#i'm off this weekend and my only plan is to paint my car so i should be able to be around... a little more

[notvictims]

starter call for the weekend. ignore the last one i made a few days ago... i was a different person then. 90% chance it'll be lyric-based because i'm not creative

[wileys-russo]

mrs Williamson ficlet

mrs williamson

"done for the week then love?" you smiled at the receptionist linda who addressed you. "yeah thank god. couldn't come sooner if i'm honest! i love them dearly but four days of rain and cooped up energy...i was losing my mind just as much as they were." you chuckled, waving her goodbye and wishing her a good weekend.

tomorrow a public holiday meant a three day weekend for you and you couldn't be happier about it, you and leah already having made plans to make the most of it. first and foremost was date night tonight, you'd left everything to your wife to organise at her hasty insistence so you were excited for whatever she had planned.

the two of you could just eat cereal together in your sweats and you'd still be a happy woman, so long as your favourite blonde was by your side it didn't matter how your time was filled.

you frowned a little in surprise as you switched your phone on and notification after notification began to pour in, and eyes glancing over the countless messages of congratulations your confusion only deepened.

you were expecting, only two and a half months along so it was early days. you hadn't told a single soul you were trying, you and your wife agreeing to keep it between the two of you just in case it didn't work out, and therefore less people to need to break the bad news to.

leah had been nothing but the most supportive life partner you could ever hope for. despite her insanely busy schedule she made sure she was there for every scan, every doctors appointment, every treatment, until finally things clicked and you'd gotten confirmation that it had worked.

once again you'd agreed not to tell people until at least twelve weeks, again hoping for the best and fearing the worst. so with your phone now blowing up with congratulations on the pregnancy you hadn't announced, your head was a jumbled mess.

driving home you declined call after call, from family members, leahs team mates, friends, every sort of person from every sort of social circle that existed within the support unit you and leah had wrapped yourself in.

"what the-" you slammed on the brakes as you tried to pull into your driveway, only to find it full of cars that were not yours or leahs. "god leah what have you done." you mumbled chewing on your bottom lip anxiously as you backed out and parked on the curb.

"leah!" you yelled out for your wife right as you opened the front door, but you didn't get more than two steps inside before you were absolutely swarmed by a small crowd of her arsenal team mates, who were of course your friends as well.

"why didn't you tell us!" "oh my god are you showing yet?" "can we feel for a kick?" "is it a boy or a girl?" "are you finding out? will there be a gender reveal?" "have you got a list of what you need yet?" "have you thought about names?" "i better be godmum!"

"leah!" you yelled loudly over the top of them, pushing through the throng of women who followed after you, still firing question after question in your direction.

"what are these painted on? or does pregnancy affect your hearing?" you felt hands tug at your ears and a familiar voice snicker in your ear as you rounded on her.

"alessia i am pissed off, pregnant, moody and full of hormones. do not fuck around with me right now!" you growled, grabbing the much taller girl by her hoodie and promptly slamming her into the wall.

"where is my wife?" you ordered, your sister immediately pointing upstairs bright blue eyes wide in shock as the rest of the girls fell silent at your outburst. with a huff you let go of alessia, dropping your bag to the floor and storming upstairs.

"leah!" you yelled again, turning into your bedroom and promptly running right into the woman you were after. "hi love. what's wrong? are you okay? is the baby okay?" leah worried, grabbing your shoulders and sitting you down on the edge of the bed, dropping swiftly to her knees and placing a hand on your stomach.

"firstly; why on earth is there a starting eleven in my living room?" you asked, narrowing your eyes and pushing off her hands. "team bonding night, my turn to host." leah quickly answered, recognizing you were clearly upset and not wanting to make things worse.

"and that had to be tonight?" "yes.." "and why would i have an issue with that leah? i'll give you a moment." "oh my god its date night. baby girl i am so sorry i completely forgot fuck! can you get sympathetic baby brain?"

you knew she was trying to make a joke but the stony look on your face sucked any and all humour right out of the room. "secondly; would you care to explain why my phone is blowing up with congratulations for the pregnancy we haven't announced?" you thrust your screen in her face as she grabbed the phone, scrolling through with a confused frown.

"um...i might have told lia. but she's the only one and that was only a couple of hours ago!" leah winced apologetically as you inhaled sharply and stood to your feet. without another word you grabbed the taller girl by her ear, dragging her out of the bedroom and downstairs ignoring her childish whines.

"walti!" you yelled, the swiss looking up in fear at the tone of your voice, the room of footballers again falling silent as you appeared. you let go of leah who grimaced, standing in front of the group with crossed arms.

"you only told her?" you questioned your wife once more, eyes warning her not to lie. "swear on my life, only lia." the blonde promised as your hardened glare turned to the girl in question. "lia?"

"...i might have told laura." "i told beth." "i told viv." "i told vic." "i told less."

"and i told many, many, many people." your sister admitted with a wince as you squeezed your eyes shut, the room so deadly silent you could hear a pin drop and you pinched the bridge of your nose.

"hey gorgeous i'm sure she didn't mean to-" leah fell silent at the withering look you sent her way. "alessia. what do you have to say for yourself?" you asked your younger sister who looked around for some sort of support, all of her friends avoiding her eyes as she opened and closed her mouth.

"um. i'm really excited to be an aunt?" "oh no, the baby doesn't have any blood related aunts." "what do you mean, of course it will?"

"no it won't because i'm going to fucking kill you!" you all but screamed launching yourself at her as leah sprung into action, you only getting one hand on your sister who quite literally hauled her body over the back of the sofa to get away.

"put me down leah i swear to god!" you yelled, thrashing and kicking as your wifes arms locked around your waist and she lifted your shorter form effortlessly off the ground.

with a word the older girl carried you off to the guest bedroom a few feet away, the girls wincing at the foul language which spewed from your mouth toward your sister who peeked over the top of the sofa in pure terror.

"get off me or i'll divorce you!" you growled, your wife quite literally pinning your body to the bed with a soft shake of her head. "i understand you want to murder less my love but i'm so sorry i just can't allow that, i at least need her for the match on sunday. and you need to calm down and then i will let you go and we will go and talk about this."

it took a further ten minutes before you finally stopped fighting her, promising you had calmed with a soft kiss as she let you up, taking your hand and leading you back out to the living room.

"alessia, come here please." you beckoned your sister to join you, in a much calmer tone as the blonde cautiously stepped a little closer. "i'm not going to hurt you, do you want to feel a kick?" you gestured, lifting up your shirt slightly as her eyes lit up.

within seconds she was bending down in front of you, hand reaching out to touch your stomach. though within a millisecond you'd jumped on top of her, wrapping an arm around her neck and grabbing a fistful of her hair.

"what the fuck you said feel a kick!" alessia grunted, trying to throw you off as chaos exploded in the once quiet living room, leah trying her best to drag you off as you clung on, choking your younger sister out as she swore and smacked at you.

"yeah big mouth me kicking the living shit out of you!"

[scuderiasundays]

happy wife, happy life

summary: flights on air verstappen, a game of padel, and declarations of love + a little insta au at the end 💌

words: 919

a/n: here’s part two to better together. i’m considering making this a multi-part story so let me know if that’s something you’d want! hugs and kisses 🫶🏼

"Austin, Mexico City, São Paulo, Las Vegas, Abu Dhabi. Any preference?"

Lando’s voice was drowned out by the celebratory air coursing through McLaren Hospitality. He was calling from his driver room in Lusail, still soaked in champagne after a phenomenal comeback drive.

“I think you’ve earned the right to pick. My God, three podiums in a row, Lando!”

You squealed, as if you weren’t speaking to the very man who had accomplished this feat.

After a quick pause, he replied, “Vegas, it is then. I think I can secure seats on Air Verstappen if I use my charm.”

-

Max, the first of Lando's friends you’d been introduced to, extended his hand as you stepped onboard.

"So, this is 'airport girl.' I've heard quite a bit about you," he said, stealing glances at a blushing Lando.

You shook his hand. "Only good things, I hope."

The setting sun painted the cabin a soft orange as dinner was served, seamlessly shifting the conversation toward plans for the weekend. "Are we still up for padel on Friday?" Max asked, the anticipation evident in his voice.

"We're short a player. Jon busted his shoulder last week, so I'm in need of an alternate," Lando replied.

Max gestured towards you. "She's right next to you, mate."

Mid-bite, you wagged your finger at both Max and Lando. Racket sports weren’t your forte, and the idea of padel with ragingly competitive Formula 1 drivers made you queasy.

-

You’d assumed the 12-hour flight had been long enough for Lando to let go of the whole idea. He, however, promptly proved you wrong as he lifted your bags into the back of a blacked-out Escalade.

“Remember that book you were reading? The one about love languages?” You nodded, climbing into the car.

“Well, I figure my love language is quality time. And what better way to spend our time than with a game of padel?”

You hesitated, jokingly glaring at him. "I never thought that book was going to come back and bite me in the ass.”

“Karma is your boyfriend,” he whispered as he laced his fingers around yours.

The casual mention of "boyfriend" (and his general knowledge of Taylor Swift lyrics) caught you off guard and, as your heart raced, you made a desperate effort to maintain composure. You couldn’t possibly say no to his desperate gaze and, so with a loud sigh, you caved.

-

The days that followed felt more like a haze. DJ Lando stole the show at Omnia, carrying a wasted Oscar home in the aftermath. Golfer Lando took you to glow-in-the-dark mini-golf, subsequently blaming his loss on a lack of practice (“You should see me at my best”). F1 Lando gave you a little peck before disappearing into the media pen. You’d been so engrossed in it all that you were on the padel court before you knew it.

As the points went back and forth, you and Lando found yourselves in a playful dispute over who was the rightful owner of the five dollars you’d won at the slots. Lando had paid but you had pushed the button that had brought you sweet victory.

Max quickly interjected, "Maybe you two should save the bickering for the post-game press conference."

George, echoing Max, teased, "He’s got a point. Beware or you’ll be immortalized as a sassy TikTok sound.”

“You know, I’m here to fight. I’m here to win.” Lando said, taunting George as he prepared to serve.

Much to everyone’s surprise, you and Lando turned out to be a stellar team, securing a hard-fought win. Instead of the traditional champagne spray, you spritzed a sweaty Lando with your perfume.

"I smell like you now," he said with a smirk.

You caught your breath on a bench as George strutted over, towering over you.

"You’re already on his mind 24/7. Now, you want to linger on his clothes too? Greedy!"

As you and Lando were about to head back to the car, a few fans hurried over, their elation palpable.

“We’re huge fans, Lando. Could we get a quick photo before you go?”

Lando was quick to oblige and asked you to hold their gifts (a snapback and a handful of bracelets). You offered to take photos of him with the girls, his aura radiant as he took his time to thank each of them.

Little did either of you know, the photos of you and him at the padel courts would soon be circulating all over social media, your phones blowing up with notifications from countless F1 gossip accounts.

-

In the dim glow of the car's interior, you caught a glimpse of him, jaw clenched and a hint of vulnerability in his eyes. The not-so-soft hum of the engine roared as you cut through the tension.

"Hey, what’s on your mind?"

"I just never want you to feel suffocated by all the noise that comes with being my girlfriend."

"Your girlfriend?" you teased, masking your anticipation with feigned innocence.

He sighed, his hands momentarily tightening on the steering wheel. The car smoothly veered into an old gas station, its solitary lights flickering in the night.

He turned to face you, his eyes searching yours. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

A smile lit up your face. "I thought I already was.”

He shook his head, a mixture of exasperation and affection on his face. "You truly are impossible, y’know."

"Snap a picture of your girl then, Mr. JPG," you quipped.

His hands searched the backseat for his Leica.

"Happy wife, happy life.”

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

liked by martingarrix, yourusername, and 41,414 others 

landonorris: on a roll! two more to go 👊🏼

ciscanorris: couldn’t be more proud. i sense a mclaren 1-2 coming!

mclaren: mother knows best ✨

fan1: king of the soft launch

oscarpiastri: let’s finish the season off strong!

maxverstappen1: some of the line calls made by your doubles partner were questionable 🤨 

max_fewtrell: a partner other than i? whoever could it be?

landonorris: i’m starting to doubt my friendships with guys named max

fan2: i’m all for it so long as mystery girl gives us the boyfriend content we deserve 🫶🏼

tags 📝

@silverstonesainz @monzabee @sainzcaleruega @vamossainz55 @0-atmilklatte @aacherrylips @merchelsea @al-luvx @itsjustkhaos @allenajade-ite @simp4f1 @strawberrysainz @avenger122 @405rry @lpab @thebrccoliwasdone @antiheroleclerc

[copperbadge]

[ID: A large black minivan parked on a street in Chicago; the van has a bright logo painted on the side that reads "Brush Hour: Mobile Car Wash and Auto Spa" with a red, white, and green racing-stripe style border beneath the name. This is a play on the term "rush hour" implying that they will do a great fast job on your car.]

