#i would be less of a whiny cry baby about them if mines were light

[calico-kiwi]

i hate periods 🔥 🔥 🔥 (<this is me trying to burn mine so it is gone forever)

[teddybeardoctorr]

A Mark on Me

Characters: OFC Julie (Dean’s daughter), Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, mention of Metatron and Castiel.

Summary: What if Demon!Dean tried killing his daughter instead of Sam?

Words: 2.3k

Warnings: Mention of character death, angst, graphic descriptions of violence, some fluff, some curse words.

I wrote this awhile ago because I love Demon!Dean and the idea of Dean having a daughter. Hope you enjoy! No beta, all mistakes are my own. - A/N

Looking in the mirror terrified me.

No, I didn't see my reflection staring back at me. Not my bright green eyes or brown hair. Not that bewildered expression I was unable to wipe off my face since yesterday.

Instead, I saw black eyes. Glittering, sinister, playful, as if my life ending with a snap of a neck was the most amusing thing in the world.

Everywhere I looked, all I saw was my dad trying to murder me.

He was just cured of the demon blood in his veins two weeks ago. Weeks before, my dad was killed by Metatron, an angel who wanted to be the new God. The angel who took my dad away from me.

Fifteen years of my life gone, like that. Within minutes. I remembered crying for what felt like every second of the day.

And then, his corpse disappeared into the night. Crowley taking his body for a joyride with a black eyed monster.

I knew it wasn't him. Not really, anyway. It was a demon parading around in his flesh, enjoying the high of complicating a human life for their enjoyment.

It wasn't him. No. It wasn't.

But anytime I looked in a reflecting object, all I saw was his odious eyes stabbing into me with hunger, once Uncle Sam brought him back to the bunker. I heard his growl echo against my eardrums. I saw his hands reach out to crush my windpipe.

But it wasn't him.

Hearing voices down the hall, I tried stretching my ears but fell short. Uncle Sam and dad were talking. It didn't sound like a fun conversation.

Stepping out of the bathroom quietly as I could, I tiptoed down the long hallway. They were coming from my dad's room, where the door was just a crack open.

Once I got close enough, I stood against the wall, separating who was talking first.

"Dean, she knows it wasn't you-"

"But it was, Sam! I knocked you out. I tried killing her. I almost did."

"But you didn't."

"And what if I did, huh? What if I just murdered my own daughter?"

"It wasn't you! You were a demon!"

"Oh yeah, just tell her that."

"She knows you wouldn't do anything to hurt her."

"Then why can she barely look at me? Why every time I step in her direction, she flinches? Hell, I don't blame her. I'd be pretty spooked if dad tried taking us out."

"Dude, just...give Julie some time, okay? We just got back, and she hasn't had any time with you, yet."

Uncle Sam was right. After the whole incident, he told me they would be going away for a little to take a break from hunting. So, I stayed with Jody, a fellow hunter, until they returned. I couldn't look at him then, but knew I'd be ready to see my dad now.

I missed him.

And apparently, I wasn't ready. At all.

Every time he was near, I would get quiet. I would freeze. I would prepare for my next move.

I was terrified that his eyes would go black again.

What if they did? What would I do? Would I be ready?

I just didn't know the answers to any of these questions, and it killed me. I hated it.

I wish I didn't have this life. And sometimes, this family. I wish I was normal.

Stepping away from my thoughts, I heard my dad say, "I just want to hug my girl, Sammy. I just want her to hug me, look at me, talk to me, anything. I wish none of this would've happened."

"But it did, Dean. And we will fight through this, just like we always do."

These words did nothing to comfort me, so I headed back to my room. Wondering if this aching feeling in the pit of my stomach would ever go away.

Growing up in this lifestyle was never easy. My mom decided she didn't want me anymore, surrendering to drugs, and dropped me off with my dad. Ever since, all I've known has been this life of hunting and monsters and near death experiences. My dad always said he never wanted this for me, but it was exciting. I didn't mind it.

But now, I did.

All I wanted was my daddy back.

***

"You know, Julie, sweet. Angel. Julie. There's just enough demon in me to snap that little neck of yours."

I gulped, hoping he couldn't hear it from around the corner.

He was breaking down the door from the control room, where I put the bunker on lockdown and lured the demon inside. Once I saw him loose and out of the torture room, I panicked and did what instantly came to mind.

The only thing that might kill this demon was to trap him inside again.

"I'll wake up Sammy, let him watch me crush you, and then I'll crush him, too." More wood crashing to the floor with each hit of the axe. "I love the sounds of bones breaking."

I shuddered, feeling tears stream down my cheek. Feeling my throat close up.

This wasn't my dad. No. It wasn't. It couldn't be.

Uncle Sam was nowhere to be found. Not knowing what happened horrified me, as I could only guess he was knocked out cold. But there was no time to look for him.

I knew the demon would look for me there, so once he stepped inside the control room, I locked him away. But apparently, he had an emergency axe gripped in his hand. And knew how to turn the lockdown mode off.

Once the wood of the door started flying forward, I fled, waiting.

He would come out, and I'd get the chance to restrain him with the demon blade.

Yelling down the hall, he said, "I can't wait to feel those bones crack in my hands. I'll twist them into little pieces and shove them down your throat."

It took everything in me not to throw up. His threat didn't make sense, but that didn't horrify me any less.

This wasn't my dad talking. This wasn't Dean Winchester.

I gripped the hilt of the blade tighter.

He stopped knocking down the door, but followed were two foot steps.

My free hand shut my mouth tight. He escaped.

This was it.

"You know, Julie, when your life exits those eyes, I'll be sure to have you sent to hell. Waiting for me. The things I'll do to you there…"

He was walking. Taking his time. Stepping closer.

"I'll make sure to slice your skin, piece by piece, extra slow. Let you scream. Let you feel the burn of your skin stretching and breaking apart."

His steps were now just around the corner.

"Mhmmm….baby girl, I can't wait to let you see what Hell is really like. See you there soon."

In perfect timing as he swung the axe, I ducked down. Some brick fell from the wall, but I rose up, the tip of the blade pointing at the center of his neck.

He looked at the blade, smiling and laughing darkly. Laughing too long, his eyes connecting with mine before shutting his lips together.

"Do it, sweetheart. Kill your daddy. Watch him go to hell. It's where he belongs."

I stood silent, inching the blade a centimeter closer, until it was poking at his flesh.

If he dipped any closer, he would end his own life.

"Dad - D-Dean, please wake up. Please."

A dark, sarcastic laugh bubbled from his throat as he rolled his eyes. "Please, you whiny brat. Dean is long gone. He always has been a demon. He just needed the extra boost."

I felt my lips press harder together. I was angry, hurt, scared beyond belief.

How did it come to this?

"Dad," I said, desperation rising in my voice. "Please fight this. I'm your daughter. You love me."

Another laugh that vibrating so low from his chest that my skin crawled. "Love you? Please. You're a burden, a spoiled brat. Daddy never loved you."

It wasn't him it wasn't him.

I swallowed down the tears threatening to erupt and ignite me whole.

There was only one way to get him back. Speaking sense into him wasn't it.

When I didn't respond, his chest started rising up and down. A low growl emitting from his lips, vibrating off his chest.

"Do it."

But I couldn't. Not with my dad deep down in there, probably clawing to the top to try and save himself.

I licked my lips. The fear in my chest was bursting, waiting to implode.

"Do it, you coward bitch! Do it!"

But I couldn't. Deep down, even with fear swimming inside of every crevice, I couldn't.

So I dropped my arm. The blade fell to the ground, my grip falling loose.

"Suit yourself, sweetheart."

That was just enough time for the demon to lunge at me, hands outstretched, eyes so dark, his growl inhuman and popping my eardrums.

Right as his hands gripped my neck and tightened around my skin just once, Castiel grabbed him away from me, with everything he had.

Everything that happened after was a mix of fear and tears, as I clawed at my throat, breathing unevenly.

***

The events of that day kept replaying over and over in my head. They always did, but especially when I was trying to fall asleep.

As if knowing I wasn't going to snore anytime soon, there was a soft knock at my bedroom door.

"Juls?"

My body tensed under the covers.

Dad.

He knocked twice more, a little more urgent than before. When he heard nothing in return, he decided to open the door anyway, pushing it in quietly.

Every step he took, I curled into myself under the covers. Hoping he didn't notice in the dark. I just wanted to go to bed and forget about everything for a handful of hours.

But then I felt the dip of his weight settling in bed. Sitting next to me.

"Julie," Dad said, sighing. "I know you're awake. We need to talk."

"No I'm not."

He snorted. "Well, now you are."

Oh...yeah.

Damnit.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly sat up, turning the lamp on. Hesitantly, I turned my head to look at him. I felt myself physically shaking. It wasn't easy, but now, I was finally taking him in for the first time in what felt like ages.

Now, this was my dad. His eyes light and playful. A smirk casually waiting behind his lips. But there was a sadness to his features. A worn, tired look. Like he just came out of battle and lost everyone that was close to him.

I guess that wasn't any different from our lives.

But I knew why there was sadness lingering.

"How've you been, kiddo?" He asked, smiling tiredly.

I shrugged. "Good, I guess. How are you...after everything?"

He shrugged, too. "Good. It's been good, taking a break. But um, I…Juls...I am so, so, so sorry."

"Dad-"

"Just...let me say this," he said, one hand raised in protest, eyes penetrating and serious, almost desperate. "I'm so sorry for everything this has put you through. I am so sorry for not being able to protect you. You have to know, I would never, ever hurt you. Ever."

"I know, daddy," I said, softly. Now, my eyes were glossy with pending tears. "It's okay. You don't have to apologize."

"But I do," he pleaded, his hand resting on my shoulder. "You are my only girl, Julie. The most important girl in my life. I'm your dad. I'm supposed to protect you. And I couldn't. I wasn't there. And that's never going to happen ever again. I just want us to be okay again."

Now, the tears were rolling down my cheeks, hot and racing. I wiped at them and looked down at my lap, ashamed. I know my dad would never hurt me. Hell, he was always protective of me in every situation. He wouldn't even let a waiter talk to me when we went out to eat, answering questions for me to deflect anyone's attempt to flirt.

But this one time in life, he couldn't do that. And it wasn't his fault. Now, I felt terrible for ever being afraid of this warm, strong man of a dad in front of me. This man would never fail me. I knew that.

I didn't realize he had gathered me in his arms until my cheek was pressed against his chest. I breathed heavily, letting more tears soak his shirt and wrapping my arms around him. This is what I missed, the comfort and security only my dad could bring me. The comfort and security before and after every rare hunt he decided to take me on. The comfort and security that wrapped itself around me since I was a little girl, scared with no other place to go.

