#i'll climb up a ladder with a hammer and a nail and i'll nail it

[ellies-enrichment]

everyone go listen to the housebuilding song from the red dead redemption 2 soundtrack its my favorite thing at the moment

[oathkeeperoxas]

👀👀👀 More surrogate Ice fic? Please?

This fic is going to end up being 80% domestic fluff. As I deserve

-

Maverick hammers the last nail into the joint, the satisfying feeling of it biting into the wood letting him know that he’s doing a clean job.

“How did this even happen?” Maverick asks Ice, who is holding the ladder steady for him.

Ice sighs. “You can’t laugh.”

“Oh, this will be fucking good,” Maverick grins, putting the hammer in his toolbox so he can tug at the landing to make sure everything is tight.

“I tripped,” Ice says. “Which would have been fine normally, but–”

“But currently something that can’t be brushed off, yeah,” Maverick agrees.

“My centre of balance is off,” Ice complains. “I’m not even showing yet. It shouldn’t happen.”

Maverick pretends to be busy staring at his repairs so he won’t have to look at Ice. Ice might like to think that he’s not visibly pregnant, but Maverick can definitely tell. Not that he lets Ice catch him looking.

“Anyway, I was carrying some of the stuff for the nursery,” Ice sighs. “Maybe more than I should have been. Okay, I was carrying one of the crib pieces up there.”

“That giant hardwood thing?” Maverick asks, alarmed. “By yourself?”

“I can do things by myself,” Ice says, a little pissy. “I’m not helpless.”

“I wouldn’t want anyone to carry it up those stairs alone,” Maverick frowns, stepping down the ladder. “Are you okay?”

“It breaks up into pieces,” Ice tells him, like that should make it better. “But that was one of the… bigger pieces. And because I was trying not to fall over, I dropped it. And it went over the side of the railing, catching the landing on the way down. And landing on a cabinet and breaking it.”

Huh. Yeah, Maverick does remember that there used to be a cabinet here.

“I got rid of that, but I thought that climbing up on the ladder to fix the landing might not be a good idea.”

“Yeah,” Maverick says. “Especially when I’m right down the road.”

“Thank you,” Ice says as Maverick picks the ladder up to put it in Ice’s garage with the toolbox.

“No problem,” Maverick tells him. “As long as you’re feeding me in return.”

Send me a 👀 + a title, and I'll write you at least three sentences!

[horrorslvts]

just my type | leo valdez part one

keywords : leo valdez, riordanverse, canon x oc

writer's note : uhh yall ate up the idea of a daughter of hermes oc x leo valdez so mommy will feed u my children... i present to you absolute chaos and comedic relief couple. enjoy.. ship is very inspired by 'just my type - the vamps'

the sound of metal hitting against metal reached the girl's ears, making her eyebrows stiffen a bit as she made her way onto the real crime scene; all those awful sounds came from argo II being made; and although silena de leon, daughter of hermes; beloved half-sister of luke castellan really respected the cause, the sound made her absolutely cringe.

the raven haired girl almost tripped over a few tools that had been abandoned in the middle of the way, making her cuss under her breath and look down at her sneakers to make sure they were not damaged by some stupid leftover hammer. with a little shake of the head silena finally approached the curly haired boy who was, apparently, putting some wooden planks on the side of the boat, and also spaced out enough to not realize she was making her way near. he stood on the third step of a high ladder. "hey bob the builder; don't you want to catch a break sometime?"

leo looked down at the -surprisingly- shorter girl, and flashed a little smile. he lifted his arm to wipe some dust away from his face and nose with his sleeve and shrugged a bit. "if you are asking me to-" he gently threw the hammer on his hand aside, letting it fall on some spare nails, and stepped down from the ladder he was on. "interrupted your sleep again? sorry, i'll make sure to delay an entire quest so you can get a few more hours of naps" leo said with a little chuckle and leaned with one arm on the boat, his hand running through his curls pushing them back making silena watch in awe.

now, silena and leo didn't know each other long. for what it's worth, silena met him and percy through annabeth who she has known forever; given that luke set them up to be friends when sil arrived at the camp for the first time; and they actually did. but gods, ever since meeting this dam son of hephaestus she had been losing her mind. whether it was the back and forth signs and jokes, or the absolute denial that either of them would ever see each other in any way above platonic; something made her heart skip a beat whenever she was close to the tanned boy, that's all she knew; should have seen her face when he first laughed at her spaniard accent; any other person would have taken a punch but he just got lucky with a push.

"yeah, that'd be so sweet of you!"

leo gave her a death stare with a chuckle, knowing damn well she wasn't anywhere near serious.

"so if it isn't that, why pay us a visit?"

silena slowly walked towards the rope ladder of the ship, tugging on it . "just curious to see how the ship is going. very good apparently." she pulled herself up the rope ladder which instantly caused a reaction by the other, making leo rush to bring her down in case she fell.

"whoa whoa you know that's not tied well yet right?!"

sil sat on one of the rope ladder's thin steps, only a couple feet above him and chuckled, swinging her feet to show her winged sneakers. "why do you always forget valdez?"

the curly haired sighed a bit. " if you get all tangled up in the ropes these aren't going to save you-." he looked at her from below with that signature troublemaking smile that brought an aching on her heart.

"i know, but you will."

the boy let his suspenders fall from each shoulder and climbed back up on his ladder, finally reaching her height and being almost face to face with the blue eyed girl; his breath was always cut short when the two were this close. it was funny how after so long of percy and annabeth being sappy now annabeth teased these two like her life depended on it.

"although you're not exactly knight in shining armor material.." silena reached to wipe his forehead from some mechanical oil. " more like greasy armor.."

"you know what's funny, sil?"

"hm?"

