#i honestly wasn't sure if he'd even like her when I brought her in but

[acidheaddd]

I didn't even have to try.

[writingouthere]

neighbor!Sukuna x singlemom!reader, you go to check out a potential apartment and Sukuna joins because he is very helpful. Longest one yet so strap in!

cw:Sukuna waving his red flag like a matador while you do your best SZA impression

Sukuna thought you seemed more stressed than usual when he got home. You still talked through dinner and entertained your daughter but he could tell something was weighing on you. While Bug chased some very melted ice cream around her bowl with her spoon, he brought over some dishes to where you had already started washing the pans you'd used to make dinner.

"Thought I was responsible for the dishes since you made dinner," he reminded you, gently nudging you out the way.

"It's really not a bother and besides, you're already doing us such a big favor, letting us stay here," you said and you sounded a little choked up at the end which made him turn the water off so he could give you his full attention.

"How many times do I have to tell you I don't mind?" He couldn't help some frustration edging into his tone which only made you look sadder. He sighed and dried his hands on the towel, a new addition you had gotten, it was covered in sunflowers and it reminded him of you every time he used it.

"What's going on, you seem off today?"

You hesitated and he put his hand on your shoulder. He preened when you put your smaller hand on top of his and squeezed before giving you his full attention.

"I-I went to go see an apartment today and it was just awful." Sukuna barely fixed his face in time for you to look up at him. He had no idea you were even looking at other places. You'd barely been at his place a month and he had thought you had a good routine going on. You both split the household responsibilities and you spent your time not working together. He picked up your daughter twice a week now from daycare and took over Sunday mornings so you had some time to yourself. Someone at the grocery store had cooed over your adorable family and you hadn't even corrected them.

Obviously, you still weren't getting it and Sukuna reminded himself that it wasn't your fault. It was still like pulling teeth to get you to talk about your ex and honestly what he'd heard about your family hadn't really impressed him either. You had been taking care of yourself for far too long and it only made sense that you would be worried about being a burden on him when other people had made you feel like that rather than seeing caring for you as the privilege it was.

"Why was the apartment so awful?"

You bit your lip and he felt some concern that wasn't related to you potentially leaving. "What?"

"It was the usual, you know. It was over my budget and it was too small, I mean Bug is getting bigger every day, she needs her own room too. Then the building looks like it's only days away from collapsing and the guy who showed it, I mean he was just such a creep."

"Creep, how?"

You sighed and squeezed his hand again, but he wasn't sure if it was for your sake or you were trying to calm him down since he was sure his anger was obvious.

"It doesn't matter-

"Of course it matters, you're trying to find a home for you and your kid and some guy is making you feel uncomfortable in the space you might end up living-"

"-well I'm not going to live there, so. Doesn't matter," you say stubbornly and Sukuna hums but doesn't argue.

It's clear this is weighing on you, and while Sukuna has no intention of you moving out, unless it's him along with you, he figures this is a two birds one stone situation. Because fuck him if he was going to let you wander around the city being harassed by some dumb fucks who thought they could take advantage of a single mom.

"Are you seeing any other places," he asked and you bit your lip.

"Well, there was this one other place but after today I'm not sure-"

"Let me go with you," he said and you looked up at him and well, with the tears just beginning to fill your eyes and the little glimmer of hope he could see peaking out, how could he do anything but assure you. "Let me go with you and you can look around the place without worrying about anyone bothering you. Besides, it would make me feel better if I could scope out the place you and Bug might be moving to. I want to make sure you'll be safe."

Of course, you two would be safe because you would be with him but whatever got him to the showing.

"What about Bug?"

"Yuuji can watch her. He's been dying to babysit since he met her."

This was true. Sukuna's brother was suspicious, rightfully, of Sukuna and his intentions towards you, but Bug's cuteness was a great distraction whenever the three of them were together.

"Okay, okay. Tomorrow, could he watch her tomorrow?"

"Let me call, him. Don't worry, I'll take care of you, okay?"

You nodded and Bug started calling for you both. You went over to give your toddler the attention she clearly wanted while Sukuna finished the dishes and thought over how he would handle this situation tomorrow.

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

The next day, Yuuji showed up bright and early with the two idiots that were always with him these days. Sukuna rather liked the Fushiguro kid but the woman that was always with him still got on his last damn nerve. Her and Yuuji together were a threat to decency laws and his fucking eardrums.

"Morning! Where is my precious baby girl," Yuuji cooed stepping in as if he still lived there as Fushiguro gave him a quick nod and Kugisaki walked in without even a hello.

"She's not your baby," Sukuna said, shutting the door a little harder than necessary.

"Well, she isn't your baby either, so."

Before Sukuna could literally murder his brother, you came out with Bug on your hip.

"Uji!!" Your daughter loved Yuuji and you put her down so she could run over and greet her favorite uncle.

"Thank you so much for watching her," you said grabbing your purse off the counter. "Are these your friends from school?"

The two freeloaders introduced themselves while Yuuji started flying your daughter around like he was a plane. At least your daughter would be tired by the time you two got back.

"Let's get going, we got to get there by nine," Sukuna said, putting his hand on the small of your back and directing you towards the door. There were several loud calls of good-bye and good lucks as you two shut the door and made your way to the car.

When you get to the apartment, the super is waiting at the front door of the building. Sukuna sees him shoot you a smarmy grin that abruptly drops off when he takes Sukuna in.

"Good morning miss, I wasn't aware you were bringing your...."

"Partner," Sukuna states firmly and holds out his hand. "Pleasure," he says, sarcasm dripping from every syllable. You only look on in amusement as the fucker shakes his hand and then turns his eyes back on you, much more subdued than he'd been at first.

"Right, so the apartment is on the fourth floor. A walk-up but good way to stay in shape..."

He drones on as you and Sukuna follow behind.

"You cannot carry a stroller up four flights of stairs," he says in a tone that the super can definitely hear. "Bug also can't walk up four flights of stairs, especially after a whole day of daycare. Besides these stairs look like they might crumble and drop you to the fucking basement at any second." You smack his arm and the super looks pissed off until Sukuna stomps on a particularly wobbly stair for emphasis and he looks a little nervous. No way he was letting Bug walk up this deathtrap.

He keeps a running commentary of everything he sees, none of it good on the way to the apartment. The cracks in the ceiling, the chipped the paint, the flickering light on the third floor stairwell that makes him feel like they stepped into an 80's slasher flick. On and on he goes and he doesn't stop once they're in the shithole apartment itself.

A one bedroom, not nearly enough space for two, definitely not three which makes him even more irritated at the fact he clearly hadn't factored in at all to the choice in apartment.

He's in the middle of guessing outloud if the shower head would fall on top of you in the first week or the second when you snap.

"I know it's a piece of shit, Sukuna. I'm not an idiot, I'm desperate." You are more irritated than he's ever seen and the fucking creep of a super shoots him a smirk before Sukuna turns the full force of his glare on him. The man mumbles out something about giving them time to take in the space and leaves them alone, the door closing firmly in his haste.

"I don't think you're an idiot," Sukuna says, more calm than he feels because he definitely feels a type of way about all of this. "I just don't think this place is right for you or Bug. Do you expect me to apologize for caring?"

"Is that what this is? You come here to help me and all you've done is shit on the apartment and scare that poor man half to death."

"That poor man was fucking makes eyes at you until he saw me behind you."

"I know, but he got the point when you squeezed his hand so tight I think one of his knuckles popped!"

Sukuna snorted at that and even you seemed a little amused. You sighed and leaned against the wall behind you.

"I can't live with you forever Sukuna, we need a home."

Sukuna wanted to scream, to shake you and say that he was your home. Home for both of you but he knew you weren't ready to hear it and that if he misstepped you might end up living somewhere that seemed a strong breeze away from collapse.

"It's not forever," he finally said and this was true. You would need a new place soon, just not this place. "When I say I don't mind, I mean that I like having the two of you with me." You seemed a little surprised by this admission and Sukuna weighs his next words carefully.

"You're my friend and I care about you even if I have an unconventional way of showing you." You scoff and Sukuna presses on, he can see you softening. "Just wait a little longer. This place isn't good enough for the two of you but another place might be. I'd rather you stay with me longer and find the right place instead of rushing and choosing somewhere shitty because you think you're putting me out or something."

"What guy wants some mom and her kid crashing with him for months on end," you ask and you seem almost genuinely curious.

"You're not some mom, you're you and I happen to really like that kid." You smile and Sukuna knows he's got you. "I mean as we speak she's probably putting Yuuji and his loser friends through the ringer and that's reason enough to keep her around."

"You think anything will be broken by the time we get home," you ask and he feels the clump of blood and flesh that makes up his heart squeeze just a little tighter. Home.

"Oh, definitely but that's why we're not paying them for their services." You laugh and Sukuna walks a little closer to you. You watch him, a little confused but he thinks he sees some anticipation too as he closes in on your space and puts a hand on your cheek. He leans in and he knows he's not making it up that your eyelids flutter as he gets closer.

It's tempting but when Sukuna kisses you for the first time, it's not going to be in a place like this while some scumbag is probably listening through the door.

"Let's go home," he says and he presses a gentle kiss against your cheek. You'd done the same to him many times by now and he can see the appeal when he hears your sharp intake of breath and finds himself surrounded by the smell of your shampoo.

While your quest to find an apartment was unsuccessful, Sukuna thinks that important progress was made today. It fills him with a sense of contentment that manages to sustain him even as the two of you come home to an apartment overflowing with chaos and a spiderweb of cracks across his tv.

When he goes to kick Yuuji's ass, Bug makes sure to lend her support to her poor uncle by clinging to Sukuna's leg and laughing while the two men roll around on the floor to your amusement.

Like he would ever let you leave this.

also people have been suggesting that I make a masterlist or create some sort of tags and while I know what these are(kind of), I'm also not sure the specifics so any advice on how to make this all easier to find would be appreciated! I've been creeping on tumblr for literally over a decade but never written like this before.

[clarionglass]

here we go :) part one of three, updates to be released weekly!

---

sam says 4 (game master cinematic universe, part 3)

Ruby was at her mum's for a family dinner she couldn't miss on pain of death, apparently, and the Doctor was many things, but a family dinner kind of guy wasn't one of them—particularly when Carla had already slapped him once in the short time he'd known her. He thought he'd broken his streak of bad luck with mums, but… well, seemingly not. So he was companionless for a few hours, and while he could wait for her to get back, maybe catch up on his reading—what was the point of waiting when you had a time machine? 

He ran his hands over the TARDIS console, marvelling at her clean lines and metallic flourishes, the way that even now she felt brand new but familiar, and paused. He’d just pop off for a quick adventure, nothing too dangerous, but—where to go?

He could scan for a distress call nearby, and pitch in to help. He could drop in on Donna and Shaun and Rose, beautiful Rose, and see how they were all doing. Or he could just hit the randomiser button, and jump in feet first wherever he ended up.

He remembered a conversation from a long time ago, when he wore a different face, and his gorgeous TARDIS wore a face too, for the first and only time.

“You didn't always take me where I wanted to go.”

“No, but I always took you where you needed to go.”

He grinned. Who could resist an offer like that? He pressed the button and whooped as the time rotor spun into action, ready to see where the universe would take him.

---

Apparently, he was needed pretty close to where he already was. Earth, 2024. Huh. Same planet, same time—within a few months of where he’d left Ruby, even. The main thing that had changed was the location: he was now in the good old US of A. California, to be more specific, and Los Angeles to be more specific still. And to really narrow it down, the Doctor discovered as he poked his head out of the TARDIS doors, he was in… a broom closet. Not bad, as a parking spot—a bit squeezy, but out of the way. And as he poked his head out of that door, he could finally see he was in the backstage corridors of a studio of some kind. Film or TV, if he was to hazard a guess, it was a different vibe from Abbey Road.

With a shrug, he decided to go exploring.

It couldn’t have been more than a minute before a young woman wearing the full-black outfit, headset, and permanently stressed expression of a production assistant came running up to him.

“Are you the fill-in Sam organised?” she asked breathlessly, and honestly, seeing the look on her face, the Doctor didn’t have the heart(s) to tell her no. And really, what was the Doctor, if not a professional fill-in? This, this was why he had a randomiser button on the control panel, because whatever he was about to get himself into was going to be fun.

“Sure!”

“Oh, thank god,” sighed the production assistant, relief dawning across her face. “When Ally tested positive this morning, I thought we were sunk for the record, because we called around and we couldn’t get a hold of anyone. But then Sam said he could get someone in, and, you know, here you are, and just in time, so—ah, yeah, if you could follow me this way?”

Smiling all the way, the Doctor followed his guide through to hair and makeup, looking around as they went. The studio seemed to belong to a company called Dropout, according to the branding scattered around, and things seemed, at least on the surface, to be… well. Fine. He couldn't tell why he'd been brought here yet, which meant that when he found the reason, it was going to be particularly tangled. He couldn't wait! 

And then he looked back at his guide, still engulfed in a miasma of anxiety, and realised he'd been too busy looking for clues to notice the person right in front of him. 

“Hey, it's cool, you've found me,” he started with a gentle smile. “You can relax. Hi, I'm the Doctor. What's your name?”

“Oh!” she said, startled. “The Doctor, yeah, of course. Um, hi, I'm Kaylin. Look, sorry, it's just that I've been so busy this morning, I'm so distracted… Shit, and I would've completely forgotten to get your details too. There's paperwork to fill in, but you can do that later. Um, just for now, though, can I get your pronouns?”

The Doctor thought for a moment. “He/him, for now.”

Kaylin nodded, making a note on her phone. “Okay, cool! And do you have any socials?”

“Not me, babes,” he replied. “I'm hardly sitting down long enough to be able to update, you know?”

“On a day like this, I know exactly what you mean,” she said. “That's okay, Lou didn't have socials either for the longest time. Right, so if you go through there, the team will get you sorted, and once you're done, someone will take you up to the greenroom. All good?”

“All great,” the Doctor replied. Kaylin flashed him a quick, relieved smile, then hurried off.

Hair and makeup was a fairly quick process, the sound mixer fitted him with a microphone, and before too long, Kaylin was back to take him upstairs. 

“This is the greenroom,” she said, pushing the door open. “The rest of the cast for the episode are already here—they’re great guys, and they’ve both been on the show a lot, so they’ll be able to help if you’ve got questions. And if you need anything else, just come find me or any of the other PAs, okay?”

The Doctor nodded, beamed at Kaylin, and walked in.

---

The greenroom was small but comfortable, and its occupants, two men around the same age as the Doctor appeared, looked up as he entered.

“Oh, you’re new,” the taller of the pair said, clearly giving him the once-over.

The other sighed with a mixture of fondness and exasperation, just as clearly used to his friend’s antics.

“Hey, I’m Brennan,” he said, levering himself up to standing from his perch on a chair arm, and holding out a hand. “That’s Grant.”

The Doctor took it warmly. “The Doctor. Just passing through, and happy to help.”

Grant’s eyebrows quirked. “Doctor… something?” he prompted.

“Or is it just ‘the Doctor’?” Brennan asked.

“Just ‘the Doctor’,” the Time Lord confirmed cheerfully. “You’ll get used to it, everyone does.”

Grant didn’t look convinced, but—

“Copy that,” Brennan shrugged, and settled back on the arm of the chair, returning his gaze to the door.

Grant, in turn, looked at the Doctor and rolled his eyes in a clear expression of ‘no, I don’t know why he’s like this, either’.

“Okay,” the Doctor said after a moment of watching the watching. “I wasn’t going to ask, but now I think I have to. What’s up with the door?”

Brennan huffed a laugh. “Well, the last time there was one of those up—” he pointed to the Out of Order sign stuck to the bathroom door, “—we got locked in here for the game.”

“He’s paranoid,” Grant interjected.

“Well, yeah, maybe,” Brennan retorted. “Or just cautious. Because Sam’s been acting weird lately, and we’re coming up to the last few records of the season, so he’s probably planning something way out of the box for the finale. And the original cast was you, me and Beardsley, so…”

He shrugged one shoulder meaningfully, and Grant nodded, conceding both the point and the potential for chaos.

“So if Sam comes in to give us the briefing, rather than waiting til we’re on set,” Brennan continued, “or there’s anything else weird going on, I’m gonna know about it right from the beginning.”

He turned to the Doctor. “The only reason I'm not quizzing you is because I know for a fact Beardsley was genuinely scheduled for this, so you can't be a plant by the production team. No offence.”

“None taken,” the Doctor smiled. “That sort of thing happen often, does it?”

Grant and Brennan exchanged a look. 

“More than you'd think,” Grant answered with a grimace. 

“Alright,” the Doctor said slowly, then brightened. “So what is it we're actually doing?”

Grant gave him a disbelieving glance. “You don't know—?”

“Very last minute fill-in,” the Doctor said breezily. “But don't worry, I'm a quick study.”

“Well, you're not that much worse off than the rest of us,” Brennan said encouragingly. “You know about Game Changer, obviously, if you know Sam, and we only find out the rules of the game once we get on set. Hopefully,” he added, with a dark look back at the Out of Order sign. 

The Doctor nodded. No, he didn't know Sam, and he didn't know Game Changer, but he could work out the situation from context clues. This was a game show. And with the Toymaker banished, and Satellite Five not coming into existence for another 198000 years, give or take, he found himself smiling. Maybe third time would be the charm. 

“Mmm, hopefully they aren't going to throw you in the deep end,” Grant said. “Because Brennan might seem lovely now, but as soon as we get out there, he's a whore for points. He'll stab you in the back and won't even blink.”

Brennan barked with laughter. “Yeah, and you wouldn't?”

“Excuse you, I'm always a goddamn delight,” Grant replied, the very picture of injured dignity. 

“Oh, absolutely!” agreed a new voice. The Doctor turned to the now-open door to see a bearded man in a pinstriped suit smiling broadly. “That's why we keep inviting you back!”

Grant bowed sarcastically. “Why, thank you, Sam. Good to know I'm appreciated by someone here.”

“Always,” Sam replied, gently but firmly ending that particular path of the conversation. He scanned the room, and his eyes lit up when they landed on the Doctor. 

“Ah, you must be the Doctor!” he said with obvious delight, walking over with his hand outstretched. “I'm Sam—thanks for filling in for us, you've made sure we're going to have a good show. Seriously, it's a pleasure to have you here.”

