#i tried colouring this like three different ways and this is what I'm ending with

[sachart]

Lazy mornings

[twig-tea]

I'm still processing the end of Love in the Big City the series, but I wanted to jot down a few details and unfinished thoughts that are sticking with me after episodes 7 and 8 [series-only thoughts].

Putting together the timeline made me realize how many important moments in Yeong's life share or are near to the same anniversary; We know he contracts HIV in February (2014), and that Gyu-Ho leaves in February (2022), and that Yeong quits his job in February (2023).

In ep5, we see Yeong's phone where he has three missed calls from Gyu-Ho, and we can see that he's saved Gyu-Ho's name as Q~❤ [hearto], and that probably contributed to why he had hope that the mysterious Q was Gyu-Ho.

We see Yeong finish the soy sauce, and he said it was expired back when they were living together, so that means it's another year out of date. There's something in this metaphor about hanging on past when things are good and finally being able to let go.

When Gyu-Ho first looks at the elephants in the cheap Bangkok motel they were a pair on that nightstand, and he only took one of them.

The metaphor of the ceiling fan hanging over them like a threat the one time they have sex without a condom, how the trust that the fan will not fall feels similar to the trust that the PrEP pills will do their job. Thinking about the way Yeong says Kylie is his and how he wants to be sure she'll remain only his.

And how that ceiling fan ties connects with Habibi and his photos of ceiling fans, how the ceiling is the last thing he saw before he went blind for two weeks and so he takes photos of them in every hotel, how he uses it as his profile picture on hookup apps, how he is hiding from his family and the life he doesn't want by spending time with people on the verge of breaking, but holding on.

The way Gyu-Ho haunts the narrative in episodes 7 and 8 the way Kylie haunted the narrative in 5 and 6.

The perspective we got on the scenes from Yeong and Gyu-Ho's trip to Bangkok in 7&8 contrasted with the version we got in 5&6 was so well done; both versions fit together really well but cannot be fully reconciled because our memories are never perfect, and a person is not a character in a novel.

I also found myself pondering how they shot the scenes that reprise across Parts; did they have both directors on site for these moments and shoot them in the same day? The technical aspect of these is so interesting to me because of the different directors and how different these shots looked (not just in the nuances of how they were acted, but how they were coloured, framed, everything).

There's something in my head about how writing was what drove a wedge between them when they were together, what Yeong tried to use to keep them together forever on the lantern (and instead what tore up the lantern), and what he used to remember Gyu-Ho when they were apart.

Something also about how Eun Su was so much better off not being married, I was so relieved when we found out the wedding had been called off, and how the pressure to hide how he was feeling about what was happening in his life was what made him feel closer to Yeong.

I was just so relieved when the T-aras fell through that door after Yeong tried celebrating quitting his job by himself and instead fell into a depression for six days. I have had friends do a similar wellness check for me and I will never forget how loved it made me feel when I thought I was unlovable. I'm just so glad Yeong had the T-aras in his life; and their presence in this section was complicated but deeply moving. I'm still working through everything I think about how they functioned in the series, but I am so, so grateful for them, and to this series as a whole.

I absolutely loved it.

[delzinrowe]

do you think megumi would be sentimental about love? as in first love, summer love, or just long lost love that will never happen again?

and how would he act? would he try to bury those feelings at the bottom of his heart? throw it out the window? distract himself?

idc what au, i want to know all your thoughts

🫐

Now listen, I think he definitely would be sentimental. In my mind he's feeling everything very intensely, at times it might even overwhelm him.

ALSO i'm so sorry this turned a bit longer and went into so many different directions. I hope I gave you at least something and didn't just leave you empty handed TT

Megumi doesn't like to show it, he doesn't like to get close to others, mainly because of his profession. At least that's what he tells himself. But let's take a little dive into his head.

His deadbeat father left when he was a child, his step sisters mother just up and went away. His only real healthy and strong relationship has always been his sister. Sure, Gojo cares, but the amount of time it took to let even Gojo in was immense. And then later on he basically loses his sister to a coma. He doesn't know how to really deal with relationships of any kind, he might even be a little unstable and has no real sense of self.

In my opinion he wouldn't know how to behave when he feels love for the first time. It would overcome him and possibly freak him out.

At first he might actually try to fight it, distract himself with training and missions as much as he could. He would practically beg Gojo to give him anything to do and would even consider doing some manager work for Ijichi at this point.

However, nothing works. His mind still travels to you way too many times, and eventually he just knows it's a force stronger than any sorcery. He catches himself thinking about you whenever something happens, wanting to tell you about it or just yearning for your presence and have you tell him about your entire day in full detail.

He sees you and a smile tugs at his lips, cracking the usually stoic facade. He wouldn't even notice it. You've taken his heart so quickly and effortlessly that he swears it has been yours all along.

There are times where he's alone, with nothing to do and he just stares out the window, at the sunset and how it paints the prettiest colours onto the sky and it reminds him of you. It brings so many small details about you into his mind and he ends up smiling while just reminiscing about you for god knows how long.

The moment he realises that he's actually so deep in love that there's no way out but through he shows his determination, even though there's still doubt in the back of his mind.

Mind you, he never courted anyone, his sole knowledge about romance comes from movies, and some ill advised comments from Gojo. Therefore he opts for a classical way. He would find you when you're not surrounded by others, with a flower in his hand and kind of awkwardly ask you if you want to go out. To which you say yes, of course.

It takes him a few moments to realise that you actually agreed and he cannot stop his lips from smiling, which makes him all the prettier in your mind.

There's a moment where you turn to the other side to hide your faint blush and his eyes fall to the scrunchie in your desk. Without even thinking about it he'd subtly snatch it and let it disappear in his pocket. This boy who usually thinks everything through and tries not to act irrational couldn't help himself, now he's glancing at your scrunchie whenever he misses you. But don't expect him to ever confess this to you, it's a secret he'll keep inside for far too long.

In the end Megumi embraces the love, he's sentimental about it, but not too open. He shows you how much you mean and how happy you make him, but in public he still mostly wears a stoic expression because it's no one else's business that you make his heart swell up three sizes or that just a smile from you makes him weak in the knees.

[variety-fangirl]

Can I request Marc Spector having a marking/spit kink? I feel like it totally captures his tough exterior but also his need for intimacy and closeness

Forever and Always Yours / Marc Spector x fem!reader

Summary: people abandoned him his whole life until he met you, you loved him endlessly despite his flaws. So any threat to that would cause Marc and the boys to become a little... jealous.

Warnings: 18+ NO MINORS SHOO mentions of Jake and Steven. Porn with some plot. Smut obvs 😏 (rough yet vulnerable sex, marking and spit kink, unprotected p in v, female receiving oral, hand job, mild choking, multiple orgasms, vulnerable and intimate behaviour,) lmk if I missed anything!

Author's note: of course my lovely, thank you so much for requesting 😁! I completely agree with you, our baby boy Marc has a very dominating side and yet craves/needs intimacy like his life depends on it. I'm so sorry it took me so long to do, I'm currently moving, finishing college, and trying to listen to my mental health in what I need so writing kind of got put on the back burner for a bit. Hope you love it tho! Thank you for reading, it really does mean the world. Liking, commenting, and reblogging really helps me out.

Word count: 2.8k

Your boys had always been a little... Jealous to say the least. Not that you had minded and it often ended up in my mind-blowing sex so you weren't really complaining but you sometimes wished they knew that they had nothing to worry about. That you were theirs through and through. You never had an issue with reminding any of them of that, which you knew they always appreciated, without even having to say anything. They would always be extremely vulnerable and intimate afterwards, keeping and holding you close with lots of affection on both parts. It was something you had grown to love honestly.

What you hadn't expected though, was for all three to become jealous of your new colleague at work, Justin. He was a super sweet guy, younger than you and on the slightly nerdier side. You had formed a wonderful friendship with him in only a few weeks, helping him to blossom and encouraging him to come out of his shell more. As a thank you, Justin would often buy you coffee and something sweet for breakfast every so often and offer to walk you home on the occasion. You had grown fond of the younger sweet boy, seeing him as a brother you wanted to protect. And you knew he didn't see you as anything more than a friend.

But that didn't stop your boyfriends from freaking out and acting jealous all the same. No matter how many times you had tried to ease their worries or assure them of the only innocent friendship between you and your colleague, they didn't seem to feel any less stressed about the situation. And you weren't exactly sure why. You knew the underlying feelings and traumas hiding beneath that they often refused to talk about, even Steven had been reluctant with information in the three years you'd been with them. You never pushed for further details though, only what they were willing to divulge on their own.

When you finished work this afternoon, it was like any other day. Justin offered to walk you home, his being on the way also, and left together with coffee in hand. The weather was beginning to get colder now, coats and scarves beginning to appear in people's attire. The leaves had begun to turn different colours, with peaks of orange, yellow, and brown forming. You hadn't thought it would be so cold so early, so you'd forgotten to bring a thicker coat or a scarf with you. You begin to shiver, wrapping your coat as tightly around your body and neck as possible but it didn't seem to quench the cold breeze that seemed to blow straight through you. You could feel goosebumps form on your skin. You were almost home luckily.

"You look freezing, come here." Justin fussed, pulling you into his side with an arm wrapped around your shoulder. You smile up at him, "Thank you." He nods with a smile, continuing to chat mindlessly about how his latest date had gone, a friend you had set him up with. You smiled fondly, happy that the pair were getting on great, they seemed well-matched. Ten minutes later and you'd finally reached home, the cold had begun to worsen. "Thank you, Justin, I'll see you Monday yeah? Enjoy your date Saturday!" you call with a smile, waving goodbye as he walked to his own home. "See you Monday, thank you!" he called happily. You watched for a moment to ensure he was okay before making your way inside.

You couldn't wait to eat, you hadn't eaten anything in four hours and had been busy so you were starving. It was Marc's turn to cook tonight, he always had something new up his sleeve, he enjoyed cooking. He and Jake were much alike in that sense, not that poor Steven didn't try love him. Once you finally reached your floor, you unlock the door and unload your belongings in their rightful places, grateful to get your shoes off after being stood on them all day. It was 6 PM on the dot when you looked at the clock and your boyfriend was standing by the window of the living room, looking down at the scenery beneath you.

You smile and walk over, wrapping your arms around his surprisingly tense back after setting your coffee down on the living room table. You frown, wondering if something had happened, "hey baby." You whisper loud enough for him to hear, stroking the clothed skin of his back and sides. "That Justin that walked you?" Marc wondered, not making any move to reciprocate affection or turn to face you. You frown into his back, "Yes it was, why?" you question, sensing something wasn't right in his behaviour. Marc ignored your question as he turned around to finally face you, a look of something unreadable on his face.

His reply came with more annoyance and hostility than when he usually mentioned Justin, "I saw him with his arm wrapped around you, all smiles and holding you close." You sigh, pulling him closer with a small smile as you shake your head, "I was cold and didn't dress for the weather, that's all it was, nothing more baby." Grabbing the back of Marc's neck, you pull him down to connect your lips, tangling your fingers in his dark locks. You squeal into Marc's lips as he pushes you against the wall closest to you both, his hand going around your neck but not constricting your breathing. "You're mine, only mine," Marc growls with intent, tightening his grip on your neck just slightly.

You knew you shouldn't find this such a turn-on, this raw jealous possessiveness over you but damn you just couldn't help it when you felt your desire pool in your underwear, an involuntary moan escaping. Marc grabs your legs and lifts you, your body immediately tangling with his, wanting to be as close as possible. With tongues still exploring one another's mouths and hands pulling to remove each other's clothes, Marc carries you to the bedroom. Your back hits the soft mattress, and your boyfriend immediately climbs on top of you, not wanting to be away from you.

Marc pulls his shirt off, gracing your eyes with his beautifully scarred chest and back, you bite your lip as you touch his skin. You wanted him to know just how much you loved him and wanted no other, "god how did I get so lucky?" you whisper, pulling him down to kiss you once more. You often wondered what you did to deserve three amazing men in your life, gifting you with each of their amazing personalities and qualities that you adored. Your hands explore his skin with freedom as you grind against his crotch, feeling how hard he already was. Marc groaned into your mouth, his hips moving as needily as yours.

Marc pulls back enough to remove your shirt, throwing it on the floor with his. He groans as he sees you hadn't worn a bra today, his hands groping your breasts. You gasp as his fingers brush and play with your nipples, his eyes staring in wonder as they harden at the exposure of multiple sensations at once. Marc's lips attach to your left nipple, licking a stripe up the little nub before sucking gently. You throw your head back with an open mouth as electric jolts of pleasure pulse down to your core, ruining your underwear further. Marc's lips travel up your nipple to the soft flesh of your breast where he bites and sucks, the mix of pleasure from his fingers playing with your right nipple and the pain of his assault on your left breast was delicious. After a few moments, he works his way over to the other breast to repeat the process to mark the other.

As his lips kiss their way down your body to your waist, his fingers make quick work of removing your jeans and underwear. He pulls your remaining clothing down your legs, moving backwards down the bed at the same time to get off. You watch with your bottom lip between your teeth as he discards his remaining clothing on the floor with yours. You smile as he returns on top of you, his face moving to connect with your core. Marc's tongue licked a stripe up your lips before working its way between to give your clit some attention. You cry out, finally feeling some relief of your swollen clit. Marc licked in upwards motions and sucked gently at the little nub, luckily not teasing you any further. His tongue stimulated your clit just the way you liked, each jolt of intense pleasure building the growing knot in your stomach.

"You like that baby?" Marc questions without moving his mouth away from your vagina. You nod frantically, "So good Marc." you knew each of your boys enjoyed hearing their name during sex, it made them individually feel acknowledged and special. Marc groans into your core at the mention of your nap, kitten licking you in between praises. "Look at me, who's making you feel this good?" he demanded softly, looking up at you, but not letting up on the stimulation of your clit. You lift your head to look down at him, almost coming at the sight of his dishevelled hair and swollen pink lips between your legs. You knew Marc and your other boys were possibly feeling a little insecure and jealous about the Justin thing so you wanted to squash any qualms they may have had about it. You moan, "You Marc. Only you, Steven, and Jake can ever make me feel this good and more. No one else."

He seems satisfied with your answer, his eyes flicking to the mirror in the corner of the room behind you, before turning to look back at you. "That's our girl." He dives back in but adds a finger into the mix, making you cry out instantly. The sounds of your juices filled the room obscenely, you were so wet that Marc could add a second finger quickly. It wasn't long before you could feel your orgasm approaching, the intense pleasure building at a rapid pace. "That's it, baby. Come for me." Marc groaned, pumping his fingers inside of you a little faster. You couldn't breathe properly as you approached your high, your body squirming to feel release. You scream loudly as you finally come crashing down, Marc working you through your high. He laps up everything you give him, not leaving one drop to go to waste before crawling up to kiss you.

You can taste yourself on his lips as his tongue invades your mouth, making you moan. You allow your hand to wander down Marc's body, working between his clothing and skin and grabbing his cock. He groans into your mouth as your hand wraps around his cock and slowly begin pumping him, quickly working him into a breathless mess above you. "I love you so much, Marc. You're my everything." You whisper breathily, knowing he needed to hear those words from you to feel reassured. But not just for him, for Steven and Jake also, because you knew they were watching and listening intently right now. Marc presses his forehead against yours at your words, a smile forming on his face and a feral lust-filled look peering back at you.

