#i'm glad just to be writing again

[cloudybarnes]

bad idea right?

Pairing: theodore nott x reader

Summary: after theo breaks up with you, he pledges to make things right and do anything necessary to win you back. however, you are determined to make him work if he wants to win you over again aka part two to new beginnings

Word Count: 2.3k

Masterlist

a/n: LONG AWAITED PART TWO WOOHOOOO also this could be read as a solo instead of a part two if you really wanted, but here's part one in case you wanna read that as well ;)

✰  ✰  ✰

“Please don’t tell me you got back together with him!” Ginny groaned. She sat on the edge of your bed as Hermione braided your hair for the night. 

“No, I didn’t get back with him. I told him if he really wanted to prove it to me, then he could.” 

“So you’re thinking of getting back with him.” She said disapprovingly. Hermione chuckled from her seat in the bed behind you. She was working on doing dutch braids in your hair. 

“I think it’s fine, Gin,” Hermione said. “It’s not as if she’s going to jump back in bed with him.”

You waggled your eyebrows teasingly to Ginny. She gasped and swatted your shoulder. “That’s so not funny, (Y/N/N). Just because you think he’s sexy doesn’t mean you should get back with him.”

Theodore broke up with you very unexpectedly. He barely even had a reason for breaking up with you, which left you heartbroken and devastated. You were in bed for a few days, had a good cry, and then you were back. 

Theo had tried to mend the broken bond between your relationship, but you just couldn’t bring yourself to take him back that easily. Your ego was high, and you knew you would be kicking yourself if something like that happened again right when you took him back. 

“Don’t worry, Ginny. If he really wants me back, he’s gonna have to work for it. He knows that.”

“Alright,” Hermione said as she tied off the end of your hair. “All finished. Your hair’s gonna look so good tomorrow.”

“Theo better be drooling when you see him,” Ginny said, “if not, I’ll give him a different reason to drool.” She made a motion of punching her fists together, insinuating she would punch him in the mouth. 

You chuckled. “Hopefully there won’t be any blood drawn. I don’t think he’d really wanna go through all the trouble if it just got him a busted lip.”

“Oh no,” Ginny grinned, “it would be more than just a busted lip. I’ve got five brothers, I’m known to throw a mean punch or two.”

“Lights out girls!” The prefect yelled as she knocked on your bedroom door. 

Ginny rolled her eyes. “Alright, I’ll see you guys at breakfast. But for real, if Theo tries anything you know I’m right there for you.” 

You smiled, grateful to have a friend as awesome as her. “Yeah, Gin, I know. Thank you.” 

She smiled, “night guys.”

You two said your good nights as Hermione moved from your bed to her own. 

“What do you think he’ll do tomorrow?” You asked Hermione as she shut off the lights. You pulled the covers close to your body, waiting for her response. 

“I’m not sure,” she replied, getting comfy in her own bed. “Hopefully something sweet. He’s got a lot of making up to do if he wants to get back on our good side.”

You smiled softly, “yeah, you’re right. Night, ‘Mione.”

“Goodnight.”

✰  ✰  ✰

The next morning at breakfast, the owl dropped a letter in front of you.

“What’s that?” Ron asked, his mouth filled with food. 

Ginny slapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t talk with your mouth full. Honestly, you act like you were raised in a barn.”

“We were raised in the same house, you know.” He pointed. 

“What a shame that was,” she replied. 

You chuckled at their banter, and ripped open the seal on the letter. 

“What’s it say?” Hermione asked. 

You scanned over the words before you read them aloud. “It says,

(Y/N), 

I hope you know how much you mean to me. I was a fool to break things off with you. I only hope one day you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me. 

Forever yours,

Theo”.

“Forever yours?” Ginny squealed. “That is so romantic.” 

Hermione raised her brow quizzically. “Weren’t you the one telling her not to get back with him?”

Ginny rolled her eyes. “I can have mixed feelings about this. He breaks her heart but then he writes her a love letter. It’s got me confused, okay?” 

You chuckled. “I think it’s cute. It’s not gonna win me back, but it was an alright effort.”

“Oooh, what a burn,” Harry chuckled. “Poor bloke must’ve forgot how stubborn you are.”

You shook your head with a smile, “nah, he didn’t forget. If I know anything about Theo, he’s just getting started.”

“So, (Y/N/N),” Ron said, “do you want to get back with him or what’s going on with this?”

You shrugged. “I mean, obviously I still love him. It just sucks what he did and I don’t think he should be able to get off the hook that easily. He shouldn’t be forgiven for breaking my heart just because he writes a little letter.”

“I love you for that,” Ginny said as she nodded her head. 

“Hey, (Y/N/N).”

Looking behind you, you could see Enzo give a sheepish smile and a small wave. 

You grinned, “Hey Enzo, how are you? Sorry about yesterday, by the way, Theo’s a little crazy sometimes.”

He chuckled and awkwardly rubbed his hand through his hair. “Yeah, I’ve noticed. But, yeah, no, Theo and I are all good. He apologized last night and told me all about his plans to woo you.”

You chuckled with a roll of your eyes. “Go figure.” 

“Yeah,” he smiled, “anyway, I just wanted to come by and resume how we were before, you know, the whole break up thing, and drop off this book I think you’ll like.” 

Enzo pulls out a book from his satchel and hands it to you. 

“Coraline?” You asked as you flip it around and skim over the synopsis. 

“Yeah, it’s kind of spooky and psychological which I think you’ll really enjoy.”

You grinned up at him, “that’s perfect. Thank you, Enzo.” 

He sent a tight lipped smile, and nodded before turning away and walking back to the slytherin table. 

“I like Enzo,” Ginny said with a dreamy look on her face. 

You rolled your eyes with a smile. “Go get him then. He’s a sweetie.” 

“You guys and those Slytherin boys,” Ron shakes his head with a scoff. “Not even that cute, I’ll tell ya.”

“Oh, what?” Ginny asked sassily, “like you’re cute?”

“I think Ron’s cute,” Hermione winked at her boyfriend. 

“Ugh, barf,” Ginny said. 

The bell rang. You all stood to gather your things for first class. 

“We’ll see you guys later,” you smiled as Hermione and you walked out to your shared first class. 

“That was a pretty cute letter,” Hermione said as the two of you started walking down the hall. 

“Yeah, I think it was sweet, but like I said, he can’t win me back that eas-“

“Excuse me?” Someone tapped your shoulder. 

Stopping, you and Hermione turned to see a younger Slytherin boy, presumably a first year, standing before you. 