“Aw, cheers!” the Doctor smiled, shaking the offered hand. “Glad I could help out, I'm really looking forward to this!”

“Well, great!” Sam exclaimed, then took a step back, regarding all three players in turn. “Now, folks, I'm just letting you know that we're just about ready to start the record, so if you can start heading down, that'd be great.”

Grant and Brennan nodded—Brennan, the Doctor noticed, with relief. 

“See you down there,” Sam said, smiling. “Have a great show, and—”

His eyes caught on the Doctor's for a second, twinkling. 

“Good luck.”

---

Backstage, the Doctor, Brennan and Grant were marshalled into podium order and given a final briefing from the crew. And then, with a thumbs-up from Kaylin, that was it.

Showtime.

“Get ready for a Game Changer!” came Sam's voice from onstage. “Tonight’s guests: he can shoot off a monologue with laser accuracy; it’s Brennan Lee Mulligan!”

Brennan, his back to the camera as the curtains opened, spun on his heel and, with a stone-cold expression, pointed finger guns straight down the barrel, before letting the facade crack open. “Hi!” he exclaimed, and walked over to the leftmost podium.

“It’s his first appearance, but he’s already on fire; it’s the Doctor!”

The Doctor leant against the archway to the stage and flashed a broad smile towards the camera, then in a few skipping steps, had bounded over to the next free podium. What the hell, why not make an entrance?

“And even in the toughest of mazes, you’ll always be able to find him; it’s Grant O’Brien!”

Grant dipped his lanky frame into an approximation of a curtsey, spreading his arms wide, then sauntered over to the closest podium with a grin.

“And your host, me!” Sam announced, a ring of manic white showing around his irises as he beamed down the barrel of the camera. “I’ve been here the whole time!”

“This,” he continued, pushing his microphone shut and stowing it in his jacket pocket, “is Game Changer, the only game show where the game changes every show. I am your host, Sam Reich!” 

As he said his name, he looked at his hands, front and back, as if he was pleasantly surprised to be himself, then gestured towards the three podiums.

“I am joined today by these three lovely contestants! Now, you understand how the game works.”

“Of course not,” Grant started. “You know we don't.”

“We can't, Sam, that's the whole point of the theatre you've set up here,” Brennan said over him. 

“Not yet,” was all the Doctor said, anticipation starting to drum a tattoo of excitement against the inside of his ribcage. 

“That’s right!” Sam said brightly, shooting finger guns at the camera. “Our players have no idea what game it is they’re about to play. The only way to learn is by playing. The only way to win is by learning, and the only way to begin is by beginning! So without further ado, let’s begin by giving each of our players fifty points.”

The Doctor, biding his time, watched the reactions of his fellow contestants. Grant looked at the front of his podium, checking the point total, and nodding approvingly when he saw that yes, it was sitting at a round fifty. Brennan, on the other hand, was starting to frown.

“Players, Sam says: touch your nose,” Sam began, and Brennan sighed the sigh of someone who wasn’t happy to be proved right.

“Oh, no,” he groaned. “Oh, you son of a bitch. Wasn’t one this season enough?”

He touched his nose anyway, as did the others, and Sam smiled encouragingly. “Sam says: touch your ear.”

When they all did, Sam nodded. “Touch your other ear.”

Everybody held still, fingers on the ears they had originally touched.

Sam beamed. “Easy, players, right?”

“You say that now,” Brennan said darkly. “Which makes it worse, because all you're doing is setting us up for failure.”

Sam gasped, pretending offence. “Would I do that?”

“Yes,” Brennan and Grant replied in unison, which drew a grin from the Doctor and set Sam off chuckling.

“And I'm not having it,” Brennan continued, leaning his elbows against his podium and pointing at Sam with the hand not touching his ear. “You better watch yourself, because I know how this game works, and you're not going to get one over on me.”

“Strong words, Brennan!” Sam said, clearly delighted by this response. “Okay, then, let's start making things a bit more interesting!”

The game continued as per Sam Says usual, some rounds done as a group and some individual. Points were won, sure, but lost slightly more frequently, and even the Doctor found he was having to concentrate to avoid getting caught in the host's traps. 

It was fun. Genuinely, it was like playing a game with friends, and the Doctor felt himself leaning into it. There wasn't any sign of danger—maybe there wasn't a mystery to solve at all, and the TARDIS just decided he needed a total break. 

Well, probably not. But the way things were going, he was able to let himself hope. 

“Alright, players,” Sam said a good few rounds in, just as pleasantly as he would start any other question, and the screen behind him dinged as a new prompt popped up. “Survive the death beam.”

For a second, everything was frozen perfectly still. 

And then came the crash, the explosive noise of heavy machinery moving relentlessly through a drywall set.

The Doctor was already moving. “Everyone down!”

“Duck!” Brennan yelled at the same time.

The two of them hit the ground within milliseconds of each other, but Grant was still paralysed in the face of the giant, science-fiction type laser cannon that had just ploughed through the wall. 

It whined ominously, screaming its way to fever pitch. And then a sharp pain in Grant’s ankle made him stagger, pitching forwards onto the carpet behind the podiums as the Doctor rolled away to avoid getting pinned.

“Sorry, babes,” the Doctor whispered. “But it was either kick you to get you down, or—”

A hideous metallic screech ripped through the air, and all three of them could feel the crackle of ozone as a beam of energy swept across what had, moments ago, been neck height.

“…Or that,” the Doctor finished with a grimace.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Grant breathed, suddenly very conscious of every inch of his 6’9 frame. “Thanks.”

“Well done, players!” Sam exclaimed delightedly from above them. “But… sorry, I didn’t say ‘Sam says’, so that’s a point off for everyone.”

“What the fuck!” Brennan snapped.

“Are you actually insane?” Grant demanded at the same time, his voice overlapping with Brennan’s.

In response, Sam just wheezed with laughter. “You can come back to your podiums,” he said, cheerfully ignoring them.

Nobody moved.

“Very good!” he acknowledged, and even without seeing his face, the grin was obvious in his voice. “Okay, Sam says: come back to your podiums.”

Although the words were innocuous, and his tone was just as light and breezy as usual, there was nevertheless an edge hiding just underneath the surface. And while the death beam loomed large in the minds of all three players, it was impossible to consider disobedience as an option.

Slowly, they stood, returning to their places. Now they had the time to look at it properly, the death beam was even more sinister, and Brennan and Grant both kept flicking nervous glances its way, ready to move if it looked like it was charging up again.

The Doctor, however, was focused purely on the man standing in front of them. Unbothered, Sam met his gaze like a challenge, a mischievous smile playing about his lips.

“Oh, you’ll love this one,” he said, and the screen changed. “Sam says, starting with Grant: say my name.”

Grant frowned in confusion, but answered quickly nonetheless. “Sam Reich?”

The man himself shrugged tolerantly, moving on. “Brennan?”

Brennan just stared at him coolly. “Do you take me for a fool?”

“Well caught, Brennan!” Sam said happily. “Sam says: say my name.”

“Sam,” Brennan replied, suspicion clear in his voice. “Samuel Dalton Reich.”

He nodded, still with a hint of indifference. “And lastly, Doctor.” His smile broadened. “Sam says: say my name.”

It was easy. Too easy. And as the Doctor looked into the eyes of the man calling himself Sam Reich, he felt his hearts stutter in recognition, because something had changed. He wasn’t hiding himself anymore, and while the face was different yet again, the Doctor would know the shape of that soul anywhere. It was impossible. It was inevitable.

“You can’t be,” he breathed. 

Sam smirked, leaning in across his podium. “Oh, but Doctor… I’ve been here the whole time,” he stage-whispered with a wink.

“He said you lost,” the Doctor said, shaking his head, looking wrong-footed for the first time that Brennan and Grant could recall. “You lost, and he trapped you.”

The other two watched, uncomprehending, but Sam just smiled, drumming his fingers against the podium with an audible beat, fast but distinct. Four taps, four taps, four taps. “I’m waiting.”

The Doctor took a slow, deep breath. Set his jaw. 

“Master.”

---

missed an installment of the game master cinematic universe?

original idea by @ace-whovian-neuroscientist: x

art by @northernfireart concept: x scissor sisters sketch: x sam and his doppelganger: x

writing by me (!) part one (escape the greenroom): x part two (deja vu): x part three (sam says 4): you are here!

[stevesbipanic]

For the lovely @withacapitalp happy birthday Liam hope you have the best day today!!!!

Steve had been pacing around the apartment all morning. Well, pacing wasn't really the right word, Eddie would describe it more like having the same zoomies their cat Toothpaste has at 3am.

You see today was–"It's Robin Day, Eds!" As his lovely boyfriend had practically screamed in his ear at 5am. "And it will still be Robin day when you return from your job at a normal waking hour, babe."

Eddie had hoped the jog would've gotten some of the energy out of Steve's system but he seemed more hyper on his return, at least he'd brought Eddie coffee.

"Love, Robin isn't even on the plane yet."

"I know, but it's today, Eds."

Steve looked so bright it made all of Eddie's sleepiness fade away. It had been hard, living away from Robin. They'd all shared an apartment when she went away for college but by the time she got a job in New York, Steve and Eddie were not only dating finally but settled into Chicago life.

They spoke every day of course, Robin and Steve never missed a nightly catch up of the day's events, Eddie didn't even know what they'd talk about once they were in the same state again. Eddie knew Robin would always be Steve's number one and he loved that about him.

There was one other thing about today though. "Sweetheart, you know it's not just Robin Day, right?"

Steve looked confused at his boyfriend, kind of like the way a puppy looks when you move his toy.

"What could be more important about today than that."

Eddie began humming a specific tune wrapping his arms around Steve's waist. "Oh, right, my birthday, 24 isn't exactly a big deal Eds," Steve said rolling his eyes.

Eddie laughed, "Your birthday is the reason Robin's coming, sunshine, plus after the number of times we've both almost died I think every birthday is a big deal."

Steve nodded his head and returned the embrace Eddie had been giving him, "True, you think you're gonna have a quarter life crisis in August, Mr 25?"

Eddie grinned, "Oh yeah, I think imma buy a guitar and start a band." Steve laughed, while Corroded Coffin never got famous they got relatively well known in the local scene, Tuesdays were now a regular gig at The Squire downtown.

"Four hours til she lands," Steve said kissing Eddie's cheek and running upstairs to make sure the guest room was ready for the tenth time. "Still not on the plane yet!" Eddie called up laughing.

Four and a half hours later their loving room was filled with laughter and joy once more. "And then the guy asked the flight attendant for another ginger ale and Steve this man was looking green and you know how I don't deal with sick people well I'm surprised I survived the flight at all," Robin rambled filling Steve in on her flight from hell.

"Honestly, you should just move back here, save yourself the flight," Steve joked. Robin glanced at Eddie, one little birthday surprise they hadn't told Steve yet.

"Actually, my contract is ending in two weeks, and um, they offered to extend it at...their Chicago office."

Steve was frozen, if Eddie didn't know better he'd think Vecna had returned from the dead to finish them off after all these years. Then the screaming started.

"YOU'RE MOVING BACK TO CHICAGO!"

"I'M MOVING BACK TO CHICAGO!"

Pretty soon everyday would be Robin Day and with his boy looking that happy Eddie wouldn't want it any other way.

[crescent-blades]

Kokushibō w/ Pregnant!S.O

Pairings⌇Kokushibō × Pregnant!Reader insert, ⌞Kokushibō and Reader are in a pre-established relationship, ie married⌝

Warnings⌇ Pregnancy, Labour & Birth

A/n⌇It's unclear what the canon implications would be if a demon were to successfully impregnate a human, but for the sake of this scenario, let's just imagine that the result is a healthy child who is half demon and half human.

𖤐ˎˊ˗Masterlist

  ̗̀ It had been a while since you and Kokushibo had been married. Honestly, he had never thought things would turn out this way—to marry someone was the last thing on his mind. Yet, here he was, making choices he never thought he would make. �� 

  ̗̀ The humans he met showed little potential. They lacked the skills needed to become strong, upper ranked demons. So, the idea of having a successor—a child of his own—began to take shape in his mind. He knew his child would definitely have immense potential and could likely be a successor to moon breathing.. so it wasn't a bad idea.  

  ̗̀The news of your pregnancy—well.. actually, it wasn't you who shared the news with him. It was Kokushibō who brought the news to you. 

  ̗̀It wasn't surprising though, having Kokushibō as your husband would be like having a walking, talking pregnancy detector around.  

  ̗̀I mean, he'd literally even know exactly when the sperm attached to your ova, all thanks to his see through world.  

  ̗̀You didn't even know that you were pregnant yet. It was just one day in, as you prepared for bed and arranged the sheets. Your husband approached you with his typical stoic expression. He gazed at you for a brief moment—  

"Hmm.. I see.."   

  ̗̀You’d brighten up at his presence, feeling happy yet a bit puzzled by his sudden, unusual behaviour. 

 "I can see.. 'life' developing inside you. How delightful.."   

  ̗̀Being your husband, Kokushibo would feel that it is his duty to be taking care of you, especially when you'd be carrying his child. So throughout your pregnancy, he'd make sure to take extra care of you, paying more attention to your needs.  

  ̗̀ Though it was definitely going to be difficult. Being a demon, he could only come out at night, which meant he couldn't be there for you through the day. This thought definitely made him feel uncomfortable. Hence, he would encourage you to stay with him in the infinity castle [separate from the rest of the demons] so he can take proper care of you.  

  ̗̀However, he'd know that being deprived of the sun could also be detrimental to your and your baby's health, so he'd make sure to always drop you off somewhere safe from time to time, likely in your parent's/relatives house. Making sure you are in safe hands.   

~Though knowing Muzan- now he'd definitely question your husband:  

"--A human woman?"

His voice carried a touch of curiosity, laced with a hint of amusement. "I entrusted you with one simple task, Kokushibo. Locate the blue spider lily and uncover the Ubuyashiki mansion. More than a century has passed, and yet you and the demons have not unearthed a single clue about either."    Muzan exhaled slowly, pacing around as he looked down at the upper one, who was kneeling in front of him, his head downcast as in a bow.   "And now you’ve chosen to play these petty games, and with a human at that? I expected much better from you, Kokushibo.."  

"I have no excuses to make, my lord.. Indeed, I fell in love with a woman, a human.. and now I have sworn to protect her and my offspring."   "However.. I assure you.. my lord.. that my decisions shall not interfere with my responsibilities.."   

  ̗̀➛Typically, Muzan would never permit his demons to make such significant decisions; however, he made an exception for your husband.

 Throughout your pregnancy, your husband would keep a close eye on you. Make sure you are in good health, at all times.   

  ̗̀Have any questions about the baby? There's no need to go to the doctor, just ask Kokushibo, and he'll tell you everything. The baby's weight, health. Everything.

  ̗̀He would advise you to not strain yourself too much, urging you to rest, understanding that you are in a vulnerable state. If you found yourself trying to carry something, he'd silently snatch it from you. Try to walk too much, and he'd silently just pick you up and place you on the bed. 

 "--You.. ought to rest.. my dear.." 

  ̗̀As for your strange cravings, he'd definitely consider them strange and, rather, amusing. Sure, he has dealt with a pregnancy before, and he is aware that his-ex wife may have had cravings too. But his knowledge was very limited due to the presence of many servants, as well as his memories failing him over the years. However, witnessing your cravings firsthand is definitely.. something.          

"Dear, could you bring me some mochi with chilli sauce?" "Some ice cubes with ketchup?"     

  ̗̀Each day your craving got weirder and weirder, which both entertained and concerned him, even though he could tell that nothing was wrong with you.

  ̗Still, as much as it had worried him, Kokushibo had always managed to somehow fulfil your requests, always bringing the strange foods you sought.         

  ̗̀At first, when he presented you with these unusual cravings, his expression remained stoic, devoid of any visible emotion. However, it wouldn't be long before you noticed him, softly chuckling to himself at your bizarre requests. Observing you curiously if you truly enjoyed them.      

  ̗̀There were times, however, when he'd stop you from binge eating too much food, which he considered unhealthy. Surpisingly, he was gentle while urging you to try something healthier.      

"We have some fruits.. I can make a salad for you.. if you wish.."       

  ̗̀ Of course, you are pregnant, so your body is going through many changes. You'd find yourself battling those horrible cramps along with persistent back pain, nausea, and those frustrating headaches.. It was difficult to even work effectively because of your fatigue.  

  ̗̀➛ In that case, Kokushibo would notice your discomfort immediately.    

"...your.. 'pregnancy'.. has made your body go through many changes.. the child grows.. as well your body.."   

  ̗̀ He would address you in a gentle manner, speaking to you in an "as a matter of fact" tone. His six eyes locked on you with a tender gaze, inspecting you thoroughly, making sure you were okay..   

 "As of now.. your muscles are stiff, and tight.. Here.. let me ease the pain for you-"    

  ̗̀He would speak softly, his voice deep as he carefully positioned you on your side, beginning to work on your back. His big, sturdy hands were surprisingly tender, applying just the right amount of pressure to alleviate your discomfort. He already knew the exact areas where you were experiencing pain, moving his hand and gently kneading those areas with the base of his hands and thumbs, working up and down your back.     

  ̗̀When it comes to choosing a name for the child, Kokushibo can be extremely thoughtful. He'd find/make a name with a deep meaning, one that would embody the meaning of "strength" or "excellence" [kind of like his own father].           

  ̗̀During labour, he'd mostly leave it up to the midwife and you female relatives, as he did not wish to intrude or make you feel uneasy, believing that childbirth was women's business.

  ̗̀ Though he would occasionally offer words of encouragement, urging you to remain strong and reassuring you that all would be well. While you were in labour, he would remain outside, pace around as you brought new life into the world.  

[icallhimjoey]

Not sure if you've done this but it fits the general mood of the fandom lately: I want grovel-y Joe. Knows he really fucked up but he's a guy so he doesn't know how to fix it so he just throws anything at the wall to see what sticks. And honestly we're not sure if we'll forgive him but we're definitely sticking around to see how far he's willing to go.

(yes I am in therapy 🤣)

okay im using this request to fix whatever that bullshit was that i wrote before this - hope you enjoy! Wordcount: 3.8K

---

I'll Let The Sun Decide

Joe realises it in the morning. Feels like the biggest fucking idiot in the world.

