#i would've given UP baby lmfao

[bastardtrait]

well my scooter save got folded in half and sat on by the patch so made a new save and called it a day. i gave the current family a lil sphinx cat (bc one thing about me is that i love a fucked up looking cat). meet xXDEATH_STARXx.

[couldnt-think-of-a-funny-name]

I love jack so so much he's perfect but tbh I do think it would've worked much more with the show if he was a destiel baby instead of lucifer's. and I'm not just saying that as a shipper or whatever I mean narratively it would've been a lot cleaner- and actually, I think it would've been super funny to no-homo them creating a baby together, like, literally all they would have to do is say "oh, when cas rebuilt dean after hell he accidentally left some grace tangled in his soul, and every time he's healed him since then it's been growing stronger until a nephilim was born". like yes the studio is homophibic etc etc but all the jokes they'd make about dean being spiritually pregnant would be very funny for me personally.

but ANYWAY, jack's story gets messy and convoluted and I think this would've been like...a simple fix. them worrying about him going dark side could be because they're worried how demon!dean and lucifer!cas affected him in development, the show LOVES bloodline drama, chuck's wanting abraham and issac 2.0 would've worked better this way, dean's storyline with him would be improved, bc rather than 'oh no I slowly but surely emotionally adopted the antichrist' like I think he would've had an easier time clocking his john-behavoir if it wasn't a question whether he was jack's dad or not. plus last time dean actively raised a kid he went to great lengths to keep the supernatural away from him, so it'd be interesting to see how he handles a kid he CANT possibly hide from this part of his life. it would make more sense why michael wanted jack as a vessel- yes obviously he wanted the nephilim power boost but also having him as part of the winchester bloodline, making him a PERFECT vessel he doesn't have to worry about burning up would add a lot. we could also use this argument for why lucifer is so interested in him if anyone actually liked that plotline in season 14 lmao. we know chuck hated cas and dean's relationship, could you imagine if he checked in and found out they made an unauthorized baby together💀 like that really would've given better context for why he hates jack so much. cas wouldn't need that whole weird brainwashing arc to wanna protect unborn jack, PLUS it could've been an interesting source of angst for him- he feels like he's failed once again, creating an abomination and putting dean in danger, but also still loves jack immensely. it'd be so good! also imagine how fucking stressed out heaven would be to find out a mini castiel is on the way. they wouldn't even wanna exploit that kid for power they'd be preemptively treating the headaches they know they're gonna get lmfao.

also. the casting directors literally put jensen and misha into a face morph app and cast the first actor they could find that matched the results. which would've made more sense if,,,,he was just Theirs. the comedy of dean and cas making a baby before either of them managed to admit their feelings to each other would be more fun then the "dude adopted a kid and pawns him off on his unwilling roommate's all the time and they eventually warm up to the kid" storyline we actually got. we also could've replaced some of the jack-dean angst from the show with "dean wants to connect more with jack but he feels shut out whenever cas is around bc he can't relate to any angel stuff so obviously jack's going to cas for help more!", which I think would be interesting!! how AWFUL dean and cas would feel that jack didn't feel safe enough to be a baby. dad!sam is still in full swing but he cares for jack right off the bat instead of trying to use him for his powers at first. lily sunder talking about how cas killed her kid bc he thought it was a nephilim and dean, who's already fully aware he's (spiritually) knocked up by cas is like 👹 inch resting cas-tee-elle tell me more. mary having a 'my baby has a baby' crisis. cas insisting jack looks nothing like him is a running joke but then at some point he explains its bc jack's 'true form' looks just like dean's soul....

ALSO- in a show where, canonically, the very first act of free will was cas falling in love with dean...the physical manifestation of that defeating chuck and taking his place as god? come ON.

[stormblessed95]

Watching Are You Sure?! EP 3

A reminder of how I do these reaction posts as I watch things. I just write my reactions and thoughts down literally they happen. Think more of a bullet point format. I'll include links when I can to videos, thanks to the people who twt who upload clips. And at the end, I'll do a better wrap up of all my opinions. I hope everyone enjoyed the show so far!!

It's Chuseok right after their trip, so they went and filmed this at the end of September 2023

JK was so sassy about Tae inviting himself along for their Jeju trip! Lol

Jikook singing along to Vs Slow Dancing 🥺🥺🥺

Not my baby Jimin already having a stomach ache 5 minutes into the episode! We just got here and it's already travel sickness round 2?! 😅😂

Jimin yelling at Taekook to go inside while he is still in the car. Just to turn around and claim abandonment lmfao. He is just like me for real. I hope the fresh air helped him feel a little better. And JK immediately ordering Pork Cutlets, one of Jimins favorites, as soon as he gets inside is just 🥺🥺

Jimin finally coming in and JK pulling a whole "oh my God, my crush is here" type of routine. Lmao boy, the hair tucking, the giant smile. Boy, stand-up!Istg they are perfect!

Caressing Jimin's thigh as soon as he sits down talking about the "view" being so beautiful 😍😏

And Tae just fawning over Jimin being cute as soon as he enters too? Lol Jimin really has these men wrapped around his finger!

Not Tae going oh we do this stuff all the time. And JK and Jimin going "bro then leave!!" Lmfao you chose to be here Tae! Enjoy your time with your besties!

Tae getting fish and Jimin asking if he should take the bones out for him 🥺😍 that's his baby! Lmfao and JKs immediate "no" 😂🤣 no one asked you Jungkook! I too, don't like de-boning anything, I need a friend like Jimin 😂

It was giving perilla leaf, not going to lie 😂😂 Jimin babying his best friend and Jimins boyfriend being like "that's a whole grown man, excuse me?!" Is the vibes being given here. And I love it 😂

Me being sat and riveted for Jimins de-boning lesson knowing I will never do this myself. Because I'm a #spoiledbitch

The way he just info dumps too 😂

JK just stimming and loving his food so hard! And I love how vmin just let him do his thing. Baby is so loved 🥰😍 it really makes my heart so happy

Jimin making a ssam for Tae just for him to leave and Jimin to chase him running and giggling down the street, even losing his shoes, to make him eat it 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣 why are they like this? Lmao!!

JK just collecting his boyfriends shoes for him too. Lol and Tae coming back and eating as soon as Jimin tells him he doesn't have shoes. Lol he is so loved.

(x is so loved is clearly going to be the theme of my post here!)

Vmin driving in the car all leaned into each other. I love them. So freaking much. Them singing Seven and Arson too. BTS forever supporting BTS!

Jimin saying "let's take pictures together later" and Tae going "couple pictures?" Lmfao 🤣🤣🤣

Jimin having to talk Tae through how a drive through works 😂😂 my baby? How is this new to you? Lollll Jimin is suchhhh a caretaker 😍

And the way he makes sure JK stops and is hydrated too! He loves so hard!

"I'm fine!" "Im not!" That was so boyfriend, my god

"Jhope would've loved this. Ah, I miss him." God me too!

JK always going along with whatever skit or roleplay Jimin or Vmin start doing. Lmfao Jimin being like "oh, did you see his tattoos?!" Yeah, we get you 🤣

Jimin caring in JKs bag for him into the house 🥰

The 3 of them cuddling and laying on the floor together 🤣😂 before the cut to crazy head banging and Jimin having a stomach ache again 🤣 what a tonal shift lol

I'm obsessed with the pull back from touching that keeps happening. In all 3 episodes. One person on Twitter called it "controlling your habits" and I'm just ughhhhhh just hold hands 😭😭😭

Jimin singing 3D!

JK shooting Jimin in both the ass and the crotch with the water gun 😅🤣😂 the caption being an innocent 5 year old.... Lol not sure that was super innocent, but he was certainly giggly and having fun 😂 Tae also joining in and shooting Jimin, but only a few times in the ass, mostly on his back 😂 and the way Jimin just laid there and took it lmfao

The way JK watched over Jimin briefly while he was napping on the floor. That stare, those heart eyes 😍

Taekook being the absolute cutest puppies in the pool 🥰😍

Taekook drop the cuddly selca!!

JK jumping up to play as soon as he heard Jimin 😂 they are so cute! Why did they cut the entirety of Jikook playing upstairs? 👀😂

Followed by the mini wrestling match of taekook vs Jimin over the water guns and being shot again 😂

"you look pretty. You really look pretty" Jungkook please! My Jikook 🥺🥺

The distance Jungkook got with every skip in that parking lot man. Lol he is super human!

How many Jimin-ssi's did we hear in like 30 seconds when Jikook were climbing that wall together? Lmfaooo in that tone too? They like each other's muscles when watching each other climb. I get it 😂

"Jiminah, I'll show you I'm not the kid I used to be" "yeah, you are an adult now" 😂😂 Vmin lol I love Jimins dry sense of Humor too 😂😂

This whole climbing/go cart section felt very Run BTS esque lol bringing back those vibes for a moment here. Including JKs giant ass smile whenever Jimin starts messing with him or fake boxing him. That happened so often in Run

The way JK and Tae's faces immediately dropped as soon as they noticed Jimin was bleeding. There really is so much care there even when they are silly. JK saying that Jimin always gets hurt when they travel and breaks his heart 🥺🥺

"Going in order" with Jimin, Tae then JK on the go carts. I appreciate the editors acknowledging and feeding my Jimin is the hyung enjoyment 🥰

JK saying "how immature, all hung up on competing" boy you just feel left out! Lmfao because competition is at your core 😂

The way Jungkookie was looking at Jimin when Vmin were praising him 🥺🥰

Tae recording himself instead of Jimin being silly 🤣

I don't think anyone understands how much I love them and adore them.