Marc crashes his lips against yours feverishly, his hands exploring your body wildly but with intent. You rush to remove his remaining clothing, needing to feel his bare body on yours, skin on skin. You hear the soft thump of Marc's clothes hitting the floor alongside your own, allowing you to touch him fully now. Marc wastes no time removing your hand from his cock and lining himself up with your dripping awaiting hole, entering you with no issue, pain, or resistance. Having already prepped you beforehand perfectly. You both gasp as Marc enters you completely, his hips flush with your own. "Fuck baby, you're so tight and wet. Feel so good. Can I move?" He asks breathlessly as he stares directly into your eyes with the most amazing lustful yet loving look you had ever seen.

While biting your lip and staring back, you nod eagerly, wanting nothing more than for him to claim you in all ways he wanted to. He sets a slow pace to begin with, just to help you get used to it before he wrecked you, the ever-considerate boyfriend. It was passionate and mind-numbing, the way his cock slowly yet roughly dragged against your walls, his pelvic area rubbing directly on your clit and stimulating you perfectly. The feeling of Marc's hand gripping your face has you bringing your head back so you can look at him properly, that familiarly dark yet seductive look staring back at you. "Open up for me sweetheart," Marc instructed huskily, already knowing you understood and recognised what he was asking of you.

You open your mouth wide with your tongue sticking out, trying your best not to close your eyes as he continues to slowly fuck you. "Such a good girl for me, that's it, baby." Marc slowly and gently spits into your mouth, savouring the moment that does not happen often, only when he feels particularly possessive over you. "Swallow." You do as you are told, swallowing his saliva and sticking your tongue back out to show you had. The hand on your face moves up to your mouth and inserts two fingers into your mouth, "suck." He instructs, staring intensely as you wrap your lips around his fingers and begin sucking and licking. You moan loudly as Marc removes his fingers and replaces them on your clit instead, stimulating you as he fucked you.

"Oh fuck Marc!" You gasp, feeling the knot beginning to tighten in your stomach. The constant stimulation from his skin on your clit had already had you pushing to the limit, but his fingers were getting you off faster. "Come for me, baby." He groaned as he sped up both his movements, increasing your breathing tremendously. As quickly as it built, it released, your high hitting you like a train for the second time tonight. You scream in delight as Marc worked you through your high once again, now you were exhausted. Marc gives you a few minutes to recover, spending the time showering you with affection.

Marc takes this time to kiss your lips until they are red and swollen, and even then he did not let up. He littered your neck and shoulders with more marks, claiming your skin once more as his own. As if he were an artist painting his blank canvas with signature markings that told it was his work. Painting your skin in purple, red, and black bruises. When Marc asked if it was okay for him to continue and you agreed, he fucked you into a moaning mess. Each thrust was meticulous and targetted, aiming to provide you with as much pleasure as possible.

Marc's groaning sweaty figure above you was something to be marvelled at, he was truly insatiable and the definition of beauty. You felt utterly grateful and lucky that you were the one that got to call him, Steven, and Jake yours. With each thrust, yours and Marc's moans got louder, both becoming more and more needy for the other. As Marc tucked his head into the crook of your neck, you wrapped your arms around his back, nails digging into his beautifully scarred skin, and wrap your legs around his waist, pulling him close. You could feel that Marc was close by the way his thrusts got sloppy and slightly stiff.

Marc feels your walls tighten around his cock, "with me." Marc groans, placing his forehead against your own, breathing one another's air. You scream as the knot releases, exploding into multiple surges of pleasured fireworks that runs through your whole body. Marc groans loudly as he also finishes, his come painting the inside of your walls as he fucks you both through your highs. Marc collapses on top of you once you're both done, panting loudly. You lay with your eyes closed, trying to catch your breath as your nails gently scratch Marc's bare back. His own fingers playing and tracing patterns on your own skin, often digging in a little now and again. You knew in times like this he just needed to be held and loved until he was ready to move or say something.

"I'm yours, forever and always. Nothing can change that." You whisper into his hair, one hand tangling gently into his damp curly locks and your lips placing a soft prolonged kiss onto the side of his forehead. Marc's arms tightened ever so slightly around your body and digs his head further into your neck, "thank you." He whispers into your sweaty skin, lips attaching to your neck regardless.

[scekrex]

So here I'm after telling you that I need to cry over the next part of "A bloody nose and two bleeding hearts" I was thinking about it for a moment and it took me there...

Adam took the reader back to heaven yay. But not everything is so dandy, the Reader has fallen, even if he's back, he's fallen angel. With that comes everything that a fallen angel would feel...cut connection with Father, that strange feeling of being alone, cast aside, not wanted. If the reader had wings there are phantom pains, I'm imagining that the wings would somehow change, maybe colour, or maybe he would lose feathers in a few places, unfortunately it's not two or three feathers... Now the Reader is thinking about what Adam has told him and he can't help but wonder if that was a lie, because how could someone want him after the fall? Adam on the other side doesn't know what to really do with the reader... He sees that the reader is getting more and more depressed with each day, but it has been a long time since he had comforted someone depressed(I imagine it would be Cain after killing Abel, but that's just my little headcanon, that Cain after killing his brother and coming back to his senses would get so depressed). Even so he tries to take care of the reader, by not letting Sera close again or something like that. It does help a bit, but the reader now needs all love Adam could give him, to see and feel that what Adam has told him was real, that he was wanted by someone even if he fell.

So yes, that's all I think...and even if not it doesn't matter, I'll love it anyway

Omg I love this soooo much - depressed reader is something I find so much comfort in

Part 1

For what we have done we will pay our price

pairing: Adam x male!reader

warnings: language, hurt - with comfort

note: not beta read bc fuck you

Heaven felt different, now that you were back. It felt so cold, so lonely, all the warmth it had once provided was gone, you were no longer able to feel the heavenly connection to it you once had. Its colors had once been bright and welcoming to your eyes but after your fall they simply didn’t look the same to you, they looked grayish, boring and just as cold as they felt. The great and loving connection you used to have to Father was not present anymore, you were not able to feel him guiding you, protecting you anymore and you were only to assume that he wasn’t feeling your bright spirit in return. Because your spirit seemed to be so many things and all of them were ugly, ugly just like your appearance had become once your feet had touched hellish ground.

Your wings simply weren’t the same anymore, just like everything else and while you were somewhat thankful that you weren’t surrounded by sinners, you weren’t quite sure if being surrounded by judgemental angels was any better. They stared at you, at your wings and really, you couldn’t even blame them because if you were in their position you would’ve stared and judged as well. But it really didn’t help with your situation. Your wings, once a beautiful bright white with a light blue touch to the tips of your feathers had turned gray, not only had they changed to look less pure and more tainted, you had also started to lose feathers. That had started once Adam had brought you back to heaven and you only assumed it was their way of punishing you for disobeying the law. In the end it really didn’t matter why it happened, what was more important was that it happened and it made your wings look rotten, which only caused your appearance in general to look even messier.

Because ever since Adam had brought you back to heaven you had been crashing at his place, they had sold your place within a couple of hours and while that had been painful due to the loss of very personal items, it wasn’t the end of the world. Everything else seemed like it though. The energy to leave the bed every day was barely existent and you asked yourself how Adam did it, how he managed to get up every day, how he managed to just go about his day and not give a fuck about heaven’s questionable decisions.

You were lying in the first man’s bed, your body was covered by your own wings and a soft blanket - the blanket was necessary because of the giant bald areas on your wings, without it you would’ve caught a cold, a thing Adam tried to prevent. Your relationship towards Adam had changed in general, there was no more playful teasing, that had been replaced by soft touches and warm cuddles every now and then, but was it enough to keep you sane and intact? You weren’t sure. On the other hand you weren’t truly sure of anything, not when Adam’s soft words felt like lies. Why would the brunette care for you in the ways he claimed to care for you and like you? What reason have you ever given him to think of you as someone to adore and love?

The first man entered the room, something you were only able to hear, your eyes were covered by three feathers that were still left on the edge of your wing, three lonely feathers that reminded you of what you’ve once been and how drastically that had changed. “Are you dead?” the first man asked jokingly, but to you his question wasn’t funny. Because to you death seemed like a less painful and energy draining thing, like a thing more beautiful than the miserable afterlife you were stuck in. And it wasn’t Adam’s fault, yes he had been teasing you, yes he had been pushing your buttons but you had been the one to punch him so really it was your fault for losing control. And yet he not only brought you back to heaven but also let you crash at his place. Probably the nicest thing Adam had done since Eden.

“I wish,” you mumbled against the dry skin of your almost featherless wing, the sensitive body part twitched and you sighed as you removed it from your body and simply cuddled up in the blanket instead. You were able to remember how your wings used to feel, how the connection to Father used to feel and what heaven used to look like and you were quite sure that the blanket was not making up for your once so soft wings - far from it actually. You heard clicking sounds, Adam must have put something down. And just as you were about to turn around to look at what he was doing the mattress dipped next to you and you felt the blanket being lifted up a little. The next thing you recognized were strong arms that wrapped around your body and pulled you flush against Adam’s chest. It was more of a reflex to tug your wings in during cuddles. And then you felt it. Soft feathers were brushing against your bare torso, they slid over your sweaty skin so smoothly.

Adam had wrapped his wings around you.

“Don’t fucking say that,” his voice sounded so unusual soft, so warm and comforting, there was no sarcastic comments, no harsh shoves, he was not trying to push your buttons either. He simply laid there, right next to you and tried his best to bring back the familiar feeling of heaven. You felt his feathers gently stroking your back in slow motions, up, then down, then up, then down. You got lost in the rhythm of it, so lost in fact that you forgot to respond to Adam. But was it important to respond to the brunette in the first place? You had only been honest and you were quite sure that everything else you had to say the first man wouldn’t like at all. And while his words were cheap - they had been and maybe they always will be - his actions weren't. Because instead of thinking of you as something disgusting he held you in his arms like the biggest treasure he had ever been allowed to touch. He looked at you with such loving eyes, touched you with gentle hands and cozy wings, kissed you with soft lips and passion you never expected from a person like him.

And maybe - just maybe - rotting away in heaven wasn’t all that bad. At least not with Adam by your side.

[kekaki-cupcakes]

hello, are you still doing requests?

if so, could i have some sibling headcanons of nico with a hades kiddo that's really peppy and into colorful things and people find it hard to believe they're siblings at first because their personalities are polar opposites of each other?

thankyou!

Heya, I'm still doing requests but I have so many so it might take a while to get an answer, feel free to request something else though! This kind of went off track but oh well <3

Don't take it to heart---Nico/opposite aesthetics sibling!reader

»»————-　★　————-««

-The minute you skipped up to the porch of the Hades Cabin with your stripey rainbow leg warmers and a tote bag with a stupid pun about a show with something called ‘carebears’, Nico winced.

-He’d need sunglasses if he had to keep looking at you, but he didn’t really want to borrow the big yellow star ones on the end of your nose, so maybe that was a bad idea. Your first interaction went a bit like this:

You: “Heya, you're the emo kid, right? I’m new! So, where’s our cabin?” 

Nico: “Uh… you're supposed to go that way.”

You: “No, that’s the Iris cabin, at least that’s what Chiron said. I’m your new sibling, by the way. Chiron said we have one in Rome too! 

Nico: I- well, yes, I- we do.

You: Are they as grumpy looking as you?

-Needless to say you got off to a great start. Nico proceeded to dump your bags on one of the beds, which has a zebra print doona matching one of your headbands, and then left immediately. You shrugged it off, obviously, and started stacking your things on the coffin shaped bookshelves. You ignored the candle that was supposed to smell like ‘the souls of the damned’, and put your own flowery one next to it. 

-You found out you loved arts and crafts, where you made friendship bracelets with Lacy, as well as pegasi riding. You saw Nico once, and he waved awkwardly, but went back to the small child he was glaring at quickly. You quickly became attached to a creamy coloured mare called macaroni as well, but Butch wouldn’t let her sleep in your cabin. He did take a friendship bracelet, though. And he let you weave daisy chains into macaroni’s mane and tail, so you liked him. 

-You had brought a musty old record player with you after finding out that there was no wifi, but you had to pause ‘Washing Machine Heart’ [by Mitski, of course] when Nico came trudging into the now bright cabin. You’d opened all the curtains and taken the spiders that fell from them outside, dumping them in the bushes behind the Athena cabin. 

-Nico stared at the squishmellows on your bed and then the dreamcatcher by one of the windows, and the row of brightly coloured converse with striped laces lined up by his three different pairs of black Doc Martens. 

-He shrugged his jacket off and went straight into the bathroom, leaving a little trail of muddy footsteps along the heart shaped rug you’d put down.

-He was just adjusting to a roommate, you told yourself. It wasn’t anything to do with you personally. You hadn’t done anything wrong, maybe you should just give him a bit of space. That was a good idea. Leave him alone for a bit until he was used to you, and don’t take it to heart. 

»»————-　★　————-««

-You took it to heart.

»»————-　★　————-««

-Months had passed, and you were thankful for the Ipad Piper [she was so nice, and she let you borrow her Olivia Rodrigo records] lent you so you could facetime the family and friends you had left behind occasionally. They had seemed to adjust to you not being there anymore, now that you knew you were a child of Hades, the outside world was too dangerous to risk. You tried not to take that to heart either.

-Macaroni was getting used to the beaded bridle you’d made her, but you were still training her to get used to flying around while you used your new weapons.

-Nyssa had helped you make them, able to actually craft a design after glancing at you scribbled drawing with glitter gel pens that you really had worked hard on. Now you had a sparkly belt with three attachments, that you could click in your spray cans too. The cans were filled with different coloured paint, only the base liquid was melted down celestial bronze flakes, so when you fought a monster, which you were still learning to do, it would seep into their eyes and turn them blind, or crack through their skin and dissolve them. You loved the spray cans.

-Drew had warmed up to you as well, and you were even invited to Barbie premier night in Cabin ten. You got to wear your sparkly leg warmers and the cropped leather jacket in a light shade of pink.

-You were making your way to the arts and crafts center with a box of clay and little paint brushes in your arms to run the pottery class [you’d been elected as head of arts and crafts pretty quickly, shared with Elsa, one of the Athena kids who specialize in weaving and sewed the cutest pajama pants] when you bumped into Nico.

-Literally. 

-The box may have been a few heads taller than you, so it wasn’t really your fault, but Nico still snapped at you. 

-You gathered up the little tubs of paint from the grass and apologized quickly, your chest tight with anxiety. You hurried away after that, ignoring your brother as he tried to explain he hadn’t realized it was you when he hissed curse words Drew had started teaching Harley and Lacy. 

-The class went well, the scrunchies Elsa was making her girlfriend for her birthday went along well, and a few more kids than usual showed up, taking lumps of clay from the tray and working it into figures on their tables. You were making beads that you’d string onto a bracelet for Nyssa, because she always broke the plastic ones with hammers and drills accidentally.

-You thought back to your interaction with Nico and regretted it dearly. Maybe if you’d just heard him out or even apologized and blamed yourself, he might’ve come to your class to see your works, or sat with you at dinner, or even just waved from across the infirmary when you went to get panadol for your headaches. 

-You knew you got them from straining your eyes to read and draw in the dim cabin, but whenever you opened the curtains or switched on your blue lamp with a cloudy pattern that you hadn’t got to use yet, Nico cleared out completely. 

-It wasn’t your fault, you reminded yourself, you were just… too different.

-People started filing out after putting their creations to the side, you complimented each of their idea’s even though you felt like getting some Ben and Jerry’s from the camp shop and curling up in bed to watch ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ again. 

