#i still wanna talk to you guys darn it

[ssahotchnerr]

Hi Katie!!! Have an Ellie thought for you. Hc that she has eyes bigger than her stomach and whenever they go out to eat, no matter how many times you and Aaron try to convince her to get an Ellie sized plate of food, she wants what she wants and obv Aaron is a pushover so what she wants she gets 😭✋🏻 but invariably, whenever she does this, she doesn’t wanna finish her plate bc it was too much food after all HOWEVER she is sneaky and knows if she admits that it’s too much food then her parents will have been right 🙄 so she always tries to play it off by offering it like she’s sharing and doing something kind. (“Daddy, do you wanna try a piece of my French toast?” and then proceeding to keep ‘letting him have some’ when he admits it’s good. When he puts his foot down and says he’s not gonna have anymore then she starts offering to you and Jack) you guys know 100% exactly what she’s doing bc you weren’t born yesterday but you just let it slide 😭. Hope you have a good weekend love!

STOP that's so cute 😭 cw fem!reader, mentions of food

it's when ellie starts getting bored of the kid menu this starts happening: jack has started ordering off the main menu, that's what you and aaron order from. she's like 8 or 9 when this starts, and she's in the phase where she wants to be 'more grown' - she feels left out or still the 'baby', even though she is a big sister at this point 🫢

hehe when you all sit down at the table, she starts by looking at the kid menu. but when jack and aaron start chattering on what they're getting, she's completely uninterested in it. the kid menu's sole purpose now is that she and aaron play the little games on it - tic tac toe, maze, crossword - while waiting for the food to arrive 🥹

ellie turns to aaron and says, "daddy can i pleaseeee order off the grown up menu 🥺" and to be fair, he does his best to get her to order from the kid menu, reminding her of the manyyy times she's hasn't been able to eat her full meal, how it's a lot of food, this is more ellie sized. but she just continues to protest - "no it's not!! i promise i'll eat all of it."

finally aaron surrenders - he begins scanning the menu again and asks her, "what would you even order?" and that signals ellie's win right there 😭🤭

hehe you shoot aaron a knowing look (with the newest hotchner cradled in your arms 🥰 !!!!) - like the two of you know how this is going to end, but aaron just shrugs 😭🥺 you teasingly mumble 'pushover' with a smirk and now it's aaron's turn to give you a look 🙄🥰🥰

so when food arrives - aaron sees her face go o.O when the plate is set in front of her. she does however start strong - but she finishes almost half when she's full and doesn't want any more 😭

ellie knows her parents were right 🙄 but will she admit it? absolutely not 😭 so she falls silent, moving her food around her plate with her fork, before she pulls the utmost sweetest expression and turns to aaron, asking if he wants a bite :D

of course aaron obliges, and ellie's gleefully putting as much of her food on her plate as she can before he can stop her LOL

after aaron confirms it's good, is when she turns to you and jack and asks if you two want some as well!!!!! hehe she's sooo subtly sneaky, and just everyone has that soft spot for her, so she frequently gets her way (in variation of course 😭) she's just so darn cute and the sweetest kid ever so it's hard to say no - anyone would do anything to make her happy 🥺

another tactic she uses - she gets veryyyy talkative when she's full. so she's "too busy to eat", and it mainly distracts the two of you from noticing how much is on her plate. (although there are times where the both of you are like, "eleanor 🤨 eat your food please.") but soon enough, the server is bringing the check over and there's still on ton left on her plate. darn!!!! 🙄🤭

and at least aaron can justify letting her because anything she doesn't eat 😭 you can simply take home and she can finish later - so it'll never be a waste of money. or he could even bring it to work and have it for lunch if she doesn't want it. in addition, a lot of the time the family goes out to eat after one of her soccer games, or one of her dance things, so she is quite hungry. but in the end, her eyes are just always way too big for her stomach 😭

[colorquest]

D: WOOOOOOOOOO! D: LOOK AT IT!!! D: BLURRY AS FUCK BUT LOOK AT IT! D: WE WERE THEREEEE! S: ...Phew...! S: Oh my gosh, that's so cool, but-- S: Vilmr!!! S: You had me so scared, haha, I was holding my breath that whole time! S: You really made it seem like we were about to just... S: ...just, explode from bad luck out of nowhere.

D: Yeah see and now you know Vilmr, everything's totally fine. D: No need to be so stressed out now right? V: Mmmmmmmmmh... V: Don't talk to me, this is just too much for me... D: Okay well if it makes you feel any better your phone's stopped buzzing so much. D: Me thinks this eclipse is the start of something epic.

M: Well wow, D! M: Thanks for finding this stream, that was actually really neat! M: Now I get to tell my mom I've officially seen my first eclipse. M: That'll be a hoot for her to hear, haha. D: Um, Penny's like a cajillion years old right? D: She's probably seen a bunch already, she's probably gonna be all, D: "Awww, baby's first eclipse, guguguu~" M: Haha, yeah probably. M: Something like that. D: So like yeah that was awesome. D: What are you getting up to for the rest of the night Samantha? S: I think Michael's parents are putting on a movie tonight. S: So we might be doing that later? D: But not like right now, right? D: Like we can still hang out for a bit right? D: We literally just started calling. D: ...An hour ago. but still. M: Oh yeah, no, they're out right now doing... M: Uh, I don't really know what they're up to actually. M: But it'll be a few hours. M: Probably? D: OKAY okay so then do you guys wanna--

D: ...Erm. S: Want to what, Debbie? D: Did you guys not see that just now? S: See what? D: Um, that big flash outside your window?

S: Oh, heehee Debbie, very funny. S: I was scared a minute ago but I'm not that high. D: No seriously, it got super bright outside your window just now. D: Actually I'm pretty sure I saw it from the corner of my eye too? D: *gasssssssp...* D: Is something actually going down? M: D, it's bright all the time out here, you know this. D: Oh my gosh, you guys I'm not joking okay? D: Literally just go look out your window???? S: We're not that gullible Debbie! -v-... D: Ugh whatever, I'm gonna go investigate at least. D: Come on Vilmr. V: Are-- are you serious...? V: What's going on? M: Now D, there's no need to make fun of Vilmr, the time has passed--

M: HOLY SKY AND ABOVE!!! S: ?!

S: Wh-wh... S: What was that?! S: Oh my gosh Michael, your room! S: Half of it's completely gone! S: What just happened??? M: I-- M: O-oh my gosh. M: I have no clue... S: Okay, okay, okay no Michael, I'm really scared now. S: S-seriously. S: Michael, I think Vilmr might've been... S: I think he... S: I... M: Samantha?

S: Uuu... uuuuu... M: Oh, oh no Samantha this is like the worst time for this! M: We gotta get out of here, this room can't be stable. S: ... M: Samantha!

S: eep! M: Aaaaah... M: Darn it, okay-- M: I'm carrying you out, then! M: The door was blown away anyways... S: ...zzz... M: Come on, let's get out of...

M: ...here. M: M: *gulp*

<[Last]|| [Next]>

[sakuralovespossums]

okok so im not the person that asked if u take requests BUT may i pretty pls request hcs for master shake x someone who's like.. the opposite of him??? could be gn but preferably fem 😭 my idea is like.. reader is soft spoken, actually cares about meatwad, pretty darn feminine..... yk u get the gist. ty vro currently under hurricane watch 😛

Human Master Shake x Fem Reader who’s his total opposite!

General HCs

When Shake went around bragging about his new girlfriend, everyone just thought he was lying like usual and ignored him. That is until they actually met you and HOLLY HELL how tf did Shake of all people manage to pull a sweetie like you?!

You’re kind, soft spoken, bubbly and always dressed in pastel colored feminine clothing and glittery makeup. You always know just what to say and easily make friends with anybody you meet

Then there’s Shake…who’s…….Shake

He acts all surprised and offended to see people act shocked when finding out you two are together

“Of course we’re together!! You think I wouldn’t be able to hit this sweet piece of cake?”

*Smacks your ass, causing you to jump and glare at him*

Deep down tho, he’s REALLY kinda insecure about your relationship and is worried your only dating him cuz you want something from him and will ditch him at any moment

It doesn’t help that he has a shitty track record with women Svetlana and Freda

But you get that and are pretty patient. So you take your time with him and try to get him to slowly open up and be more vulnerable around you when you guys are alone. Wether that’d be cooking together, running errands, cuddling on the bed, and other mundane stuff

Shake acts annoyed and bored by all this at first, but over time begins to secretly enjoy it and feels more comfortable being with you

Like he’s shocked he doesn’t just like you for your sweet tits and ass!! He now actively seeks you out all the time cuz you’re the only person who makes him feel……..relaxed? Content? He doesn’t get it but he also can’t get enough of it!

Because of this, Shake grows more possessive/jealous. He will glare at anybody who looks at you and will snatch you away when your talking too long to other people

Doesn’t care who they are, he will let them known that you. are. HIS!!!!!

He feels justified in his possessiveness tho with how naive and too trusting you can be towards other people, making you easy prey for creeps who wanna take advantage of your kindness and good looks I kinda modeled your personality after Girlfriend from Friday Night Funkin

Despite being a bit of an airhead, there are random moments where you just say the most out of nowhere intelligent stuff ever that leaves everyone (especially Frylock) stumped

Despite liking you, Shake is still an asshole and can say/do some pretty dick-ish things to you sometimes. You quickly beat his ass reprimand him for it. You’re patient but not a pushover!!!

Shake groans as you drag him along on your usual shopping sprees, carrying home bags of new clothes and makeup from Forever 21, Victoria’s Secret, and Sephora. Meanwhile he’s blushing so hard cuz HOLY SHIT YOUR HOLDING HIS HAND!!!!!!

Peeks under your short skirt whenever he can

You know that 13-in-one shampoo bottle meme? That’s you and Shake

Your aesthetic is like NewJeans, Marina,pink core y2k (you) clashed with ICP, rap rock, horror core (Shake) I don’t know any other bands besides ICP I’m so sorry!

He smells (slightly) less after you forced him to start using hygiene products

He ALWAYS has you on his lap. Wether it’s the bed, couch, Carl’s pool, doesn’t matter

You love cuddling on his lap when he’s watching TV on the sofa, kissing all over his neck and face as he grows redder and redder

Other times he’ll get you back by suddenly ducking down and straight up tongue wrestle you with a sick smirk. His large frame not letting you go anywhere

Sure, you’ll often tease and fluster him. But he’ll also show you your place and leave you a mess too ;)

One time, he took you to an ICP concert and you were both decked out in the whole goth rocker outfit like in the Juggalo episode. God, he couldn’t believe how sexy you looked going from pretty pink to hardcore goth!

Shake cooks for you often after you compliment his meals. It fills him with a type of pride he doesn’t feel from telling others his usual made up stories

You like to hug him from behind as he stirs a pot on the stove, wearing the cute pink apron you insisted he wear he’s such a housewife

Shake still acts bored and annoyed when you try to be soft with him, but you get that that’s just how he is and go along with it while teasing him

He just grumbles into your chest. When Meatwad mentions how soft he gets around you, Shake just chases him with a bat

Shake is noticeably more mellow when you’re around. But that’s only when you around. Once you leave, he goes right back to being an ass to his roommates and neighbor. Please have him move out and live with you already!!!

Relationship with other characters

You and Meatwad instantly get along!

You guys always play together in his room with his dolls. You even gave him some of your old ones, which he loved so much!! Meanwhile Shake glares from the corner

He always goes to you for questions when Frylock is too busy only to be scared off by Shake, much to your frustration

You even exchanged phone numbers so that he can call/text you whenever he needs someone to talk to Shake has deleted his number off your phone numerous times and stopped when you confronted him about it. Now he just breaks Meatwad’s phone

Whenever Shake bullies Meatwad, he threatens him that he’ll tell him on you which instantly makes him panic

Frylock was skeptical when first meeting you. Did Shake pay you to act like his girlfriend? No, not even money could make someone pretend to like Shake. Did he brainwash you with one of his devices?

Regardless, he soon came to appreciate your company and is just glad there’s finally another sensible adult around here besides him!

He’s also appreciative of you for making his life less stressful by keeping Shake in check and being a friend/guardian figure to Meatwad

You like checking out whatever new invention he’s working on and even test some out (as super dangerous as that is)

Sometimes you both stand by the front porch and make chit chat while watching Shake and Meatwad annoy Carl

Oh yeah, Carl……

This greasy ass man is always hitting on you, no matter how many times you tell him you have 0 interest and are already taken

After a while, you become…….not friends but…..acquaintances is the right word. He still hits on you bcuz it’s Carl

“So I just got my pool decked out and it’s uhh….pretty hot out. Was wonderin if…maybe you know….you wanna stop by for a swim in your uhh….favorite bikini. Maybe like the smallest pair ya got………really shows off your boobs and—

*Gets blown up. You turn around to see Shake holding a bazooka*

NSFW stuff

Listen, listen!! I know we all like to imagine Shake as a pathetic attention whore sub!! BUT I also like to imagine him as a selfish dom with a size kink and fat dick that he doesn’t know how to use lmao

You’re just so smol and soft, he can’t help it!!!

He can’t get over how your strawberry scent always lingers on his skin, your soft voice, the way your back arches……..aw shit, did he bust already?

Gets a boner just from smelling your perfume scent

You’re both whiny brats crying for attention. You for his cuddles and dick. Him for your praises

Like I said in my last Shake x Reader fic, he burned all your toys!!! You didn’t talk to him for a week after that, which left him SO upset!!

Frylock: notices your bite marks “Oh my god, y/n!! Did a wolf attack you?!”

You: “Hmm? Oh, that’s just Shake!”

Fun Fact: Shake’s jizz tastes like pistachio milkshake

[shakirawastaken]

dsmp if... they were spiderman

i love spiderman just like every other bitch out there

dream: - do not be surprised if he comes out one day and claims hes a demigod and superhero and a wizard - cause if its anybody its this guy fr - if he was spiderman he wouldnt have the main and basic color scheme - hed go green like everything - green is the main color like the evermore green and black/white as the accent colors - his string also wouldnt be normal spider string i feel like itd be neon ish like miguels from the movie - he would also avoid telling you that he was spiderman till the very last moment - he would wanna keep you safe the best he can - would nEVER swing by your house - but he keeps an eye out on you when he knows ur out and about walking - but when you eventually figure it out? boy oh boy - cornering you in the street and pushing you into an alleyway - spiderman poses in front of you, hanging from his web - gives you upside down kisses???? sign me tf up - hed also get himself just the right amount involved in the crime he fought - he knows how to balance his life out, and he knows how important it is to be able to balance his life out like that - hot as spiderman  sapnap: - a reckless spiderman - leans vigilante  - out of all of them he would be the one with the suit closest to the spiderman - but im not feeling the blue - marroon and black or some other brighter color - a rash spiderman - fights crime like no business, but kinda makes a mess along the way - its okay bc the people love him - loves loves LOVES arguing with cops - tells you almost immediately after becoming spiderman bc he has to tell someone - breaks every canon event - trash talks every criminal out there - but is nice to every citizen he sees - likes webshooting your wrist to the counter or something so you cant leave or go out or smth - forces you to spend time with him :) - likes to keep out of interacting with people as spiderman  - but will use it as argument bait in day to day life - makes a hammock out of webs and lays there between two buildings - overall 7/10 spiderman

george: - is barely spiderman but when he is hes darn good at it - he leaves a lot of the petty crime to the cops - only goes out for the big stuff - dark navy blue suit with black accents - stays in the shadows/on top of buildings - doesnt interact with anyone if he can help it - the more secretive he can keep the better - he told you a fair amount of time after he went out as everyones crime fighting superhero - but he doesnt like to talk about being spiderman  - and youre fine with that, as long as he stays safe - he swings to your window every night after hes done being spiderman - hed rather be with you than someone else after the hard night hes probably had - has a habit opening your window without knowing and jumpscaring you accidentally LMFAO

karl: - oh he LOVES BEING SPIDERMAN - hes the spiderman to be on every cereal box and phone cover and talk show - loves taking pictures especially with little children in their own spiderman costumes - after he captures and ties up every criminal he leaves a little goofy aah note for the cops to laugh at - unlike sapnap he has a great rep w the cops  - he told you after he “test” ran it - actually he just showed up with the mask on and you were like “SPIDERMAN OMG LET ME CAL MY BF” - and then spidermans phone was ringing and you were like - “what” - “im spiderman!” - “WHAT” - his suits like - i feel like it changes color in the sun - its one of those suits - and hes the only one out of all to have an assistant ai thing in his suit to lead him through crime - he might be a more light hearted spiderman but he still deals with the same dangerous crime

quackity: - this guy loves to swing - he will put his headphones on and jump off the nearest building - mona lisa by dominic fike - soars to the ground and then swings up at the last moment - swings to the beat of the music to relax - he has the normal suit i think - but he has his hair comin out of the suit like pavitr  - loves to take you swinging - even if you may find it terrifying - he likes the feeling of sharing with you his favorite activity - fights crime like no ones business - he told you like a few months after being spiderman - he just jumped down from the ceiling  - “? what” - “spiderman!” - “...what” - yeah  - idk all i can think of is that quackity likes to swing around the city just for the heck of it - “WOAH ITS SPIDERMAN” “YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA” 

wilbur: - has a black suit like miles - tommy is his guy in the chair LMFAO - in his ear like “SWING LEFT I MEAN RIGHT I MEAN LEFT” - mutes tommy half the time - leaves you little messages in web on the walls of the house - “love you!” but its in spider web - actively holds a conversation with the people hes fighting - “so hows your day?” *PUNCH* “hows ur kid doing?” *OBLITERATES* - uses physics and shit to his advantage cause hes not that built - another one whos hot as spiderman - never EVER brings you out as spiderman - EVER - will bring tommy tho - cause tommy annoys him into doing - “BIG UPS WILBUR!!” “SHH TOMMY” - is spidermans biggest fan even though hes spiderman - “they will never suspect spidermans biggest fan as spiderman!” - smart ngl 

guys all i can think about is spiderman its a dilemma an issue a problem  sorry for the short headcanons i had to get my thoughts out of the way!

