#important to me. but it did...sit with me. not as strongly as i got older and had more freedom. but it still stuck with me. and i saw my

[wolfwarrior142]

"...reject history as a narrative of strength, and instead have faith that it can be a narrative of love."

Another great example of why I love this show so, so much. The life lessons and morals on it can be just amazing, especially ones like these. The whole part in s2 that encompasses the flashbacks and Callum reading the letter from his dad is just beautiful with what it teaches, and how it shows how different the characters are. Definitely one of my favorite parts of s2. And the section where Harrow says that love is not a weakness like most people think it is; it is actually strength. And remembering the love in things rather than the strength is important. I love that. I love that so much.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Since Miraculous Ladybug is becoming for more mature audiences it should split povs between Marinette and Adrien. Its upsetting how Adrien has such a main character backstory yet he's not apart of it or a major character in the show even though he feels like it. It feels like he should be Marinette's costar but he's treated as some guy most of the time. I get that Marinette's the main character but still Adrien feels so wasted on. Honestly he kinda reminds me of Steven Universe. Dead mom, complex with not being entirely human, well meaning but absent dad(Gabriel's hearts was in the right place but just went down hill). Like when Adrien finds out about the whole sentimonster thing imagine the identity crisis he's gonna have. I also wonder what they're gonna do with Emilie. She's not dead anymore and she was the driving force for why Gabriel did what he did. I wonder if she's gonna be a good mom or if the fan theories are right and she's just as bad if not worse then Gabriel. Rose haunted the narrative because she was so important if it wasn't for her and her actions we probably wouldn't even have Steven Universe or the many momswap aus. But after Gabriel got all the Miraculouses Emilie felt kinda of forgotten and last minute when she was talked about.

Are there any other shows that you sometimes compare Miraculous too?

I don't think that Miraculous is aiming at more mature audiences now unless there was some announcement that I missed? If anything, I'm expecting season six to tone things back down because I'm guessing that it's going to be a soft reboot. New main villain, new animation style, new school, the signs are all there.

Shows rarely ever change their target audience like that. It's just too risky a move. You have to redo the marketing and somehow convey to parents that the show is no longer safe for their child as it's aimed at teens now. But anyone who wants a more serious show for teens isn't going to want to sit through the first five seasons which were not written like a serious show for teens, so the audience for this would be the small subsection of viewers who want to watch their childhood favorite get more serious.

While that's certainly a demographic, it's not the massive one you get when you stick to anyone ages five-and-up. Since five-and-up is also where the toy sales are and Miraculous has a lot of tie-in toys, it would be pretty wild if they abandoned that demographic at this point. I dug up an old tweet that I remembered seeing to give my warning some extra backing. For full context, this was in reply to a tweet asking if the writers consider the teen audience when writing the show:

[Image description: a tweet from the show's head writer reading "they are not the primary audience. The main target is kids 5 to 12 max. It doesn't mean we don't consider older audiences. But it means that whatever we write must not leave the kids behind."]

This tweet is admittedly over two years old and anything is technically possible, but I would strongly caution you against having expectations for more serious content unless you know something that I don't. The show was originally sold as to investors, distributors, and so on as a kids show and, unless they were able to renegotiate those agreements, it's going to stay a kids show.

I'd also caution you against assuming that Emilie is alive. I thought that was where the show went, too, but statements from the writers have made it pretty clear that Emilie is well and truly dead, which further supports my soft reboot theory. Bringing her back means a stronger tie to the previous seasons and you don't want that for a soft reboot.

Please don't read this as me praising that writing choice! I think it was stupid as hell to magically bring back Nathalie while killing off Emilie. They were both dying and only one of them is a domestic terrorist who actively chose death by knowingly using the broken Miraculous. The other is a Good And Pure Soul Who Was Too Perfect For This Cruel World (or, at least, that's what the show seems to want us to think). Plus, if you're going to use the wish, do something big! Change the status quo! But that's not how formula shows work so they probably couldn't do that.

Quick side note: this is my best guess as to why the leaked scripts indicated that Emilie was going to come back when season five ended the show. Series finales are usually allowed include elements that would ruin the formula if the show continued because the show isn't continuing. Season finales are not allowed to do that because the next season needs to stick to the same formula. When season five went from end-of-show to a mere end-of-season, that probably signed Emilie's death warrant. Sorry Adrien, no happy ending for you! Hope you like being an orphan!

Moving on!

In my opinion, it feels like they only used the wish to let Gabriel die and get rid of Emilie without it being too traumatic for the indented audience, but it's still basically a murder suicide being treated as a happy ending which is wild! At least it was a pretty one where the murderer and his victim ascended into the light?

We admittedly might see larger impacts from the wish next season as we don't explicitly know what the wish was, but have they ever let a season finale lead to something interesting? Not really, so I don't see why that would change now. I'm not even sure if Adrien's sentistatus is going to come up again. It should, but it may also just fizzle out because the writers don't know how to deal with it. The sentimonster thing is not the kind of plot point that you can handle in 20 minutes, especially when you have to include some sort of akuma fight, too. Bringing up the sentistuff would also complicate a soft reboot so, yeah, I have no idea if they're ever going to touch it again.

As far as recs for shows like Miraculous go, I'm afraid that you'll have to be a little more specific about what you're looking for because Miraculous is trying and failing to be a lot of things. If you want a duo show with a lot of banter, a badass female lead, and a goofy-but-narratively-important male lead, then I'd point to Kim Possible. If you want a team show with romantic undertones, then Teen Titans is a good pick. If you want identity shenanigans, magic, and romance, then American Dragon Jake Long might be worth checking out in spite of the very dated slang, though fair warning that one is enemies to lovers. It's done in a very fun way, but it's not a partner show like Miraculous kind of is and the romance is also not the main focus.

Part of the reason I was drawn to Miraculous is that shows about superheroes don't tend to have a strong romance element to them, so there aren't a ton of options for me to give you when it come to shows that fill a similar niche. However, if you're willing to go into the realms of fanfic, then you've got a wealth of options. Pretty much any property with secret identities will have fics about identity shenanigan romances. Love squares are nothing new. I've been reading them for years! I basically watched Twelfth Night when I was about eight and never looked back. Identity shenanigans or bust!

People will even bring them into fandoms that don't have any secret identities because identity shenanigans are really fun to play with! They make for some of the best romances. I'm sure that you can also find them in novels, but it's not something I've seen a lot of, so I mostly stick to fanfic for my identity shenanigan needs. That's where almost all my recs are from.

Should I do a fanfic plug to demonstrate what I mean? Yeah, why not. This baby deserves more readers and, if you like Miraculous, then you'll probably love this. (Seriously, if you read it, feel free to come talk to me about it. It's so good and also proof that I really am drawn to very specific tropes. What can I say other than I know what I like?)

We Didn't Start The Fire by ohhgingersnaps

Ava is all burned out, literally— she’s an exhausted JojaCo employee by daylight, and pyrokinetic superhero The Phoenix by moonlight, until she accidentally starts a fire at work and has to blame it on her superpowered alter-ego to avoid being discovered. The Phoenix is forced into early retirement, and with nothing else to lose, Ava moves to her grandfather’s old farm for a new start. Between restoring the farm, resolutely bottling all of her feelings, and trying to keep her powers under wraps, Ava has a lot on her plate. She’ll figure it out. Eventually. She hopes. Meanwhile, the hacker Memento, Phoenix’s good friend and confidant, is left to pick up the pieces alone after her sudden disappearance. He’s fully convinced that she didn’t start the fire, and he’s determined to discover the truth and clear her name... As long as he doesn’t fall for the pretty new farmer down the road, first. Part superhero AU, part mental health recovery arc, and part rom-com, topped with a generous serving of secret identity love square shenanigans, hurt/comfort, shameless flirting and banter, and dramatic irony.

I've mentioned before that I don't like OC main characters. Video games are the one exception to that rule. I'm really not big on reader inserts (no judgement, just personal preference), so when I read fanfic for a video game with a self-insert type main character, I'm looking to read about people's fully developed OCs, but I also want a good deal of the focus to be on the game's characters as they're the only reason I'm looking for stuff to read. That's what this fic is and I love it!

I also wouldn't normally rec fanfic for properties outside of Miraculous since this is specifically a Miraculous blog, but this is Stardew Valley fanfic, which is why I picked it over fic from other, more complex properties. If you don't know that game, it's a farming sim whose cast is developed enough for you to get attached to them, but who don't have a ton of depth, so you can read this sucker without having touched the game because there's no deep lore here. The game dev is apparently pretty open about the fact that he kept lots of things about the characters ambiguous so you could read things like their relationships and ages in whatever way makes you happy. Only prep work I might recommend is reading the character summaries from the game's wiki and you'd only need to do that for the named characters.

As I said above, fics like this are where I get my more-serious-story-with-identity-shenanigan-included itch scratched and are what I'd recommend looking for in either fanfic or original fiction form if that's what you like as TV shows just don't seem to have this kind of content, probably because TV shows often draw plot lines out to maximize views while novel-style stories generally have a clear end goal, which is why it can be hard for TV romances to feel satisfying. However, there are certainly a ton of TV shows that I haven't watched, so if anyone has recs for anon, then feel free to drop a comment or give this a reblog with your rec list.

[bustyasianbeautiespod]

Episode 0 Transcript: Meet Your Hosts!

[Garageband Good Omens theme song plays]

C: Hello! My name is Crystal. 

G: And my name is Grey.

C: And this is Rubbish and Probably a Podcast, a Good Omens commentary podcast where I, someone who has seen this show too many times...

G: And I, someone who only knows this show through Crystal, discuss every episode of Good Omens.

C: As mentioned, we are Crystal and Grey. You may know us from our other podcast, Busty Asian Beauties: A Supernatural Commentary Podcast -

G: Yes.

C: - which we are now ditching [both laugh] for the greener pastures of this.

G: - of Good Omens. Yas. 

C: Yeah. So, of the two of us, I am the Good Omens watcher. I watched Season 1 a little bit after it dropped. I'd seen it on Tumblr a bit, didn't really have any particular interest, and then one day, my best friend/ex-fiancee was like, "Hey. This is a show that I think will interest you very strongly. You should come over and we should watch all of it in one sitting until, like, 2AM," and I was like, "Yeah. That sounds good." And now I'm crazy. So [G laughs] that's my life. 

G: Yeah. 

C: So after watching Season 1, I read the book - sorry that I was not a book fan first - and after that, I have since read the shitty movie script written in like, the 1990s that never got developed and listened to the radio show and the newer audiobook with Tennant and Sheen in the cast. So that's my history. And, of course, I have watched Season 2.

G: Yes.

C: I guess that the important things for a Good Omens fan to know about my current takes are that I don't like Neil Gaiman, but I feel like a lot of the people who don't like Neil Gaiman also hate ace people, so I am not one of those people. [both laugh] And I think I really like reading aromantic and asexual takes on Crowley and Aziraphale, but that is not how I read them primarily, so if that is something that you are looking for, shan't be here.

Grey, how did you hear about Good Omens?

G: Well, I know about Good Omens in the way that, you know, you just know about things, I guess. I didn't know anything about it. [C laughs] I didn't know what it was about, I didn't know- I didn't even know it was a show from 2019. I thought it was aired the same time that, like, maybe Hannibal was airing. So like, 2013.

C: [laughs] Really?

