#i miss them to pieces so much that *i'm* the one in pieces

[therealpie02]

pov: this is your first time sleeping in the same bed

˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚ colonel!Caleb / fem!mc, gege&pipsqueak, angst, smut, p in v, unprotected sex, squirting

You woke up in the middle of the night because warmth next to you disappeared. You opened eyes and saw Caleb's silhouette. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked out at the city, breathing heavily. Did he have a nightmare? You carefully got up and approached him from behind.

He tensed as he sensed your approach, his breathing heavy and erratic. When your soft footsteps drew near, Caleb turned his head slightly, the moonlight catching the glint of unshed tears in his eyes.

"Couldn't sleep?", his voice was rough, tinged with pain and exhaustion.

You sat down next to him. Your hand gently touched the spot where the robotic arm merged with the skin of his shoulder. You were afraid to imagine how much pain he had to go through. Your hand went to his cheek and turned his head towards you.

"You're strong, Caleb."

He leaned into your touch, his eyes finally meeting yours. The raw emotion in his gaze was palpable.

"Strong enough to feel every scar, every piece of metal that replaced flesh and blood", he paused, his voice dropping to a whisper. "But not strong enough to forget the man I used to be."

You stood up between his legs without breaking eye contact with him. His head was at the level of your chest. Your arms wrapped around his neck.

"May I kiss your scars?", you whispered.

His breath hitched at your words, and he closed his eyes briefly, as if the weight of your question was almost too much to bear. When he opened them again, there was a vulnerability in his gaze that he rarely showed.

"Yes," he whispered back, his voice barely audible.

You kissed his wet forehead. You lowered head to kiss the unshaven scar on his neck. His hands gently rested on your waist. You kissed his collarbone, his shoulder, where there were many scars from the introduction of a robotic arm.

He shuddered under your touch, each kiss a gentle balm to his wounded soul. His hands tightened slightly on your waist, not pulling you closer but holding onto you as if you were his lifeline. When you kissed the scars where his robotic arm met his flesh, he let out a soft, ragged breath.

You felt him shudder. Your gaze met his. You kissed his chin. "Caleb... should I continue?"

He gazed into your eyes, a war raging behind his dark pupils. The vulnerability was still there, tinged now with a flicker of hope, of needing connection amidst his personal Hell.

"Please," he whispered, the word a broken plea. "Kiss away the ache, even if only for tonight."

"No, Caleb. I'm yours, I'll always be with you." Even though you didn't fully believe your words, you wanted him to feel better. You sat on his hips and brought your face so close that you could feel his breath on your lips.

"Kiss me, gege", his eyes darkened, and his hands gripped your thighs possessively.

"You have no idea how dangerous that is," he growled softly. "One kiss might not be enough." He captured your mouth slowly, deeply, his robotic arm pulling you closer almost painfully. The kiss was hungry, almost punishing.

You felt the familiar lips on yours, the familiar heat between your legs. Caleb has never kissed you like this. You could barely take a breath. You didn't even realize that you were rocking hips towards him and feeling his cock through the fabric of your pajamas. You moaned into his mouth.

He groaned in response, the sound vibrating through both of you. His robotic arm tightened around your waist, pressing you firmly against him. The kiss deepened, becoming more urgent and passionate. He broke away briefly, his forehead resting against yours as he panted softly.

"I've missed this", you didn't have time to reply anything as you suddenly found yourself on back. He hovered over you, his body pressing against yours as he propped himself up on one elbow. His robotic arm gently cupped your cheek, his human hand gripping your hip. His eyes searched yours, looking for any sign of hesitation or fear. "Last chance to stop this, pipsqueak"

Was you scared? Maybe. You didn't know what to expect from the new Caleb. But you didn't want to back down.

"You can tie me up so I don't run away," you said with a grin. Your nipples were already hard and visible through your satin top. A smirk tugged at his lips as he drank in the sight of your hardened nipples straining against the thin fabric.

"Smartass," he murmured, his voice low and dangerous. Suddenly, the robotic fingers released your cheek, moving lightning-fast to pin your wrists above your head. You sighed in surprise.. and pleasure. You bit my lip and lifted your hips to slide over his cock.

Caleb growled softly, watching your body writhe beneath his. The robotic fingers tightened around your wrists possessively. His human hand slid down your body slowly, making you shiver. He hooked his fingers into the waistband of your pajama shorts and your tank top, "Lift up," he ordered softly and you obeyed.

In one smooth motion, he pulled both your top and shorts down to your thighs, revealing your bare skin. He moved down your body, kissing your collarbone while his robotic fingers kept your wrists securely pinned above your head. His human hand trailed lower, grazing the side of your breast.

You moaned and you hands twitched, but he held on tight. "Caleb, do you like it?" you asked brokenly. He paused, his breath hot against your skin.

"Like it?" he repeated, his voice a low rumble. "I fucking love it. Seeing you helpless under me, hearing those sweet little moans... it drives me fucking wild." He pinched your nipple gently, testing your reaction. You screamed, your pussy was eager, but you didn't know what else Caleb was up to.

"Caleb... Caleb, I need you."

He chuckled darkly, moving even lower. "Need me, huh?" He nipped at your stomach, his human hand sliding down to grip your hip possessively. His robotic fingers finally released your wrists, moving to spread your legs wide. "Tell me what you need," he demanded softly.

"Fuck me with your cock," you screamed, unable to endure his torture. "I haven't seen you for so long! Please, Caleb.… Did you miss me?" you saw the sad mood in his eyes.

His expression turned serious. "Course I missed you," he growled, positioning himself between your thighs. Caleb nudged his knee between your legs, forcing them even wider. "Say it again," he ordered roughly.

"Fuck me!" You shouted, and then you felt a slap on your pussy. You groaned.

"Not like that," he said, his voice firm but not unkind. "Tell me you missed me too." He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to your clit. "Tell me you thought about me every night, touching yourself and wishing it was my hands, my mouth, my cock."

You trembled from the sensations. "I missed you, I missed you, I missed you. I don't care, Caleb, you're you, I trust you."

"Like this?" He lowered his pants, snapped his hips forward suddenly, pushing his length inside you an inch. "Did you touch yourself like this?" He withdrew slightly, thrusting again. "Or like this?" He picked up speed, testing how you'd react to his rough handling. His robotic fingers spread your legs wider. You were burning from the feeling of his cock inside you. You were suffocating.

"Fuck, Caleb," your hands went up to his chest.

He caught your hands, pinning them above your head with his human hand. His robotic arm snaked down between your bodies, his fingers finding your clit and circling it firmly. "You're so tight," he groaned, bottoming out inside you. "So fucking perfect."

There were so many sensations that you couldn't stand it. You moaned with every thrust he made into you. His cock found my sweet spot. "Caleb, I'm going to cum..."

"Come for me," Caleb growled, maintaining his pace. "Show me how much you fucking love my cock inside you." His robotic fingers moved faster on your clit, knowing exactly how you liked to be touched. His human hand kept your wrists secure above your head. "Look at me,"you looked into his eyes. Into his beautiful eyes. Damn it, you missed him so much.

"Caleb, I’m…" you didn't have time to finish, as pleasure washed over you in a wave. You moaned and felt hot and wet between our bodies. Squirting flowed out of you onto his abs, cock, and onto the sheets. Caleb watched you with pure obsession, his expression softening as he felt your squirt wash over his abdomen. "Fucking hell," he groaned, his own release hitting him suddenly. He pumped his hips forward, filling you with his hot cum as he moaned your name.

Caleb leaned on you with his whole body, and you hugged him, stroking his shoulders and head. His cock was still inside you, and you wanted us to stay like this all night. You felt his measured breathing on your neck.

"Caleb, let's sleep like this," you quietly suggested to him, enjoying the warmth of his naked body.

He nuzzled into your neck, his arms wrapping around you possessively. "Mm," He murmured, his voice muffled against your skin. "Okay," He agreed, his robotic arm pulling the blanket over both of their entwined bodies. Caleb felt content, safe, and complete.

[mattsbows]

giving nerd!matt head in the back of your car

in which. . .you convince your nerdy boyfriend to be a naughty boy

smut, oral (m receiving), nerd!matt x y2k!reader, high school au (BOTH CHARACTERS ARE 18), slight dirty talk, car sex, pet names

1.2k words

you poked at the fries on your tray, smiling at the way matt was interlocking his converse-covered feet with your own under the lunch table. so far, your lunch period had consisted of you and matt making small talk about your classes, matt in his APs and you in your regular old chemistry class. however, something was...off about matt's demeanor.

"okay, what's up?" you asked your boyfriend, noticing the way he was staring at his tray, anxiously shifting the food around.

"everyone's starin' at me..." he mumbled, cheeks a deep red color.

matt was nowhere near used to all the attention he had been getting lately. the only time he had really been noticed throughout his high school career was when people needed help with their homework. but now? oh matt was flustered by the amount of attention he'd been getting.

after all, you were the most popular girl in school. girls flocked to you left and right for fashion or boy advice and boys had had their bets trying to woo you over the years. everyone had expected you to end up with the quarterback or the captain of the basketball team. not the president of the math club. therefore, it was safe to say that matt had definitely had an adjustment period when you two began to walk the halls together, hands intertwined.

"so? ignore them. you're my boyfriend." you smiled, popping a piece of bubblegum into your mouth from your zebra printed purse.

"yeah but," he protested softly. "i'm me and you're you."