Correction: the biggest fucking idiot on the moon.

He watches you walk out of his bedroom after leaving a perfect cup of coffee, exactly how he likes it, on his bedside table and everything about that makes his heart ache.

After the way he behaved last night, he knows he doesn't deserve a sweet gesture from the girl who looks like she only managed to sleep for about two hours.

You look exhausted.

He only catches a glimpse of you, and a few seconds later he can hear the coffee machine go again. You're making a coffee for yourself after making him one, and Joe can't help but groan his face into his pillow.

Fuck.

He didn't reach out for you in the night.

Your one fucking rule.

He vaguely remembers going, "Hmm?" after he raised his head off his pillow in a jolt.

"Just me." You'd whispered, nothing malicious hidden in your voice, because it was after midnight and it wasn't the time to continue whatever you'd started earlier that evening.

He should've reached over then.

He hadn't. Not even a knee to your thigh, or a toe to your foot.

Nothing.

He should've been happy you'd come back to his flat instead of going to your own. You could've so easily decided to avoid him for a bit, but you didn't. You said you'd come back, and then you did, and, fuck.

He hadn't reached out.

He hadn't even read the texts you'd sent. Left you with a bunch of grey ticks.

Well.

He had read them, but only in the notification bar.

He'd seen the messages about you making it to the office safely. Of how Charlotte was there too - you'd do the work together and you'd be done much faster that way. A little later of how you'd just be another hour, and of how you'd let him know when you'd leave.

He wanted you to feel bad about choosing your work over him, so he withheld the coloured ticks and had felt real fucking smug over it. It was sickening how right he'd felt about his actions in the moment. Every petty little thing justified, just because you'd hurt his feelings.

You'd climbed into bed after he had already fallen asleep, and the feeling of movement next to him pulled him from his slumber. And then, instead of reaching over like he should have done, he had sighed all heavily, like he was really fucking annoyed that you'd woken him up as you got comfortable under his covers. He'd rolled over and ignored you. Turned his back and festered in his own anger like a moody teenager because he truly believed you deserved it.

What a fucking loser.

Didn't touch you all night.

The realisation slaps him in the face unexpectedly, and your early-morning kind gesture is what flips the entire script. What a fucking loser of a boyfriend.

You've made the deadline.

Joe sees it when he opens his messages after taking a perfect sip of hot coffee, and it's weird how he feels awful about himself and proud of you at the same time.

He didn't need to let the world burn over such a tiny inconvenience.

Joe hates the moon.

Longs for the sun.

The moon is cold and dark and he's all alone up there, only warmed by the light the sun will bring him.

The sun. Or, the messy-haired girl with tired eyes in soft clothes too big for her body who brought him a hot cup of coffee before she even made one for herself. Either or. Same thing.

Joe stares at your messages in silence, gives you the coloured ticks he should've given you last night, and feels heavy guilt find home in the pit of his stomach.

You finished all the work in time. Probably have done a real good job at it too. Did it at the office, away from Joe's bad temper, and managed to actually focus and forget about how he told you to fuck off when you were already on your way out anyway.

What a dick-move.

Fragile ego syndrome, you'd guessed then.

That dick-move is what had you second-guessing going back over to Joe's for a while. Maybe going back to your own flat was the smarter idea. Avoid the confrontation and just text him the next day, after he'd cooled off a bit.

Maybe he'd actually read those then.

Another dick-move.

Joe could be so annoying sometimes, but it was easy to read him and you knew that just a little consideration of your time would fix whatever this silly issue was. With that in mind, you'd made your way back over to his.

You knew his dick-moves only meant he was going to feel bad about himself come tomorrow morning.

And you were right.

Besides an annoyed sigh and a soft grumble, you didn't get much else from him when you got into bed.

That was fine.

Again, you didn't think it was the right time to continue a fight anyway.

But the morning brought something new.

You woke up before Joe did and it took a few seconds for you to remember. To realise your prediction was right. Joe hasn't reached out in the night. No silent I still love you touch under the covers for you.

And it stings.

Could make you cry if you thought about it long enough.

Joe's stayed on his side of the bed, facing away from you, and you tell yourself that at least you've come back to his flat like you said you would. You finished the work you had to finish, and did the right thing by returning.

But then, you concluded, you also haven't reached out to him at all, and immediately felt bad.

Joe can be so annoying sometimes, but you do still love him, and a warm palm to a shoulder blade could've at least let him know.

It would've made you the bigger person.

Which, you still were. You came back, didn't you? But Joe was being an absolute child and you didn't want to sink down to his level.

You should've reached over. Should've touched him. You have no good excuse for not following the one rule you came up with after your first real argument, and now you feel bad.

Shit.

The coffee is to make up for it. At least a little. To say, I'm sorry I didn't reach out, here's me doing that now.

"Morning," you whispered when you saw him stir and open a squinty, confused eye.

You didn't wait for a reply. Just left the coffee there and walked back to go and make yourself one too.

Joe watched you leave and the moon came crashing down.

He knows what the coffee means.

He's read your messages, can hear you make breakfast in his kitchen and decides he needs to reach out too. With his coffee in hand, he gets up and makes his way over to his living area where he finds you rubbing your fist into an eye through a yawn, with a carton of eggs in the other hand.

"Morning," he croaks, and sees how it's only just starting to get light outside, it's so early still.

It feels a little weird and embarrassing to speak to you right now. To remember how you'd been in this same room just a few hours ago, and he'd told you to fuck off.

Fuck off, he'd said. To his girlfriend. Had meant it with his whole chest too. What a fucking idiot.

You turn your head to give him a small smile that doesn't reach your eyes, and ask, "Do you want some eggs?"

The moon can die.

He doesn't want the moon.

The moon is too far from the sun. He wants you closer and happy and well-rested and for your smile to overtake your whole lovely beautiful face when you see him and he hasn't got the faintest clue where to even start to fix it.

He doesn't know how to turn all the feelings in his chest into words to convey how sorry he feels. Has no idea what to say. Has no idea how you'll react to a verbal apology either.

But you look so soft, shoulders slouched, the scrunched up bit of fabric that held your hair up and out of your face as you slept about to slip out. And, even though he can tell it's not a real smile, you're still giving him a kind face. You're being civil.

You've made him a coffee how he likes it and just offered to make him some eggs and, Jesus, he's just the most awful person ever, isn't he?

The overwhelming need to wrap himself around all of you takes over.

Joe leaves his coffee on the side and steps closer to attach himself to your back. You accept it, and he can feel how you let your head rest against the side of his as he hugs you, arms tight around your waist.

He's glad that you let him.

But he also feels the defeat there.

The, Joe what the fuck, that's waiting to slip out of your mouth. Maybe it's why you're keeping things surface level. No time or energy to get into an actual conversation right now. Just breakfast eggs and perfect coffee.

That's okay.

Joe doesn't know what to say anyway, and he'd love some eggs, actually.

"I'd love some, but," Joe kisses the side of your face, does it quick so he doesn't have to feel you pull away from it, and then gently moves you aside. "Let me."

A first attempt at fixing it.

Joe finishes breakfast whilst you go for the quickest shower of your life. When you turn the water off he asks what time you need to leave from the kitchen. His eyes find your coffee that's going cold, and he thinks it's so stupid that you have to be back at work so soon.

This time he doesn't feel sorry for himself, though. This time he feels sorry for you.

It's a big difference.

You've only just left the office, Joe thinks. And sure, sometimes he makes long hours and feels like he lives on set, but you're in an office.

He knows that's different.

Worse.

You've got to go and present all the things you've finished and he knows you like it just as much as he does. That being: not at all. There's no use in getting angry at you.

He sees that now.

You're just as much at fault for not being able to go out with him last night as he is. That being: not at all.

Joe watches you take a few hurried mouthfuls of egg on toast, and he wants to tell you sorry before you leave.

He doesn't.

Isn't sure how, and feels like a literal child because, Jesus Christ, they're just words.

But you smile at him, even though it's only small. And you let him kiss your cheek on your way out. And when you've left, it's not even eight o'clock, which is too fucking early, and he decides he needs to give you more quiet I love yous that he didn't give you under the covers in the night the way he should've done.

You get flowers delivered to the office that afternoon.

It's a large bunch, beautiful colours, and you can't lie; it absolutely makes you smile. You can tell it's expensive, and you know he's paid extra for the same day delivery, but... he didn't reach for you last night, and you didn't reach for him either, and whenever you think of Joe, that's all that comes to mind.

You'd seen him turn to stone.

So cold and careless.

Had seen in his face how he didn't give a single shit about how inconsiderate he was being.

A bunch of flowers isn't going to magically make that visual go away, but it's nice that he' tried's trying, and you try to hold onto that.

When you leave the office that day, you text Joe that you're headed to your own flat because there's food in your fridge that needs eating before it goes off, and your dishwasher is half filled with dirty dishes that have been in there for about a week already, so you kind of need to go turn it on, and there's probably also a load of laundry you could do, plus a quick pass of your floors with a vacuum, maybe.

Joe doesn't get to read it for a few hours. Busy day on set. When he eventually does, sort of annoyed that you had to wait for his coloured ticks again, he texts back, "Yours?"

And you text back so quickly, it makes his guilt grow.

"don't forget your key, im gonna lie down "

Perfect, Joe thinks. He'll sneak in and maybe get some of your shit sorted whilst you kip on your sofa.

But when he walks in, you're not on the sofa. You're already in bed, and that's sort of heartbreaking, because it's so early, and Joe finds the food that's about to go off uneaten in your fridge still. Finds the dishwasher still half filled, smelling rank, dirty dishes growing mould in there. He also sees the full hamper that needs sorting and washing, and, how had he even had the gall to assume that you could just make time for him at a moment's notice when you hadn't even been able to take care of any of this?

Joe starts the dishwasher.

Sorts your dirty laundry and starts a dark wash.

Cooks the food that's about to go off and places it in plastic tubs to have at another time.

Notices you've not taken the flowers that he had express delivered home and tries not let that affect him, but fails.

You're not sure what it is that wakes you. The beeping of the dishwasher, or the clanging of plates as Joe places the clean ones back into their cupboards. When Joe comes to find you, you're on your side, facing away from the door, but Joe can see you're awake by the light from your phone that silhouettes you.

"You're awake," Joe says, voice surprised, and it makes you turn to look over your shoulder.

"Hey," you say softly, and Joe's eyebrows knit together automatically at how sad you sound.

"Thanks for the flowers," you turn in bed to let Joe kiss you as he bends over to place a small one to your forehead. "They got delivered during my presentation."

"Was it embarrassing?" Joe asks, sitting down next to you, one arm either side of you as he leans over. Kisses you again, but on your mouth this time.

"Very. Vanessa just barged in with them."

"Did you like them?"

"Hmm," you nod and give a little smile. Joe's glad for it, but he feels there's a distance there still. You're keeping your hands to yourself, even though his bare arms are right there.

"I um," Joe starts, and wants to start listing all the things he's done. Wants to tell you how he's been sweet, and kind, like you were with him this morning, and he wants those things to be the silent I love yous he should've given you last night.

But then he changes his mind and says, "Did the, um... did the presentation go okay?"

You nod, because it did go really well, actually. Thank fuck. But Joe doesn't ask any more questions about it, and he seems to hesitate to even speak at all. Seems to want to say something that he's clearly not saying. Afraid to say the wrong thing, maybe. You wonder if there's a sincere I'm sorry hiding in there somewhere.

"You seem tired..." he skirts around the issue, and it's disappointing, but not surprising.

"I am tired."

Then Joe looks at the empty space in your bed for a moment and gets up. Starts undressing. Leaves his clothes in a neat pile on your dresser and goes to brush his teeth.

When Joe looks at himself in the mirror, he frowns.

Fucking idiot.

Look at that coward.

He rests both hands on the sink, hangs into his shoulders, breathes through flared nostrils, and feels like a failure. You must think he is one too.

He didn't reach over last night.

With his toothbrush still in his mouth, he steps back into your bedroom and inhales a deep breath through his nose before he mumbles a barely audible and a very foamy, "I shouldn't have..."

He hears himself, grumbles low in this throat and turns on his heel, spits the toothpaste out and comes back.

Starts again.

"I shouldn't have said those things. Last night. I was being a dick, I shouldn't have done– well, anything, really. I was being mean just to be mean, I'm–"

"Joe," you interrupt, your voice soft.

You didn't reach out either.

"No," Joe argues, moves to sit back down next to you, arms back either side of you, hands pressing into the mattress. "You have nothing to be sorry for, I just," Joe sighs. Frowns. Doesn't know what to say.

What can he say to make you run a hand up one of his forearms?

"I didn't..." he tries once more, but falters again. Drops his head and knows he can't cry because he is not the person he's hurt.

He didn't reach over last night.

"Hey. I didn't either."

You read between the lines, even though your vision goes blurry with tears. You can hear the words Joe isn't saying and can read the thoughts he's not communicating. Joe's face always tells you a million things. You wonder if he's aware how easy he is to read.

You also wonder if he's aware that it's not going to be enough.

Joe swipes a thumb across your temple, close to your eye, and catches a tear that was about to slide into your hair.

He swallows thickly. Tries to swallow down whatever's hurting his throat.

"I don't want to live on the moon..." he then mutters, regretting how he set the world on fire. He wants to live on planet earth, even though it's all grey and black ashes now. He'll plant flowers there. Will feed them water, and will politely ask the sun let them grow.

Will ask you.

You're the sun.

You get to decide.

You don't fully understand what Joe means, because it sounds ridiculous, actors and their theatrics, but you tell him you don't want to live on the moon either and he huffs a laugh at how absurd that sounds coming from your straight face that's pretending it's not actively crying.

You're the sun.

Of course you don't want to live on the moon, silly.

"Your priority–" you start, breath hitching, but Joe is quick to interrupt.

"You. You. Us. I'm... it's us. I promise, it's us..." Joe sighs again, seemingly upset at remembering his own behaviour.

"Saying that is easy, though," you start, finally letting your fingers slowly wrap around one of his arms.

A touch.

It's enough to make Joe's whole face crumble.

He ducks down. Lets his arms find your shoulders to pull you up a little so he can hug you properly, both arms wrapped tightly around your frame, his face hidden into your neck, and you know Joe's only crying because of your fingertips touching his wrist. The smallest things can get him sometimes – so dramatic.

But you continue, "I believe that you believe that your priority is us, but when you're stomping around your kitchen, blaming me for shit I have no controll over, telling me that it's my fault that I–"

"No," Joe mumbles into your skin, and pulls back just enough to press his forehead against yours. "No."

And you give his forehead a slight push with yours and you want to say, yes.

Yes that's what you were doing.

Yes that's what happened.

Yes you got caught up in all of your own feelings and forgot that I have a whole set of my own.

But then Joe whispers, "I'm sorry." and you can't help but go absolutely lax in his hold.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have. I love you, I'm sorry." he whispers his apologies against your mouth through heavy breaths because he's doing his best to not cry, but he's failing, because then he feels you shake with a sob, and, fuck that, he'll banish himself to the moon, actually.

He'll live up there no matter how miserable it is, and he'll take whatever sunlight he can get, and he'll be thankful for the rays you'll allow to even reach him at all.

"You didn't t-touch–" you stutter, and immediately feel Joe squeeze you tighter.

"I'm sorry, I love you. I'm so sorry." Joe whispers right into your ear. Keeps repeating it, over and over and over.

Your one rule.

He should've never broken it.

It's good to hear the words, the I'm sorrys tumbling over his lips, and you'll accept them for now. But actions speak louder than words, and you know that there will probably be a time where the way the world treats Joe will make his head grow to twice its size again. He'll do and say similar shit. Won't want to meet you halfway, but will demand that you make the trek all the way over to him, won't care what the ground will look like, and won't care if you're wearing shoes for it or not.

Joe doesn't know it right now, but you can see into the future and know it will happen again.

And when it does, you'll grow a little colder.

Let some of your rays die out.

"Here. Lay back." Joe says after holding you for a while, and when your head finds your pillow again, Joe curls around and uses every body part of his to touch yours under the covers.

Every inch of skin touching yours is a big fat quiet I love you that he'll repeatedly tell you all night. He's not gonna let go.

He knows he's on the moon still. Up there, all alone. Cold. In the dark.

He said he's sorry, but knows it's not enough.

Wants off, but is smart enough to not set foot somewhere he's not allowed yet.

He has said that he's sorry, and now he needs to wait for the sun.

Wait for you.

And he'll touch you under the covers until you're ready.

Whispers the promises into your hair as you fall asleep.

You get to decide.

He'll let the sun decide.

---

The Taglisted

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add yourself

[pleasantlycrazyworld]

hii i was wondering if you could do logan with reader that owns a cat and the cat acts JUST LIKE HIM and he cant stand it until reader points it out. thank you!!!!

I loved this request! I have my own little cat, so I wanted this to be as well written as possible. I'm sorry it took so long to be posted. I hope you like it! If you do, please like, comment, and reblog! It really helps me with motivation to keep posting on here <3

This is my kitten rocket 🤭

Logan was never afraid to meet anyone in your life. He had met your friends and family; he met your colleagues and even your old roommate, but for some reason, everyone is telling him he should be afraid to meet your cat.

Logan can remember every warning he got from the people in your life when they found out he hadn't met your cat yet. "Oh, that's her baby" "Oh he has brought a lot of joy into her life since she found him, he really is her number one" "That cat hates anyone that comes over-I swear it's crazy" "Her cat is just very territorial, very protective" "Make sure you wear shoes, he goes for the toes."

He scoffed at these warnings, it's still just a cat. He wanted your cat to like him, of course he did but he also wasn't afraid to meet the damn thing. He knew you loved you cat, that was your baby, and you took care of him more than you took care of yourself something Logan hated, but he didn't think it mattered what a cat thought of him.

You usually would stay at his place after a night out, but for the past few dates, you two went back to your place instead. It wasn't a big deal, but you were worried for how your cat would react to a strange man coming into his territory. "He just doesn't like people Lo', I don't want him to lash out at you." He could hear in your voice how worried you truly were, and he tried his best to reassure you that the cat and him would get along just fine.