G: Yeah, I thought it was like an older show in that way. So the first time I learned about what Good Omens is roughly about is- well, first I want to introduce myself, I guess. I am Filipino, I am queer and Catholic and those are things about me that are not necessarily in conflict, they're just, you know, that's just how it is-

C: And that's why you were drawn as Aziraphale on our cover. [G laughs]G: No, exactly. I studied in Catholic school, and one time, a bunch of brothers went to our school to do a "Hey, this is what we do. This is who we are." They did a house tour and everything. It was fun. And towards the end of it, they asked the student body, "Oh, do you have any questions for us brothers for our order?" And one of students asked, "Hey, brother, there's this really good TV show called Good Omens,  [C laughs]and it's a little bit about religion. Have you guys watched it?" And the brothers went, "Yeah, we watched it! [C laughs] We actually do really like it a lot." So [both laughing] I literally learned that day that Good Omens is roughly a Catholic show. And then Crystal started going crazy insane when Season 2 dropped.

C: Yeah. 

G: And I learned a little bit more about it!

C: You sure did. 

G: I sure did. I mean, not a lot, though. I didn't learn a lot. It's just-

C: Yeah, what you mostly heard was me screaming and crying and saying things that didn't mean anything.

G: Yeah.

C: And also complaining about clunky writing choices, so.

Yeah, okay, so our format, we're gonna go through episode by episode, brief plot summary, then dig deeper into the scenes and themes that we care about per episode. And-

G: If you're familiar with us through BABPod, it's gonna be a little bit of a different format, but I think the vibes are still there, so, heyyy, listen to us, I guess. 

C: Yeah! [both laugh] Especially because we are taking a three-month break to only do this! [G laughs]

G: Exactly. 

C: This is your only source of Crystal and Grey for three months. 

G: Yes.

C: And I guess the last thing to talk about is our title, Rubbish and Probably a Podcast. Book fans may note that this comes from a scene in the book where a child at Warlock's birthday party tells Aziraphale-

G: Oh my god!

C: - "He's right, you know. You are rubbish. And probably a faggot." [laughing] Which is-

G: Jesus Christ.

C: - definitely a line that exists in the world. It's very important to me, both just in like a "Wow. They sure did think homophobia was funny when they wrote the book, didn't they?" way and also as like, the first moment in the book that really explicitly links these characters to queerness. So, I don't know. That's our title-

G: Yeah. 

C: - so that we can think about both of those things in tandem.

G: Yeah. Because we are, in fact-

C: - rubbish and probably a faggot. [both laughing] It's true of both of us. Alright.

G: Well, okay. 

C: Listen to us, please?

G: Listen to us!

C: Oh, and also, our socials! Our socials, you will still find us through our main podcast's socials.

G: Yep.

C: So we are Tumblr at bustyasianbeautiespod.tumblr.com.

G: Don't follow us on Twitter.

C: Our email is bustyasianbeauties@gmail.com. We technically have a Twitter, but no we don't [G laughs], and we also have a Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com/bustyasianbeautiespod.

G: We also, by the way, have transcripts available in the Tumblr account, bustyasianbeautiespod.

C: Anyway, listen to us, please? Thanks.

G: Yeah! Thanks. Byeee!

C: I'm so excited.

[theme song]

[dashofmonsters]

This is your third year here.

Three years of helping these poor aliens deal with human thoughts.

Three years of chastising the ladies in accounting to stop purposefully thinking dirty thoughts when the repair crew comes by.

Three years of unplanned pregnancies and stopping stupid fights.

And three years of Gorlam coming into your office about god knows what.

It was that time of the year where you'd have your one on one retraining with these mind reading aliens. It wasn't mandatory but it was always scheduled and most would come in. Gorlam usually being the first.

He had no choice.

Three years ago he got into a fight with Brian who manages the docking station over an intrusive thought, ever since then you've had to hold these meetings.

There's a knock at your door before Gorlam saunters in and plops down. He's a good seven foot tall, decent build, and greyish green skin. His fingers comb through his brown hair that has a shock of blond near his right ear that's been bandaged. You can see his dark blue blood staining it.

Another fucking fight, you guess.

"You're early this time," you note as you grab your data pad and key in his name.

"Didn't have much of a choice," he groans.

"True, especially since you're close to your fifth write up. You have two more months till the first three are dismissed considering several others have run into the same thoughts you did and felt it inappropriate to have a coworker constantly and purposefully think about well the things he did." you remind him and he scowls.

"We did not appreciate the bombardment of those explicate thoughts about one of the only humans who actually doesn't view us with disgust or with lust," He sneers.

"I understand, yours is a people known to be quite protective of those you decide to take in whether as part of your pack or from mutual respect. That's why I disputed the write ups and asked for Scott to be sent home when the next ship back to Earth comes in for a trade," you state.

Gorlam sits up a bit straighter, "He's being sent back?"

"Yes, we can't have trouble makers like him throwing the very delicate balance of this station out. He was asked nicely on several occasions to cease and I had a strongly worded letter emailed to him but since he continued his behavior and it caused you to react... He will be sent home and charged for harassment," you cross your legs and glare at the alien before you.

He slouches and looks to the ground. You know he's read your thoughts now.

"I tried not to, I really did. Mova was about to lay into Greg for thinking about her in a way that made her feel most uncomfortable. I did my best to stop her but she ended up clawing me," he points to his ear.

You nod and smile, for once he was stopping a fight and not starting one. Greg though was a problem. He's new and unfortunately the bratty son of a political backer of the station. If he doesn't straighten up you fear you might have to convince the Mars station for a trade.

"Very well, please keep an eye on Greg for the time being. I'll let Mova off the hook just this once since I know she's new too. Keep your sister in line Gorlam, we both know she needs this job." I tap my pad and type in Greg's name.

He nods and grunts. He's being a lot quieter than usual you note. Normally he'd wax poetic about the disgusting things he's had to hear or the silly thoughts the older folks have had.

"May I ask you something?" he gives you a stern and serious look. "Why haven't you asked about why I beat up Scott?"

You raise a brow, "Because you said you didn't like what he thought about a coworker you and your pack like?"

"Yes but why didn't you ask about who that person was?" he leans forward in his chair.

"Because it's not important. Regardless of the subject he made multiple Nelra uncomfortable to the point of violence. Besides, I was told it's best not to ask about those sort of things. Some level of ignorance is best in certain cases," you sigh and set the pad aside.

Gorlam nods and gets up out of his chair, "I'll tell Mova to come by today. Thank you for not writing her up."

You wave a hand, "She gets three strikes before her first write up like everyone else does. Please school her on intrusive thoughts versus purposeful thoughts and how to properly react. This is the twelfth rotation of staff since I've been here and I'm rather fond of my current crew save for a few who have backers."

He smiles at you and heads for the door. Gorlam stops right after his claws touch the handle, "It was you by the way."

"I beg your pardon?" you ask.

"Every fight I've ever gotten into was because someone had the fucking nerve to either shit talk about you or think those gods awful thoughts. My pack and I will not tolerate any slander against you. Know this to be the truth," he holds up his arm and flashes you the scar that won him his first strike on your third week.

"Gorlam please don-"

"For however long you are here, you have my protection," he offers before bowing out and closing the door.

You stare ahead absentmindedly as you recall every fight he's been in, every scrape and bruise. All of that had been for you.

You’re the HR director at an interplanetary space station staffed by humans and mind-reading aliens, and must conduct quarterly training for aliens about why humans’ intrusive thoughts are harmless.

[f0xgl0v3]

Silly Billy on the internet talks about how much they hate minimalism for 5 minutes; a post.

Know what? I was going to go and make the post about Camp Jupiter’s views on powers (which- my synopsis is; they don’t like them, or value them much and they are somewhat like ostracized as something not to be relied on- ties in with a bunch of stuff I’ll explain but yeah-)

But then I got a giant spike to shout to the rooftops about how much I hate minimalism.

Sure minimalism is whatever and whatever. But you know what it is? The rich man’s aesthetic, it’s ruined so much of interesting things simply for the measure of trying to look more expensive.

There was a rant I once went on about how I hate modern architecture. But this adds on to my hate of the Minimalism umbrella. It takes away any life that has been put into homes and sucks it dry. Like- look at some of these photos,

I’ll be honest I pulled these off of google, do I have background knowledge. No? Do I have the innate urge to sob and give up on humanity when I see them. Yes. The removal of these beautiful and graceful architectural styles is (also the removal of a lot of history and important parts of history because architecture plays a big role on that and blah, blah, blah) icky. I don’t like seeing this ultra-modern architecture, it makes me feel nervous when I see Seattle and these beautiful historic buildings and worry that someone with big pockets and a ego will go turn it into giant glass tower because of whatever stupid reason.

Please, minimalism makes me feel gross and I refuse to like it. Am I too upset at the moment to form a solid argument, yes. Do I want to come onto my tumblr where everyone probably agrees with me and argue to the brick wall about how much I hate minimalism, no? But am I feeling irrationally angry at any minimalistic, modern aesthetics, modern high art (you know the type of modern high art I mean, I’ll be honest I don’t like abstract pieces-)

I am a biased source because I personally am 6-feet-under in the opposite direction for maximalism, (it’s not hoarding, please look at maximalism beside minimalism and tell me what looks better. I know that’s personal opinion but this is my i am very upset about something that isn’t just a fictional book series moment) along with just older styles. I don’t like modern architecture.

Anyway on that note I love what they did for the big house in PJO tv show and it is amazing and every set makes me so happy because it directly makes me giggle and kick my feet and like hainensnfksjdbfjsjsnfjs. I love it and I want more people to build in the same vein as them because I garuntee they look 10x as better than the awful black and white box mansions.

Also I have a family friend who works in architecture and like making houses and I cry everytime they bring me to their next work site and it’s this beautiful building that is amazing. I remember being brought to an old run down 1910s-1940s era farmhouse and being really excited only to come back maybe a year later and finding a sickening black and white monochromatic farmhouse nightmare that I genuinely almost sobbed at.

But I love my family friend and the work she and her husband do and that to a degree it’s also client opinion but like- she makes a lot of the choices for these things and the next time I am brought out to their project sight I will be sitting there strongly encouraging to fight against the oppressive hand of minimalism. That was extreme, but I really like architecture, never talk about it- but genuinely one of my favorite things in this world is architecture and interior design

(If anyone cares my current favorite building is the La Sagrada Familia that is being constructed in Barcelona.)

Anyway that was a angry rant because I just got very upset for no reason over current western (I live in america and therefore don’t speak for the rest of the world, but in regards to the U.S.A which is Tartarus trust me) mainstream trends and culture deciding to lean into this minimalism clean era, which has been influenced by a myriad of things (see I can use myriad in a sentence- only know the word because of Heathers: The musical lol-)

But I’ll be posting that Camp Jupiter powers post… at some point when I write it. I hate minimalism and I pinky promise that I have more interests outside of Percy Jackson.

[bbyheedeungie]

Tales of the ring | Orphan! Jay AU Part 1

Pairings: Jay x Reader

Genre: fluff, angst, eventual smut, age gap (4 years)

Warnings: suggestive content, messy timeline

Synopsis: You've spent most of your lives together at a Catholic orphanage in a small town, with Jay being left there as an infant and you volunteering there since you were thirteen years old. Now twenty-three, every child in the orphanage looks up to you as their older sister. Well, except for that one stubborn kid named Jay.

You always tend to his cuts and bruises when he fell down after climbing on trees with his friends, but not after a long hour of bickering.

