couldn't do that. she was still getting her strength back, and standing around on her feet all day surely would delay the healing process. he couldn't risk her getting hurt because he wasn't able to stop her.

he'd done enough recently, even if izzie didn't know about most of it. the last thing he needed was to cause his wife more harm than he already had.

he was going to tell her, he knew that, just not right now. right now he was going to sit on this uncomfortable wooden bar stool and drink his beer and forget he had any problems. he was going to forget about the merger, he was going to forget about him and izzie going at it twenty-four seven, and he was definitely going to forget about the brunette with a fake name who seemed to be on his mind all the time.

he was just going to forget everything, his only focus being his beer and the football game on the small television above the bar. yeah, that sounded like a good idea. a really good idea.

____

okay, so he forgot about two out of those three things.

he was actually doing pretty good for a while, almost a full hour with nearly a beer and a half finished. all he had been focused on was the seahawks playing against the steelers, with the steelers crushing the seattle team thirty-four to seven. not much of a surprise though, he couldn't remember the last time he'd witnessed the seahawks win. it wasn't that they were a completely crap team, it was simply the fact that one; the steelers were much better this year, and two; he hardly ever got enough time to sit down and watch a game. being a resident drained the life out of him, especially since he had finally knew that he wanted to specialize in peds. when he wasn't at the hospital he was reading up new medical procedures in magazines, or occasionally sneaking over to meredith's to watch old ellis grey tapes.  

he was doing really... until he got a text message from jo.

joseph: how was your surgery?

alexandra: wow, you must be bored.

joseph: ...

what makes you say that?

alexandra: really?

joseph: i'm in med school, thank you very much. i have a severe interest in your surgeries. 

alexandra: mhm, sure.

joseph: fine, i'm bored. entertain me. please.

alexandra: that sounds vaguely dirty.

joseph: oh great. how drunk are you?

alexandra: what makes you say that?

haha, two can play that game.

joseph: i'm guessing two beers in?

alexandra: shut up, only one and a half.

joseph: mhm, wasn't too far off

but seriously. i'm bored and am in need of anything remotely interesting. you just scrubbed in on a super cool surgery, i want details

alexandra: fine, baby maria duboir, two weeks old, robbins let me lead the procedure about half way through, coded once, we then shocked her at 150, and now she is stable and in the NICU.

happy?

joseph: yes. very much so

although i do think your OR stories need work

you sound like you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about

alexandra

wow. you're a real delight you know that?

joseph: oh, believe me, i know. don't even get me started on how many times people have complimented how freaking amazing i am

it's quite a common occurrence.  

if i had a dollar for every time someone said that to me, i'd be living on my own private island

alexandra: i bet you would.

seriously though, tell me something. i've got nothing better to do than watch the seahawks get crushed.

joseph: i'm guessing that's sports talk, so i'm just gonna ignore that, since it hate any sport where men look like giant block of cheese, run around a court, or just run in general.

but today's been boring. went to a dinner tonight. fancy stuck-up rich people who laugh with posh accents and sip their champagne way too slowly

fucking turtles.

alexandra: sounds fun.

joseph: you suck. i can literally hear the sarcasm through the phone asshole

alexandra: that's the point. i'll take a sick kid over fancy dinner any day.

crap, that sounded really horrible didn't it?

joseph: it really did

"i'll take a sick kid over a fancy dinner any day" real charming if you ask me. night in shining amour.

alexandra

yeah yeah you know what i mean.

____

they're not sure how long they end up talking for, alex siting at joe's bar and jo lounging on the couch in her living room while her husband was in his study going over and grading tests for one of his classes. before either one of them even know it, it gets to be twelve thirty boston time and nine thirty in seattle. alex's texts had gotten much harder to read, which made sense, considering he was now on his third beer.

jo teased him about it though, finding it more enjoyable than she would've guessed to text a drunk alex than a sober one. he seemed to get increasingly flirtier the tipsier he got. not to mention, all the spelling mistakes he made was definitely one for the books. she had a feeling that it was getting a but harder for him to see which letters where which, considering a few b's were located where there should be d's, and 'm' where they should be an 'n'

alex knows for a fact he's earning many stares from fellow people at the bar because of how much he's laughing (loudly too), but he doesn't really care. if he's gonna laugh, he's gonna laugh. all he could really focus on was the fluorescent lights hanging from the bar's wood ceiling and the frankly hilarious texts coming through his phone. (okay, so they weren't that funny, but everything is always a lot more funny when you're drunk)

jo was thoroughly enjoying herself, laughing more and more as she sank into the couch, completely forgetting about the bruise on her left cheek as she typed away, grinning from ear to ear when the man on the other side responded, words misspelt and random numbers and semicolons popping up from time to time.

they knew that what they had done was wrong. they knew that what they were doing was wrong. but they couldn't stop.

if only they had stopped sooner.