-The beads for Nyssa were nearly done, so you went to find a container to pop them in.

-When you got back, they had been ground into the bench until the delicate tracing of different things Nyssa likes were just shapeless brown blobs. An Ares kid, Grey, was standing with their arms crossed and a smirk on their face, which was mostly obscured by a nose that had been broken too many times.

-You stared down at the squashed clay and felt your eyes prickle with tears.

-Grey jeered at you, calling you things you’d rather not hear again, because they only made the tears fall. You rubbed your nose and smoothed the front of your tye-dyed camp shirt flat. Grey called after you, something about being a ‘rainbow prissy’. You stumbled out of the center.

-Nico wasn’t in your cabin when you slammed the door behind you, thankfully, and you hopped into bed, kicking your yellow converse off and pulling the doona over your head so you didn’t have to look at the skull filled walls around you.

-It was so dark, it was so dark and shadowy and there were bones you were too scared to ask about their origins lining the mirror in the bathroom you kept seeing things behind you in. Your crocheted blanket that used to sit across the black doona cover had been folded up a while ago and placed back in your suitcase, along with a few of the more multicolored posters and the fruity scented candles that seemed to annoy your half brother. 

-You rubbed your eyes with your sleeves and held your hand over your mouth so Nico wouldn’t hear crying when he would eventually come back a few hours later, late enough that you could pretend to be asleep. 

»»————-　★　————-««

-The infirmary was busy with bleeding and laughing demigods when you wandered in looking for some panadol. Your headache was making it hard to think straight, but whenever you cried too much you got one, so you knew what to do by now. 

-Will waved from over from where he was pulling a ruler, a stapler, and a glue stick out of the stomach of an Iris kid who was giggling the entire time, coughing up glitter. He grimaced when a chunk of glue hit his face. You waved back and turned the corner, heading to the rooms at the back where Austin would be. He usually had the panadol. 

-Someone groaned in the corner, and you spotted Grey. 

-They looked like a soggy bag of a human, their mauled nose the only definable shape. You couldn’t pull your eyes away from the grotesque demigod blob.

-Austin shuffled up behind you with a grimace, passing over a few pills and a glass of water without looking away. You gulped them down quickly as Grey let out another moan and rolled a bit on their hospital bed. Austin told you that he’d been spotted on the floor of the Arts and crafts center. 

-Apparently, every few minutes one of his bones would disappear.

-It was only a few fingers at the start, then most of his ribs couldn’t be found and there was something wrong with his mouth, which Austin found out meant his jaw had decided to not be there. 

-A screechy sound came from the front of the infirmary, and you both looked to the door, which Clarrise was dragging Nico through, holding him up by the back of his jacket. He pummeled at the chunky daughter of Ares, but couldn’t get out of her grip. Clarrise glared around at the staring demigods and snarled, “why is this little shit de-boning Grey?”

-You didn’t know who yelled ‘that’s what she said’ from across the room.

-”Because they deserve it.” Nico hissed a bit like a cat, glaring up at Clarisse with narrowed brown eyes underneath his floppy hair.  

-Will ran up to the pair, brushing glitter off his gloved hands onto his scrubs instead. He folded his arms and stared Clarrise down until she finally let go of Nico, who dropped to the ground and then sprung back up, wrinkling his nose at the daughter of Ares, who just stuck her tongue back out at him. 

-Will pinched his nose, “Clarisse, more people come in here because of you then Nico, so you don’t get to talk. Nico, just fix them, they’re too annoying to be kept in here.”

-”But people deserved to be punched by me,” Clarrise argued with a scoff.

-”And Grey deserves to lose their bones!” Nico shot back, glaring up at Clarisse and balling his fists, “they stepped on my siblings clay stuff!”

»»————-　★　————-««

-You yawned and stretched your arms out above your head, then blinked up at the roof with bleary eyes. The skulls were gone, now it was just black concrete. You rolled over a moment later and stuffed your head back into your pillow, pulling your crocheted blanket back over your head.

-There was a ‘shing’ sound as curtains were yanked open, and you just sunk further into your comfy bed, ignoring the bright beams of early morning sunshine that streamed in and lit up the dark cabin. It made the rainbow rug in the center of the cabin even brighter, and you groaned loudly in protest. “Whaddaya even doing up so early? Go back to bed you vampire!”

-”It’s only six am?”

-”You’re more of a psychopath then I thought before,” you muttered, but made sure you were loud enough that your brother could hear you as he padded round the cabin getting changed and ready for his much too early start to the day. 

-Nico huffed and the bathroom door shut as he completely ignored the hairbrush you’d given him to passive aggressively deal with his scruffy black hair. “Leo forgot the code to the safe in the big house that he changed when he was hiding those icey poles from Piper.”

-”And how are you supposed to help him remember?”

-Nico’s boots were loud on the floorboards as he trotted over. He kissed you on the forehead gently, “oh I’m not, I’m gonna go watch him suffer the consequences with Jason.”

»»————-　★　————-««

[iaure]

𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁; 𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗱

｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟthe dearest collection - part one/beloved 𓆩♡𓆪 part two/prized 𓆩♡𓆪 part three/devoted 𓆩♡𓆪 part four/desperate 𓆩♡𓆪 part five/blind 𓆩♡𓆪 part six/watcher 𓆩♡𓆪 part seven/ardor 𓆩♡𓆪 part eight/fervor this is very heavily inspired by @//clusterfuck-yandere's yandere leon headcanons; please check out their works. this is something of a love letter to their puppy obsession series.

yandere leon s. kennedy headcanons; reader is a survivor of raccoon city. tw: general yandere behaviour, stalking, harassment, ptsd, mentions of panic attacks, entrapment

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ wait a week, muerte...a week off...but i am apparently incapable of that. i'm certainly not complaining. these next two chapters are going to be much shorter, as there's more plot as well as giving your coworker a name, but leon's perspective is coming next!! i've also been getting into welcome home arg; it looks very fun!!

things had been dying down.

♡ your life had been smoothing itself out after that night with Leon, and he'd been taking it upon himself to walk you home when you close.

♡ you've been more relaxed, especially if he stays the night. he doesn't sleep in your bed, sure, but it's nice just having him around.

♡ the eyes on you seemed to have gone away, and things in your house stopped moving.

♡ or, at least, you wanted to tell yourself that.

♡ but some pieces are clicking, forming one horrible, ugly puzzle.

♡ you figured Leon had always been a bit focus on you. that much was obvious.

♡ but you began actually seeing how he treats you.

♡ he's clingy, dedicated; it's almost like worship.

♡ his eyes are always on you, no matter what.

♡ if you weren't in his line of sight, he'd evidently freak, or at least be upset-the bed incident was a great example.

♡ he knew everything about you, but you knew next to nothing about him.

♡ his birthday? his favourite colour? family? nothing.

♡ all you knew was his name, and that he survived raccoon city, which you weren't even sure of at this point.

♡ how much of what he said was a lie to get close to you?

♡ and his name! it took you far, far longer than you would've liked to put together what K meant - K for Kennedy.

and it broke your heart.

♡ because Leon was just so sweet.

♡ he was so caring to you, carrying groceries and hanging out with you and at one point even attempting to cook you dinner, which ended up burnt beyond belief.

♡ you didn't want to accept the idea that it was him doing all of this.

♡ but everything only made sense if it was him.

♡ maybe he used to sneak into your house, but your superintendent changed your locks and you'd been inviting him into your apartment.

♡ maybe he'd been satisfied from that.

♡ either way, you weren't sure how to handle it.

♡ lately, you've been trying to avoid him.

♡ you haven't been able to make him not walk you home, not yet, but for different shifts you've had some peace.

♡ he hasn't been watching you the way he did before-not lately.

♡ but he has been mopey.

♡ about half of the time, if he tries coming into your work, you hide in the back.

♡ your coworker, bless her, always covered for you.

♡ if Leon asked where you were, she'd respond that you were were working in the back, smooth as butter.

♡ Leon would mope, and ask to see you, but your coworker would make up a smooth lie. your favourite had been that your boss had gotten upset with how distracted Leon had been making you, so you'd been placed in the back to be more 'efficient'.

♡ Leon would leave with his tail between his legs.

♡ speaking of your coworker, you'd be confiding in her more!

♡ her name was Selia, and she was a sorely needed ally.

♡ she was much taller than you, and younger by about a year; but she acted mature, and had a sharp tongue and quick wit, so working with her was always pleasant.

♡ she was the only other employee at the bakery aside from the owner, and she often was in charge of the baking itself.

♡ you confessed to her about your suspicions with Leon, and she took it upon herself to try and help you.

♡ she acted as though he'd committed something far more vicious, accusing him of capital crimes.

♡ and as much as the situation sucked, it made you laugh.

♡ you knew Leon was picking up on it, too.

♡ he'd been more irritable to Selia and other people that hung around you, and far more clingy to you specifically.

♡ he never got mad, but you hated to think just what his version of mad would look like.

slowly, you began replacing Leon with Selia.

♡ it was Selia walking you home, Selia was your pizza buddy, Selia stayed up with you on the phone when you were having a panic attack; Selia was your friend.

♡ there were a handful of times where Leon would go out of his way to catch you.

♡ he'd show up during another (surprisingly frequent) power outage, geared with his wonder bag and board games, only to discover that you had invited Selia instead.

♡ he'd come literally running down the block, trying to catch up to you during a closing shift

♡ but he'd stop dead in his tracks - literally skidding to a stop - a yard away from the door when he'd see Selia holding the lock for you so you could get your things together.

♡ and you knew it hurt him.

♡ but how else were you going to cut him and his creepy antics off unless it was cold turkey?

♡ but sometimes, through the backdoor, during those power outages, during those moments after closing, you'd catch his eye.

♡ and the look he gave was haunting.

♡ it's as though the soul was sucked out of him, every time.

the guilt was going to eat you whole.

♡ there was the off chance that it wasn't Leon - that it was some other creep doing this. that little chance that you were just putting him through emotional torture, for no reason.

♡ but who else could it possibly be?

♡ who else would fit the profile so well?

♡ and were you willing to take that chance? were you willing to bet that it wasn't Leon, only for him to do something drastic? like kidnap you?

♡ no, you thought not.

♡ after a week of your forcible separation, you thought Leon got the message.

♡ you didn't feel him on you anymore; he didn't show up to your shifts. he was...gone.

♡ you walked home alone for the first time in forever, and all was well.

♡ you eventually got to the point, after three or four days, that you assumed he simply gave up.

♡ he'd find some other person who was pretty and smart and just the fit for him, you were sure.

♡ you began walking home more and more, against Selia's advice. But you didn't listen.

♡ it was a warm spring evening that you got home, and off-beat, everything was fine.

♡ you set your bag down, hoping to simply change out of your work clothes and then melt into your couch.

♡ in the middle of you changing, though, you heard a weird noise.

♡ it was by your door; a weird sort of 'thunk'. you wondered if some dipshit kids outside had thrown something against it.

♡ you huffed.

♡ once you finished changing, you stepped out of your room, ready to call some parents.

♡ but your heart stopped cold.

♡ Leon was in your living room.

♡ immediately, you looked to your front door, but he'd apparently already thought of that.

♡ he had put his wonder bag in front of it, and you could see inside several, at least dozens, of weights-the fabric of the bag was fraying the seams, several weights spilling over onto the floor. it was something that Leon would have trouble with, let alone you.

♡ it took a second for you to look back at Leon.

♡ and he looked...good.

♡ he'd done his hair, dressed in nice clothes, and had a set of flowers on the coffee table. if the situation was so nauseating, then it'd be almost cute how nervous he looked.

♡ he rose, playing with his hands

"we need to talk."

𓂋

ʚ♡ɞ taglist

@theybotomy ⸜❤︎⸝‍ @kujosuke ⸜❤︎⸝‍  @je-suis-argent-miel ⸜❤︎⸝‍ @xxacademy

[horseshoegirl]

Damn Those Dog Tags - Part 16: In the Blood

📖I'm amused you guys voted on this one as the one that inspired DTDT. I wouldn't say this one was one of the big three, but it ended up becoming my inspiration for Jake's backstory.

Also, this was me after that last part: 🏃‍♀️<-🔱🔥

I'm so sorry I broke all of your hearts with part 15! They have a happy ending, I swear! We just have to get through the angst first... And Sadie... Oh dear... I cried writing this... so it's safe to say maybe bring tissues?

❗️+18, strong language, godmother reader/original female character, original child character, Shitty family dynamics, Angst, talk about break ups, talk about therapy, probably inaccurate dogfight descriptions (I tried my best!), Jake is going through it, Emotional & Protective Sadie (She needs her own warning), & Protective Bradley.

#6K words

Part 16 | Masterlist | Part 17

It had to be the shock.

The reason why there were gaps in your memory. You don’t remember climbing into the front seat of Rooster's Bronco. Or even putting on your seat belt or him pulling out of the parking lot.

He probably had to do it for you.

You had to remind yourself he was driving you home. That you just very publically broke up with Jake in the Hard Deck. Spit-roasted George with very colourful vernacular.

You'd have to explain to Penny why you were swearing in her bar again. But you had a more pressing predicament than wondering what might happen in the aftermath of that experience, which would presumptively have Hangman's callsign back on the sign in the bathroom.

Even with a broken heart, you felt like you were a child being allowed to sit in the front seat of a car. Under the scrutiny of an "I'm not mad, just disappointed" parent driving you home from school. White hot anxiety coursed through your veins with the assumption you did something so incredibly wrong; you just didn't know what.

Rooster was eerily silent. Next to the roar of his engine and AC fan, the silence was constructing. Suffocating. He should be gloating, listing off all the ways you ignored him, ignored the team that day on the soccer field. All the ways he was going to hurt Hangman the next time he saw him.

It was driving you insane.

"Are you going to gloat? Say, I told you so?" you finally huffed through your tears when it became too much. "Hangman did what he does best?"

"Not today, Liz."

Out of all the things you expected him to say, that was not one of them. It almost made it worse. Like you were genuinely expecting a verbal argument, and the fact you weren't getting one was making you pout like an actual child.

"I'm sorry for what happened," he offered eventually, after a pregnant pause. A horrible scraggly sound accompanied your hiccup.

"I should never have let Sadie invite him to Saturday nights."

"No, I'm sorry for what I said in your hallway," he countered. "For the way I acted."

Ironic, isn't it? The person you knew to be the most childish when expressing his emotions was sobering your petulant thoughts and behaviour. Even when your mind and obsessive internal dialogue went, why the fuck did he think now was a good time as any to apologize?!

You dropped your chin to your chest. "But you did," you huffed, hugging yourself against the sudden chill. “In front of Sadie, no less.”

Had you turned your head, you would have seen Bradley nodding absentmindedly, his eyes staring blankly at the road.

“It was uncalled for, Liz. The fact you felt you needed to hide it from me….” he trailed off. You sniffed, wiping at your cheeks, letting him gather his words. "I get it. Why you didn't. I wouldn't have taken the news differently even if you had told me. It might have been worse."

“Still, I should have told you,” you offered, shaking your head before staring out the window, watching the trees blur by. “Not that it matters now.”

Bradley gritted his teeth, hands flexing on the steering wheel. He wanted to mouth off. Not about you ignoring his warnings but all the ways Hangman was a complete and utter cock.

He couldn't. You didn't deserve that in the fragile state you were in. Fragile wouldn't even be in the vocabulary of words Bradley would ever use to describe you. Hangman had made you like this, played you and your feelings.

