#i should check when they reopen again actually...

[holographicbutch]

I'm gonna have so many good pics of my stan and ford plushies soon JUST YOU WAIT

[love--and--venom]

A (Not So) Meet Cute: Chapter Three

Chapter Summary: You're beginning to fall into a new routine with the members of Stray Kids. A phone call from the police stops you dead in your tracks.

Warnings: Descriptions of stalking, reader has a ton of anxiety (rightfully so), cops

Series Masterlist

A/N: will my MCs ever find peace? probably not.

When you woke up the next morning, you doubted that Seungmin would actually walk you to work. After all, why would he wake up early just to be your escort? You went through your routine as usual, making sure to double and triple check that your phone was charged and the charger was in your bag before heading out.

“Morning.” You jumped as you exited your apartment building. Holy shit, Seungmin was really waiting for you. He leaned against the back of a bench across from the entrance, eyebrow quirked in amusement. He wore a mask again today, but went without a hat.

“Oh my god, Seungmin, you didn’t have to get up early just to walk me to work.” You held your elbow in your hand, feeling guilty for burdening the idol. 

“I know I didn’t have to. I wanted to.” The corners of Seungmin’s eyes crinkled and he stood properly to brush his knuckles across your cheek. You gaped at him, suddenly feeling warm despite the cool autumn breeze. 

“Oh, um, okay. If you’re sure. The bus stop is this way.” You led the way to your usual stop, the bus arriving not long after you. The commute honestly wasn’t bad, yesterday had been a fluke. 

“I haven’t been on a public bus in years,” Seungmin mentioned as you found open seats. You raised your eyebrows.

“Really? I guess that makes sense, though. It’s safer for you to have a driver.” You could only assume that being on public transport had too much risk of being recognized.

“Technically, I’m not allowed to use buses.” 

“Are you going to get in trouble because of this?!” You scolded with a glare. Seungmin shrugged in response, completely unbothered with his little act of rebellion. You shook your head, turning back to your phone to scroll on Instagram for a bit. You angled your phone toward Seungmin when you noticed him looking over your shoulder. Fifteen minutes and four stops later, you stepped off the bus and made the final ten minute walk to the bookstore.

“I’ll be back later to walk you home,” Seungmin said as he held the door open for you.

“But-”

“No ‘buts’, see you later.” He nudged you into the store and went back the way you had come from. You were left baffled once again, but pushed it aside to focus on your shift.

Over the next week, every member of Stray Kids walked with you to and from work. Seungmin showed up the most out of everyone. It felt like overkill, but they wouldn’t accept any arguments from you. Today’s shift dragged on with how little there was to do. Everything was clean and stocked, there were hardly ten customers in the 3 hours since your shift started, and you’ve closed and reopened TikTok at least five times. The soft classical music playing over the store radio threatened to lull you to sleep. You were jolted out of your stupor by your phone buzzing on the counter.

“Hello?”

“Good afternoon, this is Officer Jeong. May I speak to Ms. Y/N L/N?” A serious-sounding man asked curtly.

“This is she.”

“Ah, hello Ms. L/N. I am calling on behalf of Detective Keng. She has some new information regarding your case and would like to call you today to discuss,” Officer Jeong explained. 

“Oh! Of course, I finish work at 3pm and should be home around 3:30,” you told the officer. He hummed, keys clicking swiftly in the background.

“That should work perfectly. Detective Keng will be finished with a meeting at 4pm, so she will be able to call shortly afterward.” You quickly wrote down the detective’s name and the time she’d be calling on a sticky note.

“Okay, thank you for letting me know, Officer.” You exchanged polite goodbyes and hung up. Cool, now that you were incredibly anxious, the next three hours of your shift should go by much more quickly.

You predicted correctly. After finishing the call with Officer Jeong, the afternoon flew by in a blur and soon enough Seungmin appeared to walk you home. You told him about the upcoming phone call and your subsequent anxiety while you sat on the bus.

“Do you want me to stay for the call?” Seungmin offered, albeit a little hesitantly.

“Honestly, that would be really nice. Are you sure, though? You sounded kinda nervous.”

“I’m sure. I just haven’t been in your apartment yet and I didn’t want to invite myself in, y’know?” He assured with a smile hidden behind his mask. Back at your apartment, Seungmin sat on your loveseat, watching you pace around your kitchen. He tried to get you to sit down and relax while you waited for the detective’s call, but you needed to do something to release your pent-up anxiety. Why didn’t Officer Jeong tell you if it was good news or bad news?! Finally, finally your phone rang. You rushed to sit next to Seungmin as you put the call on speaker.

“Hi, is this Y/N L/N?” A woman’s voice asked.

“Yes, I’m assuming this is Detective Keng?” 

“It is, I see Officer Jeong was able to talk to you earlier. I’ve been looking into Cho Siwoo, the man that harassed you, and I’ve found some information that may be disturbing to you,” Detective Keng stated. A pit of worry gnawed at your stomach.

“Before you continue, I have a friend with me. Is it okay if he listens to our conversation?” You were terrified of having to deal with this alone.

“That’s quite alright.” You sighed quietly in relief. “Now, Mr. Cho has been living with a friend for several months. We interviewed his friend, and searched the apartment. Ms. L/N, it appears that he has been following you far longer than we expected.”

“What?” An icy chill creeped its way into your bloodstream. Seungmin scooted slightly closer to you, resting a hand on your knee. 

“He has photos printed of you in a Ziploc bag amongst his other belongings. Some of these photos date back to April.” 

“Bu-but it’s October now,” you stammered. Seungmin tightened his grip on your knee, but you moved his hand to hold in your own. 

“I’m very sorry to tell you this, Ms. L/N, but he’s been watching for a very long time. There aren’t any photos of the inside of your apartment, nor any of you in compromising positions. But we’ve found that Mr. Cho has a reputation, and with that comes respect from others on the street.”

“What does that mean, exactly?” Seungmin interrupted. Detective Keng sighed tiredly, which only made you more nervous.

“It means that he has access to information. Ms. L/N, do you have somewhere you can stay for the time being? I’m afraid your apartment isn’t safe at the moment, not until we’re able to confirm who all of Mr. Cho’s associates are.” Panicked tears fell down your cheeks. You didn’t have anywhere else to go, all you had was this apartment. The closest family member to you was still at least three hours away. You couldn’t just leave.

“Yes, ma’am, she does,” Seungmin answered in your silence. You stared at him, wide-eyed, but he kept his gaze fixed on your phone. 

“Good. I’ll need the address. I would advise against walking anywhere alone for now. I promise you, I will make sure you and your home are safe again,” Detective Keng assured. The sharp edge to her voice confirmed her commitment. She gave you the number for her work phone, should you need anything, then ended the call. A sob wracked your body. Seungmin pulled you so you sat between his legs, both legs over one of his knees, and wrapped you tightly in his arms. You trembled violently in his hold.

“Why did you tell her I have somewhere to stay?! I hardly have friends in this city and my family is hours away, and I can’t afford–”

“Y/N,” Seungmin cut off your rambling, holding your face in his hands and forcing your eyes to meet his. “You’re staying with us.”

“What? No, Seungmin, I can’t ask you to do that.”

“Good thing you’re not asking. I’m telling you, you can stay with us,” he insisted. 

“Have you even asked the others about this? Even if you say I can, what if they say no?” Seungmin rolled his eyes, pulling out his phone and starting a call on speaker.

“Hey, is everything alright? You’re normally back by now,” Chan answered after a few rings. 

“No, actually, a detective called Y/N about her case. That guy’s been stalking her for months, Chan. Her apartment isn’t safe.” You bit your lip, tears still streaming silently down your face. Seungmin guided your head to rest on his shoulder and exhaustion washed over you.

“Holy shit, are you serious?” You could hear the others shouting in the background. “Guys, please, I need you to be quiet. This is important.”

“I wish I was joking. The detective said she should stay somewhere else while they continue their investigation. Thing is, she doesn’t have any family close by.” He was baiting Chan and he only felt slightly guilty about it.

“She can stay with us,” the leader offered without hesitation. 

“That’s what I told her. You believe me now?” Seungmin directed the question at you. 

“Wait, am I on speaker? Y/N, I promise no one would have an issue with you staying here,” Chan confirmed. You hated that you were being such a burden to them. They have enough on their plate as-is. But you didn’t have much of a choice.

“Okay,” you whimpered in a voice so tiny, it squeezed at the hearts of both Chan and Seungmin.

“We’re gonna get some stuff packed for her, then head over. I’ll call for a car.” 

“Good, I’ll see you both soon.” Chan hummed in acknowledgement. “And Y/N? I know what you’re thinking. You are not a burden.” You inhaled sharply, digging yourself further into Seungmin’s neck. He ended the call after another hasty goodbye.

For the next few minutes, you sat in silence to stave off your impending panic attack. Seungmin's chest vibrated as he quietly hummed the melody to Stars and Raindrops. You repeated the grounding exercise that Jisung showed you several times in your head. Now, with your panic dampened down to a nagging anxiety, you were suddenly very aware of the position of Seungmin’s hands. With the thumb of his left hand, he rubbed soothing circles on the nape of your neck, and his right sat patiently on your thigh. 

“I’ll grab a suitcase,” you muttered, hoping your hair hid your reddened face as you moved to your room. Unfortunately for you, Seungmin was a very observant man. He smirked, but chose not to say anything. He offered to help you pack and you immediately refused. Your soul would have literally left your body if he accidentally caught a glimpse of your underwear. You rolled your suitcase and duffle bag into the living room once you finished, pausing to sling your bag across your shoulder.

“I called Dohyun, he should be here soon.” Seungmin stood and plucked your duffle bag from your hand. “Let’s get down to the garage.” The car pulled up right as you stepped out of the elevator. Dohyun tossed you a sympathetic smile after you slid into the backseat. Seungmin sat next to you and nodded to Dohyun, who promptly began the drive back to the dorm.

All of the Stray Kids members have seen your apartment, but this was the first time you’ve been to their dorm. Honestly? It was much cleaner than you anticipated, considering eight young men lived here. Actually, the furniture and decor were really stylish. Jisung and Chan were the only ones in the living room. The leader stood to help with your luggage but paused when he noticed your red, puffy eyes. 

“I’m so sorry this is happening to you.” Chan wrapped you in a firm, comforting hug. You gripped the back of his t-shirt to ground yourself and fight back a fresh onslaught of tears. “Is there anything you need right now?”

“I just really want to take a nap.” You reluctantly pulled back so he could guide you to the couch. You allowed Jisung to bring your head to lay on his lap. He carded his fingers through your hair and the tension slowly melted from your body. You vaguely felt a second pair of hands tuck a fluffy blanket around you before succumbing to sleep.

Permanent Taglist: @furfoxsake22 @babygirlskz98 @miniverse-zen @holly-here

Series Taglist: Open, send an ask or comment to be added!

[ask-nurse-curly]

as stated in the updated pinned post, we are diverging from the canon roleswap timeline starting nnnnnnnow :) ask boxes are open again!

[ Transcript under the cut ]

Hey Curly, I just wanted to check in with you. Things have been a little weird recently with this nearby satellite..

Are you doing okay?

Hey Captain!

Funny business, isn't it? I don't think we've ever had anything like this happen before.

It's okay, though. Sometimes I kind of want to follow Daisuke's example, but most people are nice.

What about you, everything alright on your end?

Me too, there's just so much going on at all times, haha.

Everything is mostly alright. I've got nice people, but some of them.. They're just getting under my skin. I should probably put the phone down.

How bad is it? My worst has been spam messages, mostly. Did you know the Halcyon colonies are reopening admission?

Makes you wonder why they need new people so soon after launch.

Oh yeah! I don't think I'm going to take their offer, I'm pretty content with Earth.

As for the messages.. I don't know. Some of them are just.. Mean, I guess. I don't want you to worry about it, I can handle it, it's just frustrating.

Have you gotten any fun messages though? I got one not that long ago asking about how I felt being a pilot, it was a nice question.

'Mean'? I'm sure you know that sounds worrisome. Are you okay?

Ah, I can't even remember all of them! There is this Martian scientist who gave me the scoop of planetary warfare amongst their kind, someone who is very intent on educating me about possums, and I even reconnected with someone from my med school years, that was pretty wild. Also someone from an actual gunship patched into our frequency, apparently their surname is the same as yours? Do you know a Hideo?

I'm really fine, if I couldn't handle a few weirdos, I wouldn't be on this ship lol

But.. That's very interesting. I don't know if I have any familiar faces on my end, so consider me jealous of you. I can't say that I know a Hideo? Should I?

Now who are you calling a weirdo? :-)

I don't know if you should! If it's a coincidence then certainly an amusing one, guess Musumes are just made to be captains. :-)

Maybe so.. I'll have to start a club then, Captain Musume club.

And I would NEVER call you a weirdo, Nurse Curly, never ever......

Uh huh. I believe you.

:-)

What is weird is just...how much some of these people seem to know. I wonder if our phones were hacked into somehow? Do you think I should be worried about my Meeboo subscription at this rate?

I feel like I should be more shocked but with how much of our data gets sold off and leaked on a daily basis, I can't find myself to be horrified.

You should definitely worry about your Meeboo subscription though.

...Fair point.

Well, if my streaming services are what takes the brunt of exposure, I suppose I could live with that.

Do you think that's how they found out about your nurses calendar? If that's even a real thing.. Did you ever model for a nursing calendar? Lol

Haha!

No, god no. I could never. Can you imagine me in a pin-up calendar? That would be bonkers.

No, I was just joking. I guess the very nature of their, uh, request was too much for my English sensibilities, so I turned to my trusty defence mechanism honed by generations of haughty stuck-ups.

...How did you know about that?

Well we certainly love a modest king..

I was told about it by one of the messages I got, I didn't know if it was true or not but I guess my curiosity was piqued. Sorry, it was inappropriate to ask.

Oh god, are they still harassing you about me? I'm so sorry.

They are strangely...invested.

I hope it's not too much of a bother. And I doubly hope they cease soon.

I don't mind too terribly, I just feel bad talking about you when you're unaware. I certainly try to keep my answers vague so that I can maintain your privacy.

Truly, I don't know if I should be offended or relieved they ask me more about you than they do myself, haha!

I'd go for relieved! Or perhaps even flattered. They seem to think highly of your captaining skills. :-)

They do! I'm not sure how they know about THAT information, but I'll take what I can get!

I can't say i blame them, it's pretty obvious!

I mean

Crew ratings should be public access, right? Based on delivery reviews and stuff. Or could be if they weren't and got leaked too.

I definitely don't doubt that...

I don't know, they seem fairly invested in my love life as well. Which goes beyond the scope of simple work appraisal. I've been asked if I'm single, who my type is. I felt like I was filling out a dating application lol

Haha, funny that

You could lean into that too, if you wanted to, let them do all the legwork. It's worse than the Wild West on those apps sometimes.

I'm not trying to find someone through texting strangers, besides, it seems they already have my ideal love interest picked out for me. They're trying to cause trouble is what they're doing.

And how do you even know what those apps are like? Isn't that like.. Cheating for you?

Oh shoot. Er

It would be! It totally would be if. If I were still in a relationship.

Which I'm not. For the record.

In any case, not that I prowl those apps much, it's not really uh, worth it for me.

What? Since when are you not??

You were just talking about Marie before we took off. Unless.. Did you break up when we got service...?

Yeah, haha, turns out it's not always great when familiar faces text you, right?

But yeah, she... It's not easy, I guess, dating someone who isn't there for half a year at a time at least, you know?

It was kind of a long time coming, so. She just was the braver one out of the two of us to cut the cord.

Sorry, didn't mean to be a downer. It really is okay though. We're good, and. I think I've kind of went through the stages of grief back when we were still earthside.

So. Not a big deal.

I'm so sorry, Curly :( I wish you would've told me. I'm still here if you need to talk, okay? Breaking up sucks, even if you see it coming.

Oh no, I promise it's okay! It really, really is

I'm okay, it's not a big deal.

I mean, it would be, it

But it's not like

I didn't really

She maybe...didn't really...exist?

Curly what are you saying right now

I am a fool is what I'm saying :-(

I'm so sorry.

Any chance we could pretend I never said anything?

How are we supposed to do that? I don't even know what to say.

Why would you lie about that?

...Could we talk?

I mean, in person.

I'll explain everything, just

I'm afraid of how much of this might get exposed.

Please.

Yeah

Are you in the medbay? I'm on my way.

Yes.

Thank you.

[shmaptainwrote]

𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐄 [𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐘]

PAIRINGS —  Mark Darcy x fem!Reader

SUMMARY —  Mark and Reader meet on a dock in Greece and the rest is history

WARNINGS — difficulty conceiving, pregnancy, allusions to sex

NOTE — Okay the beginning and end of this are definietly Mamma Mia-esque but TRUST ME it fits the vibessss- anyways I hope you guys like it :3 Also a big thanks to @/mystic-writings for beta-ing!

Mark wondered what had brought him here that day. There he was sitting on a dock in Greece, reevaluating all of the decisions he had made in recent days. He found it very hard to stay hopeful when that very much could have been the woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with on that boat, sailing towards an island he didn’t know the name of with a ferry that wouldn’t allow him to chase after her until two days later. 

He was about to get up and turn around, find the nearest airport that would get him out of the sunny Mediterranean country, when he felt someone tap on his shoulder. 

He squinted against the sun, trying to get a better look at who it was, but it wasn’t clear until you stepped in front of him. 

“You miss the ferry?” you asked him and he nodded his head. “Shame,” you sighed and took a seat next to him. You introduced yourself and offered a hand for him to shake. He took it and introduced himself in return. 

“I don’t suppose your travels have also been…” he chose his words carefully, “subpar?” 

“Actually, they have,” you leaned back. “This was supposed to be some sort of girls trip.” 

“And?” 

“Well, you don’t see any girls around me do you,” you motioned to the empty dock. 

“No I don’t suppose I do.” 

You sat in silence for a moment, the sun beating down on both of your backs before you chose to speak again. 

“Have you done much sight-seeing yet?” 