Wrap up thoughts:

Hyung Jimin moments give me life and this episode had me well fed. He takes SUCH good care of the people he loves, and taekook in particular. He really has those men wrapped around his finger too. The love shared there is so so special and I'm so tickled anytime I get to witness it.

I also just wish for more peaceful episodes for Jimin! I'm curious how the next Jeju episode will go because after Connecticut, where they didn't have a choice but to talk about his stomach bug, they clearly were going to try and cut those moments out at first but it was so bad they couldn't. But it seemed like they are now low-key leaning into Jimins struggles as a bit with the cuts and edits now. Like it's part of the silliness of the show. Regardless, I do hope he feels better faster and doesn't get sick in Sapporo too! My poor baby 🥺😭🥰

Even with Jimin feeling sick, he still appeared to be at the center of that trio. Even when taekook were playing, they were doing so in a way that revolved around Jimin, constantly getting out to go annoy him. JK shooting him with the water gun to soak his pants in the dick and ass area was a special kind of stupid horny boy humor 😂 the way the editors covered it up (even sometimes with just camera angles) after his pants were soaked too, I know that outlines had to be on DISPLAY. Which I wouldn't be surprised if that was either one of the goals or just a nice reward for JK 😂 Poor Jimin. At least they let him nap in peace eventually!

We know Jimin did get in the pool with them at some point since they have promo shots in the water together. I'm looking forward to seeing that next episode! Or I'm going to be salty with Hybe for not giving us any of that footage! Lol

Jikook also had much larger suitcases than Tae did, who was also already there on vacation with his other friends. Did Jikook stay longer than Tae did or was it because we know they went to Busan shortly after to visit family too? It's really nice knowing that Jikook spent an extended trip together to their hometown also even if we didn't really get to know about it or see anything from it

The more hyungs that are around, the more maknae-esque our Jungkookie gets. Lol it was so cute. It IS an interesting aspect of Jikooks dynamic though, the inclusion of others and how that changes how they behave. It absolutely gives them an air of "us" at times. I know y'all know what I mean. It also highlights how much more they behave as equals, chingus, "them," when they are alone too. Because that is such an unusual dynamic and they've normalized it so much we barely blink at it anymore and some people don't even notice. He was very baby with his hyungs this episode whereas in USA, he took the lead with Jimin alot, which I did mention in my posts over those episodes.

He also was incredibly bratty and sassy in many moments of these episodes. Jimin even called him on it once 😂 this would've been the time that they had just applied for the buddy system together. And I think as much as they miss their members when they aren't there, JK also was looking forward to spending alone time with Jimin and the quick plan changes right before the trip happened put him in extra brat mode 😂😂 you could tell he was excited and happy to have Tae there though to play with. Those two had so much fun together and it was nice JK had a goof off buddy while Jimin wasn't feeling good. It also gave Jimin a much needed break I think from feeling pressure to entertain even when he wasn't feeling his best.

There were some soft and really cute moments in the first two episodes, but while there was so much chaotic energy in this episode, between Jikook, there was almost more softness. Like they save the bickering for home when they are out with others 😂 all the little touches and fondness killed me.

The cuts were horrendous this episode. Lol this was one example and there are a million more.

The episode timeline was cut all over the place. Lol so many conversations had music cut over them so we couldn't hear, so many continuity errors due to cuts. Like part of me gets it, but why was it so bad?!

Plus I'm sad we missed out on most of what was shaping us to be a Jikook wrestling match over the water guns. Oh the fanfic that'll inspire 😂 if they don't give it to us in the behinds, it's going to look incredibly suspicious 😂😂

It's also crazy to think about how this was Jikooks second trip to Jeju together. Think they went together before to scout out things they wanted to do together and enjoy the minor smaller vacation together sans cameras? Just like how they went back to the restaurant in NY alone before going back home. I really love that for them.

Sorry for only getting this post out like a week late! At least it's done before episode 4! Lol hope you all are loving AYS and having fun with it!

[toomuchracket]

i know we've talked about jealous office nerd but what about girlie? like imagine they ran into his ex or a girl tried to flirt w him or smth

the girl who gets a trial week at the magazine before marianne decides if she wants to hire her - you're not particularly bothered initially when it transpires she's an art writer and thus will be in your and matty's department, but when she LATCHES onto your boyfriend and the questions go from "so is this word limit, like, set in stone? i just have so much to say" at the start of the week to "you know how i've written for frieze? well, i have an in at the team running the art fair, and i think you should come with me this weekend - they've given me a hotel suite we could stay in" at the end of the week... you can't even hear matty's reply from the desk across from yours because your rage is making the blood pump faster into your ears, and luke from film reviews just slides you a pack of cigs and whispers "i think you should maybe go and have one of these. you look murderous, mate" lmfao. but he doesn't have a light on him, so you actually do need to go up to matty and cut the girl off (while blatantly ignoring her) to say "matthew, i need to borrow your lighter" and respond "nope" when he offers to come for a cig too; you're not annoyed at him per se, other than the fact he hasn't told the girl he's with you (although tbf you don't tend to with new people for a minute, because you want to make the magazine seem strictly professional lmao), you just need to decompress alone. you do tell marianne what just happened, when you run into her on her way in, and she just rolls her eyes like "for fuck's sake. don't worry, her work's shit, we're not keeping her on. and don't worry about matty, either - he loves you, babe, and he's not about to throw that away for the frieze fucking art fair". she's right, of course - you don't know what he told the girl, but when you go back in matty moves to sit next to you and asks "can you take a look at this for me, please?", and on his laptop screen is a word doc saying "i love you. sorry about her. i didn't know how to nip her flirting in the bud without being a dick/ruining the professional relationship, and she took it too far. obv i'm not going with her to frieze (this year looks really shit anyway, would've taken you otherwise) and i told her the hotel room thing was inappropriate. and then i didn't hear any of what she said because i got distracted thinking about the inappropriate things we got up to in hotel rooms and also i booked a night away for us tonight so we can recreate them lol. but yes i love you so much xx". it's actually so cute, and you nod at him like "yeah. let me just..." and add a reply like "i love you too. just got a bit upset seeing her like that with you. but i'm sure you'll cheer me up at the hotel xo"; i mean, you do inadvertently end up edging him while you wank him off when you get there, just grumbling about the girl so much you stop moving ("'ohhhhh look at meeeee i've written for frieze ooh!!' i could fucking write for frieze if i wanted. she's not special" and matty's crying desperate to cum nodding like "you definitely could, baby, you're such a good writer FUCK please please just let me cum" lmfao), and while matty's fucking you you're giving it "nobody else feels as good as me, do they, baby? nobody else you wanna fuck, is that right? just me. you're mine, and i'm yours" and he's moaning into your mouth like "just you, only want you, only NEED you. love of my life". it turns a bit sweet at that point, honestly, murmured i love yous and kisses and all that, but it's still a dirty, dirty fuck that ends with cum in you and on you and matty practically passed out from how hard he went to prove you were the only one for him. kinda obsessed actually <3

[littleplantfreak]

Mariiii !! ( ´ ▽ ` ).｡ｏ♡ Hi hi love!!

I just saw your rb of the self ship trope. I need to hear your meet cute with Ume!! Esp with that tag I need to know ♡︎ only ofc if you feel comfy sharing!!

Okay ilysm and you’re so talented and I hope you’re having an amazing day bye!! 🏃🏻‍♀️💨💨✨💖

it seems im being spoiled today o(｀ω´ )o hugs and kisses for both of you!!!!

Sam ily too and you better be having an even more amazing day wtf >:T

Em you tell me about your meet cute with ume 🔫 or else im calling the police

It’s under the cut as per usual since I don’t wanna bother anyone too much with it 😘

First thing’s first, I can and will have beef with anyone given the opportunity. It’s not that i’m particularly hateful or anything im just weird sometimes?

A slight detour to elementary school me. I’ve always been decent at art so I’d get told how good I am by the teachers and stuff and i was just a smug little bastard. But there was a girl who always got her stuff put up on the hallway walls because it was so good. So in jealousy, I committed her name to memory and every time i saw it I’d be like 😡 i cannot stand this girl. I didn’t tell anyone about this one sided beef and i didn't try and look for her or anything but then fast forward 4 years to like… 8th grade. I’m in high school because we don't have a middle school and i think about my best friend’s name (who i’ve known for a year at this point) and what the fuck did i realize? She was that bitch i hated in elementary school. It took me a year to realize I had years old beef with my best friend 🤦‍♀️

Anyways I feel like it’d be something similar to that lmfao. I’d go to my local greenhouse to pick up a specific type of seed only to find they’re bought out and the culprit is none other than some dude named Umemiya so now I've got beef with this guy because WHO buys all the Mr.Stripey tomato seeds??? The baby spinach too?? C'mon. Again no one but me knows about this beef, and one day i'm at the greenhouse again, talking to the sweet white haired guy who lets me just yap at him for an hour every time we see each other, whose arms I gush over to my friends and what happens? The owner calls him over and uses the name Umemiya. Flabbers seriously ghasted. I'm like "Sorry I never actually asked your name!" and when he confirms it I'm like

I absolutely can't hate this guy at this point because he's him and I don't tell him about any of that until we've been together for at least a year. Totally out of nowhere too, I'll be making us food at my place and just say "Y'know I used to hate you because you took all the tomato seeds? Yeah if I hadn't talked to you beforehand we would've exchanged blows but I love you now so don't worry about it.

