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thargelalia · 5 months ago

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Comrade Red Hood

jason todd x fem!reader

patriarchy sucks, thankfully your doting nerdy boyfriend is there to show you support

-> 3k words

-> fluff, hurt/comfort, tiniest bit suggestive

-> warnings: talks of v!olence and crime (c'mon, guys, it's Gotham); mansplaining (not by Jason); reader is a little mean, but she's only human; Jason is a serial kisser and we love that for him

“Are you upset?”

“Yes.”

“…is it something I did?”

“Not everything’s about you.”

Jason’s eyebrows shoot up to his hairline as he lets out a low whistle at your sharp words. “Damn. I thought I was supposed to be the broody one here.”

“Getting a taste of your own medicine sometimes is good.”

Silence.

“Sure you’re not mad at me?”

“I’m beginning to.” You let out a deep frustrated sigh, massaging your temples in a futile attempt to stop the incessant throbbing headache. “What do you want, Jason?”

“I was just—is there anything I can do for you?” He asks, shifting weight between his legs. “You seemed a bit off over the phone earlier, so I decided to drop by.”

“I just want to be alone.” You sound less passive aggressive this time as exhaustion seeps into your words. ”My head is killing me right now, so I just had an aspirin. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay. I’ll be in the living room if you need me.” Since it’s dark and your eyes are glued to the ceiling, you’re unable to take in the dejected look on his face.

Seeing you’ve got no objections — he kind of hoped you’d change your mind and ask for cuddles — Jason leaves the room wordlessly. It’s almost like he vanishes into thin air. A well-known skill amongst all bat-family members.

Even so, he’s surprisingly light on his feet for a big guy. But then again, we’re talking about a walking deadly weapon. A vicious vigilante. The prince of Gotham. Red Hood.

Or at least that’s what he usually is when he’s not sulking in the living room for being a victim of his girlfriend’s sour mood.

Aside from the sound of a car or two passing by down below, and police sirens echoing distantly on occasion, your place is engulfed in a comfortable silence — this a relatively quiet neighborhood. Moonlight filters through your half-open curtains, a soft welcoming breeze swaying them gently to the side.

At some point, your eyes flutter open. You don’t even remember falling asleep. There’s a dryness to your throat, prompting you to move around and reach for a slim water bottle on the nightstand. Next to it, the digital clock reads 2:17 AM.

A five hour nap. Nice.

Fortunately, the pounding inside your head has subsided.

Tsking in disappointment, seeing the bottle is empty, you detangle your legs from the sheets, begrudgingly getting up and dragging yourself to the kitchen.

The lights in the living room are still on, making your eyes squint when you approach the entrance. You’re confused to discover Jason still lounging on the couch with a book in his hands, legs spread deliciously wide. One of his feet is propped against the edge of the coffee table.

“Thought you were still out on patrol.”

He looks up, and blinks, not expecting to see you up. “Just got back, actually. About fifteen minutes ago or so, I think.”

You hum in response and take a moment to really observe him.

His hair is still indeed damp as it falls over his forehead. He’s also shirtless, only dressed in gray sweatpants. Took him quite a long time to feel comfortable enough to show skin like this around you. Likewise, despite the smile that your reassurances bring to his face whenever you thank him for ‘blessing your eyes with such a delectable sight’, sometimes he still gets antsy if they linger too long on his scars. So, you try to respect his limits while also making sure he knows he’s incredible and beautiful.

There are also beads of sweat accumulated on his bare chest and neck. Despite having just showered, his body is still overheated from Red Hood’s intense activities, you notice.

No injuries in sight tonight, thank goodness. But if there were, though, he probably wouldn’t be here. He’d still rather agonize in pain alone in his apartment than letting his medical resident girlfriend tend to him. You’re still trying to ingrain into his stubborn mind that his health will never be a disturbance to you. He will never be a disturbance to you.

Hm, though he kinda was a little bit earlier before. However, that wasn’t his fault. Nor yours, for that matter.

As if on cue, his question breaks you out of your reverie.

“Feeling better?” You nod in affirmation and he gives a sweet smile. “Good. You should eat, baby. I got you something on my way back. It’s in the kitchen.”

You mirror his smile and resume your steps to the kitchen where there’s a white medium-sized paper bag sitting on the counter.

Dismantling crime and wreaking havoc around Gotham, just to later on pick up food to appease his moody girlfriend back home.

Isn’t that so cute?

After drinking your fill of cool water, you grab the food bag, a plate – to avoid crumbs dirtying the floor – and return to the living room to eat in Jason’s company. He’s still engrossed in his book. Or rather, yours. Your small library is now his, but so is his yours. It’s an unspoken agreement.

“I didn’t know Mr. Abdul’s place stays open so late.” You say thoughtfully, munching on a falafel. Jason also got you a fattoush salad, hummus, and some pita bread. Yummy.

You’re sitting on opposite ends of the couch, legs on a pillow in his lap, while his forearms rests on top of them. He’s hunched forward in concentration on the pages in front of him.

“It doesn’t.” Without looking, Jason steals one falafel from the bag and pops it into his mouth. “I broke into his kitchen.“

You choke on a piece of pita bread. “What the f-”

“Relax. I left the money on the counter.”

“Are you fucking kidding me??” He talks about it so casually. Almost like he’s done this before. “Wait. So, the cookies from Elena’s last time…”

“Well, that one’s obvious.” Successfully blocking a pillow chucked at his face, he rushes to defend himself, “BUT I never forget to pay, so technically I’m not stealing! Only billionaires are harmed here, I swear.”

You both know which particular billionaire he has in mind.

“Right. Keep telling yourself that, Robin. Hood.” You scoff, picking up the fattoush salad box, opening its lid and picking through vegetables with a plastic fork. Jason’s mouth opens in surprise. “Pun intended, by the way.”

“Whatever.” He huffs with an eye roll, trying to conceal his amusement. To make a point, he raises the open book to his face and blocks your view of him, ignoring you completely.

As you silently chew on radishes and lettuce, you take a minute to inspect what he’s reading. It’s a considerably thick book. Zeroing in the letters of the cover, your eyes widen in shock as you swallow.

“Jason, is that—you’re reading The Capital?”

“Yeah, why?” He questions back, nonchalantly, lowering the book just past his eyes. “You think I only read fiction?”

“I guess… but I only asked because I think it’s an odd choice of reading given your night.” You explain, gathering the empty food containers, placing them inside the paper bag and setting it aside on the coffee table. “Aren’t you supposed to be tired?”

“Of fighting against oppressive systems? Absolutely.” He quips, a playful smirk on his face. “This guy just gets me, you know?”

Seeing the unimpressed look on your face, his smile dies down and he places the book down on the armrest. “I got an extra adrenaline rush while chasing Penguin’s goons this time. There were dozens of them ‘cause he was closing an important arms deal at a warehouse tonight.. Remember that time when we were watching a documentary about wolves, and it was showing how packs tend to slaughter entire flocks of sheep when they’re unable to escape from a confined space?”

“Is that your way of telling me you were in a… kill frenzy?” You swallow hard, trying not to sound too alarmed, but the distant look in his eyes accompanied by his eerie tone and word choice is unsettling. Even though you're well aware he doesn’t pose a danger to you.

Jason seldom shares the details about his gruesome Red Hood business with you. One, because he knows you already see too much violent shit while working at the hospital.

Two, he knows you worry about his safety.

Three, there’s also the fact that he’d like to keep a sense of normalcy at home.

Four, and most importantly, he believes it’s best if you don’t access his dark side, but sometimes – like right now – he’s unable to conceal it. At the end of the day, he’s only someone fighting their shadows like any other.

Although, his are evidently a bit more obscure and jarring.

There’s a pregnant pause before he finally breaks out of his trance with a shake of his head. Taking in your tense posture and concerned face, he softens his demeanor, reaching for one of your hands. One, two, three kisses delivered to the tip of your fingers and he’s pulling you to sit straddling his legs. Calloused palms start rubbing the top of your thighs in reassurance back and forth.

“Don’t worry, baby. I didn’t shoot to kill..uh, mostly.” There’s no way of telling if he’s being sincere, and, frankly, you’d rather not think about this. As usual, he’s attuned to your senses, and tries to lighten the conversation up. “Anyways, I was still feeling charged when I got back. That’s why I picked one of your brainy books to help me wind down. Since your Sociology shelf was right in my line of sight, I decided to give it a try… Oh, I just remembered I forgot to bring you my French copy of Madame Bovary again.”

“Hm, it’s fine. I’ll borrow it next time I’m at your place. But, back to my books. Why do I feel like this isn’t a first time thing? I did find some of my Sociology books misplaced a couple of weeks ago,” you complain. “Glad you’re having fun tackling dialectical materialism as a post-vigilante workout, but please make sure you put my books in order once you’re done.”

“So bossy.” He playfully tuts, adding a nip to your shoulder. Then you feel his lips trace a slow path up to your neck, leaving a slow deliberate kiss there. “And so pretty, too.”

He smiles mischievously, lips still attached to your skin, as you shudder.

Devious bastard.

Crossing your arms, you try not to blush and keep your voice steady. “I mean it, Jason.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll mind your precious organization.” He follows his promise with a chaste kiss, this time to your lips. “But seriously, you do look pretty.”

“What, out of a sudden?” You raise your eyebrows in amusement.

Jason prides himself in being a skillful liar. It often comes in handy.

But he most definitely is not the type to give empty compliments.

Especially not to the most precious person of his life.

And you’re aware of that. His eyes don’t lie.

There’s that deep candid warmth swirling within those mesmerizing irises that just captures you whole. They remind you of the ocean, colors of a fine line between blue and green, like teal. Sometimes calm and serene, sometimes agitated and raging.

One thing is sure. You’re the only person who gets to soak into the tranquil waters hidden amidst the windows of his soul.

Because you’re the only one capable of bringing them out.

“Nah, I always think that when I see your face.” Comes his reply.

At that, more kisses ensue. Obviously.

First one is yours, molding your lips to his in an instant as you try to return his incessant devotion with eagerness. He wastes no time in reciprocating, mouth slightly parting to welcome your tongue inside. It makes your head fuzzy all over. Every single fucking time. This type of intimacy took almost as long to construct as the display of his body. You’re never taking his trust for granted. Never. Soon enough, Jason discovered himself to be a great fan of kissing. You. He’s done it before with other people, sure, but it didn’t make him feel like this. Yearn like this. As if he depended on it to survive. And he might as well do. Your fingers find their way to his scalp, tangling in silky locks and pulling while trapping his lower lip between your teeth, eliciting a soft groan from him. As a result, he grips your hips harder, drawing you impossibly closer. The heat from his bare muscular chest is scorching, almost too much to bear as it seeps through your shirt – his shirt.

You two only break apart because he decides to now trail his lips downward, leaving you panting, eyes sealed shut in pleasure, as he works his mouth across every other available patch of your skin. From jaw to neck, and shoulder. And back up.

This time his ministrations are sweeter and more tender, making you melt completely into his embrace.

Finally sated, after delivering a last kiss behind your ear, he whispers softly and a little breathless, “Wanna share now why you almost bit my head off a few hours ago, hm?”

Watching your face fall when he pulls back, his heart equally drops, causing him to backtrack, “S’okay, baby. You don’t have to tell me. I’m sorry.”

You exhale shakily, glancing down to fiddle with the hems of your – his – shirt. A hand cups your cheek, and tilts your head upwards carefully, thumb brushing the soft skin back and forth. Molten blue-green irises coaxing you to relax like the gentle sway of the sea. Telling he’s trusty and willing to listen.

“No, it’s just… ugh…” He waits patiently as you gather your thoughts. “I had to deal with one of my stupid professors mansplaining to me during my presentation today. A subject that I’ve been studying for years now. I knew what I was talking about and he acted as if I didn’t, saying that I didn’t use the concepts correctly like I was a child. Some of my colleagues told me I shouldn’t take his words personally, but it fucking sucked. Still does. I hate it when people, especially men, undermine my intelligence. I just felt so frustrated, I went to the bathroom and cried when the presentation ended. And to top it off, I got a miserable headache on the way home. So yeah, that’s why I was in such a shitty mood tonight. I’m sorry I took it out on you…”

While describing what happened and venting about your feelings, you barely registered the way his arms tensed around you or how a muscle in his jaw ticked. There’s really no mistaking the look on his face now. The dark stormy blue that has replaced the soothing sea green. “Jason, no. Promise me you won’t do anything stupid.”

“He upset you.” Your boyfriend states in a clipped tone. “He made you cry.”

“No matter how tempting, you can’t just fuck up every single guy that gets on my nerves.”

“I beg to differ.”

“Jace.” You beg, exasperated. “Please. That’s not what I need right now, okay? He was being an asshole, yes, but the academy, and the whole world, is crowded with them unfortunately. Most of the time, I can handle it just fine. But, today was different. I’ve been preparing for my presentation for days, so he caught me by surprise with his arrogance and my anxiety kinda escalated, I guess. What I mean is I didn’t tell you this because I wanted you to avenge me. I just want to be understood. Can’t you do that for me?” The sight of tears filling your wide eyes dilute his outrage instantly. You’re engulfed in a tight comforting hug.

“Of course, baby. I’ll never feel the same as you ‘cause I’m not a woman, but you must know I’m here for you and I’m sorry you had to deal with this.” He offers, sympathetically, before something darker twists his features again. “I won’t lie to you, though. It’d be easy for me to rip that fucking bastard’s tongue—”

“Jason.”

“—and feed it to his mouth until he chokes—”

“Jason.”

He puts a finger to your mouth to silence you, just to pull back immediately before it gets bitten off.

“—but I won’t do that.” Not today at least, he keeps this last part to himself. “My point is a brilliant woman like you will always be a threat to insecure fuckers like him. Bet he’s just jealous he’ll never shine as bright as you do.”

You throw your arms around his neck, burying your face in it with a sniffle. “I love you.”

“I love you too. A lot.” Nuzzling into your hair, he inhales the soft scent of jasmine shampoo. “Feeling okay?”

“Yes. Thank you.” You really are. But, then, you sigh wistfully. “I’m thinking if I were an Amazon, it’d probably be easier to deal with this type of situation.”

“How so?” He tilts his head, confused.

“You know… I’d be strong, powerful... intimidating. Stuff like that.”