"your back is touching my fresh painted planks-."

sil finally realized why her shirt was sticking on her back for the past minute.

"VALDEZ-!"

[abbbbyyy]

Facing Fears

Reader(Mother) X Damian (son)

(I do not own any DC characters)

"Okay, okay. You got this. It's just a dog. A big, hopefully friendly dog." She repeated the mantra to herself as she approached the library exit. She had been married to Bruce Wayne for just over a year, and while she had adjusted to most aspects of her new life, Titus remained a formidable presence. The towering black Great Dane lay sprawled out, snoring gently, right where the grand mahogany double doors met the gleaming marble floor. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that Titus was not only Damian's pet but also a trusted ally in their peculiar family dynamic.

Her heart thumped as she stepped closer, trying to be as silent as possible. Titus's head jerked up, his eyes snapping open.

"Hi, boy," she whispered, her voice a little shakier than she would have liked. Titus's ears perked up, and he lifted his head off the cool floor to inspect her. His tail thumped against the marble, sending a vibration through her heels.

Her retreat was met with a sudden, unexpected movement as Titus lurched to his feet. She stumbled back, her heart racing faster than the click of her heels against the floor. The dog's nails clacked in pursuit, and she felt the air stir around her as he approached.

"Easy, I promise I didn't mean to wake up," She murmured, her voice trembling. Titus paused, tilting his head to the side with a curious expression that she hoped wasn't a precursor to lunging.

In a flash of instinct, she turned and sprinted towards the nearest library ladder. The metal rungs rattled as she climbed, her heart hammering in her chest. Each step up brought her closer to the safety of the book-laden shelves that towered above. She could feel the warmth of his breath and the vibration of his paws on the rungs behind her, spurring her to climb faster.

Finally, She reached a spot where Titus could no longer follow, his large frame making the ladder wobble precariously. She clung to the shelf, panting and trembling, her heart racing as if it were trying to break free from her ribcage. She looked down at the dog, whose eyes bore into hers with what she could only interpret as confusion.

"Go on, go play with Damian. Go go," she called out softly, trying to hide the fear in her voice. Titus tilted his head again, staying right at the base of the latter.

"Titus?" Damian calls out, his footsteps echoing through the vast library. Her eyes widen, and she whispers a prayer of thanks that the dog didn't decide to give chase. The Great Dane's head swivels towards the sound of his master's voice.

Damian, dressed in his usual Robin gear, emerges from the shadows. He looks up at her, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Why are you up there?"

She gulps, her grip tightening on the shelf. "Just… getting a book," she manages, her voice a little too high. She points to a random tome. "It's… a new cookbook."

Damian arches an eyebrow, his suspicion clear even in the dim light. "In the library?"

She nods, her cheeks flushing. "It's… got some very specific recipes."

Damian's eyes dart from her to Titus and back again, the dog now sitting calmly at the bottom of the ladder, his gaze unwavering on her. "Titus," he says firmly, and the dog obeys, trotting over to his side. She watches with a mix of relief and guilt as the boy pets the dog's head, speaking to him in a low voice. She knows the animal is a vital part of their lives, especially for Damian, who often confided in the creature when he was too young to understand the gravity of his own existence as Robin.

"Are you gonna come down?" Damian asks again, his voice laced with curiosity rather than accusation.

"Oh, yes. I'll be right down," she replies, her voice still a little shaky as she starts to descend the ladder. Each step down feels like a victory over her fear. Titus watches her intently, his tail thumping against the floor again.

Damian looks at her curiously. "Are you scared of dogs?" he asks directly.

She stops, her eyes dart from Titus to Damian. "What? No," she blurts out, a little too quickly. She clears her throat, trying to recover. "I'm just a fan of heights, you know, the view from up here."

Damian doesn't look convinced, his eyes sharp as they assess her. "Titus is a good boy," he says firmly. "He's not going to hurt you."

"I know, I know," She says, trying to force a smile. "It's just… I didn't grow up with pets. Big dogs, you know?" She swallows, feeling the lie stick in her throat. The truth was, she had been bitten by a dog when she was a child, leaving her with a fear that had followed her into adulthood.

Damian looks at her thoughtfully. "Titus can sense fear," he says matter-of-factly. "It's part of his training."

Her heart skips a beat. "Ah, wonderful," she says, trying to keep her voice steady. "G-good job on that." She forces a smile, hoping her fear isn't as obvious to the boy as it is to the dog.

"Come on," Damian says, his voice gentle but firm. He takes a step closer to Titus, who's now sitting patiently beside him. "You need to come down, time for a lesson on facing fears."

"Nah, I'm good thanks," She replies, her grip on the ladder tightening. She looks down at the dog and then back up at the safety of the books above.

"Do you trust me?" Damian asks again, his eyes serious. Her heart does a little somersault at the question. Trust. It's something she's been trying to earn from all the members of the Wayne family, especially from the youngest and most guarded of them all.

With a deep breath, she nods, her eyes meeting Damian's. "Okay," she says, her voice a whisper. She descends the final few steps, her legs feeling like jelly as she reaches the floor. Titus is standing now, his tail wagging slightly.

Damian steps aside, placing himself between her and the dog. Titus sits down, his body rigid, his eyes never leaving hers. She tries to ignore the way her heart is racing. "Good boy," she says, her voice shaking.

Damian reaches out and takes her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "It's okay," he says, his voice soothing. "I'm here." With a nod from her, he leads her closer to Titus. The dog's tail wags a little faster, his eyes now full of excitement rather than suspicion.

"Just stand still," Damian instructs, his grip on her hand firm. "Let him come to you." she nods, her eyes locked on Titus. The Great Dane takes a tentative step forward, his nails clicking on the marble. She can feel her breath hitch in her throat, but she forces herself to stay put.