[festivalofthe12]

SO this is probably something covered in the manga which I have since entirely forgotten, but. The Juunishi thing is reincarnation, right? As in, whenever the old Horse or Dog or whatever dies, they're soon/immediately after reborn as another new Sohma family baby?

Obviously there are metatextual reasons why the main characters are mostly grouped around the same rough generational range... but if you think of it that way, it makes more sense: in modern days, there's not that much variation in how old people get before they die, so it kinda makes sense that they tend to die and therefore be reborn at within a couple of decades of one another? maybe????? (of course this has been going on for a Long Time and stuff like infant mortality or just death at a young age due to injury/illness used to be much more common but. ignore that. maybe.)

ANYWAY my point is. Could Sohma adults potentially try to game the system and time it such that their kids will be born around about when older Juunishi members die? Thus giving themselves a way better chance of having their kid be one? (For those who would care about that, which we know at least some do.)

Specifically, I'm not sure if we ever got a stated reason for the huge age gap between Yuki and Ayame... but this sure as hell sounds like a plausible one, giving everything we know about Yuki's mum. Like, IDK if she deliberately tried to get the Snake (the Snake, Dog, and Dragon are all very similar in age, so presuming that their previous reincarnations' deaths weren't super sudden, that'd offer better than usual odds of getting at least one) and then realised she could do better, or if she got the Snake but wasn't satisfied and started planning things out for the Big One...

Though. the Rat would most DEFINITELY have been a high risk/high reward goal. Because. This time around, at the very least, the Rat and Cat both ended up the same age. :'D

Which, now that sounds like a fanfic idea just waiting to happen... but in practice, IDK if it would've really changed all THAT much? Yuki's mum would almost certainly have just disowned Kyou lmfao (possibly while trying to hide that he was even hers so she wouldn't be associated with the Cat??? no clue how she'd manage that though. I feel like the two options are some other random woman gets him and immediately the curse is revealed [and the main house would find out about that, ofc] or Kyou fjucking dies. I guess she could try to pass him off on a single father????????)

anyway uhh I know less about Kyou's parents. but. his dad doesn't seem the type to NOT send his kid off to Akito, especially if there was something in it for him.

So if this isn't that wacked-out 'the Cat gets weirdly lost for a while because he grows up with a random dude who doesn't even figure out about the curse for several years making it way harder for the Main House to track him (and honestly given that the juunishi transform when they're too weak and babies are Definitionally Defenceless even this doesn't seem all that realistic)' scenario. I guess the main difference would be just that Kyou and Ayame are siblings. Presumably in this case Kyou still gets raised by Kazuma and everyone knows his mum is his mum but she maintains some level of status by having the Snake. And I guess in this world Ayame gets treated more like Yuki because she doesn't have a better option this time round and is desperate to distance herself from the Cat lmao.

That's about as far as I've thought it through hahahaha because in the end this is more of a Kyou-centric thought experiment than Yuki really. But it's still kinda interesting (to me)!!!!!

[sister-claire-critical]

Accidentally misgendered Grim in that last ask. 😳 Adult!Grim who had never been warded at the fall of Eden & aged more naturally would've been cool tho & them & Gabrielle as a villain power couple would have been great lmao. Especially since Gabrielle's bisexuality has been teased- esp early on in the comic's history before all the retcons- but never went anywhere- not even with Sal. & Grim as it is is another very one-note-character, being mostly in the first act they are also torn in different directions by how much the story changed.

(Like, Catherine was nothing but nice to Grim & tried to save Clementine twice, why does Grim hate her? Why not also hate Abraham or Oscar? What motivated Grim to pause the lung healing spell that Catherine was doing & what about the spell made them fuse, or did Grim do that, & why? Why does the possession start to kill Catherine? It's not explained but if it was part of a plan Grim was doing with Gabrielle all along that would have made more sense.)

Clementine's city working without flaw or issue for even a few years you'd think would give someone the motive to recreate that- to recreate her. Anyone who needs protection would have that motive- like Hanabi's group of witches- even if they don't want to recreate a whole city they need a safe spot just for them- & because witches attract shards such a group would absolutely need Clementine's powerful shard-healing magic if nothing else & probably be willing to take it by force. That would be a good explanation for why G.O.D. is still around & functioning & what they are doing why Gabrielle is still a part of it.

Like, it's cute nobody in the comic expects Claire to be like Clementine but if they did it'd add interesting tension. If villains skipped right over thinking about Claire to instead focus on her baby (who is basically a blank slate) who Claire has to protect- even cooler, would have also given Claire more opportunities to use Nun-fu lmfao.

I interpreted Grimm hating Catharine as a sort of irrational displacement of anger, as well as Grimm not fully understanding what happened in Eden. But narratively, it was sort of built up as though Catharine had done something horrible, when... I can't really think what that would have been. And the whole possession thing was just really weird overall. Nothing similar has been shown to happen either before or since, that I recall.

Recreating Eden wasn't really possible because no one understood how Clementine was healing the shards, and it apparently never occurred to Clementine to explain or show anyone. That's sort of her whole Thing. But the idea of someone taking her captive and making her help them is an interesting idea 🤔

—Mod Marie🌸

[zepskies]

I always get excited when the notification for your comments come in. 😜

Starting off strong with Ben’s ego, we love to see it 🤣

Can't forget a generous helping of Ben's ego to kick things off. 😂

And lmao, for him, her red dress is enough to light all the switches in his brain.

[Marie the degenerate gambler]: I always find it funny when it's the sweet little "oh, honey" type people who have surprising vices. And she was married to Jon, after all, so we already know she's got some issues.

Not surprising that he would find that hot 😂

Right?! lmfao he'd love to see his girl tearing a bitch a new one.

[On rules #1 and #2]: Oh yes. That dress is too good to ruin. And the preserving the lipstick is a must, especially red. So easy to smudge and stain your entire face. 😩

“Ben huffed, and almost rolled his eyes. If there was one thing you enjoyed doing, it was testing his fucking patience.” — Yeah but you love her for it Benjamin 😏

Absofuckinglutely. 😏 One could argue their entire relationship was predicated on it. 😂

Bullshiiiiiiit, I call major bullshit on that 💀

Oh, she did too (internally). loll Ain't no way he's walking out of this bathroom without getting some. Though if she got him annoyed enough, his pride might just win out against his dick. (Good thing she acquiesced to his "demands" lol.)

“Somehow, you gave him everything he wanted to hear and more. Maybe that was part of what he loved about you. Even when you demanded from him, you gave him more of yourself.” — I love how far they’ve come together, and I find it so sweet that he sees it this way and acknowledges how much of herself she gives to him in return.

Thank you for shouting out this part! It was probably my favorite couple of lines to write for this chapter. 🥹 I think it shades in a bit more of how he sees her.

“Oh shit. You still hadn’t gotten your IUD replaced…” — HELL YEAH!!! Breeding kink activated in me when I read this, and I can only assume Ben thinks the same 👀

LOL it kind of makes the next one-shot I'm putting out next week inevitable. 😅

I’M HAVING SUCH A CUTENESS OVERLOAD RIGHT NOW OH MY GOD!!!!! 😭💖💖💖

I warned you about the fluff. It's deadly. 🤭💕💕

The whole “my girl” thing has me giggling and kicking my feeling right now 🥹

I honestly struggled to decide if this moment was in character for him, but ultimately I'm glad I kept that line in since you enjoyed it. 😘

[On Ben's protectiveness]: Oh 100%, his protectiveness is warring with his understanding that she doesn't want to cause a scene during the holiday lol. It's taking a lot of patience he wouldn't ordinarily have to contain himself from snapping on a bitch (Trina).

Now THATS love baby! Smudging red lipstick for him is 1000% a confirmation of how deeply she loves him!

Again, absofuckinglutely. 😂😂

LOLL I was given the idea for the whole "aunt McGrabAss" and the Astroglide quip. It ended up being a fun scene, though you're right, poor Ben. (Not his pig-in-a-blanket rolling away.)

TRINA YOU STUPID BITCH SHUT THE HELL UP!

How I fucking cackled!!!! 🤣🤣

That and: Somebody 👏 please 👏 smack 👏 this 👏 big mouthed 👏 slag 👏

God how I wish. 😂

But yes, Grandpa George coming in for the win to shut her up for half a goddamn second loll.

I was keen to see Trina get her ass handed to her, but this is just as satisfying. Seeing him bite his tongue and saying this feels so meaningful!

I'm glad you liked how Ben decided to handle the situation. I could've had the big blow up at the table (would've been more "movie-like" loll), but I thought it would show more of his character development if he finessed the moment instead. ❤️ But yeah, Marie can't cook for shit, poor thing lol.