"Stop climbing trees if you're just gonna fall down!" You scold 9-year old Jay as you rummaged through the first aid kit.

"Just shut up and fix me up, woman." He demands, his arms crossed over his chest. You sigh.

"I'm just worried about you, okay? You could've broken a bone or something!" You reasoned with him. His eyes turns into slits, glaring at you.

"Are you calling me a wimp?" He challenges. Though it never crossed your mind, the thought of calling him a wimp was indeed amusing. You tried to suppress your laughter but it came out as a snort.

"Hey, I'm not a wimp. Drop it." Jay says, almost coming out as a whine. You nod, trying to calm yourself down from wanting to laugh. Cause you know Jay's going to end you if he even hears anything close to a giggle come out from your lips.

_

"Still as wimpy as ever, huh?" You teased him as you disinfected his wounded knees. He was sitting on the couch with you kneeled infront of him, and 16 year old Jay just can't seem to take his eyes off you.

Your lower lip is caught in between your teeth as you concentrated on his cuts, and Jay licks his own lips unconsciously.

At 20 years old, you have grown to be quite a lady, Jay notes. Beautiful, luscious hair that complimented the perfect features of your face, your body slightly plump in some places which gave you that womanly figure, dainty and gentle hands that cared for his wounds, any man would think of you as wife material. And Jay couldn't help but huff in annoyance at the thought of other men wanting you for themselves.

"And you're still as annoying as ever." He mutters before he pinched your cheeks hard, making you yelp in pain and involuntarily putting pressure on the cotton ball you were dipping onto his wound. Soon after, you were both crying from pain.

"How could you." He said in betrayal, clutching his wounded knee.

You always chased after him around the orphanage when he had a fever to make him take his medicine when he refused to drink them, dragging him by the back of his shirt to his room to make him rest.

"You can't just pull a stunt like that when I'm fixing up your cuts you dummy." You glared at him, massaging your reddened cheek.

_

"I don't want to stay in bed, woman. I wanna play outside!" 11-year old Jay huffs in annoyance, kicking off the blanket you've just placed on his body. You sighed and placed it back on him.

"Bold of you to call me a woman after I've just wrestled you at the lobby earlier." 15-year old you chuckled, remembering what you had to go through to make him go back to his room.

"Don't remind me, you were like a freaking hippo back there! Geez." Jay scrunches his nose and turns his back to you.

_

"You insufferable woman." He mutters as you tuck him into his bed. 18-year old Jay was just as irritable as ever, but only when it came to you.

"Yeah yeah." You rolled your eyes at him dismissively as you placed a cold compress to his forehead. He's such a big baby.

"Stop being a jerk for once and learn to take care of yourself, will you?" You scold him, leaning in to fix the position of his pillow. Jay's heartbeat goes nuts, with your body so close above him. He could just grab you by the waist then and there and hold you tight. Your feminine scent was so alluring, filling up his senses, your skin translucent in the moonlight shining through the windows and he even caught a glimpse of your cleavage through your thin, white dress shirt.

Shit, shit, shit. He thinks, fisting his blanket tightly. His cheeks glowed crimson red, but thankfully you thought it was just because of the fever.

_

Rest assured, Jay wasn't all that bad as others make him out to be, and you strongly believe this. You remember that one night, it was your fourteenth birthday but you didn't bother telling anyone. You didn't want to burden the sisters, and your family didn't care much about it either. But Jay did. He cared, and he remembered.

You sat on the roof, your secret hiding place, as you admired the starry sky. But it's not really a secret when Jay knows about it. The ten year old boy climbed up, grunting as he struggled keeping his balance. You flinched at the sound and panicked, but it immediately died down when you saw it was just him. He quietly sat beside you.

Silence took over as you sighed in content, taking in the peaceful evening.

"Happy birthday." Jay said, almost a whisper. Your head turns to him and he immediately looks the other way, refusing to meet your eyes.

"Thank you, Jay." You said in gratitude, not bothering to hide your smile. He still refused to look your way as he held out his fist.

"What is it?" You asked in confusion, furrowing your eyebrows at his closed hand. He sighs, taking your hand in his as he placed something cold and hard on your palm.

"It's for you." He says. You gasped, taking in the shiny object encrusted with tiny jewels that glinted in the moonlight.

"Jay, where did you get this?" You ask him, bewildered.

"The sisters said they found that ring in my pocket when they found me outside the door of the orphanage the night that they took me in. It's my most precious possession. In fact, it's my only possession." He says, laughing lightly as he looked up at the sky.

"Must be an heirloom, maybe you came from a wealthy family! Jay, I can't accept this. This is important to you!" You exclaimed, holding the ring back to him.

You're important to me. He thinks.

"Maybe, but they've left me here haven't they?" He simply shrugs.

"But why give it to me?" You asked, holding the ring close to your chest. Jay rolls his eyes and clicks his tongue.

"Hey, no more questions. I gave it to you as a birthday gift, so you better treasure it. Good night." He says and prepares to climb down, leaving you dumbfounded.

_

At nineteen, Jay was the oldest at the orphanage. He never got adopted, and younger kids would pick on him because of it.

"You never got adopted because your a weirdo."

"They can probably sense that you're useless."

But Jay being Jay, he'd beat them up everytime just because their faces annoy him. And you'd be the one to ask for forgiveness for his sake everytime he got in trouble. You knew him well enough to know that although he'd never admit it out loud, seeing other kids like Jungwon and Sunoo get adopted while he gets left behind hurt him more than it should.

"I'm very sorry for Jay's actions, please don't send him away." You begged to the Mother Superior's feet, and Jay couldn't help but feel embarrassed. Not of you, but of himself for having you go through all this for him.

"Noona, please you don't have to do this." He tells you softly, for once as he tries pulling you up to your feet but you just won't budge.

"I'm sorry Y/N, I know you have grown quite close to Jay for the past ten years. But he is now of legal age he can't just keep hurting minors." The mother superior, which is the head of the orphanage states.

"Jay promises he won't do it again, please." You continue to plead, at this point you were so close at kissing the sister's feet if that'll make them forgive Jay.

"What, when did I promised—." He says and you signal him to shut up. The sisters sigh, and decide to just punish Jay by making him work at the farm for a month. You thank them over and over, tears welling in your eyes.

"Y/N, may I have a word with you. Jay, you may retire to your room." The mother superior instructs. Jay looks at you hesitantly, before leaving.

"Have a seat." She commands you, and you oblige.

"What is it that you wanted to talk about?" You asked.

"Listen, dear. You're now twenty-three years old, you are at your ripest age of getting married. Not only that, but you're also one of the most beautiful maidens of this town. You can't spend your life at this orphanage forever. Won't you consider settling down soon?" She suggests, and you felt a lump in your throat, your heart feeling unease.

"That's alright, Mother Superior. I'm only twenty-three, I still have a lot to figure out in my life. When a man does take interest in me, I'll decide then." You assure her, and stand up to leave.

The next days, you'd wake up early to prepare breakfast for the kids and for Jay before he heads off to the farm. Jay being the stubborn boy he is, refuses to sit down and have breakfast and so on most days, you'd chase after him to bring him his breakfast and lunch box. He'd purposely walk faster, ignoring your shouts. A smirk never leaving his face.

"Jay! Jay! Wait!" You yelled, chasing your breath as you continued to run after him. But your quick steps were no match for his long strides.

"Jay you freaking dimwit! Haaaaalt!" You yell at the top of your lungs with all your might, and he finally stops in his tracks, turning to look at you.

"Oh, you've been calling for me? Did you need something?" He asks, feigning ignorance that you've been shouting his name for a good fifteen minutes. You huff, stomping towards him angrily. His face smug the whole time.

Others would think you're ready to punch him in the face, but instead you would take his hand and place his boxed meal there. You sigh.

"Take care of yourself, okay? And finish everything I packed for you." You say. Jay simply rolls his eyes and waves a hand at you dismissively.

"Yeah yeah, just don't go missing me too much." He teases, suppressing a smile. You scoffed, punching his shoulder lightly.

"Damn right, I wont." You stuck your tongue at him before waving him goodbye, running back to the orphanage.

As you walked back, you notice a fancy carriage parked in front of the orphanage. Many people were gathered around, gossiping.

"The crown prince has selected candidates to be his wife."

"Now that the queen has passed away, the prince must choose his bride in order to ascend to the throne."

"Oh what a lucky girl she must be."

You slip through the crowd of people, successfully making your way inside.

"Oh here she is now." Mother Superior introduces you to the men in fancy clothing, and you stood their dumbfounded.

"She is a beauty indeed." The men agreed to themselves.

"What exactly is happening?" You whisper to the Mother Superior.

"They came here for you, my child. You have been selected by the prince to become a candidate of being his wife. I've already had your suitcases ready, they will take you to the palace now. And don't worry, I've already informed your parents and they are more than happy and wished you the best."

Everything was happening so fast, it's like everything's been decided for you. And amidst the chaos in your mind, you could only think of one person. Jay.

"What about Jay, I haven't said goodbye—" You pleaded to the old woman to let you see Jay one last time but the footmen has announced your departure to the palace. You choked on your tears as pain burned through your chest, clutching Jay's ring to your chest as you were brought further and further away from the place you called home all your life.

Jay plowed the soil over and over, sweat trickling down his neck and forehead. The sun is high and the heat is a pretty tough companion.

"Jay! Jay!" Jay's friend, Sunghoon called his name, sprinting towards him as if his life depended on it. Sunghoon was one of the orphan kids who got adopted recently, whose home was only a few blocks away from the orphanage. Jay halted his work, placing the tool beside him.

"Haven't seen you in a while, what brings you here?" He raises his eyebrow. Sunghoon holds onto his knees as he catches his breath, before uttering words that shattered Jay's heart into pieces.

"No, it can't be." He refuses to believe it, shaking his head aggressively as tears welled in his eyes. It felt as if he was pierced so deeply in the chest with a dagger, so agonizingly painful.

"It is true, they took Y/N to the palace to become the prince's bride. It's been the talk of the town all morning." Sunghoon is sad for his friend, knowing his feelings for her all along.

"No! Y/N wouldn't do that, she wouldn't leave just like that. No." Jay cried and ran his way back to the orphanage, leaving his belongings behind.

He enters the orphanage, screaming for your name.

"Noona? Noona! I'm here, I'm here now. Noona? Where are you?" He kept on calling for you, his voice breaking as tears blurred his vision. The sisters tried to calm him down but he shoved their hands away from him.

"No! It can't be, she couldn't have left. Please tell me she didn't leave, please." Jay crumbled as he called your name over and over in agony. He begged for everything to be just some sick joke, a prank you planned to get back at him for always being so mean to you.

"Y/N." He choked out before everything spiraled infront of him and went black.

[beenovel]

A Frankly Hilarious Misunderstanding

Pairing: Kili x gn!reader

Word count: 2,103 (.... I have nothing to say for myself)

Warnings: none, misunderstandings for the purposes of comedy, not angst

Summary: Some minor human/dwarf cultural differences lead to major confusion. (AKA Kili is a himbo that doesn’t understand human customs)

A/n: This was a random shower thought that made me laugh until I slipped and @claraofthepen encouraged me to write.

Thank you to @claraofthepen @elvish-sky and @messiambrandybuck for beta reading!! Y'all are the best <3

Brief background: Y/n and your brother (Will) are humans that Gandalf brought along on the quest. Don’t ask me why, the spooky old wizard is mysterious. In your culture, it’s traditional for the courter to ask a courtee’s older relative if they can court. This will be important later. Also, homophobia isn’t a thing because I said so.