Didn't really have anything to show for NaClYoHo today, so here, have a photograph of a local business with a great pun in the name.

I had to go in to the office for work today, and I'm traveling from tomorrow morning through Sunday evening, so I didn't put much on my to-do list today. I did a bit of tidying, but mostly so that the catsitter doesn't think I live in filth. (Vacuumed, swept the bathroom and kitchen floors, put away all the weird shit I normally leave lying around because I live alone, etc.)

The plan for the next few days is, if I have the time, to do digital "housecleaning" like sorting files, answering emails and asks, finishing posts in draft, etc. And if I don't get anything done, the plan is also to be okay with that, because I'm traveling to see a friend and have a good time, which is important for the mental health. Visiting with her is more important than sorting my photos, and I don't want to lose sight of that.

In any case, I may be more quiet than usual for the next few days, but also possibly not, these things always depend :) But I hope you guys have a great weekend if I'm not around much, and good luck to everyone who is keepin' on!

Disposable nitrile gloves used: 6 (couldn't bring myself to use my bare hand to clear out the shampooer-lint balls that were clogging the vacuum's nozzle)

Trips to the hardware store: 2, but only because I blew off trip #3 that I'd planned for today. I'll go Monday. I wasn't planning to use anything I was going to buy before then anyway....

[squishmyster]

Crazy, he calls me

Cooper Howard could be described as a husband, father, and a prolific actor but what happens when it all starts crumbling under his feet and one of the only things to give him fresh air is you. His co-worker and one of his closest friends. Will everything including your relationship fail or will it be the one thing that survives even a nuclear fallout.

Authors Notes: ...very much a slow burn...ANY CONSTRUCTIVE CRTICSIM IS WELCOME AND I HOPE YOU AAL ENJOY!!!! OH AND ITS IN THE FIRST PERSON.... Warnings: Hmm nothin i suppose...

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Chapter 2~~~ LadyFingers

A few weeks into filming Cooper had invited me and a few other cast and crew members to a dinner party he and his wife were hosting this upcoming Saturday and without thinking too hard I said yes. Feeling like it would be the perfect time to catch up in person and have a real conversation, not just small ones here and there on set in between takes or whenever we find time. As the day progressed I couldn’t help but feel like giddiness but also the smallest twinge of anxiety. Trying to calm my nerves as I put on a smile and made my way out of the studio, saying bye to anyone who spoke first.  Making my way to my car. Once there I unlock the doors and hop in, reaching the decently sized Hollywood apartment after an hour of driving. Taking my heels off as I walk towards the kitchen and pour myself a glass of wine, thinking about the dinner party and what I was expected to wear. Deciding it would be better to call Cooper and ask rather than showing up underdressed, walking towards the landline I dial his number and wait for him or anyone to answer. A little after the second ring I was just going to hang up and ask him tomorrow. Then the voice of a woman was heard through the phone "Hello?", hearing her voice gave me a quick pause. For some reason, I didn't expect her to pick up the phone which is strange considering she's his wife. " Hi, I'm one of Cooper's cast mates i was just wondering about the dress code for the dinner party...". 

One could assume Barb was also a little taken aback by the voice she heard from her tone. Quickly covering it up she explained that the dress code was more on the formal side but it was okay if I didn't have anything up to par,   I gave her a quick thanks and ended the call. Downing the rest of the wine as I make my way to the bedroom, get my nightgown, and run a bath whilst going over outfit ideas. Throughout the rest of that week, everything was pretty normal. Then I got a call from the hospital saying that my mother's condition had worsened so much that now she could officially be a live-in patient. After that, my mood was down and I was much more thankful for Saturday now looking at it as a needed distraction no matter how bad that sounds. That Friday evening after filming I ended up going shopping for some small things for my mother since I planned on visiting her that upcoming weekend. Moving between the different trinket stalls I also popped my head into a few clothing and shoe stores along my way, once I had everything I made my way home. 

Saturday night I took an everything shower, did my hair, and makeup. I put together the best outfit I could a silk black floor-length halter gown that hugged me in all the right places and perfectly outlined my curves. Jewel-heeled pumps sprinkled with rhinestones and glass heels encrusted with rhinestones between each hand-painted silver leaf. Once I was ready I grabbed my matching shawl and purse, sprayed on some lavender and honeysuckle perfume, and gave myself a once-over before heading out the door. Pulling up the driveway of the Howard residence I can see the silhouettes of people through the window. the closer I get to the door of the home the more I hear the faint sound of music and conversation. After knocking on the door I take a quick second to straighten out any wrinkles and fix any out-of-place hairs before the door opens revealing a beautiful woman with an even warmer smile. "Hi, nice to meet you...I'm Barbra... come on in make yourself at home". After I introduce myself I look around their home and notice the classy yet homey feeling it has. Complementing Barbra on her beautiful home, she thanks me leading me deeper into their home.

Taking a sip from the glass of wine that Barbra handed to me I looked around the room, everyone and their dazzling outfits for the evening. I can say they all are dressed up more elegantly than expected, everywhere I looked there were women in gorgeous gowns, men in dashing tuxedos, and even the children that were here had some formal wear on. Then I was pulled into a conversation as a man I didn't recognize introduced himself before asking me how I knew Barbra. Guessing he was trying to make polite conversation, I replied that it was my first time meeting her and that you could say I'm one of Cooper's army buddies, finding what I said funny he laughed and not getting the joke even if I was the one that made it I just drank from my glass with a slightly awkward smile. The more he spoke the more uninterested I found myself with the conversation. Seeing as the only thing he was good for was shit-talking Cooper and talking about himself, I felt like I was drowning in a sea of boredom and bad vibes. After a couple of more minutes, I couldn't take it anymore, ended up handing him my glass with a quick excuse, and basically sprinted for the backyard.

On my way outside I felt someone grab my arm holding me in place "Hey… everything okay?". hearing his voice I let myself let out the breath I was holding and smiled as I turned to face him. " Yep everything's fine… I just wanted some air that's all". Cooper looked around for a second before nodding, He looked down at me and smiled before leading me outside and to a lounge chair maybe two feet from the pool. As he lets go of my forearm I sit down resting my back against the chair's backrest and let my legs drape off the side. Cooper sits on the space next to me before reaching into his breast pocket and pulling out a pack of cigs and a lighter. He glances at me knowing I'm not too fond of the smell of smoke, my eyes watching him as he pulls one out of the box places it against his lips, and lights it. Sparks fly as he drags the smoke into his mouth. Just as fast as it happened the smoke was flowing out his mouth and the lighter and pack of cigs were back in his pocket. I look at him with my mouth turned up in disgust "Gosh Coop you could've waited, you know that shit makes me gag". At my words, his eyes land on mine but he doesn't say anything, neither of us do. After a few seconds of this, we both break out in quiet laughter but after we both calm down Cooper pats my leg as he takes a drag from his cigarette not breaking eye contact as he speaks. "I could never forget how much you hated these things… you hit me too often for smoking them around you".

We both sat in silence for a few minutes i was too busy looking up at the stars to see Cooper staring at me the cigarette he was smoking went out a while ago. I think for a few seconds before speaking my voice content as I look at the sky "Thanks for inviting me Coop I needed this". I look down at him and see a small smile lighten up his features as he talks his voice is genuine and warm "Don't mention it you could i was looking for an excuse to spend more time with you… we haven't exactly gotten a real chance to catch up". I can't help but nod seeing as the last real conversation we had was two days before I was honorably let go from my military duties. "You're right it's been forever since we've sat down and just talked I will say it's something I missed… having someone to talk to". He nodded his head and hummed silently in thought. "Yeah me too.." he left it at that and rather than sit in silence I stood up straightening my dress out as I turned to look down at Cooper. "Thanks for staying out here with me Cooper. I'm gonna go mingle and please don't be a stranger" As I finish speaking I flash him a smile and start walking back towards the house. He doesn't say anything back just watches me as I leave him sitting there, once I'm inside and he's left alone with only his thoughts he smiles before standing and going inside himself.

I had been at this party for two hours and I was tired. Tired of the many men who have come to talk about but still end up talking about nothing but themselves with all the arrogance the world has to offer drunk or not. So I decided I'd networked enough for one night and it was time to go. I walked around the crowded home looking for Cooper. I found him in the kitchen with Barbra at his side talking to people. As I get closer I can hear bits and pieces of the conversation some gruff man was loudly boasting about the space we secured in a vault, one of the vault-tec's newest money grabs. Once I reach them I tap Cooper on the shoulder and let him know I'm heading home and he tells me to hold on and in a flash, he's turned around and whispered something in his wife's ear. In the next, he has an arm around my shoulder and he's leading me outside and down the driveway to my car. "You're welcome… I forgot to say it earlier when you thanked me". I could hear the genuine tone his voice held "Don't mention it it's not a big deal". I could also tell that he wanted to say something else not that I was going to push on the topic. He had let his arm fall to his side but still stood there thinking about something. "Goodnight Coo-'. I tried to say goodbye but was cut off by his lips crashing onto mine leading to a pleasant but short kiss that reminded me of something we shared a long time ago. "You look beautiful darlin' Have a good night I'll see you at work" He turned and left me standing there in a state of shock and I leaned against my car and took in a deep breath before getting in my car and driving off.

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DON'T STEAL MY WORK IF YOU REPOST TAG ME!!!

Thanks for reading from Squish<3

[floofymeow]

FujiTowa AgeRe Oneshot

Based upon a one-off post from @towapet abt fujitowa age regression (its actually wild how far of a rabbit hole I went into thinking about agere bc of this).

In like a 2am haze I woke up randomly and couldn't go back to sleep so I wrote a cute little Fujieda x Towa short........... at least I'm pretty happy with it..!!! here's to the tumblr void to commemorate <3

1k words, age regression fujieda + towa, sfw, fluff!

Fujieda shoved down the intense wave of fuzziness breaching boundaries of his mind. The day was a long one—and his clients were particularly difficult. There was no one to tell him “good work”, only suspicious glares and doubtful scoffs.

This was fine. Fujieda didn’t mind. He chose this line of work, and at this point in his life, it was the ideal outcome—the necessary kind of occupation that he was obligated to fulfill. His movements felt sluggish as he turned the car off and stepped into his condo.

The Friday was over. It was a particularly rough week. Three out of five nights of late overtime had been sludged through. Words melted down his throat as he glanced over to a languid Towa, who spoke a simple greeting while setting out the plates for dinner.

Towa.

Watching him, another stronger wave of weightlessness rushed through him—and Fujieda frowned, though he didn’t force it to stop. The last time he did, he was left with a severe weekend migraine and a bad attitude, according to Towa.

Fujieda’s fuzzy mind began to regain clarity somewhat, but all that remained was an absent-minded desire to lounge on the couch and continue playing where he left off on the console. The exhaustion of the last month seemed to drift far away from him, as the thought of playing games grew stronger. It was a good thing he had all weekend.

A decided satisfaction spread through his chest as he nodded to himself and began to quickly eat—faster and sloppier, as if he had a million things to do other than eat.

Towa watched on curiously.

“Fujieda?”

Fujieda frowned, disliking the sound of his last name. It sounded impersonal. As if Towa were a stranger. He really didn’t like that.

“Fujieda sounds weird. Can’t you just call me Ryo?”

The low, yet curtly juvenile tone brought a softened light to Towa’s expression. His lips thinned into a smile, “Sure. Ryo, any plans this weekend?”

Ryo didn’t answer until he polished plate off. He shoved away from the table and dropped his dishes in the sink carelessly.

“Just games this weekend. I…that’s fine right? You’re not gonna be mad?”

“Nope. Sounds good to me.”

“Cool,” Ryo nodded with an awkward pause.

He diverted his eyes from Towa’s smile. It was too pretty—he didn’t know how to react whenever he saw it. It made his heart pound. He tensed as Towa stretched his slender arm up, fingers outstretched—

And rubbed Ryo’s head back and forth with a gentle touch. A wave of comfort washed over Ryo, loosening his shoulders. He always tried to hide his thoughts from Towa. He didn’t want Towa to know he thought that about him. It’d be weird.

Except that…

He glanced up, watching Towa wash dishes. Towa hadn’t done anything to… be weirded out or anything. Besides, they both regressed all the time. It wasn’t a big deal. Towa never cared either—in fact, Ryo always thought the smiles he got were better than when he was an adult.

“Towa…”

“What is it?”

“What do you…plan to do?”

“Paint. Maybe turn on a show to watch. Why?”

Ryo mussed through his own hair, hand fidgeting with his nape.

“Join me? In the same room. I’ll be sitting on the couch.”

“Sounds good. I’ll bring my things over.”

And just like Towa said, he brought his stand over and began to paint—Ryo wasn’t sure what it was. He forgot to ask, distracted the moment he begun playing games.

His mind buzzed with a simple contentment as he progressed the story quest, hacking down enemies and tapping through high-energy dialogue. Only when he couldn’t feel his legs would he stand up, stretch, and grab a glass of water.

