#i've been sitting on this one for a while

[cheyisagirlkisser]

hi!! could u pls write about prison vi or ellie x sweetheart reader who works as the librarian at the prison <3

𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮. (𝐕𝐈)

content: fem reader who works at stillwater's library, prisoner vi, fluff, powder mention, mention of implied sa, kind of angsty because i can't write stillwater without mentioning the injustice.

a/n: hi anon sorry for the long wait for this request i've been brainstorming for it but decided to wait until frenzy was out to start it. as for ellie, i have an ellie and sweetheart reader fic i've been working on! it's still deep in the drafts though. i hope you enjoy this:)

Stillwater's contents are harsh and hard to look at. The walls, stacks to the highest of heights, are simply grey bricks with cracks that will never see maintenance. The cafeteria's lighting is low and depressing, and the view of the prison from afar is of the alcatraz, only that prison would be a heaven for stillwater's inhabitants.

The cells are even worse, and that is where prisoners stay most of their sentence. Writings on the drab-toned walls is not uncommon. The beds are made of cheap steel, the springs imprinting into the backs of prisoners even through a mattress layer. Stillwater is the type of place you'd see parents make up scary stories about to keep their children out of inevitable trouble.

However, inside the high fence surrounding the institution, there lay one part that is less Edgar Allen Poe-esque.

You take pride in the library you've been given. Just on the first floor and to the right, prisoners can enter through the doors if they are permitted free time. Inside is your job and where you try to make the miserable a bit less miserable.

You were born in Piltover to a wealthy family, though you didn't care for the life of arts and exquisite tastes. Instead, you secured a well-paying job at a prison most people would rather gauge their eyes out than step foot in. It was when you caught a glimpse of a face through a dark, hidden cell that you accepted the job, and from there, you've tried your best to correct enforcer wrongs.

You sit at the front desk, a pen in your hand.

Click. Click. Click. Click.

Around you is the library you've furnished with books-some your favorites, some you've found as donated treasures or upon a relative's dust-collecting shelf. Though it isn't much, you work with the budget given to, as the council calls it, "provide prisoners with educational resources." You'd like to say that it's more than that for you, however.

You've grown fond of a few prisoners, and some are regulars. Many don't bother with the library, but the ones who do are often the people that you think about at night. Their stories keep you up.

A single mother whose choices were limited, while the mouths she needed to feed were needy.

A man whose daughter was spotted on the street by a group of thugs, a man who would rather be put on trial for murders than know that the men walked freely.

Countless stories of people who deserved a lesser sentence or none at all, while the council's own crimes stack like a pile of dirty magazines.

One girl in general separates herself from the rest, however. You find yourself thinking about her the most.

Click, click, click, click.

You hear the door open, two enforcers present behind Vi. They shut the door behind her, and she walks towards you without much hesitation.

"Got anything new for me?" She asks, eyes briefly glancing over the stack of paperwork at your desk before meeting yours.

"It's been a while since you've visited." You notice, as if asking for an explanation.

"What, you miss me or somethin'?" Vi teases, laughing at the small, embarrassed huff that slips past your lips.

"I'm allowed to care for the people here, especially you. Please tell me you didn't get yourself into anymore trouble, Vi. I told you it worries me." Your tone carries a hint of worry that Vi is unfamiliar with in other people. She doesn't get much bonding behind bars, and to be frank, she doesn't know how to take it.

"It wasn't my fault." She says quietly, not quite meeting your concerned gaze. "I just want something to read. Anything new for me?"

You nod, stepping behind the desk and leading her to an aisle a few rows down. It's further out from your desk, and your heels are loud on the ground, especially loud with just you and Vi in your library.

"I'll never get how you walk in those shoes." You hear Vi say from behind you, and you laugh despite the jab.

"I'm used to it." You simply tell her, leading her down through the aisle.

"I forget you're a Piltie." Though that is another insult, there is something fonder hidden behind it. You know how much Vi hates the better-off, and if she forgets she hates you, isn't that a good thing? "You know, when me and my sister were little, I remember how much she wanted a pair of shoes just like those. I always thought they looked silly, but they kinda suit you." She says quietly, a softness in her voice.

You stop at the end of the aisle and grab a novel from the fourth shelf. You turn back to Vi and hold it up for her eyes to read over the title.

"Your Native Land, Your Life." Vi reads aloud, brows furrowed in confusion. "A poetry collection?"

You nod, a small smile on your face. "Yup. Some of her poetry took me a while to understand, but I think the read is worth it. Really beautiful stuff."

Vi nods, and you're glad she doesn't make a move to leave. You take in her tattoed face and the sharpness of her jaw. It always bothers you how little they feed Stillwater prisoners, but at the same time, something in Vi carries a beauty that you like to admire when you're allowed to.

You think that there is something sweet in Vi that can't ever truly die. You see many prisoners harden with their experiences in here, but not Vi. She carries herself with violence in her cell and throughout the hallways with the rest of the group, but the bits of information she shares with you regarding her sister tells you otherwise. The way she speaks to you makes you want to ask what you are to her, but you refrain. It's mere kindness, and you should be professional.

Still, you don't move away or scream for the guards as she currently leans in. You let her breath hit your face.

"You confuse the hell out of me." She tells you, quietly and intimately. When you seem confused, she continues. "I know you've heard the stories about me. The things I've done to people in here. Yet you still look at me like I'm as innocent as a doe."

"You aren't automatically a horrible person because you're here, Vi."

She scoffs, but doesn't step away from you. "I've done shitty things. Doesn't that make me a shitty person?" She speaks, low and vulnerable. Her voice is unusually small.

"I don't think you are." You say quietly. You can't help but smile at each other. Before you can even think, Vi's lips press against yours in a soft, hesitant but sweet kiss. You process what is happening and return the kiss. Your hands cup her jaw, fingers threading through her soft hair. She presses you against the shelf with a hand around your waist, but she doesn't press for more. Her lips move against yours affectionately for a few more seconds, lingering before she reluctantly pulls away.

This is what always gets you-that look in Vi's eyes, vulnerable and loving. You see it when she talks about things she loves, and you long for it when the prison weighs her down. Her thumb makes contact with your cheek and strokes the soft skin.

"You need to get back to your cell. It's almost lights out." You reluctantly say, still not pulling away. Neither of you can seem to seperate, wanting to prolong the moment. "Promise me you'll stay out of trouble?"

"If it means I can visit you again." She plants one last kiss on your lips before letting you go.

You truly feel sympathy for all of Stillwater's prisoners. You think of them and their situations. You think about their families back in the undercity. However, you think of Vi the most, in the dark of your room. You'll let yourself think of her until you drift asleep tonight, and imagine if she were with you, her hands keeping you cozy and tight in her embrace.

taglist: @witzs, @bewareofmyglock, @ruelezz (if the tag doesn't work it's because of your settings!)

[darkmatilda]

𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 | 𝐬.𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐝

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: your toothbrush was in his bathroom, clothes in the wardrobe, and the sheets had long since grown accustomed to the scent of your skin. you were practically living together, but that day, when you're about to move in officially, one conversation with your boss, one ultimatum, and one decision change the purpose for which you're packing your boxes.

𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬/𝐭𝐰: glasses reid x bau!female reader, ugh mostly fluff with a bit of hurt and comfort, unspecified height difference mentioned

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬: 5.k

𝐚/𝐧: it wasn’t a request, but @penelopegarciaismygf kind of suggested it in a conversation—thank you, thank you, love, for the inspiration <3

The golden light seeped through the imperfectly covered window, making its pilgrimage across the entire width of the room straight to your bodies buried under the bedding and, more precisely, to your eyes.

You furrowed your brow and rubbed your still half-asleep eyes. The morning silence was fragile but steady—it seemed to rise and fall gently, adjusting to the rhythm of Spencer’s breathing as he lay on his side, facing you. Although the prospect of crawling out of bed, getting up, and going to work didn’t exactly fill you with enthusiasm or make you want to leap to the ceiling with energy, a small, lazy smile spread naturally across your lips.

Maybe it was because of the expression on his sleeping face—or rather half of it, since the other half was buried in the pillow. Maybe it was those unruly brown hair strands you wanted to smooth with your fingers, but you held back, knowing that waking him when he looked so peaceful and idyllic felt almost like committing a crime. Maybe it was simply his presence.

At that very moment, the sound of the alarm clock snapped you out of your trance and pulled Spencer from his sleep. His temples tensed for a second as his eyes started to open. You quickly leaned over his body to reach the source of the noise, silencing it before it could take over the room.

He opened his eyes, blinking slowly, as if shaking off the heavy grip of sleep that had just held him. Then, his still partly absent gaze focused on the figure hovering above him—on you.

You crawled onto him, pressing your weight down just enough to keep him from sitting up.

"I've got good news for you," you began, resting your forearm on his collarbones and propping your chin on it as you spoke.

Your voice was soft, husky—the first words you’d uttered that morning.

Spencer, just as you intended, remained on his back. His hand had somehow found its way to your hip, as if he were making sure you wouldn’t slip off. Looking at you through half-closed eyes, he gave you a gentle smile. 

“What is it?” he asked, his voice edged with a bit of morning rasp that seemed to make the air between you vibrate ever so slightly.

For a moment, you stayed still, simply looking into his eyes, until you remembered that you both had work that day and couldn’t afford to be late. It didn’t matter how warm his body felt beneath you, wrapping around you like a blanket, or how the scent of the night you’d just spent together lingered softly on his skin.

“A good fairy visited you and is offering an extra five minutes of sleep,” you murmured. “While she makes coffee.”

His eyebrows arched slightly with intrigue.

“Is this fairy an altruist, or is there a catch?”

“Mhm. There is a catch. But it’s a pretty easy one,” you said. “Just one kiss. There could’ve been more, but you get a discount for those pretty eyes.”

You even closed your eyes again, waiting for him to fulfill your request. But Spencer remained still—physically, at least—though his sleepy face showed growing amusement.

“The fairy should know I have a girlfriend,” he replied with a slight shrug. “And she wouldn’t be too happy about me kissing someone else in our bed. Even if it is an incorporeal being.”

You rolled your eyes, though you couldn’t stop the wide smile spreading across your face.

“The fairy already talked to her about it,” you snorted, brushing his hair away from his forehead. “And she thinks five extra minutes of sleep is an offer too good to pass up. So?”

Spencer let out a defeated sigh.

“Well then…”

You leaned in to kiss him, his head still resting on the pillow. Under the pressure of your lips, he sank even deeper into it, and his hand on your hip tightened its hold. His sleepy mind seemed to have forgotten the concept of moderation, wanting everything at once as he pulled you even closer. For a moment, he forgot to breathe, letting out a soft, involuntary whimper when you pulled away. It wasn’t easy, but someone had to make sure you both didn’t end up getting fired.

“Five minutes,” you reminded him before sliding off of him and then out of bed. 

Well, you didn’t mention that you’d already wasted at least half of that time teasing each other.

He kept his head slightly raised, as if wanting to see you off with all the honor and dignity his sleepy state could muster, following you with his gaze until you reached the bedroom door. But as soon as your foot crossed the threshold, the rustle of the sheets announced his swift retreat back into them, fully intending to make the most of the time granted by the good fairy.

After a wake-up like that, a gentle smile lingered on your lips as you made your way to the bathroom. You’d left a toothbrush there for yourself a while ago, and not long after, a face wash had joined it. Before you knew it, your collection of toiletries at your boyfriend’s place had grown larger than the one at your own. The realization hit you one evening when you and the girls from the team were getting ready for a night out—you couldn’t find your favorite lipstick because, well, it was there. Same with your favorite perfume.

Most of your clothes.

You could say that your entire life’s belongings had slowly started to migrate.

It didn’t bother you—in fact, you were spending more and more time there anyway, and it was convenient to have everything within reach. But it did create a bit of a cycle. You spent another night at Spencer’s place because all your things were there, and all your things were there because you spent another night at Spencer’s place.

Soon enough, your own apartment started to feel a bit foreign. Almost like all those hotels you ended up in while working on cases. Sure, you could relax there, catch your breath after a long day, but it just wasn’t the same.

You headed to the kitchen to make the promised coffee. At that exact moment, Spencer appeared in the doorway as well. His eyes weren’t fully open yet, and his hair was a true mess—barely deserving to be called hair at all. He was trying to put his glasses on the wrong way, accidentally poking himself in the eye.

A snort escaped you.

"I seriously doubt even the strongest coffee could pull you out of this state," you remarked with a touch of amused sarcasm.

"It doesn't hurt to try," he groaned, this time managing to put his glasses on correctly and without risking an eye injury. That’s when his gaze fully landed on you. His lips parted slightly, as if he’d just remembered something. "The mugs are—"

"Here," you finished, opening the exact cabinet where they were stored. Spencer nodded, mouthing a silent right. "You don't have to remind me every time," 

"I know, sorry," he sighed, moving closer to you at the counter where you were making coffee and leaning against it sideways.

His hand, straightened at the elbow, rested on the edge, and the pads of his fingers tapped out a rhythm, as if lost in thought. A similar expression appeared on his face. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed him watching you in a thoughtful way.

Handing him the mug of freshly made coffee, you raised your eyebrows.

"Do I have toothpaste around my mouth or what?" you asked.

"What?" He jolted, completely caught off guard by your question. For a moment, he froze in place, then shook his head, realizing he'd zoned out. "No—I... Thanks for the coffee," he said, still looking somewhat dazed.

You tilted your head to the side with curiosity. Was it just regular sleepiness, or something more? Somehow, you had a gut feeling that something a bit more elusive was behind his behavior. You were probably becoming an expert at reading him.

"You're welcome," you replied.

"I really like when you're here in the morning."

"Because I make you coffee?"

He let out a chuckle, lowering his gaze to his mug. Standing so close, only two wisps of steam rising from your drinks separated you. You slowly set yours down on the counter, adopting a more focused, expectant stance.

"Not just because of that," he denied, the corners of his lips twitching slightly. For a moment, he held his mug in an uncertain grip, as if he'd forgotten what it was for. Only after a prolonged sigh did he also set it aside, briefly rubbing his forehead.

"Maybe I should put it better. It's not just that I like when you're here in the morning."

He paused, lifting his eyes to meet yours through the small difference in height between you. You saw how the softness in his dark, now fully awake eyes mingled with a hint of nervousness. He swallowed.

"I like when you're here. Just...here."

For some reason, an inexplicable stress washed over you too. For a moment, you felt surprised by it, only to realize a beat later what this feeling was called.

Excitement.

"Mhm," you hummed slowly. "I like it too. I mean, being here."

You thought you knew where this conversation was headed. You thought you wanted to help guide it there, but at the same time, you didn’t want to apply any pressure. If he didn’t ask, that was fine. But if he did...

"I've actually been thinking about this a lot lately," Spencer continued. "You know, we work together. I mean, I know you know we work together..." He blinked. "Okay, from the top. What I meant to say is that since we work together, it would actually be quite practical. We wouldn’t have to commute from two different places and...and our carbon footprint would be smaller..."

"Spencer—"

 "...So it wouldn’t just be convenient, but also economical and, I think, enjoyable, because, as we both just agreed, we like being here, with each other..."

You opened your mouth, but he beat you to it again.

"But if not, that's totally fine. I’m not trying to pressure you, of course—the most important thing is whether you want to, whether we both want to, but I just... I just wanted you to know that I really would like that, and it’s just a matter of..."

"Spencer, are you trying to ask me to move in with you?"

You felt that if you didn’t put it into clear words yourself, he might never get there. He’d sooner deliver an entire lecture on CO2 emissions, lose his train of thought halfway through, and somehow end up talking about the JFK assassination—leaving both of you completely unsure what his original point was.

You couldn’t really criticize him for it, because you knew you’d listen, completely enchanted, for an embarrassingly long time—thinking about how adorable he was when he drifted off-topic without even realizing it.

Spencer paused for a moment, his lips slightly parted, as if he were in shock that it was possible to say it so simply. He nodded eagerly.

You, too, froze for a moment, because, well, it had just hit you. He had really meant to ask that from the beginning—it wasn’t just a figment of your imagination or some mistaken assumption. You drew in a deeper breath, nodding even more eagerly, because forming a full sentence had suddenly become quite difficult.

"Are you sure?" The question slipped out, and he seemed amused by it.

Okay, asking that after he even brought up ecological reasons was seriously unnecessary.

"Of course I am. I've been sure for a while, actually. I wanted to suggest it earlier... but I didn't know how you felt. I wasn't sure if you’d think it was too soon."

You took a sip of coffee, barely tasting it because you were so absorbed in the situation and his words. You, too, had spent a lot of time thinking about moving in together, not knowing how to bring up the topic. There was no universal rule for when a couple should start considering living together—no ancient script with a clear decree to do it after a set number of months. They say that living together is what truly tests a couple, showing you each other in the most intimate situations, in a place where the dress code requires taking off the mask. It's not uncommon for this stage to be the beginning of the end.

But you weren’t worried about that at all. You knew you’d make it work—this thought dominated your mind, and no doubts could withstand its strength. After all, you’d already been practically living together for a while; bringing a few more things from your apartment wouldn’t change anything—if anything, it would only solidify what already was.

The only stress you felt was the good kind.

"I’ll need to move everything over. Well, it’s not that much since most of it’s already here, but still, it’s a job for a day off, which means..." You were already planning everything and estimating how many boxes you’d need. The effect of excitement, probably.

But then your gaze fell on the clock, then on your boyfriend, still in his loose sleep t-shirt, and finally on your own clothes.

"Oh, shit, Spencer, we’re gonna be late!"

He straightened up, realizing the same thing. You pressed the mug to your lips, wanting to finish your coffee as quickly as possible and immediately get moving to get dressed. Despite the rush, you still tried to savor that morning.

Soon, good fairies, moving plans, and cardboard boxes would be replaced by something else—specifically bodies, victims, and unsubs.

*

"I'm exhausted," you groaned, leaning your shoulder and temple against the wall.

Concern shimmered in Spencer's eyes as he stood across from you.

"We'll be home soon," he reassured you gently. But then, his brow furrowed. "At least, I hope we'll be home soon. I have no idea what Hotch wants to talk to us about. Do you?"

You shook your head. The boss had told you both to wait for him outside his office, so there you were, leaning against the wall opposite the door with his name on it. You wondered what this could be about, but you were too tired to really care. The last three days had been spent working on an incredibly difficult case in another state, and all you wanted now was to crash into bed, snuggle up against your boyfriend, and erase everything from your memory.

Tense, you wrapped your arms around yourself.

"I swear, if he comes in here to tell us we're going on some secret mission to Florida to chase a cannibal who makes human soup, I won’t even cry," you declared. "I'll just jump out the window right away."

"You’d lose your job," Spencer pointed out. "And, well, you’d die."

"Interesting that you mentioned losing my job first. Boyfriend of the year, no doubt."

"Oh, don’t complain."

He snorted, but a tiny, tired smile lingered on his lips. Before moving closer to you, he glanced around. At work, you both rarely showed affection—it was something you had mutually agreed upon. Well, the FBI wasn’t exactly the place for that kind of thing.

However, the fact that you were completely alone in that hallway convinced him to break your private protocol. He leaned in just enough to press a soft kiss to the top of your head.

“We’ll survive the talk with Hotch, and then it’s just…”

“Sleeping,” you finished with a dreamy sigh, resting your temple against his chest.

“Well, not exactly,” he replied. His hand found its way to your head, fingers gently tangled in your hair. “Tomorrow, we’re spending the whole day cleaning out your old place, remember?”

You let out a long groan.

“Why can’t everything just magically transport itself instead of needing actual human effort…”

“Because…” Before he could respond with some undoubtedly logical explanation, something alerted him, and he stepped back from you.

You glanced over your shoulder. Hotch was approaching, clad in a black suit and, much like you both, wearing a less-than-fresh expression.

"I'm glad you stayed," he said, his tone a bit robotic and devoid of any emotion, which amusingly contrasted with his words.

As if we had a choice, you thought as he led you into his office. He took a seat on the other side of the desk, and you quickly exchanged glances with Reid. You were both starting to feel a bit anxious. There was something in Hotch’s posture and stride that didn’t exactly suggest, say, a raise.

"Did something happen?" Spencer asked, his brow furrowing. "Is it about the case, or maybe the report...?"

"No, it has nothing to do with that," Hotch stated. You held back from exchanging another glance. He froze for a moment, his gaze fixed on both of you, but his expression gave nothing away. Then...he sighed.

"We're all tired, so I'll get straight to the point. This is about the two of you."

"I think we figured that much out," you remarked.

The sarcasm wasn’t meant to be rude—it slipped out as a natural response to the sudden wave of stress that washed over you. Hotch's gaze lingered on you for a moment, and that was all it took. You knew what this was about. You simply felt it.

"You know that relationships between agents aren’t exactly encouraged here."

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Spencer’s face grow taut. A prolonged silence fell over the room. Neither of you spoke, as if staying quiet might somehow halt the conversation altogether—freeze it in that moment and then let it melt away, disappearing like a cube of ice.

A lump formed in your throat, so massive it made swallowing difficult.

"But they aren't forbidden," you said.

It was true—there was no such rule. If there had been...well, you weren’t sure what would’ve happened to you two. Would you have hidden it? Or maybe you’d never have allowed anything to develop between you in the first place? It wasn’t the kind of question you pondered for fun before falling asleep, so you genuinely had no idea.

In theory, you hadn’t done anything wrong, yet in practice, you were sitting in Hotch’s office.

Something had to be up—something had to be wrong.

"Which doesn't change the fact that such relationships are not looked upon favorably," your boss continued. There was no reprimand in his voice—he wasn’t scolding you for being together. In fact, you doubted he cared about it at all. The fact that you were in a relationship hadn’t changed the way you did your job in any way.

"And it also doesn't change the fact that you've attracted particular attention," he paused for a longer moment, cleared his throat, still incredibly calm, though something was beginning to break through on his face as he stared at you both. Displeasure? "If it were up to me..."

"It actually is up to you," Spencer interrupted him, sitting as straight as a string in his seat, staring at him almost without blinking. There was a silent plea in that gaze. And perhaps the last echoes of denial that had long since quieted in you. That’s why you didn’t even flinch when Hotch shook his head. "Right? You could vouch for us...It didn’t start yesterday, you know our relationship has never once caused us to botch a case, or anything like that, not once has it negatively impacted an investigation—"

"Reid, I am fully aware of that. This is not my decision," he emphasized. His next words came out slightly quieter. "Just as it’s not my decision which one of you will leave the team. I know this will be difficult, but I’m leaving it up to you."

Spencer parted his lips, not knowing what to say, while you only took a loud breath and held it at the top. Suddenly, you didn’t feel sleepy anymore. You felt as if a soap bubble had burst right in front of your eyes, and a bit of the stinging liquid had gotten into them. But above all, everything colorful and wonderfully distorted by the bubble’s shifting surface had suddenly vanished.

You could have predicted this. The last few months had been going too well. Something had to burst.

You were the first to shake off the shock and rise from your seat. Your movements felt as if something was restraining you.

“We’ll let you know what we decide,” you said to your boss.

Spencer stared at you with a dazed expression. Not directly at your face, but at the calmness surrounding you. He shook his head, not blinking.

“No, wait, we don’t—” he trailed off, watching Hotch nod as you slowly moved toward the door. He stood up as well, but he didn’t look like he intended to follow you. “We can just figure this out; no one has to leave the team. Who decided this?”

“We should go,” you said quietly, before Hotch could answer him.

He met your gaze, a hint of disbelief in his eyes. From his perspective, it might have seemed strange—as if you were choosing to give up without so much as a discussion or an attempt to change anything. But perhaps you simply accepted things more easily, even the worst news, and recognized when a situation was truly lost.

That didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.

Spencer finally decided to follow you, clearly unsettled by your strange behavior. Before you both left, you managed to exchange a fleeting glance with Hotch. Brief, yet filled with a certain understanding. Because he, of course, knew.

You didn’t have a heated argument on the way to your car—in fact, you didn’t say a word. He watched you closely, and it was clear that so many questions were pushing against his lips, a whole shapeless, chaotic mass of them. That state lingered even inside, the parking lot nearly deserted, and the night—just an ordinary night like any other day of the year—felt somehow withdrawn and distant, as if it was afraid to come between you.

"I don't understand you," Spencer finally said, his hands dropping onto his knees in a gesture filled with helplessness. He had been sitting completely turned toward the front windshield, his gaze fixed there, and only shifted it to you a second before speaking. "Instead of trying to handle this, you decided to walk out."

"Because it can't be handled," you said firmly, pressing your back hard against the seat. "We can argue and try, of course we can, but what's the point? This isn't some new school rule we don't like—it's our job, our team, and a whole lot of people above us. "Listen, I don't want it to look like I just gave up right away. I just looked at it realistically. If even Hotch couldn't do anything..." You waved your hand with a sigh, as if that gesture could finish the sentence.

Spencer took off his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes. He drew out the motion, gathering his thoughts.

"It's not fair that he left us with this decision," he said after a long moment. "Basically speaking, he just dumped it on us. And what are we supposed to do now? Choose which one of us leaves the team?"

You didn't feel like the question needed an answer. This was the situation you were in—that was the fact—and even Spencer seemed to be starting to understand it. You didn't have the strength to face the looming sense of injustice. It would be different if you had actually committed some violation or broken any rules. Then, at least, it would make sense. But as it stood, you were put in this position simply because word of your relationship had reached the wrong ears—ears that had decided to shut it down, seemingly out of nothing more than some arbitrary whim.

You looked at each other again, in a quiet stillness that made it harder for you to breathe. He gave a slight nod, swallowing. He didn’t look like someone making a decision. He looked simply lost. Like you, he was exhausted. Combined, the two of you sat side by side, incredibly fragile and weak, forced to make an overwhelming decision in this state.

You wanted to speak, but he beat you to it.

"I can do it," he declared. He cut the last syllable short, almost swallowing it, as if he was afraid his voice might break. He held eye contact with you only sporadically, but you didn’t need to look into his eyes—or even at him—to understand the obvious truth. That this job meant so much to him. "I have...I really have plenty of other offers. There’s bound to be something even better than the BAU. You should stay."

"Don’t be ridiculous."

"I'm not," he insisted. "I...I'm a good profiler, but I’ve never been great in the field. Not as good as you. You’re smart, you adapt well to new situations. If you stay, you’ll be far more valuable to them than I ever could be."

He looked into your eyes, and the fact that he was saying what he truly felt seemed almost too much to bear. You hid your face in your hands for a fleeting moment, then stretched out your hand, stopping him from saying anything more.

"We’re not discussing this," you declared.

It was, in a way, cruel—to have to look each other in the eye and say out loud which of you mattered more. But, thankfully, you didn’t have to do that. For one reason, a reason that echoed through all the looks Hotch had given you during your conversation. And whose beginning lay a few weeks back, in the offer you had received—but had kept entirely to yourself.

"Well, I’d rather not either, but we have to—"

"We don’t have to," you interrupted him, exhaling sharply. For a moment, you turned your face toward the side window before looking back at him to say the words you hadn’t yet had the chance to voice out loud. "I...Two weeks ago, I also received an offer. Something... something really serious, but I didn’t want to tell anyone because I knew you’d try to convince me to take it, and that would mean, um...it would mean..."

He gently reached for your arm.

"Maybe you should start from the beginning?"

Focusing on his touch, you nodded.

"It's Interpol. And well, not exactly a job—it's training. Undercover Operations and Covert Techniques, something...something that would give me a lot of opportunities."

"Is that something you’d want?"

"Spencer, it's in the Netherlands."

You saw it—the expression on his face shifted for a fraction of a second. He lowered his gaze to hide it, then returned to his original position, forcing a slight smile that didn’t quite land.

"But still. Is it something you want?"

Slowly, you reached for his hand on your shoulder, covering it with your own. You gently ran your fingers over the back of his hand, over his knuckles.

 "I don’t want to leave you."

He leaned his face closer to yours, gently shaking his head from side to side.

"That’s not something that should hold you back. Did you want to take it?"

You shrugged, because, truly, it was a complicated matter for you.

"I was considering it, but I was a bit scared. I’ve gotten used to our team. Well, after today’s conversation with Hotch, I’d probably agree to it without hesitation—after all, one of us has to," you explained on an exhale. "But it’s a different continent, and lately...lately, everything has been so good. Between us. Not that it wasn’t before, but recently, I keep catching myself thinking that I love you, and it feels so natural and so honest and so good, and I was supposed to move in tomorrow, and I feel like I’m going to ruin everything by leaving right now..."

You fell silent, feeling the first tears welling up in your eyes under the weight of all the thoughts and doubts. You tried to push them away by looking up and blinking faster. When you looked at him again, his gaze followed your actions with a gentle sadness.

“You won’t ruin anything,” he promised quietly, his hand shifting in yours, trying to hold on more firmly. Slowly, you relaxed your fingers around his. “It was good, you’re right, but... we can’t stay in the same place forever. And it wouldn’t be wise to turn down such an offer just because of this.”

You stayed quiet for a moment. Once you’d started spilling your doubts and fears, it was hard to stop.

“It’s not just that,” you admitted hesitantly. “I know you know the statistics. What percentage of relationships fall apart when one person leaves?”

“It doesn’t matter because statistics don’t apply to us,” he stated firmly, straightening slightly. “Statistics say drowning in a bathtub is more likely than a plane crash, and I’m sure you’re more stressed about flying than taking a bath.”

"I don’t know what you’re getting at."

 "Me neither."

You stared at him in silence for a moment before the corners of your mouth curled up. It was a somewhat bitter smile, a paradoxical expression of the weight on your chest and the fears swirling inside you. You took a deeper breath, the air trembling as it moved through your lungs, and leaned in to rest your forehead against his. A simple gesture, allowing yourself to close your eyes and, if only for a brief moment, shut off your mind.

"I love you too," he said after a long moment.

You opened your eyes, a bit surprised by the suddenness of his confession.

"Earlier, you said you catch yourself thinking that you love me. And well, if my memory serves me right...I never really told you that, at least not directly. But I do, and maybe, hm, maybe that's why I know that we'll be alright. No matter what happens."

A part of you wanted to ask out loud if he truly believed that. Another part didn’t need any more reassurance—constantly seeking it only fed your insecurities and fears. So you simply nodded gently, your foreheads still pressed together.

“We’ll be alright,” you echoed him.

Those words carried a certain calm with them. They weren’t a promise that could be kept or broken, setting you up for great disappointment. They were simply a fact, tossed into the air, and despite their lightness, they found their own path, eventually sticking to your heart.

“Can we go home now?”

He pulled his head back, leaving his hand in yours, and just nodded softly.

[dduane]

Children of that age are the best. So many of them can look clear-eyed at the horrors most of us can't bear. (C&P-ing this because I've written about it elsewhere and can't improve on it.)

A moment burned into my brain:

A children’s theater thing in Central Park, sometime in the late 70s. A crowd of kids of ages… oh, 7 to 10 or thereabouts. A fairy-tale-ish story’s being enacted for them. A princely hero’s been given a sword to take on a journey and instructed not to put it down under any circumstances or Very Bad Things will happen.

Shortly the prince runs into a witch (as one does). She wants the sword, and starts wheedling him to put it down, take a rest, it must be so heavy, etc etc. He resists for a while but finally begins to think about agreeing, about putting it down. And while this is happening, a Monster is creeping up behind him.

Shrieks of warning from the horrified audience as the Monster gets closer and closer. “No, no!” “Look out!” “It’s right behind you!” “Don’t put it down!”

And into one of those unpredictable spaces of silence that sometimes falls in live performance, a single voice speaks up. Little girl sitting not far from me, one of those absolutely angelic-faced children, maybe seven years old, like a little doll. And she says, with piercing clarity and sheer bloodthirsty relish:

"Go ahead. Put it down! Let's see what happens."

...That child's who I write for. :)

I was talking to a kid in my daughter’s class today, and she said that she thought it would be fun to write a story about the Titanic, but with supernatural creatures.

So I said, “Yeah, that would great! What would the creatures do? Would they save the Titanic from sinking?”

And she gave me the most disgusted look. I have never seen a 9 year old face look so appalled.

“No,” she said, speaking very clearly so as to never be so grossly misunderstood again, “they’re going to eat the passengers.”

God I hope she lets me read it.

[fanged-fanfics]

hey broski! I hope you don't mind, requesting

Pure Vanilla/Shadow Milk x Sorcerer! Eldritch Magic User!Reader, Oneshot if you can :) Their gender is whatever, They/Them

Reader was Pure Vanilla's assistant or bodyguard like Wild berry, and they weren't from vanilla kingdom, but they worked as Pure Vanilla's and tries to fit in, they have a special abilities(Doctor Strange's magic bcuz yes, also bonus if they used to be non-magic cookie) They're mature and responsible.

Reader was a older sibling/Parent-figure to Gingerbrave's friends.

They all visit to Beast Yeast together and yeah, I don't know. You can add and go crazy. Thank you!

☆ A Stroll Into Town — Pure Vanilla and Shadow Milk (seperate) x Bodyguard!Reader ☆

Genre: Fluff || they/them pronouns for reader || No warnings needed

──────.𖥔 ݁ ˖˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ──────

You walked dutifully along Pure Vanilla, a contained Shadow Milk being dragged behind you both. While the deceitful beast was passive, you'd decided it had been far too long since visiting your friend Gingerbrave. He'd attempted to write you a few times to tell of his adventures, and you missed seeing him in person. "We'll be coming up in just a moment, I think" Pure Vanilla said through the silence. Shadow Milk struggled against the restraints you had him in "I'm so BOOOOREEDD!! Can't I have a little break? I'm gonna crumble away at this rate!" He cried.

You spun around, pointing your sword in his direction "Quiet. You will be detained when the time calls for it". Shadow Milk didn't seem deterred, and he blew a raspberry in your direction. You leaned back with an unamused look, Pure Vanilla patting your shoulder. "Patience, my knight. He'll have his due time". You grumbled, but gave an obedient nod, walking forwards and dragging the fallen beast once more.

You soon entered through a thick patch of trees, peering into a building Kingdom on the other side. Many Sugar Gnomes flooded the place, building stones up with shovels and saws to make the walls. You walked in perfect tandem with Pure Vanilla, and a familiar Cookie turned to see you, his blue eyes shining with excitement. The next thing you knew, you were being tackled to the ground in a hug. "YOU MADE IT!!! The castle is being rebuilt right now, but I'm SOSOSO happy you're here!" Gingerbrave exclaimed brightly.

You grunted while sitting up, patting the shoulder of the crushing hold you were in "Wouldn't miss it for all of Earthbread. Now let me breathe-" you replied. Gingerbrave pulled back "Oh- sorry! I've been getting so strong recently" he said, grinning as he flexed one of his thin crispy arms "Must be all that adventuring". You smiled, chuckling a little "I'm sure. But I bet you still couldn't beat me". "Oh yeah? I bet I could!" Gingerbrave shot back confidently.

You glanced up to Pure Vanilla, who was smiling warmly at seeing you so relaxed. He gave an approving nod, and you stood, facing your now-opponent "Come on, let's put it to the test" you said. Gingerbrave got a running start, causing you to chase after him. Meanwhile, Pure Vanilla positioned Shadow Milk onto a nearby bench. The beast was still grumbling, practically pouting now "This is what we came here for? Ugh, you're making me think a jailcell would've been a better option"

"On the contrary, this is exactly the kind of exposure you need" Pure Vanilla said, taking a seat nearby. When Shadow Milk glared at him in confusion, he went on, "Look around, Shadow Milk. All these Cookies coming together to build something great. Not just a kingdom, but a home. Even our dear knight can't help but join in". He turned his eye staff to the Cookies running about, using it to see the scenery "They're family, friends, comrades. It's everything you need to learn"

"BOOORRIIINNNG" Shadow Milk interrupted, leaning back in his seat "Sheesh, and just when I wanted to think you couldn't get any worse, you bring out the friendship speech. Give it a rest, you fool". Pure Vanilla just gave a shrug. He was always irritated with Shadow Milk, but it wasn't in his nature to lash out or snap. Not after that first time... he focused on his deep breathing instead, finding comfort in watching you battle with your pals.

Shadow Milk rolled his eyes, but found his gaze going to the same area. You looked so carefree out there. So unapologetically yourself. Just you, the sun beaming down, and the thrill of battle. He didn't remember a time where he ever saw you look happier. Maybe there could be something there.. a spot carved out in the earth for something even as vile as him. Maybe a spot right beside you, if he wanted to really hope. But he shoved the thought back down when remembering the scowl you always fixed him with. It was stupid to get his hopes up, he figured. But for now, he was drawn to your form, awestruck by you, and he felt no need to look away.

[greenwitchfromthewoods]

father. l Joel Miller

Summary: life decided to surprise you

Warnings: angst, sad, some fluff, anger, crying, worries, vomiting ; Ellie appears there, mention of pregnancy

A/N: ok so, i've been planning this for a while now, i hope you'll take this chapter well and have mercy on me. i'm waiting for your opinions. thank you

your feedback is very important to me and I thank you for all the reblogs, comments and likes. 🖤 sorry for all the mistakes

short stories from life. [masterlist]

It was still early, the sun had only recently begun to slowly break through the curtains of your bedroom. The silence in the room was broken only by your steady breathing as you curled up in a deep sleep, unaware that Joel was no longer asleep.

He rested his head on his hand and watched you closely. The strands of your hair spilling over the pillow, he saw how your chest rose with your gentle breath, noticed the delicate movements of your body and felt your warmth.

God, he loved you so much, and at the same time he had been feeling a strange fear. It all started almost two weeks ago when he made himself some coffee in the morning, and after entering the kitchen you immediately ran to the bathroom.

"It must be yesterday's stew." You mumbled when your stomach had already calmed down, and Joel insisted that you should stay at home that day.

However, the situation repeated itself several times. Joel was on patrol at the time, but Ellie told him about it, warning him that you forbade her to tell anyone about it, especially Joel.

"It could be something serious." she mumbled, clearly concerned that she was breaking her promise to you. "I don't want anything to happen to her."

It worried him, and even more so because you pretended that there was no problem. Joel wasn't stupid, so he let every thought come to his mind, even the one that scared him the most.

"When was the last time you bled?"

You looked at him in surprise, fluffing the pillow. "What kind of question is that?"

He picked up the sheets from the ground that were supposed to go to the wash and shrugged. "I just wondered. Didn't you think that maybe..."

He noticed how you frowned and tensed up. Apparently you didn't let that thought get to you, but Joel did. He had been a father before, he knew perfectly well how pregnancy went and was a good observer.

"Maybe what?" you asked quietly.

"I think you might be pregnant." he finally said and you chuckled.

"Please." you snorted, "That's impossible."

"Why?" He put the sheets on the bed and rested his arms on his hips. "You're nauseous, more sleepy, your breasts...are bigger. Baby, have you considered that you could..."

"No!" you interrupted him firmly "I know pulling out isn't the best method of contraception, but we're careful." Joel raised his eyebrows and you groaned "Why do you even have to bring this up?" you sat down on the bed, burying your face in your hands.

"Sweetheart, I know it's hard..." he said, coming over and sitting next to you, he stroked your back slowly "But... I remember what it looked like, and now I see it on you. We should check it out and..."

"No!" you interrupted him abruptly and stood up unexpectedly "I'm not pregnant. It's just some stupid virus or something. I'm tired and that's all."

The tears that appeared in your eyes hurt him. The thought of pregnancy, of a child, was painful for him, but then he realized what you could feel. You knew about Sarah and that he had lost her. You had to find out since her name was in Tommy's house. However, you never talked about it, you never asked him about that life. And now...

You must have been terrified and you didn't allow yourself to think about this possibility at all.

The next few days passed by avoiding the topic. Joel knew that you were vomiting, although you tried to hide it. He saw how you were fighting sleep. You were so incredibly stubborn not to admit to yourself what he was trying to tell you. So he had to take matters into his own hands.

You slowly opened your eyes and stretched. You didn't even have time to greet him when three pregnancy tests appeared before your eyes.

"I got them on the last patrol." Joel announced "Please, just do it. If it's a virus, I'll leave you alone. I want to make sure you're safe."

You wanted to rebel, you wanted to talk him out of this stupid idea, but you gave in. It made no sense. So you disappeared into the bathroom for the longest five minutes of your lives.

Joel knew he'd never forget the look on your face when you opened the door. Your eyes were wide, and your face was filled with terror and shock. He'd barely taken the test from your hand when you'd slumped to the floor, tears streaming down your face.

All three were positive.

It was like a punch in the gut. He'd guessed that might be the case, but the reality had overwhelmed him.

"I can't, I can't, Joel..." you repeated as he stared at the result, unable to gather his thoughts, "God, what have I done!"

"Honey, it's not just you..." he said sitting down next to you and taking you in his arms, but nothing reached you.

No words from him, no comforting. You cried until you got tired and fell asleep again.

"A baby? You're having a baby?" Tommy looked at Joel in surprise "Wow! I mean... That's great, right?"

It was late. Jackson was shrouded in darkness when Joel appeared on his brother's porch. Despite the invitation, he didn't go inside, he was too shaken to even sit down.

Now that he had confessed to his brother what you had found out that morning, he felt the reality starting to creep in.

"I'm too old for this." he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief "I can't believe that.. Shit! Do you know what I put her through? I was stupid to think that I could have a normal life, that we could pretend that..."

"Fuck, Joel!" Tommy hissed, looking at him angrily "What are you talking about?! You love her!"

"So what?!" he snapped "That won't save her and...the baby."

He was furious. He clenched his hands on the porch railing, not even knowing what he expected. The strong need to throw it all away made Joel go to his brother, but he didn't support him. No, he told him that what he was so afraid of was wonderful.

"Would you marry her if the world was different?"

The question surprised him. He looked at Tommy, confused.

"It's a simple question." Tommy leaned back next to him and folded his arms over his chest. "Would you marry her? Would you like to have this child then?"

He slowly nodded.

"You think you don't deserve a normal life, but that's not true. You have the right to be happy, and she gives it to you. I'm sure she's scared too..."

"She's been crying nonstop since this morning, she hasn't eaten much…" Joel replied. "I'm scared, you know. I don't want to lose her… Her and the baby."

"When Maria was pregnant I was scared too. But we have a really good doctor in Jackson. We have the equipment."

Joel closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He felt like Tommy had lifted some of the burden off his shoulders and filled his heart with a little hope.

"Please don't tell anyone in Jackson." he said finally. "Let's keep this between us for now."

"Sure." Tommy patted him on the back. "Of course, she won't be going on patrols anymore. I'll find someone else to take her place."

"Thanks."

It was earlier when he went down to the kitchen and noticed with surprise that Ellie was preparing tea and breakfast. She bustled around without a word and put everything on a tray as if she wanted to take it somewhere.

"What are you doing?" Joel asked, and the girl almost jumped.

"What does it look like?" she snapped. "I'm making her breakfast. She hasn't eaten since yesterday. I don't know what's wrong with her, but if she keeps this up, she'll spit her stomach out. Maybe she should see a doctor, eh?"

"The doctor probably won't help her now." Joel snapped, pouring himself some coffee.

Ellie put the pan in the sink and looked at him in surprise. "What do you mean?" she asked "Don't tell me she's pregnant or something."

Joel swallowed a sip of coffee, but didn't answer. He also didn't see Ellie's eyes widen with excitement.

"Oh, fuck!" she screamed excitedly and immediately fell silent, scolded by Joel's look. "Really?! Shit, dude! I thought you knew how this would end, but you're so crazy about her that I'm not surprised. A baby…"

She took the tray in her hands, but immediately put it down as if something had occurred to her.

"That's why she's crying so much," she said worriedly, "I saw her eyes. She hasn't left the room since yesterday."

"She's..." Joel didn't know how to put it all into words, it was so surreal, "It caught us off guard. We don't know how to deal with it yet."

"What do you mean?" Ellie grimaced, "You love each other, you're going to have a baby. It's pretty simple."

He raised a hand to stop the girl, because her stream of thoughts was slowly overwhelming him. "It's not that simple, Ellie. Bringing a child into this world is risky."

The girl shrugged. "But you're his father, right? You'll keep her and the little one safe. This kid really hit the jackpot. I know what I'm talking about! I don't know my father or mom, but you two are doing a really good job."

It was late when Joel took you to the clinic two days later. The streets of Jackson were dark, and Dr. Morris opened the door for you without unnecessary remarks. You didn't want anyone to see you, you didn't want anyone to know.

Even though you weren't crying anymore, everything still seemed unrealistic to you. At first you denied the thought of pregnancy, then you blamed yourself, and none of Joel's words could change that. Even though it was hard for him, he finally accepted it. You would have a child, he would be a father again.

Maybe Tommy was right? Maybe he had a chance for a little happiness in his life? He had Ellie, who was like a daughter to him. And he had you. And you were everything. With you, he felt as if you took his heart in your hands and took care of it. He couldn't imagine any other life than with you. What if the world looked different? Yes, Tommy was right. He wouldn't hesitate. Even though Joel had already been burned once, and even though his heart was broken, with you he wanted to try again.

"This might feel a little uncomfortable." Doctor Morris said as you settled down and pulled your shirt up, the cool gel covering your lower abdomen. "Don't worry. It'll take a moment."

You nodded. Your hand nervously gripped the edge of the couch, but Joel noticed and took it in his. He was sitting right next to you, and now he kissed your hand and stared at the screen.

"Okay." The doctor pressed a few switches and ran the probe over your skin. "We've got everything here... Give me a second. Oh, yes! Here it is."

He pointed to something small inside your uterus. "It's still tiny. This could be week five or six."

You started counting quickly in your head. It had to have happened before Shane's wedding. Maybe when you came back from one of the dances? Maybe when Ellie was staying over at a friend's and you and Joel finally had the house to yourselves? You looked at him and saw that the same thoughts were swirling in his head.

And then the doctor pressed something and you heard a strange sound. A steady, regular, clattering sound.

"The heart is beating strongly." Morris smiled "It should come in mid-winter, I think. Everything looks fine now."

It was only when you both left the clinic and the door closed behind you, only when the cold wind swept your face, that you felt that it was all real.

Joel placed a hesitant hand on the lower part of your back "How do you feel?" he asked.

"I have no idea, really." you replied "It's... It's overwhelming and it's so hard for me to believe it."

"Me too. I didn't think I'd ever face something like this again, but with you... With you I could do it."

You looked at him, you knew that it must have been hard for Joel too. Neither of you planned this, you didn't even talk about it.

"Do you want this baby?" you asked quietly.

He was silent for a moment, but finally those brown eyes that you loved so much looked at you and you knew. "I would like to have everything with you. No matter what you decide, I will always be by your side, baby. We will handle it."

"I know..." you smiled slightly and reached for his hand.

For the first time, he touched your belly with the thought that your child was inside. Safe and sound, not knowing how scared his parents were. But Joel felt it, he felt that warm feeling again that slowly filled his heart and gave him hope.

He could have everything again. With you.

"I'm so fucking scared." you whispered.

"Yeah, baby. Me too."

☆☆☆☆

Thank you for your time.

taglist, i think: @picketniffler @orcasoul @bbyanarchist @o-sacra-virgo-laudes-tibi @somedayheaven @underneath-the-sky-again @callmebyyournick-name

[dailyadventureprompts]

Every so often I'll watch one of those "actually, d&d SUCKS" videos to self flagellate myself look for for genuine critique/unique game design perspectives and more often than not I'll just be gritting my teeth together the entire time like

NONE OF YOU ARE ACTUALLY PLAYING THE GAME, YOU'RE SITTING AROUND IN FORUMS THEORYCRAFTING "OPTIMIZED" BUILDS IN A PERFECTLY SMOOTH MATH-SPACE WITH IDEAL CONDITIONS, INFINITE RESOURCES, AND A DM WITH NO INTEREST IN DOING ANYTHING BUT RUNNING COMBAT ENCOUNTERS. CRITIQUE THE MATH ALL YOU WANT, YOU'RE MISSING THE POINT THAT THE NUMBERS THERE TO FACILITATE A FANTASY ADVENTURE STORY YOU'RE TELLING WITH YOUR FRIENDS.

-ahem-

Maybe it's because I've always been a drama kid or fully drunk the Critrole/D20 koolaid but I just can't get into the head of someone who engages with d&d from a "mechanics first" perspective. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE game mechanics, and I've amassed quite the horde of homebrew/3rd party content to help fine tune both my characters AND my campaigns to try and get what I want out of them but the only time I've had the impulse to optimize a character was seeking out a way for me to better express who they were through the lens of gameplay; Making sure the cocky sniper or duellist had the damage output to back up their boasting, or the failwizard had the right kind of "useless" spells sell the fact that they really were an apprentice in over their head while still having fun.

I suppose if you're the sort of chessbrained person who sees the rules as immutable and only prioritizes "wining" d&d would be a broken game, but then you'd be mistaking our fandom's vibrant storytelling engine for the lackluster tactical skirmish game WotC is intending on turning it into.

[odd-lil-duck]

A story!

Gumdrop was sitting in class, bored out of her mind. She was too smart for the regular classes but not smart enough for any of the advanced classes. She could keep up with her school work easily enough. Math was the subject she excelled at, though she could spend hours in her literature class. It was the first class of the day and by the time school was over with, she couldn't wait to go home.

x

"Yoooo!"

A voice was coming up behind Gumdrop. She turns around to find Citty Kat running up to her. Citty Kat was always beaming and ran around like sunshine was trailing behind. Today seemed no different. They ran up to Gumdrop out of breath. "Hey! Wait! Wait up!" Gripping their sides as if they had nothing else to hold.

"Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh yeah no totally!" They finally straightened out. "I just needed to tell you something!"

Something? Gumdrop and Citty Kat haven't known each other long, but Gumdrop could not help but be cautious anyway.

"Are you doing anything after school?" They asked.

"No...?" How important was this if they had to wait till after school to tell her?

"Good! Let's find Andre! We need to bring him with us too!"

Andre?

What does Andre have to do with anything?

x

They both found him outside the boy's bathroom. His last class of the day was P.E. so he just finished changing back to his shorts and long sleeve shirt.

"Yoooo!" Citty Kat was waving their arm around crazily to catch his attention. Gumdrop let her attention drift to the falling leaves.

"Is everything okay?" Worry spread across his face rapidly. His arms drift back to their normal place crossed over his chest

"C'mon let's go!" Citty Kat pulls him by the arm and begins running off, leaving Gumdrop to follow behind. She sighed and trudged along.

x

Citty Kat n Andre stop in front of the doors of some fast food restaurant. Through the windows it's busier than usual. Gumdrop catches up to them and stops in front of the doors. Citty Kat turns to them and speaks.

"Alright! Are you guys ready?" The two turn to each other in confusion.

"Ready for what?" Gumdrop knows they mean no harm - that's why she followed them - however what little she knows about them is that they are a very spontaneous, almost chaotic force. They do as they please and follow the wind in its spirit.

Citty Kat points to the sign on the window. "They have Buy 1 Get 1 Free burgers right now! We have to get some! Mandatory!"

"Wh- that's it?" Andre couldn't help but be more suspicious.

"The food here is sooo good! I've been saving up for a while and then I see the sign today!"

Gumdrop couldn't be any more underwhelmed. She turns to leave.

"No wait don't go!" Citty Kat cried out. "Just trust me on this, you won't regret it!"

Gumdrop sighed. She turned back to the doors. A wide small spread across Citty Kat's face.

"Alright let's go!" They all march in one after the other.

x

The line is longer than usual, giving the kids a few minutes to talk.

"Okay!" exclaimed Citty Kat. "Anyone have any food allergies? Any food icks? Anything?"

"N-no. Nothing like that." Andre shook his head. Gumdrop wordlessly shook hers.

"Okay! Stay right there!" Citty Kat goes ahead to the line, leaving the two alone.

Neither of them say anything for a few minutes, the silence growing almost unbearable. Andre shifts uneasily on his feet. Gumdrop keeps her arms crossed, waiting.

"So," Andre breaks the silence between them. "I noticed you keep sitting at the same spot at lunch alone."

"And I noticed you keep sitting at my spot at lunch," Gumdrop responds. Andre begins to fidget with the hem of his shirt.

"It's the only place, uh, away from everyone else, Idk I just needed to get away from everyone," his voice dropping to a whisper, "If you want me to leave then I can, uh, I can stop sitting there."

She turns to look at him. His head has dropped down, eyes turned to the floor. His hands are still on the hem of his shirt. His sneakers are pointed inward. The hat covering his head of hair starts to sag a bit.

Gumdrop sat on this for a moment. She has discovered her god was a false god, but she was still a student of his teachings. Her mind led her in one way, but her instincts.....

Sighing, she speaks her mind.

"I don't mind."

Andre perks up.

"you- you mean it?"

He looked like someone just gave him a puppy, thought Gumdrop.

"I just, I need my space. I need a moment to myself."

"Of- of course." Andre couldn't help but feel more than grateful.

"So-"

"Okayyyy!! I have the food!!" The smell was wafting through the air as it grew closer to the two. "Alright! Let's go find a table!"

x

"Go on! Give it a try!" Citty Kat smiles with expectation and excitement. They had placed the two burgers in front of the other two. Gumdrop couldn't help but feel uneasy at the sight of so much grease. She looked up to see Andre take a bite. His eyes were showing no more regrets in life, as if he had found the reason for living.

Citty Kat had looked at Gumdrop.

"Did you wanna try it?"

Gumdrop glances back to the burger. She picks it up in as much of a dignified manner as one can have while eating a burger. Finding the perfect bite, the texture floods in first. The flavor then seeps through the grease and various juices. The synergy creates a medley of different emotions and experiences all at once.

"Good, right?" Gumdrop snaps back to reality. Andre is most halfway done with his. Citty Kat is sitting there with an expectant smile on their face. "You liked it, right?"

Gumdrop chews a bit more thoughtfully, savoring every last sensation this burger intended to bring.

"Hm... This..." She couldn't help but ponder, trying to think of the best way to describe it. "This might be the best burger I've ever had."

Citty Kat's smile somehow grew even wider. They chew off the end of a fry in satisfaction.

"Wait but, where's your burger?" Andre began. "Why are you only eating the fries?"

"Oh, I don't like burgers." Replied Citty Kat. "I only really eat the fries and nuggets." They continued to munch on some more fries.

Gumdrop glances at Andre and then turns her attention back to Citty Kat. "So if you weren't going to eat the burgers from the burger place, why bring us? What is the point of anything?"

Citty Kat shrugged their shoulders. "Well, because it's fun! You guys try new things with me and I get to eat my favorite food! Win win!" Citty Kat grinned.

A look of confusion spreads across Andre's face followed by realization. Gumdrop let's out a sigh. They continue to eat in peace, Citty Kat rambling on about their day, Andre chiming in with facts about Pokemon, and Gumdrop sitting idly, listening to her two new friends while eating her new favorite burger.

how would one of your OCs react to a HUGE burger and delicious seasoned french fries?

[malsmind]

not in the mood

fwb!chris sturniolo x reader

summary: you just can't get in the mood tonight.

warnings: smut, oral (f recieving), fingering, dirty talk, pet names (mama), mentions of calling up another girl, swearing

author's note: chris is being kind of toxic in this...

wc: 1k

english is not my first language!

chris's lips were all over your neck, kissing, and biting soft marks into the sensetive skin. you bit your lip, your hands tangling in his hair, trying to get in the mood. you came over for this after all, but for some reason, you just didn't feel it today. of course, his lips and hands all over you always felt good, they did now, but something in the back of your head just kept you from getting into it tonight. you ignored the lack of interest you had in sex right now, trying to focus on his lips, the small groans that escaped trough them. his hands roaming all over your body, squeezing your tits, rubbing up and down your sides. but no matter how much you tried to focus on the things that usually had you soaking wet already, it just didn't work.

chris paused his assult on your neck, sensing that something was clearly off with you tonight, the way you completely lacked enthusiasm. he pulled back slightly, looking down at you, searching your face with one hand rested on your hip while he used the other one to hold his body up. "kid, the fuck's up with you tonight?"

you opened your eyes, meeting his. your grip in his hair tightened, "nothing. just keep going..." you sighed, pushing his head back down. chris takes the hint and continues his descent down your body. his hands spread your thighs apart, trailing kisses up your inner thigh before his mouth latched onto your pussy, sucking and licking like he always did. his fingers finde your entance, pushing in and curling up.

your head falls back onto the pillows, keeping a grip in his hair. you tried to get into it, you really did. moaning to make it seem more intense for yourself, starting to slowly grind your hips in a rythm with is tongue, but nothing worked. you were trying to chase the pleasure you were so desperate to find in any of this but you just couldn't.

chris kept going, kind of sensing what you're trying to do. he worked his fingers in and out of you, tongue circling your clit, determined to help you get what you wanted, and to get to his turn for pleasure. "cmon mama, doin' sooo good." he mumbled against you, his grip on your hips tightening. but even with chris encouraging you, doubling his efforts, eating you out like he was a starving man, you just didn't find any pleasure in it. regardless, you kept moaning, trying to convince yourself you'd get there.

watching you clearly not feel it, faking the pleasure he was working on so hard to give you, chris pulled away abruptly, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. he looks at you, eyes narrowing slightly, growing frustrated himself. "the fuck's goin' on, Y/N? you ain't even close to cumming and i've been at this shit for like twenty minutes."

you sigh, frustrated, but determined on getting the best you could out of this for you aswell as for chris. "jus'.... jus' keep going." you tell chris, spreading your legs wider. chris rolls his eyes, diving back in. he pushes his fingers back into your hole, curling them up again, hitting your sweet spot. he licks your clit harder, faster. you were growing frustrated with how you just weren't feeling it like you usually were. on any other night, he'd have you cumming on his tongue in minutes. you didn't know why you didn't just stop and do it another night, maybe you just didn't wanna disappoint, waste your own and his time. so, you kept trying to make yourself believe that this would eventually make you horny, moaning louder.

chris suddenly stops, sitting up. he looks at you with a scowl on his face. "y'know know what, fuck this. i'm not eating you out for another twenty minutes just for you to fake it." you groaned in frustration, propping yourself up with your arms. "i'm not faking, chris. just keep going"

"nah your moans are fake as shit. s' all just 'mmm' and 'ahh' like some porn actress." he scoffed, standing up from the bed and running a hand trough his messy hair. "i ain't never had no problem getting you off before. what the fuck's buggin' you bro. this shit's getting annoying." you understood why he felt like that. you could've just said something or not come over at all, but you just didn't expect your arousal to vanish randomly. you knew you'd come over, you were looking forward to it, but you can't really control if you want to be horny or not, no matter how good and hot someone is.

you shrug, closing your legs and sitting up on the bed. "don't fucking know what you want me to say. i'm just not in the mood. it's not like i wasn't trying to get there." you defended, chris just scoffed out a laugh. "yeah, so you're just here to waste my time while i could've had a someone else here who would've at least given me some real fuckin' moans."

you scoffed at his selfish comment, getting up from his bed and picking up your pants. he watched you with narrowed eyes, clearly annoyed and unhappy with the fact that you didn't just tell him how you felt. you put your underwear and pants back on, grabbing your phone and keys off of his desk. "oh, so what? you just gonna leave?" chris huffed, his eyes following your every move. "you didn't even give me a handjob or nothin'."

you shrugged, walking towards the door. "just call one of your other bitches, not my fucking problem."

with your words hanging in the air and the sound of chris's door slamming shut, he stood there in disbelief, staring at the door, listening to you get in your car and drive off. chris threw his head back with a frustrated groan, running a hand over his face. he regretted the way he acted immediately, knowing you coudln't control the way you or your body felt and that he'd overreacted.

he pulled out his phone, typin out a message to you. feeling bad for talking to you this way and letting you storm off, acting like he didn't give a fuck.

'yo stop being so dramaric'

'i was an asshole sorry dude but come back here'

'dont want u driving off like that'

my hot sexy amazing wife @rcklessheavn approved 😽

———

@middlepartmatt @emely9274 @impossiblecollectorcat @staargazr @sllutty-sturniolo @shadowthesim237 @sturns-mermaid @courta13 @grace-sturnz @sofia-is-a-sturniolo-triplet-fan @ncm9696 @sophand4n4 @amyiasturnl @ivysturnss @loser41ifee

[angelbby555]

ᡣ𐭩 •｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅ Leave an impression

Summary: The admiral's daughter is teasing Bradley about his push-ups game. But once he does the push-ups with you sitting on his back, you are left speechless.

Word count: 900

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

"Do you call that a push-up?" You mused, staring down at the back of Bradley's head. The plan was to go eat lunch with your father Tom Kazansky but somehow you ended up outside in the tarmac watching pilots do push ups.

Your golden excuse? Wanting to greet Hondo and admire the cool aircraft. The truth? You had a thing for Bradley Bradshaw's massive arms. The curve of his bicep was absolutely gorgeous. It should have been illegal the amount of time you dreamt about sinking your teeth into his arm.

As a little girl it was okay for you to think the base was your personal playground, running around asking officers for piggy back rides. Now you were older and knew better. Your father told you to treat the men with the utmost respect, and not to mess around with any of them like GI Joe's.

You followed the rules but Bradley was the one guy you itched to play with. There was so much to love about him. Bradley was nice, attractive, funny and a shameless flirt. Wasn't afraid to put the moves on the Admirals daughter like the rest.

"I've seen little girls do more push-ups than you."

Bradley let out a breathy laugh. Beads of sweat were falling off his forehead to the concrete, while he pushed through the exercise.

"Really? Because I don't see you doing any."

The only part of you he could see was your low-top converse. He would kill for a glimpse of you in your small sundress, but Bradley would hate to face you when he was ready to collapse.

"I would, except I don't want to." You stretched a leg out behind you. In the corner of your eyes you caught a glimpse of how scrumptious his shoulder blades looked, strained against his black t-shirt. Lord have mercy. "Plus I would hate for you to get embarrassed by someone wearing a dress."

Bradley was pissed you hadn't seen him earlier breeze past his first round of 500 push ups. In his second round, he was slower, sweatier, and sloppy. The only motivation was to last until you left. But you didn't look like you were moving any time soon, enjoying front row of his struggle.

"Down 460"

"I didn't know we were doing yoga today. Nice plank bro."

It was certain that you wouldn't be saying this around your father.

"Down 470."

"Are you working out or massaging the floor?"

A few chuckles, even Hondo smirked

"Down 480."

"Damn with that form, the floors gonna start pressing you." You had jokes Bradley would give you that. But he had ambitions. And he really wanted to impress a pretty girl and get her to shut her mouth.

"Get on my back, and I'll show you some real push ups."

You blinked "Please your chicken arms would snap."

"Why don't you get on and find out?" His voice was strained but cocky, earning a round of ‘oohs’ from Hangman and Coyote.

That's when Bernie spoke up on Bradley's behalf. "Alright since Rooster wants to show off. Let have him take the final 10 home."

Instantly Hangman and Coyote dropped all their weight to the tarmac once Hondo had let them off. Bradley tapped your shoes with his hand. Which he instantly regretted since he was about to topple over

"Get on." Bradley voice was firm.

"Okay." You put your hands up in defense and took a step forward. Suddenly you were feeling a bit shy at the proximity. But if Hondo insisted, that's fine by you.

You lowered yourself down and smoothed your skirt out before you sat sideways on his back. You were barely putting any weight on him, hesitant.

"Nu uh pretty girl, properly." His voice left no room for argument. Your stomach flipped as you stood back up, then straddled him properly. Then you sat right down putting all your weight on Bradley. But to your surprised his spine didn't sink down and he kept his firm posture.

"Bradley you dont-"

"Down 490."

Hondo cut you off and Bradley was lowering himself on the ground making your shriek. Bradley wasn't shaking, his form was perfect and stable as he raised back up.

"Down 491."

To say you were impressed was an understatement, your pupils were definitely dilated.

"Down 492."

Being on top of Bradley felt like riding a carousel, his back lifting you in smooth, controlled motions.

"Down 493."

At this point you weren't sure if it was Bradley's soaked shirt that had you wet or your own arousal.

He didn't shudder once doing clean push ups like he wasn't tired. Your hands wandered on his back and when your hand brushed against his shoulder you let out a small gasp from how hard his muscle was.

The two exhausted boys on the floor were rooting for Bradley and you were internally as well.

"And Down 500."

Bradley didn’t stop. Just for good measure, he gave you five more.

You scrambled off him as soon as he was done, pulse racing. That might’ve been the hottest thing you’d ever seen in your entire life. And worst of all? You were pretty sure he could’ve done twenty more.

Hangman, Coyote and Hondo were all whooping and cheering for Bradley.

Bradley pushed himself onto shaky legs, his palms stinging, his body aching. But he still had that award-winning grin on his face.

"Not to bad for chicken arms huh?"

Iceman definitely had Bradley's ass, once he found out about this.

[snowysosturn]

Fire & Desire - Matt Sturniolo Part 18

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19

Pairing: Y/n x Matt Sturniolo

Summary: Y/n has always clashed with Matt. Despite working for Chris’s clothing brand and being close with Nick, her relationship with Matt has always been tense at best. While being forced to be around each other more, their animosity turns into something deeper. Can they overcome their differences, or will their fiery emotions tear them apart?

Warnings: angst, tension, smut, p in v, unprotected sex (dont be silly), mentions of drinking

It was hours that I was tossing and turning in my bed, trying to succumb to a nap but failing. I roll onto my side and grab my phone, staring at my screen as my fingers hover over the keyboard. My body feels heavy with exhaustion, but my mind refuses to slow down. All I can think about is Matt, his voice, the way he looked at me on our walk, the warmth of his hand in mine, the conversations we had.

I sigh, rubbing my eyes before glancing at the time. It’s nearly 9pm, but I know he’s still here. It’s just the two of us in the villa right now, the rest of them out for the night. The thought lingers in my mind, making my heart pick up slightly.

I hesitate for a second before finally typing out a message.

Me: You awake?

The message sends, and I stare at the screen, waiting. I tell myself if he doesn’t answer in a minute, I’ll roll over and force myself to sleep.

But my phone buzzes almost immediately.

Matt: Yeah. Can’t sleep.

I bite my lip. My fingers twitch over the keyboard before I type out my next message.

Me: Wanna keep me company?

There’s a pause. Then..

Matt: Absolutely.

My stomach flips. I quickly smooth out my blanket, suddenly feeling nervous now that I’ve actually done it. I sit up, tucking my legs under me as I turn on my bedside lamp. My heart racing just a little faster when I hear the soft patter of footsteps down the hall.

My door opens slowly, and Matt steps inside, his hair slightly messy, his Fresh Love hoodie hanging loosely over his frame. His eyes meet mine in the dim light of my bedside lamp, and and I instantly feel the tension between us.

“Couldn’t sleep either?” he murmurs.

I shake my head. “Too much on my mind.”

He nods like he understands, then closes the door behind him. “Yeah” he says, his voice quieter now. “Me too.”

Matt crosses the room and hesitates for a second, then sits down at the edge of my bed next to me.

"Hope you don’t mind" he says, his voice softer now that we’re alone.

I shake my head, pulling my blanket over my lap. "Not at all."

For a moment, we sit in comfortable silence. The villa is eerily quiet without the others here, just the sound of crickets outside. I lean back against my pillows, hugging one to my chest as I glance over at Matt.

“So” he says eventually, shifting to get more comfortable. “What was keeping you up?”

I exhale a quiet laugh. "You, mostly."

His eyebrows lift in surprise, but a small smirk tugs at the corner of his lips. "Oh yeah?"

I roll my eyes, nudging his knee lightly with my foot. "Not in that way. My mind's just been running in circles. About earlier, about this trip.. about everything, really."

He nods, leaning back against the headboard beside me. His shoulder brushes mine, and it sends a small shiver through me.

"Yeah I get that.." he says, tilting his head back slightly. "My brain hasn’t shut up all night."

I turn to look at him. "About what?"

He pauses, his jaw tightening slightly, like he’s debating how much to say. Then he exhales. "Just.. things. Life. Us." He glances at me briefly before looking away again. "I meant what I said last night, you know."

I swallow. "About what?"

"About why I acted the way I did" he says, his voice quieter now. "I just- I've never been good at this.. At knowing what to do when I actually care about someone."

His words settle into my chest, warm and heavy. Yet, I don’t know what to say to that, so I look down at my hands. After a second, I feel his fingers graze against mine, barely there, like he’s testing the waters. I don’t pull away.

For a while, we just sit there. There’s something intimate about it, the talking, just existing together in the quiet. No pressure, no expectations. Just us.

I shift slightly, turning to face Matt more directly. His shoulder is still brushing mine, a constant, quiet warmth between us. I have questions I want answers to, and I feel like now is a perfect opportunity to get them.

"When did you realize you had feelings for me?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

Matt's fingers twitch where they rest on the blanket, his eyes flickering away for a moment before settling back on mine. "Since I met you" he admits. "Two years ago."

That makes me pause. My brow lifts slightly, processing his words. Two years? My mind spins back to all the times he was distant and cold. The back and forth, the mixed signals. And yet, all this time..

"Two years?" I repeat, needing to hear it again.

He nods once, his lips pressing together like he’s bracing for my reaction.

I tilt my head slightly, studying him. "And how exactly did you deal with pushing those feelings down for that long?"

Matt lets out a quiet chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not well, apparently."

I scoff lightly, nudging him with my knee. "Clearly."

He sighs, shaking his head. "I don’t know. I told myself it was nothing. That it would go away. But then I’d see you with Nick or Chris, and how well you all got on.. I don't know, I’d get in my own head about it. I convinced myself there wasn’t space for me in your life like that, like I had an expectation to meet.."

I frown slightly, my heart slightly breaking at the thought. "Matt.."

He shrugs, offering me a small, almost sheepish smile. "It was easier to keep my distance than admit the feelings  I had. Or worse..get my hopes up."

His honesty knocks the air from my lungs. I stare at him, really taking in the weight of what he’s saying.

"That must’ve been exhausting" I say after a brief moment of silence.

Matt huffs out a quiet laugh, shaking his head. "You have no idea."

I chew on the inside of my cheek, trying to imagine what it must have been like for him. Watching, wanting, but never allowing himself to take that step.

"You didn’t have to do that.." I murmur. "Push it all down."

Matt looks at me hard. His blue eyes are softer than I’ve ever seen them, the usual guardedness nowhere to be found.

"Yeah" he says, voice low. "I know that now."

I smirk, tilting my head as I look at him. "So, it must’ve been absolute hell on earth for you when I moved in then, huh?"

Matt huffs a quiet laugh, shaking his head. "You have no idea."

I shift slightly, pulling my knees up to my chest as I look at him. "You know.. when I moved in, that’s when you really started blowing hot and cold with me." I pause, searching his face. "It was confusing because you only ever been cold with me. Then it completely switched. One minute, you’d be normal, even nice, and then the next, you’d act like I barely existed."

Matt sighs, dragging a hand through his hair. "I know.. I'm sorry"

I shake my head. "I started catching feelings for you, but you-" I exhale sharply. "You could be so mean sometimes. It messed with my head."

Matt looks genuinely guilty, his jaw tightening. "I never meant to be.. I was an idiot."

I raise a teasing eyebrow. "Couldn’t have been that bad living with me, though. You were still capable of bringing that girl over."

His face falters for a second, and I can tell I caught him off guard. He shifts slightly, rubbing a hand over his jaw like he’s trying to figure out the best way to respond.

"That wasn’t-" He stops, exhales sharply, then looks at me. "That was me being stupid."

I fold my arms, leaning back against the pillows. "Oh? Do tell."

Matt groans, throwing his head back against the headboard. "You’re really gonna make me spell it out, aren’t you?"

I grin, shrugging. "You brought it on yourself."

He lets out a dramatic sigh, then looks at me, a little more serious now. "I thought if I forced myself to be around someone else, it would help. That maybe if I tried to move on, I could get you out of my system." He pauses, eyes flickering over my face. "It didn’t work."

Something in my chest tightens at his words, at the honesty in them. My teasing smirk softens slightly.

"So, what? You just gave up on the idea of us entirely?" I ask, my voice quieter now.

Matt shakes his head. "No" he says simply. "I just told myself you’d never see me that way."

I open my mouth, about to respond, but nothing comes out at first. Because what do you say to that? To someone who’s spent two years thinking they never had a chance with you?

Matt exhales, his fingers nervously picking at the hem of his hoodie. “Look, I know I messed up a lot with you. And I get why you’d think.. after everything, that I didn’t care.” He pauses, then glances at me. “But I haven’t been with anyone since that night in the house.”

I blink, caught off guard. “What?”

He nods, his expression serious. “Yeah. Not since then.”

I tilt my head, trying to process that. “Why?”

Matt lets out a breathy laugh, but there’s no humor in it. “Because everything with us was already so up and down, Y/n. Hot and cold, like you said. I didn’t want to make it worse.”

I laughed lightly. “And yet, you still managed to.” I say teasingly.

“I know” he says, rubbing a hand down his face. “Trust me, I know.”

I watch him, my mind running back to all the moments I had questioned him, doubted what I felt, wondered if I was just some game to him. And yet, here he was, admitting that even in all the chaos, he had been just as stuck as I was.

The room is quiet, the only sound is our soft breaths. I watch Matt, his eyes fixed on mine, the weight of his words still settling between us.

“You really had me thinking you were heartless sometimes” I murmur softly.

He exhales, shaking his head slightly. “I never was. Not when it came to you.”

The tension between us is electric. The air thickens, and I feel my pulse quicken as Matt’s gaze drops briefly to my lips before flickering back to my eyes. I know that look. I’ve seen it before, but this time, it’s different.

Neither of us speaks. We don’t need to.

Then, almost instinctively, as if drawn together by some invisible force, we move at the same time. His hand finds my jaw, his thumb grazing my cheek as he leans in. My breath catches, my heart stuttering in anticipation.

And then, his lips are on mine.

The kiss is slow at first, like we’re both trying to savor the moment, to commit it to memory. But then something snaps, maybe it’s the tension that’s been building for months, maybe it’s the years of unspoken feelings, and suddenly, we’re pulling each other closer.

Matt deepens the kiss, his other hand sliding to my waist as I press against him, my fingers tangling in the fabric of his hoodie. There’s a hunger in the way he kisses me, like he’s making up for lost time, like he’s afraid to let go.

I don’t want to let go either.

His grip tightens, and I can feel his heart hammering against mine, matching my own erratic rhythm. We’re completely lost in each other.

I climbed onto his lap, straddling him as our lips continued to move together, the heat between us growing. Matt’s hands found their way to my back, holding me close as if he didn’t want to let go. The sensation of finally being so close to him, of feeling his heartbeat against mine, was overwhelming in the best possible way.

We pulled apart slightly and I looked into Matt's eyes, seeing the same mix of vulnerability and fear that mirrored my own feelings.

“Are you okay with this?” I asked, wanting to make sure that this was the right time.

"This feels right." He whispered, his voice barely above a breath.

I nodded with a soft smile. "It does."

Matt drags me into him again for another kiss and flips me over, now laying with my back against the mattress. His hands move to my hips, hooking his fingers around my fabric shorts before sliding them down.

“Fuck you’re not real” Matt says looking at me in awe. I blush at his words, and he comes back down for another kiss, his hands tracing up and down my body. I grab onto the sides of his hoodie and pull it over his head, wanting us to be as close together as possible.

I stared up at him with innocent eyes as he began to pull down his short and boxers in one go.

My face says it all when I see his dick.

“What?” Matt laughs.

“Nothing.. I.. didn’t say a word.” I say stunned, trying to play it off.

“You didn't have to use your words, your face said it all” He laughs while diving into my neck to lace it with kisses.

That is the biggest dick I’ve seen in my life. 

I get wetter as I replay the image of it in my head while he kisses me.

And I need it now.

“Please fuck me Matt, I need you now.” I whisper in his ear.

“Are you sure?” Matt whispered back.

I nodded as I spread my legs apart. Matt stood off the bed, while grabbing under my legs and dragging me toward the edge of the bed. He lined himself up with my entrance and looked up at me, our eyes meeting each other. Matt held that look as he pushed into me. My back arched as I broke our eye contact, opening my mouth from the feeling of Matt in me. 

“Oh my god” I cried.

He leaned over and gave me a smug smile before kissing me again, pushing his tongue into my mouth. I could barely kiss him back as I couldn’t stop myself from moaning. 

Matt thrusted into me slowly, allowing me to get used to his size. 

“Fuck your dick is s-so big in me Matt” I whimper as his hips knock back and forth into me, slowly picking up pace as time goes on.

“You’re so wet holy shit” Matt mutters as he continues to fuck me, his hands now holding on to mine.

“Y-you feel soo goood Matt” I whimpered, my body buckling with the multiple sensations I was feeling. “I dont know if I’m gonna last longer Matt oh my god”

I feel his right hand break loose from mine, as he moves his touch to my clit, I feel my core start to clench as he swirls his thumb in circles on my sensitive bud.

“Fuck Y/n you’re so pretty” Matt groans, shaking his head slightly like he can’t believe what he’s seeing right now. 

“Oh my god Matt I’m gonna cum! Faster please!” I whimper, clenching around his dick, Matt picks up his pace as I climax, my body shaking underneath him. 

“Shiiiit” Matt groans as he pulls out, stroking his dick so he can finish. Upon instinct, I sit up, and shift towards Matt, taking his dick in my mouth allowing him to finish there.

Matt gives me a curious look, almost to say he didn’t know I had that side to me.

“What? It saves the mess” I laugh to myself.

“That was really sexy” He says, still staring me down.

I plant a kiss on his lips before grabbing my shorts off the ground and taking myself to the bathroom to brush my teeth.

When I come back into my room, Matt is fully clothed again, dozing off in my bed but forces himself awake when he hears me return, pulling back the covers for me to get under.

I let out a small laugh, still slightly breathless from sex, as I climb into bed with him. I cuddle up to him, feeling extremely comfortable in the moment. “I really enjoyed that” Matt says softly. 

“So did I, I like being close to you” I respond, wanting to have a nice moment, but instead my stomach betrays me with a soft grumble. I groan, leaning my head against Matt’s shoulder.

“Oh someones hungry!” Matt laughs.

"Yeah honestly I kinda am.." I admit, my voice muffled against the fabric of his hoodie.

Matt chuckles, the sound low and warm. "We could go down to the strip, there's this place that sells pizza slices. Best late night food, trust me."

I roll my eyes, but I can’t fight the smile tugging at my lips. The idea of being out just the two of us, getting food in the middle of the night, feels.. fun. 

"Alright, let’s go" I say, pushing myself off the bed. "But if this pizza isn’t amazing, I’m holding it against you forever."

Matt stands up, putting his hoodie back on. "I like those odds" he grins. "Come on, let’s go get you fed."

We leave the villa and make our way onto the strip, the neon signs flickering against the dark sky. It’s late, but the place is only coming alive with music spills from bars, groups of people weaving through the sidewalks, and the scent of food lingering in the air.

Matt walks beside me, his hands tucked into the pockets of his hoodie, while I hug my arms around myself, still feeling the ghost of emotions from earlier. My heart is still racing, my lips still tingling.

The pizza place is tucked between a surf shop and a tattoo parlor, with a glowing red sign that simply says PIZZA. The scent of fresh dough and melted cheese pulls us in, and Matt heads straight to the counter like he’s been here a hundred times.

"Two pepperoni slices" he tells the guy behind the counter, then looks at me.

I shake my head, smiling.

Within minutes, we have our slices in hand, the cheese perfectly stringy and the crust crispy. We take a seat at one of the outdoor tables, the sounds of music from bars around us. I take a bite and groan.

"Okay, fine. This is amazing."

Matt smirks, watching me. "Told you."

We sit in comfortable silence for a moment, just enjoying the food and the atmosphere. Every so often, I catch Matt sneaking glances at me, like he’s still trying to process everything between us. I feel it too, what just happened between us has changed everything.

But right now, it’s just us, sharing pizza at midnight. And for once, that’s enough.

Matt leans back in his chair, finishing off the last bite of his pizza before wiping his hands on a napkin. He looks over at me, eyes flickering with something playful.

"You know" he starts, tilting his head toward the strip, "there's a place a couple doors down that does pretty good cocktails. We could grab one before heading back?"

I raise an eyebrow, smirking. "Oh? Are you trying to get me drunk, Matthew?"

He scoffs, shaking his head with a laugh. "Please. If I wanted to get you drunk, I’d have suggested shots."

I roll my eyes but can’t help the small smile tugging at my lips. The night feels easy, like we’re existing in our own little world.

"Alright" I say, standing up and brushing the crumbs off my lap. "One drink."

Matt grins as he stands, tossing our napkins into the bin before leading me down the strip. The bar he was talking about is a small, open air place with string lights draped across the ceiling and a music blasting. A few people sit at the bar, laughing and sipping colorful drinks.

We slide onto two stools at the bar, and Matt waves over the bartender. "Two Mai Tais."

I glance at him, amused. "You decided for me?"

He shrugs. "You’ll like it. Trust me."

When the drinks arrive, they’re vibrant orange with a hint of red at the bottom, with pineapple slices and tiny umbrellas as decoration. I take a sip and hum in appreciation. "Okay, not bad."

Matt watches me, his fingers lazily stirring his straw through the drink. "Told you" he murmurs.

One drink might turn into two. And I don’t think I’d mind.

Just as I take another sip of my drink, I hear the unmistakable sound of voices calling out.

"No way! Look who it is!"

I freeze mid sip, my eyes widening as I recognize the voices immediately. Matt hears it too, his body tensing beside me as we slowly turn toward the sound.

a/n : i sacrificed my after work nap so i could finish this part and post it lol

taglist : @mattybearnard @sturn-33 @ncm9696 @yourfavsturniologirl @crazy4jewel @sodakid1234 @stupendoustreewinner @lovealwayssturniolos @matthewsturniolosss @m4ttsmunch @loveexxx @ilusa @starkeyszn @wonnieeluvvr @dylnblue @valxrieq @maggot3647 @cigarettecemetary @ribread03 @chrisstvrns @bandasaruswrx @noplaceissafeanymore @amexiass @witchofthehour @mattssgf @jetaimevous @v33angel  @ivysturnss @urmom69lol @ashlishes @watercolorskyy @sturnioloshottiekay @amelia-sturniolo3 @imjusthereforthesturniolosmut @pvssychicken @alizestvrnss @chrisstxrnsaxe @sophand4n4 @vickytaa @marrykisskilled @bxtchboy69 @yourfavsturniologirl @julisturn @sydneyylainn @sophia-77n @trevorsgodmother @sturnslutz @yourmother29 @girl24cherry @astronea @pinkdyit

[zroronoas]

roommate!zoro

hi guys i love zoro so much i might actually explode.

-

-zoro is a sleepy guy, so he loves taking naps on the couch. like all the time. you rarely get to sit on it, since his entire body is always occupying the seats. the living room is basically his bedroom, with him preferring to sleep there over his actual one. you've sat on him once, somehow not noticing the lump that was snoring away underneath the blanket.

"zoro, do you not like your bed?"

the question makes the man raise an eyebrow, what kind of question was that? what kind of person doesn't like their own bed?

"of course i do, do you?"

"do i like your bed? i've never been on it."

now you're both confused, but the man opts to just close his eyes again. you pull your lips into a tight line, deciding to focus your attention back to your book. conversations between the two of you never went well if they went on too long.

-zoro cannot cook. like don't even let him get near the kitchen Please. you don't understand how it happens, he could have a recipe pulled up on his phone and he still somehow messes it up. the smoke detector is going off, your pots and pans are burnt, and zoro is yelling at his ruined dish.

"it's not my fault! it's the stupid ass ingredients and recipe!"

you roll your eyes as you frantically try to fan away all the smoke. "how could it be the ingredients and recipe? you just can't read!"

"oh now you're being ungrateful, this dish was for us!"

"zoro, do me the biggest favor and never cook anything ever again. i'll cook for us."

-friday movie nights with lots of alcohol. thankfully you can both hold your alcohol pretty well, so drinking with zoro was always a chill time. your only issue was that you tended to be a little more affectionate when drunk, but zoro was usually passed out once you got to that point.

"cheers!" you grin while bumping your tiny shot glass to zoro's full cup of beer. he scoffs, but there's a small smile on his face when he watches you take the shot and immediately grimace.

"do we have to cheers every time we take a shot? we've done this about eight times now."

"zoro," you look at him pointedly. "you're really such a buzzkill! of course we have to cheers every time!"

zoro notices the way your cheeks start to turn pink and how you slowly start moving closer to him on the couch. he always tries not to think anything of it, but he can't help but think that you're a little bit cute when you're drunk. just a little though.

and that's usually his cue to put his hands behind his head and close his eyes, so that he doesn't have to deal with his heart pounding against his chest when you act like that.

"already, zoro?" you whine. "you always fall asleep so fast!"

-he walks around shirtless all the time. sometimes he'll even sport the shirtless and gray sweatpant combo. it's actually a pain in the ass because he's so hot. and you have a staring problem. the worst thing about it is that zoro is fully aware that you ogle him, but he secretly loves it.

"zoro, please put a shirt on! you shouldn't walk around like that in front of me." you grumble, but the way you can't bring yourself to look at him, gives your true feelings away.

and since you're not looking at him, you don't see the smirk that forms on his face when he sees how much it affects you.

"go back into your room if you hate it so much."

"hey! i live here too, i should be able to walk into the kitchen without you being half naked!"

-does not lock the door when he uses the bathroom. the amount of times you've accidentally walked in on him showering or using the toilet is actually criminal. and when you yell at him to start locking the door, he blames you instead.

"maybe you should knock, the door is closed isn't it?" he rolls his eyes as he towel dries his hair.

"you should still lock it! sometimes i forget to knock."

"what's the big deal anyways? you've seen me naked multiple times now."

-he's actually super sweet and the best roommate. whenever you're tired from work, he always makes sure to make things a little easier for you. if that means ordering takeout so you don't have to cook, he'll do it. he'll tidy up around the apartment, because he knows it bothers you coming home to a messy house. and if you don't drive, he'd drop you off and pick you up from work. the only con to that was he always got lost on the way, but it was just something you had to get used to. and you'd gladly wait as long as you had for him.

[scarletwinterxx]

Every second from now I'm gonna love you completely - dad jaehyun scenario

helloooo ~ maybe i've been missing jaehyun a bit more these past few days so i wrote this. if you're new here or been here for a while🤣 my first ever series i wrote was a dad jaehyun au, it's like my first born. when i wrote that i was still trying to find my writing style, all i know was i wanted to write it. so excuse my mistakes there haha but in case you haven't read it or want to re-read it, click here !!

sooo yea, i have a few more stories lined up. thank you all sooooo much for the love🤍

For my other works you can check them out here, and for my other story series’ you can check them out here.

All works are copyrighted ©scarletwinterxx 2025. Do not repost, re-write without the permission of author.

(pic not mine, credits to rightful owner)

It’s a lazy Sunday afternoon, and you’re sitting on the couch, flipping through a book, when Jaeyoon, your husband’s carbon copy, plops down beside you with a loud sigh.

You glance at him. “What’s up, baby?”

Jaeyoon props his chin on his hands. “Mom, can I ask you something?”

You smile knowingly. “You’re always asking me something, Jaeyoon.”

He grins, then immediately launches into his first question. “If a fish gets thirsty, does it drink water?”

You blink. “Uh… technically, yes. But freshwater fish absorb water through their skin, and saltwater fish drink water through their mouths.”

Jaeyoon’s eyes widen. “Woah. So fishes are just drinking and absorbing all the time?”

You chuckle. “Pretty much.”

He nods like he’s processing something groundbreaking. Then—“Okay, next question.”

You raise an eyebrow. “There’s more?”

“Do clouds get tired from floating all day?”

You stare at him for a second before bursting into laughter. “Jaeyoon, where do you come up with these?”

Jaeyoon shrugs, completely serious. “I just think about them.”

You shake your head, pulling him into your arms. Your once little newborn now here having the most random conversions with but you won’t have it any other way.

“You have the biggest brain.” you mumble against his hair

Jaeyoon grins, cuddling into your side. “And I have one more question.”

You raise an eyebrow. “Last one?”

“Last one,” he promises. Then, looking up at you with those big, curious eyes, he asks

“Why do you love me so much?”

Your heart melts on the spot. You hug him even tighter, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Because you’re you, Jaeyoon. You and your sister is my heart beating outside my chest, you’re the best parts of mom and dad”

Jaeyoon sighs happily, snuggling closer. “That’s a good answer, Mom”

You smile. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He yawns. “Okay, I’m done asking for now.”

You smirk, stroking his hair. “For now?”

But Jaeyoon doesn’t answer—he’s already drifting off, safe and warm in your arms. And you know that tomorrow, and every day after that, there will be a million more questions.

A few hours later, the sky is darker outside. Jaehyun is sitting in his home office, fingers gliding over his laptop keyboard as he reviews a contract. It’s the weekend but he’s trying to catch up on some work after taking a family vacation. The room is quiet except for the occasional clicking of his mouse—until the door swings open without a knock.

Jaeyoon, his youngest who is now 5, marches in “Appa, what are you doing?”

Jaehyun doesn’t even look up. “Working.”

The little man who looks just like him pads closer, tilting his head. “What kind of working?”

Jaehyun sighs, glancing at his mini me. It’s like whenever he looks at his son he sees himself, something you always say is unfair but still love completely

“CEO work.”

Jaeyoon gasps dramatically. “Woah. That sounds so important.”

“It is.” he chuckles at his son’s amusement at such a mundane adult thing. 

Instead of leaving, Jaeyoon clambers onto Jaehyun’s lap, making himself very comfortable. Jaehyun automatically moves his arm to keep the documents from getting messed up, but he doesn’t protest.

Jaeyoon peers at the screen. “What’s that?”

“A contract.”

“What’s a contract?”

“A business agreement.”

“What’s an agreement?”

Jaehyun sighs through a chuckle. “When two people decide on something together.”

Jaeyoon nods like that makes total sense. Then, after a beat he speaks again “Can I type?”

Jaehyun lifts an eyebrow. “Depends. Are you going to send my company into chaos?”

Jaeyoon beams. “Maybe!”

Jaehyun shakes his head but moves his laptop slightly so Jaeyoon can reach the keyboard. “Okay, go ahead.”

Jaeyoon excitedly taps a few random letters: hgfldj.

“Wow,” Jaehyun says, nodding seriously. “That’s some next-level business strategy.”

Jaeyoon grins. “I’m a CEO too now.”

“Yeah?” Jaehyun leans back. “What’s your company called?”

Jaeyoon thinks for a moment, then dramatically announces, “Jaeyoon’s Snack Empire!”

Jaehyun laughs. “Sounds like a profitable business.”

“Yep. We sell ice cream, barbecue and cookies.”

“Smart.” Jaehyun grins. “I’d invest.”

Jaeyoon gasps. “Really?”

“But I want 50% of the company.”

Jaeyoon narrows his eyes. “Appa, that’s too much!”

Jaehyun smirks “Negotiation. That’s part of being a CEO too.”

Jaeyoon groans dramatically, sliding off Jaehyun’s lap and climbing onto his desk instead. “This is so hard.”

Jaehyun just chuckles, adjusting his laptop. “Welcome to my world, buddy.”

Jaeyoon sighs but doesn’t leave, now playing with a paperweight on the desk. Jaehyun lets him, continuing to work as his little boy fidgets and chats about everything. And even though Jaehyun is busy, he doesn’t mind at all because no matter how important his work is—his little CEO-in-training will always be more important.

Chaeyoon bursts through the front door, kicking off her sneakers without much care. Her backpack slides off her shoulder as she yells, “Mom! You won’t believe what happened today!”

You glance up from the kitchen counter, where you’re slicing fruit for Jaeyoon’s afternoon snack. Your five-year-old son is sitting on a stool, swinging his legs while munching on a cookie.

“What happened, sweetheart?” you ask, wiping your hands on a towel.

Chaeyoon drops her backpack with a thud, walking over with wide eyes, as if she’s about to share the most shocking news of the year. “A boy—Mom, a boy—asked me to get ice cream with him after school.”

You blink, taking a second to process. “Oh?”

Jaeyoon gasps dramatically beside you. “Noona, are you getting married?!”

Chaeyoon groans. “Jaeyoon, no! It’s just ice cream!”

You bite back a smile, setting the knife down. “So, who is this boy?” you ask, keeping your tone light

Chaeyoon sighs, pushing her hair back. “His name is Minho. He’s in my class. We sit next to each other in science, and I guess we’re kinda friends?” She pauses, then adds, “But I didn’t say yes yet.”

“Why not?” you ask curiously.

She frowns. “I dunno. It felt... weird?”

Jaeyoon leans closer, eyes shining. “Did he say you’re pretty?”

Chaeyoon glares at him. “I’m not talking to you about this.”

You chuckle, running a hand through her hair despite her protests. “Well, I think it’s sweet that he asked. Do you want to go?”

She hesitates. “Maybe? But also... I don’t know what Dad would say.”

Ah. There it is.

Jaehyun, your loving but sometimes very overprotective husband, has always been a little sensitive when it comes to his little girl growing up.

And you can already imagine his reaction.

You smile, wiping your hands on a dish towel as you watch your daughter shift nervously. “Well,” you say casually, “if you want to go, then you can tell your dad. I’m sure he’ll say yes.”

Chaeyoon’s eyes widen in pure betrayal. “Mom!”

Jaeyoon giggles beside you. “Appa is gonna explode!”

You laugh, ruffling your son’s hair before turning back to Chaeyoon. “Sweetheart, your dad never says no to you. If you tell him, I bet he’ll—” you pause, thinking of Jaehyun’s usual soft spot for his kids, “—well, I’m pretty sure he’ll say yes.”

The truth is, even you aren’t entirely sure how Jaehyun will react to this one. He can’t say no when Chaeyoon asks for another bedtime story or when Jaeyoon wants to sleep in your bed after a nightmare. He folds instantly when they give him their puppy-dog eyes.

But this? His little girl being asked out for ice cream by a boy? This might be the one thing that actually shakes him.

Chaeyoon huffs, crossing her arms. “You just want to see what he says.”

You grin, leaning on the counter. “Maybe a little.”

Jaeyoon claps excitedly. “I wanna tell Appa! I wanna see his face!”

Chaeyoon groans, but she’s laughing, too. “I should just say no and avoid this whole thing.”

You tilt your head. “Is that what you want?”

She hesitates, then sighs. “No. I think I wanna go.”

“Then you should tell your dad,” you say simply, enjoying this way more than you should

Just as you say that, the front door opens, and Jaehyun walks in, loosening his tie with one hand. “I’m home,” he calls out, his voice warm but tired from the workday.

Jaeyoon immediately jumps down from his stool and runs to him. “Appa! Noona has big news!”

You bite your lip to keep from laughing as Chaeyoon groans again. “Jaeyoon!”

Jaehyun raises an eyebrow, looking between the two of them before his eyes land on you. “Big news?” he repeats, stepping further inside.

You give Chaeyoon a small smile. “Go on, sweetheart. Tell him.”

And as she shifts nervously, you watch Jaehyun. He’s completely unaware that his world is about to be shaken.

Jaehyun’s brows furrow slightly as he looks at Chaeyoon. “What’s going on?”

Chaeyoon groans, shifting on her feet. “Ugh, this is so embarrassing…” She glances at you for help, but you simply smile and motion for her to go on.

Jaeyoon, impatient as ever, blurts out, “A boy asked Noona to eat ice cream with him!”

Silence.

Jaehyun blinks. Once. Twice.

Then, very slowly, he turns to Chaeyoon. “What?”

Chaeyoon groans again, covering her face. “Ugh, I knew this was going to be a thing.”

Jaehyun stays completely still, processing. You watch as his jaw tenses ever so slightly, and you swear you see his fingers twitch like he’s fighting the urge to tighten his tie again. You bite your lip, thoroughly enjoying this.

Jaehyun clears his throat. “So… a boy.”

Chaeyoon nods reluctantly.

Jaehyun continues, “And he asked you to get ice cream?”

Another slow nod. Jaehyun blinks again, still looking like his brain is buffering. Then, he shifts his gaze to you, as if asking for backup.

You shrug innocently. “I told her if she wants to go, she should ask you.”

His eyes narrow slightly. He knows exactly what you’re doing.

Jaeyoon tugs at Jaehyun’s sleeve. “Appa, are you okay? Your face looks weird.”

Jaehyun exhales slowly, rubbing a hand down his face. Then, after a long pause, he looks at Chaeyoon again. “Who is this boy?”

“Minho,” she mutters.

“Minho,” Jaehyun repeats, like he’s committing the name to memory for later investigation. “How old is he?”

“He’s in my class, Dad.”

Jaehyun nods, still processing. Then, in a very calm but very careful voice, he asks, “And why does he want to take you out for ice cream?”

Chaeyoon shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe because we’re friends? And he likes ice cream?”

Jaehyun exhales again, then finally looks at you. Help me, his eyes plead.

But you just smile sweetly. “So? Can she go?”

His lips part like he wants to say no. You know he wants to say no. But this is Chaeyoon, his baby girl. The same baby girl who used to sit on his lap and call him her prince. The same one who still kisses his cheek before bed. And as much as he wants to protest, Jaehyun has never been able to say no to her.

He sighs, finally dropping his shoulders. “Is he coming here?”

Chaeyoon shakes her head. “We were just gonna meet there after school.”

Jaehyun nods slowly. “Fine. But—” he raises a finger, his CEO voice slipping through, “—I want to meet him first.”

Chaeyoon groans but smiles. “I knew you were gonna say that.”

Jaeyoon pumps his fists. “Noona’s going on a date!”

“It’s not a date!”

Jaehyun mutters under his breath, “It better not be.”

And as you watch him struggle between being a protective dad and trying to respect Chaeyoon’s growing independence, you can’t help but laugh.

Jaehyun shoots you a look. “You set me up.”

You grin. “Maybe a little.”

Later that night, after the kids are asleep, you and Jaehyun finally crawl into bed. The room is dimly lit, the soft glow of the bedside lamp casting warm shadows across the walls.

Jaehyun lets out a deep sigh as he sinks into the mattress, rubbing a hand down his face. “Today was… a lot.”

You chuckle, turning to your side to face him. “Oh, you mean finding out your baby girl is growing up and might actually hang out with a boy?”

Jaehyun groans dramatically, throwing an arm over his eyes. “Don’t remind me.”

You laugh, scooting closer and resting your head against his shoulder. “You survived.”

“Barely,” he mutters.

You trail a finger along his arm, feeling the tension still lingering in his muscles. “You know, you are going to have to deal with this eventually. She’s not always going to be your little girl.”

Jaehyun removes his arm from his face, turning his head to look at you. “She’ll always be my little girl.”

You smile softly. “I know, but she’s also getting older. And you can’t scare away every boy who looks at her.”

He smirks. “Wanna bet?”

You laugh, swatting at his arm. “Jae”

He sighs again, rolling onto his side so he’s facing you. “I just… I know she’s smart, and I trust her. But the thought of some boy liking her—of her liking him back—it makes me insane.”

You gently brush a strand of hair from his forehead. “Because you don’t want to let her go.”

Jaehyun exhales, his eyes softening. “Yeah.”

You press a kiss to his forehead. “You don’t have to. She’ll always need you, just in different ways.”

He wraps an arm around your waist, pulling you closer. “You always know what to say.”

You grin. “That’s why you married me.”

Jaehyun chuckles, his grip tightening slightly. “One day, some boy is going to look at Chaeyoon the way I look at you.”

Your heart warms at his words, but you also see the slight panic in his eyes. You press your palm against his cheek, making him meet your gaze. “And when that day comes, you’ll be okay. Because you’ve shown her what real love looks like.”

He stares at you for a moment before exhaling and burying his face in your neck. “You’re too good at this.”

You laugh, running your fingers through his hair. “I just know my husband.”

Jaehyun hums against your skin. “Remind me to keep Jaeyoon small forever. I can’t handle two of them growing up.”

You smile, pressing a kiss to his temple. “Good luck with that.”

He tightens his hold around you, as if holding onto this moment—onto you, onto the family you’ve built together. And even though you know he’ll always be a little overprotective, a little reluctant to let go, you also know that no matter what, Jaehyun will always, always be the best dad to your kids.

You’re still wrapped up in Jaehyun’s arms, the warmth of his body keeping you perfectly comfortable, when you suddenly feel something or someone climbing onto the bed.

A small hand pats your cheek. “Mom.”

You groan softly, burying your face into Jaehyun’s chest. “Mm… too early, baby.”

Jaeyoon isn’t deterred. He pats your cheek again, more insistent this time. “Mom. Appa.”

Jaehyun grumbles lowly, his grip on you tightening as he tries to stay asleep. “Five more minutes, buddy.”

Jaeyoon ignores him completely. “Noona is going on a date today.”

Both you and Jaehyun immediately open your eyes.

Jaehyun sits up so fast that Jaeyoon nearly topples over. “It’s not a date!” he says, voice still groggy but fully alert now.

Jaeyoon giggles, climbing onto his lap. “But Appa, they’re getting ice cream.”

Jaehyun exhales, running a hand down his face. “Why does this feel worse when you say it like that?”

You stifle a laugh, sitting up as well. “Sweetheart, did you come in here just to remind us?”

Jaeyoon nods enthusiastically. “Uh-huh. And also because I’m hungry.”

Jaehyun groans, flopping back onto the bed. “This family is going to be the death of me.”

You laugh, pressing a kiss to his cheek before turning to Jaeyoon. “Alright, let’s get you some breakfast.”

Jaeyoon claps happily and slides off the bed. But before he leaves, he turns to Jaehyun with a mischievous grin. “Appa, what if Noona kisses Minho?”

Jaehyun sits up again. “That’s not happening!”

Jaeyoon giggles and sprints out of the room before Jaehyun can say anything else.

You shake your head, laughing as you reach for Jaehyun’s hand. “You okay, babe?”

He groans, throwing himself back onto the pillows. “No. I need coffee. And maybe therapy.”

You chuckle, tugging him up. “Come on, big guy. Let’s get through today first.”

Jaehyun sighs dramatically, but when he looks at you, there’s warmth in his eyes. “Only because you’re here.”

You smile, squeezing his hand. “Always.”

Later after school, you’re in the living room with Jaeyoon who’s sprawled out on the floor, coloring in his favorite book. He hums a little tune as he draws, completely unbothered by the fact that his Noona isn’t home yet.

You, on the other hand, are very aware of the time. Not because you’re worried but because you know who will be. Right on cue, the front door opens. Jaehyun steps inside, immediately loosening his tie and checking his watch. Again.

You don’t even get the chance to greet him before he says, “What time did you say Chaeyoon was coming home?”

You smirk. “I didn’t say.”

Jaehyun lets out a long sigh, kicking off his shoes. “It’s already past five.”

Jaeyoon looks up from his coloring. “Appa, you checked your watch like a hundred times.”

Jaehyun ignores him, turning to you instead. “Have you heard from her?”

You shake your head, amused. “She texted when she left school. She’s probably still with Minho.”

Jaehyun visibly clenches his jaw. “Still?”

You chuckle, patting the couch beside you. “Babe, relax.”

Jaehyun does not relax. Instead, he pulls out his phone, scrolling as if that will somehow make Chaeyoon text faster. “I should’ve picked her up.”

You raise an eyebrow. “Oh? And then what? Sat between them at the ice cream shop?”

Jaeyoon bursts into giggles. “Appa would’ve stared at Minho like this.” He scrunches up his face, narrowing his eyes into an intense glare.

You laugh. “That’s exactly how he’d look.”

Jaehyun groans, running a hand through his hair. “This isn’t funny.”

You reach over, tugging him down to sit beside you. “It’s a little funny.”

Jaehyun grumbles but lets you pull him close. He leans back against the couch, checking his watch again.

“She’ll be home soon,” you assure him. “And when she gets here, you can interrogate her all you want.”

Jaeyoon gasps dramatically. “Appa’s gonna use his CEO voice!”

Jaehyun huffs. “I am not.”

Jaeyoon grins. “Are too.”

Jaehyun doesn’t argue because maybe he is. Just a little. Just as Jaehyun is admiring Jaeyoon’s latest masterpiece, a crayon drawing of your family with an extra large version of himself. There’s the sound of the front door unlocking.

Jaehyun immediately checks his watch again.

You smirk. “See? She’s home at a perfectly reasonable time.” Jaehyun doesn’t respond. Instead, he stands up, crosses his arms, and waits.

Chaeyoon steps inside, setting her backpack down before kicking off her shoes. “I’m home!” she calls out casually.

Jaeyoon runs up to her, arms flailing. “Noona! Did you have your date?”

Chaeyoon groans. “It wasn’t a date, Jaeyoon.”

Jaehyun clears his throat. Loudly. Chaeyoon turns her head and there’s her dad. Standing in the middle of the living room, arms crossed, looking exactly how she expected him to.

She sighs, dragging her feet toward the couch. “Okay, let’s get this over with.”

Jaehyun raises an eyebrow. “Get what over with?”

“The interrogation.” She plops onto the couch, throwing her arms over the backrest. “Go ahead, Appa. Ask your many questions.”

Jaehyun doesn’t waste a second. “How long have you known him?”

“Like a year, we’re classmates”

“Why haven’t I heard about him before?”

She sighs. “Because you’re like this.”

Jaehyun ignores that. “Does he have good grades?”

Chaeyoon blinks. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“I need to know if he’s responsible.”

Chaeyoon groans. “Yes, Appa, he has good grades.”

Jaehyun narrows his eyes. “What did you talk about?”

“Ice cream. School. Normal stuff.”

“Did he—” Jaehyun’s expression turns even more serious. “—hold the door for you?”

Chaeyoon stares. “…Yes?”

Jaehyun exhales, nodding slowly. “Okay. That’s a start.”

You shake your head, fully entertained by this. Jaeyoon climbs onto the couch beside Chaeyoon. “Did you hold hands?”

Jaehyun immediately looks at her.

Chaeyoon gags. “EW. No.”

Jaehyun nods approvingly. “Good.”

Chaeyoon groans again. “Ugh, Appa, you’re so dramatic. It was just ice cream.”

Jaehyun eyes her for a moment before finally sighing, sitting down beside her. His posture softens a little. “I just want to make sure you’re safe.”

Chaeyoon leans against him with a small smile. “I know. And I promise, Minho is just a friend.”

Jaehyun lets out another deep breath, wrapping an arm around her. “Okay. But next time, I want to meet him.”

Chaeyoon pulls away, eyes wide. “Appa. No.”

Jaehyun shrugs. “I need to make sure he understands that you have a very intimidating father.”

Chaeyoon groans dramatically, flopping onto the couch. “You’re impossible.”

Jaeyoon grins, climbing onto Jaehyun’s lap. “Appa, when I get a girlfriend, you can meet her, okay?”

Jaehyun blinks. “What?”

You burst out laughing as Jaehyun looks like he’s about to have an entire crisis.

Chaeyoon smirks. “Yeah, Appa. You have two kids to worry about.”

Jaehyun groans, rubbing his temples. “I need another coffee.”

And as the kids giggle, and you lean into him with an affectionate smile, you realize you wouldn’t trade this chaotic, loving family for anything.

The call from Jaeyoon’s school comes in the middle of the afternoon. You answer, and the moment you hear the words "Jaeyoon had a little accident during an activity," your heart skips a beat. The teacher quickly reassures you that he’s okay ust a scraped knee and a little bump but you’re already grabbing your bag.

Jaehyun, who had just gotten home early from a meeting, notices the shift in your expression. “What’s wrong?”

You exhale. “Jaeyoon tripped at school. He’s hurt, but they said it’s not too bad.”

Jaehyun’s face hardens. “Let’s go.”

Within minutes, the two of you are in the car, driving to the school. Jaehyun grips the steering wheel tightly, jaw clenched. He doesn’t say much, but you can tell his mind is racing.

When you arrive at the nurse’s office, Jaeyoon is sitting on the little cot, his legs swinging as he stares down at his bandaged knee. His face is scrunched up in frustration. The moment he sees the both of you, his lips press together in a thin line, and he immediately sits up straighter.

“Hey, buddy,” Jaehyun says softly, crouching down to his level. “What happened?”

Jaeyoon crosses his arms. “I tripped during the race.” His voice is a little wobbly, but he clears his throat, blinking rapidly. “But I’m okay. I didn’t cry.”

You exchange a glance with Jaehyun before sitting beside Jaeyoon. “It’s okay if you want to, sweetheart.”

Jaeyoon shakes his head stubbornly. “Big boys don’t cry.”

Jaehyun sighs, reaching out to pull Jaeyoon into his arms. And the moment he does, Jaeyoon completely melts  He buries his face in Jaehyun’s chest, his small fingers gripping onto his father’s shirt. A choked little sob escapes him, and then, suddenly, he’s really crying.

Jaehyun just holds him tighter, one hand cradling the back of his head. “It’s okay, buddy. You can cry.”

Jaeyoon sniffles, his tiny shoulders trembling. “I tried so hard, Appa.”

“I know,” Jaehyun whispers, rubbing his back. “And you’re still the bravest boy I know.”

Jaeyoon clings to him, sobbing softly. Jaehyun doesn’t rush him, doesn’t tell him to stop he just lets him feel everything, lets him be small in this moment.

You stroke Jaeyoon’s hair gently. “You know… being strong doesn’t mean not crying. It means getting back up even when you’re hurt.”

Jaeyoon sniffles, pulling back slightly to look up at Jaehyun. “Really?”

Jaehyun nods, wiping a stray tear from his cheek. “Really. And you did get back up, didn’t you?”

Jaeyoon nods hesitantly. “Yeah…”

Jaehyun smiles, kissing the top of his head. “Then you’re the strongest boy I know.”

Jaeyoon lets out a little hiccup, then slowly finally smiles. “Okay.”

You and Jaehyun exchange a soft look, hearts swelling with love for your little boy.

And as Jaehyun lifts Jaeyoon into his arms, holding him close all the way to the car, you know no matter how big he gets, Jaeyoon will always have a place to feel safe.

The drive home is peaceful, the soft hum of the car engine filling the quiet night. Jaeyoon and Chaeyoon are completely knocked out in the backseat, their heads tilted at awkward angles, mouths slightly open.

Jaehyun glances at them through the rearview mirror and smirks. “Didn’t even last five minutes.”

You chuckle, watching Jaeyoon’s little chest rise and fall steadily. “I knew Jaeyoon would fall asleep fast, but Chaeyoon too? She must’ve been really full.”

Jaehyun shakes his head fondly. “She tried to act like she wasn’t, but I saw her struggling with that last piece of meat.”

You laugh softly, resting your head against the car window. The streetlights blur past, casting a warm glow over the quiet city. The moment feels so calm—just the two of you, with your babies fast asleep in the back.

Jaehyun exhales, one hand still on the wheel, the other casually resting on his lap. “Feels like just yesterday they were tiny.”

You smile, your heart swelling at the memories. “I know… Remember when Chaeyoon was born? We had no idea what we were doing.”

Jaehyun lets out a low chuckle. “You figured things out fast. I was freaking out every five seconds.”

“You were not.”

“I was.” He shakes his head, eyes still on the road. “I was scared to even hold her at first. She was so small.”

You glance back at your daughter, now twelve, long legs curled up on the seat. “She’s not so small anymore.”

Jaehyun sighs. “No, she’s not.”

There’s a beat of silence before he smiles softly. “Jaeyoon, though… That boy came into this world yelling.”

You laugh, covering your mouth to keep quiet. “Oh, God, he was so loud. The nurse literally said, ‘Wow, this one has a lot to say.’”

Jaehyun grins. “And she was right. He hasn’t stopped talking since.”

You sigh, glancing out the window. “Sometimes I wish we could go back. Just for a little while. Hold them when they were tiny again.”

Jaehyun reaches over, taking your hand in his and squeezing gently. “I know.” His voice is soft, full of understanding. “But we’re still here. Still watching them grow.”

You smile, lacing your fingers with his. “And freaking out over ice cream dates.”

Jaehyun groans, tilting his head back. “Don’t remind me.”

You laugh, squeezing his hand. “You’ll survive, babe.”

He glances at you with a smirk. “Will I?”

You grin, leaning over to kiss his cheek. “Of course.”

Jaehyun chuckles, eyes crinkling as he pulls into your driveway. “As long as I have you.”

And as you sit there, watching your babies sleep peacefully in the backseat, you realize—these moments, the quiet ones, the ordinary ones—are the ones that make life so beautiful.

[bellaxgiornata]

Falling For the Devil [Part ninety-eight: "The Rooftop"]

Pairing: Matt Murdock x Fem!Reader Word Count: 6k

Summary: Matt surprises you by finishing work early for the day.

Or

Your evening takes a very unexpected turn.

[Series of one-shots about Reader meeting, falling for, and dating Matt Murdock.] [FFTD Series Masterlist]

Warnings: 18+ for this series; contains humor, fluff, romance, angst, smut, violence

a/n: I've been sitting on this installment for eight months now just tweaking it because it hadn't felt done, but I think today is the day I just let it go into the universe finally. Feedback and reblogs are always appreciated!

Body sore and aching, Matt jogged his way across the rooftop he'd just landed on, attempting to ignore the pain shooting up his left thigh with each step he took. The bullet that he'd attempted to dodge earlier tonight had just barely grazed his leg, leaving a burning trail in its wake that he could still feel.

The only reason he’d even gotten shot in the first place was because he'd been distracted by someone else about to put a bullet in the back of Frank's head. Matt miscalculated his own movements at the last second in order to toss a billy club at the guy to save Frank, but unfortunately the bullet that had just nicked Matt had still managed to leave a painful mark even if it hadn't pierced him through the suit. Now every jolting impact as he moved caused him to grit his teeth tight together with a pained hiss, only making him further desperate to be done for the evening and make his way back to you.

Tonight had been a more eventful evening than usual for him and Frank. Irritatingly enough, they'd still never made any further progress finding out the connection between Vox, a seemingly mysterious and new pharmaceutical company that neither Matt nor Frank could ever seem to dig much up on, and Stronger United, a local organization that helped veterans find work once they’d left their military service. It had been Frank’s friend Curtis that had brought up his rapidly growing concerns about the possible link between the laudable organization and the missing veterans in the city lately–something that had become a very well covered up secret. And as Matt and Frank had been digging deeper into their ongoing investigation of Stronger United and its strange link to Vox, it appeared they even seemed to have a link to some of the missing children in the city as well. 

Currently none of it was making any sense to either of them, but the lack of progress on this whole mystery organization for weeks had once more left Matt feeling rather frustrated tonight. Especially because he knew something was going on. Him and Frank both could feel it in their gut, but neither of them could quite figure out what it was they'd exactly stumbled on. It didn’t help that the longer it took them to figure it out, the more people went mysteriously missing in his city–and the more bullets it seemed were being directed at the pair of them.

But Matt also knew there wasn’t much more he could realistically accomplish tonight, especially with it getting rather late. All he wanted to do at this point was head back home and change out of his stifling, uncomfortable suit. He wanted to wrap you up in his arms and drag you into bed with him, curling up around you under his soft silk sheets as he buried his face into the crook of your neck. He wanted to listen to the cute giggle you’d undoubtedly make when his stubble tickled your skin, to breathe in the scent of you and your peach shampoo while listening to your calming heartbeat that still stuttered in erratic patterns in his presence, something it still managed whenever he just simply touched you despite all the time you’d both spent together by now. And, maybe, he was looking forward to listening to the sound of Mittens’ contented and rhythmic purring at the foot of the bed while he held you close–though he’d deny it if you pointed it out.

A warmth filled Matt, blooming in his chest and spreading like a pleasant wildfire through his veins as he crossed over to another rooftop on his way back to the apartment. He wasn't going home to an empty place tonight. And while technically he knew that he hadn't been going back to an empty apartment for a while now ever since you'd moved in with him, it was a fact that he had been very appreciative of every time he came home lately. But for some reason after the disappointing night he'd had tonight, he found he was feeling even more grateful than usual to know his little family would be waiting for him at home.

A smile tugged at the corners of his lips while he continued jogging across the rooftop as he thought of the two of you waiting up for him on the couch. He could picture it now, the way you’d greet him with a tired voice as Mittens would offer up a tiny, sleepy mew of his own from beside you. Then half-awake you’d rise from the couch and make your way to meet him at the bottom of the roof access stairs, always eager to envelope him in a hug before inspecting him over for injuries and helping him tug off the suit. Matt's hands would always find their way to a part of you in his gratitude to be home with you once more; he would often be grabbing at your waist, or your own hands, or stroking your cheek. Or if he was feeling rather cheeky that evening, a light smack to your ass, which often warranted a flush to your cheeks and a faint gasp of surprise whenever he did it.

Family. You and that cat were indeed his family now. Something he felt he’d spent his whole life desperately searching for after his father had passed and left him seemingly alone in the world, and now he’d finally found it all on his own when he’d least expected it. He had found his family in you and that damn cat who was far too intelligent and that he’d admittedly grown quite fond of over the past few weeks. Though something about what Frank had said to him earlier tonight about his own family suddenly ran through his mind, Frank’s words slowing Matt’s pace along the rooftop. 

“I'd give anything to go back and make sure they knew what they meant to me. Shoulda made damn sure they knew when they were still here. And that's on me. That’ll always be on me, Red. I hope you don't ever make the same damn mistake I did with your girl. Know what I’m sayin’?”

The smile faltered along Matt’s lips as he neared the edge of the rooftop, his boots coming to a stop just before the ledge. Had he been doing enough to make sure you knew what you meant to him? You’d finally moved in with him, sure. He did his best to tell you how much he loved you as often as his distracted mind was able. But he did spend a lot of his evenings out as Daredevil, coming back home to you late and sometimes irritable and exhausted. He often put Hell’s Kitchen high up there on his list of priorities, whether as Matt Murdock the lawyer or the vigilante Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.

Matt’s gloved hand ran across his mouth as his lips thinned out along his face. You were the one often taking care of the apartment and him in the evenings, picking up his slack lately while he was often out with Frank working on this investigation. He hadn’t even breathed a word of it to you yet, not wanting your investigative journalist side taking over and getting you somehow caught up in everything going on–he’d learned the hard way from having almost lost you a few months back just how tight you could hold onto a mystery you wanted to solve. And that previous situation still had you jumpy and on edge from time to time, waking you with nightmares that wracked Matt with guilt as he held you close and continually promised to keep you safe.

But he was very aware that there was still one way he had yet to show you just how much you meant to him. One way that had increasingly been on his mind lately, especially after the way your body had reacted to him talking about putting a ring on your finger and calling you Mrs. Murdock at that gala. A spark of pleasure at the memory raced up Matt’s spine, his lips curling back upwards into a smile beneath his mask. You’d very much enjoyed the prospect of being his at that event only a couple of weeks ago. And you'd very loudly let him know how much you enjoyed his teeth marking you back at home afterwards, your body going crazy every time he uttered the name he wished to already be able to call you–Mrs. Murdock–into your skin. 

Though, truthfully, there was still a part of Matt that was terrified that he’d get down on one knee and ask you to marry him only for you to reject him. Maybe you would tell him no because you couldn’t handle him being Daredevil any longer, that you couldn't handle everything that came along with it. Because Matt didn’t think he’d ever be able to survive you turning him down when he finally asked. Which was the sole reason why he’d been nervously talking himself out of finally proposing for the past few weeks. He had the ring and he had the proposal plan, but he was just scared you’d tell him no and leave him just like everyone else in his life had.

Except, he heard the inner voice of the Devil’s snap in his ear, she’s nothing like everyone else, you idiot. You already know that. She’s never left you. Not once. So don’t you dare lose her.

Matt’s eyes closed behind his mask, his gloved hand once more running over his mouth. That was the truth, though, wasn't it? You weren’t like anyone else he’d ever met–from the way you’d reacted to finding out about his heightened senses and his vigilante activities from the very beginning, to how you stuck by his side despite seeing the darkest parts of himself, loving him anyway despite the danger it brought to both of you, to the simplest things you did to accommodate his disability on the daily without being rude or acting put out about any of it.

You weren’t like everyone else who’d left him. You weren't even like anyone else he'd ever met before. You were different in the best way possible. And that inner voice in his head was right, he'd be an absolute dumbshit to mess things up and lose you. He needed to stop dragging his feet and letting fear hold him back already. He needed to make sure you really knew how important you were to him once and for all.

With a firm resolve suddenly burning through Matt, he leapt across the gap of the rooftops he’d stopped in front of, his feet moving with a renewed determination back to his apartment. He couldn't even feel the sting from where the bullet had grazed him earlier as he ran, too focused on the plan unfurling in his mind. He’d sneak a moment tonight to text Foggy before he crawled into bed with you. He’d ask him to bring the ring to work tomorrow, maybe even ask him for some help setting things up in a few days. And then Matt would stop being afraid of finally proposing to you. 

He would make damn sure you knew exactly what you meant to him.   

“Hey, Matty, what's going on?” you asked. “Do you have another late night tonight?”

“Hey, sweetheart,” Matt's smooth voice greeted you through the phone that you had wedged between your shoulder and your ear. “No, I was actually calling to let you know that I finished work early today and that I had dinner made and ready for when you came home.”

“Oh,” you said, surprised at the news as you turned off your computer. “I didn't know you had an early day today, you hadn’t said anything. I was going to pick up something on the way home tonight, though. I told you that earlier at lunch. You didn't have to cook, Matty. I know you've had a rough past few weeks.”

“And you've been busy picking up my slack for those few weeks now,” Matt told you. “Figured you were more than deserving of a little break tonight.”

You smiled, grabbing your purse from off your desk and one-handedly tossing the strap over yourself as your other hand readjusted your phone. Truthfully having dinner made by Matt did sound better than the takeout you had planned. He didn't cook often, but whenever he did, the food was always amazing. 

“You know I’ve never minded helping you out and making things easier on you, but I appreciate you making dinner tonight. I should actually be home soon,” you told him, glancing at the clock across the office. “I'm just gathering my things now and then I'll be heading back from work.”

“Sounds perfect, sweetheart,” he replied, an unexpected nervous edge cutting through his usual charming and calm tone. “I'll be waiting here for you.”

The pair of you exchanged goodbyes before you hung up, an almost confused smile lingering on your mouth. You were excited to have Matt home early, and you were even more excited that he'd gone through the effort to make dinner for you both tonight. You were looking forward to sitting down with him and having time together, but that hint of something anxious in his voice had certainly caught your attention. Was there a reason he was home so early? Was something wrong? Because him being done at the office this early was unusual.

Sliding your desk chair back, you spun it around and nearly jumped out of your skin. Katy was leaning against your cubicle, grinning wide and shooting you a cheeky wave. Holding a hand  over your racing heart, you tried to calm yourself at the surprise she’d given you.

“Someone have a romantic evening planned for tonight?” she teased, shooting you an exaggerated wink. “Your man is already home before you with dinner made and ready? Sounds like he's up to something.”

“What? No,” you answered her, pulling a face and shaking your head. “Matt just made dinner tonight so I wouldn't have to grab something on the way home like I’ve been doing lately. That's all.”

Katy dramatically rolled her eyes at you as you rose out of your chair, adjusting your purse on yourself. 

“Oh come on,” she said. “You've told me he's been busy for weeks now–with work and the other thing.” She paused, sending you a very pointed look. “Now unexpectedly he’s home early and he cooked for you? I’m pretty sure your man is trying to wine and dine you, girl. I hope you're prepared for it,” she continued, waggling her eyebrows suggestively at you. “Because I know you said it had been a couple of weeks since you both, you know.”

“I highly doubt that's his goal tonight,” you told her, pushing your chair back into your desk. “I'm sure he's going out again after dinner. To do his usual thing. But uh, yeah,” you added sheepishly, your voice lowering despite it being only you and Katy still at the office as you turned back to face her. “It has been a bit since he's been home and had the energy for that.”

Katy reached a hand out, slapping you roughly on the shoulder. “Then get on home! Hurry up before he runs out for the night! Get you some, girl!”

“Alright,” you told her with a laugh. “I'll see you again Monday, Katy. But hey,” you continued, your expression turning serious, “if you happen to make any more progress on that story this weekend you'll let me know, right? You know I'm curious.”

“Yes, yes. You already know I will,” she assured you. “Now go on!” She waved a hand at you, shooing you off. “Get on out of here and go get your man!”

You said a final goodbye to Katy, watching as she made her way back to her cubicle beside yours where you figured she’d once more be working late. Making your way through the office and towards the exit, you wondered once more why Matt had sounded so nervous, but as you took the stairs down in a rush to exit the building, you were admittedly in a hurry to get back home to him. You weren’t of the same mind as Katy though–you doubted Matt was planning anything special tonight. He was clearly just trying to be nice because, as Matt often did, he probably felt guilty for being so busy recently. Most likely he just felt bad that he had been rushing out on you most nights and leaving you to deal with dinner and cleanup, though you knew he'd have gone without dinner every night if you hadn't been picking it up or cooking it. 

But that didn't stop you from wanting to enjoy as much of his company as you could before he left for the evening. Which was why you were thankful that your walk back to the apartment was faster than it had been lately since you hadn't needed to stop for takeout or to grab anything from a store to make for dinner. You were digging your keys out of your purse and making your way down the hallway towards the apartment only twenty minutes after you'd ended that call with Matt. 

Stopping in front of your apartment door, you stuck the key into the lock only to frown and pull it back out a second later. Apparently, Matt had left the door unlocked when he had come home from work earlier. Which was unusual for him. He almost always had the door locked even if he was in the apartment, something he was constantly reminding you to do for safety reasons. 

Trying to ignore how odd that little detail was, you stuffed your keys back into your purse before opening the door and stepping inside. Though you were once more caught off guard when you entered, pausing just in the doorway. The apartment lights were on. On rare occasions Matt would turn them on for you if he was home and knew you were coming back soon, but generally you expected them to be turned off if he was home before you. Because he didn't need them and the extra buzzing noise bothered him, especially if he was cooking and dealing with the sensory overload from all of that. 

This all felt…strange.

Frown deepening further, you hesitantly stepped into the apartment and carefully closed the door behind yourself before locking it. Walking over to the bench in the entry hall, you began to slip out of your dress flats as an uneasiness settled in your stomach.

“Matt?” you called out. “I just got home.”

Pushing your shoes under the bench and out of the way with a foot, your eyes narrowed when you didn't get a response. That was…also odd. 

A prickle of fear raised the hair on the back of your neck as that very vivid recurring nightmare flashed through your mind. Your stomach churned as you carefully made your way down the entryway hall and towards the living room. You were half expecting to enter the apartment and find Matt beaten and bloody, hunched over on one of the dining chairs just like in your dream, but instead you were met with an empty apartment. Eyes scanning the space as you made your way towards the kitchen, you found it strange that you could smell the delicious seasoning of whatever Matt had recently cooked, but the kitchen itself was spotless. Even the dishes in the sink from earlier this morning had been cleaned and put away. 

“Matt?” you called out again.

Something brushed against your leg and you instantly jolted backwards, startled at the unexpected touch. As your heart pounded frantically in your chest, your gaze quickly dropped down only to spot Mittens standing there and staring innocently back up at you. Relief flooded you immediately at the sight of him and you soon felt a little ridiculous for thinking anything else had rubbed against your legs.

“Hey buddy,” you greeted him, bending down to his height as you continued to scan the empty apartment. “Where's your daddy?”

Mittens let out a loud meow as you began to pet his head, the sound drawing your attention back to him. That's when you spotted something on him that definitely hadn't been there this morning, your hand pausing along his head as he continued to loudly purr at you. There was a dark red velvet bow tie collar secured along his neck, one that had not been there when you'd gotten ready for work this morning.

Your fear rapidly began to dissipate, soon replaced by something else you couldn't quite name. There was no way someone would have broken into your apartment and attacked Matt while he was making dinner with how pristine this place looked. And an intruder wouldn't have put a little bow tie on your cat. Something else was going on. But what?

Hand beginning to scratch beneath Mittens’ chin, his purring loud in your ear, your eyes tried to scan the apartment once more in search of Matt and his whereabouts. Though this time you were looking a bit more carefully than when you’d first entered. Eventually as you scanned through the living room, your gaze landed on the one other thing that was entirely out of place that you hadn't noticed in your initial fear when you’d come home.

Across the apartment from you, scattered along the stairs and leading up towards the roof access door, you spotted a sprinkling of dark red rose petals. Your breath caught in your throat instantly at the sight, your hand absently falling away from Mittens’ chin and back to your side as you stared at the trail of red lining the stairs. 

Swallowing hard, you slowly rose back up on unsteady, trembling legs. For a moment you just stood there dumbfounded, Mittens still purring as he made figure eights between your legs while you stared at the intentionally romantic smattering of flower petals. Maybe Katy had been right, maybe Matt had been planning something romantic tonight after all. But exactly how romantic? Because this was entirely out of the ordinary for Matt.

Hearing your heart pounding in your own ears, you slowly began to make your way through the apartment, deciding that following the trail of petals would most likely lead you to Matt. Cutting your way through the living room, your bare feet padded softly over the rug and over towards the bottom of the stairs. You paused when you reached them, staring at the dark red petals that must have recently been placed there. They almost didn’t seem real as that indescribable feeling in your stomach only increased.  A swirl of nerves flooded you as you carefully began to ascend the stairs, making sure not to crush a single petal beneath your feet as you went. Each step only increased that lightheaded sensation washing over you as your heart began to pound just a bit harder in your chest.

By the time you’d reached the door to the roof access, your hands were simultaneously sweating and shaking. Because this couldn’t possibly be anything more than just a romantic dinner between the pair of you, right? Nothing more than maybe Matt apologizing for having been gone so frequently as the Devil in the evenings and trying to find a nice way to make things up to you. That had to be all this was. But as your clammy hand reached out and pushed the door open before you stepped out onto the rooftop, the sight that soon met your eyes had you even doubting that.

Abruptly coming to a stop, you froze on the spot as you stared at the setting before you. The sound of the door to the roof closing behind you barely even registered in your ears as you sucked in a breath. You certainly hadn’t anticipated this tonight.

Matt was standing a few feet away from you, his glasses not currently resting along his nose making it impossible for him to hide the very obvious nervous expression he was currently sending in your direction. He was still wearing his dress clothes from this morning that you’d watched him pick out, though he’d lost the suit coat and loosened his tie, having rolled up the sleeves of his navy blue dress shirt to his elbows as he usually did. One of his hands fidgeted in his pants pocket while the other anxiously adjusted the knot of his loosened tie, a timid smile drawn across his mouth.

Gaze drawn behind where Matt stood, you saw that some fairy lights had been strung up along a few of the roof structures. They'd obviously been hung for you, and that unnameable feeling inside of you only swelled as your eyes dropped down to the roof. Beneath the lights, Matt had spread out his plaid blanket that you hadn’t even noticed was missing from the back of the couch, and atop it sat two place settings. There were two bowls of pasta and two empty wine glasses with an unopened bottle of wine sitting beside them. There was even an extravagant bouquet of red flowers in the middle of the blanket that looked more stunning than any floral arrangement you’d ever personally seen before. 

The roof, without a doubt despite its simplicity, was breathtaking beneath the half-full moon. Clearly Matt had intended for the scene to make an impact on you, and it certainly had. You hadn't even realized you'd been standing there gaping at the romantic setting until you heard Matt say your name–your full name, not just your first name or the term of endearment he so often used. Eyes darting back over towards him, you forced your mouth closed as you watched him slowly approach you, his hand still fidgeting in his pants pocket. 

“Matt,” you breathed out. “What…?”

“I've known for a long time that you were someone special,” he began, your ears catching the faint tremor in his voice. “Ever since that first night you'd stepped into Josie’s with Katy–or rather, tripped into Josie’s.”

You felt a heat creep up your cheeks as a nervous, soft laugh fell past Matt’s lips, his smile growing just a fraction. Feeling a lump of emotions beginning to form in the back of your throat as he finally came to a stop just before you, you swallowed hard. Removing his hand from inside of his pant’s pocket, the sight of something in his palm caught your attention. Glancing down, you quietly gasped at the sight of the small, black box he was holding. Your heart rapidly fluttered in your chest instantly, your mouth going dry. And when Matt cautiously lowered himself down to one knee directly in front of you a moment later, you swore you'd completely stopped breathing all together as your eyes widened.

“I've never met anyone like you before, and I damn well know I never will again,” Matt continued slowly, emotion thick in his voice as his eyes fixed upwards around your chest. “There's no one like you. You're the most brilliant and caring person I have ever met. You’re always taking care of me. Always there for me. Simply because you want to be.”

Matt paused as if he was trying to keep his composure, his throat visibly bobbing as he swallowed hard. You felt the sting of tears beginning to well in your eyes, your lips trembling as you stood there staring back at him. 

“I truly never knew what love actually felt like until you came into my life,” he continued, that anxious waver still in his voice. “Because you showed me what it was.” He paused again, that nervous smile still spread across his mouth as your heart beat in an erratic staccato inside of your chest. “And now I–I couldn't possibly imagine a day going by without you waking up beside me, or greeting me at night when I come home from work. I can't picture a day when I don't  hear your beautiful voice answering the phone anytime I call. And I absolutely couldn't imagine never hearing one of your nervous rambling tangents again, or the adorable snort laugh you do sometimes when you’re caught off guard.” His expression softened, his own eyes filled with so much emotion as they remained fixed on your chest. “And I–I honestly don't think I will ever tire of the sound of your curiously uneven heartbeat that never fails to tell me exactly how you feel whenever you see me, whether it's first thing in the morning or when I'm dragging my sorry ass back to you late at night.”

You were too stunned to laugh, watching silently in shock as Matt opened the little box he was holding. At the sight of a gorgeous engagement ring shining up at you from within it, you audibly gasped. Legs beginning to quiver as the reality of the moment fully hit you, your right hand flew up to cover your still trembling lips. Matt's left hand reached out, grabbing onto yours at your side as you felt tears continuing to build in your eyes. Your entire body was shaking now as you gazed down at Matt kneeling before you, the most vulnerable expression you'd ever seen in his eyes as they danced back and forth along you.

“I never want to imagine a day without you,” he whispered. “I want you always. Every day. Ever since that night we met at Josie’s I have always wanted you. Not a number far enough from one, right?” A nervous chuckle spilled out of his mouth before his tongue darted out, wetting his lips. “What I'm trying to say is… Will you marry me, sweetheart?”

Blinking quickly a handful of times, you tried to clear the tears that had begun to blur your vision. You realized you were already nodding in response to his question before you'd even been aware that you were. Knees shaking from the burst of adrenaline coursing through you mixed with the unexpected surge of emotions at the monumental moment, you practically collapsed to the rooftop on your knees in front of Matt. His expression had shifted to one of extreme hope as he registered the nonverbal response with his senses. 

“Yes,” you croaked out, still nodding vigorously. “Yes, of course, Matt. Yes!”

The smile that grew on his face at your voice was one you'd never forget the sight of for the rest of your life. It was something so bright, so full of love and happiness as the nervous edge quickly washed out of his features, that you'd truly never seen him look so handsome before. There was a glisten of tears forming in his own eyes that you caught just before you flung yourself forward, wrapping your arms around his neck as a giddy laugh spilled out of you.

“There's nothing I want more, Matty,” you assured him. “I want you, I've always wanted you.”

Matt's own strong arms encircled you, nearly crushing you to the front of himself as the pair of you kneeled there on the rooftop, both of you a mess of happy tears and laughter mingling above the faint sounds of the city below. You felt like if you weren't holding onto him so tight, you'd have probably floated up into the night sky with how overjoyed you felt. 

At some point during the happy tears and blissful laughter, Matt had turned his head and begun planting kiss after kiss along your cheek, your forehead, your temple. The barrage of his elated kisses had you giggling, more tears slipping out of your eyes until eventually you turned, catching him by surprise when your mouth connected with his. 

The air around you felt like it shifted during that kiss. Time felt like it slowed as he held you tight, your body sinking comfortably forward into him as both of your mouths moved perfectly in sync with each other. Every day, good or bad, felt like it had been leading you both to this moment. This one important, life altering moment.

As Matt gradually broke the kiss, only inching a bit away from you, your eyelids fluttered open. He was smiling back at you, his eyes fixed around yours as a wide, boyish grin remained on his lips. You realized your own cheeks were already aching from how hard you'd been smiling the past few minutes. 

“This is the part where I should probably put the ring on your finger now, isn't it?” he whispered. 

“I'd like that,” you whispered back.

The corners of his eyes creased even further as he released you from his embrace. Settling down more comfortably onto the rooftop beside him, you held your left hand out, placing it in Matt’s awaiting outstretched palm. Breath still coming in short as another excited shudder raced up your spine, you watched as he carefully slipped the ring onto your finger. Afterwards, his thumb affectionately brushed back and forth along it, as if to prove to himself that it was there. 

“It's beautiful,” you told him, tears once more welling up in your eyes. 

“So I did well picking it out?” he asked curiously.

You laughed, a few more happy tears spilling their way down your cheeks as you focused back on his face. “Matt,” you told him, “you could've proposed with an onion ring and I'd have said yes.”

“Wish I'd have known that sooner,” he teased with a wink. “I would have saved a lot of money.”

You couldn't hide the snort of laughter that escaped you, too overwhelmed with emotion tonight to care how loud it was. But at the sound, Matt only beamed back at you even wider.

“I love you,” he murmured.

Laughter subsiding as you took in the expression on his face–the affection in his eyes, the single dimple exposed in his cheek, the wide, toothy smile spread across his face–you felt like everything was finally how it should be for once. A comfortable feeling of rightness settled in your chest.

“I love you, too,” you replied softly.

Matt's head tilted marginally to the side, his smile growing a bit sheepish. “I hate to say it, but I think dinner is probably cold by now,” he told you. “I don't think I planned this out well enough.”

You shook your head immediately, a bright smile still on your lips. “No,” you disagreed. “You planned it perfectly, Matty. All of it. Down to the little bow tie for Mittens.”

A cheeky grin slipped onto his face, his head tilting further to the side. “Didn't think I'd forget to include our little dumpster baby in such a big moment, did you?”

Another amused snort fell out of you, your left hand playfully darting out to lightly smack his shoulder as you prepared to chastise him for calling Mittens that horrible name yet again. But Matt easily caught your wrist in a hand, his eyes fixed along your chin as he drew it up to his mouth. Breathlessly you watched as he leaned down, his lips pressing a tender kiss to your knuckle, just beside the sparkling new engagement ring. 

“You have no idea how happy you've made me tonight,” he confessed quietly.

“Well,” you whispered back, “I suppose I have the rest of our lives to find out, don't I?”

Without another word, Matt gently tugged you forward towards himself while leaning in closer to you. And then his mouth was back on yours, the pair of you forgetting about dinner and Hell’s Kitchen for the rest of the night.

END NOTES

Normally y'all only get these over on AO3, but I feel like this installment was so long awaited that we need it. THEY'RE FINALLY ENGAGED! Those of you who've been reading this series from the beginning have been waiting over two in real life years for this installment. And Matty and I have been literally planning it for just as long. Seriously, I've had "The Rooftop" planned for probably two years. There's a hint of it in "The Belated Valentine's" where Matt said he had something planned, but he decided to save it for something else (which was back in May of 2023). He'd planned to have a romantic valentine's date for Reader on the roof, but he knew back then he was saving that idea to propose to her. THAT is how long I'd been holding onto this installment y'all. Mittens was a fun addition I hadn't initially foreseen, but I think we all agree he needed to be included.

And also yes, there's hints of Second Angst Arc in here.

As for what comes next, y'all might get some smut and fluff, not sure which order, before a bit of light angst. I don't want to throw the big, heavy things out at y'all yet after this engagement, but it IS coming. But as always, I appreciate all of you who are here supporting this series. Y'all are the reason it lasted more than 15 installments and I appreciate every single one of you!

Tag List: @ninacotte @stilldreaming666 @madscamp02 @1988-fiend @linamarr @pinkratts @schneeflocky @acharliecoxedfan @yarrystyleeza @theetherealbloom @danzer8705 @lionalsowrites @harperdoodle @kmc1989 @lunaticgurly @mattmurdocks6thscaleapartment @pazii @kezibear @millennial-birkin @eatingtheworldsoffanfiction @babygirlmurdock @theoraekenslover @wanda-maxamommy @justanerd1  @scriptedmoon @loves0phelia @ardent-crow @steve-chandler @thekidsare-kinda-alright

[rotationalsymmetry]

I know it tends to lead to more heat than light when people do a "ok disability though" counterpoint to these sorts of posts, but I do want to point out that this sort of thing is exactly one situation where it can help to zoom out and look at the issue from a societal rather than individual perspective.

I spent a fair bit of time on the internet before I got sick -- in college, when I was surrounded by people I mostly liked and lots of fun things to do, in the mountains when I was surrounded by natural beauty -- and somewhat more than I thought I should, but it was very much in balance. I'd spend a few hours reading webcomics when I thought I should have been doing my homework or NaNoWriMo or meditation or something, but I'd also go out and walk for a few hours, or go grocery shopping, or bake bread, or play "gay Life" (Life the board game but the pegs in front seat of your car can be the same color) with the Alliance kids, or do that homework I'd been putting off. I'd go on Facebook maybe a couple times a week to keep up with what my friends were doing and as far as social media went, that was it.

The times I've spent an out of balance amount of time on screen stuff, rather than a reasonable leisure amount of time that I felt guilty about because I've got an overdeveloped "work ethic", were when I was depressed and unemployed and socially isolated, and now when I have CFS and am unemployed and socially isolated. I can sit outside for a bit, but I take a while to get dressed because I'm sick and I can't do long walks like I used to because I'm sick and my ability to grocery shop or cook...anyways, you get the idea. Social contact too.

And part of that is my illness -- impairment. And part of that is living in a society where either you're working (or something like working, like going to school) or you may as well not exist, people do not make room for disabled people in society. I'd get out more if it was socially acceptable to walk around the block in my pajamas and a bath robe, but it's not and I don't; I'd get out more if I expected I could lie down on public benches without getting harassed by a cop, but I can't expect that so I don't.

We have a society. That is happy for people like me to spend all our time on electronics and none of it in meat space, because that's convenient and easy and good for capitalism, and who the fuck even cares about disabled people anyways.

(And thank goodness the internet exists, because how the fuck would I find people who know how to live with my illness without it? I'd do what people used to do and just be sick and have no clue what to do to manage my symptoms better. I'm substantially better off than I was at my worst due to activities related to looking at a screen.)

And sure, there's some wiggle room where I can make an effort to spend more time on idk coloring books or whatever and less on screen stuff, and I do, and I can reach out to people I know for calls and quiet at home visits where we talk or play board games but only for a couple hours at a time, and I do, but it would be so much fucking easier and better if I wasn't swimming fucking upstream about it.

There is an attitude that gets all over the place like spilled glitter that good health (physical or mental) is primarily about individual choices and is maybe even a reflection of personal character, and it just isn't, not with physical health and not with mental health either, personal choices aren't irrelevant but they're not doing the heavy lifting either and we could treat health as a COLLECTIVE, social concern, something that we do together and for each other and also something that is morally neutral on an individual level, something that happens to us more than the consequences of our choices.

And we could expect that some people can't be healthy (at least not with current medical knowledge) and need care and accommodation and that's not a personal failing and it's not something that anyone's going to be able to fix any time soon but sick people can have better or worse lives in a way that is not tied to better or worse health.

(Very. Much. Including. Depressed. People.)

unironically tho, you need to fill your life with nature and exercise and reading and crafting and cooking and physically engaging with the world around you. the key to happiness is not in your computer screen, especially not if most of your time is spent looking at bad opinions and arguing with people. it sounds so stupid but you are an animal that needs enrichment. so take your meds, go outside or at least look outside and turn off the computer and phone more often. I promise you'll feel better.

[larluce]

Merlin arrives with a baby in Camelot AU

(co-writing with @roxineedstosleep )

BASED ON THIS PROMPT >> PREVIOUS PART >> NEXT PART

Chapter 2: A Baby's Call (Part 2)

In Gaius' chambers.

Merlin: (sits down, holding the baby to feed her)

Gaius: Here (gives him a baby bottle)

Merlin: Thanks. (takes the bottle and starts feeding her. Then looks around, spots some broken things and laughs) I see the baby got you a bit of trouble too.

Gaius: She was upset when you weren't around indeed. But she calmed down eventually. (serves Merlin his food on the table) Do you want some vegetables with that?

Merlin: (snorts) I know you're still angry with me.

Gaius: Your mother asked me to look after you both. What she didn't tell me is that I'd have to look after two babies instead of one.

Merlin: I got it. I was stupid.

Gaius: (softens his expression as he looks Merlin feeding the baby, murmuring to himself) In a way, you are a baby looking after a baby.

Merlin: Uh?

Gaius: (outloud) What did your mother say to you about your gifts?

Merlin: That I'm special.

Gaius: You are both special. The likes of which I have never seen before. But it seems you are not the same kind of especial.

Merlin: (lifts his head, confused) What do you mean?

Gaius: Well, magic requires incantations, spells. It takes years to study. What you both do is elemental, instinctive. However, while your eyes glow gold when you do magic, the baby's stays the same.

Merlin: Which means...?

Gaius: I don't know. You both are a question that has never been posed before.

Merlin: Did you ever study magic?

Gaius: (pauses, hesitant) Uther banned all such work twenty years ago.

Merlin: (thinking) That's not what I asked... (says) Why?

Gaius: People used magic for the wrong end at that time. It threw the natural order into chaos. Uther made it his mission to destroy everything from back then, even the dragons.

Merlin: (surprised) What? All of them?

Gaius: There was one dragon he chose not to kill, kept it as an example. He imprisoned it in a cave deep beneath the castle where no one can free it.

Baby: (falls asleep) 😴

Merlin: (stands up and walks to the improvised crib they made for the baby and puts her there carefuly)

Gaius: Now, eat up. You can stay with the baby this time. I'll take Lady Helen the preparation for her voice.

Merlin: (smiles) Thank you (sits to eat, thinking) If the king managed to kill almost all the dragons. Then we can't stay here for long. I hope Gaius can contact the druids soon.

Time skip. In the Lower Town. Merlin looking for somewhere to buy milk when he encounters Arthur and his gang.

Merlin: (just passes by, ignoring them, thinking) Don't talk to me, don't talk to me, don't talk to me.

Arthur: How's your knee-walking coming along?

Merlin: (thinking) Shit... (keeps walking, ignoring them)

Arthur: (mocking) Oh, don't run away!

Merlin: (stops) From you?

Arthur: (sighs) Thank God. I thought you were deaf as well as dumb.

Merlin: (turning) Look, I've told you you're an ass- (cuts himself, not wanting to be send to the dungeons and be taken apart from his baby again) And I apologise for that.

Arthur: (surprised) Really?

Merlin: No, but I can't exactly speak my mind without being sent to the dungeons again, can I? (smiles forcely and bows in mockery) Your Higness. Please, go bother someone else.

Arthur: (amused And curious) And if I allowed you to speak your mind?

Merlin: Will I be sent to the dungeons after that?

Arthur: No.

Merlin: The stocks?

Arthur: You have my word no harm will come to you.

Merlin: Alright. (takes a deep breath) You are a spoiled, selfish royal prat. An ungrateful little shit, blind to the suffering of those who keep you fed, clothed, and alive. Do you even know what it is to work? To bleed? To starve?

Arthur: (his smirk falls) Hold on-

Merlin: And how do you repay the people who serves you? With cruelty and mockery. You think yourself noble because of the blood in your veins, but there is nothing noble about you. You are a leech, feeding off the labor of others while contributing nothing!

People around: (gasp)

Merlin: (bows) My lord.

Arthur: (angry) How dare you. I have fought for my people since a very young age, went to dignitary visits to maintain peace between kingdoms. So yes I do know what is to bleed and to work. But of course an ignorant peasant like you wouldn't know that.

Merlin: And yet you act like an idiot, using people as targets just for fun!

Arthur: Don't pretend you know me.

Merlin: I don't NEED to know you and I don't WANT to know you. Just. Leave me. Alone.

Knights: (wait for Arthur to tell them what do)

Arthur: (furious, his jaw tensed, but shows a serious blank face) I'm a man of my word, so I will let you leave. But if I see you again I'll have you flogged.

Merlin: (with a very fake smile) Thank you so much your highness, you are so kind. (bows in mockery again and leaves)

Time skip. In Gaius' chambers.

Gaius: (enters) How could you be so foolish?!

Merlin: (changing the baby's diapers) I don't know what you're talking about.

Gaius: Don't take me for a fool! Everyone is talking about how you humilliated the prince!

Merlin: (grins) Really?

Gaius: It's not funny. You could have gotten yourself in the dungeons again!

Merlin: He was the one who gave me permission to speak my mind! So I spoke my mind. I wouldn't have done it if he hadn't and he needed someone to tell him his truths. It's not my fault he can't handle them. (finishes to change the diapers) There you are! 🤗 (lifts her)

Baby: (babbles adorably)

Gaius: (sighs) I guess I should be glad you weren't idiotic enough to get into another fight with him or use magic to toss him around.

Merlin: Oh, I was tempted. A lot. (looks at the baby fondly) But, as you said, I can't afford acting like an idiot. I have a lot more to lose if I'm discovered. (his face turns sad) You don't know why we are like this, do you?

Gaius: (shakes his head sadly) No. I'm sorry. I'm afraid I don't possess that knowledge.

Merlin: (pauses) You know, I used to think I was a monster. For being the way I am. For so long I asked myself, why am I like this? Why would the Gods give me so much magic if I can't use it? What is my purpose in this world that rejects everything I am? Everytime my questions came without answers, I felt like dying.

Gaius: And now?

Merlin: (smiles fondly at the baby again) I'm holding the answers in my arms.

Time skip. In the Dragon's Cave. A deprived sleep Merlin enters.

Kilgharrah: Merlin! Until you finally answered my calls.

Merlin: (looks around for the owner of the voice, exhausted) Where are you?

Kilgharrah: (flies to land in front of Merlin) I'm here! How small you are for such a great-

Merlin: Oh, so you are the one who has been talking in my head in the middle of the night.

Kilgharrah: Indeed. As I was saying-

Merlin: I don't care what you have to say! 😡 You know how many hours I've been able to sleep these past few days?

Kilgharrah: (taken aback) Ehm...

Merlin: 3 HOURS! I can only sleep 3 hours a day, because if the baby is not crying, she is making some stuff fly or break! And if she is not making some stuff fly of break, she needs changing or cleaning! But it's okay because I have my 3 hours of sleep, my precious and sacred 3 hours of sleep. And when I finally, FINALLY find some time for my myself to have my fucking 3 hours of sleep, YOU! (points at Kilgharrah with a savage expression) INTERRUPT MY FUCKING SLEEP! 😤

Kilgharrah: ...

Merlin: So don't ever interrupt my beautiful 3 hours of sleep again or I'll make sure you are with the rest of the dragons very soon. (turns and leaves)

Kilgharrah: (watches as Merlin leaves in shock and then thinks) So there is a magic baby too? Interesting. Though I couldn't sense her (closes his eyes feeling the magic around him) And I still can't sense her. Interesting indeed.

Time skip. Next day. In Merlin's room.

Gaius: (enters Merlin's messy chamber and gathers his clothes) Oi!

Merlin: (wakes up) AH! The baby! (quickly turns to see the crib and relaxes once he sees the baby is fine)

Gaius: Have you seen the state of this room?

Merlin: (rubs his face, tired) It just happens.

Gaius: By magic? Or are you going to tell me it's the baby's fault?

Merlin: Well... (points the baby's crib where everything seems to float or move near it)

Gaius: ... It's the baby's fault.

Merlin: Yes. (yawns) And I haven't had time.

Gaius: Yeah. Well, I'll give you some time to clear it up (warns) without magic. And then I want you to get me some herbs: henbane, wormwood, and sorrel. And deliver this to Morgana. (gives him a small bag with a vial) The poor girl's suffering from nightmares, she can't hardly sleep... (gets a better look at Merlin) Although I think at this rate I'll have to make something for you too. You look terrible. (tosses some more clothes at Merlin and leaves)

Merlin: Mmm, can't hardly sleep? I know the feeling.

Time skip. In Morgana’s chambers.

Merlin: (enters the open door, eyes not really focus on anything, very sleep deprived)

Morgana: (as she walks behind her changing screen, looking just as exhausted as Merlin, but entertained by the conversation) You know, I've been thinking about Arthur. (yawns) I wouldn't touch him with a lance pole. Pass me that dress, will you Gwen?

Merlin: (pauses uncertainly before fetching the dress)

Morgana: (begins undressing) I mean, the man's a total jouster. And just because I'm the King's ward, that doesn't mean I have to accompany him to the feast, does it? (yawns trying to hide it)

Merlin: (yawns too, as quietly as he can, and places the gown on the screen with slow movements, not really paying attention cause he's so SO tired)

Morgana: Well, does it?

Merlin: (manages a high pitched yawn)

Morgana: I mean, If he wants me to go... Oh, Gwen, don't tell me I'm spreading you my yawns?

Merlin: (tries to figure a way out of this situation, but he yawns louder instead)

Morgana: I thought so. Well, as I was saying- (looks over the screen, spots Merlin and covers herself quickly, screaming) AAAAH!

Merlin: (blushes furiously, very embarrased, not knowing what to do or say) Uhm... 😳

Morgana: ... You are not Gwen.

Merlin: No. 😅

Gwen: (enters) I'm here.

Merlin: (turns to her)

Gwen: Are you here to drop off Lady Morgana's medicine?

Merlin: Yes! That's exactly why I'm here. I didn't mean to- (yawns) spy or-

Gwen: (smiles) It's fine. Leave it there. (points to a small table in the entryway) Thank you, although I think you should get some rest.

Merlin: (leaves the vial where Gwen indicated and turns to Morgana, head hung in shame) I'm so sorry. (leaves quickly)

Gwen: (helps Morgana behind the screen)

Morgana: (comes out from behind the screen in a new dress) Who was that?

Gwen: A new servant it seems, my lady. And a really tired one.

Time skip. In the Banquet Hall at night. Court members gather.

Gaius: (stands on one of the walls closest to the servants' door, looking around and grabbing some snacks to put in his pockets for Merlin)

Arthur: (joking around and laughing with his companions)

Morgana: (enters with her breathtaking dress, making every men stare at her)

Arthur: (Cursing internally) Gods have mercy. (goes to her)

Morgana: (smiles at him, inocently) Hi, Arthur.

Arthur: (protective brother mode) What is it that you are wearing?

Morgana: It's called a dress. You should try it some time.

Arthur: You know what I mean. Change it.

Morgana: Why?

Arthur: It's... too revealing!

Morgana: (laughs) Who are you to tell me what to wear?

Arthur: I'm the prince!

Morgana: A prince that got humiliated by a peasant boy yesterday.

Arthur: (Taken aback) Who...who told you that?

Morgana: Everyone is talking about it. And if you keep bothering me, I'll make sure no one forgets it. (passes him)

Arthur: (fumes, but lets her be)

Merlin: (appears through the servants' door, completely in a hurry and looking for Gaius in the crowd)

Gaius: (spots him) Merlin! (approaches) I thought you were with the baby? What happened?

Merlin: (very worried parent mode) She just fell asleep, but she hasn't stopped crying! It's not her diaper or her food or a bump, I checked. Maybe is a cold. Or worst! She could be dying-

Gaius: Calm down! It's probably just colic, it happens frequently to babies that age. I have several vials labeled for that in my cabinet. (checks that the prince hasn't seen Merlin, not wanting Merlin to get into trouble again) Now, leave before-

Celebratory horns signal King Uther's entrance and everyone present falls silent and still as they notice the king passing them. The servants' entrance is blocked by all the maidservants and manservants trying to leave so as not to interrupt the king.

Merlin: (stands still next to Gaius. Unable to leave)

Uther: We have enjoyed twenty years of peace and prosperity. It has brought the kingdom and myself many pleasures, but few can compare with the honour of introducing Lady Helen of Mora.

Applause. The music begins and Uther and the court take their seats. Merlin takes the opportunity to move through the servants who move to serve again, trying to remain unnoticed. However as he passes and Helen starts singing, Merlin notices the members of the court begin to fall asleep. Merlin covers his ears with his hands as cobwebs begin to form over the enchanted sleepers.

Merlin: (thinking, confused and scared) What... what is happening?

Lady Helen: (stares at Arthur as she walks forward and then pulls a dagger from her sleeve)

Merlin: (thinking) Wait... She wants to kill the idiot! 😱 I get the feeling, but it's wrong! Oh, what do I do, what do I do... (spots the chandelier) That's it! (magically drops the chandelier on her as she raises her arm to throw the dagger)

Court members: (wake and pull the cobwebs off, muttering, confused)

Uther and Arthur: (just as confused, stand up to see Lady Helen, now Mary Collins, lying on the floor)

Merlin: (thinking) Oh, shit. Did I kill her?

Mary Collins: (suddenly raises herself up enough to throw the dagger at Arthur)

Merlin: (slows down time instinctively to reach Arthur and pull him out of harm's way)

The dagger slices into Arthur's chair as Arthur and Merlin fall to the floor.

Mary Collins: (gives her last breath and dies)

Arthur and Merlin: (stand up)

Arthur: (thinking) What the hell is he doing here?

Uther: You saved my boy's life. A debt must be repaid.

Merlin: Oh, well. I don't really need-

Uther: Don't be so modest. You shall be rewarded.

Merlin: No, honestly, you don't have to, Your Majesty. (tries to leave)

Uther: (stops him by the arm) No, absolutely. This merits something quite special.

Merlin: Well, if you insist. (thinking) I guess some money wouldn't hurt to buy some things for the baby. Just, please hurry, she'll wake up at any moment!

Uther: You shall be rewarded a position in the royal household. You shall be Prince Arthur's manservant.

The Court: (applauds)

Arthur: (complains in a whisper) Father!

Uther: (ignores him)

Gaius: (tries to approach, but the number of people standing up and approaching the King and the young men is such that it is impossible for him to even object from his position)

Gwen: (claps with a pitying smile on her face, knowing what awaits Merlin at his new job)

Arthur and Merlin: (look away from each other, completely irritated)

Time skip. In Merlin's room. The baby seems not to have woken up, but everything that is close to her levitates. Merlin, completely exhausted, tries to put everything back in its place, but again some things float or start to roll.

Gaius: (knocks on the door and enters) You seem to be a hero.

Merlin: With a shitty reward. (gives up on putting the things back to place and sighs) Can I resign?

Gaius: No. Once Uther has something in mind it's impossible for anyone to oppose him. His word is law, remember?

Merlin: But... We had not planned for me to stay.

Gaius: And now, it seems you'll be here for an unlimited time. And even if I find a camp right now, it's unlikely I'll be able to get you and the baby accepted. I wouldn't worry too much though. It's a relatively easy job to do. And a short term one too.

Merlin: What do you mean?

Gaius: Servants who are dedicated to the prince's care don't usually last very long. He'll probably sack you soon. All you have to do is avoid getting into trouble with the prince and serve him-

Merlin: (worried) Oh no! I can't do that!

Gaius: Be with the prince? It's just following him around all day… (realises) oh, the baby.

Merlin: (sighs) I can't leave her alone, but I can't have her with me all the time either. Or can I?

Gaius: It's been a long time since anyone had a baby in the castle. And almost all the children are already teenagers of the servants or maids. Don't worry, I'll help you with her. (hands Merlin a book wrapped in a cloth) This book was given to me when I was your age, but I have a feeling it will be of more use to you than it was to me.

Merlin: (opens it and looks inside) This is a book of magic! I thought the king had destroyed everything related to magic.

Gaius: He kept a dragon alive, a magic book that pretends to be an herbalist's book won't kill anyone. Not if you are careful that is. Keep it hidden and then take it with you when you go with the baby to the druid camp.

Merlin: (smiles) Thank you, Gaius. I will study every word.

Guard: (knocks from outside, pretending not to notice the baby bottles in the room) Merlin, Prince Arthur needs you immediately.

Gaius: Well, you'd better find out what he wants.

BASED ON THIS PROMPT >> PREVIOUS PART >> NEXT PART

...

So Arthur and Merlin had an even rockier start this time. How do you think this will affect their relationship?

Tagging @chaosofbelievers , @blackgigglypuff , @stressed-but-chill , @nocheaseforyougoodsir , @thedragonlies , @evedaser , @lolazoel , @sammythetoaster , @caraspud , @g00pygunkyguy , @bertoliosis35-blog , @purpuraffe , @lordemryspendragon , @herstarlight , @justaz , @myalchemicalgnomace , @haunted-glassesgurl , @exmintha , @dumbdemjin , @a-line-drawn , @itsjustmeandmyanxiety , @beebsnas , @rem-the-moth , @tmarauder101

[coldsaturn]

hiii! i have a question i thought you might be able to answer: how did aftg originally get so popular? i know it was mostly word of mouth on tumblr (still is, i think) (who says this website is unmarketable!!) but what were the early days of the fandom like? personally i've "only" been here since 2016, and by then the series was already decently popular. i remember at that time that the fandom was really welcoming and kind in a way that felt really exceptional to me, and it definitely contributed to me picking up the books, which is the only explanation i can really think of for why it got a bigger following than some to other books which did receive a whole big-publisher marketing campaign aside from it just being well-written. do you have any theories for why it got so massive on here? and do you know how the first readers found it? i hope you don't mind me asking you this, but i remember your blog from wayyyy back when and thought that if anyone had the answer, it would probably be you :)

Hello! I always get so happy when I can talk about the early days of the fandom <3 Sit down here around the fire, let me tell you about this wondrous tale.

So, story time: it was spring 2013, I had just finished a thorough read of In The Company Of Shadows and I was starving for another black hole. It was automatic for me to look up the goodread lists ICoS was featured in, to see what other titles I could pick up, and ended up on the list called "Online M/M stories that deserve to be published". The Foxhole Court was right there (it's not anymore because it IS published <3), so I read it. That was the start of the end lmao

If I remember correctly I didn't wait too long before reading TRK, but TKM didn't come out until the end of the following year, so in the meantime I all but shelved it as something that had incredible potential but that was possibly doomed to never be completed. Fast forward I think the start of 2015 when I accidentally stumbled upon TKM and I couldn't believe I could finally know how the story ended. Nora had a blogspot where she talked about the books (including updates between TRK and TKM), and I remember trying to get as much info as I could on this series. And that was it. For a bit.

So, by the first half of 2015, the fandom was made by people commenting on her blogspot, on her livejournal, the book pages on goodreads, and Ao3 literally had 2 fics ( webarchive gives you what we saw - btw Don't Speak Against The Sun is FIRE and instantly became a new standard for f/f for me). You can still find all this content online. Tumblr had a handful of scattered posts about TFC, mostly Nora's mutuals/friends on tumblr, and a couple of readers screaming into the void with no one answering their call.

I was pretty active on here, especially in the bellarke fandom, and I engaged with mutuals and other blogs often enough that I knew if I talked about something, at least someone would reply. A mutual was reading The Raven Cycle and got me curious enough to liveblog it myself. Instant love, of course, and if you've read TRC you know how strong the found family vibe is. So at the end of my liveblog (we've reached July 2015) I threw out a comment where I recommended AFTG as another worthy title. With the first book being free while the other two were only a dollar each, it sounded a fairly easy commitment. One mutual decided to read it (if you're reading, hi!!!) and liveblog it, and that got the party started.

A party of 2, and I'm not kidding. While we chatted and made up headcanon after headcanon on the phone, the intention was to get others interested in this story. But they'd never do it if there wasn't enough content around to engage with and motivate them to blog themselves, so we started with quote posts, liveblog reactions, a few timid edits and poems. An important choice was figuring out which tag to use (at the time tumblr search only scrolled through tags, not post content): "all for the game" was an actual sports tag, "the raven king" was the title announced for the next TRC installment, "the king's men" was the last book of the trilogy and it wasn't even the free one, so we settled for "the foxhole court" which was an empty tag. Even now my blog content is organized around "tfc" because of it, even though we took over all the relevant tags. A couple other mutuals I had from bellarke fandom got curious as well, and now we could consider ourselves a proper group. We were so starved for fan content that whatever you put out would be automatically reblogged and enthusiastically engaged with. It was a happy little fandom bubble. Then Nora noticed us and started interacting with us, and you got the birth of what would become the extra content page as she replied to our questions.

I possibly had a little bit too much time on my hands because I appointed myself as fandom archivist and tour guide. I reblogged every single post I saw in the tags, and I started a welcome page where I could keep track of everyone announcing they were reading the series. It was meant as a way to find mutuals to interact with since tumblr hadn't yet "canonized" all the tags, and it was entirely possible to lose each other in dashboard chains. I used to reply to everyone reading the series by "officially" welcoming them into the fandom, linking them the page where they could find mutuals, Nora's blog, and the extra content present up to that point. Oh and there was a fictional exy team where you could choose your position and then put it in your blog for fun or roleplay it. I also used smashword's gift system to buy the series for whoever said they couldn't pay for it, just to try and avoid pirating the book (good for word of mouth, bad for sales). This was on my side, but this fandom had so many people pouring their entire heart out I still get emotional thinking about it.

Everyone (before January 2016) made as much content as they could, be it meta, fanart, fanfics, headcanons, edits, wikia pages etc. We had fandom challenges where we pronounced the names of the characters and aftg keywords with our native accent, others where we said our favorite scene. Every headcanon was the first headcanon ever seen in the fandom. The fun thing was that at the time there was a strong etiquette toward "if you have nothing nice to say then don't say anything" so fan content really went in all directions with basically no limits. We tagged for triggers and that was it, we had free reign. For those who were around at the time, the sin squad was a group of us fans churning out the saddest/filthiest/fluffiest/most problematic content we could think of.

Then we reached January 2016. We were around 300 in the fandom at that point (I know because I counted them, literally), it had been slow but constant growth where each new fan brought at least other two people with them, and we had around 20 posts per day in the main tag. Then someone bridged the gap between us and the TRC fandom. If you ask me how the fandom got really popular, that's it. The TRC fandom was stuck in hiatus waiting for The Raven King, and now you had 300 rabid foxes spamming aftg content on tumblr, using trk as tag, too. Popular fanartists that were active in that fandom helped making aftg known, and semi viral posts did the rest. We went from 300 to 700 people in a couple of months, and shortly after I had to stop adding people to the welcome page because the post broke. I didn't even know that could happen. It wasn't long after that we were featured in the tumblr end of year recap for book ships. We were so many it was suddenly possible to meet in real life! Cosplays, tattoos, merch. You name it, someone in the fandom did it.

But how did it feel when we were only 20 people and a cardboard dog cutout? It felt like the most chaotic book club ever, and every new fan was automatically a friend. Nostalgia is a lying bitch, but I really don't think I'm making shit up here. We had fun and made great memories.

By the way, if you want to see how things were in 2015, you can! Just go through my archive starting from July 2015 (I think 17th) and onward. You can also search my blog for the tags "fandom history" and "started from nothing and now we're here", whereas here you can find a list of aftg fandom tags I used.

Tl;dr We were starving for good content, we wanted to have fun together, and we were lucky enough to half-hijack a bigger fandom in hiatus. That was all the marketing AFTG needed on tumblr.