He lied to you. Logan can't stand that fucking cat and that cat has it out for him too. The first night the cat didn't even come out of hiding, it completely broke your heart and Logan ended up leaving a bit earlier than planned because you were worried for your cat's wellbeing, as he was leaving he heard you cooing at the cat calling him your baby and your handsome man and though he'd never admit it aloud a twinge of jealous did echo through Logan's chest. The next night the cat did come out of hiding, just so he could attack Logan's legs. When Logan didn't kick him across the room like he wanted to you came and put the cat in your bedroom. "I am so sorry!! Are you okay??" You exclaimed while you closed the door to your room before trying to check on his scratches even though they healed before you could. He grumbled... sort of whined a bit too, and honestly, he was enjoying the attention, so maybe he milked the injury? Sue him.

What really pushed him over the edge was your cat literally pushing him over the edge. It was around 1 in the morning, and you had just fallen asleep. Logan was holding you in his arms and trying his best to fall asleep himself when the door to your bedroom creaked open. Logan, now fully awake, sits up, trying not to disturb you and is greeted with a sharp meow and sharp little claws to the stomach. "Mother fucker" Logan mumbled under his breath as he pushed the cat off of him, "why are you even in here?" he asked quietly so he wouldn't wake you but sharply enough to try and scare the cat away. The cat meowed louder than before as if he was arguing back and went to lay on your chest, purring as he curled himself into a ball. Logan was pissed but he tried to stay cool and just ignore the cat, then around 4 in the morning, Logan was awoken to his body meeting your bedroom floor. When he stood up, he looked at the bed and saw your fucking cat in his spot. "That's it." Logan had enough and grabbed a blanket before going to the couch.

You woke him up hours later, very confused as to why he was on the couch and was replaced by a cat in the middle of the night. "Baby?" You asked softly, handing him his cup of coffee, "don't. Just don't." He grumbles and sips his coffee, sending your cat a glare as he walks around smugged.

Logan refuses to lose against a damn cat!

It's just a stupid cat, not even 4 months old yet. So why was he letting its behavior get to him so much? Because it was your cat, and even if Logan wasn't ready to admit it yet he really did love you and for some reason you loved that asshole cat more than the world so for fuck sake that cat will like him even if it is the last thing he does in his very long life.

Honestly, it was truly ironic if Logan took the time to think about it. Your cat was a grump. He didn't want people around unless he allowed them to be around, and even then, he wanted his distance. But not when it came to you. When you were around, that cat was glued to you and had the loudest purr Logan had ever heard, and your cat really did get protective of you. It was something Logan had never seen before. Usually, cats don't care, but if you came home upset, the cat wouldn't settle down until you did, too. If he took the time to really think about it, maybe he could see the resemblance the cat shared with another grump you have allowed into your life that you loved more than the world.

Tagging:

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@misscrissfemmefatale

@marit332

@navs-bhat

@fluffy-b33z

[formosusiniquis]

y'know like barbie

ao3

It's Erica who gives him the idea, incidentally. Though she carries herself with a maturity that far surpasses the boys most days and though she's been through multiple life altering events, she does continue to only be eleven. Which is, it turns out, prime babysitting age.

The Sinclairs are going out of town overnight, it's their anniversary -- 18 blissful years, since our marriage can vote we thought we deserved a night away -- and they don't want Erica to spend the night home alone.

Enter Steve, who the Sinclairs trust with their children and who is inexplicably the only person Erica would accept staying the night with her. Steve honestly didn't believe it even as Mrs. Sinclair was saying it. But he smiles and nods, looks over the emergency numbers on the fridge when they're pointed to, nods at the money on the counter for food that he probably won't take, and waves as they walk out the door promising that he and Erica will be fine for the night and not to worry.

It's only when their car is out of the driveway and the door is shut that Steve realizes he isn't really a babysitter. He is a keep children alive while in a dangerous situation and when the situation is over drive them around because you feel bad that their childhoods have been marred by trauma-er which doesn't have quite the same ring as babysitter, and it's a lot harder to say with that rude tone the boys have been favoring. He also realizes that he's never actually dealt with children, or not girl children. The boys had all been older than Erica, when he had started keeping them alive. Max was definitely basically a teenager when he started really dealing with her; and she was usually okay to do what the boys wanted to do, like go to the arcade. Hopper didn't really trust him with El and that was fine, he wasn't sure he trusted himself with El either.

It put him in an awkward spot now though. Staring at Erica in her kitchen, a little afraid to ask the question on the front of his mind which was "What now?"

So he asks the second question on his mind, "What do you want to do that isn't eat ice cream all night?"

Say what you will about Steve Harrington, and a lot has been said, but he always keeps his promises and he always brings a pint of ice-cream for Erica to have when he comes over to the Sinclair house. Tonight he brought three, all different weird flavors he thought she'd like to try.

"Why can't I eat ice cream all night?" She says it with a challenge in her eyes, but he'd bet dollars to donuts that she's just doing it to make him sweat. "Because I've seen you eat ice cream, we've only got enough for two hours at most." His hand migrates as if of its own mind to his hip. "You need more than two people for Dungeons and Dragons, right?"

Her brows raise, for the first time since he's met her Erica Sinclair is stunned silent. Maybe she's just surprised he got the name right.

It lasts about as long as it takes him to notice it. "You'd play Dungeons and Dragons with me?" There's something fragile in the way she asks, and there is the eleven year old girl she's meant to be. 

"Sure, you'd have to show me how, but if that's what you want to do I'm game."

Eyes narrowed in a distinctly intimidating way he kind of thinks she stole from Nancy, he does his best to make his sincerity clear on his face. "We need more than two people, but I've got something else we can do if you think your fragile manhood can take it."

He's got a retort at the tip of his tongue about just what his manhood can take and remembers just in time that yeah probably shouldn't make a joke like that in front of an actual child. "My pride isn't that delicate, I think I can handle anything you dish out."

"Famous last words."

He follows her to her bedroom, waiting outside the doorway to let her space stay private until he's told to come in. A clear plastic tub slides out from under her bed, out of sight but easily accessible and when the lid pops off he gets why. Rows of Barbies stacked neatly on top of each other, a mass grave for childhood. Steve has a stuffed bear, fur rubbed off of one ear, tucked up on the shelf of his closet that also got put away sooner than he would have chosen to, when it was too babyish.

“Alright, so who is the, like, elven warrior.”

“That’s not how you play Barbies.”

It’s snapped so fast that he thinks it embarasses her. He tactfully avoids eye contact, pulling out a doll with blonde hair snipped into a professional, if uneven, bob and a green skirt set. She's missing a shoe. “Then how do I play Barbies?”

“That one just won the Nobel Peace Prize, she solved world hunger, but she has plans to kill the Barbie who won the prize in Physics because she stole Barbie One’s research and gave it to NASA claiming it was her own.”

“Right, of course.” This was the kind of shit that happened on Dallas, only Barbie had a lot more awards. “And they’re all called Barbie?”

“Except for Ken, but Ken doesn’t do anything.”

“Well if Barbie just won the Peace Prize wouldn’t she use Ken to kill Barbie so she doesn’t get caught.”

Erica manages a look that is both condescending and considerate. “Barbie can do anything, including get away with murder; but she wouldn’t want to dirty her hands with that sort of thing.”

“And if Ken goes to jail it’s no loss.”

“Right.”

-

So maybe it's more accurate to say that Dustin actually starts it.

Dustin with the shittiest attitude this side of the Ohio, something Robin blames him for.

“Like father, like son.”

“Dustin doesn’t even know his dad.”

“I mean you and Eddie, dingus.”

“I am not that kid's dad. A brotherly figure at best, strong male role model more likely.”

“He’s a bitch because you are, Steve. Maybe if your and Eddie’s love language wasn’t being as bitchy as possible it wouldn’t have rubbed off on your kid.”

“Please don’t put Dustin and rubbing off in the same paragraph let alone the same thought wave.”

Dustin comes sprinting into Family Video on a Tuesday afternoon. “Steve! I need your car.”

“Did you learn how to drive when I wasn’t paying attention?”

“Obviously, I meant I need you too.” His hands are on his hips, eyes rolled. Shit maybe he did get it from Steve. “There’s this theoretical physicist coming to Notre Dame to give a talk on the Multiverse Theory.”

Steve was allowing himself a second to consider whether this was worth it, for once, instead of just blindly agreeing to drive Dustin wherever. The drive sucked ass, but it would put him close enough to Chicago that he could try to find a music store that would carry albums from the international metal bands Eddie couldn’t stop talking about.

It was a second too long for Dustin. “Steve, a theoretical physicist-”

See Steve had this suspicion that the kids did actually think he was an idiot. He was pretty sure that none of them, hell maybe none of Hellfire, save for Lucas realized that every athlete in the school had to keep up at least a 2.5 GPA. Which might not have been anything to write home about but Steve kept a 3.2 for most of high school, until the multiple concussions started to catch up with him. He wasn’t stupid, was the point and even if they didn’t think he was an idiot in a mean way he was a little sick of the shit.

“I know, like Barbie.”

That shuts Dustin up real quick.

“N- no, not like Barbie! Barbie is some girl's toy.”

“Excuse me?” Robin, who told Steve that she would not help him parent his children on work days or any other day ending in y had remembered that Martes doesn’t have one and her shift was almost over. “What does that mean, exactly, a girl’s toy?”

“And,” Steve adds, because he can and because Eddie made him drive him to fucking Bloomington because he was fixated on time travel and needed access to some science journal that only existed at Indiana U apparently, “Barbie is on a research team looking for the Higgs particle so she can start figuring out time travel.”

The bell chiming as Dustin leaves has never sounded sweeter.

He’ll definitely end up taking the twerp to stupid Notre Dame.

-

The thing is that Steve thinks he’s never really stopped being a bitch.

He doesn’t want to stop. He likes being bitchy. It’s fun, when you’re doing it with people you like it’s pretty funny, and honestly he’s kinda like Spiderman. With great power comes great responsibility, he’s only bitchy responsibly now.

And it’s actually perfectly responsible as an older brother type babysitter figure to correct the behavior of the younger siblings by being bitchy. If they don’t learn at home they’ll go out in the world thinking that kind of behavior is acceptable, see Steve Harrington in his early high school days who talked to people like his father did.

So when Mike interrupts El with, “I’m not going to ask Steve, he probably doesn’t even know what a Pulitzer is either.”

He says, “Oh, yeah like Barbie won. Or Nancy will someday, probably. It’s a journalism award, Wheeler.”

And when Lucas corrects, “I don’t actually think you can win an award for comics. It’s still really great though, Will!”

“Barbie won the Kirby Award in 1985 for best artist, I’m sure Will is soon to follow.”

Or when Nancy tells Holly, “Are you sure you wouldn’t want to be something important instead?”

“You could be an actress and do something cool like go to space if you want, Hols, like Barbie.” And maybe he says it with a little more bitch than he should that time, but he’s seen the ballerinas in Nancy’s room, she didn’t always want to be an investigative journalist.

It gets to be second nature. When someone starts being shitty about something or to lighten the mood.

Erica doubts whether she should run for student council. It's her first step to being actual president, like Barbie.

Dustin makes a crack about Steve's possible future prospects when he butts in on a conversation between Steve and Robin. "I could do all three, I could be a counselor and a hair stylist and an engineer. Maybe I'll add EMT too, Barbie wouldn't stop at three, why should I?"

Or when Mike sneers at him, "What are you a cop?" All because Steve told him not to buy weed now that Eddie had stopped dealing.

"Ew, no, because you look like a fresh-faced little narc trying to be cool and you're gonna get ripped off."

"What so not like Barbie?"

"The Barbie world has achieved equality at a level that it doesn't need the cops." Eddie sometimes has to get high after a run in with Powell or Calahan who he still doesn't really trust after the spring. Steve has been treated to many a lecture on why the police were a waste of resources.

He lets Mike sit with that for a minute before he adds, "Like Barbie, I am very cool and know what it looks like when I'm being taken for a ride. If you're gonna get pot from someone other than Eddie, ask Hop where he used to get all of his shit."

It doesn't feel stupid, until El comes running into the cabin one afternoon that Steve has decided to join the rebuilding effort. It’s actually just him and Hop, who has started trying to quietly parent him, something he’s not entirely convinced isn’t revenge for telling Wheeler that Hop has smoked pot before. Steve is pretty sure El was crying when she came in, something he bumps up to a certainty when he sees how awkward Hop looks right now.

“You mind taking that kid? It’s been a long time since high school.” he rubs the back of his neck, Steve does appreciate that he has the decency to feel weird about asking. “If it’s anything outside of big brother shit I can take over.”

He does let himself get suckered by that big brother line.

El is facedown on her bed in a clear ‘leave me alone I’m crying’ pose but he figures he’s already here it’s not like he can turn around and tell Hop that he was too afraid to approach a crying teenage girl. Like that wasn’t the whole reason he’d been sent in the first place. “Hey Ellie, can I come in?”

She sits up, tear tracks plain on her face but no more are falling, and nods in that endearing, aggressively certain way she’s got. “Is everything okay?” He pauses and asks, “Was it Mike?” because he knows that’ll be the first thing Hopper asks when Steve comes back out.

“You are worse than Dad.”

“That stings, Ellie Bell.”

She takes a deep breath, steeling an already impressive will, “Lucas says it is okay to just want to be happy right now, but all they talk about is what they are going to do. Dustin is talking about going to admission early, Will talks about talking to Dad and Joyce about art school, Lucas worries about his sports and scholarships, and Mike talks about classes that count twice. I do not know what I want to be. I do not know why I have to be anything.”

“You guys have been through a lot. I don’t think anyone would blame you for taking time to just be a kid.”

“What if I never want to be something? What if I do not ever want to go to college?”

He’s made his way over to the bed with her, sits tentatively on the edge like he’s seen Joyce do before. “Then you don’t. You’ll probably have to get a job at some point, but that doesn’t have to be what you are. Lucas isn’t a landscaper just because he mows lawns in the summer.”

“You don’t think Dad would be upset?” she asks.

“I don’t think there’s anything you could do that would really make Hop mad. And you might change your mind. I've been out of school for almost two years and I’m only thinking about college now. Or you could go to college and change your mind about what you want to be. You could be a hundred things, you could be anything! Like Barbie.”

He feels like an idiot almost immediately. A jerk quickly after that. He’s made El’s genuine crisis part of his stupid running joke. But something settles in the room. The underlying tension, the thing that had the hair on the back of his neck raised. He realizes, now, that her powers had probably also been on edge.

"Like Barbie." She says it with a graven seriousness, like Steve's dumb little joke is a mantra now.

"Yeah, and you're a sophomore you don't have to have your whole life figured out right now. And don't take life advice from Henderson anyway, he thought it was a good idea to raise an Upside Down slug as a pet."

He mostly just used it to be a bitch though. Because it was fun. No, it was what he was good at. So good at it he didn't even have to try.

Because Steve had a plan to be bitchy. Specifically to Mike Wheeler who kept flirting with Steve’s boyfriend while taking advantage of his hospitality. Sure it was at their stupid Dungeons and Dragons game, and yeah Steve was the one who said they could host the game at his house now that Eddie had graduated. Yes, he knew Eddie didn't mean anything by it when he responded and usually didn't flirt back with the kids. But it was still the kind of behavior that had to be gently corrected, for Mike's sake because if he didn't stop things were going to get drastic.

His initial plan is already in action. He encouraged El to come along to watch the Party play. It was, admittedly, a half hearted plan. Wheeler got so awkward anytime El was around he mostly just hoped that would keep him from trying anything.

It isn't. Eddie starts to describe a new character, "Blonde and statuesque, she has a long bow in hand and delicate elven features."

And even though El is sitting a few feet from him Mike perks up the way he always does when there's a new NPC to flirt with. He is going to have to have a talk with Eddie about letting the kid try out a bard.

He does at least have one other tool in his belt. "Oh, like Barbie."

Steve knew what he'd get as he said it. A groan from Dustin, who falls for this as being sincere about as often as he falls for the dumb-dumbs and dipshits line -- which is everytime for the record. Will and Lucas keep their laughs small, enough that they're covered by Erica's snort. The original Hellfire crew mostly looks confused, it's becoming less and less their default as they warm up to the Steve he is rather than the Steve they thought they remembered; but he likes to keep them on their toes.

Eddie is charmed. He can tell. Sees him duck his head behind his screen and his binders, trying to preserve the stern and scary dungeon master image. That apparently isn't possible if you're smiling like an idiot at your stupid boyfriend, so he's been told.

And Mike has maybe been on the wrong end of the joke a few more times than everyone else. He turns an interesting shade of red, two parts anger and one part embarrassed is Steve's guess. The foot stomp is unexpected, but he expects its been passed down the Wheeler line as a shared signal of outrage. "Not like Barbie, this isn't some stupid kids game. She's probably a hot, wisened archer ready to reward us for helping her village, not some stupid doll that you're obsessed with."

Eddie's blank face with the twitchy eyes has fallen into place when he sits back up from behind his screen. His things aren't going according to plan, panicked face. "I think that's a good place to end things this week. Wheeler, Henderson, Jeff, and Lady Applejack you've all cleared enough experience to level right? Do that before next week."

Steve knows enough to keep his mouth shut while everyone packs up to leave. Sends a small smile to Erica on her way out to the family minivan, he knows she struggles a little being the youngest at the table even if she won't say it. He has to imagine that the outburst had stung a bit.

"You gotta be nicer to little Wheeler." Eddie chides once everyone is gone, halfhearted at best when he's telling Steve off into the soft skin of his neck. When he feels the admonishment more than hears it.

"I'm not mean to Mike." He says on instinct, he does try not to be. "And he started it."

"Definitely think you started the Barbie thing, Sweetheart."

And well, yeah. "I Barbie all the kids equally."

Eddie hmms Steve can feel the vibration of it through his back and on his neck. Eddie is about to start something he better plan on finishing. "He asked Hop where he should get weed."

Oh. "I didn't think he'd actually do it!" And then, "Is that why he keeps flirting with you, revenge?"

"No, he's got a bunch of misplaced jealousy because Will and the girls think you're hot." He toys with the edge of Steve's shirt as he says it. Perpetually cold fingers brushing the clothes warmed skin beneath making him shiver.

"The girls don't think I'm hot."

He hums again, nips at the blush red skin at Steve's neck. "El used to, Max definitely has a taste for jock.

"That's not my fault, you let Mike play a bard." He wishes he didn't sound so desperate.