It was never going to be your fault. He had realized that after the fight. When he promised he'd be there for you and Sadie, he didn't know what that meant or what it looked like.

A punch to Jake's face? Hearing it after the fact? Not actually being there to witness it? Him rambling off all the things he hated about Hangman? Ultimately, Bradley could only offer a measly retort of, "He's an asshole."

You swallowed hard. You couldn't deny Bradley's remark.

Jake being an asshole at that moment was him being Hangman, a side you thought you'd never have to see. For him to so readily agree with George, there was no other way you couldn’t interpret those words as anything but him playing you, using you.

Had he not given you that condensing grin and spoken those words, you might have believed he was merely being triggered by the presence of his brother.

You should have been waiting for the other shoe to drop. You felt foolish, naive, and utterly lost. The grief of losing Ridley was and had always been a constant companion, but this felt different. It was the realization that you had let him in and allowed him to become a part of Sadie's life and yours. You had trusted him, and he had betrayed that trust in the cruellest way possible.

You just wanted to know why? Why he lashed out at you? Why did he act like he cared when he didn’t?

Why? Why? Why?

You’d never get an answer from him now. You wanted to stay away from him, ignore him, avoid every mention or instance of him and his fucking callsign. The wall was back up, and it would never come back down. Instead, fixing your eyes on his dashboard, with no judgment in your voice, you asked Bradley, “Why Roo? Why did you lash out like that?”

Bradley sighed once, tapping his thumb against his steering wheel.

“Loving any of us is a death sentence, Liz. One day you might wake up and find one of us is gone. Just like that.” He shuttered in a breath. “I think, in some twisted way, I wanted to spare you the pain of losing someone you were in love with that way.”

He tried to find the words to explain his next point delicately, but there was no other way he could say it to you without not getting his point across. “You don’t handle grief well, Liz. You barely found the strength to carry on had it not been for Sadie.”

You huffed, knowing deep down he was right but doing absolutely everything in your power to keep denying it. You weren’t doing this today. If not, ever.

Bradley heard you but continued anyway, leaving your reaction tucked away for later. “I didn’t want you to end up like my mom. Sadie to end up like me. Cause him? He always flew like he had nothing to lose; he would do something foolish sooner than later. You would be left to mourn him. For Sadie to mourn him. I didn’t want that for you.”

He paused, letting his words sink in. Yet, you blurted out suddenly, "You need to go to therapy, Roo."

Bradley laughed softly. You looked over at him, slightly worried he might be having a fit. But it was a genuine reaction. And despite everything, you caught a tiny smile tugging at the corners of your mouth.

You shouldn't be laughing. Not with the heavyweight still pressing down on your chest. Yet, sitting next to Rooster as he drove you home, his laughter was the only thing that seemed to be cutting through the heavy fog weighing over you.

Nothing could be done to suppress the laugh that bubbled up inside your chest. Bradley's grin widened, his laughter louder when he realized you were fighting your own. You couldn't help but join him. Whether the pain in your chest was from the laughter or the heartache, you couldn’t tell.

When the two of you finally managed to stop laughing, Bradley admitted with laboured breath. "I am, actually."

You turned to face him, utterly shocked. "Since when?!"

"Two days after." He doesn't need to be explicit. You know what he's referring to. "There's someone on base. I've only had one session so far, but it's making me realize I should have gone sooner."

You stared at him in disbelief.

If he had told you that, come to you while you were still working, or if he had called or even texted, you would have forgiven him instantly. You couldn't hold what he did to you against him after an admission like that.

"I'm proud of you, Bradley," you said, wiping your nose. "I really am."

He glanced over at you, a level of warmth in his eyes. “I needed to hit rock bottom and get a push by a few people. People who cared.”

His response was cryptic. It couldn't have been just you and Sadie, not after how you screamed at him or after Sadie kicked him out. Or even anyone on the Squad. It made you wonder who was his catalyst for the sudden change of thought. For now, you were just glad he was getting help.

You gave him a small smile, making Bradley reach over and grab your hand, squeezing it tightly. You gripped it back, but when he went to let go, you tightened your hand in panic.

"Just... Don't let go. Not yet."

Bradley didn't let go, driving one-handed the remainder of the journey back to your house. The two of you didn't say anything else. You sat silently even when he pulled into your driveway and turned off the ignition.

You didn't want to get out of his Bronco. You didn't want to walk into your house and see all the traces of Jake. You didn't want to gather his things in his bag. Leave them on the front porch, or change the spot for the emergency key.

But that was what happened when you went through a breakup, right? These were the things that needed to be done.

Bradley broke the extended silence, his voice deep and gentle when he asked, "What will you tell Sadie?"

Sadie.

You paused. You didn't really need to think about your answer. Just the weight of what it truly meant to say it out loud.

"The truth. As I've always done."

This was your worst fear about dating. The one that arose when you became Sadie's guardian. The one that so precariously dangled over your head when you told Jake you were a package deal. It wasn't the threat of betrayal, wasted time, or memories turning bittersweet.

As bad as that was at the Hard Deck, as broken and in pieces as your heart was, telling Sadie would be worse.

Jake broke your heart.

Now you had to break Sadie's too.

You glanced at Bradley, searching his eyes before asking him quietly, "Wanna come with me to pick her up from Penny's?"

Bradley smiled, nodding softly.

---

It was the eighth time the F-18s had flown this exercise this week. Coyote, Rooster, Hangman, and even Maverick, all had taken turns flying it with each other, in pairs, to navigate an imaginary narrow terrain.

Had Hangman been paying more attention, he would have questioned the sudden need to practice this particular exercise repeatedly and why it was just them, not Phoniex, Bob, Payback, and Fanboy. The first few times had been a simple flight test, learning the route, the twists, and the turns.

He was never more ruthless than in the cockpit, especially now. All that was child's play compared to some of the stuff he had done throughout his Naval carrier.

But today's addition? They wanted to see how they handled the pattern while dog fighting.

Rooster had decided to make it personal.

"Come on, Hangman!" Rooster taunted through the comms. "Is that all you've got?"

Hangman gritted his teeth, his hands gripping the controls, knuckles white. He was pushing his jet to the limit, narrowly avoiding Rooster's ‘fire’ as the alarm from the targeting system filled his cockpit.

The turn in the valley afforded Hangman the opportunity for some leeway to move out of the way. Barely.

"Come on! You're flying like a rookie today!" Rooster taunted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Thinking about what you did to Liz?"

Hangman's jaw tightened, and he forced himself to focus on the controls. "This isn't the time, Rooster," he snapped, but the cocky twang had lost its touch.

Rooster just laughed, a harsh, bitter sound. "Oh, I think it's the perfect time. You need a reminder of what a colossal fuck-up you were."

"I know what I did," Hangman growled, banking hard to the right to avoid Rooster's aggressive maneuvers. The asshole was gaining on him, even with how carefree he seemed to be with his taunts.

"Still thinking about Liz?" Rooster's voice was a sneer, crackling through his headset, and Hangman could hear the satisfaction. "Maybe that's why you're losing."

"Focus on the fight," Hangman snapped, anger boiling in his chest.

"Oh, I am," Rooster replied, his voice crackling through the headset and dripping with contempt.

The mountainsides and the green of the trees were a blur as Hangman and Rooster approached the end of the valley. Hangman could hear his heartbeat against the sound of his own breath in his oxygen mask.

Rooster didn't need to say the obvious aloud. Hangman was thinking about you. He couldn't shake the image of your face from that night.

Broken. Sad. Devastated.

He wanted to close his eyes, get lost in the moments when he would awake in your bed, finding you next to him. In your touch. In your voice.

When he hadn't fucked it up.

But he couldn't.

He rolled the F-18 over once he was clear of the mountains and the flight pattern, finally able to use open space to retaliate and flip around. There was only a few seconds left in their time limit.

If Rooster wanted a dogfight, he'd given him a dogfight while he still could.

"Where are you? Where are you?" he drawled aloud. He kept his eyes on the sky, searching for any indication Rooster was nearby as the seconds ticked away. But he was nowhere to be found.

"Time!"

Hangman didn't trust Rooster would listen to Maverick's call. He'd even go as far as to admit the man was almost like him, dead set on proving a point when it mattered. At least Hangman could demonstrate some restraint.

Sure enough, Rooster's voice echoed as his plane came into view. Swinging up and hanging upset down from directly under him.

Inverted.

"Forget to look below?"

Hangman finally had enough.

"Want me to take one out of your book?!" he yelled, staring up through the glass, never once taking his eyes off Rooster as he jolted the stick to the side, rotating the plane over in time with Roosters.

Into a damn spiral dive. A fucking corkscrew.

Rooster grunted with the effort of withstanding the Gs on his body. Hangman was no different, bracing hard as he fought against the controls. Neither one listened to Mav shouting over the airway or the different tone alerts signalling information.

"You think this proves something?" Hangman's voice was cold and ruthless even though he gritted his teeth. "Break off now, and maybe you won't embarrass yourself."

"Embarrass myself?" Rooster spat back. "Like you did with Liz?"

His response was automatic, like reading a script he had long since memorized. "Life is hard, Rooster. It's cruel and unforgiving. You can either whine about it, or you can face it head-on. You think you're going to prove something, kid, by keeping me here?!"

"Watch me!" 

The world faded out. Nothing mattered but the two pilots, locking in that spin, seemingly staring each other down. 

Yet, Hangman was completely unaware he was running out of space. The Terrain! Terrain! Pull Up! Pull Up! was background noise on muffled ears, as were Maverick's increasing shouts for the pair to stop and break away. 

He was too caught up in everything to care. Rooster would have to break away first. He wouldn't give out.

He wouldn't let him win. 

But then a voice, soft and delicate despite the alarms, shouts and struggles of the Jet's engine broke through the haze.

Jake.

It was a blast of bright light like the sun suddenly blinded the corner of his eyes. For whatever spoke to him, it had been as close as he had ever been to hitting beyond the hard deck. He finally pulled up on the control stick, saving himself just in time and avoiding hitting Rooster. 

His breath was harsh, anger on the edge of boiling over as he levelled the jet. And when he finally returned to the correct altitude, Hangman ripped the oxygen mask from his face, fighting the urge to hit something, as Rooster's chuckles filled the air.

"Hangman! Rooster! Get back to base. Now!"

---

"Do the two of you want to get kicked out?! How could you be so stupid!?"

Nat's question was rhetorical. Hangman and Rooster were stupid. It was so deeply entrenched into their entire being she knew she was wasting her breath by even pointing it out.

A reminder didn't hurt, though.

She had her eyes set on Hangman, but Rooster wasn't very off, sliding his way over to the blonde pilot who had only just started his post-flight checks after getting his jet back into the hanger.

He was deadset on ignoring her, not once glancing her way as she stomped toward him.

“What will Liz say when she finds out how reckless the two of you were?!”

His reaction made her pause; his hands froze from where they were adjusting a valve. Had she turned away, she wouldn't have caught the grimace on his face - however slight or brief it made have been.

“Oh, you didn’t hear what he did?” Rooster called out, smirking from his perch, leaning against a nearby table and crossing his elbows. He may have promised not to gloat around you, but the squad was fair game.

"Liz even slapped him for it too."

Confusion, shock, and pure anger crossed her face in the three seconds she took to glare at Jake. Heat laced her voice as she asked, "What the fuck did you do?"

Liz would never, she thought, only if she had to.

Jake bowed his head, slamming the panel of the jet closed with a hard bang. He turned, gritting his jaw and standing straight, ignoring Nat’s heated question. Rooster chuckled from the side, uncrossing his arms to stride forward.

“Oh, he did exactly what we expected him to,” he filled the silence. “He hurt Liz and left her out to dry, saying she and Sadie were nothing but a bit of fun to pass the time. And when she confronted him about it, he went right for the kill, not concerned about who he would hurt in the process.”

The rest of the Squad was nearby when they heard Rooster’s words, awaiting the fall out of that aerial display. They gathered around the pair, faces twisting with disdain as a dangerous silence befell the room, each looking from Rooster to Jake, reflecting varying degrees of disbelief, shock and, more predominantly, anger.

Jake's eyes were dark, his face tight with suppressed emotion. For a moment, it looked like he might lash out, defend himself, try to explain. But he didn’t. No one would believe him anyway.

"Damn you, Hangman," Phoenix whispered, her voice breaking. "We trusted you."

The room seemed to deflate as the truth sank in. Bob, who had been silent until now, let out a long breath, his face pale. He couldn’t help but think of Sadie. She would be devastated.

“So did Liz,” Rooster smirked, clearly enjoying the discomfort he was causing Jake.

Jake's eyes narrowed, his voice cold and defensive. "You think you know everything, don't you, Rooster? You abandoned her when she needed you most. For what? To prove a point? Now you’re acting all righteous?”

Something hard flashed in Rooster’s eyes. “At least I owned up to my mistake and apologized. I never pretended to be something I wasn’t! I never fucked around with her heart!”

Jake let out a condescending laugh. “You think she came running to you because she trusts you? She couldn’t even tell you she was seeing me. What does that say about you? She doesn't trust you as much as you think.”

Rooster grinned. “If that were true, she wouldn’t have come to me in that aftermath. After all, she asked me to drive her home,” he said mockingly. “We even went together to break the news to Sadie.”

Jake clenched his fist at the mention of Sadie, charging forward to ready a punch to Bradley’s smug ass face. But Bradley didn’t move, still smiling as Jake stared him down last minute as the Dagger’s jumped to Bradley’s defence.

Jake’s guilt over you and Sadie wouldn’t let him follow through on that punch. Bradley was sure of it. Even with the rest of the daggers looming around, he knew Jake would still be seeking your approval, even if you would never give it to him again.

How disturbing would it be for him to know little less than three weeks ago, Bradley had been at the end of the team's disapproval as they backed Jake.

The tables had turned. Nobody would stand behind him after what he did to Liz now.

The two were locked in an intense stare-down, Jake more rattled than he let on and Bradley unnerving calm. It wasn’t until there was a slamming of a door echoing from somewhere in the hangar did the Squad suddenly walk away from the feuding pair, not wanting to be caught in the crosshairs, already on their phones to message Liz. the only one who had stayed was Nat, wondering how she could have ever thought Hangman was capable of change.

“Rooster! Hangman! My office!” Maverick's voice boomed from somewhere within the empty hanger.

When neither moved or peeled their eyes away from the other, Mav’s voice rang out again, this time enough to rattle off the hollow steel walls, making Nat jolt from the force of it.

“Now!”

---

As a team, the Daggers celebrated everything. Maverick labelled it moral support and team-building. Jake realized long ago it was just his way of getting all the pilots out of the hangers to experience life. Not that he ever complained.

After the lashing he got earlier, it was surprising that he and Rooster were still invited. It was clear as day nobody wanted him here.

It was the second anniversary of the Urianum mission. The official anniversary of the creation of the squad. Jake missed the last one, so he wasn't sure what to expect. A beach party. A game of dogfight football. A bonfire.

Jake couldn’t care less what was going on. You and Sadie would have been here with him had he not snapped.

Somewhere down the line, everything had become blurred. The day he had been dubbed “Hangman” - they said he was surgical, precise, unfeeling - the perfect pilot.

It gave him purpose and confirmation. He’d even make the stretch to say acceptance. He embedded it. Cause nothing else mattered. It worked the facade. It kept people at a distance and shielded him from judgment and expectations.