“None. I just got here, and I think I’ll be leaving first thing tomorrow,” he admitted. 

“Leave Greece without seeing even one sight? You’re an interesting man, Mark.” 

“I’m glad you think so,” he sighed and pushed himself up off of the bench. 

“You know,” you started, “If you change your mind and want to see some of the sights before heading back to wherever you’re from, come find me. My hotel’s that one over there,” you pointed to one of the buildings overlooking the water. 

Mark nodded his head and wished you a good day before grabbing his bag and heading towards the main street, he’d call for a taxi and maybe his choice would be more clear to him the next morning. It was hard to think in the midday heat, because right now, for some peculiar reason, your offer seemed awfully enticing.

—

The next morning you awoke to a knock on your door. You checked the time, it was half past seven which was far too early for housekeeping. 

With a confused look on your face, and a just-in-case large vase in hand and ready for whatever was on the other side, you approached the door. In a quick motion you unlocked the door and swung it open, the vase held as threateningly as you could until you realized that you recognized those eyes and that tall frame. 

“Mark?” 

“You said if I wanted to get in some sightseeing before I go I should come to your hotel. You didn’t tell me what room though. I made a few awkward mistakes before landing on your door.” 

“What compelled you to do this at half past seven on a weekend?” you chuckled. 

“I could ask the same about your vase. Not normally something you greet someone with at the door,” he commented. 

“Just playing it safe,” you said, now lowering the vase and returning it to its place on the table. “Why don’t you give me two minutes to get dressed then I’ll properly invite you inside.” 

Mark nodded his head and you quickly shut the door, rummaging through your suitcases until you found what you wanted to wear, changing into it and reopening the door and allowing Mark to come inside. 

“So, what changed your mind?” you asked. “You seemed awfully set on leaving.” 

“I thought maybe it was time I took a break. I can’t remember the last time I took a vacation,” he admitted. “And it crossed my mind that perhaps you were right.” 

“About what?” 

“It would be a shame to leave Greece without seeing at least one sight.” 

You grabbed your bag and shoved a few things in it, looking back up at Mark. 

“Then let’s find a sight, shall we?” you offered your arm to him and he took it as you exited the room together. 

After you sorted out where you wanted to go you found yourselves on a hot overcrowded bus, trying to understand what the stops were and continuously looking at the map and your surroundings to determine where to get off. 

“So Mark, where do you hail from? I’m guessing England, but whereabouts?” you asked, over the loud engine. 

“London, currently,” he said. “And yourself?” 

“Currently? Also London,” you said. 

“But-,” 

“I don’t sound British?” you looked over at him and he chuckled. 

“Exactly,” he nodded. 

“I’m there for work. I’m an art curator,” you explained. “Brits bring pretty good business.” 

“That I can believe, and I think this is our stop,” he pointed. 

“Oh goodness, HEY! HEY! Stop the bus!” you called and stood up, waving down the driver with your hat. He slammed on the brakes and you jerked forward, almost falling into the seats in front of you if it weren’t for Mark quickly grabbing you by the waist and pulling you back down into your seat. “Man, let’s get the hell out of here.” 

Mark couldn’t help but give you a little smile as he helped you up from your seat and you exited the crowded bus as quickly as you could. 

“Good grief,” you sighed. “I would have gone flying if it weren’t for you. Thanks, Mark.” 

“Don’t mention it, all part of the Greek charm I suppose,” he shrugged as you began to walk down the quiet countryside street, looking for the entrance to the beach. 

“What about yourself, what do you do for work?” you asked. 

“I’m a lawyer,” he said. “Human rights type stuff mostly.” 

“Oh so a true London hotshot then,” you chuckled. “Come on, I think it’s right down here,” you motioned to a small trail opening. 

“Well, I don’t know if I’d say hotshot,” he said. 

“Oh don’t worry, I’m just teasing,” you said as you slipped on some loose gravel only to have Mark catch you again. 

“You’re quite clumsy.” 

“It’s a part of my charm,” you grinned. 

From there you both silently decided maybe it would be best if you held on to Mark so as to not fall again, and you walked a short distance in comfortable silence until you came to the opening of the beach. 

“Wow. Mark, this is really a sight,” you grabbed his arm and dragged him further so he could see the full view. 

The cove was secluded and the pristine water gently lapped against the shore along the white sand. 

“What do you think?” you asked. 

“I’m glad I stayed,” he said with a smile. 

Still hand in hand, you found a comfortable spot in the sand and laid out a blanket you had packed to sit on for the time being. 

“Do you have anyone waiting back home for you, Mark?” 

“Not aside from my parents,” he shook his head. “And yourself?” 

“Unattached currently,” you said while grabbing a water bottle from your bag. “My girlfriends would say this seems to have the making of a summer romance.” 

Mark found himself curious to see if you thought so too. Certainly he thought that seeing Bridget go off into the sunset with someone else would be the end of his romantic life, but perhaps he was mistaken. 

“Well, we’ll have to see if they’re right,” Mark said simply and you chuckled. 

Spending time with Mark was easy. It was as if your friends hadn’t all bailed on you and this was your plan all along. The days quickly melted into one, then two, then three and it was an easy routine for Mark to join you at your hotel in the morning. 

You were both too caught up in a whirlwind of tourism filled with adventures and flirting that you barely even noticed your departure date approaching. 

“Has it already been ten days?” you sighed, leaning into Mark’s side as you sat along the beach just outside of your hotel. 

“Went by a lot faster than I expected,” he admitted. “Feels like just yesterday I was so forwardly introduced to you.” 

“Shut up, Mark. You’ve had a good time,” you laughed. “Now let’s do one more fun thing before we go back to the doom and gloom of London.” 

“What do you have in mind?” he asked as you stood up and walked with him towards the water. 

“Hmm, have you ever tried the opposite of skinny dipping?” 

“Which is?” he frowned. 

“This!” you exclaimed while pushing him into the water, fully clothed, but not before he grabbed onto your waist, pulling you down with him. 

You squealed in surprise, falling on top of him in the shallow water. 

“Did you really think you could get away with that?” Mark asked and you shook your head with a laugh. 

“It was either this or you’d get up and chase me and throw me into the water.” 

“We could do that too if you wanted,” he moved one of  the wet strings of your top off of your cheek which it was currently stuck to. 

“No, I think I kind of like it here,” you said with a whisper. 

“Good, because then I can do this,” his thumb moved from your cheek to your chin, pinching it between that and his index finger and bringing your face closer to his before finally pressing his lips to yours. 

You brought yourself as close as you could to him, your hands holding on to both sides of his face. You could feel the water’s crests and falls and tasted its salt on Mark’s lips. 

When he gently moved away, giving you both a moment to breathe, he said, “I had to make sure I gave you a proper kiss goodbye.” 

“Could I perhaps entice you to make that a regular occasion?” you asked. 

Mark kissed you again, this time shorter before giving you a thinking face and then nodding his head. 

You chuckled and grabbed his hand, standing up yourself first before pulling him up with you. He trailed behind you as you walked towards your things, pressing a kiss to your temple from behind, then your neck until neither of you could help it and turned around to kiss properly again. 

“Why don’t you stay in my room tonight,” you murmured. “And maybe if we’re lucky the vacation will continue when we’re back in London. Any objections?” 

“No, sustained,” he kissed you again and you giggled at his joke. 

“Save something for the room, Mark,” you teased as you pulled away, “If we stay out here much longer we’ll be putting on a show for the tourists.” 

“And?” he raised a mischievous brow. 

“Mark!” you exclaimed with a surprised laugh, quickly grabbing your bag while he grabbed the blanket, shaking out the sand before grabbing your hand and heading back to the hotel, prepared for whatever this summer romance would bring. 

—

A few months later…

“Mark! I’m here, are you home yet?” you called into the townhome as you stepped across the threshold, throwing your keys on the table and slipping off your coat. 

There wasn’t an answer so you assumed he hadn’t arrived yet, but when you climbed up the stairs you saw him lying down on the couch with a pillow over his face. 

You chuckled a little and quietly bent down and removed the pillow only to be met by a soft, 

“Hey.” 

“Last I remember, you asked me to come over after work,” you leaned down and pressed a kiss to his nose. “How was your day?” 

“Exhausting, can’t you tell?” 

“Yes, quite clearly,” you nodded as you sat on the edge of the couch. “So, did you miss me?” 

“Dreadfully,” he nodded and beckoned you to come lay down with him. “How was work?”

“It was alright,” you sighed. “I think I’m getting tired of working for snooty rich folk. Maybe I need a change of scenery.”

Mark kissed your temple and you hummed, 

“Or maybe I should stay like this all day.”

“I wouldn’t complain,” he teased. 

“But alas, there’s work to be done. Come on, we have to make dinner,” you pushed yourself up and took Mark’s hand, helping him up and dragging him to the kitchen.

You had agreed earlier on what to make for dinner so you easily fell into a rhythm of preparing things together. 

Even though the clouds were grey and it was perpetually raining in London, when you were with Mark, everywhere felt like Greece. 

“Mark, how am I supposed to get any bloody work done when you keep distracting me?” you asked just as he finished pressing yet another kiss to your neck. 

“We could forget about work,” he suggested. 

“As much as that sounds enticing, I’m starving,” you sighed. “And I think we both know what happens when I haven’t had enough to eat.” 

“Yes, I believe we’d like to avoid that,” he nodded his head and went back to chopping up some vegetables. 

“Mark, can you pass me the pepper and paprika please?” you asked, pointed over to his spice cabinet as you walked away from the stove for a minute to go grab something to drink. 

As you bent down to check what was in the fridge, something caught your eye on the counter and you quietly closed the fridge to inspect it. 

“Mark, what’s this?’ you asked, picking up the small box and opening it as he protested only to stare blankly at what was in front of you. 

“Ideally,” he started, “this would not have happened.” 

“I-I just…” your voice trailed off. 

Mark sighed, “You see I was worried this would happen, you’d see this and get scared and run away, and I’ve ruined it, haven’t I.” 

“You mean this is meant for me?” you pointed to the ring, then to yourself. 

He nodded his head.

“When did you get it?” you asked. 

“The day we left Greece,” he rubbed the back of his neck. “See I told you, you would think I was insane-.” 

“I never thought that,” you were grinning, looking up at him. 

“You-You don’t?” he confirmed. 

“Since I’ve ruined the surprise, why don’t you ask me the question and see what my answer is.” you suggested. “Go on.” 

“I-Darling, are you sure you want to do it like this? I could plan something more romantic than being in my kitchen in the middle of making dinner.” 

“No,” you shook your head. “It’s perfect.” 

Mark took a deep breath and walked up to you, taking your hands in his, saying your name in the way he did that made you feel like it was his magic spell that would fix all his problems. 

“Will you-,” 

“Yes,” you interrupted him, unable to even contain your own excitement. 

“You didn’t even let me get the question out,” he chuckled. 

“Sorry, sorry,” you shook your head. “Say it again.” 

“Will you marry me?” 

“Mark Darcy, I would love to marry you,” you grinned and he quickly pulled you in for a searing kiss. 

When you pulled apart, Mark took the ring from the box and slipped it onto your finger. 

“Your parents are going to think we’re insane,” you laughed. 

“And yours won’t?” he poked. 

“Oh I’m sure they will, but-wait, what’s that smell?” you frowned. 

Mark turned around and you looked past him seeing the smoke coming from the pan. 

“Shit!” you exclaimed and quickly went to turn the stove off and move the pan off the hot element. 

You both examined the burnt food and then looked at each other. 

“Take out?” you suggested and he nodded. 

“Thai?” 

“Nah, what about Mexican?” you asked and he shook his head. 

“Indian?” Mark landed on and you nodded. 

“That’s the one.” 

Mark easily reached out his hand and took it in yours before grabbing your coats and heading out the door. 

As you walked down the lit streets, Mark lifted your hands so you could both see the ring glimmering under the streetlamps. 

“I think it looks complete with a ring,” you said. “Don’t you?” 

“I surely do,” he nodded and pressed a kiss to your hand. “I love you, my darling.” 

You smiled fondly at him, “I love you too.” 

—

Several years later…

Mark never got tired of going to sleep and waking up next to you every single day. If anything, his heart longed for you to be next to him when he was away on trips for work. 

Tonight was no different, except it was a little sweeter on this occasion, it always was when he was coming back from being away. 

He quietly got changed and slipped into bed next to you and you jolted awake, turning around excitedly. 

“Jesus, Mark! When did you get here?” you asked. 

“Moments ago,” he chuckled. 

“I tried to stay awake,” you yawned. “I really did.” 

“Well, you’re up now,” he kissed you. “And I suppose that means we can fall back asleep together.” 

“Yes, but before we do that, I have something I wanted to ask you,” you started. “I’ve been thinking about this when you were away and I was wondering what you think of maybe having a little one join us?” 

“You mean like Lucy?” he looked over at the corgi sleeping at the foot of the bed. “I suppose we could get another puppy-,” 

“Mark, not a puppy,” you laughed. “A baby.” 

“A baby,” he hummed thoughtfully. It was something he always assumed he would have, it seemed like the next logical progression of things, and when Mark thought of having a miniature version of you running through the hallways of your home, he was sold. “I think, if you’re ready of course, maybe we should start trying.” 

“Really?” you grinned. 

“It’s an easy decision,” he kissed your nose. “I would take any chance to bring more of your light to the world.” 

You gently reached out for Mark’s cheek and looked at him lovingly. 

“Funny, I was thinking the same about you.” 

You both shared a sweet kiss, and Mark let his lips stray away from your lips, kissing along your jaw then your neck. 

“You know, we could start trying now,” he murmured. “No harm in getting a head start.” 

“Well, I am awake,” you raised your brows and squealed playfully while he pulled you on top of him. 

After a little bit more discussion in the following days, you and Mark had gotten yourselves as prepared as you could for life as a family of three. Mark was determined to make sure your finances were in line and what both of your work lives would look like once a baby came into the picture. With that sorted you began trying, and weeks turned into months, which turned into a year, and then another, still with nothing. 

Mark could see how difficult it was getting, each time you went in with a little light of hope in your eyes, but it continuously became dimmer and dimmer with each negative result. 

At this point, you both wanted it so badly, but nothing you were doing seemed to do the trick so to speak. 

Mark waited patiently outside the washroom while you went in there with another test, by now you had both lost count. When you came out he could see that the test still wasn’t done, so you both waited in silence by the kitchen counters for the three agonizing minutes to pass. 

When your watch beeped, you hesitated before lifting the test up to your face to see what the results were. Mark was standing across from you and he watched as all hope and energy drained from face and how quickly your shoulders began to shake while you covered your face with your hand and began to sob. 

Mark quickly came to your side and wrapped you up in his arms, taking the test away from you and placing it on the counter, allowing you to feel the weight on your chest, but also lean on him. 

“I-I’m so sorry, Mark,” you shook your head. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” 

“There’s nothing wrong with you,” he shook his head. “It’s just a hurdle, we’ll jump over it like we always do.” 

“I don’t know how much more I can take,” you cried softly into his shoulder. “It’s been two years since we started trying, Mark.” 

“Then let’s press pause,” he whispered and kissed your temple, he could feel a few tears welling in his own eyes, not only was his heart crushed by the state you were in, but regardless of how much he let on, he wanted this too. 

After a few more moments in silence together you told Mark you were going to call in sick at the museum and just take the day. 

“Do you want me to stay with you?” he asked. 

“No, you have important things to do at work, you should go,” you said as you walked back into your room. 

Mark watched from the doorway as you walked to your side of the bed and slipped back under the covers. 

“Are you sure?” he checked again. 

“I’m sure,” you nodded. 

He came in and kissed your temple once more, whispering a soft I love you which you returned. 

Mark gathered his things and headed out the door, calling a taxi to come and pick him up. As he sat in the car and an overwhelming feeling came over him, he was about halfway to work when he couldn’t sit with it any longer. 

“Can we please turn the car around,” he asked. “Just take me back to where you picked me up,” he told the driver while dialing a number on his phone. 

“Hello?” a man’s voice on the other line responded. 

“Paul, it’s Mark, I’m not going to be able to come to work today, something came up at home and I have to be with my wife.” 

“I’m sure the world won’t burn down without you for one day,” Paul assured him. “Go be with your wife. You both barely took any time off for your honeymoon anyways.” 

“Thank you, Paul. Call me if you need anything that I can do from home.” 

“I won’t. Like I said, go be with your wife.” 

Mark chuckled and they hung up the phone. He’d always had a hard time letting go of work, but sometimes it was a little easier when it came to you, and you both agreed there were a few things in your relationship that not even an urgent case could pull Mark away from. In his opinion, this was one of them. 

When he entered the house again, he tossed his keys on the front table and slipped off his shoes while loosening his tie. 

Coming back into the room again, he could see you were still curled up in the bed and Mark came carefully placing himself behind you and wrapping an arm around your waist. 

“You came back?” you asked. 

“This is more important than work,” he said. “Someone else can save the world today.” 

You turned around and pressed your face into his chest, holding him so tightly. 

“Thank you for coming,” you mumbled. “It hurts a little less when you’re around.” 

“I feel the same,” he kissed your hairline. “And regardless of how things turn out, whether you get pregnant, or we adopt, or decide not to have a baby after all, we’ll still have each other.” 

You looked up at him with a small smile, 

“No regrets?” you asked, but he could tell you were teasing. 

“Never,” he leaned down and kissed you and you knew he meant it. 

—

A few more years later… 

Mark stood outside the front door to his home, looking down at what was in his hands in contemplation. What would be the best way to break the news to you? He could just come in and show you, but perhaps it would be best to tell you slowly, he could manage that, he just had to use his skills as a lawyer and it would be easy as pie, you wouldn’t even know what had hit you. 

With one last deep breath, Mark swung the door open and stepped inside. 

“Darling, I’m home!” he called. 

“Oh good!” you called, “I have something I want to tell you.” 

Mark frowned curiously, and thought to himself what could it be that you had to tell him? 

He hid his one hand behind his back and climbed up the stairs, meeting you in the living room. 

“What was it you wanted to tell me?” you asked when you stepped into the room from the hallway. 