"Wanted to leave the Paladin spot open for you, baby."

"I'm starting to feel convinced, we could go upstairs and you could show me your character sheet."

The things he'll say to get laid.

"Don't think I can do that Stevie, smooth as a Ken doll down there. Could show you the actual character sheet though." 

His back is cold as Eddie pulls away, smirking unrepentant as he lets Steve have the tiniest taste of his own medicine.

"Barbie has a very active sex life, actually." He's never been one not to double down. "Let me show you the fun we can have without getting your dick out."

-

He does leave it alone for a little while, even though he really, really doesn't want to. But despite what his friends, his fifth grade report card, and his mom might think; Steve is capable of keeping a hold of his worst impulses when he wants to.

So he lets opportunity pass him by.

He makes no comment about Barbie when Eddie talks about how John Carpenter is a film auteur. Not even when Dustin tries to define auteur for him. Incorrectly, but Robin comes to Steve's defense.

Barbie goes unmentioned, barely when an argument breaks out about Nobel prize winners, of all things. He thinks the kids argue more now than they ever have like it's the only way they have to get their bloodlust out now that the Upside Down was closed. He was quickly boxed out of the conversation, even if Erica kept sending him little glances over everyone's heads. (She'd let him have Peace Prize Barbie a couple weeks ago and maybe he was a little obsessed.)

Holly wants to be a vet now, a singing vet who is also on TV, but mostly a vet. She tells him all about it while he waits for Mike to find his shoes? Definitely not his quarters for the arcade, the day any of them bring those is the day Steve brings the nail bat back out. He’s one impulse purchase away from getting one of those little coin dispenser belts that the employees have -- Gareth just quit, maybe he still had his? Mike's frown is a little less general annoyance at Steve and a little more confusion when he's finally ready to leave and Barbie has gone unmentioned.

He almost breaks again when Eddie starts talking about sports. Or he starts talking about NASCAR which is close enough for Eddie, he has a surprising taste for racing for someone who never wanted to put his van on the starting line at parties. A woman led a Busch Series race for the first time, what a year '86. He's got no opinion on Barbie's ability to drive at all.

He could let a joke go. He could be nice. It wasn't so out of character that it needed this kind of attention.

-

Mike has forgiven him by the time the next session rolls around. Delayed two weeks after Eddie screamed so loud on stage that he couldn't speak for two days, and then again for Jeff's emergency appendectomy. Eddie has stopped leaving pointed gaps in conversation for Steve to fill with mention of Barbie, he has had his thinking face on instead which is good for Steve about as often as it isn't.

He leaves it alone. A little bit of non-life threatening surprise is good for the soul, or something. Listen, he’s made it this far by only asking questions when shit is about to get really, really bad and Eddie’s thinking face has only resulted in something bad once or twice -- and they probably should have spent more than a couple minutes negotiating that particular kink anyway.

When the kids start showing up and nothing has come from the thinking face, he assumes it was just for them anyway. He settles in to see whatever shit Eddie is going to do.

"From the ditch you pull a human man, a paladin. His plate is dirtied by his time on the ground but clearly gleams in its typical state. He's handsome, a square jaw and fluffy brown hair-"

"Ugh is this Steve? You already made us do a quest for him," Mike complains, maybe he hasn’t completely forgiven Steve for that last interruption.

Steve has, by his own count been the inspiration for at least three NPCs for this campaign: a white light faction rogue, Sol, that the party had to rescue from the dungeons of the nightmare King after he was caught sneaking into the bedrooms of the prince -- like it was Steve's fault that Wayne had super hearing; a young fighter from the gladiatorial combat ring who helped the party rescue a group of kidnapped children that were going to be used as bait in the next round of fights; and the most obvious Prince Stefan who sent the party on a quest to kill his betrothed a Duke called Thomas the Boarish and rescue his knight Rowen and beloved Bard Edwin -- it's not like he could unkiss Tommy, and he could be a dick but boarish was dramatic. 

He was not this paladin, assuming Eddie was telling the truth about saving the Paladin he'd made for Steve.

"Cut the out of character chatter, Michael, before it starts counting in game. The Paladin before you is handsome in a bland, approachable, non-threatening way," Mike opens his mouth again, how is that not like Steve surely perched at the edge of his tongue and stopped in its tracks by elbows from Erica and Joey. "He introduces himself to his rescuer, Will the Wise, 'Thank you, kind sir, I would have been down there for ages before my lady noticed my absence. I am Sir Kenneth.'"

"What deity does he serve?" Will asks, something suspicious drawing across his face.

"Is there a holy symbol on his armor?" Gareth follows up. Gareth has been backing a lot of Will's plays lately, Steve thinks something might be going on there but he hasn't wanted to deal with Eddie teasing him for being a meddling matchmaker, again.

"There is no identifiable holy symbol on his clothes or armor." Eddie says, there's a mischief in his eyes, the way he tilts his head with quiet challenge and smiles.

"What God do you serve?" Erica asks, blunt and to the point. She gets cranky when her rogue doesn't have anything to stab.

"'The Lady in Pink,' he answers."

Any time Eddie reveals lore shit there's always a bunch of people talking over top of each other. It always turns into the kind of mass blob of shouting that Steve has a hard time parsing out, especially these days. Eddie somehow manages to distinguish not only people but the things they're saying and keeps his cool enough to keep the story going.

"Roll your insight, Gareth. Jeff, with a 15 history check, you have heard some whisperings from your homeland about a newly ascended goddess but not a name. Dustin, you're not getting shit with a 5 don't even try that but my back story says shit with me. Will, pretty sure that's a cleric spell but I'll let you have it he's a Neutral Good alignment. An 18, shit, yeah Garebear he does seem to be telling the truth that is the deity he follows; but that isn't the whole truth, you know a lot of the newer pantheon have a colloquial name and a true name."

"I'm sorry," Lucas says, "we aren't familiar with your lady. What can you tell us about her? Why would she leave you there? And that's a 14 on persuasion before you even ask."

"Why would I have asked that, Sinclair the elder? He has stars in his eyes when he speaks, 'before she ascended she was already limitless. A powerful warrior, an expert marksman, a mage beyond compare. Her power grew and grew until the only place left to explore was godhood.'"

"And what's her real name, if we wanted to spread the word?" Joey asks.

"'Oh she's everything. She's the lady in pink, she's the goddess with the golden mane, but before she ascended she favored one name I assume she has kept it.'"

"What is it?" Mike asks, perched at the edge of his seat.

"Oh no," Dustin whispers, a dawning horror on his face.

"'Barbara, though she preferred it shortened. Nicknames you call them," Steve sees the joke, knows where this is going a split second before reality breaks through the haze of fantasy for the players around the table. Eddie's smirking now, smile too pleased and too attractive. "'Y'know like Barbie?'"

[hunterwritings]

could you pretty please do one ab miguel with the reader being like the complete polar opposite of him?? i'm practically frothing at the mouth for this ���🏻🙏🏻‼️‼️

THIS IS EXACTLY HOW MY OC ACTS AHHH i love this concept // sorry i kinda made it more of headcanons than an actual fic, i hope that's okay!

miguel with a sunshine s/o

summary: miguel with the someone the polar opposite of him warnings: none

you were practically everything that Miguel wasn't in terms of personality

you were bubbly and happy all the time, while he was dark and mysterious. It was almost like a perfect balance between the two of you

when you first met, Miguel knew that you'd be a pain in the ass to him. Someone who was trying to be optimistic and look at the brighter side of everything? He could never deal with it.

You'd bring him food & coffee everyday, to which he'd complain about but then get upset when you'd jokingly take it away

"I brought you coffee and a pastry treat!" You happily walked over to him with a cup and bag in your hands.

"Don't you know how bad that food is for you?" He asks, not moving his eyes from the screen in front of him.

"Fine then, I'll go give it to someone else." You say as you begin to turn around but see a glowing, red web attach to your side and pull you around in a circle back to Miguel.

"No, these are mine." He says, grabbing the coffee and bag, his expression not changing in the slightest.

"I knew you liked them!" You laugh in victory.

You always try and get Miguel to take care of himself; you see how hard he overworks himself (you honestly believe he does it on purpose) and you try to get him to take breaks every now and then and keep reminding him to eat and drink water.

He acts like he's annoyed, but in reality, he's probably gotten so much better with you around.

He'd be lying if he said he didn't wait for you to walk into his space every morning and greet him with a large smile across your face.

Miguel realized how he felt about you when you didn't show up to greet him one morning. You were 10 minutes late to seeing him and he started tapping his toes in eagerness.

"Lyla, have you tracked the location on (Y/N)?" Miguel asked, holding his hands on his hips.

"Y'know, I get the whole idea of knowing where everyone is at all times is pleasing to you, but even I think it's a bit weird to be spying on people like that." Lyla joked as she stared at her nails.

"It's not spying; (Y/N) is late." Miguel says.

"Oh! (Y/N)? As in, the (Y/N) that you seem to find 'unbearable' and 'hard to work with'? You worried about them?" She laughs as she glitches closer to his shoulder.

"They aren't usually late." He tries to justify himself but Lyla won't give up.

"Oh yeah sure, I'm sure you think about that to everyone else who's late to your nonexistent meeting." She smirks as Miguel scowls at her.

Then, you swing your way into the room, causing both Miguel and Lyla to turn their heads towards you.

"Alright, I'll leave you to it, Have fun living in denial, buddy!" Lyla says before saluting him and disappearing.

Miguel let that memory sit in his thoughts for a while. Was he really that worried over 10 minutes? Realization finally hit him and it crushed him. He tried his best to avoid you, in hopes that he would never hurt you or snap at you for any reason and didn't want to ruin anything like he did before.

Over time, he couldn't resist your bubbly charm and fell harder for you. He shifted his feelings and showed a softer side of himself to you, one that accepts all of your sunshine and happiness and cherishes it more than anything. This side of him is for your eyes only, no one else gets to see that softer side of Miguel O'Hara.

[tyudearyous]

blurred lines - s.mg

pairings : song mingi x reader (f)

genre : fluff, angst, suggestive

themes : friends with benefits au where reader carries her heart on her sleeves while mingi's just mingi.

wc : 5.4k

author's note : had several discussions on mingi with my mutuals in twitter and it made me want to write this so badly LMAO. light suggestive themes like kissing. please enjoy 🤍🤍

🎵 do me right - gemini, drunken texts - jey, honey (medasin remix) - kucka, close to me - laica, mimi - youra, dirty - jey, omega - saay

masterlist

...

fervent knockings could be heard blasting through the thin wood of your front door. who the hell is knocking at your door at motherf- it's 2 in the morning. gosh, you thought. you tried waking up yourself to greet the unwanted guest in front of your door. you had suspicions, it wasn't an unusual thing anyway that you had this late night guests.

"come onnn, open the door!" more knockings could be heard with slurred whines from a male. you immediately knew who it was from the voice. "what is it, mingi?" you opened the door to the (very) drunk 6ft male in front of you. he smelled like alcohol and you're sure he's drank more than 10 shots, considering how he looks.

the man immediately slumped to you to hug and lean on to you. you brought him in and gosh, he was very heavy. well, mingi was twice your size and yet you had to carry him in because he's a drunken mess right now.

"you d-didn't answer hic my hic callss" mingi whined while pouting. "it's 2 AM mingi, two in the morning, what did you expect?" you sat him up on your couch and you scurried to get him a glass of water so he'll sober up just a bit.

"are you mad at me? hic" mingi asked. "what made you think i was angry?" you halted on your tracks, staring at him confusedly. "i didn't get close hic to any girls hic. i was at hic the party because it was hic san's birthday hic. sorry" he tried explaining himself. well, truthfully you hated it when he goes to those types of parties but who are you to dictate over his life. you were only his friend, only a friend.

you didn't answer him. you stayed quiet and gave him the glass of water he needed. he was eyeing you the whole time, waiting for your response. then you just sat next to him, still quiet. mingi didn't spoke any further, he only drank the water you gave him and simply stared at you, with the eyes of a puppy whose owner just scolded.

"i'm not mad, why should i?" you answered him when you noticed that he really wanted an answer from you. "i'm sorry" was all he muttered before leaning in for a kiss. you didn't kiss back and tried to pull back but mingi was strong. he was stronger than you. so, it was useless.

you sighed to yourself before giving in. it was always like this. always like that. mingi'd get busted drunk and then he'll go to your place and boom you'd do it and then he'd leave before you even woke up. it was always like that. almost like a cycle even. you genuinely don't know when did it start. when did your friendship turn into one with such benefits. when did your innocent friendship turn into this?

...

"i genuinely don't get how you both are friends" san states as he downs an entire cake on one singular bite. "ew! you eat like a kid sannie" wooyoung scolds san. "but honestly yeah, how did you two became friends" sujung asked you both. you and mingi simply stared at each other before raising each others' shoulders together. san, wooyoung and sujung only sighed at your responses. you could only awkwardly laugh before saying you didn't know.

it was random honestly. you saved mingi from getting scolded from the first day of school when you found him sneaking in through the back gates of your school. he was late and tried to sneak in, avoiding the guarding teacher. you were on your way to go back to the assembly hall when you saw him stare at you, eyes begging you to help him. well, the situation was his pants got stuck on the wire of the back gate. it was laughable but you helped him before sneaking him in the assembly hall. from there on, he was stuck to your hips.

"yo" mingi nudged your arms while slightly leaning to you. you moved away slightly. "what?" you asked him back. "no plans today?" he asked you while taking your right hands to play with it. this particular tendency of his just never fails to bring butterflies to your heart but well, he was your friend. just a friend who's particularly clingy, nothing more, nothing less so you shrugged off the feeling before shaking your head to answer his questions. "good, go home with me m'kay?" he leaned to your shoulders while asking the question. you shoved him away before clicking your tongue. he laughed it off and focused back to the lesson.

you glanced to look at him. he was smiling whilst trying to focus on the class. you genuinely don't know how you make me feel don't you?, you thought, well thought you thought but you vocalized your thoughts, making mingi turn his head to you and look at you confusedly. you realized what you just muttered. "nothing! go focus again" you pushed mingi's head to not look at you.

"y/n and mingi!" mr. kim shouted after seeing the two of you constantly interacting. "focus on the lesson!" he said, making the entire class laugh under their breath. the two of you muttered apologies before actually focusing on the lesson.

...

"mingi..." you stared at him dissapprovingly. "what?" he gave you the spare helmet he prepared specially for you. "do you... even have a license?" you asked him. "missy, don't worry you're in safe hands. we're not going on the main street anyways. hop on, come on" mingi ushered you to hop on the back seat of his brand new (?) harley.

"when did you even get this?" you asked him, still not wanting to hop on. "my dad bought it for me last year, but he only just allowed me now. oh come on, y/n. trust me, i'm good at this" he begged you with puppy eyes. after several attempts of begging in typical song mingi style, you agreed and hopped on the back seat of his bike.

"this is a high one huh?" you muttered when you were already on the bike. "get used to it, i'm gonna bring you around with this a lot" he muttered before putting on his helmet and starting the bike. "hold on to me, okay?" he pulled your hands to the sides of his waist. you held on to him while your heart was going on a whole marathon.

the whole ride you could feel your body heating up. not because it was hot or anything, it was because of the man you're currently hugging and leaning on to. a part of you wanted to lean on his back fully but a part of you don't really want to. however, as if this man was a devil's incarnate, he pulled your hands forward, making you fully lean on his back. "don't fall" was all he muttered before continuing to drive. was this the heavens testing you and your sanity? well, all you know is that you're going insane and also red. you're just thankful that he can't see you right now.

"we're here" mingi parked the bike beside a park. he took off his helmet and blazer. "why aren't you hopping off?" mingi chuckled, knowing damn well that you are struggling. it was your first time riding such high bike and you genuinely don't want to embarrass yourself by falling down a harley. "help me bitchass" you scoffed at him. he laughed for a good minute before actually helping you get off the bike. when you're on the ground, you immediately grabbed his shoulders to headlock him.

"ah! ah! sorry! hahaha sorry come on" mingi pleads guilty but you were way too annoyed, so you took a handful of his hair before pulling on it slightly to joke around with him. "aAaAAahhHhhh! please i don't want to be bald y/n!" he laughs while screaming. you let him go after that before laughing at his pouty face.

"okay sorry, stop pouting okay?" you stood on your tip toes to pinch his cheeks. his pouty face became a smiley one now and you both stared at each other for a while before going on a fit of laughter because of each other's face.

"okay, be real. why did you brought me here?" you asked mingi. he just shrugged his shoulders before walking to the park, which you followed suit. "i just wanted to destress you know?" he mutters before taking a seat on the stairs. from there, you can see the serene waters of a river nearby.

"why didn't you ask yunho? i'm sure he'd make time for you, after that whole moral loyalty thing" you chuckled, taking a seat next to him on the stairs. "nah, wanted you to be my first passenger" mingi replied. you tilted your head. first passenger? oh. so he planned this all for you.

"is that also your moral loyalty to me?" you nudged his arms, teasing him. he nodded with a smug grin that was asking to be praised. you scoffed and laughed so hard seeing this. "song mingi, you hopeless one" you slapped his arms jokingly.

"i'm serious though, i'd always give my firsts to you, besides yunho" you immediately stared at him. "dude" you replied, mingi only raised his eyebrows to you. "do you realize what you're implying dumbo" you scoffed at him before punching his arms lightly. "yea, i fully realize it." he scooted closer to you.

"did you plan this too?" he was getting closer to you. when he got really close to your face, your breath hitched and he smiled. HE SMILED, he had the audacity to. "no but i welcome surprises you know?" his eyes diverted from your eyes to your lips and back to your eyes while your eyes were fully on his. your body tensed and you couldn't even think clearly.

"i won't do it if you don't want to" mingi spoke but definitely getting closer to you. you pulled back slightly to look at mingi. "will this be your first kiss?" you ask him, he nodded. you diverted your gaze from his eyes to his lips. well, let's be honest. this is song mingi we're speaking of. he's very VERY attractive and yes, you do want to kiss him. without thinking too much, you allowed him to and there, in the park near the river around 5 blocks from your school, you shared your first kiss with song mingi.