“You already wield your intellect like the sharpest blade I’ve ever seen. Your words are eloquent and sharp when you stick up for what you believe. Not to mention the way you carry yourself with confidence even when you’re in a room filled with strangers.” He tucks a lock of hair behind your ear, speaking earnestly. “Trust me, sweetheart. You don’t need to be an Amazon when you’re already a goddess.”

“That’s… wow… I wasn’t expecting that.” The butterflies are throwing a fucking rave in your stomach. You just can’t stop grinning, so you playfully hit his shoulder. “Never knew you could be so sappy.”

He catches your wrist delicately, not missing the opportunity to turn it and plant his lips on your knuckles.

“That’s all on you. You turned me into this.” He claims, placing your open palm over his heart, and holding it there. It’s beating quite rapidly. Like yours is. “Take responsibility, woman.”

“Fine,” you concede with a playful eye roll. Guilty as charged, your honor. “But, seriously, thank you. Your words mean a lot.”

“You mean a lot to me. Don’t ever forget that.” One, two, three pecks to his lips. You discover you really love kissing him as well.

Suddenly, he’s covering his mouth with a yawn. Outside, Gotham’s black heaven is starting to get tinged with pink and yellow, announcing the sun’s impending arrival. Soon the streets around your building will have people going out about their day. Unbeknownst to them, one of the guys responsible for their safety sleeps tucked in your bed right around the corner.

“We should probably sleep.” Jason begins, effortlessly getting up in a swift motion while still holding onto you. Your legs wrap around his waist as he walks you two to the bedroom. “I already lost way more brain cells than intended. Gotta save some for Mary Wollstonecraft tomorrow.”

“You’re such a dork.”

“And you need to get woke,” he taunts.

“These are my books!” You counter, indignantly.

“Ours. Don’t be so individualistic, baby. That’s why capitalism—” Not letting him finish, you jump off his arms and go into the bathroom as he trails behind like a lost puppy.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it, comrade Red Hood. Now shut your revolutionary mouth, and let’s get ready for bed.”

thanks for reading, and please reblog if you enjoyed it <33

feel free to share your thoughts, i'd love to hear them!

this is where i got the dividers

#this is totally self-indulgent btw #jason todd fanfic #jason todd x reader #jason todd fluff #jason todd x you #jason todd imagine #red hood imagine #dc fanfic #jason todd x y/n #dc imagine #red hood fanfiction #jason todd loves his gf #red hood x reader #dc x reader #dc x you #dc fanfiction

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child-of-the-danube · 7 months ago

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Agatha All Along in general but especially Agatha and Rio are so fucking special to me and I cannot be normal about this...

We are finally not being queer-baited. Whether they seal it with a kiss or a flashback scene or a happy ending it doesn't matter. We have confirmation that those two women were and still are deeply in love.

It's two mature women. No weird age gap, no mentor-pupil dynamic, no disproportionate power play. I find coming out and setting into your queerness stories incredibly important but it is so refreshing to see a story where the discovery and accepting that you're queer isn't the focal point. They just are who they are and neither them nor the people around them had a big dramatic reaction to it like it's something strange or unexpected. They just ARE and my god is that beautiful to witness ❤️

Their softness, connection and care for eachother is so heartbreaking. Agatha smiling and leaning into Rio when talking about her scar cause Rio already knows, Agatha melting just by having her hair played with, Rio refusing the kiss cause that would be taking advantage of Agatha's weak moment, making sure she knows that Teen isn't her son, Rio regretting what she had to do for centuries. I am losing my mind over here

The whole cast is mature women (well, + Joe haha) which again, refreshing as hell to see. And I love how the focus isn't just completely on Agatha. We get constant glimpses into everyone. Jen saved the day twice already. Alice had her beautiful moment in e4, Teen is basically their spirit guide with his spell book. Adore that lil funky boy Agatha technically kidnapped but whom she very obviously cares for more than she would like to. Lilia is my favourite of this new found coven family. Her and Agatha are the oldest and have seen the most and suffered through so much. I think that's why she softened up to Agatha and vice versa. Beside Teen, Agatha seems to be the softest towards Lilia like when she had her hallucinations and she didn't mock her but reassured her it's ok and Lilia's constant blurting out of prophecies like "Protect Agatha" 😭😭. I could go on for ages about all of their dynamics.

And everything about the production and the actors themselves being SOOO invested into the story and clearly loving what they do.

I don't give a shit about Marvel in general but damn, they got me with this one. Canonically gay witches, Kathryn Hahn and Aubrey Plaza, musical numbers and then they throw in miss icon legend mother Patti Lupone on top of it all. I am in every possible way the target audience

The talk about how witches, monsters and in general creatures feared by the wider population are so very deeply queer coded is for another day but AAAAAAAAAAA I love everything about this show so much I might just explode

#agatha all along #agatha harkness #kathryn hahn #joe locke #aubrey plaza #rio vidal #agathario #agatha x rio #lilia calderu #patti lupone #jennifer kale #sasheer zamata #alice wu gulliver #ali ahn #mrs heart #sharon davis #debra jo rupp

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mischievousmoony · 8 months ago

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hi, ok i have another idea for a fic which again totally up to you to write!! but i had an idea with dad!james and r where their kid is like equally obsessed with their mum as james is with r and one day james decides to prank their kid by saying something bad about the r while their kid is present and the baby just goes off. i feel like you would do an amazing job with this! feel free to ignore too. have a perfectly splendid day!!

-🪷

"the baby just goes off" painted a hilarious picture of an infant yelling at his dad in my mind lmao. ty for the request this warmed my heart to write + special thanks to @moonpascal for chatting a little about kids, gave me the reassurance & inspiration i needed

𝚋𝚞𝚒𝚕𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚜

⟢ dad!james potter x fem!reader ⊹ 1.1k ⟢ warnings/tags: fluff, dad/husband!james, mom/wife!reader, no use of y/n, no name for the son, idk how to write a child's dialogue tbh son's supposed to sound 4 years old

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

James gladly goes out of his way to mention to anyone who will listen that his little one is unmistakably a Mummy's boy. From family to friends to the poor souls who bag his groceries, James will talk the ear off of anyone he can.

He finds it to be the most endearing thing in the world— the way that your son is as obsessed with you as James is. Always staying close and clinging to you, touching affection radiating from every hug and smile.

Today, as he watches his son run back and forth across the carpet, handing his mother block after block just to see her face light up after each gift, his awe and admiration are insurmountable.

Last night, James surprised you with a pair of earrings that you have been wishing for. When your face lit up upon receiving the little leatherette box, so did your son's. He didn't quite understand why you were so excited about some cube, but since then he's been trying to replicate your excitement with presents of his own.

"Oh my! Another one! Thank you, buddy," you beam, you're gratefulness and delight unwavering as he hands you the sixth block.

Your son giggles, bouncing in his spot as you inspect each side of the little wooden toy, telling him how much you adore the blue penguin painted on one of its faces.

That's another thing that touches James' heart: the tender nurture and care that you bestow upon your son with such unwavering devotion and warmth. It has James convinced that you must be the best mum in the entire world.

He might just melt at the sight of you now, kneeling happily in front of a growing pile of blocks as your son scurries back and forth, adding to your collection. James sits cross-legged to your right, resting his elbow on his knee and laying his head in his hand, watching the two he loves most in the world with hearts in his eyes.

You gasp, as if surprised when handed block number seven. "Oh, this is my favorite one yet. How did you know I love zebras?" you ask, your thumb tracing over the red acrylic paint on the side of the block.

By the time you have twelve, nearly half of his collection, you say, "I have a lot of blocks here, buddy, do you want to give some to Daddy?"

"No!" your son protests immediately, running off to his toy box for the thirteenth time.

You and James both chuckle, exchanging amused glances. Finding your son's reaction hilarious, James’s mischievous side has him dreaming up new ways to push his buttons. Your son thinks the world of you, and James is curious to see what the little guy will do if he claims otherwise.

"Well, what am I gonna do with all of this? Should I..."

You leave your son in suspense for a moment, and his hands hover over his toy box as looks at you, hanging onto your every word in anticipation.

"...build a castle!?"

“Yeah!” your son cheers, scooping three more blocks into his arms, thrilled to supply the bricks for your castle.

James nudges you, a sign of his upcoming playfulness. “You sure about that, bud? Mummy is absolutely rotten at building castles.”

Halfway across the carpet, your son stops in his tracks, glaring at his father as he tries to keep his blocks from falling out of his arms.

Stifling a laugh, you press your fingertips to your lips. By now, you’re used to James’ bursts of mischief, and you’re more than happy to sit back and let them play out. Unless you’re an active participant, of course.

You muster up a scandalized gasp as he reaches for your mountain of presents, claiming three blocks in one hand.

“No!” your little one complains, rushing to drop his three in your lap to replace the ones that James stole, “those are Mummy’s!”

“You sure Mummy deserves all these blocks?” James asks, starting to stack them into a tower, “You watch, I’ll build a castle that’ll make her’s look like rubbish.”

Your son hastily makes his way over to his dad, both arms extended as he collides with the tower and sends the blocks flying. "Stop it," he says as he scoops up the nearest block and runs it back over to you, shouting, "Mummy's castles are the best!"

He climbs into your lap, clutching onto the toy tightly as one of your arms wraps around him, and you feel your heart start to melt as you rub soothing circles into his back. You look over your son's head, your eyes sparkling with affection as you meet your husband's tender gaze.

Not having the heart to mess with him for very long, James concedes, "You're right, I'm not being very nice, am I?"

"Nuh-uh!" your son replies, shaking his head with exaggeratedly vigor, the curls he gets from his dad bouncing about.

"What can I do to make it up to her?" James asks, turning the ordeal into a subtle lesson as he dramatically feigns sorrow and despair over his actions.

"'Pologize," your son commands, his head swiveling to look at James expectantly over his shoulder.

James puts on his most sheepish, apologetic smile, looking from his son to you. "I'm very sorry. He's right, your castles are the best. Can you forgive me, love?"

"Aw, of course I forgive you," you say warmly, your amusement manifesting as a wide smile. You lean back so you can get a good view of your son's face when you tell him, "You know, I bet what Daddy really wants is to build a castle with us. I love your presents, bud, but we don't want to leave Daddy out do we?"

He looks down at the block in his little hand. "No," he replies shyly.

"So why don't you ask him to build a castle with us?" You give him a pat on the back before releasing him from your arms. "Go on," you coax.

He steps closer to James, holding the block close to his chest. "We can all build a castle," he offers.

"Yeah?" James' face lights up, and it's not for show. Genuine joy takes over his features as he ruffles your son's hair, responding, "I'd love nothing more, little man."

"But you have to be nice to Mummy!" he demands, his little voice firm and earnest as he looks up at James with wide, serious eyes.

"I promise, I will be on my best behavior," James assures him, his voice sincere as he gives a playful salute. That's enough for your son, because he finally awards James with his very first block, which he accepts with pride.

"Good!" your son cheers, already moving on to the pile of blocks to start stacking them as he proclaims, "Mummy is the best, and we have to show it!"

Your lips part as you suck in a breath, a quiet gasp. Receiving your son's affection never fails to make your heart swell.

You don't feel James' eyes on you, but he's watching— admiring, more like, as he takes in the way that you soften at your son's sweet words. A smitten smile plays at his lips as he agrees, "She is the best, isn't she?"

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

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entitled-fangirl · 9 months ago

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I promise everything.

Cregan Stark x Targaryen!wife!reader

Summary: the two have been married for months. When attending Aegon and Helaena’s wedding, the reader becomes self conscious on why they don’t have children yet.

Warnings: talks of sex

Masterlist

………………………………

Cregan cracked open the door slowly as he walked in, "My love, are you…"

His question died off from his lips as his eyes took in what laid in the room.

His wife, the younger twin of Aegon II, stood tall as her handmaiden finished tying the dress she wore. A noble blue hue to it, a perfect symbol of house Stark at a Targaryen wedding. The color did something to him inside.

She managed eye contact with him through the mirror and frowned, "Am I what?"

He bit his lip for a moment with a furrowed brow before doing a small shrug, "Uh. It's alright. Take your time."

She smiled and let out a soft laugh.

The handmaiden was soon finished and excused herself.

Y/n turned around to finally look fully at Cregan. Her eyes moved up and down his body, "You look rather dashing."

Now far from the north, Cregan had to abandon his fur cloak, leaving him in his dark tunic, blue surcoat and the Wolf sigil embroidered across the chest. Now his broad shoulders were quite displayed, as well as his fit physique that was usually up to imagination. He smiled at her, "And you…"

Her brows pulled together for just a moment, "What?" She turned to the mirror, "Is something amiss?"

He quickly held his hands up to reassure her, "No, my dear. I only meant that… I… I am utterly speechless is all."

She looked back to him with a grin, "Ah. And here I thought you wouldn't like it."

"You believed I wouldn't?" He asked as he rested his hands on her hips. "How could I not enjoy the sight of my wife dressed as a wolf in the midst of dragons?"

She chuckled as her hands moved to his chest, "I am entirely a wolf now, Cregan."

He grinned widely, "That's the best part." He leaned in a trailed kisses down her jaw, "Perhaps I'll get to enjoy you dressed in nothing by the end of the night."

…

Due to the convenience of having the two Targaryen siblings marrying themselves, the entire family fit at the high table, Y/n and Cregan towards the end.

Next to her younger brother Aemond, the two quiet siblings whispered to one another in discussion, including Cregan when he wasn't distracted by the over-the-top atmosphere.

Aemond was a fair brother to her, closer now during this age than her own twin or sister had ever been. "I suppose you're now stuck horse-riding without me around?"

The two had once shared in their lack of dragon. When Aemond claimed Vhagar, he made a vow to not abandon his sister so quickly in her endeavors, letting her ride Vhagar with him when she had needed outside of the keep.

The North had nothing of the sort, and leaving had been hard.

She nodded, "Yes, but Cregan gifted me the most wonderful horse. We ride quite often, weather permitting."

Aemond hummed, "You'll have to take a break from riding soon, I'd wager."

She frowned, "Why ever would I do that?"

"It's not healthy to do while with child."

"Well," she bit back sarcasm, "I am not with child. I have time."

"You've been married for nearly eleven moons. Most are with child by the third."

"I am not most, am I, brother?"

Noticing her bitter tone, he hummed and changed topics. He leaned over to look to Cregan, "My lord, do tell me what horse you've gifted my sister."