All the comfort and security I needed to let me know that we would all be okay was right here, wrapped around me. I smiled at the realization.

Now, we were leaning against the headboard, still holding onto each other for dear life. He ran his hand down my hair slowly, shushing me from my growing sobs. I held on tighter, settling into him and relishing in this hug.

When I was younger and cried like this, dad would always hug me until I fell asleep in his arms. He wouldn't leave me alone until I told him I was okay. He was worried I would have another nightmare or meltdown without him protecting me. The memory made me smile, holding on tighter.

Once my sobs were silent, I let go a little, looking up at him. "Dad, I'm sorry. We're okay. I know none of that was you. And I'm just glad you're back."

He smiled, brushing a loose lock of hair behind my ear. "I'm glad I'm back too, kiddo."

[jungnoir]

Honestly the milkshake prompt with jungkook sounds perfect! Thank you 😄

milkshake man;

jeon jungkook | 14. “One milkshake down.” ⇢ jungkook’s worst nightmare comes true: his child is lactose intolerant. dad!au. | 1.8k words. | fluff, humor.

a/n: you can consider this an epilogue to isn’t she lovely, but it does not need to be read to understand this!

Honestly, not that you did, but if you ever second guessed that your child with Jungkook was truly his, there was one thing that always diminished that doubt immediately: it was her absolute tendency to do everything perfectly and before anyone else.

You remembered her forming sentences at nearly nine months, walking before any of your friends’ babies did, and picking up everything her father taught her without difficulty. You had honestly wondered if Jungkook had some kind of genius baby making blood that would change the evolutionary game. Whatever it was, she was a lot like her father in every way and he was damn proud of it. There was only a tiny problem that neither of you had seen coming, and unfortunately, it had come eight chocolate milkshakes later.

It all started when Jungkook, out of all the new things he wanted to teach his advanced little girl, pulled out the milk carton.

“Jungkook…” Your voice trails off in an exasperated sigh, watching your husband grin at your six year old little girl who was currently sitting criss-cross applesauce on the kitchen floor. Your husband, nearly three times her size, sits opposite her with his legs splayed out on either side of her knees. In between them is a large carton of milk, and beside it is an equally large carton of chocolate ice cream. Your daughter licks her lips as Jungkook places a single, hot pink cup in the midst of it all.

Twirling the ice cream scooper in hand, Jungkook smirks at you from the floor, “I know what you’re going to say-” “I don’t care how smart our baby is, I’m not ready for her to start experimenting in the kitchen. I haven’t even introduced her to dying Easter eggs yet!” You try not to look at the two in worry; the mixture of the two loves of your life handling both a gallon of sticky liquid and sticky cream makes you mourn the bath water you’ll be preparing for the smallest of the two, probably very soon.

A pout forms on Jungkook’s face, followed by fluttering of eyelashes from not one Jeon, but two. Your daughter, Somin, has the exact some starry, puppy-dog eyes that her father possesses… as if to make matters worse.

The bigger Jeon frowns openly, “It’s just one milkshake.”

“Yes,” you stress the word just as much as he stressed “one”, “but you know what happens when she gets introduced to something new. She immediately tries to replicate it, and guess who has to clean up after her when she does?”

Somin reaches for the milk, chubby fingers attempting to take the carton from his hands. Jungkook tugs it away before she can even get close enough, “I will! I’m only showing her this once all the wonderful things milk can make. I promise we won’t make a mess. Nothing will go wrong.” Jungkook’s promise feels completely dependent on the complex, growing mind of your six year old and her level of determination to complete this new task after tasting the end result. You really did not like leaving things up to a child whose loyalty to you shifted everyday before bed time.

You watch him focus his attention on the cup instead as he begins to scoop some ice cream from its carton, dropping three full scoops into the cup before pouring the milk over it. He takes a spare spoon and starts stirring, the little girl before him watching with all eyes and ears focused on him. You realize there’s not much you can do now; she knows the three things she needs to make those milkshakes, and now she’s going to think about it on repeat until she gets the chance to make it again. You can already see the mess, but you leave the kitchen before you fall into another fit.

If you were lucky, this would only stop at one milkshake.

Jungkook comes home the next day to a quiet house. That is the first sign something is not quite right, but he tries to ignore the feeling in hopes that it was just his overactive imagination.

It wasn’t, unfortunately, when he hears a cry that he is all too familiar with.

Jungkook moves with a speed he was unaware he possessed in the direction of Somin’s bedroom, just barely knocking into the door frame to get inside. He can see you sitting on the edge of Somin’s bed while the child in question is curled up under her covers, whining softly, painfully. Jungkook’s heart tugs as he walks over, whispering to you, “What happened? Is she sick?”

You look up at him with a pitiful look, right before pushing yourself up from the bed and walking over to him. You can see the small wrinkles in his brow that had begun to form over the years and you attempt to smooth them out with your fingertips. His tense body doesn’t relax, but he does wrap an arm around you in lieu of fidgeting with his fingers.

After you’ve finished brushing his hair from his eyes, you sigh, “Got some bad news about baby Jeon today,” you say, and Jungkook’s mind is swimming with all the possibilities, “she is… lactose intolerant.”

Jungkook blinks. Then, “…excuse me?”

You snicker, watching him trying to process the information with (only slight) amusement, “Yeah, apparently children can develop an intolerance to dairy once they’ve passed two years old, and, well… she has.”

Jungkook frowns, then pouts, then drops his head on your shoulder in defeat, “How could this happen? We did everything right…”

“Jungook, she won’t die. We’ve just got to buy soy milk from now on and cut back on all the dairy. The worst she gets is a little gas, but this means you two can’t have milk drinking competitions anymore.” “If I can’t take my kid on banana milk dates with me anymore,  what can we do?” “Normal things that other children and their fathers do?” You offer, yelping when Jungkook playfully nips at the skin of your neck in retaliation.

He pulls back and you can see the light disappointment in his eyes, but relative relief at the fact that it’s nothing too serious. A little discomfort, maybe, but she would be feeling better in a few hours.

“That’s… not the worst of it, though.” You pull away and pat his chest, the confusion arising in his expression when you begin to exit Somin’s room. He follows after you, down the hall, the stairs, and right toward the kitchen. Before he even passes the threshold, he suddenly gets a bad feeling.

“Oh no…” Jungook sees the kitchen floor lined with nearly ten milkshakes, all varying amounts and textures. All, very clearly, made by one little girl upstairs. “How did she even get her hands on everything?”

“A stool and determination,” you fold your arms with an “I told you so” look on your face, “she waited until I went to water the plants, and I think I recall a certain husband of mine saying he would clean up if any messes took place.”

Ah. He did say he would do that, didn’t he?

Slowly, Jungkook kneels to the floor and collects the first cup, inspecting for anything that a six year old might have inserted that could be potentially dangerous. A sip later, he throws it all back in three big gulps.

Your jaw drops, “J-” “One milkshake down,” his tone sounds incredibly stressed, but that familiar challenge in his eyes says that he is not to be moved. If it took five cups of ramen to make him full, eight milkshakes were nothing, “seven to go.”

“Why don’t you just throw them away…?” Your voice takes on a slightly whiny tone. One thing you hoped Somin never got from her father was his intense stubbornness and need to push his physical limits. You could see him already bragging to the boys about how he had consumed more milk and ice cream in less than an hour than any of them had consumed in a week.

“This is more than a third of a carton’s worth of milk and probably all the chocolate ice cream we had in this house. I am not letting this go to waste.” “And I’m not taking care of you when you get a stomachache too.”

He says nothing in response to you, simply grabbing the next cup and depositing the other into the sink for the dishes he would inevitably be cleaning by himself later on. Quietly, to yourself, you mutter a few choice words that you hope Jungkook can sense the irritation in and plop down onto the kitchen floor. You grab the cup nearest you and start chugging, caution thrown to the wind. You probably wouldn’t be able to stomach as much as your husband, but you weren’t letting him suffer alone.

Jungkook smiles over the rim of his fourth cup, electing to stay silent until you two finally met in the middle. He’d drank more than half of the lot but had nothing to show for it besides a guttural burp. You, on the other hand, already felt more than a little full. Your eyelashes fluttered shut as you attempt to collect yourself, the want to fall on the floor and explode becoming awfully tempting.

“You didn’t have to help me, you know.” He says teasingly but gently, pushing himself up from the floor and moving behind you. Carefully, as Jungkook always was with you and Somin, he cradles you into his arms and begins to walk you upstairs to your bedroom.

You let him lay you down on the sheets and he brushes your hair from your eyes, chuckling when you open them just to glare, “Dummy… I wasn’t gonna let you suffer alone. You were right after all, milk costs a pretty penny in this economy.”

“Is this what marriage is?” He asks, kneeling on the floor beside the bed to be eye level with you. You roll onto your side and exhale something that sounds like a laugh… or maybe a groan, “Drinking eight milkshakes that our daughter impulse-made on the kitchen floor because we can’t handle throwing it all away?”

“I guess it is.” You hum, right as he comes in for a kiss. His lips and yours are still a little sticky from the milkshakes, but you don’t mind so much when his hand comes to rub at your tummy in comfort.

Jungkook hears Somin call for him from down the hall and rises to his feet, checking over you once more before starting his trek down the hallway, “Next time Somin makes too much of something, let’s just invite the boys over to eat it all.” “Or pray that there never is a next time.”

[zoebechtle-blog]

Unlikely Chapter 10

I took Basil’s words to heart and thought intensely about how dating Niall would affect my life. I spent an evening searching online for girls he and his bandmates had dated - the reactions were daunting at best. Their lives were definitely thought to be public property, and everyone seemed to have an opinion. The women they were involved with were harassed and torn apart for every single move they made.  Rumors ranged from the absurd to downright cruel. It was suggested that a pregnancy was faked, that members were being closeted, and various girls had used members to further their own agendas for fame. It was frightening to say the least. And if I had an ounce of common sense and self-preservation, I would have sprinted off in the other direction (instead of one direction - snort). But I didn’t. I had to learn my lessons the hard way.

I stayed at Niall’s house a few more times over the next few weeks, and he at mine. He loved when I cooked for him courtesy of the recipe book Grandma B had made me when I moved away to school (he did inform me that his trainer, however, would hate me). I caught myself stocking up on Stella and his favorite snack, hummus and carrots. He replaced his regular sized bottles of bumble & bumble shampoo and conditioner with the economy sized ones, and I found a new flat iron and my favorite face wash on the counter in his bathroom. He’d even gone as far as stashing an emergency Cadbury bar in the house at all times, having survived the aftermath of me having a chocolate craving with nothing handy. We laid in bed at night telling each other stories, giggling or sometimes crying. Mornings after we spent the night together I'd wake up to him cuddled around me. He had no problem showing affection, if anything, he was handsy as hell. When he went out of town for a week and a half at the Masters and then a vacation, I genuinely missed him. So much. And that scared me more than anything.   