-

You lowered yourself onto a log by the fire with a grateful sigh. After a long day of walking, the thought of a hot dinner and sleep (even on the hard ground) was a relief. Thorin had called for everyone to stop right as the sun neared the horizon. This meant you’d had enough light to set up for the night much faster than normal.

Kili sat down next to you. He smiled and despite your exhaustion, you returned the gesture on instinct.

“Here,” he said while handing you a bowl of soup. You knocked your shoulder against his in thanks.

You, Will, Fili, and Kili had become all but inseparable over the past few months of the journey. Being so close in (relative) age, you all got along very well. You and Kili had grown especially close. He flirted with you non-stop and you had quickly fallen in love with him.

The only problem was that while Kili flirted with you quite a bit, he also flirted with everyone. Including your brother, though only occasionally. You were waiting to be sure he actually wanted to be with you, but if he made you wait any longer you were going to ask him despite your doubts. Patience is a virtue, but virtues are overrated anyway.

You looked across the fire to see your brother all but sitting on Ori. Dori did not look particularly happy about this. Your brother, on the other hand, was giggling like a ditzy maid at something Ori had said. You could see how happy Ori was at having made Will laugh, as he was looking at him with a small affectionate smile.

You wanted to walk over and smack their heads together for being so obtuse. Everyone could see how much they cared for one another but they were both too nervous to do anything about it. You had seen your brother face down a lone warg with nothing but a handful of dirt and a stick. And now he quailed at the thought of admitting his feelings for the quiet scribe. Ori seemed convinced that someone as brave as your brother could never love someone as quiet and shy as him.

You shook your head lightly in exasperation. Will had forced you to listen as he lamented his 'unrequited love' countless times. Despite your many, many (many) attempts to convince him otherwise (and all evidence to the contrary) your brother resolutely believed that Ori could never love him the same.

You thought back to the other night when you’d both been on watch.

“I’m just some human,” Will had said as he looked over at Ori’s sleeping form like a kicked puppy. “How could he ever feel the same?”

You had rolled your eyes then and you rolled them again now. Will often told you that one of these days you were going to roll your eyes so far back into your head they’d get stuck. He hadn’t particularly enjoyed it when you strongly insinuated that it would be his fault.

You were so distracted by your brother and Ori, you didn’t notice the nervous breakdown Kili was having right next to you. He was staring into the fire with some intensity while silently moving his lips to the thoughts in his head. His hand was deep in his pocket, worrying a courting bead.

Fili (who no one was paying attention to unlike you, Kili, Will, and Ori, who had the entire company's attention split between the four of you, with varying amounts of exasperation) was watching Kili with much the same expression you were watching Will with. After a moment he leaned over to his brother and whispered in his ear so that only he could hear.

“Go ask, you know what the reply will be. I’m growing sick of watching you two dance around each other and if you don’t ask soon, I'll ask for you.”

Kili turned to Fili with wide, concerned eyes.

“You wouldn’t.”

“Want to bet?”

Kili really didn’t.

Kili turned to you and gently placed his hand on your arm, pulling you out of your (by this point slightly murderous) thoughts.

“Take a walk with me?”

You smiled brightly at Kili.

“Alright”

Kili leads you to a stream the company had stopped near earlier in the day. He was silent the whole way and while silence between the two of you was usually comfortable, you couldn’t help but notice how nervous he seemed.

“Everything all right?”

He smiled.

“Of course Y/n!”

He still seemed nervous but you figured he would tell you when he was ready. You soon came to the small stream and sat down on a fallen log beside it.

Kili took a deep breath and turned to you.

“Y/N, for months I have been quite taken with you.”

The boldness of Kili’s words and how suddenly he said them took you by surprise. Kili, upon seeing your expression, hastily tried to amend his words.

“What I meant to say, erm, is that I’ve fallen in lo-” Kili coughed “I mean, I would like— Mahal Damn it give me a moment.”

Much to your giddy amusement, the young prince stopped his ramblings and took a breath, gathering himself before he spoke again. His voice was level, though his hands still fidgeted and his eyes were downcast.

“(Y/N), your mind and your beauty have enraptured me. I’ve never met your equal in wit and kindness, not in all the years I’ve been on Middle Earth. I ask for your hand in courtship, if it would please you, for it would surely please me.”

The prince glanced up at you and saw the tears in your eyes. His own widened and he began to pull away as he backtracked.

“However, if you were to refuse me, I would understand… I shouldn’t have assumed you felt the same… I mean, I’m so sorry-“ you interrupted the prince's ramblings by throwing your arms around his neck.

“Kili I would love to court you!”

Kili pulled back just enough to smile at you.

“So you’ll let me braid your hair?”

“Of course! Isn’t that pretty much the same thing as asking me to court you?”

Kili nodded.

“Then I’ve already said yes, you silly dwarf! …. Though my brother might be a bit upset.”

Kili frowned and remained silent for a moment before he asked

“Why? I thought he liked me.”

“No, no he does! It’s just, well, you were supposed to ask him first.”

Kili looked at you for a moment in obvious confusion.

“Kili? Are you alright?”

That seemed to break Kili out of his thoughts and he gained a look of determination. He quickly got up and began striding back towards camp.

You sat on the log for a moment looking after him in disbelief before getting up and jogging after him. You caught up to him and moved in front of him to block his path.

“Kili, Kili stop. Where are you going?” You asked him breathlessly.

“I’m going to ask your brother,” Kili said, clearly confused.

“We can do that later, my love.”

Kili took your hands in his and looked up at you.

“If it’s an important human tradition then I would honor it. Your culture and customs are just as important as my own.”

You wanted to argue further, but he was being so sweet and thoughtful you only sighed. You could also tell this was something he was going to be stubborn about.

“Alright.”

You hadn’t even finished speaking before he resumed dragging you back to camp.

You got back to camp and Fili turned to you with a big smile, which was quickly replaced with a frown at his brother’s intense expression.

Kili quickly walked up to Will and got down on one knee in front of him. Will looked over Kili’s shoulder at you and you shrugged. He turned back to Kili when he started speaking.

“Will, would you do me the honor of courting me?”

Will blinked and your jaw dropped. Silence fell over the camp. Everyone looked either at Kili or each other in bewilderment.

Ori stood up beside Will and glared at Kili so intensely that he’d have died on the spot if looks could kill.

“You knew I was going to ask him to court me! How could you?!”

Your brother (who had been looking at Kili like he’d grown a second head) turned to Ori quickly.

“Wait what?”

“Don’t ask me, it’s some sort of human custom!” Kili said.

You, Will, and Ori all began talking at once.

“Why would you - talking about - FIGHT YOU FOR HIM”

Will turned to Ori with an “Again, what?!”

Kili turned back to you with a fearful and very confused face.

“You said I had to ask him first.”

You blinked at him for a moment then burst out laughing so loudly Oin fell off his log.

The rest of the company stared at you in shocked silence for a moment before Will asked you (or maybe just the world at large) a question.

“What’s going on?”

Unfortunately, you were laughing too hard to reply and poor Kili didn’t understand any better than the rest of them.

Dwalin looked at Ori (who had turned a brilliant shade of red) and then moved to stand between Ori and Kili.

“Kili I think you’d better explain what happened when you and y/n were in the woods before Ori bursts a blood vessel,” He said

By now your face was starting to hurt. Kili looked at you in worry before he began.

“When I proposed Y/n said,” Kili paused here and turned his eyes to the sky as he tried to remember the exact wording “Of course, but you have to ask my brother first.”

Will started laughing too, and by this time you were lying on the ground near passing out from lack of oxygen.

Bilbo came to Kili’s rescue as most of the company was doubled over laughing now, having realized what you meant.

“I think what y/n meant was that you have to ask Will for permission to court. Not that you have to ask him to court you.”

You vaguely nodded as you continued to wheeze on the ground.

Eventually, you stopped laughing long enough to get off of the ground and you wiped your eyes. Kili gave you a slightly betrayed look as Fili used your shoulder for support to keep himself from falling over.

Will had managed to pull himself together long before you, so he was only chuckling when he said “Kili, I give you full permission to court y/n.”

He got far more serious as he turned to Ori who was now calm and growing shyer by the second.

“And I would love to court you, Ori.”

Ori smiled and nodded and they went off to the edge of camp to braid each other’s hair.

You noticed Nori was having to nearly physically restrain Dori from storming over to them.

You turned to a bright red Kili. “Aren’t you supposed to be braiding my hair?”

Kili took your hand and slowly began leading you to the edge of camp.

He sat behind you and while you expected to feel his hands in your hair, you didn’t.

“Kili?” You asked.

When he took a moment to respond you turned around to look at him. He was looking at your hair with a strange mixture of longing and sadness.

You sighed.

“Kili, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh, I-“

“Are you sure you want to court me?” He cut you off “I would understand if you didn’t, I mean I pretty much ruined the whole thing.”

“Kili” you whispered as you put your hand on his cheek.

“There is no one I’d rather be with,” you said.

“And besides, just think what a wonderful story this will make,” you said with a smile “plus if you hadn’t, Will and Ori might not have ever gotten together.”

He barked out a laugh.

“Those are very good points, ghivashel.”

“I know, I’m the one who made them.”

Kili pulled you in for a soft kiss. It quickly got more heated and your whole body was screaming for you to climb into his lap. Sudden whooping (from the company members) and exaggerated gagging (from Will and Fili) reminded you that you had an audience.

You lightly slapped Kili’s knee and said “get to braiding” as you turned back around.

He did and you reveled in the feeling of his fingers twisting in your hair.

“Now, tell me what ‘ghivashel’ means.”

-

-

Tag list: @elvish-sky @kumqu4t @anjhope1 @thewhiteladyofrohan @claraofthepen @dat-pan-dwarf @messiambrandybuck @shethereadinghobbit @cassiabaggins @animallover81

[needs-to-stop-looking-at-valves]

Okkkk!!! I know Beckett is staying in the Encanto temporary so can we a one shot of him leaving soon BUT, he gives Mira a promise ring since he's coming back in a few months!!! Pretty Please 🥺

Oh i was WAITING for this kinda prompt. Let's GO!

He felt so stupid. How could he let it get this far? An explorer wasn't too far from an entomologist, since they both had one motto- leave things how you found it. Every leaf was kept on their tree, every bug was returned after studying. And yet, he was leaving his mark here. He fell for a real stunning lass. One important to a community. It was rolling up to their first year, and he thought nothing of it.

Until he got a letter today, requesting he come back this week. His father knew nothing of Mirabel, for he kept her a secret. Not out of shame or anything, but because his father believed in love so strongly, he'd make him stay. But he couldn't. He loved this girl, but not enough to forget his duties and his passions. He just hoped she'd understand.

"Bruno, afternoon! How are the rats?"

Bruno was sitting just outside of the house, relaxing under a tree. He had grown to like this guy, even though their meeting was a little bumpy. Bruno saw him, and nodded, scooting over the bench and motioning him to sit with him.

"Fine, unlike you. Telling Mirabel the news today, huh?"

Beckett sat next to him, burying his face in his hands.

"Right. Future vision. How long have you known?"

"Had the vision last night. I wanted to tell her, but honestly, It doesn't feel like my place. Got a script ready?"

"I feckin wish..."

Bruno sighed, taking a sip of his drink, before patting his back.