Cregan's expression immediately brightened at the topic of something he knew quite well, "A fjord horse. Not a runner by any means but a reliable one when…"

She zoned out from there, staring absent-mindedly at the dance floor.

Perhaps Aemond was right. Should she be with child by now?

Had she done something wrong? What if she was unable to have children? Would Cregan abandon her?

She looked to Aegon and Helaena dancing. Smiling at one another.

What if her own siblings had children before she did? How weak of a Targaryen does that make her?

"Admiring the dancing?" Cregan's voice suddenly murmured near her.

She turned her head to him, seeing his worried expression studying her.

How long had their conversation been over and she'd just been staring off in the distance?

"Is everything alright, my girl?"

She smoothed a hair back behind her ear, "I'm only lost in thought is all."

He grunted in acknowledgement. "A dangerous place to be." He tilted his head, "Wanna talk about it?'

"Not really."

He nodded but made no motion to move. He knew her quite well by now and knew she would soon-

"Why am I not with child?"

He knew she'd state her thoughts, but he didn't consider it to be that one. He frowned, "I don't suppose I have an answer."

She leaned back as the next song started, "Do you think less of me for it?"

His head tilted again like a dog hearing an uncomfortable tone, "Do I… No. No, I do not."

"I just don't understand why then."

"Darling, the gods will grant a child to us when they deem the time fit. Please do not let a thought like this ruin the celebration."

She nodded and sniffled lightly, pushing back the tears in her waterline. "You're right. What a foolish thing to stress over."

He let out a content sigh, happy with her answer. When silence loomed over the two, he watched Aegon and Helaena dance. A thought popped into the Northerner's head, and he leaned towards her again, "Perhaps we can imagine no time has passed at all."

Her face turned contemplative, "How so?"

"Perhaps," he whispered, "Tonight can be just like our wedding night."

"I'm listening."

But Cregan Stark is a man of action. He stood abruptly and held out his hand. "May I have the honor of a dance with my perfect wife?"

She grinned, trying to ignore the stares of her family and the people. She whispered, "You hate to dance."

"Aye, but I love to please you more."

Her cheeks flushed, but she took his hand and let him lead her to the floor as the next song started.

As a high lord, Cregan had been taught all of the dances. But he was no real dancer. He preferred the dance of battle than one in a ballroom. How he managed to get by for one and twenty years with only a single dance with his wife, he's unsure of. He only hoped not to embarrass her this second time.

His steps were heavy compared to her light ones. His moves, though carefully calculated, were clumsy compared to her precise ones done without a second thought. His eyes had to double check every step and move. He was sure she did it with her eyes closed.

Though nervous, a smile was plain and broad across his features.

She could feel his nerves radiate off of him in comforting waves, a reassurance to her that he would face his greatest fears for her. Not dragon fire. A dance floor. And he did so happily.

When the dance finished, he couldn't stop himself and planted a heavy kiss to her lips. He didn't care who saw. This was his wife. She was his, and he was hers.

"Let us retire," she panted against his lips.

His grin continued. "Yes, my lady."

…

Once away from the crowd, their lips moved in tandem, pausing against various pillars and walls to breathe each other in.

"Please put a child in me, Cregan."

He let out a loud groan against her lips at her words. "I will," he whispered.

He tried to move his mouth back to hers and she pulled hers away, making him chase hers. He let out a breathy plea, "I will."

Her fingers came up, her thumb brushing over his bottom lip, "Promise me?"

"I promise. I'll do whatever it takes, my girl. I'll give you a baby, I promise." He leaned in, only to be denied her again. His voice softened, "I promise everything."

She leaned in just a bit, "Take me like you did on our wedding night."

He picked her up, slamming their chamber door behind him.

…

Needless to say, about nine months later, a babe laid in Cregan's arms as he sat next to his exhausted wife.

There never was a Stark who forgot an oath.

………………………………….

Cregan Stark taglist: @misswynters, @cosmosnkaz, @sithapprentice, @kaniromi, @lovemesomevesey, @its-jackie-bb, @callsignwidow, @8812-342, @nyxbranwenn, @thorins-queen-of-erebor

#fanfiction #game of thrones x reader #game of thrones x y/n #house of the dragon fanfiction #game of thrones fanfiction #game of thrones imagine #cregan stark x reader #house of the dragon #cregan stark x you #cregan stark #cregan stark x female reader #cregan stark x y/n #cregan stark fanfic #cregan x reader #creagan stark #cregan stark imagine #cregan stark x targaryen!reader

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777heavengirl · 3 months ago

Text

kitchen

remus lupin x reader one-shot ! warnings: my beta reader rated it 12/10 angst, do with that what you will. word count: 2,889 masterlist a/n: this is so sad. this is rlly just me partly reflecting my break up onto Remus i AM SO SORRY IN ADVANCE.

You stared at the side of Remus’s face as he talked with James. Your brother ever the animated man, waved his arms around and spoke excitedly, to which Remus could only muster small chuckles and low-toned responses.

You knew he was tired.

Work was tiring.

The moon was tiring.

His body was tired.

Part of you was still left with a bitter aftertaste from his apathy. You pressed a kiss against his bicep.

Remus’s lips pressed into a thin line resembling a smile. You knew it meant he was itching to leave. But you didn’t move. You sat, and stared, at him, at James, at Lily. At nothing at all. You laughed when they did, and put your hand on his forearm as to remind yourself of the spark between you. To remind yourself that he was here, with you and that he loved you.

That you loved him too.

You wondered if he had always been this way. Had you just been too in love to notice the apathy? The way he seemed to not even try to reciprocate any energy? Were you just being too needy?

Was James not bothered by his friend’s lack of emotion?

You and Remus had too much history. You could not remember what life was like without being with him. It had been years. Years of running up and down behind your twin brother and his friends, years of hands intertwined with Remus’s, kisses first shared in the dark— Merlin forbid your brother found out at the time. You had been happy. For years. Even with the ups and downs and the mercurial nature of his moods. Maybe lunar is a better word for it.

The waning and waxing phases of the way he felt about the world. You thought that might be the hardest part of it all.

The way he’d be enthusiastic about the future one week, talking about job postings that had piqued his interest, talking about a future. But other weeks, the dark side of the moon reared its ugly head. He’d be riddled with doubts and fears. Days and weeks were he simply wallowed, days where he haunted your room or your kitchen, for hours. He’d reluctantly go to his muggle job, the monotony of it all bringing his mood down even more.

Weeks like those it was hard. The talks of aspirations went up in a cloud of smoke and you were once again left with nothing.

He always did say that even though he wasn't sure what he wanted to do, he was sure about you. That you were the one constant in his future. No matter what, it was you. It wasn’t as reassuring as he believed it to be.

You tried not to think about it.

You eventually bid goodbye to your brother and his darling wife. The picture of a perfect family, with a baby on the way, in a small flowering cottage. You itched to ask Remus if he ever wanted that. Did he ever think about it at all?

But, you loved him. That was all that mattered.

Besides, you had real history. Too many years invested. If it wasn’t with him, you were probably just going to end up alone.

You were in love with him for Godric’s sake. Maybe that was the reason you could never choose yourself.

“Have you given what we talked about some thought?” your words were barely above a whisper, unsure, scared about what his answer could be. You could see him look around uncomfortably. Maybe you should’ve waited until you actually got home not walking through the streets.

“Y-yeah, I did…” his hand gripped yours tighter as you walked, like you might slip from his fingers “I think I should maybe wait a few weeks…” his shoulders tensed when the sigh inevitably left your lips. “I’m sorry I know it isn't what you wanted to hear but- I don't know if the Ministry would even take me… I did see a new posting for an entry-level in the department of magical creatures maybe I could apply”

“Apply soon yeah”

He nodded silently and you kissed his shoulder to wordlessly tell him thank you, as you walked home from James and Lily’s. Maybe he’d actually do it this time. Maybe one day, he’d see his own potential, he’d see how much farther he could go.

Maybe someday he’d be brave enough to take a leap and fulfill his promises to you and himself. Maybe one day you’d finally be in a spot to build a family together. Or at least plan for it.

After all, you and Remus had real history. And he promised. Many moons ago.

Your love for him was why it was always so hard to do the right thing.

Because as soon there was some disagreement, you knew, as much as he did, that no matter how upset you might be with him he could sweep you into his arms and all worry would melt away.

In the small flat, you and Remus shared, under the warm light of the stray table lamp you’d dance. He’d take you in his arms and move along the soft rhythm of the music he’d put on. He’d kiss your temple and swear and promise.

Shallow words that at this point went in one ear and out the other. Promises of a future together, of applications that would never get done, of steps that would never even be attempted.

But nevertheless, you forgave.

You forgave four years of broken promises. You forgave the lack of a ring on your finger. You forgave the lack of planning for the future. You forgave his indifference.

You made yourself think you forgave him.

You tried to forget too.

Tried to forget his lack of ambition because why try when they would never want to hire someone like me? Tried to forget the way your mother had warned you about this a year back. Tried to forget the way Sirius called your phone last month from France, telling you you’d love it there, telling you it was a shame Remus didn’t want to go. How much of a shame it was that you had to miss out on life-changing experiences because Remus couldn't.

Wouldn’t.

Same thing.

Sirius called again a few days after you visited your brother.

“Is it raining there? The weather’s shit here at the moment” You ask, staring at the window, the raging storm outside banging against the glass and drowning the usual sight of the street bellow.

“Meh- could be worse, I reckon it’s starting to warm up soon, so m’pretty excited about that,” He said, you hummed in acknowledgment “Have you talked to Moony again about coming? It really is beautiful in the summer doll— besides you can stay with me for free obviously”

You sighed

“No Sirius, I honestly don't even want to ask I already know how that one will go”

“So what? you’re not vacationing at all?”

“The only place I’m vacationing is in rock bottom Black-” you said, staring at the closed bedroom door. No doubt Remus was taking a small nap. The full moon was approaching.

Sirius tskd’d.

“You know you can always come… by yourself I mean, stay with me for a while”

“Sirius…”

“I know I know… I’m sorry-” Sirius tried laughing it off, the chuckle not lasting long as he asked, “Are you happy at least? With him.”

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to say to that” You tried fighting the way your eyes seemed to immediately water.

“I fear it’s a pretty straight-up question- yes or no?”

“I don’t know if this is what happy is anymore” you whispered, afraid to state it fully aloud

“Then it isn't. When you’re happy, you know” Sirius sounded somber “You have to do the right thing, whatever is right for you not for him”

“It is never that easy”

“Yes, it is doll. It is always that easy”

You bid him goodbye soon after.

You chalked it off as Sirius not knowing what it was like to be with someone for years. You couldn’t just throw away the past four years of your life just because what? He was tired? He wasn’t putting as much effort as you wanted?

It could be fixed.

You were convinced you’d fix it as Remus trudged out of the room, hair disheveled as he rested his head on your shoulder. A kiss to the crook of your neck.

“Was it Pads?” he mumbled against your skin, you ignored the way you felt caught

“Yes”

“Is he okay?”

“Yes, better than okay”

“I wish we could go to Paris” you tried not breaking down in tears right there and there.

It was never about money. You could go on brooms for fucks sake. You could portkey right into Sirius’s little French apartment.

You didn't ask him why not. Why not go? You drowned the question in the tea he eventually handed you. You had always been more of a coffee person, but much like everything else, you sacrificed it for his preference for tea and its calming effects.

You tried your best to fix it, for months. You’d lay down with him after work, card your fingers through his light brown locks, trace his scars while he fought off sleep, press a chaste kiss to his lips before he fell asleep.

You started calling Sirius more often than not, in hushed whispers. Tears were often spilled. You stopped feeling bad eventually. It was just calling a friend in a time of need. Draining the disappointment you didn't dare throw in Remus’s face.

He was going through enough.

You continued to hold on to hope.

You’d nudge him along. Try for new jobs, call friends to see if anyone, anyone at all, could find him an in with the ministry.

“He just needs to apply sweetie- this is stupid” Marlene rolled her eyes, her auror uniform casually unbuttoned after her day of work, she twirled the spoon in her tea with a small wave of her finger. “They’re starting these werewolf allocation programs, they make sure they’re given jobs and such…”

“I don't know if he’d like that” You groaned, dropping your face into your hands. You could imagine him already, turning his nose away from any sort of Ministry help.

“Can I ask why he isn’t the one asking me these things?” Marlene said a glint in her eye that let you know she knew the answer already. You looked away.

“Sometimes it's hard to do the right thing Marls”

“You need to do the right thing for yourself”

“Marlene-” you scoffed “Me and Remus just have too much history- how can I ever just choose me? It’s us”

“Maybe it’s time it’s just you”

You stared at Remus that night, the soft music that played from his muggle radio filling the air between you. You stared at him silently, the curve of his lips, the soft of the apples of his cheeks. The silvery scars that ran across his face.

You loved him, you did.

But you also did feel the very worst you could feel. No dancing in the kitchen could fix it anymore. No kisses and fake promises could fix it. Not anymore.

As soft as he made you feel, as much history as you had together. You couldn't help the overwhelming need to cry every time you looked at him.

What the hell was he even doing? What were you doing?

Any plans you had dreamed of with him were now very quickly crumbling in front of your eyes. He continued to silently make tea. You hoped he wouldn't notice the stray tears that managed to escape your eyes.

You and Remus had what your brother always called real history. He just meant it was deeply engrained, in your bones, in your heart. He said it poignantly last time you popped in for a visit. His tone didn’t fail to chip at your heart.

Your years together weren’t something you could erase. Not that you wanted to.

You were happy with him. Right? You loved him.

Maybe if you just gave him more time. You had graduated Hogwarts a mere two years ago.

He had always been more than good to you. Even at your lowest. Even at his lowest. He was nothing but gentle and loving.

Maybe. Sometimes, love wasn't enough.

You didn’t say anything as he finished cleaning up the kitchen. He kissed your temple goodnight. You stayed up, staring at the phone line debating on calling Sirius, again.

“I just don’t know what I should do…” you leaned against the wet metal railing of your balcony, the drops seeping into your pajama pants. You grabbed the base of the phone with one hand, the other holding the receiver up to your ear

“I don’t know why you’re asking me angel, you already know what my answer is going to be”

“Don’t be mean Sirius” he could hear the pout in your voice, and he laughed

“I’m not- you know I love Moony, we’ve been friends for ages but…”

“But?”

“I love you more” You didn’t respond. “And I think you need to love yourself more than you love him too” You could hear him inhale what you guessed was a cigarette

You hummed in acknowledgment, not daring to open your mouth at the fear that sobs would break your words.