One night shortly after he’d returned from The Masters, he showed up at my door with a delivery guy and two flat screen TVs. The shocked look on my face only lasted a second, then immediately turned into a glare.  “Can I help you, Horan?”  I spread my arms across the door frame, blocking his entrance.  He and his lackey weren’t coming in unless I got a goddamn explanation.

“It’s a gift, Z!” he pleaded. I narrowed my eyes in response.  He pouted his plump little lips at me and shot me the most pathetic puppy dog eyes I’d ever seen.  I grabbed the collar of his light cotton henley and yanked him through the door.  “You - inside. You two wait here.”  Niall shot me a look and I rolled my eyes, huffing out a “please” to the stunned delivery men in my hallway.

Niall toed at the carpet inside my door, sheepishly glancing up at me as I paced in front of him.  “What the hell Niall?  A). I don’t want you spending money on me, and B). shouldn’t a gift be something I want and/or I would use? I don’t need a tv, let alone two of them! I don’t even have cable or anything to watch on the TV!” I threw my hands up in the air in exasperation. “You're being fucking ridiculous!”

“Yeah, about that…” He tried to look innocent and gave me a smile.

I froze and stared at him, slack-jawed and pissed.  “Seriously? You got cable for my flat?! I don’t watch TV! Netflix is all I need.”  

Niall reached out and took my hands in his mitt-sized palms and softly stroked across my knuckles.  “I can’t watch golf or footie on Netflix, petal.” Petal. I was quickly learning this was his nickname to pacify me. And it usually worked because honestly, how cute is that?

“You’re kidding me. So you want to come over here just to watch sports?”

He gave me a smarmy grin, “Gotta have something to watch while you’re sucking me off.”

I literally growled at him and pushed his shoulders while he laughed. “C’mon, I was waiting here for an hour the other night when ya got stuck behind that accident coming home. And I get bored when you take a shower.”

I crossed my arms with a pout, “You could always JOIN me in the shower.”

His shit eating grin lit up his face and his pure blue eyes glowed, “Sure, after I check the scores.”  He pressed a kiss to my cheek while I was frozen in place still pouting at his antics.  He flung the front door open and waved to the delivery men to come in.  “This way gentleman!  The lady will be keeping the TVs!”

The next Tuesday night I was surprised to hear the TV playing when I went to unlock my door. Niall hadn’t told me he was coming over. And yes, he had a key - it was just easier.

“Honey, I’m hooooome.” Rory McIlroy was being interviewed on the screen (Christ, I knew golfers by name now), so I knew he couldn’t be far away. He stuck his head out of the kitchen, and I jogged over to him, throwing my arms around his neck. When I leaned in for a kiss, I noticed his face was red and his hair looked like he’d been yanking it out by the roots. Also, he looked like he was going to throw up.

“Are you okay? Are you sick?” I backed away slowly. Being sick was not on my agenda for this week, and I really didn’t want to take care of someone with the man flu. I could only imagine how whiny Niall would be.

“No. Just gotta talk to ya about something.” The thumbnail went into his mouth, and I felt my stomach drop. He hadn’t seemed this wrecked about something since he told me about the girl in LA. Oh Christ. He’d been in the States and the Bahamas a few weeks ago. Had he done something stupid? I looked around for the nearest blunt object in case I needed to hit him.

“The Daily Mail has pics they’re going to publish tomorrow…” My stomach dropped instantly.

“Pics of WHOM, NIALL?!” My voice edged up up a notch, and was very loud. My hands had turned into little blocks of ice, and I could feel my cheeks on fire. Now I was going to be the one to throw up. All of my physical anxiety symptoms in less than ten seconds. A new record.

He rubbed his hand over his face and pulled roughly at his hair.  “Us. At quiz night last week. You sitting on my lap when Paul was cleaning up the spilled pint, a couple of us kiss-” I instantly relaxed my shoulders and let out a breath.  Niall registered my reaction and it dawned on him why I was so worked up.  “Jesus Christ, Zoe, did you think I was going to tell you they were pics of me and another girl?!”

I slid down and sat on the floor of my kitchen because my legs felt like jello. They were pics of us, doing normal couple stuff. That I could handle. Niall squatted in front of me, picking up my chin.

“Did ya really think I was going to tell you they were pics of me with someone else? Z, no baby. I told you that.” The hurt expression on his face almost broke my heart. I couldn’t lie to him, so I shrugged.

“I don’t know. I just walked in and you were freaking out, and said pictures, and, I don’t know. I’m sorry. I just spazzed. The last time I saw you like this you told me about the girl in LA. I don’t remember anyone taking pictures of us.” Tears welled up in my eyes, threatening to spill down my cheeks at any moment.  I hated the broken look on his face. I leaned up to stroke his cheek. “You shouldn’t bend like that, it’s bad for your knee.

“Yeah, usually you don’t know they’re being taken,” he moved into a sitting position across from me so our legs were touching. “I’d like to bitch slap the person that invented a fucking camera on a phone.” I let him pull me closer into a comforting hug.

Then I heard my toilet flush and I jumped a foot. “What the fuck?”

“Oh, Christ. Yeah. Bas is here. We need to figure out what’s going on. Kimmy is on her way, too.” Alright, Basil just shit in my bathroom, which hadn’t been cleaned since last year, and Niall’s manager whom I’ve never met was on her way to my house. Ace.

By the time Kimmy (who was bloody adorable) arrived, Bas, Niall, and I were all two drinks into the night. Niall had called to order us Thai, but my stomach was in no shape to eat. “Got ya some coconut soup - think that’ll stay down?” He whispered in my ear, obviously having heard me wretch in the bathroom. I laid my head on his shoulder, and he played with my hair, chatting with Bas about golf, and gnawing on his hand. I knew it was going to be a clusterfuck, but honestly, seeing him tear himself apart was worse. I grabbed his hand out of his mouth and kissed it.

Once the food arrived, everyone tucked in but me. These people obviously weren’t blessed with the nervous stomach gene.

“Okay, so what do we do? There’s no way to stop them, is there?” I started off.

“Short of an injunction, no.” Kim looked at me over her noodles. “And injunctions are saved for big shit, like the time the Daily Star alluded to Niall having a crack problem.”

“It was meth, not crack,” he corrected.

I raised an eyebrow at her, and turned to the boy on my left. “Junkie.”

“This kind of thing is probably best if we don’t respond. We’ve made it a point to not comment on Niall’s personal relationships in the past. It worked when Greg caused a fuss, and with all the Selena rumors.” I nodded at Kim, and Niall squeezed my hand.

Bas leaned forward. “Zoe, it’s going to be like I told you before. The stuff being said about you won’t be nice. And your entire life is going to be on Twitter within an hour. You’d probably do best to stay offline the next few days. And take a few vacation days from work.” I could feel Niall tense next to me.

“No, I can’t do that.” All eyes turned to me. “I mean, yeah, I’ll stay offline. But I can’t take random days off with no notice. It’ll leave everyone in a lurch. My kids don’t handle change well. Me not being there will fuck everything up.”

“I understand, but I don’t thi-”

“Bas, she said no.” Niall’s voice was harsh. “See if we can get someone to drive her to and from.”

“Not necessary. I don’t need a damn driver.”

“Z, we’ve been through this, babe. Let me do this.” Niall looked annoyed and tired, and almost pleading. I nodded. I can play nice.

Basil tried again, “I’d feel better if you stayed at the house at least the next couple of nights. It minimizes your exposure.”

“Okay. But only if he,” pointing to Niall, “agrees to make me breakfast.” No one really laughed at my obvious attempt of a joke. Lame.

“About your social media, then.”

“I deleted Facebook and Twitter after we talked.” Niall looked at me with wide eyes. Obviously he hadn’t noticed my missing tweets. “Instagram is only people I know personally. And I removed anything that could be considered risque. I’ve only used SnapChat a handful of times. There’s LinkedIn, but that’s basic shit.” I’d spent one evening last week trying to clean up my digital footprint. I’m sure I did a horrible job, but at least basic info seekers were taken care of.

Basil nodded at me. Dare I say he looked a little appreciative? “You might want to let your family know this is coming. They very likely will get calls. And your close friends.”

“Okay.” Now to wait for my life to explode.

I said goodbye to Kimmy, and went into my room to pack for a few days at Casa del Horan. As I was trying to decide what shoes to take, I sent a group text to my crew. Niall laid across the bed, watching.

“FYI, pics of N and I are being published trmw.”

“If ppl come calling, please only use your best insults.”

“(Also, fuck me. Everyone is freaking out and I don’t know what to do.)”

Hannah offered to fight anyone that messed with me. Carly had her back. The most helpful advice, as always, was from Paul. “You’re going to become internet hated!”

     I laid down next to Ni, tucking my face into his neck. “Is this really going to be that big of a shit show? Fans seem to like you a lot and you've never had a lot of drama.”

     “Been checking up on me, yeah? No, not much drama. We don't have a lot to base off of-I've only publicly dated a few girls.”

I tried to explain to my mom what was going on. She knew I had a boyfriend and that he was a singer, but she had no idea who he was or his popular culture standing. Her knowledge of music ended in 1984. She’d spoken to him on the phone once when he answered for me as I tried to unlock the door, and couldn’t understand anything he said because of his accent. She could not grasp that it was a big deal that pictures of him with me would cause an uproar. Finally, I gave up and just asked her not to speak to anyone about me, and to tell my dad and brother the same. They were definitely the liabilities.

Bas drove us back to Niall’s where I ended up watching Anchorman for the eighth time with Willie and Deo while catching up on some paperwork (that had been my plan for the evening until picturegate blew up). The boys were obviously aware of what was going on-Deo had bought me Ben and Jerry’s and Willie produced a bottle of wine. Niall wandered in and out of the room on the phone, pulling his hair and raising his voice. His normally animated face was in a scowl so deep that I feared it would be permanent. However the more I got used to the idea of the pictures, the less I found myself caring. If this was going to be real, then eventually we were going to be spotted. It wasn’t my style to live my life in the shadows, and I loved Niall (a fact I still hadn’t actually worked up the ovaries to tell him). People were going to have something to say - I knew that the second I looked up Louis’ girlfriend. But my skin was fairly thick. I’d spent 20 years hating myself, and the past few trying to reverse all those negative emotions. It would take a lot more than nasty people on the internet to drag me back down. Also, I basically had majored in avoidance of real life issues.