“Uh, yes?” You asked confused, “do you need help with something?”

“Um, Theodore says I have to carry your satchel and books for you.” The first year stood awkwardly. 

“Oh, uh, that’s okay, you really don’t have to.” You blushed, a little embarrassed that Theo would make a first year cater to you. 

“I have to.” He said adamantly. “Theodore said he’ll set me up with this hot girl I like if I carry your books for you.” 

Hermione snickered from next to you. You turned back to her, a bewildered smile on your face as you tried not to laugh.  

“Well,” you said as you handed the young boy your satchel. “I can’t be the one to stop your true love, now can I?”

The boy grinned as he held on to your satchel as well as his. 

“Theodore is crazy,” Hermione remarks as you continue walking to your next class. The boy followed behind the two of you all the way to your first period. 

As soon as your classroom came into view, you could see Theodore standing there with a bouquet of flowers in hand. He grinned a devilish thing as he saw you approach. 

“I’ll meet you in there,” Hermione said with a knowing smirk. 

You walked up to Theo. He was beautiful as ever, but even he knew that wouldn’t get him anywhere. 

“Hi (Y/N).” He smiled at you then turned to the kid. “I’ll take it from here. I’ll have my guys put in a good word with Maizy for you.”

The kid nodded his head and smiled as he ran off. 

Theo threw your satchel over his shoulder and held out the beautiful assortment of flowers towards you. “For you, to say I’m sorry for being a douchebag and an idiot and a stupid motherfucker. All in the words of Draco by the way. Never knew how much he liked us together.” 

You chuckled and grabbed the flowers out of Theo’s hand. “Thank you.”

He smiled and shoved his hands in his pockets. “So, have you thought about what I said yesterday?” 

You sighed. “Of course I’ve thought about it Theo. Just like I’ve thought about how much you broke my heart when you dumped me.”

“Okay, I deserved that.” 

You chuckled. “Yeah. Thank you for the flowers, Theo. And… I still care about you, I just need time to figure this all out. I can’t just forgive you that fast when you broke my heart, just  last week!”

Theo sighed, “I know. I know! Fuck! I know I fucked up, baby, but I am going to do everything I can to win you back. I’ll wait for you. I’ll wait as long as it takes, baby, I swear it to do. The boys are down my back yelling at me for how hard I screwed everything up. They think I’m stupid, and I think I’m stupid too for letting you go. I promise you, I will do everything it takes for you to trust me again, mi amore.”

Your eyes softened. Theo knew exactly how to make your heart soar. 

“Theo…” 

“No, baby,” he shook his head. “You take your time. I’m gonna be here whenever you decide if you want to forgive me or not. Hopefully you decide you do want to forgive me.” He chuckled awkwardly. 

You matched his awkward laugh. “Well, thanks again for the flowers. They’re very pretty.” 

Theo smiled and nodded before turning around and walking away. 

✰  ✰  ✰

Later that night, you sat in the library studying for your Herbology final. Ginny and Hermione offered to help you study, but you knew you’d be here too late to want to burden them. 

As you flipped through the pages of your herbology book, you tried your best to take down any notes that you thought would be important. 

Your stomach growled. 

“Knew that was inevitable.” 

When you looked up from your textbook, you could see Theo sheepishly smiling as he held two trays from the cafeteria. 

“What was?” You asked with a smile. You cleared some papers to make space for Theo to sit down. 

He grinned and placed the trays on the table as he took his seat next to you. 

“Knew you would forget to eat while you studied for this exam.” 

You chuckled and peered over to see what Theo brought you to eat. Ham, potatoes, and stuffing from the dining hall. 

“Thank you, Theo. That’s really sweet of you.” 

He slid a tray closer to you, and you eagerly picked up the provided fork and dug in. 

Theo chuckled as you scarfed down your food. “Pretty hungry?”

You nodded as you finished chewing. Theo smiled to himself and started to take a few bites of his potatoes. 

“You’re being awfully sweet to me, Theo.” 

“Haven't I always been sweet to you, darling?”

“Well, yes. But that was before.”

Theo sighed. “I know I screwed up royally. I’m trying to make up for my mistakes. I’m still the same boy I was just a few months ago. I had a lapse in judgment and that cost me the best thing in my life.”

You frowned. “Theo…”

“Don’t you miss me, (Y/N/N)?” Theo shifted to face you straight on. He nervously leaned forward on the table, staring into your eyes, waiting for your response. 

“…of course I miss you, Theo. How could I not? You’re everything to me, and I’m just so scared of something like that happening again.”

“(Y/N),” Theo started. He tentatively grabbed your hands in his. “I promise you, with everything in me, if you decide to take me back I will never hurt you or disappoint you ever again. You have my word mi amore.” 

You were conflicted. You miss Theo like crazy. You couldn’t help it. No matter what you said to your friends about him having to work hard for you, it tore you apart every time you saw him knowing you still weren’t together. You missed being his. 

“Okay,” you said. 

“Okay?” Theo’s face lit up. “You-you’re giving me another chance?”

“Yeah,” you softly smiled, “I miss my boy.”

Theo grinned and yanked you toward him, engulfing you in a hug—one you’ve been waiting days for. You missed him. You missed being held by him. 

You held around his neck tightly, scared to let go. You never realize how much you craved his touch when it was gone.  

Theo buried his face in your hair, breathing in your scent. “God, I’ve missed you.” 

You smiled and pulled back. Theo smiled back at you. Slowly, you leaned in and pressed your lips against his in a warm, longing kiss. Your hands rested on his cheeks, his on your waist as you kissed with all the love stored up between you. 

When he pulled away, Theo stayed close with his forehead rested against yours. “I promise you baby, I’m here for good.” 

“You better be.” 

[yeonjune]

Yeonjun about the strain he felt while preparing for his debut solo project ✙ "GGUM" MAKING FILM

[mattodore]

birthday boy 🎂

[deliciouskeys]

Lena is 3 months old. It took me <2 months to update since last chapter, so I'm still writing ahead of my timeskips. And that's all that matters.

Thanks @vanshoundd for inspiring me to think about Lena's reaction to Billy going clean-shaven (unfortunately less dramatic than the art).