[female-overlord-3]

Bring Them Home  Ch 15 Smash

This fic is slow going with everything but going. Kept this baby as a draft until I wrote the next chapter :D

Alex, Michael, and Isobel bond and talk! Enjoy 💛

Read on AO3

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They get their 3 hours and a little bit more until Michael finally becomes the voice of reason.

"As much as I want to spend the rest of the day with you, I need to check in with Sanders and do my actual day job. Plus Izzy is nothing but greedy for all the attention on her."

Alex just gives him a look before dragging Michael back onto the bed and rolling to be on top.

"This is a once in a blue moon lazy day for me Michael. You give me another hour and then I'll be satisfied."

Their first hour was the nap after their call, Michael carrying a dozing Alex to his bed so they'd be more comfortable. The second was Michael thoroughly massaging Alex's full body after Alex does his at home PT routine. The third was them switching between kissing and talking.

Michael wouldn't mind the third hour becoming 2 straight hours of more talking and kissing. He also doesn't think he can move because Alex is pretty much the ideal weight for holding him down.

Then the small touches start. One hand moving to his neck as a thumb swipes up and down his throat slowly before it moves to sink into his curls. Fingers gently digging into his scalp as lips press randomly across his torso and above. Michael is in actual heaven as he loses time to Alex's devoting touches until his left hand cramps and he lets out a hiss from the pain.

Lifting up Alex gives him space to do whatever he needs, his face pinched in worry and flickers of guilt at seeing Michael cradle his hand.

"Do you need a heat compress or acetone for the pain?" Alex quietly asks but Michael shakes his head.

"It'll pass. Give it a minute."

Hesitantly Alex reaches for it and let's the tips of his fingertips rest ever so lightly on the ridges of the scarred skin that Michael barely feels as Alex traces it. Michael lifts his hand up to feel the pressure and warmth of Alex’s hand but Alex snatches it away.

“Doesn’t it-” Alex's voice was quiet and a bit hoarse. “I don’t want you to hurt. I was trying to-” He stops himself again with his words stuck as old guilt starts to consume him.

Sighing Michael sits up but keeps his hands to himself.

“You think we’re ready to talk about this?” He waves his left hand between them.

He gives Alex a good minute to breathe through what he’s feeling right now before slowly inching his right hand to the thigh resting next to his.

“I am but that’s cause I made peace with it a long time ago. If you’re not then we can put it on hold for another time but you didn’t do this to me, you’re not a monster or violent like him. I’m not gonna lie, it reminds me that there’s bad in the world, that it’s cruel and doesn’t care but,” His hand has traveled up and cups Alex’s cheek. “It also reminds me that there are kind people like you who somehow left me a medical kit even though I didn’t see you for a week because you were hurt too. That wanted me to get help and go to the hospital but found an alternative when I kept telling you no.”

Alex’s eyes fall closed as he leans into Michael’s hand.

“You’re lucky your antibodies are immune to human infection and diseases.” Is the only thing he can say.

“Pretty nice that my form of power boost is just 5 bucks a bottle too, though my personal brew is much better.” Michael raises his left and holds it in front of Alex. “You didn’t need to go and make us a matching set but of course you had to one-up me.”

All he gets is a soft noise from Alex who’s finally reached for his left hand, both of his cradling Michael’s like it’s precious as he brings it to his chest to lay right over his heart. The steady thump is a song he’s missed.

“You could’ve healed it but you didn’t want to. You wanted to remember the good and the bad.”

Michael snorts at that. “I mean Max only offered like once but it also would’ve become a thing if people found out. Even though I didn’t know how much your dad was actually watching us, I didn’t want to give him anymore reasons to start snooping around. Hey you think he knew before and that’s why he went psycho?"