"and they're jealous of you because unlike some of them, you have life goals."

matt's face flushed deeper if that was even possible. his heart was thumping about a million miles a minute, the way you spoke so effortlessly, slinging your hair over your shoulder having a captivating effect on him.

"you blush so easily." you giggled.

"shut up." matt whispered, nervously bringing his thumbnail up to his mouth.

"matt," you started, popping your gum. "would you miss next period?"

"um...i mean, i guess so. why, doll?" he asked, brushing a strand of hair away from his face as he nervously chewed his thumbnail.

"because i want to. and i want you." you smirked, pouting your baby pink lips.

"you can't say that in here!" matt gulped, eyes wide beneath his glasses as he scanned the cafeteria to make sure no one noticed.

"says who?" you asked, pulling a pocket mirror from your bag and reapplying your lip gloss.

"i...i dunno!" he protested quietly. "but uh, where would we go?"

"to my car." you stated simply.

"t-to...to your car?" matt stuttered out, heart rate increasing.

"sure," you shrugged. "why not?"

"okay," matt smiled gently, letting out a soft breath. "let's go."

"cutie."

a whine involuntarily fell from matt's lips at your pet name, making him look up at you shyly, waiting for your lead. "shut up."

you grabbed your bag before taking matt's hand in your own, throwing away your lunch trays and waltzing to your pink dodge challenger that you'd gotten for your 16th birthday. you opened the backseat, throwing your purse into the front and slid in, patting the seat next to you.

matt's face was pretty much a constant state of red at this point as he slid in behind you, closing the car door. "now what?" he asked sheepishly, fiddling with his fingers.

"c'mere."

matt didn't need to be told twice. in an instant, he was obeying your command, body shuddering slightly with anticipation as he sat next to you.

"you're bein' so naughty, matt." you tease. "skipping class to hang out with a girl."

matt whimpered at your words, knowing you could see the shiver that ran through his body when you called him naughty. "sh...shut up." he whined, avoiding eye contact with you.

you gently grabbed matt's chin in your hand, cheetah print nails clasping around the soft skin. "you like bein' naughty?"

matt gulped, his lower lip trembling as he felt the blood rush to his cock. your boyfriend looked up at you through his lashes, blue eyes wide. "maybe..."

you began to kiss matt, your tongue softly exploring his plump lips. the boy practically froze in shock, but eventually melted into the kiss, loving the feeling of your lips on his. another whimper fell from his mouth, his hands nervously grasping your thighs.

"you don't gotta be nervous, baby." you purred, tucking a curl behind his ear.

matt whimpered against your lips once more, doing his best to calm down as your kiss deepened. you two had kissed a few times, but everytime, matt was taken by shock that a girl like you wanted him.

"may i?" you asked, reaching for his belt.

matt gulped when he realized what you were doing. "y-yeah. yes please. mhm." he said, voice cracking slightly with anticipation.

"so polite." you chuckled, undoing his belt and slowly sliding down his cargoes and boxers.

matt shivered as you took his pants off, face red and legs shaking. he bit his lip as he looked up at you, knowing he needed you as was made obvious by his painfully hard dick, but he wasn't quite sure what you were going to do. you were his first ever girlfriend, after all.

"such a handsome boy," you said, stroking his cock, feeling the way he twitched in your hands. "you gonna be good for me?"

matt's back was already arching off your backseat with the growing knot in his tummy and you hadn't even done much yet. "mhm. i'll be a good boy for you. promise."

you smiled, innocently starting to kitten lick his pretty pink tip. matt let out a gasp when he felt your mouth around his cock, followed by a string of high pitched whimpers and whines as you began to suck harder and faster.

"oh...mmm, please." he moaned, hands clenching the fabric of his button up shirt.

"you like that?" you asked, pausing for a moment to gather your hair into a makeshift ponytail before reattaching yourself to his throbbing erection.

matt nodded eagerly, pornographic sounds coming from his mouth. his whole body was dizzy and shaking with this newfound pleasure, eyes wide as he looked at you.

"i...i need to cum!" he squealed as you started to go faster, hands clenching and unclenching his shirt as his body arched off the backseat.

before you knew it, matt was releasing into your mouth. hot, white ropes of cum coating the back of your throat. you pulled off his dick with a pop, smirking down at him.

"good boy." you praised.

"mhm." matt whimpered, voice soft and barely louder than a whisper. your boyfriend's entire face was red and glowing with the sheen of sweat, hair stuck to his forehead. matt was so out of it from the pleasure, nearly unable to form a coherent thought or sentence.

"did ya like that?" you whispered in his ear, causing chills to form on the back of matt's neck.

the boy nodded softly, still coming down from his high, completely out of it. it took him a few moments but he eventually mumbled out "yeah, yeah i-i liked that a lot."

"you got ten minutes til next period," you told him, running your hands through his fluffy, brown hair. "wouldn't want anyone to suspect anything out of you, pretty boy."

a note from the author: SHE'S BACKKKKKKK! fr though, i've missed tumblr so bad :')) i've just been struggling immensely with my health lately, BUT daylight savings is soon and so is my spring break so hopefully we get back to business 💪

❁ tags: @mattsdemi @purpledragon222 @slxtarchive @natashad0627 @quinnysnursery @tyummyz @colorthecosmos444 @lockettesstage @mattyblover07 @marrykisskilled @beautyloves @nicksbestie @mrsarnold @st7rnioioss @sturn777 @sophand4n4 @mattsdolll @lottieluhvs @reidshearts @sturns-mermaid @lovergirl4gracieabrams @emely9274 @blahbel668 @khlolovessturn @ncm9696 @raesalvatore @sturniolosymphony @eternaldesi @irene-martinez777 @mamamadssss @sofieeeeex @courta13 @blushsturns @sturnshood @owensbabygirl @strnilolover @sturniqlo

[nolita-fairytale]

and for us, it won't be long | joaquin torres x fem!reader | chapter one

summary: after joaquin's accident, you reconnect with your childhood friend

warnings: hurt/comfort, tooth-rotting fluff, eventual smut, spoilers for captain america: brave new world, swearing, use of she/her pronouns, friends to lovers

word count: 2.7k

a/n: so i think this is a small cute mini series of exactly 3 parts. i haven't written a fic in a while so this is wild but i'm happy to be here. the title of this fic is from baynk's song, grin.

You watch him fall out of the sky on national television, the footage juxtaposed with an exterior shot of the Walter Reed Military Medical Center that’s got been stock footage, resulting in the world’s worst case of emotional whiplash. The news anchor’s voice is clear—reassuring, even—as he explains the situation: 

An accident involving the Falcon. 

In critical condition. 

The new Captain America at his side.

Hopeful. 

It’s the word he keeps repeating. 

The doctors are hopeful. 

But his words are lost on you, traveling in through one ear and out through another. In a state of shock, you’re only able to comprehend bits and pieces because watching the man you’ve known for most of your life soar through the air—not to mention, in flames—and plummet straight into the Indian Ocean, makes you feel like you’re going to pass out. 

It’s not like you expect for him to pick up—but you’re calling Joaquin’s phone, your heart practically beating out of your chest like he could—because there isn’t much else you feel like you can do. Besides, if, when he wakes up, you want him to know that you’ll be there.

You get his voicemail. 

Of course. 

But you can’t sit with this alone.

So you call your mom. And then his. And then three of you hold each other through the phone like he held your father all five years through The Blip. 

And when all is said and done, after days of agonizing nothingness, you get a text from his mother saying: 

He’s going to be okay. 

*

It’s the seventh time in the last ten minutes that Sam sees the screen of Joaquin’s phone flash upwards toward the hospital ceiling, signaling that he’s got yet another notification. 

“You should give ‘em a call,” Sam encourages.

Joaquin shoots a quizzical look to the man he’s looked up to his whole life, as Sam nods towards the cell phone once again, clarifying his previous statement with: “Your family, Torres. And whoever else’s been blowin’ your phone all day.” 

His face falls. 

The doctors had called to let his family know that he had made it through a successful surgery, and that he was going to be okay, but he hadn’t reached out just yet. Hell, he was almost grateful that his phone had been dead for days, crossing his fingers that the hospital wouldn’t find a spare charger. But then Sam came in this morning, brand new phone charger in hand, forcing Joaquin to return to reality: an overwhelm of missed calls and texts.

“I don’t-, I… I don’t want to worry them,” Joaquin hesitates, the disappointment in himself evident in how cautious he is. It’s why he’s been putting it off. He can’t seem to beat the nagging feeling that he should’ve done some differently—something so he didn’t have to make this kind of call. 

But he knows he’ll have to face the music sooner or later. 

“What-? What do I say? What am I supposed to tell them?” he asks earnestly, searching the face of his mentor for any kind of guidance. 

“Tell ‘em you’re gonna be okay,” Sam replies gently, the reassurance in his words allowing the obvious to land a little softer than it would had he chosen a different path. Joaquin nods slowly in response, reaching for the phone on his hospital bedside table. 

With a sigh and a heaviness he can’t yet name, Joaquin begins to scroll through the notifications. While he expects to see calls and texts from his parents, extended family members he hasn’t spoken to in years, he doesn’t expect to see 5 missed calls and 3 texts from you. 

Sam watches carefully as a look of surprise washes over his friend, colleague, and wingman’s face, and there’s something different about his reaction when his thumb hovers over your messages. 