That was when he finally realized Towa was still standing nearby in his painting apron, concentrating on his canvas. His eyes shone with an intense focus, one that Ryo didn’t want to interrupt. The outlines of children’s items began to form—toy trains, coloring crayons, and the little stuffed rabbit that now belonged to him.

Ryo watched for a few more seconds, then returned to his own game silently. He loved that he didn’t have to explain himself. That there was just the soft hum of battle music and decent voice acting, as well as the rustle of Towa’s apron and his brushed scraping the canvas. Nothing overwhelmingly abrasive. No one to tell him what to do. Just him and Towa coexisting in the same space.

He zoned out playing games, losing track of minute to hour. Just as he defeated a difficult area’s boss, two fingers hesitantly tugged on his sleeve, and a heavy weight slumped against him. Ryo looked over, and Towa's yawning softened features rubbed against his shoulder.

“Ryo,” he whispered with a childish drawl. He tugged on Ryo’s shoulder again, as if expectant.

Ryo wasn’t bothered at all. He paused the game and brought his arms around Towa. Towa giggled softly in his arms. Ryo indulged in the wispy, contented noises, before spoke up.

“Where’s your friend?”

Towa’s eyes widened. He wiggled out of Ryo’s grasp and tottered to the other room. Ryo moved his gaze back to the screen and hit resume. His fingers hit the console buttons in subconscious order, passing through a decently challenging parkour section.

The clumsy steps alerted Ryo that Towa had returned. And without a word, Ryo scooted over and raised his arms higher, eyes not leaving the screen. Towa carefully nestled himself within, this time, the worn out rabbit plush snugly in his lap. Ryo lowered his arm. Towa put his elbow atop Ryo’s, the movement of him rubbing the somewhat matted fur of the bunny relayed through Towa’s movements.

His head leaned back against Ryo’s chest—and after a few minutes of squirming, he finally settled into the perfect position. Their eyes watched the video game screen, bodies stuck together. Like pieces of a puzzle.

Pieces that, at one point, did not fit into their own story—but now slot perfectly into each other’s.

One younger, one slightly older.

Both perfectly content.

[pbandjesse]

Happy May Day!

I am glad I stayed home today. I still wasn't feeling amazing. But I was able to enjoy my day. Even if I was still nauseous.

I slept alright enough. The new curtain next to my head blocks the light a lot better and while I still woke up, I was able to more easily fall back asleep. I was awake enough to be aware of James saying goodbye. And went back to sleep for an hour.

When I woke up I was a little off. But mostly I was good. I cleaned my face and got dressed. And would just wander around the house for a long time. I spent some time just cleaning up. Putting things away. I tried to vacuum but our vacuum keeps thinking it's jammed. No idea what is up with that. I would change the kitty litter though and Clorox some stuff.

I would spend time with sweetP. Just hanging out. I had egg salad on toast. I would go out to the car to get the last of my car chips. It was beautiful outside but a little hot directly in the sun.

I started working on a little painting project. Sat on the front door step and started laying out the hearts I wanted to paint on the door. The sun was a bit to bright but I have the outlines done. I'll go back in with paint soon.

I came back inside and would hang some stuff in our room. James was going to hang the last panel of wallpaper tonight so that was exciting. The bedroom walls could finally basically be finished. And I am really happy about that. I still would like to get a small rug for the floor but everything else feels really finished and that feels really nice.

We are having our little house warming this weekend and so I want the space to at least have some areas done. And I think we have done a pretty excellent job overall. Like there are still projects for sure but it's coming together and that feels really good.

I spent a long time today working on cleaning out the one fish tank. I might be getting a frog for in there. Haven't 100% decided but I moved out all of the decor and washed the rocks. Took a while but it wasn't to bad. Was nice to try it all clean.

I would answer some work emails. And lay in bed. Lay on the couch. Lay around. I didn't feel amazing. And whenever I tried to do to much I felt sick. But I kept drinking water and trying my best to be okay.

I remembered that the new labor exhibit was opening at the museum tonight. I very much wanted to go to that and me and James decided I would just meet them there. Felt like a good plan.

I had a phone meeting today with Salvatore from the national guard and it went really well. He seems really sweet. Retired military, daughter in the girl scouts, loves working with the kids. They want to get me in the schedule for sometime in July and then again in the fall. Excellent. I love working with the national guard kids so I really hope we can continue this going forward.

After my phone meeting I would catch up on April's knitting. I still need to sew down thr edges but the last 11 days I was missing is done. And I can start May. That took a while though. I had put the little screen in the studio window so Sweetp could have somewhere to sit and watch the world and I would knit and listen to a video. It was nice. I was having fun.

I made a little microwave pizza as a late lunch. And got myself ready to go to the museum. But that would not be my only stop.

My first stop was Petco. I wanted to look at their frogs and things. This Petco never has a very good selection but it was still fun to look. And I enjoyed seeing different options. I may chose to get a tomato frog? I really would like a turtle but I don't have the infrastructure (or a large enough tank) right now. But maybe that is where I will end up. I'm not in any rush.

I went to the museum next. And was very excited to see Jessica because she just announced today that she's pregnant with baby number 2!! So excited for her. It was also just really nice to see everyone else.

After giving James many hugs I went to go get a drink and ran into Margaret. Who asked if we could talk on the phone tomorrow because there has been discussion about brining me on part time to help run events. This is an amazing opportunity for me. It would be flexible hours, a pay increase, and I would get to be doing something I really enjoy! And as my grant position at camp comes to an end this would just be really great. A next step, somewhere I already love.

I would also go and find Jesse to talk to him so I wasn't going into the conversation with Margaret blind. He gave me some ideas of what to negotiate for, when I could actually start (immediately), and how Meril would also be in on this. And honestly the three of us would be such an amazing dream team the museum wouldn't know what hit it. I really hope this works out.

I really also just enjoyed talking to people. About our trip. And seeing the new exhibit! Which I think was done so well. I already know a lot about union history, but seeing more contemporary and Baltimore specific stuff was awesome. And the layout and design choices were great. I really enjoyed it.

I would hang out at the desk with James. I got some food and would watch the desk while James got some too. And it was just good. People watching. Chatting with friends and guests. It was a good night.

I was excited to come home though. A little later then I had thought but that's okay.

When we got home I would go and change. I watched my frog tank for a while and actually saw my loach. No omelet sightings today but I did see him yesterday. I also moved the very hearty snail from the other tank to this tank and I hope he's as strong in here as he has been in the other.

James is in our room hanging the last piece of wallpaper. It wasnt going super well and I left the room because I thought I wasn't being helpful just sitting there writing this. But I am going to go check on them now before I take a shower and we get ready for bed. It has been a long day. But I am feeling a little better. Still not great but not as perilously bad.

Tomorrow I have a feild trip and it's the brave bee program. I really like that one. And then I have my phone meeting with Margaret. And me and Celia just made plans to go to the Dutch market after work. I am looking forward to the day. I hope the heat is t to bad and I'm not nauseous anymore.

Wish me luck and good vibes. I love you all. Goodnight!

[purplesurveys]

1805

Do you have a fan/air conditioning on right now? I have my aircon turned on, yeah. The colder weather flew by in the blink of an eye and now it's back to being hot and humid and gross and needing to have some sort of ventilation in front of my face 24/7.

When was the last time you sang along with a song? Which one was it? It was when I was singing along to Turn It Off by Paramore in the car earlier this afternoon, on my way home.

Are you currently wearing any hair accessories? Which ones? I have a hair tie on since my hair's in a loose bun.

Have you ever wished you had a different name? Which name would you choose? Wanting a different name was more the case when I was a kid, because children were brutal and bullied me to oblivion for my name; at one point I was insisting my family start calling me Isabelle just to escape the flinches I'd get whenever I'd hear my name.

Over the years and as those kids got older and started leaving me alone, I warmed up to my name and now think it's pretty badass.

Do you often press the wrong keys on the keyboard? No I'm pretty good at typing and the only time I get kind of clumsy is when I use a keyboard I'm not super used to.

Have you ever customised an item of clothing? What did you do to it? I've never done that; I've never been creative enough to DIY stuff.

When was the last time you got a splinter stuck in you? D: Less than a year ago.

Do you prefer drawing or painting? Any particular reason why? Painting. It's more therapeutic for me and at least with painting you can use the most random colors and shapes possible and it'd still, like, amount to something lol. I can't draw to save my life.

Are you saving up for anything right now? What? I'm saving up for life in general. With my resignation taking effect and me being down to my last four paychecks while I look for my next job, I don't plan on spending much until I settle the latter.

Are you any good at playing pinball? Nope.

Do you own any figurines? Of what? I don't. Not really my cup of tea to collect.

If you have any siblings, how much rivalry is between you all? I don't speak with my brother; my sister and I are great as can be.

When did you last have itchy eyes? It's been a while. This doesn't happen a lot.

If forced to go camping, would you rather sleep in a tent or a caravan? I would go with the caravan.

Is it dark outside right now? It is, since it's nearing midnight.

How often do you get jealous of other people? What is it usually about? Tbh no not really. I'm usually so much more caught up in my own life and my own problems that I've stopped paying attention to the ways I could possibly compare myself to others lol.

Do you prefer framed photos or just sticking photos straight onto walls? I don't do either of those but I wouldn't mind placing photos directly on my wall. It gives off a kind of raw aesthetic that I'm into.

What’s your favourite type of cake? I would never turn down cheesecake.

Have you ever woken up from a dream and believed it to have been real? All the time, which is why I always need to take a while to wake up lol.

When was the last time you brushed your teeth? Earlier this evening.

How tired are you right now? I'm not. I'm all excitement cos it's a long weekend hahaha.

When was the last time you had an argument with someone? What was it about? Idk if it counts as arguing but I guess I had a bit of a back and forth with Leah earlier this week? We met to discuss my resignation - she was offering all sorts of counterproposals, from a sabbatical to an all expense paid trip to anywhere I want - and on my end my goal was to be able to make her understand why any offer from here would be met by a firm no from me, as shitty as I feel about it.

If there’s a bug in your room, can you sleep or do you need to get it out? That bug would need to get out.

How long have you gone without sleep? Like, today? I've only been up for around 14 hours.

Can you drive yet? How good are you at it? I can drive, but idk, when can you start self-claiming that you're a good driver haha?? I'd say I keep careful while knowing how to use my tiny car to my advantage, but I do get major anxiety when I have to merge or switch lanes. That shit takes me way too long to accomplish hah.

Do you prefer travelling alone or with people? With people. I can barely take care of myself and know it would be a mess if I ever tried traveling on my own. It's something I want to try, of course, but I'm also well aware of my own watchouts for myself lol.

Did you listen to the radio today? Briefly when I got into my Grab rides to and from the office. I ended up listening to my own music both times.

What was the last baby animal you saw? That cute little puppy from a work-related TVC shoot.

Generally speaking, is it warmer or colder in your house than outside? It's ever so slightly colder; but if it's humid outside then it would usually be just as shitty inside.

When was the last time you threw up? Less than a month ago. Work anxiety.

Do you give people high fives or hugs more often? High fives and fist bumps.

Have you ever tie-dyed something? Just once, when it was an activity in school. We did it to a t-shirt.

Name something you thought was cool when you were younger but don’t now: Having an iPad. It felt almost revolutionary a decade ago and now it's like "well everyone has a tablet and it's kind of necessary for a lot of situations now so eh" lol.

How long does it usually take you to get to sleep? Less than 10 minutes. It's easy but it's also because I knock myself out by using my phone.

When did you last get a papercut? December.

Which do you prefer: Blackboards or whiteboards? Whiteboards. Blackboards are a bitch to clean up.

What sort of things do you have bookmarked in your internet browser? I never really bookmark things on my browser anymore.

Are / were you spoilt? Would others agree or disagree with you? To an extent, but I never was a dramatic kid and my parents only ever bought things for me so long as I earned it. I just say 'to an extent' because compared to my siblings I admittedly have more expensive preferences that my parents provided for me whenever they could.

What are you wearing right now? A sleeveless top and shorts.

What was the last book you read? Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982.

[hawkeyes-chicklet]

Day 2 @flufftober "You've told your parents?"

I try to write my new pairing Natasha Romanoff x Brock Rumlow from the MCU.

No warnings, only fluff and maybe a bit agitation because, you know: meeting the parents!!

Rumlow cleared his throat and Natasha looked up from the magazine she was reading. "Okay, this is a bit off but are you free this weekend?" She lent back, her eyes fixated his "You make the shift plans, you tell me", she teased. They were in the one of the common rooms but at this time it was usually empty so they allowed themselves to be together for a while. "It's my mom's birthday on Sunday. Wanna join me?" Natasha's jaw almost dropped "You want me to meet your mother?" "Only at your conditions. You can be a friend from work, or a stranger I collected on the way."

"It's her 70th and her secret wish is that I bring a date home." "Wow", was all she could say. "You don't have to come, I was just…. I don't know what I thought…", he said.