...

however, it wasn't only your first kiss that was taken by song mingi. your first time was also his and vice versa. it was perhaps a month after you shared your first kiss? yeah, around those time. during that period, your relationship slightly got more and more physical. you'd sneak out at break session to make out with him at the old unused building of your school or he'll drive you to somewhere quiet and serene to just envelope you in a kiss (kisses).

so when mingi decided it'd be good to invite you to his place when his parents and brother went to vacation, it was all bound to happen. you gave him your first and you were also his first. it was awkward, truthfully. two youths not knowing what to do, just knowing small details here and there from explicit videos or books. you two even spent about half an hour just giggling because of how dumb the two of you looked, trying to figure out what to do. however, when he truly figured out what to do with you, it was bliss. pure bliss. he was gentle and he ultimately prioritized you. it was all wonderful for your first and you're more than glad that he was your first.

"hey" mingi uttered, laying down next to you after coming down from his own high. you just shuffled to your side to look at him. "that was good" he chuckled.

"thanks" you muttered, still looking at him. "my pleasure" then he brought you in for a hug and kissed your forehead before lulling you to rest. it was great, everything felt great, being in his embrace felt great. however, will all of this be an ephemeral moment? you thought to yourself. you quickly shrugged it off though after hearing his soft snores. he's tired now and you too, so you closed your eyes and went off to dream land in mingi's arms.

that was the start where all the lines in your relationship with mingi became blurred.

...

back to the present day, you actually succeeded in making his stop his moves on you. "you're drunk min" you pushed him away, resulting in him stopping. "hic come on" he tried getting closer again and you slapped his arms.

"go wash up, i'm not dealing with you tonight" you left the living room to go to your room and sleep. that was the first time you succeeded in getting away from mingi's drunken advances. not long after you went to your room, the crickling sounds of water can be heard through the bathroom. he's washing up probably, you thought. since he was sober enough to shower, you rested yourself up, not worried since he's sober enough. but if he was sober enough, why did he still insisted on doing it? countless what ifs and scenarios went through your head but you shrugged it all. after all you were just his friend, just a friend. actually scratch that, you've crossed the lines of just friends with him since a long time ago but none of you were brave enough to remove that line between you.

either way, you went to sleep. you don't want to get over into your head tonight, not when mingi is still present in your place.

not long after you tried to fall asleep, mingi entered your room and sat on the edge of your bed. "i know you're not asleep" he mutters before playing with your hair. you weren't facing him, your back was. you feigned ignorance to his pleas of your attention. it wasn't long until he decided to just lay down next to you.

"listen, sorry." he stated into the quiet room. "for what?" you replied to him. "face me" he said before pulling your body, making you face him now. he was looking at you. his eyes just felt somber? it wasn't one you're used to for sure.

"sorry for being a dick" he says while tracing your features with his left hand. you only stared at him, not giving him any answers. "i went to san's party today and got kinda drunk. sobered up though and thought of you immediately. that's why i went here. sorry for pushing myself onto you, should've not done that" he explains himself. you just nodded.

"can i be honest?" you asked him, in which he nodded to. "i'm tired of this all. you always come over when you're drunk. we'll do it until dawn then you'll leave immediately then the next day when we meet, we have to act as if nothing happened. then the cycle repeats, over and over again. genuinely, what are we mingi?" you asked him.

he stayed silent for a while. "i don't expect anything from you, so don't worry but just, you know? i feel tired. i tried, i tried mingi. i tried to do this all without strings attached but, i guess it's just your personality. you'd say things that made me hopeful. you'd do things that made me hope. hope that someday, the blurred line in our relationship would be clear. we're not just friends, min. you know that. friends don't do this. friends don't kiss. friends don't do each other. friends don't act like this" you explained your feelings to him. you were ready to accept rejection, you were ready to let everything go honestly. you didn't care, you were tired of being the one having to keep everything to herself. you were ready to let him go.

"i don't have much to explain honestly. it just feels comfortable with you. everything feels right with you, that's why i'm being like this with you. i'm sorry for hurting you. i'm sorry, y/n. if this all just hurts you, i'm willing to let you go. we can act like normal friends again. i'm sorry for having commitment issues. i'm sorry baby" he grazed your cheeks with his hands before muttering countless apologies to you.

"can i at least know why?" you ask him. "i'm not good enough for you. i'm genuinely not. you deserve someone better, y/n. if i had a heart i would've given it all to you but i wouldn't want you to have my ugly heart." mingi explained himself, slightly tearing up. "who said that" you laughed while pinching his cheeks.

"myself. i've never told you this honestly" you tilted your head, hands still on his cheeks. poking it repeatedly to lighten up the mood. "when that joohyuk guy tried to get close to you, i was the one who made him walk away" he revealed the truth. ever since you became friends with him, he developed a slight sense of protection. he wanted you to himself and he loathed it when anyone tried to get close to you.

"you have severe commitment issues, man" you laughed at him. "aight, i'm guilty of that" he raised his hands to the air jokingly. "this would be the last we'll be like this, hmm?" you asked, gazing at the ceiling. "yeah" was all mingi could mutter before he pulls you in for a cuddle. you didn't reject it. you were letting go of him, it was for your best. it hurts but you couldn't continue putting yourself in that situation. it would only hurt more if you stayed.

"i love you, please know that" mingi mutters before kissing your forehead. why? why did he have to be like this? but perhaps this was the universe's way of telling you that not everything can go in the way you want. it hurts so much, gosh, you felt like crying in his embrace but you held it in. you held everything in.

"i love you, it's bad for me song mingi" was all you could say to him. that day, the blurred lines between your relationship was removed and made clear once again. that you were just his friend, nothing more, nothing less.

...

it's a friday night after work when you decided to tag along with your coworkers to a nearby fancy bar that had just opened. work has been brutal lately. clients have been coming continuously and amidst all the chaos, you're grateful things are going well at your work. you're also thankful that the team you're taking charge of are also very cooperative and professional. making the brutal workload sort of easier for you to handle. it has also been 5 years since you graduated university. you haven't had the chance to meet any of your friends post graduation, mainly because a lot of them got work opportunities abroad. that's why you genuinely didn't expect to see song mingi in front of the bar you and your coworkers went to. he's changed a lot from the last time you saw him. his hair no longer black like the last time you saw him but was now brown. his figure also got bigger but one thing stayed the same. he was still the song mingi, your first love.

"hey, i'm gonna catch up for a bit, chat me where you guys are sitting later okay?" you separated yourself from your coworkers, walking up to strike a conversation with mingi. the man you've let go but still definitely missed.

"mingi?" his eyes that was focused on his phone shot up to you. he seemed surprised to see you, to the point he dropped the single cigar his left hand was holding. "y/n?" he asked, surprised.

"i thought you'd go to the states with yunho?" you walked closer, now standing in front of him. "n-no, wait, do i look okay?" he scurried to open the camera app to look at himself. he looked like a loser getting worried over nothing.

"you've grown a lot huh?" you tilted your head to tease him. "now what does that supposed to mean, little missy?" he teased you back. you two laughed together and catch up on what you've missed. turns out he did went to the states with yunho post graduation. however, he went back as his father decided it'd be good for him to take charge of the family business, thus why he's here again.

"did you change your number?" mingi asked you. "oh, yeah. my old phone broke so i had to change it" you explained yourself. he then offered his phone and you immediately typed in your new number for him.

"you with your friends?" he asked. you nodded before clarifying that they were your coworkers. "i see" he mumbled before opening his arms. you immediately went into his embrace. the two of you shared a hug in front of a bar. it was silly to explain but it was great.

"missed you so much" mingi pulled you closer to his embrace. you patted his back and returned the same sentiment. "okay, enough. your coworkers are probably looking for you" he pulled back and patted your head. you nodded before bidding goodbyes. you had many questions for him but you had no time.

"mingi" you called out to him. "yeah?" he replied. "a meal next time?" you asked him and he agreed. so you bid goodbyes and you entered the bar.

...

two weeks passed and today was the day you and mingi were going out to catch up with each other. he insisted on picking you up after work, so you allowed him to. when the clock hits 6 PM straight, you left for work to see the same white harley davidson you first rode on a random friday after school at 18.

"you still have this?" you laughed at mingi before taking the helmet he gave you. "why would i get rid of it?" he scoffed before starting the machine. "come on, hop on" you hopped on the bike. you didn't struggle this time though because the years of being friends with mingi definitely trained you to hop on and off tall bikes. you then put your hands to envelope mingi's waist, so you don't fall off the bike. butterflies were flying off your stomach at this point, but again. you didn't expect anything. there wasn't much to expect from since the beginning anyway.

the two of you then arrived in a cozy little restaurant that you used to go to with him a lot. "i haven't been here in a while" you commented as you got off the bike. "mhm, it's far from your place" he held your hands to make sure you weren't falling off the bike. these little gestures were why you fell for him in the first place.

you both went into the restaurant and sat at the corner seat where you used to seat a lot. when you ordered, the owner actually remembered you and mingi so it was a pleasant experience to have some sort of nostalgia. it has been 5 years and many have changed but at the same time, it just feels like nothing has changed.

you both ordered your own foods just like you'd always do. the dinner went on a comfortable silence. just like the old days, but you're no longer youths now. you've both grown into full fledged adults now.

"so, you're like a CEO now?" you asked mingi while still munching on the fried rice you ordered. "sort of? i mean my father is still the head, i'm just like managing things here and there" he explained his job. mingi actually came from golden spoon but he isn't the type to show it off at all. he preferred to be quiet about it since he valued honesty in friendships, not wanting to have friends just because of his money.

"how about you?" he asked, eyes fully on you now. "i'm just a team leader at a food company" you then explained your job and also ranted about your job perhaps but you digress. "that's good. i'm glad you're doing well" he stated, smiling. "i'm also glad you're doing well too" you replied to him.

"but, i don't remember you like smoking? didn't you hate it?" you asked him. "i only smoke sometimes, not all the time. just when i feel like it you know?" he explains. you remember when hongjoong made him try cigarettes for the first time and how mingi absolutely loathed it, coughing endlessly before pledging he'd never touch it again, but here we are ironically. "you don't cough now because of it?" you scoffed to tease him about it. "oh come on, i've grown" he laughed.

the entire meal went by like a flash. it was a great nostalgia. the food tasted the same as you remembered and when you finished, he paid for your meals. you tried asking him to split the bill but he refused to. well, he's always been that type so you just let him.

"you wanna go elsewhere?" he asked you. "where?" you asked him back. "my place, i just moved into a new place and well, i have a dog now. i wanted to introduce you to her" you tilted your head and laughed at his invitation. "mingi-ya, you're not slick you know?" you laughed so hard, you threw your entire body back. he only laughed slightly at your reaction. "come on, do you want to or not?" you held back your laughters before nodding. thus, the two of you were off to mingi's place.

...

when you arrived, turns out he now lived in a sky penthouse in the elite area. well, you weren't shocked. he was a golden spoon after all, but yeah it was still shocking to experience it. he lived in the 18th floor and when he opened the door, you were immediately greeted by a small pekingese dog.

"awww!!! what's its' namee?" you kneeled down to play with the dog in the foyer. "bbyongie" mingi utters while taking your coat and his to place it in the coat hanger. "aww, is it a he or she?" you asked again. "he" mingi walks off to sit at the couch. "come on, bbyong-ah come over" and with that the dog immediately went to mingi and played with him. you took the chance to take off your shoes and put your bags on the hanger.

"a penthouse huh?" you finally got the time to look at his new place. "you like it?" mingi asked you while playing with bbyongie. "mhm, if i had the money i'd get a place like this" you laughed while walking to look at the kitchen area. "this huge kitchen, do you even cook?" you teased him. "y/n. my mom owns a restaurant. of course i can cook you dimwit" he stood up to follow you on your little tour of his place.

"what's this room?" you pointed at the room next to the kitchen, not realizing he was standing behind you. when you realized that he was though, you moved away in shock. "that's not a room, that's the pantry" mingi explained while opening the pantry for you to see. "ohh okay" you moved on to look at the other rooms. he actually gave you a whole house tour. it was funny but like, this house was big and it was interesting to see how your friend has been living up.

"upstairs?" you asked. "just my room" he answered. you nodded and didn't go up the stairs, wanting to value his privacy. "don't wanna see?" he asked you. you tilted your head, confusedly. what was he trying to imply? is he oblivious or is he being sly?. "why would i see your bedroom dummy" you shrugged it off and went to play with bbyongie once again.

"i haven't dated anyone after we broke it off" he states simply. your hands that was playing with bbyongie stopped and you leaned back on the couch. "so? what is that supposed to mean for me, mingi?" you asked him. you weren't oblivious and you were certainly more than able to put two and two together but you kind of refused to. were you ready to have that type of relationship again with mingi? even if he commits to you now, were you ready? you genuinely don't know thus why you were acting nonchalant.

"don't pretend like you don't know what i mean" he was standing next to you now. "was this your plan?" you asked him. he nodded. "it was now or never you know?" he laughed slightly.

"you know, i don't know. even if you are willing to commit now mingi, i don't know." you bite your lips before looking down. he walked to your front and leaned on to you. "give me a second chance, would you? i'll prove it to you" his face was only a few centimetres away from you. if you moved your head forward slightly, your lips would've touched but you did the opposite. you pulled back slightly.

"convince me?" you pouted slightly before looking up at him. giving him a signal, that he can do what he wants. understanding this he carried you upstairs immediately, leaving bbyongie confused downstairs.

when you reached his bedroom, he immediately pushed you down his bed and locked lips with yours. "min- ah, wait" you tugged on his shirt. he was getting aggressive and it wasn't a pace you're used to, so you were out of breath. he pulled back, noticing you were struggling to breathe.

"did the 5 years of not getting laid made you rusty, huh?" he teased you. you slapped his arms immediately. he wasn't wrong but that was uncalled for. "sorry" he chuckled before enveloping you in another kiss. this time softer and gentler. your hands moved from his arms to grab on his hair. this earned a groan from him and ultimately deepened the whole interaction. you could feel your lips getting puffy by the time you were both out of breath.

"missed this so much" he moved to nuzzle on your shoulders now. pressing soft kisses to it before nipping on it, leaving red marks that you definitely need to cover with concealers tomorrow. "you don't have work tomorrow right?" you shook your head. "good" then he continued to do what he was doing, this time rougher.

"hey, just because i don't have work doesn't mean you can go ham on marking you dimwit" you pulled his hair to pull his face from your shoulders. "sorry, just this once please" he was begging with puppy eyes. you pinched his nose before sighing. you were weak to his puppy eyes, so you just let him be.

"minmin" you called out. he stopped to look at you. "before i let you do more, what are we?" you cupped his cheeks. unlike last time where he hesitated on his answers, he was smiling now. "lovers? if you want to" he answered your question with a big grin on his face. "learned your lesson now huh?" you joked while pinching his cheeks. "yes, i'm sorry so let me love you, okay?" he begged. you nodded before encircling your arms on his back to bring him to another kiss.

hesitancy out of the window, just pure love present in the room. if you thought everything was ephemeral, you were proven wrong. perhaps everything happened because you both weren't ready. but now that you are, the universe has decided to bring you together.

toujours et pour toujours.

(always and forever)

the end.

[diaper-your-brat]

15 - Is your girlfriend capable of wiping herself?

Even if she's the most sophisticated and independent woman - I wouldn't be so sure if you can trust her to clean herself up properly.

Neither was Matthew, when he moved in with his girlfriend Andrea. See, Matthew was a bit of a neat freak, so it was a no-brainer that he would be the one taking care of their weekly laundry. It didn't take long for him to discover wet or dirty spots on her thongs and panties. He quickly set into motion a very effective plan:

The first two times, he just confronted her about it. "I found a dirty spot in your panties again. Aren't you 26 years old?" She was obviously embarrassed but didn't say much and just laughed it off.

When he brought it up for the third time within a month, he took a more serious approach. During dinner, he mentioned "Andrea, I'm honestly getting a bit annoyed be having to deal with your messy underwear. You have to be more careful. If I have to clean one more piece of underwear this dirty, there will be consequences" "I don't know what you're talking about! I always take good care cleaning myself, this is so awkward", she whined,. But of course, just a few days later, Matthew mentioned that he had found another thong with a brown stain on the back in the laundry bin. "Look, I know your trying youre best baby, but it seems like you're not wiping carefully enough. From now on, I'll take more care of this for you." "What the fuck does he mean?" she thought, but the topic was so uncomfortable for her, that she didn't say much and just went about her day. Matthew was now keeping a close eye on her. When she went to the bathroom the next time, he positioned himself outside the door. Once she came out, he was standing there and ushered her right back in.

"It's time that I inspect you, baby girl. Let's see how good you really are at wiping yourself." He sounded upbeat and positive, as if he was talking to a toddler. Andrea stood there and shrieked as he pulled down her pants. But it happened so fast that she couldn't do anything.

He took a close look at her private parts, he grabbed a wet wipe to clean her, and inspected it carefully. He had a stern look on his face, and let's be real: no matter how well she wiped, he would have never been satisfied.

He was clear and strict about the consequences: from now on, every time she went to the bathroom, she would have to call him afterwards, like a little girl. He would then either wipe her, or she could do it herself, and he'd inspect the quality of her wiping.

Andrea knew that this wasn't right: but she was also eager to drop this uncomfortable topic. "I don't know why you never learned how to properly clean yourself after going to the bathroom. But now I'll take care of it for you. It's better that way. Think about what your friends and colleagues would say when you'd walk around with a dirty bottom!" "What if it's true?", she started to think.

From that day onwards, they'd have an embarrassing ritual: Andrea had to yell from the bathroom whenever she was done, and he would wipe and inspect her with great care. Sometimes, he'd probe her pussy or asshole with his fingers, before letting her go about her day. "Just to make sure everything is alright down there", he would say. Of course Andrea hated having her boyfriend's finger up her tight butthole. But she couldn't say much, while she was in such an unfortunate position.

As the weeks passed, Matthew would get stricter about the timings of his checks. "I can't check on you all day, I have stuff to do", he would say. So instead of calling him afterwards, she had to ask for permission before going to the bathroom. And he would be increasingly restrictive. At some point, she had to wait for an hour before he finally let her relieve herself - he just had to finish an important work email before! This lead to more and more humiliating situations for Andrea: desperately begging him to go to the bathroom because of her full bladder. Near misses, and some dribbles in her panties. And more and more critical comments from Matthew: "At first, I thought you were just a lazy wiper! But by now, I'm starting to doubt you're ready to go to the toilet at all... Who would have thought that you'd be such a messy girl, Andrea!"