[velvetlilith777]

All is Fair in Love and Snowball Fights

Alex x GN Reader

Author's Note: Writing for Alex has been making me happier than I expected. He's such a cutie. I hope I was able to give all the Alex lovers a sweet little fic to get you through the holidays 🖤

Synopsis: You and Alex are deeply unserious. From fake tiffs to ways to fight it out, it's always an event. By the way, watch out.

CW: Sickeningly sweet fluff (perhaps even a smidge corny but I couldn't help it), brief and unserious name calling, brief mention of Jodi x Kent angst, marriage discussion, I think that's everything

Word Count: 1.5k

Dividers by: @adornedwithlight (snowflakes) and @enchanthings (hearts) 🖤

🎄Ficmas Masterlist!🎄

Fluff under the cut!

Knock, Knock, Knock.

The front door to the Mullner’s swings open revealing a tiny frame. Warm brown sugar and cinnamon wafts into the chilly air outside, while the sound of a gridball game playing way too loud on an old tv floods your ears.

“Oh, hi dear!” The old woman smiles, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

“Hi, Granny Evelyn.” You grin back, always excited to see her. Evelyn had been the first person to make you feel welcome in the valley, and you always felt loved around her. It hadn't taken you long at all to start calling her “Granny” like she had suggested all the way back at your first meeting.

“Are you here to see Alex?”

“Not exclusively! I’m just here to see the Mullner’s,” you shake your head gently as a giggle leaves your throat.

“We always love to see you, honey. Although maybe soon you’ll be a Mullner yourself.” She covers her mouth and chuckles as your mouth falls open at her remark.

“Granny!!” You hushedly exclaim.

You hear the gridball game cut to commercial before a much taller figure walks to the door behind Evelyn.

“Granny, who’s there? Oh, hey babe!” Alex beams at you. “What were you guys talking about?” He questions, noticing the snickers you and Evelyn are still quietly exchanging.

“Nothing important, promise.”

He cocks an eyebrow at you but doesn't question any further.

Heading inside, you pop into the living room to say hi to George before leaving to the kitchen with Evelyn. A desperate attempt to avoid getting stuck watching the game for the second time this week.

“Come to help, dear?” Evelyn questions over her shoulder while washing her hands with cider scented soap.

“Of course! Always love to bake with you.” You lower your voice before continuing. “And I don't love watching gridball.”

You follow up your admission with a wink and the two of you giggle in agreement.

“We’ll be making cookies to drop off for Jodi. She’s been having a hard time with Kent gone. I thought maybe it would bring her and those boys a little bit of joy.” She explains.

It had been noticeable even for a newer resident such as yourself that Jodi had been struggling this holiday season, but had been trying her best to keep going for Sam and Vincent. You hoped even a small gesture such as this would make her truly smile, if only for a moment.

The time you’d been spending with Evelyn in the kitchen was evident as the pair of you began working. Expertly whipping up a perfect batch of sugar cookies and icing for decoration.

As you’re chatting and carefully frosting the gift, a hand inches its way to the plate of finished cookies in front of you.

“Uh-uh. Back away.” Your voice is stern despite the smirk finding the corners of your lips.

“Told you it wouldn't work, Gramps.” Alex shouts to the living room.

“Darn. A man can’t even get a cookie in his own house!” He scoffs, wheeling his chair into the kitchen.

“Those cookies aren't for you, George. You know Jodi needs a pick me up.” Evelyn reminds her husband.

The elderly man huffs, before taking a breath to argue his point.

“And we always make you cookies,” You cut in. “Is your husband away at war?”

Evelyn continues to tell George off while he mutters about not getting his way.

Alex wraps his arms around you from behind. “Hey, wanna go for a walk?” He mumbles, breath ghosting your ear.

You smile back at him and nod.

The two of you head out into the crisp winter air. Small flurries whirl around your heads before settling into the powdery ground below. You stroll through the town hand in hand, taking in the festive lights adorning the buildings and fresh air.

“So, what were you guys really talking about?” Alex breaks the silence.

“I thought you’d forget that by now.” You huff out a laugh, reminiscing on Evelyn’s playful comment.

“You had that cute look on your face when something shocks you,” He muses. “I wasn't going to forget that.”

Blood rushes to your cheeks, adding to the flush the chill air has already adorned you with.

“It really wasn’t anything important, just Granny hinting at marriage - again.” A playful smirk graces your lips as you lock eyes with him.

He lets out a groan that morphs into a laugh, throwing his head back.

“She didn't really mention that to you again? She needs to calm down.”

“What? Is the thought of being married to me so bad?” You let out a dramatic gasp.

“No, no. You know it's not that.” He shoves a hand in his pocket and tilts his head at you. “But she brings it up like twice a week now, and we’ve been together less than a year.”

“No, it's okay, I know what you meant.” It’s a full blown, poorly executed performance now. Fake sniffles leaving your nose, the back of your arm covering your eyes. “It's fine. I wouldn't want to marry me either.”

Alex rolls his eyes and gently grabs your shoulder. “Okay, okay. You know I want to marry you. You know you mean everything to me.”

“Yeah, yeah sure. You're totally not just keeping me around until someone better comes.” You roll your eyes and turn away from him.

Suddenly, a patch of cold hits the center of your back. You spin around on your heel to see your boyfriend dusting the remnants of snow off on his hands as he smirks at you.

“D-did you just throw a snowball at me?” You narrowed your eyes and cocked an eyebrow at him in confusion, having not realized that was even an option of conversation.

He shrugs, “well if you want to act silly then I just thought I’d act silly too.”

You scoff out a laugh, before kneeling down to gather snow in your own hands.

“You're gonna regret that, Mullner.” Your tone is low and calm, it would almost be intimidating if this wasn't fresh snow we were talking about.

You shoot back to your feet, packing a tight ball in your hands. Alex laughs and turns to retreat farther, but is unable to escape being pelted as you lob the snowball at his cheek.

“Oh so it's a war you want.” A menacing laugh escapes his lips, scooping up more powder from

the untouched blanket.

You mimic his efforts, both hurling rounded lumps of snow at each other in unison before frantically packing the next one. Hit after hit is being thrown and taken in both directions.

There comes a moment when you both begin taking it incredibly seriously, acting as if you're on the frontlines of the most unserious battle a history book could dream of. Ducking and hiding behind trees and structures, plotting sneak attacks and rolling to dodge a precisely aimed orb. Alex even trying to snipe you once by climbing into a nearby tree.

Neither of you plan on losing. So when Alex drops to the ground after you hit him seemingly too hard in the stomach, you panic. You wanted to win, never actually hurt him.

Snow kicks out from under your feet as you rush to his side.

“Alex! Are you good?” Your brows knit together as you kneel down next to the brunette.

Suddenly, your back is against the soft, white ground. Your shoulders are pinned to the ground by a larger figure, one you were just concerned about.

“Gotcha,” his smirk is a little too big for your liking, considering he just cheated.

“I thought I hurt you! Jerk.” Your eyes narrow and look to the side, bottom lip jutting out in a pout that presses angrily on your love's heart.

“Babe, I was just joking. I’m sorry for scarin’ ya.” He gives off a sympathetic smile.

Unbeknownst to Alex, however, you were gathering as much snow as you could in your hand, plotting your payback. Sneaking your hand behind his back, you move suddenly and quickly to shove the handful of powder down the neck of his shirt.

“Aaugh!” He yelps, leaping to his feet. Shimmying in an attempt to get the cold away from his warm skin, he turns to glare daggers at you.

“Payback!” Giggles fall from your lips at your boyfriend's dance in search of comfort.

But as cute as you are, as much as the athlete’s heart swells at your perception of victory, he’s not going down that easily. Actually, you are.

A two second glimpse of a smirk is all you're afforded before Alex is barreling at you, tackling you gridball style (if only a bit more gentle) taking you to the ground with a muffled thud. You let out a squeal, brain unable to fully process the event before the man on top of you is assaulting you with kisses. Peppering your face and neck, earning an onslaught of giggles for him to bask in, one of his favorite sounds.

“Okay, truce!” You breathlessly yell, ribs feeling as if they’re on fire from laughter.

His attack ceases, eyes gleaming with adoration down on you.

“Love you, more than anything else. Remember that.” He grins before capturing your lips, stealing a soft, lingering kiss.

“I love you too, Mullner.” Escapes your tongue as a mere whisper.

All of this havoc despite the small, velvet box hiding behind an uninteresting book on his shelf.

[oogaboogaspookyman]

@sm-baby

I COULD BE HAPPY WITH SOMEONE NEW BUT MY HEART ACHES

[JUST FOR YOU]

It's been a while, hasn't it?

The office door creaks open

"Heya Pom! Brought back the paper i asked you yesterday?" Jax sounded so cheery. So happy while you just sat there on the chair like a drunkard... Well he's not a romance guy, of course he would be happy on his own. Damn rabbit.

"Not a word? What, still miss Sir Dentures?" He chuckles. He doesn't stop chuckling. What a clown... Thinks the jester. Ironic.

"Hm..."

His smile fades into a sincere frown.

Sigh

"Look here, Pom... It was necessary. He's free, paid for restoring us, we're all good now. No more murder and i got my nice charming scarf back and my favorite brushes, i'm the cool art teacher again!"

"So turn the dumb frown upside down aaaand please give me the paper i asked you? Please and thank you?"

"You're not a romance guy, of course you're fine. [___]hole..."

...

Oh...

"Oh for the love of- the censor is still here?! God darn it, i wanna say the f word for once! I loved doing that!"

You grip onto the table until it began to crack at the memory of him. Him, him, him. That stupid fucking human.

"Pom you may wanna lay off the grip there, i paid a lot for tha-"

A chunk is crushed. Like paper.

...

"Ah..."

Pomni lets go, revealing the chokehold put on the table left a permanent mark.

"Did ya dissociate again? I spoke well 'n clear, i paid a lot for that one!"

"Suck me, rabbit, you can get your s[__]t yourself" Pomni gets up and storms off from the office with no more words.

"Eh... Christ she's not okay..." Jax sighs

"Wonder if things coulda been better?"

Nobody helps at all.

Gangle offered to distract her, have a play, but Pomni wasn't in the mood.

Zooble offered a smoke but she didn't wanna try that kind of stuff.

Bubble is too much of an agent of chaos to give a shit, offered to commit "one (1) arson".

Kinger is just too far gone in his dementia, lucid when it was fucking funny and nothing more...

Nobody helps.

He knew how to help...

Only he knew...

Him...

The door to Ragatha's room creaks open

"Oh hey Pomni! How's your day go... Oh..." Ragatha notices Pomni is not any form of happy, if anything she looks like she's empty inside and wants to die...

"Oh you're not alright... Would you like to talk over tea..?"

"Mm... Will you let me vent properly?" Pomni groaned, still doubting that she won't pull out the whole everything is fine bullshit

"Oh- u-uhm- yes of- of course! Of course, i- i apologize for my past behavior, i really wasn't in my... B- best moments, at the time..." Ragatha stuttered. Don't stutter, you pretentious... ... Anyhow.

"Okay... Do you remember... Caine?" Ragatha already caught wind of the situation...

"The human with the dentures head? Yes, i remember him just fine, he restored us..."

"Yeah..."

"He was a good man, although didn't have the best manners he was alright nonetheless, knew how to make some laugh..." Ragatha and Pomni chuckled at the memory of Caine's wacky way with words. Jumping jellybeans? Seriously? That's a man right there!

A good dude...

"..." Pomni's pupils turned into black scribbles at the thought of him. The chuckling had faded as soon as it started, replaced by...

"I loved that human, if i'm being honest... He knew how to cheer me up, how to make the situation seem less bigger than it actually is... He knew how to kiss, god did he know..." Ragatha let out an "oh my" after hearing Caine kissed her, what else did they do..?!

"He... He was... He's amazing. Just that, amazing..." Pomni sighed, sipping on the tea she's given... "I loved him..." She began to sniff, putting down her cup.

"Oh dearie, come here-" Ragatha put down her cup and welcomed Pomni with open arms, knowing full well she needed to let it out of her system.

And that she did. Pomni got up and hugged Ragatha as tight as she could, and began to sob her lonely heart away, "He loved you too, Pomni, that cannot be denied..." Ragatha spoke as she held Pomni close. The poor jester, so alone...

How ironic.

She has friends, and yet she's lonely.

Caine had filled up a hole nobody could fill, and now that he's gotten out of the game after restoring everyone to their better conditions... That hole is empty once more, a gaping void and nothing to fill it.

How lonely this jester must be...

But it was necessary. He's free now.

[artsyannierose]

POPPY FINALLY FANGIRLING LIKE I ALWAYS WANTED HER TO

NO CAUSE THE NEW SCENE COMPLETELY BROKE ME INTO PIECES I DIDN’T UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH I MISSED THEIR RELATIONSHIP KWABDJDFGSDSWRSFDYVJBKJKHTTDGCHBJBJ

im calm

i think

can I first talk about this small conversation in particular

I dunno about you guys but the voice acting just feels so…REAL

Like, raw

like an actual conversation between to people rather than two actors

There’s so much emotion, and that goes for other scenes I’ve seen too, like Viva’s introduction, I’m a big fan of the voice overs this movie

OK BUT BRANCH’S FACE WHEN POPPY CALLS HIS NAME IM MELTING

HE LOOKS SO HAPPY TO HEAR HER MY BABY 🥹🥹

literally went from 😒 to 🥰

THEN WENT BACK TO 😑 AFTER HEARING HER SUGGESTION LMAO

I’m crying at how he immediately jumped to the idea that Poppy was against him and did a double take like “wait what”

AND POPPY KNOWS HOW TO GET HER TO DO WHAT SHE WANTS ITS ACTUALLY SO FUNNY

AND HE HAS NO POWER TO SAY NO TO HER PLEEEAAASSEEEE THEY’RE SUCH BF AND GF

“Alright, fiNE”

😭😭💀💀

AND LOOK AT HER FACE SHE KNOWS HER POWER OVER HIM LMAO

im not going to elaborate on the song bc I’m too Broppy-hyper but DARN DID I FEEL ELATED WHEN BRANCH STARTED SINGING

I LOVE HIM GETTING THE SPOTLIGHT FINALLYYYYYY

ily Justin Timberlake

literally my reaction was worse than poppy’s💀

ANOTHER THING I WANNA MENTION

HELLO POPPY SIMPING OVER BRANCH IS SOOOOOO LONG OVERDUE

I NEED MORE OF THIS THIS MOVIE BETTER DELIVER

POPPY PINING OVER BRANCHHHHHH

And honestly the way she sang along and mouthed lyrics was so cute omg 😭😭

I

FRICKING

STAN

SUPPORTIVE GF

She’s so goofy

The way she yanks out that camera and COMPLETELY DITCHING HER QUEEN STATUS

NUH-UH SHE IS A HARDCORE BROZONE FANGIRL AND I AM HERE FOR IT

They’re so perfect for each other bro the king of pop w/ the literal royal queen of pop

the way she pulls out her camera tho

…

y’all I just

just

🫠

THIS SIR

IS THE STATUS THIS KING DESERVES

THANK YOU DREAMWORKS

MAKE POPPY FEEL LUCKY TO HAVE HIM (I mean THIH did that well but sTiLL)

New obsession unlocked:

FLIRTY POPPY >>>

I’m so ill for them goshhhh

TBH I WASNT AS EXCITED AS THIS MOVIE AS I WAS TWT AND THIH BUT NOW I AMMMMM

BBBBRRRRROOOPPPPPPYYYYYYYYY HERE I COMEEEEEEEE

im sorry I’ll shut up and let you move on with your day

[marvelfanfn2187a113]

The Same Page Part 10

Sherlock and Mycroft & little sister!reader

A/N: guys I’m so sorry, this chapter was NOT supposed to take this long…but hey, now it’s here, enjoy! It’s a little short, but I like where it ends.