Titus approaches, his nose twitching as he sniffs the air. He seems to sense her fear, his steps slow and deliberate. She tries to keep her hand from shaking as he reaches out to nudge her palm with his cold, wet nose. She jerks her hand away instinctively, but Damian holds her steady.

"It's okay," he says again, his voice calm and reassuring. "Give him a chance."

Titus takes another step, and this time She holds her hand out, palm flat and steady. The dog's nose touches her hand, and she feels the warmth of his breath, the tickle of his whiskers. She takes a deep breath and relaxes her muscles, willing herself to be brave. Titus sniffs her hand for a few more moments, then seems satisfied, turning away to lie down again. Her shoulders drop in relief, and she looks up at Damian with wide eyes.

"See?" he says with a grin. "Now he'll just ignore you like everyone else."

She can't help but smile back at the boy's attempt to lighten the mood. "Thanks," she says, her voice still a little shaky. "For… helping me face my fear."

Damian nods solemnly. "No problem. That's what family's for." He releases her hand and starts walking away, calling over his shoulder, "Come on, Titus. Let's go train."

She watches as the two of them disappear into the shadows of the library, feeling a mix of relief and something else. It was the closest she had felt to the young boy in a while, and she knew that she had just taken a step in the right direction.

[maecollins]

Well, let me have a ruler and a saw and a board and I'll cut it.

I'll climb up the ladder with a hammer and nail and I'll nail it

[ronearoundblindly]

I'm baaack how about Ari and taking care of the reader when she's sick and grumpy or a migraine she just wants to be comfortable and taken care of but at the same time grumpy and she wants what she wants when she wants it. And is like Ari get with the program its simple to understand I ask you get or no sex for like a week or a month or something

[It's a wee bab drabble, like an honest, true drabble which I never accomplish, yay!]

Loud and Threatening, a Bedrock and Blueprints drabble

The screen door of the porch creaks achingly loud as you thunder through it, but that noise is nothing compared to Ari's hammering at a busted board at the edge of the roof.

"I said I have a headache," you scream, shielding your eyes from the painful sun.

Nail between his teeth, he mumbles back, "but if I don't get this done--"

"Ari, stop." You cannot take it anymore. No meds have touched this, and you are beyond caring if you have to take all the tools away from him and chuck them down the creek way back in the property.

"Woman, I am trying to keep a roof over your head."

"You are currently making my head feel like it's going to explode."

He scoffs. That bastard scoffs at your pain. "Lie down with those headphones on or something. Did you take anything?"

"Of course I took--argh! Just come inside and lie down with me. At least that way you can't keep banging on things out here."

"What am I, your slave?"

"You're an old man." You cross your arms over your chest, eyes very squinty. "You should know what a nap looks like."

Reluctantly, Ari climbs down the ladder and gently places the hammer back in the toolbox. He pulls out his pack of cigarettes and starts tapping it on one palm. "Honey, I'm not tired. I'll just leave you to rest."

"Maybe I won't want to touch you for a month if you don't get in bed right now." Your threat is soft and low, but you know he heard.

His eyes narrow in on your pout. The sheer stubbornness of you. He knows you'll do it, too. You'll get yourself off whenever you want, either when he's not home or right in front of him, and you'll enjoy his suffering. He knows you'll do it. Maybe you won't last a month, but is he willing to risk it?

"That's a low blow, woman."

"That's strategy, old man."

Begrudgingly he pockets the smokes again, following you inside, openly enjoying the sway of your ass as you make your way to the bedroom. He takes off his work pants and flannel to lie down, grabbing the small vile of breath freshener he keeps on his nightstand (so you can't smell smoke on him when he comes back inside), dropping some on his tongue and the tip of his middle finger. He automatically lays to slot you into your nook under his arm and carefully rubs the bit of peppermint oil at your temple. He relaxes his neck when he's done and you both sigh.

You're content. He's resigned.

It's not that he isn't comfortable or that he doesn't enjoy time with you in his arms; it's that since he's bothered to pick up more paying hours at work, he has less time to fix up your house.

Though it's technically not his, this is the first place Ari's ever cared about living, and he's very aware that you have no landlord anymore. There's no one but him to help you. He's proud of that and a little nervous. He wants to finish as many repairs as possible as quickly as possible, and he can't do that stuck under you...except at night, ya know. At night is fine. It's encouraged, in fact.

He settles in for what he thinks is going to be a few minutes until you fall asleep and he can sneak away, but the fresh smell of mint, the plush feel of you at his side, and the tender grip of your hand at his t-shirt slowly relaxing as you slip under knock him out like a light. You both wake as dusk is starting, hungry and headache-free.

[centralperkchenford]

Chenford + Lucy is under the influence of drugs and only wants Tim.

So I don’t know if any of you watch New Girl but there’s an episode in S2 where Nick and Jess are at the hardware store and Jess gets knocked out by lumber. This fic is based on the scene in particular AND after when Jess is high and is telling Nick she likes him. It’s a great episode. And I had to rewatch the scene just to get a visual.

Also this takes place as if Chris doesn’t exist and beginning of S5 although you can imagine at any time.

Chenford + Lucy is under the influence of drugs and only wants Tim.

Chenford + Lucy rejects Tim but he doesn't let her

My drug is my baby I'll be using for the rest of my life

Lucy has to admit that building a bookcase wasn’t the best idea because she didn’t really know how. She knew she needed lumber and nails and a hammer. So that’s how she finds herself at the hardware store with Tamara. She’s in the lumber aisle looking at all.. the different sizes and the different kinds. She really is kidding herself. She doesn’t know anything about lumber or building a fucking bookcase. She needs.. well she needs Tim.