This is what Hart 216 looks like. Always amused by the photographers just sitting on the floor:

[yamsgarden]

Wow OK so… I just finished reading the 🧊🍈 short novel and I'm in denial, how good it was

I laughed so much, idk if it was intentional, but just…

I love it so much

That's all the words that I can say atm… I still need to digest how good it was

[delimeful]

I have developed a love-hate relationship with you and your writing. You keep starting these wonderful stories but you don’t finish them like bestie please I just want an ending 😭

i'm truly sorry that the freely available stories i write online for my own joy and whimsy aren't being completed fast enough for you. i hope you can forgive me for not churning out perfect completed fanfictions at a premium rate for you to mindlessly consume and then never comment on. how could i forget that my life's dream has always been to work myself to the bone for the soulless content creation grind until i die.

[wishuponroses]

I adore how Tatsuya Endo writes his characters, especially the women. They can be warm, soft, cute, cool, tough, scary... all, if not most, of his ladies in Spy x Family are equally wonderful in their own way, both in character design and personality.

[shima-draws]

I haven't watched more than like, 8 episodes of once piece, but i just want to say that i'm loving your live(?) blogging of the episodes as you go. especially all the sanji x luffy, it's all very cute in general but also how excited you get about it is fantastic.

that's all! i just love seeing people passionately enjoy things.

AAGFGHGHF THANK YOU OMG........I feel like I've been REALLY annoying talking about Sanlu nonstop but I'm glad at least somebody is enjoying it lmao. But if there's one place where I SHOULD have no filter and feel free to talk about my ships constantly, it should be my own blog right. LOL

Essentially,

[fratboykate]

Papi, are you alive? Thunderbolts trailer leaked and we got Hailee back from the dead (and there's the movie with Andrew and Florence and its KYAU coded as fuck) Kate and Yelena content galor this week. PLEASE COME BACK. We've been deprived for a year. It's been jail for too long. Grace us with Kate x Yelena content again. Pretty please.

*taps mic* Is this thing on?

[wikiangela]

🥩 🥩

🏠 🏠🏠🏠🏠

💔 💔💔

🥵 🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵

🦵 🦵🦵🦵

omg that's a lot of sentences lol thank you so much bc it was motivating and really moved some fics along haha 💝💝 so here's looots of words for you <3

+ tagging a few people who were also interested in some of those, you'll get sentences for your asks too, but give me time lol, it's a lot of sentences 🤣 (really appreciate it tho, I'm so motivated now, my fics are actually moving along haha <3), for now have these: @daffi-990 @diazsdimples @evansboyfriend @typicalopposite @eddiebabygirldiaz @jewishbuckley @monsterrae1 @steadfastsaturnsrings @hippolotamus

putting it all under the cut bc it got long, obviously haha

🥩 🥩 - 6 sentences of the bucktommy barbecue fic

When he walks back into the backyard, grabbing a bowl of salad and a basket of bread on his way, he’s greeted by a pretty great picture. His whole family is around the two tables they put together to fit everyone, getting acquainted with Tommy’s friends. The older children – Christopher, Denny and Mara – sit to the side, chatting between each other, the boys trying to include Mara in their conversation, while the two youngest are right next to Tommy. His boyfriend is at the grill, fire already started, as he tries to keep the girls a few steps away, while they’re excitedly chatting to him. It’s so adorable.  “Hey, girls,” Buck says as he approaches them, wanting to let his boyfriend grill in peace for a moment, “you wanna see something?” he asks, and it’s enough to get two toddlers’ attention.

🏠 🏠🏠🏠🏠 - 15 sentences of the moving in fic

“Something looks different here.” He frowns, looking around. Tommy’s confused, because he hasn’t really changed anything. He furnished his house a long time ago, from time to time changing stuff more out of necessity than anything else, but that’s it. He’s good at renovating, building, fixing, any interior design is not really his forte. He does have a few paintings and pictures, and some knick-knacks from the few places he traveled to, but not much else. He likes simplicity, and he never felt the need to add anything more. Clearly, something must’ve changed, though. “What do you mean?” he asks, seeing a few of the other guys nod in agreement, also looking around.  “It feels, like, cozier, doesn’t it?” Another co-worker, Sean, says with a small frown. “Unlike you, Kinard.” “Did you always have these cushions?” Another person asks, settling into the couch, picking one of said cushions up. It’s fluffy and yellow, and, according to Evan, brightens up the room. “They’re comfy.”

💔 💔💔 - 9 sentences of the buddie cheating fic (we're at the smut point of this fic rn and this is not going well but I'm persevering and istg I'll fix it once I have the basis all written haha)

The door is barely closed behind them before Eddie pushes Buck onto the bed and climbs on top of him, throwing his henley off in the process, so they’re both shirtless. He hovers over Buck for a second, shining brown eyes looking into blue ones, one of his hands reaching to intertwine their fingers. There’s desire mixed with disbelief on his face, but no doubt, no hesitation – that he kind of looks for, the thought that this is wrong, that it shouldn’t be happening, crossing his mind again. But then Eddie’s leaning in again, crushing his lips against Buck like he wants to devour him, his hips grinding against Buck’s, and any doubts, hell, any thoughts, just evaporate. It’s just him and Eddie, no one else exists.  His hands land on Eddie’s hips and slide down to his ass, and, god, he can’t wait to get him naked again. He can’t wait to see all of him, appreciate every detail of his gorgeous body, this time completely sober, and able to remember it fully.  “I need you.” Eddie moans into his lips, rolling his hips again, their clothed erections rubbing against each other. He swallows whatever Buck’s response was about to be in another hungry kiss, before going back to what he started in the living room – trailing his lips down Buck’s jaw, his throat, kisses alternating between soft and lingering, and biting and impatient, then down Buck’s chest, sliding down his body, until he’s face to face with Buck’s zipper.

🥵 🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵 - 18 sentences of the bucktommy smut - again, this one is not going well bc apparently I forgot how to write smut lol but I'll fix it haha

“You good?” Tommy asks quietly, and Buck nods frantically, his own hand moving to his crotch because if he doesn’t get out of his pants right now – but Tommy grabs his wrist. “Let me?” “Yeah.” Buck keeps nodding. “Just- please, I need you to touch me. Please.” Tommy swiftly undoes the button and zipper of Buck’s jeans, and Buck raises his hips, his hands helping Tommy shove the pants off his ass, satisfied when they stop around mid-thigh, and then he frantically pulls his underwear down, too, his leaking cock springing up against his belly instantly. He sees Tommy look at it and lick his lips, his eyes dark, and, fuck, Buck can’t wait for everything he’s going to give him. But for now, Tommy takes his time sliding Buck’s pants and underwear completely off his legs, muttering something about wanting Buck to be comfortable. Buck couldn’t care less about fabric restricting his legs, or any discomfort, as long as Tommy gets his hands on him.  And then he does – a big, rough, calloused hand, but the gentlest, softest touch, wraps around his dick. Buck inhales sharply, the feeling familiar, his own hands just as rough, but also so totally different.  Tommy looks up at him with big, shining eyes, scanning his face, as he thumbs Buck’s slit and gathers the generous amount of pre-come leaking out. Buck inhales sharply, a moan breaking out of him, not able to look away from Tommy’s face as his hand uses the liquid for an easier slide of his hand, as he starts stroking. His pace is slow, almost tortuously so, his movements deliberate, precise, eyes not leaving Buck’s face.  “Tommy,” Buck groans pleadingly, hand tangling in his soft curls. “Yeah, I got you.” Tommy whispers, his movements steadily picking up pace, still so in control, Buck’s in awe – and even more turned on.