“What did you want to tell me?” he asked in return. 

“Maybe we should go on three?” you suggested and Mark nodded. 

“1…” 

“2…”

“3.” 

“I bought another dog.” “I’m pregnant.” 

Mark’s jaw dropped as he now held the baby dachshund puppy in front of him. 

“You’re-You’re what?!” he repeated. 

“You bought another dog?!” you looked with surprise at the puppy in front of you. 

“I just thought Lucy was getting lonely, and we could use the extra energy in the house, but wait,” he paused, placing the small puppy on a soft spot of the carpet. “You said you’re…” 

“Pregnant,” you smiled. 

“But I thought-,” 

“We couldn’t have kids?” you filled in for him and he nodded. “Turns out impossible sometimes means: very, very, very, very unlikely.” 

“We’re going to have a baby,” Mark said softly to himself. “My God, we’re going to have a baby!” 

He scooped you up in his arms and pressed a smacking kiss to your lips and you joked, 

“Took us long enough.” 

To which Mark laughed and said, 

“I know right.” 

“Now, I think someone on the carpet wants our attention,” you moved over to pick up the small puppy who was wagging its tail excitedly. “What’s your name, little one?” 

“Maisie. She’s a rescue,” Mark said, wrapping his arms around you again from behind. 

“A baby, and a puppy,” you shook your head. “It’s perfect, don’t you think?” 

Lucy barked and you both laughed. 

“Someone certainly thinks so,” Mark commented before bending down to pick Lucy up so she could meet her new sister. 

“It will be a full house, that’s for sure,” you kissed Mark’s cheek, “but something tells me that’s what will make it fun.” 

—

Nine months passed like a whirlwind and before you knew it, your beautiful baby Ana was here with minimal complications, leaving you with a very healthy baby. 

The first time Mark held her in his arms you knew it was love at first sight, and you didn’t think you’d ever seen him smile that big.

“How am I supposed to go back to work when she’s growing every second,” Mark sighed and whispered as you held the napping baby in your arms, sitting up in your bed. 

“You could try it out and see what it’s like,” you suggested. “Or maybe you could do consulting from home for a bit, until she’s a little older. Do you think they would let you do that?” 

“They might,” he nodded. “They’ll probably call the police to report a missing person first.” 

“Come on Mark, you’re not that bad,” you chuckled. “Okay, maybe you are, but you’ve always made time for what’s important. Trust me, especially if you talk to Paul, he’d be surprised if you didn’t quit.” 

“I’ll call tomorrow and speak with the firm to see what they’ll allow,” he said.

“Are you sure you won’t miss working cases too much, and you won’t be too cooped up in the house with us?” 

“I’m sure, and like you said, if it works out I can always reevaluate when she’s older.” 

He looked back down at his daughter and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. 

“Don’t you think she’s just the most beautiful baby you’ve ever laid eyes on,” you sighed, leaning into your husband’s shoulder. 

“The most beautiful indeed,” he turned his head and kissed your temple. “Just like her mother.” 

“Mark, I’m literally a week postpartum after a geriatric pregnancy, no one looks good after that,” you laughed. 

“You have the glow of motherhood,” he insisted. “And your smile still hasn’t changed,” the corner of your mouth with his thumb. 

“Sweat and delirium, my love,” you responded. “But either way,” you looked down at Ana once more. “I still can’t believe she’s really here.”

“Neither can I,” Mark spoke softly, leaning down to kiss your shoulder. “Our daughter.” 

“Have you thought about what you want her to call you?” you asked. 

“I was thinking Papa, but I’m not sure it suits me, but she’s far too young to be training her.”

“Speak for yourself, I’ve already started to teach her how to say mum,” you teased which made Mark chuckle. 

Ana started to move and shift in your arms and you could sense she was waking up to be fed. 

“Unfortunately, I can’t be much help for this,” Mark said. “But I can go into the kitchen and warm up one of those lasagnes your mother made when she visited so that we can have something to eat.” 

“Sounds splendid,” you kissed your husband’s cheek and exchanged quick "I love yous" before moving on with your respective tasks. 

No matter how tired you got over the next couple of months, you both would never forget that feeling, the one of gratitude that by some chance of life, you were able to create the little human being in your arms. 

—

“Sweetheart, are you sure you’re okay to do today alone?” you asked. 

“I’m sure,” Mark insisted, “look at us,” he pointed to the baby carrier fitted with a recently one year old Ana. “I’ve got phone consultations lined up for the day and some simple casework. You should go before you’re late.”

“Goodness, you’re right,” you looked down at your watch. “They really don’t tell you how hard it is to leave.”

Mark quickly kissed you goodbye and you kissed Ana, lingering a little longer, not knowing how you’d last a full day without your little girl. 

“Alright, goodbye my loves, I’ll miss you,” you blew them both kisses and Ana giggled which made you smile as you headed down the stairs and quickly ran out the door to get into your taxi. 

Back inside Mark slowly began to get into the groove of things. 

“Today is Papa and Ana banana’s day,” he smiled and kissed the top of her head, listening to her babble. She’d do that whenever he called her Ana banana and sometimes he’d do it just to hear her little attempt at speech and communication. “Alright, shall we get to work?” 

Ana bounced in her carrier, smiling brightly. 

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Mark grinned. 

Having already felt with breakfast, Mark put on an earpiece and began making his necessary phone calls, walking around his home office consulting on matters pertaining to different cases he was consulting on. 

After about an hour or so Ana began to get a little fussy and Mark assumed she wanted to move around a bit, so he took her out of her carrier and placed her inside an enclosed play area in his office while he did some paperwork. 

He loved any time he would get to spend with Ana, even if it meant working from home. 

The rest of the day went by in a flash and by the time you got home both Mark and Ana were taking a nap on the couch. Ana was lying on top of Mark’s chest drooling on his shirt and Mark still had his bluetooth in his ear. 

It was a sight to see and you quickly snapped a picture before either of them awoke. 

Carefully you took Ana off of Mark and went to place her in her cot and woke up Mark, knowing if he stayed asleep any longer he wouldn’t be able to sleep that night.

“Where’s Ana?” he asked immediately and you chuckled. 

“I put her in the cot. Your father-daughter day go as planned?” 

“Exactly,” he nodded and you kissed his cheek. 

“Come on, I brought home dinner. You can tell me all about it.”

You took Mark by the hand and dragged him to the kitchen, making sure to turn the baby monitor on in case Ana woke up. 

You grabbed your takeout and sat on the counter, eating your food, watching Mark and listening to him recount all of the cute things Ana did throughout the day. 

Even though more of your meals had become store bought and you were running around in every direction, it was always all worth it when at the end of the day you could sit together and visit, especially with Ana at your side. 

—

“I think we should go, don’t you?” you placed the invitation back on the table. “It’s a good excuse to go on vacation again and it’s around the area where we met. It could be romantic.”

Mark looked skeptical. 

“I’m not sure it’s the best idea, perhaps we could go another time.”

“Isn’t this your friend getting married?” you asked. “Come on Mark, please? Right Ana darling? Don’t you wanna go too?”

“Yes Papa,” she stood up in her chair and clasped her small hands together. “Please!” 

Mark looked over at his wife and daughter and shook his head. 

“Alright, I’ll look into the tickets,” he said and you grinned and Ana clapped. 

“Your first real vacation Miss Ana, what do you think?” you kissed her cheek. 

“I don’t know,” she shrugged. “I’ve never been on vacation.”

Mark chuckled and picked up his now six-year-old daughter, 

“Well, your mum and I met on vacation,” Mark told her. “She was very clumsy.”

“And your papa was very-”

“Handsome,” Mark tickled Ana and she squealed. “Now before your mum can correct me, why don’t we go look for flights, Ana banana.”

“Alright, Papa,” Ana agreed. 

“Ah ah ah,” you scooped Ana out of Mark’s hands. “After she finishes her dinner.” 

Ana quickly jumped out of your arms and went to eat her food as fast as she could so she could join her dad. 

“Slow down, sweetheart you’re going to choke,” you chuckled as she pushed her plate away from herself, saying,

“Done!” with her mouth half full of food. 

In the end you got what you wanted because three short months later you had landed in Greece and were on your way to the location of the wedding being held for Mark’s friend. 

“Mark, isn’t this the dock where we met?” you asked, looking around at the benches as scenery that looked very familiar. “Yes, I think it is, look, there’s that hotel I stayed at.”

“Mum, this is where you and Papa met?” Ana asked and you nodded. 

“What a lovely coincidence that is,” you smiled and kissed your daughter's cheek. 

Mark just gave you a small smile as you awaited the ferry and after you boarded the crowded boat, you squished into a few seats with Ana sitting half on your leg and half on Mark’s. 

“I guess you finally have the chance to take this ferry,” you laughed a little to yourself, but you could help but notice that Mark was awfully quiet. You figured you’d ask him about it later, maybe once you’d settled in your hotel room, but first on your list was to mingle with the rest of the wedding guests and the bride and groom in some of the hotel common areas. 

All three of you couldn’t have been more happy to get off that boat and Ana was excited to have a little run around before coming back and holding one of your hands and one of Mark’s. 

“Did you and Papa come here, Mum?” Ana asked while swinging both her arms. 

“No, we didn’t,” you shook your head. “I guess we were just waiting to come with you.” 

“Well you waited a long time.” 

That made you both chuckle as you finally finished your walk and arrived at the hotel. 

“Should we check in or-?” 

“Mark!” you all turned when you heard his name only to see a bright smiling blonde woman coming your way. “Mark, it’s so good to see you, I’m so glad you could make it.”

She gave him a big hug before taking a step back and introducing herself to both you and Ana.

“I’m Bridget,” she said. “It’s so nice to meet you all, you must be Mark’s family.”

“Yes,” you grinned. “And you’re the bride!” 

“Guilty,” she laughed. “I wasn’t sure if you’d come or not, but I figured I’d throw the invitation out there.” 

“Oh, why wouldn’t he come?” you asked curiously, not noticing Mark’s tense reaction. 

“It’s just, after Mark and I broke up I came to Greece, oh what was it, around ten fifteen years ago, and I just hoped it wasn’t a sore subject still, but I can see it isn’t,” she pointed at you and Ana. “I’m so happy for you guys.”

You wanted to respond, but your mouth seemed to stop working. You heard Mark do it for you and quickly excused you all so you could check into the hotel. 

You could hear your name being said a few times when finally a gentle hand on your shoulder pulled you out of your trance. 

“Ana, can you do Papa a favour and go over there and spend time with aunt Jude?” he asked. 

“Okay,” she nodded and chased after her father’s friend’s wife leaving just you and Mark. 

You turned to him with a hurt look on your face, 

“You came to Greece to chase after her didn’t you,” you said quietly. “That’s why I found you on the dock; that’s why you were waiting for the ferry.”

Mark chewed on his lip and nodded. 

“And you didn’t think to tell me she was your ex before letting me convince myself it was a good idea to come here?” 

“Darling, you were so excited and I didn’t think it mattered-,”

“Mark, please,” you shook your head. “I just-,” you paused and took a breath. “I need some time.” 

You took some of your things and went to the front desk to check into the hotel while Mark went to join Jude who had Ana in her arms. He made friendly conversation until you were done and you collected Ana and went upstairs to your room in silence. 

“Ana, how are you feeling, my love?” you asked. 

“I’m a little sleepy,” she admitted. “Is it bedtime soon?” 

“Mhmm,” you nodded. “We’ll all get ready and tuck in early, how does that sound?” 

She yawned, “Good.” 

Once you got in the room, you started to help Ana get changed while Mark got out your toiletries and easily took over when it came to teeth brushing. You took the time to get changed and settled, giving Ana a book to flip through while you and Mark both silently got ready for bed and slipped in the bed on either side of Ana. 

You slept close to the edge, your back turned away from the centre so Ana naturally decided to curl closer to father. 

“Is Mum okay?” Ana asked in a quiet mumble. 

“I hope so,” Mark kissed her head. “Why don’t we go to sleep, maybe we’ll all feel a little better in the morning.” 

You hoped deep down Mark was right. 

—

“Why isn’t Mum coming with us to the beach?” Ana asked while Mark helped her put on some sunscreen. 

“She just needs some time to herself,” Mark said simply. “You know how Mum and Papa sometimes like to have alone time.” 

“Yeah, but we’re on vacation,” she tilted her head. “Do you think she’ll come later?” 

“Maybe Ana banana, I’m not sure. I think Papa might have hurt her feelings by accident,” he admitted. 

“Did you say you were sorry?” she asked. 

“I did, but sometimes we need to say sorry and give some alone time, too.” 

Ana nodded her head thoughtfully, “Okay, then let’s go to the beach so she can have her alone time.”

Mark nodded his head and took his daughter’s hand in one of his and grabbed a bag in the other and they headed out to the beach together. 

Ana was adamant on starting off with a sandcastle, but both her and Mark found out quickly it was a little harder than it looked in all the movies, so they quickly abandoned that task to go for a swim. Ana had always enjoyed being in the water and Mark loved seeing how much she was enjoying herself. He just wished you were there to see it with him. 

He tried to keep his focus on Ana for the time being, knowing he would hopefully have a moment later to talk to you, but the day passed so quickly and before he knew it you were back in bed resting to prepare for the rehearsal dinner the next day. 

The next morning, Mark made a point to speak with you before you went down for breakfast, knowing if he left it he may not catch you until dinner. 

“I spoke with Jude,” he started, “she can look after Ana this afternoon so we can talk.” 

“Alright,” you nodded. “We can meet on the terrace.” 

Mark agreed and before you left, quickly reached for your hand to give it a squeeze. 

You chewed on your lip before squeezing it back, he was still your husband and you still loved him regardless of your hurt. 

The afternoon couldn’t come fast enough for Mark, he waited anxiously by the terrace after dropping Ana off with Jude, at least she’d have fun playing with her friends. 

“Mark,” you waved him down by the stairs. “Come on, let's walk,” you suggested. 

He jogged to catch up with you and you walked side by side down the stairs and further along into the streets, busy with traffic and locals, just going about their daily business. 

“I figured I should probably tell you the whole story of how I ended up in Greece,” Mark said, shoving his hands in his pockets. 

You nodded your head and motioned for him to continue. 

“After Bridget and I broke up, for the second time mind you, I thought I had to chase after because in my mind I thought she was the person I was going to spend the rest of my life with,” he said truthfully. “So I wound up on that bench on the dock, mourning my losses as she came to the island and I was stuck on the mainland.”

“You wanted to marry her?” you asked. 

“I thought I did,” he clarified, “but then I met you.” 

“Mark-,” 

“You know me, darling. I’m terrible with emotional declarations, which is probably why I never managed to tell you how quickly I fell in love with you,” he admitted. “I was set to pack my bags and go home, but you convinced me, somehow just in your demeanour to stay, and so I did and spent ten of the most wonderful days of my life by your side. It made me realize the reason I came to Greece wasn’t for Bridget, I came because I had to meet you.” 

You looked up at Mark and saw him staring down at his shoes. 

“It never occurred to me to mention her because of how clear my future looked with you in it. How clear it still looks.” 

“And how does it look?” you asked. 

“Well,” he sighed. “Ana grows up and becomes a lawyer of course.” 

You chuckled at that. 

“And as she grows we retire eventually, move into that rundown cottage in the countryside we always talk about buying. They come up with some way to keep dogs alive forever and we grow old, fixing our cottage with Lucy and Maisie and Ana visits us on weekends, eventually with a husband and our grandchildren. It’s quiet and simple, but it’s us.” 

You smiled a little to yourself and leaned your head against his arm which he easily wrapped around you. 

“How uncomfortable was that for you?” you asked, knowing your husband wasn’t often fond of talking about his feelings.

“Unbearable,” he said, “but worth it.” 

“Good,” you turned his head to face you and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “I’d love to grow old with you, Mark Darcy. Although I’m already convinced we have a little bit, the hotel bed is really not doing it for my back.” 

“That’s funny, I was going to say the pillows for my neck,” Mark teased and you nudged him a little. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier.” 

“I’m sorry I doubted you had a very romantic reason for not telling me,” you joked while circling back towards the hotel. Ana caught both of your eyes and she waved at you, rushing down to meet you at the bottom of the stairs, much to Jude’s worry. 

“Mum, is your alone time done?” Ana asked. 

“Yes it is, my dear,” you laughed and bent down to kiss her forehead. 

“Good, cause you need to come see this trick I learned!” she exclaimed, grabbing both yours and Mark’s hands and pulling you up the stairs. 

@/iceman-kazansky

[nexerist]

Heyyyyy, so I got into writing since work hasn't given me time to actually work on my art. It will soon be resolved in a few weeks, then back to posting more often. I am making a comic again and almost done with it so I don't promise projects that won't come.

Enough about me, and let's get to you! This is a thunderstorm comfort I wrote a while back on AO3 and forgot to post it here. My collection is called Nebula Kisses. This one-shot can be seen as platonic or romantic, next one is more on the romance side but still can be platonic if you wish. But so I don't clog your feed, I'll post the next chapter tomorrow or later but within the week!

I also apologize for the weird formatting, this was written on my phone during the time so I don't have the fancy indents or proper grammar check.

Thank you for sticking around with my inconsistencies, I wish I had more time.

So much love,

Nexi

Breath |Sun/Moon x Scared!Reader|

[Power had gone out, leaving Sun and Moon to look for you in the dark. However, you are absolutely horrified of thunderstorms.]

The daycare was lit up during the town wide blackout. The rumbling generators along with the constant loop of the daycare music, Sunnydrop was busy awaiting got his favorite visitor. Who might that be, well none other than the security guard who is ordered to look out for the lobby, green rooms, and of course, the daycare. Y/N is what they call themselves, which Sunny really liked that when they mentioned it to him, he walked around repeating it like a song.

But they were late, a half hour late. He taps his foot impatiently, he checks the attendance and sees that they did clock in. What were they doing? Did they get lost? It's impossible to miss his big daycare! Surely you didn't forget either, his lovely face was everywhere, that had to remind you to check on him.