I ended up falling asleep alone in Niall’s gigantic bed. I’d gone in for some quiet after the movie and conked out. When I woke up around midnight to use the bathroom, I could hear him talking to his cousins in the living room. I padded down the hallway to try and convince Niall to come to bed, but stopped just as I was about to step into the living room. He sounded wrecked and absolutely unlike himself. Their voices were low enough that I knew instantly they were having an important conversation.  So, like any self-respecting anxiety-prone adult, I eavesdropped.

“There’s no going back after this, ya know?  It’s never gonna be the same.  She things she’s prepared, but…”  He let out a groan and I could hear his body flop back against the couch cushions.  Willie took a deep breath and tried to reassure him.  I knew Willie had my back, but my heart still warmed as he spoke.  “Niall, you’ve gotta trust her a little, son.  Zoe’s tough as nails when she needs to be.  Give her some credit yeah?  She forgave your dumb ass for runnin’ off to the coast and getting your dick wet, I think she can handle some jealous teen girls on the internet.”  I choked down a laugh, making a mental note that I owed Willie a pint or three. Niall let out a deep sigh and I strained closer to hear him clearly.

“Mate, I’m serious.  What the fuck am I gonna do if she runs? I love her, Will. Been in love with her since the night she wore my hat.”

I covered my mouth. We barely knew one another then. Well, he knew way more about me than I did about him. My heart shattered as I realized he didn’t get how strongly I felt about him. Talking about my feelings wasn’t exactly my strong suit, but I clearly I needed to get my head out of my ass and quick. I retreated silently back to his room and crawled under the covers, my mind reeling from the emotional toll of the evening. When Niall finally came to bed, I curled up next to him, silently trying to relay my emotions through my fingertips and onto his skin.  I traced the dark stubble across his jaw, pressing gently into the dimple in his chin.  He squeezed my hip, pulling my body towards him while I continued trailing my hands down his neck and arm.  Drawing in a shaky breath I whispered softly, “It’s going to be ok Ni. We’re going to be ok.”  I felt his body sink into the mattress with relief and without another word he rolled me onto my back and pressed himself along the length of my body. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and we held each other, sharing soft touches and gentle kisses. Propping himself up on his elbows he rested his forehead against mine. “I need ya, Z.” I pressed my lips to his instantly, murmuring a “yes” into his mouth.

We made love slowly, purposefully. I could see in his eyes that there were a million and one things he wanted to tell me, but couldn’t. He was trying to confess his feelings to me the only way he knew how. As his thrusts became less precise I could feel myself getting closer to the edge of my release. When I finally came, I called out his name, but it might as well have been a declaration of love the way my heart nearly burst with emotion. As I watched him come undone above me, his face illuminated by the moonlight peeking through the blinds, I knew he was it. He was my forever.

The emotion was still heavy in his room as we recovered from our tryst so I took the opportunity to bring us back to normal by acting like a complete jackass.

“Ni?”

“Yeah, babe.” I was lying on his chest with a leg thrown over his thighs, nuzzling his chest.

“Promise me something?” He tensed a bit, and kissed my forehead.

“Anything.”

“Will you always look at me like I’m the prettiest girl at the party? Sort of like it’s 2014 and I’m Harry Styles?”

There was a beat of complete silence before he looked over at me and rolled his eyes.  “Jesus.  Fucking.  Christ.”  He scoffed and pushed my pillow over my face as I dissolved into giggles. “I’m going to block YouTube on your phone, ya nutter.”

True to my promise to Bas, I did not get online Wednesday or Thursday other than work email. Of course, people found their way into my official inbox, and I had to talk to our IT department about setting up blocks. The subject lines alone were almost amusing in their vitriol, “Fat Cunt Leave Niall Alone!” “Skank” and my personal favorite, “Niall Wouldn’t Suck Your Dick”. Someone needed an anatomy lesson. There were a few photographers outside of the clinic, and Phil, a security guard assigned to Zoe detail (I asked for a cool nickname like the Secret Service use and he shook his head at me) took me out of the backdoor. It could have been better, but it could have sucked more.

I insisted on going to quiz night. This was my routine and my life, and by God, no one was going to stop me. Niall and Bas probably wanted to murder me, but for the most part I’d gone along with their wishes, so they could stand to cut me some slack. I tried hard to ignore all the new faces at the pub, having a feeling they were there just for me. Niall was already there, chatting with Paul and Deo when I arrived. He looked relieved, and I gave him a huge smile. Might as well give the people what they’re asking for, I thought, as I kissed him hello. And gave him an ass grab.

“Thirsty, hmmm?” He murmured in my ear. PDA wasn’t usually my thing, but there’s always an exception to the rule.

“A little,” I conceded. “Waking up next to you in the morning starts my day off on a very different foot than I’m accustomed to.” He smiled against my cheek. I turned to head to the bathroom confident in my feminine charms. Then I ran into the front of Basil, who was carrying three pints to the table. Well, make that two pints since one was dripping down the front of my shirt. Son of a bitch. Niall’s laugh echoed through the bar.

When I returned to the table, several rounds with the hand dryer later, Niall was shoving his phone back into his pocket, and had a smirk on his face that I didn’t trust.

“So help me, you’d best not be ready to make fun of the fact that I reek of yeast and hops.”

“Not at all, petal. Not at all.” That fucking smile. He was up to something. It was one of the first genuine smiles I’d seen from him in two days, though, so I’d let it be. Then I noticed that Paul looked terrified. And Hannah was shaking her head. Curious, I quirked an eyebrow at her.

“Don’t look at me. I just walked in, I had nothing to do with it.”

“With what?” I whipped my head to Niall and Paul, and caught Deo trying to hold in a laugh. “What did you do?”

“Please don’t hit me, Z,” Paul begged. Well that pretty much cemented the fact that I was going to want to.

“What.did.you.do.? Paul Anthony Byers, you’d best come clean right now! And remember,” I gestured to a laughing Bas, “I have security now!” I was terrified. And Niall was giggling next to me.

“I didn’t know he didn’t know!” Paul was pleading.

“C’mon, Z. Don’t be so CUMBERsome,” Deo spit out.

“Baby, do you want eggs BENEDICT in the morning?” Niall was officially slapping his knee he was laughing so hard.

I turned to Paul with bugged eyes. “Oh my fucking God, YOU TOLD HIM?” My voice was just shy of screeching.

“He was commenting on how well you were taking his fans wanting to burn you in effigy! I just said it was because you had some firsthand experience with fangirl problems!” Paul tried to hide behind Han, who scooted away. I buried my scorching face on the table.

“So, Cumberbatch, huh?” Niall was cracking up in my ear.

“Shut up. He’s an exemplary actor.”

“So much so that you drove out to Cardiff to watch them film?” Niall had his face propped up on his hand and he was smirking at me wickedly.  It took every ounce of willpower I had not to slap that stupidly gorgeous smirk off his stupidly beautiful face.

Paul took my hesitation as an invitation to humiliate me further.  “On more than one occasion! And waited outside the stage door after a performance of Hamlet.” Paul was ever so helpful. I pointed my finger at him. I think he was confident about that fact that I hadn’t jumped over the table yet. And ever the ham, he realized that Niall was enjoying it, so he added, “The week he announced his engagement she was going to delete her Twitter. He clutched at his heart, and screwed up his face in an unbelievable shitty impression of me.  ‘Paulie, it just hurts too much!’”

There it was. My fangirl shame. I was a Cumberbitch. And my boyfriend, whose face had launched a thousand ships, found it hysterical.

“So I relate to your fans. Sue me,” I sniffed, crossing my arms across my chest.  I looked like a petulant toddler.  With boobs.

“Aw, petal, don’t be like that,” he wrapped his arms around me. “Just tell me you’re not into slash, okay?”

I would not confirm or deny. (Sherlock + Watson = 4eva)

[skeletonwoman]

Piglets (Warren Worthington)

req:  From the recent writing prompts you posted, can I get 2. I'm right here, okay? You're all right. With Warren Worthington and if possible can you you make it so the reader says it to him? If not thats fine, thanks!

hey, requester, it was perfectly fine and an all-round delightful request to fill, thanks for requesting it.

The black mark of a fallen angel against the setting sun.

“F*ck,” you swear softly, your eyes burning. Turning around completely, you stare at the orange splashed leaves and try to soak up the last vestiges of the warm afternoon. Wing beats hit your ears and a sharp wind rushes over your already dimpling arms. Douchebag.

“You didn’t even see,” Warren complains, strutting around to face you and you level him with a weak glare. For a moment, he looks concerned. “How are you supposed to fall in love with me if you’re not even looking at the utterly drool worthy moments I’m constantly offering you?”

Grunting noncommittally, you sidle past him and head back to the house. He literally called you out here to blind you- how utterly drool worthy.

“Hey! I didn’t- Y/N!” His voice is whiny and you just barely check your speed, enough that his seconds hesitation means you aren’t already halfway across the lawn once he catches up to you. Jogging to catch up, Warren steps in front of you, stopping you, and gives you a pathetic look. “I’m sorry, I really did want to show you something.”

“More than the average trick I just saw or was that all of it?”

“No, no!” He says quickly then pauses. Oh wow. That was all he had. “I wanted to show you… The… Baby pigs on the neighbours’ farm.”

Now that’s got you interested. “There’s seriously baby pigs on the neighbours’ farm? Since when?”

“Like a week ago!” He’s excited now, excited because you’re more than half interested, and it’s really cute. “I heard their awful screeching a few days and flew down to have a look- I got screamed at but it was worth it. Wanna go see?”

“Now?” You hesitate, rubbing your arms nervously. It really is cooling down out here and the suns so close to disappearing entirely.

“You wanna get a jumper and some torches first?” The offer is so sweet and concern filled you could cry. Since when have boys ever been nice enough to get jumpers? Usually they just give you theirs and act all weird and macho about it. “Real quick, before all the light disappears.”

“Yeah, definitely, let’s do it,” you find yourself saying and his face lights up.

“I’ll be two seconds if you wait right here?” He says, already half in the air and you laugh, but nod.

“Sure, sure.”

“Okay, great.” He exhales a happy breath and shoots toward the building. For a second, he’s a bright beacon in the shadows, then he’s gone around the back of the building and you’re alone on the lawn. It really is starting to get cold.

Bouncing on your toes, you rub your arms and sigh.

Whooshing sounds and a scuffle of feet on grass has you turning. “Warren.”