🦵 🦵🦵🦵 - 12 sentences of the leg pain fic

“Looks amazing.” Buck smiles genuinely, though a little weakly, as he reaches for one of the plates. Tommy takes the place on his side- that is, on the other side of the bed, the one he usually sleeps on, that apparently Buck already started referring to as Tommy’s side. It’s not the first time they eat breakfast in bed together, and Buck’s the last person to worry about making a mess, especially right now, but Tommy is, as he hunches over the tray instead of taking the plate into his lap, like Buck did. Buck can’t help an endeared smile. He adores his boyfriend, and all his quirks, as he’s still learning more about him. And the best thing is, it feels like Tommy doesn’t mind any of Buck’s quirks, either – he seems to enjoy getting to know more and more about him, as well. He doesn’t think he’s ever felt this free to be himself, and this thought makes him wonder once again why the hell he was so hell-bent on hiding from Tommy that his bad leg hurts sometimes and once in a while it gets bad enough he has to take a day. Tommy gets it, gets him, and Buck feels so lucky to have found him. “The leg feel any better?” Tommy asks, shoving a forkful of the eggs into his mouth.  “A bit.” Buck shrugs. It’s not a lie, it feels like maybe the pain eased up a little bit, the painkillers kicking in, but it’s still very much there, and from experience he knows it’ll come back full force soon. 

[spacedace]

Here, have a snippet of the Jason & Steph sibling bonding portion of the DP x DC AU I wrote 10k words for since last night in a haze of post sickness/burnout creative burst, featuring some Anger Management because of course it does lol

(I call it a snippet but it’s like...3k words lol)

Trigger Warnings because most of this snippet focuses on them running around Crime Alley and shit that goes down in it: references to drugs, overdoses, domestic abuse, child endangerment (if I miss anything let me know and I’ll add it). Nothing expliciet or details but they are things mentioned as happening because, well, Crime Alley.

-

Spoiler shifts subtly from foot to foot on the rooftop, hands open and ready at her side as she split her attention from watching him and checking the street below for signs of trouble. Her gaze was sharp on the girls working the corner, tracking for any hint that the man talking them up was making any of them uncomfortable even as she made sure Jason didn’t suddenly dart across the ten feet between them to strike out at her.

“George Conrad.” He said, satisfied that his sudden breaking of the silence didn’t make her jump though did catch her attention fully, fingers twitching warningly towards her belt. He nodded his head down to the street and the large man rummaging through the bag he brought with him. More of the girls had huddled up around him. “Not a john. Not even from Gotham.” He explained, shifting to walk over to the edge of the roof, giving her his back as he did. “His son Kyle ran away from home while George was oversees and ended up working the streets. George tracked him down once he was back in the states a few years ago but by the time he made it here Kyle had been killed.”

She moved to join him at the ledge, still leaving space between them but not enough for his guns to be as effective. Smart, vigilant, but still with a soft enough heart to stop and listen to one of the many tragedies that played out in Gotham’s darkest streets.

“What happened?” She asked, eyes softening on the big man in question as he started handing out ziploc bags. Jason knew very well what they held, and wondered if Spoiler could make out the finer details from the distance they were at. Sandwiches, granola bars, water bottles, condoms, clean needles, wet-wipes, little travel sewing kits, over the counter pain meds. Anything and everything George had ever been told would be appreciated or useful by the sex workers he spoke to.

“Overdose.” Jason answered, grateful that the distorter built into his helmet disguised the tightness of his voice. Memories of a cold body on the floor, stiff and waxy with distant glassy eyes. “Got mixed up with the wrong person. Boyfriend. Not a big player but,” He shrugged and knew that Spoiler would understand. It was how a lot of people got mixed up in sex work when they wouldn’t have normally. Boyfriend that promised the world, the painful fall into being pressured to sleep with said boyfriend’s friend, then another, then another. “One of Daisy’s boys was a neighbor and figured out what was going on, Daisy helped get him out but it was too late by then.”

Below one of the girls, younger than the rest - an adult, because he wouldn’t allow anything else in his territory, but still new to the scene - surged forward to wrap her arms around the old man. George gave her a gentle pat on the back, pushing her back gentle to dig out a card from his pocket. A list of numbers for her to call, shelters and organizations that could help, his own number in case she ever needed anything. “They chipped in for a funeral for him. Gave George somewhere to go and mourn. He’s been here ever since, trying to look after them all. He works as a bouncer at Daisy’s these days but he always does the rounds when he isn’t working.”

“People never get this part.” Spoiler mused, voice going soft and distant. “They always think the Alley is just…” She waved a gloved hand, “Trash and monsters. They can’t seem to get that there’s more. Just…people. Some really good ones even.”

He smiled behind his mask. There was a reason she was the one of the whole Bat Clan he’d decided to trust with this.

“Come on.” He said, waving her after him as he began an easy run that’d let them both move easily from rooftop to rooftop. Spoiler hesitated a moment, but at length followed, quick and quiet as she darted from shadow to shadow in his wake.

They spent the following couple of hours meandering around Crime Alley at an easy clip. Squat roofs and rusted fire escapes, narrow streets and dark corners. Pausing to jump in and handle anything that popped up or at particular spots of interest where he’d point out places and people. The chop shop run by the ragged gang of teens and children some of the gangs had been angling towards that needed looking after. The homeless encampment nestled between the grimy apartment building Daisy O’Neil had taken over to run her business out of and the tiny, almost forgotten pauper’s cemetery. The usual roosting spots for the drug dealers, the gambling dens, the little family owned cafe that had the best Tantuni at midnight and even better Turkish coffee at the crack of dawn.