It was becoming more and more clear: supervised toilet times were only the beginning of her training...

(This story is inspired by another classic: "Taking care of her bottom" by @crueldaddy4baby )

[ghostboneswrites2]

A Mess || Part 10

Yes, ladies and gents and non-binary readers alike, the long awaited final part to A Mess has arrived. I’ve had this written for months and honestly thought I posted it already, so forgive the wait. I’m just a 23 year old teenage girl.

ANYWAYS, the polls for the contents of this final part resulted in:

More smut

Post Terminus / Pre Alexandria setting

The relationship becoming officially established & public

ANNNDDD a sequel series which is in the works ❤️‍🔥

18+ MDNI || Warnings: smut (male receiving oral, fingering, mild grinding), TWD typical stuff

      The days seemed to drag on the way they did after Shane died. You felt like an old paintbrush dragging across a desolate canvas, leaving a trail of splotchy grays and bloody smears, painting your surroundings to mimic the twisted feelings of turmoil inside you. The prison was gone and so many were lost. Beth was dead. So were Bob and Tyreese. At least Carol was back.

        You struggled to find anything to be grateful for, anymore. Sure, you narrowly escaped the hungry bellies of the cannibals at Terminus, and sure you were still alive, but were you really living? Was dragging the worn boots Daryl had gifted you when life was more forgiving across cracked asphault while your stomach gnawed away at your insides really any kind of life? Sometimes you wondered what you pressed on for. Especially with Daryl so reserved and closed off like he was. The loss of Beth had done something to him that you couldn't fully relate to because you weren't with Beth after the prison, you escaped with Glenn and found yourself locked away in a dark train car by the time you finally reunited with Daryl.

        He had formed a sort of connection with her, something pure and protective, something that was shattered right before his eyes with a single gunshot. 

        You wished he'd just talk to you. Or touch you. Or even look at you. Was he so miserable he lost all interest? Surely not. He loved you. He told you so, the day he wound up in that train car with you.

        You shielded your eyes as a bright light filled the dark box that confined you. You were sure they were coming to finally kill you off or whatever it was they planned to do with you. 

        You had sustained an injury to your head in the struggle to round you all up, so you were admittedly out of it. It wasn't until you felt rough hands around your cheeks and heard the panic and relief in his voice that you really registered what was going on.

        "(Y/N)." He breathed as he planted a rough kiss on your forehead then your lips. "I thought you were dead. I love ya, ya hear me? I fuckin' love you."

        You may not have remembered much from your concussed state, and he may have never said it again, but that was a memory you held onto with every last bit of your strength. He loved you.  

        You knew he just needed some time, but you also knew you needed him. You were slipping away; losing hope. A simple touch could have made the difference of life or death for you at that point. 

        Then, it rained. It was welcome. Your dry cracked lips, burning throat, and aching organs were brought back to life as you caught the droplets on your tongue. When the thunder rumbled, Daryl urged you all to an old barn he had found off on his own. He did that often; going off on his own.

        The night was loud and it was hard to find any rest. The wind slapped the weathered wooden walls and seemingly shook the ground. The thunder was loud and frequent, bright flashes infiltrating the cracks and openings as the lightning grew closer. You tossed and turned a lot, only to eventually sit yourself up and rub your eyes. You jumped when your eyes readjusted to the darkness to see a looming figure before you.

        "Hey." He whispered. You blinked.

        "Hey." You whispered back. He stepped over and sat down beside you.

        "Y'alright?"  He asked.

        "Can't sleep." You shrugged, not looking at him.

        "Mm." He nodded. "Other than that."

        "Just... tired." Was all you managed. There wasn't enough time in a day -- or sleepless night -- to go through and examine your emotions enough to lay them all out flat for him. Plus, that was never really his strong suit. You two showed each other how you felt in place of saying it. You always had. Which was another reason it hurt you so bad for him to pull away. You knew if he was done with what you had, he'd never say it. He'd just let you figure it out on your own, and you'd never really know why.

        "That ain't it." He pointed out. "But it's okay. I know I ain't been much for talkin' lately. You don't gotta be, either."

        You were lost for words. Was this an attempt at letting you back in? At being close to you?

        "Anyway, I, uh.." He cleared his throat and glanced around, scanning through the dim light of the dying fire to ensure he hadn't woken anyone. "I just miss ya, is all."

        "Oh." You nodded. "Yeah. Me too." 

        "Look, I just needed to figure it out, ya know? Let myself feel it." He persisted. "After Beth... After everything, I just couldn't let myself. But now I did, and I need to say sorry."

        "I just didn't know if..."

        "Nah." He cut you off. "That wasn't on you. That was me. 'N' I'm sorry." 

        "It's okay." You placed a gentle hand on his knee. "I get it."

        Some moments passed in silence as you both felt devoid of anything to say. He cleared his throat again.

        "Can I stay with you?" He asked.

        "Yeah. Of course." You half smiled, even though he probably couldn't see. You shuffled over to a bed of old hay where you had laid out a jacket.

        He laid down, propping his arm under his head in place of a pillow, and your crawled down beside him, curling up into his side and taking a breath. He was ripe with a lack of access to hygiene, but then again, so were you, so you decided to enjoy the musk as a byproduct of his closeness.

        The longer you lay awake, feeling the warmth of his body, the more it hit you just how bad you needed him in such trying times. You realized then, more than ever, how bad you were craving his touch, his scent, his voice, his taste.

        You popped your head up and looked up at his face. It was shadowy and dark but you’d recognize his features in total darkness. He glanced down at you with a softness, wondering what you were about to  say.

         However, ‘saying’ wasn’t on your agenda. No, it was much more of a ‘doing’ that you had planned. 

         You stretched your neck out to kiss him on the jaw as his hand rested contently on the back of your head. He thought you were just being affectionate in the way that girlfriends did when they missed their man, and you were, but you had other things planned, too. As your lips planted little kisses along his jawline until they met his own, he relaxed into the semi-comfortable bed of hay. He figured whatever you were doing, was just your way of telling him you missed him. After all, you two always showed what you felt, and rarely said it. 

        When your lips met his you quietly climbed over top of him, straddling him as you depend the kiss. The more you touched him, the deeper you felt his absence since Grady. 

        You broke away for a breath and littered more sloppy kisses over his cheeks and neck, stopping somewhere in between to nibble at his earlobe. He groaned quietly under the weight of you and your affections, hoping you’d stop whatever you were doing soon, as the aching member in his jeans was already begging to be touched. Unfortunately, there was no end in sight to your erotic touches. As you shifted, your own wet heat glided over the bulge in his pants, and you realized you were succeeding in your mission. 

        You were downright needy for him, breathy whines escaping you as you grounded against him, rubbing your flat hands over his chest with hunger, catching his lips in yours between sucking and nibbling at the flesh of his neck. His hands gripped your thighs as you got hotter and hornier, quickly realizing he wasn’t getting out of this one. 

        When you pulled back again, flushed and sweaty already, you could barely see the glisten in his eyes as he stared back at you. Slowly, you leaned down to whisper in his ear; “Quiet, okay?” 

        He nodded once and you slowly slid down until your face was level with his waist. Slowly, silent as you could manage, you unbuttoned his jeans, unzipped them, and wiggled them down his thighs. He let out a small breath when you rigged his boxers down, cold air hitting his bare flesh. With one last glance up at his face, you smirked and turned your attention to his tip, gently licking and planting wet kisses all around it. 

        A pleasant “agh” escaped him, prompting you to take it a step further. You wrapped your juicy lips around his tip and slowly lowered yourself, bobbing up and down with no sense of haste. He tried desperately to suppress any vocalizations that may have been at bay, fearful he’d wake someone, especially Carl or baby Jude.

        It was painfully slow, the way you’d take him in further every so often, and when you finally met the base of him, he couldn’t suppress the groan. You quickly glanced around for any stirring bodies, and continued when you found none. Slow like a snail, gliding your lips and tongue up and down his length, hollowing out your cheeks to create a vacuum. You wanted him to understand what he was missing, what kind of bliss you could give him. You wanted him to feel your absence when he wasn’t around, just like you did his.

        Soon enough he was throbbing in your mouth, his hips uncontrollably jerking. He was close. You debated whether or not to take it all the way or leave him begging for more. You opted to give him some relief, given the miserable circumstances of your lives. 

        You took all of him at once, his load spilling into the back of your throat and dripping down. You stayed like that for a moment, barely bobbing back and forth, allowing him to ride his high and come back down. 

        You wiped your mouth and grinned at him as you pulled away. With your help, he shimmied his pants back up and secured the button. You took your place beside him once again, snuggling up close, your head rested between his chest and shoulder. 

        He took a few minutes to recover before he used two fingers to guide your jaw up so he could place a gentle kiss on your swollen lips. He moved his kissed over your cheek and to your ear and whispered, “Quiet, okay?”

        You bit your lip and smiled as he carefully slid his fingers in your jeans and traced one across your slit, starting at your entrance and ending at your clit. Deciding his big hand wouldn’t have enough room in your buttoned jeans, he went ahead and unbuttoned them and slid the zipper down to allow more movement. 

        With that out of the way, he could work delicately on your sweet spots, gently dragging his finger up and down your slit to get it nice and wet. All the while, you were biting down on your lip trying to keep quiet. He noticed the way your hips with try to follow his finger when it moved up. You wanted him inside you, so he’d give it to you. 

        He slid his middle finger inside you and pumped it in and out a few times, laying a free hand over your mouth to make sure your sounds could be muffled. Your eyes fluttered at the sensation of his calloused skin massaging your insides, effortlessly finding that one spot that made you weak. His thumb found your clit as he fingered you, rubbing little circles, eliciting a small moan. He paused and gave you a look, reminding you where you were. You nodded, letting him know you understood, and he continued. A trembling breath released from your nose, his other hand still over your mouth, as he slipped a second finger inside and continued massaging your g-spot and rubbing your clit.

        As he settled into a rhythm, your body responded. You rocked your hips with his movements, communicating to him to keep up what he was doing. He understood. He always understood you.

        In no time at all, all that pent up frustration and aches for his touch finally heated to a boiling point, and you spilled over. Your body and voice trembled as you shook and rode your orgasm on his fingers. When your body calmed and you flinched at his touch, he pulled his hand away and buttoned you back up. He relaxed again, triumphant this time, and you curled up close to him and drifted to sleep in an instant. 

        Daryl was the first to wake the next morning, but given your position sprawled across him, you were quick to get up with him. The two of you went outside to assess the storm damage. Trees had fallen in the night, narrowly missing the barn itself. You made small talk as you wandered the area, occasionally taking out a stray walker. When you went back inside, hand in hand, the rest of the group was awake and shuffling around. Maggie was the first to notice the way Daryl held your hand so casually, then Sasha, then Glenn and the rest. Nobody knew what to say, but they all stared and exchanged glances amongst each other. Daryl shifted a tad, uncomfortable with the sudden attention, but he braved his anxieties and stood firmly beside you. He cleared his throat. 

         “Damage is pretty bad out there. ‘S a miracle then damn trees didn’t fall right on us.” He said.

        “Huh.” Rick hummed, nodding, still perplexed. He nodded down at your hand entwined with Daryl’s and raised his eyebrows. 

        “Oh.” Daryl shrugged, holding your hands up and looking down at them. He realized the two do you never really established a relationship, especially not completely openly. He figured the way he told you he loved you back in that train car at Terminus would have been a dead giveaway, but tensions were high back then. Maybe it went unnoticed. He shrugged again. “Yeah.” 

        You stifled a laugh and shook your head. Your family all smirked and smiled sweetly, but didn’t press further, save for Carol, who spoke in a ‘told you so’ kind of tone. “It’s about time you two quit playing footsies and took things to the next level.” 

Masterlist // Taglist

tags: @kissmeunicornbaobei @thesadcatt0 @clairealeehelsing @duckybird101 @tmntfixationxreader @ryoujoking @blackvelveteen1339 @yondus-girl @ladylincoln @sunshinebug9 @saylum559 @yoowhatthefuck @duffmckagansbandana @celtic-crossbow @virginsexgod69 @dazzling-roaring-20s @l0kilaufeys0n7 @uhnanix

[lenaellsi]

I've never understood what people mean when they say that Crowley is hiding the truth of Heaven and God's cruelty from Aziraphale to protect him or spare his feelings. That's like...the complete opposite of what Crowley does.

Crowley spends all 6000 years of their time on Earth together making snarky comments about Heaven and God at every opportunity. It's his opening line in Eden, and even before Eden, he meets Aziraphale and two minutes later goes on a rant about how unfair it is to end the world before it’s really started. "What's the point of making an infinite universe if you're only going to let it run for a few thousand years?" He's been forcing Aziraphale to grapple with God's plan literally since the moment they met. Those moments make up like half of the S1E3 intro, and it happens again in every single S2 minisode. "Same God that wants me to whack the kids?" "Tell her that poverty is ineffably wonderful and life is worth living. Go on!" "That's the trouble with you lot. You tend to see things in black and white." Like. Crowley's not trying to hide anything! He thinks Heaven sucks! He thinks God is playing a fucked up game! He tells Aziraphale that all the time!

Crowley sharing or not sharing the minute details of Aziraphale's failed execution is, honestly, a nonissue, and it's kind of frustrating to see it constantly brought up. We don't even know for sure that Crowley never told Aziraphale exactly what was said. Crowley says Aziraphale "doesn't remember it either," when he's talking to Jim--not that he doesn't know, just that he doesn't remember, because he wasn't physically there. But regardless of whether Aziraphale knows the exact words, he absolutely knows that Gabriel "tried very hard to cast [him] into Hellfire and destroy [him]." And he already knows Gabriel is an asshole. That's not news.

And I'm unconvinced that Crowley wouldn't have shared what he learned in Heaven about the Second Coming and Gabriel's trial over breakfast at the Ritz if things hadn't gone completely to shit. Here's my hot take: in the fifteen minutes he and Aziraphale had alone after he got back, he had other things on his mind. Would it have been helpful for Aziraphale to know? Eh, maybe. But honestly, Aziraphale is already aware that Heaven 1) is fully on board with the end of the world, and 2) has no problem punishing angels who try to stop the end of the world. Because, you know. They tried to kill him about it last time. And regardless, I don't think this is an issue of Crowley hiding things--I think he genuinely just forgot, because he was busy getting broken up with. If he'd thought about it, you bet he would have weaponized that to get Aziraphale to stay. And he kind of did! "When Heaven ends life here on Earth, it'll be just as dead as if Hell ended it."

And then there's the Fall, and yeah, fair enough. Crowley probably hasn't shared what the Fall looked like for him, and I think that's information Aziraphale could benefit from. Aziraphale clearly doesn't understand it--if he did, I can't imagine that he would have asked Crowley back to Heaven.

But that's still not Crowley trying to hide the truth about Heaven to protect Aziraphale's feelings, or whatever. He just doesn't want to talk about it! Because it fucking sucked! Crowley's communication problems stem entirely from his reluctance to grapple with his own emotions, and his reluctance to be vulnerable. Bitching about Heaven doesn't make him vulnerable; talking about his Fall really, really does.

Crowley has never once shied away from telling Aziraphale exactly what he thinks about Heaven, or the archangels, or God. He's constantly challenging him, forcing him to consider the people hurt by policy decisions like the Flood, the Crucifixion, Job's trials, or the "virtues of poverty." That's a huge part of their dynamic. Sure, he sucks at telling Aziraphale about himself--he doesn't communicate why he wants holy water, or that he's been living in his car, or anything at all about the Fall (as far as we know)--but when it comes to God? He is painfully honest. That's why Aziraphale is so unsettled by him. Crowley is generally very good to Aziraphale and conscious of his happiness, yes, but he's also not afraid to push him. It's baffling to me that people think that all he does is coddle him when we spend about half the show watching them bicker over this exact issue on screen.

[krispycreamcake]

Hello! I want to request a fluff headcanon of the Sakamaki! I want to see how they will act if their s/o missed her hometown and family, like they had the chance to meet their family not like Yui who has any idea where she is from and who are her family. Thank u so much for reading and doing my request! <3

Sakamakis reacting to a homesick s/o

Shu Sakamaki

🎻- You see the thing with Shu is, he's been through so much and lived for so long that it's hard to care

🎻- I'm not saying he doesn't want what's best for you and all and that he doesn't love you, but he's not fond of the idea of you leaving him to visit your family

🎻- The actuality of it is, it's just too bothersome for him and it's too bothersome for you to not be by his side

🎻- But as we all know, these vampiric brothers never actually show their true feelings

🎻- Suddenly you reuniting with them doesn't sound half bad when he hears you quietly crying or zoning out during conversations

🎻- Obviously he'll just say it's annoying for him to have you be this distracted when he's drinking your blood

🎻- But like I said, he just wants to see you happy and knowing that he's the one that's stopping you from being happy, it breaks his unbeating heart

🎻- He'll try to avoid visiting them of course, maybe try taking your mind off of it by going on dates more often

🎻- Hell, he'll even play you the violin to help you sleep better at night

🎻- "God will you quit crying already? You humans are so noisy and you're disturbing my sleep. I already booked the tickets so start thinking of ways to show your eternal greatness."

🎻- If you put that into Google Translate, you should get something like this: "Please stop crying, I can't sleep knowing you're in so much pain"

Reiji Sakamaki

☕- Reiji isn't unknown to how humans work

☕- Honestly it was just a matter of time before you started feeling not quite at home

☕- The truth is, he's been postponing this overdue conversation. In his mind, he'd preferably want you with him and only with him until the ends of time

☕- But being a man of logic and reasoning, get understands that it might sound unfair to ask that of you

☕- When you first brought up the idea, he was taken aback a bit

☕- He didn't know what he was supposed to say because he was very adamant on not letting you go

☕- Similar to Shu, he only wants what's best for you and while it doesn't take much convincing from your end, he's still not pleased with the decision he's made

☕- He'll briefly think about it, knowing his words will never convey the melody of his heart

☕- The reason he's so sensitive about this is simply because of his insecurities and inferiority complex

☕- Sure he was your boyfriend, but could he really beat the safety and comfort and love that these people held for you? How could he compete?