It was late at night as she texted him: "What kind of party will it be? Formal wear?" She could only imagine his face lighten up reading this line. He was answering right away: "Kind of formal, don't do something too fancy or the landfolk will go crazy. "I'll have to warn you. I'm not good at family festivities."

Rumlow picked her up on a parking lot of a 7/11. He drove a Jeep Grand Cherokee in velvet red. "You look surprised?" "Yeah, I was expecting you to drive a Hummer or a Mercedes G Class." "No, that reminds me of work too much. When I drive, I want to have a little luxury." She raised one brow as she climbed in. He had his secrets and she was eager to find out about them.  It would be a nearly 3 hour ride toa town called Lyndell, located near Philadelphia.

It was,  once again,  strange for her to see him in every day clothes. They never did undercover missions together, he was the type of agent who shot first and asked then. She looked at him secretly, once again asking how he did his hair so perfect everytime. He was wearing blue jeans and a green shirt, aviator sunglasses.

"Okay, in order to say thanks for coming with me, you can ask me anything." Brock said.

"What brought your mother there? I thought you grew up in New York?" "I did. But as I joined the army and later shield, she wanted to try something new."

His mother didn't knew that he killed people for a living. Maybe she assumed it but in her world it would be more comfortably to think the other way. Natasha could correlate to this. Would she have told her parents what she did given the chance?

He sent a amount of his money to her every month. "She had a rough time raising me." She smirked. "Come on,  say it: Mamas boy?" "No, I think it's pretty sweet."

\_\_

As their got near the location, Natasha felt a little nervous. But why? She had never met any parents of her lovers. That was that. She had no time to think about it, for Rumlow was turning into a driveway and stopped the car. "Alright. You okay?", he asked and looked at her. "Yeah."

He took their bags and they went to the front door. It was a house in a cottage style, a blue-painted bench stood left of the entrance, the whole house was covered and surrounded by plants. Some were planted, some looked like wild-grown. Little details were sprinkled here and there.  A birds house hanging from a beam, a little bowl with water providing water for animals,  some wooden figurines hiding in the plants. Altogether it looked dreamy and like it came right out of a fairy tale.

She followed him into the house. "Mom!?" "Oh, my boy is home!", came a voice from a room she assumed to be the kitchen. Rumlow got embraced and heartedly kissed by a thin woman with bright clothes and long grayish hair.

"Oh my good lord, why don't you tell me you're not alone!" The woman had noticed Natasha standing behind her son. She punched him on the arm and ran trough her hair.

"This is Natasha", Rumlow explained "Natasha, welcome! You can call me Holly!", she said and embraced her also. Nat was baffled. "Oh, I have to fix another set of bedding since you aren't going to sleep alone." "Just no efforts, I can do this of you hand me the sheets", she offered. Holly looked at her as if she was crazy. "No no, are you alright? Go ahead, make yourself comfortable, I'm right there with coffee and scones." Holly went up the stairs "You do drink coffee, dear?",  she called down "I do, thanks."

Natasha looked at Rumlow who had put on a grin. She smiled but shook her head a bit. "Yeah, that's my mother", he said and went to the living room with her.

It was a creative mess. There were loads of books, colorful paintings, a piano, a big desk with lot of paperwork and an old typewriter. A fireplace, no TV but a large sofa. Nat had trouble noticing every detail in this room. It was loaded with many things but it seemed very cosy due the mess. Trough the large windows she could look into the backyard that was a addition to the one in the front. There was a little pond,  a place for a grill and a set of wooden chairs and a table.

"I'll go get some dishes, go on, take a look."

She did. As she noticed someone's coming in, she assumed it was him and spoke right away: "She's a writer, isn't she?" "Uh well, you know. I'm trying!", Holly answered. "Not just trying. I'm sure you have published some novels but not under your real name. You've written at least 5 novels,  3 of them are sequels."

"Oh, you're good", Holly praised. "She's a former spy. She's the best", Rumlow came in with some cups and plates. "Oh come on, that was easy. Her books were the only ones near her desk and the only ones that stood in the right order. I was only guessing." "No you weren't. Come, have a seat. I'll bring the coffee."

Natasha and Holly sat on the sofa. Holly inspected Natasha blatantly but was wearing a friendly smile. "So, you two work together?" "Yes, we're in the same unit." "For how long have you been dating?" "Oh, that's difficult, it was kind of a on-off- thing." "Until it wasn't… classic."

Rumlow was standing in the doorway. It was nice being here. With her. And she did very well.  Not that he had expected anything less. His mother was curious and bombing Nat with questions. He was also curious how some of her answers would be.

"I'm so glad that Brock has finally found someone. He is always working. So it's only naturally that you two met at work. I guess he wouldn't find a girl in the real world. I'm sorry if I'm too nosy, it's a writer's disease. I must know anything and a good love story is gold."

The two women had something in common. Their love for books. "I didn't even know you could read." "Brock! Don't be rude!"

They decided to take a walk to the lake. It was kind of odd, being free from work, not carrying a gun or at least a knife,  wearing casual clothes.

It was mild, not too hot and very nice. Natasha took a good look at her surroundings. She never had been to a place like this. The shore was crowded by people who were doing standup-paddeling, canoeing or getting their sailing boats ready. Or some were fishing, children played in the sand, building castles. In fact, the little town was peaceful but lively.

She sat down on a free bench. "Want some ice-cream?", he asked and pointed over to a stand. "Oh yes." "What do you like?"

He handed her a cone and sat next to her. "Okay, that is officially the weirdest thing I've ever done. And I know Clint Barton." "Eating ice-cream on the lake shore?" "Eating ice cream on a lake shore with a man I would have killed without hesitation a few months earlier while visiting his mum." He laughed and she quickly looked at him from the side, grateful she was wearing her glasses. She liked it when he smiled out laughed and it was something she wasn't getting to see often. But on the other hand; it had happened more often lately. And even she caught herself smiling more.

"It's beautiful", he said. "It really is." She felt a tension in her body. She wanted to touch him. And she could. Nobody knew them, they were free. She had had this feeling since their were on the road. She had wanted to hold his hand while he was driving. Just hold it and never let go while talking shit. He was tensed too, she knew him enough by now to notice. But he was also holding back.

There never were stolen kisses or secret touches. It wasn't for them. That's what she thought. But now she longed for that. It was different being at work or being here. So she decided to give in.

Her left hand shoved under his and their fingers tangled. Peacefully, they ate their cones while watching the water. Rumlow eventually laid his arm around her.

"Can we please forget that we are  anti-terror agents who are supposed to hate each other and just be normal people for a few hours?", he said with a sigh. "I don't know how to be normal. But I'll try."

Their lips found each other. Still cold from the ice-cream and tasting heavenly sweet.

[lizsurvived]

What do you do when you dated a man for nearly 2 years who started to hurt you at around 6 months into moving in together, who you for some stupid fucked up reason were hopelessly in love with, almost strangles you to death but you have no real proof? 

Okay wait I'm sorry, I need to explain a little more. When I met him, he was a 2 years sober musician and welding artist  and we spent the bulk of our time together working out and working in the garage on painting and welding everyday for hours. Sometimes 4 to 6 hrs a day late into the night after work. He was not an affectionate person with me. Women loved him, he was good looking and he let everyone know it. He had a very huge ego. He stopped using meth intravenously 2 yrs before we met. He fell off the wagon when his mother had a brain aneurysm 6 months into the relationship.

Everything spiraled out of control. There were about month-long periods he would go sober, the next month he'd be shooting up every 2 mins for two weeks, then repeat. His behavior became more violent and paranoid as the months went on. There came a point when I came to the conclusion that it was in my best interest to not upset him, at all costs. And I was addicted to him. I was addicted to the person that I met, not who he was becoming more and more every day.

The only way I can describe why I felt like I couldn't leave for so long is... I can only compare it to a Manson-like brainwashing. He got me legal prescription uppers which I abused all day for a week each month. The ups were so high and the amount of canvases I painted and the amount of art the both he and I were coming out with was unbelievable. But when the high was over and the pills ran out, the lows... The lows were extremely and unbearably low. Being poisonously, blindly in love with an evil man is something that I never thought that I would ever in a million years understand. I'm sad to say that now, I do understand. 

Fast forward to the end of the two year relationship. Things were getting better and he was sober and healthy. Other than being an asshole pig, he seemed almost sane. I realized that if I was going to leave, I needed to leave and asap. Him being stable-ish left more potential for the breakup going semi "smoothly". One morning he left for the gym and it was as if someone was whispering to me to get what I could grab quickly and throw my belongings into trash bags and throw it all in my car. I called my sister who lived 6 hours away, and we planned for my getaway. I waited until he got back, we had a reasonable breakup and I left. I actually got out of there unscathed. 

I'm ashamed to say we were texting and talking on and off when I first moved away because I clearly was having issues letting go. I was so used to a constant fight-or-flight state of mind, state of being, that I couldnt separate myself him completely. Not to mention he decided that he had an epiphany that he "didn't know he was in love with me till I left" kind of thing. I could tell he believed he meant that. Regardless of whether or not it was true... I digress. I told him I hooked up with someone and he started sending me pictures of his wrists slit deeply and started taunting me on the phone while he was cutting himself over and over. 

Things were done at that point. 

Now, flash forward about 3 months. We meet at a hotel and have sex and spend that weekend together. I have bipolar disorder and my impulsivity was very high. Not to mention I had no one to talk to, no friends and my sister and I had a falling out, not that any of that is any excuse.

He was high. I didn't get hurt. He professed love and seemed to really believe himself about it. It was hard not to be drawn into his declarations of love because I had spent two years in love with the man when he never returned any romantic affection and hardly kissed me. It was so illuring that I felt that I couldn't resist. We part ways and plan to see each other again. 

We text on and off. Then I visit him again at his home for a week. It was time for me to leave. I was getting ready to go. Apparently he was looking through my phone and found an old picture of someone I was talking to on a dating site. 

This is when it happens. 

The first thing he does is punch me square in the mouth and my lip is instantly split in three places. There is blood everywhere and he is punching me in the top, sides and back of the head while holding me down on the bed. 

This part is hard for me. Well, all of this is hard but I worry this will impact me for a long time and in the future. He grabbed my head with his hands and placed his thumbs over my eyes and pushed hard with all of his weight. He was trying to push my eyes in. I screamed bloody murder and managed to bite his right pointer finger and bit hard, sinking my canine tooth into his finger and refusing to let it go. 

It seemed that he thought I had "gone too far" because the level of rage that I was experiencing from him seemed to double, and he started to strangle me, holding me down on the bed. I wish this wasn't true but it was minutes long where I could not breath and I was fighting for my life writhing around and straining my back, arms and legs to somehow free myself. His right arm was holding my left arm down while I was on my back on the bed while he kept my legs from moving by blocking them with his legs, all the while he is strangling me with his left hand... I started to feel myself slipping away, and I knew I was about to pass out and possibly die. 

Something nudged me to start mouthing, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Over and over just as I could feel my lights going out, because I thought there must be a chance that he'll stop if I say something he might want to hear. Thank fuck I was right. I can't remember him letting go of me but I remember I scrambled off of the bed and into the corner of the room, half screaming, half crying as I coughed and gasped for air. That's when he said, "I'm sorry liz but you're aren't leaving."  Then he picked up a knife from inside the bedside drawer (a dull steak knife) and and he was cutting himself with it and pacing around the room. I was sure that I was about to be stabbed to death. 

I left everything I had, even my phone, but I ran out the front door crying and screaming and I realized he was in his underwear and shirt. We we're both on the front lawn in the middle of the night. He claimed that he was turning it into something sexual or something... He tried to put my hand on his dick and I recoiled and stepped back. I actually laughed and said "you tried to kill me... You tried to kill me!!!" And I ran to my car and drove off. Luckily my keys were still in my back pocket. God that was so lucky... 

Everyone I spoke to that night to call for help told me NOT to go to the ER or report him. Honestly... Everyone was scared of what he might do if I reported him. No one wanted me to "start anything". I'm honestly still too afraid of him to report him. The only proof I even have is an unwashed, bloody t shirt in a box. Not really sure why I'm posting this. I just am so sick of this feeling like such a secret. I want to warn the entire world to stay away from this man at all costs and yet my family and I are too fearful for our lives and well-beings to do so.... But I'm truly, truly worried for his next victim(s). He's extremely strong. He's an amateur MMA fighter and when he's on drugs he's even stronger than normal. He's completely unhinged. He is a monster. 

Please. Run the fuck away as soon as that little voice tells you too, don't wait before it's too late. It was almost too late for me. And please, if your loved one is in a physically abusive relationship or if you suspect they are, find a legal loophole to find a way to remove them from that household, against their will if necessary. I wish someone had done that for me a long time ago. The way we are taught to handle adult physical abuse is WRONG. We shame those who are in abusive relationships to the point where they begin to ostracize themselves from their loved ones, only driving them further into the relationship and the abuse. It's all they know. Human beings can get used to anything. Get them out. Now. Find a way. 