“Don’t wear yourself out for someone that isn’t doing the same for you…”

“That’s unfair… he does”

“He forgot a card for your anniversary”

“It was a few days after the full moon…”

“Okay, what about your birthday? Or Christmas for that matter? What? D’you think I’d forget how you called crying? Every single one of those times” He said, you could feel your lip wobbling. “Come to Paris with me-”

“Sirius-”

“Just think about it okay? Promise me you’ll at least do that…”

“Okay, I will—”

“Right… ‘night love,” he said, you muttered a small goodnight “and for the record…” He hesitated for a second, almost as if he shouldn’t say it. Sirius was never one to stay quiet, he did this time. “Nevermind, I love you”

“Love you too Sirius” you answered, head hanging in defeat. The phone call clicked off.

It really wasn’t about Sirius you thought, as you guiltily crawled into bed with your boyfriend. Not about France either. You stared at his sleeping form.

It wasn’t about your and Remus’s history. It didn’t matter how long you had been together if there was no future.

It wasn’t about what your brother or Marlene, or even your mother thought.

It was about choosing you.

Right?

“Remus” you padded over and stood next to the small dining table that morning.

“Yes?” He didn’t look up from his book, a bad habit he had picked up. He was never truly listening when he did that

“Remus have you applied to the job at the Ministry?”

“Mhm? Ministry…” he still didn’t look up, he took a sip of his tea “No I haven't yet, I’ll get around to it though, I just want to take my time with it you know?”

“Its an application how long can it take?” you could feel yourself start getting angry, and you looked away from him. Not that he had looked up to look you in the eyes anyway.

“I just want to give myself the best chance to get in.” he finally looked up from his book, an exasperated look on his face. You refused to meet his eyes “What's wrong with that?”

“You’ve been saying the same thing for ages Remus”

“We’ll I have other things going on— just because you have different ideas about what my progress should look like doesn't mean I’m not doing anything you know? Because I do, I do a lot actually” He said, staring at you as if daring you to deny that he did anything.

Of course, he worked hard. You could never refute tthat. He moved his eyes down to his book.

You bit your tongue for a second, but the words slipped out nevertheless.

“Remus I don't think we can be together anymore”

“What?” the tone in his voice was nothing short of heartbroken. He searched your face for anything. Any hint that you weren't serious. “No”

Godric it was so hard to do the right thing.

“I don’t think we are on the same page anymore, you say things, you promise but…” you rubbed your temple, you could feel a headache coming “None of those promises ever come true” you sighed, finally looking at him

His eyes were rimmed red.

“You’re right,” he said, defeated, breathless.

“If you know I’m right why didn’t you just do it? I have never asked you for anything else, just for you to apply for yourself Remus, because you had said it was what you wanted”

You and Remus stared at each other. A blank look on his face as he looked at you, his nose red and tears threatening to streak down his cheeks.

“Can you say something? Anything? Why didn’t you just do it?”

“I don’t know”

“You never know Remus, but I do and I refuse to wait for you to figure it out anymore”

permanent tag ; @laufeysvalentine @heyyyloverr

let me know if you want to be added onto the permanent tag list ! also please check out my new series bless the telephone if you haven't already! MWAH thank you for reading <3

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insomniadreamzz · 4 months ago

Note

Hey, how are you? I wanted to request G!P Jinx x Reader. Imagine that the reader is Jinx's girlfriend and they have unprotected sex and then Jinx gets the reader pregnant? Something like the reader being afraid to tell Jinx and she freaks out about it and stuff like that… Could there also be smut at the end and fluff too? Please, I've never seen that around here 😮‍💨

Helloo! Thank you I am perfectly fine. Today is my birthday and I am actually busy but I LOVE this request so I had to write it down today 👀

———

My everything

G!P Jinx x Fem!Reader

Smut, mentions of pregnancy, fluff

The last days you felt kinda off, your emotions were like a rollercoaster and you got more sensitive. Jinx realised this too, making her feel a little worried about you. Since she had mental issues herself, she always questioned if she did something wrong, making the situation between you both get a little more complicated.

„Is everything okay my love? It’s your third plate of food today. I don’t mind it at all but…I am worried if something is bothering you. You know you can tell me anything right? You do trust me do you?“ Jinx asked as you were about to finish your food, your gaze moving up to look at her, a little smile on your face. „Of course I do trust you. You are my girlfriend after all. I just feel more hungry than usual these days, nothing to worry about.“ You tried to reassure her but she felt something was still off.

The next days your behavior went on, you also felt nauseous out of nowhere which made you realise that you might be pregnant. Last time you and Jinx got intimate you didn’t use protection which was a little silly of both of you but to be honest you didn’t really realise she would get you pregnant that fast. Whatever…if it was true and you carried her child, how to tell her? You suddenly worried about her reaction, close to panic but before your mind will make you freak out you decided to make a test first and then you will have to figure something out.

Thankfully Jinx wasn’t in her hideout today, she went out to probably blow something up again. You always had to worry about her when she wasn’t around but right now you were glad she wasn’t home so you could do the test without her knowing and just how you thought, it was positive. „Fuck…“ You cursed under your breath, feeling a little overwhelmed. Of course you were happy since having a family with your girlfriend was your biggest dream. But so sudden? It just made you think about a lot of stuff like are you even ready for it? Is Jinx ready for it? Will she be happy? Or will she be upset? You didn’t know since you never talked about that topic before.

One thing was clear. You had to tell her. Jinx already blamed herself for not treating you right anymore to explain your behavior. You noticed her anxiety getting worse these days but now you had a valid explanation for your latest behavior. Maybe that would calm her down and stop blaming herself?

There was not much time of thinking about how to explain to Jinx as you heard her walking into the hideout, a happy smile on her face as she catched your sight, you quickly hiding the test behind your back, wishing you already removed it and didn’t stare at it all the time while having a little discussion with your own mind about the result. „Hey toots!!“ She said with her usual wuirky behaviour you loved so much but she did notice you hid something behind your back. „What ya hiding there?“ She asked and you began to blush deeply, not being able to find the right words or to speak at all. „I-…“ You started but she cut you off by snatching it out of your hand. Why did you hide it anyways? You knew Jinx was too fast for you to even react when she tried to get it out your hands.

Her eyes widened when she saw what you were hiding, not knowing how to react. You bit down on your own lower lip, feeling nervous, scared she would be upset. „You are…“ She started, looking into your eyes with a soft gaze, you only nod in response which was enough for the blue haired girl to freak out but in a positive way. „Oh my god! My girl is pregnant!“ She squealed, being all jumpy and giggly, talking to herself about all the things she wants to do and build as she paced around the hideout before she stopped right in front of you, placing a lot of soft kisses on your lips. „I love you so much!“ She said in between the kisses before pulling back to look into your eyes again, you felt so relieved. „Jinx…are you happy?“ You asked just in case as if her reaction wasn’t enough. „Are you kidding me?! I am! I am the happiest my love!“ She reassured you, taking your hands in hers as she gently rubbed them with her thumbs. „I-I know I am chaotic and I know the things I do are weird and dangerous, making me question if I can do this right but…but I want it! I wanna take care of you both and make sure you will always feel loved.“

Her words made you feel so soft. You didn’t expect her to be this passionate about that topic but you loved it. You loved her. Her eyes got a little watery, the more she realised it, the more emotional she got. „I-I thought I did something wrong. I thought you stopped loving me but…but the real reason you behaved like this…it’s such a beautiful reason.“ Jinx voice was very soft and a little shaky as she let tears of happiness run down her cheeks and so did you. You couldn’t hold back your own emotions anymore as well, feeling so happy as well that she wasn’t upset about it. „I could never stop loving you…how could you even think that?“ You asked but in return she just kissed you again, this time more deeper and passionately as she made you lay down on your back. Right now she just wanted to feel you and give you her love, her tongue moving inside your mouth, making you gasp softly in return.

Both of you felt aroused by the deep kissing, your hormones being all over the place made you feel hornier than usual so it was obvious you wanted her and you showed it as your hands gently pulled on her pants, making her smirk into the kiss. „Heh…you want me don’t you?“ She hummed and you nodded. „Yes…yes please I need you.“ You almost beg for her to fuck you and of course she won’t deny you.

It didn’t took you long to be all over each other again, her marking your body with kisses and little gentle bites while her cock moved inside of you, her pace being slower than usual, making you chuckle a little. She must do that on purpose which was cute. „Hnn…you know you can go faster do you?“ She looked down at you with a soft gaze, you knew she didn’t want to do anything wrong but you reassured her. Jinx behavior was just so sweet. „Ah…yes I know of course.“ She said but you knew she was being careful now because she knew you were pregnant. After your reassurance she thrusted faster inside of you as she held your hips gently, going deeper as usual, losing herself into the pleasure just like you. Both of you being a moaning mess. „Fuck…I am close…“ She moaned out and you kept her close to you by wrapping your legs around her waist, making sure she won’t pull out. „M-me too…cum inside me please.“ You whined, her hips didn’t stop moving, moaning out loudly when she came and at the same time you reached your orgasm as well, feeling her fill you up with her cum, making both of you feel so good.

Both of you panted softly, her leaning down to kiss you again so lovingly. „You make me the happiest…“ She whispered. „And you make me the happiest.“ You answered with a soft smile, caressing her cheek as you both looked into each others eyes with so much love.

(Fluff bonus)

„Hey that tickles!“ You giggle softly as Jinx painted little hearts and other little cute stuff on your baby bump. „What? You’re my beautiful canvas.“ She teased by sticking her tongue out, a giggle leaving her own lips. She just loved doing these sweet little things with you.

„Who knows maybe our little one will be as creative as you?“ You mentioned, making Jinx smile more. „Maybe who knows?“ She answered before leaning down to place a kiss on your tummy and then nuzzling close to it. „I love both of you so so much you don’t even know…“ Her words so soft, almost like a whisper as she stayed close to you. „And we love you. Always and forever.“ You gently caressed her beautiful blue hair, making her smile as she closed her eyes and eventually feeling your little one kicking for the first time.

#x reader #fanfiction #female reader #x fem!reader #short imagine #lgbtq #arcane #arcane fanfic #jinx #jinx x fem!reader #jinx x y/n #jinx smut #jinx arcane #jinx x reader #smut scenarios #smut #arcane smut #g!p

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lovesickhughes · 4 months ago

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COLD DECEMBER NIGHT – jack hughes x reader

a/n: happy holidays! i am so sorry for the late upload, i had been with family for christmas, so i wasn’t that active, but i still had so much fun writing this and wanted to share it with you! so, i hope you enjoy! i know it’s past christmas itself, but i’m still gonna upload a few holiday-related fics to complete the series! happy reading & i hope you all have had an amazing holiday season so far!

summary: spending the holidays with jack and his family reveals just how sure jack is about you

warnings: none! just lots of kissing and cuteness! (not proofread, apologies!)

word count: 2.6k

series masterlist

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

“Y/n, I promise you they’re going to love you– I mean, this isn’t the first time you’re meeting them! You’ve been to plenty of games they’ve been to.” Jack assured you as he quickly jogged over to the passenger side of his car to help you carry your overnight bags and gifts for the Hughes family.

Jack and you had just arrived at his family home to spend the holiday break with his parents and two brothers for the first time. Needless to say, your nerves had skyrocketed upon your arrival. Jack was right however, this wasn’t the first time you had met the brunette’s parents– in fact, you had spent plenty of time getting to know Jim and Ellen at the times they attended the Devils’ games. However, this time, it was being spent in the house all three Hughes brothers grew up in and called home, and you would be welcoming yourself into what shaped her beloved boyfriend.

“I know, I know,” You sighed, “You just don’t get it. I feel like I’m meeting them for the first time all over again. Hell, I’ll be sleeping in their house, eating their food, living with them while we’re here– so it’s kind of a big deal.” You expressed as you continued to place present box after present box on top of one another in Jack’s arms before flinging your duffel bag over your shoulder in the process.

“Baby,” Jack pressed, his head popping out from the side of the tall stack of red, green and white wrapping paper-covered boxes, in an attempt to stop you from becoming overwhelmed. “There is nothing more that they want, other than to have you here with me and all of my family for Christmas.” He said as he looked into your eyes, a look in his own washing over to speak further without needing the use of words. “I wouldn’t bring you here if I wasn’t serious about us.”

You sigh in relief, but it’s halted when you hear the last part of Jack’s sentence and you let out a sarcastic laugh, “well, that’s reassuring.”

“C’mon, let’s go, they’re probably just about getting ready for dinner.” Jack said with a nod of his head to direct you up the sidewalk from the driveway and to the entrance to the suburban home. As your footsteps echo as you walk up the steps of the front porch to the front door, the sound of the doorknob already clicking to open catches your attention, and before you know it– you’re greeted with the excited gasp from Ellen at the reveal of her middle son and girlfriend arriving.

“Ah! My babies!” Ellen exclaimed with open arms and stepped towards you to bring you into a hug. It was what you loved most about the mother of your boyfriend; that since the day you met her, she was so inviting and warm that she really made you feel like you were accepted into the family. “How was the drive? Were the roads bad? I just pulled the lasagna out to quickly cool– you came right in time for dinner!” She rushed out as she pulled away from you and turned to exchange a hug with Jack to the best of his ability with the presents creating a barrier for him.

You let out a breath, Ellen’s warm welcome immediately calming your nerves that you had pent up on the drive up. Jack quickly slipped into the living room where a warmly lit Christmas tree stood and placed the presents you had bought around the green fir. Coming back to give his mom a proper hug, you slid your own shoes off in the meantime.

“The drive wasn’t bad, the usual– I am starving though,” Jack responded to his mom’s bombardment of questions. “Where are the boys at? I’m gonna go quickly say hi.” He asked and Ellen directed him to the basement where the two other brothers occupied themselves with the college football game that was on.

Ellen waved you to follow her and you quickly proceeded into the cozy home, placing your duffel bag by the side of the stairs to bring up later.

“So, Y/n, how have things been since I last saw you? When was it– two, three weeks ago?” She asked as she pulled out a prepared salad from the fridge, followed by a closed bottle of white wine.