But now? Things were different. You, Sadie… the two of you got under his skin.

Would you, would have anyone, listened to the truth after the fact? That he only agreed with George to throw it back in his face? To cockily stand up and remark that he was better off than he had been in years?

Then you heard him. Heard him agree with George and assume so readily it had all been a game. You had never believed he was everything his callsign represented.

You were hurt. Angry. And those words he uttered proved every word you had probably been told about him, words you had ignored. It stung, the words you had yelled back at him. You had given him a chance before, so why didn’t you have faith in him then?

The facade returned. He opened his mouth, and his father and George came out instead. Hangman came out instead.

He had sworn so long ago he would never become like them. Yet here he was, inflicting the same trauma and patterns onto you. He had proved he was just as capable of the same cruelty and manipulation his father was.

You would never forgive him after that. It’s what he did best.

The only person who seemed to stand being around him right now was Javy, but he had left to get another drink, leaving Jake alone next to their bonfire, missing you.

You would have been in his arms, lying up against his chest. The pair of you staring out to the water, watching Sadie hunt for sea shells like she hunted for bugs. He would have stolen a kiss or two, unashamed of the PDA, maybe even purposely putting on a show to intentionally piss off the squad and make you blush.

The two of you would have laughed at Sadie. Maybe he would have been tempted to get up, grab her, and topple the both of them into the water. Rooster didn't need to remind him of what he lost when the absence of both of you was staring him in the face.

"You hurt my aunt."

Well... he was half right.

"You're going to get the both of us in trouble," Jake called out, not bothering to look up from the sand. He knew she'd come for him sooner than later, no matter your wishes. With all your threats to Bradley about revoking his Sadie privileges, Jake never would have thought he’d be receiving those threats too.

Sadie stepped onto the tree log behind him, spreading her arms wide to balance herself before jumping, landing softly on the ground.

"Since when have I done anything I'm supposed to," she argued heatedly.

It took her every ounce of strength not to lay into him like she wanted. She was desperately holding herself back. Because this was extremely different than Uncle Roo hurting her Aunt's feelings.

Hangman messed with her Aunt's heart.

This one was on her.

"Who did you escape to get over here?” Jake still couldn’t bring himself to look at her, reaching over to grab a stick in the sand.

“Aunt Nat. She thinks I’m with Uncle Bob.”

You picked up a shift today where Aunt Penny was working with you. So when the offer to stay with Amelia or sit around at the Hard Deck for most of the afternoon, Sadie opted to join you.

Little did you know she had other ideas. When Aunt Nat came by to steal her away, to join the others with the promise she'd keep her away from Hangman, Sadie saw the perfect opportunity.

Aunt Nat didn't know her tricks as well as she thought. A mad and angry Sadie was a conniving Sadie.

Jake said nothing, choosing to poke the sand with the stick in his hand before adding to the fire.

Sadie knew he was stalling, making small talk to avoid talking about what he did. She had played that card enough to know when it was being thrown back at her.

But he was the grown-up. He shouldn't be pulling childish tricks. He should be the one who should be telling her all the grown-up excuses for why things just sometimes don't work out or, worst case, it was for the better.

Nothing was ever for the better.

She sat down on the opposite end of the log, reasonably close to Jake. She dug her nails into the bare skin of her thigh. She wasn't going to speak first. She had promised him so long along she'd come for him. He should know better than to expect she was here for anything else.

Yet, the words he finally uttered had her reeling.

"I don't know what the right thing is to say, Bug."

The thin sheet of ice Sadie holding her back cracked at the mention of her beloved nickname. He shouldn't be calling her that; he didn't deserve to call her that. Not after what he did. Not after what he said.

For one of the first times in her life, Sadie saw red.

She quickly reached down to grab a handful of sand, only to toss the tiny grains in his direction. Jake ducked, shielding his face with his arms. Sadie leaped up and tackled his exposed side, hands balling into fists. She didn't know what she was thinking or her ultimate goal by coming here and seeking him out. It was such a good idea at the time.

When it came down to being face-to-face with him, she was at a loss for words. Her obvious hurt overshadowed any sassy remark or comeback she could gather.

"Sadie! Hey, stop!" Jake's shouts of her name did nothing to stop her from pounding her tiny fists on his back. “Stop!”

"You don't get to call me Bug!" she hollered through her sobs, still trying to leave a mark, thumps on his back accompanying her cries. "You lost that right!"

She knew you wouldn't want her doing this. Her mom wouldn't want her to do this either. But sometimes, it was just too much for her to handle.

She didn't know how to react to something like this. The world was making her grow up faster than she wanted to. Now, she couldn't help but think about what it would throw at her next.

Jake slid off the log, twisting to kneel in front of Sadie while holding out his arms to protect his face. He was at eye level with her, finally seeing the damage he had wrought on the ten-year-old girl.

Sea blue-green eyes framed by shimmering tears, pooling at the edge, until Jake watched one linger down her cheek. It’s your favourite colour staring back at him, making everything worse.

"Why did you do it?!" she cried, still trying to hit him, arms loosening their strength by the second. "Why did you say it?"

"Sadie, stop!" his voice was starkly quiet compared to the sobs, both fragile and profound, catching in her throat. Still, Sadie wailed, "I trusted you! You were supposed to be her person! You made her happy! You reminded her she was worth it!"

With each remark Sadie threw at him, he couldn’t bring himself to stop her tiny punches. Or say anything this time that could calm her cries. It was so starkly different from the night he found her hiding in her bed because of that thunderstorm. She had been the one to jump into his arms, to seek comfort from him.

This time, he was the reason she was crying. Like that night, he wanted to tell her it would be alright.

He couldn't. In losing you, he had lost Sadie too.

Utterly weak, Sadie's final thump on his shoulder resulted in her gripping onto his shirt as she fell to her knees on the sand, face blotchy and patch-stained red.

"Why Uncle Jake?" her voice was small. Devastated. "Why did you have to hurt her like that?"

He tried not to look shocked. Sadie's voice was sudden, so unsteady and innocent-like, it was hard not to hide any reaction. She caught on instantly.

"Don't act so surprised," she snapped at him through her misery. "You know she tells me everything."

Jake felt the sharp glare of Sadie’s eyes on him, her small face always displaying a type of sternness that was way beyond her years. She was demanding answers, as horrible as they were.

He couldn’t avoid this conversation. You were… you had taught Sadie to be honest and, in her doing so, to expect honesty in return. He didn’t know how to be. How could he explain this?

He didn’t know where to start.

He wasn't going to say anything. Sadie knew that. Adults would rather hide their emotions and not speak about things. She pushed herself away from him, the little force she exerted rocking Jake’s body back, readying herself to get up and leave.

This had been a bad decision, after all.

“Did anyone tell you why they call me Hangman?”

Jake’s words made her stop, making her fall back into the sand, kneeling before him.

“It’s your call sign,” she said innocently. Jake frowned, biting his lip. “Did they tell you the story?”

Sadie copied the look on his face, thinking about it before admitting, “A little. I know you left someone behind.”

It sounded worse coming from the mouth of a child.

Jake sighed, rubbing his temple. “Yes… but there’s a little more to it than just that.” He couldn’t look her in the eye as he managed to form the words, “My father… he was a tough man. A lot behind the meaning of that call sign has to do with him. He left … scars. Sometimes, they make me act in ways I don’t mean to.”

Sadie’s eyes softened a little, but she still looked confused. “So that’s why you said those things? Hurt her?”

Jake looked down to the sand in shame, nodding once. “When I’m stressed, the anger… the frustration... It brings back memories. It’s easier to put a mask up… lash out. Even when it’s the wrong thing to do.”

"So apologize," she sniffed, shrugging. "Uncle Roo did."

"It's not that simple, Sadie."

She eyed him hard. "Yes, it is."

Her tone left no room for a reply. Who was he to refute the honesty of a ten-year-old who had seen more shit than anyone her age?

"I know you're hurting too," she said, her voice small and trembling. "But hurting others won't help, Uncle Jake.”

A sad smile crossed his lips. "I don't know what the right answer is, Sadie."

Sadie looked at the fire, watching the flames dance. She didn’t know the correct answer either. Adults would rather hide their emotions and not speak about things than admit they were wrong. But he had to try, right? Cause if he didn’t at all, it would only make it worse.

Maybe she could nudge him one last time.

"Do you still have the note I gave you when you helped me with my math homework last year?"

Jake stared at her momentarily before reaching into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet, and opening it to find the ripped piece of paper. He had kept it tucked away in the back pouch, even after all this time. Her writing was slightly smudged on account of her using a pencil, but he could still make out her words along the top.

I believe in you.

"I didn't randomly invite you to that Saturday Night," she started to say, watching him stare down at the piece of paper. "I invited you because you looked sad when you thought nobody could see you."

Sadie paused her words, searching his face for any hint of emotion, before she continued. "Because you needed to know people care."

"Your Aunt said something similar to my brother," he said, not looking up from the piece of paper. "That the only reason she allowed me to come that night was because you reminded her of something your mom believed in."

"Of course she did," she said simply as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "She loves you."

Jake's hand clenched on his thigh involuntarily, his eyes turning away from the fire to the water. Growing up without love, without hearing those words, Jake was left wondering if he was deserving of such a remark.

How could he be anything else when all he ever did was self-impose an executioner’s noose around his neck, hanging himself with his own fear and self-doubt, always cutting himself off from what he craved most.

Hangman, indeed.

But Sadie wasn’t done - not by a longshot. Even with her tears, perhaps a touch quieter now, she managed a soft smile, telling him, “You taught me it’s okay to mess up, you know.”

Jake looked at her, puzzled. “I did?”

Sadie nodded, taking in a deep breath. “When you helped me with my math homework. I was struggling, messing up horribly. I wanted to quit. And nobody seemed to listen to me trying to understand till you came along.”

Jake was trying to see where she was going with this. Math and messing up a relationship were two entirely different things.

“But I was messing up because I was trying. And trying means the possibility of someday getting it right. I was so scared to mess up, but then you sat with me, listened, and made me realize it was even scarier not to try at all.”

“What does this have to do with …?” he trailed off, Sadie glaring at him as his voice died down. “You messed up, Uncle Jake. Bad. But that wasn’t the worst thing you could do to hurt her,” she stated, taking another deep breath. “It would be if you stopped trying to be better. Stopped trying altogether.”

Sadie thought about what Jake just told her about his family. Then she thought about everything that had happened over the last few weeks, the question she had once asked you about, the one that had plagued her until you made her recognize the truth.

"You're not your father, Uncle Jake. You're you.”

Jake couldn’t help the tears, as treacherous as they were, from pooling in his eyes as he lowered his head. He felt a tightness in his chest, a mixture of gratitude and pain, before he grimaced stiffly, huffing out, "It's a pretty messed up world we live in.”

Sadie didn't hesitate when she replied, "I'm almost eleven, Uncle Jake. I don't understand the world at all." Her bottom lip started to tremble, her eyes watering as she let out a sniffle. "But I know you never know when you'll say I love you for the last time."

Jake knew she was referring to her mom, her sudden death that night. But her words hit Jake differently. He recalled the moment he stood on Penny's porch and decided he'd try to take his chance with you.

You were still his possibility of someday. That had never changed. Like he thought then, time was something he was never promised. It was time spent well in the weeks he lived with you and Sadie. Small moments meaning the world, whether it was staying up to play a game with Sadie or waking up to see you sprawled out across his chest.

They were moments he thought he'd never have. Now that he had them, he was left wondering if he should spare you the heartbreak that came with loving someone like him.

Sadie's admission, and words of advice, were more damning than she knew.

He looked up from the sand to peer hesitantly at her face, not surprised to find another remark about to pass her lips.

"If you can't say you're sorry, my Aunt and I don't need to add somebody else to the list of people who've hurt us. So if you want to leave, go ahead but stay away," Sadie remarked, hiccuping as fresh tears streaming down her face.

Every word Sadie uttered hit deeper than any shitty remark his father or brother could throw back in his face. The façade he built, in the face of every slight to his character, was no match for a ten-year-old who had the ability to see through everyone's bullshit, including his.

He couldn't manage a reply. She had given him blows no physical assault could ever imagine reaching.

Sadie saw Jake's silence as a chance to leave. Aunt Nat wouldn't be gone for much longer, and she knew if she weren't with Uncle Bob soon, she'd cause a panic. She got up, rubbing the dirt from her hands, standing over the conflicted aviator with a face marred by sand dust and tears.

Sadie stepped forward to leave. But at the last second, she whipped around in a move that reminded him so much of you. Her voice was firm, scathing even, adding with a note of finality, “I won't be the one to stop you from leaving. And I won’t be the one to welcome you back either if you change your mind. If you're gone, stay gone. We can survive without you."

After shooting him a hateful glare, Sadie left Jake sitting in the sand, staring after her. She wiped her eyes as she ran, finding Bob sitting at the nearby bonfire with the rest of the team. He pulled her into his arms with a laugh, instantly handing over his marshmallow-topped stick with a smile as Sadie giggled, her sadness disappearing as she roasted Bob on the quality of his marshmallow.

Jake threw his head back to the sky, still kneeling in the sand, fighting the knot in his throat.

Damn, George.

Damn, his father.

Damn, Bradley.

Damn, you.

And in some ways, despite not wanting to admit it…

Damn, Sadie.

He didn't know how to make this right. But he wanted to. He had to.

That had to be enough.

Right?

.... Ouch, Jake... And OUCH, SADIE!

Tags:

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@bubblegumbeautyqueen @sarahsmi13s @desert-fern @lynnestra44 @memoriesat30 @penwieldingdreamer @mxlanciia

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-Wickett ;)

Part 17 - Come a little bit Closer coming soon.

[tartrat]

Concept based on my previous post where i suggested Queen's Killer Queen as a Night Swan and Cygnus duet. i didn't want to make something super detailed so its mainly a sketch with basic colouring, and darkest hour's background

I said in that post that i saw it as taking place sometime around Darkest Hour, so Night Swan has her Leda appearance from there. I didn't know how to make cygnus look younger so i just removed his hat

The poses above would be struck when Freddie Mercury sings "killer" (imagine that Leda's hands are actually in a claw shape here) i probably should've had cygnus point at leda for this instead of into the air, followed by them moving to the opposite side whilst spinning their hands round their faces to "Queen". Lastly at "Gunpowder, Gelatine, Dynamite with a Laser Beam" They'd start doing a marching on the spot motion whilst pointing to the top right and bottom left like in Woof's chorus but more like in the style of a marching band, if you understand what i mean its kinda awkward to explain that motion (theres another map that uses that move in a way thats closer to my description but i can't remember what one it is. I tried to do pictograms in the corner to illustrate what i mean.

During the verses they'd probably have different moves, but i don't know what they would look like. I guess it would sorta be Cygnus acting out certain words and Leda doing more exaggerated movements akin to how she moves in witch. The lighting would probably be darker and the background would probably change location throughout.

Whats funny is that i always envisioned that if they were to do this song that it would be a quartet with three guys fawning over a Killer queen figure. Like it would be the three acting out how she acts wih her mimicking the moves of the one who is currently "speaking", but more exaggerated. The moves that i mentioned above are what i thought would work with this original idea and it just stuck and they're all i can think about when i hear the chorus.

I guess a good way for this hypothetical routine to end would be it turning out to be a memory that Cygnus is having, and him looking ashamed. I definitely do see the relationship that they probably had as sorta romantic, but whether it be romantic or platonic, beggin does make it out that he regrets what he's done and more than likely the time he spent with her. He'd look back on this memory with guilt after seeing what she did during Locked Out Of Heaven and her further plans that come up.