Story time: when I give gifts to my brother and my mum, I put them in boxes so that I can duct tape the shit out of them so they have trouble opening it! It’s the best entertainment ever! Well, up until my birthday this year when my brother returned the favour.

So that's hilarious, but I'm also giving you side-eye, because I based Grandpa George's duct-taping presents habit off my own grandfather, who did that exact same thing when I was a kid. 🤣🤣 He'd put them in boxes within boxes covered in tape and staples. So I hope you learned your lesson from your bro! 🤣

I love Louisa too. 😂 She can be testy (so can her older sis lol), but it's because she cares. And at the end of the day, she still got her sister's boyfriend a gift he'd actually like.

“Still, it was hard to get mad at someone like Marie. It would be like all those times he’d snapped at his own mother, leaving him feeling hollow inside afterwards. He’d always apologized to her later…in his own way.” — I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I adore it when you add things like this to his background. When you fill in the blanks of his past, it helps make him feel like a more fulfilling character and it really humanises him more.

Thank you, lovely!! I think Ben had his cocky attitude from a young age. I can only imagine what he was like as a teenager/young man, but being a little spoiled rich kid, I think he'd be a handful. Yes, I think he loved his mother, but doesn't mean his relationship with her was all rainbows and sunshine either. It certainly wasn't with his father. (I'm thinking young Tony Stark-esque as far as temperament).

Although side note: can you imagine if time travel was a thing in The Boys like it is in the MCU, and the reader met a younger version of Ben? (Like 1930s -1940s). I think that would be hilarious. 😂

This is so sweet, and definitely something I myself would do! I’m very much a sentimental gift giver.

Aww I love that! My mom was a scrapbooker when I was little. I'm not very crafty, but I try to give meaningful/practical gifts.

I’m honestly speechless, this was such an amazing chapter and it really felt like it started to tie things up!

Aww thank you, lovely!! I'm glad you said that it feels like it's starting to tie things up, because I feel like the last 2-parter story will put a definitive "button" on the BMD story. Not to say that I won't come back to the BMD world with future side stories.

But as far as the main storyline, I'm glad Part 2 of Love Actually was requested, because it forced me to shade in a lot of details with the growth of their relationship that you wouldn't get from just Part 1, as it was intended to be a one-shot.

Trina got on my nerves, but seeing as how that was her purpose I’d say you hit the nail on the head with her behaviour 🤣 and the smut was absolutely superb!

Oh, you're not alone. 🤣 Trina got on everybody's nerves (mine included). And though she didn't get "put in her place," I think we all have family situations like that that don't get resolved the way you want them to. What matters is Ben and the reader know where they stand with one another.

(But thank you, smut writing is like, the one major thing I'm still kind of insecure about loll. But I'm trying my best! 😘)

They really have come so far! It almost seems an eternity ago from the BMD prologue, doesn't it? I've done a reread myself, and I realize just how much I've written in the span of a few months. 🤣🤣

Thank you so much as always for your thoughts on this one!! Can't wait to bring you Strong as Blood (Part 1) next weekend! 😘💕

Love Actually - Part 3

Paring: Soldier Boy/Ben x Reader

Summary: You and Ben steel yourselves in order to meet your crazy family for Christmas dinner.  

AN: And here’s Part 3, lovelies. Stick around after the end for a special announcement (new BMD fic dropping next weekend)!

Remember, this is set in the same world as “Break Me Down,” and set before “Checkerboard.” There will be a few references to the original story in this. But on the whole, this can be read as a stand-alone!

Word Count: 5,300 Warnings: 18+ only! Smutty smut ahead. Lots of fluff and a potential overload of feels.~

Part 3: “Auld Lang Syne”

You leaned down, subtly grabbing his thigh.

“I need you,” you whispered in his ear. The tone of your voice set his blood alight with new interest.

Ben’s resulting smirk was subtle, but edged. “A tour it is.” 

Ben got up from the couch, giving you a thinly veiled look of smugness. He knew you’d come around. 

You nearly rolled your eyes. 

But when you told your grandfather your plans to show your boyfriend the rest of the house, he just waved the two of you off. He was too invested in the baseball game to give it much thought.

Which left Ben to follow you up the stairs, where he admired the curve of your ass in this little dress. He couldn’t help himself. He reached out and grabbed a delectable handful. 

You gasped and clung to the guardrail. You shot him a warning look over your shoulder, despite your smile. 

Not yet, your gaze told him. But you took his hand and guided him the rest of the way up. His grip tightened on yours.

All right. He could wait.

When they got to the second floor though, Ben started to get curious about the large two-story house. 

“I thought you said your mom had debts,” he said. “Supposedly, that’s why you took on the job of hunting me down.”

You chuckled humorlessly. “Don’t let that Betty Crocker apron fool you. She’s a degenerate gambler.”

Behind you, Ben’s brows rose a bit.

You paused a step. “Or, well, she used to be. As you know, my family has issues.”

He snorted in response. Something else occurred to him though.

“Is this the house you grew up in?” he asked. You full on stopped walking then. 

“Oh, no,” you said, with a firm shake of your head. “She sold that house after the divorce. She bought this one with the settlement money.”

Ben ruminated over that as you led him into the guest bathroom. He closed the door behind him with a soft click, and by the time he turned around, you were there with your warm hands on his chest, shoving back his jacket.

He smirked and shrugged it off the rest of the way, then draped it on the doorknob behind him. He started with unbuttoning and rolling up the sleeves of his black dress shirt. 

You watched him with hunger in your eyes, running your hands down his firm chest and solid abs. 

You heaved a breath of relief when he pulled you in. He wrapped his arms around your waist and started kissing down your neck. You clung to his arms and tried to stop yourself from digging your nails into his nice shirt. 

“What changed your mind?” Ben asked.

“Are you complaining?” you quipped.

“Always a fucking smartass,” he rejoined. And his lips left you, with him giving you raised brow. His thigh slipped between your legs, a slow and torturous friction. “Maybe I’ll just leave that pretty pussy on fire.”

Ugh, you thought. He could be so annoying. You leveled your stern eyes up at him. 

“I need you to fuck me. Right now,” you said. “Or I’m gonna rip my aunt’s face off.” 

You reached down to cup his length firmly through his slacks, earning a grunt from him. It ended on a groan when you grazed him with your nails. He chuckled deeply.

“That’s kinda hot,” he replied. An understatement. The hairs on his arms were standing up, along with his cock. 

You smiled in amusement. “You would think so.”

He grabbed your arms and meant to kiss you, but you stopped him with your fingers against his lips. 

“Two rules: this lipstick doesn’t come off. And no. Ripping. The dress.”

By no means did you want to get caught doing this. You already felt guilty, and you two hadn’t even done anything yet. But you needed this, or else you weren’t sure you could get through dinner without any violent incidents.  

But you could tell that Ben was annoyed at being given restrictions as he stared down at you. 

“You’re making a lot of fucking demands tonight,” he said, squeezing your arms a bit.  

You smirked and tilted your face up to him. You leaned up, nearly brushing your lips with his. 

“Isn’t it more satisfying when you have to work for it?” you asked.

Ben huffed, and almost rolled his eyes. If there was one thing you enjoyed doing, it was testing his fucking patience. 

But then he smirked. “Fine.”

He gripped your arms tighter and turned you around, pressing you against the pristine granite countertop. You met his darkened gaze in the mirror.  

You knew then that he was going to do one of his favorite things: taking you from behind while he made you watch. It wasn’t the first time, and you knew it wouldn’t be the last. But you parted your legs, your lower belly quivering with anticipation as his thigh encouraged you.  

His hands soothed down your arms, dragging across your body, squeezing your breasts over your dress while his lips burned down your neck once more. His teeth grazed your skin, making you shudder.

You then remembered to turn the faucet on in the sink. It would create some more background noise, and hopefully disguise your moans as his hands traveled down your body. 

You helped him slide the skirt of your dress up, tug your pantyhose down to your ankles without ripping them. 

“Hmm, I like the black lace,” he murmured behind you. His fingers dragged down your skin along with your panties.

“I know,” you replied on a shaky breath, as his fingers teased the slit of your pussy from behind, brushing between the folds. “You bought ‘em last week.”

“Did I?” he mused, as his fingers found your clit. He rubbed a bit roughly, drawing a pleased sound from your lips. “I’ve got good taste.”

A smile broke out across your face. “See? I never need to pay you any compliments. You can stroke your own ego just fine.”

Ben tilted his head at you. He peered around your shoulder to catch your eye. You gave him a sly look over your shoulder, though it was edged with desire.

“Oh yeah?” His words were a challenge. His fingers entered you then, earning an even deeper moan from you, though you tried to taper it down. “Maybe I should let you stroke your own too, huh?”

You shook your head, biting your lip. Your inner walls were already clenching on his fingers, and you had to grab his arm and the counter for balance. 

“Ben, please,” you whispered more raggedly. His smirk took on a wicked edge. 

“Oh, now it’s please?” he said, his voice drawing deeper, more gruff. “Please what?”

You couldn’t speak. His fingers were working overtime pulsing inside you, while his other hand joined, parting your folds to press on your clit like a button. You were so fucking close, you could taste it…    

But as soon as that coil began to truly tighten, Ben withdrew his fingers. You panted for breath, and your gaze snapped up to his in the mirror. You glared at him. 