It was as they perched on top of this last one, tucked back in the shadows away from view as Spoiler devoured the freshly made Lokma that Mrs. Solak insisted on making fresh for them when they stopped by that the question finally came.

“So what exactly is all this?” Spoiler asked, popping another of the sugary, honey covered Lokma in her mouth. He’d shoved the container Mrs. Solak had given to him over to her after eating only a few, knowing she was going to try to steal them anyway if he didn’t. “When you said you needed my help with something in Crime Alley, I was expecting…I don’t know, drug runners or something.” She popped another golden dough ball in her mouth, cheeks round as a chipmunk and voice muffled as she said, “Not a tour of the place.”

Jason let his head fall back on the brick of the rooftop entrance behind them, eyes scanning the glittering horizon of the Gotham skyline, trying to sort out his answer. He had talked about how he was going to do this with Jazz, practicing what he was going to say, what he wanted to reveal, what outcomes he could expect from the whole thing. When he left he’d felt confident about it all, riding high on the warmth of Jazz’s kiss and the fluttering thumps of little legs kicking against his hand. Now that he was here though he felt lost as to how to begin.

“I’m hanging up the mask.” He finally said. It wasn’t quite like the first time he’d said it out loud, in the privacy of his apartment, curled in bed with Jazz, only brave enough to whisper it in the dark. There wasn’t that rush of anxiety and relief that had hit him at finally saying what had twisted over and over in his head for weeks leading up to that moment. Now there was just the settled feeling, the certainty, the surety of being on the path he wanted to be on. “I wanted to ask if you’d look after my territory me when I do.”

Spoiler gaped at him. “Wait, seriously?”

He almost laughed, he settled on giving her a lazy smile. “Seriously.”

With her masked pulled down so she could eat her treats he could see her wide eyed, disbelief on her face easily. “Why?”

He gave a shrug, aiming for nonchalant. “This used to be your territory for awhile, right? You’re from here, you know the Alley and the people and how it all works.” He felt his smile go softer, “I trust you to be able to keep it safe.”

Spoiler’s - Steph’s - expression softened at that. “That’s…thank you.” She glanced out the same way he had before, face caught in something bittersweet. “I…I hated this place growing up. I still do, kinda. I think everyone that lives here does. But I still missed it, it’s still…still home.”

“Yeah,” He agreed, mind turning over his childhood. The constant fear and hardship. Living rough even when he did have a roof over his head. His father’s heavy hands. His mother’s slow wasting. Crime Alley was a complete shit hole, one where the worst of the worst tended to gather. But it wasn’t all monsters. There were good people too, just trying to scrape by. Old George wandering the streets handing out necessities to working girls and boys. The Solak family and their little shop, giving out the left overs to the street kids and homeless. The Nightingales, crammed into their two bedroom apartment, just trying to get by. “I knew you’d get it.”

They sat in silence for awhile. Steph chewing over his request and her Lokma, Jason lost in memories of the past and wistful dreams of the future. At length the blond next to him bumped his shoulder with hers, head tilting at a questioning angle. “I…I really appreciate what you said, about why me.” She said, awkward and touched in equal measure. “But…I was actually wondering why you were stepping back.”

He was ready for that question, he was. He’d initially just wanted to leave it at none of your fucking business but Jazz had - wise as ever - pointed out that he was asking her a favor, and a big one at that. He might not be comfortable with the rest of his family knowing everything - or anything - but Steph at least deserved an explanation as to why he was asking her to take over his territory.

“You tell anyone this, and I will kill you.” He started and then cringed internally because that had not at any point been something that had come up in his practice conversations with Jazz. Oh well, any more ooie-gooey feelings talk and Steph probably would have thought he was replaced by a pod person or something. “I’m seeing someone.”

The faintly alarmed look the blond vigilante beside him had melted away in an instant, replaced by a sly, mischievous grin. Hellion. One whiff of gossip and that’s all it took. “Ooooh, Big Bad Red Hood has a heart after all.” She crooned, ignoring her earlier reticence to get too close and leaning dramatically against his side. “Who is it huh? Anyone I know? Ooh, is it someone in the Outlaws?”

He was reminded of before he died, suddenly. Of teasing Dick over his latest crush over a beautiful red head that could kick his ass like a proper annoying little brother. In an echo of that moment so many years ago, he shoved Spoiler off in the same way Dick had done to him, rolling his eyes at her dramatic squawking as she nearly dropped her treat to disguise the small smile that wanted to curl at his lip. He swiped at the container lazily, a feint at stealing it back that resulted in a brief scuffle that ended with him popped a few of the Lokma in his mouth as she tore the container - that he had given to her in the first place - away, holding it close to her chest like a precious treasure.

“No, no one you know.” He answered at last they finally settled down. He paused for a beat, gaze turning back to the city as he added. “She’s a civilian.”

Spoiler looked considering at that, chewing at one of the last of the Lokma thoughtfully. “So what’s going on then? You do a face reveal and she asked you to quit the vigilante business?”

“No.” He said, taking a small, steadying breath. Better to just rip off the bandaid. “She’s pregnant.”

Spoiler went still beside him, laughing eyes shuttering and face falling into a neutral mask as she stared at him. After a long, long moment she gave a small, unreadable little, “Oh.”

Jason fought the urge to fidget. Oh. It could mean so many things. Oh shit. Oh no. Oh how nice. Oh boy I can’t wait to tell Bruce about this. That last one, admittedly, was unlikely. Spoiler was on good terms with most of the Bats and Birds but she and Bruce had long had something of a rocky relationship. No where near as bad as what he and the old man had, but still enough that she was probably the very last person to willingly go hunt Bruce down to share all the details of Jason’s private life unless she thought it particularly necessary.

The silence stretched on. And Jason knows what silence does to a human brain. Four seconds of quiet during a conversation after saying something registers as rejection, caused feelings of anxiety and apprehension, even caused the same signals in the brain as physical pain. Prolonged silence and steady attention at the same time caused an urge to fill the quiet, to speak and keep speaking until the other person says something. It was something Bruce taught him, guiding him along in his Robin days on how to perform interrogation and get the person they were questioning to spill their guts.

He was taught too how to outlast that silence in situations where he was being questioned. Both by Bruce and by the League - though the interrogations that he was meant to resist under their teachings had far more than long awkward silences to contend with. He knew how to clamp down on that instinctive drive to keep talking when faced with stillness like this.

And yet, somehow he could stop himself.