Also, if you have any advice on how to get this guy thrown away in prison ig lemme know, cuz I'm at a loss. (this all happened less than 5 months ago)

-Liz 

[skinni-girls-eat-books]

Friday, April 19th, 2024!

10:35am: Day 4 NC has started! 🥳 Keep going strong! 💪 I'm thinking about him, about why he couldn't be helping me with my bills rn. Financial stress = wanting a partner. Tbh totally rational thought process. Who doesn't want a partner to do adult shit with? Let's be so fr though... Would I want to take him with me to the Jesse McCartney concert tn?

Absolutely tf not. I'd rather go blind and not be able to see the concert, just listening to it. I'd rather show up so late I only see 20 minutes of the end of it. I'd rather get my car towed again from St Pete than have to worry about him having some emotional emergency right before the concert, during it, or afterwards because he doesn't know how to relax and have a good time without some bullshit happening. Literally fuck no, I'd rather do everything by myself for the rest of my life than have someone micromanaging my weekend plans 😴 I'm good, bro. Go do that to anyone but me. He is never satisfied, we'd be there and he would want to leave and go home. We would come home and the would immediately leave. Fuck that shit.

10:59am: Can you imagine finding a guy and moving in with him and he doesn't do a complete 180 on you?? Actually continues to be around you, wanting to go to things with you, and not making you feel like you can't leave the house without him cheating? Can't wait to find a guy like that 🥰 Oh and not having to be his mommy lmao *literally goosebumps at the thought* 🥰🥰🥰 turn up turn up turn up

3:03pm: Day 4 NC still going strong! I can't believe he got so butthurt about me getting my rocks off without him...... When he has a whole ass girlfriend 💀 that's actually crazy. Lol he really blocked me and never looked back, good for him. I'd be mad too if I lost a girl like me 😂 he can't even face the fact that he fucked up so bad, he has to paint me like some fucking slut just to make himself feel better about being a shitty boyfriend. That's crazyyyyy. You let your girl "the love of your life" get away from you and you thought nothing was gonna happen?? You just think time freezes and nobody notices her fine ass?? Crazy ass contradictory double standard having mf. We are not compatible bc he doesn't understand that I'm a 21st century girl, I'm living for me mf not for some mystery future husband that I have to stay pure for or whatever. Bro is still living in 1950 fr, and he still acts like a punk. Grow up. Andrew Tate ass mf. 😂

Day 4 NC complete!

[leclerc-s]

paint the town red - part six

THE AVENGERS AGAINST DATING

series masterlist

MIAMI 2024

the ferrari team stood in a circle outside of their motorhome. peter waved at someone who passed by, giving them a puzzled look. peter shrugged, even he wasn't sure what was happening. carlos and sebastian exchanged looks, before sebastian led them inside, a sense of dread filliing them. isaiah sighed, "please tell me one of you isn't planning on making a surprise announcement this weekend. do not go around pulling a nico rosberg."

carlos cleared his throat, "qué? no, um- charles has obviously been very dominant this season and i know we agreed to wait until after this race but- i'll be the second driver, starting today."

"what?" charles questioned, the confusion was evident on his face, "why?"

"you're going to win this year charles, that much is obvious. i'll get the one next year."

"this must be difficult for you to say," harley added, breaking the tense silence. none of them had been quite sure what to expect when sebastian had called an impromptu meeting, they were supposed to wait for tony but the older man was busy giving the avengers and co a tour of the paddock.

"of course, no driver wants to admit they are going to be second driver but we agreed that who ever won the season this year, would defend the next. it's not my time yet, but it is charles's year, one way or another we are getting that championship."

charles frowned, "we still get to fight on track don't we?" he asked sebastian. the german nodded, "of course, it would be quite boring if it was you winning all season wouldn't it?"

"then let's bring that championship home," bianca said. the team smiled at each other before they stepped away from each other to do their respective tasks. peter's shouts could be heard as he left arguing with isaiah, the older brunette simply sighing exasperatedly. harley left with carlos, the two talking about the changes they would need to make to their strategy now. sebastian ran off, late for a team principal press interview.

charles looked at bianca, "dinner?"

bianca looked taken aback, "tonight?"

"i was thinking next week actually," charles joked. bianca laughed, "don't make me regret this leclerc."

"you won't," charles confidently said as bianca walked away. she turned around and was met with sight of charles smiling brightly at her. she shook her head before leaving to find her dad and sister.

harleykeener, michellejones, america_chavez, samwilson, biancastark_potts posted new stories

america's sweethearts are reunited at last! (peter's girlfriend is very much real people)

anything to meet lewis hamilton, even watching cars go in odd shapes

i think i'm lost. dad (stephen) come pick me up i'm scared

netflix where are you? the stars of the season have arrived

he looks lost, someone help him out

bianca stark-potts posted new stories

🖤🖤

dinner...

sam wilson BIANCA STARK-POTTS WHO IS THAT MAN?

bucky barnes I WASN'T AWARE YOU HAD TIME TO DATE WHILE TRAVELING SO MUCH

natasha romanoff i feel betrayed for some reason? why was i not made aware of this?

clint barton what's going on?

sam wilson BABY STARK WENT ON A DATE WITH SOME MAN!

harley keener if i speak-

scott lang what do you know keener? harley keener all i know is a bet was made after china's quali...i will not say more...i wish to live

wanda maximoff you people have been screaming at her to get a date for ages and when she does you act overprotective? i don't understand any of you.

hope van dyne aren't you people a little too old to be this invested in her love-life. especially bucky?

bucky barnes I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW I AM ONLY 106! I'M QUITE YOUNG COMPARED TO THOR AND LOKI.

america chavez I KNOW SOMETHING YOU PEOPLE DON'T! I AM THE SUPERIOR ONE!

bianca stark-potts america, i swear to god if you open your mouth i'm taking your enzo woofstappen privileges away. america chavez i'll shut up. i love enzo.

sam wilson what's his name? nationality? d.o.b? give us everything on him.

bucky barnes we say this because we care, not because we're nosy. steve rogers they're nosy, i genuinely care. and why isn't tony freaking out over this yet?

joaquin torres oh i see, when i was having a genuine dilemma the other day, i was told this group chat was for emergencies only. i guess emergencies are ignored when you want to be nosy.

sam wilson jesus christ, who added all of you people? this was supposed to be a fun group chat. not one full of whining

peter parker it's called avengers (no trauma version) everyone deserves to be here for a good time sam wilson there's my answer. kate bishop i'm here for a good time not a long time clint barton kate we've talked about this...

tony stark THAT FUCKER HID MY PHONE FROM ME! BIANCA MARIA STARK-POTTS WHO THE FUCK IS THAT MAN? WHO DID YOU GO ON A DATE WITH?

bianca stark potts te-he

kate bishop cute shoes

bianca stark-potts thanks! cute date too.

harley keener i'm going to tell them

bianca stark-potts don't you fucking dare keener! i'll take your lab privileges harley keener i will no longer be speaking

sam wilson BIANCA! YOU HAVE TO TELL US WHO IT IS!

bianca stark-potts it's a first date samuel, i'm not marrying the guy. calm down.

bucky barnes WE DESERVE ANSWERS STARK!

bianca stark-potts *stark-potts, put some respect on my mother's name

tony stark BIANCA YOU WILL TELL US WHO IT IS NOW!

natasha romanoff i don't think his poor heart can handle this stress bianca, you have to tell us.

bianca stark-potts no, i like having something to myself. if it becomes something serious i'll tell you guys, but for now it's just dating, nothing serious.

wanda maxmioff second date soon?

bianca stark-potts maybe? we'll see, nights not over yet

steve rogers well, as long as your safe with him, i don't care who he is.

bianca stark-potts thanks steve, i promise you guys will be the first to know if it becomes something else, when i'm ready to tell any of you.

stephen strange you people are all nuisances

america chavez and yet you still won't leave the group chat stephen strange any time i try someone keeps adding me back peter parker i'm doing god's work out here

liked by samwilson, america_chavez, landonorris and others

scuderiaferrari AND THAT'S ANOTHER WHAT? THAT'S ANOTHER WIN FOR FERRARI HERE IN MIAMI! MATER AND LIGHTNING MCQUEEN WIN AGAIN!

tagged: carlossainz55, charles_leclerc

view all comments

📍 scuderiaferrari carlos ily but for the sake of the plot, you have to be mater. no one exudes lightning mcqueen energy quite like charles does

↳ carlossainz55 at least i'm not getting called sid like you do with max or crash and eddie like lando and oscar.

↳ maxverstappen1 why the hell am i getting dragged into this? i wanted nothing to do with this

↳ landonorris i still don't get the crash and eddie joke...

username this is a straight up violation on charles and carlos

pierregasly if anything i'm mater, i'm charles's best friend.

↳ scuderiaferrari not anymore pear

landonorris i knew i made the right choice sending you those lightning leclerc memes

↳ charles_leclerc THAT WAS YOU? NORIZZ WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU!

↳ landonorris hey isaiah_atkins one of your driver's just threatened me, are you going to let him get away with this?

↳ isaiah_atkins charles, we've talked about this. you can't threaten other drivers in public.

↳ landonorris so he can do it in private?

↳ isaiah_atkins only if it's his brother. i have no say in that one.

america_chavez does this make sebastian doc hudson?

↳ samwilson tony is guido, the ferrari superfan

↳ tonystark man fuck you sam

↳ samwilson hey isaiah_atkins look at this guy!

↳ isaiah_atkins i am on his payroll, i cannot say anything against this but tony for the love of god, set an example for the rest of the team.

username seeing a bunch of grown men argue over a children's movie is hilarious to me

username peter parker is chaotic neutral

↳ username nah, that twink is chaotic chaotic. he's up there with fernando on the chaos scale.

↳ harleykeener lol peter had been twinkified by the internet, this is hilarious

↳ username you're a twink too keener. no one is safe from this.

↳ username bucky barnes gives himbo energy, steve rogers too.

↳ username don't forget scott lang and thor!

series taglist: @celesteblack08 @be-your-coffee-pot @evans-dejong @elliegrey2803 @bingewatche @arkhammaid @sunflower-golden-vol6 @lorarri @melanier7 @ironspdy @mypage-myfandoms @vellicora @you-bleed-just-toknowyouarealive @enchantedthoughts @stopeatread @hobiismyhopeu @lilsiz @alessioayla @niniluvsainz @au-ghosttype @fulla02 @cowboylikemets1989 @six-call @embrosegraves @justtprachisblog @bionic-donut @rmeddar123 @nichmeddar @landonorizzz @unluckyyoshi @raizelchrysanderoctavius @burningcupcakefire @spilled-coffee-cup @jamie-selwyn @cool-ultra-nerd @kami10471633 @int3rnetgf @fernandoswarcrimes @skynel09 @arieltwvdtohamflash @mimolovescookies @brekkers-whore @camdensreg @mycenterfold @dear-fifi @chiliwhore @tygecjjd @nothaqks @nataliambc @formulaa1d @prongsvault @kaa212

strikethrough means i couldn't tag you

¡leclerc-s speaks! did you really think i wasn't going to make at least one cars reference in this fic? feel free to correct me if my imola ferrari 1-2 knowledge is wrong, i looked it up and i couldn't find another ferrari 1-2 at imola. this isn't knowledge i know off the top of my head. MONACO GP YOU'RE UP NEXT BABY!

¡disclaimer! this is in no way making assumptions about the people involved in this story, this is all fake. it is a fanfiction please don't take any of what is said seriously. this is all for entertainment purposes and as a creative outlet for me. enjoy!

[dorefasolsido]

16.

1 - Are you interested in any reality TV shows?

No, but I like to watch videos movie commentary channels make on them.

2 - When was the last time you made plans with someone? What are you going to do with that person?

I made plans with two (potentially three?) friends to meet for the weekend. I guess we'll just have a coffee and chill, nothing that crazy.

3 - How often (if ever) do you use moisturizer?

Once in a while. I used to be more regular, but now I use SPF more often.

4 - Name five things you can touch from where you’re sitting right now:

Laptop, balcony fence, bug screen, table, chair

5 - Have you had any of your wisdom teeth removed? What was the reason? (eg. infection, impaction, lack of space).

Yup, the only wisdom tooth I actually had. It was either impaction or lack of space, can't remember exactly.

6 - What was the reason for your last hospital visit?

That was so long ago that I can't remember. Maybe some check up?

7 - Where was the last place you had an itch?

My nose just as I read this question lol. And now I'm getting itchy all over gaaah

8 - If you’re on a long car journey, would you rather drive or be the passenger?

Drive, I think.

9 - What’s the earliest time you’ve had to wake up for work? What about the latest time you’ve clocked off for the day?

I never had to wake up super early for work, but when I was just starting, I'd get up at around 9 AM. However, since I usually work at night, I sometimes clock off super late. A few times when I had deadlines close by, I worked pretty much until 7 AM.