"Just go easy on her. This is her first relationship. And she really, REALLY likes you. It's cute."

He ran his fingers through his hair in stress, before looking up at the older man.

"Think I can beg ya for a vision here? I'm desperate to know how this ends."

"I would, but I don't do visions on the family. Personal rule. But I think your 'gift' is more than enough."

He was about to reply, when Dolores popped her head out. She knew something was amiss, obviously, just not what, and he could tell it was killing her.

"Beckett. You should come inside, someone's waiting for you."

"Is it Mariano?"

It was a joke, but she clearly wasn't amused. She probably thought this was a break up, and was already planning how to dispose of his body. He bid Bruno farewell, and walked inside. He tried to go into the kitchen, when he suddenly had hands over his eyes, and weight on his back.

"Boo."

He chuckled as he held onto her hands, not quite pulling them away just yet.

"I want to kiss these hands, but not if this is Camilo again."

"Okay first of all Imma beat him up. Second, nope, all me, bugs."

He pulled her hands away, and after smooching them, he turned to see her. His face immediately lit up, he could feel it.

"You're...wearing mom's bow."

She shrugged nonchalantly, as if this wasn't just an incredibly precious gesture of her.

"It's like. A LOT. But it's cute, and I thought it'd be perfect for today. Especially since I have a surprise for you."

Oh no, he hated the fact that her excited smile disappointed him so. She practically pranced into the kitchen, and pulled out a few dishes, putting them on the table.

"Oh...miraposa, you didn't."

"I did! I know you said you missed food from your home, so after doing some research, and a LOT of trial and error in the kitchen, and I mean a LOT of error-I made these for you!"

He was wooed, obviously, by such a sweet gesture. They weren't perfect, and that was when he knew she did it herself, rather than have her mother do it.

"You made boxty?"

"Yeah! I mean, a LITTLE burnt, but I made 'em! Took me forever and now I hate potatoes, but hey! Oh, and I made colcannon! You mentioned you REALLY missed that stuff!"

The bowl was plentful, thick as paste and slathered in butter. It was stuffed to the brim with greens, and it was exactly how the dish SHOULD be served. Then she had to seal the nail in his coffin.

"Oh...Miraposa. There's no way."

"But there IS! Soda bread! I even made your favorite kind- the cranberry ones! I had to have Isa help me get the berries, for reasons, but..."

He made it a point to listen to her, but here, her words started to fade as he just. Watched her. He knew, as he sat here with this loaf of bread (that looked as if it needed another minute in the oven), that he didn't deserve her. His father would adore her, and he knew if he met such a pretty, caring, awkward girl, he'd talk him into quitting his job and staying here. He'd adore her. He'd love her so much, he'd give her the keys to the fucking place. He couldn't help himself. He stepped forward, grabbed her wrists, and leaned down to kiss her.

She was so soft. So vibrant. She was like a butterfly, fluttering in the breeze, determined to see the world and all its beauty. He held the kiss for a good moment, enough that if her father saw, he'd PROBABLY make his presence known. When he pulled away, she shook her head a bit, trying to knock herself out of the trance he just put her in.

"You...really like your bread."

She was so cute. He hated that he did this to her. He should be ashamed.

"I really like you. It's...why I'm sorry."

"For what?"

Could he do this? Could he stand to look past those glasses and be so abrupt to her? No. But it didn't matter. She NEEDED this.

"I...how do I say this...mi amor. Mi mariposa. I can't be with you anymore."

She looked confused, as if him using those words didn't make sense(he was getting better at the language, but his accent needed work. Félix called him a 'white-xican'. Whatever that meant).

"W...what?"

He took a deep breath, and decided she should read it for herself. He helped her put the bread on the table, and handed her the letter. She read it over, and took a step away from him, as if he just said something cruel to her. He took a step towards her, slowly.

"I'm going to be going home in a week. On...the day of our anniversary. I'm sorry."

"You're...breaking up with me, then?"

He noticed Félix in the corner of his eyes, holding Agustín back. He WAS making his youngest daughter cry, he was absolutely due in his anger. But he wasn’t scared of them, he was scared of hurting her.

"That...is up to you. While I can't physically be with you, I'd like to be with you in spirit."

He dug into his bag, and got on one knee. She stared at him, completely in disbelief. He pulled out the little box, and opened it for her to see.

"It's a promise ring. We're...a little young to be married, unfortunately. But, if you think I'm good enough, I'd like to promise to be yours and yours only. I will be back, I just. Don't know when. I'll write you every day, I'll send you photos, I'll write you poetry-and I hate poetry. So...what do you say?"

She thought about it. She was uncertain. This was asking a lot of her, he understood. If she said no, he respected it. If her father kicked him out or her uncle beat him up, he'd accept it. She fumbled with the hem of her skirt, trying to coax herself into talking.

"What...do YOU want?"

"Promise it won't influence your choice?"

"Yes."

"I want you to say yes. At the risk of being too forward in present company...Mirabel, I fucken love ya."

She stood straight above him, face immediately becoming stern.

"Fine. On one condition."

"Anything."

"Put it on for me."

He nodded, stood up, and as if he'd break her, held her hand, and slipped the ring on her finger. She was kind, returning the favor. He couldn't help but kneel down a bit to pick her up in a hug. He held her, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Mirabel?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think your dad is gonna follow me home? He looks ready to kill me."

She turned to look at the corner, and gave an awkward smile.

"No no, he's fine! My dad's a softie, you know that. Félix might tell Pepa though, and THAT I'd be worried about. Excuse me. PA!"

Mirabel mumbled/yelled as she pushed them into the hallway. He looked at the spread on the table, and plucked a piece of soda bread. It was kinda bland, but he loved it.

He loved her.

-------------------

"I still can't believe it. He thinks his stupid job is more important than my little sister? I should kill him."

"It's his passion, Isa. I'd be selfish to make him stay. Now where's the number..."

Mirabel was with her family, who all agreed to come with her to send Beckett off. There was a train station just past the Alma's river (that's actually what it's called on various maps), and it was as busy as you'd think it'd be. She was looking for the train number, as was the rest of her family. Today was not only their first year anniversary, but the day he had to go home for...who knows how long. Pepa pointed ahead of them.

"I see him!"

She looked to where Pepa was looking, and she'd recognize that butt a millions mile away. The group pushed back the crowd, and Félix even grabbed Beckett's bag, so NOTHING could keep her from diving in for a hug. He looked down at her in surprise, yet joy.

"Mirabel! I thought you said you weren't gonna meet me here!"

"I wasn't, but then I realized I wanted to. Then I told mamá, who told Pepa, who told Félix, who told Agustín-wait. Speaking of dads, is yours in there? Are you worried he's gonna see me?"

Beckett put her down, and shook his head.

"Oh as soon as he sits down on a train seat he's out like a light. Which is good, I don't want him to know about us, just yet."

He held onto her hands, sweet as sweet could be. His forehead rested on hers, and she stared into her eyes, one last time.

"Think he can meet me next time?"

"Absolutely. I'd be honored. Hell, both of our parents should meet."

She squeezed his fingers, desperately not wanting to let him go. She wasn't just losing a boyfriend, she was losing a friend. One she trusted and genuinely enjoyed being around.

"Remember that ring on your finger. Imma get mad if you think of other girls."

"What if it was an exact clone? Would that count?"

"Don't push it, Eejit."

"Don't take that tone with me, Culicagado."

She wanted to kiss him and his stupid face. But before she could, he pulled away, just a bit. He looked ready to apologize, when she held her hand up to stop him.

"It's fine, I get it. I'll miss you."

"However much you'll miss me, I'll miss a thousand more, lass. I'll write first thing tomorrow."

She didn't want to, but she let him go. He went into the train, and through the window, he kept looking at her. She didn't look away, not wanting to believe he was actually leaving. Then the train started to sound and steam. She was going to suggest going now, save herself the hurt, only to jump as the thing stuttered and popped. Clearly something was wrong. There were sounds of panic amongst everyone, and the conductor was about to walk outside, when suddenly the train was lifted off the tracks.

"Oh my god-LUISA!"

Luisa was lifting the train effortlessly, tears swelling up on her eyes.

"NO. WE AIN'T ENDING IT LIKE THAT. THIS TRAIN ISN'T GOING ANYWHERE TILL BUG BOY KISSES MY SISTER."

The train conductor, clearly freaking out, called to the rest of the train.

"CAN 'BUG BOY' GET UP HERE AND FIX THIS? SHIT COMES OUT OF M Y PAY."

Mirabel was about to try to ease Luisa into putting the damn thing down, when Beckett jumped out of the train, ran up to her, and kissed her. The force nearly sent her to the floor, had it not been for him holding onto her. She cherished it, knowing she'd need it in the middle of the night, when she was most lonely for him. He pulled away after a moment, every part of him looking absolutely flushed.

"I'm...glad she did that. You deserved that. Te amo, Miraposa."

With one more kiss to her forehead, he turned around, and jumped back into the train. Luisa, now in full on tears, set the train down, a bit roughly. She stood next to her sister as the train left, this time, without any other issues. Mirabel watched the tracks, sighing when the train left, and when it started to pour over her head. Pepa was trying not to, but she was crying, soaking the entire family. Thankfully, Félix came in clutch, umbrella at the ready.

"You gonna be okay, mija?"

"...si. I'll be okay. Imma miss him and his stupid butt."

Agustín joined her under the umbrella, hand on her shoulder.

"You want to go get some ice cream? You can get whatever you want."

"....can you carry me, Pa?"

She sniffed, trying not to cry as her dad picked her up off the floor, and helped carry her to get her treat.

Stupid boys and their stupid bugs.

[yyxgin]

7 days (lee minho)

pairing: lee minho x gn reader genre: fluff, best friends to lovers au, college au word count: 3.7 k  warnings: swearing, mention of alcohol in like one sentence listen to: 7 days - nct dream requested by: anon

synopsis: you confess your love to your best friend for a whole week before he finally takes it seriously.

THINGS YOU SAID MASTERLIST 28) things you said in the dark

MONDAY

Lee Minho is your best friend. Now, Lee Felix would disagree and say you’re in love with him, and your roommate might be right, but you’ll never actually admit it to him. You managed to hide your feelings for the older boy for far too long now and you’re not just going to lose your streak for nothing, right? 

Wrong.

Well, it’s not your fault that you have to break the little promise you gave to yourself. It’s all on Lee Felix and his pathetic bet. You should have known better than to make bets with a short Australian boy, but you guess even your brain has its dark moments and this was surely one of them.

“I bet you’ll forget to take out the things from the dishwasher before I come back from my afternoon class,” he prompts to say while putting on his shoes in the hall, glaring at you after a small argument you two had over who is the dirtier one in your apartment (it’s obviously Felix. He just can’t stand the truth). 

“Oh yeah? What are we betting on, then?” you mock him, pouting in annoyance. 

“If I come back and the dishwasher is still full, you’ll have to confess to Minho. No excuses.” he spits at you, putting on his coat and taking his backpack from the floor, looking like an angry cat. 

You snort at his comment. “As if,” you roll your eyes, “okay, deal. And if I don’t forget and you lose this bet, you’ll have to clean for the whole year alone. I’m not helping in the slightest.” you bark at him, watching him open the door and snickering at your proposal.

“Right. Okay,” he nods his head, getting out of your shared apartment, “deal.”