You flash her a smile as you slid onto one of the barstools that was hidden under the countertop of the island, “oh, things have been good, y’know– work has been busy these last few weeks and Jack’s been in and out of the place with hockey, so we haven’t had too much time to spend together, but I’m glad we have the break to relax fully and spend together.” You smiled, all while Ellen silently opened the bottle of wine and prompted you by tilting the bottle in your direction as an offer, and you nodded while filling her in about your past few weeks. She poured you a glass of crisp, white wine and slid it in your direction to which you slid in a quick ‘thank you’ while telling her a story about something interesting that had happened at work.

“No way! Well, it seems like you are keeping yourself busy which is great. Dinner’s all ready, so we can start heading to the dining room. I’ll call the boys up.”

You nodded as you pushed yourself off of the barstool, “is there anything you need me to help with, Ellen? Any napkins or utensils that need to be placed?” You offered, feeling helpless as you saw by the presentation and smell of dinner, that she had put in hours of effort to make it look and taste delicious. But, all you received was a shake of her head and her hand placed on your shoulder as she guided you into the dining room.

Not long after, the voices of the three Hughes brothers and their father grew louder as they approached the dining room, turning the corner to reveal their three figures. You smiled to the eldest and youngest brothers respectively, saying hello and briefly asking them how they were before greeting Jim and leaning in for the hug he pulled you into. You then pulled away, finding your seat next to Jack who had already begun pulling out your chair for you.

You smile in his direction, placing a kiss on his cheek in return for his kind gesture, before you all begin conversing about the latest things that had happened in all of your lives. Everyone had devoured their meals within mere minutes of it being served, and you all stayed seated at the table, your glasses of wine and water slowly being emptied as you all conversed with one another.

Jack’s warm hand was placed on the middle of your thigh as you listened to Quinn talk about his hockey season, the brothers and their dad every so often quipping in a quick comment here and there. You attempted to stay focused as the brothers and their parents talked with one another, but the feeling of Jack’s large hand rubbing up and down your clothed leg drowned out the words being exchanged, but it wasn’t long before the sound of the dining room chair sliding against the hardwood floored pulled you out of your trance.

You followed suit, standing up out of your seat before grabbing Jack’s and your plates as well as Luke’s who was on the other side of you at the table, both boys bidding you a ‘thank you’ in appreciation for your gesture.

You smiled in return and walked towards the kitchen where Jim and Ellen stood side by side by the sink, beginning to wash the dishes. You felt Jack’s presence following closely behind your frame, and his hand reached to guide your figure by the small of your back, his touch causing heat to flush through your body.

You had placed the plates next to the piling stack before Jack’s voice could be heard throughout the entire room.

“Mom, dad, let us do the dishes tonight– you guys have done more than enough.” He exclaimed as you stood next to him, nodding in agreement as you looked at them with a hint of sympathy in your eyes.

“Okay, okay, but you know this doesn’t mean just because you did it today, you’re off the hook for the rest of your visit.” Jim chuckled both playfully and sternly as he pointed his finger at his middle child with squinted eyes, only earning Jack’s sheepish grin in response.

“Of course not, dad. C’mon, it’s the least we can do for you hosting us all for Christmas.” Jack reassured before taking his mom’s place as the drier, leaving you to finish washing the dinner plates and utensils. The parents quickly scurried off to the living room, the two other brothers already being planted on the couches, flicking through the channels on the TV to pick a movie for you all to watch.

Jack and you quietly stood in the kitchen next to each other as you finished scrubbing and drying each object. You looked over at Jack with a grin on your face as you handed him the second last plate to dry, your soapy hand quickly brushing over his own, earning in a dramatic drop of Jack’s jaw as he stepped away from you. You threw your head back in laughter at his comical response, before finishing up cleaning before unplugging the sink drain and wiping down the wet counter with a new cloth.

Jack put away the last few forks and knives in the drawer next to the stove before turning to you and reaching to pull you into his embrace. He leaned down, swiftly pulling you into a kiss as you melted into him and when you pulled away, you stared into his loving eyes, so many words being spoken through your eyes.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Jack smiled, speaking just soft enough for only you to hear.

You chuckle to yourself, “well, I’d hope so.” Earning a playful scoff and roll of the eyes from the brunette who stood opposite to you, such a warm, content and loving energy radiating off of him. You had a warm ache erupt in your heart at the feeling of such a domestic act; in the kitchen with the man you loved while spending time with his family and feeling so welcomed by his parents and siblings.

“I’m serious, Y/n.” He paused, tilting his head down lower to look further into your eyes, a grin you couldn’t stop from erupting on your face before you lifted yourself onto the tips of your toes, reaching Jack’s face to kiss him again.

You hummed into the feeling of Jack’s soft lips against yours as his large hands gripped your torso, leaving you feeling a sense of security and warmth before you were interrupted with a slow groan from a distance, stopping you from the display of affection.

“Ugh, save it for the bedroom you two, I’m for real– I don’t want to see you both all lovey dovey.” You heard Luke call as he passed through the kitchen, entering the pantry before quickly exiting back to the living room with a snack in hand.

All you could do was smile and let out a quick laugh as you finished tidying the kitchen for the next morning.

Later that night, both Ellen and Jim had found themselves to bed, leaving the three Hughes brothers and you all dispersed amongst the couches in the living room, watching How The Grinch Stole Christmas, while the electric fireplace emitted heat, creating a cozy, Christmas-y atmosphere, only furthering your feeling of adoration for the man you were with and the experience you were having.

You were tucked into Jack’s side, like a lock and key, fitting into place so effortlessly, as if you were made for his embrace. Jack, who now had changed into the matching set of pajamas you had gifted him and you, sat with his arm around your side, hand resting on your side just above your hip, and his legs stretched out in front of him on the L-shaped sofa.

While the Grinch yearned to ruin Christmas in Whoville, you couldn’t help but feel your eyes grow heavy as the warmth of Jack’s body and the fireplace spread to your own body, lulling you into a peaceful, relaxed state. Jack’s hand slowly ran up and down your side, sending little jolts of electricity through your body, but the feeling of your head rested against his chest with the background noise of the movie and quiet room, you felt your eyes grow heavier and heavier before falling into a tranquil state of slumber.

It didn’t feel like long before you felt Jack shift underneath you, indicating the movie had ended and everyone would be making their way to bed for the night, but he stilled his movements, and you could feel his gaze on you, despite your eyes still being closed– pretending to still be asleep.

“You gonna wake her up, man? She looks so peaceful.” You heard Luke say as the sound of him getting up out of his seat and walking across the room echoed throughout the space.

Jack chuckled softly, “Probably, even though it might not end well– waking her up out of her sleep.”

“You got lucky, bro– mom seriously adores her, and she really fits in with all of us. She’s a keeper.” You heard Quinn call from where he laid on the side of the couch. You had to maintain your steady breaths, in an attempt to disguise the fact that you were awake and eavesdropping on the conversation. But, you couldn’t help but feel your heart lovingly ache at the comment from Jack’s older brother.

“I know,” Jack said softly, his hand reaching to the side of your face, brushing a stray hair out of your face, “I got so incredibly lucky. I really think this is it– like, she’s the one.” And you had to carefully bite the inside of your lip to stop yourself from letting out a wail in disbelief that you had gotten so lucky. You couldn’t hold your disguise any longer, so as best as you could, you slowly shifted in your spot, legs rubbing each other and arms stretching as you tried to sell your performance.

“Well, look who’s awake.” Jack chuckled as you looked up to meet his tired, blue eyes. You only smiled, before sitting up straight next to Jack while his hand fell to your hip as he gripped it softly.

“Alright, well, I’m gonna head to bed– night guys,” Luke said, giving a salute to the rest of you in the living room before exiting to the stairs for the night, and it wasn’t long before Quinn followed.

Jack then pushed off of his knees to stand, turning off the fireplace and TV, and began to walk towards the stairs to his room, but your voice stopped his movements.

“Wait, babe,” You called out, and Jack turned to you, eyebrows raised and lips pursed as he waited for you to continue. You stood slowly, walking over to the brunette before quickly slipping your hand into his, “I heard your little conversation just now…” You teased, earning a blush warming Jack’s face as he realized your confession.

“You did?” He questioned, pulling you closer to his frame, his hands interlocking behind the small of your back.

You hummed, “mhm… you really mean what you said?” You asked softly, barely audible.

Jack didn’t respond, only reaching down to place a slow, soft kiss on your lips.

When he pulled away, his forehead resting on yours, he continued, “of course I did, my love, and I’m serious– you’re it for me.”

#jack hughes #jack hughes imagine #jack hughes blurb #jack hughes fic #jack hughes x reader #nhl x reader #nhl blurb #nhl fic #nhl imagine #jack hughes x you #jack hughes x y/n

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blueberrypancakesworld · 5 months ago

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I am yours and never ours

Caracalla x wife!reader

warning : Spoilers for Gladiator ii, hurt/comfort, kissing, implied mother issues, mention of violence, cuddling, no use of y/n

Summary : It was a mistake to kill the hero, to not give him the mercy he should have received. The riots a sign of overthrow and fall and entrenched in the palace the two brothers and Caracalla's wife, nerves are thin and after a forgetting of temper it seems only love can calm a frightened Caracalla to bring order to the situation.

info : omg the scene was so sad and tense, the bond between the two, i'm fully in my gladiator era. Have fun reading :)

masterlist

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

It had only taken a fraction of a moment, the sun had been right over the Colosseum, giving everyone a chance to get their bearings. Shouts of cheers, boos and cries mingled with the loud voice of Rome.

The emperors sitting impatiently on their chairs, the younger one screaming for death at last, the older one seeming to grow more agitated with every breath, and in the centre the weeping princess as the arrows pierced her beloved.

Justus Acacius was dead, unjustly killed despite the surrender of both fighters, a death that had the emperors rejoicing, but a death that only a few hours later at nightfall had the people roaring.

What at first was still disbelief and shock had become a popular uprising, at the latest with the tumult, the flames raging in the streets and the numerous courageous citizens.

The two brothers also became aware of the uprising and the royal family withdrew in disbelief and indignation to avoid being drawn into it.

Even the Sun of Rome, Caracalla's wife, could not reassure the people who loved her; they seemed to hate her as much as her husband and brother-in-law.

Looking out from behind the solid walls of the palace, she saw the metre-high flames, saw the angry crowd and the few troops of the emperors who could hardly do anything.

Gods have mercy on us she thought and took another sip from her glass as she heard more screams of death and moved away from the window, going back to her family but seeing only the same tension in Geta.

Rarely had she seen him like this if he didn't burst under the pressure at any moment so she was sure he would storm out himself, ,,There may be many but they don't have the weapons and courage of our troops" she said calmly and tried to pour Geta another glass but he turned away.

His gaze had barely noticed her so absorbed he seemed to be thinking about how he could save them all, ,,Ungrateful" he hissed as he looked out and saw nothing but treachery.

The silence in the palace was interrupted only by the footsteps of Macrinus, who withdrew in her presence, she did not trust him and he did not trust her, but her concern lay more with her beloved Caracalla.

She glanced at her husband, who was sitting on a lectus and feeding Dundus his little monkey to calm himself down somehow. However, he looked just as miserable as his brother, they both looked tired, exhausted and completely overwhelmed by everything.

She gave him a smile, trying to keep him amused, ,,You'll all see blood," Caracalla said, returning the smile - it was to be expected that he wanted a whole bloodlust. A betrayal hurts deeply.

Even if it hurt inside her, helplessness and fear had a grip on her too…only Dundus the monkey seemed happy as he let out another little screech when he got a grape.

A mistake.

All of a sudden all she could see was Geta hurrying around, ,,Get that annoying monkey out of here!" shouting at his brother and slapping the wine in his brother's face.

Startled, she gasped, calling out Geta's name in warning, his eyes filled with anger and remorse, she knew it was the situation, knew the tension but nothing would help.

As she hurried over to Caracalla and gently placed her hand on his shoulder, he looked more like a weeping dog than an emperor, ,,Come my king, we should feed Dundus somewhere else" she said, helping him up slightly and telling him to go ahead into the throne room.

She walked past Geta who just looked down shaking his head and cursing himself, he had taken it too far. ,,I'll be right back why don't you get us some wine Macrinus" she said and didn't bother because his fake smile told her all she needed to know as he disappeared and she sighed and hurried on her way.

Her footsteps echoed in the empty corridors and the throne room, Dundus shrieked and she heard the sniffle, ,,Love? My King Caracalla, where are you?" she asked quietly, swallowing down the lump rising in her throat as she thought back to the episodes he had already had.

She and Geta loved him but this madness would be the downfall of them all. She continued to walk around the room, first looking behind the throne where he sometimes hid, but he wasn't sitting there.

,,Caracalla? It's your sun, do you understand?" she asked and finally saw the blond head of hair peeking out from behind one of the curtains behind which he had curled up.

She heard his crying, the sniffling as he peeked out from behind it and she got down on her knees, ,,It's-It's all right, come here to me, you know who I am, don't you?" she continued to ask calmly, hiding the slight trembling in her hands under the fabric of her clothes as she saw the man she loved so fragile.

Slowly he emerged from his ‘hiding place’ and nodded cautiously as he crawled towards her, ,,You…you're my wife," he sniffled his words barely intelligible as Dundus continued to tote on his shoulders and the chain rattled.

Nodding hastily, she smiled slightly relieved that he at least recognised her, sitting in front of her probably not quite knowing what he wanted or needed, ,,You are mine" he seemed to understand instead as he placed his hand on hers and she didn't pull it away.

Yours, mine, ours words she had heard so often, she was his wife but our joy.

It's like a coin with two sides only one can come up and the other stays in the shadow, only the balance on the edge can go but with enormous precision or trust and love…something that was all the more difficult at such a time between the two brothers.

She nodded again and pulled him close, lying in her lap like a boy with his mother, his, ,,I'm yours," she assured him, carefully using the sleeve of her dress to wipe his face.

Mostly delusional, she quickly realised that he was like a small child who simply needed her mother, a woman who had died at an early age and she filled that role.

An initial squirming soon turned into an amused laugh as she wiped the wine from his face and at least he wasn't crying, ,,Tickled" he muttered and she couldn't help but smile bitterly, the delusion was a horror and a blessing in one.

Another coin.

Dundus played with the blond curls as Caracalla's fingers, which had been playing with each other before, slid to hers, ,,He's been hurting me since we were sin the womb, you're not his or ours…you're mine…like Rome should be mine," he suddenly said, gripping her tighter.

Blue eyes showed the fire of madness and she stroked his cheek, she knew the story of the womb, but she knew just as well that madness could be transmitted by whores, was it a lie or the truth?