“I’ll give you a few minutes, man,” Sam bows out, respectfully. 

*

When Joaquin finally texts you, it’s just a stupid GIF of a zombie rising from the grave. You’re less than amused by his humor at a time like this, but your heart feels like it’s going to jump out of your chest as you see that the notification is from him. 2:08 pm 

You: Not funny, asshole! We’ve all been worried sick. 2:10 pm 

Joaquin: 😣You talked to my mom?!

2:15 pm 

You: 🖕Fuck off. You know Lydia likes me more than you. 

2:16 pm 

Joaquin: 💔

Savage. 

2:16 pm 

I’m jk. Mom told me how wonderful you’ve been with her and Dad. Thank you. 🙏

2:22 pm 

You: I’m just glad you’re okay. 

2:30 pm 

Joaquin: 😅

2:30 pm 

You: Can I call you later? 

2:31 pm 

Joaquin: Yeah :)

*

You’ve never been this girl: the girl that waits by the phone for some guy to text her.

But in the days following Joaquin’s accident, you have to remind yourself that the fact that you’re practically glued to your phone waiting for updates is just a result of the fact that you could’ve lost him. 

Besides, he’s not just some guy. It’s Joaquin: he’s the neighborhood kid you grew up with, the sweet seventeen year-old boy who took you to your senior prom, and the man that both of your mothers still swear to this day that you’ll marry. 

It’s Captain America—Sam, he insists that you call him—who eventually puts you out of your misery by inviting you to see Joaquin, when he notices his wingman’s recovery is going better and better all thanks to his mysterious pen pal. 

“I know kids these days can’t get off their phones, but something’s telling me there’s a cute girl on the other end, Buck,” Sam mentions over the phone one day, when the latter asks him about Joaquin’s recovery. “Hey, I’m not mad at it! Seems like it’s helping him.”

“Kid’s gotta girl?” Bucky asks from somewhere along the campaign trail, a hint of curiosity in his voice as he inquires further. “There’s only one way to find out,” Sam shrugs with a little mischief in his voice. 

It’s not hard to swipe Joaquin’s phone, considering his recovery still requires lots and lots of rest. The last thing you had expected that day was a call from Captain America himself—from Joaquin’s phone, no less—asking you to come to DC to reunite with your childhood friend. 

What’s even more shocking is the fact that it’s Sam Wilson himself, who’s there to meet you at the hospital. You try to keep your cool as you introduce yourself, but you can’t shake the giddy feeling of excitement that fills you upon meeting the Avenger you and Joaquin used to see on TV. He leads you down the long hospital hallways, warning you quietly that Joaquin was pretty badly injured, and he may have a little more wear and tear than you expected. 

You don’t mean to gasp, but your sharp intake of breath upon seeing him in his hospital bed isn’t exactly subtle. Your eyes trace over him worriedly, as you take in the burn scars on his neck and the still-healing cuts and scrapes on his face. It’s the moment you realize that, since making the choice to join The Avengers, your superhero friend is not so invincible. 

“What’re you-?” Joaquin balks, speechless at the sight of you. He looks from you to Sam, then back to you, before returning to Sam once more, his eyes landing on the man like he’s Benedict Arnold. “Sam, you didn’t-. How did you-? You called her?!” 

“Wasn’t hard to swipe your phone when you need a nap every 2 hours,” Sam replies casually, as if he isn’t acting like the world’s most embarrassing dad right now. “And I got tired of watching you wait by the phone all day for your girl to finally text you.”

“Oh my god!” Joaquin groans, at the very same time you let out a:

“Oh he’s not my-!” 

“Dude, we’re not-,” Joaquin gestures towards you in a panic, as he searches for the right words, saying a silent prayer that he can get out at least one full-finished sentence. “I’m not like, waiting by the phone but It’s not like I can go anywhere right now, man!” Sam chuckles only to be met with a very dramatic eye roll from Joaquin as he tries to defend himself. 

“Listen, we’re old friends. We’ve just been catching up,” he tries to explain again, gesturing towards you once more. 

Sam smirks, uttering an unconvinced, “Sure. Well, whoever she is or isn’t to you… seems like she’s been helping your recovery. Thought it couldn’t hurt.” 

You laugh, exchanging a look with Joaquin. 

“I still can’t believe you called her,” Joaquin shakes his head, still trying his best to process this. 

“Well, of course he called me, Torres, considering you’ve always been shit at asking for help,” you finally chime in, with a ball-busting attitude he’s missed. 

“Oh shit,” Sam says, looking from you back to Joaquin as he waits for a reaction. 

Joaquin grins, gearing up to explain: “When she feels threatened, she has a tendency to lash out.” 

Sam chuckles. 

“Feisty. I like it," he smirks with a nod of approval. And he knows that this that’s his cue. It’s time to give you kids some time alone. “Imma step out for a second. You guys… catch up. Or whatever.” 

You press your lips together, stifling another laugh, and waiting a beat as Sam disappears. 

“Dude,” you start, taking a few steps closer to Joaquin, with a look of disbelief.

“Dude,” Joaquin mimics you, unable to hide the smile on his face upon seeing you. 

“That’s like… Captain America,” you nod towards the hallway as you take a few more steps forward. 

“I know,” Joaquin says back, an excitement between the two of you. 

“Captain fucking America,” you emphasize.. 

You’ve really been doing the best to keep your cool, but you’re not sure you can contain it any longer. 

“I know!” he fanboys with you this time, because Joaquin still can’t believe this is real either. 

That he works with Sam Wilson. That he’s Captain America’s wingman. That you’re here, in DC, with him. 

It’s as if a piece of home has joined him for the first time in a long time in this new chapter of his life. 

The two of you exchange another smile and a wave of relief washes over you. 

You take a beat and one step closer to him, sitting down in the chair next to his hospital bed. You shake your head and this time, the expression on your face goes from soft to a much more hardened and worried look. 

“Joaquin,” you start, the tone of your voice a warning enough. 

“Oh God,” he sighs, recognizing that tone. 

“I could kill you,” you threaten, the next part reinforcing his more than accurate evaluation of you from earlier. “But clearly you don’t need my help.” 

“Well, I did technically die,” he parries, light heartedly. 

“Joaquin!” You interject, your voice going up in pitch as you cut him off. 

“What? You scared you’d miss me or something?” he teases, meeting your fire with his. 

“Oh fuck off,” you scoff, with a shake of your head. “It’s not-, don’t joke about that! It’s not funny!” 

“Didn’t you just threaten me with-?” he continues, knowing all the buttons to press. 

“Yeah, but it’s different when I-. Didn’t you just say that I have a tendency of lashing out when I feel threatened?” you snap, the worry in your voice enough to get him to stop. 

You sigh, your eyes scanning him once more, because maybe it would be easier if he really were invincible.

You take a beat, and the two of you share a full silence between you. It’s comfortable, yet filled with ‘what ifs’ neither of you want to acknowledge. 

“I can’t believe Sam stole my phone and called you,” Joaquin shakes his head this time, groaning again because Captain America really should be renamed to America’s Most Embarrassing Dad for this. “How did you get here so fast, anyway? My parents won’t even arrive till tomorrow.” 

“Oh I uh-. Well, you’ve been busy saving the world so I haven’t exactly been able to tell you,” you reply, realizing that it hadn’t even come up in conversation via text yet. “I moved to Philly a few months ago.” 

“Philly?” Joaquin asks, a little surprised, because he’s not sure he could picture you anywhere that has a properly cold Winter season. “Yeah,” you chuckle, immediately recognizing his look. “I had to buy my first Winter coat this year but… the trade off is that I’m only an hour train ride away from you now.”

His face lights up as soon as you spell it out for him. 

“Well, my parents are coming in tomorrow. Are you-, think you’ll be around?” he asks, hopefully. 

“Do you want me to be?” you ask in return. 

He nods, “Yeah. Think they’d like to see you.” “Okay,” you agree softly. “I’ll stay.” 

A beat. 

And another silence between the two of you, one that feels much heavier than the last. 

“You could’ve died, Joaquin,” you state quietly. 

“I know,” he replies, the guilt evident in his voice. 

You could’ve-,” you begin to repeat, your voice breaking this time. 

“I know,” he says again, much firmer as he reassures you. “But I didn’t. And we’re here now.” 

He reaches for your hand, and you’re almost angry with the way your body betrays you. With tears in your eyes you look back at him, shaking your head. 

“Goddamit,” you swear with a small laugh. “You’re the one who gets hurt yet you’re here comforting me.”

He shakes his head this time, squeezing your hand as he smiles, “It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re here.” A beat. “But I’m still gonna kill Sam.”

You laugh, wiping a few tears out of your eyes with your free hand. 

“And yeah. I would,” you finally admit, your voice soft. 

“Hm?” Joaquin asks, his lashes heavy as he blinks, taking you in. 

“I would really, really miss you,” you answer, a vulnerability in your voice this time that you’re quick to put an end to. “So don’t fucking do this shit again!” 

Joaquin laughs as he squeezes your hand once more, knowing it’s not a promise he can make to either of you. 

*

9:45 am 

Joaquin: Mom and Dad left yesterday and Mom told me to tell you that she misses you already. 

10:01 am 

You: You can just admit that you miss me already. 

10:03 am 

Joaquin: 🤐

Thanks though. I think they’re a little less worried now that they know you’re close by. 

10:08 am 

You: How’s it going? 