☕- Nonetheless, this is where I'd say his growth comes in. This is where he's able to put his feelings and thoughts aside for the person he loves and once you're back, he knows he'll treat you like there's no tomorrow

Ayato Sakamaki

🏀- Ayato is a man (boy) that is almost always constantly reliant on his feelings to decide how to go about a situation

🏀- This doesn't mean he's devoid of making logical decisions, it just means he chooses not to

🏀- So one could probably imagine his reaction when you first told him you wanted to visit your family because you were homesick

🏀- He was not very pleased to say the least and he made that abundantly clear. But it doesn't mean he wasn't mulling over the idea a million times

🏀- His thoughts often drift when he's thinking and sometimes, that aids him in making well thought out choices

🏀- After your little scuffle and it was time to go to sleep, he noticed you were still tense over the whole situation

🏀- Usually he loves sleeping next to you, your bodies flushed together, but he realizes that this might not be the best time

🏀- Seeing you upset like that and going to sleep without a word, he couldn't stand it

🏀- All you wanted to do was visit your hometown and here he was being all in his feelings like a kid

🏀- He eventually climbed in bed with you and relished in your body warmth since he never had any himself

🏀- He thought about how great life became once you entered it, but did you think the same about him?

🏀- He tucked your hair behind your ears before whispering that he'd be coming with you on your trip

Laito Sakamaki

🃏- Unlike the rest of his brothers, Laito is thrilled

🃏- You may be surprised at first due to how incessant he is about the whole thing

🃏- But to Laito, it's as clear as ever

🃏- He'll be accompanying you in this trip

🃏- Why you may ask?

🃏- He gets to be miles and miles away from his brothers and gets to spend some actual alone time with you

🃏- Other than the obvious hanky panky, Laito is a very cultured man and would genuinely enjoy seeing how the culture is like where you live

🃏- If he's been to that corner of the world before, he can't wait to see what they've done with the place

🃏- Human culture itself doesn't necessarily excite him, but seeing how your living conditions would've impacted the person you are today, that he can get behind

🃏- He obviously doesn't want you to be sad, but the only way you're going on that trip is if he comes

🃏- He genuinely can't wait and is counting down the days

🃏- There is a slight tiny condition however

🃏- You aren't allowed to come into contact with anyone you know, not even family

🃏- Laito's never had anything long term before and while it's nothing against you, he doesn't think he's quite ready to involve himself with your parents and old friends

🃏- He's honestly never had to cross that bridge before, and to him, it's a huge bridge

🃏- Still, he promises to make your trip fun as compensation and he never quite disappoints in that criteria

🃏- Of course he wants you to know he supports you and cares about you, but he also wants you to know he's just not ready to let you go, even if it's for a week or so

🃏- So expect him to get super sappy at times

Kanato Sakamaki

🧸- Well uhh

🧸-he cares about you in his own way for sure

🧸- Honestly when it comes to the idea that you don't want to be near him for an extended period of time, he's probably the most possessive of all his brothers

🧸- Eventually with time, your relationship will grow and his insecurities will fade away, just not completely

🧸- Similar to Shu, he'll need to know, or rather, see, that this is something you really want

🧸- Kanato cherishes every moment with you so you have to at least understand how big of a request this is for him

🧸- However, once he notices you aren't acting like yourself and you're a bit reserved, he'll soon start to realize that he's putting you through the kind of pain he doesn't like

🧸- This type of pain isn't pleasurable for either of you, and if anything, it reminds him of how his mom would lock him away in the dungeon, snatching his freedom from him

🧸- He doesn't want that for you, ever

🧸- So while he may not be completely supportive of this trip and there'd be a couple of rough waters to get through at first, eventually he'll plan am unexpected trip for you as if that was his intention this entire time

🧸- Obviously he's coming with you, and as a safety measure, you aren't to ever leave his side no matter what

Subaru Sakamaki

🥀- See, Subaru's a nice guy (nice enough anyways)

🥀- When he hears that you're feeling homesick, he completely understood since humans are fragile and emotional

🥀- Like Laito, he thinks it'd be a great idea to get away for a while

🥀- He'd have to think about it first

🥀- And since you guys are going on a trip together, he expects his bratty brothers to want to come along (they just love their little brother)

🥀- Obviously this depends on if you even want to be accompanied by the rest of the family

🥀- I lied. There's no escaping it.

🥀- As much as Subaru is rude and loud, they're his brothers and there's no getting through to them (aka the triplets)

🥀- And if the triplets are coming, we all know that means Reiji needs to accompany you all to make sure they don't wage war against the humans

🥀- And if Reiji's going, he's sure as hell NOT leaving Shu home alone

🥀- Nonetheless, Subaru's secretly glad you all came to visit your hometown as a family

🥀- It honestly just cements the fact that your place is next to him and you belong as a Sakamaki

🥀- Oh yeah, and expect a loooot of teasing from his brothers

[twig-tea]

I've been enjoying reading folks' theories about whether Vee is Vad; @lurkingshan has laid down bets that they are the same person, while @he-is-lightning-in-a-bottle made a great case for why they shouldn't be, @italianpersonwithashippersheart gave an explanation as to who she could be instead (a test), and @happypotato48 made clear he'd be mad if they are. @heretherebedork noted that it's likely Vee is Vad but even if this girl is the reincarnation of Vad, she's still not the same person. @babyangelsky made the point that whether or not they're the same person, what's important is San making the choice; but also it's likely this girl was sent by the villain who is likely not dead yet.

Gonna add my own clown theory to the mix: I think everyone is right (I remain on brand at all times). Vee is Vad because San prayed to a goddess and got his soul tied to theirs and the way the magic has been functioning, we would need another explanation if they weren't. But, at the same time, Vee is not Vad because people are not the same just because of reincarnation; They are no longer the same person. And it was important for San to fall in love with Vee for Vee; even though it was the magic/fate that brought them into one another's paths, San still had to choose to open his heart to him. I also think it's important for him to choose Vee over the memory of Vad. So I think this Vad doppleganger is a kind of test, though possibly from a mortal source (I like Leah's theory above that it was the villain who sent her and I thought the same when I watched the episode; having Anastasia vibes of someone being primed with info to pass as a lost relative lol). I am going to go a little more wild on the dreams to say I think the dreams are just his own imagination and insecurities and uncertainties. He thought he was sure, but then he wasn't. That's why it's important for San to make the decision to love Vee not because he thinks he's Vad, but because he loves him enough to be willing to be with him even if he isn't Vad.

As long as San wrestles with that question, I will honestly be happy no matter whether Vee is Vad or not. Because the point is, it doesn't matter.

[sillyteecup]

The Wrong Way

Roman Reigns x black!o.c

Jey Uso x black!o.c

Chapter 3

Warnings:

18+

Strong language

Slut shaming

Taglist: @wrestlingprincess80 @nbanenefrmdao @vebner37 @theninthwonder @tshepisho @lensilver @trentybenty @empressdede @queen-shadow22 @becauseimher @jstarr86

A.N: I would like to apologize to anyone who was expecting Main event Jey Uso. No pookies, this is 2021 Jey, or as I like to call him, "crashout Jey"🤭. Anyway, a delightful bunch our characters are yes? I honestly can't wait to get them to fully interact so we can see where this shit storm is going😭😭. Anyway here's chapter 3 of The Wrong Way. I hope you like it. Enjoy.❤️

The journey to Lori's new pris-home was long and silent. The Wiseman had arranged for her and her maidens to be seated in their own section of the jet with Sami for supervision. He said it was by the order of the Tribal Chief, which was a pleasant surprise to Loreal. However she still wasn't sold on the family.

Her maidens however were elated. Although they had not directly interacted with or even seen the Bloodline outside of Sami and the Wiseman, the closeness in proximity to the family was enough to spike their excitement levels. That paired with the opportunity to fly private with their Mistress. Previously When Lori and her family traveled, Lord Byron would have the Maidens fly commercial and in separate seats. No one understood why, and when Lori would protest he would be dismissive. So naturally, their current arrangement brought them joy.

While the maidens drank cocktails and shared hushed theories of how the palace would look, Lori sat opposite Sami in silence. His jaw often twitched as though he wanted to say something to her, but he never did. While he was slightly more relaxed away from the Tribal Chief, he was still on edge. Fidgeting with his rings and shifting relentlessly in his seat. All of the sudden movement was starting to annoy Lori.

"Sir-" she began, only to be interrupted by Sami.

"Sami. Just, Sami is fine, Miss Loreal," he said nervously with his hand up.

"That doesn't seem very inappropriate," Lori pointed out with an arched eyebrow.

"Well, Sir isn't exactly my title so calling me by name is as appropriate as it gets," Sami explained with a shrug.

Lori tilted her head as a look of confusion washed upon her features. "You are part of the most powerful family in the world, and you do not have a title?" she inquired.

Sami nodded before replying, "Well yes. But also no," he said vaguely.

"I don't follow," Lori said, folding her hands over her lap.

"I am a part of the Bloodline don't get me wrong. But I wasn't born into it, therefore no title. Well, unless you take, 'Honorary Uce' into account, but otherwise no title. Just good ole' Sami," Sami rambled, finishing his explanation with a nervous chuckle.

"Ah, I see. Honorary Uce Sami is quite the mouthful, but so is Miss Loreal. So you will call me Lori," Lori said jokingly to try and ease Sami's nerves.

"Lori," he sounded out slowly, as if testing it on his tongue. "I could work with that. Just not around the Tribal Chief," he added, his anxiety seeming to spike at the thought of Tribal Chief Roman.

"I'm sure he would not mind. At least until after the wedding," Lori shrugged, but Sami shook his head.

"Oh he would. He's very big on the title thing. Says it has to do with showing respect and humility," Sami explained.

"I don't think he'd care too much about showing me respect, I am after all an outsider. On top of that I am damaged. No one respects a damaged woman. They only seek to humble her," Lori said dryly, earning a soft small from Sami.

"I respect you, Lori," Sami said softly.

Lori's eyes softened. "Sami, while I appreciate the sentiment, you do not know me. You have no reason to respect me."

"Actually, I do have a reason. A couple actually," Sami stated, confidence slowly oozing into his tone making Lori smirk playfully.

"And praytell Sami, what are they?" she asked him.

Lori's smile grew at Sami's grin. His posture had slowly started to relax throught their conversation, and judging form his demeanor, he seemed very friendly. A stark difference from the family that took him in.

"Well, you're head strong, you're confident and you're kind. Well, at least kind to me and your maidens," Sami listed, counting his points with his fingers.

In a weird way, Sami reminded Lori of her mother. Although Azalea and her daughter hardly spoke, whenever they did, Lady Azalea always made sure to encourage and reassure Loreal. Lady Azalea would tell her that she was beautiful, intelligent, confident and kind. She would also remind Loreal not to let anyone take advantage of her kindness. Thus, her hot headed nature and occasionally cold demeanor.

"Thank you Sami. It might not mean much, but you have my respect as well," Lori replied softly.

She could've sworn she had just seen a tear roll down her new asset's eye.   

➽──────────────❥

Roman exited the jet, followed by his cousins. His hands rubbed at his temples as a headache had begun to set in from Jey's incessant complaining, paired with Jimmy's snarky rebuttals. He already tried his hardest to limit his time with the twins due to the constant bickering, always preferring Solo's quiet company above them. But if there was one thing he loathed, it was traveling with the twins because that meant he had to listen to every grating word.

Alas, however, the trip was over and he could finally get rid of them.

"It just feels so fucking disrespectful, you know? Of all the bitches yall could've picked, it had to be the one that's been around every street across the seas! I'm a prince man! I deserve better!" Jey complained for what was probably the 90th time since they had left the Moore house.

Roman had taken it with silence as he, to some extent understood his cousin's frustration. He knew that Jey felt undermined by the choice for his fiancé, and that he felt like a second-class citizen. However, Roman was not the one who chose Miss Loreal Moore, Rikishi, Jey's father was. And the last thing Roman wanted to do was involve himself in the affairs of a father and his son. Even if it was simply a power move.

Also, aside from her unfortunate status, Miss Loreal Moore was actually a good pick. Lord Byron held quite a lot of political influence across the seas and according to the file Lord Byron had sent to Paul, she was highly intelligent, she had a leadership streak, and she was incredibly ambitious. All of that was enough of a sell as it was, but it was at the meeting where she truly caught Roman's attention. Her defiance, to Roman, was a sign of strength.

Roman liked strong women.

Miss Loreal Moore was not a pushover, and that was a quality that she would need most in being part of and dealing with his family.

However, most of all, she was astoundingly beautiful.

Roman had hardly found himself in positions where he was taken by a woman's appearance. Apart from Nadine, he barely even noticed the women around him, but Loreal was a different story. Her piercing brown eyes, her glossy, plump, two-toned lips, her the stud on the left side of her wide nose and her deep, brown skin that seemed to glimmer in any atmosphere. That, paired with her breathtakingly curvy figure made it a mission for Roman not to stare at Miss Loreal Moore throught the meeting.

Miss Loreal Moore was going to be his cousin's wife in about a month. His thoughts on her looks were then thrown to the back his mind. They did not matter.

"I know you not talking, Mr 'I fuck every bitch that breathes in my direction'," Jimmy commented from his brother's side.

"Man, this is not the fucking time to be joking and shit! This is my fucking life we're talking about and I'm supposed to spend the rest of it with a ho?" Jey hissed, making Roman's temper flare up.

Clearly Jey was struggling to understand that this wasn't about him anymore. That this was a sacrifice he had to make for the family to prosper and maintain their power. Roman only hoped that Jey wouldn't fuck the engagement up, otherwise he would have to punish his cousin, and the last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt the man he considered his right hand man.

Jimmy waved him off before saying, "Man I don't see no difference. You a ho, she a ho-hell yall are perfect for each other if you ask me," Jimmy snickered.

"Well then it's a good thing nobody fucking asked you."

"Enough!" Roman grunted, immediately shutting his cousins up. He could've sworn he saw Solo's lips twitch into a grateful smile. But it was gone as soon as it appeared. Jimmy pressed his lips together in a thin line while Jey downright scowled. Roman sensed that his cousin had long passed the stage of dissatisfaction. He was angry, but he knew not to direct it at the wrong person.

"I understand. I understand that you don't like the fact that you're marrying a damaged woman. But you had your opportunity to choose a good woman for yourself," Roman started as he began to get in Jey's face.

"You had the chance to get you a fresh one, but you fucked up by deciding to fuck around with every whore that smiled at you. So if you wanna complain about the quality of woman your father found you, take that shit up with him, but never forget the chance you had to prevent that shit," Roman stated as he poked Jey in the chest to emphasize his point.

He then leaned in to whisper in his cousin's ear, "It's not about you anymore Uce. Get that through your thick fucking skull! This is about our family! This is about what's best for all of us," his tone was menacing as he reminded his cousin of the situation.

He stepped back to see Jey still scowling, but nodding in understanding. That was good. All Roman needed was for him to understand.

"You can still do your shit on the side, I'm sure she won't give a fuck anyway," Roman suggested. His short encounter with Miss Loreal Moore, although short, showed him that the regard she would show for his cousin was low.

As much as Jey knew about her reputation, Roman theorized she likely did not care in the slightest as she barely wanted to marry him in the first place. The only thing Roman worried about was her willingness to actually be a part of his family. That was a huge factor to take into consideration. One Roman would do everything in his power to sway in his favour.

"Yo Uce, your ho may be a ho, but she a mighty fine ho for sure," Jimmy said with a snicker.

Roman's eyes snapped to the open jet that had just landed. There she was, gracefully making her way down the stairs, wearing what seemed like her usual, disinterested, yet mildly irritated expression. Right behind her were her four servants, or maidens as her father had called them. The young women, each with eager smiles on their faces made their way down with their mistress's luggage and their own. Finally Sami stepped out holding another one of her bags. A gesture she rewarded with a kind smile that shocked Roman.

And angered him.

Roman watched in an unexplainable annoyance as Miss Loreal Moore conversated with Sami as she and her travel party made their way to him and his cousins. While the sight of her laughing at his jokes seemed to piss him off, the sound of her laughter did something to him. Something akin to casting an enchantment. However, it was washed away as soon as it was chanted. This was not the time.

"Miss Loreal Moore, I should hope that your flight was comfortable," Paul said as she approached.

Her happy expression quickly turned neutral, as if she had just remembered her situation all over again.

"It was. Thank you," she said curtly, her now scrutinizing gaze cutting through Roman's family and Paul in one clean swoop.

Paul, as though he had felt the slits of her irises like a blade to his skin, cleared his throat nervously before speaking again. "Well then, I'm sure the long journey has left you and your maidens in need of some rest. Tomorrow will be quite the long day," Paul said with a nervous chuckle.

Miss Loreal Moore's features never wavered from the stony expression she wore. Roman could feel her sizing him and his cousins up. He almost smirked at how shamelessly she glared.

"I agree Wiseman. But I must ask, will my fiancé be accompanying me to the palace?" she questioned, finally shifting her gaze to him. The bitterness in her tone was subtle, but still noticeable to Roman's ear.

Paul looked taken aback, not expecting her question as she seemed to not want any part in their marriage. Then it clicked in Roman's mind, she didn't know that Jey wouldn't be staying at the palace during their engagement. He then shot a glare to Sami who he had told to clue her in on what would happen next. Sami shrunk beneath the sharp glare.

"Oh, Miss Loreal, that's not-traditional we don't-" Paul began to sputter, being cut off by Roman's low tone, but gentle.

"Is that what you want, Miss Loreal?" Roman asked, attempting to gauge her reasoning.

She shrugged in response, saying, "Well we are to be married. It would only make sense for us to acquaint ourselves with one another."

Roman nodded then flashed a charming smile. "Then that's gonna happen," he said.

The moment Paul and the women were out of ear shot, Roman's gaze morphed into a deadly glare. "If you fuck this up, there will be some very dire consequences," he warned in a cold, low tone.

"Wiseman, please lead Miss Loreal Moore and her ladies to the car. Jey will catch up in a second," Roman requested, turning to face an irritated Jey.

Jey nodded silently, prompting Roman to release him. Jey ran to catch up with Paul and the ladies, while Roman turned around and headed to his own car followed by Sami and his remaining cousins. He contemplated having a little 'talk' with Sami, but decided against it.

If Miss Loreal Moore trusted Sami, then Roman would use that to gain her trust as well.