“What the f—”

“Answer me,” he demanded. “Or I really will walk the fuck out right now.” 

Big talk, you thought, from the man with a rock-hard dick. But you blew out a breath and conceded to his demands. 

“Please,” you said, reaching back to stroke his cheek, running your fingers through his hair, bringing him closer. Your hand clenched in his hair. And with the other, you took his hand, still wet from where it had been inside you, and brushed it against your slippery folds. 

“This is all because of you,” you said. “Only ever for you. Fuck me until I break an ankle in these heels. ‘Til I can’t fucking breathe.”

Ben’s chest warmed. And it wasn’t just about his pride.

Somehow, you gave him everything he wanted to hear and more. Maybe that was part of what he loved about you. Even when you demanded from him, you gave him more of yourself.

So he gave you what you wanted. He guided you down onto the counter and rucked up your dress. Per rule #2, he did it gently enough so he wouldn’t rip the fabric. 

You heard his pants unzipping, felt the weeping head of his cock against your folds, teasing you for a moment. You gripped the counter and made a sound of pleading frustration. 

“I gotcha, baby,” Ben said, lowly in your ear. He gripped your hip and guided his cock inside you, nice and slow. You both breathed hard, trying to keep your voices down. He then bottomed out, and it made your inner walls flutter and tighten. He made a gutteral sound, low and pleased. “Such a good girl.”

His darkened green eyes fixed on yours in the mirror. It was heat and desire, but it was also deeper. It always had been, ever since he met you.

And for you, his gaze alone was a molten caress. If you had it your way, you could very well spend the rest of the night in the guest bathroom. In this very moment… 

But it had already been a while in here. You didn’t know how much time you had left before someone came to find you two, so you squeezed his hand on your hip. 

“Get going, cowboy,” you teased, but it was really a command. Ben saw it in your heated gaze in the mirror, meeting his. He slid out of you slow at first, but snapped back in harder. It made you jolt, but also shudder and squeeze him from the inside out. He wished he had the time to do this how he wanted, taking his time, but that was one thing they didn’t have.

He made up for it by taking you hard and deep, putting you through your paces. You held on for dear life while trying not to let your voice raise higher. It was a challenge for you, and you knew Ben liked hearing your voice. But when he hit a particularly good angle, you couldn’t help but cry out a bit. 

He brushed your hair away from your neck and pressed his lips there. He had to bite down to stifle his own grunts. It had you gasping at pain mixed with pleasure. 

He was getting close too; you could feel it in his wilder thrusts, in the tightening of his hand on your hip. You needed just a bit more.

“Ben,” you whispered. He heard the ragged need in your voice. He saw it in your eyes when he met them in the mirror, desperate for release.

“Tell me,” he ground out. 

You took his hand guided it again down to part your folds. He took the hint and once again circled the pads of his fingers against your clit—this time with purpose. Your breath hitched as the coil in your belly finally snapped and released its warmth. 

He gave you a few more hard thrusts before his hips stuttered as he groaned, and he spilled inside you. 

Oh shit. You still hadn’t gotten your IUD replaced…

Oh fucking well, you thought, as your core still quivered with pleasure. This was worth playing a bit fast and loose with your birth control.

For a while, the sounds of your mingled breaths were almost drowned out by the water running. You turned off the faucet. Then your eyes met Ben’s in the mirror, and you smiled. 

The corner of his mouth raised. He slid out of you, but you kept him close with a hand around the back of his neck, tangling your fingers in his hair. Part of you couldn’t believe you just fucked your boyfriend in your mother’s house, in the guest bathroom of all places. But you felt all the better for it. 

Or at least, you no longer had a desire for blood. You stroked the arm that still held you upright, more bracing now than restrictive. You felt his seed spilling down your inner thighs, but you couldn’t yet force yourself to move. Your legs were still shaky. 

However, you knew you could rely on the strong pillar of his arms holding you. Ben rested his cheek against your hair, pressing a kiss there.

“You’re beautiful tonight,” he said. 

Your eyes widened with soft shock. When it slowly faded, you bit your lip. Your body shook with quiet laughter as your brows rose high.

“Right now?” you asked. With your dress rucked up and your pantyhose rolled down to your ankles.

“Yeah. Right now,” Ben said. “A fucking sight.” 

And he meant it. 

You could tell, and that warmed you down to your toes. Your smile softened as you rested against him and closed your eyes for a moment.

“You don’t know how glad I am that you’re here with me,” you said. “Thank you.”

“I’ve got some idea,” he murmured, smirking as you once again trembled with a giggle. 

You reluctantly detangled yourself from him to reach down under the sink for a washcloth. Ben let go of your waist, only so he could take the small towel from your hand. You looked up at him in confusion, but he leaned around you to run the cloth under a bit of warm water from the sink.

He then got down on one knee in front of you, and proceeded to clean you up himself. Your eyes widened as you stared down at him. Your breath caught in your throat. 

He’d never done this before. Something about it made you blush. The sheer intimacy of it, probably, of his hand running the warm cloth up your bare inner thighs. His free hand held one of your calves, his thumb resting just under your knee. 

You had to reach for his shoulder to stabilize yourself when the cloth swiped between your thighs, against your sensitive core. It made your lower belly tingle again with a spark of arousal. You breathed in slow and deep before you spoke.

“Not that I’m complaining, but…” you trailed. You weren’t even able to finish your question. 

Ben met your gaze with a raised brow. “What, can’t take care of my girl?” 

It took you a moment, but eventually you smiled. The kind of smile that made your insides warm and buoyant, and your stomach clench.

You had a feeling he’d overheard you and your sister talking earlier. It wouldn’t have been the first time he’d eavesdropped with his superior hearing.

Your expression faded a bit when something occurred to you. You tilted your head at him.

“You heard everything my aunt said, didn’t you?” you asked. 

Ben paused a moment, holding the towel against your inner thigh. His lips drew downward as he remembered what he’d heard while trying to concentrate on the baseball game with George. 

“I’m just sayin’!” Trina said. “He might have forever, but you certainly don’t.”

If Louisa hadn’t stepped in when she had, Ben might’ve had to ruin his new suit, if not the evening.

“Seems like having a big fucking mouth runs in your family,” he muttered. 

You snorted. “Yeah, but mine’s endearing. She’s just a bitch, still bitter from her divorce.”

Ben didn’t answer. Though after he finished cleaning you up, he rested and elbow on his bent knee. His free hand dragged up your thigh and over your hip, squeezing soft flesh.

“Yeah well, put her in her place next time, or I will,” he said. His tone was edged, and you gave him a wry look. 

“I’ll try not to give you the chance,” you said. 

“I mean it,” Ben said. His gaze bore into yours, unyielding, even from where he knelt at your feet. He stood to his full height, tucking in his shirt and zipping his pants back up as he went. 

“No one’s got the fucking right to talk about our business,” he said. “And you better not listen to a goddamn word. About me, and sure as shit, not about you.”

A small, sharp breath got stuck in your throat. Just then, you found you had to swallow past a swell of emotion lodging in your throat. 

His hands found their way back to your hips and squeezed gently, but with purpose. You read it in his eyes. 

“You hearing me?” he asked. 

You nodded. “Yeah.”

Your aunt was someone who always “meant well.” You had gotten far too used to swallowing your tongue for your mother’s sake. And at the end of the day, you usually knew how to let Trina’s words roll off. You’d certainly had plenty of practice.

But regardless, your heart grew for this man. 

You took his face between your hands, and you kissed him deeply, breaking rule #1.

You took a few more minutes to fix your clothes, your hair, and yes, your lipstick. 

When you two eventually went back downstairs, the table was nearly set. The appetizers and wine remained, along with the plates and silverware. All that was missing was dinner itself. 

“Okay, looks like dinner’s about ready. I’m gonna go and help,” you said. You gave Ben a parting smile and let your fingers run down the back of his arm. He shot you a wink, and one last pat on the ass. 

You had to stifle your squeal, sending him a playfully warning look on your way to the kitchen. You stepped back in to see your mom pouring the cranberry sauce into a serving pitcher. 

“Oh, glad Miss Congeniality could grace us again with her presence,” Trina remarked at the sight of you. 

You gave her a flat smile. “What do you need?”

“We’re serving. Help your mom,” she said, nodding behind her. You wordlessly agreed and went over to Marie, who gave you a curious look. 

“Where were you all that time?” she asked. Louisa looked over with the same question in her eyes. 

“Well, I said hi to Grandpa,” you said. It wasn’t a lie, and technically, nor were your next words. “And then I gave Ben a tour of the house.”

When the fuck is dinner already? Ben thought as he approached the dining table filled with mini quiche, pigs-in-a-blanket, and other appetizers. His stomach was starting to growl something fierce. He was craving real food, but he still grabbed one of the small plates.

While he surveyed the layout of finger food, Great Aunt Silvia sidled up next to him with her cane in hand. Ben noticed her out of the corner of his eye. According to George, she’d had a hip replacement last month. 

“Hey, there,” he greeted somewhat politely, if distracted by adding food to his small plate.  