He asks it like an actual question, one of pure curiosity because now with everything they know it might actually be true.

"Maybe but I knew regardless he'd do something to anyone I brought home. Sure it was like an open secret but I tamed it down around him, the eyeliner and punk was just the easiest way to be proud but on just the edge. It helped that he hated both."

Michael watches as Alex's face pinches again.

"Would you heal it now or like a partial one?"

Smiling Michael just rubs his thumb against Alex's chest.

"Don't know. Depends really."

He pulls Alex back down and holds him close, soaking up as much comfort and the feeling of safety, love, and peace.

Of course not 10 minutes later there's a honk and a mental nudge from Isobel.

"Nooooo." He groans and buries his face in Alex's hair.

Alex agrees and presses closer as their phones start ringing.

"How is she calling both of us!"

There's a knock at the door then the sound of intentionally loud footsteps that stop at the window of their room.

"I promised lunch."

"We could be having really kinky sex right now Iz."

"Oh that reminds me I need to find a new playmate. Alex we're going to a gay bar. I want to see if me going all obsessed over Rosa was a me thing or his and I need a wingman who gets me."

Michael makes a face and holds onto Alex tighter. He doesn’t want Alex going to any bar without him.

"In my professional opinion it might be too soon and you're technically still married but screw it let’s go have fun." Alex pauses and reconsiders his words. “Actually if anything Kyle might be more game then me. I may be out and proud but I kinda dislike people… and crowds now.”  

He gives Michael a deep but short kiss and starts to wiggle free. Michael makes a valiant attempt to keep him in bed which is funny because earlier he was trying to head out for work and be responsible. He flips them over and tries to distract Alex with more kisses and he can feel Alex starting to give in when Isobel knocks on the window.

"We still game to blow up stuff or was that just the land around the cabin? Also will someone please let me in!"

They both groan and finally scramble out of bed to put pants on. Michael turns to face where the front door is and glares at it until it opens.

“It’s open.”

“Lovely. I’ll bring my stuff in.”

Michael slips down to slide on the sleeve then prosthetic for Alex before waddling closer to wrap his arms around Alex’s waist so he can bury his face in a very warm stomach.

“No bar without me. Someone’ll snatch you up.”

The vibrations and sound of Alex’s quiet laugh is nice.

“I was being honest about not really liking bars Michael and I'm only a tiny bit better about people. Have no fear everyone will be flocking to your sister.”

Silently Michael stands before climbing into Alex’s lap and latches onto him like a koala.

“Jesus I forgot how clingy you are.” Alex teases as his hands settle on Michaels sides. “Not that I mind.” He adds.

Leaning back to face each other, Michael gives him a dramatic pout. “You’re hot stuff and people will absolutely flock to you. I can’t stop people from looking but I can at least stop them from touching.” He eyes Alex’s neck hungrily and starts to lean down but a hand in his hair stops him.

“Ah and the marking thing. You sure you’re not a vampire?”

“It won’t be like-”

The unamused look Alex is sporting just makes Michael grin smugly. “You made it go around my whole neck. You gave me an actual hickey necklace Michael and it lasted for a whole week. No hickey necklace.”

“What about like two where everyone can see?” Michael questions and his eyes stare at the perfect spot. “I’ll keep them small.”

They roll over with Alex keeping him pinned down.

“You and I have a very different idea of what small is. No hickeys or marks until we go on another date.” He kisses Michael’s cheek before rolling off and leaving to go see what Isobel’s up to.

Michael mopes and gets dressed slowly. If the hoodie he has on is unusual for him well it’s Alex’s fault for leaving it in the room. In the closet and folded up top but Michael found it so finders-keepers.

“Michael you're staying 20 minutes so you can praise me while I break stuff with my mind." Isobel eyes the sweater and frowns. "Are you having a mental breakdown? That's the only time we wear hoodies." She comments and takes a step closer, ready to bring Michael into a hug for comfort which kinda confuses him.

"Um no. I'm good Iz. Just claiming one of my rights to wear something of Alex's." Michael pauses before taking his own step forward in concern. "Are you good? I know I haven't fully been there for you with everything but if you-"

Isobel rolls her eyes at him.