“I can’t believe him! ‘My mess,’ as if—“

“Sherlock, if you start another round of ‘blame Mycroft,’ I swear I will hit you again!” John thundered.

Sherlock was taken aback. “Are you saying you agree with him?”

“Now not this again,” John groaned. “It’s not about sides, Sherlock, it never has been.”

“That sounds like something someone taking Mycroft’s side would say,” Sherlock argued.

“If you would put your ego away for two seconds—“

“That’s enough!” Both men shut up instantly at the sound of a woman’s voice entering the conversation. Mary was glaring at both her boyfriend and his best friend with equal annoyance. “Both of you are idiots.”

Sherlock looked like he was about to retort, but Mary interrupted him.

“Sherlock, you know darn well that you’ve made a mess. From what Mrs. Hudson told me, your older brother left in a towering rage with your little sister, who couldn’t even speak. That implies at least a little fault on your part, alright? But that’s not the problem. The problem is that you want everything to go back to the way it was two years ago. Now don’t try to deny it, you were acting that way when you found out about me, and you’re acting that way now.”

“So what if I am?” Sherlock grumbled finally. “It’s best for her if—“

“No, no. You haven’t been here for two years, and you need to at least consider the possibility that you don’t know what’s best for her, not anymore.” At Sherlock’s glare, she continued. “If you can’t do that, at least consider this; if this goes down to a custody battle, Mycroft will win, there’s absolutely no doubt. So you need to decide what’s more important—you getting your way, or you being able to see your sister again.”

When Sherlock still looked uneasy, Mary gave one last attempt.

“Your pride or your sister, Sherlock. That’s what this comes down to.”

Sherlock took a deep, steadying breath.

“I have to go see Mycroft.”

…

You were quiet again when you woke up, and Mycroft found himself desperately trying to regain some form of control. He led you back to your stool at the kitchen counter and tried again to get you to eat.

“Please.” Mycroft spoke quietly. “You know how important it is that you eat.”

He watched you pick around your food for a few minutes. He was willing to be a silent observer at first, but when he picked up on the slight irregularity in your breathing and the tears tracking down your face, he stepped in.

“Talk to me,” he insisted. “I need you to tell me what’s going on.”

…

You tried to make yourself eat, you really did. But the fear was back in full force, and it was making your stomach twist in ways that made even the idea of food want you to throw up.

Ever since the thought of CPS had creeped into your head, you couldn’t get it out. Even though Mycroft said he wouldn’t go, what if he did? Or what if the custody battle got CPS on his back again, and they decided that both Holmes’ brothers were unfit to raise you?

You’d have to talk at the custody hearing, and then the judge would see how screwed up you were, and everyone would see how skinny you were because you couldn’t eat…

You had to eat, you had to eat, you had to…

It was too much. Too much pressure, too much uncertainty.

“I need you to tell me what’s going on.”

Mycroft’s words gave you something else to focus on, but you didn’t think you could speak any better than you could eat.

You opened your mouth, closed it, cleared your throat, and tried again.

“I don’t…wanna go away.”

“Go away?” Mycroft’s eyebrows furrowed. “You’re not going away, you’re not going anywhere.”

“What if…” you took a shaky breath. “The custody case goes wrong?”

“The what?” Mycroft shook his head. “No, Y/N…Sherlock and I won’t go to court, ok? We…” Mycroft swallowed. “We can figure this out without a judge, ok? We will. And I’m never gonna let anyone take you away, ever.” Mycroft watched as you look at him, then your food, then back to him. “Hey,” he said. “Even if you can’t get back on your schedule, no one can take you away. Don’t let this scare you, alright?”

You turned in your chair, fiddling with your fork for another minute or two before taking one bite, then another.

“Thank you.” Mycroft pressed a kiss to the side of your head. “Hey,” he said once he was sure you had eaten as much as you could. “Sherlock is coming over. I know he…he said some messed up things to you, but he wants to talk to you. Is that alright?”

You nodded slowly, taking Mycroft’s hand and letting him lead you to the couch.

The two of you were comfortable with the silence for several minutes until a knock at the door had Mycroft jumping up.

“Sherlock,” he said. “Stay right here, I’ll get him.” He returned a moment later with Sherlock, who looked uncomfortably stiff.

“Look,” Sherlock began, his attention completely on Mycroft. “You’re right—you have custody, and I can’t fight for it, because you’d win. So we’re doing this your way whether I agree or not.”

“Alright…” Mycroft’s eyes drifted to you before he looked at Sherlock. “But I didn’t really bring you here to talk with me.”

“I don’t know what else there is to say,” Sherlock said, his eyes going from you to Mycroft. “She wants to be here, I can’t change that.”

“Sherlock,” Mycroft was glaring now. “What about—“

“Look,” Sherlock cut him off. “I’m not going to talk to her with you listening in and interjecting all the time. Can we have a minute?”

Mycroft looked to you, and when you nodded he stood.

“Alright,” Mycroft decided. “Let me know when you’re done.”

“You’re not an invalid,” Sherlock said when Mycroft was gone. “But we all know that things are different now. I just want to put them back the way they were. Don’t you want to go back to school? Don’t you want to be the way you used to be?”

You let the words hang in the air as you considered them, picking each one apart. You wanted to go back to school…some time…but you knew it would be a while before you’d be ready for that. And as for his other question…

“I don’t think I’m ever gonna be who I used to be.” Your voice was barely above a whisper as you curled in on yourself. “I…I know that’s not what you want…”

“It’s not about what I want,” Sherlock argued. “I’m just trying to do what’s best for you. Can’t you at least try to go back to what it was? It’s the only way you’ll get better.”

“I am trying,” you argued, your hands fidgeting.

“Ok,” Sherlock continued. “And I’m just trying to help you—that’s why I was treating you like nothing had changed.”

Sherlock’s desperation to explain himself just made you even more frustrated.

“But I…I’m not…”

“Mycroft isn’t going to treat you like you’re normal,” Sherlock said. “I will.”

“I don’t…I’m, I…” you clamped your mouth shut to hide your quivering lip, not like you knew what to say regardless. What Sherlock said made sense, but it didn’t at the same time. And you couldn’t tell if he was saying it because he believed it, or because he just wanted you to come live with him again. You knew sooner or later the brothers would have to ask you again, and you’d have to choose eventually.

You couldn’t do it. You didn’t want to. You couldn���t—

“Hey, hey.” Sherlock’s hands on your shoulders brought you slamming back to the present and out of your head, jarring you. “You’re not breathing—just breathe.”

You tried to take a deep breath in, but it caught in your throat and you started to breathe faster and shallower.

“I’m—I need—you nee—“ Sherlock was wide-eyed and panicked as you started to hyperventilate and your face went sheet-white. “You’re ok, you’re ok,” he soothed, shaking your shoulders gently to try to snap you out of it. He stopped when you started to curl in on yourself, rubbing at your chest and gasping for air. “M…” Sherlock’s voice caught in his throat, and he swallowed hard before trying again, his voice coming out in a yell. “Mycroft!”

Mycroft was in the room in a moment.

“I…I didn’t…” Sherlock looked from you to Mycroft. “I didn’t mean to…I…”

Mycroft ignored him completely, brushing past him and kneeling down in front of you, taking your hands in his.

“Y/N,” he said calmly. “Y/N, look at me.” When he saw your eyes completely unfocused and the way your face was turning colors from lack of air, he gave up the gentle approach. “Ok, ok…” Mycroft sat on the couch next to you and pulled you into his arms. “Y/N, I’ve got you, it’s ok. Breathe with me, ok? In…out…come on, you can do it, in…out…yes, like that…”

Sherlock stepped back, a useless observer while Mycroft helped you. His mind was clear again once you began to breathe, and his thoughts came back like a firestorm.

You couldn’t breathe. You couldn’t breathe, and there was nothing Sherlock could do. He had been completely and utterly useless. Worse, he didn’t even know what he’d done to set you off. He’d thought the two of you were having a perfectly productive conversation. But then you…

With everything going on in his mind, one thought was clearer than the rest:

He was wrong.

You didn’t belong with him.

Series Taglist:

@navs-bhat @isabellavere @chaoticglitterkitten @peachycupotea @justforrose @severussimp

[toon-tales]

Hiya! Have a Branch sick fic featuring Brozone AND Kismet cause I'm bored

Enjoy!

Btw, tell me if you have any comments, I gladly accept and welcome criticism

The battling brothers

Branch may be sick, but he knew darn well the competition going on between his eight, biological and adoptive, older brothers.

He knew both groups loved him, he loved them too. Both of them. But now, as he lay sick and weak in his bed, he was starting to question whether it was a good idea to let Kismet know he was sick. It was Poppy's idea in the first place, something about all of them bonding or whatever.

"Can I have some water, please?"

"Sure, baby brother." John and Ablaze glared at each other.

"He was talking to me," the cyan troll hissed.

"As if," the other muttered. "He was clearly asking me."

Branch groaned, bracing himself for another round of bickering. "Not again…"

But his voice was drowned out by his brothers' as an argument broke out between them, again, each taking a side and spitting at the other. This wasn't the first time this has happened, and Branch was used to it by now, though it still triggered a minor panic attack whenever it did. He just wanted everyone to get along, was that too much to ask? Maybe. He was getting tired of having to cancel a hangout with a band just to make it up to the other, he was tired of the constant fighting, which often ended with them forgetting his needs.

He. Was. Sick.

"He's my baby brother!"

"He's our baby brother, actually!"

He tried to diffuse the tension. "I love both of you-"

"Stay out of this, Branch," Hype shot, willingly ignoring how stern it came out.

Floyd eyed him. "Hey! Don't talk to my brother like that!"

"Yeah, dude, he's sick," Clay stood by his brother.

"And now you suddenly care?!" Branch winced. This wasn't going to end well.

"Of course we care!"

"Twenty years too late!"

Twenty years too late. Branch had been trying to forget about that. Why did they have to reopen his wounds when he had finally almost stitched them. Don't talk like that, he forced himself. They didn't mean it, they would never hurt him. In and out through your nose, he thought, just like we practiced. But he could feel the harsh words spreading through the room, words of accusations going back and forth between the two groups, Kismet usually throwing them first.

"We were young and foolish, alright? Is that what you want to hear?"

"We want you out of-"

"Enough!"

Silence arrived just in time. No one should know what the next words were.

The purple troll glared at Hype, giving him a warning glare before turning to the youngest. "Branch, you have to choose."

Branch's eyes widened. "What do you mean-?"

"You know what I mean, Branch."

"None of us can keep going on like this," the leader of the blood brothers chimed. "It's either us, or them."

Trickee smirked. "That won't be so hard, right, baby bro?"

But his adopted brother stayed silent, eyes darting between his and the others' set.

"Branch?" He smiled nervously, reaching out to hold Branch's hand. But Hype put a hand in front of him.

"I see how it is."

The sick troll pushed himself up, blinking as the room spun around him for a second. "Wait, no-"

"You really choose them over us?"

"That's not– please-"

"Come on, guys. Let's get outta here." A beat. "But don't come crying to us if they leave you again." And with that, the room was filled with heavy silence as Hype and his group walked out, leaving Brozone to try and keep Branch in bed.

"B, they'll be back in five minutes." Bruce scoffed. "They're just making a scene."

Branch wasn't even listening, not making a single attempt in resistance as his brothers finally tucked him in his bed.

"Now, we'll stay with you tonight-"

"I wanna be alone…" It was his turn to interrupt.

"What? We're not leaving you-"

"Please…" he begged, swallowing hard as he tried to think of what to do next, and a thought, one he had been trying to bury, was telling him he shouldn't have gotten so attached. It was his fault.

He knew this was going to happen sooner or later, the way the two groups never stayed near each other, with John, Bruce, Clay, and Floyd sleeping in Rhonda, and Hype, Ablaze, Boom, and Trickee sleeping in his room, each wrapped in his sleeping bag till the next morning. And the cycle had been repeating itself - he would ask for something, a member of each group would fight over who would get it for him, and by the time they were done, he would already be fast asleep. But this time, it had taken an unexpected turn, one he wasn't prepared for.

Which was the main reason he was now making his way to the kitchen in the middle of the night. He needed to get his mind off things, and maybe he was a bit hungry. His brothers? Absolutely not. They'll rub it in the other group's faces in the morning, and Branch wasn't in the best state to intervene this time.

He stumbled out of bed, almost falling face first onto Boom– Boom wasn't there. Hallucinating as well, add that to the list. Deep breaths. One foot in front of the other. How hard can this be? The sick troll mumbled under his breath, not sure whether he was assuring himself or trying to follow the rules to keep his balance, but either way, he was in the kitchen– he was in the kitchen? He must be more tired than he thought, but definitely not more than how hungry he felt.

But he did it. He was in the kitchen, and he didn't even know when he had put the water to boil, nor when he had prepared it in the first place, but he did it.

He did it.

That was a bad idea.

Very bad idea.

Branch was now clutching the kitchen counter, feeling as if he might collapse if he let go for a single second. He tried to look for something, anything, to lie down on, but much to his liking, there wasn't. Or maybe he was too disoriented to notice any.

Think. But he couldn't. He felt as if Branch.exe had stopped working, and he desperately tried to make sense of what was happening. Wasn't this a simple fever? He's dealt with those before, when he was alone, and this has never– okay, maybe it did happen a few times, but he had always pulled through.

Which was what he was going to do now.

Think. What do you do when you feel on the verge of passing out? Lie down. He just had to lie down till this spell passed. Lie down, slow and steady to the floor– a thud. At least he was now in a safe position, yeah. He'll just lean his head against the wall and wait.

His eyes snapped open briefly as pain shot through his skull. It wasn't supposed to hit it that hard, but it'll pass. The pain will pass.

He just had to breathe. In and out. Nice and slow through his nose. Why wasn't his body working properly? Why today, when he was by himself?

But it's okay. He'll keep his eyes open. He had to keep his eyes open. No one, and he means no one, is allowed to see him like this, not Poppy, not anyone, and definitely not his brothers - adoptive or blood.

He'll tough it out, just like he always does.

Safe position? Check. Breathing steady? He'll come to this one later. Eyes open? Definitely not check.

But he'll be okay. He'll be okay. He just had to hold on, hold on till whatever was happening passed. He'll just open his eyes– okay, that was a bad idea. The room was spinning harder, but he'll manage on his own. He's done it before, and he could do it again. Close your eyes. Open your eyes. He didn't know what to do, didn't know which rule to follow this time.

He can't do this on his own. He needed his brothers. All of them.

"Guys…" Was the last thing that left his lips before his consciousness slipped away, leaving his limp body lying slumped on the kitchen floor.

—------------

"Branch? Wake up."

"Wake up, baby brother."

"Call the others, quick."

Was all he managed to hear before he let go again.

Then someone was slapping his face.

"Branch! Branch, wake up!" A somewhat urgent voice reached his ears, a voice that, for whatever reason, made him open his eyes, albeit groggily. And sure enough, eight figures were hovering above him.

"You with me?" It was John, his hands cupping his youngest brother's face and searching for any signs of distress.

Branch nodded.

"You okay?"

He didn't know. Darkness was clouding his vision.

"Branch, focus!" He felt a sting against his cheeks from where John was trying to fully awaken him.

He let out a faint groan, sluggishly swatting at the eldest's hand.

"What happened? Can you tell us?" This was Floyd, his voice filled with concern and forced calmness.

"I was… making some soup… then everything started spinning…" he stammered, "I-I don't want to choose, Hype…"

Said troll shook his head. "It's okay, it's okay, you don't have to–"

"I love everyone–"

Boom bit his lip. "Branch, please calm down, you're stressing yourself out."

But the tears were already welling up. He wasn't in the right state of mind, they figured.

Kismet members exchanged uneasy glances. "It's our fault, just please, calm down."

"I don't want anyone to leave… not again…"

Ablaze placed a hand on Branch's forehead, feeling the heat radiating off of his brother. He looked at the others and silently shook his head.

"Branch, no one is leaving, alright?" Hype tried. "But you're making yourself sick, you have to calm down, yeah?"

Branch nodded.

"Can you stand?" Clay was already helping the glittery troll lift Branch to his feet.

Branch struggled along, even as his legs wobbled beneath him and he had to rely on his brothers to get him back to his bed. Great, they thought sarcastically. They were doing more harm than good.