10:13 am 

Joaquin: Good! I got discharged a few days ago and am heading to Wakanda in a few weeks. 

New suit! 🦸

The last time you see me can’t be in a hospital gown. 

10:15 am 

You: I don’t know why you’d say that! It’s a great look for you. 

10:20 am 

Joaquin: 🙄

Guess I should’ve swiped one from the hospital to wear all the time.

What’re you doing next weekend? 

10:21 am 

You: Nothing. What’s up? 

10:30 am 

Joaquin: What do you think about me coming to Philly? 

10:31 am

You: To visit me? Or just because?

10:32 am Joaquin: Yes to visit you 😆

Thought we could hang out before I go.

10:33 am 

You: Yeah! I know it’s only an hour train ride in and out, but I’ve got a super comfy couch you can crash on if you want. 

So that’s an option. 

The next text you receive is a selfie of him, wearing a plain grey crewneck sweater. 

You laugh. The guy loves a good selfie. 

10:40 am

Joaquin: 1 photo attached

Rocky ain’t ready for this 

10:43 am 

You: LOL 

Please don’t tell me you’re coming to Philly so you can recreate the Rocky training montage.

And if you’re wondering, I will not be partaking. You’re on your own with that one. 

But yeah, I’d be happy to host you! 

10:48 am 

Joaquin: Deal. 

I’ll call you later. We can work out the details :) 

11:00 am 

You: Deal :)

[cyborg-alchemist]

Being trans fucking rules for a lot of reasons.

So, to preface, I don't exactly have the standard accepted gender narrative of 'I was always a woman, born in the wrong body.' I was born a baby in a baby's body. From there, I transitioned into a kind of genderqueer kid, to definitely a boy, to a teenage boy that sometimes wore feminine clothing to piss of my school, to a fuck gender is fake and I don't want one, to transfem. All of those were me, more or less. I spent a solid 10 years being a grown ass man, and decided that I've seen about as much as I care to, and I didn't want to die wondering if I'd be happier as the version of myself that decided to do it.

Now I get to see what it's like to be on both sides of the hormonal experience, at least, to some degree. I never realized, as a man, how much the world felt through feminine skin. It's like my entire body was wrapped in callous, and I'm feeling with my bare skin for the first time. This is fantastic with soft clothes, clean sheets, and cuddles. The first time I did a load of dishes after getting my new skin, I nearly scrubbed my fingers off, trying to remove the feeling that there was dish grease inside my skin. I'm 30 now, and going through a second puberty, and it feels like I'm getting to rediscover the world through new hands.

It's emotionally different, too. As a man, I was plagued by these little flashes of frustration when something felt restrictive, bursting up faster than I could react to, and then gone moments later. I'm pretty sure this is where teenage boys get a reputation for punching drywall. Now, many of my more angry emotions have a slow release that I could never get before. I never used to be able to maintain a space between incandescent rage and empty stillness, but now I have a warm smoulder that I can nurse into action all day. I feel like my emotions are both smoothed out, but also more expressive now. I'm feeling in far more analogue signals, instead of something that felt far more binary before. I don't know how many of these feelings are "this is your brain on e" and how much is "This is your brain with that missing piece" but my transmasc friends have described the reverse experiences on their end. Testosterone, on average, made them both feel stronger, and express it less. But now I've been able to see all of that spectrum of experience.

In short, the act of crossing over is giving me so much perspective that I only vaguely suspected I was missing. I'm getting more life in my life.

And when I try to describe this to my cis woman friends, they don't seem to quite get it. Sometimes it feels like they simply don't realize how big a deal it is, and sometimes it's like trying to describe a cool drink of water to a fish. Most people can't describe what it's like to be them, because they haven't been anything else. Well, I HAVE been someone else, pretty recently, in fact. Every moment, I know what it's like to be me, because this time last year, I was a pretty different me.

On a more physical level, I think being transfem is the only way to have the configuration of body parts that I want without some big surgery, assuming a binary sex starting point. So there's that. I'm enjoying the second puberty, and I'm even, in some cases, enjoying that it is the second one. I'm planning on undoing some of the harrier results of the first, and I might want to train some out of the voice, but even cis folks don't get everything out of puberty that they want.

Like, sure, being trans in this time and place is A Lot, but that's "I don't like sharing a country with those assholes" not "I don't like being trans." The actual internal experience has been fantastic.

Trans people only

[phantomrose96]

*emerges days later, after rereading the whole fic and finally reading the new chapter, covered in blood and tears, slightly sweaty* That was great 💯 The scene of the boys covering the couch and chair was so me-coming-home-from-the-hospital-coded. Yes, I'm in absolutely dire straights rn and in desperate need of sleep. No, I will not allow The Gunk to defile the furniture. Akane taking stock of the shoes: " Okay there's my slip-ons ... Ritsu's new runners ... Hisao's blood-covered loafers ... everything's in order here ..." BOTH OF THEM! [insert "two of them" meme]

(Great chapter Chrissy, thank you so much!)

(ABoT Ch48)

Yay!!!!!!!!

And yeah yeah, honestly the most fun part of the chapter (or any chapter) is going "okay I know the fundamental pieces of what happen. Instead of just drawing a straight line from A-to-B, what are the character-driven things that happen to give it flavor, personality, uniqueness?"

And the idea that, even after all the everything that happened, Ritsu is still Ritsu and "hey let's not get Mom's couch dirty. she doesn't like that' is at the forefront of his brain and that's how you end up with 3 idiots who've been on 14 different kinds of brink-of-death standing in a living room going "no yeah we have to get the plastic couch cover. we have to put it on the couch, first." Home for the first time in 4 years since his kidnapping and the first thing Mob does is learn how to snap a plastic couch cover on a couch. Sounds like you can vouch for this so I take this as a win.

ALSO, it absolutely is super funny to me to write Akane seeing Reigen's shoes at the doorway and just brushing them off as some pair of Hisao's she doesn't recognize, but IN HER DEFENSE!!! WHICH IS MORE LIKELY? The adult-man sized shoes (which are maybe very dirty and okay maybe covered in blood if you look closely) belong to the adult-sized man who lives in your house and is your husband and keeps his shoes here, OR they belong to SOME RANDO GUY you've never met who's in your house and missing several fingers and covered in blood and also is here returning your children--one of whom has been missing for 4 years. ONE OF THESE IS MORE LIKELY.

[gars-weaponeer]

Today in: Clones Characters that deserved better!

Issue #2

-CID-

No it's not a joke- HEAR ME OUT!

First of all- I'm not gonna sit here and say that Cid was a good character and she doesn't deserve all the hate.

She is a horrible person and she totally sucks-

What I mean is that I feel like she was cut short and her story was not finished. This is not unusual with the Bad batch enemies and antagonists that are not cameos. Hemlock also suffering from this "half written" desease. The only one I think had a full arc and a satisfactory-ish end was Rampant but that's another story.

Cid in particularly resonates with me cause the old lizard has a very interesting design. She is a trandoshan and she is the first of her kind that we ever see being both female ( i think) and elder. Most of the other Trandoshans we have seen in the movies, videogames and series are mostly adult males. She is also an ally at first, which is also weird for a Trandoshan, being usually the go-to when writers need a "enemy alien". And sure, this could be read as she already being an antagonist from the beginning- But I never liked star war's trend of having a certain species being "the evil species." So having a trandoshan ally was something that I was excited about!

I wanna see more Trandoshan allies and more Wookie villains.

Sure, when we first meet her she is not the best person, making it clear to us that she cares more about money than making friends with the batch. Their relationship is strictly business like- However the more we see her during season one the more we see her connect with the batch. Specially with Omega.

Sure- She connects with Omega cause she notices Omega can be useful to her. But it's thanks to Cid that Hunter and the rest start to treat Omega as a member of the team, rather than a charge they need to take care of. She has also given her a few tips on how to use the bow that have helped Omega in the long run.

It almost seemed like Cid's arc was to eventually warm up to the Batch, they seemed to work well together and even ally well when time required it... so by the end of season one I was convinced this would be her path.

Then, season two episode 4: Faster, came along and I noticed something weird...

While some of us were drooling over Tech's masterful abilities in the racing track(me included)- I began to notice on the re-runs that there was a certain character development in Cid.

She seemed to really want to change, to become a better person from who she used to be. (btw, we never learn more about her past- which is not a bad thing, but it also adds to her missing pieces.) She wants to prove to Millegi that she is not the ruthless, spineless, money-driven tradoshan she once was and we see that determination in her face, for a moment.

This was the first and only time that we have been shown Cid to be vulnerable. Really vulnerable. And I find it strange for a character that we were supposed to "hate" in the end, to have a whole episode where we see her vulnerable side. Which kind of tip me off that Cid had more story to her that was inevitable cut down by the studio deciding to cut the series short.

At the same time, on the same episode, we have Millegi's warning about Cid. Something that is meant to be forshadowing. So by the end of Faster, we got this information:

-Cid is not a good person and she never was, so the bad batch is right for not fully trusting her. -But Cid wants to change, or at least wants to convince herself that she has/can changed. -However, she might have trouble in the future failing to not fall into old habits.

However... this was pretty much the last episode where Cid was relevant at all.

We don't see her again until 5 episodes later, in Crossing/Retrieval. Where the Batch call's Cid for Help and she just leaves them on read.

How.... did we pass from Cid having character development to she just straight abandoning the Batch with little explanation other than "This is more trouble than it's worth"?