10 - Do you use a laptop, desktop, tablet or phone to take your surveys?

Laptop, it's annoying on the phone.

11 - Are you fussy when it comes to how your surveys are formatted on your blog?

A little bit.

12 - How old were you when you first got internet access at home? Was it broadband or did you have dial-up first?

We had dial-up first, but I'm not sure how old I was. Maybe 5-6?

13 - When was the last time you painted your nails?

I think the beginning of the year. I don't bother normally, but sometimes I'll let my sister do it if she's in the mood and I'm in the mood for something different.

14 - What’s your typical order when you go to Starbucks (or wherever your favourite coffee shop is)?

I usually get hot chocolate.

15 - What’s your favourite thing to have on toast?

I don't really eat toast that way.

16 - Do you have any debt? If so, are you on top of paying it all back?

Hmm, not really.

17 - What was the last thing you purchased with a credit card?

I don't have a credit card.

18 - Have you been to college/university? If so, has your degree been useful to you or was it a bit of a waste of money?

Yup, and yes. I mean, I likely could've gotten this job without my English degree too, but I really think it's a bit of a boost. Plus, my university was free and I loved every second of it, so it definitely wasn't a waste either way.

19 - How often do you travel by public transport?

Whenever I have to go anywhere. So not every day, but a few times a a week for sure.

20 - Do you have an instagram account? If so, how often do you post on there and what kind of things do you post?

I have two, actually. One is like a fan account (though I only follow stuff there, I don't post), and the other is my personal account. On that second one I post from my trips sometimes, but I'm not very consistent at all.

21 - Are you close to your extended family? Do you wish you were closer?

With some of it, not all. I don't really wish we were closer, though. I'm close to those I want to be close with.

22 - Do you prefer to give your pets human names or not?

Hmmm, not quite, but then again, Lucifer is technically a human name?

23 - Do you like having ice in your drinks?

Sure, when it's hot.

24 - When was the last time you went to a BBQ restaurant?

I don't go to those, it works a little different here.

25 - When was the last time you re-arranged the furniture? Is this something you like to do often?

I don't remember, it's not something I normally do.

26 - Have you ever used a fire extinguisher? Would you know how to use one without reading the instructions?

I haven't, but I mean, it can't be that complicated since people are meant to use it on the spot.

27 - What’s the worst thing you’ve ever had to deal with at your job?

Lol casual calls. I'm super awkward with new people, so like, when we talk about professional stuff, no problem, but when you're supposed to be chill and funny, it's my worst nightmare. Takes me a bit to get there.

28 - What was the last thing you used your mobile phone for?

Just checking notifications. There are always SO many, I'm sick of it.

29 - Did you used to play The Sims? What version or expansion pack was your favourite one to play?

Yeees, I played all of the Simses. Sims 3 was (and still is) my shit, I'd get Generations, Seasons, Adventures, University Life and Nightlife and then fuck around for literal days.

30 - What was the last thing you used a lighter for?

I have no idea, it's been so long since I used one.

[survey--s]

456.

1) What’re your plans for the weekend?  Absolutely nothing lol. I feel like I've not had a proper break from work in ages as Archie was really sick last weekend so we ended up down at the vets. This week has just been insane too so it's really nice to just be able to relax.

2) Could you ever be vegetarian - why or why not?  I was vegetarian on/off for a few years as a teenager but ultimately it's not really something I'm interested in.

3) Name a quote from your favorite TV show:  "That's a lot of information to get in thirty seconds".

4) What time did you wake up this morning?  About 6.45 as apparently my body clock is back to being on work-time lol. I didn't get up until closer to 9am though.

5) What chores do you do around the house?  Well, pretty much everything that needs to be done as it's my house, lol. I mean, nobody else is gonna do it for me.

6) Do you like wind chimes, or do they annoy you?  They're fine at other people's houses but they'd drive me mad if I had them outside my own house lol. Especially as they'd probably set the dog off barking constantly. 7) How much sleep do you usually get a night?  Normally around seven hours.

8) If you could have any outfit, cost not an issue, what would you get?  I'm not really bothered about having nice outfits. 9) Do you play any instruments?  I can play a few but I haven't played them for ages.

10) What song would you say describes your life right now?  The Lazy Song by Bruno Mars lol.

11) Do you have snacks lying around your room?  No.

12) Did you get up to much today? If it’s morning, what are your plans? Not really, just normal household stuff. I had a lie in, fed the animals, let the dog out, vacuumed, did the litter trays, made breakfast, went back to bed for an hour, washed up, showered and now I'm just messing about online and watching TV.

13) What’s your favorite animal to see in the zoo?  Penguins, tigers, elephants, squirrel monkeys, lemurs.

14) When do you start back to school or college?  I haven't been in any kind of education in over a decade now.

15) What other social networking sites are you on?  Facebook and Instagram.

16) What was the best year of your life?  Hmm, overall I would say 2007, 2016, 2018 and 2022.

17) What plans do you have for the rest of summer?  It's only February but mostly I spend my summers working and riding, plus I have a couple of weeks off in August.

18) How old is the person you like right now?  He's just turned 38. 19) Do you get an allowance? How much?  No, I have a full-time job lol.

20) What games console is your favorite? What about favorite game?  We have an xBox but I haven't played it in ages. I liked Gems of War, the old-style Lara Croft games and also Super Mario back when we had a Nintendo.

21) If you could go anywhere right now, where would it be and why?  I'm honestly happy just chilling out at home today. I need a lazy day after how manic my week has been.

22) Do your parents nag you a lot? What about? I don't live with my parents so it's not really their place to nag at me. My mum sometimes complains about the state of my car though lol.

23) What is there on the walls of your room?  There are a couple of paintings but that's about it.

24) Is there anyone that just really annoys you?  Oh yes.

25) What are your plans for tomorrow, anything good?  Just a chilled out, lazy day as I have another fully booked week next week. Luckily Mike is off so he can sort the dog out lol.

26) If you could wake up tomorrow being able to do one thing perfectly, what would it be?  Sing.

27) You have two wishes to make to help the world, and one can’t be “another wish” or anything similar. What wishes do you make?  Clean water and ample supply of food. <--- this.

28) Do you reckon world peace is possible or are we just too selfish?  People are way too selfish.

29) Do you listen to Bright Eyes?  Wow, nostalgia alert lol. I used to LOVE Bright Eyes - especially Lua and Bowl of Oranges but I've not listened to them in YEARS. I might download them off Spotify actually. 30) Are you interested in politics, or do you just not care?  It's not that I don't care, it's that I don't think anything us "mortals" do can actually make a difference.

[sorryimanon]

Character: Katsuki Bakugou

Warnings/tags: heart warming fluff, language, and suggestive themes

Word count: 2.5k

In which your boyfriend takes it upon himself to pamper you on his day off.

Author’s note: some self indulgent fluff. this is a continuation of dad!bakugou and torch daughter. there will be more. enjoy :)

D/N= daughters name

-

Katsuki heavily relied on you to babysit your rambunctious four year old daughter during the days when he'd be on patrol from dusk till dawn. Very rarely would he be home before the two of you tucked yourselves in for the night, leaving him to eat the leftovers from dinner alone at the table. As sad as it is, it didn't bother you in the slightest. In fact, knowing Katsuki was keeping the crime rate of Japan low, you were more than happy to become a stay at home mom. Most of your friends tried to talk you out of it, but you were already settled after giving your two weeks notice at your low paying job. Waking up and seeing your daughter first thing in the morning is better than staring blankly at a bright screen all day behind a musty wall, running on nothing but decaf coffee, and sluggishly going to and fro like a zombie.

Ever since your daughter manifested her quirk, you’ve been trying your best to maintain her sudden outbursts while at home. The doctor prescribed it as Torch: the ability to become a human torch and ignite flames throughout your body and fingertips. For now d/n is only capable of setting herself on fire, using the flames as a barrier to protect her from any harm instead of combating. However, sometimes she'll forget to extinguish herself, having you to manually use an actual fire extinguisher on her. Burn marks would litter the outskirts of your shirts, the aftermath ash smudged on your face, and the tiny hairs on your forearms long gone after handling d/n.

Your boyfriend appreciates the way how you compose yourself around d/n, not allowing the temptation to fling the little gremlin out the window prevail, because if the roles were reversed it'd be a whole different story. Sometimes he sits back in his desk chair, after a long night of meandering around the city, and tries to remember the last time you were properly treated. Of course, Katsuki never fails to remind you day and night he loves you through his actions, some including selfish indulgence late at nights, but all in all he didn't lack being the hopeless romantic counterpart for you. He wanted you to take a break from it all, have him handle the at home duties and the slimy daughter. Leaning back against the chair with his brows furrowed slightly, he began to mentally plan out your day already.

It was a Friday when Katsuki forced himself out of the comfortable security that is your arms and walked with light feet to his daughters bedroom. Today is his day off, so he has to make sure everything goes smoothly or else he's going to have more burn marks on his office desk.

He didn't bother knocking first and saunters in the familiar space, the faint snores from d/n somehow relaxing him. Her walls were freshly painted a light shade of blue, the contrast not too saturated to peel the attention away from her posters that covered every inch of her room, all of which were pictures of his prohero colleagues. D/N had to beg for her father to purchase a Deku poster, one of which she saw don display when the both of you brought her to the mall for a quick trip. He internally cringes every time he makes eye contact with the lifeless eyes of Deku when he enters her room.

Katsuki neared his daughter and kneeled down to where his head was leveled with hers, chuckling lightly when finding a small pool of drool collecting on her cheek.

"Wake up little shit," he whispers, nudging her uncovered shoulder with his knuckles, startling her eyes to flutter open. D/n nearly gasped at the sight of her father. The covers that were wrapped snuggly around her fell at the foot of her bed when she jolted up in surprise, eyes brimming with excitement.

"It's today right? Mommy's day!" Katsuki covered her mouth with his abnormally large hand, not wanting her obnoxious voice to blow their cover.

"Yes, but you're gonna have to be quiet for daddy. Don't want to spoil the surprise for mommy, you understand ya little brat?"

Hand still attached to her mouth, d/n nodded her head feverishly, hands clenched into tiny fits. Once he thinks she's shimmered down a little, he finally removes his hand and motions her to follow him.

Meanwhile in the other room, you were still fast asleep, limbs not once switching from their position over the cozy blanket. The chill breeze from the propped window regulated your body temperature nicely, along with the beautiful songs sung by the birds that reside in the trees close by. You stirred awake momentarily, feeling the loss of a presence that's usually laying beside you during these times of slumber. Katsuki's side was empty, the indent from his body molded onto the foam mattress, leaving you to believe he woke up not that long ago.

After convincing yourself to leave the comfort of your bed, you decided to search for the missing blonde. You crack open the door to a weird combination of radio music blaring throughout the house, and the delicious smell of something cooking in grease. It's no doubt your boyfriends doing. He always likes to impress you with how skillful he is in the kitchen. He hasn't made a dish you disliked yet nor will he allow himself to do so.

Standing side by side, minus the height difference, d/n and Katsuki both were too immersed in their cooking to notice you leaning against the island counter, trying very hard to not cry instantly at the sight in front of you. Watching them interact together was definitely something you'd be treasuring for the years to come.

A rush of savory and sweetness infiltrated your senses, the scent strong enough to knock you back to sleep. As if he read your mind overnight, Katsuki took it upon himself to prepare your favorite breakfast dishes. The dinner table made for three already set by none other than d/n, who currently looked proud at her work and craftsmanship. A large vase was propped in the center, a collection of vibrant flowers stuffed to the brim, the water inside almost overflowing. Attached to one of the stems of the flowers was a tag, the handwriting sloppy and hard to decipher.

To my dumbass, love ya - K.B

You felt the delicate touch of your daughter wrapping her hand around yours, giving it a slight tug before pulling you into the kitchen again. Katsuki flicked his gaze to you now, flashing the same mischievous grin you grew to love. his hands simultaneously worked on the food while taming the animal, that is indeed your daughter, from bumping into the pan handles.

"What's all this for?" You asked, the question directly appointed to both your boyfriend and daughter.

"Oh, so I can't treat my sexy girlfriend to a good meal?" he teased while setting the burners to low, letting the food cool off before plating it. Your daughter audibly gagged at the comment and swatted Katsuki's arm.

D/N's tiny legs were faster than yours and reached the cabinet where the plates and cutlery were stored at. To her dismay, the cabinet was higher than she anticipated. trying her best to waiver down the disappointment as she climbed on the sleek marble counter top, losing her footing here and there. Katsuki caught her in time before she misplaced her footing and almost toppled onto the floor.

"May I need to remind you not to climb on the damn counter tops anymore d/n?" he scolded as he put her down before grabbing enough plates for everyone.

Pursing her lips tightly, she crossed her arms and said, "But if I'm going to be a future hero then I have to battle my way through tough obstacles!"