"I'm a big girl. It's been…. A lot but Alex and the others have helped in their own way. I do know breaking all this stuff will feel good so come on teach me how you do it." She says as she pats his shoulder then heads to Alex's backyard, Michael quickly following her.

"You're sure?" He asks. "I know we all have a tendency to avoid actually talking about our shit so if there's anything you want to then I'm here."

The tight line of Isobel's lips hold for a few seconds before dropping as she sighs.

"I'm still mad and hurt. Also sad because I- this whole mess started with him and I was just a tool he used. I was finally starting to feel like I could be myself but even that's a lie. First it was thinking I was the one who killed everyone and that sucked but finding out the actual truth was worse." Her voice wobbles a bit before she takes a deep breath to steady it. "I know I'm not okay and we're all dealing with our own shit but for once I don't feel totally alone. I'm gonna try and be a better sister to you because you've always been there for me Michael, you carried what happened that night with you for a decade so I wouldn't have too. I've let myself follow whatever Max decided because we got to grow up together and I thought he was right, that he was protecting us and the normal life we had."

She swallows and her eyes dart away.

"And he was but that meant you were left out because you never got our type of normal. So I'm gonna work on being there for you too and making sure you're included. Now let's go break stuff."

Michael grabs onto her hand and squeezes it. Isobel squeezes back and both their eyes are a bit misty but the smiles they wear are bright.

They see Alex a couple yards out, placing items from the box Isobel brought around his open backyard.

“Whatever you break you also clean up so I would suggest a tarp or something.”

Michael swaggers over and latches onto his side, nuzzling into his neck.

"Of course gotta keep the place clean. I'll go grab one." He leans to take a sip from Alex's milkshakes but it's moved away.

"You hate mint."

Michael blinks at him and can't help how big his smile turns.

"I don't mind it when it's from you." His eyes land on Alex's lips in an obvious request.

Michael's curls slap him in the face.

"Ow Iz why!"

"What? I'm just practicing my power." Her sickly sweet voice and eyelashes fluttering says anything but.

Michael rolls his eyes and pecks Alex's check. "You get thirty minutes and then I have to head to Sanders."

A hand slides into the back pocket of his jeans and he's pulled closer to Alex's side.

"Whatever you don't break or wanna leave to burn will be our bonding time."

Isobel's eyes light up at the offer.

"You really weren't lying about getting to explode shit! Like actual explosives?" She grabs onto Alex slowly and starts tugging him back to the house so he can show her.

Michael doesn't let go and they all walk back inside relatively easy for the three of them latched onto each other.

"More like I have the basic materials needed to make bombs which you would be surprised on how easy they are to make." Alex comments as Michael gives an understanding nod.

"Though I do have some minor explosives that are probably closer to fireworks which are easier to clean up after and that can easily be stated as such."

Alex slips out of their arms and goes to the small closet hidden behind the bathroom, the three of them bring all the goods to the living room.

"Does this mean I can use you as an excuse to come here instead of my mother's Fourth of July barbeque? I'm always stuck talking about nothing and everyone keeps expecting me to be pregnant. Do I look like mother material to you?"

She's settled in Michael's lap as they hold each other comfortably. Michael rests his head on her shoulder as he chuckles.

"Hmmm you're more Aunt material. You'd spoil my future kids rotten but also make sure they know how to talk circles around people the second they learn how."

"Their first words will be aunt Izzy or some variation of that. I'm not picky."

Her tone is casual but her eyes don't leave Alex who's gone quiet.

"I'm not saying a hard no to possibly being a surrogate but in a few years ask me again. I'll be back, just need to use the bathroom." She glides off of Michael's lap and out the door.

Michael doesn't pay her any mind and flops back to lay back on the bed.

The thought of having kids have been an off and on thing for him. Sometimes he doesn't because he's not even human and not the stablest person, being in the system didn't do him any favors. There's so much entailed with it that if he ever did he's worried the poor kid will turn out worse than him, that Michael won't have or be able to provide what they'll need. Then there are days he'd love to be that parent for someone who needs it, to be who he needed as a kid. Save at least one kid from a bad situation. Have the type of family he's sometimes let himself dream and barely hope for.