And THEN- when we see her again is already at the end of the season, on episode 16- Plan 99. Where Cid has a conversation with Wrecker and she reveals to them that she *had* to sell them out.

But instead of sounding condescending or proud of selling them off. Being all like: "I told you what would happen if you crossed me!" or something like that. You know... showing us that she really didn't care to sell the bad batch to Hemlock, we see her reluctant and even regretful.

Like she really, really, didn't had a choice. Like she really, really, didn't wanted to do so.

But she did- Because in the end, she is still that old Cid.

She decided that looking after herself, going down her old habits, was better than risking her skin for them.

And YEAH WHAT A BITCH- But it still feels... weird.

Like I'm not being told the whole context.

After this episode we never see Cid again, she is mentioned and somewhat implied that she was tortured or killed by CX-2 but she kind of just fizzles out... And it feels wrong, seeing how she was an important member of the cast during season 1.

I'M NOT GONNA LIE-

I was *convinced* that Phee was going to be the evil one.

Phee suffers from the "Disney girl boss" fever and she is too perfect for her own good, which is another rant for another ocasión. - So I was sure that she would double cross the Bad batch. She couldn't be that perfect... right?

She would appear being all cool, and having Omega look up to her and the batch trusting her easily by how cool she is- only for her to turn on them cause she is a pirate.

All for the batch to realize they were better off with Cid.

A classic "not everything that shines is gold" kind of stuff. But obviously that is not what happened. Uu

So here is my take on what I think Cid's arc was supposed to be.

We have two paths: the Good end and the bad end.

-BAD END-

Cid would connect back with the batch. Apologizing for not offering help with some excuse like "The empire was on my back" or something like that. Trying to sell the story that she was looking out for them.

We would have more situations where the Batch start trusting Cid again, but Phee is the one that warns them not to keep playing her games. That maybe they should finally break ties with her.

Before they can do that, plan 99 doesn't happens and the Batch hurries to take refuge with Cid. This time they "trust" her enough to believe that they would be safe.

Only to then be revealed that Cid sold them out for a huge amount of money. Cid would be shown to be unapologetic, saying something like "It's nothing personal, it's just business."

Then we either never see her again, Or we would see her demise via greed on another episode. Maybe tied with the Durand for it to be more poetic.

Cid would be a character we would all hate for being a total bitch- but we would have more context and more flavor to her betrayal.

Full on villain mode.

-GOOD END-

Cid get's a redemption arc in this one.

Things would go normally. But it would be remarked that Cid silence was unusual.

After Cid's betrayal and Omega being taken away, we would later on see Cid finding Hunter and Wrecker again.

Hunter and Wrecker are upset with her- obviously, But Cid begs for them to give her a chance to explain herself.

She tells them that she went radio silent cause the Empire had arrived on Ord Mantel and that Hemlock made her a deal she could not refuse.

She did not wanted to sell the batch, but she had no choice. It was them or her.

This would Upset Hunter, which would probably say something like : "Omega trusted you."

This would hit Cid hard, since we were already shown that she and Omega had a little connection.

Cid would then admit that she was a coward and that she fell back into her old habits out of fear, but would decide to offer her help freely to Hunter and Wrecker as she owns Omega that much.

With Cid's help as an information matrix, we would see Hunter and Wrecker keep looking. Cid giving them tips and bits of information that could be useful for them to complete missions.

It would be thanks to Cid that they receive Omega's message and that they are finally reunited.

After that, Cid would continue to help them locate Tantiss. Cid stays on Ord Mantel, trying to act unconscious as to not bring the attention of the rest of the batch in Pabu.

However she is confronted by CX-2, (who is obviously Tech, I'll die on this HILL!), This time Cid would refuse to her her old habits get the better of her, and she would try to fight him off with her wits.

She would try to trap him on the old mines under, and when she thinks she has bested him, she would ultimately be killed.

Just as she is about to die, Cid takes out a detonator and destroys the cantina and all the information CX-2 could get from the Bad Batch. Honoring her word for once and completing her redemption arc.

This of course is just my opinion and speculation.

I could be reading way too much into this and Cid was never actually supposed to be that deep.

But either way, I just wanted to share these thoughts, as they keep me up at nights sometimes.

Overall, the end is still the same: The Bad Batch ended too early and lots of characters suffered for it.

They deserved better.

[mandy-asimp]

When She Calls

Lilia Calderu x Life!reader (she/her)

Warnings: language, deaths, sprinkles of angst, fluff, smut (but that's for waaay down the build up), whole lotta friendship, I'm like 87% sure that's it

Summary: when Life is asked to make a promise, she doesn't seem to be able to say no. But that promise was going to be served out so much longer than what she could see.

Chapter 6

Story masterlist

chapter 7

(sorry for the late posting!!)

There was this radiating warmth. It confused Lilia…she thought Death would be cold and bone rattling. Her eyes fluttered open and she was greeted by the ceiling of her shop. She took in her surroundings and found it weird to not be on the ground (ceiling?) of the last trial. Her trial. 

The bell above the door jangled and suddenly Jen and Alice were rushing by her side to help her up. “What..something isn’t adding up.” Her thoughts vocalized themselves. “I was falling.” She was doing everything to piece it together herself, but there were gaps. God, how she hated having these gaps.

“We’re just as lost as you are,” Alice sighed. Her eyes traveled the walls, taking in the personality of Lilia via house form. “One minute Jen and I were in the last trial with Agatha and Billy, and then we were pulled out. Waking up in Agatha’s basement feeling so incredibly warm.

Lilia frowned, “Where’s Billy and Agatha?” Both women shrugged. “Rio?” Head shakes. “...Life?”

“Last we saw her was in your trial. What happened after you closed the door?” Jen led them over to the small living room.

There the three debriefed everything they could. Covering all the information that they knew and piecing together the missing details. In the end they had solidified this much:

Agatha knew Rio was Death all along. 

Billy was the son of the Scarlet Witch looking for his twin brother who Life had told him was in fact out there. 

Rio was M.I.A since Alice’s death back in the cabin.

Lilia was meant to be dead but was somehow sitting in her shop’s living room.

They had cleared the trial, and Lilia was ready to sacrifice herself to rid the Salem Seven. 

The last trial was in an empty cold room where they had to free themselves before the lights went out. 

That was the last known location of the other two.

Jen and Alice woke up and found a note with Lilia’s address and a heart signed with an L taped to the basement door.

And finally, Life was nowhere to be seen ever since vanishing.

“I can't remember what happened in between closing the iron maiden and falling…it’s like someone took the memory from me.” She sounded so defeated over the fact. She was missing something crucial. Lilia could feel it in her bones that she was missing something. 

Then the bell jangled once more and Billy came stumbling back. He was covered in dirt, the red cape that draped just over his shoulders almost a burgundy. “Agatha…she’s dead.” He broke the news. His weary eyes searched the open area though. “Life…she’s not here either?”

“We haven’t seen her since Lilia’s trail either.” Alice sighed, leaning back into the cushions as they all went silent. 

“What…what if she moved on? She said she knew everyone’s entire life including their death part. What if she knew Lilia was meant to die in the trial…and she couldn't bare it and left?” Jen offered what seemed like the most reasonable answer. “After all, she spent centuries as your familiar. There’s no doubt she didn’t have some deep connection to you.”

Alice shook her head though, “no…she sees the death to Rio’s void. She stayed lingering even after I had gone before turning back.”

Billy joined and took a seat on the floor between the chair Alice sat in and the couch that Jen resided on. “Plus, she was trying to learn human emotions on a deeper level. I don’t know which one she felt when it was just her, Alice, and I. But the tears…they weren’t sad. They literally sparkled like diamonds rolling down her face.”

Another beat of silence had passed. Nobody could really give a good explanation on where Life was hiding. If only they could just get a single clue on the missing time frame they could put this all together. Find the starter to every order and bring her some ease that they were all fine. 

Yet, while the four sat in Lilia’s living room, Life, Death, and Agatha stood in a tense circle. “I gave you four lives. I left them all alone. You owe me now.” Rio flashed that cunning smirk. “Life has favorites it seems.”

“I know what you want already. Do you really think it’ll erase everything that’s already happened though? I can give him back, but it wont get rid of the hatred she felt for you for so long.” Life’s head nodded towards Agatha who was seemingly stuck from becoming a ghost (she knew Rio wouldn’t bug her as one, after all, she hates ghosts). 

“What is happening right now?” She stared at her hands, questioning why she wasn’t becoming transparent. “Whyyyy can’t I leave?”

“Agatha Harkness. The Witch Killer. It seems Death has led me into a deal that benefits you more than her. You’re stuck here because as Life, I can’t let you continue on to the afterlife..no matter the form you try to take. There is someone who still needs you.” Life’s voice was nothing like Death’s. Her was a melody that swarmed like a warm summer breeze, while Death’s was echoing always into the world around her. 

The ground beneath their feets began to rumble. Rocks tore up the grass as they pushed their way through. It was a grave all too chilling for all three of them. “What type of joke is this?! Life this is cruel!” Agatha cried on sight. It brought up every feeling of a mother’s grief that she had tried to bury so deep within herself that it would never exist again. “Stop this!”

“Mama,” a familiar little boy's voice danced around them. It made his mother wail in pain. “Don’t cry…Life said it’d be ok.” His small spirit stood right in front of her. Nicky looked entirely different from what Agatha remembered. He looked better. “She even visited me while I was gone! She would bring me some gifts that you had always set aside for me!”