U.A's immense training and work studies came in handy when dealing with d/n's hard headed ideologies. It's been a stressful reoccurrence, having to constantly teach her the importance of being a hero at such a young age. Her impulsive tendencies mirrored the blondes old habit of taking action before thinking. But there was always a saying when storing away your fear and facing danger head on.

"That's true, but sometimes a little teamwork wouldn't hurt. Your father should know a thing or two about that when he was a young U.A student," you said as you patted her head.

"What'd you say shitty woman? Talking crap so early in the morning already?" a strange popping sound alerted you to turn around, only to find Katsuki flaring his flashy quirk with a glare that could splice you open.

But his alarming gaze wasn't the thing that was scaring you at the moment.

"WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT USING YOUR QUIRK IN THE HOUSE! YOU'RE GONNA SET OFF THE FIRE ALARM AGAIN, IDIOT!"

-

You thought the smorgasbord of a breakfast was the last of your boyfriends romantic gestures, but you should've known better once he demanded you to change out of your sleep attire and into something to  wear outside. Not thinking twice about where he was dragging you to, including daughter, you decided to play it safe. He approved on your choice of ripped jeans, synthetic tank top, and thrown on cardigan once heading off to the car.

The car ride to the mysterious destination was short lived as your boyfriend pulled up into the driveway of his old house. Mitsuki stood waiting by the threshold of the doorway, waving her fingers sweetly to whom you can only assume was you and not her only son. She stepped off the porch once Katsuki shifted the car in park, unlocking the doors as well. His mother reached the side where d/n stayed strapped in her seat and yanked the door open.

"Ah my little princess! How have you been? I missed you so much!" She unbuckled d/n's seat belt and flattened her in a tight hug, squeezing till her eyes popped out. "I can't wait to spend the weekend with you baby girl! Are you excited to have a little fun with grandma?!"

"Calm the fuck down, you're gonna kill her if you keep squeezing!" Katsuki's voice boomed out of the window.

"Oh pipe down you little shit I'm not harming her! Also don't talk to me like that! You're old enough to treat me with some respect by now!"

"SHUT UP YOU OLD HAG! JUST TAKE THE LITTLE GREMLIN AND GO!"

After the heated exchange, Katsuki eventually calmed down and drove the two of you back to the house in complete silence. It was quite a shift in a sense of environment wise. By now d/n would be begging you to make her some pudding or pour her a cup of lemonade, then place yourselves in front of the tv watching a random kids program till evening. Tonight you lend the torch to your boyfriend, allowing whatever devious plan he conjured up to unfold.

Before you could shuffle into your shared bedroom, Katsuki placed his calloused hands onto your cramped shoulders. Merely centimeters from your ear, he laid a chaste kiss on the area beneath it, smiling at your innocent reaction to his sudden actions and nuzzled into the crook of your neck. You smelt the familiar scent of caramel and men’s soap, both of which you undoubtably loved when combined.

“Suki?” Upon hearing his nickname, Katsuki quirked an eyebrow at you. “What’s with all the romantic gestures lately? Cooking my favorite breakfast, the flowers, and our daughter. Don’t get me wrong, I love her! It’s just nice not to worry about if she’ll set the curtains on fire again.”

You felt the vibrations of him chuckling behind you.

“Isn’t it obvious? I just want to fuck the shit out of you,” you sat paralyzed by his bluntness. his tuft hair tickled the underside of your chin, earning him an acute giggle from you. “I’m just kidding, pretty face. I figured you needed a weekend where you just relax and did nothing. Let me do all the work. That’s including getting rid of the brat.”

Shifting in his arms to where you can face him, you can now see the adoration oozing from usual heated glare of his vermillion eyes, the scowl long gone and replaced with a soften feature not so many from the outside can witness. To think this was the man you devoted yourself and love for, to allow him to bare witness anything and everything you endure. He’s a man of showing his compassion through his actions, not lousy words of affirmations that anyone could sputter out and proclaim its love. No, he reflects back everything right with the world, even when you felt the weight of it searing through your system, dragging it down with you. The same explosive blonde awaits patiently by the opening for you to enter, no matter how long it’ll take for you to accept his love. Because he’ll be there. Waiting.

And here he is waiting. In your arms to repeat those three words you made out from watching the movement of his lips.

The words leave your mouth effortlessly, the proclamation hanging in the air between you two.

“I love you too, Katsuki. Thank you so much, for everything.” Like so, you kiss the plump flesh of his lips, the same inflammation of your heart burning as before. The strong muscle of his tongue prods your entrance, practically begging by licking your bottom lip. Katsuki grabbed your chin as gentle as he could muster, titling it for a better leverage to explore your mouth in return. Your hands trailed across the defining shape of his collarbones, rubbing any part of his body so that your fingers remained busy. Both of you hum in satisfaction, relishing in the feeling of the intimate moment. To your disliking, he removes his lips from yours and hovers instead, panting from the mini-make out session seconds ago.

“I’m going to marry you some day, mark my words. So don’t act fucking stupid when I pop the question,” he hotly proclaims, not once removing those piercing red eyes from yours. That’s when you knew he wasn’t bullshitting. If there’s one thing you learned about Katsuki over the years of dating, is that he doesn’t throw out promises in the air nonchalantly without keeping them. You can vaguely hear the ominous sound of wedding bells in your ears.

“Sounds intriguing. I always wanted to see you in a suit and tie.”

“Ya know, maybe someday might be tomorrow-.”

You cut him off with a scorching peck, making his eyes widen and dilate with every given second you laid your lips onto his. “Shut up babe and ravish me already.”

A mischievous grin forms on his mouth as he links his arms around the back of your knees and hoists you over his shoulder. He erupted into fits of laughter after hearing you squeak from the abruptness. The door to your shared bedroom came into view, your boyfriend kicking it with his free foot before entering through the threshold.

“You’re in for a long night sweetheart. Now that our daughter isn’t here, I’m not holding back on anything,” he threatens as he lays you down on the comforter.

Another thing you learned from your relationship. Katsuki is always true to his word.

-

[h0tch-r0cket]

Infatuation (18+) {a.h.}: chapter 3

summary: you needed a job. aaron hotchner needed a babysitter. the rest was inevitable.

word count: 4.6K

warnings: explicit language, drinking alcohol

table of contents

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"To your new job! Congrats, Y/N!" Esmé hollered over the loud club music as she held her shot glass in the air. You lifted your glass next to hers, clinking them together, before you both threw the vodka back, the liquor giving your throat a slight burn as it went down. You placed the shot glass down in front of you, adding one more to the collection that was slowly growing in front of you.

You leaned closer to Esmé's ear, practically shouting to be heard over the music that was making the club walls shake. "Thanks for taking me out tonight. I appreciate it."

Esmé slung her arm around your shoulder languidly, evidence of the ever growing drunken state that was growing between the both of you throughout the night. "No other way to celebrate your last weekend as a job free woman than with booze and boys!" She nodded her head back towards the dance floor where you watched some attractive men dance, waiting for someone to join them. Esmé hopped off her stool in front of the bar and grabbed onto your hand, tugging on it to urge you to go with her. "Come on! I want to dance!"

You groaned at her request, jokingly rolling your eyes at her. "You know, I think I'm much more comfortable over here."

Esmé scoffed, clearly not buying your lame excuse to not go out on the dance floor with her. "One song?" she pleaded.

You turned your attention to the blonde bartender, a playful smile on your lips. "Another shot please." He nodded, topping off the vodka in another glass for you. He placed it in front of you and smirked at you.

"That one is on me," he said, placing his hands down firmly on the counter. You watched his eyes dart down to your lips quickly and you felt your cheeks heat up. You understood quickly the subliminal implications of the shot.

You dropped your hand from Esmé's grip, standing up from the stool. You placed your elbow on the counter and beckoned the bartender forward to come closer to you with your pointer finger. He leaned over quickly, eager to be closer to you. Once he was close enough, you placed your hand on his shoulder, bringing your mouth up to his ear. "Hate to break it to you, but I'm not interested," you whispered. You heard him clear his throat and he stood back up, clearly being brought down from whatever excitement he thought he might have found himself in for the night.

He nodded in understanding, a cocky smirk growing across his face. He lifted the shot, keeping his eyes on you as he downed it quickly. He placed the glass on the counter and leaned back over to you. "If you change your mind, you know where to find me."

"I won't. But thanks." You turned your attention back to Esmé who was standing there in slight shock as you walked over to her.

"What the hell did you do that for?! He wanted to get in your pants! You should have let him," she exclaimed as she motioned back towards the bartender.

"Not my type," you said bluntly, as you ran your hands down your dress to straighten it out. The dress was a navy blue with an open back and plunging neckline. It ended right at your thighs, hugging your curves along your body.

"Your type is dark and brooding men who have some sort of position of authority," Esmé teased as she led you out to the dance floor.

"I mean you're not wrong," you laughed as you started to dance next to her.

"Keep your eyes peeled. Maybe you'll find Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome tonight."

You shook your head in annoyance but continued to dance with your friend. It's not that you didn't want to be with anyone. It was the fact that you had a hard time opening up to others about yourself and letting someone be with you for every part of your life, whether it was good or bad.

You were so used to looking out for yourself that you never really looked for a partner that often. You only had one relationship that you would ever consider serious, but even then, you had ended things because you were starting college and wanted to focus on school instead of worrying about pleasing your boyfriend. He was understanding of it all but a part of you still wondered about the what ifs that surrounded the situation.

What if we were still together?

What if I let him in more than everyone else?

What if I was wrong about letting him go?

You shook the thoughts from your head as you let yourself focus on dancing with Esmé, not wishing to dwell too much on the past. There was nothing that you could do to have changed what happened, and quite frankly, given the chance to, you weren't so sure that that would have been something that you would have done anyway.

Sometimes, you wished that you could bring your guard down and let someone in but you were just too worried that someone would come in and absolutely destroy your heart.

"Maybe. Guess we'll have to see," you agreed, at least playing along with Esmé to get her to subtly take the hint that you weren't interested nor in the mood to try to find someone in the bar to take home with you.

"You know, I have to admit that the way you turned down that bartender was hot," Esmé laughed as she danced around in front of you. "He definitely thought he was going to be heading home with you tonight."

You couldn't help but laugh at your drunk friend, who even in her current state of being, continued to be your hype-woman. "Well, he definitely thought wrong," you teased.

The two of you continued to dance the night away, downing more shots throughout your time at the club. You were having too much fun with Esmé to think about anything else other than the two of you at that moment in time.

-----

The rest of the weekend flew by too quickly for your liking . For the most part, you spent your time at your apartment, just relaxing and watching movies to pass the time. And as the days drew closer and closer to when you were officially starting your new job, you were filled with excitement with what was to lie ahead.

On Sunday evening, the day before your first day as the Hotchner babysitter, you were walking Artemis on your usual rounds when you felt your phone buzz in your pocket. As Artemis was smelling each and every little thing on the sidewalk, you checked your messages.

                                      Aaron Hotchner

-Good evening, Y/N. Just wanted to let you know that Jack's bus normally comes around 2:15 or so. This way you can plan your day accordingly for when you'll need to be here to pick him up. There's a spare key underneath the doormat out front for you to use to get inside. I should be home by 5, but should anything change, I will let you know. See you then.

-And don't be too worried about Buster, just in case you aren't a fan of larger dogs. He'll calm down after a few minutes of you being in the house.

You replied quickly, not wanting to keep your new boss waiting to hear from you.

                                               -Perfect! I'll see him there!

                                                          -Have a goodnight!

-Thanks, Y/N. You too. You continued on your walk with Artemis, the playful pup determined to stop and greet every dog that she passed on the way.

By the time you got back to your apartment, the sun was beginning to set, the sky filled with different shades of pinks, reds, and yellows streaking across the horizon. It was as if an artist had taken careful brush strokes and painted the ribbons of color that stretched across behind the multitude of buildings, amplifying the true beauty of the natural world.

Upon entering your apartment, you decided to take a quick shower to settle in for the night. You took off your clothes in the bathroom and hopped in, letting the warm water run down your body for a few minutes before getting washed up.

After finishing the shower, you brushed out your hair and got in your pajamas, curling up in bed with one of your books that you were currently rereading. It was The Centaur by John Updike, the story of Peter Caldwell and his father George. It was a story that warmed your heart being that it was told from an older Peter's point of view as he looked back on the memories of him and his father with a new perspective compared to the way he thought of his father when he was younger. There was just something about the novel that you loved, whether it was the allusions to Greek mythology, or the idea that it was one of the bildungsroman stories that you loved, but you could never get enough of it. The copy of the book showed its wear and tear, the spine having small creases and the pages being slightly yellowed from your constant reading. But you could have cared less.

You read a chapter or two in the book before feeling tired and ready to turn in for the night. You shut off your light on your nightstand and placed the book on it. "Artemis!" you called out tiredly. You heard the pitter patter of the bulldog's feet on the floor as she came into your room.

With a running start, she hopped up onto your bed, curling into a ball next to you. You ran your hand down her spine as she settled in for the night.