A quiet rumble of the storm outside rang through the building. According to the weather, it was going to be a rough and long storm ahead. Heard it was going to last until morning.

Sun, getting impatient, decided to look for them himself. Feeling confident, he takes his long strides to the daycare door, his hand reaching for the door knob. He felt himself pause for just a moment. He hasn't really left daycare, not that he can't leave, but it was risky. Last time he left was to take care of that rulebreaker and set up some banned signs around Kids Cove, but that was the furthest he went in a very long time. Sun was still very angry about it, but it did reopen the daycare after Freddy left. So maybe he should forgive him? Nah, he needs to apologize first.

Sun shakes his head, he was getting off track. He opens the daycare door, mind back on his mission. To find his Starshine. He takes his long strides, making sure to stay near the light and flashing signs. The easy part was now over as he got to the entrance door that faced the slide back into his daycare.

As soon as he opened the door with great confidence, he saw that is was pitch black. Maybe his friend did get lost, with this darkness and no flashlight, it would be nearly impossible to find him! Not taking into consideration of muscle and location memory. He felt Moon stirring from inside.

“Moon, sorry to wake you up from your nap. Our dear friend is missing and I had hope to do it myself! But uh... Looks like I can't do much.” He spoke aloud. Silence rang through his head, awaiting for his alter ego to speak.

Moon was recently having a fit, and not talking. This happened since Eclipse disappeared into the arcade cabinet when he was playing that discount floppy bird game. Moon had tried to get him out by playing the game, but something happened to him too. He became mostly unresponsive, giving out short phrases or sentences.

Sun would hear his alter giggle, which relieved Sun that Moon was at least in a good mood. Sun takes in a false breath of courage and walked into the dark. If he could close his eyes, he would've. The familiar pain in his face shocked through him, making him grab at it. He feels his rays click into his head on at a time, unlocking his chest compartment which his infamous hat was held in. It started from his fingers, the oranges and silver turned to white and blue.

Sun felt himself pull back and release control. He now stood outside and watched Moon take his hat and place it up on his head. Moon crouched down and stretches his legs, then start crawling on the floor towards the wall. Sun, not wanting to be alone, would do his best to follow.

“Little Star has gone missing.” Is what Moon would say before climbing up the wall and opening a vent to crawl through. He started to giggle and cackle, it echoing through the building and alerting that Moon was out early. The glamrocks retreating to their green rooms as to not go to parts and services.

*×*×*×*×*×*

You had entered the building on time, rarely ever late. Today has been storming hard, the rain pattering hard on the glass of the lobby entrance. Things were up and normal, doing your normal tasks. Checked stock, picked up any lost and found items to either throw away or await for the owner to come in the next day to pick it up. As you head into lost and found, that was when you heard it. It started as a small rumble before the sky roared a building shaking thunder, knocking the power out.

You have always been afraid of thunder since you were young. Not that you could explain it to anyone without the fear of being made fun of for a childish fear. It wasn't childish to you, it was real, the sense of dread and fear that paralyzed you proved it. You drop to the floor, staying as close to the ground as you could. If you could just find your flashlight, you had to crawl around a bit to then heard another rumble.

It took your breath away, your hands shaking as you retrieve the flashlight. Trying to find some solace in the light, you put your thumb on the switch and pushed up. Click. Click-click. Nothing. The flashlight, so cheap that it doesn't even last a hour with full charge, was dead and the charging stations were down. You were in the dark, the loud storm rattling the outside shutter doors, making it very loud and overwhelming.

You grab a blanket from the shelf and put it over you and your head. It just felt safer when surrounded by the soft fabric. Peaking through the opening, you hesitantly get on your feet again. You still had a job to do, but it was going to be slower. You would like your paycheck still and you knew how stingy the company was, taking your panic and finding a way to no pay you.

You would manage to get out of lost and found in the dark. On your way out, a little glow in the dark Monty was resting in a stroller. It must've been left behind but picking it up, it still had its tag and security pin. Rather, someone tried to steal it. It did produce light, enough to get around at least. However, these toys don't glow in the dark for too long. Got maybe, a solid twenty minutes? It's been dark for five, so fifteen. You did your best to scamper to the green rooms and peak around.

You arrive and you see the famous glamrocks interacting with each other. Monty with Roxy and Chica, heading back towards their respective rooms. Monty had taken over as temporary lead as they remade a new Freddy. They did have to use the scraped Mr. Hippo glamrock to fill the fourth spot. Your train of thought was cut off as another loud crash of thunder rang through the building. You huddle against a corner and put the blanket over your head again.

“Why... Why now... Why can't you come when it was after work...” You mutter as you croutch down and felt tears prick your eyes. Another crash finally made you crack, you try to hold back your tears but they started to stream down your face. All you felt was dread, paralyzing fear that. You wanted to scream in fear but that would reveal your fear. You try to be fearless, not let anything bother you. When you first met Sun and Moon, they were rather surprised that you approached them. You had a fascination with how they acted and looked. It was endearing, when you took the time to watch them and interact that even under their rough attitude and words, they were lonely.

Lonely.

Another crash, you were shaking and on the ground. Hands over your ears and a quiet sobbing from your blanket shell. You were too scared to notice the vent opening and the giggling of a certain jester. One with the Moon rather than the sun. The jester made his round, single red eye darting around to find something. Then he hears the sobbing, unfamiliar to his sensors. Crawling over, he finds the shaking blanket of which the sobbing came from. When he lifted the blanket that was when he saw you. Your glow in the dark Monty plush was almost out of glow, leaving you in almost pure darkness.

Moon was all you saw now, his eye lit up the small space. He tilts his head in confusion.

“Why is Little Star hiding? No monsters are here, just Moon” He spoke, unsure to react to the crying. You quickly wipe your face and sniffle, putting up your strong front.

“Cause uhh, I was playing a game..?” You made it sound more like a question than an answer. Of course, it was a lie, so Moon leaned closer.

“Then why cry? Liar, liar I hate liars. Speak truth.” Moon wipes a tear from your cheek. But as you go to answer, the loudest crash of thunder lands. It shook the building again, making the lights flicker and power back off. You yelp and cling onto Moon. You try to get as close as you could, fingers slipping a tad just for you to scramble to get your grip. You breathing escalated and felt the verge of hyperventilation. You weren't expecting anything from Moon, never was the touchy one unlike Sun who couldn't stop having tiny touches and bumps.

But you then felt mechanical arms wrap around you. He sat down and pulled you onto his lap, cradling you close to him. He gently rocks back and fourth, winding his broken chest music box. He was taking nap time protocol with some modifications. His broken music box plays a soft tune, though in some places it wobbled.

“Breathe. Deep breaths. It will be okay..” Moon whispers. You try to follow his instructions, still freaking out. Your shaking breath and hiccups try to find a rhythm. Moon rests his blue hand and rubs gently up and down your back. It was slow. “Breathe in..” He whispers, his hand gliding up slowly, helping you follow. You take a shuttering breath in, slow like his hand. It stops, in which you held your breath. “Breathe out...” His hand runs back down and you sigh out. It was then looped

Moon would then carry you, you holding onto him with your legs around his thin waist, him with a arm under you and one on your back to keep the rhythm going. He adjusted the blanket to keep it over your head.

He arrives back to the door of the daycare, avoiding the light, he hooked his arm around the wall to find the light switch to turn off the lights. He finds it and flicks it off, hearing the buzzing electricity stop. He peeks in to make sure and then walks in. He takes the long way around and gets inside the daycare. He would have the fly hook attach to his back and he glides over to his and Sun's tower.

“... Moon..? Why are we here..?” You asked, hearing the rumble again and wincing at the noise. Moon would hold you close as he goes back to crawling. He crawls through a small hole off to the side and see that it was a small hiding place. There was boxes, drawings, a mattress with a few pillows. There was also an arcade cabinet in the corner with the screen busted.

“Hide away, storm won't follow here.. Safe here..” He crawls onto the mattress and lays you next to him. The rumbles of the storms were dampened, making it barely audible. With the help of Moon's music box as well, he pets your head.

“... Thank you.” You mumble out, only for Moon respond with a fake click of his tongue. He giggled a bit and curled up around you, his legs are under yours, making you rest yours on top of his. You both cuddle up under the blanket, Moon rubbing your back to keep the deep breath rhythm.

A very loud roar of the sky fills the room, and you both tense up and huddle. A few more tears fall and Moon quickly wipes them away. It was the first time you would ever see Moon have a slight shake in his hand. He was afraid too, of thunder and storms. He was able to repress his fear as his tip top priority was to make sure you were okay first. But he felt as if he needed to keep up this false confidence that you could remain calm.

You mimic his movements, running your hand on his back in a soothing motion.

“Breathe...” You both say at the same time. You get as close as you two could and comforted each other. Moon pecks the top of your head. He felt safe with you, and you felt safe with him. For someone as reclusive as Moon, this was a good bonding experience that neither of you would forget.

[twig-gy]

i think with all the soulheart, heartmind, etc. we should have soulmind. i dont know

yeah the only reason soulmind is my least favored is that there needs to be a catalyst. heart is the catalyst. the problem with soul is that he feels dirty contacting ‘the ids’ in any way that is remotely friendly, and the problem with mind is that he doesn’t want to be that vulnerable or expose he has emotions at all. heart is the one forcing them into (absolutely wanted, just they’d never admit it) contact. so the circumstances would have to be really specific because soul&mind’s issues are thicker than nonamerican walls supposedly are. so for soul’s part: he sees touching mind as falling within his religion, not against it. maybe it’s homoerotic violence. that, or it’s an indulgence, a secret, deniable from himself. i don’t think he’s very willing for that though. (the last option is that it’s when soul is denouncing whole. maybe it’s post to love sound again. maybe it’s a lapse. i don’t know.) and i don’t see mind as even liking soul very much because of Religion. presuming he does like n want soul, though, does he have the ability to reach out? i’d say, only if he can convince himself it’s logical. either in a flimsy paper thin way, or because it actually is logical. i don’t think he would reach out in any other circumstance.

like: soul prying away mind’s halo. soul wrapping a rope around mind’s throat. soul reopening mind’s wounds. as punishment, to show him something, because he doesn’t deserve it. mind bathing soul. mind bandaging the rope burns around his throat. mind slashing lines on soul’s skin. as punishment, as solution, as needed care. i think it could work but in a way even more hidden and deniable and subtle than solar eclipse in cacophony. mind cooking soul meals and putting up his hair. yet soul couldn’t let himself reciprocate. mind opening soul’s door to check if he’s still alive and soul, when mind won’t leave (out of want), pulling mind to his side, pressing mind’s arm against his heartbeat. soul telling mind - i’m not dead, not yet. none of them having the wherewithal to leave. staining their hands with the other’s blood out of punishment for all of the things they have done - out of ‘this is the only way i can contact you’. out of ‘i want to know you inside and out’. out of ‘please, please, i want you’. mind may want to kill soul at times, but wanting to kill someone is, after all, still wanting them, and it’s about the same for soul.

[fivenightsatfreddysfanfiction]

Cascade - Part 1

Domino pieces, seemingly unconnected, topple each other over distance and time, converging on a single point...

==============

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Time: 1999 Location: Hurricane, Utah

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“With your, ah, need for special accommodations,” the job counselor carefully worded his remarks as he looked through the forms in the folder in his hands, “there really isn’t much work available. A shame your previous employment is currently closed for reconstruction.”

Mike shrugged, grimacing at the two thoughts waging war about that; joy and relief that he wouldn’t be fighting for his life every night now and frustration that his goal of buying a ring for Doll was now up in limbo. “I’ll take anything at this point, just get me something that pays and doesn’t put me in the hospital by Friday,” he said, looking at the stack of papers that probably had all kinds of juicy jobs.

Probably jobs for people who didn’t have missing chunks of brain and anger issues...

“Well, according to Fazbear Entertainment, your store location should reopen eventually and will gladly hire you back on, so maybe temporary work will do until then?” the counselor suggested and brightened, reaching for the stack and shuffling the papers quickly. “Actually, now that I think about it, Fazbear Entertainment’s animatronic supplier is looking to hire some people for loading and unloading materials at their location. Would that be something you’d be interested in?”

‘Hell fuckin’ no.’ “Sure, sign me up. I can carry shit easy,” Mike replied with a strained smile and two thumbs up. The counselor looked pleased and he wondered if that look would stick to the man’s desk before shaking off the thought. At least he had something to get by on since the unemployment checks ran out and the guilt of relying on Doll’s job to make ends meet was getting to him.

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First day at the new temporary job, as the hairs on Mike’s neck stood abruptly once he actually stepped into the building and he long ago learned to pay attention to those weird tells or risk getting stuffed, and he already wanted to just spin on his heel and walk out. The place was decently staffed so he wasn’t by himself and no one seemed interested in small talk which saved him from sticking his foot in his mouth. No, the issue was the number of endoskeleton parts being packed into boxes along with the familiar outer coverings of Freddy Fazfuck and his dipshit friends.

Right, the guy said ‘animatronic supplier’, right? Mike checked the note he had scribbled down after the meeting with the job counselor some days back to remind himself why he was stressed more than usual to refresh the memory, then looked up at the wall of the loading dock.

Afton Robotics, LLC.

“Yeah, I ain’t rememberin’ that,” Mike grumbled to himself, pressing on despite the urge to walk away and find another job. Yard work, maybe, or pushing buttons for people on elevators. He held up a hand to the one person who stood around doing nothing but check a clipboard and a computer, guessing that the guy was probably the one in charge. “Hey, I’m a new hire. Where do I clock in?” he greeted flatly.

The manager blinked owlishly at him before looking to his computer. “Name,” he replied just as neutrally.

“Mike Schmidt.”

The manager blinked again but didn’t look back at him. “Full name.”

Mike sighed internally. “Michael. Elizabeth. Schmidt.” he said slowly and watched the guy tap away at the keyboard before reaching under the desk the computer rested on. When he pulled out a box with what looked like a uniform and some weird toy-like thing, Mike relaxed. Okay, first hurdle cleared.

“This will be your uniform for the logistics department. This is your Hand Unit. You clock in with that and receive instructions through it.” the manager told him briskly and gestured to the other workers, “Your job is simple enough. Just like the others here, you unload materials from incoming trucks and load completed orders into the outgoing trucks.”

“I clock in with the toy thing?” Mike asked dubiously, holding up the orange and red object in his hand. It felt like it was made of plastic, heavy and expensive but breakable in his grip.

“Yes, just put your name in and your start time. Keep it on you at all times,” the manager told him and pulled a holster for the unit out of the box with Mike’s uniform, “It helps keep employees from getting.. lost.”

Red flag.

“Lost.” Mike repeated flatly, eyes narrowing a little at the holster before flicking over to the manager’s expressionless face.

“Employees who wander into restricted areas tend to get lost. This helps us find them and get them where they belong,” he explained neutrally.

More red flags.

“Right.” Mike glanced around, searching out the units on the other workers. Yep, each of them wore holsters with orange and red handles sticking out of them. Everything was put back into the box and Mike picked it up as the manager pointed out where the employee changing rooms were so he could put on the uniform.

The uniform was a pale bluish green coverall set. Changing out of the clothes he walked into the building with and into the uniform, Mike considered the idea of ditching the job once more before finally setting it aside. He needed the money and he’d probably be safe if he just stuck to the loading dock. Damn animatronics were in pieces packed in boxes anyway; couldn’t stuff him into a suit if they weren’t even assembled, right?

He tapped his name into the Hand Unit, scowling at its chipper voice, and clocked in his time before heading back out to start his job. He’d slap a label on it when he had a chance, no sense confusing it with anyone else’s unit and getting his hours mixed up.

.

A lunch break was welcome after spending the first half of his shift moving boxes around. He’d gotten a few stares for hauling boxes by hand while the other workers used dollies and carts. Not his fault that he didn’t want to take up stuff other people could use to move boxes when he could just pick them up and move them himself. ‘Ya’d think they’d be a lil more thankful that I’m not takin’ up their accommodations.’

Mike bit into his sandwich, happily letting his mind just empty while he ate. Focusing his thoughts was hard even on the good days and it was nice to give his brain a break too. The other workers were also sitting at tables in the little break room attached to the docking bay, eating various lunches. He glanced over them, memorizing random details about each worker, and was able to catch sight of someone not dressed like a worker slink into the room.

The new guy looked like he’d seen better days or like his dog had been kicked that morning, shoulders slumped despite him trying to put on a smile. He was dressed in clothes that screamed money so probably someone in a higher position than ‘manager’. He was also heading Mike’s way so that first day stress was rocketing upward.

Crap, did someone report him for hauling boxes around by hand? What the hell?!

“Hello. My apologies for interrupting your break. Just wanted to confirm,” the man said quietly, coming to a stop in front of him. Mike raised an eyebrow at him. “The login said you’re registered as Michael Elizabeth Schmidt. Is that really you?”

“Just call me Mike,” Mike said flatly, “And yeah. There a problem?”

The man just stared at him, fingertips pressing together in front of himself as if in prayer. He tilted his head a little, eyes seemingly searching Mike’s face for something. “..Fascinating,” the man finally murmured. A thoughtful expression came over him and he slowly nodded. “Thank you.. for answering.. my question,” he said slowly and turned to walk away, “Please excuse me.”

“Weirdo,” Mike muttered under his breath and bit into his sandwich again.

.

The job didn’t last for very long but it paid well enough to keep the bills and rent and groceries from dipping into his ring funds. He was even able to add back in the amount of money he had ended up using from it to cover what his unemployment checks didn’t. On his last day, Mike went to turn in his uniform, holster and Hand Unit, blinking at seeing the strange man standing at the desk with the loading dock manager.

“Thank you for your time of service with us, Mr. Schmidt,” the man said as Mike set the box down on the desk. He reached out and pulled the box closer to himself and put on a smile that Mike assumed was supposed to be cheerful but looked more like he was trying not to feel piss in his lap. “Your contribution will be most helpful. I hope.”

‘Weirdo.’ “Uh, sure, no problem,” Mike replied carefully, taking a step back, “Any chance of you telling whoever’s in charge of makin’ these things to try makin’ ‘em less.. murdery?”