"I-I–"

"Shhh, shhh, it's okay," Floyd cooed. "Just calm down."

"Nice and slow, through your nose," the blue troll instructed, noticing how Branch's breathing became shallower with each step.

Trickee sighed. "You shouldn't have overdone it like this."

The heartthrob nodded. "Yeah, Branch."

However, Boom was more concerned about the almost-full medication on the bedside table. "Have you been taking your medicine?"

"No one gave me water…" It came out more vulnerable than he had anticipated.

"No one did…?"

The sick troll looked up, tear-filled eyes scanning his brothers before pulling the covers over his face. "No." That said, he turned around and closed his eyes, already drifting off to a restless sleep.

—-----------

When Branch woke up the next morning, he was met with the smell of freshly brewed coffee. Coffee. He smiled slightly, he missed that. He let out a content sigh as he made his way to the kitchen, ready to be met with scolding from Kismet, and another later from Brozone.

But the scene in front of him? That was something even him was not expecting.

They were here. All of them. Well, of course they were, after what happened yesterday, but that wasn't the case, they were together, in one room. He rubbed his eyes then looked again. This was real.

"Morning, B," Floyd greeted softly, handing Hype a cup of coffee and sitting beside him, mindful of his own.

"Morning…"

"What are you doing out of bed, young man?" Branch really had to remember this was his brother talking to him and not his grandma.

"I-I was-"

"Back to bed." the purple-haired troll interrupted, "We'll bring you your breakfast."

Branch just nodded silently, slowly making his way back to his bed the kitchen. We?

They were talking. They were chatting, even, all together. They didn't fight over who would bring him breakfast, which was highly noticeable given the events of the last few days. But the dull troll didn't care about that now, and his lips twitched into the faintest hint of a smile. They were together.

And for once, reality seemed to be better than his imagination.

[the--rebel--fae]

The Stars Made It So Midorima Shintaro x F! Reader

A/n: Hey everyone, I know I still have a few requests I need to get to and the Hazbin Hotel story, but to get the creativity flowing I thought a few one shots would be a good idea! So I hope yall enjoy it!

A soft tune fluttered through the Shintaro household as a young woman moved about in the kitchen, working on what appeared to be a pasta dish of some sort. You continued to hum the tune as you moved about stirring the pot every so often and readying other ingredients as needed.

Then, before you could continue onto the next steps of the meal, your focus was broken by a soft tug of your pant leg. Looking down, a soft smile graced your features as you stared into the adorable features of your young ten-year-old daughter, Shina.

“Hey sweetie, do you need something? Dinner will be ready soon.”

She just shook her head, making her shoulder-length forest green locks swish back and forth. Her big (E/c) eyes looked up at you with a soft determination. “I wanna ask you something about you and Daddy. Daddy won’t give me a straight answer because he’s a—” she paused for a minute, trying to figure out the right word. “Tsun-Tsun!” She said with a pout.

You tried to suppress the giggle that found its way to your lips. You should probably tell her not to repeat the things you call Midorima, but it was too darn adorable hearing that phrase from her lips. “What do you want to ask that Daddy won’t answer for you?”

Shina let out a sigh. “Well, I have to write a report on my parents for school, so I wanted to find out how you and Daddy started dating. But when I asked him, all he said was ‘The stars made it so.’” She said, mocking how Midorima talked.

This time, you let the laugh loose. Well, he wasn’t entirely wrong. Stars did have a hand in it, but not how Shina thought. Taking Shina by the hand, you led her over to a nearby love seat. “Well, your father wasn’t entirely wrong. Stars did have a hand in it in a way.”

Shina gave a confused noise and looked down at her hands in her lap. “What do you mean, Momma?”

“Well, it all started back when your father and I were in high school. I was the manager of the school his basketball team competed against—Seirin, so we came across each other quite a bit.”

***

“(Y/n)! Watch out!” You heard Teppei yell out. But it was too late you looked up from your manager's clipboard and out towards the court…only to be greeted with a basketball to the face.

Letting out a very unladylike grunt as you pushed yourself back up from the bench. “Alright, that ball had better be a stray ball from my team and not from a certain over certain and uptight broccoli head. Or there will be hell to pay.” You growled out efficiently, scaring Koga and the others on the bench with you.

“Tch. What have I told you? If you do not carry the lucky item for---” the source of your annoyance paused. “ what was your star sign again?"

You grumbled your reply.

"Ah, yes. You are bound to have bad day after bad day. And be practically a magnetic force for stray basketballs.”

Riko handed you an ice pack, and you took it gratefully. Then, with a bit of effort, you stood from the bench and stomped over to your sole source of irritation and the plague of your thoughts ever since Seiren’s first game up against Shotoku—Midorima Shintaro. The boy with an amazing amount of OCD, a penchant for relying on the “stars” for his good fortune, and as much as you hated to admit a phenomenal ability to shoot from literally anywhere and make it in almost every time.

“A magnet? Really? Well, this wouldn’t happen if you and your guys would be more careful while playing! And—” you threw a glance at Kagami. “If someone was more aware of his own surroundings too.”

“Hey!”

Midorima merely sighed and went over to Shotoku’s bench and retrieved what looked like a small, gold, and blue circular box. Then, after pushing up his glasses like he always does, he handed it to you. You took it in your hands, but as you looked up at him not only in confusion but to ask Midorima what this object was, you noticed something very interesting on the greenette’s face.

Was…that….

A blush?

Was the Generation of Miracle's top shooter blushing? Just by giving a box?

“Well, are you going to see what it is or just keep staring at it? There is only so much time in a time out, and you are wasting it.”

Tch. He never changes, does he? You opened the box, and inside it, was a small yet rather cute astrodome. One of those light dome things, that when the lights are off in a room, you turn that thing on, and it shows you all of the stars in the night sky.

“But Midorima why—”

“It is simply your lucky item. Maybe with this, you will no longer be as clumsy as you are or a magnet for basketballs.”

Your lip curled up slightly. “I really don’t know whether or not to take that as a compliment or an insult, but thank you, Midorima.”

He shook his head and waved you off. “I merely wanted to offer a meager gift, is all. Something for helping me find my lucky item back when we first met.”

You smiled softly. Heh, yea, that was before I knew what an infuriating broccoli head you are. You thought. But, he does have a few good characteristics, and if you were, to be honest—handsome as well. Not that you would ever say that to his face.

“And he wanted to try to find an excuse to try to ask you out too (Y/n)- Chan! But since he probably would chicken out, I’m here to give him a shove. So, you can say that basketball to the face was kinda my fault, sorry.” Takao said with a snicker.

You felt your cheeks warm, and you immediately met Shintaro’s eyes with the same look of shock, although you were pretty sure he was redder than you at that moment. “Uhm, is this true Shintaro?”

Apparently, the use of his first name throws him off even more, but regardless, he let out an irritated huff and adjusted his glasses. “No use in hiding it, I suppose. Yes, the blundering idiot—”

“Hey!”

“—Is correct. I did and do intend to ask if you would like to accompany me to dinner. Perhaps tonight after the game?”

You let out a giggle and nod. “Who would have known that you were so irritating because you liked me all this time. You really are a Tsundere. But yes Shintaro I’d love to go out with you.”

***

Shina smiled and giggled. “So, I guess Daddy was right after all.”

“I usually am.”

Your head whipped towards the staircase to see your lovely Tsundere husband leaning against the railing with a small smile on his face. “Have you been here the whole time hun?”

Shintaro pushed off of the railing and walked over to the two of you. “I came down just as you were to the part where you were telling our child that I was a Tsundere and had to use Takao to ask you out.” He said with a small chuckle.

“Eh heh. Well, he did help you out in a way.”

“I suppose. But if we have to get down to the bare bones of it. I believe it was—”

“Predestined that we ended up together. I know, love.” You finished for him and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

“Eww. Momma!” Shina complained.

You and Shintaro just giggled at your daughter’s antics.

Predestined or not, you guess you and Shintaro truly did end up dating because the “Stars made it so.”

A/n: How'd you guys like that? I love Kuroko no Basket it's such a good anime and so underrated. If any of yall have any requests I'm more than happy to hear them and write them! Or if you want your own personal fully fleshed out fan fiction I have an etsy shop where you can buy longer stories and stories of all kinds! Just click the link below!

[mintytealfox]

Minty...minty did you see the new deduction skins?

OH MY GOSH I DID I DID I DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIID 🥳🥳🥳😭😭😭😭😭😭👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE DA CAPO TRIO AAAAAAHHHHHHH

I have seen TWO of the three movies here AHHH 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

I NEED to watch Frederick's movie PRONTO -SLAMS DESK- apparently this one is called "Hangover Square" I had never heard of this one somehow so this is gonna be EXCITING 👀👀🙏🙏🙏

But Alice in "Alice in Wonderland"!!!!! this one was a given 🤣 I am sure we all expected this one hah and I am so happy with the 'drink me' bottle there lol hehehehehehehehehehehe but everyone knows this one unless yall still want a breakdown lol XD

Edit: found a better image ^^^^^^^^^^^^ The 1949 version~

AND NORTON AS CHARLIE CHAPLIN IN "THE GOLD RUSH" HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?????? I ABOUT FELL OUT OF BED WHEN I SAWWWWWWW!!! THIS IS THE MOVIE WITH THE ICONIC:

AND there is the mention of 'FATE' several timesssss!! And he is just this guy trying to make it through but is clumsy and accident prone, and constantly bullied, but regardless he keeps trying and works hard and is kind ;; Even the 'love of his life' was laughing at him until she realizes she had been acting poorly. (gosh the fact that he even bought them gifts for the dinner ((AND WORKED HARD TO GET THE MONEY FOR IT, although a little dirty with pushing the snow onto the next property so they have to pay him so he can shovel them out next oh my gosh LOOL but they were kinda a rude at first and had it comin PFF) OH and that reminds me that he fakes being on the verge of death and freezing for food and a roof over his head after getting to town lol) makes my heart HURT STILL AAAAAAAAAH)

But I think it is so interesting they went with the most kind hearted character who is just vibing even though his life is misfortune after misfortune. Then after it all, ends up stumbling into everything he could ever want by the end ;;

ITS SO DARN PERFECT I AM CRYYYIIINNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGG

[ashysmultifandomcatdump]

another roleswap AU (because i have lost control of my life)

these things. are all i know how to make now.......

ANYWAY it's my take on a wander<-->sylvia roleswap AU!!! i didn't Properly draw sylvia here because i couldn't get her to look right, and she's basically the Same anyway. just without her saddle and with the hat tied around her neck. i don't know if i'm entirely happy with these designs (struggled with the colors for wander and i'm not sure i really like them) but they're all i could think of....and i didn't wanna just copy anyone else's. so that's how they Are for now until i think of something better! (general stuff about the AU and additional doodles under the cut)

for sylvia, i was thinking about her differences in reforming people compared to wander's. while we don't exactly see her do that in the show, she does get Somewhere with villains that wander can't/hasn't tried to do anything with: dominator and peepers. the fact that she almost got dominator to appreciate the beauty of life, someone who is Definitely irredeemable—yeah, i think she could definitely redeem someone, if she tried. how does her method differ from wander's?wander's is precise, time-tested, and based on his analysis of the other person's character; he constantly pushes their buttons to see what makes them tick. while sylvia, from what we see—it's just to mostly...treat them normally. like, relate to them: she has fun brawling with dominator, she and peepers find similarities in Their Idiots. she talks to them. basically, sylvia works from common ground and wander works from uncommon ground. if that makes sense

so, i imagine in wander's place, sylvia's just kind of. Chill! she doesn't have wander's thousands of years of experience, but she has her own down-to-earth attitude, and it's not like her less than thousands of years experience isn't valuable at all. she probably hasn't redeemed a villain before, but she's definitely helped people, and well if they cross paths grop darn it she's going to try. who knows? it could work! it worked with wander, at least. (and like, this is just a small thought that i'm not sure would apply but: mini hater and peepers swap perhaps, not in the complete roleswap way, hater's still the boss, but more like. maybe swapping who's the Main Guy to be redeemed? sylvia's way of relating to people might work more with peepers than hater...but i don't know, i could see it either way)

and speaking of wander: how's our non-violent do-gooder make it to the point of being The Fighter? what got him to abandon his carefree attitude to be The Protector? well! nothing!! he simply never had it in the first place!!! instead of learning to go with the flow and take things as they come...he kinda just Didn't. he never got the hat which to me is what allowed him to start doing that (i have a whole backstory about this but it's a bit long so i'll just move on) instead for the rest of his life continued living in a constant state of anxiety. which is, you know, Not Good for a guy, especially when this lasts thousands of years. i think he still has to help people, but he hasn't gained the courage to go above and beyond or confront villains like in canon. Wander With Survival Instincts, basically. and his main reaction to fear is to run away; but i think, over time, that might not be sustainable, or he might meet someone that convinces him to start fighting back just a bit.

yes, i am sneaking in just one other swap here: screwball and lil bits. this might seem strange and it kinda is. i'm still kinda workshopping it, like maybe screwball should swap with ryder instead...but i dunno, i've always just associated screwball and lil bits with each other. two villains specific to wander and sylvia respectively, whom the other is not able to understand as a threat throughout their debut episode. i think it would be funny. and screwball being a bounty hunter when swapping with bits just Fits, since wander eventually ends up as a bounty hunter before meeting sylvia...of course lending to the idea that they were partner bounty hunters in the past. which works really well, i think

and considering comedy and horror are two sides of the same coin, and that this wander is primarily focused on his Fear, it'd be fun if he had more of a horror theme. a really campy, goofy one. my thoughts are maybe that screwball helped guide wander to lean more towards a Fighting fear response, but eventually scared him away somehow. i don't know how yet, but i'll figure it out. here's a visualization:

and as for how wander and sylvia met, i still have to figure out some parts, but i think that sylvia would notice how anxious wander is, ask him if he's okay, and he would promptly break down, as such:

and from that moment on, wander solemnly swore that he would protect sylvia for the rest of her life, and she's been stuck with him since. (not that she's mad about that)

of course he's still energetic and hyperactive...i think his fighting would reflect that. he's a feral little creature

oh, and for sylvia's relationship with The Hat: she probably found it beat up and bruised one day, with no one around (wander not stealing the hat all those years ago meant a happy ending for No One). yet another thing i have to figure out fully is how she ended up taking it with her, but she did. i don't think she fully understands it, she hasn't realized that it gives you what you need, but she does know that it dispenses items that are sometimes useful (it's a sassy little thing to her) and might somewhat realize its sentience, so she keeps it around, though she's still building trust with it

anddddd yeah that's basically it so far :) i'm always up for questions and suggestions! i hope people like it hehe

[the-possum-writes]

Hiiii!! I just finished watching AT again, and i been loking for some FinnxReaderxFern fics, and i read ur at content and i just love it.So i was hopping if i could request a fic where Finn and Fern has this, confrontation? Jelousy talk? about each other's feelings about reader!!

You can Say no if you don't wanna do it, but i would really apreciated<3.

[Confronting their feelings about you]

❥Character(s): Finn, Fern

❥Tags: SFW, canon typical violence, expressing emotions, gender neutral pronouns for the reader

 ❥Synopsis: What started as a simple afternoon dedicated to cleaning turned into a short lived but intense knife fight when you came up as a conversation topic.

 ❥Wordcount: 1000

❥A/N: I want this gress boy to heal so i'll take whatever chance i get to write him learning to overcome his Finn jelousy.

❥Taglist: @foxpearlwilder

Today is a typical day for the guys; a knife storm has just passed, so they are calmly brushing away the residual weaponry from clogging the top of the treefort, like they do when there is hail or dry tree leaves. "There's less daggers compared to last time, makes ya wonder why huh Fern?" During the cleanup, Finn speaks aloud, the idea circling through his mind a few times

"Hmm, probably because of climate change." Fern disputes bluntly.

Finn pauses in his sweeping to glance up at the sky, contemplating to himself before offering his own two cents. "Or is it because the knife god is dissatisfied with the number of swords and knives forged this year? That the sword-smiths probably have a secret society where they sacrifice things in exchange for good materials." The longer the human boy rambles, the more Fern is interested by the explanation and begins unironically contributing his own perspective.

"What if the knife god sends us knives to test if they're nice and sharp?" The offer compels Fern to stop sweeping as well, although his reason for doing so is more of a curiosity to see if his human brother can figure out what he is thinking about. With them still being the same guy, Finn shares that challenging expression in his eye.

Fern swoops down and throws a knife at Finn, but the boy rolls to the side and retrieves a knife from the ground just in time to deflect the second knife thrown at him. Fern attempts to continue throwing blades at his playmate, but he only draws closer in range, forcing Fern to sidestep the pointy jabs directed at him as he grabs his own knife, and they begin sparring right there with the brooms long forgotten. They go at it for a while till Finn notices the sun leaning over the horizon and remembers something.