“I’m back,” he says and you reach for the jumper he offers you, the material cold from its short flight. “Can you hold these?”

You frown as he dumps four torches into your hands but accept them all the same, stuffing them into the kangaroo pocket on the hoodie. “This is yours, isn’t it?”

“No, I totally borrowed Scotts cause the idea of you wearing anything of mine is so gross,” he counters and you giggle, shooting him a side eyed smile. If it wasn’t so dark you don’t doubt you’d see a flush on his cheeks. 

“It smells good, Scott must smell good,” you bait and his head whips around so fast you’re worried about whiplash.

“It’s mine, it’s so mine, Scotts never seen it in his life,” he says quickly and shamelessly and you laugh outright. Stepping into his space when he beckons you closer, you try not to smile too much. “C’mere, we’re gonna fly.”

“Thank goodness,” you whisper, stepping right into the circle of his arms as you contemplate just how long a walk all the way across the grounds would have taken. His chuckle is warm, warmer than his hands when they settle onto the small of your back. “Jeez!”

“Sorry, cold hands,” he whispers and you blink up at his shadowy face. Oh, man, he is really cute when you can’t quite see him. Sure, he’s cute all the time but he’s extra cute when it’s just his warm voice and thudding heartbeat and gentle touches. “Ready?”

Nodding, you jump into his arms and wrap your legs around his waist, feeling him hug you close. As quietly and subtly as you can, you sniff him.

“You just sniffed me,” he says casually and you scowl into the darkness. Never doing that again.

“Show me the pigs.”

Their tiny snuffling bodies are possibly the cutest thing on four trotters. Pink as a valentine’s card and as cute as one too, you’re just about ready to expire.

“You will never be able to top this,” you whisper, kneeling beside the sleepy sow and running a finger down the spine of a snoring piglet. “I want one.”

“If we could get away with it, I’d take one right now.” The words are casual but you can tell he really wants one too. You grin at him, only to cringe when he shines the torch in your face. “Sorry.”

“Honestly, Warren, it’s like you are deliberately sabotaging youself,” you grumble and he sighs. After a few more minutes, you rise and step away from the warm pig pile and out of the little shed they live in.

“We should go,” you whisper and Warren rises with you, his footsteps crunching on the hay.

Hold on.

“There’s someone out here,” you whisper, the words choking from your lips as fear claws at your throat. It’s just a guy, it’s probably just the neighbour coming to yell at you for the pigs, it’s probably nothing like a crazy monster murderer. “Warren.”

It takes less than a second. Warren scoops you into his arms and his wings give a mighty heave just as the gunshot goes off. Your scream is sharp and you muffle yourself against the warm cotton of Warrens jumper. He’s stiff as a board and silent but you can’t help cursing and crying as he flies the two of you back to the mansion.

You don’t see the journey, you’re too panicked, but now you’re in Warrens room and it’s dark and he’s put you down and stepped back and you’re suddenly worried for a whole other reason. “Warren?”

“Y-you-” The word is a choked stutter and your heart stops, only to start again as you take a hesitant step toward him. “You should g-go.”

“Hey, it’s okay.” Gently, you reach for him, moving agonizingly but purposefully slowly and when you do touch him, he jumps but doesn’t shy away. Taking his hands, you slide them over your body, down your arms, over your waist, through your hair and across your shoulders. “I’m okay.”

Reaching out, you do the same to him, gently checking him over for any hurts. “You’re okay too.”

“I’m right here, okay? You’re alright, I’m alright, we’re okay.” The hug is sudden and nearly crushes you, almost literally, but you squeeze him back just as fiercely. “Guns suck and lets never go back there ever again.”

“Oh God, I’m so sorry,” he says, the words finally passing his lips and you hug him tighter. Pushing gently, you guide him to the bed and sit him down, still clinging to him. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t- f*ck, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay, we’re okay.” Promises drip from your lips and his heartbeat steadily slows, his grip on you gentling as his fear subsides. “You and me, we’re just perfect.”

His laughter is strained and sarcastic but it’s there and you sigh at the sweet sound of it.

Holy hell. Some random person fired a gun at you. At the both of you. What the f*ck.

“You’re gonna sleep over,” Warren orders and you don’t argue. Laughter and footsteps peter through the wooden door and you’re reminded that this entire place is alive. No one knows what just happened, your absence isn’t notable yet and the place has gone on while the two of you were nearly murdered. “Oh, it’s seven.”

You giggle softly, and kick off your shoes. You’re gonna sleep over anyway.

“I want to go to bed right now, anyway,” you say, sprawling across his bed and he grins at you over his shoulder. “Go bed?”

“Sure,” he says with enough warmth to fill the room and you sigh, cozying down among his blankets with a wingtip tickling the back of your thigh.

wazz-up 

get it

wazz

like warren

wazza

wazz

ok

[genogenocrazycatman]

Chicky - Prompto x OFC

Chicky [Archive of Our Own, FanFiction.Net]

Characters: Prompto Argentum, Original Female Character

“I’m not giving birth to a chocobo!”

***

I never thought that I would sing at the royal wedding. At first it was simple, because I had no connection to Lady Lunafreya or Prince Noctis. I was just a commoner, but then Insomnia fell, the prince came to Altissia and Leviathan was unleashed. The oracle was killed, and I having proven myself an asset joined Noctis and the others on their journey to take back what was theirs. Still with no bride, I never thought that I was going to sing at the royal wedding. Then the world went dark, and the wedding was just a distant memory.

Fortunately, Noct brought back the light, and the gods brought back both him and Lunafreya, and with both of them came work (lots and lots of work) and a wedding. I was definitely more excited about the wedding.

The harpist began to delicately pull the strings of his instrument, the gentle sound starting the process.

The couple made their way to the dance floor, bowing and curtseying to each other as had been the tradition for generations, before beginning their dance, just as I sang the first note.

“When the night has come

And the land is dark

And the moon is the only light we'll see

No I won't be afraid

Oh, I won't be afraid

Just as long as you stand, stand by me”

Oh Noctis. He had been dreading this dance. He’d dreaded quite a bit about the wedding actually. Feeling that it was wrong to have such an event, when much of the kingdom still needed to recover. Fortunately the boys were able to make him see that this was exactly what everyone needed, an event to show that it was over that we truly could return to normal, something that would make the people feel good.

“So darling, darling

Stand by me, oh stand by me

Oh stand, stand by me

Stand by me”

He and Lunafreya moved with such grace and dignity around the dance floor. It was truly a sight to behold.

Both looked impeccable in their wedding garb. The way the light hit them, accenting the gold and stones, as well as the airiness of the new queen’s dress made them seem more like spirits than humans, like at any second they could fizzle out. It was like a dream that would leave us all in awe of even after we woke up.

“If the sky that we look upon

Should tumble and fall

Or the mountain should crumble to the sea

I won't cry, I won't cry

No, I won't shed a tear

Just as long as you stand, stand by me

“And darling, darling

Stand by me, oh stand by me

Oh stand now, stand by me

Stand by me”

I took the instrumental section of the song to take a quick glance around the room, taking in everything. I had no clue, who most of these people were.

Gladio of course stood above most of the crowd, his arms wrapped around his missus’s, who he was gazing lovingly at.

Ignis was still at his seat, but I could see the small smile that was gracing his features.

Prompto was standing on top of something that I was sure Ignis would yell at him for later, camera trained on the pair dancing.  

I smiled, and almost teared up, because somehow we all made it.

The music swelled and I rejoined.

“Darling, darling

Stand by me, oh stand by me

Oh stand now, stand by me, stand by me

Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me

Oh stand by me, won't you stand now, oh, stand

Stand by me

“Darling, darling

Stand by me, oh stand by me

Oh stand now, stand by me, stand by me

Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me

Oh stand by me, won't you stand now, oh, stand

Stand by me”

The song came to a close and the couple’s movements came to a halt. We all applauded the two.

I was quickly handed a flute of champagne. I waited until the cheers calmed down, before catching everyone’s attention and introducing myself.  

“It was years ago in Altissia that I first met, King Noctis. There were rumors that he was coming to Altissia. A less than favorable character had put a price on his head and some of my former associates had planned to collect, so I spent the day chasing them around, beating some respect for the Lucian crown into them. He busted me on the last one. At first I was amazed. He was so strong, hiding his pain with a bratty emo kid act. Then I realized that he was just a whiny emo brat.” Noct rolled his eyes, but chuckled along with the rest of the crowd. “That amazement never left. I was given the privilege of joining our king and his companions, and to help bring peace back to the world. I have watched him fight through hardship and heartbreak. He is a man willing to give up everything to protect what matters most. I am proud to call you my king, and my friend. I wish you, your wife, your marriage and your kingdom much love, happiness and prosperity in the years to come.” I raised the glass. “To King Noctis and Queen Lunafreya!”

The crowd repeated my words, raising their glasses.

I put mine to my lip, tipping it, but never letting the liquid hit my tongue. I placed the glass on one of the server’s trays as I exited. As I rejoined the crowd I was greeted by a ridiculous number of people. I was compliment on my voice and my toast. I thanked them politely, never letting myself get caught up in a conversation for too long.

I needed air, between the lights and all of the people, it was getting to be a bit too much.

I stepped outside onto one of the balconies and took a deep breath.

“You know, you’re not supposed to upstage the best man,” Prompto said, coming up behind me. He rested his palms on the balcony ledge in front of me. He rested his chin on my shoulder.

I felt my heart flutter. It was amazing that even little stuff like that could still affect me.  I reached up and stroked the side of his face.

“I’m not supposed to upstage the bride or groom. The best man is fair game,” I said, spinning around and wrapping my arms around his neck.

“You couldn’t cut me a little slack?” he whined, bringing his hands to my waist.

“Nope,” I said, pecking him on the lips.

“I can’t stay mad at you,” he said, kissing me. “Especially, when you look so beautiful.”

The design of the gown was simple, no embroidery, sequins, or stones just flowing fabric that pooled on the floor. Yellow fabric, chocobo yellow fabric.

“I thought you’d like it. You’re not too bad yourself,” I replied, pulling at the lapels of his jacket.

“You know,” he started. “I was thinking with Noct back and on the throne and now married, and the daemons almost entirely wiped out, and the kingdom finally getting back on its feet, you and I could finally get around to planning that wedding.”

I lifted my hand to look at the ring on it. “I guess after seven years, it’s time that this guy got a partner,” I teased. “But I have some conditions.”

“Okay...”

“First, no rushing. We’re waiting a year and a half at least. We need time to plan, and I don’t want

my wedding day to be marked by Gladio making fun of me by saying ‘She’s huge.’”