The manager blinked owlishly at him while the man’s smile grew more strained. “Your suggestion has been noted,” he said.

‘Bullshit.’ “Great. Thanks,” Mike drawled and lifted his hands to point finger guns at them both, “See ya never, then.” He spun on his heel and walked away. Just gonna put all of this out of mind and hope none of it ever came back to bite him in the ass...

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===

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Time: Present Day

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Unseen by the patrons of Circus Baby’s Pizza and Parties, Six walked across the games room to the prize counter, hands in his pockets and faintly annoyed expression resting on his face. The Security Puppet remained unmoved, still in its pose of waiting for people to approach and trade in their tickets for prizes or money for tokens. To anyone not paying close attention, it looked perfectly normal and unchanged.

Six simply raised an eyebrow when the puppet’s eyes shifted up to focus on him.

“You’ve been pushing Gregory to collect Mike’s stuff, so why stall on this one?” he asked and narrowed his eyes. The puppet only stared at him in silence and Six clicked his tongue in further irritation.

“Why even were you pointing him towards that shit anyway? Just some random kid and you have him going after relics of a past that should stay there,” he added sarcastically.

The Security Puppet seemed to react to that, bobbing its head oddly. Six stared at it in confusion before a faint familiarity with the motion made it clear what he was looking at.

It was laughing.

For the first time in his existence, Six felt a chill pass over him.

“You.. knew he wasn’t random. How did you-?” he whispered, falling silent as the Security Puppet bent to reach into its gift box enclosure and brought out a familiar mask that looked like its own but not quite. It was dingy, yellowed, somewhat burnt, but unmistakable all the same.

The Marionette’s face-mask.

Six’s hands slipped out of his pockets as he stared down at the mask, cold sweat dotting his forehead, mouth opening with the faintest gasp of recognition and realization.

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===

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Jeremy sat in Mike’s favorite chair, mouth hidden behind interlocked hands as he gazed at the house phone on the coffee table. A rustle of fabric had him glance up as Faith swept into the living room and set down a bowl of soup for him.

“You really should eat, Jeremy,” she told him, drawing closer to pat his shoulder comfortingly, “What’s been bothering you all this time?”

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, a long and shuddering sigh. His hands moved to cover his face, fingers digging through his bangs to grip his head. Faith frowned a little, concerned expression overtaking her face.

When Jeremy finally spoke, his voice was shaky, rattling with barely held in tears. “Vincent called, few days ago; he asked me for help with one of Gregory’s nightmares. A recurring dream, confusing for him because the symbolism didn’t make sense and nothing about it had the markers for being false memories, or an illusion dream hiding truth.”

Faith blinked before moving to take a seat of her own on the couch closest to her adopted brother, the look of concern never wavering. Her gaze fixed on him, her attention fully on his words.

“I didn’t know how I’d be of any help. I don’t know anything about dreams. My only experience is from that nightmare Router put onto me to try and take over my body, and all I did was continue surviving each night to keep him at bay until we figured out what the hell was going on.” Jeremy dragged his hands down over his face until they were just cupping his cheeks, a place to rest his head as he went back to gazing at the phone.

“Vincent said I was in the dream, the memory, so I should have the context behind it. Apparently it was a problem for the household that Gregory kept having the same nightmare over and over. It would cause him to wake up and go looking for Sydney to check on his well-being, which meant Sydney and Vanessa wouldn’t be able to sleep for a full night,” he went on and Faith glanced over the scattered stubble over her brother’s chin and under his nose, the dark bags under his eyes, hair unkempt and messy in its ponytail.

“What was the dream?” she asked cautiously, “If you were in it, maybe it had to do with him seeing you in the Pizzaplex, or the workshop?” She paused, brow furrowing oddly. “So then why would Gregory be worried about Sydney if you’re the one in the night-?”

“Gregory walks down a hallway, over black and white tile,” Jeremy suddenly cut in, flat tone making her freeze in place and widen her eyes, “He’s not feeling well, tired, aching. He’s being helped along by someone dressed in the black robe of death, but he remembers plastic and chicken feet. He’s led to a large room, full of kiddie rides, games, prizes, but the focus is on a large golden coffin. There are two other figures covered in robes by it, one white with pink splotches, the other black with white stripes and a white circle where the face should be.”

Faith’s face drained of color, her hands lifting to her mouth.

“I’m laying on the floor nearby, unconscious, with a large statue covered in a ragged purple cloth bent over me, a black circle where its face should be, so deep and dark Vincent thought it was like a hole in reality. Gregory heads for the golden coffin and, with the figure of death’s help, he steps inside and lays down, closing his eyes. He stays in the dark for a long time, and the next thing he hears is monsters, the next thing he feels is concrete and asphalt under his hands and legs, and Sydney’s voice screaming in the midst of the monsters’ attacks. ..And then Gregory wakes up, and he runs to Sydney to make sure he’s safe.. because they’re a family now. The only family he knows.”

Tears long formed twin streams down his face, Jeremy’s small smile brittle and frail as he finally turned his gaze to his sister. “Sounds familiar, doesn’t it, Little One?” he whispered.

“That’s one of his memories, disguising itself as a dream,” Faith murmured quietly and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as tears began trickling down her own cheeks. “What will you do now?”

When she opened her eyes at the silence to her question, they widened in faint alarm at the brooding expression on Jeremy’s face.

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===

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Damien approached the boarded up door to the Freddy’s half of the home location building. The urge to turn around and leave pressed against him, and he stood in front of the door, hands in his jacket pockets, while he let his mind recede enough to have Jonathan come forward and press back. Not so much a battle of wills, as the day guard of the distant past would lose inevitably, but a request of recognition. Since the barrier was set up by Six, it would allow the Guards access to Freddy’s; a more potent security system than any made by man.

Feeling Jonathan fade back as a sign that he was recognized, Damien reached out to grab a board, tugging on it to test the sturdiness. “Hm, figures,” he muttered and sighed, “Guess I gotta borrow a hammer or something from Meera.”

After retrieving a spare tool from the pizzeria owner and letting Stephanie know he wouldn’t take much longer, Damien carefully pried off the planks and set them aside with the nails, then pulled open the door to slip inside.

Six refused to say who was entering the building, and there didn’t seem to be a way to get in that wouldn’t set off some sort of alarm. Damien frowned a little as he finished inputting the code to the security pad near the exit to disable the man-made system. Jeremy had said something about noticing the vents appearing off, but Circus Baby claimed nothing out of the ordinary happened during her patrols. Initially, no one raised an eyebrow at the report; Circus Baby took security at her pizzeria seriously. But eventually Damien remembered who she actually was, and Digital Lucian was still as conniving as ever despite being reformed. Had he lied to them with a straight face? Why would he?

Meera had been afraid of the Schmidt Family at first. It was a given, Damien supposed; she is an Enfuego after all, a perceived ‘enemy’ of the Schmidts. If the person getting into Freddy’s somehow was actually Mike Schmidt reborn, then Digi may have felt the same fear and hid that fact to avoid crossing the man.

Damien held up his phone, letting the flashlight shine over the security office as he passed by. Everything looked as it should so he didn’t linger. One of the locker doors seemed a bit loose but that could have been a result of Jeremy doing some clean up last time he’d been here.

Drifting on through the halls and rooms, he kept an eye out for any changes since he’d last seen the pizzeria. Dust had been disturbed, cloth had been moved, like someone had been poking around and looking for something. He glanced over the entry to the janitor closet with little interest, peered past the curtains of Pirate’s Cove but didn’t enter it -Mike avoided the stage like the plague so he likely would have stayed away from it if he had been reborn and come here-, and ambled his way to the connecting hall to the ‘new’ pizzeria layout.

Six had said something about Mike’s emotional Remnant condensing into new relics, and Damien figured from his experience that only items of personal importance to someone could gather their Remnant. Well, unless someone used Afton tech to collect them. He could practically hear the irritated huff from Jonathan at the thought. So, what objects in the pizzeria were important to Mike?

“Jeremy mentioned a camera he kept in his locker,” Damien muttered to himself. Mike would probably have a lot of emotions tied to it from all his reasons for using it on new night watches. Maybe that was a relic?

He reached the halls leading to the party rooms and the security office, and the game and attraction rooms, prize corner, and main dining room. Flashlight played over the checkered tile, highlighting disturbed dust and grime, small footsteps lightly covered over in new dust. Frowning, Damien headed down towards the office.

First thing he noticed upon entering the familiar open office were two lockers being left open. That was very different from how he remembered it. A soft curse escaped him as Damien rushed to check whose lockers they were. Figures. Mike and Jeremy’s lockers, of course. He shined the flashlight of his phone into them to see what was taken.

Mike’s camera was gone. Damien clicked his tongue at the discovery. If it really had become a relic, did that mean the warding influence of Mike’s Remnant went down some? “If it did, I didn’t feel a difference,” he finally murmured to himself. The urge to turn around and walk away had still been fairly strong as he approached the building. Jonathan’s power of influence was all that kept him from unthinkingly following that urge until he was recognized as a Guard and allowed in.

From Jeremy’s locker, all that was missing was the night guard shirt and the first aid kit that Jeremy had told him he kept in there for when the scars on his body or on Mike’s head started bleeding from using Faith’s power. Why were those taken?

As he knelt to investigate the lockers a little more, the flashlight caught on something bright on the floor nearby, almost overlooked by being a white square on a white floor tile. Damien tilted his head, eyes narrowing, and reached out to pick up the square, turning it over to check the other side.

It was a photo, old-fashioned, the kind that would be printed from an instant photo camera like what could be bought in the days Mike worked at Freddy’s. Cassie’s concerned expression was captured perfectly on film, if a little crinkled from being left behind on a dirty floor.

‘Wait. Cassie? If Cassie’s the one in the photo, then...’ Then someone else was holding the camera to take her picture. Her arms in the photo weren’t in position for an awkward selfie. And the only other person she could be with and consistently concerned for would be...

“Gregory? Why would Gregory be here? How would he even know to enter this side of the building?” Damien muttered to himself before going still, eyes widening as a thought came to mind.

There were two times he could recall where Six reacted in his hand for what he thought were no good reason; once at the apartment he shared with Ven, Steph and Meera, and once at the workshop where he worked with Jeremy. The only common factor both had at the time the reaction happened was Gregory had been there.

At the apartment, it was for getting a nightmare dispelled by Vincent; Damien arrived some time after Gregory left and Six had reacted, but he thought it was in response to the lingering effect of Elizabeth Afton’s grip on the boy. At the workshop, it was for getting help with a school project; Damien arrived shortly after Gregory left and Six reacted again, but Jeremy had explained how he’d used Seven’s power actively so both of them thought it was just a response to the partner spirit.

What if it wasn’t? What if Six was reacting to Gregory himself? Or at least the lingering presence of him, the bit of Remnant left behind by whatever strong emotions he experienced in those places, a nightmare in the apartment and the argument over Jeremy and Alex’s antagonistic relationship in the workshop?

And Six would recognize Mike’s Remnant, wouldn’t he? Even if he...

Damien stood up and looked out at the rest of the pizzeria, awe and horror making bile rising in his throat. Gregory had been in Elizabeth Afton’s clutches for years and walked out of the Pizzaplex with all memories of his life before it having been erased. Did that also mean.. Mike’s memories were..?

.

[blueboxesandtrafficcones]

Daddy's Little Ballerina

Day 21 of 2022's 31 Days of Ficmas @doctorroseprompts Prompt: Nutcracker Rating: T (mild sexual content) Pairing: 12xRose (AU) Summary: Caught between the past and the present, Malcolm Tucker struggles between creating new memories with his youngest daughter, and reopening old wounds with his oldest. A Nuptial Necessity 'verse fic 2022 31 Days of Ficmas masterlist AO3

“I think we should sign JJ up for ballet lessons.”

“What?”  Rose looked up from her romance novel, looking over at her husband before following his gaze towards the sea, where their four-year-old was shrieking with laughter as Clara spun her around in circles.  Smiling at the sibling moment, she turned her attention back to her husband.  “You want to sign her up for ballet?  Why?”

He shrugged one shoulder, carefully not to disturb the baby sleeping on his chest.  Not a baby anymore.  Little Olly would be walking unassisted any day, could reliably identify his parents by name (ma and da, respectively), and watched everything around him with curious eyes so like Malcolm’s.  But for as big as he seemed awake, nestled as he was on his father’s chest he was still so young.

Smiling at the image of them together, Rose fumbled her mobile to take a few snaps before focusing on the conversation Malcolm had started but didn’t seem keen to continue.

“Why ballet?”

“She’s a little girl, little girls like ballet,” he said vaguely.  “The… tutus, and the twirling, I just thought she might enjoy it.”

After so long, Rose knew him better than she knew herself, and just crossed her arms and stared at him, waiting him out.  He tried to hide behind his sunglasses, then focused on the baby, making sure he was properly shaded by the umbrella and blanket, adjusting the teeny hat and slumber-heavy limbs.

“I just… think she’d like it,” he finally said.  “When Clara was that age, she loved it, and usually I was the one taking her to class, and it was a great bonding time for us.  I think it would be good for JJ – she gets some one-on-one with me, and exercise is always good, and she could make friends, and… I want her to have that experience.”  He wouldn’t quite meet her eye, and Rose pursed her lips as she considered him.

He got this way sometimes; a bit lost in his head, and the past, trying to give JJ the same experiences Clara’d had.  Of course they were in a much better position in nearly every way than Malcolm and Missy had been when Clara was the same age, but he was very conscious of making sure JJ got plenty of his time and attention.  Rose sensed more to this story existed, but she trusted her husband’s intentions.

“If it means that much to you,” she agreed, “sure.  We can ask her if she’s interested.  Can you find her a studio or something?  Handle all of that, then?”

“Yeah, of course.  There’s one two blocks from home that’s got good reviews.  I’ll book her in when we get back,” he lit up.  “I think she’s going to love it.”

Rose looked towards her daughter, who was now alternating between running from the waves then chasing them back to the sea, squealing the whole time while Clara and Danny laughed and splashed her.  “Me too.”

-

Six weeks later, Rose couldn’t tell whether her husband or daughter was more excited for her first dance class.

“Maybe we should get there early,” Malcolm fussed, checking his watch again.  “There could be traffic.”

“You’re walking two and a half blocks, love,” she said patiently, “and she doesn’t have to be there for another hour, let alone when the class actually starts.  JJ, sit and eat your carrots.”  Taking another bite of her own meal, Rose realized she was the only one eating; Olly was more interested in squishing his hands in his mashed potatoes, Malcolm kept checking the weather, time, and route to the dance studio, and JJ wasn’t even at the table.

Already dressed in her black leotard and pink tutu, hair up in a bun, the four-year-old kept spinning in circles.  “I’m practicing my turns, Mummy!”

“You’re gonna make yourself dizzy.  Sit and eat, so you can make it through class.”  Rose gave her a look, which was promptly ignored, if even seen.  “Jennifer Jacqueline, I won’t tell you again.”

“Yes, Mummy,” she stopped immediately, eyes wide, plopping back in her chair and nibbling on a carrot.

Feeling only a little bad for breaking out the full name, Rose came around and kissed her daughter on the forehead, smoothing a few stray hairs into place.  “I know you’re excited, but if you don’t eat you’ll be too tired to dance, and I don’t want you to miss any of it.”  God, we really do become our mothers.  I remember her sayin’ that to me before my first gymnastics class!

Meeting Malcolm’s gaze, she was filled with a surge of affection for her family and the life they’d built.  “The time for dance class will be here soon enough, but for now, it’s dinner time.  See, look at Daddy- he’s eating, so you should be too.”

Pouting almost as much as their daughter was, he reluctantly relinquished his mobile onto the table and picked up his fork, stabbing a few carrots.  “JJ, did you know carrots make you dance better?”

“Really?”  Not waiting for an answer, their budding ballerina shoved a handful of them in her mouth, making her parents laugh.

Returning to her seat and meal, Rose just watched as Malcolm spun yarn, his disciple hanging on his every word as the baby guggled happily beside her.

I just hope she loves this class as much as he wants her to.

-

Getting ready for bed that night, Rose listened with one ear as Malcolm regaled her with a minute-by-minute account of the ballet class; she’d heard it already at least twice from each of them, but the enthusiasm was contagious, and she was just glad it had gone well.

Turning off the bathroom light she padded across the room to the bed, skirting around to his side and climbing up.

“And her little face!  I’ve never seen her take anything so seriously in her life, except for cake.  I just- Hello.”

“Hi.”  She straddled her husband, leaning forward and kissing him deeply which he reciprocated, running his hands over her.

Rocking languidly against him, guiding his hands to her curves, she let him get good and worked up before abruptly rolling away, stretching out on her side next to him facing him.

“The fuck?”  He was adorably rumpled, baffled by her sudden disappearance, hands still cupping air where moments before had been her breasts.

“Why is this ballet thing so important to you?”

Malcolm slowly shifted down to face her, expression on the verge of sulking.  “That was cruel.”  He put his hand on her hip and she allowed it, but gave it a firm touch, silently telling him it can stay here, but no more.

“Babe.”

He sighed, grumbling, as he kneaded her hip and contemplated her question.  “I… want to take her to see the Nutcracker this Christmas, at the Royal Opera House.”

“Okay.”

When she didn’t say anything else his expression brightened, palm attempting to slide around to her bum, but she returned it to her hip, raising an eyebrow.  I know there’s more.

His expression turned mutinous, but eventually shifted to resigned, and he rolled onto his back.  “When we first moved to London, I promised Clara I would take her.  By the time I remembered, all the tickets were sold and we couldn’t get in.  The following year I did remember, but when I surprised her with them she refused to go, said she was too old, it was for babies, et cetera.”

“That’s a shame.”

“Yeah, only I found out years later, she did want to go.  That she’d been dropping hints for months which I’d admittedly missed, and was so upset I hadn’t said or done anything that she threw a fit.  She’d wanted me to essentially grovel, I suppose, cajole her into it, and I didn’t.  I mean, I did, I asked her a few times, said we could go for the first act and if she didn’t like it we could leave, but I suppose it wasn’t the dramatic begging she’d expected, and, well, after a few refusals I accepted her answer and gave the tickets away.  I didn’t find out about any of this until she was, oh, seventeen, and we had a big blow out about it.”