The thing is she’s trying to make more room in her apartment to accommodate her and Tamara. She thought building an extra space for all their things would be nice, homey even. She just didn’t think it would be so damn hard to get started. Tim didn’t even know she was doing or he would have been here with her getting all the stuff.

“Lucy.” Says Tamara coming over to her where she is chewing on her fingers. “Just pick something. Or call Tim.”

Lucy side eyes her and she knows calling Tim would be the best plan but she doesn’t want to. She knows how cocky Tim is, she also knows he would hightail it down here and just take over.

No she can do this.

She glances to the top of the racks in the aisles where a long piece of redwood lays. It’s beautiful and she knows it will match her other stuff.

“There.” She says and points to the wood. “Help me get it.” Tamara sighs but gets ready as Lucy climbs up the ladder. She grabs the wood by the end and slowly pulls it out. She hands it to Tamara who puts it on the cart. Lucy stands in front of the cart and looks around to see if she needs anything else.

“I think we need more wood.” Points out Tamara. “One piece isn’t going to make a bookcase.” She has a point. She goes up this but just as she’s coming down to hand the smaller piece of wood to Lucy, she loses her balance and the wood falls on the other piece hitting Lucy in the chin. Next thing she knows she’s on the ground and all she sees is black.

***

Tim is just getting his house from work, he’s exhausted and he just wants to crack open a beer and lay on the couch and watch ESPN. He lets Kojo out to go to the bathroom, and he’s just about to open his beer when his phone rings. Tamara’s picture comes popping up on the screen.

“Hello?” He answers. He hears beeping in the background and his heart race increases. “Tamara? Where are you?”

“Uh.” Tamara says. “We are at the hospital. Um Lucy is fine? I think. But you should come down here. She’s asking for you.”

Tim frowns at Tamara’s words. Lucy didn’t work today it was her day off, so why was she at the hospital? How the hell did she get hurt? Or sick? His mind is racing at all the possibilities. And why does she want him?

“Tamara what happened?” He asks urgently already at the door grabbing his keys and wallet. “What is wrong with Lucy?”

Tamara hesitates and he hears footsteps and then she finally speaks, her voice lower. “We were uh at the hardware store buying lumber and um a piece of lumber slipped and and she got knocked out.”

Tim freezes and his mind is still scrambling at her words. Lucy at a hardware store? Buying lumber? And again why was she asking for him?

It’s not like they weren’t still close, they were. But even after Ashley had broken up with him and they were both single. There was still some confusion and tension between them and he never knew where she stood. But as he got into his truck and started it, he would do anything for Lucy. He would even rush to her side when she got knocked out by lumber (he still had a lot of questions).

“Tamra?” He questions and Tamara’s voice comes over the line.

“I’m here. Uh are you on your way?” She asks quietly and he nods forgetting she can’t see him.

“Yeah I am. Tell Lucy..” He trails off unsure of what else to say. “I’ll be there soon.”

When he gets to the hospital, he goes through the emergency room doors. He spots Tamara right away and she’s pacing outside of a closed curtain. He hightails it over there as quickly as he can.

“Hey!” She says when she spots him. “Look. She’s fine but she got knocked out pretty bad. So uh they gave her some painkillers and so..she’s kind of out of it.”

Tim’s heart sinks a little wondering just how bad this was. But it also explained the her wanting him. She wasn’t in her right mind.

Tamara gestures to the curtain and he pushes it open. Lucy is laying in the bed, a big bruise on her chin.

“Heeeeeyyyy.” She sing songs when she see him. “Timmmmm.”

He raises his eyebrows at her as he pulls a chair to sit with her. “Hey.” He says softly as she smiles at him wincing when she does.

“Does it hurt?” He asks. She reaches out to grab his hand and plays with his fingers.

“I can’t feel anything to be honest.” She admits smiling still. Tim sighs as he watches her play with his fingers.

“I’m sorry you got hit with lumber. Why were you at the hardware store?” He asks curiously. But Lucy just shrugs and pulls him closer.

“Can I tell you a secret Timothy Bradford?” She says slurring her words a little. Tim looks at her in amusement.

“Sure.” He says. “Tell me a secret Luce.” Her eyes widen at the nickname but she doesn’t say anything about it. He’s not sure if it full registered with her.

“You are a beautiful white man Bradford.” She says patting his cheek. He stares at her wide eyed and a little confused.

“Um thanks?” He says and she groans and kicks her feet on the bed.

“I mean I know you know you are beautiful and handsome. You just have this air about you.

You know?” She says. He realizes his mouth is wide open at this point.

“Yeah I guess.” He says quietly and she reaches to shut his mouth gently. “Maybe you should get some rest Lucy.” He says leaning back but she pulls him forward jerking him towards her.

“No! I don’t want you to leave!” She protests. She grabs his hands again and fans out his fingers. “I like you. I may even be in love with you but what do I know? You could never love me. Your old boot.”

Tim stares at her, momentarily stunned as he studies her. There’s no hesitation in her eyes although he does know she’s hopped up on painkillers. Because it’s crazy she would even think that. He absolutely could love her. She’s amazing in every way. He definitely has feelings for her.

“Lucy..” he begins. “Do you know what you are saying?” It’s a stupid question but he has to at least ask.

Lucy shrugs and he nods. It’s just the drugs. She doesn’t know what she’s saying. She doesn’t have feelings for him. Or does she?

***

Lucy wakes up with a splitting headache, and someone snoring next to her. She looks over to see Tim in a chair next to the bed, his head at what looks like an uncomfortable angle. What the fuck is he doing here?

She rustles a little bit and opens his eyes looking straight at her, his eyes soft. “Hi.” He mutters. “How are you feeling?”

She opens her mouth to answer but her throat is dry and she can’t seem to get any words out. He grabs a cup of water and she drinks it down.