As your mind calmed down and you drifted off to sleep, your last conscious thoughts were wrapped around the idea that tomorrow would start a new chapter in your life and you were ready to start and hit the ground running.

-----

You arrived at the Hotchner household the next day, eager to start your new job. You grabbed your belongings from your car and headed up to the porch, grabbing the key from where Aaron had left it.

Upon unlocking the door, you were immediately greeted by Buster in the entryway. The shepherd jumped up on you, trying to sniff every inch of you that he could. You figured he smelled the remnants of Artemis on your clothes and besides, to him, you were a newcomer in his house so you were filled with unfamiliar scents.

"Alright. Easy boy," you said softly as you scratched his head and urged him to get down. "Better get used to me being here. We'll be seeing a lot of each other." Buster barked gruffly, seeming as though he was still trying to determine whether or not he was going to trust you.

You made your way to the kitchen, dropping off your belongings on the counter before checking the clock hanging on the wall for the time.

2:00pm.

15 more minutes until you had to go get Jack.

Buster barked loudly at you, grabbing your attention. He was standing next to the sliding glass door that led to the backyard, his tail wagging excitedly.

"Alright, alright. Here." You opened the door for the dog and watched as he bolted outside to blow off some steam.

Your curiosity got the best of you while you were waiting to walk to the bus stop so you decided to peruse around the Hotchner home and try to learn more about them from the items that you found.

In the living room, you noticed the collection of children's movies that were stacked neatly underneath the TV in the entertainment center. You also saw a picture frame that caught your eye.

Upon looking at it more closely, you came to see that it was a photo of Aaron, Jack, and a beautiful blonde woman. The trio was at the beach, standing proudly next to a sandcastle that you could only assume was Jack's creation considering the way that it was constructed. Aaron was holding a younger Jack in his arms, the boy's legs wrapped around his father's torso. Wide smiles were on everyone's faces, even Aaron, who even from the interview alone, you could tell that he didn't have a genuine smile on his face often.

You figured the woman in the photo was Jack's mother. You could see the features that the boy shared with the woman—her smile, the same rounded face, and more obviously the blonde locks that rested upon his head which was a stark contrast to the more raven colored hair that Aaron had. Looking at the photo, the picturesque family, it made you further wonder what had happened to her and why it seems as though she wasn't in the lives of Jack and Aaron anymore.

A loud bark stole your attention away from the photo. You glanced at the sliding glass door to see Buster standing there, panting like a fool, waiting to come back inside. You set the photo back down on its designated spot on the shelf and headed to let him inside. He bounded through the door, going straight for his water dish which he lapped up instantly.

You took another glance at the time.

2:10pm.

You grabbed the spare key that Aaron left for you and locked up the front door as you left to go grab Jack from the bus stop that was at the end of the street.

It didn't take long once you arrived to hear the bus in the distance. You stood on the curb, teetering your weight on the balls of your feet as you waited for Jack. The expectant parents waiting for their children were deep in their conversations as you heard the loud rumbling from the bus from around the corner.

The bus came to a halt at the stop sign, the red lights flashing to ensure that any passersby would stop and let the kids get off safely. One by one, the kids came off the bus with their backpacks much too large for them. You smiled as they all ran excitedly towards their parents, wrapping their arms tightly around their parents' legs for a hug.

You saw Jack hop off the last step of the bus and he looked around curiously.

"Jack!" you called out, waving your hand. "Over here!"

The boy's face lit up with a smile as he came over towards you. He stopped right in front of you, glancing up at you with his eyes squinted to avoid looking at the sun. "Hi, Y/N!" he excitedly said.

"Hey, buddy! How was school?" You squatted down in front of him to be eye level as you talked to him.

"It was good! We got tadpoles today. Ms. Kingston said they're going to turn into frogs," he explained, his voice full of wonder and anticipation.

"That's so cool! Ready to head home? I'm sure you have a lot of homework to do."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Just a math worksheet and some sentences to practice. Ms. Kingston didn't give us a lot today."

"Well that's nice of her," you said as you stood back up. You placed your hand on his shoulder and started to walk back to the Hotchner household.

"Yeah, I like her," Jack said as you watched him absentmindedly kick a pebble along the street as you walked, his feet dragging on the cement softly. His head was tucked down, entirely focused on the pebble as he kicked it, watching it bounce down the street. He stuck out his tongue for a brief moment in his state of concentration. "I got to name one of the tadpoles."

"Oh really? What name did you pick?" You kicked the pebble back towards him since it left its intended path. You saw a small smile fall across his face.

"I named mine Kermit. You know, like Kermit the Frog from The Muppets?" He picked up the pebble from the ground and held it tight in his hand. "It's better than what my friend, Peter, picked out. He picked out the name Hoppy. How lame is that?"

You laughed at the boy's apparent disgust with such a generic name for the tadpole, clearly unaware of the fact that the name he picked out was just as much of a cliché. "So incredibly lame."

He hopped up the stairs of the porch of the Hotchner home and landed on the top step with a big thump. He walked over to the corner of the porch and placed the pebble next to the small collection that he had going on top of the railing. He turned his attention back to you and gave you a small smile.

"I've been collecting rocks for a while. I started with Dad one day and I always look for the perfect ones on our way home from school." He moved by the door, waiting for you to unlock it.

"That's so cool." You unlocked the door and Jack pushed it open, being greeted by Buster.

He dropped his backpack on the floor and knelt down by the shepherd and was scratching him behind his ears. "Hi Buster! Did you miss me?" The dog barked and gave Jack a few licks on his cheek. "I missed you too, boy."

You grabbed Jack's backpack off of the ground to get it out of the way. Locking the door behind you, you went into the kitchen and placed his bag on the kitchen table.

Jack came running in a mere few seconds later and was unzipping his bag, pulling out a lime green folder that was labeled Math and his pencil case. He grabbed a worksheet out of the folder and sat down, tapping his pencil on the table. "Hey, Y/N?"

"Yeah, Jack?" You grabbed a glass from out of the cabinet and poured yourself some water.

"Can you pass me the bowl of grapes from the fridge please?" You nodded and grabbed the bowl of fruit for Jack, placing it down on the table next to him. "Thank you." He picked one of the grapes off of the stem and popped it right into his mouth.

"You're welcome." You sat down at the table in front of him and scrolled on your phone as he did his homework.

The sound of the bowl of grapes sliding across the table grabbed your attention as Jack pushed it towards you. "Want some?" he asked as he put two more of the grapes in his mouth.

"Sure. Thanks, Jack." You grabbed a few grapes off the stem and ate them as you watched him do his homework. "What kind of math are you doing?"

"Word problems for addition. We just started them the other day. Ms. Kingston said they were going to be hard but I don't think they are," he explained as he wrote down the answer for the problem he was working on.

"Word problems can be tricky. Do you need help?"

He shook his head no and tapped the eraser of the pencil on his lips. "No, I'm good for now."

"Alright, well if anything changes, I'll be in the living room if you need me," you told him as you stood up from the table.

You heard a small okay from Jack and you settled on the couch, flipping through the channels on the TV.

Soon, you lost track of time as you sat in the living room. Jack's running made you turn your head away from the TV as you saw his backpack slung over his shoulder. "Everything okay, Jack?" You sat up straighter on the couch, trying to see where the boy was running off to.

"I'm all done with my homework so I was going to put my backpack away," he said at the bottom of the stairs that led to where you assumed his and Aaron's bedrooms were.

"All done already?"

"Yeah, I told you she didn't give us a lot of work to do for tonight."

"You did say that, didn't you?" you teased. "When you come back down, maybe we can play a game or take Buster on a walk or something."

"Okay!" He hurriedly rushed up the stairs and out of sight.

He came down the stairs a few moments later with a box in hand, pieces rattling as he went into the living room. He placed the box on the coffee table in front of you, allowing you to finally see what he was holding in his small hands.

"Monopoly, huh? Well, I gotta tell you Jack, when I play Monopoly, I play with absolutely no mercy," you joked as you rolled up your sleeves to your elbows, feigning cockiness.

"You're going down," Jack teased as he sat crisscrossed on the rug across from you and took the board game out of its box.

"I'd like to see you try," you encouraged as you sat down on the rug in front of him, leaning you back against the sofa.

The Monopoly game quickly ensued and the living room was filled with laughter as you and Jack played, trying to outdo one another. He told you stories from school as the game went on and you were amazed at how polite and respectful the child was. It was a shining testament to the way that his parents raised him and it made you excited about spending more time with him. You were truly enjoying his company which was something you weren't expecting.

After playing what seemed like an endless game of Monopoly, just as the two of you were cleaning up the mess, you heard a car alarm chirp which caused Buster to go rushing excitedly towards the door.

"Dad's home!" Jack exclaimed as he bolted up from his seat on the rug to the front door.

By the time he got in, Aaron was already making his way through the entrance, trying his best to maneuver his way between the excited dog and son duo. "Hey guys," Aaron said as he shut the door behind him. His voice sounded tired, like his day was really draining. You stood up from the rug and finished putting away the Monopoly pieces, watching the interaction of the father and son.

Aaron ran his hand through Jack's hair and roughed it up a bit as his other hand held onto a dark brown leather satchel. "How was school today, bud? Did you guys get your tadpoles?" he asked as he headed into the kitchen.

"Yes! I named one Kermit," Jack said excitedly, as he began to recount the day's events to his father. You heard their slightly muffled voices from the kitchen and figured that you shouldn't overstay your welcome and intrude on the time that Aaron has with his son. So you walked into the kitchen to go grab your things and head home for the day.

"Go take your shower, Jack. And then I'll make something for dinner," Aaron urged. The boy nodded and bolted upstairs but not before yelling out to you.

"Bye Y/N! I had fun today!" You felt warm at Jack's words, not only because of the fact that he was being kind, but also because of the bigger picture that he was enjoying his time with you, almost as much as you were.

"See you tomorrow, Jack!" You waved at him as he ran up the stairs yet again. You let out a sigh of relief and grabbed your purse off the kitchen counter. "That's some kid you have up there, Aaron. He's so kind and polite. I don't think I've ever met a kid as friendly and as well mannered as he is."

Aaron nodded his head silently, the tone of the room becoming much more dull than it had been about a minute ago when Jack was still downstairs. You watched Aaron grab a clear glass from the cabinet before going into a different one and grabbing a bottle of whiskey. He poured the amber liquid straight into the glass, pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. "Thanks, Y/N."

"No problem." You watched as he took a large drink from the glass, placing the cup down on the counter in front of him. He turned to look at you, leaning on the counter.

He studied you for a moment, just as you did with him. His hair was soft and floppy, a few stray strands resting on his forehead. You saw the way that his warm eyes were almost masked by the appearance of the bags that hung underneath them, a testament to how hard of a worker you assumed he was. His thin lips were held tightly together, not even an inch of a smile evident across them.

A part of you felt awkward with the silence that filled the room as he glanced back between you and the half drunk glass of whiskey in front of him. But another part of you felt that it was normal being that you didn't know much about him and he didn't know much about you.

He stood up and dug around in his satchel for a quick moment before handing you a sealed envelope. On the front of it was Y/N written in handwriting that was almost illegible but yet it was easy for you to read it. "Before I forget," he said quickly. "That's your pay for this week."

"Thank you. I appreciate it." You shoved the envelope into your purse and exhaled deeply. "I guess I better be going."

Aaron took another long sip of his whiskey and swirled the rest of it in his glass. "Mhm," he agreed.

You figured that it was just the exhaustion from the day that made him unsociable. But a part of you was wondering if he just was always this distant with people and closed off. It wouldn't surprise you considering you only knew so much about him.

"Same time tomorrow?" you asked as you started to walk out of the kitchen.

"Yeah. I'll probably be home later tomorrow. Some board of education meeting or some shit like that," he said as he leaned his back against the counter, crossing his feet over one another as he finished the rest of his whiskey.

"No problem. Have a good night, Aaron," you said as you adjusted the strap of your purse on your shoulder.

"You too," he said, unenthusiastically.

Your lips turned up into a small smile before you turned on your heels and left the house, getting into your car. You threw your head back against the headrest and let out a frustrated sigh.

"What the fuck was that about?" you spoke to yourself. You stared at the ceiling of your car for a few seconds before rolling your eyes and turning the key in the ignition.

Once you got back home, after settling in and telling Esmé about your day, you turned in early for the night. You couldn't help but have your mind wander back to Aaron and the way he was so curt with you. It made you question whether or not he was having second guesses about hiring you as his son's babysitter.

You tossed and turned in your bed, trying to get comfortable and shake off the feeling that was churning in your stomach.

You were overthinking. You had to be. He just had a hard day at work. Maybe one of his students pissed him off or a coworker did.

Nonetheless, as you would find out in due time, that would not be the last time you fell asleep with your last thoughts before your eyes closed being all about Aaron Hotchner.

-----

Author's note:

Hello hello! I am so excited for this story you have no idea. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

See you soon!

-jordyn