Rose placed her hand on his chest over his heart.  “You’re a wonderful father.”

He rolled his head to face her, smiling wanly.  “I’d like to think so.”

“No, you are,” she insisted.  “Both of your daughters would agree if they were here right now.  Why did Clara think-”

“You never really know what your kids pick up on,” he said, cutting her off with an apologetic squeeze.  “Apparently she’d watched me beg Missy for scraps of affection- not just for me, for both of us- too many times, and thought that was… I dunno… appropriate?  That you shouldn’t give in until that happens?  She obviously knows better now, but she was only a kid then, and you model what you see.  We’ve talked it over, long since resolved it and forgiven each other, but…”

“But you still want to take your little girl to the show,” Rose understood, “and you’re afraid that if it looks like your idea, Clara’s feelings will get hurt.”

“Yeah.”  He let out a breath like a weight had been taken off his chest.  “And, I suppose I could just take them both, but… I don’t want JJ to feel like everything has to always include her siblings, especially Clara.  Which sounds awful, but they’re at such different stages of life… I want this to just be me and her.  And I feel like a shit father for wanting to exclude my child, even if she is an adult.  Especially when she probably already feels excluded from our lives, at least as a child of this family.”

“Clara understands-”

“You cried when your parents took Tony to Disneyland Paris,” he cut her off again, rolling back onto his side to face her.  “Rose, you sobbed so hard I thought you were going to be sick.  And you were perfectly fine with it- at least as far as I could tell- until the night they left.  And don’t say it’s different, because it’s not.”

Rose remembered that night, how she’d broken down after they’d called to tell her they’d arrived.  How every excited chirp from her brother had felt like being stabbed in the heart, even though she’d given her blessing and been fully in favor of the trip until that moment.  “Maybe Clara’s a better person than I am.”

“I love my child with everything I am, but Rose, no, she’s not.  I mean, it’s about a picture perfect finish between you- not that it’s a race- but… no, she’s not.”

“Rude,” she pinched him, grinning.  “You could take them each separately.  Doesn’t it start early in December?  Why not take Clara the first week, have that healing experience, then take JJ right before the holiday.  This way you get to experience it with both daughters, they’re not overshadowing each other, and JJ never has to know you took Clara first.”

He stayed silent, mulling the idea over, and this time when his hand slid back, she allowed it.  “Why are you so smart?  It’s not fair, you’ve got such beauty and brains.”

“The blonde is dye,” she reminded him with a laugh.  “And, I’ve got a different perspective on it.  That’s why you love me.”

“Part of it,” Malcolm allowed.  “All right, I’ll talk to Clara, see what she thinks – about her and I going, not the rest of it, at least for now.”

“Good.”

They laid there together in silence, almost nose to nose, and even after six years of marriage Rose was still overcome by the simplicity of his presence making her heart sing.

“So, can we…” he trailed off, and she laughed, obligingly rolling onto her back.

“Well, I suppose it’s only fair,” she said, feigning reluctance, and it didn’t take long for their laughter and teasing to turn to sighs and moans.

-

“Perfect,” Rose declared, putting down the hairspray.  “You’re all set.”

“Wow,” JJ breathed, admiring her reflection.  They’d gone shopping for a new dress specifically for the occasion, and Rose had given her the royal treatment – new earrings and a necklace, nails painted, some eye shadow and lip gloss, while white tights and shiny black ballet flats complimented the crushed velvet and tulle dress, and Rose’s heart twinged.

“You look so grown up,” she said softly, smoothing already-smooth hair just to touch her child.  “Are you looking forward to your date with daddy?”

“Uh huh,” the little head bounced, pulling faces in the mirror.  “I look so pretty!”

“Yes, you do.”

JJ turned then, throwing her arms around Rose.  “Thank you, Mummy.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Oh, God, I’m gonna cry. Rose struggled to keep her composure, hugging her daughter tightly.  “I love you so much JJ.”

A knock on JJ’s bedroom door pulled their attention, and Rose made her eyes big.  “I wonder who that could be?”  Stepping towards the door, she smiled at the giggling behind her as she opened it.  “Oh, hello sir, can I help you?”

Malcolm grinned.  “I’m looking for a Miss JJ Tucker.  Is she here?”

“I’m here, I’m here!” she rushed forward, elbowing her mother out of the way only to stop dead.  “Woah.  Are those for me?”

Rose was glad to already have her mobile out and filming, as she managed to catch the surprise and delight as JJ saw the small bouquet of flowers he held.

“Indeed they are,” he knelt down to pass them to her, and they laughed as JJ stuck her face into them, dramatically sniffing.

“Thank you, Daddy,” JJ threw her arms around his neck, nestling into him.  He held her close as long as she wanted, but his watery eyes were on Rose, and he mouthed thank you.

She just smiled, nodding, and eased the flowers from JJ’s hand.  “I’ll put these in water for you, baby, and we’ll put them on your dresser so you can see them when you go to sleep and wake up.”

“Okay,” JJ said, frowning, but Malcolm distracted her, taking her hand and leading her away.

“Are we all ready to go?”

“Yes, Daddy.  Can we meet any of the bal’rinas?”

Rose smiled as she followed them down the stairs, sniffing the flowers for herself – he’d picked them on his own, and they were perfect – bright pinks and soft purples, JJ’s favorite colors, with a few hints of blue.  Still recording the moment for posterity, she captured the excited squeal their daughter gave at seeing Graham all dressed up like an old-fashioned driver, the town car decorated inside and out for the season.

Waving goodbye, JJ’s bright smile in the window, wonder written all over her face, made Rose’s heart sing.

Stopping the recording she shook her head, closing and locking the door firmly behind her before heading for the living room, where Olly was just waking up in his playpen.

“Looks like it’s mummy-son date afternoon as well,” she cooed, picking him up as he babbled her name.  “What do you say we watch a movie?  Yeah?”  She blew a raspberry on the baby’s tummy, relishing his giggling.

One diaper change later they settled on the sofa, and Rose used the voice command to pick a movie.

“Siri?  Show us The Nutcracker.”

[muirmarie]

slams into your askbox, i saw the words timeloop sequel and i need to know more immediately

@thegeminisage

ty both!

if anyone hasn't read the time loop fic (it ends or it doesn't), please don't read the readmore, because it contains extremely big spoilers, and that fic is probably the only fic i've ever written that i'd say this about, but spoilers really do matter here imo.

okay! the time loop fic sequel.

this one i have very little actually written out, because i have other fics i need to finish first, but i still consider it an active wip because i go in it pretty routinely to make notes (so many notes).

this is almost def going to be in the 30k-40k range, though (maybe more, idk, we all know i'm a terrible judge), and it's absolutely on the back burner for now.

The working summary is long lmao, BUT:

Three months after they're rescued from the time loop, Starfleet Command asks the Enterprise to pick up Ambassador Sarek and Amanda Greyson and accompany them to the Arexilian home world. It's clear that Starfleet hopes to leverage the Arexilians' goodwill towards the triumvirate into reopening talks with the Federation, and aren't above using Spock's father to do so. Kirk uses his own leverage to get two weeks shore leave on Vulcan before they leave. But what should be a pleasant shore leave before a pleasant voyage to a pleasant people quickly starts developing snags: another Federation ambassador is coming along for the journey, and it's clear that he has his own axe to grind, Spock's parents have their own opinions about Spock's relationships—both those disclosed to Starfleet and not—and the triumvirate is still dealing with their own fallout from their choices on Arexon-3, as much as they might like to pretend it's behind them. Most importantly of all, Bones has to find a way to make Sarek like him.

They're basically all working through their own trauma, there's elements of Arexilian generational memory that McCoy ends up with due to going into the device some 270-odd times (I've been playing with him having dreams of flying), the other Federation ambassador is trying to get information on what the Arexilians did (both the teleportation, but also, they're beginning to suspect, why/how the sun exploded.....possibly w/ interest on that as a weapon), Sarek & Amanda are both extremely nosy in their own rights, I think Sarek & McCoy end up hostages at one point, Kirk won't admit it but he doesn't exactly trust his CMO right now, Spock can't hear 0900 without checking his wrist to make sure the mark is still there/the loop hasn't restarted...

At its heart it's them navigating the fall-out of what happened, and how actually being in a relationship together works when they're still struggling to remember what normal even feels like.

Plus it's the fact that I really like those purple feathered humanoids, and I think it would be really fun to get to explore them a little more! (like, did you know: they're extremely long-lived! Their lifespan averages about 340-400 years, so despite the fact they'd been on Arexon-3 for 800 years, there were a handful of them who returned to their homeworld whose parents had actually been born there!) Plus the idea of generational memory bleeding into McCoy's dreams means I have an interesting way of exploring it (for me, I mean, it might not be interesting for you, but I'll try lol) rather than just, say, info-dumping.

Plus I just really liked the dynamic I set up between the trio and Larissaya & Iratha - and the idea of the Arexilians and those that stayed on their homeworld (I haven't decided on a name for their homeworld yet) having to adjust to being back on the same planet again? Also very much Interests me. And I'm very, very fond of Iratha. They're my (gender neutral) girl <3

It's also supposed to be for my Planet Vulcan prompt for my bingo card hahaha, although we're maybe a little past that. But they DO go to Vulcan!!!

Part of me thinks that I might split up the shore leave on Vulcan and use it as bookends. Actually, now that I write that here, I'm almost definitely going to do that. Okay, lmao, I'll stop rambling now, if any of you are still with me ilu <33333 tyyyyyy

[danggirlronpa]

Merch Monday Wednesday!! Because I finished my certificate course yesterday andnow I have time to be a person who exists again!

[Ko-fi to Support This Project]

Because I've been lower on funds this last month or two, I haven't been able to purchase nearly as much merch lately. (I physically could not stop myself from buying Some of it. I'm mentally ill. Making poor financial decisions about my hyperfixation is my bread and butter.) So this is a collection of merch from probably the start of November! We'll go from the earliest to the most recent.

THIS IS THE STICKER I THOUGHT I LOST. You can buy this here! I actually ended up ordering another one and then having to cancel it when I found the original (it was buried under my bills somehow), and the artist was very sweet! The sticker itself is just fine, especially for how cheap it was, and I love the art on it. The artist has lots of other fun stuff, including a similar Ishimondo sticker, so check out the rest of their shop too!

This is from @drexecutionzine's fundraiser sale! I wanted to get both it and the matching Komaru one, but this was the start of my Financial Woes, so I couldn't swing it. I ended up getting the more blatant Toko's Got Her Crushes print. This one shipped near immediately after I bought it, which assuaged a lot of worries about their shipping in general. I'm so glad they managed to make enough to ship out the zines!! No defects, gorgeous art, Death Trauma - we've got it all!

These prints by @cactuskhee were fully an indulgence buy, because I've both of these in other forms - the left piece in a much smaller bonus art that was for patreon supporters, and the right one as the cover of the DR Bunny Zine - but I loved the left one so left that I wanted a physical version, and I wanted some physical version of the Bunny Zine, even if I couldn't buy the whole thing physically! (It's a fantastic zine with designs uniquely catered to each character; you can find purchase updates here!) Khee's store, komahina.com, is closed for the year, but should reopen again in January - patrons get a notification when it opens and a password to get in a day early, so consider supporting them!

This is a VERY CUTE Irumatsu keychain from @networkink on her Storenvy! It was originally $13, but it's gone down to $6, which was much more affordable for me - and I'm so glad I got it, because it's sooo cute! The back of the art is bumped out against the back, which may be a negative for people who expect their keychains to see a lot of wear and tear, but for me it isn't an issue at all. She's also got a got other ships planned and some really cute general Yuri totes and pins in her store - check her out!

This is one that I was VERY excited about, because I had input into it!! @ariespetal asked on Twitter what pieces people would want to see at prints, and this is one I mentioned in the replies, because it's one of my favorite Tenmiko arts maybe ever. I'm so so excited that she made it available, and bought it the moment it went up. (RIP wallet.) And it was absolutely worth it - it's a very good price considering its size, and it's even more beautiful physically than seeing it digitally! I'd love to get ahold of her Angie print, too, once I have more money. Check out her etsy!

[talldecafcappuccino]

14, 27, 29 for the fic writer ask meme?

14. If you could see one of your fics adapted into a visual medium, such as comic or film, which fan fic would you pick?

Either my body over yours (because sexy bodyguard tropes) or things keep getting better (because I need to see Ted interacting with the Queer Eye folks for real)

27. Is there a fic you were nervous to post/share? Why?

Probably the sequel for the bodyguard universe because I was like, “what if this isn’t how anyone imagined Ted and Rebecca’s lives to go and it ruins the original fic retroactively?” 😅

29. Share a bit from a fic you’ll never post OR from a scene that was cut from an already posted fic. (If you don’t have either, just share a random fic idea you have that you don’t plan on getting to.)

I randomly wrote the first third (?) of a fic a week or so ago. It’s ’s pretty low on my list to finish so…here’s a (long) bit of that:

Rebecca pokes her head into the coaches’ office and finds Beard all alone. He’s absorbed in a book about bioluminescence, his legs propped up on his desk. Ted’s chair sits empty across from him. No track jacket hanging over the back, no backpack or coffee cup to be seen.

Her stomach sinks as she realizes they’re not just missing each other this morning. He’s not here.

“Where’s Ted?”

“He’s home,” Beard replies, barely glancing up from the page he’s reading.

She frowns. “Is he sick?”

“He’s feeling a little off this morning.”

Her stomach sinks again. She and Ted were due to get drinks tonight, a pre-game ritual of sorts. With West Ham tomorrow, she’d been counting on it to take her mind off seeing Rupert tomorrow.

Except that’s not right.

Rebecca frown deepens. Ted’s not one to take a sick day from the club, especially not the day before a big game like this. Or at least not without texting her some sort of explanation. There’s something Beard isn’t telling her.

She steps further into the office, looming over him in her three inch heels.

“Feeling off how?”

Beard sighs and closes his book, his finger wedged between the pages to save his spot.

“Let’s just say you should ask before eating someone else’s food and leave it at that.”

He chuckles as he reopens the book, self-satisfied in a way Rebecca finds incredibly odd if Ted is actually ill.

He’s also being cryptic and if she knows one thing about Coach Beard it’s that once he’s speaking in riddles, he’s unlikely to explain himself.

Right. The only answer is to go see Ted for herself.

“Fine. I’ll swing by and check in on him at lunch.”

“No!” He sits up, dropping his feet from the desk and clambering into an upright position.

“Why not?”

“Because you can’t!” His voice squeaks on the last word, the sentence lifting off into the stratosphere of the office.

“I can’t?” She raises a brow defiantly, but Beard shakes his head.

“No, sorry, but you are the last person who should be seeing Ted right now.”

She scoffs. Granted it might be odd for a boss to see her employee when he’s in physical (possibly gastronomical) distress, but they’re friends. Good friends. The type of friends who help one another out when they’re in pain. Emotional or . . . otherwise.

She crosses her arms over her chest.

“And who are you to decide that?”

Beard splutters, his eyes looking between her and the door. Despite the crazed look in his eye, he can’t seem to find an answer to her question.

“That’s what I thought.” She adjusts her purse on her shoulder and turns on her heel just as Beard finally finds his voice.

“Wait!” He reaches under his desk and pulls out a medium sized brown paper bag, the top rolled shut.

“If you’re going to insist on doing this, can you at least bring him this?”

She eyes the bag as she takes it from him. “I suppose I can.”

“Just don’t look inside.”

“Fine. May I just say, this is one of the strangest conversations I’ve had with anyone, let alone an employee?”

“Yeah well the conversation you’re about to have is gonna give this one a run for your money.” He shakes his and opens his book. “Tell Ted I said hi.”

She stares at him for a minute, debating if it’s worth asking what he means. It’s not. She’s better off seeing Ted for herself.

[dragongirlcloaca]

furry girl who recently gained a new fun anatomy (mostly thinking. sheathor a donut) and having lots of euphoria touching in and exploring it

I was really excited about this prompt, and I'm always happy to write smut for a friend ;> This is definitely going to be bouncing around in my head for a while!

[Donut...transformation? (doggirl gets a donut ass and is embarassed and horny about it)]

Friday sat on the edge of her bed, rolling the deep purple vial back and forth in her paw. A strong feeling of embarrassment fluttered in her stomach, making her clench the vial tightly, but even then, it was fringed with a tinge of...excitement?

Well, she had gone as far as to get the potion. It had been a few weeks since a friend had first told her about the lovely shop that sold all sorts of sex-related potions, and had specifically mentioned this one.

“It’s really cool! It makes your hole all puffy and big like, well, a donut! I’ve tried it a couple times and it feels amazing,” her friend had said, beaming. “You should try it!”

Friday had turned bright red, her knees pressed together and tail swishing back and forth.

“M-me? You think I should try it?” She had stammered, embarrassed.

“Yeah! I think it would look cute on you.”

The embarrassed dog girl had practically blanked out, her mind circling around that phrase. She really thought it would be...cute on her? She was so lost she lost track of her friend talking, only tuning back in in time to hear “—I’ll send you pictures, see what you think.” Friday had gone home flustered, only remembering that conversational snippet later that evening when she had opened a text notification from her friend to half a dozen low-angle pictures of her fat, puffy anus. She stared, enraptured, at the photos as she slowly grew aroused, her clit poking out of her sheath and under her waistband. Friday had shut her phone off and rubbed one out then and there— although she ended up reopening her phone halfway through to look at the pictures again. For moral support, of course.

Friday had passed the shop a few times in the next few weeks, but never felt brave enough to go in and buy the potion, even as she continued returning to that interaction in her mind. Once, she had built up the courage to go in, but had merely quickly skirted through the aisles and left, the embarrassment too strong to overcome. But finally, yesterday, she had stood outside the shop, heart beating rapidly, and had gone in, taken the potion up to the counter, and bought it, no doubt red as a tomato the whole time. She hadn’t used the potion that night; there had been cleaning to do, and then she had watched TV, and by that point it had been getting late and she still had work the next morning, so she opted to save it for a time she could really take enjoy it.