“Fine.” She says her voice hoarse. “Why are you here?” She asks chewing on the inside of her cheek. Tim sighs and leans forward in his seat, studying her with his blue eyes that she gets lost in. Every single time.

“Tamara called me yesterday said you got hurt and wanted me.” He answers and Lucy feels panic cease her. She’s going to kill Tamara.

“Um wow. I mean I didn’t—I don’t remember.” She says stumbling over her words. “I’m sorry she bothered you.”

Tim shakes his head his hand reaching out and then he drops it. “It’s fine. Lucy you were on high painkillers. I know you didn’t— you um.. what you said.” He says hesitantly. Lucy stares at him her mouth dry again.

“And what did I say?” She asks. Tim gulps and turns away from her.

“It doesn’t matter Lucy. You weren’t—” He starts but Lucy stares at him until he’s leaning back again, twiddling with his thumbs.

“You called me a beautiful white man.” He says with a twitch of his lips. “And called me handsome and beautiful. Um and said you liked me.” She groans and grabs the pillow over her face.

“God Tim. I’m sorry!” She says and she knows her voice is muffled. She feels him grab the pillow from her face and he smiles at her. He doesn’t seem mad but that’s something else in his eyes . Like he’s not telling her something.

“What? What else did I say?” She snaps. He feels back a little, he hesitates and then he leans forward again.

“Yo- you said you might be in love with me.” He whispers. “And you know I could never love you back.”

Her eyes fill with tears as she pulls the pillow over her face again. Tim is silent and she knows he’s still there. She knows he won’t leave until she tells him to or he decides to on his own. He’s noble like that and it’s one of the reason she does like him.

Tim peels the pillow away from her face again this time letting his fingers run across her face. She instantly has goosebumps.

“I’m not mad Luce.” He says quietly. “I’m not mad at all. But I think we should talk.. later.”

She knows he’s right but she’s too caught up in her emotions to agree with him. She’s embarrassed drugged up her even thought of Tim.

So she shakes her head, emitting a soft sound from Tim.

“Lucy..” He pleads. “Please.. I..”

But Lucy shakes her head at him. She’s not going to ruin the best damn relationship in her life. Drugged up love confessions aside, she can’t lose Tim.

“No. Forget it ever happened okay?” She says and Tim’s lips fall down in a frown. “It didn’t happen.”

Tim opens his mouth to speak and when he does he does it with such confidence and conviction Lucy reels back a little.

“No.” He says. “Lucy I know you are scared and it’s a scary thing to possibly be in love with someone but.. what if it’s worth it?”

Lucy opens her mouth and then clamps it shut and he continues leaning forward as he does. “Lucy, I like you too. Maybe it’s more than like but I do have feelings for you. I have for awhile and I’m going to let you reject me because you are scared about how you feel for me.”

“Of course I’m scared!” She blurts out. “I can’t lose you Tim. If I do I will have ruined the most important relationship in my life.”

Tim blinks at her before bringing her hand to his mouth. “That’s the thing about being in love it’s scary. I’m not saying we are in love yet but wouldn’t it be nice to find out?”

Lucy worries her lip between her teeth and this time she leans forward.

“Tim I was on painkillers I didn’t know what I was saying.”

“I know but you aren’t on any now and you just admitted you feel about me.” He says tucking a lose strand of hair behind her eyes. Lucy blinks at him at the intimate gesture and his words.

“Okay. True but—” She starts. Tim doesn’t let her finish. He leans forward and kisses her softly on the forehead. It’s soft, yet it’s intimate and it send a electric spark down her spin.

She blinks at him yearning to feel his lips on her skin again.

“I like you Luce.” He mutters. “I know it’s scary but it’s worth it. You are worth. So can you just trust me?”

She studies him to see if he’s serious and she knows him well enough to know he is joking about this, he wouldn’t say anything he doesn’t mean.

“Okay.” She whispers. He grasps her hands and brings them up to his lips.

“Okay. Let’s do it.” He says back to her. She smiles a little and then she suddenly remembers something. “Hey will you build me a bookcase?” Tim gives her an amused smile and then kisses her gently on the lips. Lucy takes that as a yes. And moves closer to him, feeling content for the first time in awhile.

It might be scary taking this leap but Tim is right, it will be worth it.

[the-fiction-witch]

Little Darlin'

Media Godless

Character Whitey Winn

Couple Whitey X Reader

Rating Sweet + Cute

Concept The Fall

I finished tying my boots and headed off my little wooden porch into the dust and dirt of Labelle with the other ladies as I walked I heard a cocky tone

"Mornin' ladies." I glanced over seeing whitey Winn the deputy boy sat in his small wooden chair on the office porch clearly having been woken from a recent nap in the chair. His boots close to the end of the porch covered in a years worth of dust and dirt, his pants tight to his thin frame, his gun Belts sat crossed over his hips, his shirts so dirty I'm almost convinced you spilled a glass of water on them and left them in the sun a day or so they'd start growing shoots from within the fabric, his skin caked with dirt in various layers his hat sat on his head keeping the sun from his eyes he saw me looking and his lip curled up he moved a hand to the rim of his hat tipping it to me as he spoke "Hiya little darlin"

I rolled my eyes and continued walking, whitey knew I didn't perticularly like him Be honestly I don't think he perticularly liked me either being a dirty, sharp shooting cowboy and myself a pacifist and gardener with a cleaning compulstion. Natural the two of us wouldn't exactly see eye to eye over things didn't help we were the only two of a similar age, everyone else in town, old enough to be our parents or young enough to be our children.

I continued in until I reached the frame of the church hitching up my skirt and starting to work on the roof.