“I just…I think about being a kid and my dad going to work,” He said the word with appropriate amount of vitrol, “And then never coming back. Him dying in jail and it just being me and my mom trying to scrape by. Or…or with Bruce. Knowing that I was always going to place second to the Rogues and the city. I just…” His head dropped back on the brick behind him, eyes closed and throat tight. “I can’t do that to my kid. I’m going to be there. I’m going to make sure they’re safe and happy and that they don’t ever have to worry about if their old man is coming home or not.”

It was a nightmare he’d been having, since the morning he and Jazz crowded over a couple of pregnancy tests and saw the results. Dying out in the gutter and shambling home as a ghost to see the grief he left behind. Jazz crying, a child who’s features he could never make out standing in the doorway the way he would stand at the entrance of the cave when he was too injured to go out with Batman. Waiting in painful silence and burning tears to find out that his father was dead.

“I’m not…I’m not cutting out of the life completely.” He said, trying to focus past the squeezing in his chest, trying to force the conversation back into a conversation rather than him just pouring his bleeding heart out to a blank wall. “I’m going to talk to Babs, see if she’d be alright with me helping with some of what she does, or get something similar setup solely for the Alley. I’m going to keep tabs with my guys on what’s going on and work with them that way. And if there’s anything big, obviously you guys can call me in, I’m not just going to sit back if there’s a city wide threat or worse, I just - “

There were arms around him, suddenly. Warm and strong as they wrapped around him, a face pressed into his shoulder, his nose tickled by blond hair.

He sat there, frozen for a long moment before slowly, lifting his own arms to return the hug. Steph gave him an encouraging squeeze. “I get it.” She said, voice whisper soft and almost lost as she spoke into the leather of his jacket. “I think…I think if I’d been older, if I was more able to keep her…I think I would have done the same thing.” There was a faint sniff as she finally pulled away. She wasn’t crying, but her eyes were bright with tears. “I’m happy for you.” She moved to gently head butt him, “And I’m honored to take over watching over this shithole of ours.”

Jason gave a watery laugh, not even caring that he was crying as he scrubbed away some of the tears that had burned down his cheek. “Thanks Blondie. Steph.”

She rocked back on her heels, arms crossed as her expression turned suddenly serious. “I do have one condition though.” At his look the seriousness melted away into an exuberant grin. “I want to meet this mystery woman of yours. Wait!” She brightened, “Two conditions! I want to be there when you finally tell B and the rest! I am not missing the look on their faces when you tell them!”

He rolled his eyes and shoved her, sending her tumbling into the container of Lokma and sending the remaining fried dough balls rolling across the grungy roof. Steph squawked, dropping to her knees before the thoroughly ruined sweets as dramatic as if it was her one true love laying dead before her. “They were so young, so innocent!” She wailed, throwing her head back as if to howl at the sky in mourning before snapping back to him, finger pointing at him accusatory. “You! This is your fault! I will have my vengeance!”

The rest of the night was spent darting from rooftop to rooftop in an echo of the game of tag he used to play with Dick and Babs years ago. Tackling each other and fighting without actually aiming to do real damage. Only pausing to jump down to the street or through a window here and there to knock some heads together.

By the time he was heading to the Dead Man’s Hand so he could walk Jazz home - or whisk her off to his safehouse, if he was lucky and she was able to duck her siblings for the day - he felt lighter. Steph would look after the Alley, the people he protected. He’d work with her over the next few months, get her integrated with his lieutenants and make sure she was familiar with the ins and outs of his little slice of Gotham, make sure she was as ready as she could be to take over for him.

[b4kuch1n]

I actually for real feel like my phone's scanning quality has dropped monumentally while I was away on thing so that's a fun thing to figure out now. anyways

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Hi Lofty!!

I love all your work and can't get enough of your Healthcare AU!🖤

Question though: We know the boys don't do great self care especially if they are sick or hurt. Malon seems like she would be just as strong headed and always say she's fine. But how would Time react to seeing her name pop up as a patient in the ED?

Like if she got into a car wreck (not a horrific one, though I'm sure Time would lose it) or had an incident with a horse and got banged up, maybe even a concussion, and was trying to refuse treatment because she's "fine", only for Time to burst in.

How would Time react to it all??

The sky had steadily darkened as they drove. Warriors' usual cheerful chatter died down before he'd finally started breathing softly in gentle, rhythmic patterns of sleep. Time glanced over at him on occasion with a fond smile and then he gently turned on a quiet music station on the radio to fill the void.

The emergency medicine conference had gone very well. The boys had learned a great deal, Time's talk was a success, and Sky had even gotten to see Sun briefly. After a good four days relaxing at the shore and getting training hours under their belts, they were ready to return home.

Time had one final class to teach today before they'd left, and he'd turned off his phone as a result. It was only now that he realized he'd forgotten to turn it back on, but he wasn't going to mess with it while he was driving. They'd be arriving home soon enough.

An hour later, Time escorted a sleepy Warriors to his apartment where Wind was cheerily waiting. After a few shared words and laughs and some hot chocolate, Time headed out. As he pulled into the long driveway leading up to the ranch, he saw a single light behind him and blew out a small sigh of relief - it was Sky's motorcycle, which meant he'd gotten there safely as well. Legend and Hyrule had carpooled separately, and he'd have to text them to confirm they were home.

When he finally parked the car and Sky pulled up beside him, Time turned on his phone. It vibrated once, twice, three, four, five, six times as he climbed out of the vehicle to check on Sky. Good grief, did the world end while I was driving?

It was probably the group chat.

Sky yawned as he pulled off his helmet, giving Time a tired smile.

"Hungry?" Time asked. "I'm sure Malon has something prepared."

"Food sounds nice," Sky hummed as he grabbed his luggage from the car and the pair made their way inside. While they walked, little details jumped out at Time, because no matter the situation or his level of calm or exhaustion, he couldn't not notice his surroundings.

Malon's car was missing. The gravel leading up to where it normally parked was tousled a little, like feet had shuffled back and forth.

Time paused.

Sky was unlocking the door, oblivious to the environment, but did note, "I wish they'd left the light on so I could see the key."

Lights. There were no lights. Not a single light in the house was on.

Time pulled out his phone, anxiety beginning to bubble in his chest.

He had multiple missed calls and more texts than could be displayed on the screen.

Sky entered the house just as Time unlocked his phone, and the pilot called confusedly, "Nobody's home!"

Hey. Tried to call but went straight to voicemail. Malon's sick. We're at the ER. She's stable, just dehydrated. Needs fluids. Don't know if staying overnight. She'll probably kill them first.