"Okay okay that's enough, let's wrap this up before the sun goes down."

"Got somewhere to go?" Fern asks as he hops from side to side, still energized from the spar.

"Yeup, a friend wants to collect kelp samples for a college project and I promised I'd help."

"Kelp samples?" Hah! That's boring..." His smile faded. "Wait.. you talking about the biology student that's always cooped up at Turtle P's library?"

Finn confirms, "That's the one." While the human boy skipped happily at the thought of you, Fern's jaw tightened as he felt an unpleasant stir in his chest. Finn had his back to Fern and was in the process of picking up his fallen broom when a knife imbedded itself just next him, missing his palm by only an inch.

"Who knowsss what kind of trouble you'll sstumble into when you're out there collecting kelp sssamples, you could get ambushed by kelpies or banditsss," the grass boy explains with a low tone and a snake whisp in his tongue before his voice shifted back to normal. "They are my friend too! and the last thing I want is to find out they got hurt because you weren't able to help. Now, pick up that knife and show me you can protect them from anyone and anything."

Finn considers the challenge, normally he'd never say no to one but he's grown familiar enough with Fern's mood swings to know it's that darn octopus messing up his head again, but if there's any best way to get it out of his system it's by sparring. With that goal in mind, Finn acepts the challenge even though it means fighting Fern when he's at his "most intense". The duel starts just like the previous one but the longer it went on the more Finn came to realize it no longer had the same playful approach as before, it became all the more apparent whenever Fern purposely scratches at him every time he left opening rather than playfully bump him with the butt of the dagger.

"They're my friend I'd never let anything happen to them!" Finn grinds his teeth as their blades collide.

"I knew them way before you did, i was gonna ask them out... before..." Fern stutters for a second, giving Finn the opportunity to kick him in the back of the knee and knock him down.

"Before you turned into a sword right?" Despite the takedown, Finn's tone softens as he assists his brother in standing up. "So that's what has you all jumbled up. Fern, remember what I said about bottling up your feelings?"

"That I should use my words." He nods like a scolded child.

"How about you share'em with me?" Finn held Fern in hug before giving him a much needed squooze.

Fern sighs. "You know more than anyone why I like them. And when I heard you were going out with them I guess I got a little jealous."

'Right just a bit,' Finn thought, but didn't dare to speak it out and upset his grass bro. "Have you considered asking them out yet?" The human youngster suggests, "You know, like on an actual date and not just collect samples." It sounds simple enough to him, but Fern's inner struggle makes it not so simple.

"I did. But after the whole "I turned into a sword and then the grass disaster," I had a feeling that they wouldn't even want to look at me." Fern deflates and drops down Finn's grip while he explains, but Finn holds him up again.

"Well, you'll never know unless you try it out!"

Fern turned his head in the direction of his human counterpart. "What? But what about YOU? I am sure you have a crush on them."

Finn scratched the back of his neck. "I mean, I do. They're really amazing with the knowledge they have about a bunch of stuff, however... I've already dunked on my other relationships, if anything I'll probably ruin this one too."

For once, Fern sees a part of himself in Finn that isn't just superficial similarities; the hesitance and self-doubt are all too familiar, and despite the little devil inside him telling him to exploit Finn's weakness, he instead tries to encourage him. "Finn, you're a great shot ."

A knock on the door and a doorbell ring from below the tree fort, followed by your familiar voice asking for someone to open it. The two brothers exchange glances before Fern breaks the silence. "How about we each take our shot and let them decide?" he asks, offering a peace deal with a handshake.

"Sounds good."

[nikethestatue]

Princess Tea Party (Part 2)

A Walk in the Park

Elain Archeron Week 'Free Day' @elainarcheronweek

Warning: Explicit

Part 1 Azriel and Darius Night

Elain Archeron, Nesta Archeron, Feyre Archeron

“He said that?” Nesta’s normally cool, composed voice was sounding semi-hysterical.

“Yep,” Elain popped the ‘P’.

“He literally said ‘I am gonna fuck all your holes’?” Nesta demanded. “Just like that?”

“Yep.”

“That’s some next level dirty talk right out of the gate,” Nesta muttered, sighing with what Elain had assumed was admiration. “Do you even understand what that means?”

“What does it mean?” Elain asked weakly, throwing her legs up on the back of the sofa.

Once she was able to process what had transpired–and that was a bit of an exaggeration that she ‘processed’ it, because truthfully, she sure as fuck didn’t process anything that Azriel had said to her–she went to call her sister. She had to share this crazy ass day with someone. She needed to share Azriel with someone! 

“And what did you say?” Nesta inquired like they were discussing what to get for lunch.

“Ummm, I certainly didn’t tell me ‘please fuck all my holes, Darius’s dad, whose last name I don’t know!”

“You don’t need a last name to have a guy all up in your business,” Nesta noted. 

“Your moral compass is all skewed,” Elain replied, wondering how they were even sisters.

“What does he look like again?” Suddenly Feyre’s voice popped on the line and Elain groaned, having not noticed that Nesta got their younger sister on the three-way call. 

“Apparently, he is an Armani-model-biker-gang-leader-mafia-pornstar,” Nesta reported unhelpfully.

“He is not a pornstar!” Elain objected nervously.

“He talks like one,” Feyre argued reasonably.

“He told her he is gonna fuck her ass,” Nesta piped in, and Elain begged, “ohmagod, please stop!”

“Wow, first convo butt sex…the gentleman does not believe in wasting time,” Feyre laughed obnoxiously, adding a low whistle to the mix.

“Oh and he told her he was gonna finger her too,” Nesta added, while Elain was glad that she wasn’t facetiming with them, because her face was burning up.

“Is that before or after the butt stuff?” Feyre inquired.

“That was a whole separate conversation,”

“Ellie, you sure you are still a virgin?” Feyre teased. “After this much dirty talk, you might have naturally de-virginised yourself! Or he,”

“Screw you both!” Elain hissed. “I am not a virgin. I got a kid!”

“Still kind of a virgin,” Nesta said decisively. “And imagine his skills in the bedroom if he can dirty talk you up like that? He can probably hammer your pussy to the point where you don’t know which way is up or down,”

“Are you kidding me now?” 

“Not at all. This is one confident man!”

“So,” Feyre interrupted, “do we have a pic of this studly dirty-mouthed baby daddy?”

Elain sighed dramatically and then said prissily,

“Okay. I took a pic. Before the party started.”

“Ahhh you did!”

“I want it. I need it!” Feyre begged like a needy teenager.

“Oh god. I’ll send it, but I don’t want you to make a fuss,” Elain warned, but Nesta immediately shot that down.

“If he is worth making a fuss over, we’ll make a fuss!”

Wincing, Elain sent the photo to her nutty sisters.

It was a really cute photo–seven girls, all dressed up as princesses and holding plaques with their names on them–Isabella, Tay, Karo, Nell, Tee, Caroline, Cassie and then, there was Darius, who held a sign that said ‘Dari’ because when Elain made it, she didn’t know he was a boy. She and Azriel stood in the background. 

“Sweet baby Moses,” Feyre gushed breathlessly.

“Let him do the butt stuff with you!” Nesta encouraged immediately.

“I knew this was gonna happen,” Elain moaned.

“And Oh. My. God. His kid!” Feyre’s voice became screechy on the other side. 

“He looks like a cartoon character,” Nesta laughed. “This is the cutest darn kid in history. He looks like a little paperboy from ‘Peaky Blinders’,”

“He is wearing suspenders,” Feyre cooed softly. “I wanna pinch him and his fat cheeks!!!”

“But look at this prime piece of male real estate,” Nesta commented. “Oh-la-la. I’d ride him up and down the highway of all this very black, and very expensive clothing,”

“You are sick,” Elain muttered.

“No sweetheart,” Nesta interrupted, “this is a hella hot man.”

“He looks like a Pinterest model,” Feyre agreed. “All broody and tattoo-ty.”

There was a pause, and Nesta added, her tone more serious than before, “As I look at this, I can say that you two honestly look really good together.”

“What?” Elain wasn’t sure if her sister was joking, but it didn’t sound like it.

“Yes, I agree,” Feyre said. “You look like you…belong. Even though it’s obviously ridiculous because he is this tattooed hunk of burnin’ love and you are a fairy tale princess,”

“I am not!”

“You are. And yet, you two look really good together.”

After her sisters were done ogling the photo, Elain asked,

“What do I do with him?”

“You go for it!” Feyre said immediately.

“Surprisingly, I agree with her,” Nesta added. “This is a not-to-be missed experience. Besides, he is hot for you. You don’t need to work for it. I mean, you could be sitting on Tinder, swiping up and down, right and left, but you got this gorgeous man primed and ready for you–pop quiz, what do you do?”

“I take it I should go for it?” Elain asked quietly.

“That’s a resounding ‘yes!’,” Feyre boomed. 

“But like…he is so big…”

“That’s your excuse? He is ‘big’?” Nesta challenged.

“But he is! He is like 9 feet tall!”

“Okay, well then, you know he is hung. At least you’ve got that going for you,”

“I don’t want hung,” Elain muttered feebly.

“No, you definitely do want hung. Trust me,” Feyre assured her. “You don’t want a guy like that rocking a decapitated mushroom down there. You pray he is hung.”

Groaning loudly, Elain didn’t answer.

“Pray tell, what does the young gent do for a living?” Nesta asked. “Considering the state of his wardrobe and the fact that he puts his son in Burberry pants, I’d say he is pretty well off.”

“I think he is a photographer,” Elain answered lamely.

“A photographer?!” Feyre was laughing. “I think he is a drug dealer,”

“What does he drive?” Nesta piped in.

“He is not a drug dealer,” Elain snapped. “A Maybach.”

“I am sorry. WHAT? A Maybach??”

“Yeah, I was surprised as well.”

“Where does he live?”

“I don’t know, but they brought cookies from the Cherry Creek Whole Foods and they walk around Wash park, so I guess somewhere around there?”

“Shit,” Feyre whistled again. “The dude is loaded! Forget what I said about the decapitated mushroom for a penis. Even if he has that, that’s okay. At least you can cry about it in your Maybach.”

“You are so gross,” Elain was shaking her head. 

“Practical, babe, I am practical. Not gross,” Feyre insisted. “Also, I vote for ‘drug dealer’. Or, or–maybe he is in the mafia?!?! That would be cool!”

“Yeah. So cool.”

“Final question,” Nesta interrupted them.

“Thank the lord,” Elain muttered.

“Does he have a brother?”

“In fact he does. His name is Cass.”

“Feel free to hook me up with this Cass character,” Nesta suggested.

“What happened to Tomas?” Elain asked in confusion, though her older sister wasn’t exactly known for high rates of fidelity. She went from man to man like it was her god-given right.

“Keeping my options open,” Nesta said breezily.

“Well, y’all have fun with your hookups. I am 20,” Feyre announced. “I am going to Barcelona. That’s what I care about.”

“Oh, Ellie,” Nesta cooed. “Make sure to wax everything. Most guys are not into…forestation.”

“I don’t have any forestation!” Elain screamed. 

“Good for you, girl. Keep it that way.”

-

Azriel and Darius Night

When Darius was in the bathtub, it resembled a baby elephant splashing in a kiddie pool. Messy, wet and hilarious. 

Azriel was absolutely drenched by now, as he tried to wrestle Darius into the towel and dry him. 

“Go potty before bed,” Azriel ordered him, while he went to get Darius’s PJs, which he’d have to lasso onto him the moment his son was off the toilet. 

Darius didn’t know how to pee standing up yet, so he sat on the toilet, kicking his legs, pontificating.

“Dada.”

“Yeah,” Azriel returned to the bathroom and pulled off his soaking wet t-shirt, before putting Darius’s pyjama top on him. 

“Why you don’t talk to me today, da?” 

“What do you mean? Of course I am talking to you,”

“No,” Darius shook his head. “We talk a lot. Today after party, we don’t talk so much.”

Azriel couldn't argue. He was surprised that Darius noticed it, but his boy was correct.

Azriel’s head was filled with something else–namely, Elain Archeron. 

That woman took him completely by surprise–it’s not that he even had a type, but he certainly didn’t think that she would be his type. And yet, here he was. He found her blindingly beautiful, but there was more to it than just basic sexual attraction. There was a warmth about her, and something so genuine that she seemed tailor made for him, for his needs and wants. The fact that she seemed to really like his son didn’t hurt either. She was inviting, and had an incredible combination of steely strength and delicate fragility in her, which made the inner Neanderthal in him roar with protective urges, and the man in him wanted to dominate and take her as his. He equally hated and liked that Elain kind of blew him off. That she was innocent was obvious, but she also stood her ground, despite the onslaught of him. Normally, he wasn’t that pushy and mouthy, but fuck if she didn’t make him lose his cool. The need in him for her was rabid. Yet his girl was all ‘nope. You ain’t getting a piece of this any time soon’. And as frustrating as that was, he respected her and her wishes. Though he also very much hoped that she’d change her mind.

“Sorry, Dari,” Azriel helped him into his pyjama pants and then Darius climbed into his bed. 

He yawned and admitted, “I tired, dada. This party was fun, but I tired.”

“It was a fun party,” Azriel agreed. “You don’t want me to read you a book?”

Darius shook his head and said, “no, no book today. I wanna sleep.”

He clutched his stuffed bat Brute to his chest–Brute the Bat was Cassian’s present, obviously, because it was totally normal to give babies toy bats–and reached to turn off the light on his nightstand.

Azriel stooped and kissed his son’s forehead. 

“Good night then, Dar. Sleep well.”

Just before Azriel exited the bedroom, Darius said quietly,

“Dada, you know I don’t have mama.”

At that, Azriel turned abruptly and stared at the tiny mound under the blanket. Darius had never mentioned not having a mother before. He always just kind of accepted that it was him and his dad. And now, it was he, his dad and his uncle. But he never complained about not having a mother, or even acknowledged the fact.

“You have me,” Azriel said firmly.

“Yes. I know. I love you, da,” Darius nodded calmly. “But if Lain wanna be mama, then I am happy.”

“What?” Azriel murmured, his palms suddenly feeling clammy. This wasn't what he was expecting his son to tell him.

“Yeah, I like Lain,” Darius decided. “She is pretty and nice. And if she wanna be family with me, then this is good and I want it.”

“Okay,” was all Azriel managed. It wasn’t much, but he was literally lost for words.

“If you want to ask her, dada, you do it. I can ask too. And then Isa is gonna be family too.”

“I’ll try, Dari. I promise. But I don’t know…”

Darius yawned again and muttered, “she like me, dada. And she like you too much.”

At that, Azriel gawked at his strange child and asked, feeling both foolish and hopeful, “why do you think so?”

“She wanted to give you hugs and kisses,” Darius told him with utmost confidence. 

Azriel chuckled, “nah, big guy, I don’t think so.”

“Yeah, she did,” Darius nodded. “You just don’t know it.”

Sunday.

Monday.

Tuesday.

Wednesday.

On Wednesday, at 5:30pm Azriel perked up, when he saw a woman in shorts and with a ponytail appear near the start of the trail at the pond. She was holding a little girl’s hand too. 

But it wasn’t Elain.

And that realisation smacked him in the chest like a ton of bricks.

He wanted it to be Elain.

Thursday.

Friday.

He didn’t have her phone number.

He considered accosting her at the preschool, but he also promised her that he wouldn’t bother her. That the next steps would be up to her. And he wanted to keep his promise. But he was also desperately depressed by now. A whole week passed and Azriel still thought of Elain. Craved Elain. Wanted Elain. Fantasised about Elain. Spoke to Elain in his head. He relieved all the small details of their afternoon together. The jokes. The confessions. The stories. He recalled her sweet blushes and how she got so flustered with his come-ons. He just loved the way that she was–her beautiful golden skin, her freckles which clung stubbornly only to her cute nose, her absolutely lush brown hair and the dark brown eyes the colour of chocolate. Those soft rosy lips that resembled a tulip and her small, scarred hands, with neat square nails, which he dreamt of and wished to feel on his skin. She wore simple leather sandals with her white dress, and she had the prettiest toes, her nails varnished with the same pale pearl colour as is on her hands. He loved everything–he loved her thick lashes, her toes, the birthmark on her neck, the tiny tattoo on her wrist with an ‘I’ and a marigold flower wrapped around the letter, the simple gold chain around her throat, the way her plump breasts created the most tempting cleavage in the cut of her dress. 

He imagined what it would be like to wake next to her in the morning–to watch her sleepy and satiated and not on her guard, because she was comfortable with him and trusted him. He imagined her padding barefoot to wake the kids and then he’d make breakfast for everyone and she’d kiss his neck when she finally came to the kitchen, wearing only his t-shirt. 