I did my work hammer in hand making sure the church was as good as it could be humming my little song as I worked, I set my hammer down a moment getting another nail from my box but as I went to grab the hammer it slipped and fell to the earth breaking the wooden handle and taking off the metal hammer as it hit the ground "ohh fiddlesticks" I sighed I turned trying to get back to the ladder to climb back down and get a new hammer but somehow my dress even though I had pinned it up considerably got caught on something not sure what, so as I tried to carefully walk away down the small wooden beam my dress tugged me back causing me to slip my dress to rip as I tumbled down from the top beam of the church following after my hammer. I screamed trying to grab for the beam but it was too late I knew I'd impact the ground soon and very likely crack my head open but i landed and immediately felt like nothing hurt

"Whoa whoa there. You alright little darlin?"

I opened my eyes and saw I wasn't actually on the ground, whitey Winn had caught me in his arms holding me close to him as a husband hold a new bride his arm under my knees holding my legs and the other around my waist keeping me in his arms my hands gripped onto his shirt tightly in my panic it was strange as much as whitey did annoy me and frustrate me it was a different feeling utterly to be held in his arms so sweetly my heart a flutter at the dirty cow boy as I saw him in a way I never had before sweet, careing, protective. He made eye contact with his face, reading genuine concern for me. And suddenly it all came together with what girls like about law men. The way he held me, looked at me, spoke to me the way his hat protected the sun from my eyes and his facial hair made him seem so much more manly and strong I felt butterflies in my stomach for the first time ever since knowing whitey Winn.

"Uhhhh yes. Yes I'm fine" I nodded trying hard not to blush "thank you whitey"

"No trouble little darlin, couldn't let you fall now could I?" He says "you ready to go down?" He chuckled

"Yes please" I smiled

So he gently lower my legs letting me stand being gentle and careful the whole time barely letting me hold my full weight making sure I was alright "there we go. You sure you're alright?"

"I'm sure." I nodded

"Okay then, you be careful up there I can't always be around to save ya" he joked "I'll leave ya to your work" he says tipping the brim of his hat to me before he wandered off into town, I straightened myself up and grabbed a new hammer heading back up the ladder.

I felt so nervous, so embarrassed about doing this but I don't know I couldn't help myself I knocked on the office door a few times holding my basket in my hand

"It's open!" Whitey called from inside so i pushed ooe rhe door snd headed inside seeing him sat at his desk reading the paper he glanced up at me and smiled as he usually did "AHH Hiya little darlin. Something I can help you with?" He asks setting the paper down on his desk and leaning in his elbows his chin in his hands

"I uhh I just wanted to pop by, I have something for you"

"For me?" He asks

I nodded pulling back the gingham cover to reveal the silver pan and small jars and I'd never seen him smile so widely his face utterly lot up

"Pie!"

"Blackberry and spiced apple pie" I smiled

Immediately he took it eagerly from the basket grabbing a fork from within his desk draw and immediately having some looking utterly smitten

"Ummm your pies are the stuff of legend little darlin" he says "ohh and some little preserves" he smiled spotting the jars getting them out to read the little labels "all this is for me?"

"Of course, as a little thank you for catching me the other day. When I fell from the church" I smiled

"Oohh. Aww that's sweet of ya" he smiled "Well thank you very much little darlin, I shall have to keep my eye out I'll catch ya again if these are my rewards" he smiled

"I'm sure you'd get lots more rewards if you did" I smiled "have a nice day whitey"

"You too y/n"

I quickly hurried out shutting the door behind me immediately being revolted by myself as I stood on the porch hand sweaty, stomach full of butterflies and heat in my cheeks uhhhhh god! It's whitey Winn! For goodness sake get a grip.

I smiled as I worked humming my little song as I collected eggs up from my many hens adding each fresh eggs to my basket with wipe on my apron in-between.

"Hello little darlin" I heard from the door making me immediately jump and blush as I turned seeing whitey in the doorway

"Ohhh hello whitey" I blushed

"You had a little escapist" he says holding one of my chickens "she's lucky I brought her back I was gonna make soup," he says

"Ohh thank you whitey" I smiled taking my chicken "silly Harriet go on now" I told her setting her back with the others "thank you for bringing her back"

"It's alright least I could do. I know you not found of me hurting them"

"Not perticularly no. I like my chickens." I smiled continuing my work as to distract myself and he even came around to help me reaching in the back of the box and under straw where I couldn't see

"I also like your chickens for very different reasons however" he says "oww!" He complained as hetti pecked his leg

"Understandable, they are delicious"

"I thought you wouldn't kill them?"

"I won't but sometimes one must when they get too old or too sick or if someone gets them" I glared

"I didn't mean to shoot the chicken, I was aiming for the wall" he says

"Still, she made good roast though"

"I can imagine so. In that note if you do have any eggs?"

"Course" I smiled sorting through the eggs into those I'd put back for future baby chickens and those I could sell to people in town as they had no baby chickens. I made him up a little box of those and handed them over

"AHH thank you, that'll keep me going a while" he says "here you go" he says grabbing the coins from his pocket which he handed over I counted up the coins and found he neede change and I didn't have any

"Ohh fiddle sticks. I don't have any change"

"Oh? Don't worry about it take it off next time"

"No no I'll forget" I sighed and suddenly I hatched a small plan "I can get you your change if you close your eyes" I smiled nervously

"Uuuuuuuhhh…okay?" He says clearly confused but doing as I asked anyway once his eyes where shut I blushed hard a moment for a second too nervous to even try but I stood in my tip toes and pressed a little kiss to his cheek I quickly moved away and focused on the chickens but I couldn't help looking out the corner of my eye as his eyes opened and he gave me a strange look the sort of look you'd give to a child you completely don't believe when there telling a lie "right" he nods with a smile "I'll see ya in town little darlin" he says taking his eggs and heading out shutting the coops door behind him

Immediately I turned bring red and giggly.