Time read the text from Twilight. The one, single, solitary text. The rest had been from Wild, who was anxiously giving update after update.

Then his phone started blowing up. Legend, Hyrule, Warriors, Four, and Wind were all texting now, having apparently just being told by Wild. Between that and the time stamps on the texts, they had just missed them.

Sky walked out slowly, phone in hand, likely reading similar information from the others. His head shot up immediately, eyebrows crinkled together in worry.

"Stay here," Time advised as he made his way back to the car, mind fixating on the issue.

"But--"

"Stay," Time insisted tersely. He wasn't entirely sure why he was so insistent on the matter, except that it gave him one less person to worry about if Sky wasn't perseverating on the matter alongside the surgeon himself as he drove to the hospital.

The drive felt like an eternity. He tried calling Twilight and got no answer, which only made him more worried. Wild wasn't answering either, and his persistent texts had stopped.

Twi just said she needed fluids, he tried to reassure himself. That's an easy fix.

But when had she gotten so ill that it was needed? What had happened? They'd only been gone a few days - what had he missed? He'd just talked to her yesterday, she'd seemed fine!

After an admittedly sloppy parking job in the garage, Time walked hastily into the emergency department, making his way past the triage desk and badging himself into the department. He caught sight of the status board and immediately found her name.

She was in one of the acute care areas. That was a good sign, at least. But the waiting room still had a few people in it, which meant she was higher priority than others. That could potentially be a bad sign.

His stomach churned even more as he tried to focus instead of spiral. He couldn't quite silence the pounding of his heart in his ears, he couldn't stop biting his tongue anxiously as he walked to her room. His usual, calm demeanor was quickly crumbling, and he was losing control of the situation fast.

When he reached her room, his phone buzzed just as he opened the door. He wasn't entirely sure how he would act, seeing his beloved wife in a stretcher, but the immediate wave of dizziness that slammed into him wasn't the first reaction he'd expected to have.

Time leaned heavily on the door, and Malon's surprised expression quickly changed to alarm. "Honey, I'm okay--"

"You're--" Time stammered, taking a shaky breath. "What's wrong?"

Twilight hastily walked up to him, guiding him to a chair beside her bed. He didn't quite notice Wild or Twilight for a moment, holding his wife's hand as she gave him a reassuring smile. It was less comforting than it should have been, given that her face looked drawn and tired and was drenched in sweat.

"I'm okay," she repeated tiredly. "Just a little sick. Threw up a lot. They gave me Zofran, so I'm doing better. Boy do I love that stuff."

"You look awful," Time blurted out. "You're pale, you're diaphoretic--"

"Oh stop spouting out an assessment," Malon hushed with a weak chuckle. "I'm just dehydrated. Couldn't hold anything down for a while. Look, see, they're giving me fluids now."

She held out her arm for inspection, and Time examined the 18G IV in her AC. She'd already gotten a 200mL bolus, and the fluids were still infusing. He looked at the monitor and saw the tachycardia, saw the hypotension, and he swallowed thickly.

Shock. She'd been going into shock.

"Do they know what's wrong?" he asked. "What's causing this?"

Malon blew out a dismissive breath. "Oh, just a bad stomach bug. Hit Wild earlier in the week."

Time immediately turned his attention to the two young men in the room, watching Wild shrivel into a corner. Twilight was strangely stiff, his expression closed off as his hand settled on Wild's shoulder.

"Boys," Malon directed at the pair. "Do you two mind getting me some water and a damp washcloth?"

The pair took the hint, exiting the room wordlessly and closing the door behind them.

"Link," Malon said gently, garnering her husband's attention. "I'm okay. I promise. You look paler than I do."

"I wasn't here," Time said suddenly, his voice choking up, his guilt and anxiety swirling in an uncomfortable mess of overwhelming emotions that he couldn't express in any given word. "You're sick. I'm--"

"You can't control everything, hon," Malon insisted. "Life isn't your OR."

Time bit back a rebuttal, because he knew she was right. It still made him feel utterly helpless, like he had been so, so long ago when he was a child. He hated it.

But he latched on to her words, latched on to the facts, latched on to the reality of the situation like he was in the OR. Because he could think in the OR, he could focus in the OR.

Malon is fine. She's sick, but she's stable. She was in shock but she's getting fluids. She's awake, her mental status is normal, she's oriented and talking to me.

"How are you feeling?" he finally asked.

Malon laughed. "Spoken like a true surgeon. Looking at the numbers before you look at your patient."

Time gave a pleading pout, though her little jab did cheer him up. If she was able to make quips about his patient care, then she wasn't feeling too terrible.

Then his wife sighed, leaning her head into the pillow and staring at the ceiling. "I'm tired. But not as nauseous as I was. And the fluids are helping. I knew I needed fluids. Figured I could handle it at home. Tried ginger ale, tried sprite, little sips of water between vomiting episodes, but I just couldn't keep anything down. I..."

Malon bit her lip, and the worried look on her face made Time's anxieties return tenfold.

"You what? What's wrong?" he asked quickly.

"I might've asked too much," Malon said, her voice shaking a little. "I just--I felt so ill, and I knew I was losing the fight with staying hydrated enough. I... I asked Twilight to do something I shouldn't have."

Time glanced out at the doorway, but with the curtain drawn he had no idea where the boys were. When he looked back at Malon, she was staring at the curtain too.

"What did you ask?" he prompted.

"I asked him to start an IV on me," Malon said finally, her expression falling further. "My hands were shaking too much, or I would've tried to just do it myself. I know he's just a basic EMT, but I also know he's done some tech work in the ED, so I figured the others had taught him how to start them. He... he really did try, but I was too dehydrated and the only vein he found blew, and... I think he feels bad about it. I shouldn't have asked him. But I was desperate and thought I could just fix it easily at home."

Time's eye traced along Malon's arm to see a small bruise that had developed from Twilight's attempt. He felt equal parts upset and concerned.

"This whole thing's a stupid mess," Malon grumbled. "The sooner I get some fluids the better. I think they'll just give me some ODT Zofran to go home and we'll be done."

She made it sound so normal. As if his wife weren't sitting in a hospital bed. As if his wife weren't so acutely ill she'd had a medical emergency.

Time spiraled a moment longer and then buried his face in his hand, leaning an elbow on the side rail of the stretcher. He and Malon had both seen and treated infinitely worse.

But it was different when it was a loved one.

This isn't even the first loved one you've seen in this position.

"I swear, you're all conspiring to each have a hospital stay," Time muttered, finally grounding himself in some levity as he squeezed his wife's hand.