Trying to stifle a shaky breath, she placed a kiss on his lips, tasting the wine, tasting sage and tasting blood, ,,You two are like the creators of Rome, two sides my love. But think what Geta has done for you, for me, for all of Rome…you are the king, Geta is the god and I am the sun," she reminded him of the story she had made up during one of his episodes.

Caracalla a king of honour who could have all the blood in the world, his brother the political god and she the sun who held them all together.

A story that made him pause, his memories shrouded in mist, he needed time while she continued to hold him gently and stroke his cheek, his grip on her hand tightening and softening, ,,Yes? Yes, I think so…I think so...despite the pain, I-I still have you" he slowly realised and sanity returned to his being.

As he cuddled up to her and laid his head in the crook of her neck and held her like that for a moment, tears in her eyes as she blinked them away and thanked the gods again that nothing bad had happened.

Caracalla's hand was also on her cheek and she saw the gold tooth as she smiled, ,,Thank you my sun" she heard him say before he pulled her into a kiss, finally back to her senses as he slowly pulled away from her and helped her stand up.

Despite the riots, despite Geta and despite the madness, the Emperor was still here, gently grasping her hand and once more locking her in a kiss, even if Rome fell they would not give up trying to help him out of this doom.

From the moment she had taken him as her husband, she knew that she would always be there for him and that Caracalla would never stop loving her. Because even in madness there was nothing stronger than love.

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

@potatoesenpaii , @rainbowbox , @thankyouperconte , @myromanempire81 , @k-yurieee

#gladiator ii #gladiator 2 #emperor caracalla #emperor caracalla x reader #fred hechinger #male x female #spoilers for gladiator ii #emperor geta #reader is female

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meadowfics · 2 months ago

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favoritism

father!husband!kang dae ho x f!wife!mother!reader

apart of the kang family series

daeho feels the need to talk to you after an observation he has made

warnings: mentions of favoritism towards children, childhood trauma, mentions of the squid games referred to as 'death games', argument/disagreements, huge angst but resolved in the end.

authors note: this is the second, “kang family” story release today :) i immediately wrote this one a few days ago after the previous one. i am obsessed with this universe ive grown lol

a soft hum of the water runs into the baby tub in the bathroom, steam curling lazily in the warm air. you sat on a small stool by the edge of the tub, sleeves rolled up, carefully cradling byeol’s tiny body as she splashed her chubby hands in the water.

she let out a delighted babble, her round cheeks resembling yours flushed pink from the warmth, her tiny toes kicking and sending droplets of water onto your lap.

“that’s my baby girl,” you cooed, a wide smile spreading across your face as byeol squealed, her little hands grasping at the floating rubber ducky. the baby’s fine hair stuck to her forehead, water dripping down her soft skin, and you couldn't help but smile at how much she had grown.

byeol is almost five months now.

it was bittersweet.

just yesterday, it felt like you had brought her home from the hospital, so tiny and fragile in your arms. now, she was babbling more, lifting her head proudly during tummy time, and you had just started introducing her to baby food…soft, pureed textures. it iss thrilling watching her grow, but the ache in your chest reminded you that time was slipping through your fingers faster than you wanted.

“you’re doing so good, byeol,” you whispered, your heart swelling with love as she giggled, splashing water up onto your arms.

you were so focused on her that you didn’t notice the soft footsteps padding toward the bathroom door.

“eomma?”

the small, gentle voice pulled you from your thoughts. you turned your head and saw seo-ah standing by the doorway, still in her daycare clothes…her favorite pink dress now a little wrinkled, her hair pulled into two uneven pigtails from her teacher’s attempt to fix them after playtime.

she held her crayon box tightly in her hands, her coloring book tucked under one arm.

“hi, baby,” you said, smiling at her, “did you have fun at daycare?”

she nodded, stepping closer to the doorway but not entering the bathroom.

“yeah! we learned about flowers today. we were given coloring books and... i want to color with you.” she lifted the crayon box a little higher, her small face hopeful.

your heart tugged, but you glanced down at byeol, who was starting to get fussy in the tub, her little hands rubbing her tired eyes.

“sweetheart, can we do it later?” you asked gently, reaching for the washcloth to rinse byeol.

“i need to finish giving byeol her bath, and then i have to feed her, okay?”

you saw the flicker of disappointment cross seo-ah’s face, but she covered it with a small smile, hugging her coloring book tighter.

“okay…”

“i promise we’ll color later, just you and me,” you reassured her, though your mind was already on the growing list of things you had to get done.

seo-ah nodded, though her voice was quieter this time.

“okay, eomma.”

she didn’t leave right away. instead, she lingered by the bathroom door, watching as you continued to bathe byeol. you giggled as byeol splashed the water again, her little legs kicking in excitement, her babbles loud and happy.

your eyes sparkled with pure joy as you gently cupped water over her tiny head, your voice soft and sweet as you spoke to her. seo-ah hugged her coloring book tighter to her chest, her small fingers clutching the crayon box.

she noticed the way you smiled so brightly at byeol, how your eyes were filled with happiness.

she waited patiently in the hallway, sitting down with her crayon box next to her. she opened it, picking out her favorite purple crayon and starting to color on a blank page, hoping you’d come join her soon.

you didn’t.

after finishing byeol’s bath, you swaddled her in a soft towel, her tired little face resting against your chest as you hummed to her, not noticing seo-ah still sitting quietly just outside the bathroom.

down the hall, dae-ho was in his office, focused on his work. the sound of his keyboard clicking echoed softly, his headset perched over his ears as he managed a few customer service calls. he had been buried in tasks all afternoon, unaware of the little moments unfolding by his office door.

while you were too wrapped up in byeol’s routine, and dae-ho was focused on his work, seo-ah sat there, waiting…her crayon strokes slowing as she looked down at the half-colored page.

she was patient. she was always patient. however, the small ache inside her chest grew a little heavier as she realized you had forgotten.

the next day, it was late afternoon when seo-ah burst through the front door, her little shoes clumsily kicked off at the entrance as she clutched a bright, mini soccer ball in her hands. the girl’s face was lit up with excitement, her pigtails bouncing as she ran into the living room where you were kneeling on the floor, changing byeol’s diaper.

“eomma! look what i got from daycare!” she exclaimed, holding the ball high above her head like a trophy.

you glanced up, a soft smile spreading across your face at the sight of her glowing with happiness.

“wow, baby! that’s so cool! did your teacher give that to you?”

she nodded eagerly, her cheeks flushed with excitement.

“yeah! we played soccer today and it was so fun! i wanna show you how to play!”

your heart warmed at her enthusiasm, but at that moment, you were still in the middle of changing byeol, who was wiggling and kicking her chubby legs, her tiny fists waving in the air. you wiped her clean and tried to keep her calm as she squirmed beneath you.

“that sounds so fun, seo-ah,” you replied, fastening byeol’s diaper and grabbing the soft pink onesie nearby.

“can we play in the backyard a little later? i need to finish changing byeol first, and then wait until she goes down for her nap. afterwards, we can have the whole backyard to ourselves.”

seo-ah’s excitement dimmed slightly, but she still smiled, her fingers gripping the ball tightly.

“okay, eomma. we can wait.”

you gave her a quick smile before focusing back on byeol, pulling her arms through the onesie sleeves while trying to quiet her soft babbles. seo-ah sat down nearby, rolling the soccer ball back and forth between her hands, patiently waiting.

after finally settling byeol down for her nap, you found yourself moving straight into preparing dinner. the pots clanged as you worked in the kitchen, the smell of garlic and onions filling the air as you chopped vegetables and stirred the broth on the stove.

dae-ho entered the kitchen, slipping off his watch and placing it on the counter as he glanced over at you, now focused entirely on dinner.

“smells amazing in here,” he said, wrapping his arms around your waist for a brief moment before reaching into the fridge for a drink of water.

“thanks,” you smiled, stirring the pot, “i wanted to get dinner done early before the girls wake up. figured it would be easier.”

then, you felt a soft tug on your sweater.

“eomma?”

you turned to see seo-ah standing there, holding the mini soccer ball against her chest, her hopeful eyes matching daeho’s looking up at you.

“byeol’s asleep now… can we play soccer?”

you felt your heart sink slightly, realizing you had completely forgotten about your promise. you glanced back at the stove, the pot bubbling gently, and sighed.

“oh, sweetheart… i’m in the middle of making dinner right now. can we play after we eat?”

seo-ah’s face fell, just for a second, before she quickly masked it with a small nod.

“okay, eomma.”

before she could walk away, dae-ho, who had been watching the exchange silently, knelt down beside her, offering her a warm smile.

“hey, baby, how about appa plays soccer with you while mommy finishes cooking? i bet i can show you some really cool soccer moves.”

seo-ah hesitated, her fingers tightening around the ball. she wanted to play, she really did, but her small shoulders slumped ever so slightly, seoah’s disappointment is hard to hide.

“okay, appa,” she agreed, though her voice was softer now.

dae-ho ruffled her hair gently, sensing her sadness.

“come on, let’s go to the backyard. we’ll play until dinner’s ready.”

you watched them head out to the backyard together, a pang of guilt washing over you as you stirred the pot. you saw how her little shoulders drooped, even as she followed dae-ho outside, clutching the ball. she wanted you to be the one to play with her.

you hadn’t realized how often lately you’d been saying “later.”

within the same week, the house filled with the soft hum of the television playing in the background. you had finally found a moment to relax, and byeol was lying on a soft blanket on the floor, her chubby little legs kicking wildly in the air as she babbled, her tiny hands grabbing at nothing in particular.

you leaned over her, smiling wide, feeling the pure joy of the moment.

“who’s my happy girl, huh? who’s my ticklish little baby?” you cooed, lowering your head to her tiny belly and blowing raspberries against her soft skin.

byeol squealed with laughter, her giggles echoing through the room, her arms flailing in delight. you couldn’t help but laugh too, the sound so pure and full of love.

unnoticed, seo-ah stood a few feet away, clutching her favorite stuffed bunny tightly against her chest. daeho’s twin and her big brown eyes sparkled with hope as she watched you play with byeol.

the girl’s little heart fluttered with excitement, thinking maybe it would be her turn next. she loved when you used to play like that with her, making her laugh so hard she couldn’t breathe. she inched closer, waiting patiently, her tiny hands gripping the bunny tighter.

unfortunately, her turn never came.

after finishing with the belly raspberries, you scooped byeol into your arms, cradling her close, and settled onto the couch. you giggled as byeol nuzzled into your chest, her tiny fists grabbing at your shirt, completely focused on her.

“you’re such a sweet girl,” you whispered, pressing a kiss to her soft hair.

seo-ah stood there, staring for a moment, before climbing up onto the couch beside you. she nestled herself against your side, sitting upright, her bunny still in her lap, waiting for you to pull her into your arms too.

you didn’t.

your focus stayed on byeol, cooing and smiling down at the baby in your arms, completely unaware of how seo-ah sat silently, feeling like a bystander in her own family.

after a few minutes, seo-ah quietly slipped off the couch, her feet barely making a sound against the hardwood floor as she padded down the hallway. she wandered into dae-ho’s office, where he was seated at his desk, typing away on his laptop. the man’s headset rested around his neck, signaling that he was taking a short break.

he looked up as she entered, his face instantly softening.

“hey, my big girl!” he smiled, closing his laptop.

“come here.”

seo-ah shuffled over to him, her bunny still clutched tightly. dae-ho scooped her up into his lap, settling her comfortably against his chest.

“how’s my seo-ah doing?” he asked, brushing some stray hairs from her face.

“i’m okay,” she replied softly, her voice quieter than usual.

he tilted his head, sensing that something was off.

“just okay? not great?”

she hesitated before speaking again.

“appa... can i ask you something?”

daeho’s heart clenched at the vulnerability in her voice.

“of course, baby. you can ask me anything.”

seo-ah’s fingers twisted around her bunny’s ear as she stared down at her lap. after a moment, she whispered, “will eomma ever love me again?”

dae-ho’s entire body froze, his heart dropping into his stomach.

“what?” he asked, his voice cracking slightly, though he tried to keep it steady.

“eomma... she always plays with byeol. she holds her all the time, but not me,” seo-ah’s small voice trembled.

“i just… i miss when she used to play with me.”

dae-ho felt a lump forming in his throat. he wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her against his chest.

“oh, baby,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, “eomma loves you so much. she loves you with all her heart.”

“but…” seo-ah’s voice trailed off, as if she couldn’t quite find the words.

“sometimes,” dae-ho continued gently, “when babies are really little, they need a lot of attention. but that doesn’t mean eomma loves you any less.”

“okay,” seo-ah murmured, but there was a heaviness in her tone that told dae-ho she didn’t fully believe it.

he held her tighter, but the question stayed in his mind, poking at him. what had made her feel this way?

over the next few days, he started to notice the little moments…the ones he hadn’t seen before.

you holding byeol more than seo-ah. you setting aside time for the baby’s baths, feedings, tummy time, all the milestones that came with having an infant, while unintentionally pushing seo-ah to the side.

it was only two days later when seo-ah had come to you, holding her mini soccer ball, asking to play.

“can we play now, eomma? byeol’s sleeping,” she had said, her eyes bright with hope.

you, standing over the stove, stirring dinner, had glanced at the pot and sighed, “not right now, sweetheart. i need to finish dinner. maybe later, okay?”

dae-ho had seen the disappointment flash in seo-ah’s eyes, though she tried to hide it.

he’d stepped in, offering, “i can play with you, baby. how about me and you play soccer in the backyard?”

“okay, appa,” she’d agreed. however, there had been a sadness in her voice, a sadness that told him it wasn’t the same. she had wanted you.

that wasn’t the worst, since there was the moment that truly broke his heart.

the next afternoon, byeol was asleep on the couch, her soft breaths even and peaceful. seo-ah had been playing with her blocks nearby, humming quietly to herself.

she built a small tower, proud of her creation, before turning to you.

“eomma! look what i made!” she called out, her eyes shining with excitement.

you, cradling byeol as she slept, pressed a finger to your lips.