He imagined many things. 

Only none would come to pass. Because it was Friday. 

And Elain certainly hasn’t been thinking about him.

Until…

This wasn’t his proudest moment, but he’d spent hours searching for Elain’s Instagram page. Who knew that there were like 300 million cooking pages out there? But he was determined to find hers, so he spent hours every evening typing everything from ‘Elain Archeron’ to ‘healthy cooking’ to ‘salad recipe’ to ‘Denver cooking’ and on and on. Nothing. Yes, he’s gotten a 1000 more salad recipes, but no Elain.

That was the frustrating failure on his part, until last night, when something struck him–the marigold flower on her wrist. So he typed ‘Marigold Catering Denver’ and lo and behold, there she was. He found her cooking blog page, and there, a link to her Insta. And then he proceeded to watch videos of her cooking, moving, smiling, dicing, slicing, expertly flipping pancakes and steaks and omelettes and looking luscious and gorgeous in the manner of Nigella Lawson. She had a similar aura–unpretentious, unfussy, attractive, effortlessly trustworthy and watchable. It was a bit of a con, of course–no one was that polished, while looking beguiling, yet adorably inept. It was a front that seduced the audience into thinking that they could also do this–look like a slightly dishevelled model with a messy braid, sumptuous breasts and a tiny waist, preparing healthy, yet delicious looking dishes, while assuring everyone that it was ‘simple and easy’. 

The last two videos were recent–one from last week, the other, from Tuesday.

He clicked on the one from last week which was called…The Princess Tea Party. There, Elain was giving the blow-by-blow of how to make a ‘healthy’ afternoon tea. All those cakes and pastries that the toddlers were gorging on were apparently sugarless, mostly gluten free and full of healthy ingredients. Could’ve fooled him!

And then finally, he clicked on the most recent video.

It felt voyeuristic. He was observing something private, which was of course ridiculous, but at the same time, this was the only video where they’d already been acquainted. He already knew her and wanted her. She shot it after he’d touched her and for whatever reason, it felt intimate. He held those small delicate fingers in his hand, and the pearly nail polish was the same as at the tea party. 

I made a new friend over the weekend, Elain was saying into the camera. She was smiling, her hair artfully tossed over her shoulder, her voluptuous figure cinched into a silk cobalt-blue blouse with fluttering sleeves. And on her wrist, a silver bracelet. Azriel’s heart jolted in his chest when he saw it–she didn’t take it off and it dangled over her wrist like his own personal brand. She continued saying and he made us this incredible salad! I should’ve been paying more attention to what he was doing and what he put into it, but we were having a good time and there was white wine involved…

A cute, but sexy giggle escaped her pink lips, while she began listing out the ingredients.

He was a miracle worker with this salad. So I hope that I can recreate it and do him justice.

So…maybe she was thinking about him after all?

He watched the video four times, back to back. 

He studied every smile, every flirtatious movement of her shoulders, the innocent expression of her big brown doe eyes. He watched her chomp on lettuce, pop tomatoes into her mouth, crunch on a cucumber slice. It was perfect.

“You forgot the radishes, baby,” he whispered in the end. Smiling at last.

-

“Dada, let’s go already!” Darius demanded, loitering by the door, being super dramatic about waiting for five minutes.

“The park is not going to go anywhere,” Azriel told him, looking at his phone.

Darius pouted and muttered, “you be mean, dada.”

“I am not being mean,” Azriel argued. He wasn’t. But he was in a foul mood. 

He couldn’t believe that a week later, Elain didn’t show up, and he was still absolutely desperate for her. He was not a desperate guy. He could probably have most if not all women that he wanted. The problem was that he didn’t want any women. Not until he’d met Elain. For the past year, back in NYC, he hardly even got laid, mostly because he didn’t want to leave Darius with a sitter and because it all just seemed like a tedious production. He couldn't take a woman to his house, not with his baby son there, so it either had to be her place or a hotel, and then it all seemed too complicated somehow, and he just lost interest. 

Elain was different though. She already saw him with Darius, she knew who he was and what mattered to him. Nothing with her would be a production. It would be natural and organic.

“Alright, let’s go,” Azriel took Darius’s puffy hand in his and they left the penthouse. 

“Is Lain and Isa gonna come?” Darius asked hopefully.

It came harsher than he intended to, but Azriel all but barked ‘no’.

Darius gave him an accusing look, pursing his lips. 

In the elevator, he pressed the button and then said, “I think maybe they gonna come, da.”

“I doubt it. They have their own lives, Darius. They are busy.”

“Hmmm,” Darius only offered a doubtful hum and didn’t say anything further. 

In the vast lobby of the building, the three concierge guys waved to them. 

“Hey Darius!” they greeted him.

He was a popular staple around here, and he immediately veered off and went to the reception desk.

“Hi!” he said. “You have good day?”

“We are having a pretty good day. You going on your daily walk, buddy?”

“Yeah, with dada,” he nodded.

“You want a sticker?” one of them offered.

“Your shoes are cool!” said another. 

“When I die and come back in another life, I want to be Darius,” muttered the third.

“Can I have two stickers?” Darius requested.

“Dari, you don't need two,” Azriel scolded him lightly, nodding to the guys in greeting.

“Yeah I need it, dada,” Darius insisted. “If Isa come, I have to give her one.”

“She is not coming,” Azriel said abruptly, but Darius ignored him and extended his hand for the stickers.

“Who is Isa, Dari? Your girlfriend?” the concierge asked, as he gave up two stickers.

“Yeah, she is my good friend,” Darius confirmed, taking the stickers and then politely thanking everyone. 

“Whatever you did with this kid, man, you did it right,” one of the guys said to Azriel.

And Azriel smiled. Because if nothing else, he had an amazing son.

It was a decent half a mile walk to the park, so Azriel usually carried Darius, so he didn’t get too tired and could still run in the park. Darius was clutching his two stickers in his hand, loudly contemplating which one he wanted more. 

Suddenly, he yelled ‘dada, see! Lain and Isa! Lain! And Isa!’

And then he nearly fell out of Azriel’s arms, startling him to a near heart attack.

“Darius!”

But Darius was running at full speed, waving and yelling ‘Isa! Lain! I come!’

That’s when Azriel saw them.

His girls.

Elain glowed like the sun at dawn, her hair lit up with streaks of bronze and gold. She was wearing a maxi skirt, flat sandals and a form fitting white shirt which reminded Azriel of a corset or something. Whatever it was, it did wonders to her breasts. 

Darius and Isabella were hugging like they hadn’t seen each other in months, when it’s only been a few hours since they parted in school.

Azriel approached slowly, taking his time and taking in Elain’s beauty.

At last, he reached her and said, keeping his voice oh-so-casual, “Well, took you long enough.”

She huffed a shy laugh, and he watched her blush prettily under his scrutiny.

“Maybe I missed you,” she said at last.

“Maybe you did.”

“Did you miss me?” she asked softly.

“Desperately,” he confessed heatedly, all teasing and joking leaving his tone.

There was a moment when they stood there, looking at each other. And then Azriel asked, his voice quiet, and somehow broken,

“Why did you come, Elain?”

“You told me to come…” she reminded him breathlessly.

He put his heavy hands on her shoulders and then threaded his fingers behind her neck, keeping her in place.

“What if I didn’t tell you? Would you have come otherwise?”

She licked her lips and murmured in response,

“I’ve been dreaming of you every night since we’ve met. And last night, I dreamt that I was happy. With you. You made me so happy. So I figured, why not try it outside of the dreams? I want to try to be happy with you, Azriel.”

“Okay then. You will come to my home and I will feed you and your daughter.”

She smirked.

“That’s a thing with you. Feeding.”

“What can I say,” he shrugged. 

“Also, I missed Darius,” she admitted. “A lot. He is someone who leaves an impression.”

“He certainly does.”

Releasing her neck, Azriel took her hand firmly in his, and tugged her alongside him.

The sun was barely beginning to set and the park was full of joggers, people with their dogs and with their babies, families and couples. 

“How do we do this?” Elain asked, her voice timid and uncertain.

“Together,” he answered. “We do it together. I make you fall in love with me and then you are mine.”

She barked a laugh.

“Is that the plan then?”

“That’s it.”

-

Elain Archeron

The building where Azriel lived was one of the best in Denver. Elain had passed by it a few times before, but it was exclusive and tucked back behind a vast courtyard. She never really paid attention to it, seeing as that she was never going to step foot into it. How wrong she was. 

The lobby was huge, with plush couches, a grand piano!, armchairs, two reception desks, lots of glass and steel and wood and artwork. There was even a coffee station that made all kinds of drinks, and Darius demanded ‘I want hot chocolate!’ to which Azriel told him that he’d get it after dinner. Unsurprisingly, Isabella also asked for hot chocolate immediately after.

“Is that Captain Sandy from ‘Below Deck Mediterranean’?” Elain whisper-shouted and Azriel smiled at her and nodded. 

“Yeah, she lives here. A bunch of football and basketball players too. From the Broncos and the Nuggets.”

“That’s wild! I’ve never even seen a celebrity,” she confessed. 

“You are in the right place to spot them.”

They took the elevator to the top floor, while Darius pressed the button with one finger, and grabbed Elain’s hand with his other hand, holding onto her. Azriel noticed it, but didn’t comment. 

To get inside Azriel’s apartment, you needed fobs and codes and passes of all kinds and when they entered, Elain understood why.

It was massive. A glass cube, perched on top of the building, with a wrap around terrace and 365 degree views from every side.

She just stood there, gawking, while Darius grabbed Isa’s hand and said, ‘wanna see my room?’

They disappeared at once, talking loudly, laughing and saying stuff only they understood, while Elain just stood there and took it all in. One side of the apartment overlooked downtown Denver, the other, Wash Park, the third looked out at the mountains in the distance, and the fourth had a sprawling view of the city.

“Are you a drug dealer?” she asked quietly.

At that, Azriel burst out laughing, as he shook his head, and moved towards the incredible kitchen which was far beyond anything seen on HGTV or Insta. This was something else–with expensive appliances, stunning cabinetry, designer lighting, chrome and marble–this was an Architectural Digest kind of a kitchen.

“No. Not a drug dealer. I am a photographer,” he reminded her.

“Yeah, it’s like saying that Martha Stewart is a ‘caterer’. What do you photograph, exactly?”

She did notice really impressive black and white photos scattered strategically on the walls. They were artsy and sharp, some completely abstract, others of cityscapes, and even faceless people. 

“I used to be a fashion photographer,” he explained, as he tied an apron around his slim waist. It only emphasised the breadth of her massive shoulders and Elain swallowed discreetly, very taken with the very presence of him. She was reminded yet again of how truly devastatingly handsome he was.

“Like models?” Elain inquired, as she made a slow circle around the vast open space that was the apartment. Azriel watched her, while he washed his hands, before nodding.

“Yes. Editorials for various magazines–Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire. It was a fluke really. When I was in the Marines, I liked to take photos of just random things.”

“You are a Marine?” she whirled and looked at him in shock.

“I am. So is my brother Cassian. But we are retired. Anyway, I took some nice photos, and my buddies put on a little exhibition. From there, word spread and the next thing I know, I am being invited to photograph barely dressed girls. It was a strange transition, but I spent about 7 years doing shoots all over the world. Not a bad job.”

“Apparently,” Elain frowned at him, and then asked, “and Darius’s mother? Was she one of the models?”

“She was,” he confirmed, as he began pulling things out of the refrigerator. “You probably know her,”

“She is famous?”

“She is. She goes by The Morrigan. I always told her that the ‘the’ is dumb,” he rolled his eyes, but Elain was gawking at him. The Morrigan was one of the biggest models in the world–even those who didn’t know anything about fashion, knew who she was. She was equally famous for her unruly behaviour, as she was for her bombshell beauty. And Azriel was in a relationship with her. 

Elain didn’t respond, but only continued her slow perusal of the apartment. The bedrooms were in the back, and she heard the kids’ voices coming from a corridor.

She didn’t want to think about the fucking Morrigan, or was it the fucking The Morrigan? She wasn’t sure, but she didn't want to imagine Azriel with her. Didn’t want to imagine him with any models, frankly.

Suddenly, while her brain was working in overdrive, conjuring wild images of passionate embraces between Azriel and faceless naked models,  Azriel’s muscular arm slipped around her shoulders from behind, and he rested his chin on top of her head, whispering ‘come here’. Elain wrapped her hands over his thick forearm and he kissed her temple.

“Don’t think about them, beautiful. I am not a player like that, and truthfully, that part of my life is over. Seven years was enough. I am not a drug dealer or a coke head. I’ve made a name for myself and a shit ton of money and that’s all that matters.”

“And now?” 

“And now, I still photograph, but I specialise in celebs now–their private photos, or their editorials. That’s what pays the bills–the money is very good.”

“I can see that,” she noted dryly and he laughed.

“I like action photography–sports, nature, cities. That’s what I do for myself and for sales. That’s where my heart is at. Not celebrities and their weirdly named babies like Lucky Charms, and Huggie Lovie, or Baby Mr. T, and Antarctica.”

Elain was shaking in his arms with laughter. 

“Rich coming from a man who named his son Darius!”

Pretending outrage, he cried out, “Excuse me?! What the hell is wrong with Darius?”

“It’s a hella name for a baby.”

“He is fine. He carries it well.”

“I love Darius, actually,” she admitted.

He said nothing, but only nosed into her head, holding her against his massive chest, the steel bands of his arms wrapped tightly around her chest.

“I am scared, Azriel,” Elain breathed.

“Of what, baby?”

“Of not doing this right. Of losing you before I even got you,”

“You got me, beautiful,” he insisted. “Don't worry.”

“But what if I am just not good enough? You dated The Morrigan,”

“You mean the chick who got pregnant, dumped her newborn with a guy who fucked her a couple of times, and then walked away never to even inquire about her son again? Yeah, she is a real prize!”

Elain chewed on her lower lip, thinking.

When he put it like that…

-

��”Stay with me,” Azriel murmured, his voice pleading, verging on desperate. 

“I have to go home,” Elain argued feebly.

It was just the two of them.

They had dinner, and it felt like a family, the four of them seated around the table, not at the counter, like usual, but a proper table. They ate amazing lobster ravioli, which Azriel had admitted he didn’t make, but got freshly made from his favourite Italian place. He did cook an incredible fresh tomato and light cream sauce, which was truly mouthwatering. Elain had helped him, by making a simple salad, dressed with lemon juice and olive oil–he had the good, expensive Italian stuff, which wasn’t exactly a surprise. The kids drank mineral water and Azriel had opened a bottle of Chablis, which went surprisingly well with the ravioli. He had cloth napkins and nice, white dishes. And as she ate, Elain thought that truly, they were a different kind of pair. They were not…usual. Neither she nor Azriel liked to rush. They enjoyed the nicer things in life. She had less money than he did, but it didn’t mean that she didn’t strive for the best for herself and for her daughter. They liked conversation. They liked involving their children in everything, and they treated them with respect and understanding. There were no phones at the table, nothing to disturb the connection. And not for the first time this week, Elain thought that perhaps she could build something with this strange man. They matched. Maybe too much, which was both a little scary, but also extremely exciting. 

“No, you don’t,” he insisted. 

His big palms cupped her face and he looked down at her.

“You don’t have to go,” he repeated. “It’s Friday night. There is no school or work tomorrow. I am sure both Isa and Darius would love to have a sleepover.”

Elain’s throat bobbed. 

He smelled good. He felt even better. His massive hands felt heavenly on her skin. His eyes were warm and his voice urgent.

“I would say that I’d be a gentleman and not try anything,” he continued, “but that would be a lie. Because all I want is to make love to you. Let me. Let me make love to you and be your first.”

“You wouldn’t be the first,” she whispered, her heart beating wildly in her chest and she was considering whether he should call 911, because she might be suffering from some kind of cardiac emergency. Was it normal to be so hot? Was 25 too early for hot flashes? Because that’s how it felt–she was engulfed in heat.

He huffed an indignant huff.

“Come on, we both know that that one time was just to make Isa. He was just a sperm donor, nothing else. The only reason for him to have existed in your life is to make your gorgeous daughter, and she eventually brought us together. You and I, beautiful, were written in the stars. There is no denying it. You know this in your gut. Everything led us here, and it’s up to you to take the bull by the horns.

“It’s all pipes,” he concluded.

“All pipes?” she laughed a nervous laugh.

“Yeah, the universe is working really hard to bring the two of us together.  All pipes.”

“What happens after?” she managed to ask, doubt still rearing its ugly head inside of her.

“After? After we live,” he pressed his lips to her brow. “We do our best, the way we always have. Only we do it together.”

“You are relentless.”

“You have no idea.”

She nervously fingered the hem of her shirt and then whispered, “will you stop…if I don’t want it?”