Now, this was a huge deal for you. It was important for you to win this bet, because, well, you hate cleaning. And on top of that, you can’t just confess to your best friend out of the blue, right? That would be horrible. Everyone would have thought you paid much attention to your task and that you actually did what you had to do-- take the dishes out of the dishwasher for once. It was easy!

Well… you see… Friends were on the TV. 

Isn’t that enough of a reasoning for you forgetting? No? 

Okay, right, maybe you do have a memory of a goldfish. But it’s totally not your fault that the episode that was running was just your favorite and Felix’s afternoon class wasn’t as long as you thought it was going to be!

Needless to say, Felix came home to a full dishwasher and a shit-eating grin on his face announcing his victory, bringing you back to your senses.

“Oh no..” you curse under your breath, fear in your eyes.

“Do it. Now,” he orders, “call him. I can’t believe you actually forgot.” he shakes his head, laughing to himself, “oh, well, I did think you would, but something inside of me still had a little bit of hope.” he shrugs, watching you nervously sweat under his gaze.

“I can’t!” 

“It was a bet, you little bitch! Do it now or I’m telling him!” he yells, motioning to your phone and glaring at you for the thousandth time that day, making you take it with shaky fingers and a deep sigh coming out of your mouth, dialing your best friend’s number, because truth be told, maybe you do fear your roommate just a little bit. He is short, but full of angst and rage for this world and you didn’t want to be the victim of that.

“Hello?” Minho asks, making you tremble even more with the reality hitting you.

“M-Minho?” you call into the phone, biting on your nails as you put your phone on speaker so Felix can watch you do the biggest mistake of your short life.

“Yeah?” he asks nonchalantly, making your heart skip a beat.

“I love you.” you deadpan, hearing the other side of the line get silent. It’s not an outcome you predicted, but it’s not the one you would like to hear either. 

After a while, there’s a short snicker coming out of the speaker followed by a teasing question that makes you instantly roll your eyes. “Who doesn’t?”

And you chose this as your object of interest? You huff, instantly getting irritated as all of your nerves leave your body. “I love you, Minho.”

“Did you drink?” he asks, “I mean, I know it’s only like 4pm or something, but with you and Felix living together, you never know…”

“No, I didn’t drink anything. I’m completely sober-” you prompt to say, getting cut off by your best friend again, his voice coming out in a rushed statement.

“Okay, I have a class in like 5 minutes and I haven’t gone out of my apartment yet, so please don’t get wasted and I’ll see you soon, bye!” and with that, he gives you no time to answer as he ends the call, leaving you sitting shocked in your living room with a silent phone in your hand and a moment to take in.

“So... I guess it went good?” you mumble, raising your eyebrows at your roommate that just shakes his head at you.

“You’re gonna try tomorrow again. I’m not letting you go before he takes your confession seriously.” 

“Felix-”

“No excuses.” he glares.

You had to clean out the dishwasher that afternoon anyway.

TUESDAY

You decide to follow your promise you gave to Felix, because in your words, mamma ain’t raise no bitch, and you also, admittedly, can’t stop thinking about the words you said to him ever since you got them out of your mouth. There was a sense of relief overflowing your body after your confession that tells you that maybe, this wasn’t such a bad idea as you first thought it was. 

You confess to your best friend on the second day of the week again. It’s tuesday and you two meet in a coffee shop, talking about how your week was. You two were quite busy with school and classes, so it was hard for you two to talk, but you quickly caught up and your conversations were still as comfortable as ever, as if nothing happened and you didn’t just spill out your heart to him the day before.

You think that maybe, he even forgot. Who knows? Lee Minho was quite the individual.

Once the barista calls for his name and he comes to take his order, you watch him with a look you only imagine can resonate the textbook version of heart eyes. It’s hard for you to look anywhere else-- you have eyes only for him. It’s quite silly, you think. You managed to fall for him even though all he’s ever done was tease you and laugh at you.

Well… that’s not all. And you know that. To a stranger, it might seem like your relationship is strictly like two siblings. You two tease each other more than you actually have serious talks, but that doesn’t mean Minho isn’t a good listener that always offers you the most honest advice. His humour is also the only thing that could get you through your hard days sometimes and for that, you’re forever thankful.

So once you step outside of the coffee shop and walk side by side on the sidewalk, you decide to go for it again. Because what could go wrong, right?

“Minho, I love you.” you say, voice much more steadier than yesterday, watching him react.

But exactly in the moment you do so, the cup of coffee in his hands slips out of his grasp and falls to the ground, making him wince and scowl, because truth be told, his only love is and always has been the americano now spilled all over the concrete.

“A terrible decision, really.” he mutters, taking the empty cup from the ground and throwing it out to the bin, sighing to himself.

You offer to share your coffee with him. He teases you for drinking latte.

WEDNESDAY

Wednesdays are the hardest for your best friend. You know this, because you know him too well. You know his schedule by heart and you also know when he’s having a hard time-- you are his best friend, after all. You can see it on him even in the slightest change in his eyes.

You visit him at his apartment on Wednesday with some takeout in your hand, knowing he doesn’t have the time and energy to cook on this particular day. 

His classes start in the early morning and they end in the late afternoon-- leaving him exhausted, only to be going to his dance classes in the evening. They always tire him out even more. It breaks your heart to see him getting home with dark circles under his eyes and fair skin, but you can’t really do anything about it-- it’s his schedule, after all. All you can do for him is be there with takeout in your hand, waiting on his bright yellow sofa (you were strongly against this color, but he just didn’t care about your opinion. Or he bought it just for the exact same reason, who knows) until he comes home, ready to hear him complain about his day.

And he does exactly that-- he comes home a few minutes after you sneaked into his apartment with the spare key he nonchalantly gave you once when you hung out, falling down face-first onto the sofa with an exaggerated sigh, screaming into the cushions.

“Hard day?” you ask, voice soft and considerate.

He answers you with a hum before he sits up again, coming closer to where you’re sitting on the sofa, taking the takeout from the bag sitting at the coffee table and sitting on the floor in front of you, right between your legs. You don’t know why he does that, but it’s become a tradition at this point-- he sits at the floor, even though he has plenty of space on the sofa to sit on, and you sit right behind him, legs on either side of his body, nudging him with your heels when you feel like teasing him.

“Thanks for coming,” he mumbles, getting the chopsticks and munching on his food, chewing out loud-- a sign that it tastes good and you made a good choice on picking his dinner today.

“It’s not a big deal, I always come over anyways,” you answer, smiling down at him.

He only nods at you, but you see his composure shift in the way he aimlessly stares at the wall-- he doesn’t feel good. It’s not only the exhaustion today. There must be something else going on. 

“Are you okay?” you ask, bringing him out of his thoughts.

“Yeah,” he nods, continuing to eat, “it’s just… I feel so useless today.” he shrugs, snickering to himself.

“Why?” you simply state.

“We’re learning this new choreography and I just can’t get it right…” he mumbles, not once meeting your eye as he explains what’s on his mind. Minho doesn’t say a lot, but somehow, you always entirely know how he feels.

You sigh, shifting a little in your seat so you’re closer to the boy sitting on the floor, tenderly bringing your fingers into his hair. You brush it away from his forehead, playing with it, as you quietly speak up, wanting to heal your best friend’s heavy heart.

“It’s just a bad day, Minho. It will be okay, I promise. You just have to rest, okay?” you mumble, continuing to play with his hair. “You’ll get the dancing right in no time. So don’t worry about that, yeah?”

“Hmm,” he hums in a mix of pleasure and acknowledgement, closing his eyes momentarily before he puts the empty box of takeout on the coffee table and leans back into your touch, “fine. Wanna sleep over and watch a movie?” 

You shake your head in disbelief at how quickly his mood changes, giggling. “Okay.”

“Okay,” he nods, but doesn’t move from your touch. You watch him from up close, tracing the sculpted features of his face, admiring his beauty, when you decide to say the three words again, nonchalantly and randomly, as always.

“I love you, Minho.”

“Thanks.”

THURSDAY

You wake up to the sunlight aggressively shining into your eyes, scowling a little and cursing at Lee Minho under your breath, because he is the only person you know that doesn’t close their blinds before going to sleep. You thank the gods for not having a morning class today, trying to force yourself to go back to sleep, when you hear loud cursing from the kitchen, prompting you to hurriedly stand up and rush to the room, watching a disaster happen right in front of your eyes.

“Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck-” you hear, seeing something set to flames on the stove-- you think it’s eggs, by the carton placed on the kitchen counter, but you really can’t recognise the object when it’s coal black and burning.

“What’s going on?” you nervously ask, watching the scene unfold.

“A fire.” your best friend says, making you laugh.

You just shake your head at him, taking a seat at his kitchen table, not even rushing to help. Watching him struggle is much more fun anyway, and you know he’ll figure it out eventually-- he’s an engineering student. He’s smart.

“Are you not going to help?” he glares at you, putting the pan under the sink, flashing water on the hot surface. 

“Not really, no,” you shake your head in innocence, seeing how the hot oil reacts with water in a small explosion, almost burning your best friend’s fingers off as he quickly lets go of the object and curses loudly again, taking a step back.

“How did this all even happen?” you ask, watching him sigh and take out another pan, cracking an egg on top of it and letting it cook.

“I was looking for Dori and forgot I had eggs on the stove…” he scratches the back of his head, laughing a little at himself.

“Right. Yeah. Why didn’t I think of that? I’m such an idiot,” you propose, laughing with him. It’s such a Minho thing to do, you don’t even feel surprised anymore.

Minho then finishes cooking the eggs, serving them to you on a small, white plate, acting like a chef as he takes a seat on the chair opposite of yours, eating his own creation as well.

“Is it good?” he asks, watching you fierclessly nod at him with big eyes and full mouth.

“It’s amazing. I was starving, really, so these eggs really hit different right now,” you mumble out, “Thanks Minho, I love you.”

It slips out casually now. It’s been four days and your best friend doesn’t seem to notice the change in your behaviour, but you don’t really even care at this point. Maybe it’s easier for you this way, after all.

Minho just hysterically laughs at you like a maniac this time, not even finding words to say back as he finishes the breakfast he made with so much struggle, and maybe even the tiniest bit of care. 

FRIDAY

The cars behind the window blur into themselves as you drive down the street, sitting on the passenger seat of your best friend’s car. You smile fondly at him when he shortly glances at you from his place, driving with ease down the neighbourhood you live in, the raindrops angrily falling at the surface of the car making it hard for the two of you to even listen to music on your drive home.

“Thanks for driving me home, you’re a lifesaver,” you say when you’re near your apartment complex.

“Well, I have to take care of you since you’re too stupid to get driver’s licence,” he shrugs, grining.

“I’m not stupid!”

“You failed the test twice!”

“I was stressed!” you argue, laughing at him. 

He shakes his head at you, parking in front of your building, waiting for you to get out with your things and run into your apartment. You don’t forget your ritual, though, looking him in the eye before you leave, muttering the cursed eight letters again before saying goodbye.

“I love you.”

“Why?” he asks, eyebrows furrowed. There’s a hint of amusement hitting his features, but confusion is a feeling overpowering on his face when he speaks to you.

“What do you mean, why?” you shake your head.

“Why do you keep saying that?” 

“Because it’s true?” you answer, sounding more like a question, though, watching his expression change into even more confused one.

“But like… why?”

“That’s a stupid question.” you scoff. You feel your palms sweating, trying to nonchalantly wipe them on your pants, the stress finally falling on your shoulders when you’re being questioned.