Sometimes it's just him raising a kid alone but other times Alex is there too, both of them sharing the love they have with someone else who might need it. Alex would never be like his father and would give their kid everything they needed no matter what but also make sure they have boundaries and morals and good life lessons.

"Would you want kids Alex?"

Michael voices once he's brought back to the present.

Just because he wants kids doesn't mean he needs them. He knows better than anyone that you gotta be committed and ready for that type of responsibility.

There's always the future but for right now he just wants to get his mom and people free, to deal with Noah, and to be with Alex.

"In another life… yes but I'm not sure about this one." Alex gets this nervous look on his face before sighing. "I'd have to think about it."

That's pretty much on par what Michael knew he'd say.

"Do you- I mean obviously you do but I'm not-"

Michael uses his powers to tug Alex to him. He takes Alex's hands and gives a light squeeze.

"I do but not now or for a while. I want to get my mom out and deal with the insanity of our lives first then enjoy being with you. I would like them in the far far future but I don't need them. I'm not letting some punk take all your attention until I've gotten my fill."

Alex clings to him and nods.

"Okay."

"As of now I love you and my meddling sister. You can come back in Isobel."

She walks in stubbornly with her head held high.

"I didn't mean to bring up future kids. You did that all on your own Michael and I'm sure you'll both be amazing uncles when Max and Liz figure their shit out. Max will finally have a reason to quit the force and stay at home to write like he's always wanted while Liz works on saving the world and all that jazz."

She grabs all the explosives quickly and carefully to do something with her hands.

“I mean who wouldn’t want an adorable hybrid of me though right, the world would all but perish under our reign. I’m sure i’d be a good mom though… with time and everyone else’s kids as a trial but like you guys said, now is a horrible time.” Her voice lowers to something almost hushed. “I’m sure plenty of kids need a home once i’m ready so all we need to do now is learn and be as prepared as possible.”

Michael smiles fondly at her as he stands and wraps an arm around her waist, pressing his forehead to the side of her neck.

“There’d be nothing stopping you once you decide your ready Isobel.”

Alex leans into her other side and they all just take a moment to breathe together.

“When we’re ready.” Alex voices with hope and it brings a smile to all their faces. “Does that mean we’re ready to go blow stuff up now?”

That gets a laugh.

“Come on all this emotional talk is ruining the mood. I’m ready to see how much control I need to learn to beat Michael!”

The three proceed to smash, break, and explode the contents of Isobel's boxes while enjoying their lunch.

Isobel is a bit shocked and proud of how much control Michael has on his power. A bit jealous too but she’s only just started. She finds it sickeningly sweet how awed Alex looks when he looks at Michael but the kind one he gives her makes up for it.

“How did I not see it?” She asks them. Her tone is light with wonder. That she never saw how much love just poured from them. It’s been a decade and she’s only finding out now.

Both Alex and Michael sigh but there’s less of a haunted look in their eyes.

“Shit timing and even worse communication.” Michael voices and then he’s at Alex’s side. “It’s hard to have something when everything’s going against you.”

Alex nods with his face set in a hard look before it clears.

“We kept it to ourselves cause it was safer but now there’s less bullshit to fight against.”

Isobel hurts from even the idea of what they’ve been through, the flashes she’s gotten from Alex flickering before she lets it all go.

“Well you’ve got someone else on your side.” she stands tall again, stronger and more solid with this certain topic worked through. "I'd happily melt anyone who's brain keeps giving you guys trouble. I'm sure I can make it look like an aneurysm."

She’s trying to be reassuring but the pained and overwhelmed look on Michael's face makes her feel unsure, like she's miss stepped somewhere.

It's only when Michael launches at her and holds her in a crushing hug, that his mind is so loud it's screaming at her by being in contact, that she understands.

Michael's always been so strong and never truly had anyone who he felt he could rely on, to truly rely on. Alex probably now with everything known but not really anyone else and that hurts Isobel all over again.

They should've been united from the start. They should've been together, able to rely and trust each other without doubt.

She holds on tight to him and lets out a sigh when Michael’s mind quiets, Alex’s presence closer being the obvious reason why.

Isobel is going to have a talk with Max about Alex and about Michael. Alex is right that they need to all work together to figure this mess out.