“Well, I am not going to rape you, if that’s what you are asking.”

“No, I didn’t mean it like that,” she argued instantly, blushing profusely. 

He didn’t answer, but instead, called ‘Darius, Isa! Come here!”

They ran into the room a few minutes later and stopped, watching him expectantly. 

“Mama and I wanted to see if you guys wanted to have a sleepover?” Azriel asked, his arm casually draped over Elain’s shoulders. When he said ‘mama and I’ it did something to her–something warm and amazing and needy in her belly. 

“Yes!” Darius declared immediately. Then asked, “what this be sleepover?”

Elain attempted to hide her smile, and buried her face in Azriel’s shoulder.

Azriel handled it perfectly, simply explaining, “you and Isa are going to sleep in your room.”

“Oh, that’s fun!” Isa exclaimed. 

“Yes, I want it so much!” Darius agreed, bouncing on his toes.

And just like that, it was all decided and settled. 

Isa was dressed in Darius’s PJs which were in fact big on her. There was a convertible armchair in Darius’s bedroom, which they made into Isa’s bed, and she was thrilled to be sleeping in a new place. 

“I love sleepover!” Darius concluded, as soon as he was in bed and tucked in, Brute the Bat next to him. As any good host he offered Brute to Isa, who politely declined, and instead, opted for a stuffed rabbit. 

“Good night you two,” Elain told them and then went to kiss them both.

“Night, ma! You gonna have a sleepover too?” Isa asked.

“I think that I will,” Elain admitted. 

“You have fun Lain!” Darius recommended and kissed her on the cheek.

“I’ll take care of her,” Azriel wrapped his arm possessively around Elain’s waist and tugged her to him. 

“Dada is nice,” Darius informed Elain seriously. “You can have sleepover with him, Lain.”

The moment the door was closed behind them and they took two steps into the hallway, Azriel turned to face Elain. His face was beautiful, but intense. He watched her without blinking, and then stated, ‘you are nervous'.

“I am,” she confirmed, her voice hoarse and weird.

God, she was sweating again. Her back was dripping with nervous sweat and she felt like she was about to faint.

“Don’t be,” he whispered. 

Suddenly, his big hand threaded into her bun and he wrapped her hair around his hand, pulling her face back for a moment and looking down at her from his massive height.

“Tell me to kiss you,” he urged her, his voice even rougher than hers.

She loved the gesture of dominance, him holding her like that, but she also loved that he was asking her so politely. 

“Kiss me then,” she said at last and without missing a beat, he crushed his lips to hers.

His was a hungry, needy kiss, the kind Elain always wanted to experience, but never had the chance. The kiss no one ever offered her before.

Azriel’s lips were soft, and there was gentleness about them, about how he enveloped her mouth with his, but at the same time, he took what he wanted from her. Her lips parted for his tongue without any prompting and she leaned into him, momentarily forgetting her nervousness. It didn’t matter somehow–it felt too good. The nearness of him, the hold of his warm hands on her body, the way he clasped the back of her head so he could keep her the way he wanted her–it felt incredible. 

“So beautiful,” he whispered into her mouth, holding her close, while she wrapped her arms around his torso, unwilling to let him go. Now, if he wanted to stop this, she probably wouldn’t let him.

“Ahhh, now you want it, my beautiful girl,” he teased, his hot, wet tongue swiping over her lips, her teeth, learning of her and her taste. “But if you want me to stop,”

“Okay, don’t stop,” she panted, kissing him endlessly, feverishly. Azriel barked a laugh at her words and returned to kissing her. 

Good god it felt good. So good to be wanted, to be genuinely liked. Under her shirt, Elain’s breasts felt achy, swollen, and her nipples were so hard, they’d probably rip right through her bra. However, she and Azriel haven't even made it to the bedroom yet!

As if reading her mind, Azriel’s hand fell down the small of her back and he grabbed a handful of her ass, squeezing it appreciatively. 

“God I can’t wait to be inside of you,” he moaned. “You are so incredibly delicious…Every bit of you is just so fine.”

Half-dragging her next to him, they stumbled down the corridor, ambling towards the bedroom. Thankfully, it was at the end of the hallway, quite removed from Darius’s room. 

If she were being entirely honest with herself, Elain didn’t care right now. He could probably fuck her right on the floor here, and she wouldn’t bat an eye. They bumped into walls as they pawed at each other, kissing and biting and licking. He kissed her neck hungirly, tasting her skin, his warm lips gliding up and down, from her clavicle to her jaw. Elain whimpered when he dragged his tongue over the pulsating vein of her neck and he chuckled, “My eager girl,” as he returned to her mouth, kissing her savagely and deeply.

Shouldering the bedroom door he opened it swiftly, and then kicked it back to close it behind them. 

He dropped Elain on the bed and then stepped back. 

“On your knees, sweetheart. Hands on your lap,” he instructed, and Elain followed his command at once. She could barely even understand what he was telling her, and moved to the sound of his voice instinctively, as opposed to actually listening to his commands. But she liked it–innately, she liked it when he told her what to do and she didn’t know why.

“Beautiful,” he approved, as he stroked her cheek and moved surprisingly slowly towards her, watching her with endless fascination. No one’s ever looked at her like that and saw her. She wasn’t just a pretty girl, or someone he wanted to fuck–she was desirable to him. The emotional connection was unsettling, crossing into intimacy, but perhaps that’s what Elain craved deep down. Her hands were shaking on her lap. But she wanted him to continue looking at her like that. It was a combination of possessiveness, need, curiosity, and some strange protectiveness, as if in the end, he wanted to keep her safe and whole. 

“Do you trust me, baby?” he asked, his tone soft.

Elain nodded. She did. Again, instinctively. She trusted him to do right by her–whatever that looked like for the two of them.

With one hand, he pulled his shirt over his head, throwing it on the floor without ever taking his eyes off Elain. Seeing his body made her jaw go slack. His muscles were lean and perfectly defined, his skin decorated with tattoos, his arms scarred to the elbow, the V leading into his jeans so prominent, it was almost indecent. Elain’s never seen such definition on any actual human (Olympic athletes notwithstanding). 

“Lie down, pretty girl,” he told her and she did, her heart beating like a hummingbird’s wings. She couldn’t concentrate on anything, other than Azriel’s stunning body and his face, and she was only vaguely aware that his bed was huge and that the city was twinkling with lights somewhere outside the enormous windows. “Spread your legs for me, baby,” he requested and Elain slowly did as she was told, her long silk skirt falling down her thighs and pooling on her stomach. She was barefoot already, having taken her sandals off after dinner, when they played with the kids. 

“Thank you, sweetheart,” he said, and sat on the edge of the bed, placing his hand on her belly and quickly unbuttoning the two buttons at the waist. He pulled the skirt off her hips then, and flung it on the floor, where it joined his shirt. Elain could feel herself soaking through her cotton panties–she didn’t have the fancy kind, so she went with her usual plain cotton and lace ones. Now, she was getting so hot and bothered that she felt herself leaking for him. And he saw it. He looked right between her thighs and smiled, running her thumb straight down the centre of her. Elain jerked on the bed, a jittery, pathetic moan escaping her parted lips. Azriel leaned over her, and kissed her again, his tongue gently sweeping inside her mouth, sucking her own, making her delirious with his kisses, while he gingerly worked her panties down her legs. 

“That’s my pretty girl,” he murmured, once she was laying half naked in front of him. “So gorgeous and all mine,” he added, lightly, but firmly pushing her thighs further apart, spreading her widely. 

“Az,” she groaned loudly,

“Yeah, beautiful?”

“I need more.”

“And you will get more,” he kissed her bare knees, “I just want to look at your pretty pink pussy right now…Remember what I told you I wanted to do to you?”

She licked her lips, feeling exposed, but also so, so sexy, lying like that in front of him. No man’s ever seen her like this, certainly not in such explicit detail, but she liked it. So she opened her thighs even wider, eliciting a muffled groan of appreciation from him.

“Finger me,” she recalled, blushing from the words, which made it real somehow. The words were crude, but her position didn’t bother her–she was tense as fuck, but from arousal, and not fear or discomfort.

“What else?” he pressed, and then carefully pinched her folds and pulled them apart, while she moaned and arched her back for him, grabbing the bed covers violently and wrenching them in her hands.

“You wanted to eat my pussy,” she choked out, closing her eyes and feeling like she was losing her mind. 

“Is your pussy sweet?” he asked rhetorically, kissing the inside of her thigh.

“I don’t know,”

“Well, let’s find out, shall we?” With that, he dropped to his knees in front of her by the bed and pulled her roughly forward, pressing her feet into his shoulders. He leaned forward, pushing her legs to her chest, his massive shoulders immobilising her, while he picked up her ass in his large palms and brought her closer to his mouth.

Elain stilled. She really hoped that she wouldn’t have a massive coronary right then and there. This was a man she hardly knew, who was not just staring at her bare pussy, but who was…oh lordy lord…yep, he licked it.

Her pained inhale was so loud, it sounded like a moan.

“Azriel…” she wept. He kissed her. Kissed her slit, the way he kissed her mouth. He kissed her opening. He kissed her folds. He kissed her firmly, deeply over her clit, making her buckle and wail, while he held her down and close to his mouth. He was unperturbed by how she strained against him, but only stroked her legs up from her feet all the way to her upper thighs, as he gently, but insistently sucked on her swollen bud. 

“Az, Az,” she whimpered desperately, but he only swirled his tongue around the clit, and sucked on it insistently, his mouth so warm, and so wonderful that it was turning her inside out. He licked and he sucked, steadily, with rhythmic slurping around her dripping slit, caressing her body as he went at it with a blissed out expression on his face. 

She hardly dared to look down between her legs, for seeing his hazel eyes watching her and her reactions was almost painfully intimate. But the noises of satisfaction, and his grunts of pleasure told her everything that she needed to know–Azriel was enjoying tasting her just as much as she enjoyed being sucked and licked. It was wet and sensual and she loved it when his tongue swirled inside her hole, but she never ever imagined that this could feel as good as he was making it. 

Her legs were shaking, but he kept stroking them soothingly, as if knew that she was experiencing things that she’d never felt before, and she needed extra support from him. But he wasn’t gentle. He bit the wet folds of her pussy with little nips, before clamping his teeth over her clit and holding it hostage, while he licked on it fervently with the flat pad of his tongue. Her toes curled on his shoulders and she tried to hold back the scream that was building inside her chest from the delicious, sublime pleasure-pain that he was offering her so willingly. 

“Ohmygod, ohmygod,” she chanted brokenly and he gave her a stern look over her heaving belly, though he didn’t interrupt his sucking of her clit, and shook his head. 

“Azriel,” she corrected herself, and he smiled into her pussy, nodding his approval.

Pressing his teeth tighter over her swollen, painfully engorged clit, which felt like it was buzzing from the inside, he slowly eased one finger into her, pushing bluntly inside her hole. 

“Oh fuuuuck,” she cried pitifully, because he slipped a second finger, and then a third, in quick succession. It hurt. She was sloppily wet, but she was tight and his long, thick fingers stretched her to a painful point. But a cry of ‘more, more, please,’ tore from her, as she pushed her slit into his face. What if she killed him? Suffocated him with her pussy? But considering how hard his hand was working inside of her, fingering her with brutal, stunning determination, she figured that he was far from death. His hand battered into her, merciless and wonderful, and she moaned loudly and endlessly. 

It was too much. All of it was too much.

She should’ve taken him on his offer a week ago and let him finger her in the kitchen. Because this…

This was insane. Astounding. 

His hot, harsh-skinned hand snaked up her stomach and he pulled her bra cup down without any preliminaries, baring her aching tit to the cool air. He squeezed it roughly, and Elain loved it–how he was able to hold her whole breast in his hand, and how he pinched her nipple in his fingers. This man was like a damn octopus–he had 40 hands and 20 suction cups in his mouth, because he managed to overstimulate every part of her body. 

And the fingering…oh god…the fingering was beyond fantastic. It was beyond anything Elain ever dreamed of. The feeling of that massive penetrating hand, how he pushed the walls of her pussy apart, how he stretched and moulded her over his hand was so pornographically erotic that she’d lost all inhibitions. There were no inhibitions for her to even think about. He’d stripped her down to her core and forced her to let go and enjoy every moment of this. 

When he removed his hand from her breast, she whined from the loss, but also watched him unbutton the top two buttons of his jeans, exposing the most delicious-looking trail of hair, which she yearned to lick. She could see the huge bulge in his jeans and the size of him made her feverishly excited, and nervous. She understood why he was fingering her so hard–he needed to prepare her for his massive-looking dick. 

“More…” she begged desperately, her body arcing so hard off the bed, she was almost sitting up by now. And then he bit her. He bit her clit hard, and rammed his fingers deeper, which made her lose her mind and she screamed a loud, trembling cry, which filled the space between them. Hot and sweaty and shaking uncontrollably, Elain came and came and came. She orgasmed so hard, her ears popped. 

Azriel tore his face from her pussy, giving her clit one parting lick and then she watched him, almost in slow motion, release his cock from his jeans. 

The moment of clarity made her gasp and hiss ‘Jesus fuck’ at the sight of him. 

That’s what happened when you dated a guy who was over 6”5. He had an ‘over 6”5’ dick. 

He looked at her and then cupped her flushed cheek in his hand.

“You want me inside, baby?” he asked hoarsely, and Elain reared upwards and licked his wet face, tasting herself on his skin.

“Yes,” she breathed. “More than anything,”

He gave himself a few hearty rugs, which Elain found mesmerising.

“Funny how this happened,” he chuckled.

“What?”

“Well, I wanted to taste you, finger you and watch you come–and just like that, I’ve accomplished it all!”

Before she could respond, he grunted, 

“Take that dick then, beautiful,” hefting her back up on the bed and then propping himself on his hands and knees above her. Elain knew that she looked a mess, with her shirt still on, falling off one shoulder and hastily unbuttoned, her breast bare, her bra askew, but he also looked dishevelled, still wearing his jeans, his thick, perfect cock bobbing at his navel. Yes, his cock was perfect–straight, thick, long, smooth. He propped her legs on his forearms and then slowly, but steadily eased the thick head of his dick inside of her.

The push of his shaft was unwaveringly firm, solid and the thickness of him made Elain’s eyes roll back in her head. She didn’t even know if it was pleasure or pain–some unholy combination of both–but she convulsed wildly around him and the heft of his burning hot dick. 

“Laney, my baby, you feel like melted butter,” he smiled at her, while the progression of his shaft continued inside of her. “How does it feel?”

“Please never stop,” she begged, as tears slipped from her eyes. She wasn’t even sure why she was crying. Because it felt incredibly good? Because he cared about her? Because she was falling in love? She didn’t know, but she was being honest–she never wanted it to stop.

And then he was thrusting into her, deep and hard, his hips steady and powerful, as he filled and emptied her again and again. Elain couldn’t keep her eyes open, and she panted heavily, unconcerned about the crazed sounds that she emitted. She was just feeling him. She felt overstuffed, wet, hot, exhausted, pumped up, desperately horny, and massively overstimulated. Her clit rubbed into that fabulous patch of hair and against his stomach, and with every pump of his hips, Elain rose higher and higher, crying like a madwoman, shaking and thrashing beneath him. His rough hands roamed about her body, feeling her, stroking her, squeezing her, while he pounded into her savagely, building her up with every shove of his dick. 

“Azriel, it’s…how…what is…what is this?” she babbled mindlessly.

“That’s your dick, beautiful. Use it and come all over it.” he ordered her, and increased the speed of his thrusts.

“It feels too good,” she whispered weakly. “I can’t…”

“It feels just right,” he insisted, kissing her voraciously, and licking her tongue with impatient swipes of his tongue.

She ran her hands over his tattooed skin, burning with warmth and misted with sweat beneath her palms. And then she was orgasming again, over and over, all around his relentless cock. He watched her from his position, smiling at her and whispering words of encouragement and praise, while she screamed his name into his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips. In some feat of astonishing athleticism, he held her up, as she hung onto him like a needy koala, his cock still firmly buried in her, moving rapidly inside.

Elain was so beyond understanding what was going on, she didn’t even comprehend their ridiculous position. But Azriel held her up, as she clenched around him, her ankles wrapped tightly around his back, her mouth starved for his tongue.

“Come for me,” he murmured, “let me have this perfect pussy…”

“It’s yours,” she wept breathlessly.

She was floating somewhere in her head, her body still rocked by the aftershocks of the earth shattering orgasms that he offered her so easily and freely. Her core was stretch to the limit, and yet he still rode her, his arms tense, his powerful body coiled from strain of fucking her and holding her up. 

“Let me come in you, my beautiful girl,” he muttered, kissing her head, her face, her lips.