Agatha fell to her knees, hands holding his full face. He was oh so healthy looking. “Yeah? And what were those things?” Her eyes fell to Life who had that warm grin inviting her to finally breathe again. 

Nicky conjured up the few toys that she did in fact keep for him. Anytime Agatha saw one she knew he would’ve loved, she added it into the chest dedicated only to him. But what really caught her attention was his own purple magic conjuring each one up. 

Her larger hands grabbed his and broke his rambling about each toy. “Honey…who taught you how to do that? To use your own purple?”

“Agatha, you did.” Life spoke, stepping closer and letting the natural warmth grow warmer. “But he’s going to be taught more if he’s gonna carry his mama’s legacy. So, my little chaos machines enjoy your lives together. Because they are long and beautiful and I would hate to see them turned for the worst.”

Agatha’s eyes were wide. “Wait…you’re giving him back to me?”

“Life keeps her warriors and I get to see you happy again. She’s giving you the lives you’ve always wanted.” Rio stared at the two as they were her favorite sight to ever see. 

“Thank you my love…Thank you Life. Both of you, thank you so much.” It was the most heartfelt thank you Agatha Harkness had ever given out.

And as she blinked, she was waking up in her house and quickly rushed into the once empty room. Finding her son sleeping soundly in his bed. Her heart swelled with love as she tucked him in tighter and kissed his forehead. Knowing if she stayed too long he’d wake from her tears falling onto his face. Instead she crept back out and downstairs. Finding Life and Death in her living room but as humanly as possible. 

“Yeah, just because you got him back though doesn’t mean we’re skipping over between you two.” Life was in the chair facing the couch. “So grab a cup of coffee and join us for the first therapy session!”

Agatha wasn’t even upset by this…if being honest she wanted to talk about it, and with Life right there, she knew nothing could break out. So she did. She grabbed herself a cup of coffee and joined them in the living room. Where for the entire time Nicky slept upstairs, the two threw everything onto the table. Listening to the other speak over every feeling that had been caused by the boy's first six sickly years. Hearing how they were going through the same feelings in different ways and instead of being there for each other, they had turned on each other. Eventually though, the session ended as the boy came jumping into his mother’s arms. 

His sleepy eyes questioning what was for breakfast as his tummy had grumbled. “I should get going, you all should make pancakes for breakfast. Maybe it’ll help ease back into the flow.” Life stood from her seat, brushing off her skirt once.

“And what about you? Where are you going to go?” Rio raised the next issue. “You think Lilia’s gonna let you walk right back in?”

“Well… seeing as she’s patting the bed for the missing cat, I think my chances are pretty high.” Life shrugged, seeing the divination witch alone in her bed.

Agatha furrowed her brows and chuckled, “so you’re gonna be a cat forever again? She’ll know those eyes belong to a bigger being than a feline.”

“No, unfortunately I think my cat days ended back on The Road. Maybe I’ll resign as Life and actually get myself a name. I mean seriously. I’ve gone this long without one and it’s never bugged me before, but now…” She let herself get lost in her train of thoughts.

Rio smirked, remembering the reason why she picked a name was because she wanted to grow closer to Agatha before telling her the truth. She had managed to fall in love with the witch from the first sight. “I bet you’ll figure a lot out when you see Lilia again.” 

Life shrugged it off for now, maybe Rio was right and she would figure it all out in the shop. Bidding her goodbyes to the reunited family and leaving them to make their first meal together. Although she did leave the house buzzing with lively warmth, a final gift for the three to live in.

Now it was a matter of Life finding out her path from here.

~

Chapter 8.

[lamentationsofalonelypotato]

@zepskies

Wow this was such a surprise! I had no idea you were reading this today LMAO 🔮😉

God YES. This is the same idea I've explored in my sequel fics to ESC. It's the idea of wanting more time with a man who by necessity of his job, has to pop in and out of your life. As endearing as Russell is, that would be such a difficult obstacle to overcome in a new relationship.

Exactly! I think that it would be frustrating and a little bit sad to be in a long distance relationship especially with Russell, because he has a dangerous job and there are parts of it that he'd probably want to keep from you. I don't want to think that you couldn't rely on Russell, but I think there would be a little bit of disappointment when he couldn't make it back to you because there were complications or him having to leave suddenly for an emergency. It's funny because it kinda reminds me of how it would be to date Dean if you weren't a hunter and he was. I still need to read Every Second Counts! I'm going to add that to my tbr, which is getting longer every day 😅

Ugh I'm so glad she's got a man in her life that actually loves her and considers her the way she deserves. And if you ever write more of these two I would love to see this exploration of how Russell helps her feel beautiful and appreciated again. 💕

I know! This reader really deserves it, especially from what we all saw with her ex-husband 😒 But I really do want to make a series with these two because it would be really wonderful to show how Russell treats her so differently than any other man she's had in her life and does make her feel "beautiful and appreciated again." I feel like it would also kinda be like what you did with the reader in Midnight Espresso 💗

*snorts* yeah, like a mule, I'd imagine. 😆 But there's something so endearing about Russ wanting and insisting on fixing things around the house for her. Though of course I sympathize with her side of things. She just wants a nice healthy piece of her man. The showerhead can wait! 😏

I am obsessed with fix-it Russell! Imagining him getting his large hands dirty for me, working around the house WHEW🥵! And I can imagine him thinking of all the things this reader does at work and for her kids and him just wanting to make her life easier for when he's not there 🥹 But oh yeah, no, she likes when he fixes things but she really missed him (I would too tbh).

Oh how I cackled! 😝 She's playing dirty and I love it lmao! Girl get him!

She knows just how to work her man 😉 She will go to any level to get what she wants 👀 I don't judge her for that because it's what we all want lol.

💀💀 Get himmmmm!

Man does not know what hit him 😂

LMFAO. Okay, Russ took me out with that one. The audacity. 🤣🤣 Side note: but I love the word "salacious," especially because it fits so well with most Jackles characters. lol

It's a little bit of payback for her making him all hot and bothered 🤣 And oh yeah, I was really proud of that descriptor because we all know Ben or Dean would be throwing around some "salacious" winks 😉

Omg yay he's moving in!! That's a big step and I love that for them.

Yes! It's another step in the right direction to give Russell a more permanent place in her life and her in his! 🤗 Plus I like to think that she's the kind of person that would hate that Russell is more nomadic, doesn't have a place to call home, and that he doesn't eat a home cooked meal.

Girl Yessss - I love the body positivity in this storyverse so damn much. Thank you for continuing this giving me more Russell goodness, I really enjoy how you write him! 💜

Aww thank you so much my lovely friend 🤗 I'm so happy you enjoyed it! I really love this reader and Russell and I'm hoping that I'll get to write out more of their story and build their relationship more between this fic and Long As I Can See the Light soon! ❤️

It's Not A Wet T-Shirt Contest

Pairing: Russell Shaw x f!reader, Reader POV

Prompt: “Is that supposed to be leaking?”

Requested by: @luci-in-trenchcoats

Summary:  When your boyfriend comes into town to surprise you one weekend, you thought that you’d spend it together, turns out he has other plans. Reader is a single mom and is the niece of Teddi and Velma. Reader is described as curvy. (Technically takes place in my Long As I Can See The Light Universe, but can be read as a stand-alone.)

Tropes: Established Relationship

Word Count: 2.1K

Warnings: I'm going to label this 18+ because I made it more spicy than I meant it to, References to Sex, Sexual innuendo, Little bit of self-deprecating thought (reader), Cursing, Kissing, Idiots who love each other lots. I think that's everything?

Note: This is told from Reader's perspective. Any references to the reader is made using you or your. There is minimal use of y/n if any. I tried my best to proofread, but nobody's perfect. If you don’t like, don’t read, but if you do like, you’re my favorite!

Internal monologue is in italics and is in first person.

Main Masterlist

Tracker Masterlist

A/N: Alright, y'all this is my first fic written for my prompt celebration requested by the wonderful @luci-in-trenchcoats 😊 ENJOY!

You took another long sip of coffee from your favorite hand-painted "World's Best Mom Mug" and tried to block out the symphony of the colorful curse words and banging coming from your upstairs master bathroom.

When your boyfriend showed up this morning out of the blue to surprise you, this was not what you expected to be doing. Well, his appearance was a surprise to you, but you had a sneaking suspicion that your Aunt Teddi and her wife Velma had gotten a heads up that Russell was coming. They'd shown up about an hour before Russell had to take your son and daughter for a movie and a sleepover at their house.

But the bigger surprise was your current dilemma.

You'd expected to be tangled up with Russell in bed for hours trying to convince him to never leave you again, not be waiting downstairs while he tried to install a new shower head in your master bathroom.

You only blamed yourself.

You'd let it slip that the water pressure wasn't quite right and something that you'd thought would take a plumber twenty minutes had turned into an all day affair for Russell. 

Instead of taking you to bed, Russell had dragged you out to his car and to the nearest hardware store where he let you pick out a new shower head and where he got supplies, all the while you told him that he didn't need to, and Russell only kissed away the frown on your lips leaving you wanting more.

You always wanted more.

Russell and you had been together for five and a half months, and each time he left you found yourself wanting more. 

More of him and more time.

It was frustrating to be with a man who had a job that would pull him out of your arms as quickly as he’d appeared and leave your bed cold once more. 