“It’s not. Answer me.” he insists, pouting at you like a little child in the store when their parents don't want to buy them something.

“Because you’re my best friend? I don’t know,” you sigh, hurriedly taking your backpack from the floor, opening the door wide to escape the conversation, “bye!”

You run into your apartment, breathing heavily as you take off your shoes and reach the living room, seeing your roommate laying sprawled out on the sofa in his usual manner. This is a situation for a short australian man to cope with, if you’ve ever seen one.

“Felix, I think I fucked up.”

SATURDAY

After a long, long conversation with Felix about your feelings and how you think you ruined it all, you think your mood couldn’t be worse. You feel like you either completely missed your chance by telling Minho you love him only because he’s your best friend, or you messed it all up and made your friendship awkward by saying so and he finally caught on to what your words really mean.

You walk around the apartment like a stressed-out shell without a soul, chewing on your bottom lip at all times, when you hear the bell on your door ring, throwing you out of your thoughts as you run to see who’s there bugging you in the late hours of the evening.

“What are you doing here so late?” you ask Minho, caught off-guard.

“I was bored,” he shrugs, looking down to his feet. You want the ground to swallow you whole. It’s suddenly hard to stand there in front of him-- it only deepens how embarrassed and frustrated you feel.

“Do you wanna go out for a walk?” he asks, raising his eyebrows up at you in question.

“Sure,” you shrug, following him outside.

You walk by his side, feeling your hands slightly brush against each other from time to time, making you shudder with the unexpected contact. You’ve never felt more nervous than now-- and you took your driving test twice, so that really tells you something.

“Why are you so quiet? Did something happen?” he asks, slightly nudging you with his elbow.

“What? No,” you shake your head, “everything’s fine.” you smile.

“Are you sure? I know I can be a dick sometimes, but you know I’m always here for you,” he says, gazing into your face with such fondness it actually comforts you.

“Yeah, I know,” you nod, “thanks.” you sigh. 

A few more steps later, though, the sentence slips out of your mouth again, and you don’t even try to fight it as you let it go. It feels natural to say it now. You’re getting used to it, yet, the feeling he makes you feel always somehow shifts-- but still stays the same as well.

“I love you.”

A nervous laugh is all he gives you, hugging you to his side with his arm, keeping you close to shield you from the cold.

SUNDAY

And when the clock passes midnight and Minho’s still sitting in your room, you feel like somehow, you two have never been closer. You managed to confess to him every day for the past week and he’s still by your side. It’s a change to your relationship, but you don’t feel like it’s causing you trouble anymore.

You sit in silence, just enjoying each other’s presence. You don’t have a clue why he didn’t want to leave yet, but you don’t mind him staying. He brings your soul another kind of comfort-- like the morning by the sea, just listening to the waves hitting the shore, the distant chirping of birds lulling you back to sleep.

His hands rest on your calves, your legs thrown over his lap as he sits up on your bed, his back pressed against the wall. You lay there, watching him in the moonlight. You had to turn the lights off, because Felix’s room is right opposite yours and the landlord didn’t let you change the door, meaning you both had an old, white door with a big glass window in the middle of it, letting the lights shine right to the other’s room at night. 

He tickles you in the spark of the moment, making you laugh quietly. You don’t want to wake Felix up, or else he’ll get mad at you, and once again, you don’t play with a short australian boy, or you’ll get burned-- you know that by now.

“Stop it!” you whisper-shout at him, sitting up and moving away from him.

He chases you on the bed, though, his fingers laying everywhere on your body, lightly tickling the skin of your stomach when his hands slip under your pyjama shirt. You push them away, squeeking with the coldness of his fingertips, tears threatening to fall from your eyes at the force of your laugh. 

He stops, falling down to the bed next to you, heavy breathing being the only thing heard in the quiet room. His hand slowly makes its way to your thigh, resting there delicately. You curse at the butterflies rising in your stomach-- you want to shout at them to go away, but hell, is it a good feeling. It’s like you’re torturing yourself, but it’s a sweet torture. You wouldn’t change it in the slightest.

And so then and there, after confessing to him for six days straight, you decide to try again, with as much sincerity as you can, because suddenly, there’s something inside of you telling you that this time, it might actually work.

“I love you.”

And perhaps, you’re not wrong, because with the shuffling of the sheets, he turns his body to yours, facing you. He stares into your eyes, smiling softly at your face, the action looking angelic sitting on his features. 

“I love you too,” he confesses in the dark. 

[one-piece-dumpster-fire]

Hello! Could i please have some good good pregnancy and parenting headcanons with a fem!s/o for Law, Eustass, and Zoro please? Thank you so much and have an awesome day!

Oof pregnancy and parenting headcanon make me so soft, thank you very much for this sweet request🥺! I focussed a bit more on the pregnancy part rather than the parenting tho since I've written something similiar for Kid and Law already😅 Hope what I came up with suits you, and sorry for the long wait!

How they deal with a pregnant gf and having a baby headcanon

Trafalgar Law

because of his medical knowledge and observant nature, Law actually noticed the first signs of your pregnancy even before you did

so when you finally realize that you're pregnant and go to confront him with your discovery, he's anything but surprised

"Law, I need to tell you something. I'm-"

"Pregnant? Yeah, I thought so."

he looks pretty unbothered and composed, almost as if this isn't anything new to him, but on the inside he is completely tense and filled with anxiety. A baby just doesn't fit into your pirate lives. At all. However he doesn't want to show his true feelings and possibly cause you to panic. You already got enough on your plate with all the new physical and hormonal changes you're about to go through

personally Law didn't plan on having kids, ever, but what's done is done. To make sure that this is really what you want he'd still offer you the option of an abortion, but when you decline and tell him that you want to keep the child, he accepts your decision

"Alright (Y/N), brace yourself then. A few major changes are upon us..."

everything from the beginning of your pregnancy to the date of birth is planned out by him. Law doesn't want anything to go wrong and refuses to take risks. That means you'll spend most of your time either stuck by his side or in the proximity of another member of the Heart Pirates

Bepo, Penguin and Shachi are super excited for the kid and to be uncles. They all come up with their own ideas on what they'll do with the baby once it's born, and their enthusiasm sort of puts Law at ease. This means he and you at least won't have to deal with everything by yourselves

when you actually go into labour, Law's composed facade drops for a moment and he reveals just how stressed he's been up until now

in order to properly assist you and be there for you while you're giving birth, he forces himself to imagine that this is just an ordinary operation. It's not his girlfriend having his baby, he's not about to be a father in a few minutes-

all the stress and anxiety instantly falls off of him when he first holds the new life you two created.

the first time Law looks down at his baby he's absolutely mesmerized. Sure it's still bloody and screeching its lungs out, but despite all odds it's looking completely healthy and is actually,,,, really adorable? Holy shit, how did he manage to make something so pure-looking-

after cleaning the baby and introducing it to its mother, he brings the little human over to Bepo and lets it rest in the bear's soft fur instead of wrapping it up in a blanket. Not only should that be far more comfortable for the tiny thing, but it's also the first bonding experience with uncle Bepo. And while the baby is sleeping, Law walks over to check in on you and tells you how great you did

as far as being a dad goes, Law belongs to the supportive but distant type. Whenever he's got the chance he'll try to spend time with his kid, but there are often other, more important things he has to take care of

however he's still a proud parent and lowkey hopes that the child will take an interest in his work when it gets older. It shouldn't come as a surprise that one of the first things your kid will be taught by Papa Law is how to dissect a frog

Eustass Kid

his immediate thought when you let him know that you're pregnant is "how can I make this unhappen"

look at him, Kid is not ready to be a dad. Especially when it comes to his level of maturity he's basically still a child himself-

no one on the Victoria Punk is prepared for the big news. Their captain made a baby. There will be a kid running around the ship. Oh shit, everyone better start learning to limit their use of profanities already-

initially Kid acts pretty grumpy throughout your pregnancy. He didn't want this, but it's still happening. And he can't do anything against it. He's almost acting like a pregnant woman himself-

can not and will not handle your cravings/mood swings. Whenever you start acting up he just gets completely irritated and quickly peaces out when he can't come up with a way to deal with you

but what started out as regret turns into excitement when he thinks about how awesome his kid would be. With him as dad and you as mom it's only natural that the result will be amazing

and thus he starts to be a bit more open-minded towards the whole situation. Heck, he even gets lowkey excited and starts building a few baby cribs and closets for the child!

unfortunately tho Kid is anything but compassionate during your pregnancy, and it gets especially bad when you start showing. His immature nature shines through and he makes quite a few indecent comments on how you look a balloon,,,

for some reason he also tends to be more horny than usual. Hey, you already got a bun in the oven, so there isn't anything else you need to worry about, right?

in contrast to how he treated you during your pregnancy, he's actually very supporting and motivating during birth

lmao but that's mostly because he's eagerly waiting between your legs for the kid to plop out and right into his arm like a Christmas present

it's almost like a lottery to him and he's super excited what the brat will look like

however nothing could have prepared Kid for the moment when he gets to hold the baby for the first time. The young man basically beams with pride and grins from one ear to the other while the baby cries like an alarm clock

Kid's first time holding the newborn in a nutshell:

"Hehe, it looks like we got a girl here, ey (Y/N)?"

"Kid... that's the baby's ass. You're holding it the wrong way around."

he definitely comes up with ridiculous names for the child, such as: "Eustass Explosion", "Eustass Chainsaw" and his personal favorite- "Eustass the Destroyer"

putting his excitement aside, the young pirate captain definitely has to grow into the role of a father. At first he almost treats the kid like some sort of new toy or pet

you'll never catch him changing even a single diaper. Most of the time Kid tells Killer to man up, cover the holes in his mask, and take care of it by himself if he really wants to be considered 'the best uncle'

despite his rowdy behaviour he is aware that the child is 'fragile' and usually makes sure to keep it away from any dangerous stuff, meaning that the workshop is off-limits for the little one. Kid also never uses his metal arm when he's playing with or holding the baby; instead he build a more authentic prosthetic that'll allow him to hold the child more properly

Roronoa Zoro

his eye almost pops out of its socket when you tell him

holy shit! Zoro of course knew that sex makes babies, but what are the odds of this happening to you?! Besides he always considered himself to be too controlled and restrained for that to work?! Damn?!?!

despite the initial shock he wants to do his best to help you through the pregnancy. After all he basically caused this-

however Zoro can't even find the way to the grocery store to get some diapers

someone send him help. And by help, I mean Chopper

the reindeer himself doesn't know too much about pregnancies, but he's more than happy to collect some first-hand experience and teaches Zoro all about how to be a dad and what's going on with your body

whenever you're near he keeps his swords sheathed and tucked away from you. Once your stomach starts popping he's wary that if he comes too close to you with a sharp thing you might burst or something

at night he keeps watch like a guard dog, his overprotectiveness shines through and he often refuses to go to sleep before you

you probably go into labour while he's out getting lost or fighting some marines, but once Zoro gets the news he almost drops his sword and hurries back to be with you

but he arrives almost an hour later because he got so excited that he forgot the way back to the Sunny

Zoro really wants to help you and Chopper deliver the baby. He's constantly repeating what the reindeer doc says to you and at some point, when your pain reaches its peak, he even suggets reaching down and pulling the baby out of you with his own two hands lol

but once the first cries fill the rooms, he freezes up. It's done. Those nine months of worry, mood swings, suffering and cravings are finally over. A wave of relief washes over him as he smirks down at you, quietly saying how proud he is

however Zoro strongly refuses to hold his baby at first. He's genuinely scared he might drop it or accidentally crush it.

you and Chopper basically have to yell at him to get him out of his trance and convince the new father to take a look at his child

"Zoro, I did not go through hours of pain just so you can say no to holding our baby. For crying out loud, take your child!"

the second you put the baby into his arms Zoro's protective dad instincts kick in and now he refuses to let the child go again lmao

he's mustering the little one's face like some abstract oil painting, unable to tear his gaze from it and proudly recognizing all the similarities between the baby and its parents

luckily Zoro got some natural dad skills under his belt, and you both share the responsibilities evenly

he's never opposed to changing diapers or feeding the baby, even if the first annoys him sometimes. He also keeps the baby around himself 24/7- during workouts he puts it onto his back, when he wanders around the little one sits on his shoulders, and when he takes a nap on the desk the baby lies on his chest

all of the other Strawhats are more than welcome to take care of the baby from time to time and bond with the newest family crewmember to their heart's content. Well, that goes for everyone except Sanji. You better not let Zoro catch him handling the baby or a fight will break out-

[jjamjamm]

Retired Crow

Masterlist

Wordcount: 1654

Summary: Zevran and his warden "retire" to Antiva, raising their own type of family.