“Oh, my days. You’re Soldier Boy,” she said in surprise. Her eyes twinkled with delight.

Where’ve you been, lady? Ben thought in annoyance. Oh, that’s right. Passed out in a damn oxy coma.

Before he could respond with something half gracious, he felt a bony hand get a meaty handful of his ass. 

He actually flinched, more at the suddenness than anything else. A pig-in-a-blanket flew from his plate and rolled off the table. 

Ben gave the old woman an incredulous look. What the fuck? 

“Excuse me?” he uttered. 

But of course, she played dumb. And she ducked quick when you came over with the mashed potatoes in large bowl. You set it down on the table, but you noted the grouchy look on his face as he looked past you into the living room. Great Aunt Sylvia waddled away with the help of her cane, back to her nice recliner. 

“What’s the matter?” you asked, earning his attention.

“Silvia’s a wily old broad,” he muttered. At the look on your face, however, he felt the need to clarify. “Apparently she got my ass confused with the quiche.”    

You bit your lip, and your eyes widened. You had to stifle a shocked giggle as you glanced past him to your great aunt, who’d taken her usual seat by her brother. You slid Ben a knowing smirk.

“I thought you liked older women,” you teased. 

He scoffed. “Gotta draw the line somewhere. I think ‘hip replacement’ is that line.”

“Not running for the Astroglide, huh?” you whispered in his ear.  

He grimaced, even though he also wanted to laugh. He just shook his head. 

“Jesus Christ, enough.”

You stifled a laugh through your nose and soothed his arm. 

“Here, help us with getting the ham on the table. Maybe we can avoid another member of my family playing grab ass.”

Once Christmas dinner was all set on the dining table, you were practically salivating. You had a hard time deciding on what to try first: the ham, the sweet potato casserole, the cranberry sauce, or stick as much of all three on your fork as you could. 

You went with the latter, and Louisa eyed you with a laugh. 

“What?” you asked with your mouth full. It got Ben’s attention as well.

“You do this every year,” Louisa remarked. “It’s like you forgot how long it takes to get dinner on the table in this house.”  

“I’m freakin’ starving,” you admitted. 

“Yeah? Worked up an appetite, did you?” Ben asked, a bit pointedly, despite the way he sipped at his wine. (And paying you back for that Astroglide quip). 

You shot him a warning look at his audacity.

Louisa seemed to be the only one who caught the exchange, with a suspicious brow raise. 

“So Ben,” Trina began, around a mouthful of ham. Already her voice set you on edge. “What was it like in the ‘40s? You know, with the Nazis and everything.”

You and Ben shared a subtle glance. His jaw clenched. 

Fuuuucking hell, you thought.

From the head of the table, Grandpa George looked over at his eldest daughter with an annoyed glint in his eye. 

“Katrina, do us all a favor,” he said wryly. “Keep stuffin’ your face.” 

You bit your lip against a grin. Louisa shared your same problem, snorting into her Diet Coke. 

Trina looked adequately indignant, but to everyone’s relief, she just pursed her lips and speared at her plate.  

The rest of dinner was interesting, to say the least, with many questions thrown to Ben about his celebrity days. He ate up the attention, just as you thought he would. It seemed your little escapade upstairs loosened him up too. He told his favorite stories, editing the more graphic anecdotes out of some of them, you noticed gratefully. 

The atmosphere only got tense when Ben bit into some kind of casserole Marie made. The texture was soft and stringy with green beans, but there was something unpleasantly sweet, and even crunchy in the middle. Uncooked noodles, maybe? Frankly, he wasn’t sure what he was eating. 

“You all right, hun?” Marie asked him. 

“What is this?” Ben asked, pointing down at his plate with a fork. 

“Ah.” Trina peered at his plate, and then the suspect casserole. “It’s probably not quite right. God love her, but my sister’s no Gordon Ramsay.”

You frowned as your mom’s gaze fell. Her lips drew downwards in disappointment. 

Before you could speak up, Ben’s voice stopped you. 

“You know what,” Ben said. His voice was tight, in a way that told you he might just snap. Your aunt’s questions had gotten more intrusive and annoying over the past hour, too much even for him to let roll down his back. He was used to dealing with shitty press, but Trina was fucking relentless.

Someone better fucking muzzle this bitch before I do it for her. 

The words were about to fly out of his mouth, in a very real threat. Ben only took his belt off in public for two reasons: a good fuck and a good old-fashioned hog tie. Your aunt was about to get the latter. 

However, he could tell by the way you were gripping the edge of the table, you were bracing yourself for whatever he was going to say next. All eyes were on him.

Ben drew in a breath. With every cell of effort left in him, he turned to Marie with a smile. As pleasant as he could manage. 

“I was just trying to figure out what you put in this, because it’s delicious,” he said.

Marie blinked with a bit of surprise, but then, she brightened. 

“Oh…well, it’s just green bean casserole. A bit of butter, some Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup. That classic recipe,” she said.

But she paused, in a way that told Ben that the other shoe was about to drop. 

“…And I just added a few raisins and walnuts this time. For some texture,” she said with a shrug. “You know, something different.”

She smiled at Ben, while he and the rest of the table tried not to grimace. Who the fuck puts raisins in cream of mushroom? That’s just wrong.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” she said.

Ben offered her a nod, but he had to take a long sip of wine to wash the unpleasant mix of overbearing salt and sweetness down. 

He felt your soft hand squeeze his under the table. When he looked over, he found your subtle, thankful smile. The corner of his mouth raised, however slightly. 

The night ticked on, and Ben subtly checked his watch while he chilled out on the couch. He was at the edge of the festivities now, as your family was exchanging gifts by the modest Christmas tree in the living room. 

He surveyed them all—warm and comfortable with one other as they joked and hugged and talked and laughed. Even Trina looked less irritating. 

Ben felt a bit like an intruder. 

Hell, he didn’t think he’d ever had this. A quiet, family Christmas.  

Though he was a bit surprised when Marie was the first one to walk over to him. She sat down on the couch and offered him two gift bags. One was larger than the other.

“You didn’t have to,” he told her, but she waved him off.

“Nonsense. When I saw this, I couldn’t help thinking of you,” she said. Ben began opening the larger one first. It was a simple, dark blue bag. 

“You might think it’s silly,” she said, folding her hands in her lap in a slightly nervous gesture. “Feel free to return it if you don’t like it.”

Ben pulled out a nice bottle of whiskey. He actually appreciated this one. 

“Oh! That’s from Louisa,” said Marie. 

“Really?” He glanced over and found Louisa sitting on the floor beside you. 

You were busy trying to cut through a present Grandpa George had wrapped with duct tape, just to be an asshole. (He did this to you every year, precisely because it frustrated you so much.)  

But Louisa looked up and met Ben’s gaze, giving him a wry smile and a lazy soldier’s salute. His lips quirked, and he inclined his head in wordless thanks.

“This one next,” Marie prompted him. She tapped on the second gift bag, which was bright green and shiny. 

There he found a leatherbound journal and a set of silver ballpoint pens. They looked expensive. They also reminded him of a set his father used to keep in his desk, in his study. Even the smell of the leather brought him back to that room, filled with books, crisp ink-filled pages, and tumblers of whiskey.  

“I’ve worked in a hospital for over ten years, in the psychology wing,” Marie said. “I see a lot of veterans. Lisa, my friend who’s a nurse? She told me that writing things down can help with memories you want to keep, and sort through the ones you’d rather not.” 

Ben held her gaze for a moment, but it soon fell to the journal. He didn’t really know what to say. For once, he was at a loss for words. 

Mostly because he was irritated. He didn’t need what she was offering, and implying…

Still, it was hard to get mad at someone like Marie. It would be like all those times he’d snapped at his own mother, leaving him feeling hollow inside afterwards. He’d always apologized to her later…in his own way. 

But that was a long time ago.

“Sorry,” Marie said eventually. “I know, you’re too busy for all that. But at least you’ve got the whiskey.”

“Thank you,” Ben said. But the reserved smile he offered her was more genuine than even he expected. The journal and the pens still laid in his lap. 

Marie smiled warmly, and in it, Ben saw your inner softness. The way you cared about your family and your friends, and him…he knew then that it began here.

Marie gave his cheek a motherly pat. Ben allowed it, begrudgingly.

“We’re so glad you’re here, honey,” she said. “I hope you had a good time.”

He was a bit relieved when she finally moved on. She headed over to Louisa, who was opening one of her gifts. You got up off the floor returned to your boyfriend with a wrapped box in your hand. First, you admired his small haul. 

“Look who’s popular,” you noted with a grin. Ben gave you a bemused look and put the gifts back in their respective bags. 

“I’ve got one more for you,” you said, with a teasing smile that made him suspicious. You handed him the box, which was about the size of a large book. The sticker said it was from you, to him.

His brows furrowed. “What’s this?”

You already got him the watch. But at your gesturing, he ripped the green wrapping paper off to find…a photo album. 

“Really, what is this?” he asked. 

“You can’t tell?”

“I know what it is—”

“Well, then open it,” you prodded. You sat down next to him as he started flipping through the album. 

The very first picture wiped the curious expression from his face. It was his mother, crisp in black and white. She was young and beautiful and smiling almost shyly for the camera on a windy day. 