Someone else has definitely suggested this song for the series before, probably during 2017 and 2018 when Don't stop me now and another one bites the dust were relatively new to the series and some were expecting another queen song for 2019, (Though in all the fanmade songlists i've seen on youtube i haven't seen any queen songs mentioned). I'm not sure if i was the first one to suggest this song for these two particular coaches either, maybe someone did last year when Beggin' came out and Sweet Dreams was still believed to be released at some point.

This was just something quick to show what i think it would look like. probably should've made a title card but i might make a more detailed version at some point and include one.

[chaussetteblanche]

the view

pairing : miles morales x gn!reader

word count : 1k

summary : spider-man joins you when pondering life one evening at the top of a building

warnings : swearing

Your feet dangled above the bustling city of New York. You leaned back on your palms, staring up at the sky and wishing you could see stars instead of the orange glow. You chest felt tight and your eyes were runny. You felt like you needed a breath of fresh air, but even one of the highest buildings in the capital of the state wasn't enough.

"Hey, uh, you okay ?" A voice came from behind you, startling you slightly. You sighed and looked down at your swinging feet, the soles of your shoes reflecting the lights below.

"I'm not going to jump, if that's what you're worried about."

The person behind you moved forward and you heard the faint rustling of fabric as they sat down next to you. You were surprised to find none other than Spiderman sitting bent forward, elbows leaning on his knees at your side. His suit was dirty, gray covering black and red.

"Tough night ?" you asked, noticing the way his eyes dropped and his back hunched.

"You could say that," he spoke softly and paused, as if debating whether to tell you something or not, "three different people tried to kill me in the span of a few hours." You let out a small sigh, not so sure of what to say. No one had ever tried to kill you.

"That sucks,"

"Yeah," he chuckled wetly, "yeah, it really does." You heard his sniff once, white eyes scanning the city below. You wondered what was going through his mind.

You leaned back and laid down, crossing your arms behind your head. Your gaze fixed steadily on the unnatural colour of the sky, making out a few sparse stars. You felt very small. And your problems very big.

"Do you ever feel like it all gets too much ? Kinda like you can't breathe ?" you asked. He laid down next to you, one arm behind his head.

"Like you're never gonna get out of it ? That it's never going to end ?" he paused, "yeah, sometimes."

"How can you feel so small when everything else feels so- huge ? And destructive and consuming ? It doesn't make any sense."

"What's up with you ?" he asked, turning his head to the side. You looked into his white eyes briefly before turning back to the sky.

"Family, money... Life, I guess," you chuckled humourlessly. "My parents have been separated for years now and they're finally getting a divorce. But... I still feel like I'm taking sides or betraying one of them whenever I do something. I hate it. And I just want to protect my brother from all of it. But I also want to move out. Just get the fuck away from all of it, you know ? But I can't bear the thought of leaving him alone." Confessing to him felt strangely freeing.

"That sucks," he repeated your words from earlier.

"Yeah," you let out a small laugh, wiping your eyes, "it does suck,"

"Someone once told me that you have to live your life for you, you can't live it for anyone else. Even for your brother. People... they'll try to fit you into these boxes and tell you what to do, what's expected of you depending on this and that, but fuck that. Fuck it all. You have to do what's best for you, you know ? To hell with the rest of it. You're the only person who's always gonna be by your side, you gotta look out for you, you know what I mean ? Don't mind the rest. Move out if that's what best for you,"

You turned to look at him, eyebrows raised. A tear rolled down your cheek and he wiped it away with his thumb.

"And moving out doesn't mean that you'll never see your brother again, will it ?" he added. You inhaled shakily.

"Yeah, you're right." You wiped your eyes and chuckled. "That was some deep shit, man," He laughed and watched you as you sat up.

"We've all got our demons to slay."

"I'm Y/N, by the way," you extended your hand to him.

"Mi- Spiderman." He shook your hand and grinned at you, thankful you couldn't see his red cheeks at the slip-up.

"What did you come up here for, anyway ?" you asked, genuinely curious.

"Just- came to think. I like to get above it all. It's quiet up here. Like-"

"A breath of fresh air," you spoke. Your eyes locked and he smiled softly.

"Yeah, exactly."

"What do you see when you look up at the sky ?" you asked after a few minutes of silence. You heard him inhale slowly before answering.

"People I've loved. People I've lost. Battles I've lost. Battles I've won. Opportunities I took and ones I didn't."

"I wish you could see the stars," you both spoke simultaneously, before gasping and chuckling.

"And what about when you look down at the city ?"

"Pressure," he answered immediately, "I see people. People that need my help, my saving. People that need me. Some that I won't be able to save,"

"What about the ones you've saved ? Who are thankful for you ? Who owe their lives to you ?" you asked, frowning slightly. Spiderman was quiet for a moment before humming.

"Yeah, you're right,"

"What do you see ?" he asked after a while, the buzzing of the city below filling the comfortable silence.

"I feel incredibly small when I look up at the sky. Like a speck of dust, really. But I like it, it brings me back to reality. And the reality of my life. Despite everything, I'm still privileged, I've got a family who loves me, no serious money problems and good grades at school." He nodded. "When I look down at the city, I realize everyone has problems. Even Spiderman ! It makes me realize I'm not alone, I guess."

He smiled at your answer. "I like that view."

"So do I, I think."

He stood up and brushed himself off. "Well, if you ever wanna share your view again, I'll be here," he assured.

You smiled and nodded. "You got it, Spiderman,"

Little did you know that that was the blossoming of a beautiful friendship.

[cattonicdragon]

Say could I get kai shen tai lung and if you ever get to watch the show the wu sisters scorpion and fenghuang with a flamingo reader that steals the life force of others to extend there own life and increase their power. P.s your doing really great.

Tai lung,when,kai and the wu sisters x flamingo reader that steal life force from others

I'm back,finally.sorry for my absence but I'm getting back ontop of things now so I'm ok,also ty for the kind words :).

I also caught up on the wu sisters and all so I write for them now though they may be abit ooc.

<<has been proof-read>>

Tai lung

Now I dont remember ever seeing a flamingo in kfp so I think it's safe to assume that their not very local in the areas that are shown in kfp

He'd be curious on how you balance on one leg so frequently and effortlessly

Hes infatuated with your bright colours

However hes mostly curious and intrigued by your powers

Having the ability to steal others life force to not only increase your power but also elongate your own lifespan?

Word is going to spread like wild fire

Most people are intimidated and scared,your something they've never seen before

"Never judge a book by their cover",you may be a brightly coloured gracious flamingo but your power is a little less welcoming

Your more than a worthy opponent

Your the opponent

Although hes still weary about you using your powers on him

I mean who wouldnt?

Shen

Feels very threatened by you

It's bad when he hears a bright pink bird has been stealing peoples life force to increase their power

But it's worse when he enters a room and finds you standing there like the harbinger of death

Definatly trys to kill you more times than you can count

Hes not one to trust easily

Especially after your first encounter

He admires your balance though,there have been times where you've both been locked in battle and hes tried sweeping the floor from beneath you,only for you to land perfectly practically without staggering

He tries to find a way to best you at anything

Fears that you'll do the same to him and his fate will end up in your hands

Whether you want to take his life force though is up to you in the end

Kai

Is absolutely flabbergasted

Hes extremely surprised,hes lived for 500+ years and has never seen anything like you

Other than himself of course,although his powers are strictly different from yours,he steals chi whilst you steal lifeforce

Hes rather star struck by your bright colours and he can get slightly distracted

He asks alot about your powers and how yours and his powers differentiate from eachother

Hes not very interested in having or gaining your powers,though as his goal is not to obtain life sorce

Although again you gain power out of life force,chi is easier to obtain and collect

Hes interested on how you can stand on one leg so easily,if he tried I think we all know what would happen

He can come of quite self centred and brash

Mainly because hes annoyed someone has similar powers to himself

Will ask if you can join him,and/or spar with him

Wu sisters

Very shocked after finding out about your life stealing abilitys

Even the three of them are hardly enough to make you drop a sweat

They wander how a bird manages to so easily best a cat,which in the natural hierarchy the cat is the apex predator

Although due to your gifted abilities it seems you have managed to turned the tables quite drastically

Su wu(the middle sister) will most likely ask you to join very early on due to the fact that defeating you has few and far chances of happening,if at all.

Sparing will happen often though of course you wont be able to use your ability.

They are very pur-sistant(/j) persistent about asking you what the source of your power is and if you are able to teach them

They like your bright colour and the power you radiate

Cat cuddles

They to are good at balance so theyll probably try to see who has the best balance

[totally-not-your-babe]

Quiet Nights

A/N: Sooooo @elainecreations made and interesting TikTok video and I just couldn't go about my day without writing something for it. (Also I needed some distraction of the TBB finale because I'm still a bit unwell and in denial, I still think it's not over yet for our copy paste boys.) It didn't really turned out as I first wanted it to turn out, but it just ran away with itself so it got way longer than I was planning it to be.

Warning(s): a little angst, Kaminoans being... Kaminoans, Mamma Ti being the absolute best

Word count: 1559

Tipoca City, Kamino, 22 BBY - 162 days after the Battle of Geonosis

The rain was pouring down relentlessly, more and more raindrops knocking incessantly on the spotlessly clear glass, as if they would never stop. The long, seemingly never-ending corridor was only just barely lit at night, but it was still disturbingly white and sterile. Not an environment in which one child, or millions, should have grown up. For all its flaws and strict rules, even the Jedi temple exuded a kind of warmth and security that helped the young Padavans feel like children at times, if only a little, in the midst of all the training and practice. This was not possible on Kamino. These poor boys are just have been born - or rather torn from their capsules by the not-so-gentle hands of the Kaminoans - and the first thing they see is an uncomfortable whiteness that never changes, never brings comfort, never offers gentleness or peace.

It was in the midst of these and similar thoughts that Shaak-Ti walked through the bright, yet depressingly white corridors. Everything was so similar. It had been weeks since the Jedi Council had assigned her the task of overseeing the training of young clones in Tipoca City, but even with the Force's help she sometimes struggled to navigate the snow-white walls and almost disturbingly clear glass.

"Wrecker, don't do it, you know it won't end well." came a low but forceful whisper from behind one of the doors. It was the voice of a child, albeit not a small child, but certainly not an adult. So she was in the cadets' barracks.

"But she took her. One of the long-necks took her away and won't bring her back." The complaining voice replied. Was he crying? Shaak-Ti stopped for a moment and reached out with the force. From the owner of the last voice, came feelings so sad that even the Jedi Master's eyes welled with tears.

"We'll get her back Wrecker, don't worry! Try to sleep!" came a third voice. Shaak-Ti could tell that it was a third little cadet and not the first to speak, she just knew.

"Can't without Lula." Sniffed the cadet who went by the name Wrecker. "What… what if the long-necks hurt her?"

"You mean ruined or thrown out?" asked a fourth voice.

"Tech!" the third thundered loudly.

"Thrown out?" yelled Wrecker. Shaak-Ti was hit by another wave of emotions, fear, bitterness, sadness, all crowned with anger. She heard the clatter of footsteps, then the door opened and she saw the owner of the voices. Three of them were trying to hold down their fourth companion, who was at least a head taller than they were. Shaak-Ti thought that if he had seen one cadet he had seen them all, for they were all clones, but these boys were different. One of them had grey tufts of hair standing out in all directions in the wind rose - must have been in his bed minutes before - one of them had curly locks - the one with glasses - a lighter colour than the other clones, the third, slightly shorter than the others, had long locks of hair flying back and forth as he tried to hold his brother down.

"Wrecker don't do it! Go back to bed!"

"Hunter!" the one with the goggles nudged the Long-Haired One when he saw the Jedi Master. All four of them seemed to freeze. The Jedi was sure they hadn't even taken a breath for a few seconds, then in a split second the three of them exchanged quick glances and the next moment the grey-haired one and the one with glasses pulled their larger companion back into the barracks.

"Sorry General, it won't happen again." said the boy, whom Shaak-Ti identified as Hunter, saluting. He was about to turn back to follow his brothers, but the Jedi Master gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "General?"

"Who is Lula." Ti doubted it was some kind of pet, the Kaminoans strictly forbid anything like that.

"Lula is Wrecker's tooka doll, he got it from 99 because he couldn't sleep. Today one of the long… doctors came in and when they saw her they took her away. They said we clones don't need anything like that." Shaak-Ti didn't answer, just nodded slowly and let the young boy go - he looked 16 or 17, so he was only eight at best. Before the door slid into place, the Jedi heard the three of them trying to calm their brother, who was sniffling heartbreakingly.

They can't even have toys - she thought sadly.

She stood outside the boys' room for a few more moments, then kept walking, now listening intently. The next two rooms were dead silent, almost nothing coming out, and Shaak-Ti had to concentrate hard if she wanted to hear the young cadets breathing. From the third barrack, however, she heard whispering again.

"If they come in to do a check up and see the lights on, we'll be in big trouble…"

"But…" began another, more timid voice, even less audible than his companion.

"No but CT-5509. You can get decommisioned for that!"

"But I'm scared." whimpered the other and Shaak-Ti could feel her heart breaking for him. Decommisioned for being scared in the dark? The Kaminoans truly had no heart at all?

"I know vod'ika, but I'm here, and I won't let anything bad happen to you." Vod'ika. Little brother. No matter what the Kaminoans said, they weren't just soldiers, they weren't just clones, they were human beings. They were brothers. They felt and cared for each other, there was no training or fear form punishment that could kill it out of them.

Loud humming filled the quiet corridors of the cadet barracks. With any other tune it would have been bloodcurdlingly terrifying, but that one tune was like warmth, tenderness, and care all in one. She didn’t even realise she started it; she just did. A tune that’s she thought was long lost in her memories, a tune she heard for the last time before being taken from her world to become a jedi all those years ago. A tune, a song her mother sang to her. She didn’t remember the lines of it, but – for her own surprise – she could still hum it. And so, she did. The little boys in the barracks went quiet, and after a couple of minutes she could feel that even the scared boy was asleep. She continued her walk and never stopped humming. When the song ended, she started again.

She walked the barracks corridor back and forth three times and only returned to her office, when she made sure that all the little cadets were sleeping peacefully. And from then on she did it every single night when she was on Kamino. Sometimes she met some of the long-neck scientist while she was doing it, and they looked at her for a while. Their looks weren’t disapproving, but she felt it coming of off them like the raindrops on the glasses of Kamino. But she didn’t care. She could give some comfort to those little boys before they’ve met the horrors of the training rooms and the war. That’s all that mattered. And she could do some more.

After that night the Jedi Council gave out an order to the Kaminoans to suspend decommissions at all and every cases.

Tipoca City, Kamino, 22 BBY - 163 days after the Battle of Geonosis

Four young boys walked back to their barracks, shouting, and laughing, to get their well-deserved sleep. They were sweaty and dirty, there were even a little blood on all four of them, but they were happy – they completed their mission in the training room, it was hard, and they were sure they would be sore the next day, but they did it. All four of them were happy… Well almost. One of them, even though he had a faint smile on his lips, wasn’t as happy and loud about their success as his brothers.

“Hey Wrecker!” he heard Crosshair’s call out to him and from knowing his vod’ika as well as he did he could hear out a smile in his voice.

“Hm?” he didn’t look up, he just stood at the door still deep in his thoughts.