“shh, sweetheart. byeol’s sleeping. can you go play in your room for a little bit? i don’t want her to wake up and start crying.”

the words hit seo-ah like a wave.

the older sister’s smile faded, her little shoulders slumping as she scooped up her blocks and trudged to her room. she was quiet, so quiet, as she shut the door behind her, the sound soft but deafening in dae-ho’s ears.

he couldn’t ignore it anymore.

after a moment, he followed her, heart heavy. he found her sitting on the floor of her room, her blocks scattered in front of her, but she wasn’t playing. seoah’s bunny sat in her lap, her small fingers tugging at its ears as her eyes glistened with tears she tried to hold back.

dae-ho knelt down beside her, gently placing a hand on her back.

“hey, baby,” he whispered.

she sniffled but didn’t look up.

“can i sit with you?” he asked.

she nodded slowly, and he sat down, pulling her into his lap.

“i saw what happened,” he said softly, brushing her hair out of her face, “i know that hurt your feelings.”

she finally looked up at him, her lower lip trembling.

“i just wanted eomma to see my tower.”

“i know, baby,” dae-ho replied, his chest aching, “and i’m really sorry. sometimes, when eomma is busy with byeol, it might feel like she isn’t paying attention. but she loves you so, so much. more than anything.”

“then why doesn’t she play with me anymore?”

the question hit him like a punch to the gut.

he hugged her tighter, fighting back his own emotions.

“i think eomma’s been really focused on taking care of byeol because she’s still so little, but she doesn’t realize how much you’ve been missing her. it’s not because she doesn’t love you.”

seo-ah rested her head on his chest, her small hands gripping his shirt.

“how about we build the biggest tower ever together?” he offered gently, “and then, we’ll show eomma when we’re done. i bet she’ll be so proud.”

she sniffled but nodded, a small smile breaking through.

“okay.”

as they started building, block by block, dae-ho’s mind raced, already knowing he needed to talk to you soon, really talk. as much as he knew you loved both of your daughters, you hadn’t realized the hurt that had been growing in seo-ah’s little heart. he needed to help fix it before that distance became too wide.

the tower stood tall, as tall as it could with colorful plastic blocks. seo-ah’s little hands had carefully placed the final piece on top, her tiny fingers trembling with excitement. she beamed up at dae-ho, her whole body jumped with happiness.

“look, appa! it’s the tallest one we’ve ever made!” she giggled, clapping her hands.

“it’s amazing, baby,” dae-ho smiled, his heart warmed by her excitement, “let’s go show eomma, okay?”

seo-ah nodded eagerly, clutching her stuffed bunny in one arm while carefully carrying the wobbly tower in the other. she followed dae-ho into the living room, where you sat on the floor, watching byeol lying on her tummy on a soft blanket.

byeol babbled tiredly, her tiny legs moved as she rocked her body back and forth.

“eomma! look!” seo-ah called out, holding up the block tower proudly.

“me and appa made this for you!”

you glanced up, a soft smile tugging at your lips, but just as you opened your mouth to respond, byeol rolled over on her belly and pushed herself forward a few inches, her little arms wobbling under her weight.

“oh my gosh, dae she’s trying to crawl!” you gasped, eyes wide as you leaned forward, your hands ready to catch her if she tumbled.

“come on, byeol, you can do it!”

your entire focus shifted. you clapped your hands softly, encouraging the baby, completely caught in the moment.

behind you, seo-ah’s heart dropped. the kid’s small hands gripped the tower tighter, but the blocks wobbled and fell apart, scattering across the floor.

“eomma…” she tried again, her voice much softer this time.

you didn’t hear her, too focused on byeol, who now babbled happily, clearly enjoying the attention.

dae-ho watched it all unfold, his chest tightening with a mix of emotions. he knelt beside seo-ah, who was now kneeling on the floor, her head lowered as she started picking up the scattered blocks.

“baby…” he whispered, but she didn’t say anything.

seoah’s excitement had vanished, her little heart shattering at how quickly you had turned away.

the rest of the evening passed in a blur. you were too focused on byeol, who spent the rest of the night making tiny attempts to crawl, and seo-ah quietly sat with dae-ho, barely speaking, her energy dimmed.

the next morning, sunlight warmed the bedroom. you stretched beneath the covers, feeling the comfort of the soft sheets wrapped around you. byeol was still sleeping peacefully in her bassinet, her soft breathing the only sound in the room.

you felt dae-ho stir beside you before his weight shifted as he sat up, running a hand through his messy hair.

“goodmorning,” you murmured, your voice still thick with sleep.

he glanced at you, his face unreadable.

“hey.”

there was a pause. a heaviness in the air that you didn’t quite understand.

“i was thinking…” he started, his voice careful, almost too careful, “maybe i’ll take byeol to see my mom today. in ssangmun-dong.”

you blinked, surprised by the suggestion.

“just byeol?”

he nodded.

“yeah. eomma’s been asking about her. she’s only seen her twice since she was born.”

you frowned, feeling an immediate ache in your chest at the thought.

“i don’t know... i don’t want to be apart from byeol for that long.”

dae-ho let out a breath, clearly trying to keep his tone even.

“it’s just for the day. we’ll be back by dinner.”

you hesitated before sitting up straighter.

“what if you take seo-ah instead? she hasn’t been to see your mom in a while either.”

there was a beat of silence. the air grew heavier.

dae-ho’s jaw tensed. he turned his head away for a second, as if trying to bite back his initial reaction.

“she’s seen seo-ah plenty of times,” he replied, his voice now edged with frustration, “she wants to see byeol.”

“okay… then you can take both of them,” you offered, your tone still casual, not understanding the weight of what you had said.

that’s when daeho finally cracked, though he tried to keep it subtle.

he let out a humorless chuckle, shaking his head as he stood up from the bed.

“of course. why wouldn’t you want them both gone?” he muttered under his breath, the words sharp, cutting deeper than he intended.

you sat there, stunned, your heart sinking.

“what’s that supposed to mean?”

dae-ho didn’t answer. he grabbed his shirt from the chair, slipping it over his head.

“nothing. forget it.”

you pushed the covers off, your emotions swirling in confusion and hurt.

“dae-ho, what are you talking about?”

he stopped at the bedroom door, his hand gripping the handle tightly, his shoulders tense. but he didn’t turn around.

“i just… i can’t right now. i’ll be back later,” he mumbled before stepping out, closing the door gently but firmly behind him.

you sat there, frozen, your mind racing. what did he mean by that? why did it sound like he was accusing you of something?

the hurt sat heavy in your chest, but you didn’t chase after him. instead, you got out of bed, walking into byeol’s nursery. she was still fast asleep, her tiny chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. you sat down in the rocking chair, carefully lifting her into your arms, holding her close.

“good morning, my sweet girl,” you whispered, kissing the top of her soft head.

the comfort of holding her washed over you, soothing some of the ache in your chest. you cradled her tightly, swaying gently in the chair, but there was something nagging at the back of your mind…something you couldn’t quite put your finger on.

what was going on?

you didn’t even realize that you hadn’t gone to greet seo-ah yet. she was likely awake in her room, waiting, as she always did, with her favorite bunny in hand, hoping for your attention. in this moment, all you could do was hold onto byeol, your thoughts too cloudy to see what was unfolding around you.

after laying byeol gently back in her crib, watching her chest rise and fall with each soft breath, you tucked the blanket around her and pressed a delicate kiss to her forehead. the baby’s tiny fingers curled, her face peaceful, completely unaware of the heaviness in the house.

you sighed, your mind still clouded with confusion over the morning’s argument with dae-ho. the way he had left the room, the hurt in his voice, it confused you. your heart ached, but part of you pushed the feelings aside, telling yourself it was just a bad morning for him.

stepping out of the nursery, you move quietly down the hall toward seo-ah’s room, thinking maybe now would be a good time to spend some one-on-one time with her. maybe you could make up for the missed moments, sit with her, color, or even play with that little soccer ball she’d been so excited about.

as you approached her door, soft cries broke through the quiet house.

you stopped mid-step, your heart instantly tightening in your chest. you could hear muffled voices, dae-ho’s low and gentle, but strained, and seo-ah’s little sobs between broken words.

your breath caught in your throat as you pressed yourself closer to the wall, listening.

“she still loves you, baby,” dae-ho’s voice was soft, trying to soothe her, “eomma loves you so much.”

then, through choked sobs, you heard the words that shattered something deep inside you.

“no, no she does not… mommy doesn’t love me anymore,” seo-ah cried, her tiny voice trembling with heartbreak.

your hand flew to your mouth, tears instantly welling in your eyes. your whole body felt like it had been slammed into a wall.

what?

you leaned closer, your heart pounding in your ears.

“baby, no,” dae-ho said, his voice still gentle but faltering, “she does, i promise. she just has to take care of byeol too, but that doesn’t mean she loves you any less.”

even you could hear it, the hesitance in his voice. the lack of certainty.

he didn’t believe it fully himself.

you could barely breathe.

the sound of seo-ah crying, your little girl, your firstborn, echoed in your mind.

“it’s not the same, appa,” she sniffled, “she only plays with byeol now. she doesn’t want me.”

it was like the air had been ripped from your lungs.

your defense mechanism kicked in before your mind could even catch up. you turned and ran, your feet carrying you quickly down the hall and into your bedroom. you ran into the room and into the bathroom, closing the door behind you. you gripped the sink as you stared at yourself in the mirror.

your reflection looked back at you…tired, eyes wide, your lips trembling.

what have i done?

you gripped the edge of the sink tighter, your knuckles getting lighter. images flashed through your mind, every time you’d told seo-ah “later,” every time you’d chosen to cradle byeol while leaving seo-ah sitting quietly nearby.

you hadn’t even noticed.

she had.

you squeezed your eyes shut, tears spilling over as your body trembled.

“no,” you whispered, but it was like your own mind was drowning out your voice.

your reflection blurred through your tears, but all you could see was the image of your younger self. the little girl who sat alone on the front steps waiting for her mom to come home, the one who constantly felt unseen, unheard, unwanted.

your parents had done this to you.

they had ignored you, pushed you to the side, made you feel like you didn’t matter.

and now…

“i’m doing the same thing,” you choked out, sliding down onto the bathroom floor, your back pressed against the cool tiles as your tears came harder, your body shaking.

you hugged your knees to your chest, burying your face in your arms, the crushing guilt pressing down on you.

seo-ah was your firstborn, your little girl, the one who had made you a mother. you had loved her so fiercely, so completely. she had been your whole world before byeol came, and somehow, without realizing it, you had pushed her aside.

of course, you still loved her. more than anything. more than yourself. that wasn’t what she had been seeing though. the image of her holding up that crayon drawing, waiting for you to notice. the small hands gripping the soccer ball, hoping you’d play. your daughter’s voice when she asked if she could help bathe byeol, only for you to tell her, “maybe later.”

all those moments.

you sat there, tears rolling down your cheeks, your chest tight with the weight of your own failure.

you thought of what dae-ho had said earlier, his frustration, the smart remark before he left the room. now it made sense.

you had been so focused on one child that you had unintentionally hurt the other. you sat there in silence for what felt like an eternity, the sound of your own quiet sobs filling the room.

eventually, you wiped your face with shaky hands, standing up on trembling legs. you splashed cold water on your face, trying to hide the redness in your eyes, though it felt pointless.

you opened the bathroom door, stepping out into the bedroom, expecting to see the girls playing or resting.

however, the house was silent. too silent.

you walked into the living room, looking around. no toys scattered on the floor. no little voices or baby babbles.

you noticed a note on the kitchen counter, written in dae-ho’s handwriting.

“i took the girls to my mom’s. thought it might be good for everyone to have some space. we’ll be back later.”

your chest tightened, your fingers gripping the edge of the counter.

he had taken both of them.

your eyes filled with tears again, but this time, the hurt was mixed with fear.

how am i supposed to fix something that i didn’t even realize that i’ve broken?

you had never meant to hurt seo-ah. you had never meant to make her feel unloved. now, she thought you didn’t love her anymore. you had no idea how to make that right.

the house was painfully silent, filled with an emptiness that echoed through every room. you sat curled up on the living room couch, the soft fabric of seo-ah’s favorite bunny pressed tightly against your chest. the girl’s small toy worn from years of love, its little ears slightly bent, was all you had in that moment, and it felt like the only thing anchoring you to reality.

your fingers traced the seams of the bunny absentmindedly, your mind racing, your heart heavy. you had been sitting there for hours, the sun shifting across the sky outside the windows, but you barely noticed. all you could think about was seo-ah, her tearful voice in the hallway, those heartbreaking words still echoing in your head.

you clutched the bunny tighter, your throat tightening as tears pricked your eyes again.

how had i let it get this far?

your mind drifted back to the day she was born, just four months after surviving those damn death games. you had been a shell of yourself then, walking through life with thick layers of PTSD wrapped around you like chains.

the nightmares, the flashbacks, the unbearable weight of guilt from what you had done to survive…it all lived inside you.

then seo-ah came.

you had been financially stable by that point, the blood money from the games allowing you and dae-ho to start fresh, but nothing had really healed inside you. not until you held her.

you remembered that moment like it was yesterday, the first time you heard her tiny cry, her little fists clenched tight as they placed her on your chest. tears had poured down your face as you held her close, feeling her soft breaths against your skin.

she was the light in the darkest chapter of your life.

while dae-ho had been your anchor, your lifeline, seo-ah was the spark that reignited your will to keep going. her existence gave you purpose when everything else felt broken.

she is his twin. every little feature, a mirror of dae-ho. the same warm eyes, the same button nose. it made you love her even more, feeling like a perfect blend of you both.

in those early months, you couldn’t leave her side. seoah’s cries pulled at every fragile thread inside of you. she had been your only child then, the center of your world, and loving her with every fiber of your being felt effortless. you had no distractions, no one else to split your attention between.

that was the problem.

you had known how to be her mom when it was just the two of you. when she was the only one who needed you. now, with byeol here things had changed. you hadn’t realized how much, but now that the house was empty, that realization sat like a heavy stone in your chest.

you stared at the bunny in your lap, remembering all the times she’d held it tightly when she was scared or sad. and now? she thought you didn’t love her.

a sob broke free from your chest, your hands trembling as you wiped at your face.

you had grown her inside of you for nine months. through the worst of it. the fifth month, god, that fifth month, had been hell. you were in the middle of the games, carrying her, while pushing yourself beyond what anyone should be able to survive.

there had been moments when you thought she wouldn’t make it, that the stress, the trauma, the sheer brutality of it all would rip her away from you before she ever took her first breath. she didn’t. she stayed with you. she had been your testament to strength, to bravery. she was the living proof that you had survived the worst, and yet here you were, hurting her in a way you never imagined you could.