“Why would he-”

I hadn’t meant for that slip, at least not yet. With all of his responsibilities as best man, I figured it would be best wait. His job for the most part was over, so now was as god of a time as any. Plus, it was getting harder and harder to keep the secret, partially, because there was no way to quietly throw up every morning, and partially, because I just really wanted to tell him.

I acted like he hadn’t asked me anything. “Plus, I think it would be nice if the little one was at the wedding.”

I ignored Prompto and continued talking. “Plus I think it would be nice if the little one could be in the wedding.”

“Little one?” he asked.

I just grinned at him, waiting for him to get it.

“Like a baby?”

I nodded.

“You’re pregnant?” he asked, face a mix of shock and disbelief.

“Yeah,” I said.

He was quiet for a moment seemingly stunned.

“Prom, you alri-“

He kissed me, catching me off guard.

“You’re pregnant,” he said, when we parted. He was grinning like an idiot and his eyes sparkled brighter than I had ever seen them sparkle before. “I’m gonna be a dad.”

“You are,” I confirmed.

He hugged me tight, then let me go, dropping so that his face was in front of my stomach, one hand on either side. “Hey, Little One,” he said.

He was so cute that I didn’t have the heart to tell him that the little one couldn’t hear him yet.

“I’m gonna be your dad,” he continued. “I promise you that you are going to be the most loved baby of all time, I’m never going to let anything hurt you or your mommy, and you’ll never be alone, ever, no matter what-“

I chuckled. “Prom, you do realize that you have time right? You don’t have to promise the kid the world all in one shot.”

“Gotta make sure the little chickie knows that-“

“I’m not giving birth to a chocobo!” I said, flicking the side of Prom’s head.

His eyes lit up again, and I just knew what he was thinking.

I held my finger up to stop him from speaking. “We are not discussing chocobo riding yet.”

“But we will discuss it,” he said.

“Yes, we will discuss it,” I conceded. I ran my hand through his hair. “You know, we have a wedding reception to return to.”

“I’d rather stay out here with you two,” he said.

“I’d rather we stay out here too, but just think about it, once the reception’s over it’s just you me and Little One. Plus, I’m sure you’re missing a lot of really good shots.”

“You’re right,” he said, standing up. He pulled out his camera and then pulled me in close. “Say cheese.”

I smiled at his antics, letting him take the selfie, before shoving him to go back inside. “Let’s go. I wanna see them cut the cake.”

He wrapped his arm around my shoulder.  I wrapped mine around his waist and together we returned to the reception.

***

Master List | Mobile Version

[taetaeby]

Acaronar | I.

(v.) to tenderly pull or draw someone closer - to hold, as for affection, comfort, or warmth; to fondle, to caress; to embrace, to protect

01. | 02.

Pairing: Taehyung x Reader

Genre: Best friend!AU, angst, fluff and light smut (no actual smut).

Warning(s): rated +17 for containing light mature content

Word count: 3560

Description: Letting go of someone was hard. Especially when this person was your best friend from childhood, but it was your fault for this. No one was to blame but you. You just had to build up feelings towards him in a different way, a way no relationship between friends should be.

A/N: Story based off the wonderful world that is my mind and some inspiration is taken from a book I’m currently reading.

We should’ve stayed the way we were, not changing a single thing about our relationship. It could’ve all been the same. We would’ve been still best friends, still would spend time as much as we used to, still, would have a connection no one understood. I guess life choose this path for us. This is what was going to happen and eventually happened. But, I don’t blame you. It wasn’t your fault for sure. This is all because of me, and only me. I couldn’t hold my feelings inside, I had to say them. I couldn’t try to erase them, they just grew bigger and stronger. And you, you didn’t help them at all. Why did you have to be so loving and kind towards me, that’s something I’ll never understand. No one is to blame besides me. Now, I shall live this life I never thought I’ll live alone. With you no longer by my side. I won’t lie, it hurts. It hurt the time we went separate ways. It hurt when we went on with life and didn’t spend time with each other anymore. It will hurt in the future, every time I remember how it didn’t have to turn out this way.

Here I am now, living my life as if nothing happened, or at least I try. The weather is so nice today. The Sun is shining bright, the sky is as blue as the ocean, everything is at peace.

On my way to work I can’t forget the time we used to go down this exact street admiring these sky high buildings, picturing us working in there later in our lives. We always were the type to want to have something of our own, our own business. At some point, we agreed to work together on our silly dream. Just the thought about it makes me sad again, the second time this day.

It was clear that this dream of ours, which I so desperately hoped would become real, died as soon as we split ways. That day surely will always be stuck in my head, repeating over and over again. I can’t seem to let it all die. How could I, when I’m still madly in love with the person I hadn't seen for so long. To be exact, it’s going to be 6 years on the 14th of February, on Valentine’s Day. Yes, I count the days since then.

I remember it clearly. I woke up to the same feeling I had every time when I thought about him. About his eyes that glistened with every look he gave me. Even if it was impossible, they mirrored the starts perfectly. The one thing that always made my day better, was to look in them and get lost in my own thoughts about the existence of such perfection right in front of me. It didn’t help that every time we spoke, he had this thing where he wanted to be as close to the person he is talking to. Or maybe it was my illusion? Anyway, as he did that I went out of breath, blushing like he just complimented me. Heart beating at the speed of light, slightly feeling dizzy in the head. But none the less, I loved every second of it.

About his smile, oh my god his smile was everything. With that, he could make everyone happy, brighten everyone's day. I think that he didn’t even know what power he was playing with. Seriously, he could save a life with that smile. And he saved one, mine.

Now, I would lie if I didn’t mention his lips, that piece of heaven he had. They looked soft, pink, just the right size for his face. I bet they were still as soft as a baby's bottom, at least that’s how I remember them when we were kids. Yes, I had the pleasure to feel those lips of his. It happened this one time, and never again. The cause being our curiosity, wanting to know how you felt like after seeing a young couple kissing in the park. And actually, he was the one who wanted to try it out and asked me first. I also wanted it but didn’t have the courage to request it. So, it was a relief that he asked me first. I still remember him being excited and nervous at the same time. “So…” It was so unlike him, being this nervous in front of anyone. He never showed weakness, especially in front of the female gender. But, I liked this side of him. The side that showed just how of a human he is, being nervous of making a mistake. “Should I lean in first, or you?” I was blushing just from the thought of him kissing me, of him wanting to try this with me even though he had other good female friends. How could he not have when he was one of the most popular guys in school.

Me being my shy self was blushing the whole time, not having the courage to look him in the eyes as I knew what we were about to do. “I- I think y- you should l- lean in…” My voice was a little louder than a whisper, enough for him to hear me. The way he scooted closer to my side, taking my cheek in his palm and bringing it slowly towards his face. Leaving me no chance to look away anymore. So, I focused on the only thing I could look at. His lips, and so did he. After so time, he finally leaned into me, connecting our lips in a warm kiss. He tasted like heaven, a mixture of sweet and fresh from his gum that he still had in his mouth. We stayed still for a couple of seconds before he pulled away. The blush was obvious on his face, coating his cheeks a lite pink. But it didn’t end there, he wanted to go even further. “C- can I try something else?” He really wanted to have the whole experience with such an inexperienced person. To you he seemed like he was practicing this all along, maybe he secretly looked it up on the internet because he sure knew better what he was doing then you.

“O- okay…” With that, he leaned again into me, connecting our lips in a more pleasuring way than before. Slowly, he started moving his lips against mine. But me being uncomfortable about this whole idea, even though I wanted it too, I was stiff and didn’t dare to move. He noticed that and moved his lips away from mine, feeling embarrassed, as I concluded from his flushed face, at his own actions. “I- I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-” I didn’t give him the chance to apologize. “I- it’s o- okay… I- I think I- need to get h- home. I- it’s pretty late…” I couldn’t even glance at him from the fear of him looking at me. “S- sure. Want me to go with y- you?” It was cute how he was still concerned about me. “N- no… It’s fine.” With that, I went home to register what actually happened.

When I finally made it to my office, the only thing I wanted to do was rest. Seohyun, my one-year-old daughter, kept me and Hoseok awake all night. I don’t know what’s been going on with her, the past week it was the same. In the middle of the night, she would just start crying like she was going through the worst pain in the world. But I don’t blame her, that’s normal for her age. We were all kids, we all went through the same pain she is facing right now. None the less, it still breaks my heart to see and hear her being in pain, and not be able to make it go away.

Just like last week, yesterday was also one of those nights. I was in lying in bed trying so desperately to make my headache go away because apparently overworking yourself was exactly what caused you that. So you came home at 8:30 pm, earlier than you normally would, took a shower, put Seohyun to bed and eventually went to bed myself. Hoseok wouldn’t be home until 9:30 pm which gave me time to relaxed. I wanted to have some time for myself because I knew that as soon as Hoseok comes home, there would be no relaxing.

After, what seemed like 10 minutes to me, I could hear faint footsteps coming into the room. He must’ve seen me lying on the bed to which he didn’t turn on the bedroom light and went straight to the bathroom to take a quick shower. Ten minutes later, I felt the bed sink in from behind me, a pair of hands sneaking around my waist, pulling me back until I felt his exposed chest and body warmth on me. “Baby, are you already asleep?” He whispered as to not wake me if I actually was asleep, to which I just hummed. He placed a kiss on my shoulder, indicating what he wanted but to his unfortunate, I wasn't in the mood for any of this right now.

“Hobie…” I whispered back at him but in a whiny tone. “I’m too tired for this right now.” Which was the truth? I was exhausted from work, coming home with a headache and to a whiny Seohyun. At that moment I would’ve given anything for the pain to be gone, but he obviously wasn’t drained from work and still wanted to be close to his wife. Which is understandable, cause he was pleading me for the past month to make a little sister or brother for Seohyun, and I wanted to make him happy but was none the less hesitant to actually do it because of work. That’s why I haven’t told him that I’m still on the pill and let him think that he could make me pregnant by ‘making love to me’, that’s how he said it, for the past month.

I felt bad for lying to him like that, giving him false hope that things would work out. I tried telling him multiple times that it’s not the right time for another baby. We couldn’t even spend much time with our only child, let alone have another one. But his love for children was too strong to make him believe that. “Come on baby. You don’t have to do anything, I’ll do the work.” He whispered in my ear before gently turning me so that my back was flat on the bed and he was hovering over me. “I’ll be quick, I promise,” I swear those lips of his were sin right there in front of me. When he pleaded so much, I couldn’t decline him, so I let him have his fun. And I would lie if I said I wasn’t wanting it too.