“Looks like someone escaped the long-necks to get back to you.”

“What?” he looked up at his youngest brother, but he just smiled at him. He than looked at Tech and Hunter, the latest just nodded towards his cot with a wide smile on his face. He turned to his cot and the next moment he felt like something warm exploded in his chest. “Lula!” he darted toward his cot, jumping on it, hugging his tooka doll as close to his chest as he could, but he was still incredibly gentle with it. “Lula.” he repeated a bit quieter still hugging the stuffed toy. "You are back." he whispered as his three brothers sat at the edge of his cot too.

In a shadowy corner of the corridor, a certain togruta Jedi master watched the scene with a faint smile on her face, and then walked away unseen, with barely audible footsteps. Then, after the lights had been turned off, the familiar tune could be heard again.

A/N: I wrote the half of it in Hungarian first and translated it to English after, because for some reason I felt more confident writing this in my language at first and after turning it to English. Don't ask why I have my questionable moments from time to time. Also when it comes to writing sometimes I'm still more confident in Hungarian. Anyway that's why it took longer to post than I wanted it to. But I hope y'all enjoyed it a little.

[total-drama-brainrot]

Solo Victory Noah AU, where Noah is in Team Victory, instead of DJ... Noah later ends up becoming the final Team Victory Contestant... Alejandro keeps trying to sabotage Noah, but Noah always outsmarts all the sabotages... Noah ends up in the Final 3, with Alejandro and Heather... Owen is super-duper proud of Noah! 🏆

I've actually been toying with an AU where Noah ends up on Victory instead of CIRRRRH, watches what's happening to his team with thinly veiled annoyance, eventually grows sick and tired of sleeping in Economy (he's not at all concerned for the people he's watched be manipulated and/or his own position in the competition, why do you ask?) and manages to make it to the merge through the power of sheer spite despite being a one-man-team.

It's... not a very fleshed out idea, mind you, and I usually only ponder over it to make myself laugh at different scenarios where Alejandro is desperately trying to get Noah- the surprise one man army that no one saw coming- eliminated, and Noah managing to either outplay him at his own game or twist the circumstances to his favour in a very Looney Tunes-like fashion.

Because Alejandro would see the continued existence of Team Victory as a personal slight, so he'd put an increasing amount of time and effort into getting Noah eliminated if only to prove that he can. And Noah's just smart enough and finally motivated enough (initially by spite, turned vengeance, turned pure amusement) to spin Alejandro's schemes on their head every time. They're literally the Road Runner and Wile. E. Coyote.

It usually ends up with Team Chris or Team Amazon heading to an elimination ceremony, only for it to be a "surprise reward challenge" or something similar.

(Of course, they'd go through a "Alejandro tries to sweet talk Noah into an alliance" stage, like Alejandro does with DJ in canon, but Noah's switched on to Alejandro's true colours since he's literally watched him eliminate the rest of his team. Maybe Noah plays into Heather's offered alliance instead? Again, I haven't really thought too much on this silly AU.

After Chris doesn't allow Noah to join Team CIRRRRH, and Noah himself refuses Alejandro's offered alliance, it turns into Alejandro driving himself crazy trying and failing to eliminate Noah.)

The main draw of the idea, for me at least, is Noah not making it to the final three though. Because (in my mind) Noah doesn't even really want to be back in the competition- he just kind of went along with the crowd for the Celeb Manhunt bus chase, and inadvertently bagged himself a spot on World Tour. He's under no delusions that he'll ever win the million, but floating his way to the merge would at least make up for the embarrassment of being voted out first from the Gophers his short run in Island.

So he makes it to the merge after playing a glorified game of cat-and-mouse (Tom and Jerry Style) with Alejandro. He's got a hypercompetent Archvillain gunning for his elimination, and now that the teams are null and void, alliances are the name of the game. So what does Noah do?

He gets himself eliminated, just to take the satisfaction of doing so away from Alejandro. Probably through a technicality or something too, like Izzy's departure from the competition, to save himself the shame effort of jumping out of the jet.

That's mostly because I really like the idea of Noah reaching the merge, thinking "I've reached the goal I've set for myself. Might as well quit whilst I'm ahead!" and just-

Leaving.

(Which is ironic, because he's spent the last ~8 challenges actually trying to remain in the competition, and now he's just. Giving up. Drawing a line in the sand. "This is as far as I go.")

It's a shame that the London challenge happens pre-merge, because the idea of Duncan being forced back into the competition and the jet taking off before anyone realises that they're missing Noah- who snuck away into the city and is having a great time using Chris' debit card (of which he memorised during his time as Chris' assistant) to live it up bourgeoisie style in London- is fuelling me.

Realistically though, he'd probably sneak off in China during the eating challenge- because why would he stick around when Owen's gone? It wouldn't be hard for him to throw the eating challenge at the first round and then just. Not sit as the loser's table. Maybe he knows enough Mandarin to get by, and manages to stowaway himself back home to his family and beloved golden lab.

Meanwhile, Alejandro is seething.

Owen is really proud of his little buddy for making the merge, and a little disappointed in Noah for 'giving up', but when Noah expresses that he didn't have anything to stay for after Owen's departure, his disappointment turns to sentimentality.

[derelictlovefool]

❝​🇩​​🇺​​🇱​​🇨​​🇮​​🇸​—⦂❝

— 𝐀 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐬, 𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭; 𝐚 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞.

Notes: Check out Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five! We made it to the final part, huzzah! Thanks for comin' along on this ride with me, hope you had fun, I sure did! 😊💜

Warning/s: Canon Typical behaviour, explicit language, mending relationships, gross abomination of a burger

Words: 4k

Despite all the progress, all the steps in the right direction and the confidence from what Wade said today—you were scared. You didn't want to be torn apart again on the off chance you had put on a different pair of rose coloured glasses and were making it all up in your head. You wanted to trust Wade, you wanted him back in the apartment, you wanted to wake up to him and kiss him and make breakfast while he sang along to whatever pop song was on the radio. You wanted Wade. You wanted him so badly you could barely focus at work, when he stopped by it was like the moon eclipsing the sun and he was all you could see and hear and smell and—Fuck.

You loved him so damn much.

And you couldn't even try to say he didn't love you, it wasn't six months ago where you were on the tail end of that nasty breakup and everything had finally started levelling out now. You couldn't hide behind insecure, angry hypotheticals. Wade loved you, he wouldn't be standing beside you in normal clothes without his safety net on underneath if he didn't. Wouldn't be showing up to every session an hour early and still bringing you groceries when you could perfectly well buy your own.

There was a free fall ahead of you, a deep dive you needed to commit to for this to be a two way street of really trying. Wade had put all of himself on the table and now it was your turn. You just had to jump.

"Are you hungry? I'm starving." Wade, seemingly growing itchy from the growing silence in the long elevator ride, mused out into the air, "Lenny's got a new burger, apparently Weasel got to design it so it should be fuckin' terrible." He grinned and you snorted, a warmth filling you as you finally got to know and understand those names completely. You'd been able to step into that side of his world and meet a whole lot of people who had been nothing but blurry shapes, names and stories before. Lenny was an ex-merc now running a burger-bar joint and it was actually damn good.

And Weasel was what Wade could call a friend, as close as he was getting in his line of work—you'd met him a couple of times now and he wasn't all that bad. Kinda rude, a little lame; perfect fit for Wade.

"I could go for a burger." You hummed, stepping out of the elevator when you reached the ground floor. Wade fell into step beside you and for a moment you could feel his hand hover at the small of your back; there had been so many almost touches now it was driving you crazy. You almost wanted to stop so you'd fall into his hand, feel his bare palm through the fabric of your clothes. But you kept going and tried not to be disappointed when his hand ended up in his pocket again. Time, you just needed time.

Wade stepped ahead of you when you got to the door, making a show of pulling it open for you and bowing playfully. Your heart swelled and you rolled your eyes, walking past and thanking him as your feet made contact with the concrete walkway. The street bustled before you and something felt different about the air, maybe it was just you. Everything felt a bit lighter now, even more so than before. Who knew being open and honest felt so damn freeing.

Wade led you down a few main streets then into the usual back streets you'd slowly gotten accustomed to; it had gotten easier going past alleyways. Despite every shadow or movement causing you to stiffen, you had Wade there to remind you nothing was going to touch you with him by your side. He was back to being your unfriendly, neighbourhood shadow and you'd be lying if you said it didn't make you feel a whole lot safer. And a whole lot less lonely.

"Lenny, two of the Weasel specials, my good slime!" Wade called out as you two entered the small tucked away bar, the industrial interior and neon lights setting a cosy yet sleazy atmosphere. Lenny turned to greet you, ignoring Wade completely as he wiped down the bar.

"Nice to see you back, how ya been?" He smiled and Wade gripped the back of a chair with a haughty huff; pulling it out for you. Just a Wade thing he did no matter where you were. He'd tried to pull the couch out for you once or twice, being on it as he pushed it back had always led to a burst of giggles from the both of you. You missed how extra he was about everything, even when you were alone. It was always just for you, all for you.

"You too Len, been doin' pretty damn good honestly, you?" You sit down with an easy smile, leaning back and noting the way Wade's fingers skirted against your shoulders.

"Len? Since when is it fuckin' Len?" Wade muttered, pushing you in and pulling the other seat right up to your side, sitting in a smooth motion and tucking his chair even closer still. Your knees knocked together, neither of you moved them. Your eyes met, you glanced down at the table, his blue eyes doing far too much to your poor heart right now.

"Had better days, got Weasel's burger on the menu for one thing."

"It's a good fuckin' burger, the people love it!" Another voice joins the ring and you all turn to the bathroom door as it slams open, Weasel marching out and strutting to the bar with a quick greeting and pleasant smile shot your way. It was nice, feeling so welcome in a place Wade probably felt more at home in than anywhere you'd take him usually. The bar's patrons were a mix of mutants and humans, mercenaries and people with work more aligned with your realm of reality. It was crazy how normal it felt and how nicely you found yourself fitting in.

Lenny waves Weasel off and walks back into the kitchen, shouting to give him a bit and your burgers would be out in no time.

"I gotta say the customer service leaves a lot to be desired, hopefully the burger doesn't kill us." Wade holds his hand up and leans over to you, a conspiratorial tone wasted by the fact he didn't lower his voice any. You feel yourself leaning in closer anyway, pulled in by his gravity like you always had been. A stray planet somehow caught in the tide of a supernova, skirting on the edges of something so beautifully dangerous and not knowing what would happen if you let yourself get fully pulled in.

"It's a—"

"Good burger, heard you before Wease." Wade waved him off dismissively, hand falling to the table between the both of you.

You snorted and Wade's attention was back on you, blue eyes crinkling with a smile and knee bumping into yours again. You let your hand fall, your fingertips brushing against his knuckles and palm resting against the top of his hand. You felt him tense, saw his shoulders go rigid before he eased into it; melting under your touch.

"You know if the burgers shit I can probably make an even better frankenburger with all your favourites."

"That would probably be just as gross Wade," you grin, curling your fingers around his, "I'll take you up on that though. If it's that bad." You mused and you could see the moment his eyes lit up, glee shining back at you.

"It's Weasel. It's gonna be ass."

"Man, I'm right here."

"Don't care, talking to the love of my life, go back to your toilet dwelling or something." Wade tried to shoo the brunette away and you quickly slapped his other hand down.

"Oh my god, Wade,"

"What, he never gets this many lines," Wade grumbled, but his gaze fell to your hands now both resting on top of his, losing interest in the previous topic quickly.

"Okay well how about we just stop shitting on his burger and talk about something else." You suggest, trying to save some of Weasel's feelings as you rested your elbow on the table, tucking your cheek onto your palm as you watch Wade's eyes which seem to follow your hand as if hypnotised.

"Fine." He paused, seemingly thinking it over in his head, "Al put leeches in my bed yesterday."

"What did you do?"

"I forgot—Honestly it felt kinda nice, so I was just gonna let 'em hang around, but they dropped off after a while. The milkshake of cancer and whatever else is in my bloodstream didn't vibe with their lil stomachs." Wade shook his head as he recounted the tale, pinching his index finger and thumb together to emphasise the size difference.

"That is so gross and so sad," You tried your best not to laugh as Wade nodded somewhat solemnly. Wade sighed and looked up at the ceiling above you.

"I held a toilet funeral for them, it was very moving." He held his free hand to his chest and you wholeheartedly believed him. If anyone would hold a funeral for leaches it would be Wade.

You couldn't keep it in, you laughed, your head falling forward to meet Wade's shoulder as your own shook. The mental image of him on his knees in front of the toilet, saying a few words for each leech as he flushed them was too much. Wade giggled along with you and when you looked up at him you felt your heart drumming like a racehorse's hooves against the race track. You took in a breath and tried to keep a clear head but it was near impossible.

A thought fluttered by like a stray butterfly, enticing you to follow it as it swirled around Wade's head.

"I was thinking," you muttered, voice quieter than you meant and you almost lost your nerve as he leant in to hear you, "maybe, uhm." You felt a lump in your throat at the mere thought of what you wanted to say. Which was the concept of him moving back in. Al had let you know she was not happy with the current arrangement and kept asking when you were taking him back and you'd been putting it off. You didn't want anything messing up the progress you two were making and didn't want any chance of falling into old habits.

But damn, did you want him back home.

"You got me on the edge of my seat here babe, cliffhangers are for books and marvel movies." Wade tried to coax the words out of you and you found yourself leaning back, shaking your head with a small chuckle.

"Maybe you and Al need a mediator, those pranks are getting outta hand."

"Right," He stares at you for a moment before leaning closer, "is that really what you were gonna sa—"

"Order up love birds, the Weasel special." Lenny interrupted just in time to help you avoid the reality that no, it wasn't what you were going to say and you were too chicken shit to face it right now. Wade scowled up at the other man, who just offered a confused, disgruntled glare back.

The burgers were a good distraction, they looked entirely inedible. Three layers of beef patty, orange oozing cheese and tofu, a thick layer of pickles right on top with beetroot, lettuce, onions, chives, bacon, a thick slice of pineapple and some mysterious white sauce with other ingredients you couldn't quite make out sitting between two thick buns. You had no idea how you were getting your mouth around even a chunk of it.

"First you put pineapple on pizza and now this." Wade tossed an accusing finger at Weasel who simply shot him the finger in return.

"You try and tell me if it's good, fuck his opinion." Weasel turned to you, expectantly waiting as Wade scoffed and took the burger in his hands. Somehow in his large hands it almost looked like a normal sized burger, you on the other hand couldn't even figure out how to pick it up. You shrugged and did your best, tucking your fingers around it the best you could and getting it an inch off the plate. Wade took the messiest bite you'd ever seen, half the burger exploding out onto the plate and sauce covering the bottom of his face. You held in your laughter and attempted to take your own bite. You got some patty, cheese, pickle and lettuce.

That alone tasted like a pretty normal burger. When the rest of it came together in your next bite however it was a whole lot of tastes competing in your mouth and you weren't sure if it was good, fine or downright nasty. You glanced at Wade, seeing he was already looking back at you; both of your mouths stuffed full and expressions mirroring each other. It was bad. You swallowed and Wade did the same, however while you paused he shrugged and went in for another bite. You didn't know how he did it.

"So?" Weasel pressed and you rolled your lips into a tight line. You could tell the truth or you could do the easier thing and lie through your teeth. You mulled it over for a second, before slowly nodding to yourself.