It had been cold before and you didn’t want to go back to that. Didn’t want to be reminded of the cold bed over the final years of your marriage when your husband’s favorite phrases echoed through your bedroom after you put your children to bed:

“I’m tired” and “Not tonight baby, I have to work.”

Those last few years of your marriage were frustrating and did little to boost your self-esteem. Especially when your husband made you think you were annoying him and made you feel stupid for wanting more. 

With Russell there was no such thing.

When the two of you started dating and Russell realized exactly what your husband had done to you, he'd spent every waking moment making you feel more beautiful than you ever had. He listened to you, understood you, and did more for you than your husband had done in all the years that you'd been married.

But each time he left, Russell always took a little bit of yourself with him. You didn't sleep well when he was gone doing God knows what, God knows where, only that when he finally called or showed up to tell you he was okay, you didn't let go of him for hours.

There's another loud bang followed by a string of curses that make you sigh into your mug.

For fucks sake, that stupid showerhead is getting more action than I am.

You loved your boyfriend to bits, but you hated how stubborn he was sometimes.

You straighten up from where you lounged against the countertop in your kitchen, taking one more sip of coffee, before you make the trek through your living room and up the stairs towards your bedroom. 

This wasn't the first time that Russell fixed something in your home. He liked it when you made him a list of things to do when he visited, things like cleaning the gutters, nailing down the front step that always caught underfoot, mowing the lawn, etc. Things that Russell wanted to do for you because he knew how busy you got at work and with your children.

It made you love him more, because you’d never met someone so selfless before. 

When you enter the bathroom, Russell is standing in your shower, just inside the large glass double doors, soaking wet, and holding a wrench.

His usual easy smile has slipped into a frustrated frown while he stares at the bright silver shower head hanging on the wall. 

“I see things are going well.” You snort out a laugh, admiring the scene before you. 

Russell’s dark hair drips forward in lazy strands against his cheeks, his t-shirt clings to his chest like a second skin, catching in the dips and curves of your boyfriend’s muscular torso, and his usual blue jeans are stained a dark navy. The edge of his t-shirt pulls up from the top of his jeans with the stretch of his arms, giving you a view of the delicious stripe of skin just below his belly button.

For the love of french toast, the guy could win a wet t-shirt contest without batting one of those ridiculously perfect eyelashes of his.

At this point you were still trying to figure out how the hell you landed this man and why the hell he kept coming back for more of you.

“Smooth as silk.” Russell gives you a lazy smile that makes you feel like butter on a pile of buttermilk biscuits. “I just finished.”

 “Really?” 

“Mhmm.”

“Huh.” You take a step closer to admire his handiwork, so close that you can feel the warmth of his breath ghost along the side of your face, making goosebumps trail over your skin. All it does is remind you of what the two of you could be doing instead of standing inside of your walk-in shower fully clothed and the things the two of you had done in this very shower the last time he was in town.  

"Is that supposed to be leaking?" You ask, pointing to the place where the plate of the shower head fastens to the wall and where there is a trickle of water dancing down the white subway tile backsplash.

"Oh shit." Russell sighs, his shoulders drooping when he notices the stream. “I can fix that."

You note his sheepish smile. “Rus, please let me call a plumber. You’ve been up here for two hours!” 

“No way! They overcharge you and it’s what I’m here for!” He argues.

Maybe I should try a different approach.

“Rus.” You say sweetly, putting both of your hands on his stomach. Russell’s familiar green eyes flick to your hands as you begin to move them up the wet t-shirt. “When you showed up today I thought we’d be doing something a little different with our time.” 

Russell swallows. “Baby-”

“And the longer you stay in here-” You breathe taking a step forward as you continue to move your hands up, tracing the hardened muscles beneath your palms. “The less time we have together.” You gently press a kiss to the space where his shirt meets the base of his neck and you can feel the bob of his throat as he swallows again. 

“I-” He tries again, but you feel his hands come down to the curve of your hips to ground himself there. 

“Don’t you want to spend time with me?” You murmur into his skin, pressing your chest against his as your hands work up to the back of his neck. The water from his clothes soaks into yours, but you’re not cold. 

“You’re fighting dirty.” He half groans, but you don’t feel bad. Judging by the way his hands have begun to squeeze your hips and pull you tighter against him, Russell was enjoying this as much as you were. 

“But it always works.” You purr against his throat with a smirk. 

“Fuck, baby I-“ 

“Yeah?” 

Your smirk grows the more you tease him. By now you could feel your own heartbeat thudding in your chest calling out to his and despite how cold Russell’s wet clothes are, heat was dancing along your skin. 

“I really want-“ There’s a grit along Russell’s voice, as if he’s trying to hold on to some shred of self-control.

You loved that you were able to do this to him, it made you feel powerful and sexy. Two things that you hadn’t felt in a long time. 

“Hmm?” You moan softly, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck while your lips continue their path along his skin.

He groans. “I really want to do this for you, but you’re making it kinda hard-“ 

“Really?” You mutter nipping along his jaw. “That’s what I’m making hard?”

Russell pulls back from you, holding your wrists in his large hands. But he looks far from angry. His green eyes flash a darkened pine, and dance with mischief. “Baby, trust me. There is nothing more that I want to do than show you how much I missed you.” 

“Then why-" You begin to say.

“Because I know that the second I do that, we’re not going to do anything else the rest of the time I’m here. And I want to do this for you.” Russell’s eyes shift a little lighter. He releases your wrists and cups your cheek with his large hand. You can see the love you have for Russell reflected back at you in his gaze

You sigh again a little disappointed. Today really wasn’t going the way you wanted it to.  “But I missed you.” 

“I could tell.” He smirks. “Maybe your shower head would last a little longer if you didn't wear it out." Russell sends you a salacious wink that makes you blush bright red.

“Shut up!” You slap him on the shoulder, cheeks flaming. 

Russell only smirks wider at you. “You know… I’ve got a solution for that.”

“Oh do you?” You ask innocently. 

Finally, we’re getting somewhere.

Russell hesitates, his hand still stroking your cheek softly. "I could move in."

It was the last thing that you were expecting him to say.

“See I've been thinking about this for a bit." Russell  clears his throat. “I know you can’t move because of the kids but... I want to be here in your life. I hate leaving you and each time I get done with a job I always find myself driving back to you. I don't want to be anywhere else.”

Your mouth is still open in shock, eyes wide. You couldn’t find the ability to speak.

In the months that followed your divorce you’d been on a couple of dates before you met Russell, where the mere mention of your kids sent your dates scuttling into the shadows or back to whatever swamp they crawled out of, but here, standing in front of you was a man who didn’t just want you, he wanted you, and he wanted your children. 

It was a combination that you thought you’d never find, and then you’d met Russell. A man who not only loved you, he made you feel beautiful, alive, happy, and seen in a way that you hadn’t been in years. 

Not to mention that both of your children absolutely loved Russell, and he did a good job of scaring off your skeevy ex who refused to come around whenever Russell was in town because the last time Russell had broken his nose and threatened other bodily harm.

Russell’s soft smile drops a little the longer you remain silent. “But if you think that’s a bad idea or if you think it’s too fast-”

You pull him down to you for the searing kiss that you’d wanted all day long, feeling the drag of his beard against your soft skin, and the warm pillow of his lips moving in tandem with yours. 

His hands run along the curves of your body, trailing fire in their wake, the same curves that you’d hidden under long cardigans and oversized clothes, the ones that you cursed each time you caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror. But not since you’d met Russell. 

Not when he’d taught you that each blemish or curve you once cursed was something that could make him lose his last shred of self control and in turn, make Russell lose himself in everything you were. 

“It’s not too fast! I hate when you leave. I hate waking up in my bed each morning and not having you there holding me. ” You breathe before you kiss him again, soaking in everything that is Russell as you do. The roughness of his hands pushing up the shirt hung low on your hips, the smell of mint and gunmetal, the taste of the coffee he had this morning, and gentle drag of his wet hair against your cheeks that dip between the two of your faces when you kiss. “I want you here with me all the time.”

“Then I’ll stay.” Russell smiles so wide you can feel the click of his teeth against yours when he pulls you back in for a kiss. 

“Wait.” You smirk, leaning your forehead against his, your hands gently cupping his bearded cheeks. "If I say yes, I have one condition."

"Anything."

"Please let me call a plumber."

Russell rolls his eyes at you, but squeezes you tighter against him, green eyes flashing with mischief. “Not a chance baby.”

A/N: It was so fun to write this prompt and also to come back to these two! Thank you so much @luci-in-trenchcoats for requesting this one 🥰 If anyone else would like to ask me a prompt for my prompt celebration, here is the post:

Prompt Celebration

As always, thank you so much for reading! Reblogs, comments, and likes are not required, but are always appreciated 😊

Taglist:

@roseblue373 @livya99 @mrsjenniferwinchester @zepskies @louisanalady

@yvonneeeee

[hhughes]

౨ৎ ‧ 𝐒𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐖𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐒

𐙚 ─── pairing: violet kingston x luke hughes

𐙚 ─── summary: in which violet asks luke to the sadie hawkins dance

𐙚 ─── word count: 1.6K

𐙚 ─── a/n: I adore high school luke and vi so much🥺 as always I hope you like it and please tell me what you think. I feel like a lot of out luke and vi pieces, especially the younger ones, really showcase luke's adoration for vi, and this really gives us more of an insight into how smitten violet is for him <3

“don’t start,” violet states when she arrives at their chosen table at the cafeteria, her and dylan the first two to arrive as usual.