He started to place kisses all over my face, on my temple, my cheeks, my chin, and lastly, he connected our lips in a sweet kiss that made me feel butterflies in the pit of my stomach. As we kissed in a slow pace, he bit my lover lip asking for entrance, licking the bite mark before he slides his tongue inside my mouth. I could taste a mixture of wine and steak on his tongue, which meant that he went to dinner with some business partners, as he moved it in sync with mine. It felt amazing, like every night we spent together.

Things got heated pretty quickly, resulting in him wanting to feel more, skin to skin. His hand made it’s way down my side to my hips, going behind it to squeeze my ass cheek. I let a moan escape my lips that it was caught in him mouth resulting him doing the same thing. Then he brought his hand between your inner thighs, slowly parting them to make room for him. You obeyed, spreading your legs, making him lay right on you with his half hard member pressed right at your entrance. Just as he was about to move, the air was filled with the sound of our baby daughter.

We sighed almost at the same time with him moving away from me and out of bed. “I’ll get her.” He made his way down the hallway to her room, bringing her crying figure on the bed beside me. “Oh, what’s wrong mommy’s angel.” I coyed to her while kissing her forehead. Not long after Hoseok joined us two, trapping Seohyun in the middle of our bodies. “Are you having cramps again?” I felt so bad for my little one having to go through such pain. If I could, I would take the pain away from her and bear it myself. It was heartbreaking seeing her like this.

“Shhh, baby, daddy’s gonna make the pain go away.” He whispered into her ear, massaging her belly in slow circular motions, putting just the right amount of pressure to make it less hard for her. After just two minutes, she calmed down going back to dreamland. Her face was all puffy and her cheeks were coated in light pink from all the crying. “Well, that was quick,” I said smiling in relief at Hoseok who mirrored my action. That didn’t end there. About five more minutes, after Hoseok was sure Seohyun was asleep, he moved his hand away and that was a mistake. She started crying again, and from that point, I knew that this was going to be a long night for the three of us.

Unfortunately for me, resting wasn’t on the schedule. But a meeting was, which I found out just seconds after I made it to my office. “Mrs. Jung, I’m sorry to bother you this early. I know you said you didn’t want to be bothered right when you come to the office-” Hwasa was really a sweetheart and she could never bother me. She was one of the first people I met when I started working in this company. And with time, we became such good friends that share everything with each other.

“It’s okay, you don’t bother me.” I cut her off, taking a deep breath. “As you are already here, we can go through today's schedule.” I smiled weakly at her, to which she went out of my office to get her planning book. She carried every information in that little piece of a book. I admired her for that. She seemed like she truly liked, or more like loved, this job with all her heart. She was hard working, organized, smart and always on time with current projects. She was made for this type of job and she knew that.

“Is everything okay, Y/N?” Her concern was audible in the way she spoke those words. How can she not be concerned when she was the only person that knew all about my life. It amazed me sometimes how much she could read about people just by looking at their face. “You look like you went to hell and back.” It was true. The bags under my eyes were probably the darkest shade of black there was, and it didn’t help that I forgot to put concealer on this morning. It was so hectic. I needed to wake up Hoseok because he had a business trip early in the morning and it was very important for his company. My mom came in earlier than usual to take Seohyun for the day because I didn’t want her in anyone else's arms when she was this upset. And who could possibly know how to handle such situations better than a mother of three? I’ll tell you who. No one.

“I couldn’t get any sleep last night. Hoseok wanted to be intimate and Seohyun didn’t have any of that.” I took another deep breath to calm down a bit. Being angry from the lack of sleep wasn’t on your schedule. “Those cramps just won't go away, and I don’t know what to do anymore. I’m so thankful for Hobie. He is doing his father role really good, to be exact, better than expected. How would’ve thought that party animal Hoseok would be such a good family person.” That was true. As you met and started to date him, his life was all about parties and some college if he had time for it. But that’s not what made me fall for him. I hate to admit it but, he somehow reminded me of Taehyung. The way he acted was so similar to him that I felt like it was actually him. That always tricked me, so now here I am. Not with him but with someone that reminds me of him, and even have a baby with this person.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Hobie. I really do, but… No one can replace Tae. Deep in my heart I know I’ll never be able to love Hobi the way I loved and still love Tae. I know I’ll never be able to let go of him because I still have hope to meet him again, one day. I know that this type of relationship isn’t healthy, that with this I’m making someone believe that I truly love them, that my heart and soul are all theirs. And I hate myself for that, but life doesn’t always turn out the way we want it to and there are reasons for that. Reasons that are still not clear to me.

“I really think you should take at least a week off work. Working isn’t everything in life. You should go and just rest for a week. It will do you good.” She was right. I should rest and not overwork things. Maybe it’ll help me clear my mind. “Maybe take a trip with your family or go explore the nature. That’s what I and Wonho do every once in a while.” A trip with my family really sounds appealing. I should consider this.

“We’ll see. But enough of this small talk, what is on today's plan?” I hope I didn’t seem rude just now. Time is money as many business people like to say, there’s no time for talking other than business.

“Today, in about 10 minutes, we have to attend a last minute meeting with the company that was wanting to make new deals with us. They sent one of their CEOs to present their work to us. You’ll have to be in the meeting because Mr. Park wants that.” Mr. Park? Lately, he wants me in every meeting he has to attend. I hope that means some kind of upgrade in my position.

“Okay.” Without waiting any longer, I got up and headed straight to the door. “Let’s get this over with then.” With that, Hwasa followed me out and we made our way to the meeting room.

As always Mr. Park, also known as the owner of the company I’m working at, was already waiting for me in front of the entrance to the meeting room. He looked good, almost too perfect in his all black suit. He really knew how to catch someone's attention. I never thought anything about him. Sure he was my boss, but from the day I started working at his company he was treating me differently? He was so nice to me, even when I made a mistake, he never thought of scolding me for it. It was like he favorited me for some reason. I saw that as him being nice because I was new to all this, fresh from college.

As he turned his head to the side, he saw us approaching which made his face all light up. Maybe I should ask him why he’s acting so different towards me, or I should just go with it. I don’t really know if I want to know it honestly. He was young, only 6 years older than you. Handsome was his second name, to be honest.

He slowly left the conversation with an employee, coming our way. “Mrs. Jung, I’m glad you could make it.” He chippered happily giving you one of his famous eye smiles. I would lie to myself if I hadn’t thought of him in a different way sometimes. The way he simply walked made me have fantasies about him. What are you saying, you have a husband and a child. You shouldn’t be fantasizing about other men like this. Not even Taehyung, but I can’t help myself.

And, as the one man, I hoped not to see in my life anymore appeared in the distance, dressed in a suit that suited him so well, I can't seem to take my eyes away from the figure I've been longing for in so long. The person that trapped my heart from a young age, the one that my eyes could only see, the one that used to be my everything. He was in the same building as me, most likely attending the meeting too.

Without controlling my actions, the words that I spoke in my head came out as a whisper, but loud enough for Jimin and Hwasa to hear them. "W- who is t- that?"

To be continued...

[themomsandthecity]

The 1 Thing That's Still a Nonnegotiable For Me After 3 Kids

You know how you loosen up a bit as a second-time (or, in my case, a third-time) mom? Maybe you didn't stress as much about how long they used a pacifier or spent fewer hours researching the effects of screen time. You probably even got a little more lax about letting them eat sweets or wear costumes out of the house. I'm happy to spend way less time worrying with my youngest than I did with my firstborn, but there is one thing I haven't let slide now that I'm three kids in . . . and that's sleep. Sleep has always been a nonnegotiable for me as a parent. I need sleep to stay healthy and to function at my job. I need sleep to maintain my relationship with my husband and to be a good friend. I need sleep to be an enjoyable person to be around and to be a mom who doesn't lose her sh*t more than moms inevitably lose their sh*t. I need sleep to be happy. And to make that happen, I also need my kids to sleep. So beyond the newborn weeks when there's no way around not getting a full night, I made sleep a priority in our house early on, and I'm so glad I did. Because not only is it very obvious that I need sleep, but my kids do too. They're more fun to be around and less likely to melt down when they've had a full night of sleep, and they aren't as crabby or whiny when they're well-rested. Studies show that kids need even more sleep than you might think, which means early bedtimes are a must. Getting them down shortly after dinner also allows me and my husband to spend a few hours together or alone doing whatever we want without kids, which is key for us in order to recharge and reconnect before we get up and do it all over again the next day. So, how did we make it happen? Related: Know When It's Time For Bed: Here's How Much Sleep Kids and Babies Need by Age How We Got Our Kids to Sleep First, let me make it clear that I am not a sleep expert. I've never even read a full book on baby sleep, and I really don't like the term "sleep-training." But I do have three kids from 8 months to 5 years who have put themselves to sleep and slept well through the night since they were about 4 months each. Here's roughly what we did: Start early: Around 8 weeks old, we started a sleep schedule that we stuck to. They went to bed at roughly the same time every night - in their crib and in their own room - and beyond the necessary middle-of-the-night feedings, they were on their own until morning. Pick a bedtime and stick to it: We chose to put our babies down at 6 p.m., since they were always fussiest between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Five seemed a little early to be stuck in the house for the night, so we compromised with 6 p.m. Create a routine: Our nightly routines varied (read: became shorter and shorter) with each baby. For our first, we'd give him a bath, dim the lights while we dressed him in pajamas and a swaddle, then read a short book, put on the sound machine, and feed him before putting him in his crib on his back. With our third, we put the sound machine on while we get her dressed and swaddled, then feed her and put her down. Leave them be: As long as they didn't cry for more than 15 minutes, we left the room and didn't go back in. Even if they were "talking" or "playing" in the crib, we let them go until they fell asleep on their own. If they started crying at night, we'd let them work it out on their own for at least 10 minutes before intervening. Often, they would go back to sleep on their own, but if they didn't, we'd go in and offer the pacifier or rub their back, then leave the room. We'd repeat this until they stopped. Setting a timer helped with this too, because when a baby is crying, seconds can feel like torturous hours. Keeping It Up When they were babies, some nights all the rules went out the window because they were teething or sick. Some nights they'd cry for 20 minutes before going down. And some nights we'd wake up at 6 a.m. and realize we hadn't been up once since we went to bed. We found that while our kids aren't going to be 100 percent consistent, sticking with our own sleep "rules" has helped set a good foundation for the future. It became more important than ever for us to stick to a routine once our oldest two turned into toddlers who transitioned to big-kid beds, figured out how to turn on lights, and stalled by asking for "one more sip of water." We got through all those disruptions so much easier by referring back to our routine and staying strong (don't fall for it, no matter how thirsty they claim to be!). Keeping It Flexible We've definitely turned down invitations because the timing didn't work with our kids' bedtimes and readjusted annual traditions to work with nap schedules. But I refuse to be a prisoner to sleep all the time. So for us, the best part about giving our kids a solid sleep foundation is that it has allowed us, and them, to be flexible. Some nights they'll come into our room and get in bed with us (who doesn't love toddler snuggles?). On weekends we'll stay out past their bedtimes so we can spend more time with friends or family. During vacations, they might not nap every day. When they're being extra sweet, we'll give in to their request for one more book. But we don't let any of those diversions become habit. Those unfolded clothes will cause less chaos than a mom running on five hours of sleep. Our basic "rule" is that we try not to stray off course more than two nights in a row. One of them has a bad dream and comes into our bed? Totally fine. They do it again the next night? A-OK! Easier for me to roll over and go back to sleep anyway. But if they try it a third time, it's on us to get them back to their beds. The same goes for late bedtimes or missed naps. Getting Yourself to Sleep Once you get your kids to sleep well, you can't forget about yourself! It's enticing to want to stay up later to have more alone time or get things done when the house is quiet, but I've learned the hard way that those unfolded clothes will cause less chaos in my house than a mom running on five hours of shut-eye. Sure, if you can doze off during those precious naptimes, you should. But you should also have a plan in place to make real sleep happen consistently. Related: Why You Should Stop Telling New Moms to Sleep When the Baby Sleeps For me, that means a superearly bedtime when my babies are little. Since mine went down at 6 p.m., I sometimes called it a night at 8:30 p.m. in order to get the longest stretch I could before a middle-of-the-night feeding. And now, with all three sleeping through the night, I still try to have my head on the pillow before 10 p.m. every night since I'm usually up at 6 a.m. I also try to squeeze in extra hours on the weekends when I can. I'm lucky to have a husband who is naturally an early riser, so weekend mornings are my chance to snag at least another hour after the kids wake up. But if your partner isn't usually up with the sun, try trading off weekend morning duty so you each get a little extra snooze time. Related: We Let Our Baby Cry It Out, and 10 Years Later, This Is What Happened http://bit.ly/2MAe28N