And today, with the work week behind her and a nice, lazy weekend ahead, Friday finally sat on her bed with the potion. She read the label on the vial for the thousandth time, staring at the graphic of a cartoon donut dripping with pink frosting and trying to settle her nervousness. She brought her other paw up to uncork it, then putting it back down, double- and triple-checking the recommended amount. Friday set the vial down and undressed, laying back in her bed, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. She picked the vial up and unstoppered it, hesitated for a moment, and then poured three drops onto her tongue before she could chicken out again.

Friday didn’t feel anything at first, but then a light, tingling feeling started in her butt. She still felt nervous, but now that she had actually gone through with it, a bit of the anxiety had subsided, leaving her a little more excited. She went on her phone as the tingling feeling continued, scrolling through a few apps to try and distract herself while the transformation ran its course, her excitement and curiosity growing ever the while. Finally, after about 15 minutes, the tingling subsided. Friday set her phone down, and reached a hand down towards her butt, and then stopped. She reached over to her bedside table and retrieved a hand mirror. For whatever reason, the suspension felt good to her, and so she shut her eyes as she guided the hand with the mirror to rest on the bed between her spread legs. She decided to count to five, excitement now having completely taken over her initial nervousness, and then opened her eyes, looking at the mirror.

Friday had never been particularly interested in her looks downstairs, her sheath and clit being a neutral part of her body on good days and downright unbearable on bad ones, and her anus barely a consideration, completely ignored during the occasional masturbation session. But as she stared at the fat, puffy, donut anus between her legs, something bloomed within her chest. Maybe her friend was right...maybe it did look cute on her? She reached down slowly with her other hand, gently brushing a finger against it. It was more sensitive than she thought, and she involuntarily let out a little moan, blood flowing rapidly to her clit. Once she had gotten a taste of that bliss, she was addicted, rubbing around it with a little more pressure, and dipped towards the puckered opening, which sent a jolt of pleasure down her spine. Friday felt embarrassed as she realized she wanted to do something she had never really thought of before—she wanted to finger her own ass.

Friday got up, her erect clit throbbing with need against her stomach. She left her room and walked naked to the kitchen, every step squishing her puffy hole in a way that sent constant sparks of arousal into her chest. She clumsily rummaged through her shelves for a jar of coconut oil and then returned and plopped herself back down on the bed with her makeshift lube. She unscrewed the jar’s lid and scooped up a generous amount in one paw, and then started rubbing it around her entrance, whining softly from the sensation. Then, ever so slowly, she began pushing a finger into her swollen donut of an anus, feeling it clench and throb around her finger. The stimulation from just her fingertip alone was enough to make her head spin, and she instinctively started rubbing needily at her clit. She kept pushing in further, panting and stroking her clit, and soon her knuckles brushed up against her butt. She pulled out a little and began thrusting in short strokes, her thighs clenching with pleasure. Getting close to an orgasm, she squeezed a second finger into her ass, bringing a whole new sensation of tightness. Stroking furiously with one paw and rapidly fingering her puffy anus with the other, Friday climaxed, her whole body shaking and sending shooting sensations of pleasure up her spine. Her back arched up off the bed as she pulled out her fingers, her gaping donut winking from its first good stretching.

Friday flopped back against her pillow, exhausted and sweaty, panting from the killer orgasm she had just ridden out. She never could have imagined just how into the idea of having a donut she was, but here she was. She supposed she really owed her friend. Well, it was just the start of the weekend, and there was still plenty of potion left in the vial.

[imaginaryinkweaver]

The Haunted Encounter

Oh my God! This can't be happening. I'm convinced it's all unfolding inside my head. For a moment, I was even scared of my own shadow. The whole event has made my blood run cold. What should I do? 

Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Oliver, a tour guide who's been working for an agency for the past five years. Typically, I work for three boring weeks, followed by a blissful seven-day break during which I move to the outskirts. These are the paid holidays which add to my happiness.

But this time, my plans didn’t go hand in hand with my expectations. I received a call from the company manager. 

Manager: "Hello, good morning, Oliver."

Oliver: "Good morning, sir. It's early; is there urgent work?" (Although I wasn't in the mood to take on any work, formalities did force me to ask.)

Manager: "Yes, actually, a group of friends has chosen our company for a trip to Columbus, New York, and Washington. Unfortunately, the assigned tour guide is down with a fever and cough. We need you to lead the task."

Oliver: "I understand, but my holidays have already begun, and I had plans."

Manager: "We will compensate you for your holidays. However, accomplishing this is necessary." 

(I knew my words wouldn't leave any imprint on his decision. Resignedly, I accepted. My days of relaxation were postponed.) The manager emailed me the contact details of the group members. I did my best not to focus on my thoughts but rather to prepare the itinerary for the group. 

Two days later, they arrived in New York. It was a group of friends, nearly my age. Guiding friends was far easier than guiding families. I counted, and there were nine of them, even though their provided data mentioned only eight. I asked, and they recounted, confirming there were nine. I was satisfied and I carried on. Then, I spotted her – a girl I thought I'd seen before. But it couldn't be possible; she was dead. My heart skipped a beat, and I closed my eyes, hoping it was a trick played by my unconscious mind. When I reopened them, she had disappeared. I told myself I was imagining things and continued attending to the group. They were here for an eight-day stay. Our hotel was near the airport. We checked in and headed towards the breakfast hall, where I asked for a table for nine.

It was late evening, and the hall was empty. Although I requested a table for nine, we sat at a table meant for ten. All ten seats were packed up. I tried to ignore this unusual event, focusing on the group. I noticed the girl again. Feeling uneasy, I excused myself from the table, reassuring them to meet them the next morning. That night was restless. Tiredness took over due to the strange events.

I took them sightseeing the following day to famous buildings, museums, and various attractions. They had a wonderful time, painting the town red. Their joys were on cloud nine which made my disappointment vanish. But I didn’t know it was just for a short period! 

On that very day, we travelled to another city. I had booked a ten-seater bus. The bus was full – eight group members, me, and the driver. At the time of exiting the bus at the next hotel, I counted, and there were nine members. My headache got worse the rest day, and I dropped the plan to recount. Back in my hotel room, I sensed some unease. Fatigue overtook unease, and I fell onto the bed. I woke around 2 AM to dim light. 

When I opened my eyes, I saw her – the girl who died in front of me. She was sitting by the desk, playing with a switch. It was horrifying. She was the girl who perished during her vacation here with friends two years ago. The hotel they stayed in suffered from a short circuit, and she had died. I became too selfish to save myself. She was pleading for help but I ignored her. As I opened my mouth to speak, I realised words failed me. She began the conversation, sharing how poor her last moments had been. "Are you here to take my life?" I asked. Her reply was quick: "Yes." I attempted to run, but my legs betrayed me, and I fainted. 

When I woke the next morning, a locket was in my hand. It was hers. Without any second thought, I called the manager, making it clear I wouldn't lead that tour. My voice was filled with fear and panic which convinced him to respect my decision. 

The haunted encounter had changed me forever.

[four-loose-screws]

FE7 Novelization Translation - Chapter 11 Section 4

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Chapter 11: Four-Fanged Offense (Section 4)

The first thing Jaffar saw when he woke up was the face of a girl he recognized.

"Oh, you're awake? Thank goodness…" When she saw that Jaffar had regained consciousness, she breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest.

Though at first Nino had panicked when the dying Jaffar appeared before her, after taking a few deep breaths, she calmed down, and started to tend to his wound with a vulnerary she had on her.

And all because of that, Jaffar was freed from death's clutches.

"You… must be…"

"I am! We've met a few times before, but I've never told you my name or anything. I'm Nino! Sonia's daughter!"

"...What are you planning?"

Nino introduced herself while looking at him with a carefree smile on her face, but he attacked her with words full of anger.

"Huh?"

"Have you forgotten the law of the Black Fang? To avoid being killed together, you must kill those who can no longer move on their own…"

"But that's…"

"I made the mistake of losing consciousness outside our base. According to the law, you should have taken my life and immediately fled the area. So why did you do this?"

"B-Because I… didn't want to see… an ally die!"

"Don't be such a fool!" Jaffar shouted.

Nino’s eyes widened in shock.

His shouting made his closing wound slightly reopen, and his face twisted in anguish.

Nino gently wrapped her arms around him. "You can’t move! Here, hold on to me!"

"...Don't… touch… me…" He tried desperately to pull himself away from Nino, however, his pain was so intense that he could not will his body to move. Instead, he began to drift back into unconsciousness again.

"Please, don't move! You're… bleeding again! What should I do… It won't stop…"

The white bandage she'd wrapped around him stained deeper and deeper red with his blood. 

Her expression changed, and she looked like she was about to burst into tears any moment. "Please… Don't die. You can’t die…"

-

"...Linus… You fool, even after everything I said…"

Anger burned within Lloyd as he closed his brother's eyes, staring blankly into emptiness.

Lloyd had gone back to the base long enough to confirm what their leader and father’s orders really were, but had a bad feeling. He couldn't stop worrying about Linus, so he turned around.

When they reunited, his brother was already gone, unable to explain anything to him about what had happened.

"...Just wait a little longer. I'm going after them now. Their corpses will be my gift to you…"

The White Wolf did not know. That the person who took his brother's life was actually Limstella…

And so, he directed his anger at Eliwood.

☆

Bern's capital city was located in a rugged mountain range, and its castle was built in the center of the city, on the backside of a steep mountain.

The road leading to the city was narrow and winding, preventing large armies from rushing within its limits in one fell swoop. And even further to their advantage, when those armies, already struggling to move, were attacked from the skies by the dragon knights, no matter how brave or skilled the army's commander, they would have no choice but to retreat. Easy to defend and difficult to invade, this was the ideal place for the residence of the royal family of Bern.

Within the castle grounds, the King of Bern, Desmond's, voice was currently ringing throughout the royal manse. 

"Are you there, Zephiel?!" He shouted with a harsh look in his eyes. 

He could still yet be considered middle aged, and kept a neatly trimmed beard. 

The person who responded to his demanding call was the queen, Hellene. She wore a luxurious, beautifully embroidered white dress. 

Her own gaze glared back at her husband with cold, contemptuous eyes. "Oh, Your Majesty… It’s so good to see you again after so long! Your visit here at the manse makes today a day of great celebration, doesn't it!"

"...Enough with your sarcasm. Will you not call Zephiel to me this instant?!"

"Your son is currently out practicing his falconry."

"You knew I was coming, and had him go out, did you? Hmph… You are as detestable a woman as ever. I suppose you'll do, then. There is something I wish to speak about in regards to the prince's coming-of-age ceremony."

Bern's coming-of-age ceremony was the event that decided the rightful heir to the throne. It was just ten days away.

"Finally…! Once the ceremony is over, our son, who has always lived in the shadows, will become recognized as the inheritor of the throne… Oh, how I have waited for the day…!"

"Do not speak such vile words! Neither you nor Zephiel, as the Queen of Bern and crown prince, have lacked for anything in your lives!" Desmond shouted, his expression furious.

Hellene replied calmly, "...You forced us into this manse, while you live in the palace with your mistress… How disappointed you must be that she bore you not a prince, but a princess."

"Hellene! You go too far!!" He screamed with enough force to kill, having been attacked in his weak spot. 

But it was not enough to stop Hellene's sharp tongue. "...My son, with my noble Etrurian blood flowing through his veins… in ten days, he will obtain the right to the throne, as its legitimate heir.  Ho ho ho, no matter how you dote on her, your mistress's Guinevere is fated to one day become a person living in the shadows…"

Hellene pictured the face of his mistress, living peacefully at the palace, and her smile twisted with hatred.

Because the king's love had been stolen from her, the only way that this vain queen could protect her honor was for her son to be crowned the successor to the throne, and inherit the kingdom.

"It will be my Zephiel, as the true queen's son, who will inherit Bern! Oh ho ho ho, what a great feeling this is!"

Desmond listened to her loud laughter without a word, waiting for her to stop completely before opening his mouth again. "...Is that all you wanted to say? Then I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Last night, someone stole the Fire Emblem from the palace."

"Impossible…! …Oh ho ho ho, you are a wicked person yourself, Your Majesty…! Who would believe such a tale?"

The Fire Emblem was known as Bern's greatest treasure. Only one existed in the entire world… So it was always kept under heavy guard, making it nearly impossible to steal. Knowing that full well, Hellene could not interpret Desmond's words as anything other than a joke.

"Though unfortunate, it is a true story."

"Impossible…!"

The king's expression did not change even once as she looked at him.

Hellene's face turned white.

"You know this as well as I do, but the Fire Emblem is the symbol that represents the person who will inherit the throne. It is essential to the coming-of-age ceremony. If it is gone, then… there will be no choice but to postpone the ceremony, won't there?"

"Y… You didn't take it yourself, did you? Why do you lothe Zephiel so?! He is your adorable son, your flesh and blood!!"

Desmond did not answer her first question, instead suddenly describing his son's reputation. "...I have heard that Zephiel excels in his studies, combat, and anything else he does. He even has a remarkable personality beloved by everyone, yes?"

"Yes! Yes, that is all so! He is a prince to be proud of."

"I… performed poorly in both academics and combat. And my personality is average… I have never gained much support from the people… Zephiel and I are the exact opposites in everything. I cannot think of him as my son…" That was the doubt the king had in his heart.

To dispel those feelings from within him, Hellene shouted, "Zephiel is your child! Surely you know that very well!"

"...Even if he is my son, if the ceremony is not conducted, then he will not be granted the right to inherit the throne… You should be prepared for that outcome as well."

"Your Majesty! Lord Desmond! Please, wait!"

Desmond, having said what he wanted to, turned to leave, but Hellene clung to him.

However, the king showed her not even a shred of mercy, pushing her away and leaving the palace at once.

"I beg of you! Please…!!"

Hellene pleaded through tears, but Desmond showed no intention of giving her any sort of response. 

ー

[oddree13]

Restless Year - Chapter 10

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4)

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Chapter 10 - Story of My Life

As much as Eddie loves having D&D on Wednesdays, he’s happy to have an evening to just write a campaign instead of running one. Dustin had roped him into the idea of a New Year's Day one-shot because it originally sounded like a good way to kick off 1990. But with the chaos of the week, he's been too busy to think of his home brew let alone write it out. He has half a mind to call Dustin and order him to DM if he wants them to play so badly. God his past self would punch current Eddie right now for that thought. But that’s what growing up is, isn’t it? 

Steve had teased him weeks ago for admitting to growing up. And sure, it’s not a thought he likes to dwell on. Honestly, it still makes his skin tight to think of himself as an actual adult, but it’s reality. He’s 24 and, for once, has priorities beyond getting high and rolling dice - like getting home around sundown to light the menorah with Steve. It’s funny how lackadaisical he was in the past about holidays beyond Halloween. But when that first Christmas with Steve came around he knew he’d do anything to rewrite all the shitty Harrington holiday memories, including watching Steve try maror like a champ. And now with the prospect of them adding to their family, it wouldn’t be the worst to have more than a few traditions to call their own.

The apartment is oddly quiet when he gets home. Eddie knows Steve and Max had plans to go to the movies this afternoon. He thinks some Disney film about a mermaid, but it's odd they aren’t back yet. He walks to the fridge to check for a note, but there isn’t one. Just as the worry in him starts to build, he hears muffled voices coming from the hall. It only takes a few steps to realize the voices are coming from the bathroom and wonders what on earth the pair could be doing in there together. 

“Hey I'm home,” he announces, knocking lightly. “What are you two up to?”

It takes a few seconds but the door opens in answer. He sees Max and Steve on the floor, both their eyes red-rimmed as if they'd been crying awhile. Eddie's mind runs through a million scenarios. Did someone get hurt? Did the upside-down reopen? Is someone dead? Is this the reason for Max's visit? 

Eddie scans the pair hoping for a clue when his eyes fall on the plastic stick in Steve's hand. "Sweetheart, is that yours or Max's?" 

Max looks more amused than offended at Eddie’s question. Steve glances down at the stick, as if he’s worried the results would change, before passing it to Eddie. “Mine,” he offers, as Eddie’s eyes fixate on the little plus sign. He’s never had to take a pregnancy test before but he’s seen enough movies to know what that sign means. Steve is pregnant. Steve is pregnant, which means they’re having a pup. Eddie is having a kid. 

A million things run through his mind. When did this happen? They’re going to need a bigger place. How long until a kid can learn guitar? Steve has definitely drunk alcohol recently. Do dads have long hair? I need to stop smoking. Do dads have tattoos? I should stop cursing so much. Can I take tattoos off? I need to build a crib. Can I take the baby to work with me? Can babies listen to metal? I hope the baby looks like Steve. Can the kid look like both of them? I’m going to have to hide my dice sets. How young is too young for a character sheet? Do they even live near good schools? Holy shit Steve is still in school. Holy shit I’m not in school anymore. Should I go to school? How am I going to help with math homework? Wheeler can tutor. Robin is going to kill me for knocking up her best friend. Wait, no, Steve is my mate. I can knock up my mate. His mate is pregnant. Steve is pregnant. 

His brain keeps populating questions and worries until Max clears her throat, snapping Eddie out of his trance. He looks from her stern face to Steve who isn’t looking at Eddie but rather at the floor again. He realizes he’s been quiet for too long. He tries to form a sentence, but can’t get his brain and mouth to connect. All he can manage is a manic sort of laugh because just moments ago he was walking home thinking of the day they’d grow their family only for it to be happening right now. 

Eddie leans against the door jamb, trying to compose himself as he just stares at the stick in disbelief and excitement. He can’t stop giggling, and fuck if this isn’t a way to end the decade. 

“Please tell me that laughing means good news?” Steve asks him, his voice a little strained and watery. 

“Great news, baby,” Eddie assures and sinks down to join his mate on the floor. He leans over to kiss Steve, pulling back eventually just to look at the stick again. “I thought we agreed on no gifts this year.”