"It tastes like… When you first move out on your own and have to cook for yourself for the first time with like—three groceries and some leftovers."

Wade choked on the food in his mouth as a laugh tried to fight its way out of his throat and Lenny snorted from behind the bar. You smiled apologetically at Weasel as he pouted, sinking into his seat dejectedly. You could have been way more harsh, especially as the after-taste hit your taste buds. You tensed your jaw and rolled your lips into a straight line, setting the burger down and wiping your hands on a napkin. You figured it'd be a waste to ditch the whole burger so you picked off the worst offenders and left a mostly normal burger on your plate.

It was huge even still and you made it through half of it before you had to call it quits. Lenny brought you over a takeaway container and muttered something about Weasel making him waste product, you couldn't see the Weasel special lasting much longer. Wade finished off his burger and messily wiped the sauce off his face with a bunch of napkins, still managing to miss some on the edge of his jaw. Your hand moved before you even process it, your thumb swiping it off of his skin and moving back to your own mouth. It wasn't until you'd licked it off did you actually realise what you did—that and Wade staring back at you with a look in his eye that was familiar and foreign all at once.

You'd felt it plenty. It was another thing to see it.

"Uhm—sorry," You laughed and it seemed to break Wade's trance and he shook his head.

"Did'ja get it all?" He made a show of turning his head and you made an equal show and inspecting every inch of his face.

"Mhm, sauce free. You're good." You make an 'okay' sign with your hand and he grins, bowing playfully in his seat.

"Why thank you, wouldn't want to walk down the street with kids pointing and calling me Mr.Mustard." He tosses the napkins down onto his plate, making a bold assumption any percent of that sauce was mustard.

"Yeah that would suck—for you, I think that'd be funny as hell." You grin, enjoying the feeling of being able to joke around with him again. It felt different but in a good way, you weren't afraid one of your jokes would maybe hit an invisible nerve you had no warning of. No fear of him throwing any nasty ones back in defense. It was wierd, being past that, knowing it most likely wouldn't come back again at least not for a while and not without a lot of genuine apologies afterwards.

"Oh, I see how it is—I'll remember that buddy."

It was nice to see him grin and welcome it, knowing he was probably thinking the same thing as you.

You sat in the bar for about a half an hour, Wade intermittently teasing Weasel about his burger while Lenny tried to get you to design a burger of your own. He'd name it after you and everything. You could just feel Wade getting huffy anytime Lenny was talking to you, he wasn't one for jealousy but possessiveness had always been something he struggled with. You were surprised and proud however, he wasn't insulting Lenny or threatening him for his pleasant banter with you or anything. Just resting his arm over the back of your chair and leaning closer to make sure everyone saw who you were there with and maybe remind himself too.

And just for extra measure you leant back into him to remind him you were there for him, no one else. He'd smiled and you'd felt him relax against you, his chest heaving out a breath and his eyes skirting across your face with a gentle look in his eye.

After a while you relented to design a burger, your favourite with some home-brew flare that made Lenny pause before shrugging—Couldn't be worse than Weasel's abomination is all he said. At that Wade shifted and you glanced up at him, he rested his chin on your shoulder and you felt so tempted to twist around and kiss his temple, his jaw, his cheek—his lips. But you didn't.

"Can I walk you home?" He asked and you blinked, trying to listen to the question while wishes and wants danced behind your eyes.

"You'd follow me anyway so why not," You tossed out, smiling as he looked at you with wide, fake innocent eyes.

"Don't know what you're talking about sweetness, but cool. You ready to bounce?" You rolled your eyes at the choice of pet name but nodded, leaning away and pushing your chair out. Wade followed suit, shooting the fellas a lazy goodbye as he walked to the door. They offered their own goodbyes, mainly in your direction as you waved back at them. Wade held the door open for you again and this time as you walked out his hand rested against the small of your back.

It felt right.

You made your way back the way you came, taking a left instead of a right at the main street in the direction of your place. Your hands brushed past each other multiple times as you walked, and after a block you got fed up and just grabbed his. He giggled at the look on your face when you did it and you tried to fight your own smile as you told him to shut it. When you made it to your building you both slowed to a stop.

"So."

"So." You both laughed, an unusual awkwardness between you as you stagnated outside your building. You wanted to invite him in, you wanted to do so many things. Looking at him made you think he was holding back a few things of his own.

"I saw there's this new shitty movie that came out the other week, it looks like a trainwreck," Wade scratched the back of his neck idly as he pretended to inspect the architecture of the building beside you, "Thought maybe we could watch it together." He suggested, gaze flicking back to you. You nodded, not even needing the title or the plot—it didn't matter.

"Yeah i'd love to, is it like, a theatre kinda movie or a couch movie?" You asked and Wade seemed to pause, mulling it over as he watched you.

"Couch movie. Definitely gonna need snacks and popcorn to throw at the TV." He wagged his finger in the air and you rolled your eyes with a chuckle.

"Naturally," You took a step closer to the front doors before turning back to him. It was as good an excuse as any and you really didn't want to say goodbye just yet.

"We could do that now if you're free?" You barely finished your sentence before he was right next to you again, hand back in yours and leading you inside the building at breakneck speed.

"For you? I'm always free." Wade dragged you to the elevator, waving to Rich as you passed by reception. The other man offered an awkward wave back and you didn't have time to think about it as Wade bundled you inside the elevator, you laughed at his eagerness and how giddy he seemed to be pressing the button up to your floor. He told you a bit about the movie as you felt yourself going up, some kind of comedy horror that was filled with B-list actors and the trailers promised terrible writing and innuendoes. It sounded awful and you were looking forward to making fun of it for an hour.

You got into your apartment, stopping to watch as Wade strode in and started prepping. He knew where everything was, he picked out your movie blanket, got the popcorn and snacks from the snack drawer. Watching him take up space so easily and glide around the apartment made you feel fuzzy and melancholic. You missed just watching his large form dwarf your things and now getting to see more than just a red and black suit—It really felt like he was fully here with you. Present and not hiding or pretending in any way.

It was just Wade and it was just you.

It felt good.

You decided to whip up some drinks as Wade found the movie, finishing up once he'd slipped into the kitchenette with you excitedly announcing it was ready to go. He was right behind you and had planted his hands on the counter on either side of you, heat radiating off of his chest as you bumped back into him. He didn't move and he was inspecting the drinks as you turned halfway to face him, his mask, hat and hood all gone and leaving his face completely out in the open. Your eyes traced every inch, your fingertips wanted to run along his jaw—wanted to touch him in any way you could.

When he looked back at you, you felt yourself giving way under his gaze. This was so ridiculous.

"I think—Do you want to move back in?"

The words tumbled out before you could stop yourself and frankly, you didn't want to. It'd had been damn long enough and you wanted him back home.

"My answer is my bags are packed, let's get some celebration pizza, fuck yes, but—and this is the counsellor talking—are you sure? Are we… Are we good?" Wade didn't miss a beat and he looked ready to knock you over in excitement. The shining in his eyes and unrest of his body as he tried to keep himself a respectable distance was incredibly endearing in the moment. Normally he'd just sweep you off your feet and not think about it, he heard what he wanted and typically that'd be all he needed. But he was asking you, checking in, caring about what you were ready for.

It just made you all the more sure it was time.

"I think we're almost there, I think this is the next step. I'm ready if you are." You reach out and Wade's hands find yours instantly, wrapping around them and pulling you forward. Your foreheads knocked together and you both laugh, giddy and excited about what this meant. Wade's eyes flickered down and you really wanted him to kiss you, but you weren't gonna push it. You'd both get there again in no time, every torn seam was slowly threading back into place and the hurt was so low down you could barely focus on it past this feeling right now. The closeness with the one man that had truly gotten under your skin in the best and worst ways, the one who had made you feel a million different things.

The man you loved.

Wade's expression softened into that serene, gentle appreciation and one of his hands slid up to cup your cheek. His thumb traced your cheekbone and you melted against his hand, closing your eyes to just enjoy the moment. You felt Wade's lips press against your forehead, bumps and divots of his skin comforting and electrifying all at once.

"I can take the couch for a while,"

You looked up at him, shaking your head before he even finished his words.

"No you—I want you back in Wade. All the way in." You lift your hands, running them around his waist and diving into his chest to hug him tightly. He doesn't miss a beat, engulfing you in his arms and shielding you from everything around you. You'd missed being held by him like this, you felt like you were in your own bubble and nothing could touch you; nothing else mattered. Home hadn't felt like home in a while for you and this, right here—this felt like home.

Wade was home.

And like hell he was leaving again.

End notes: Sorry for missing last week, my work load has piled up and I didn't want to post a half-assed final part. I might end up writing an epilogue but I'm not making any promises! Thank you again for reading and leaving comments, the support was super appreciated! <3

[sleepymccoy]

I expect people don't really need to hear this, but I'm feeling it right this minute so imma talk about the chronology of how i write

I used to think to create a cohesive story you had to either write everything down in order, or fully plan out the story before starting so you didn't get lost. I am so glad I stopped doing either of these a long time ago

Now I just write what suits me, and if I go against an earlier scene I either rewrite that or scrap it. There's a lot of scrapping tbh

With fanfic I can kinda get away with it cos I know the characters well enough to be familiar with their emotional arc and jump around the beats pretty nimbly. It's different w original stories cos I don't know the characters so well yet. My first run at it I tried to plan AND write in order, which is the opposite of what I naturally do

Now I'm doing what I want. And I'm rediscovering how easy it is to write like this! And I'm meeting and learning who these guys are as I go, which informs everything else

My early scenes are pretty rough and dialogue/setting heavy. Not a lot of internal thoughts or opinionated observations. After I write a scene (not before!) I summarise what that scene has in it. Some are just "show what meal times are like" and I kinda know the characters are also meeting for the first time. But their dialogue is gonna change, I'm gonna write some throw away line in two months time that reshapes the whole first meeting and then I'll go back and rewrite the interactions to fit. Or put it in another scene. But I'll always have something based on this that shows what meal times are like. And that's great. Cos rn the scene is done, I've given it it's little green colour label on Scrivener, and I can move tf on. Later, I'll know these guys better and it'll be a better scene.

I know this is what a first draft is, but I always had in mind that the first draft is done when you finish the ending. But I'm on the third draft of some scenes and I'm not even at the second act. And those third drafts are my guiding rods for characterisation cos by this point they're supporting each other in this complex foreshadowing, emotional beat, cross referential ways that make the whole thing cohesive. The other scenes, well, they're place holders to keep me moving forwards. Even some of the really hot ones.

Like, the scene where they fuck in the sapling room is sexy, but ultimately is probably gonna change cos it's such a pivotal moment and I don't know how it'll reverberate yet. Whereas the scene where they spontaneously decide to try edging? That's had a few rewrites and has some cool complex emotions and foreshadowing going on, as well as toe dipping into mutual dependency, and I like it very much now. It's doing what I want and any changes from here on should be pretty small.

I can particularly remember laying in bed two weeks after writing the edging scene and going 😶 he's being too open about being upset about the day, there's no way he'd discuss that yet. And disappointedly decided to remove all of the motivating force and put that sex somewhere else and face rewriting the whole emotional beat. But I reread it and was like... Hang on... The motivation can stay as long as he lies... And then the pov character can establish some of his thick headedness in not noticing... And it's not exactly heathy... Yum

But that needed two weeks of noodling for me to realise. And now it's foreshadowing the act three plot twist! That I haven't written yet cos I have too many ideas for how to do the reveal and they're all juicy

Anyway, I'm loving being free to rewrite and change stuff constantly. And like, also gives me the freedom to drag and drop things into different points in the chronology if I wanna try it out with relatively little editing cos so far the scenes are mostly surface level.

It's good. I'm good. It's been like seven weeks of free form writing when I feel like it and it's at like 25k without breaking a sweat so. I'm happy ❤️❤️

[unhonestlymirror]

America: I wonder how you four ended up being relatives, you look so... diverse.

Lithuania: *facepalm*

Latvia: Dude, THAT'S racist.

India: Wow, you sound just like your father, it gives me nostalgia! :D

Estonia: *tries not to laugh*

India: About 10 000 years ago, there lived a family of a hundred sons and one daughter. After a big war, the father, whose name was Bharata, was severely wounded and passed away without having time to write a will, so a squabble for power began. Brother turned on brother, everyone wanted to be the next ruler and marry their only sister, as pretty as lotus flower, the only woman who possessed the magical powers. The youngest son, a boy of extraterrestrial beauty and a kind heart, skin as an ivory, hair the ancient darkness of Vidisha, face a sculpture from Sravasthi, he didn't want to participate in those horrors, so he took his bow, arrows and Madu, and he went west to seek his fortune, leaving behind the saddened sister, who was too cowardly to give up everything she knew and leave, even if it meant losing all the power over her body. For many centuries, he wandered around the world like sun, saw thousands of different miracles, participated in thousands of different battles, made thousands of friends - but nowhere he felt like staying forever, nothing brought him a feeling of home. His soul and body were tired, he hated the sun itself, so he went north.

Lithuania: Oh, I know the rest, Curonia told me when I was little! Once, your brother reached the sea merging with the sky itself, bluer than turquoise. He couldn't have but fall into temptation to reach the Heaven Castle. He kept going many miles further ahead, and seeing that the sea didn't go any deeper, he lost his vigilance and track of time. Tired but inspired, he decided to catch himself some fish to eat. No one told him that sea was the local witch's property, whose peace no one dared to disturb for a long time.

Lithuania: Lightning of all colours scorched his ivory skin and long black hair, and the undercurrents dragged his limbs down the water. Jūratė was an asocial introvert, and she really didn’t like the smugglers who took all her amber and killed her fish. At first, she wanted to punish the stranger, but seeing his exhausted bloodless face, her heart was filled with pity, so she brought him to her Amber castle for interrogation.

India: I never liked that wicked daayan.

Lithuania: Well, mom wasn't that evil. After having a hearty lunch in a house made of sun, both made by a beautiful woman with golden hair and sapphire eyes, dad said he immediately fell in love with her. This made her laugh a lot, so she decided not to tell him that she almost killed him and the storm was her doing, and she put all the blame on the Thunder God.

Lithuania: However, when mom asked what his name was, he said something so difficult to pronounce that she asked: "Kas ir ta tauta?" - which means "What is your nation?" Dad didn't know any Baltic language back then, so he thought "kastaut" was some sort of friendly greeting. This word, eventually, became his new nickname. Nowadays, however, its form is Kastytis.

Latvia: Estonia called him Aesti, btw.

Lithuania: The moral of the story is that serious misunderstandings can not only destroy human relationships but also create them! :D

America: What a beautiful story.✨️

Latvia: And then they got married, had 10 children, and died in one day. Happy end.

Lithuania: You sound sarcastic.

Latvia: Wow, no way.

India: So basically, you three are the only alive sons of my brother.

Latvia: Nuh-uh, it's Liet only. Estonia is the oldest of us all, and he's our bro not by blood but by soul, we went through a lot of shit together during Livonian Order occupation, russian empire, nazis, soviets... I'm the proud child of Kurzeme and Latgale. Zemgale as well, but it's complicated.

India: Wait, so you're the grand kid? ...Why do Lithuania and Latvia call each other brothers then, not "nephew" and "uncle"?

Lithuania: It’s complicated.

Latvia: He's too Polish to be my uncle.

Lithuania: Shut up, my German nephew.💢

Latvia: Uno reverse, Estonia is your uncle.

Estonia: Please stop, I don't want to be anyone's uncle XD