[genogenocrazycatman]

Chicky - Final Fantasy XV (Prompto x Unnamed Female Character)

“I’m not giving birth to a chocobo!“

Author’s Note: So, I am obsessed with Prompto, and decided to write something about him. That being said, I have written and rewritten it like thirty-five times and I fucking hate it, but I’m posting anyways, because fuck it why not. 

I never thought that I would sing at the royal wedding. At first it was simple, because I had no connection to Lady Lunafreya or Prince Noctis. I was just a commoner, but then Insomnia fell, the prince came to Altissia and Leviathan was unleashed. The oracle was killed, and I having proven myself an asset joined Noctis and the others on their journey to take back what was theirs. Still with no bride, I never thought that I was going to sing at the royal wedding. Then the world went dark, and the wedding was just a distant memory.

Fortunately, Noct brought back the light, and the gods brought back both him and Lunafreya, and with both of them came work (lots and lots of work) and a wedding. I was definitely more excited about the wedding.

The harpist began to delicately pull the strings of his instrument, the gentle sound starting the process.

The couple made their way to the dance floor, bowing and curtsying to each other as had been the tradition for generations, before beginning their dance, just as I sang the first note.

“When the night has come

And the land is dark

And the moon is the only light we’ll see

No I won’t be afraid

Oh, I won’t be afraid

Just as long as you stand, stand by me”

 Oh Noctis. He had been dreading this dance. He’d dreaded quite a bit about the wedding actually. Feeling that it was wrong to have such an event, when much of the kingdom still needed to recover. Fortunately the boys were able to make him see that this was exactly what everyone needed, an event to show that it was over that we truly could return to normal, something that would make the people feel good.

“So darling, darling

Stand by me, oh stand by me

Oh stand, stand by me

Stand by me”

 He and Lunafreya moved with such grace and dignity around the dance floor. It was truly a sight to behold.

Both looked impeccable in their wedding garb. The way the light hit them, accenting the gold and stones, as well as the airiness of the new queen’s dress made them seem more like spirits than humans, like at any second they could fizzle out. It was like a dream that would leave us all in awe of even after we woke up.

“If the sky that we look upon

Should tumble and fall

Or the mountain should crumble to the sea

I won’t cry, I won’t cry

No, I won’t shed a tear

Just as long as you stand, stand by me

“And darling, darling

Stand by me, oh stand by me

Oh stand now, stand by me

Stand by me”

I took the instrumental section of the song to take a quick glance around the room, taking in everything. I had no clue, who most of these people were.

Gladio of course stood above most of the crowd, his arms wrapped around his missus’s, who he was gazing lovingly at.

Ignis was still at his seat, but I could see the small smile that was gracing his features.

Prompto was standing on top of something that I was sure Ignis would yell at him for later, camera trained on the pair dancing.  

I smiled, and almost teared up, because somehow we all made it.

The music swelled and I rejoined.

“Darling, darling

Stand by me, oh stand by me

Oh stand now, stand by me, stand by me

Whenever you’re in trouble won’t you stand by me

Oh stand by me, won’t you stand now, oh, stand

Stand by me

 “Darling, darling

Stand by me, oh stand by me

Oh stand now, stand by me, stand by me

Whenever you’re in trouble won’t you stand by me

Oh stand by me, won’t you stand now, oh, stand

Stand by me”

The song came to a close and the couple’s movements came to a halt. We all applauded the two.

I was quickly handed a flute of champagne. I waited until the cheers calmed down, before catching everyone’s attention and introducing myself.  

“It was years ago in Altissia that I first met, King Noctis. There were rumors that he was coming to Altissia. A less than favorable character had put a price on his head and some of my former associates had planned to collect, so I spent the day chasing them around, beating some respect for the Lucian crown into them. He busted me on the last one. At first I was amazed. He was so strong, hiding his pain with a bratty emo kid act. Then I realized that he was just a whiny emo brat.” Noct rolled his eyes, but chuckled along with the rest of the crowd. “That amazement never left. I was given the privilege of joining our king and his companions, and to help bring peace back to the world. I have watched him fight through hardship and heartbreak. He is a man willing to give up everything to protect what matters most. I am proud to call you my king, and my friend. I wish you, your wife, your marriage and your kingdom much love, happiness and prosperity in the years to come.” I raised the glass. “To King Noctis and Queen Lunafreya!”

The crowd repeated my words, raising their glasses.

I put mine to my lip, tipping it, but never letting the liquid hit my tongue. I placed the glass on one of the server’s trays as I exited. As I rejoined the crowd I was greeted by a ridiculous number of people. I was compliment on my voice and my toast. I thanked them politely, never letting myself get caught up in a conversation for too long.

I needed air, between the lights and all of the people, it was getting to be a bit too much.

I stepped outside onto one of the balconies and took a deep breath.

“You know, you’re not supposed to upstage the best man,” Prompto said, coming up behind me. He rested his palms on the balcony ledge in front of me. He rested his chin on my shoulder.

I felt my heart flutter. It was amazing that even little stuff like that could still affect me.  I reached up and stroked the side of his face.

“I’m not supposed to upstage the bride or groom. The best man is fair game,” I said, spinning around and wrapping my arms around his neck.

“You couldn’t cut me a little slack?” he whined, bringing his hands to my waist.

“Nope,” I said, pecking him on the lips.

“I can’t stay mad at you,” he said, kissing me. “Especially, when you look so beautiful.”

The design of the gown was simple, no embroidery, sequins, or stones just flowing fabric that pooled on the floor. Yellow fabric, chocobo yellow fabric.

“I thought you’d like it. You’re not too bad yourself,” I replied, pulling at the lapels of his jacket.

“You know,” he started. “I was thinking with Noct back and on the throne and now married, and the daemons almost entirely wiped out, and the kingdom finally getting back on its feet, you and I could finally get around to planning that wedding.”

I lifted my hand to look at the ring on it. “I guess after seven years, it’s time that this guy got a partner,” I teased. “But I have some conditions.”

“Okay…”

“First, no rushing. We’re waiting a year and a half at least. We need time to plan, and I don’t want

my wedding day to be marked by Gladio making fun of me by saying ‘She’s huge.’”

“Why would he-”

I hadn’t meant for that slip, at least not yet. With all of his responsibilities as best man, I figured it would be best wait. His job for the most part was over, so now was as god of a time as any. Plus, it was getting harder and harder to keep the secret, partially, because there was no way to quietly throw up every morning, and partially, because I just really wanted to tell him.

I acted like he hadn’t asked me anything. “Plus, I think it would be nice if the little one was at the wedding.”

I ignored Prompto and continued talking. “Plus I think it would be nice if the little one could be in the wedding.”

“Little one?” he asked.

I just grinned at him, waiting for him to get it.

“Like a baby?”

I nodded.

“You’re pregnant?” he asked, face a mix of shock and disbelief.

“Yeah,” I said.

He was quiet for a moment seemingly stunned.

“Prom, you alri-“

He kissed me, catching me off guard.

“You’re pregnant,” he said, when we parted. He was grinning like an idiot and his eyes sparkled brighter than I had ever seen them sparkle before. “I’m gonna be a dad.”

“You are,” I confirmed.

He hugged me tight, then let me go, dropping so that his face was in front of my stomach, one hand on either side. “Hey, Little One,” he said.  

He was so cute that I didn’t have the heart to tell him that the little one couldn’t hear him yet.

“I’m gonna be your dad,” he continued. “I promise you that you are going to be the most loved baby of all time, I’m never going to let anything hurt you or your mommy, and you’ll never be alone, ever, no matter what-“

I chuckled. “Prom, you do realize that you have time right? You don’t have to promise the kid the world all in one shot.”

“Gotta make sure the little chicky knows that-“

“I’m not giving birth to a chocobo!” I said, flicking the side of Prom’s head.

His eyes lit up again, and I just knew what he was thinking.

I held my finger up to stop him from speaking. “We are not discussing chocobo riding yet.”

“But we will discuss it,” he said.

“Yes, we will discuss it,” I conceded. I ran my hand through his hair. “You know, we have a wedding reception to return to.”

“I’d rather stay out here with you two,” he said.

“I’d rather we stay out here too, but just think about it, once the reception’s over it’s just you me and Little One. Plus, I’m sure you’re missing a lot of really good shots.”

“You’re right,” he said, standing up. He pulled out his camera and then pulled me in close. “Say cheese.”

I smiled at his antics, letting him take the selfie, before shoving him to go back inside. “Let’s go. I wanna see them cut the cake.”

He wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I wrapped mine around his waist and together we returned to the reception.