“I didn’t even say anything,” he defends lifting his hands and violet sends him a knowing look as she takes the seat across from him

“not yet. but by that little glint in your eye I can tell you’re about to and you can save your breath. I’m not asking him, I'm not even sure I'm going," violet says and dylan lets out a frustrated sigh. he's been trying to convince her to ask luke to the sadie hawkins dance for at least two weeks straight but to no avail.

"I'm just saying, if you don't ask him soon, you might miss your shot. another one asked him today, that makes it what? three total..." dylan says and violet freezes mid-bite, lowering her apple and staring wide eyed at her friend

"who?" violet asks, her heart squeezing a bit at the thought of Luke going to the dance with someone else

"veronica williams," dylan asnwers and violet's face immediately turns sour. the nerve of that little -

"why are we talking about her-who-shall-not-be-named?" luke asks as he gets to the table, taking his regular seat next to violet, his arm automatically looping around her waist. he smirks as she slaps his hand when he reaches for a cracker in her lunch box, squeezing her hip in retaliation

"just telling vi who asked you to the dance today," dylan answers innocently and luke shrugs when he feels violet's eyes on him

"don't know why she bothered asking me, she knew I was gonna say no," luke says and dylan hums in agreement. it was a well known fact that violet and veronica didn't exactly get long, to put it lightly.

what started out as an innocent kindergarten friendship blossomed into a toxic competitive rivalry at the end of middle school and ever since then veronica has made it her mission to try and upend violet on every little thing. violet was almost sure half the extra curriculars she did was just because violet showed an interest in them.

violet didn't care when veronica ran for student government, or applied to be the head editor of the school paper, or challenged her for captain of the dance team. violet thrived off a little competition and she loved winning fair and square, as she often did in these little battles between her and the other girl.

violet couldn't quell the growing ball of jealousy, annoyance and insecurity at the thought of veronica going after luke. violet wasn't oblivious to the other girl's model-like appearance, and most of the time she was actually quite nice, when her attention wasn't directed towards violet.

dance captain, president of student government and editor of the school paper? those were all things violet would be more than happy to give her. but luke? her luke? was not something she was okay with sharing. violet knew luke wasn't even veronica's type. she was only doing it to get a reaction...

"easy tiger. are you missing the part where I said heck no? s'no need to get yourself worked up over it vi, you know that's what she wants. and then you have to deal with all that at cheer practice," luke reasons

"I'm quitting cheer," violet announces and luke pulls away to look at her, but she clenches the sleeve of his hoodie on the arm around her waist, keeping him close.

"what? why? if this is about veron-" luke protests but shuts up when violet stuffs a cracker in his mouth

"it's not. I've been wanting to quit a while. I only did it because I wanted to try something out of my comfort zone. and I did, but I don't love it, not like I love dance, and I would rather spend more time doing something I love. besides now I have the time in my schedule to coach your little cousin's winter concert-"

"violet, you don't have to quit cheer to choreograph my little cousin's first grade concert. I promise you no one is gonna remember it in a few years," luke says, pushing his lunch bag closer to her as violet steals a chicken nugget from his container

"she's gonna remember it. why are you so against me quitting cheer anyway? I thought you hated it?" violet asks

"I don't hate it, I just hate the way the football players think that you being a cheerleader means that they have the right to flirt with you 24/7. like what is this? high school musical?" luke grumbles and violet smiles

“gabriella wasn’t a cheerleader…” violet replies amused

“and troy wasn’t a football player…” luke responds

“so what exactly is the high school musical reference?” dylan asks

“you know… stick to the status quo or whatever,” luke mumbles, throwing dylan with a crumpled piece of paper

“you know what I’m gonna miss about cheer?” luke asks, his hand ending up on violet’s thigh and she places hers on top of his

“what?” she asks and he smirks slightly

“seeing you in the uniform,” luke teases and violet playfully pushes his chest

“I can keep the uniform,” violet teases back and luke’s eyebrows raise

“oh? you gonna come wear it at my games? be my personal little cheerleader?” luke asks, his head dropping closer to hers and violet is hyper aware of his nose being centimetres from hers

“you wish,” violet breathes and luke grins

“a man can dream,” luke teases, leaning back with a hand on his chest

“a man can dream to disappear and no longer be witness to this,” dylan mumbles and luke kicks him against the shin

“you uh- going to the dance?” luke asks, scratching the back of his neck, his nervous tick showing and violet smiles slightly

“I’m thinking about it,” she replies

“you should wear red if you are. it’s your colour,” luke says, knowing he already has a number of red ties in his closet

“everything is my colour,” violet teases and luke grins, kissing her on the cheek

“true,” he says, tugging on the strings of the hoodie she was wearing, not even noticing its the very one he was searching for that morning.

. . .

“can you calm down? what’s the worse that could happen? he says no?” violet’s little brother asks and her horrified gaze snaps towards him

“oh my god! what if he says no… what if he thinks this is totally lame and he’d rather gauge his own eyes out than go to this dance with me,” violet says and trent just stares at her for a few seconds before glancing at her poster and back up

“I think it’s sweet and if he doesn’t, then he doesn’t deserve to go to the dance with you,” trent says folding his arms over his chest and violet smiles at her little brother

“look he’s coming,” her brother says excitedly, and she spots luke on the ice instantly, feeling her heart speed up in her chest as he skates over to them, a puck in his hand

“here you go bud,” he calls, throwing the puck over the glass for trent before directing his attention to her

“that for me kingston? you gonna let me see it?” luke teases and violet blushes, shakily opening the poster and pressing it against the glass so he could read it.

hey 43, do me a hughes favour and assist me in scoring a date to sadie? 🩷

violet feels like her cheeks are on fire by the time luke finishes reading and sends her a big grin.

“I thought you’d never ask,” he teases, pressing his hand flat on the glass and violet mirrors his action

at the end of their winning game, luke couldn’t wait to get off the ice, shower as quick as possible and go see his girl. doing a little jog towards her and picking her up in a bear hug when he’s in touching distance

“lemme see it. lemme see it,” he says excitedly and violet giggles as he puts her down, reaching for the poster

“can I keep it?” luke asks, clenching the poster tight and violet nods

“thanks for coming, where’s trent?” luke asks, grabbing violet’s hand as they make their way out of the building

“probably passed out in the car by now,” violet jokes and luke squeezes her hand

“are you coming over for dinner tonight? you have to… I have to show mom your poster. she’s gonna love it,” luke pleads

“yeah I can come to dinner,” violet agrees, pulling out her phone to text her parents. never being able to say no when he pulls those big puppy eyes on her

“so what colour dress you wearing?” luke asks as he puts his gear in the trunk

“red,” she answers sheepishly and luke smiles, hooking a finger in her belt loops and pulling her into him

“what are you doing?” violet giggles as luke teasingly lifts the edge of her hoodie

“checking to see if you wore the cheer uniform,” he says and laughs as she swats him on the arm

“are you insane? its way too cold. and I think I embarrassed myself enough for one night,” violet replies and luke pecks her on the nose

“I think you looked cute. standing there with your little sign. I’m gonna woo you with my dance moves,” luke teases moving his legs an attempt of some sort of shuffle move and violet laughs

“are you laughing at me?” he asks, tickling her waist and pulling her into another hug

“those legs were made for skating lu, definitely not dancing. lucky for you, you have a super good teacher,” violet says and luke hums agreeing, pressing a kiss to her head

[kuiinncedes]

ty for tagging me @justgleekout teehee 🥰🥰🥰🥰 it's been so long since i did smth like this lmao

Rules are post gifs from your 10 favorite shows without naming them, then tag 10 people.

also idk if i even have 10 shows i would like enough to put here but we'll see lol c:

that's 7 but i don't rly have others i would say are favorite tv shows atm so i'm just gonna repeat from these LMAO

beep beep boop boop i'm not gonna tag anyone bc i feel like i barely interact here anymore and i feel awkward abt tagging lol 😭😭😭 naur but if you see this and want to do it at all i tag you fr <33

[red-moon-at-night]

After doing some research on the types of pets people had in ancient Greece, I'd like to imagine that Helen is the sort of person who has a whole menagerie of birds — and she loves each and every one of them very, very much.

It fits well with her being good at mimicry, you know. Talking and imitating and singing with her beloved birds 💜

Close up under the read more:

I had to include that one necklace from the minoan 'saffron goddess' fresco because it's my favourite thing Ever

[disposal-blueeee]

from this thing lolz

ty to @cherry-207 for the idea !! XPP

vargas by zarla-s

[peppermint-jade]

Everyone stop what you're doing the last kid vampire just dropped

[beanghostprincess]

carrot and sanji's dynamic is so important to me

[triple-pupil]

YES

Y E S

GIVE LOVE TO THIS MOVIE, THIS PIECE OF ANIMATED HORROR IS PERFECT FOR A CHRISTMAS NIGHT OF SCAWY.

FUCK YOU ALL/j, I LOVE THIS MOVIE, GIVE THIS MOVIE SOME LOVE NOW.

[spaceratprodigy]

(palette challenge) PINK LEMONADE OR WATERMELON FOR DELIRIS ⁉️⁉️⁉️

@oldworldwidgets — [ palette prompts ]

WATERMELON LEMONADE DELIRIS 💖💚