That finally pulls a laugh from Steve. “In my defense, it was delivered around Halloween.”

“Nope, I’m out. Let me out,” Max declares, and starts climbing over the two of them to make her way out of the bathroom. Eddie scoots over just enough to let her leave and then closes the door. 

He leans into Steve’s space, tangling their legs together. He pulls Steve into another kiss, needing to get his hands on his mate. They probably shouldn’t be sitting on the bathroom floor, but all Eddie wants to do is touch Steve and the location isn’t going to stop him. He let his hands slide down to Steve’s waist, his fingers gliding over the exposed skin, grinning once it hits him that his pup is in there somewhere. He breathes Steve in, his change in scent making more sense now. The last few weeks make way more sense in context.

“How are you feeling?” Eddie whispers as he shifts around Steve so he’s shoulder to shoulder with his mate, giving into his desire to scent him. Something about the gravity of this moment makes him keep his voice low, as if talking at a normal volume would wake him from this dream. 

“So many things Ed. So many things. I was making breakfast when Max started asking all these questions… And a part of me knew, but a part of me thought there was no way. We hadn’t planned on it. I was on birth control. But Max kept insisting there was no harm in a test. So after the movie, I went to the store.” 

Eddie can imagine Steve just sitting through the movie, vibrating in his seat while he tried to pretend everything was alright. A part of him wonders if he would have told Eddie if the test had been negative and he hadn’t come home at the right time. Sure it’s unplanned, but Eddie knows how much Steve wants kids. He knows that planned or not he’d be crushed by a negative test, and Eddie hopes that they’ve grown enough that Steve would share his disappointment regardless. 

“How much of the movie did you actually manage to take in?”

“None of it,” Steve laughs, resting his head on Eddie’s shoulder. “Which is fine. Suzie will definitely want to see it and I doubt her family will let her watch it over the holidays.”

Eddie hums in agreement as his hand trials back to Steve’s waist, plucking at the edge of his shirt for permission. Steve lifts the fabric, and smiles as Eddie’s hand splays over his abdomen. “Nothing to see there yet babe,” Steve mumbles, eyes closing as he relaxes. 

“Doesn’t mean there isn’t someone there.” In a matter of moments, Eddie’s whole world has changed. The last time his life changed so quickly, he’d been thrown into a world of chaos that left him on the run and with missing chunks of skin. And while this is definitely preferable to the upside-down, it’s no less terrifying. “So what do we do now?”

“I guess go to the local clinic just to get started and then find an actual doctor. Fuck do we even have health insurance?”

Eddie perks up at that. “Yes! Yes, we do. I actually get it through work and put you on it. Holy shit was that a responsible decision? Don’t expect that again anytime soon.” 

They sit on the floor a bit longer until Steve starts to shift against Eddie. “Eds, love, we’re going to regret being on the floor very soon. And honestly, I need water.”

Their location suddenly hits Eddie and he feels very dumb for keeping Steve on the tile. “Right, bathroom floors are for revelations, not celebrations.” Eddie stands up first and helps Steve up, nuzzling him as soon as he’s upright. “I’ll get you water. Just go to the sofa and relax.”

“I can get myself water Eddie,” Steve tries, but without thinking Eddie rumbles. Any normal omega would maybe demure or obey. But not Steve. Steve just laughs and kisses Eddie’s cheek. “Sure thing Alpha, you can get me water. Bring Max some too if you want.” Eddie scents Steve again before letting him walk to the sofa and is about to follow when he spies their open bedroom door. He rummages around a bit to find what he needs and tosses it to Steve as he walks to the kitchen. 

“Will you ever hand me clothes like a normal person?” Steve calls out as the sweatshirt leaves his face. Max finds it amusing, and Eddie only half listens as Steve tells her all the time Eddie has just thrown clothes at him. “It always happens when his alpha is in control,” Steve mumbles, pulling off his shirt, and swapping it for Eddie’s worn-in sweatshirt. 

From the kitchen, Eddie takes in the view of Steve in his clothes curled close to one of their adopted pups. Out of all the kids, Max isn’t one of the most tactile, but it seems that the emotions of the day have gotten to both of them. If the polaroid didn’t make so much noise he’d chance a snap.

“Water for both of you and take out menus. We’re ordering in tonight,” Eddie announces as he walks back to the living room. He can see that Steve wants to argue, but when Max starts shuffling through the options he deflates. 

“Can we have pizza?” Max asks. “Dustin keeps saying the pizza here is like pie and I sort of want to try it. Sounds better than the pineapple pizza El and Will keep trying to force on me.”

“Pizza sounds good. Definitely, no pineapple,” Steve seconds, leaning into Eddie who settles in behind his omega. As he listens as the two debate through topping choices, Eddie finds his hand drifting back to Steve’s waist, his fingers splaying protectively over his stomach. It’s barely been a half hour but he’s suddenly aware that there is something there to protect. Eddie’s never been one to give into instinct and he prides himself on it. But he can definitely say that if Max wasn’t in their pack, he would have shoved her out of the apartment and barricaded Steve in their bedroom. 

“Munson. Eddie. Dad,” Max calls, waving the menu hand in front of his face. He snatches the paper from her and rolls his eyes at her smirk. “Order a cheese and a pepperoni, and some garlic rolls. Steve also wants cannolis.”

“Does he want cannolis or do you want them and are using him as an excuse? Also would please actually kill you?”

“No, I actually want cannolis. Max doesn’t know what they are and apparently ‘cheese is not dessert’,” Steve parrots back. 

“Almost a year at college and you’re still eating like you’re in Indiana? Disappointment, Red. What do they teach you at school?” Eddie taunts and reluctantly gets up to order. “You two pick something to watch that isn’t sports. Pregnant or not, I’m not watching basketball.” 

*

“Do you think they can hear me?” Eddie is settled between Steve’s legs, resting his head on Steve’s thigh so he can look up his omega’s body. 

“I genuinely don’t know. I wasn’t in the omega development class when we had it in high school and my parents for sure didn’t give me more than the basics. I’ll go get a book or something tomorrow. Why do you want to know?”

Eddie stares at the strip of exposed skin between Steve’s pajamas and worries his lip. “Dunno. Kind of want to chat with them. Tell them how excited I am to meet them. See if they might enjoy the Hobbit while they chill in there.”

“Are you using this pregnancy as an excuse to finally get me to read Lord of the Rings?”

“Nah, you don’t even have to be awake while I read. I’m perfectly fine giving a performance to an audience of one.” Eddie presses a kiss to Steve’s stomach before moving back up the bed to lie next to Steve. 

“You think we’re ready?” The question hangs heavy between them because there isn’t a good answer. 

Eddie plays with the ring on Steve’s finger as he thinks. “I don’t think anyone is ever really ready, but I’m down for another adventure with Steve Harrington. I know I never thought I’d make it this far so it’s not like I ever pictured this beyond the abstract.”

“You have baby names picked out Eds,” Steve counters.

“One name, Steve, and I guess teenage me was hopeful. I mean past me certainly didn’t actually think I’d find someone to like me let alone have a kid with me.” 

“What would teenage you say if you time travelled to tell him?”

Eddie has to laugh at that image. “He wouldn’t believe me. Hell, I think he’d hate me in some ways. Fourteen year old me was a prick. But then again what fourteen year old isn’t? He’d punch me for cancelling D&D, call me a sellout for getting a job, but he’d be floored to know I bagged Steve Harrington.”

“Was I even on your radar at fourteen?” 

“You were on everyone’s radar back then Stevie. Not even I was above notice. You were a pretty boy then and you're still a pretty boy now. Prettier really.”

“You’re just saying that because I have your pup in me.”

“That you do Stevie, that you do. But that only adds to how gorgeous you already are.” Eddie pulls Steve into his arms, curling protectively around his mate. “Thank you,” he whispers, half wishing the lights were already off so Steve wouldn’t see his face. 

“For what Eddie?” 

“Giving me a family to call my own.”

***

They manage to keep the news quiet for three days. 

If Steve thought a baby would be the impetus for a bigger apartment, the four college freshmen invading his living room floor just confirmed it. With classes starting on January 2, Suzie and Dustin had to be back in the city. On his own, Lucas opted to fly out of O’Hare back to DC, hitching a bus ride with Dustin at the last minute. 

Dustin has his notes for tomorrow laid out in front of him as he helps  Lucas and Suzie make character sheets. He’d been so ecstatic at the chance to run a campaign that he didn’t question why Eddie was handing over the reins. 

“Why aren’t you in there with them? You should go hang out.” Steve is whipping cream as Eddie cleans the dishes from dinner, the radio filling the kitchen with a companionable din. 

“Because I feel like you’ve been cooking non-stop since Thanksgiving, and I need to do something. Besides I could say the same for you - they’re your kids too and you should be resting.”

“Eddie nothing has changed in the four days since we’ve found out. I will be fine making mousse. So go help Dustin and send Max in here. I’m sure she’d appreciate the break. We’re all going to sleep tonight with the sound of dice rolling in our dreams.” Eddie pokes Steve’s side before acquiescing and walks to the living room, a few cans of beer in hand. 

“Are you actually letting us drink tonight or are you relegating us to sparkling apple cider,” Dustin asks, eyeing the beers in Eddie’s hand.

“That all depends, are you going to have a hangover for Dungeons and Dragons tomorrow if I let you drink?” Eddie’s threat is empty as he tosses Max a can. “Besides, the cider isn’t for you.”

“I know it’s for Suzie,” Dustin supplies, and Steve snorts at the assumption from the kitchen. For all of Dustin’s deductive abilities, he has a blind spot for the glaringly obvious. Like when he kept trying to get Robin and Steve together.

Lucas walks into the kitchen in lieu of Max, and awkwardly waves at Steve to check if his presence in the kitchen is welcome. 

“Hey Lucas, come to help me wash up?” When he gets a nod Steve has to ask. “Is Max playing tomorrow?” 

“No, no,” Lucas laughs, “she just told me to earn my keep. Which thanks again for letting me crash here for a few days. I’m sure you’re regretting your decision already.”

“Not at all. It’s nice to have visitors. You’ll get to see the shop tomorrow, and the staff will be thrilled to meet another one of Eddie’s kids - especially because you’ll be nicer than Max.” Steve had heard about her spat with Jamie - not from Eddie but from Max herself who was very proud.

Lucas smiles fondly at that, looking out of the kitchen towards the redhead. “She’s just protective of you. I mean we all are but Max cares about you. A lot man. Don’t tell her I said that though because she’d kill me for telling you.”

“My lips are sealed, but I’d like to remind you all that I am older than all of you and can handle myself.” Steve looks over and sees Lucas drying the same plate over and over again as if he’s thinking something through. Steve is about to ask Lucas to spit it out when the younger man beats him to it. 

“Thank you for letting her stay here.” The statement is barely above a whisper but Steve knows it’s because he doesn’t want the living room to hear. “I don’t know if she’s told you why, and I barely know all the details, you know how Max is. I should probably be jealous or upset that she doesn’t come to me with this stuff but we’re complicated - what’s new,” he sighs. 

Steve just listens as Lucas continues, moving around the kitchen to give them some plausible cover. “I’m glad she has you. I know we all do,” he assures when he sees Steve try to interject. “I think most of us were worried that once you and Eddie left you’d sort of move on from your babysitting role. But when you first called me at school to ask me for my game schedule I knew I was dumb for worrying.”

“I haven’t missed a game,” Steve preens and gestures to the fridge where Lucas’ game schedule is pinned. 

“I know. Dustin tells me you make him listen sometimes.”

“I do. If I can learn the difference between a d20 and a d12, he can learn what a free throw is. But I’m not going anywhere, and neither is Eddie. The pack might be spread out now but we’re still a pack.”

“We’re your pups?” Lucas teases, to which Steve just nods. 

“Yeah my first ones,” Steve agrees, earning a raised brow from Lucas. The music on the radio is interrupted by a reminder that they were fifteen minutes to midnight and Steve glances at the clock to confirm.

“Right, break out the champagne and cider and take that to the living room. Tell Eddie to put on the ball drop. I’m just going to pipe this really quick.” Steve finishes decorating the mousse in a few minutes, just in time to watch Eddie argue with Dustin over the drinks. 

“I know how to count Eddie. It’s five glasses of champagne, one of cider,” he bickers, trying to slap Eddie’s hand away from tossing back the extra champagne glass.

“Henderson I know you’re used to being one the smartest people in the room, but I think for once I know more than you,” Eddie chides and pours out a glass of cider for Steve, passing it to his mate. 

“We aren’t driving anywhere tonight, why aren’t you drinking?” Dustin questions, eyeing Steve suspiciously. Lucas looks between Dustin, the cup, Steve, and then Eddie who is looking smug. Steve watches as the gears turn in his head and when he looks at Max she just nods. 

“But you were drinking at the wedding!” Lucas worries. 

“They just found out,” Max supplies, trying to assuage his concern.

“Found out what?!” Dustin whines, not enjoying being left out of the loop. His exclamation makes Suzie gasp, bringing everyone but Dustin into the know. 

“Oh my goodness that is so exciting! Congratulations!”

“Congratulations to what? Can someone tell me what is going on!” 

As much as Steve likes watching Dustin flounder on his curiosity voyage, he figures someone should take pity on him lest they miss the start of 1990.

“It’s your turn to be the babysitter Henderson.” Steve watches as everything clicks into place for Dustin. He’s pretty sure that if he wasn’t sitting on the sofa, Steve would have been on the floor from the force of Dustin tackling him. 

“Whoa, whoa, easy Dustin, that’s my kid in there!” Eddie scolds, causing the younger man to panic at his action, which only makes Steve laugh. 

“You’re fine, Eddie is just in full protective mode. But yeah we just found out a few days ago.”

“I found out first,” Max crows, clearly trying to needle Dustin who is reeling from the news.

“What?! Why did she find out first?” Steve isn’t sure why his pregnancy would be the exception to Dustin and Max’s constant one-upmanship but he’s putting a stop to it before it starts.

“Alright enough everyone, we’ve got a minute to midnight and I want a moment of calm before our phone starts ringing,” Steve calls out, settling the room down, even when Dustin shoves Max playfully. “Get your drinks and watch the damn ball.”

“Yes Mom,” everyone mutters and when he hears Suzie’s voice in the chorus he quirks a brow at her.

“What? It’s not a bad title,” she shrugs, walking over to soothe Dustin’s ego.

Eddie takes the vacant spot next to Steve and winds an arm around his shoulder. “If you thought this was bad, wait until Robin finds out she’s not the first to know.” 

“Just shut up and kiss me, Eddie.” “With pleasure. Happy New Year, baby.”

[accio-productivity]

Hi, my school had been going on and now finally, my summer break has started (apologies for no post). I did not want that horrible schedule again when school reopens so, like every other person I searched for tips on time management, but this time I thought to take a deep dive into the topic for this blog and here comes

#time management

Now let us understand time management by questioning!

WHAT exactly is time management?

 Many people tend to think that it is just about managing time with popular methods like Pomodoro (which it is). It is the art of scheduling and coordinating tasks, so that, productivity is maximised and we can complete tonne tasks in limited time.

 We all have different priorities, workloads and focus periods. Time management is managing workload by prioritising tasks within one's capacity. Yes, it is about maximising productivity but, it is more about making the schedule easy to follow.

WHY is time management important?

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the work you have to do? If yes, then time management is for you!

HOW to manage time? / Tips for time management

Here are multiple tips for different categories of people!

For people with a low attention span

Have you ruined your attention span by scrolling or are you someone thinking last time I could easily sit for 2hrs and now I can't even study for 20mins?

Then, the Pomodoro method is the best for you. Some of you might be offended by the Pomodoro method but the truth is, it is best for people with low attention span.

It is focusing for 25 min with 5 min break. But I would not recommend you to take that 5min break because chances are that you will scroll for the next 2hrs.

Instead of the actual Pomodoro technique, try the edited one.

Check how long can you study for. For e.g., you can study for 30min and after 30 min either you go on your phone or start daydreaming. Now you know your focus period so you have to study in these small batches and after 30min instead of a phone break go and do something else like you can clean your space, make coffee/get a snack for the next session or just listen to 2-3 fav songs.

Let us say you took this kind of break of 10min, then go back for further sessions until your task is completed or you have completed at least 2hr of focus time. Now you can take any kind of break you want but have some control over your nerves. Also, after a week increase your focus time by 10min and slowly you will be able to focus for longer periods.

For people with decent/good focus time

Are you someone who can focus for a decent time but want to have a smooth long study session? Then, you should practice the flowtime technique. 

It is studying until you complete a task. For e.g., you have many things to do, out of which you chose to read a chapter or complete a lecture. Then you start and work until the work is completed or you are mentally exhausted, at the same time satisfied for progress.

HOW TO SCHEDULE TIME

So, you know what kind of person you are and now the main problem comes. You have made your to-do list. You know how you are going to study but you don't have the time. We have school, tuition and many other responsibilities, that the day ends and we are not able to do anything.

Here are Tips to schedule your day,

Edit your to-do list. More specifically, you know your attention span, and the time you have for studies and thus you should make the task list accordingly. Why do you have to make a list imagining the best-case scenario? Instead, determine the number of things you can complete in a day and then edit your to-do by prioritising the important tasks.

Bring the time out. This tip is very essential because here you have to make study time during the busy day. Do you have a gap between school and tuition or between any evening classes and dinner? If yes then use this time effectively. If the time is around 2hrs relax for an hour but then study in the next. There are many such gaps you may find in your day. Whether you study in them or not utilize them.

Next, if are you a morning/night person then you can get a longer session here. If you say you are somewhere in the morning-night person then test your current mood of morning/night. Also, try multiple routines and then stick to the most convenient one.

EXCEPTIONS

Some of you with good attention spans might want to practise flowtime but the problem is that the gaps which are there during the day are so small to practice flowtime. For e.g., you got a 30min time to study and you have to read a lesson and then break the task, in this case, decide the subtopic of the lesson you will be reading.

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you found it helpful.

P.S. I made an Instagram account, Follow me - https://www.instagram.com/accio_productivity/?next=%2F