Right beside it, there was one of his parents’ wedding pictures, old and yellowed around the corners. The third was a faded picture of the club where his parents met. His mother had been a singer there. 

You leaned over with a hand on his shoulder. Ben looked over at you.

“What the hell did you do?” Ben he asked. His face was hard to read, but he didn’t look upset. His tone was more resigned.

“I found your stash of pictures under the bed, so I thought I’d put them together for you,” you said. You bit your lip in worry, hoping he would like it. You weren’t sure of his reaction yet.

After a moment, he kept flipping. Next were a few pictures of himself, incredibly young and already with a familiar cocky grin. There was even a rare picture of him and his parents together. He remembered when and where it was taken—at his father’s birthday, right after Ben got kicked out of boarding school. 

He hadn’t looked at these pictures in…hell. It’d been decades. He'd retrieved them from an old storage locker last month, but hadn't gotten around to actually opening up the box. Now, he supposed, he didn't have to.

But the album then skipped ahead, by a lot, because the next row of pictures was unfamiliar to him—ones you must’ve added. 

They were of the Supe Affairs team. One was a group picture Hughie managed to grab with all of you in it. 

There was another right beside it, of Hughie trying to lift Ben’s shield. 

“When the fuck did that little shit get ahold of my shield?” Ben groused.

“No idea,” you said with a smile, and you flipped the page. There was an old school polaroid of you with Frenchie and Kimiko, sharing milkshakes. Then you and Annie, clinking cocktails together. Followed by you and M.M. trying to beat Butcher at backgammon. 

And then one of you, your friend Yvette, and her son Devon in Central Park. Another beside it, on that same day, where Ben had an arm raised high and parallel to the ground, and Devon clung onto his arm with a wide smile. 

Ben lingered on that picture for a moment. He was too engrossed in it to see you glance at him, smiling.

He flipped to the next page, where there was a picture of just you and Ben, sleeping in the jet on the way back from a rare field mission you were a part of. He was still in his supe suit, with an arm thrown around your waist. You were resting on his chest, and both of you were completely knocked out. Ben quirked a smile at that one. 

On that page and the next was a series of pictures from the past few months. He didn’t know this, but you’d been collecting them from your phone and had gotten them developed. 

There was the first time Ben got you to ride a motorcycle with him. You were apprehensive, clinging to him for dear life while he grinned. It had taken him a while to convince you to hop on, but the only thing that worked was finally telling you the truth. 

“You really think for one damn second that I’m gonna let you fall?”

The next picture was one he got of you, fresh out of the shower with a towel barely wrapped around you. You were clearly annoyed, but also amused that he’d surprised you with the camera. Ben now pointed to it.

“That one’s my favorite,” he grinned.

“Shocker,” you said with a chuckle. “Keep flipping.”

He then got to one you took of him. He was sitting out on the balcony, half-dressed with a cigar puffing away. The sun was setting beyond him. You caught his profile as he turned to look at you over his shoulder. 

It was a good memory for you, and some damn good photography skills, if you did say so yourself. 

But there was another picture that drew Ben’s eye. It was one that Annie sneakily took of you and him on a night out with her, Hughie, Kimiko, and Frenchie. After a bit of alcohol and cajoling, you’d managed to get Ben out on the dance floor. You were both dewy with sweat from dancing. The lighting was off because of the darkness of the club. 

But the way he was holding you, looking at you with fire thinly veiled behind his eyes, and the way you were looking up at him, like you’d never been more satisfied than to be right where you were…

It was a damn perfect moment captured in four corners. And as Ben’s finger traced the edge of them, he couldn’t stop staring at what it held. 

Until you leaned in and kissed his cheek. 

“Merry Christmas,” you said. And you hoped it was officially a good one.  

When Ben once again turned his head to look at you, he couldn’t help but reach out and frame your face with his hand. He then leaned in and kissed you, unhurried, but with an underlying passion. 

Delightful heat crawled down your spine. You grasped his collar to keep him where you wanted him. 

Meanwhile, the two of you didn’t realize that the rest of your family was surreptitiously watching the little scene. Trina and Marie shared amused smiles. George was glad to see that you finally seemed happy. Sylvia was, once again, passed out in the recliner.

Louisa’s expression was more reserved…but her eyes softened. Maybe she didn’t have to worry about you so much after all.

And when Ben finally parted from you, he thumbed gently at your chin.  

“Merry Christmas, sweetheart,” he said.

You and Ben left your mother’s house with plenty of leftover food and a haul of presents, which you both brought upstairs into your apartment. 

“So, I know there were some snafus, but it was nice, right?” you asked him as you made your way into the bedroom.

Ben was already there at his dresser, taking off his new watch and placing it back in its black suede box for safe keeping. He considered your words with a nod, and a smile you couldn’t see.

“It wasn’t bad,” he said. 

You nodded in satisfaction. That was practically a glowing review, coming from him. 

His gaze found yours in the mirror, those perfectly red painted lips forming a smile as you approach from behind. Your hands travelled through the bows of his arms to unbuckle his belt for him. 

“I know you did me a lot of favors today, but I’m gonna need one more,” you said, with a coy smile curving your lips. “I need your help taking off this lipstick.”

Smirking, Ben turned in your arms and leaned back casually against the dresser. Using his unfastened belt as leverage, you leaned up in your heels and met his lips in a slow, but fiery kiss.

His eyes unconsciously closed as the scent of your perfume once again invaded his nose. It was less powerful by now, but it still clung to your skin like a soft imprint. He liked it. 

After your lips drew away from his, Ben watched you make a show of undoing the small latch on his pants, and then his zipper. He sunk his fingers into the soft waves of your hair, and he gave you a charming grin that once got him starlets and movie deals. 

“Well, I’m nothing if not a gentleman,” he said.  

You smirked at that. You didn’t know if fucking you in your mom’s house constituted as gentlemanly behavior, but you’d let that slide. 

And you did some sliding yourself, down his strong thighs and onto your knees. He could take care of you all right, but you prided yourself on taking care of him too. 

AN: And there you have it, folks. 😜 What did you think? From bathroom shenanigans and Christmas dinner to some good old-fashioned gift giving. I think we covered it all! lol

Coming Soon: "Strong As Blood"

The next story I have lined up for the BMD-verse will probably be my last planned one for a hot minute, other than one request I got that I really want to do in the near future (but I haven't written it as of yet).

This next one is called, "Strong As Blood":

Summary: After you accidentally break through a solid wood table, you know there’s something wrong with you. You begin to have your suspicions, but can you keep it from Ben long enough to find out? 

(In other words: This is the story of how you and Ben discover that you’re pregnant.)

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[thefallons]

getaway club | scotia, callum&bristol

Bristol Overgaard fiddled with the tie, high on his collar as he trekked further away from the lavish outdoor wedding reception than he guessed most of the guests of the night would. Drink in hand, he simply needed a moment away from the aristocratic company that the Vogel family kept, just a few moments of solitude, and then he would be alright to return to Sven’s side, armed with a polite smile and copious amounts of small talk.

As he rounded towards a large tree close to the lakeside, Bristol heard the laughter of two men who soon came into his line of vision. Scotia Fallon and Callum D’Angelo, both dressed to the nines as Bristol himself was, leaned against the tree, cups in hand, though nearly empty. When they noticed Bristol, they exchanged glances in a pause of amusement and then chuckled.

“Ah, we were wondering how long it would take you to wander off for your first time,” Scotia, a decade long veteran in the Vogel family, said, waving Bristol closer. “Come on, come on, you’re safe here, son,” He reached down to the half-empty bottle of wine nestled in the grass by his feet and unscrewed the top to pour a copious amount into Brisol’s cup as soon as the man approached. 

“I’m a little offended that you guys have a getaway club and didn’t invite me,” Bristol said slowly, taking in the scene unfolding before him. 

Callum, who had only a handful fewer years of experience with the family that brought them together, answered that time, “The club does not come to you, you come to the club. Just as I wandered one day into Scotia drinking wine straight out of the bottle in the woods during a family gathering, you too had to find us. It’s tradition.” There was a slight smirk on his lips as he clearly teased the youngest among them. 

“Okay,” Bristol chuckled, as he watched Scotia turn the bottle of wine towards Callum, who shook his head. Scotia only shrugged and added more to his own cup and Bristol’s smile grew a hair. “I guess that’s a fair initiation. Makes me feel a little better that I’m not the only one that low-key doesn’t wanna be at all the social engagements involved in being a well-standing Vogel.” 

“Oh, it is not low-key,” Callum snorted. “Like-” he turned to Scotia, “What did you do to convince Charlie to come to this?” 

Scotia smirked around the rim of his glass, “Don’t ask questions you don’t want answers to, D’Angelo.” 

Callum put his hands up in surrender right away. Though Emma kept him just as much on his toes as he was sure Charlie kept Scotia, Callum was, by nature, significantly less vocal about it. And he was perfectly alright not knowing the details of his brother’s best friend’s sex life too. 

“What about you?” Scotia raised a brow, “How’d you get Emma to agree to come to this stuffy periodic wedding?” 

Callum sighed, “I signed a written and magically binding contract to do the dishes for the next month.” To which Scotia instantly sputtered out a laugh, “Wow, even wizardry doesn’t make you immune to hand wash only products huh?” 

“Nope.”

As interested as Bristol was in simply observing the dynamic which he had stumbled upon, he finally interjected into the conversation, “Wait, if Charlie and Emma didn’t even want to come to this why didn’t you two just bail with them? Why convince them to come here tonight in the first place?” 

Scotia and Callum exchanged glances once again, bemused as two people who had commiserated together for six years now. 

“Why?” Scotia laughed softly before taking a long sip of his drink, “For your man of course.” 

And Callum added easily, “Sven is too set in his shoes to say no to an invite like this but we all know he wants out.” 

Scotia put on a mocking grumpy old man voice for his next statement, “And in this house, we don’t abandon family.” He laughed and added, “Usually we draw straws to see who’s going to get belligerently drunk and require the rest of our doting attention to make it home safely. But with the way Charlie started as soon as we got here, I think our choice for tonight is clear.” 

Callum shrugged, “We keep hoping they’ll stop inviting us to these things and Sven by proxy but…” he clicked his teeth, “No such luck yet.” 

“Hey, hey, hey,” Scotia said, reaching to clink his glass with Bristol’s, which had been held slack the entire time he stood before there, as he’d been too busy taking in what he’d apparently been missing out on for the last few months. “At least give our guy here a few more distant cousin weddings full of free fancy food and drinks before we get banned for life, yeah?” 

Callum just chuckled and shook his head, taking a sip of his own drink for the first time since Bristol had joined them. 

Still taken aback seeing the sheer seamless rapport between the two men, Bristol opened his mouth to comment on it all when none other than Sven himself appeared in their space. Looking confused and even a bit perplexed, Sven glanced between each of the three men leaning by the tree and asked, “What are all of you doing here?”

To which Scotia, who had clearly had more than one drink that evening, raised his glass slightly and quipped, “Hiding, darling.” 

Callum snickered and only made half an attempt to hide it behind his glass. 

Sven spared Callum a glance but pointed his priority to Scotia, “Well, Charles is out there making a fool of himself so I’d suggest that you-“ 

But before Sven could finish his thought, Scotia and Callum were already brushing past Sven quickly.

“Ah, the party’s started!” Scotia could be heard as he rushed by, with an addition of Callum saying, “If you want to stay in the club, Bristol, you’d best come along.” 

Now it was time for Sven and Bristol to exchange glances. Sven couldn’t help but wonder when his partner had become friends with those two- and eyeing the bottle of wine on the ground he wondered if they were being a bad influence on Bristol. Was there cause for him to intervene in whatever shenanigans his boyfriend was being wrapped into? He didn’t have too much time to think on it as Bristol merely shrugged at him and took off after the departed men.

“We’re doing this for you, babe! Come on!” was all he called back before disappearing around the bend.

[meetmeatthecoda]

Do you think the show would turn out to be better if they chose not to write in Megan's pregnancy – i. e. if they didn't create Agnes – or worse?

I'm asking this not because I don't like Agnes – I adore this smart little girl as much as Pinky does – but because I'd like to know your opinion as a writer about how her nonexistence would've changed the show plot-wise.

Ahhh, anon 😅 What an excellent, thought-provoking question, though I'm afraid you're definitely opening a can of worms by asking me!! 😂 (I'm also very flattered that you're interested in my opinion as a "writer" bc I'm certainly not qualified or a professional by any means - my degrees are in music, not English or Literature LOL - but I very much appreciate the compliment & will of course share my opinion since you asked!! 🥰) So... my answer in short? YES, I THINK HER NONEXISTENCE WOULD HAVE CHANGED THE SHOW DRASTICALLY. To be clear, I like her too, she's a sweet little kid who did nothing wrong, ofc!! BUT I don't think she should have been written in at all. After all the drama in the pilot about Liz wanting to adopt a child like she was adopted (kind of) - even if it was with T*m - was a very defining aspect of her character!! I mean, I know things can change obviously, but let's be real, they only wrote it in bc Megan was pregnant WHICH OF COURSE SHE HAS EVERY RIGHT TO BE!! I just remember them making a big deal about being able to "hide" a pregnancy in a show, as tons of shows have done it before!!

Seriously, they don't always have to include it in the writing. It's a part of life & EVERY actress should have the freedom & choice to have a family without sacrificing or compromising the integrity of her work - after all, men don't have to worry about that!! Sorry, that's my feminist side coming out a little LOL that's besides the point.

BUT I also think the WAY they went about including & introducing the story line was awful (but what else could we expect from TPTB, who we know to be borderline misogynistic & unable to respectfully write female characters lol) what with Liz discovering she was pregnant by being beaten up in a dark parking lot & all. Super classy. BUT - in addition to all that & to actually answer your goddamn question, jfc, I'm sorry - yes, I think the show would have turned out much better, or at least very different!! While Agnes as a plot device can't be blamed for every single instance of bad writing by TPTB (& there's a hell of a lot lmfao) I think there's a lot her nonexistence would have prevented. Let's examine, shall we?? If they hadn't written in the pregnancy, they probably wouldn't have written Liz sleeping with T*m on his stupid fucking boat (when Agnes was supposedly conceived 🤨) & she probably wouldn't have re-married the cockroach at all. NOT TO MENTION there probably wouldn't have been any marketable & inexplicable change in Red & Liz's relationship after 3A when she was released from prison AND we wouldn't have gone down the Slippery Slope of Doom to Hell... 😭 Granted that's all speculation but idk, I think it stands to reason 😓 I mean, I hold Agnesgate near & dear to my heart, for sure, & she is the reason we've been gifted with so much lovely papa!Red content but... we do have to wonder how things would have gone had she never been written, especially given that she's usually pushed off with a nanny or babysitter 98% of the time anyway, only serving to make Liz appear a horrible mother & help to decimate her character even more 😞 Sooooo, anon, there's my two cents for you, I hope that wasn't too boring to slog through LOL 😁 Anyway, thank you again for sending this along, anon, I'm flattered you were interested in my opinion!! 🥰 Much love to you, my friend!! ❤️

P.S. None of this is to say to - had they not included Agnes - Liz should NEVER have had or adopted a baby. Not at all. I think a properly timed pregnancy (for the character) or adoption - when some conflicts in the mythology had been resolved & Liz was in a better place - would have been a lovely addition to the show & her character... especially if it was a Lizzington baby 🥲

[toomuchracket]

mads how was d word girlies pregnancy?? was matty freaking out??? or was the whole family excited??

although you were initially like OH this is a bad time to get pregnant given that you and matty were on tour, you ended up actually being quite thankful for it, because matty working practically every night stopped him from being too overbearing and overprotective of you to the point where you would've been ready to, as we say in scotland, kick his cunt in. i mean, he was just SO excited, bless him, but also yeah he was freaking out a lil about making sure you and the baby were alright and healthy and happy; your smile dropped or your face twinged for even a SECOND and he was over at you like "sweetheart what is it what's wrong what can i do should i phone the doctor", and you would just be like "can you chill she literally just kicked me a bit too hard that's all". but you liked when he'd respond to that by leaning down to kiss the bump and say "hi, darling. please be nicer to mummy, yeah? she's already got to deal with my nonsense, she doesn't need it from both of us. alright? love you, my tiny girl. mummy and daddy can't wait to meet you". he's so cute. anyway! despite lyla being a very sudden and unexpected presence in your lives, your families were very very excited about the fact there was going to be a new baby - your brothers were surprisingly emotional about it, bless them, your mum and dad were just totally overjoyed about their first grandkid (your dad and matty actually had a proper heart to heart about fatherhood in the garden of your childhood home and they were both really touched about it. matty is his fav kid fr), and denise and tim and all matty's fam were completely beside themselves with excitement when they heard. and denise finding out she was getting a granddaughter... oh she was elated, especially given that she only had boys, phoning your mum to organise shopping trips to buy clothes and whatever lmfao. she was actually at lunch with your parents when you phoned to say you were in labour, which was kinda funny because both you and matty called your mothers at the same time and they were like "one call would've sufficed you know" lol. but yeah, it was a very exciting time for everyone. and it still is, getting to watch lyla grow into herself more and more every day <3

[toomuchracket]

i feel like dad! matty would dress him and baba in matching costumes for halloween and telling girlie to join them in so they can have matching family costumes. i feel like all different au matty’s would do this

i think so too!! i loved the year the boys all dressed up as star wars characters, and i definitely think that when the kids are teeny tiny matty would dress them up as little ewoks (the thought of this alone is enough to get me weepy) and convince you to dress up as princess leia in return of the jedi while he goes as han solo lmao. or maybe when you just have the one baba, it's baby yoda/mando/bo katan? idk. either way, adorable. and as cute as that it, i think your favourite halloween costume was the year you all went as vampires - the kids were a bit older, a bit more excited to dress up, and matty went a little bit insane sourcing actual genuine vintage goth outfits for all of you to wear lmfao. you were slightly aghast at the effort he went to - it's one night! - but my god you all looked so fucking cool; matty made you do his eyeliner (an experience unto itself i fear) and contour him a bit, and you did the latter on the kids too (although given that they inherited matty's bone structure... they would've been fine anyway lol), and you all ended up COVERED in fake blood... so much fun lol. cuntiest family halloween costume ever i fear <3