“I want it, Az. It’s yours,” she panted, her pussy pulsing and milking him, “it’s for you.”

“Thank you, sweetheart,” he kissed her and gently laid her back on the mattress, holding her knees apart, as he pumped hard and fast into her. 

He came deeply and voluptuously, the hot seed painting her womb, a guttural moan of pure pleasure tearing from his throat. 

It felt…magical. Everything about him was raw and hard and passionate, and Elain took all of it. Everything that he gave her. 

He tweaked her nipple in his fingers, and then stroked her face with his knuckles, looking down at her with complete adoration. 

“You are perfect,” he whispered. “And mine.”

“I think that I am,” she nodded, chasing his fingertips with her lips. He let her kiss them and pushed hard into her, keeping his cock and his cum deep inside of her. 

“Do you want to taste me, baby?” 

Elain licked her lips, looking him up and down, his stunning torso and his pleasure-tinted expression.

Before she could answer, he pulled her up and said, “open up” as he withdrew his cock from her and then thrust it firmly in her mouth, easing between her lips.

“Good girl,” he approved and patted her head, while she looked at him, trying to acquaint herself with the girth and heaviness of him in her mouth. He was covered in her wetness and his cum, but for some reason, it didn’t bother her. 

“Have you ever sucked dick before?” he asked, massaging the back of her neck slowly, wiping her sweaty brow with his knuckles.

She was barely able to move her head, but she shook it ‘no’.

He smiled and ordered, “you’ll suck me off, pretty girl.”

Elain was nervous because she’s never done this before, but it didn’t mean that she didn’t want to. He placed his hand on her head, keeping her in place and his cock nudged forward, sliding in carefully, but firmly. The head of him bumped into the back of her throat and she gasped, but seeing the tremble that her involuntary suck caused, she held onto him, opening wider. His eyes closed and he began slowly, pushing in and out of her wet mouth, allowing her to acclimate to the feel of him. But he was firm as always, holding her head motionless and thrusting slightly deeper with each push. 

“That’s my good girl,” he approved. “Take me deeper, sweetheart.”

He gained speed and set a brisk pace, using her for his pleasure, just like she used him before. 

She cleaned him completely with her tongue and now just used it to swirl over the head and the underside of his shaft, sucking noisily, breathing through her nose. He gagged her a few times, but she didn’t mind it and he didn’t change his rhythm.

“I want to come in your mouth,” he grunted, his breathing heavier, and his movements becoming jerkier. “Shake your head if you don’t want me to.”

Elain looked up at him with her tear-stained eyes, and didn’t move her head.

“Oh thank god,” he panted, holding her head between his palms and pushing his cock harder into her mouth. “Choke on it,” he muttered, when she did. “You are so beautiful.”

Elain dug her fingers into his iron-hard ass, slipping them beneath his jeans, while he fucked her mouth hard. Maybe she was beautiful to him? By the look of his deeply pleased expression, it seemed like he was thoroughly enjoying himself. 

“Swallow everything, baby,” he trembled with exertion and exploded in her throat. Elain swallowed greedily, wanting every drop of him. He was hot and salty and heady, and maybe it was strange, but she found him absolutely delicious. 

He came long and hard, and she swallowed everything, stroking his thighs, his hands, watching him. His breathing was shallow, and when he finally took his cock out of her mouth, he dipped down and kissed her.

“You are everything I’ve ever wanted, Ellie,” he admitted, finally pulling his jeans off and sliding next to her on the bed. Elain rolled on her side and watched him, while he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. Maybe he was everything that she wanted as well.

…It was later in the night, when she was sleeping in his arms, both of them naked and comfortable, that she wondered if history was about to repeat itself.

Epilogue

9 months later

Azriel opened the door and entered the lounge. It was like the Sleeping Kingdom from Sleeping Beauty.

Darius and Isabella were asleep next to each other on the love seat, a pink blanket draped over them. In an armchair opposite of them, Feyre was curled into a ball, dead to the world, snoring lightly. Finally, on the larger couch, Cassian sat with his head thrown back, his posture relaxed, his legs spread comfortably. Nesta’s head rested on his thigh, which she was using as a pillow. It didn’t escape Azriel that even in their sleep, their hands were clasped and fingers threaded together. 

Gone was his brother the Mountain Man. Cassian Night cleaned up his act for his woman.

On the floor, there was an array of toys–dragons, princesses, finger puppets, books and whatever else Cassian chose to entertain his niece and nephew with. He always went overboard and the kids loved it.

Cassian’s eyes fluttered and then opened, as he straightened immediately and peered at Azriel.

“You were supposed to be babysitting,” Azriel chuckled, shaking his head.

“We technically are!”

“Yeah, three adults in the room and everyone is asleep.”

‘I am not asleep. I am just resting my eyes.”

Then, Cassian paused and finally asked, a smile on his face.

“So, what do I owe you, brother? A bottle of Glenfiddich or a bottle of Cristal?”

“Glenfiddich,” Azriel whispered, smiling broadly, his eyes moist with tears. And then he clapped his hands and announced, “we have a boy! My gorgeous stunner of a wife just gave us a son. Our baby Lance was born at 3:14 am. He is 10 lb 4 oz. and 23 inches.”

“A boy?” they heard Nesta’s awed whisper, as she raised her head from Cassian’s lap.

“Congrats to us, Nessie. We are an aunt and an uncle. AGAIN. Which means we are next, Nes!” Cassian announced jovially.

She gave him ‘the look’ and muttered, “Excuse me?”

“Yep. We should have a little girl. We’ll name her Sutton,”

“EXCUSE ME?”

“Yeah, Sutton Night.”

“I am not having Sutton!” Nesta protested.

Cassian cupped the back of her head in his enormous hand and planted a hearty kiss on her lips.

“Yeah, you are,” he insisted. “They,” he jerked his shoulder at Azriel, “have three! We have none. It’s time, sweetheart.”

“Okay, but we are not naming her Sutton,”

He kissed her again and said,

“Whatever my lady prefers is fine by me.”

“Let’s go look at that baby,” Nesta decided. 

-

Lance Night was born exactly nine months and a week after the Princess Tea Party where his parents met, and started a new family. 

[akewanchan]

[Break My Case] Personal Story - Akehoshi Hinomiya, Part 1

Translation by akewanchan. Source is mobile game Break My Case.

TL note:

(edit) Thanks to Imai for letting me know that Kyousuke is actually a reference to Kyousuke from Stand My Heroes!

For clarification, Hinomiya is referred to as Ninomiya in an instance. This isn't a typo!

Ain’t sayin’ working yourself to the bone or yer surroundings don’t play a role.

I’ve seen folks pullin’ it off.

The real thing… Talent as ya say, got no mercy… 

Livin’ in high cotton, all the luxury, don’t come to mind no more.

No doubt I wished a lifetime supply of it by now. 

Akehoshi: ….

Akehoshi: (..... I’m home?)

Akehoshi: (Eh… managed to get back home properly. Good goin’)

Moving my head a wee bit while probing ‘round for my phone was ‘nough to make my world spin, making me all sluggish. 

Akehoshi: (Aaah. Still hammered as I can be. I’m parched…)

Akehoshi: …Ah. Darnit

Akehoshi: (Ain’t refilled dispenser’s bottle.)

Akehoshi: (Do recall thinking ‘bout 30 minutes before leaving the house yesterday, how I gotta swap it out since I’d wanna have a sip in the morning.)

Ain’t like anybody’s gonna complain ‘bout sleeping in on a sunday with no plans in store.

Even then, I sorta had a hunch I wouldn’t be able to hit the hay a second round if I tried to.

Feelin’ as if I was lifting a heavy load, I stood up.

Akehoshi: …Bwech

A wave of nausea washed over me yet again from gulpin’ down lukewarm tap water ‘till the last drop.

Akehoshi: (Shoot. Reckon I went too far yesterday. Sitting here and not rememberin’ what got me plastered like this just means I’m done for.)

Akehoshi: Shoulda called it quits halfway through…

Woman: …Huh! Don’t tell me, is that Ninomiya Akehoshi?

Man: Whozzat?

Woman: He’s a celeb. Y’know, that “way too angelic child actor!” guy. He showed up in TV dramas until he grew quite a bit. 

Akehoshi: Ahaha. Sure can see through the darkness in here, eh. You watched ‘em? Thank ya kindly

Woman: Eeeh, oh my god…! He’s the real deal!

Akehoshi: (....Real deal.)

That’s right, yet it ain’t.

Unfortunately, I was different.

From beginning to end, all the way through.

Akehoshi: (….Oh)

Akehoshi: Someone’s awake. Morning

Yuragi: …You’re alive.

Akehoshi: Ahaha, do feel like I’m on death's doorstep. Am muddling through one way or n’other

Akehoshi: Did I cause a ruckus in my drunken stupor when I got back? Pardon me for waking ya up if I did. 

Yuragi: Don’t you remember

Akehoshi: Not a darn thing for a while now. But good goin’ on my part for making it back home, right?

Yuragi: …

Akehoshi: (Huh. What’s that look for.)

Akehoshi: …Reckon that it ain’t~

Yuragi: Yesterday, what did you do.

Akehoshi: Eh? That’s new. Usually it’s in through ear and out the other with you when I’m doin’ the talking.

Akehoshi: Was just havin’ a drink to answer ya, though

Yuragi: Anything else? 

Akehoshi: Other stuff… nothin’ in particular?

Yuragi: …. ‘Kay

Yuragi: Then, s’fine

Akehoshi: Eh. Wait

Yuragi: What

Akehoshi: Naw, ain't it my line to ask what

Yuragi: …

Akehoshi: (If I did do somethin’ wrong, he oughta been pissed the moment he saw me, no? Seriously, what… Ah)

Yuragi: ---You scared me… Lights aren’t on either, what are you doing

Yuragi: …Can you stand?

Akehoshi: ….

Yuragi: Water. Want some?

Akehoshi: Don’t

Yuragi: Eh

Akehoshi: ---I said, I don’t need anything.

Akehoshi: … Aaah….

That feeling of swatting his hand away, the sound of water hitting the floor.

And then, the tone of voice I usually never use against other people.

Akehoshi: (....That ain’t a look of anger. It’s one of concern, huh.)

Yuragi: Remembered?

Akehoshi: I did

Akehoshi: Had been mullin’ over it myself of how I kinda drank a wee bit too much yesterday.

Akehoshi: But turns out it was more than that. Sorry for all the trouble I caused ya

Yuragi: ….

Without a word Yura turned the other way with a hmph, opened the freezer and started diggin’ through the stock of ice cream.

He picked out one, and while I was thinkin’ he’d just go back to his room-- He put that popsicle on that table, leaving it as is. 

Akehoshi: …Eh. You mean you’re giving this, to me?

Yuragi: I’m going to bed, don’t wake me up.

Akehoshi: Ah. Sure, thanks

Akehoshi: ….Reckon I made him worry.

Around the time I headed to my room after a quick shower, my mood improved somewhat compared to when I woke up. 

Akehoshi: (....Still rock solid, eh.)

I absentmindedly looked around my room while hitting the top of my ice cream with a spoon.

And then my eyes caught a glimpse of a DVD set from that old TV drama that was brought up plenty yesterday. 

Akeboshi: (...Watched it more than enough by now.)

Ain’t like I had anything I wanted to do, so I opened the DVD set to kill some time until my ice cream thawed.

Out of the six CD’s, I took out the 5 with ease and put ‘em on playback.

Akehoshi: …..

A child actor lucky enough to hit it big, his career lasted just short of 10 years until retirement. As a final conclusion to his acting career he received a spot in a TV drama set in a school.

I reckon that I, a so-so kid who wasn’t fated to be the main lead until the very end, received the main focus in an episode as a gift of kindness. 

However.

Akehoshi: …Yer amazing no matter how many times I watch it. Kyousuke-san. 

Akehoshi: The “real deal” is different.

He debuted a few years before I called it quits, and he made a beeline for the top spot within my generation.

What kinda connections or brute force got nothing to do with it, that much is clear when you sit through it just once.

Akehoshi: (That’s why… no matter how many times I watch it.)

Akehoshi: …What’s with that? That awkward silence just now. 

Reason why it didn’t take him 10 years to have grasped them roles as a rookie wasn’t luck or his surroundings, and this one episode makes me realize again and again each time. 

Akehoshi: (Aah, shoulda stopped right there before turning around.)

Akehoshi: (S’important line, yet it’s all pouring out--)

Akehoshi: …. Haha, 

Doing it more like this woulda been better, doing it more like that woulda been better.

Realizing I hadn’t learned my lesson thinking ‘bout stuff that wouldn’t reach my past self, a halfhearted chuckle escaped my mouth.

With my own strength, I wasn’t able to grasp what I wanted. 

It didn’t come true.

Just like this TV drama that’s frozen in time, no matter how many times I’ve seen it by now, it won’t change.

Akehoshi: …..I’m sure the Akehoshi-kun on screen wouldn’t wanna hear the ramblings of a guy who got off that ride a long time ago either, eh. Let’s just stop here

“My one and only wish, won’t come true anymore.”

Once I got that through my head, not a single thing mattered anymore.

But, I reckon that was for the best.

Rather than obsessing ‘bout what I can’t get, taking what I do get is a way of living that’s more suited for the likes of me.

Akehoshi: (Ah, spoon’s getting through.)

A blend of vanilla, chocolate and cookie cream. 

I stuffed my mouth with a spoonful while wondering where you can even find these sorta things, and sure enough it was so sweet I could only laugh.

Akehoshi: (Felt it in my bones this ain’t the thing to stomach when yer hungover.)

Akehoshi: (But, it do seem to be the flavor Yura likes. Let’s just eat it all up.)

Akehoshi: ….. Thank ya.

Looking at the wall, I gave my word of gratitude to Yura who’s surely drifted off to dreamland by now, and I took one more bite.

This sweetness so strong it’ll jolt you awake, slowly melted away together with this lazy afternoon.

[astraymetronome]

losing my mind at the idea of dream having to listen to borrowers in tommy's real stomach... also how did phil not eat dream? how does techno feel about it?

would tubbo and ranboo be other borrowers tommy befriends.... would he befriend any other borrowers besides dream? if so, why not just eat them?

A lot of questions lol-

I think it would probably be something along the lines of Phil recognizing a borrower was in the house and tried to find a way to either get rid of them or something. Tommy probably heard Phil mention it and is kinda confused and talks to Dream about it. I'd say that Tommy does something stupid and takes Dream to Phil to be like "Don't hurt this one dad! He's my friend." And in this au Phil can't say no to his youngest puppy dog eyes.

I think Phil would just accept it and be like, "Welp, Tommy said no. Darn it."

Techno probably just doesn't really care about it. Like, he's used to it and doesn't care about what his dad and brothers do. I like the idea of Techno being the voice of reason and things like that when it comes to Tommy and Dream. Like when Dream and Tommy fight for the first time, instead of telling his dad he goes and talks to Techno because Techno won't be like- "That borrower pissed my son off, friendship ended so free snack." I think he'd just be more of a bystander for it and just shrug things off unless they seemed wrong or like something needed to be done.

As for Tubbo and Ranboo- Tubbo would probably be a human and I'd have Ranboo be a borrower. Think similar situation to Tommy and Dream but instead of it being Tommy when he's little he sees this noodle of a borrower and goes, "yeah, you're hilarious." Basically Tommy decided with Ranboo that he really likes them because of the wet cat energy and ends up letting them live in their walls. Ranboo and Techno would probably develop a similar relationship to Tommy and Dream, without noms, but I think Ranboo would be the weird one and be kinda willing to be eaten as long as it's not fatal.

Tubbo wouldn't learn about Ranboo until they're comfortable enough to be around a lot of people and I feel like Tubbo and Tommy have been friends since elementary so he's aware of Dream's existence. Maybe he doesn't so Dream's a borrower would gives some angst opportunities if Tubbo was to stumble upon him before a proper meeting but Tommy would probably catch Tubbo in the act of doing it. Tubbo strikes me as the type to really take his time with his prey.

Tommy would probably have a few borrowers he gets go because they're interesting or something where they just run off or hide in the walls forever because they're horrified of being eaten. As for why Tommy doesn't eat them is because he is interested in them. Like think of something where a borrower says something so stupid that Tommy can't help but burst into laughter, he has to admit that he kind of likes their humor and manages to be like- "well, you're kind of funny. Fuck it, you can go." It's not any real logical reasoning and Tommy's just kind of following the flow when it comes to prey. Think more of that he has some of that childish mind set still. If the prey is an asshole he's probably just gonna eat them. If they're willing and want to be eaten he probably will. If they're not interested and have a valid argument other than, "I don't wanna die" he'd be the embodiment of this meme ↓

Either way, Tommy's a little guy who makes weird choices.

Once again! Feel free to ask more things lol!