I stood humming my little tune brushing my horse Rosie as she stood in the labelle stables I wanted a stable of my own but given the chickens I didn't have the space so she had to stay in the stable with the fee other horses in town.

"Hiya little darlin" whitey smiled as he arrived to take care of his own horse ted who was up the other end of the stables from me

"Hi whitey" I blushed

"How's she doing?"

"Good, how's he?"

"Fine. You just keep that little lady of yours away from my stallion" he told me as he worked "I can't hold him"

"I will, then again it would give you opportunity to save me again"

"It would. If I was to save ya would I get one of your delicious pies?"

"Of course"

"Cut it out" he chuckled

"What?"

"Cut it out"

"Cut what out?"

"Quit being so damn nice to me"

"....uuhhh"

"You're not going to admit you've been a hell of alot nicer to me lately"

"No I've been as nice to you as I always have"

"You little liar. You hate me. And I don't know what kinda cruel game your playing but cut it out" he says

"I don't hate you whitey" I said coming over to peek into Ted's stable "I've never hated you"

"Really? You called me a gun toating moron"

"... you did shoot my chicken"

"You said I smelt like a prisoners unemptied chamber pot"

"... It was a very hot day and you hadn't had a bath in a week"

"I know why your being nice to me"

"You do?"

"Yes. And cut it out. It's a crush you'll get over it"

"Excuse me"

"You'll get over it. Your only being nice to me because you got a wave of adrenaline and fear when you fell off the church roof. It's a crush you don't actually like me you probably still hate me. It's a crush you'll get over it" he says

"Screw you whitey!"

"There's the harsh insulting I'm used to"

"How dare you tell me what's going on in my mind! Like you know! My opinions and emotions are my own and if I decide to fall madly in love with the gun toating rarely bathing deputy then god damn it that's my business!"

He was stunned for a moment utterly unable to speak. "M-madly in love?"

"Yes, you idiot!"

"You - you actually like me?"

"Yes!" I yelled grabbing his face and pulling his lips to my own initially he was in an utter panic for a moment but soon relaxed and wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me back softly till we pulled back 

"You actually really like me? I really liked you, but I thought you hated me. and you being nice was some kinda horrible rug pull" He explained 

"Of course not, I admit I never much liked you but after the church I saw you in a different light. I always thought you where a cocky asshole but you've been so sweet ever since. I really do like you whitey" I smiled nuzzling with his chest 

"I like you too, did you maybe wanna pack up the horses and go on a little picnic by the river?"

"I'd like that whitey" 

"Okay, come on little darlin' we get down there now we'll be able to watch the sunset" He smiled before giving me a little kiss 

[thxrunaways]

Well let me have a ruler and a saw and a board and I'll cut it I'll climb up the ladder with a hammer and nail and I'll nail it well we worked so hard to build a little house together in the snow or the rain or the ice cold wind whenever no matter what the weather we're together

[msfbgraves]

Small KonMari thoughts:

Capitalism says: "You want to make your life more beautiful, you add something beautiful."

Marie Kondo says (and I'm sure she's not the only one): "You want to make your life more beautiful? First take away what doesn't serve you."

Capitalism looks at a situation in need of improvement, and sprays perfume on it. And that isn't always wrong. But it does this with everything, and if you don't believe me, look at airfreshners.

But if you clean something first, the bad situation goes away on its own. You need only a very little perfume later.

If you take away the ugly, beauty already present shows itself, and you need to add only a fraction of what capitalism says you do.

(And no, I'm not talking necessities. Have you noticed that things you deeply, urgently need seldom get advertised? Or, not half as aggressively?)

If you take away the unneccessary, you also suddenly find solutions to problems. I had been given a calendar for Christmas, but it wouldn't stick to the wall with any kind of adhesive I prefer to use. I really do not want to climb a ladder or chair with my balance either, so hammer and nails... um. Not ideal. So either ask for help (which every spoonie knows you should be careful with. People's willingness to help is limited by nature, and should be spent wisely), or go out and buy thumbtacks, which I otherwise rarely use, and would therefore take up space.

I put the calendar away and, like I've said before, rather focused on solving a different problem first.

The next day I tore away a paper the previous owner had stuck to the wall of a closet and found -

A single thumbtack!

These moments are so silly and joyful, I didn't have to ask, or do anything I wouldn't otherwise have done. Simply took away the ugly...

And could transform something I had into something I needed!

Same thing with bath oil. I was given bath oil for Christmas, which I love, and bath salts, which I honestly didn't really see the point of after trying. All they really seemed to do was change the smell of the water.

I continued using the bath oil, rapidly dwindling, and tried adding some normal oil to the water to make it last longer.

Normal oil is fine, I knew, but I missed a sense of smell. Besides, it felt a bit wasteful bathing in something you can eat.

But hang on a hot second. I was given a bottle of jojoba oil that I've only really used as a hand cream. Of which I already had too much (people loved gifting that in 2020).

But what if I added jojoba oil to the bath salts?

(I'm sure you can use jojoba oil for all sorts of things but I'd never felt in any way compelled to find out what).

Guys it smells great, my skin is soft, I poured jojoba oil in an emptied bath salts container and will pour it back in the jojoba oil bottle after that's clean because that design is more ergonomical. The bath salts one, once cleaned, is great for storing cotton pads, which will ultimately save space in my bathroom. But until then it infuses its smell in the oil.

That is $15 worth of bath oil, which I love using, from two gifts that made me go. "Um. I really, really appreciate the thought."

Same thing with labels, which I've run out of. But I found so, so many sticky notes (conference gift), and a lot of extra tape I'd forgotten I had.