Malon laughed at that. "Well, mine's less exciting than Twi almost blowing up his appendix. Or Sky getting shot. Or anything Wars has done."

"Wars didn't need an ED visit."

"Not yet, at least."

Time sighed, rubbing his face and then smiling at his wife. "Well. Either way. You're not getting out of bed for a few days."

Malon huffed, cheeks flushing in defiance. "I have things to do--"

"You're sick. I'm taking care of you."

"You? You're a surgeon! I'd be better off being taken care of by one of the barn cats!"

Time spluttered, "I can take care of my own sick wife!"

"You're not a nurse," Malon fired back. "You don't know how to take care of a patient, just how to fix them. There's a difference."

"Well, then, you'll just have to teach me," Time argued stubbornly, kissing her hand. "I'm taking care of you whether you like it or not."

Malon sighed, put out, and relented. Then she gave him a cheeky grin. "I'll be sure to demonstrate how you act when you're ill."

"Malon--"

"All the whining and moaning--"

"Malon, be merciful--"

"And the constant neediness--"

"That's just playing dirty and you know it."

His wife's laugh was far more energetic this time, giving him some peace in his still anxiously fluttering heart. Time took her hand in both of his once more, stroking it lovingly.

The peace of the moment was shattered when the curtain was nearly torn off its hooks as Legend led a stampede of young men into the room.

"Malon, are you okay--"

"Who's your physician, I'll make sure they're actually getting stuff done and moving things along--"

"Forget that, who's her nurse--"

"Are you hurting? Wild said your stomach hurt before--"

"Did the Zofran help?"

"Malon can we grab you anything?"

The pair stared at the group, overwhelmed for a moment, and then Malon smiled, eyes filling with tears. "I guess I have a lot of nurses taking care of me."

"You do," Time assured her, taking the damp washcloth out of Twilight's hands and placing it over her forehead. Malon hummed in contentment as she was surrounded by her husband and her boys, and despite the chaos of the area all around them, there was at least peace in one room in the emergency department that night.

[meownotgood]

I've been reading your viktor fics and I'm so in love with the the way you potray him. Your writing is amazing!!! I just can't get enough

it means a lot to me that you would say that... thank you!!! I'm very glad to hear you've enjoyed my works 🥹

[raiiny-bay]

finished dhes & kel's character pages so here are the lil edits i made for both of em :-)

[zara-renata]

i have thoughts about your most recent fic and tumblr’s comment character limit has brought me to your ask box again 🙈

omgggg it’s so good to know sylus’s POV during that wine night!! and i don’t know why and how, but sylus’s thoughts about mc here, esp how he feels about her selfless tendencies (to her detriment), makes me feel vulnerable and seen. when i read reader-insert fics, i tend to imagine a separate character for mc even though it’s technically supposed to be me in my head. perhaps the character i made up resembles me (but better lmao), but different enough that she’s like an individual on her own. but when i read this fic, it’s like sylus was talking about me, as in the real me, which made me emotional. it could be that the way mc handles herself poorly in here resonates with me due to some irl stuff, but honestly it’s primarily how good you write about a character’s emotions and thoughts. it’s like the words reached across my screen and tugged at my heart. you’re such a great writer when it comes to expressing a character’s innermost thoughts. it’s like i’ve been placed inside a character’s mind to bare witness their raw self.

again, i love how your sylus x mc dynamics, at least for this series, revolve around an mc oblivious to how much sylus cares about her. it seems she doesn’t even believe she’s deserving of such affection, nor is she fitting to be the object of such primal desires. in a way, she’s kind of self-sabotaging in the sense that she thinks she doesn’t deserve kindness, help, and affection. she’s genuinely fine with taking the brunt of the pain and suffering – and not even in the hero, martyr kind of way. it seems it’s how she’s always been, such behavioral tendencies of hers seem to be as normal as the sky is blue, which is sad and concerning because she deserves so much. i’m honestly excited to see sylus try to knock down her hardened walls and have her realize how deserving she is of so many things. i hope she realizes she can relax, rest, take it easy, and feel safe. especially with him.

i actually laughed out loud about how unhinged sylus can be about his sexual desires for her. like the man is blue-balled to heck, but he isn’t the kind to succumb to his base urges. he really respects and loves mc. i think i would even say he reveres her, given the fan theories around their past. it’s like his urges are just something that come with his intense adoration and care for mc, which is so so admirable and attractive.

maybe i’m just a tad sensitive today, but i completely zeroed in on the emotional aspects of this fic – quite a difference as to how i salivated over your previous fic in your ask box LMAO. coincidence is such a funny thing because i feel like i really needed to read this fic today. i feel much better and more ready to face the day. this has been such a good read, and i humbly offer my apologies for yapping at your ask box yet again 🧎‍♀️🫣

First off, you never have to apologize for sending me your thoughts. I'm so happy every time I receive an ask, it's always an unexpected surprise. And your asks are always really thoughtful and fun to read! I wasn't just patronizing you when I said last time that it was really fun to receive such a spicy ask about the NSFW aspects of Sylus's character and dynamic with mc in these stories. A huge part of his appeal is his physicality and how he shows his affection through actions. Hot, hot, actions.

To be honest, this message from you is really reassuring, because I've noticed that a lot of the fanfic that gets a lot of traction in (any) fandom is of the NSFW variety (which, duh, I totally understand and appreciate and consume happily), and I worry that because I'm not currently focusing purely on that aspect of Sylus that people will be less interested in reading what I'm sharing, especially the installments that are so mc POV heavy. So to hear that you also like being in this mc's head, and can relate to this mc, that how I have Sylus respond to this mc's issues and hangups and trauma brings you comfort, is amazing for me as a wannabe writer. Although I also want to give you a hug (with your consent of course) if you can really relate to this mc because no one should ever have to feel what you so accurately point out about what this mc feels: that whatever pain you're experiencing is normal, and expected, and you can hardly imagine that someone would be so dedicated to helping relieve it for and with you. Because everyone deserves to feel cherished and demand more than the bare minimum from the world and the people in their life. I'm hoping that I can keep writing this story as an exploration of Sylus teaching mc that, and that you continue to derive comfort from it. Because in the end, fanfic can serve many purposes. And just like it can be a vehicle for exploring incredibly dark and disturbing and cathartic themes using our favorite characters, I think it can also be the ultimate comfort food, and sometimes you should just be able to feel fucking good reading it. I'm so happy to hear that this part did that for you. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts.