#if he DIDN'T do all that then they'd complain 'why doesn't he do X thing he's a genius'

[edgepunk]

"wahhh how does Peter afford making all those gadgets??? it's unrealistic"

he's a dumpster diver, he buys stuff from flea markets and he tends to steal tech from his villains to study/improve his gear, and be ffr you can't expect 100% realism from a superhero franchise

[vivwritesfics]

Military Flyover

The dagger squad don't want to do a military flyover of the Las Vegas grand Prix. None of them really knew much about and, those that did only really knew about Nascar.

She hated the Vegas Grand Prix as much as those doing the military flyover. But the cute WSO there to support his friends was making it bearable.

Robert 'Bob' Floyd x F1 driver!reader

5.6K

a/n: yes a military flyover doesn't make sense for vegas buuuut let a girl dream lol - i'm hoping I've managed to write this for an audience that might not really know f1 but idk how confident i am in my abilities lol

Bob couldn't quite believe what the two time Top Gun graduates were having to do. They had completed an insanely dangerous mission and returned to be permanently stationed in San Diego, except from when they were called away for deployment.

They were a part of the military, why were they doing this?

Well, at least Bob didn't have to actually fly. He was a Weapon Systems Officer, he didn't have to take part in this. But he still went, more to morally support his squad.

Nat wasn't happy about have to do a military flyover of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. She, Bradley and Jake were constantly complaining. None of them knew anything about Formula One, not enough to appreciate doing the flyover.

(May I just say, even if they did know about F1, they still wouldn't appreciate it. They'd train for years to be in the navy and now they were having to waste their time on this.)

The flyover was on the Sunday. Only Natasha, Jake and Bradley were taking part. Bob didn't have to go, didn't have to visit the track on the Friday and the Saturday with the three of them.

But Natasha had begged him. "Drive up with me," she'd said to him. "It's five hours and I could use the company."

So, Bob agreed. His dad had sometimes watched Nascar while he was growing up. He didn't know much of anything about motorsport but, if Nat wanted him there, he'd go.

The navy pilots didn't know they'd been invited to meet the drivers. Bob followed Natasha through the paddock. "Getting to meet the drivers might be the only good thing thing to come from this," Nat mumbled as she led the way.

The paddock was buzzing with life. There were cameras following people around, interviews happening as they walked through the paddock. Fans stopped men in team shirts and hats for pictures before letting them continue.

There was a familiar whistle, just loud enough for Natasha and Bob to hear over the crowd around them. They turned and saw Rooster and Hangman striding towards them.

"Where are we meant to be?" Asked Hangman as Rooster pulled off his aviators and looked around. The three of them (Natasha, Jake and Bradley) were in their overalls, looking proper in their uniform. Bob, though. He was dressed down, wearing jeans and a sweater (Vegas really wasn't that warm this time of year), his military issued glasses sitting on his nose. He looked cute, even if he didn't know it.

"Cyclone said the Ferrari garage, right?" She said as she looked between the other aviators. Bob, who had studied the itinerary, nodded his head and the four of them set off towards the red garage.

***

The Las Vegas Grand Prix was a joke. All of the drivers thought so.

The Ferrari drivers weren't happy about it (just like the rest of the grid). They had spent the season struggling behind the Red Bulls and driving on an unknown track wasn't going to help that.

She needed a lot of mental preparation for this one. Just like the other drivers, before the first practice session her only experience on the track had been through sim racing. She was nervous in a way she hadn't been before.

She donned her red fireproofs, the overalls hanging from from her hips. She pulled her cap onto her head when there was a knock on her driver room door. "Yeah?" She called and the member of Ferrari staff walked in.

"The navy pilots are on their way," she said and went to back out of the drivers room.

"What?" The Ferrari driver called suddenly, her brows furrowed. "What navy pilots?"

The member of staff gulped. "They're doing a military flyover before the Grand Prix," she said. "They're on their way here to meet you and Charles," she said.

The driver let out a huff. She grabbed her drinks bottle and marched out of her drivers room, heading to find her teammate.

Charles was doing an interview for Sky Sports when she walked through the garage. She didn't much care, though. She powered on, her hand on Charles's shoulder as she stood at his side. "Chuck," she said, looking at her teammate.

Lawrence Barretto moved his microphone back to his mouth. "Is that his official name for the Vegas Grand Prix?" He asked and moved the microphone towards her.

"Yes," she said as Charles shook his head, repeatedly saying 'no'.

She stood beside him until the interview was over, answering any question Lawrence sent her way. As soon as they were done she grabbed Charles and pulled him away, pulling him further into the Ferrari garage.

"What's up?" Charles asked. He was a brilliant teammate, one of her best friends. They'd known each other for yeas and were close enough for people to think they were together at one point. Brocedes 2.0, many commented on the pictures of the two of them posted on the Scuderia Ferrari Instagram account, as if they were a disaster waiting to happen.

"Did you know we're having to meet the navy pilots doing the military flyover?" She asked, hands on her hips.

Charles furrowed his brows. And then his face relaxed as he shook his head at her. "Start checking your emails, please," he said.

She gently pushed him as a member of the Ferrari staff, the same girl from before, approached them. "They're here," she said and left them to it.

Charles led the way back through the garage, heading to where the navy pilots were standing around his car. Three of them, the three that looked the part, chatted with Fred while one, one that was dressed down, stood to the side.

Suddenly, she pulled Charles out of sight. "What is it?" He asked quickly, concern written on his face.

She looked back around the corner at the pilots for just a second. "Holy shit, Cha, I think I'm in love," she said and Charles just laughed.

"Do you need a wingman?"

She furiously shook her head. "Don't you bloody dare."

She steadied herself and followed Charles over to the navy pilots. Fred spotted his drivers first. He gestured over to them as he back away from the pilots, letting the drivers take over.

Charles held his hand out towards them introducing himself first. She went next, giving them her name as she reached out to shake the woman's hand.

"Natasha Trace," she said with a smile as she shook her hand. "Callsign Phoenix."

She moved on to the man with the moustache. "Bradley Bradshaw, or Rooster," he said and shook her hand, his grip firm. He wore a smile, but it was respectful.

Unlike the man next to him. She could tell who he was from the moment she looked at him, wearing that flirty smile. "Jake Seresin," he said, pulling her hand up to his lips to kiss the back of it. "You can call me Hangman."

The smile dropped from her face and she pulled her hand away, clearly unimpressed. She looked past him, at the guy in the sweater and the glasses. "How about you?" She asked, completely ignoring Hangman. "Are you in the navy too?"

Bob blushed bright red as he stepped forward. "Robert Floyd," he said and shook her hand. "I'm a weapon systems officer."

"Oh," she said. Just that one word and she sounded incredibly fascinated. "Do tell me more."

She'd asked Charles not to wing man her, but he did it anyway. She might not have been aware as Charles spoke to the other navy pilots, doing the job for both of them. (Charles didn't know if Bob was the one she had fancied, but it was easy to guess. He looked like her type).

They spoke for a good twenty minutes before the drivers were told to wrap up the conversation. "You got a call sign?" She asked Bob as she crossed her arms over her chest and leant against the wall.

Jake had been wrapped up in the conversation he, Rooster and Phoenix were having with Charles until that point. Upon hearing her question, he placed his arm around the WSO's shoulders and grinned at the driver. "This is Baby On Board," he said with a grin, going to pinch Bob's cheeks.

Again, his cheeks were flaming as he stepped away from Jake. "It's Bob," he said. "Just Bob."

"Just Bob," she repeated as she smiled at him, completely ignoring everything Jake had said (something that Bob was grateful for). "It's simple, I like it."

Her engineer called for her. She turned and put her thumbs up before turning back to Bob. "Are you staying for the free practice?" She asked and Charles couldn't stop himself from answering.

"Sorry," he said to the pilots. "She doesn't read her emails."

She sent a glare in Charles's direction. The drivers said a quick goodbye to the navy pilots (although she hoped it wasn't for the last time), and got themselves ready for the first practice session in Las Vegas. They pulled up the red and white overalls and placed the balaclavas over their faces.

Bob watched as she pulled her helmet on, hiding her undeniably pretty face. He really did think she was beautiful, and she seemed interested in him, but he wasn't going to read too much into that.

He couldn't see as she gave him a smile from beneath her helmet. When she climbed into the red car with the number 53 on it, Bob knew which one he had to look out for.

The track wasn't ready, everybody knew it. But they didn't know how bad it was until they shower of sparks coming out the back of her car. "What the fuck was that?" She said to her engineer down the radio. "I just hit a fucking manhole cover."

The pilots were leaning forward as she stopped the car. The session was stopped, the other drivers coming into the pits. She jumped out of the car, waiting for it to be lifted onto the truck so that she could look at the extent of the damage beneath.

As the car was taken back to the garage and workers surrounded the manhole cover, she climbed into the medical car and was taken back to the pitlane.

Bob watched as she stormed into the garage, pulling off her helmet and balaclava. "Nine fucking minutes!" She heard her say to somebody in a Ferrari shirt. "I officially hate the Vegas Grand Prix."

She looked around the garage, eyes focusing in on the pilots. They were watching her, too, and she forced her expression to soften as she walked over. "Sorry you had to see that," she said, unzipping her race suit.

Bob shook his head. "'s no worries, ma'am," he said before he could stop himself. When his fellow aviators looked at him, his cheeks flushed red.

"We're just glad to know you're okay," Natasha said for him.

The driver smiled at them. But the interaction was short lived as she was called over to her wrecked car. (It looked fine on the top, but everybody knew the damage was beneath, invisible).

The nine minutes of practice wasn't enough to help the aviators get into F1. Rooster, Hangman and Phoenix wanted to head back to their hotels, but Bob wanted to stick around.

"My dad was into Nascar," he explained as the others left. They nodded, but they knew better. Their Baby On Board had a crush.

She hadn't expect him to stay, that much was clear. She'd seen the other aviators leave and had gotten on with what she needed to do, speaking to the mechanics about the parts they needed to replace and speaking to Fred about the potential consequences.

"Oh!" She said when she saw Bob still sitting there. "I thought you would have left."

Bob gave a polite smile and shrugged his shoulders. "I wanted to learn more."

The smile she gave him matched his own. "Well, you're not gonna learn much here," she said. "Let me get changed and we can get dinner."

Bob didn't expect dinner to be in the Ferrari hospitality suite. He'd didn't exactly think he'd be going out to dinner with her, but he didn't expect this.

She sat Bob down at a table and got a selection of food for them to share. "I can't exactly go crazy," she'd said as she sat down opposite him, placing the single plate in between them. "I still have a car to drive later."

Bob grabbed something from the plate. "Why does that mean you can't go crazy?" He asked curiously, innocently.

Every question Bob had, she answered. He told her that his dad watched Nascar while he was going up but he couldn't get into it. Didn't have the time once he joined the navy.

She asked him all about that, just as curious as he was about her job. Bob knew she was meant to be this big celebrity, but she was normal with him, and he really appreciated it.

He hadn't known who she was going into this weekend, but he heard the way the fans screamed her name. She was so famous, and he was just a boy from Montana.

"Are you and your friends watching anything else of the Grand Prix weekend?" She asked as she ate a piece of lettuce (literally just holding a big piece of lettuce to her lips and crunching on it).

Bob shook his head as he looked down at the table in front of him. "'Friad not, ma'am," he said, looking at her over the top of his glasses. Bob didn't know what compelled him to do it, but he took them off.

"Aw," she said with a pout. "I liked them."

"Really?" Bob couldn't hide the surprise in his voice. "I used to have ones with slightly thicker frames, but these are military issued," he explained, putting them back on his face.

She grinned at him. "They're cute," she said, resting her cheek in her hand. It was undeniably flirty, and her grin was only making it worse. Well, that would have been if Bob could have allowed himself to believe that was flirting with him.

"I could get you tickets, if you'd like," she said. "You and your pilot friends. You can come back back to the Ferrari garage, support us for the rest of the weekend."

Bob gave her a gentle smile. "I'd like that," he said.

They continued chatting until she had to head back to the garage. Bob followed her, walking behind her.

She took him back to the garage, leaving him to stand with the rest of the Ferrari guests while she disappeared into her drivers room. Bob couldn't help but think of her as she got herself ready, getting dressed into her fireproofs and race suit. If Nat was here, he could ask her for advice.

Ten minutes before the start of FP2, she walked over to Bob. He'd seen her dressed down in a Ferrari hoodie and cute cargos, seen her in her race suit, and seen her in her fire proofs, race suit sitting low on her hips.

That was how she walked towards him. He'd seen so little of her, but this was his favourite (and he certainly wanted to see more). "Want to sit in the car?" She asked, hands on her hips.

***

The first thing she did after FP2 was give Bob her phone number. He couldn't quite believe it, and made a mental note to recount everything to Natasha as soon as he got back to the hotel.

"Have you got a way back to your hotel?" She asked, her helmet tucked beneath her arm.

"I, uh..." No, he and Natasha had gotten a cab together.

She waved him off before he could give her a proper answer. "I can drive you, if you'd like," she offered.

That was how Bob found himself sitting in an F1 drivers car, telling her about his childhood as she took him back to his hotel. He told her about his big family and the mountains he grew up around. He told her about when he joined the military, about his first time in Top Gun and his permanent stationing in Coronado.

Before very long they were pulling up outside of his hotel. "Well, here we are," he said, patting his legs. He didn't move to leave the car, but she didn't much mind.

"I really liked meeting you today, Bob," she said as she tapped the heel of her hand against the steering wheel.

"It was lovely to meet you, too," he said.

"Promise you'll text me?"

"Promise."

She held out her pinky finger and Bob wrapped his own around it, sealing the deal. He looked at her one last time and climbed out of the car, heading into the hotel.

Bob couldn't hide his smile as he walked through the lobby and into the elevator. Just days ago he'd hated the thought of a military flyover for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Now, he couldn't wait to get back to the track, back to the Ferrari garage.

Nat noticed it the minute he walked through the door of the hotel room they were sharing. "Had a good time watching the rest of it?" She asked as she pushed away from the desk in the room.

Bob nodded as he pulled out his phone, clicking on her contact. But, the moment he was there, he didn't know what to say to her. "Nat," he called, looking up at her. "I need your help."

He only needed Nat's help to get the ball rolling. But soon, she and Bob were sending messages back and forth with just a second long gap between. Sometimes Bob took a little longer to reply, but only because Nat was reading the messages over his shoulder and assuring him that she was flirting.

Bob couldn't believe it. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't.

"I'll go with you tomorrow," Nat said as she climbed into her bed. It was incredibly late and Bob was hyper-aware that they were still texting. "Find out if she really is flirting with you."

"Nat..."

"Goodnight, Bob."

Natasha went to sleep, but Bob stayed up. She was still replying to his messages, and he couldn't bring himself to not respond. At least until she turned around and wished him goodnight.

When Bob woke up, she had already texted him. I don't have to be on track until later - wanna get food?

Who was Bob to say no? Natasha grinned as he got himself ready, including his glasses. (He had brought his contacts to Vegas because of how much he hated wearing his glasses. He didn't have time to put them in before they headed to the track the day before, but Nat didn't expect him to wear them now).

He walked out of the hotel, ignoring Hangman and Rooster as they called after him. They sat in the lobby, do doubt waiting for Natasha as they whistled at him.

Bob kept going. He saw her car before he walked out of the glass doors, and had to stop himself from breaking into a small jog. As he approached, she pushed open the passenger side door. "Hey, Robby!" She called, wearing a grin.

"Hey," Bob said, wearing a smile as he climbed into the passenger side.

As soon as he was buckled in, she began driving. "Have you ever been to Vegas before?" She asked as she headed towards the strip.

Bob shook his head. "No, ma'am," he said. It wasn't in the same way he'd said 'ma'am' before. No, those time he had been nervous saying it. This time, it was so fucking cute and she loved it. "I don't get enough leave for that."

"Why do you call me ma'am?" She asked, but she never wanted it to stop.

Bob couldn't stop his smile. "My momma raised me right."

That much she could tell. She parked the car and climbed out as Bob did the same. "Come on," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him along.

They went to a restaurant. Bob didn't catch the name of it as she pulled him through the doors. Even when sat gave the waiter her name, she was still holding his hand.

They sat down at a table for two. It felt far too intimate, almost like a date. She couldn't order a drink, but insisted that Bob did. He ordered one beer and made sure to make it last through their entire lunch.

She ordered a salad. Bob wanted to do the same, but she could see how conflicted he was. "Have whatever you want," she said, lowering her menu.

So, he did just that. Bob got himself a burger, the cheapest one on the menu (which was still incredibly expensive).

While they ate, Bob couldn't ignore the way her foot touched his knee beneath the table. He gulped as he reached for his beer.

While they waited, she told Bob about how she had grown up. Karting from a young age before moving onto single seaters.

The more she spoke, the more Bob could imagine getting into F1. Watching races, coming to see her in Vegas when he wasn't deployed. He just had to hope she still liked him enough to keep in contact with him.

They spent the entire afternoon together, until she was taking Bob to the track with her. Pictures of the two of them were taken as they walked through the paddock, too close to just be friends.

Once again, Bob stood in the garage while she completed the last practice session. She led, the fastest car until the Red Bulls were released onto the track.

But still, Bob couldn't stop watching the number 53 car. She came into the pits, had her tyres changed and went out a few minutes later.

Bob couldn't help but smile as he watched her climb the leaderboard. When practice ended, she didn't come in right away, doing a practice start with the other drivers.

When she got out of her car, she pulled off her helmet and balaclava, and spoke to her engineers. She had looked so happy when she climbed out of the car, but Bob watched as her face fell.

She walked over to him, unable to keep herself from sighing. The anger dropped from her face, replaced by sadness. "Wanna come sit in my drivers room?"

So, Bob followed her to her drivers room. She led him inside and shut the door behind him, letting out a breath as she leaned against it.

"Everything okay?" Asked Bob as he pushed his glasses up his nose.

She unzipped her overalls and let them fall to her hips. Bob shuffled over on the couch, giving her space. She sat beside him, shutting her eyes as she leaned back. "Because of the parts they'd had to replace in my car, I'm probably going to get a penalty later," she mumbled.

Her head fell onto his shoulder and Bob didn't move. He hesitated before wrapping his arm around her shoulder. That that, she shuffled slightly closer, which Bob didn't mind one bit.

Suddenly, she let out a weak laugh. "You're kinda making me want to stay in the states a little longer, Robby," she mumbled.

He looked down at her. "Would you? Seriously?" Bob could imagine it then, taking her to stay with him in San Diego, taking her to Montana to meet his mom at Christmas.

She shook her head. "I can't," she said and sighed through her nose. "There's one last race before the end of the season."

After that, Bob wanted to say. But he squeezed her shoulder instead.

When her trainer came in, Bob wished her good luck and headed back out to the garage. While he waited, he pulled out his phone and sent Natasha a text. She hadn't gone to the track with him, instead going with Bradley and Jake to the hangar they would be flying from.

If Nat showed Rooster and Hangman his texts, he'd never hear the end of it. But Bob realised he didn't mind. Let them talk, he was here with her.

The first round of the qualifying session was about to start. Bob sort of knew what to expect, she'd explained it to him while they sat in her drivers room, her head on his shoulder. He watched as she walked towards the car, her red, gold, black and white helmet on her head.

She climbed into the car and somebody strapped her in as somebody else spoke to her. She nodded at whatever they were saying and put her thumbs up.

Admittedly, Bob couldn't tell the difference between the practice sessions and the qualifying session. He watched as she went from having no time on the board to being the quickest car on track. But then she was knocked out of the top spot, down in eighth by the end of that session.

Bob had assumed that she was starting the race in eighth position after the eighteen minute long qualifying session. But then she and fourteen other drivers were going back out onto track.

Again she was at the top of the board, knocked out by the same driver. But she stayed in fourth, unable to get a quicker time in before the end of the session.

She went out for a third and final time. Bob heard her calling down the radio as somebody got in her way. But she put an impressive time on the board, finishing third.

It may have been obvious to everybody else in the garage, but Bob had to ask the girl standing next to him. She pushed her dark hair behind her ear and answered with a thick French accent. Bob thanked her and watched as the 53 car came into the garage.

She hopped out, did what she needed to do and came to find Bob.

It was near midnight and she couldn't quite believe he was still there, watching her. They'd spent the entire day together, and she'd loved every minute of it.

"Want me to drive you home?" She asked and Bob nodded his head.

She did just that, driving Bob back to his hotel. "They haven't confirmed if I've got a penalty or not," she said as she drove him. "So, for now I'm starting in P3." She quickly glanced at him and then looked back at the road. "Think you might be my good luck charm, Robby," she said and he blushed a deep shade of red.

She pulled up outside of the hotel, just as she had done the day before. And, like the day before, Bob was hesitant to climb out of the car.

As Bob reached for the handle of the door, she opened her mouth, ready to say something, and he stopped. But she closed her mouth. Still, Bob didn't move.

She sucked in a breath and tried again. This time, words came out. "Can I come up?"

Bob knew what that meant. How could he not? Some part of him had been wanting her to ask something like this for the last few hours. But still, he shook his head. "I, uh, I can't. I'm sharing my room with Nat."

"Oh," she said and looked down at the centre console between them. "Oh, shit. Are you and Nat- I didn't mean to overstep... I-"

Bob quickly shook his head. "No. No, Nat's my best friend, but only my best friend," he said. "But, her bed is a couple feet away from mine, so..."

She couldn't help but let a smile cross her face at that. "Can I kiss you, Robby?" She asked.

He leaned over the centre console. Her arms went around his neck, fingers playing with the short hair at the back of his neck.

Bob kissed her. He closed the gap between them, his arm awkwardly resting on her shoulders as his lips moved against her own. Her nose bumped the lens of his glasses, but neither of them minded.

If the expensive car left room for it, he would have moved her onto his lap. But he couldn't. He pulled away, staring at her as his eyes opened again. "Holy shit," he whispered and she grinned at him.

"I'll come and get you before the race," she said and Bob climbed out of the car.

***

He didn't wake up to a text from her. Immediately Bob's mind played tricks on him, telling him that, after they had kissed, she didn't want him.

He sat in the hotel for half of the day, in a perpetual state of anxiousness. Part of him didn't want to move until he heard from her, until he knew that everything was okay.

"You coming?" Nat asked him. He checked his phone one last time before following her out of the hotel room.

He didn't know what she was currently dealing with, that she had just found out about her grid place penalty. "This is such shit!" She cried as she and Charles walked through the paddock. She'd woken up to the news and hadn't had time to message Bob.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now," Charles said, stopping to sign things for fans (signs, hats, and even a packet of oreos). "How are things going with the navy guy?"

She grinned as they kept walking through the paddock. "We kissed, Cha," she said, suddenly much happier.

"Kissed and..." Charles tried to push.

She shook her head. "Just kissed."

Charles nodded as they walked into the garage. "Just kissed, but you wanted more," he said. "Are you gonna see him before we leave?"

"Yeah," she answered. "I'm gonna go and pick him up before the race."

Through the evening, she and Charles did what they needed to do for the race. When she got a minute, she texted Bob, but she didn't have many opportunities to check her phone.

As soon as she had a chance, she ran out of the paddock. She held her phone to her ear as she went, making her way to her car. Bob picked up on the third ring. "Hey," she said, opening the door of her car. "I'm on my way."

Bob hesitated before he answered. "I'm not at the hotel right now."

"Do you still want to come to the race?" She asked quickly.

"Do you still want me there?"

She let out a laugh. "Of course I do, Robby. Give me the address and I'll pick you up."

That was just what happened. She picked Bob up and took him to the track. She promised the other aviators that she would get him there to watch the military flyover and drove off with him in the passenger seat.

"Have you ever been to San Diego?" Bob asked as she drove. It had been playing on his mind a lot since they kissed, his best case scenario (which was currently happening. He could have laughed at himself for being so worried).

She shook her head. "I haven't had a chance to explore outside of the places we have Grand Prix," she answered.

"So, you haven't been to Montana?"

"Nope."

Bob couldn't help but smile. He sucked in a breath, steadying himself. "I don't know when you're gonna have time off, but I could show you Montana, if you'd like."

She grinned at him as she parked the car. "I'd love that, Robby," she said and climbed out of the car.

She checked the time on her watch, grabbed her hand and began running. "I'm late!" She cried. Bob was only happy to run beside her, heading into the Ferrari garage. He slowed to a walk, but she kept going, running to her drivers room to pull on her fireproofs and overalls.

Bob watched it all. He watched as she stood for the national anthem with her fellow drivers, watched as she completed the formation lap from the back of the grid (something he had to ask about), and watched as she raced.

Bob couldn't help but be impressed as she fought her way across the track, racing past most of the grid. She overtook ten other cars, finishing in 5th.

When she climbed out of the car, Bob could see just how happy she was from her body language alone. She did what she had to do, spoke to the team and was interviewed, before she ran over to Bob and threw her arms around him.

"That was incredible!" He cried, smiling down at her. "I didn't realise racing was so exciting."

She grinned and kissed his cheek. "Think you'll watch next weeks race?"

"Definitely," he said.

He hadn't expected her to kiss him in front of all of the cameras. But Bob didn't mind. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close until she pulled away.

"I leave in the morning," she whispered in his ear. "Stay with me, in my hotel. One last night."

"Until Montana?" Bob asked, his forehead against her own.

"Until Montana."

a/n: ok i loved this and it may need a part two lol

[gildeddlily]

absolutely losing my mind because of these two!!!

so.

are these two actually toxic, or are they just kids who don't know how to communicate? easy, they're just kids! (this was fast)

reading the manga will not make you understand that (or im just stupid), and this is why I'm thanking the author on.my.knees for the spin-off!

so.

after watching the anime I fled to ao3, of course. read some works about Rin and Isagi, managed to not spoil myself anything.

then i read the U20 arc. after reading every ryusae I could find (writing one myself rn, doing god's work) I finished to read the manga cause, yk, I wanted to know what would happen with my babies and then boom! Reo and Nagi!!!

I didn't particularly care about them at first: Nagi was strong ofc, but kind of boring? he's not my favourite archetype, and while I loved Reo I hated their fight and wanted nothing to do with them. key word(s), at first.

then, then! I randomly read some fics about them cause they'd started to grow on me, and boom, tons of fics about their breakup/makeup. stunning works, ofc, but I started to see so many "Reo's fault" "Nagi's fault" "toxic relationship" that I kind of started to get uncomfortable (sometimes people throw around the word toxic when it's nothing like that), so what's to do? read the spin off ofc.

that I did, and now not only I love them both with all of my heart, but I'm Reo's number one fan (and kinnie)!

and I developed a deep hatred for those "toxic x" theories and takes. SO. let me blabber and rant.

they love each other so much!!

this is Nagi.

he thinks "damn, soccer/football is a pain, I hate sweating and running, but I don't hate Reo" even though most of the time he spends with Reo is spent playing soccer/football (I won't choose one english is so confusing- in italian it's literally called kick).

he doesn't feel forced to be Reo's friend, he likes it.

because Reo loves him, it's as simple as that.

he wants to be Nagi's friend "despite" Nagi's personality: this is something he currently says through the spin-off, which made me cry- Reo truly is the first person who ever accepted Nagi as someone who is lazy and unmotivated, who complains a lot, who doesn't put any effort in what he does, who doesn't offer much.

Or at least he thinks that he doesn't have anything special to offer, until Reo arrives.

he still has those terribly self-deprecating thoughts, but now he has something to offer, his talent.

(and after a period of happiness, their honeymoon phase one could call it, he starts to doubt the sincerity of Reo's care. from thinking "i'm not his slave, i'm his partner" he starts to doubt Reo's honesty: "maybe he only wanted to be my friend because of my talent, a talent he knows how to use"- since he still thinks that he's got nothing to offer! but we will talk about this later.)

this is Reo!

he thinks "I wanted to be the one who could make you love soccer/football, the one able to light up something in you" but he also thinks "seeing you like that, even if it wasn't me who'd done that, made me happy".

he's so jealous he's almost funny, and isn't that the most teenager thing ever?

who wouldn't be jealous after working so hard to be special to someone, just for someone else to take the place you're working so hard for?

it's terrible, but still, it doesn't stop Reo from being happy that Nagi found something exciting.

something that made Nagi as happy as the combo Nagi-soccer/football made Reo happy.

the thing is, Nagi thinks he's Reo's friend because of his talent, which maybe it's true. maybe, hadn't Nagi been a genius, they wouldn't have become friends, but his talent was the sparkle that made him become Reo's treasure.

Reo is someone who has everything, who gets everything he wants, or as he says everything except what he really wants.

for that, he has to work.

so, what he wants is to play soccer/football, and to play it with Nagi.

(in order to be Nagi's friend, he needs to work hard, because he needs to be honest and gain Nagi's trust- this is how friendship works: even when it seems flawless and easy, there's so much work behind it, and knowing it is important. most of the times we only realise it once we lost that bond- for example, Nagi. Reo already knew it, and this is why he tried so hard to not leave Nagi's side)

at one point, the two things became linked to one another, and his dream turns into "winning with Nagi, my partner". Because Nagi is talented, is special, and Reo saw his talent, and how Nagi was unable to do the same. He wants to show Nagi that soccer/football is fun, that his talent isn't a pain, that he is special, because Nagi doesn't know it, and for Reo a star that doesn't see his its own light? is just preposterous.

He cares for Nagi and loves everything about him, even all the "bad" things, and he doesn't think that Nagi has to change, and this is what, for me, makes their break-up way more serious and relatable for a lot of people.

it triggers a "I'll change to be better" "for me you never had to change" "I need to change for myself" dynamic.

2. changing and longing is way more fun when you're doing it together!!!

so they split up.

Nagi doesn't do it because he likes Isagi more, or because his style of play is more interesting, he does it because Isagi was stronger than Nagi and Reo: entering Blue Lock, Nagi had trust in Reo's ability to use his talent to win, he didn't even think about failing, and while Barou came close to making him feel like he could loose, Nagi overpowered him at the end- but then Isagi beats Nagi, and Reo with him.

Nagi understands that Reo's dream can't become reality if they aren't the strongest, and if being together doesn't work, maybe they should split up, part ways, become stronger and then join forces again, and win everything. win the world cup.

while his friendship with Isagi is sweet and I love them, for Nagi Isagi is like a cyclette.

he'll use the cyclette to get get fit and make his bf swoon over his legs, he won't stay with the cyclette once he doesn't need the training anymore. and even if he will, it will always be just the cyclette he uses to get fit "for" his bf.

(metaphor isn't metaphoring)

Reo doesn't know that.

he knows he's strong, but he knows that Isagi and Nagi are on a whole other level and he feels threatened. he fears that Nagi will choose Isagi instead of him, and he tries desperately to not loose Nagi.

Nagi is his dream. Slowly, day after day, Nagi became part of his dream, and now he's losing not only his best friend but the dream that made him free.

Reo says it himself- he knows that Nagi did the smartest thing by leaving, but he's young and scared and sees it as Nagi leaving him.

He feels abandoned, and he thinks that Nagi is abandoning his dream to go with the bigger fish, the apex predator, in order to become the best striker, by forgetting the promises they made at the start of Blue Lock, to stay together til the end.

Neither of them forgets the other.

Nagi leaves, and all he thinks about it "I need Reo to see this" "I can't wait to let him see how much I've improved", and he misses Reo, just as much as Reo misses him.

the only difference?

Reo is oblivious about Nagi's real feelings and thought process, and his thinking of Nagi turns into spiraling into depression and self-hatred.

so Nagi changes.

he starts to see the beauty in soccer/football, he finally sees what Reo had tried to make him see for months, and he's thrilled. he's having fun. he's grateful that Reo convinced him to not discard Blue Lock immediately. he's different.

different why? because Isagi beat him? because Blue Lock happened?

he changed not when Isagi beat them, but the moment he became Reo's friend, and found a reason to do something.

because Reo was the first person to ever tell him that his laziness, boredom, his oh so troublesome antics were alright, that he was what he was, and he was enough not only for Reo, but for the whole world.

Reo accepted him even when he was set on being static, made him want to change, and now that he's changing he feels worthy of being loved so much.

"you saw something in me back then, you forced to me work hard, and now thanks to you I ('m on my way to) realised my own worth, now I found something exciting"

he changes.

Reo sees him after what, a few days, and he's already improved so much.

and he thinks that he was Nagi's cage, his personal dead weight, that Nagi may have been his treasure but he wasn't Nagi's. that Nagi doesn't need him anymore. if Nagi doesn't need him, what will be of his dream?

(we could start a long-ass post ab mental health and recovering but I won't for my own sanity)

what's his worth then, since he got into Blue Lock just to stay with Nagi till the end- especially when he can't even be number two, with Isagi there- and Nagi won't be with him anymore?

he needs to change too.

3. destroying yourself in order to change (no fun)

Reo says that he isn't brave enough to destroy himself like the others do.

Isagi, Barou, Nagi, Chigiri, they all destroy themselves in order to become stronger and change, evolve, but Reo can't. he's scared, he's confused, the whole arc is just him looking like that. then what does he do?

he lets Nagi destroy him. "If I can't do it, Nagi will" don't you understand you're doing exactly what you say you're unable to do? the fact that you're not the one pulling the trigger doesn't mean that you're not killing yourself

he pushes Nagi until he snaps and tells Reo to fuck off, that he's a pain, that he's weak and someone Nagi doesn't want anything to do with, because that's what Reo thinks.

He thinks Nagi doesn't want to be with him anymore, he's feeling guilty for what he thought (later later), he's insecure- and instead of being reasonable, he founds a way to confirm his "irrational" fears.

"I'm not being insecure since Nagi confirmed it"

he sabotages himself. that's the nail in the coffin.

instead of destroying himself with football/soccer, by learning from a lost match, he destroys himself with life, by putting on the line his relationship with the person he (not exaggerating) loves most in the world.

he's unable to distinguish life from soccer/football (and this will be the aspect that makes him so different from most of the other characters), because since meeting Nagi they've become one thing. soccer/football is his life, Nagi is his life, because they're his only chance at being happy.

(Nagi is able to distinguish between the court and Reo: this way, Reo is just as special as Isagi is, since Isagi may have made him see the fun in soccer/football, but Reo made him get angry. Nagi who thinks that his strong quality is the fact he never gets angry, that he's a pacifist. Isagi is his soccer/football revolution, Reo is his life revolution.

Reo can't. they all insult each other on the field, but they're all friends afterwards. not Reo. not yet)

now he's lost Nagi, and his dream, and he has to pick himself up from the ground.

this is how Reo changes.

4. miscommunication is a beast

As I said before, Nagi starts to think that Reo only cared about him because of his talent. he's angry at Reo. he doesn't understand why Reo said those things, why he was so stupid, why he didn't understand Nagi.

he says "I'm not his toy" and he isn't, but really, try to get into his shoes.

he thinks his partner, his best friend, doesn't believe in them as a duo anymore, doesn't want to believe in them like he used to now that Nagi has changed, now that he's more "independent" from Reo.

"what, now that I know how to fight alone, he doesn't want me anymore?" that would be anyone's first thought.

and he doubts Reo's trust in their dream.

when did Reo start to have so little faith in them, in Nagi? when did he give up on them? he thinks that, after spending weeks trying to improve just to make Reo's dream true.

and he's angry, but he still hopes to play with Reo again.

he still want to, because him and Reo are partners and Nagi still believes in their dream. because he remembers Reo's passion, and he believes in him.

+) 5. being relatable as fuck

(what kid with absent/abusive parents never thought back on their action and went anxiously all "Am I just like them?")

Reo begs Nagi to stop being so strong, stop improving so quickly, stop running towards a place Reo can't reach yet, and isn't this a human thing to do? He desperately wants to be with Nagi, and thinks that he'd rather stop him from improving rather than lose him. He thinks "Please, give up on your dream, your ego"- and isn't that familiar?

he just thought the same thing his father, a man he hates and despises and who doesn't believe in Reo, told him. and he said that to Nagi. Nagi who gave him a ticket to the top by being at his side, who let him see hope.

he panics. am I just like him? Am I cruel enough to wish for someone to give up on their dreams, just to get something out of their failure?

he's different from his father, because he's seventeen, he's scared to lose his best friend, and we can be irrational in situations like this one. does he know it? no, the same way he doesn't understand that Nagi didn't left because of him.

so yes, he's in the worst head-space ever.

isn't he relatable? this is what that made reo my favourite character in a second, probably. he's so human and he makes so many mistakes and he's so stupid sometimes, but I can see myself in him very clearly.

and now.

in what way is their relationship not balanced? their love and care not mutual? in what way one used or manipulated the other?

I think they're flawed, and they made mistakes, and they hurt each other, but I also think that we throw in the word "toxic" the moment a relationship isn't perfect.

they're friends and they're teens, they will make mistakes and they will hurt each other, and their friendship (and they were roommates) won't be perfect- this doesn't make it less genuine or beautiful.

don't get me started on what happens in the manga (really don't do it) (all of this was just nagi's spin off!!!)

[scarletqueenx]

chapter fourteen - something else

Dean Winchester x Female Reader

Summary: After a few months dating, Dean abandoned you in a motel room without giving you any explanation, years later his brother and he saved you from a demon and now you hunt with them discovering every day new mysteries about your family and the destiny that awaits you. Heaven, hell, demons, angels, vampires, witches and much more.

Author’s Note: English is not my first language. This is my first time writing in the readers perspective, as i'm used to write oc´s.

series masterlist

When Carter stopped his car in front of you, you let out all the air you didn't know you had been holding. After your talk with Ruby, you could only see one way to clear your head and find a way to help Dean at the same time, but to do that you had to go. Leaving him in that motel room the same way he had left you hadn't been your intention. It was a somewhat cruel irony, and while a part of you felt faintly proud to give him just a small hint of the pain you'd felt then, for the most part you felt terrible for it.

You felt sick to your stomach, and your heart hurt at the mere thought of hurting him. It was almost as if you could feel the same emotions he was feeling. As if you were somehow connected.

Nothing could surprise you anymore, so anything was possible.

Luckily for you, Carter wasn't too far from Ohio when you called him. So after gathering your things, you headed to your agreed meeting place to wait for him.

Your eyes could barely look at him as you climbed into the car. You felt like the worst person in the world.

"He'll forgive you. If we find a way to save him, all of this won't matter to him." Carter broke the silence, looking closely at you. He could sense your discomfort, your sadness. You had very characteristic gestures when you felt emotions this strong. Many times you were unable to stop the tears from pooling in your eyes, your lips pressed into a thin line and the color of your skin paled slightly, noticeable even with your makeup.

"Let's make sure we find a solution." You stated, looking back at him. "And let's get this over with."

Seeing the determination in your eyes, Carter nodded, starting the car to begin your long drive.

"What's the plan?" He asked.

"If we could just talk to mom it would be so much easier." You admitted with a sigh. "Do you remember everything from that night?"

Carter frowned. "I think so. Why?"

"No reason." You shook your head. "It's just that I've been having these dreams lately, you know? And I've been remembering things I didn't remember before. Like hidden memories."

"Well, the mind does that with some traumatic memories. As a defense mechanism."

"Yeah, I know. That's why I was wondering if it had happened to you too."

"I think mine are so traumatic that they'd rather haunt me." He snorted. "Besides, Dorian would never let me forget about that night."

You sighed, looking down to your hands.

"You know all about what happened at the Salem summer camp with Mom and Christine, don't you?" You asked after a few minutes. "You know about their friend Harper."

"Yeah, and that her brother Grant had a daughter who was named after her." Carter nodded. "Why?"

"Grant's body is the one Dorian normally uses." You explained.

Carter's fists tightened around the steering wheel, turning his knuckles white as a sigh left his lips. Carter knew Grant's face all too well. It was the face he always saw in his dreams when Dorian decided to visit him.

"Yeah." He murmured after a few seconds. "How... How do you know?" He frowned, looking back at you.

"Ruby."

"Ugh, that bitch doesn't know when to listen, does she?" He complained. "I told her to stay away from you."

"Well, she didn't. And even though I still hate her, I'm kind of glad." You admitted. "I need to find answers to all the questions that have been haunting me for all these years."

"There's not much to know." Carter sighed. "The new leader of hell, Lilith, wants us in order to fulfill her Apocalypse plan. Dorian and Ophelia were witches, died, turned into demons and now they want to overthrow her and carry out their own Apocalypse plan, which involves killing at least one of us. All those deals, an everything that happen for us to exist, don't matter much if you think about it."

"What does Dad have to do with all this?" You asked.

"Dad made a deal that night."

"What deal? What did the demons ask him in return?" You frowned.

"Me." Carter replied, looking back at you. "Dad promised them my head in exchange for leaving you and Peter alone. Then you took Dorian out of my body and Dad put me in that demon-protected mental institution."

"Ophelia told me that killing one of you two was enough." You recalled.

"Yeah. They never needed to kill all three of us. One is enough, because without the three of us, Lilith can't do anything."

"So... Dad traded one son for another?" You looked at your brother in disbelief.

"And he protected his prodigy daughter. His favorite."

Noticing his heavy gaze on you, you looked down to your feet. Being the favorite daughter wasn't as pretty as Carter might imagine. Everything rested on your shoulders. But you also couldn't imagine being in his position. Much less knowing that your father had made a deal with his soul.

"The last night Dorian got into my body and talked to Dad, he put a time limit on it. The deal ends the same day as your boyfriend's."

"Why?" You questioned without bothering to correct him.

"I don't know." Carter admitted.

Not knowing exactly what to ask or say, you stayed silent. For several hours all that could be heard inside the car was its engine and the melodies of the songs being played on the radio. The exhaustion of your mind and body soon drove you into a deep sleep. Your nightmare continued from the point where the last one had ended, but for the first time, all the memories in the dream were things you hadn't forgotten.

Things like how you had come out of the hiding place despite the searing, insufferable pain your body had been exposed to, how you had managed to get to Carter's room, turn on his radio, throw one of the speakers into the back yard of the house and recite an exorcism. You also remembered how the black smoke had left his body and how your father and Carter had fallen unconscious in the middle of the yard as you rejoined Peter, who was crying inconsolably in the absence of his older sister holding him.

Police sirens were the last thing you heard before you woke up. You must have slept a lot, for the instant you opened your eyes Carter was already crossing the border between Iowa and Nebraska.

Those sirens continued to echo in your mind just as a loud bang and the impact of a car slamming against your door silenced any and all of your thoughts.

Your body was pushed forward, the belt jamming into your skin hard as the airbag popped from the dashboard. The glass windows exploded, cutting your skin into small gashes as the car began to spin out of control. It was then that you completely lost consciousness. Your brother's voice calling your name being the last thing you managed to hear.

Carter hadn't seen the car that had hit you on that deserted road. But after crawling out of the wrecked car he had stolen in Salem, he did catch a glimpse of a woman's figure standing in front of him. The smile on her lips, the black color in her eyes. He knew exactly who she was.

─── ❖ ── ✦ ── ❖ ───

When Carter woke up in a hospital room, he knew exactly what he had to do. His head ached a little and the cuts from the window glass of the car were burning, but that wasn't going to stop him. When he noticed there was no one around he didn't hesitate, he ripped the IV out of his arm, checked that the hallway was empty and went in search of some clothes.

Once dressed and completely overlooked by the hospital staff he went in search of his sister. Luckily, finding you wasn't very difficult, but it was a shock. You were lying on a bed, intubated and completely unconscious. If it wasn't for the rise and fall of your chest, Carter would have sworn you were dead. Your hair and skin were perfectly clean, as if you had been washed, and your clothes had been changed to a hospital gown.

With trembling hands, Carter grabbed one of yours, noticing the difference in temperature almost instantly. Carter knew it was normal for you to always find yourself at a lower temperature than the rest. You were always cold. But not this cold.

Carter's eyes started welling up with tears. He hated seeing you like this. His mind couldn't help but picture you 14 years ago, after Dorian ripped out your spleen. He imagined you lying in a bed just like this, full of blood as the doctors tried to stop the bleeding and close the wound.

All the times you had been seriously injured had been caused by those two demons. And Carter was sick of seeing the people he loved die because of their actions. So he pulled away from you, searched through your personal effects and took the demon-killing knife your mother had created.

Carter was going to finish them off once and for all and avenge his family.

But first, he had to do something.

Finding an unoccupied phone in the hospital had to be the most complicated mission he had ever had to accomplish. At least it tied with his escape from the mental institution. It wasn't until a shift change between nurses that Carter managed to sneak into one of the receptions to dial a number.

Before leaving you, Carter had made sure to write the number in the palm of his hand, as he couldn't risk forgetting it. A few rings later a man answered the call.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Singer. I'm calling from Oakland General Hospital. We have received a patient by the name of Sarah Singer." Carter spoke, trying to make his voice more gravelly.

On the other end of the line, Bobby frowned at that, thinking that maybe they were playing a joke on him or that it had been a mistake.

"Your phone number was on her emergency contact list." Carter added when Bobby didn't answer right away.

"Yes, she is my daughter." Bobby finally said. Carter sighed in relief. "Is she all right?"

"You better get here as soon as possible. She's in danger." Seeing that he could no longer pretend to be a random doctor or hospital receptionist, Carter used his normal voice to say the following words. "Don't say anything to anyone."

Before Bobby could ask anything, Carter ended the call abruptly.

There was nothing more he could do for you. He only hoped that with Bobby's company and the treatment of the doctors you could get better while he killed those demons and saved your family.

When you finally woke up you couldn't remember anything. Your body and head ached and in your throat a strange tube prevented you from breathing normally. You shifted nervously as you coughed, trying to get the tube out, but it wasn't until a nurse came into the room and removed it that you finally managed to breathe. Coughing one more time, you were finally able to observe the place where you were. The blue, white and almost lifeless color of the walls looked like the unmistakable colours of a hospital room and the gown on your body only confirmed your suspicions.

"The doctor will want to run some tests." The nurse at your side commented

"But she's going to be fine, isn't she?" A man on the other side of the bed asked. You frowned as you recognized his voice.

"She's awake. That's a great improvement." The nurse replied before shining a small flashlight in front of your eyes. Almost instinctively, you followed the light with a confused expression on your face. "Do you remember your name?" The nurse asked.

Totally clueless, you lifted your gaze to the man standing beside you. You knew him.

"I..."

"Come on, honey, tell her your name." Confused by the pet name Bobby called you and noticing his grip on your hand, a light bulb seemed to go off in your head.

Like flashes, the memories of the accident popped into your mind, reminding you of what happened.

"Sarah." You answered, looking up at the nurse. "Sarah Singer."

It had been a leap of faith to say that name, but from Bobby's presence there you assumed that had been the name Carter had told the doctors. It was the name your mother told you to use if something bad happened at home and you ended up alone.

"Okay." The nurse nodded. "How old are you?"

"24."

"Do you know where you are?"

"In a hospital. In Nebraska."

"And do you remember what happened?"

"There was an accident." You replied, looking up at Bobby, who nodded. "I needed a ride home. A guy picked me up on the road." You lied, turning your gaze back to the nurse and seeing a police officer standing by the door.

"That guy stole a car a few days ago in Salem. He took off once he woke up here at the hospital. They are looking for him." The nurse explained as she noticed your gaze on the officer. You nodded slightly.

"I didn't know him. He didn't tell me his name." You stated.

"I'll tell him that. You rest, okay?" You nodded silently as the nurse left the room.

A sigh of relief left Bobby's lips then. You coughed once again as you turned your gaze toward him.

"Where's Carter?" You asked.

Noticing your gaze on him, Bobby lifted his eyes to meet yours.

"I don't know. He called me to come get you. But..."

"I have to find him." You stated, cutting him off.

"Wait, wait." Bobby grabbed your arm seeing that you were about to get up.

"What?" You looked at him in confusion.

"The accident wasn't yesterday. It wasn't two days ago either. It's been two weeks."

Completely shocked, you blinked several times.

"Dean...?"

"He still has a week left." Bobby replied. "He and Sam are looking for ways to save him."

As reality hit you, panic began to overcome you. Fear, guilt, sadness. All those feelings were mixing with the imminence of the end of Dean's deal. You were supposed to go and find a solution, to save him. And yet you had ended up lying in a hospital bed for almost three weeks.

The hospital didn't want to let you out yet, but you insisted on signing a voluntary discharge. You needed to get out of that building as soon as possible. You felt trapped.

Bobby didn't know what to do or say. You hadn't spoken to him since he had given you the news. You had barely spoken to anyone except to ask for that voluntary discharge.

Bobby had already experienced a similar situation with Laurel. He had known your mother for many years. Carol and Doug Halliwell's only daughter had been orphaned at a very young age, leaving her in under the care of her Aunt Abby, a young hunter Bobby knew quite well. After the incident at the summer camp in Salem, when Laurel was just 15 years old, Bobby had been the one who had stayed by her side during her recovery while Abby investigated what had happened.

That camp had cost Laurel everything. Her two friends, only one of whom she'd been able to get back with a demon deal. And her Aunt Abby, who had died putting down the ghost that had caused it all. Bobby was just 11 years older than her, but had been her only family for the next three years, until Laurel and Henry met in college.

Now, at this very moment, Bobby felt responsible for you. In a way he felt he owed it to Laurel, but mostly to Abby. Even when Bobby didn't know anything about the supernatural back then, a part of him felt guilty for letting her go on that case all alone.

"Okay, what do we do?" You turned to look at Bobby once you were both inside his truck.

"Well..." Bobby looked at you, overwhelmed by your question as you watched him intently.

The defeat in your eyes had disappeared and had turned to determination. You weren't going to let anything get you down and stop you from helping those you cared about. No matter how bad you were feeling, mentally or physically. Just like the night of May 2, 94, you were going to fight to the end to save Dean.

"You can help me look for information to send them." He suggested.

"Yeah, that sounds good." You nodded, looking down at your bag. "I might as well give them my... Son of a bitch!" Your eyes widened at not finding what you were looking for. "Not you, Bobby." You clarified quickly, raising your hand toward him.

"What's the matter?"

"Carter. Carter's the matter." You replied. "He's taken Mom's demon-killing knife. What are we supposed to do now? Bela stole the Colt from Dean and Sam. They need something to fight Lilith with."

"They still don't know who holds Dean's contract."

"Oh, come on. It's obvious. She's the leader of hell. She's the one Ophelia and Dorian want to stop. It's her plans that they want to destroy to rule hell and all that. She holds the contract. If they find her, the deal is off." You said as you continued to search through her stuff.

"Is that what you and Carter were going to do, kill her?" Bobby asked, looking back at you.

"We didn't have a plan yet. But yeah, I guess we would have ended up going after her." You nodded, lifting your gaze back to Bobby.

"Okay. Any idea what your brother's up to now? Do you think he went after Lilith by himself?" He asked, starting the car.

"No." You shook your head. "Carter doesn't care about what happens to Dean. No. He's... He's probably going after Dorian."

Bobby's hands on the steering wheel seemed to tense at your words. He shifted his posture, trying to look like that didn't surprise him. But you knew him well enough.

"What? What's wrong?" You looked at him closely.

Bobby sighed, glancing to his left for a few moments before turning his eyes back to the road ahead. "Dorian was after Maddie and Peter the last time I talked to them."

"What?" Your eyes widened.

"Your father managed to catch Ophelia a few weeks ago. Apparently she ordered Dorian, and I'm quoting here, 'kill the younger one', in a phone call before your father caught her." Bobby explained.

You blinked a few times, remembering something.

"Wait a second. How do you know all this? You never met Carter." You pointed out, confused.

Bobby sighed.

"I met your mother when she was barely 15. I met Carter the day he was born."

"I thought that... My father said he met you at an oral presentation on supernatural stories that the University of Kansas was holding."

"Your father says a lot of things." Bobby sighed with a slight tone of irritation in his voice that didn't go unnoticed.

"So you've known everything all along? About Mom, Carter, Dorian..."

"Henry made me promise not to say anything. And, honestly, I thought it was for the best. Laurel would have never wanted you guys to become hunters. Yes, she trained you and Carter to defend yourselves and she wanted you to know as much as possible, but not to go out looking for supernatural cases. After her death and seeing the circumstances of it, I didn't question Henry's decisions because they were all intended to keep you safe and fulfill Laurel's wishes."

"You let him lock Carter up?" You looked at him in disbelief.

Bobbie shook his head.

"Henry told me that Carter had died that night. That he had had to kill him."

"Just like you had to kill Karen." You recalled.

"Yes." The man sighed, remembering his late wife.

"God. Every time I find out anything about my parents' past or mine it's all lie after lie after lie." You ran your hands over your face, letting out a frustrated sigh. "Since the beginning of the Halliwell family it's all been deals with demons and lies. All to gain power or..."

"Your father was trying to protect you." Bobby cut you off. "You and your brothers are the most important thing to him. The only thing he has."

"He doesn't seem to care much about Carter, does he?" You looked back at him, annoyed.

"I know you've had to carry that secret for almost 15 years. You and he being the only ones who knew what had happened that night. But when your father told me everything, and I mean everything, he was very clear that his decision to lock Carter in that place was to keep him safe." Bobby explained. "He knew Dorian wouldn't give up and that place was protected against demons. Henry only wanted to buy time, to find a solution to save you from Ophelia's and Hell's plans. He regrets many things, but never making the deal that allowed your mother to get pregnant. Even with all the consequences, you and your brothers are the greatest gift he ever had. And he would make that deal all over again just to have you."

Feeling the tears in her eyes, you were silent for a few seconds as you took in Bobby's words.

"He thought he'd find a way out, a way to renege on that deal and save us. But he hasn't found it." You spoke, looking back up at Bobby.

"Not yet."

"Even if he did. I think there are so many deals in our family that... it's already impossible to understand what was asked for in each one. Our fate is written."

"Unless you kill Lilith." He pointed out.

"And if we kill Lilith..."

"We save Dean." Bobby completed, meeting your gaze.

─── ❖ ── ✦ ── ❖ ───

To your surprise, the first night at Bobby's house passed peacefully. You soon fell asleep in the guest room while Bobby began to read and search for information to help Dean. You wanted to help him, but the pain in your body and the medicines you had been given had left you exhausted. For the first time in months no nightmares haunted your deep, restful sleep. It was like coming home, safe and warm.

The next morning Bobby greeted you in the kitchen with a nice cup of coffee and pancakes.

"You destroyed Ophelia's magic book, but your mother was a witch, magic is in your genes, it's not gone." Bobby stated, placing a heavy and old book on the table. With the cup pressed to your lips, you lifted your gaze to his. "Dean and Sam talked about an explosion of light when you stuck the knife in the book. I think that wasn't just Ophelia's magic breaking and disappearing from it forever, but also sealing your magical heritage."

"You're saying that Peter, Carter and I are still witches?" You raised your eyebrows.

He nodded.

"There are many kinds of witches. Your father's deal to have children, Ophelia's magic being passed down generation after generation through your maternal family's blood... I think you're pretty powerful."

"What does my father's deal have to do with it?"

Henry had told Bobby everything. But it was clear from the confused look on your face and your question that he hadn't told you everything.

"When your father made the deal so your mother could get pregnant he... accepted the condition the demon asked for in return."

"What condition?"

"She told him that if he wanted to have children he had to accept that those children would never be completely his. That those children would always be part of a greater plan." Bobby explained. "Your father hesitated to close the deal when he heard that. Until the demon assured him that once you fulfilled your part of that plan, you would be free." Seeing the look of disbelief in your eyes, Bobby sighed. "Yeah, I wouldn't have made the deal either."

You sighed. "Melinda was selfish when she begged a witch for help in conceiving a baby. And my father was just as selfish to agree to such deal with a demon. You can't have children, deal with it, adopt a baby with no family. But... make them bear the burden of a demon plan?" You stood up, frustrated. "We're doomed."

"Not if we kill Lilith." Bobby pointed out.

"You don't know that. We don't know anything. I'm pretty sure the world would be a lot better off if Carter, Peter and I simply died."

"I wouldn't be. And I'm sure your father and a lot of other people wouldn't either."

"Like who? Dean?" You raised your eyebrows. "I'm pretty sure Dean must hate me right now."

"That I don't know." Bobby sighed. "I'm not going to pretend I understand what's going on in his head. But if I do know him, and I think I do a little bit, he'll forgive you."

"If I can save him, maybe." You shrugged. "What was your idea?"

"We need to find Lilith." Bobby pointed to another book. "And I think you can do it."

"With magic?" You raised your eyebrows.

"With a little spell, yes." He nodded. "But first you should know what kind of witch you are."

"Good." You said firmly. "I think. I hope."

Bobby smiled, letting out a small laugh. "That's not what I meant."

"And what did you mean?" You frowned.

"There are different types of witches. Those who borrow power from other sources, as in a demon deal. There are the students and..."

"Naturals."

"That's right." Bobby nodded. "You're a natural. As much as the power came from another source in the first place, it's in your blood now. A Legacy to be more specific, at least that's what your parents named them." He pointed, opening a page of the book.

"Wait. This... This book was written by my father?" You asked, taking it in your hands to look at the cover.

"The first of them all." Bobby nodded. "He and Laurel wrote it together."

"I'd never seen it before."

"They only wrote one copy. Laurel gave it to me shortly before she died. She told me if you ever need it that I'd be sure to give it to you."

"Why wouldn't she leave it to my father?" You looked back at him.

"I don't know." He shrugged. "Perhaps she feared that his desire to protect you would prevent him from doing so."

"So, this book, it's about witches?" You frowned as you turned the pages. Bobby nodded.

"It's more like a diary. It describes the experiences of your mother and some of the other witches in your family whose journals and notes she inherited from her Aunt Abby."

"And what do you want me to do with it?"

"Technically we can all do rituals and summon ghosts or demons. With the right ingredients and words, anyone can do it. With exceptions, of course. But your mother wanted you to learn how to use your powers and I think this is a good opportunity for you to start studying."

"Oh, great. More studying." You sighed, giving him a sarcastic smile. "Bobby, you sure know how to make me feel at home."

"I've looked for all the things you might need listed in the book. They're all in a box in the living room." Bobby informed.

"Thanks, Bobby." You gave him a kind smile as you took the book in your hands.

The next few days, you spent practically locked in your room. Trying different simple spells to practice your magic and powers. Few were the ones you managed to finish and receive a productive result out of them. Most of them being not very useful spells.

Bobby and you hardly ever met except for meals, where you didn't exchange many words either. As each of you were focused on your own research. All in the name of saving Dean from ending up in hell.

It wasn't until the last day of April that something changed. You noticed it as soon as your eyes opened that morning. Distinct voices echoed through the house coming from downstairs. At least three distinct voices that you could make out, and all three male.

"She's doing what?" Dean's eyes widened as he heard Bobby's words. "How could you let her do that? That magic is dangerous. Even that demon, Ophelia, told her that the moment she tasted a hint of the power she could get out of control and become addicted to it."

"I didn't let her do anything." Bobby corrected. "It was her choice, Dean. She's an adult."

"I know she's an adult." He scoffed.

"It's what her mother would have wanted."

"I don't care what her mother would have wanted."

"She's doing it for you, Dean."

"Actually..." All three pairs of eyes fell on you as you spoke, watching as you descended the stairs. "I'm doing it for myself." You looked back at them.

Okay, maybe that wasn't entirely true. While you were doing it to get revenge for your mother's death and to protect your family, your little brother more specifically, a big reason you had decided to try out your magic was also to save Dean.

"I'm sorry I left like that. I thought it was the best way to help you." You fixed your eyes on Dean's.

"And instead you ended up in a hospital." He pointed out, turning towards you.

"You told him?" You looked at Bobby in disbelief.

"He didn't have to." Dean answered for him. "Carter called me last night."

"Carter called you?" You raised your eyebrows. Dean nodded.

"Yesterday. He told me Dorian had been after Peter and Maddie." Seeing your worried look, Dean was quick to reassure you. "They are fine, but Carter was worried about you."

You sighed with relief as you sat at the bottom of the stairs, trying to calm the rapid beating of your heart at the possibility of Peter being in danger. Neither of them said anything, keeping silent while you pulled herself together. Just as they were about to leave you alone and go to the kitchen to continue their conversation, you jumped to your feet and walked toward Bobby's study.

"I know how to find Lilith." You announced as you opened a map of the states on the table. "I've been trying to find her the last two days, but my powers weren't working."

"You think they would work now?" Sam asked as they followed you.

"It's worth another try." You sighed, placing an old tracking device over the map.

It was a small device that had three wooden "legs" coming out from a glass or crystal ball at the top. The ball has a flat, metal piece going around it with symbols on it. Further down the legs there was another metal piece, only bigger. From the ball hung a pendulum sharp on the end so that it can pinpoint a specific place.

"With the right name, right ritual, ain't nothing you can't suss out."

"Like the town Lilith's in?"

"Oh, Sammy, when I get done, we'll know the street." You assured him with a smirk.

Startled by your new and unexpected confidence, Sam and Dean shared a quick look while you began the ritual. Looking back at you, Sam and Dean watched as the pendulum searched over the map until it came to a sudden stop.

"It worked." You opened your eyes in awe.

"New Harmony, Indiana." Bobby read the map. "And we have a winner."

"Alright." Sam pushed the pendulum away and looked at you. "Let's go. "

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on." Dean tried to stop him. "Let's all shut up there, Tex."

Sam looked back at him full of confusion.

"What's the problem?"

"What's the problem?" Dean looked back at Bobby and you before continuing. "Come on, where do I begin? I mean, first of all, we don't even know if Lilith holds my deal. We're going off of Bela's intel? Now when that bitch breathes, the air comes out crooked. Okay. Second, even if we could get to Lilith, we have no way to gank her. And third, isn't this the same Lilith that wants your giant head on a pike? Should I continue?"

"Ain't you just bringing down the room." Bobby said.

"Yeah, well, it's a gift."

"What are we supposed to do, Dean?" You spoke, gaining his attention.

"Just 'cause I gotta die doesn't mean you have to, okay. Either we go in smart or we don't go in at all." He stated.

"Okay, fine." Sam sighed. "If that's the case I have the answer."

"You do?" Dean looked back at him.

"Yeah. A sure-fire way to confirm it's Lilith and a way to get us a bona fide demon-killing ginsu."

Almost as if he could read his mind, Dean began to shake his head. Somewhat in disbelief that his brother would even think of such idea.

"Damn it, Sam, no."

"We're so past arguing. Dean, I am summoning Ruby." Sam stated.

"The hell you are! We have enough problems as it is."

"Exactly." Sam walked up to him. "And we've got no time and no choice either."

"He's kinda right." You whispered but you were loud enough for Dean to hear you and scoff in response.

"Come on guys, she is the Miss Universe of lying skanks, okay." Dean said. "She told you that she could save me, huh – lie. She seems to know everything about Lilith but forgot to mention, oh right – Lilith owns my soul!"

"Okay, fine. She's a liar. She's still got that knife." Sam argued.

"Dean." Bobby tried, but he didn't listen to him as he exclaimed.

"For all we know, she works for Lilith."

"Then give me another option, Dean. I mean, tell me what else." Sam pleaded him.

"Sam's right." You spoke, walking towards Dean.

"NO! DAMN IT!" He snapped.

You took a step back at his reaction while Bobby looked at him, surprised.

Noticing the tension and the bad reaction he'd had, Dean took a deep breath before speaking again, this time calmer.

"Just no. We are not gonna make the same mistakes all over again." They looked at him, shocked. "You guys wanna save me, find something else."

The three of you looked at him as he walked to the table and sat down with a contemplative look on his face. As Sam and you shared a look, sighing, Bobby grabbed his jacket.

You looked back at him.

"Where are you going, Bobby?" You asked.

"I guess to..." He started, throwing out his arms. "...find something else."

Keep Reading: Chapter Fifteen

Tag List: @deans-spinster-witch @lmhf1 @mochminnie @helo1281917 @barnes70stark @slyregg

If you'd like to be tagged, drop me a comment

[bella-rose29]

Hopeless Romantics

Lockwood x f!reader

Their relationship through various hopelessly romantic dates.

With the tickets discount thing I have no idea if that's an actual thing but I figured it would work in the same way as a student discount or something.

Word count: 1.7k

Warnings: literally none other than maybe wondering why you can't actually have an anthony lockwood for yourself

Tag list: @anathemaloren, @augustisintheair, @avdiobliss, @dangelnleif, @el-de-phi, @ell0ra-br3kk3r, @karensirkobabes, @mitskiswift99, @mrsklockwood, @mrsyixingunicorn10, @ran23sblog, @superpositvecloudshipper, @t2sh0, @taygrls, @tournesol77, @wandamaximoffbae, @whenselenefallsinlove, @wordsarelife

Let me know here if you'd like to be added or removed from the tag list! <3

Stargazing

It had been an incredibly long night, all members of Lockwood and Co wanting nothing more than to collapse in their beds and fall right to sleep. George and Lucy had done just that, bidding goodnight to their fellow agents and heading up the stairs. Y/n had been about to do the same when Lockwood dragged her by the hand through the house, out into the back garden.

"Anthony, what are you doing?!"

He turned his head to look back at her, smile bright and blinding despite the darkness. "Taking you on a date," he said, just as he pulled her to the floor, lying down next to her.

"A date? Ant, it's the middle of the night!"

"Yeah, and for once it's not a cloudy British night. Look." He pointed up at the night sky, and Y/n realised he was right. If she concentrated she could see the Milky Way. The sheer number of stars was overwhelming, and she didn't think she'd ever seen so many.

They laid there for a good hour or so, only going inside when Y/n started complaining about the chill (Anthony immediately moved the two of them inside and up to his room, saying he'd be a terrible boyfriend if he let his girlfriend freeze). They'd been talking about whatever came in to their heads, occasionally wondering about the constellations and trying (and failing) to name them. Once changed into pyjamas and snuggled in his bed (really Y/n needed to just move in with him, she was in his room so much), they continued looking at the few stars that they could see from the window, and when Y/n finally fell asleep, Anthony carefully crept to close the curtains, slipping back under the covers and drawing his girlfriend closer, falling asleep himself moments later.

~~~

Dancing in the Rain

It had been raining all day.

George had complained, since he'd been planning on going to the Archives, but at the sight of the torrential downpour he'd decided to forgo the walk and holed up in his room instead. Lucy hadn't minded so much; she was in the attic reading, enjoying some peace and quiet.

Anthony was in the library, trying to get paperwork done, but with his girlfriend sat in the same room as him he was struggling. He huffed for the millionth time, making Y/n look up.

"What? You keep huffing and puffing. Is something wrong with the papers?"

"No, nothing's wrong with the papers. Just... How am I meant to concentrate when the most beautiful girl in the world is sat so close to me?" He turned on his chair, smiling dopily at her.

Y/n snorted, looking at him over her book. "Charmer."

"Is it working?"

"It doesn't need to work, Ant, we're already dating."

"I've got to make sure you know how much I love you though," he pouted, and Y/n giggled.

"You've also got to make sure your company is running properly?" His pout didn't leave his face, and he huffed (again) as he turned back to his work, running a hand through his hair in mild frustration. "Ant?"

"Yeah?" He looked over at her, immediately perking up at the sound of her voice.

"Wanna dance in the rain?"

"Right now?"

"Yeah. It's not as bad anymore, I think we'll be fine."

"Okay, yeah. Sure."

Y/n pulled him up from his seat, and he all but ran out the front door into the street, barely pausing to pull his shoes on. They were immediately soaked, Anthony's white shirt sticking to his body and Y/n's thin top doing the same within seconds. She was right, it wasn't as bad as it had been earlier, and they were laughing as Anthony held his hand out for her to take.

"May I have this dance, m'lady?" he said, his smile wide.

"You may," Y/n replied, placing her hand in his. He yanked her in, pulling her close to his chest, and she reached up to move some of his soaked hair out of his face. It wasn't much good, since she couldn't see that well from the raindrops that fell into her face, but she'd practically memorised the shape of him. He held her close, gently swaying as the rain fell all around them, the couple only moving when a car came around the corner and honked at them for being in the middle of the road.

When they came back inside a while later, George was just coming out of the kitchen, piece of cake in hand.

"No, nope, stay there, don't move! You two are dripping and I'm not letting you get that everywhere!" he rushed up the stairs, coming back a few minutes later with towels and changes of clothes for the two of them. "You can get changed there, then put your wet clothes in here. Let me know when you're done, so I can dry them and mop the floor." He handed over a plastic bag, one for each, then left, heading into the library.

"Oi, turn around, Ant. You might have seen most of it before but I'd like some privacy, please," Y/n lightly slapped his arm, nothing menacing in her tone as she turned her back on him. She'd barely finished pulling on the jumper (Anthony's jumper, really, but she wore it more than him at this point) than he'd wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back against his chest to hug her from behind.

"I love you, Y/n, you know that right?"

"I do. I love you too, Anthony."

~~~

The Picnic

"Anthony, where are we going? And why do you have a huge ass basket?"

"You'll see!" Y/n had been chatting with Lucy in their shared room (not that Y/n used it much now, she was in Lockwood's so much), when Anthony had burst through the door demanding that his girlfriend come with him. Y/n had laughed at his antics, taking the hand he offered and yelping when he all but ran down the stairs, girlfriend in tow. He'd been practically bouncing while he waited for her to put her shoes and coat on, and his excitement had only grown the closer they got to their destination. All of a sudden he stopped, making Y/n crash in to the back of him.

"Ant?"

"Close your eyes."

"What?"

"Just... just close your eyes, trust me. Don't open them until I say, okay?"

"Okay..." Y/n shut her eyes, squeezing them so tightly closed she could see patterns. She heard the rustling of something plastic, followed by the sound of him moving around and getting other items out of the basket, and after what felt like forever he finally said "Open!"

She did so, gasping slightly at the sight of the picnic blanket and various food items laid out. "Wait, you did all this?"

"Yep! Well, not all, George did the cooking, and Lucy helped me carry all the stuff back from Arif's without you noticing, but the rest was all me." He looked nervous, something Y/n hadn't seen her boyfriend be for a while, and she realised that he was waiting for her approval. He was scratching the back of his neck, slight blush covering his cheeks.

"I love it, Anthony. Really, I think this is amazing," she smiled at him, and immediately he relaxed, his own grin forming on his face. Y/n moved over to where he stood, planting a soft kiss on his lips. "And I love you."

"I love you too," he whispered, kissing her again.

~~~

The Aquarium

"Two day tickets please, we should get a discount too?"

"You agents?"

"Yes, Lockwood and Co." Anthony handed over his licence card to the woman behind the desk, and she handed it back with a nod of approval.

"Here you go, that'll be ten pounds altogether then please."

Anthony handed over the notes, then accepted the two tickets with a smile. "Thank you!"

Y/n grabbed his free hand, taking her own ticket and pocketing it. They made their way into the aquarium, stopping to read every sign and press their faces to every glass, and Anthony was sure that he was the luckiest guy in the world to have Y/n as his girlfriend. He told her as much when they stopped for something to eat in the aquarium cafe, and she'd laughed and gone pink.

"Well then I'm the luckiest girl to have you, Ant."

They'd left the table not long after, disposing of napkins and empty sandwich packets, and when Y/n squealed in delight and grabbed Anthony by the arm, he knew that the tunnel was just around the corner. Y/n was always going on about the tunnel where the fish swam right overhead, surrounding you with water that was held back by thick glass smeared with little children's fingerprints. She spent the next few minutes pointing out various creatures, and Anthony nodded along, listening intently to her descriptions of each one, from the largest shark right down to the smallest fish, a huge smile on his face at her awe.

"Ant, look!" She smushed her face against the glass, jabbing a finger at the ray that had started coming their way. When, a few minutes later, a second ray did the same, Y/n looked on in as much wonder as she had the first time, and Anthony found himself smiling softly at his girlfriend's apparently limitless fascination with the animals.

They sat in the tunnel for ages (they did have a day ticket, after all), chatting quietly about anything that came to mind, Y/n interrupting every now and then to excitedly list off facts about the fish.

When they finally left a while later, going around the rest of the aquarium, hand in hand, Anthony knew then that he never wanted to be with anyone else. She was still smiling at everything she saw, laughing at the pufferfish and marvelling at the lion fish, and her joy was infectious. A few times she stopped to talk to some small kids, exaggerating her movements and discussing the animals so seriously with them that anyone would think she was talking about the threats of the Problem, not seahorses. She was so good with the kids, and not for the first time Anthony caught himself thinking about their future together.

It was nearly dark when they left, having been kicked out because it would soon be curfew, and Y/n was pulling him along the pavement on their way home, still talking excitedly about her favourite parts of the day.

Yes, Anthony thought as he unlocked the front door and ushered Y/n inside. Yes, this is my future.

[citruslullabies]

i have a ghoulcy request 😩

something with lucy feeling down or depressed due to everything that happened in s1, but bottling it up because she doesn't know how to deal with it (ethics philosophers aren't helping her out this time) and cooper noticing it during their journey.

Trigger warnings: hints at suicidal thoughts, intrusive thoughts, HEAVY SPOILERS

Romantic/platonic?: romantic (can be taken as platonic though)

Requested by: anonymous

Category: angst to fluff kind of

Ship (romantic or platonic): Lucy MacLean x Cooper Howard

Word count: 866

Campfire

Everything had happened so fast.

One day, Lucy had been a happy vaultie who wanted to get married and live the cherry pie life like everyone else. And the very next she was fighting for her life and killing her husband who turned out to be a raider, before having to go on the surface to get her father.

There, she met a few interesting people. The Ghoul, Maximus, and Dr. Wilzig. She unfortunately didn't get to know the doctor for very long, having to saw his head off, and Maximus, she wished she could've kept around longer but unfortunately it wasn't in the cards for her. But now it was only her and Cooper. She didn't even get to have her father back like she planned, she didn't even know if she'd have any of her family back in her life. But now she walked across the wasteland with Cooper and his dog, who was.. well, Wilzig’s.

But she didn't complain, not once. She kept it buried as if it was nothing new - nothing important. But it all hurt.. she walked beside the ghoul, mind wandering off to when she and him first met. If she had known then how her life would've turned out she would've held still for him to aim and fire. Better yet, take his gun now and do it herself. But all she did was have a twitch in her fingers and not dare move any closer. She wondered how her brother was doing, if he was even still alive. She hoped so. If he wasn't then she had truly lost it all.

Cooper was quiet, seeing the sun start to set. They decided to set up camp, and he watched her for a moment as they appreciated a fire for warmth for only a few moments before they'd have to blow it out. She just stared into the flames, as if debating shoving her hands in to feel the closest thing to comforting warmth she'd have felt in months. But she refrained. He rolled his eyes and folded his hands over his stomach while looking unamused.

“Keep starin’ in that fire there and your eyes may as well melt out.” He grumbled, southern accent thick despite the ages. Lucy glanced up at him before turning her gaze back to the flames as if just completely enamored by it. The woman finally responded, knees up to her chest. Her blue vault suit was stained and muddled from shame.

“How do you think fire was made?” “What??”

The older man was taken back, staring at MacLean for a long moment. He was quiet, waiting for Lucy to respond but she never quite did. She wasn't as talkative as she used to be. Wasn't as happy, and he understood why. She has lost everything just like he did. She lost her happy life with a happy family, just like he did.

While a part of him found it humorous, another part of him felt like it wasn't fair for her. He cleared his throat and stared at the sky, his hand tracing the other where her finger was after he cut it clean off her hand.

“Ya know, you remind me of my ex-wife. Always bubblin’ up instead of talkin, keeping secrets that can just swallow you whole. Only difference is yours ain't gonna cost the world,”

He spoke while mumbling the last part, clicking his tongue and grinding his teeth together in thought. He felt awkward talking like this, more open than what he normally would. But he felt now was a greater time than ever. His words caught Lucy’s attention and she pressed her cheek against her knee. “Cost the world??”

It was an understandable question, something that caught her attention. Cooper wasn't much for metaphors so she didn't quite understand.. but he didn't elaborate any further, refusing to. Cooper instead took his hat off and placed it on the young vaulties head, covering her eyes with a flick to the back of his hat.

“G’night, MacLean. Shut your mouth and shut your eyes.” He said, putting the fire out and laying back. It was a strange interaction, probably the closest they ever had. But it was comforting in a way for both of them. Lucy wanted to say something more but she refrained, only getting cozy staring at the brim of his hat that he put on her head and feeling the mutt rest his head on her lap and giving a small tired huff. The whole world was asleep, so it was their turn to follow suit. “..goodnight, Coop.”

In the middle of the night, Cooper woke up and just watched her for a moment. Petting Dogmeat and keeping his eyes open, feeling something he hasn't felt in god knows how long. He tried to justify his actions and concerns but he couldn't for any other reason than he cared more about Lucy than he cares to admit, seeing the good parts of his wife every time he looked at her. But he kept it to himself.

He couldn't keep letting the world tear the things he cares about away. So this time, he won't let his care be known.

Thanks for requesting hon!

[keen-li]

FEVER

Paris!boy seungmin

Seungmin x fem reader

Wc:

Good boy during the day, rebel at night.

-

Playlist: fever by dua lipa

Youngblood by 5sos

Billie bossa nova by billie eilish

Flawless by the neighbourhood

-

A/n: went through hell and back to get this posted. Tumblr kept losing my original edited draft, so I'm sorry for any grammatical errors. Tried my best to re-edit it.

Hope you enjoy it.

BTW I don't know anything about stealing or Paris. So sorry if it's not accurate.

-

When your dad told you that you'd be moving to Paris because of his work, you were so excited. You couldn't stop imagining all your little scenarios, it was all you could think about. All the shopping sprees you'd do, all the food you'd eat, all the pictures you'd take and all the boys you'd meet. Boys, you honestly thought you'd have a Paris love story but after living here for a year you haven't seen much of it. None of the guys you've met are what you thought they'd be or what you hoped for, they were kinda boring.

They never had that excitement you desperately wanted. Maybe it was on you, maybe you were looking too much for the unachievable.

Your parents haven't been happy with you recently, always complaining about your late night outs. You're grown enough, what's the big deal? plus you're bored. Nothing is exciting and you've been getting kinda depressed, so you take the night time as the right time to go out and breathe. Though there's only so much you can do by yourself.

The only friends you've got are the ones you left back home, even though you enjoy every moment you get to talk to them. It's not the same as being in each other's presence.

You grab the canned drink you've been eyeing and go grab a snack for it.

You're by the counter waiting in line when you spot a guy by the cigarette stand. His hair is blonde and his body is hidden by a large hoodie, he looks like he's your age. You don't know why you keep looking at him, maybe you're waiting for him to turn around so that you can see his face.

You watch as he grabs a cigarette box and after looking around casually he stuffs the box under his large hoodie. He's stealing, you chuckle. He's gonna be caught and it's gonna be a sight to see. You internally laugh as you stare at the cashier who doesn't seem to notice anything. It's quite a small store so not many employees who care to pay attention. Plus the store is kinda packed.

The guy turns around and your eyes meet, you can't seem to move your eyes, he's just caught you staring. Now that you see him he's actually good looking, very good looking. Though his face doesn't look like one of a thief.

He smirks at you and by the way he looks at you he knows you've just seen him stealing.

He walks towards you like nothing's wrong. When his body is now in front of you and his unwavering eyes stare at you, you can smell his smoky and nature like scent. He smells like some plant you used to stick your nose in when you were younger, you loved that plant. You were sad when your dad uprooted it and you never saw it again. It's funny how he smells exactly like it, very nostalgic.

"You should try it. It's fun" he says encouragingly and he chuckles and walks out. You stand still not knowing what to say. His voice is as warm as the heat that radiates off him.

You stand there waiting for someone to run after him for stealing but no one does. He actually got away with it. Was it that easy? Maybe you could try, this would be an opening for a new excitement if you actually were able to get away with it. But if you don't, you'd be getting yourself in trouble and embarrassed. But if he didn't get caught, you surely won't either.

Right?

So when it's your turn to pay for your things, while the cashier is turned away, you grab a pack of gums that you see. You swiftly but nervously stuff it into your pocket. Your heart is pounding as the cashier turns to hand you your bag, you hope they haven't noticed but by the way they're looking at you makes you feel otherwise.

"Thanks" you say smiling awkwardly as you rush out the door.

The cold night air hits you and you smile at what you just did. Did you really just get away with it? This is gonna be a new exciting venture.

Your attention is pulled to your right when you see smoke **in** the air. When you turn you see the guy from the store, he's leaned against the wall with a cigarette, which is the one he probably stole.

"Feels good doesn't it?" He asks blowing smoke out of his mouth.

"Yeah" you smile walking towards him. He lifts himself of the wall.

"Seungmin" he says and you knit your eyes in confusion.

"That's my name" you've should've gotten that, now you look stupid.

You hum "Y/n" you share.

He doesn't say anything just nods acknowledging.

"So-" be he can speak both your attention is pulled to the store door that is abruptly opened.

"HEY YOU!" The cashier calls for you and you both immediately know you've been caught. Shit you aren't that slick after all.

The cashier moves to grab your hand but instead seungmin grabs it and pulls you.

"Come on" he says and you don't argue as you both run down the path, past some people who stare in confusion, and past some poles. You turn to see if the cashier is still chasing you, they aren't. They must've gotten tired by the distance.

"Seungmin he's gone, you say pulling his hand to stop. Which he does. You both breathe heavily trying to catch your breaths.

"I just stole a gum why are they being dramatic?" you mumble to yourself.

"What did you steal?" Seungmin asks still catching his breath.

You straighten your back and reach into your pocket pulling out a gum.

"Just a gum" you say innocently but you're surprised when he bursts out laughing. "What? "

"If you were gonna get caught you should've stolen something bigger" he runs his hands through his hair as the adrenaline wears off.

"I couldn't steal something bigger" you defend

"I can tell" he says, tone cheeky.

You stand there, hands gripping your plastic bag, not knowing what to do next. Do you just walk away, run away? What actually, heck do you freaking say?

"You should probably say thank you" seungmin's sultry voice breaks you from your thoughts. It's like he read your mind and you're kinda disappointed with yourself that he had to tell you.

"Ah.. y-you're right" you stammer, as you grip the plastic more.

"Thank you for getting me out" a smile creeps into your face "otherwise I would've been at the station right now" you chuckle which he does too, making you a little more comfortable. You were the nervous kind and if seungmin wasn't there you would've stayed frozen to the ground.

You stare down at the plastic where the reason why you were in the store lies.  You grab the can and it's still cold. You hold it out to seungmin who has his eyes elsewhere.

"Here, you" say and he turns to you his eyes falling onto the can.

"What?"

"Take it as my thank you" you smile. He smiles too but **it's** more of a this-silly-girl  smile.

He pushes your hand back to you shaking his head. You shiver at his warm touch. Since you came to Paris no guy has gotten you interested, but seungmin seems interesting and you wanna know more.

"Keep it, it's yours" he says like he's the one who's giving it to you and you smile. His eyes watch your lips curl warmly.

You stand a few seconds in silence not knowing what to do next.

"So what now?" You ask

"I'm going to meet up with my friends" he fiddles his fingers in his pockets. "Wanna join? That's if you're free" he asks unsure.

Luckily you are free, well not really, your parents want you home before late, but you don't care right now.

"Yeah I am" you say, your own fingers playing with the end of your Jersey.

"I'm sure they'd be glad to meet you"

-

Well they weren't super against it but they watched you closely, especially the minho guy.

Hyunjin seemed unfazed not caring that you're the only girl.

"She's a high-school friend" seungmin says, knowing damn well you never knew each other until tonight. You stand a little awkward and nervous not knowing what to say or do.

"It's cool, it's not a big deal" hyunjin says his focus somewhere else. You try to find what has his attention but you can't.

"High school friend my ass, but you're welcome here y/n" his other friend han says patting your shoulder warmly, which makes a smile grow on your face.

"I still don't trust you but you're welcome here" Minho says a little distant and cold. Though he does look like he's genuinely trying to be welcoming.

"Don't worry about him, he doesn't bite" seungmin whispers the last part into your ear.

"Are those snacks?" you turn to han who eyes your bag. You nod and pull out the packet.

"Here you can have them" han smiles warmly.

"Sweet, I'm gonna like you" he walks away eating your snacks.

"Does that mean he doesn't like me right now?" You ask seungmin. He shrugs grinning, hands still in his pocket.

You watch han share the snack with minho, struggling a bit though. Hyunjin has his eyes down the road still distracted.

"Guys we should go before it closes" the distracted man finally speaks breaking his focus and walking down the road. The other two follow hyunjin behind. 

"Come on y/n" seungmin says walking ahead of you and you follow like a lost baby duck. You don't even know what you're going into. What do a couple of guys do late night in Paris?

"Where we going?" You ask curious.

"That art store over there" he points and you follow his finger immediately catching sight of said store.

That's one question answered.

"What are we going to do there?" He chuckles at your knitted eyebrows.

"You'll see" he takes your hand and pulls you past the store to stand near a pole as you watch the other three walk into the store. You stand near a pole with your hand in seungmin's and he doesn't seem to want to let go.

His touch is so warm against yours, you don't know what you feel with the way he's holding your hand.

Comfort. That's what it is. And it honestly warms your heart in this cold night. You don't even know why he's holding your hand, but is there supposed to be a reason. Its nice to have somebody to hold your hand. Its nice to have a hand to hold in this cold.

You look at your connected hands then you look at seungmin who's looking behind you, probably at the store door. You continue to admire his feature, heavenly blessed featuresm you think.

Seungmin can feel your gaze burn into his skin and so he turns to look at you.

"What?" He asks voice low and smooth, you're close enough to smell the cigarette from his breath, but it doesn't bother you, you just enjoy your proximity.

"Nothing" you turn away feeling your cheeks heat up under his stare.  He also takes this time to admire your face, your pretty features. It's been a while since he's met a girl like you in Paris,  that's if he has met any.

He doesn't know what but he feels something when you look at him, he noticed it when you stared at him in the store. You stared at him like you were worried he might get caught,  worried for him. He could literally see you beg him to just leave it but again they also told him to take it and see what happens. He never even planned on saying anything to you, didn't want to linger any longer in the store. But he went against his own judgement and spoke to you.

He told you to steal for the fun of it, to scare you even but he didn't expect you to do it. He was kind of impressed that you did it but also disappointed that you did what a stranger said, were you so naive. He doubts you are, you wouldn't have done it if you really didn't want to. He guesses you really did just want to do it. And after your attempt at thieft he knew he had to keep you by him, all night or forever. Maybe he can teach you how to get better at not getting caught.

"Tell me what's on your mind" he asks eyes still on yours. His stare makes you nervous but you're still able to hold eye contact.

"I'm just wondering why we're here?"

"Is there somewhere you wanna be? " he raises a brow at you.

You shake your head "No I just.." you shy away from saying.  Seungmin doesn't pry on your unfinished sentence.

"Hyujin had his eye on a certain art book" he turns back to the door.

"Oh, so he's just buying a book" you say naively.

Seungmin laughs. It's like you haven't caught on. You feel him grip your hand as you hear the store door open. It's minho.

"No" seungmin answers you.

Suddenly he turns to face you and with a suspicious grin he speaks sharply.

"Don't let go of my hand" you're confused and want to ask but can't when minho taps seungmin's shoulder sharply.

"Lets go" minho syas hurriedly and starts running and so do you and seungmin.  You want to ask but don't bother. What you've learnt today is ask no questions, run.

As you're running you turn and see hyunjin and han run behind you. No one's chasing you guys though. You run and watch seungmin's hair blow as the wind passes by, he has a smirk on his face and you can't help but smile as well, enjoying the thrill of running for no reason and having someone holding your hand not letting go of you.

Once you've all gotten far enough you stop and catch your breaths.

"Are you okay y/n" seungmin asks more concerned for you than for catching his breath. You give him a thumps up hands on your thighs,  trying to sustain a stable rhythm of breath.

"Why are we running, no one's chasing us" you straighten your posture.

"For a head start.." han starts.

"...just incase they start to chase us" minho finishes.

You stay silent thinking.

"Fuck that was amazing" hyunjin exclaims excitedly running his hand through his hair. You hear seungmin laugh.

"Finally got that book you wanted huh?"

"Yep" hyunjin exclaims "the best book for art enthusiasts" he smirks admiring the book.

"They probably won't notice until..." han scrunches his face " I don't know actually" he has confused look on his face.

"It doesn't even matter" minho adds zipping up his Jersey.

You pause analysing their conversation.

"Wait you guys are thieves?" You whisper-shout finally getting it.

"So are you babe" seungmin says. You guys start walking you're not sure where to but your legs move.

"No like serious thieves" you clarify " not like casual cigarette thieves" you say that part looking at seungmin's who's now pulling out a cigarette and handing one to everyone.

"What did you think babe" he tries hand you one but you shake your head.

"I'll share yours" you say and seungmin nods not minding.  You do smoke, you just didn't want to have a full one today.

"It's like a part time thing though" han clarifies lighting his cigarette.

You walk dumbfounded,  well you suspected it but damn, you're surprised.

"What? are scared?" Seungmin asks and you shudder when he places his weighted hand around your shoulder.

"No I'm not" how can you be, "this is exciting" you never knew it but you guess this is the excitement you've been waiting for. Late nights runs with Paris boys.

-

"What else do you guys do?" You ask stuffing your face with the sandwiches minho bought. You're now getting comfortable around them

They all stare at you confused.

"Like you steal? Okay. But do you like, gamble, drugs..." you pause "murder?"

They all laugh and look at you like you're crazy.

"Hold your horses princess" hyunjin says "we only steal, that's it" He adds diving into his food.

"We only steal what we need" han states.

"And some other things for fun" minho adds seemingly reminiscing on a memory,  which han catches onto and laughs.

Your face falls in understanding.

"What?" Seungmin asks and you turn to him. "Are you into that kinda stuff sweetheart?" He leans into you and your heart beat quickens.

"N-no" you stammer. He leans back and chuckles.

"I would've been surprised cause you can barely steal without getting caught" he mocks you and you smack his shoulder.

"Jerk"

"So y/n what are you into" hyunjin asks. You stare confused.

"Like hyunjin's into art and stuff and seungmin's into cigarettes and the thrill..." you tune out the rest of han's explanation finally getting it.

"Oh yeah, I'm into clothes. Like fashion" you say.

"That's good cause there's like a stop around the corner" minho adds and your eyebrows knit.

"Why does that matter?"

"Cause we're gonna get you some clothes baby" seungmin smirks.

-

You'd never have thought you'd be wandering around Paris and stealing clothes. Obviously you didn't go to any high-end stores, you'd be caught in a flash. Instead the boys took you to some store. You know the store, you even know the owner. You usually come here to thrift and buy fabric.

"Y/n how have you been" she greets and you greet back warmly as though you're not here to steal from her.

"Some new fabrics have come in I think you'd like them" she tells you as the boys look around. "Want me to show you?" She asks sweetly but you decline.

"Maybe next time", you give her the best not awkward smile you can.

"Y/n come check out what you want", Seungmin calls out, and you follow.  The owner stares suspiciously at the boys.

You go through a series of clothes and the boys take notes of the ones you like and want.

"I like this one" you exclaim running your hands over the body-fitting dress you're trying on.

"Yeah it brings out your curves" Seungmin says eyeing your figure and you blush. Somehow his compliment doesn't sound creepy, if it was any other man you'd be cussing him out.

"Take it off and give it to minho" he says kinda bossy and you smirk, he's cute when he's giving out commands. You do as he says and give the dress to minho.

"So you're gonna pay for that one and they're gonna pack up the rest" he says to minho and then turns to you.

"And you baby are gonna take her to check out those fabrics" he caresses your cheek and you shudder.

"But I told her no" 

"And now you're gonna go back there and tell her yes, okay?" With the way he's looking at you, you can't help but obey.

And you do. The owner escorts you to the back to check the materials as the boys leave the store with your other clothes. It's a night shift, so she's alone with no other employees.

"Your parents called" the lady speaks and you turn to her "they asked if you were here"

"And what did you say?"

"I told them no" you groan "I can't keep lying for you y/n"

You know she can't, she can only lie so far. You sigh. 

"You need to go home y/n" she sounds like the angel on your shoulder right now. You need to go home but you won't. You can't leave this new-found excitement. 

You can't leave Seungmin.

"I will" you lie.

You walk out of the store and look around for the boys. They're walking down the road, so you ran after them.

"Hey, you left me." 

"We didn't, head start, remember" hyunjjn says, holding your bag. You hum.

"So where are we going now?"

"To drink" Seungmin says.

...

You laugh and giggle over stories as you scrunch your face at the burning trail the liquid leaves on your throat. 

"Have you never drank alcohol?" Seungmin says analysing the scrunched-up look on your face.

"I have" you straighten your face "this one's just kinda strong"

Seungmin takes a sip of your cup, clearing the liquid like it's nothing. You scoff. 

"You're such a show off" You joke and Seungmin tightens his hold around your waist.

"Im glad you noticed" he whispers against your ear, causing your body to shiver.

"We should head out now" hyunjin says standing up. "Are you coming Seungmin?" He nods to you and Seungmin. 

"Ahh. I think I'll join you guys later" he turns to face you "there's somewhere i wanna take y/n" you give him a confused.

...

"Where are you taking me?" You ask Seungmin as he drags you through the night.

"You'll see"

After walking and wandering around, Seungmin stops in front of a fountain. The water shoots out artistically as the lights allow the water to glow; the blue makes it look like a fairytale. You've seen this fountain before; you know it. But it looks and feels different under the circumstances you're in. Under the thrill and excitement Seungmin's brought you,

You're so caught up in the moment that you don't notice Seungmin take off his hoodie and jump into the fountain, which is illegal.

"It's so cold!" He exclaims, and you catch sight of a wet seungmin.

"Seungmin, what the hell are you doing?" You say, placing your hands on the edge of it.

"Taking a swim," he says, laughing and laying back. The fountain's deep enough for the water to reach his waist.

You laugh as Seungmin moves around, enjoying the water. He has this big and welcoming smile on his face that rubs itself onto you.

"You can get in trouble, you know?" You whisper-shout over his splashes.

"I know, and that's why you should join me." As he says the last part, he swishes his hand in the water and throws it in your direction.

"Ah," you scream, wiping water off your face.

"Come join me."

"Nope"

"I'm going to drag you in then," he says, moving to you and pulling you in. You don't even have time to react when your body is pulled into water.

Seungmin holds you so that you don't drown, even though it's not possible.

"Seungmin, we're going to get in trouble," you tell him, concerned.

"All that we've done tonight, and this is when you're worried about getting in trouble," he whispers as his eyes momentarily move to your lips. He's right, though.

"We won't be here long," he reassures you, his eyes falling on your lips again.

You look around a bit, not seeing anyone around. When you turn, you find Seungmin eyeing you, and you begin to blush.

"What?" You ask him shyly as he moves closer to you. His nose brushes against yours, and your hands move by themselves to his soaked chest. His thumb brushes your cheek as he smirks.

"I just think you look even cuter under the fountain lights." He doesn't let you react as his lips meet yours. His mouth is warm on you as his tongue brushes against yours. Your grip on his chest tightens, and his own grip tightens on your hips. He pulls you impossibly closer; his hand moves to your cheek, deepening the kiss and not allowing you to move.

"I'm so glad I met you tonight," he says in between breaths, causing you to smile against his lips.

You would've never guessed that tonight you'd be kissing some guys you met in the fountain that you've thought about swimming in before.

Before he can move his hands any further down your body, a bright light flashing in both your faces stops you.

"HEY!!" The security guard screams and starts running towards you.

"Shit"

"Come on." You both leave the water, and when your bodies detach, the cold of the night engulfs the both of you, the only warmth being from Seungmin's hand that's holding you as you run.

The water drips from your clothes, leaving a trail behind. Your clothes slightly pull you down, but the adrenaline helps you defy gravity and run fast.

Seungmin pulls you into a dark tunnel, and by this time, the guard, due to his physical limitations, couldn't catch up to you.

You lean against the wall as Seungmin stands in front of you, laughing.

"That was wild," you laugh.

"You should get used to it," he starts. "That's if you're going to be riding with us." He stares at you, waiting for an answer.

"Are you?"

It feels like a hard question, but you already know your answer.

"Yeah, I am," you say confidently. Seungmin smiles at your confidence.

"Then we should get going," he says, starting to walk.

"Going where?" You follow behind him.

"The boys and I were planning on going out of town," and, like on cue, a black open-roofed car stops in front of the both of you.

"And since you're a part of us, you're coming," he says, opening the car door, and you get in.

"Why are you guys all wet?" Hyunjin asks from the driver's seat.

Seungmin smirks at you: "Had some fun at the fountain.“

You chuckle, reminiscing on the recent memory.

You're not hundred percent sure what you've gotten yourself into, but you're here for it.

You're here for whatever Seungmin has for you.

 -----

Where are all my seungmin babes.🤭

 

 

 

 

[heartbreakslow]

Hot take: Darren isn't aphobic OR "hypersexual"

As somebody who is a fan of Darren/Cash, I feel like a really interesting relationship gets flattened when you don't look at Darren's motivations outside of being someone who causes problems for Cash.

One reason I like Darren a lot is that there are a lot of characters in media who superficially look/act like Darren--they're queer guys (or queer guy adjacent in Darren's case) who are feminine, raunchy, and funny; and they're a supportive friend to the girl MC. But Darren isn't this character. They have their own stuff going on. And they're not just rude in a funny way, they can lash out and be really cruel.

Then when Darren acts unlikable, you get people saying, "Darren is so funny and quotable, they'd be so great if they just stopped doing X" (e.g. if Darren just behaved like a trope instead of a flawed character).

Darren's whole deal is laid out pretty clearly in the first episode. They see the world through the lens of being rejected for their gender and sexuality, and they're pretty oppositional or transactional with most people. They only are genuine with a few female friends. They don't have any boys or men that they trust. Their hookups seem to be guys that they don't particularly like, who don't care about them, and who don't necessarily identify as queer. But they're very proud of having a lot of sex and performing that identity to shock people. Also note that they tried to hook up to get a place to sleep after being kicked out of their parents' house--put a pin in that, because they try to sleep with the same guy (who they openly dislike) when fighting with Cash in s2.

Enter Cash. We see Darren and Cash actually like talking to each other. Cash is saying things like "you're the only cool person at our school" and keeps asking them to hang out and just staring at them and acting really nervous. And Darren tells Amerie they don't know what's going on. Yeah, I bet they don't! Then Cash gets jealous of Darren hugging another guy, kisses them, stays up all night walking around the city and talking, makes out with them outside their house…and Darren complains to their friends, "I'm getting mixed signals," because they didn't hook up.

This isn't about how "hypersexual" Darren is! It's about their fucked up view of relationships. Throughout the episode where Darren is the most unlikable, we see their anxiety ratcheting up because they can't get Cash to have sex with them. They vent to their friends, flipping between complaining about Cash--"he chickened out," "he's dead to me"--and insulting themself--"I'm being a frigid little bitch!"

After multiple schemes, which all result in Cash being very happy to hang out with them but stopping them when they try to initiate sex, they finally try to initiate something when he's asleep, yikes. His reaction makes it 100% clear he doesn't want to have sex anytime soon.

Then, the "aphobic" moment. Rather than apologizing, Darren just starts yelling at Cash, calling him an f-slur who doesn't want to be an f-slur, saying he's using them as an experiment, and finishing with "there might be something really wrong with you."

Yes, it's terrible behavior. It's not aphobic, because Darren doesn't know Cash is ace! (Also, it would be terrible regardless of why Cash didn't want to have sex.)

Their reaction comes from their misinterpretation of what's going on, or rather, their inability to interpret what Cash could want from them. They're throwing out multiple interpretations--he's closeted, he has internalized homophobia, he's straight, he's a serial killer--because none of these interpretations make sense. The explanation right in front of them, that he likes them but doesn't want to have sex, doesn't enter Darren's mind until they've had some time to process the situation and talk to their friends.

Once they see the situation for what it is, they then act completely different because they're no longer looking at it through the lens that they're being rejected or jerked around. You can't really account for how dramatically their behavior changes without acknowledging that they initially misinterpreted Cash's behavior as being about them, and when they understood that it wasn't about them, they were okay with trying a different kind of relationship.

This is just like…well-written, sympathetic characters having an interesting storyline, that I don't think I've ever seen done before outside of niche fanfic. And if I never see someone call Darren aphobic or hypersexual again, it will be too soon.

[bellalampwickrossi]

Disney Descendants : Tiger Lily x Lampwick story ideas Part 1

There's a tiny diner near Auradon Prep. Their food is just okay but their milkshakes are great. Most of the kids at Auradon Prep ignore it because it's cheap and not glamourous so Tiger Lily and Lampwick always go there to enjoy a quiet night out. They split a milkshake and enjoy their night together. Maybe they go see a movie or for a walk after. They went on a huge treasure hunt once looking for Captain Hook's old gold. They never found it but they had a great time exploring skull rock and going through the jungle. They found lots of old pirate stuff, just no gold. But a really great story! They love having their family over. Geppetto and Carina spoil the kids, and Tiger Lily and Lampwick visit with them. Pinocchio brings lots of stuff he baked. Alice and Lampwick will try to set up an awesome surprise and break something. XD Eventually they'll call Alexander and Eilonwy to join the fun. Even Bella drops in sometimes with a cool adventure story for the kids. They went on a trip to Russia once. They went on cool tours, saw a few museums, and they definitely hit the ballet! With their love for performing and dancing, it was so pretty to watch! They didn't understand the words but who cares when the dancers move that way? They also got to try some Russian cooking and Lampwick is very excited by that. Tiger Lily got a silver dress once. She showed up in it and Lampwick's jaw DROPPED. He was speechless. She joked she should wear it more often but she was flattered how excited he was.

When they were first starting out they didn't have a ton of money. Tiger Lily worked part time after school and Lampwick worked until she got her teaching job, but things were tough. They didn't want to abuse Tiger Lily's parents' generosity so they tried to be frugal, buying things they needed like food, baby stuff, cleaning stuff, and school stuff. They only got occasional luxuries and they were on sale. It was worth it to have their little loving family and they'd do it again.

Lampwick's bought her lots of rings over the years. Some were just for fashion. There was a promise ring in high school, of course her engagement and wedding rings. He just loves seeing her wearing things that remind them they're in it forever. They love each other! Some are plain, some have gems or other decorations. They come in all sorts of styles and they all mean I love you

Lampwick is always trying to get her attention while she studies. She gives him some but she really wants to do well so the best way is for him to try to study too. He gets bored easily though so she does stuff like find ways to make studying fun. That's a big reason why she became a teacher. She also likes how he'd complain about studying and his whining made her laugh.

They have a lot of fun having lazy days in Neverland. Lounging around picking fruit off trees, joking with the Lost Boys, and cozy nights by the fire looking at stars. They can feel young and carefree or they can look through at the beautiful sights and climb trees. It's perfect and they can still get back to pranks and going adventuring the next day. The first time Lampwick tried to teach her to cook, it was because he thought it'd be fun to do together. He tried to get her to come to a cooking class with him. It was a disaster. She broke three rolling pins, set a pan on fire, and cut herself on a knife. He learned first hand she could burn water. She kept trying because she doesn't like to admit defeat but finally she admitted she wasn't interested in cooking. He was very understanding and while he tried a couple more times to teach her for practical reasons, he found he didn't mind the idea of doing the cooking at ALL. The New Years they got together, Lampwick was worried she wouldn't want to hang out with him anymore because he'd be boring now that he was sober. He got really insecure when another guy talked to her. She told him the guy was just a teammate and that she only liked him. She also told him it made her happy that he was healthier and she loved seeing him get better and he felt better.

Once when Lampwick was scrambling to find an anniversary present for Tiger Lily (it's what happens when you're so PICKY), he found a silver ring. He was really tempted to give it to her, even when the owner showed up. But Lampwick felt bad because she was an old lady and it was her wedding ring so he reluctantly gave it back. She told him where he could find really nice jewelry though so it worked out. She knows he didn't grow up with a lot of means to provide for himself. So when they were young she took it upon herself to teach him. He has to AT LEAST hunt or fish, what if there's no food in winter! It took them both a long time to get used to Auradon being so rich and having modern distribution systems.

Lampwick put a lot of thought into her wedding ring. He'd gotten the engagement ring down but the wedding ring stressed him out. He was convinced she deserved more than a plain one and so he worked really hard and paid a lot to get it custom done. Tiger Lily loved doing roller derby. It's fighting on wheels! She loves the speed and adrenaline rush. Lampwick worried at first but came to watch. Turns out her skating and fighting is the hottest thing he's ever seen. He came to every meet and brought her snacks. He also cheers super loud and maybe got into a couple of fights with people who said rude things about Tiger Lily. XD Tiger Lily appreciates it but it sure is distracting! They went shopping once when they were still learning English. It was a huge fancy department store and sure enough, Tiger Lily got lost. XD Lampwick was freaking out but tried really hard to find her. Finally, he gave in and tried to ask someone there for help. It was hard to remember some of the words but he was really motivated here. XD Thankfully, she found herself at a help desk and so it was easy enough for them to be reunited. After that, he held onto her hand! Tiger Lily really worried about his history of substance abuse. He tried to brush her off at first, but she wouldn't let it go. Eventually she sat him down and had a mini intervention where she told him how worried she was. It was one of the big reasons he went to get help. And while now he's at a pretty good level of functionality, she still worries if he smokes more than usual. So she makes him see someone if it's getting bad again. So they like to rent movies, but Tiger Lily likes serious (Boring in his opinion) ones about serious problems. They make her cry and so he doesn't like them but she thinks it's important that they're aware. So to compromise they rent a serious movie and a happier movie. And then Lampwick pouts when award season comes around and her movies trounce his. 😛

Thanks to @askauradonprep / @blenderbender1811 for these ideas

[nfcpr]

24.03.09 NOMADOFNOWHERE Tour

Fanrepo (ファンレポ) Day 7

Yokoso minna!

Merch

2 hours before the goods line was opened and already there were 2,300 people queueing? 😱

There's a signature on the panel today 🥰

Greeting (X post)

He did it! He really did it this time!!! 😍 I WANNA WATCH IT TOO 🙏💕

Ryo x Jun (I wanna give this awesome keyboardist flowers lol)

3月9日 when he was 21 (X post)

He's now 39 and he's gonna appear in a drama on April 🥰 (X post) ...this guy is really somebody I wanna support ALL MY LIFE... or something like that, tbh...

Let's be honest... this song is popular until now not just coz it's viewed as a graduation song but also coz Ryo's fandom keeps it alive by celebrating it every year on this date 🤭💕 (trivia about the song)

I also think Ryo understands our affection for Asou-kun and he wants to respond to us as much as possible... singing the 3月9日 together with the audience is really the best thing he could've ever done, like... what can ever top this for the ichiritoru/Asou-kun fans now? Please do this every time you have a concert date on March 9th from now on, Ryo! 😆 (X post)

Ryo tried to tease his fans but ended up sounding like he's sulking 🤣 (X post)

Jun to the rescue! 🤭 wow, they did the whole song? 😱 that's so luxurious 💕 (X post)

So, today was Shitsumon BOX and not Letter BOX? There were 5 of them...

Q1.

I don’t use Amazon... but this is pretty funny 😂 (X post)

Q2.

Dude really answers all kinds of questions 🤣

Why was he complaining about his pain from swiping?? (is this a double entendre thing , or was he obliviously innocent 🤣?)

Fans in the venue be like... what is this I'm hearing?? (also, Ryo putting tabloids out of business with all the TMIs lol)

Wasn't this a public secret back then? He put his real photos or something on the app, and some fans found out about it iirc, right? (it was a long time ago, and my memory is fuzzy). He really does live as he likes even when he really couldn’t lol

OHHHH this is new info hehe

He's such a smooth operator lol I like him a lot too (X post)

Q3-5.

This advice about #workstruggle cracked me up lol (X post)

Ryo x Jun and the mysterious "firefly's light" performance...

Ryo keeping his sappomen on their toes lol (X post)

The "light of the fireflies" song is related to Omodoro? How so? 🤔 (X post)

Jun said the song was his improv 😆 (X post)

Ryo, who's cute since birth, can't understand why people keep giggling or crying when he says random stuff lol

🍑🤭

Yep, his cuteness is incurable lol

Halp 😆💕

I think everybody was overwhelmed by his cuteness today lol (X post)

The way he always prepares tour dates during the release of his dramas/movies just so he can directly ask his audience this kind of hard-hitting question is extremely brave... and also the cutest thing I've ever encountered in any fandom I've been in. Honestly, #actorRyo is fearless to be doing this not just once but EVERY SINGLE TIME...

He also asked the audience about the futeki_tbs drama 😆 (X post)

How could anybody dare to disappoint him by not raising their hands when he asked if they'd watched it? 🤭 (X post)

The 💩 commentary didn't come up today tho 😂 (X post)

3 oyasumi songs? What are those? I need to look up the setlist again... (X post)

Cute ending greeting 😆💕 (X post)

For somebody who doesn't eat much/isn't a foodie, Ryo somehow always talks about/is associated with food... and I find that pretty funny but also adorable 🤭

It's impossible to not have regrets about our fam & friends tho... but I love how Ryo's always gently pushing us about this through his works and his awkward MCs as if he were our kind neighbourhood ojisan who worries about us a lot 😆 (X post)

Sappomen post

I love how Kuroda-san keeps giving fans pick souvenir... I haven't seen any post from the fan who got it today tho (X post)

This is a funny observation about the pick-throwing event tho lol (X post) but tbh, I don't think Ryo's jealous... he's probably worried some fans would go overboard and get hurt/trampled while trying to get that smol souvenir. Please be careful, everyone... if you get hurt, Ryo would be blamed by media & the public coz it's his tour... 💁‍♀️

#IGLIVE

Ice Cream, Banana Juice

Osakan

Omodoro

[batsplat]

okay I've found confirmation of the other half of this, that casey complained about valentino not shaking his hand. here's valentino referencing it in an interview published november 2007 (other relevant material from the interview also included since it's all interesting, x):

Q: Is this Stoner a flash in the pan or is he the new Valentino? VR: He's not a flash in the pan, but to be the new Valentino he has to win again, fighting hard against Valentino and also with Pedrosa. In any case, he won't be the new Valentino, he will be Stoner. Q: Casey was disappointed about the compliments he didn't receive after his victory. VR: At Motegi he was standing on the left taking a flag and I went past on the other side. It was a coincidence, I didn't want to offend him. Last year I shook Hayden's hand, there are photos. Q: How much do you want to beat him? VR: A lot. I want to compete with a tough opponent, but I need tires and a bike that work well. Q: Have you ever had the nightmare of not being able to win anymore? VR: Everyone has it and I'm very realistic. But I've come to the conclusion that I'm still in shape, but I haven't had the conditions to fight with Stoner. Q: You've blamed everyone: is it the Biaggi effect? VR: This is also not true. I say what happens on the track, I believe objectively. If we want to make a comparison, the riders of the past (Max, editor's note) complained for no reason, they said that my bike was factory. Then I went to Yamaha and screwed them anyway. I complained because it was true. However, I never said that Stoner wins because he has the Ducati. [...] Q: And if you don't win with Bridgestone what happens? VR: I'm not looking for excuses, I'll have other chances. Q: Would you give up a title in exchange for the next one? VR: It's important to win again soon, but it would really bother me to give away the ones I've already won. Q: You want a Yamaha that's competitive right away: if it doesn't happen in 2009 will it be easier to see you on a Ducati or a Honda? VR: We need to see how this damn engine improves. If it grows, well, we can wait another year. If there's nothing to be done, so be it. I have good relationships with both, I'd definitely like Ducati because it's Italian. Q: But there's Stoner. VR: I don't think he'd say no. Maybe he'd like to compete with the same bike. I'm exaggerating that one…

what a beautifully, wonderfully petty dispute. what a little thing for casey to have in his mind while he's supposed to be celebrating his first title, just this detail to niggle away at him. valentino not making it over to his side of the track to shake casey's hand, and then complaining about it to the press so that they'd chase valentino up on it. the special sauce of this rivalry is that the bedrock of resentment is built on a slew of relatively minor offences from valentino's end - genuine ambiguity as to how bad they really are but also very obvious why casey took it poorly. same thing with the bike and tyre complaints... ultimately, some level of complaining about the machinery is part of the game, valentino is right in saying he consistently also said casey was riding very well, but it's entirely understandable why casey wasn't happy about this narrative. especially since plenty of fans and certain parts of the media went further in this than anything valentino actually said. still, ultimately it's worth pointing out that going by 2008 and the introduction of the single tyre rule for 2009, valentino did have a legitimate point. it's part of the game! valentino's not actually really crossing any lines that year! casey hates the game! casey is primed to treat everything valentino does with suspicion! casey is right to in some cases! casey was probably genuinely hurt by the handshake thing, and maybe even valentino's joking response to the shirt! it's a minor thing by any reasonable standard - even if valentino decided he couldn't be bothered to ride up to casey for a handshake - but casey was twenty one years old! and he was probably overly sensitive and he definitely let some insignificant bullshit cast a cloud over his big day and it's so easy to understand why he let it get to him. but isn't that the most casey thing imaginable... just this neat little moment that symbolises that entire season for him: finally, he achieves all his dreams. and he still can't be completely happy

about 2007 motegi, i’ve really thought a lot… when valentino congratulated casey on his title, he specifically mentioned his championship t-shirt. from my observation there wasn’t anything particularly special about it, it might just be valentino’s joke

but casey really cared about valentino’s actions… he not only wanted valentino’s verbal congratulations but also asked just like why didn’t you come shake my hand!!! i should get the same treatment as nicky!!!😠

(vaguely following on from this and this post) oh I remember the shirt, it's actually one of my favourite bits of niche valentino/casey lore!! valentino isn't JUST being a facetious dickhead here, his name is literally on casey's 2007 championship shirt as one of casey's heroes:

isn't this crazy?? I've never been able to find a great source for the actual list of names, so god knows how exclusive this club was... apparently casey also had the names of his ducati crew on there, which is a nice touch tbh. but he had valentino's name on that shirt!! given how by this point he was already mad at valentino for switching up towards him, it's such a funny choice to make. literally nobody would have questioned his exclusion! you're competing against the guy! idk, I love it when casey does something just a little unexpected like that, really makes you want to poke at the guy to figure out what his deal is. and pleasingly, we do also have an actual clip of valentino commenting on the shirt:

Yes, like I say before, it's a great pleasure that one of my fans wins the world championship - so I think half is also mine!

look at his smirk. insufferable. just a fantastic dynamic they've got going on, isn't it

but I did NOT know about casey complaining about not getting a cooldown lap handshake. and. lol?? casey?? come on. some dignity, please. I can't believe they actually got valentino to respond to that. reminds me of a similar-ish 'controversy' from 2010 about how jorge was accused of deliberately ignoring future teammate ben spies coming to congratulate him on the cooldown lap, as like... a form of sophisticated mind games ig. at least there it wasn't actually spies complaining. you can tell that even casey upon reflection probably decided this wasn't a legitimate grievance by how he's not brought it up again since... valentino did have a pretty nightmarish motegi race for annoying tyre-related reasons, so was understandably not in a great mood, and he was not in fact the defending champion... so like. I checked the footage and reckon valentino probably could have worked a little harder to get over to casey, but also this is obviously an extremely petty thing to complain about

and while we're talking petty, the ghostwriter of casey's autobiography thinks that casey was also pissed at valentino at the next race in phillip island for *checks notes* having a special helmet design at casey's home race? incredible scenes

literally started off the infamous phillip island streak with a spite win. your regular reminder that casey says in his autobiography that he doesn't use his rivals to motivate himself

estoril, the race before motegi, was also the race where they had their little table football date [ed.: originally thought it was at motegi itself rip. nope, table football was at the first matchpoint race]

so late 2007 is when casey really starts going in on how valentino had cooled off towards him AND talking about not liking valentino's tone in the press, that valentino wasn't as complimentary of him as he'd been at the start of the season... which might be true, but casey wasn't exactly a shrinking violet either when answering questions about valentino. as an example, this is how he's talking about valentino in july of 2007:

"This rule is not good and we need more tyres," Rossi said earlier in the week, "The problem is for the show because, at the end, it is the tyre that decides the race." "At the beginning of the season, Valentino and the others were all for the new tyre rules," Stoner points out, "but, as soon as they don't win, the rule is crap. I've had my bad races this year, especially in Germany, and I'm not complaining about the tyre rule. "They can moan and whinge about it as much as they want, but it shows that [Michelin] has had such an advantage in the past. This season, they cannot bring a tyre in just for the race [and] it's a matter of relying on the company that supports you to do a good job."

"moan and whinge" steady on casey

valentino over the years has talked about this rivalry far less than casey has... which includes not being all that interested in diagnosing when things soured interpersonally between the two of them - beyond saying a couple times in 2010-12 during the pettiest phase of the feud that casey hadn't gotten over laguna. mostly this isn't that big a problem because valentino's side of the rivalry is so much more straightforward, but it's still obviously not ideal. it's that relative scarcity which makes the following interview answer from 2009 one of my other favourite tidbits:

"He bases his sentences on the results. Even at the beginning of 2007 he was giving me a lot of compliments, then, after winning the World Championship, he started with heavy criticism."

isn't it lovely that casey thinks valentino switched up his tone towards him because casey started winning, and valentino thinks casey switched up his tone towards valentino because casey started winning... just nicely mirror each other, don't they. such good foils

so taking all these pieces of evidence together... you get a really nice sense of how casey by end of 2007 was all over the place wrt valentino. he misses valentino being as friendly to him as in years past!! he liked valentino congratulating him by rubbing his head in qatar 2007 :) enough to mention that parc fermé interaction THREE TIMES in his autobiography!! doesn't appreciate not getting his hand held after sealing the title :( is increasingly surly that whole year about how nobody is giving him enough credit for his successes :/ is building on a reputation already established in 2006 for being rather an outspoken character when it comes to complaining about everyone in complaining range... but also has an issue with valentino being rude about him in the press :| but still puts valentino on his championship shirt on his list of heroes <3 like... buddy. what is going on here

part of what's going on ofc is that casey takes offence incredibly easily and valentino can be a pretty offensive character. now, again, I really don't think valentino was doing that much in 2007, but obviously my standard for 'valentino being reasonably respectful to rivals' is probably rather different to 2007!casey's standards. it's the malice casey reads into valentino's actions that I reckon is mostly misplaced... like yeah sure valentino distances himself from championship rivals, but. y'know. that's pretty normal behaviour. the fun thing about 2007 is that knowing valentino's entire feud history, you're sort of primed to read it as valentino being the aggressor... but if anything, casey is generally openly ruder towards valentino than vice versa. now obviously, valentino at this stage is a lot better at the subtler, under the radar nastiness that must be infuriating to be subjected to... but y'know, at the end of the day valentino still isn't openly attacking casey. and when discussing this rivalry, it's crucial to acknowledge what an extremely prickly character casey is - that's what makes it so enjoyable!! even better, he's an extremely prickly character who is very ready to make enemies but is ALSO kind of weird about valentino rossi specifically

and yes, having a valentino rossi complex is basically part of the job description if you're a motogp rider of a certain age. still, always important to acknowledge that all of valentino's feuds with younger riders involved guys who were already A Bit Weird about valentino going into the rivalry, which inevitably affected how those respective rivalries ended up laying out. what's so fun about it is that all three of them express it in completely different ways - from jorge's somewhat deranged level of dedication to analysing valentino's every breath, to marc's overenthusiastic commitment towards imitating valentino and beating him and also throwing himself at him at every opportunity, to casey's rather more repressed approach where he's simultaneously extremely sensitive to any possible offence on valentino's part while also kind of wishing they could be friends...? or something? I don't even know what casey's after! doesn't help that he's subsequently retconned this period where he like... kinda looked up to valentino, sure, and respected him and all that - but certainly no mention of putting valentino on championship celebration shirts. so we still have quite a limited amount of evidence at our disposal, but I would gently suggest that casey's cool, composed 'didn't even care who I was beating' rhetoric doesn't quite match up to reality. and casey thinks that valentino got more critical of casey because he was losing and valentino thinks casey got more critical of valentino because he was winning... and the thing is, they're both going to be somewhat right!! attacking rivals from a position of strength is actually kinda part of both of their preferred MO's - it's a similarity between them that plays into how casey at times gets to play the valentino role in this rivalry. so yeah, casey will have almost certainly gotten even mouthier once he could get away with it. but equally, even though valentino wasn't escalating hostilities by his standards, even just his natural process of distancing himself a little from his direct title rivals and getting a tad snarky about them in the press wasn't exactly being well received by casey. and thus they can both say with some justification that the other rider was a lot friendlier towards them at start of the year, and both will have reacted to this in a way that helped further gradually ramp up the level of hostility. lovely stuff

still, you do have to come back to how imbalanced this rivalry was wrt how emotionally invested the pair of them were. having a firm grasp of their dynamic in 2007 is key to understanding how the whole thing subsequently played out, in part casey was less guarded and just a little more likely to let a few things slip... valentino wants to beat this challenging new rival, but I reckon he's mostly being sincere in that his main frustration in 2007 is feeling like he's not even able to fight casey at all for bike/tyre reasons. it's a rivalry he generally enjoyed when they were actually going at it! a comfort zone rivalry that really isn't all that emotionally messy from his side. even if he'll maybe still imply casey's compliments of him were never sincere, seeing how they dried up over the course of 2007... or perhaps joke about casey putting his name on his championship winning shirt, how at least he's losing to a fan... something fun about how valentino is always aware of that idolisation dynamic and is capable of playing with it, just a little. even with casey

whereas for casey, this isn't a game. casey really enjoyed valentino being nice to him and is ever so sensitive towards valentino pulling back. casey thinks valentino isn't giving him the credit he is owed and escalates his rhetoric in response. casey puts valentino's name on his championship winning shirt and then complains valentino didn't hold his hand. poor casey... it'd all be easier if he just didn't care, but that's the one thing he could never quite manage

[courtforshort15]

Drinking Buddies

Pairing: Matt Murdock x fem!reader

Other characters: Jessica Jones

Summary: Your friendship with Jessica Jones is solely based on drinking and giving Matt Murdock a hard time. You think it's the best thing ever.

Word Count: Just about 1,800

Trigger warning: Characters are drinking

Masterlist

Your vision is absolutely swimming and the noise of the bar isn't any less overwhelming. Loud conversations, louder music, the stale scent of beer floating around you. It's a lot, but you're gonna power through it like the badass bitch that you are because you're not ready to call it quits for the night. You forcibly swallow down the nausea.

Spitters are quitters.

You're not quite sure if the phrase necessarily applies to alcohol, but the sentiment is there.

"You good?" You snap your head around, noticing that Jessica is eyeing you in amusement. The sharp movement causes your head to spin.

"Wha--? I uh...yeah," you tell her disjointedly before offering a wide, drunken smile. "I'm good. Like realllly good."

Jessica snorts before tossing another shot back. She's not exactly sober either, but she's definitely better off than you right now. "You sure? Because you kinda look like you're about to fall off the chair and crack your head open."

"You'd catch me before that happens."

"Would I though?" She says it in such a blasé tone that you find yourself struggling to figure out if she actually would just let you fall.

Would she?

Fuck. You don't know.

"I'd press charges if you didn't," you threaten, doing your best to glare at her. It doesn't work, mostly because there's two of her and you don't know which one to focus on. "It would be all your fault."

"I don't think not stopping you from falling counts as a crime."

"That's what you think," you disagree, and the words could not sound more slurred. "The Supreme Court probably disagrees with you on that."

"Funnily enough, I don't think they'd give a shit," she says dryly.

"We could look at filing a civil case, if nothing else," a familiar voice pops up behind you. "Sue her for all she's worth. Which probably isn't much, if we're being honest."

Your head whips around, and you find yourself wobbling in your chair, teetering on the edge. A hand snaps out to settle you. Matt's face is full of concern, his other hand reaching out to grab the glass of water that's resting in front of you, wordlessly encouraging you to drink it.

"Aw man," you sigh, shooting Jessica the stink eye as you regain your balance and push the water away. "Why is he here?"

"You suggested karaoke. We all know you're too far gone when you hit that point."

"You're a goddamn traitor, Jessica. You didn't need to call him."

"He's your husband," Jessica states flatly.

"He's boring," you complain drunkenly. Her eyebrows raise in humor as she glances at him in consideration before nodding in agreement. "He never lets me stay out late."

"He's standing right here," Matt says dryly. His hand rests at your back as if nervous you're going to fall off your chair. Which, fair. You're pretty wasted. "And he's here to take you home."

"You weren't supposed to rat me out," you try glaring at Jessica again. Her smirk tells you you're unsuccessful in intimidating her.

Having super powered friends sucks.

"I didn't rat you out," she tosses back nonchalantly. "He already knew we were gonna be here. He was probably listening from a few blocks away the whole time like a weirdo."

Matt doesn't deny it.

"Yes, but you weren't supposed to actually call him."

"I may be able to lift a car, but I am sure as shit not carrying your drunk ass home. That's what husbands are for," Jessica tells you bluntly, but she's still smirking. "I am here to drink with you, not deal with you after."

You gasp, hand flying to your chest, absolutely wounded. "Rude. Why are we even friends?"

"Mostly because you like having someone else around to call Murdock out on his shit."

You ponder it for a second, then nod. "That is a fair point. Hey! Do you want to come over for waffles? Waffles sound amazing right now and we have a fantastic waffle maker at home."

Matt opens his mouth. "I don't think--"

"Shush, Matthew, the grown-ups are talking," you interrupt, placing a finger over his lips. He gives you an unamused look and smacks your hand away.

Jessica absolutely cackles.

"As much as that sounds like a great time, I'm going to pass on this one. I've seen you puke enough times."

"I'm not going to puke! You have zero faith in me."

"I can practically see your mouth salivating from here. You're like twenty minutes away from it."

You do a quick check in with your body and determine she's...probably not wrong.

"Okay, but you've still only seen me puke like twice."

"And that was more than enough," she says flatly. She tosses her credit card on to the bar top after glancing at the no doubt hefty bar tab the two of you have racked up. Matt throws his own card out to split the bill. What a wonderful husband, taking one for the team. "I have no interest seeing your dinner and the seven shots you knocked down come back up."

"Seven?" Matt asks incredulously.

"And three beers," Jessica adds, not so helpfully.

Matt looks decidedly not thrilled. "Fantastic."

"It was a rough day at work, Matt," you moan miserably, briefly burying your face in your hands for maximum effect as you unsuccessfully fake an excuse for being drunk off your ass. "I deserved it."

"It's Saturday. You didn't have work today."

A brief pause.

"Yesterday was a rough day at work," you amend. He's not impressed.

"You're a horrible influence on her," Matt states as he gives Jessica a look that suggests he's pretty annoyed. The woman shrugs, unconcerned.

"Your wife is a disaster all on her own, pal," she says with a grin.

"I'm the disaster?" You ask in mock outrage. "No, no, no, dear friend. Matt is the human disaster. Can't even go a week without needing stitches or blaming himself for all of the world's problems."

Jessica snorts. "You're not wrong there."

"I think it's time to leave, sweetheart." Matt pockets his wallet once the bartender hands him back his credit card. Jessica signs the receipt for him. You glance briefly at the total that's been charged to his card and decide to not to tell him what it is, knowing he won't be happy about the amount. He'll find out later, anyway.

Whoops.

"But it's only like 10pm," you protest loudly to Matt, shoving the issue of the credit card bill aside and focusing on the more important things. "It's too early, the party's just getting started."

"It's almost 2am."

"Oh," is all you say before eyeing Matt suspiciously. "Did you finish your patrol early just to come harrass me then?"

He doesn't answer, just continues to look like he can't decide if he's amused or exasperated that he's probably going to have to literally drag you out of here.

So that's a yes.

"Okay, so the party's already in full s-swing," you hiccup. You're determined to succesfully plead your case. "We still have at least another hour before bars close."

"We both know you're already going to be a mess with how much you've had to drink so far," Matt replies as he shakes his head. "Let's not push it. It's late and we have plans with your parents at 11am."

"I'm not sure using logic with her will work right now," Jessica tells him looking almost bored. "You gotta treat drunks like children."

"I'm sure you have plenty of experience being on the receiving end of that," Matt fires back. Jessica just shrugs because everyone knows he's completely right. "But I think I know how to handle my drunk wife."

"I'm just saying," she holds her hands up in mock surrender. "Might help if you treat her like she's the nicest baby drunk you've ever seen."

"Yeah, daddy, you gotta be nice to me," you slur, patting his chest. The glare Matt sends your way causes you to erupt into drunken giggles. "Whoops, sorry. Forgot he doesn't like it when I call him daddy in public. That's a bedroom only thing."

"Christ," Matt hisses under his breath.

Jessica laughs with absolute glee. She lowers her voice significantly so that only the three of you can hear her. "Never letting that one go. The Daddy of Hell's Kitchen."

You shriek with laughter, causing nearby patrons to look at you in annoyance. You lower your voice to a slurring whisper. You're absolutely fucked up on alcohol at the moment, but you're not interested in outing his identity. "Daredaddy has a nice ring to it, too."

Jessica's grin is absolutely merciless as she hones in on more ways to tease your husband. She's a great a friend like that. "Daddydevil could also work."

"Oh, I like that one. What about--"

"We're done here," Matt interrupts you before you can continue, grabbing your jacket and purse off your bar stool. "Come on sweetheart, it's time to go home."

"Noooo," you whine, trying to push him away. Matt doesn't so much as budge, the asshole. "Jessica and I are still having fun. Go be a Debbie Downer somewhere else."

"I am having a ton of fun right now," Jessica says before taking another shot. When did she get another shot? You want one. "Please, tell me more of your bedroom secrets. This is great."

Your eyes light up. "Okay! So Matt really likes it when he gets to--"

"No," Matt groans, throwing his head back as he no doubt prays for patience. "She doesn't need to know anything, it's none of her business."

"But she's my friend," you tell him, feeling a full blown pout coming on. He's generally immune them, but you try anyway. "Girls share these types of things."

"She's not a girl," Matt all but snaps, and he looks extremely irritated at this point. "She's a menace."

You turn to Jessica, eyebrows raised, offended that your husband is being so rude to your friend. "When did he get this grumpy?" You ask her in a stage whisper. "Do you think I need to suck his cock more? Maybe I should--"

You're abruptly dragged out of your seat and yanked towards the door before you can finish what you're saying, Matt's cane angrily tapping in front of him. You giggle, finding it funny that he's so pissed, he's barely pretending to use it.

Jessica is absolutely howling behind you, and Matt throws a middle finger her way before pulling you through the exit door of the bar.

"Bye Jessica!" You screech at her on your way out. Jessica waves, laughing too hysterically to say anything back. "I love you!"

You manage to not puke until you're home, so you count it as a wildly successful ladies night out. Matt glowers as he holds your hair back. "You're never hanging out with Jessica again."

Joke's on him. You've already made plans with her for next weekend, and Karen and Claire will be joining.

It will be magical.

[husbandohunter]

A Small Predicament [Baby Genshin x Reader]

Characters: Scaramouche, Diluc, Kaeya, Childe, Xiao, Zhongli, Albedo

Synopsis: Cursed for a week, the boys either have to live with it or find a cure as soon as possible. You on the otherhand hoped otherwise.

(A/n): It only takes ONE glance for me to start having ideas. It was twelve in the morning yall, enjoy~

Oh here's part 2

--------

Scaramouche

• "Oh you shrank? I couldn't tell-"

• Threatens that he will murder you to pieces and burn your remains but his voice was so squeaky and high pitched (voice crack) that you couldn't help but burst into a tearful laughter. 

• Its payback time  Bully him, take his hat and hover it above his head. Truthfully, without his hat Scaramouche looks like a little schoolboy. Overall less intimidating.

• Tries glaring. Cute. He's really bratty as a kid, sitting on a high chair (which you had to help him get on) and demanding his servants to do his bidding. In reality, his personality never changed. You realized that even as a grown up he still acts like this (bratty kid in a grown man body).

• The curse made his week a living hell. Signora had the audacity to pull his ear when he misbehaves. Childe constantly messes with his hair while giving head pats and the WORST of all, pinching his cheeks. Scaramouche never wanted to commit arson so bad in his life.

• Eventually finds a cure so he doesn't have to deal with it anymore and orders everyone to never speak of it again. Though, he's plotting how he'll get revenge on everyone who made fun of him using the very same curse (You better run).

~~x~~

Diluc

• "Oh…Oh my! Diluc you're just so cute!" 

• Diluc grimaces as you glomp him in this state. How can you help it? With his head so small it makes his hair all the more fluffier! His coat no longer fits him to the point the sleeves had made past his fingertips. He tried wielding his claymore again, only to lose balance and fall flat onto his bum

• (insert kid voice "Retribution!") Did I mention the babyface?

• Diluc tries to act as if everything was normal, acting like the Darknight hero and Mondstadt's Tycoon but fun-sized. He couldn't. There was no way people would take him seriously in business meetings. Same with fighting abyss mages, his smaller form was too much of a disadvantage. Thus you ended up doing most of his paperwork.

• One time you caught him sitting on the floor couldn't reach his office desk  while reading away the various books for a cure. It was three in the morning. You told him it was way past his bedtime and he argues saying when did he ever have a curfew schedule. In the end you managed to convince him and he begrudgingly obliges.

• The type to NOT ask for help even when it's obvious that he really needs it. Before he was the one who helped you reach things from the top shelves, oh how the tables have turned. He avoids Kaeya like a plague unless he was in it for another round of funny remarks. When he wanted to go out and get some fresh air, you insisted on accompanying him. Worst mistake in his life. A travelling merchant bumps into you and commented that you had a very cute son. Diluc was mortified.

• The day ended up with him sulking in his room. Although it was tempting, you resisted from cooing over his adorable form after days of treating him like a child. It wasn't because you were teasing him, Diluc just works so hard that you wanted to spoil him a bit. At least he could still play a game of chess with you.

• When things went back to normal, Diluc ensures that you will NOT see him as your son.

~~x~~

Kaeya

• "Well look who it is, my little Prince Kaeya~"

• Tries really hard not be bothered by it at all. Kaeya still maintains his suave facade, throwing in a couple of flirting lines here and there (and forcing his voice to go a few octaves too low in which puberty has yet to occur HA). Though no matter what approach, he couldn't ignore the sparkling mischievious glint in your eye. You were obviously not taking him seriously.

• Things couldn't get any worse. He lost his masculine physique and boob window, he wasn't able to go to certain places without supervision. But the worst thing of all was that he was underaged. Kaeya hated the fact he couldn't drink anymore, he even insisted you to sneak him a few bottles (which you refused) and had to settle with plain beverages such as fruit juice (what an insult). He was never really grounded since his childhood days but he certainly felt like he was grounded now. 

• Kaeya still kisses you on the lips whether you like it or not. If you ask him to sit on your lap, he will find a way to turn the position into his favour such as resting his face between your breasts. You're not gonna treat him like a kid, nuh-uh, he actively avoids it.

• Since his personality still remains, Kaeya is a naughty child. He will use his innocent appearance to sway people (even you) to get what he wants. That was how he was able to take a sip of the wine he stole somewhere (he wouldn't tell you). Diluc scolded him heavily and threatened to ban him from drinking from his Tavern for a week (they ended up arguing, Kaeya being the passive aggressive little shit he is).

• He was extremely relieved to return back to his normal form again. He has so much to catch up (specifically his bedtime activities with you *wink wonk*)

~~x~~

Child(e)

• "Hmmm to be honest, this actually suits you very much."

• Unlike the other boys, Childe was completely okay with it. Turns out that YOU were the one who was not going to be okay. If you thought taking care of Teucer was energy-draining then expect Childe to take that tenfold and beyond.

• You've officially became his full-time babysitter who is in desperate need of a raise (and rest). You can't take your eyes off of him and archons forbid that he will ever meet Klee. One point he'll be running ahead by your side and the next you'll find him getting himself in a 1vs7 situation with some shady looking treasure hoarders. Childe genuinely thinks he could take them on but the curse downgraded his abilities. You carried him and barely made out of it alive. (This made you ponder whether the best solution would be to strap him against a chair for the time being…)

• Childe being a child will eat all the candies and ice cream he pleases. You wonder if the curse also turned him a few years back or was it that he acts like this simply because he wanted to (it was the latter). He loves being spoiled, spoiled by you! Childe demands your full attention, spoon-feeding his meals, back rubs and head pats. Yep, he's definitely doing this on purpose.

• Did he just call you 'mommy'? (Childe has mommy kink confirmed).  He has so much energy that it was exhausting, you literally had to drag him away from what ever he was doing in order to get him to bed. "No Childe, your sleeping time is 9p.m stop whining." He bargained that he'll sleep if you sleep beside him (you didn't get any sleep. You knew what he was planning. In the end, you tried to make sure he didn't sneak out behind your back.)

• Finally you were able to get out of that hell-hole. Childe promised to make it up to you, you deserve it after all~

~~x~~

Small (aka Xiao)

• "Did you know in the Liyuean language, Xiao translates to small?" You didn't say that out loud. Not when he's this angry (this angy)

• He just stands there, crossing his arms and grumbling. You were hesitant to touch him in case he might hiss at you. Xiao has always been short, maybe an inch taller than you, but seeing him like this made you think 'my almighty yaksha can't be this cute♡'

• He gets mad when you no longer call his name for help. How could you? He's just so precious~ Xiao makes it clear that no matter what form he takes, it doesn't make him weak ("Adepti and you mortals are nothing alike." Or so he says but you could tell he wasn't running as fast as he used to because…small legs). You may not comment on it aloud but he can tell just by the look on your face and it irritates him.

• Also the type to not ask for help but worse. Xiao is an agressive little kid, he seems as if he'll be willing to bite someone's finger off if they try to pet him (He gives strong cat vibes, so thats understandable). His spear was too big for him to wield so he often has to put it away or else he might knock someone over with it. Xiao hates being short so you'll be hearing him complain alot.

• Since he was an adepti, he didn't need to sleep however, the curse must have brought down his power by a significant amount to the point you DID catch him napping. You almost swooned out loud just by taking a glance upon his face. For once he didn't wear his signature grumpy look. Xiao appears like a normal child, one full of innocence. His snoring was soft and breathly but that just meant he was deep asleep. (You wished to take a picture). 

• Of course, everything had to come to an end (much to your disappointment), he still complains about the incident to this day.

~~x~~

Zhongli

• How is it possible for a baby to still look so handsome? (Must be his godly abilities)

• Zhongli is unfazed by this 'curse' since his past lives have already taken many forms. Though for some reason whenever he walks down the streets of Liyue, young girls, mothers, ladies all come him was and start complimenting him and gushing over him (he was suffocating). They'd squeeze him tight or squish his cheeks, it only takes once glance before the little girls start blushing and hiding behind their moms.

• Needless to say, despite what form he is in, Zhongli is still able to get free stuff. He got some free candies and some free kites to play with. You had to help him carry his items. Zhongli ends up tripping too much because his tailcoat reached his feet (he decided to just take it off. You had to hold that too). Seems like he can have anyone do things for him in the end HA.

• He still got that drippy voice and you're just like ???? "What on Teyvat Zhongli, you're a kid." This is why you can't see him as one, its nearly impossible.

• Actively avoids Hu Tao and Childe. Once Hu Tao caught sight of him and chased him for hours, he couldn't stay in one spot knowing that she might just pop out of no where. Childe still spoils him, however Zhongli feels irritated by the fact the only things Childe buys him toys (its different when other people do it.)

• Everytime you guys go back strolling through Liyue, you had to hold his hand in case more women come swarming hin again. You swear that at this rate he might get kidnapped because hes just such a beautiful baby.

• Zhongli learned an important lesson after his curse was lifted: no matter how many years he lives throughout  never take a form of a child.

~~x~~

Albedo

• You find him buried beneath a pile of books and had to dig him out before he suffocates.

• Albedo has the cutest eyes, they're big and round full of curiosity and they sparkle too (he has the prettiest eyes out of everyone tbh). He is the only person who is fascinated by this outcome and immediately goes in the wild to test out his new physique. 

• He was always curious why Klee T-poses when she runs so he decided to try it out himself. She was thrilled to find out that she now has a little brother to play with. In the end, Albedo indulges in the games she always wanted to play but couldn't because he was too old: princess dress up tea parties.

• You felt many things when you saw Albedo wearing a frilly gown and a plastic tiara tucked on his head. Deep down you knew regardless of what gender Albedo was still pretty. Klee even had the guts to redo his hair and hardly anyone was able to recognize it was him at all. He has pigtails, PIGTAILS! You made sure to burn that image into the very depths of your mind forever.

• The only advantage was the he was ablw to fit through small spaces, other than that, being small was way too inconvenient. He knocked down a few of his potion bottles which damaged the floor (thankfully not him) because they were lethal (he wonders how Klee was able to not injure herself when using bombs). You carried him and lifted him to alot of places such as trudging through the snow because Albedo would surely fall on his face due to his small form.

• Enough was enough, he only lasted a day with this and decided to just make a potion and put an end to the curse once and for all. 

[radiant-reid]

Broken Pieces

A/n: I actually cried writing this, oops. Be prepared for a lot of angst. And I wrote this in one sitting

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Y/n

Genre: Angst (major) with a happy ending

WC: 3.7 k

CW: major spoilers for the season 14 finale | discussion of a hostage situation

Things had been bad for a while.

Y/n wasn't sure when it started. When Spencer got out of prison, and she could finally stop worrying about him, she had enormous concerns about how it would affect their relationship.

But it hadn't. Spencer was more determined than ever to prove his devotion. And, Y/n was terrified to lose him again. It was as if they were in a second honeymoon phase.

Spencer took time off, and they went on holiday to Italy. Spending every day in the sunshine, completely infatuated with each other. It was the perfect stress reliever from Spencer's trial.

When they got back, things stayed good. They fell back into the routine they had created in the 3 years they had been dating, apart from the fact they spend almost all of their free time together. It was a dream. Y/n figured it stayed like that for a year.

Unfortunately, it ended. Slowly but surely, they gravitated away from each other.

When their first honeymoon phase wore off, both of them were extremely dedicated to sticking to their relationship. They were able to keep the warm fuzzy feeling alive because they knew they were meant to be together, no matter what.

But, this time, it seemed to Y/n like Spencer didn't want to. The first time she noticed the difference was when Spencer was held hostage by The Believers cult. When he got off the plane, he didn't rush right into her arms.

Y/n figured enough was enough, which is why she sat in her car in front of her therapist's office. Twisting the ring on her left ring finger, wondering if today would be the day she finally had to take it off.

"Do you still love him?" Doctor Christina King asked her.

Y/n didn't hesitate to nod. "I'll always love him." She replied.

Dr. King nodded her head. "I can tell. You've taken a very healthy step by coming here." She acknowledged. "All couples go through rough patches." That wasn't what Y/n wanted to hear. She knew that. She and Spencer had fought before. "I know I'm not telling you what you want to hear." Wow, she was a damn good therapist. "Are you talking at all?" She questioned.

"Well, often he's on cases, so I don't see him. But, he always used to call. Now he sends me a text when he's coming home." Tears welled in Y/n's eyes at the memory of all the nights she'd spent alone. She was used to being by herself in their apartment, but she found it easier to sleep if she'd talked to him at least once during the day. "When he's in DC, he doesn't come back from work until 7 or 8. He eats dinner at the dining room table while I'm on the couch, usually reading. Then he goes and does paperwork or god knows what until I'm asleep. When I wake up, he's either gone or still asleep." She explained the routine they'd been stuck in for the last few months.

Dr. King nodded and jotted notes down the whole time. "I've got a few things you can do to help." She decided. "Firstly, I have no doubt in my mind that you love Spencer. You use 'he' instead of 'Spencer,' which shows how invested you are." She observed. It made Y/n smile a little. "But, because I've not talked to him, I can't be sure he still wants the same things you do." She tried to put it gently, but it still pained Y/n.

Of course, she'd thought about the fact Spencer probably didn't love her, but she'd never said it allowed. Just in case her fears came true.

"He's never been good at expressing his feelings." Y/n half complained, half defended.

"That can be tough for a lot of people." Dr. King explained. "Especially with the nature of his job." Y/n nodded at that. "I want you to talk to him. Real talk." She directed. The very idea made Y/n's heart race. "Make sure to be kind. It's important you don't end up in a fight. Open communication is crucial in any relationship, but it seems to be strained here." She continued, laying out the problems. "If that doesn't work, I think it would be beneficial for you two to come here. If it does work, then you both need to remember why you love each other. Activities like looking at old photos, going on dates, and intimacy are all going to help enormously." Dr. King explained. Y/n was just hoping it would go well.

"Alright, well, I'll try that out. Thank you." Y/n farewelled as she got up to leave the room.

Dr. King's voice drew her attention back. "He's lucky to have you." Y/n just hoped Spencer still wanted her. With a nod, she left.

Y/n hoped the sort the problem out that night, feeling a tiny bit of confidence. However, when Spencer wasn't home at 11, she decided she was going to bed.

The next day he was gone, clearly having slept next to her but gone.

After that, Spencer left on a case with one simple text. It read, Going to LA.

Until, one day, Penelope called.

"Y/n, did you hear the news?" She eagerly spoke into the phone.

Y/n could actually smile at the friend she'd made in Penelope over the years. "Uh, what news?" At least it couldn't be bad with how excited Penelope seemed.

"Rossi and Kyrstall are getting remarried!" She squealed so loudly Y/n had to hold the phone away from her ear.

"Oh, I had no idea," Y/n replied in a saddened tone.

"Reid didn't tell you?" She questioned.

Y/n diplomatically lied to avoid suspicion about their worsening relationship. "No, we haven't talked much this week."

"Oh," Penelope replied, not letting it deter her optimism but a little bit concerned. "Well, they're on the plane back from LA. Then Rossi's going to propose, and we're going to meet him on the BAU floor. Please tell me you'll come." She all but begged.

As much as Y/n wanted to go, she knew she would dampen everyone's spirits. And she didn't feel like expressing her feelings for Spencer in front of the whole team. "Sorry, I'm really not feeling too well." In her heart. "Will you tell him congrats from me? And send Spence home as soon as you're all done?" She asked, a few tears falling down her cheeks.

Penelope could sense something was off. "Are you okay? I mean, with everything that happened on the case, it's fair for you to be shaken up." Her tone was so caring.

But, her words caught in Y/n's mind. Planting weights that would cause her to sink if she didn't ask. "What do you mean?"

"Reid and JJ being held hostage, did he not tell you?" Penelope quickly asked.

The words made Y/n's heart stop. How unimportant was their relationship if Spencer didn't tell her he could have been killed? She wasn't sure if she wanted to punch him or give him a hug.

"Are you two okay?" Penelope continued her questioning.

The tears were streaming down Y/n's cheeks. "Uh, yeah, I guess he just forgot?" Wow, lame excuse, she thought as soon as she'd said it. "I have to go, P. Talk to you later." She quickly farewelled before hanging up the phone, not giving Penelope any more room to ask questions.

Y/n felt like her whole world had come crashing down. What if Spencer got hurt? Would she find out when Penelope called her? Was she even his emergency contact anymore?

Maybe, there was someone else. That would explain the distance between them. She couldn't stop her mind from crawling to that dark place. Was Spencer cheating on her was the biggest question in her mind. A year ago, she would have said 100% not. But now, as she sat crying on their sofa, she wasn't so sure.

She didn't expect Spencer to be back until late. So, alone, she had dinner and watched some TV.

It was 11 before the door was unlocked, and steps walked in. Usually, she would have looked to make sure it wasn't a murderer. But, maybe if she were taken hostage, Spencer would notice her.

Spencer walked into the living room, glancing at her. Subtly, he looked surprised. She usually wasn't up.

"Hey, Spence, it's nice to have you back." Y/n welcomed him, remembering how her therapist had advised her to act. Kind. She could do kind.

Spencer looked taken aback by her words. "Uh, thanks?" He asked like it was a question. It was the first time in weeks he'd spoken to her while looking at her.

It was the first time she'd had the chance to really take him in. She couldn't stop wondering if he had always been so good-looking.

"I was hoping we could talk." Y/n cautiously spoke, moving over so he could sit next to her. She felt like everything was riding on his reply. All the years of their relationship had lead to this moment.

Spencer's voice was quiet, like a murmur as he replied. "Uh, I've got some paperwork to do. Maybe tomorrow?"

Y/n didn't have time to express how tomorrow never seemed to come before Spencer left the room. She listened as he walked down the hallway, each step crushing her heart. Finally, he must have entered his office.

When he'd closed the door, she finally let out a sob. Still concerned he might hear. If he did, he didn't come.

So, she went to their shared bedroom. Climbing into the bed that hadn't felt warm in months.

And she thought. She thought about what she would do when they inevitably broke up. She'd probably stay at one of her friend's places before getting her own apartment. But who would fix a fuse if it blew?

She wondered if Spencer would chase her.

Would he reach for her in the night? She figured that he hadn't in months, so why would he start.

Would he show up and declared his love for her? She decided probably not, making her choke out more tears.

Would he miss her? Would he go grocery shopping himself? Would he remember to move the breakable objects out of the way when he babysat Michael? Would he figure out how to work Netflix on the TV? Would he fulfill his dream of having kids with someone else?

More than anything, she hoped he wouldn't hurt. Despite how much pain she was in, she didn't want Spencer to stop eating or sleeping. She convinced herself that if he were okay, she would be too. She just needed to put on a brave face and deal with the fact it was all over.

The clock showed it was 12:38 when Spencer walked in, making Y/n wish she had rolled over so he wouldn't have been able to see the tears on her cheeks. Immediately, she stopped them and tried to act like she was asleep.

Still, he didn't say anything. Spencer let her hurt in silence as he got undressed and climbed into bed next to her.

It was the first time in a while she had felt his weight next to hers on the mattress while they were both awake. Something about it felt comfortable, which she detested. She needed the break-up to be professional and quick.

"Am I the reason you cry every night?" Spencer spoke, his words barely above a whisper.

Y/n felt a twisting pain in her chest.

Apprehensively, she rolled onto her back, feeling Spencer's eyes on her. She just wanted to check if it was really him speaking.

"You don't make me cry." She tried to dismiss his claim, wiping her face.

Spencer huffed from next to her, a comfortable distance away. "I see the swelling around your eyes and how blood-shocked they are." He commented.

Y/n wanted to ask him why he'd never said anything, why he'd never tried to stop her pain. But, Dr. King said to be kind. So, she wiped another few tears up and tried not to feel the tightening in her chest. "It's alright, Spence." She assured him with fake confidence.

"Can't you see how fucked up that is?!" He exclaimed much louder than before. It shocked Y/n, both his volume and his swearing. "You're literally wiping up your tears right now and telling me it's okay that I make you cry."

She wondered what gave him the right to be mad. However, she decided open communication was a better idea. "What's happening to us, Spencer?" She asked with the hope of gauging where he was at.

"Nothing," Spencer replied shortly, much more what she was used to.

"If you don't want to talk about what's happening, then say so. Don't just lie and say nothing's happening." She declared, unable to maintain her stoic stance. It felt like everything in their relationship had boiled up to that moment.

Silence. All she got was silence.

"Are we breaking up?" She asked, still not receiving a reply. Instead, she got more tears. "How do I make you love me again, please, tell me?" She reduced to begging, pleading with her silent husband to give her an answer.

"I... I don't know." That was all the reply he gave her.

Y/n had tried so hard not to get mad that she was bursting at the seams. And that set her over the edge. "You're so fucking difficult, Spencer. We haven't talked properly in months. I had to find out from Penelope that you were held hostage and could have died. Do you know how much that worried me!?" She shouted, tears not letting up. Her voice cracked on her next question. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?" She managed to get out before sobbing.

"I'm sorry." He apologized quietly.

That was enough for Y/n to know it was well and truly over. She was so tired of fighting for something he didn't give a damn about. "I'll pack my things up tomorrow. Because it's a mutual separation, we only have to wait 6 months to file for divorce. I don't think I can stay here, so the apartment's yours." She briefly told him, going back to her objective approach.

"How do you... How do you know that?" Spencer asked. She knew his tones so well she didn't need to look over to know he was crying.

Y/n shrugged, not that he could see in the dark. "I looked it up." She replied.

"You want to get divorced?" Spencer asked, sounding annoyingly surprised.

"I'm not sure how else I can fix the fact our marriage is over," Y/n replied with a sarcastic laugh. Still crying an impossible amount of tears. "I have to know, was there someone else?" She preempted that his answer would sting. But she had to know.

"What? No, not at all." Spencer claimed adamantly. "And I don't want to get divorced." He decided.

Y/n laughed again before realizing he was serious. "Why not? I don't know what I can do to make you love me again." She replied, trying not to sound too annoyed. She was feeling far too many emotions to be mad. Everything, from fear to relief, but mostly heartbreak.

Hearing that his wife didn't think he loved her broke Spencer's heart. But, then again, why would she? He knew he'd been absent for the last few months.

He let out a loud sob, and Y/n wanted to hug him, but something inside stopped her. A little voice telling her that he didn't want a hug from someone he didn't love.

"I'm so sorry," Spencer said again, not sure what else to say.

"I can't blame you for not loving me. I just wish I could have been a better wife." She replied.

It ripped Spencer's heart up that she was footing the blame. Especially when he caused their distance. He hadn't even touched her in months, and he didn't know why.

He let out a loud groan. "Y/n, you've been the best wife I could ever ask for. I'm sorry I let you down and kept fucking up." He assured her. There was no way he could ever repay her for how much she'd helped him out. There was no kinder person on the planet.

"I just want to know what happened," Y/n replied, trying to get an answer to the big question.

Spencer didn't have one that was good enough. No words could take away the pain she had felt. He felt like such an idiot for not stopping it earlier. It would have been so much easier to fix. "I don't know what to tell you." He started. "There's no answer that justifies how much I've hurt you." He knew he was going to feel selfish for saying his next words. "I love you."

It made Y/n's heart skip a beat the way it used to. She could imagine they weren't in this situation, just for a second. "I love you too." He knew that much was true. "But I'm not sure we can make this work anymore."

Now it was Spencer begging for direction. "How can I fix this? Please, I'll do anything to see you not crying."

"My, uh, therapist said we just needed to be honest." That made Spencer's chest feel uncomfortably tight. He wanted to run to the bathroom and throw up.

He realized Y/n knew it was so bad she had to source help. He couldn't believe how much he'd fucked up. And how much he didn't deserve the sweet girl sobbing next to him, doing everything to fix their relationship.

"Y/n, I had no idea." God, he felt like an idiot. "I'm so fucking sorry. I've caused you so much pain." He figured, completely unsure how he could ever make it up to her.

Just when he thought she couldn't get any more perfect, she turned to face him.

Timidly, she reached out to wipe a tear running down his cheek. It was a touch like neither of them had ever felt, so soft and nervous.

Spencer had no idea what he'd done to deserve someone like her. He wasn't about to do anything to jeopardize it, so he turned to face her. For the first time in far too long, he was right where he wanted to be. Staring into Y/n's eyes. Despite the tears streaming down both their cheeks, it was perfect.

"I'm just so sorry, Y/n." Spencer pleaded again. He felt like he could tear his hair out. Like 100 years in prison wasn't a long enough sentence for making her cry.

Still, she shook her head. "I know you are, Spence." Oh, how had he missed his nickname coming from her lips. "I just want us to be okay again." She admitted.

Spencer had never, ever wanted anything more. "I don't deserve you at all." He reminded both of them. "But, I'm going to spend every day making it up to you if you'll forgive me."

Y/n nodded at him. "I love you, Spencer Reid, and I forgive you." She replied, cupping his face, despite her fingers being too small.

"I love you, Y/n Reid, and I'm so lucky to have you," Spencer replied, eternally grateful he got to spend the rest of his life with her.

Y/n smiled genuinely at him, not a fake smile this time. He'd never get sick of it. Spencer didn't waste a second cupping her face, using the pad of his thumb to wipe her falling tears away.

Slowly, she leaned in, dying for a kiss she had been missing.

Spencer pulled back before his lips met hers, despite how much he wanted to kiss her forever. "I need to tell you something."

Y/n gulped, pulse quicking at whatever his news was. "Yeah?" She meekly asked.

"Jennifer." He started using her first name, which was extremely odd. Y/n was hoped JJ was alright. Penelope hadn't mentioned anything to the contrary. "She told me she loved me."

That made Y/n drop her hands off Spencer's face, feeling her heart shattering all over again. Her world crumbling around her. "Do you love her? Is that why this isn't working?" She pressed.

"No, no, not at all." Spencer quickly rushed out, wanting to wipe the broken look off her face. "Maybe when I was 24 in a childhood crush way. But as soon as I met you, I knew you were the only person I'd ever want." He assured her, running his thumbs over the newly forming tears.

"Why did she?" Y/n asked.

It only occurred to Spencer then that she had no idea about the events of his day besides him being held hostage. "The unsub. He made us play a messed-up truth or dare game. He was deranged, he had a gun, and we were tied up. He wanted JJ to tell me something she'd never told anyone."

"Oh." Y/n let out, understanding the situation better. At least JJ hadn't randomly blurted it out. She was coerced.

"I don't know if it was true," Spencer admitted. "But she looked sure." He decided. "But she mentioned as being young a lot."

Y/n though she understood. "I think you were the first person she loved, and some of her heart will always belong to you. But, I've seen the way she looks at Will and the boys. It's how I look at you." She found her own meaning from what Spencer was telling her.

"You never fail to surprise me with how smart you are. I couldn't put it into words. No part of me thinks she'd ever leave Will and the boys." He admitted. JJ loved her family, and as Y/n had explained it, it was just puppy love.

Y/n's hands were back on his cheeks. "Can we kiss now?" She asked.

Spencer didn't reply verbally. They were both so starved of the other's lips, the kiss felt like it was 1000 years in the making. Like the universe was finally at rest.

Both of them were crying, holding each other's faces, and lip-locked. But it was perfect.

And they were back.

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[syrma-sensei]

Moon's Scarab → Ch. 4: Weirdness.

Marc Spector x Layla El-Faouly.

pre-canon fic; based on the Marvel comics and Disney's series Moon Knight.

warning: violence, cursing, angst, smut maybe in the future (?), the majority of spoken Arabic in this story is in Egyptian dialect.

taglist: @kesskirata, @zinzinina, @psithurista, @marcspectrr, @urlocallsimp, @sherlolly-siya, @marcskywalker, @nowritingonthewall.

tell me if you wanna be added to the taglist!

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Layla El-Faouly

Weird life isn't something new to Layla El-Faouly. No, because since she was a child, she used to explore dead Pharaohs tombs, witnessing freshly discovered mummies buried with their treasures and wealth. She beheld insane wonders being dug out of her country's sand, and to be among the first to touch and observe them. No, crazy life isn't a new concept by itself to Layla bint Abdullah El-Faouly. And in all honesty, never did she ever complain about it, but in the contrary, she always accepts it, embraces it; always makes her feel special. However, the concept of weirdness took a grand twist in the last couple of days in her life.

In one single night: she's on a mission, sneaks in successfully, her cover gets blown off, her life is at stake, gets abducted by a weirdo and then awkwardly interrogated by him, he fucking has a phone call in the middle of their interrogation as if it isn't already awkward enough, she steals the statue of Sekhmet — no she didn't steal it — and escapes.

“You did well, Layla,”

The words are meant to be good, reassuring, and comforting. But no, Layla feels almost suffocated by them. Because of course she did well, of course. Getting stupidly exposed by the target then getting abducted by another is the definition of doing her job well. She scoffs.

Layla hoists her eyes up to meet her boss, a man in his early forties, and shakes her head, “You don't have to do this, Khaled.”

“No, listen to me, Layla,” Khaled asserts firmly, “You did the right thing, because if anyone were in your shoe, they'd do the same thing. So, please do not put it on yourself,”

Layla gazes at Khaled's hazel eyes for a moment, nodding, then tears her eyes elsewhere.

“Layla,” Khaled sighs, “We all were taken by surprise that a third party is interested in Sekhmet's statue as well.” He stands up and rounds his desk until he's standing in front of her, “It was out of our estimations, and that's okay. Our job can be unpredictable sometimes, I think you're aware of the fact,”

“I am, Khaled,” Layla says, her face deadpans, “But do you have any idea how valuable that relic is to me?”

Khaled nods, sighing again, “Yes, and that's exactly why I didn't put you on the action team, Layla.”

“So you did know what we were going to find there, didn't you, Khaled?” Layla squints her eyes angrily.

“Of course I was,” Khaled snaps a bit, “How can I ever give the green light to embark on a mission without me and my team knowing exactly what we're ahead for?!”

Layla gasps, visibly offended, “You let everyone know but me?!”

Is this why he's condoling her?

“Layla please, try to understand,” Khaled says, “I'd never put you or anyone else in danger.”

Layla knits her luscious eyebrows in irritation, the wound in her skill begins to sting a bit. She flares through her nose, darting up onto her feet, “Did you really think that,” She hisses through gritted teeth, “I'd act reckless and might risk my comrades' lives just for a mere relic I had the chance to dig out years ago?”

Khaled's face remains expressionless as he falls silent at her venomous tone.

Layla's mouth cracks open in surprise and shakes her head in disbelief. She turns her back on Khaled, swiping a hand over her face, eyes wide open.

“Layla...” Khaled mutters, “I know how much you loved your father, Allah yerhamo, and being aware of the fact, I believed that you'd, maybe, and just maybe, get a bit more excited than the others.” [God bless his soul]

Layla refuses to face Khaled, she just closes her eyes. Although she doesn't show it, but she caves in to his words of logic. Khaled does indeed know her well.

Khaled fatherly hand lands on Layla's shoulder, “I have a little girl, Layla, I know what a father means to his daughter.”

At this point Layla doesn't know what hurts more, the searing ache in her heart or the pounding pain in her skull. She nods nevertheless. Eyes closed, to absorb the threatening tears gathering around her orbs.

“It's alright, ya binty,” Khaled pats her shoulder tenderly, “Go home now. Rest and heal, and I'll be seeing you later.”

With that, Layla nods and excuses herself and Khaled, like the gentleman he is, shows her out of his office, still muttering reassuring things to her.

Closing her eyes, Layla takes a deep breath as she hears the door click close behind her.

Weird shit happens, Layla knows that, especially in a life like the one she lives, but some shit has got a little bit more serious now. Hearing that her father had used to work for a shady — dangerous organisation which is involved in trading Egyptian treasures, and even wose; aiming to destroy the country — her country behind the scenes racked her up to the bone. Her father would never do such thing! She can't believe it. No, never. But if she dared to give the mere possiblity a chance... would that be linked to his demise; was that why her baba died?!

No, it cannot be. Not a chance. But she can't help it either; Layla can't kick it out of her mind — her father's death never left her mind to begin with. Yet, the new information made it worse.

She shakes her head before opening her eyes again. Layla heads downstairs, where she'd find some of her colleagues working non-stop for their noble case. She smiles and nods at whomever she passes by untill she reaches a particular individual whom is sitting behind a computer.

“Usama,” Layla says.

The young man's head snaps up from the screen, an instant smile adorning his face. “Layla!” He stands up, and approaches her, face softening and eyebrows knitting in concern. “Didn't see you coming here,” He exclaims, “Where have you been?! You got us all worried.” His tone is gentle and genuine.

Of course, she isn't going to tell him or anyone else the real reason behind her absence for two days after the failed mission; she doesn't want them to know what happened between her and that mysterious man yet.

“I'm okay, I'm okay,” Layla says, nodding.

Usama raises an eyebrow, “That means you ain't gonna tell me where did you get this?” He points at stitched wound in her skull.

Layla flips her lower lips nonchalantly, “It's nothing really,” Her brown eyes locks with his dark ones; he isn't convinced one bit, but she tries to avoid the details as she adds, “After we got sabotaged, my cover was blown, I had to fight my way out. Couldn't inform the rest because I wanted to keep a low profile for a day or two. Is everyone okay?”

Usama scratched his stubbled chin, “Yeah, they're quite roughed up tho,” Layla's eyes widen, but he's quick to correct himself, “They'll live, don't worry.” Usama smiles.

Layla sighs in relief. She looks at him, a small smile creeps into her lips, “It was crazy.”

“Bet it was,” He chuckles.

“You have no idea,” She raises her eyebrows sardonically.

“Everyone is okay, that's what matters now, Layla.”

“Right.”

Usama keeps gazing at her, soft smile still on his face.

Layla clears her throat, “Usama, I need a favour.”

He answers almost instantly, “Of course, go ahead,”

Layla grins sweetly at him, “I need what we got on that Mr. Profile. Could you do that for me, Usama?”

The latter freezes a bit which makes her scrunch her brows a bit. “Is there something wrong?”

Usama flits his eyes left and right hastily before his eyes perch on her intently, “Why the sudden interest, Layla?”

The latter arches an eyebrow, “Because he's the person behind this deal?”

“Layla...” Usama sighs, “You know how dangerous he can be, right?”

“Well, obviously,” She points at her injury. When he doesn't answer, Layla groans, “C'mon, Usama! I won't get into a trouble; I've had enough shit.”

“You promise?”

“I promise,” Layla tilts her head to the side, and muster the cutest look in her eyes, and gazes at her friend beseechingly.

Her colleague sighs again, “Y'know, if Khaled found out that I provided you with the info you want, he might kick me out,”

Layla's lips cracks into a wide grin, shaking her head, “Don't worry, Usama, serrek fi bir,” [Your secret is protected]

Usama shakes his head and sighs again, “Hope you know what you're doing, Layl.” He sits behind his computer again, and begins to flow his fingertips on the keyboard after he injected the flash drive Layla gave him. It's a tiny device with scarab details adorned to it. His nimble fingers move with smoothing pressing sounds that almost haze Layla's brain. She follows his movements as she watches him copying a couple of documents to her USB.

Usama Abd El-Hay, the head technician of the Free Preservationists. With a master degree in computer science, and ardent passion for his country, Khaled has given him both the post and his trust. He's eight years older than Layla; she sees him as big, caring brother to her, in fact, everyone here love Usama as their big brother. They're like a big family here, sharing the similar goals and agendas.

When he's finished, Layla thanks him profusely. They hug eachother and pump their fists in a friendly way. Layla's hand squeezes the little device a bit too much as she leads her way out of their main place in Cairo. Once outside, the boisterous sounds of the Egyptian streets bleed into her ears; squealing children playing under the burning sun of the summer, a variety of women bargaining with sellers to make a discount for them —which means half of the price or more—, food hawkers squawking loudly to attract more customers. Layla feels her stomach grumble in hunger and she threads her way to one of the food carts and buys a tu'meyyah, falafel sandwich.

She eats her meal inside a toktok on her way home. Layla pays the driver off after a small argument over the price.

“Mashkura ya hanem,” [Thanks, miss] The driver says curtly.

Once in, Layla rests her back against the door and closes her eyes, catching her breath after she climbing the building stairs.

She takes off her shoes, and slings her bag off of her shoulder, plucking the flash drive out of it before hurling it onto the living room's sofa. She looks at it and sighs.

Hard days are ahead of her, she's one hundred percent aware of that. She knows that if she detects this lead on her father she'd be in deep shit. Does it matter tho? No. Because right now, she only wants the truth, the truth of what the hell happened to her father; she had enough of sleepless nights and ill ideas eating her up alive.

Layla presses her lips in a thin line, wringing the small item between her thumb and forefinger. She nods to herself before heading to her bedroom. Layla makes a beeline towards her closet and open its door slowly. Behind the fabric of many neat clothes and outfits, a pair of jade eyes flash throughout the room.

•••

Out of rebellious instincts, Layla did try smoking shisha at some point of her life. Because why not? It seemed cool and badass to be a girl smoking hookah within a society frowns upon smoking females for they'd be labelled whorish for mere the act. Of course, Layla never listens to such nonsense and did it anyway. But no, she didn't like it. What pleasure one gets when they literally burns their lungs? No, she prefers to have healthy lungs and clear blood. She'd smoke it from time to time tho, only to break retro rules.

But surely, Layla doesn't like to breathe in the polluted air of the coffeeshop she's at, while drinking a large cup of coffee behind her laptop. The only thing makes Layla endure such toxic air is that this is her favourite place; where she can be alone and away from the rest of the world yet so plunged in it at the same time. She hears the continuous muttering of other customers as they gossip and laugh at silly jokes like they have nothing to be burdened with. Layla envies them. She also hears the bell chiming whenever a new one steps in, as the waiters wander among the tables to serve them.

Layla's intelligent eyes scan the lit screen as she takes a sip of her coffee. She's reading one of documents Usama gave to her, it includes everything they gathered about Mr. Profile. Unsurprisingly, it isn't much. However, the info about his costumers are. Layla's particularly interested in the most recent one; Nayef Al-Zahrani.

The latter is a Saudi born young man with an Emirati citizenship. Interestingly enough, he works for a certain member of the royal family of the UAE. Layla scoffs, nothing satiates the greed of the Emirati royals.

Layla takes another sip as she continues.

As the reports say, Nayef is currently in a vacation with his wife and two children in the Maldives. Layla highly doubts it, but again, the man is powerful enough to send men instead of him to make deals on his behalf.

The door chimes again, the fifteenth time since Layla arrived. She takes another sip of her coffee.

Just mere moments pass then she feels a large hand perches on her shoulder. She flinches for a second before snapping her head up; her eyes go wide. She sees a relatively tall man, wearing a casual outfit; a grey shirt, and dark jeans, with a cap on his head.

“Hello, Scar,” The man mutters in low voice.

She wasn't quite sure if it's really him, but she can't mistake that voice, “Y-You—”

She tries to shift but freezes again when he leans down and presses a small peck on her cheek. “Look around you,” He whispers gingerly, “The two men in the corner, and the one sitting by the door, they're here for you, and they mean no good.”

Layla nearly gasps, “What—?!”

“Don't.” He asserts, “Play along till I get you outta here,”

Adrenaline pours into her blood and her heart paces up. She watches him sits casually at the table across from her, faking a smile as he takes off his hat and puts it on the table, “Missed you, Habibti. Amla eh?” [My love. How is it going?]

Layla falls silent for a moment as her eyes fixate on his face. Unlike the last time, when she couldn't quite see his face clearly in the place he claimed to be his safehouse, Layla can see every detail of his handsome face now. Her breathing grows ragged. She wanders her eyes in the direction of the mentioned men, and finds something fishy about them indeed.

Layla blinks back to him, settling her eyes on the man's face again, then smiles, leaning into the table as she rests her elbows on it. “You're late, habibi,” She pouts cutely, “Made me wait for too long.”

The weird man grimaces a bit, before his lips twitch up in a forced smile. Layla is almost, just almost, about to snicker. He truly has to work on his acting skills if he doesn't want to blow his future covers.

In an attempt to rescue his miserable performance, Layla slides her hand and touches his. Wrong move; he immediately jerks backwards slightly. Layla looks at him with an arched brow. As if she's telling him you're the one who suggested this.

The man clears his throat, speaking in local Egyptian dialect, “Jahza ya rouhy?” [Ready, my love]

That impresses her for a minute, his accent is almost perfect, and that makes her wonder; has he lived in Egypt before? Because the way it rolls off his tongue effortlessly, requires a lot of practice and engaging in it with other natives. She squints her eyes a bit.

“Yallah,” [Let's go]

She slides money out of her wallet but he stops her and pays for her, the thing she finds pretty strange at first, but again they're playing it, so she lets him. She gathers her things and sets her bag on her back.

Once they're outside the coffeeshop, Layla grabs his hand, the act makes him startle again, but a little less this time, and whispers through gritted teeth, “How did you find me?”

His jaw muscles flick a bit, “Well, it ain't hard for a CIA agent, Layla,”

The latter tries not to flinch at the information, she doesn't want to be seem intimidated.

“So you are a CIA agent.”

“Was,” The man doesn't even heed her a look as his eyes scan the road with probing eyes. Clearly, a plan is forming in his head, “Was a CIA agent.”

They walk through the crowds of the bustling streets, their hands are still interwined. She steals a glimpse over her shoulder from the corner of her eyes, and sets her head straight back again, “You're right, they're following me.”

The man grumbles, “They want the statue,”

Layla's eyes widen, “But I don't have it—”

“Yes, you do,” The man cuts her off, “I know you have it in your personal possessions, Miss El-Faouly, and you didn't return it to its rightful owners.”

Layla gasps, “How dare you accusing me of—”

Again, he interrupts her as if he's done with some kind of bullshit, the way he grunts gives it away, “Where is it?”

“At my place,” She admits.

The man sucks his teeth, “Gotta get rid of them before heading to yours.”

“What—”

With a rough tug on her arm, he drags her behind him into an alley, away from the public eyes, his movements are calculated and estimated. Layla scowls deeply at the gesture, he's treating her as if she's... a kid. She clicks her tongue.

The man glances at her, “Find a safe place and hide while I deal with them.”

Layla's forehead ceases, and her nose wrinkles up a bit, “Look, Mr. Ex-Agent, I really appreciate your effort,” She points her forefinger in a circle, “I really do. But I'm perfectly capable of defending myself, and I'm not gonna cower from the people who are trying to kill me.”

Mr. Ex-Agent continues to avert his eyes from hers, his neck turns left and right, taking his surroundings in. However, he stops when she said that, and looks at her finally.

“Miss El-Faouly, please,” Layla raises an eyebrow at the last word, “You don't understand what you got yourself into. The people you're messing with are—”

Suddenly, he cuts himself mid-sentence, and with a swift response, his large hands grab her shoulders. She finds herself chest to chest with the stranger man, hugging her tightly as he spins away not so subtly from their spot, smashing his back against a brick wall. She feels the vibration of the crash against her ribcage, and groans. Layla looks up and finds him clenching his teeth in pain.

In no time though, he pushes her away from him as the attacker launches another hit at them. Layla is almost out of balance as her feet struggle against the poorly-paved route. Her efforts go to waste as the second guy darts a haymaker upon her head, depositing her motionless on the floor.

For a moment, or so she thought, Layla blacks out, her skull veins pulsing, the weight of the ache coiling around her eyes. Unclear sounds of grunting and groaning seep into her ears, blurry ravings of an obscure mummy is looming in her sightlines. Why is she seeing a dead person now? But what she sees when she snaps out of it makes her gape in shock.

She finds the bodies of the three men rendered dead around her, crescent-shaped weapons pierced into their hearts. Layla eyeballs are about to bulge when she sees a figure wrapped in what seems worn, white outfit, eyes glowing underneath the shadow of his hood as he turns to her. She jerks backwards on instinct. In a mere second the familiar man re-emerges from beneath the ancient attire as it molders away as if it never was there.

He approaches her, offering a hand for her. Speechless, she accepts it.

“You okay?” he asks breathlessly.

“What the hell was that?”

[that-sokovian-bastard]

Stupid Situations - Dick Grayson x Reader

Words: 1519 Pairing: Dick Grayson x Reader Warnings: none Summary: You and Dick go to college in Blüdhaven, and it's an interesting time with two superheroes. Dick, however, chooses to mess around mostly in class, meaning you have to help him with homework. Author's Note: I do not mention your and Dick’s relationship, it can be read as romantic or platonic! Same with the fact that you have Superman-like powers, but I do not specify the relationship with Clark.

This is also a fic for girl-next-door-writes 's Bingo challenge! This is for the College AU square.

Dick / Bingo / Full Masterlist

---

It was a normal thing for you and Nightwing to be working together. Whether it be on a case in Blüdhaven or a project for a class, you two relied on each other for help. Tonight, here you are, sitting in Dick's apartment and working on homework with him.

"You're telling me your adoptive dad is the greatest detective in the world...and you can't figure out how many gallons of milk Billy has?" You scoffed at him.

"This is entirely different than what he figures out. Besides, Bruce wasn't one to help me with homework. And why do I care how much milk Billy has? Maybe Billy is lactose intolerant and doesn't need any more milk," Dick paused. "Do you think they'd dock me points if I put he's lactose intolerant as my answer?"

You nodded as you looked down at your paper. "Oh, definitely. But I would love to see their response."

Dick sighed. "Can't you just tell me the answer?"

"Fine," You leaned over and showed him your paper. Dick scanned it, copied down the answer, and smiled at you as thanks.

"Is math one of your superpowers that I didn't know about? Is Clark also good at math?" Dick asked.

You chuckled and looked back up before you could finish reading the next question. "No, it's not a superpower; I just paid attention in class instead of texting Wally complaining about how much you hate math class. And I have no clue if Clark is good at math. Just like Bruce, he wasn't the one to help me with homework," You told him. "Now, let's finish up our work; I have to get to Smallville soon."

"Oh, right, family dinner night," Dick shook his head. "You're really making me patrol alone tonight?"

"Yes, I am. It doesn't happen that often, Dick," You said.

Dick sighed loudly and leaned back in the chair. "I'm going to start keeping track of all the times you make me do it alone; it's getting unfair."

"I mean, I just patrol with you because you get bored. I can patrol from my apartment just by listening; I do this for you, remember," You smirked. "Now, sit back up and let's finish, or I'm going to leave now and not give you my answers."

Immediately, Dick sat back up and put his pen to paper. "You got it. Next question..."

---

After your next math class, you were walking back to the parking lot with Dick, almost ashamed to be friends with him. "I can't believe you actually said that," You groaned.

"What? It was a valid question you and I discussed thoroughly. Plus, it actually brought some life to that professor," Dick justified it and turned down the shortcut you usually take.

You shook your head. "It's like you're asking her to be hard on you by asking a stupid question like that. No one cares if Billy was lactose intolerant!" You shouted at him.

"It was funny. Don't worry about me," Dick smirked. "What?" He said once he realized you weren't listening to him anymore.

"I gotta go," You said quickly, and before he could respond, you dropped your bag at his feet and took off into the air. It was a good thing you two took the shortcut; otherwise, someone would have seen you fly off.

Dick leaned over and picked up your bag, and continued his way into the parking lot. This didn't phase him, it happened pretty often when you would hear someone yelling in a distant city, and you'd take off and go. He didn't mind; he knew you'd come to his apartment later to do work and make sure you got your bag back. It was a routine.

As he opened up the driver's door to his car, he heard someone shouting his name. He didn't respond but looked around to see where it was coming from. When he saw a few people walking towards him, he shut the door and leaned against the car. "Hey guys," Dick waved.

"I thought we just saw (Y/N) with you," One guy said. "Did they disappear?" He asked.

Dick shrugged. "I mean, we walked out of class together, but we parked on opposite sides today, so we split a while ago," He lied. "Did you need them for something?"

The three guys looked at each other, seeming a little confused. "I could have sworn I saw them," He muttered. "I wanted to ask if they wanted to study with us tonight, and you too!" He corrected himself quickly, not trying to seem weird. "We're not so sure we're ready for the math test later this week, so you know how it is," He explained.

"I'll pass the invitation on," Dick nodded. "We'll let you know," He said, then moved to open his car door again.

The three said a collective thanks, see you later before walking away. He knew you wouldn't want to meet up with them, but he didn't need to tell them that now. Before he turned the car on, he looked on Twitter to see if there were any updates to what you left him for. It shouldn't have surprised him, but it did when he saw a news report of you and Superman flying around Metropolis fighting some villain. He didn't look into it too deeply because he knew you'd tell him about it when you made your way back to Blüdhaven.

It took longer than he expected for you to get to his apartment, long enough that Nightwing was already patrolling the city. He knew you had a long day at Metropolis, so he let it slide that you didn't go with him so you could get some work done. You respectfully declined the library study offer, telling them you had a crazy day at work and were exhausted, which wasn't entirely a lie.

He wasn't surprised when he got back through his window to find you already gone; he knew you probably needed to get home and get some rest or just get some work done where you could tune everything out. He got lucky; it was a pretty quiet night, and not a lot to worry about, so he was going to try to knock out some of his work, too.

Once ready to get to his schoolwork, he pulled out the math homework from that morning and immediately knew he didn't want to do it. He was sure you got yours done already, but he didn't want to bother you, so he tried to get through it on his own. It was these stupid word problems trying to trick everyone, and it just drove him crazy because, in real life, it doesn't make sense. Even in superhero life, it doesn't make sense. The worst he has to worry about is some villain using acid, but he doesn't have to calculate it!

He read through the first problem at least ten times before moving on, then another five times on the second one. He threw his pencil down and leaned forward into his hands to sigh loudly, "Oh my god, I need help," He said, exasperated.

As he picked his pencil back up, he jumped back when he realized you were standing in front of him. "Uh, hey," Dick blinked slowly. "What are you doing here?"

You looked around and realized that nothing was wrong. "Oh...I thought you...needed help," You said.

Dick started to laugh. "You heard that? Were you listening to me?" He asked.

"Not intentionally!" You defended yourself. "I was trying to fall asleep, but I kept getting distracted, so I decided to listen to you. I thought you were still on patrol," You admitted.

He shook his head and smiled wide. "Just doing math homework. But hey, while you're here, want to give me the answers?" He asked.

You threw your head back and shut your eyes at his question. Slowly, you walked over and sat next to him on the couch. "One day, you're going to learn to do these yourself."

"All that matters is we stop the people stealing all these groceries; I don't care how much it is. Why does Jessica need seventeen bags of lettuce?" He asked.

"Dick, you do know these are made-up scenarios, right? For a college math class? We're not fighting the Joker here," You reminded him.

Dick crossed his arms. "Maybe if it were about Joker, I'd have an easier time coming up with the answer."

You rolled your eyes and grabbed his pencil out of his hand, deciding to give up and fill in the answers for him so you could get to sleep as soon as possible. You probably wouldn't make it back to your apartment at this point, but this wouldn't be the first time that happened. As you got to the last question, you really considered taking all his future assignments and changing the situation to revolve around Gotham and Blüdhaven criminals; maybe then he'd get it done. Or maybe it would reveal his identity. Either way, you were determined to try it.