you thought about how easily she had smiled at you as a baby, how she used to reach for you with those chubby little hands, trusting that you would always be there. now? she had to ask her father if you still loved her.

your heart shattered all over again.

you rocked back and forth on the couch, the bunny still pressed tightly to your chest, as thoughts swirled around in your mind.

you needed to fix this. fast.

before it got worse. before she started believing that your love had conditions. before dae-ho grew distant, because you had seen it in his eyes too. the sadness. the frustration. the disappointment.

you could already feel the cracks forming.

you had to fix it before the space between you and them grew too wide to close.

before seo-ah, your sweet, vibrant, energetic little girl, started to believe that she wasn’t enough anymore. the same way your mother made you feel as a child.

seoah is everything.

she is your everything.

both of them were.

you needed to show her that before it was too late.

the house smelled faintly of vanilla and sugar, the soft scent of the cake you had spent hours baking filling the air. the kitchen was spotless now, counters wiped down, dishes done, and the soccer ball cake sat proudly on the table, its white and black frosting gleaming under the soft kitchen lights. it wasn’t perfect, the lines weren’t as straight as they could be, and the icing smudged in a few spots, but it was made with love. it was a start.

you had spent the entire day cleaning, organizing, and focusing your mind. the mindless tasks had helped ground you, giving you time to calm down and really think about how you were going to fix things.

not just with dae-ho, but more importantly, with seo-ah.

you didn’t want her to grow up feeling like she had to compete with her baby sister for your love. that was your biggest fear now, that your mistakes might turn into something that would leave lasting scars on her heart. you had to change that. and soon.

it was nearly 6 p.m. when you heard the front door unlocking. your heart leaped, a mix of nerves and hope twisting in your stomach. you quickly wiped your hands on a towel, taking one last glance at the cake before stepping toward the door.

the soft creak of the door opening filled the quiet house, and you immediately saw them.

the stroller was pushed inside first, both girls fast asleep, their soft breaths rising and falling in tandem. byeol’s tiny head rested against the side, her pacifier still in her mouth, while seo-ah sat curled up next to her, her arms wrapped around her other favorite bunny, her little legs kicked out to the side.

your heart swelled seeing them like that. peaceful and safe.

dae-ho stepped in next, gently shutting the door behind him. he looked… better. calmer. the tension in his shoulders seemed lighter, though you could still feel the heaviness in the air between you both. this morning’s argument lingered, unspoken but present.

you offered a light smile, trying to ease the atmosphere.

“hey… how was your mom’s?”

he glanced up at you, a soft, almost tired smile on his face.

“she was happy to see the girls. it was good for her.”

you nodded, crossing your arms lightly over your chest, unsure of what to say next.

“was your dad there?”

he shook his head.

“no. thankfully.” his jaw tensed slightly before softening again, “it was just eomma, me, and the girls. i was surprised that none of my sisters were there.”

you let out a small breath of relief, though the tension still lingered between you both.

it was clear that while he wasn’t angry anymore, there was still a conversation to be had. and you were ready for it. you both needed it.

“they had fun?” you asked softly, glancing at the sleeping girls.

“yeah. eomma spoiled them,” he chuckled, the sound soft, almost nostalgic.

“she made a huge lunch, let seo-ah play in the garden, and spent most of the time holding byeol.”

you smiled, imagining seo-ah running around his mom’s garden, her bunny probably dragging through the dirt.

“sounds like they had a good day.”

he nodded.

“they did.”

there was a pause, heavy but not uncomfortable. dae-ho was always good at keeping calm, even when there were difficult things to say. you admired that about him, his patience, his ability to think things through.

you knew he wasn’t the kind of man who would explode or lash out. however, he was also the kind of man who wouldn’t just let things slide. he would talk when he was ready.

you knew that moment would come after the girls were put to bed.

“i can carry them upstairs,” he said, moving toward the stroller.

“i’ll take seo-ah,” you offered quickly, your voice soft but certain.

he paused for a second, his eyes flickering to yours, and for a brief moment, something shifted. it was subtle, but you could see the acknowledgement there, he noticed.

you gently unbuckled seo-ah from the stroller, her little body limp with sleep, her arms still clutching her bunny. she stirred slightly as you lifted her, her head resting against your shoulder.

“eomma?” she murmured, half-asleep.

“shh, baby, it’s okay. i’m here,” you whispered, kissing her forehead as you carried her up the stairs. you could feel dae-ho’s eyes on you as you disappeared into seo-ah’s room.

you gently laid her down on her bed, tucking the blankets around her. she clutched her bunny close, her soft breaths evening out again. you sat beside her for a moment, brushing a stray hair out of her face.

“i love you so much, baby,” you whispered, your throat tightening with emotion.

she didn’t stir this time, but the words felt necessary.

after making sure she was comfortable, you stood and quietly left her room, heading back downstairs.

when you reached the living room, you found dae-ho already there. byeol must’ve been tucked into her crib, and now he sat on the couch, his hands resting on his knees, waiting.

he looked up when you walked in, his eyes meeting yours, warm but serious.

you sat down beside him, the weight of the day pressing down on both of you.

“we need to talk,” he started, his voice gentle but steady.

“i know,” you replied, your voice soft, feeling the emotions swirling inside.

the air between you hung heavy with everything unspoken. you both knew this conversation was going to be hard, but necessary. the living room was filled with a heavy silence, the kind that pressed down on your chest and made it harder to breathe.

you sat next to dae-ho on the couch, your hands clasped tightly in your lap, your fingers twisting together as you tried to find the right words, any words, but they wouldn’t come.

he sat there too, elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped loosely, his eyes on the floor for a moment before he finally turned his head to look at you.

“y/n,” he began, his voice soft but serious, “we need to talk about seo-ah.”

your throat tightened, your heart already racing. you nodded, your eyes welling with tears before you even had a chance to speak.

“i’ve been noticing things… things i didn’t want to say out loud because i know—” he paused, taking a breath., “i know you have no bad intentions. i know how much you love both of our girls but… have you noticed how seo-ah has been feeling?”

you tried to speak, but the lump in your throat made it nearly impossible. you opened your mouth, then closed it again, your vision blurring as tears filled your eyes.

“dae-ho, i…” your voice broke, and the tears spilled over. you quickly wiped them away with the sleeve of your shirt, shaking your head.

“i didn’t mean to… i didn’t even realize…” you swallowed hard, but it felt like the words were stuck, heavy and sharp. your husband’s face softened, his brow furrowing with concern, but when he reached out to place a hand on your arm, you instinctively pulled away.

“don’t,” you whispered, your voice trembling, “please… don’t comfort me right now. this is all my fault.”

“y/n…” he sighed, his heart breaking a little at the sight of you falling apart, blaming yourself so fully.

“this isn’t just on you. we’re in this together.”

you shook your head, fresh tears rolling down your cheeks.

“no, it is my fault. i made her feel unloved, like i didn’t care about her. i didn’t even notice what i was doing to her, dae-ho. i was so focused on byeol that i… i hurt her.” your voice cracked again, and your chest ached from the weight of it all.

he moved closer then, carefully, his hand resting on your knee this time, grounding you.

“i know you didn’t mean to, and i’m not mad at you,” he said, his voice steady and full of love, “i’m not your enemy in this. i’m on your side.”

you bit your lower lip, trying to hold it together, but it wasn’t working.

“i just…” you started, your voice breaking, “i don’t know how to fix it.”

he took your hands in his, his warmth radiating through your trembling fingers.

“you can fix it. and i’ll help you.” he squeezed your hands gently, “this is our first time being parents to two kids. it’s hard. we’re still figuring it out.”

you finally looked up at him, tears streaming down your face, but he didn’t look at you with frustration or judgment, only love.

“i feel like i failed her,” you whispered.

“you didn’t,” he replied firmly, “she’s still here. she still loves you. she’s just confused right now, and she needs a little more of you. that’s all.”

you wiped your eyes, your hands shaking.

“how do i fix this, dae-ho? i need to fix this before she resents me… or resents byeol.”

he took a deep breath, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on the back of your hand.

“start small. give her moments where she has you all to herself. just her and eomma. it doesn’t have to be anything huge. coloring together, playing soccer in the yard, reading her favorite book before bed. she needs to know she still has your attention and that she’s still your baby too.”

you nodded, tears still falling, but there was a tiny flicker of hope in your chest now.

“and i’ll help,” he continued, “i’ll take byeol when you need time with seo-ah. we’ll work together. you don’t have to balance this all on your own.”

the relief of hearing those words washed over you, even as the guilt still sat heavy in your heart.

“i don’t deserve how patient you are with me,” you mumbled, tears falling again.

he let out a soft, almost pained laugh, pulling you into his arms.

“you deserve all of it. we’re in this together, remember?”

dae ho’s arms wrapped around you tightly, and you melted into his chest, finally allowing yourself to fully break down in his embrace. your husband’s hands moved gently over your back, his lips pressing a soft kiss to the top of your head.

“this is hard for both of us,” he whispered against your hair, “but we’re doing it. we’re figuring it out and the girls are going to be okay because they have us.”

“i just…i don’t want to hurt them,” you choked out.

“you won’t,” he said firmly, “you’re already trying to make it right. that’s what matters.”

you sat there in his arms for a long moment, letting his words sink in, his steady heartbeat beneath your ear helping to calm the storm inside you.

“you’re right,” you finally whispered, your voice still shaky. he pulled back just enough to look into your eyes, brushing a tear off your cheek with his thumb. you feel his love wrap around you like a shield, protecting you from the crushing guilt you had been drowning in.

“thank you, dae-ho. for not giving up on me,” you murmured.

dae-ho’s face softened even more, his eyes filled with nothing but love.

“i never will.”

the soft morning light filtered through the curtains as you quietly opened seo-ah’s bedroom door. the room was still and peaceful, filled with the faint sound of her slow, even breaths as she lay curled up under her pastel pink blanket, her little bunny clutched tightly against her chest.

you took a small, shaky breath, your heart pounding as you walked over to her bed. sitting on the edge, you gently brushed a few stray strands of hair from her face.

she stirred slightly, her tiny eyebrows scrunching before her eyes slowly fluttered open.

“eomma?” she mumbled sleepily, her voice groggy and soft.

“good morning, my sweet girl,” you whispered, your throat tightening as you spoke. you couldn’t hold back anymore, you wrapped your arms around her small body, pulling her close into your chest.

she blinked in confusion, still groggy, her little arms limp at first.

“eomma…?” she asked again, unsure why you were hugging her so tightly. then, after a few moments, her small arms wrapped around you too, her head resting against your shoulder. in that instant, you felt your heart begin to heal.

you closed your eyes, savoring the warmth of her hug, tears prickling behind your eyelids. you gently rocked her back and forth, feeling the weight of everything that had happened over the last few days crashing down on you.

“seo-ah…” you started, your voice cracking, “i’m so, so sorry, baby.”

she pulled back slightly, her sleepy eyes meeting yours.

“why, eomma?”

you cupped her soft cheeks, your thumbs wiping away a tear that had slipped down your face.

“i haven’t been the best mommy lately. i’ve made mistakes… and i made you feel like i didn’t love you, didn’t i?”

your oldest daughter's eyes glistened as she hesitated, but then she nodded slowly.

“but, baby, that’s not true… not even a little bit. i love you so much, more than anything. you are my world, seo-ah. you’ve been my light since the very first moment i met you.”

you took a breath, your voice trembling as you remembered that day, four months after surviving the games.

“when you were born, i remember holding you for the first time. you were so tiny, so perfect. i was scared of a lot of things back then, but the second i looked into your eyes, all of that fear melted away. because you were there. my beautiful little girl. my reason to be strong.”

seo-ah blinked, her little hands now resting on your cheeks, mimicking how you were holding her.

“you’re the one who made me a mommy,” you whispered. “and you are so, so special to me. nothing will ever change that.”

a tear slipped down her cheek, but this time, it wasn’t from sadness, it was from something deeper. she leaned in, wrapping her arms around your neck tightly, her little voice muffled as she whispered, “i love you, eomma.”

you held her even tighter, like if you let go, she might fly away.

“i love you, too, baby. forever. i will always love you.”

you rocked her gently in your arms, her warmth seeping into your chest, and for the first time in days, you felt something lift, like a wound finally starting to heal.

“i’m so sorry, seo-ah,” you said again, kissing the top of her head, “and i promise, from now on, i’m going to show you just how much i love you every single day.”

she sniffled, wiping her nose with the back of her hand, but a small smile formed on her face.

“okay, eomma.”

you smiled through your tears and added, “and guess what? after breakfast and daycare today… i’m going to play soccer with you in the backyard. just you and me. and this time, i promise.”

seoah’s eyes widened, sparkling with excitement.

“really?”

you nodded, brushing her hair gently.

“really. and i won’t break my promise.”

she giggled, the sound filling the room and your heart.

“yay! eomma’s gonna play soccer with me!”

“yep,” you grinned, feeling hope blooming inside you.

“now, let’s go eat some breakfast.”

the day passed slowly, each moment filled with a mixture of anticipation and hope. when it was finally time to pick seo-ah up from daycare, you made sure everything was ready before she even got home.

the sun was warm, a gentle breeze dancing through the backyard as you stood there, soccer ball in hand. you had already set up two little makeshift goals using cones, making sure everything was perfect.

you heard the front door open, and then her voice, bright and excited.

“eomma?!”

you turned around, seeing her standing at the glass door, her eyes wide as they landed on you and the soccer ball in your hands.

your daughter’s whole face lit up, her smile so wide it nearly reached her ears.

“eomma! you’re ready!”

you laughed, your heart bursting with joy.

“i told you i would be.”

she burst through the door, running across the grass with her bunny still in hand, before dropping it onto a nearby chair and racing toward you.

you crouched down, opening your arms wide, and she ran straight into them, giggling as you scooped her up and twirled her around.

“you kept your promise,” she said, her voice filled with pure happiness.

you smiled, your throat tightening as you looked at her.

“and i always will, baby. always.”

you set her down and tapped the soccer ball toward her feet.

“now, show me how good you are at soccer.”

she giggled, chasing after the ball with her tiny legs, her laughter filling the backyard.

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#kang dae ho #kang dae ho x reader #squid game #squid game fanfic #squid game s2 #squid game season 2 #squid game x reader #squid game x y/n #squid game x you #player 388 #kang daeho #dae ho #dae ho squid game #meadowfics #seong gi hun

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