Now, I'll likely have to buy some labels at one point, but a lot of the time, if you tape a sticky note to a plastic bag, the same mission is accomplished. And there's no need to store any extra things you hope you might one day use, like leftover labels or unused thumbtacks.

Now this is a fun part!

[cola-canine]

🎵 I'LL CLIMB UP THE LADDER WITH A HAMMER AND NAIL AND I'LL NAIL IT 🎵

[bluebellhairpin]

LET ME HAVE A RULE AND A SAW AND A BOARD AND I'LL CUT IT. I'LL CLIMB UP A LADDER WITH A HAMMER AND A NAIL AND I'LL NAIL IT. WE WORKED SO HARD TO BUILD A LITTLE HOUSE TOGETHER. IN THE SNOW OR RAIN OR THE ICE COLD WIND WHENEVER. NO MATTER. WHAT THE WEATHER. WE'RE TOGETHER.

hearing the first few musical notes of 'the housebuilding song' is a sure way to get me to go instantly off my rocker bonkers.

[sentientpaperbag]

🎶Well, let me have a ruler and a saw and a board and I'll cut it. I'll climb up the ladder with a hammer and nail and I'll nail it. Well, we worked so hard to build a little house together. In the snow or the rain or the ice wind whenever. No matter what weather... We're together. Well, let me have a ruler and a saw and a board and I'll cut it. I'll climb up the ladder with a hammer and nail, now nail it. Well, we worked so hard to build a little house together. In the snow or the rain or the🎶

fsluigherodfhlvboihrgloifhdoifkgijio

[thxrunaways]

Well let me have a ruler and a saw and a board and I'll cut it I'll climb up the ladder with a hammer and nail and I'll nail it well we worked so hard to build a little house together in the snow or the rain or the ice cold wind whenever no matter what the weather we're together

[cynical-tuba]

Well, let me have a rule and a saw and a board and I'll cut it

I'll climb up a ladder with a hammer and a nail and I'll nail it

VtM one step down session 26 (chaos session)

A short and chill session due to hell work schedules and general everyone-being-exhausted:

- Gabriel accidentally made mustard gas trying to learn how to clean up after beckoning 6 foxes

- fortitude training also known as get "Eli's ghoul to beat the coterie up" (Aiden: I can't punch Natanel, I'm not allowed to hit girls")

- getting drunk on inebriated blood and nearly going to day sleep forgetting the childe Gabriel was in the church

- Delilah stole some guy's dog (and possibly left him alive ?? Question mark)

- oh yeah that serial killer investigation we are meant to be doing! breaking into a flat and bird!Eli getting stuck in a vent with the mother of all botch rolls

- Nat drawing Gabriel with all the anime sparkle eyes they deserve

- Eli solving crimes against fashion with adjusting Skye's blouses so they fit her and acquiring a beautiful handmade jacket that is hopefully from her dad and not the pile of other people's clothes she had in her flat

- fox lean-to building montage to red dead 2 soundtrack so Gabriel stops flooding the haven with foxes

[bandfullofmuses]

John watched her as she took sips of the water he had given her. Afterwards, she spoke to him as he moved to remove the blindfold from her eyes. The moment he saw the brown eyes, a wave of emotions hit him like an oncoming car. Besides the wings, she looked like a human. But he had this feeling in his guts that she was so much than that. The strangest thing was he thought he had seen her somewhere before. But he haven't recalled seeing her before till now.

He had to shake off the shock from looking at her to focus on what she was trying to tell her. He had to get her out of this place. And there was no time to get side tracked.

"Don't worry, I'll you out of here." He tried to ensure her the way he could, undoing the ropes that binded her hands and neck. Seeing her face showed how much pain she had to endured throughout the time she was captured. He couldn't imagine himself going through that without feeling sick.

The ropes were the easiest to get off, but there were nails on her wings that were hammered into the wooden wall that held her up. He glanced around, looking for anything to get the nails out. Thankfully, the crew left their tools behind the stage. He rushed over towards it, grabbing a hammer to use. He also picked up a ladder.

He had to be absolutely silent to place the ladder close to the wings. Remembering that his bosses were nearby and would step in at anytime. He was risking so much to rescue the woman that he didn't know. If he was caught, they would do more than just fire him. They would kill him. But he wasn't going to let that stop him. For once, he was going to let things right.

"Listen, I'm going to take the nails off. I'll try to be careful to not do anymore damage." He told her before climbing up the ladder. He used the back of the hammer to hook the nail to it. He slowly pulled the nail out, though it wasn't easy due to the nails being so long. He saw the finch each time he pulled the nail from the wing. He felt terrible for hurting her, but it was the only way to get the job done. He finally reached the final nail, pulling it out. Awaiting to see how the wings are after being freed.

open rp || wingverse thirteen

tw for abuse, freak show, general ... awful situation.

She'd lost track of time. She'd been in - worse places, but it was hard to imagine them right now. Her head was pounding, and that was the least pain she had, the easiest one to ignore. Instead, she was focusing on it, doing her best to distract herself from all the other agonies. She couldn't see even if her eyes were open, a thick fabric band tied around her eyes, not as tight as the one keeping her mouth from talking. Her coat was gone, it's protective weight taken away from her, and in it's place, an uncomfortably light white smock. And nothing else.

Of course, it was all to display her for the freak show patrons. Her wings throbbed in agony, drawn to their fullest length. The metacarpal bones had been broken, cleanly, and pinned up in such a way as they didn't look broken. The pain of them being trapped was unthinkable, the strong nails driven through them to keep them open on the board behind her. She was listening, trying to find a gap, an escape, a way to get loose. Hands tied behind her back, then to the board that was holding her open, as well as the one around her neck. She couldn't even sit.

So all of her attention went on her headache and her hearing, hoping there would just be something - anything - to get her out of this hell.