“Amor, so nice of you to join us.” Zevran teased, turning to look at his warden with one of the children sitting on his shoulders.

“Ha ha.” They forced a laugh, “Forgive me for sleeping in.”

“Finally!” Three more kids ran in, tugging the warden’s hands to pull them to the other room, “Papa said we couldn’t wake you up to play.”

“Sleep is very important.” Zevran repeated, “As is breakfast, everyone take a seat.”

There were a couple groans and a shout down the hall before everyone took a spot at the table.

Zevran set down an overflowing plate of pancakes and tiny hands shot out to grab at them right away.

“Those look great.” Y/N said, “You could’ve waken me to lend a hand.”

“Why would I do such a thing?” Zevran asked, kissing their head as he took Allegra off of his shoulders and sat with them to eat, “You are too adorable when you sleep, I am not capable of disturbing such peace.”

They clearly didn’t buy it, “Right, you are completely uncapable of disturbing peace. How did we meet again?”

He grinned at that, grabbing a pancake for the littlest one and letting them chow down on the smaller pieces he cut off, “Through the stars aligning, amor.”

They rolled their eyes, not hiding their smile as they looked to the kids, “Should we thank him for making all this?”

A few ‘thank you’s and muffled sounds came from the children and Zevran smiled at them.

“Anything for you.” He promised, the youngest one hitting his chest lightly to ask for juice.

“I got it.” Y/N got up, getting orders for a few more and bringing cups and a pitcher back to the table to fill the kids drinks.

As they went around filling cups, they noticed one of the older kids poking at their food instead of eating anything.

“Hey, you okay?” They asked, “You love pancakes.”

“Yeah, they’re good.” Ignacio said, still not eating them.

Y/N looked to Zevran, who shrugged not knowing what was up either.

“If something is wrong, you can tell us.” He assured him.

Ignacio set down his fork, folding his hands on the table and fiddling his thumbs, “I met a kid… like us.”

Everyone else understood immediately, letting him continue.

“They don’t have a home… or a family.” He said, “I said I have space in my room for another kid but they said there was no way my parents would let them come stay.”

“Well that’s just ridiculous.” Zevran insisted, “Of course we have the room.”

“Do you know where we might be able to find them?” Y/N asked.

“I thought we had done a better job making it known what we do here.” Zevran whispered. Y/N rested a hand on his, knowing how strongly he felt about the orphaned kids in Antiva having a chance at a real loving family instead of the childhood he had.

After breakfast, the kids went off to play and Zevran and Y/N cleaned up.

“How about you fix the room up?” Y/N suggested, “I’ll go with Ignacio to find this kid. I don’t feel right leaving them out there without even trying to help.”

Zevran nodded, kissing them before clapping his hands, “Kids! Who wants to help me clean Ignacio’s room?”

They knew that meant another kid was coming, and after time on the streets themselves, they were eager to help. They rushed off upstairs with Zevran behind them, divvying up tasks as they went.

“Ignacio? Do you think you could come with me to try and find them?” Y/N asked.

Ignacio had already gotten up and pulled his boots on, heading out the door with determination to find this kid.

Y/N went along, walking with him and asking if he remembers if they were hurt or hungry.

“You’re always hungry.” He remembered, “He wasn’t too far.”

They scoped out where they had met, and a few other hiding spots the kids had frequented. In the end, it had started getting dark out before Ignacio stopped in his tracks.

Y/N turned and saw a boy standing in an alleyway, clearly having spotted them.

“Hey.” Ignacio said, “My parents said you can stay.”

He looked up to the warden, realizing who it was and shaking his head in disbelief, “They don’t mean that.”

“They do.” Ignacio swore, “They did for me, for my siblings.”

That caught the kid’s attention and he glanced down the alley. Y/N had a hunch why he was reluctant to go.

“Is there anyone else with you?” Y/N asked and the kid nodded, “Will you show me? We have a big home.”

The kid hesitated but turned and walked slowly, checking over his shoulder every so often to make sure they were still coming. They got to the end of the alley and he went behind a few stacked crates, revealing a ratty curtain. They went through and found a small, half closet sized space.

“It’s the warden.” The boy said and two pairs of hands poked out from under the cot. Another child came out from behind a barrel and another out of a cabinet.

It broke their heart to see this, the kids were in rags, covered in dirt with matted hair and likely very hungry.

“Okay.” They said quietly, “What are your names?”

The boy introduced himself and the others, “I’m Enzo. This is Alonzo and Natale. That’s Ciel and then that’s Paola.”

Y/N greeted them all, noticing how nervous they all understandably were. She turned to Ignacio, “Okay, I know Zevran is having them clean up your room. We’ll have to move some things around in a couple of the play rooms to make them bedrooms now-”

“You’re really going to do it?” Enzo asked.

“Of course, if you trust me enough to come, we have plenty of space. There’s enough food.” They assured them, “Plus, Yvette has been wanting to do a talent show.”

“A talent show?” Ciel asked.

“She likes to sing.” Ignacio said.

The kids exchanged looks and Y/N decided to give them space to discuss.

“I’ll step outside, you can talk it over. Ignacio can answer any questions.” They said, stepping outside and hoping to god the kids would consider it. Who knows what they’ve been through, what they would continue to go through if they didn’t come along.

While they stood in the alley thinking, the kids came out, Enzo and Ignacio carrying small bags and Natale holding a toy.

“We’re ready to go.” Enzo agreed and they returned to the estate. The kids were downstairs helping Zevran make dinner when they came in and the room went quiet.

Zevran looked to Y/N, shocked at the kids and wiping his hands off, “Amor?”

“These are our new friends.” Y/N introduced them all.

“Enzo, you can share my room.” Ignacio said, Enzo running alongside him with a broad grin to see the room.

Yvette came over to the other kids, who were now more nervous since Enzo was gone, “I like your toy.”

“Thanks.” Natale said, pressing behind her brother Alonzo.

Zevran came over too, trying to give some space and not frighten them off, “I’m Zevran, we’re making dinner. Do you guys want to go play with the kids and we’ll call you when it’s time to eat?”

They agreed once the kids came over and whisked them away to go play. Once the kitchen was empty, Zevran leaned back against the counter.

“All of them were living out on the street together?” He asked, “The littlest one, she’s barely up to my knee.”

“Paola.” Y/N said, “Alonzo carried her part of the way here.”

Zevran sighed at that, “Do you think they’ll want to stay?”

“It’ll take time.” Y/N said, rubbing his shoulder and kissing his temple, “But even one good meal in their belly, if they don’t want to stay… it’s better than nothing.”

“Papa!” Yvette came running in with the kids behind her, “Natale and me are making a band and Alonzo will play the drums and we’re best friends!”

“That’s amazing amor.” Zevran beamed, noticing the kids looking much happier than a second ago.

“We have to go practice!” Yvette insisted and they ran off again giggling.

They all came down for dinner, looking much more relaxed with the situation. They ate with everyone, ran off to play again and when bedtime came around, they settled around and in Enzo’s bed with him.

The next morning, Zevran and the warden woke up to Alonzo in their room looking at them.

“Can we…” He looked embarrassed and looked back to the door where the others were waiting, “We had a lot of fun here. Can we really stay?”

“Oh, absolutely, sweetheart.” Y/N swore, sitting up, “We’ll get everything you guys need, your own rooms, some new clothes-”

“We need a wash up.” Enzo admitted from the doorway.

Before breakfast time, the kids had all been washed clean and dressed in clothes from around the house. Once they ate and the kids were up, everyone set to work getting a playroom turned into a bedroom.

“Look out!” Zevran called, walking backwards into the room. They set the bed down and Ciel rushed over, climbing up the second he had space to.

“Is this my bed?” He asked.

“Of course it is.” Zevran assured him, ruffling his hair.

“Can Natale sleep in my room?” Yvette asked, the two girls hugging while they pleaded their case.

“We might have to move things around a bit,” The warden said, “But we’ll make it happen.”

The girls squealed in delight and the second bed was put in for Alonzo.

“What about Paola?” Enzo asked.

“She’s still little.” Y/N said, “She might have to stay in the nursery with Allegra.”

Enzo thought about it and nodded, looking to Ignacio, “Can we go play Crows again?”

They ran off, Zevran’s head snapping around, “Play what?”

[yanderecrazysie]

Witch Hunt: Chapter One

Prologue: here

Come now, leave not behind your handkerchief…

When your heavy eyelids fluttered open in the late hours of the morning, you were greeted with the sight of your mother sitting beside you, her eyebrows drawn together in concern.

“Mother? What are you doing in here?” You blinked heavily, still clearing the sleep from your eyes, “Why is it so bright out? Did I sleep in?”

“It’s a Saturday, I didn’t think it necessary to wake you,” she was unusually quiet, and you felt a chill go down your spine at this grim change in personality.

“Is everything all right?”

She paused, considering her words, before explaining, “I came in here to wake you, thinking it was strange that you weren’t already eating at the table, and heard you mumbling to yourself in your sleep. You looked so distraught, and you kept saying the word ‘hitch’.”

“That was the name of the girl they burned yesterday. Hitch Dreyse. I dreamt about her.”

Thankfully, the older woman seemed to understand one way or the other, “Yes, yes, that makes sense then. I’d tell you to get more rest, but you’re already awake, and it’s no good to go back to bed when you’ve already sat up.”

You nodded, the faint sick feeling in your stomach letting you know that there’d be no point in trying to sleep anyway. You waited until your mother had left the room to walk over to the mirror.

The reflection told a sorry story- your hair stuck up at every odd angle and your eyes had a pinkish tinge where it was meant to be white. Dark bags hung under your eyes, and you couldn’t help but think you looked half-dead this way.

“Regardless,” you scolded yourself, “this shouldn’t be an excuse for you to laze about the house all day. Mother and Father would never let you hear the end of it, after all…”

You stripped your nightgown from your sweat-drenched skin and searched for an appropriate outfit. Finally settling on an option, you hurriedly dressed and skittered off to the bathroom to finish getting ready for the day ahead.

When you arrived downstairs, your parents looked up, surprised at your decision. Having briefly paused in his reading of the newspaper, your father turned back to the words in front of him. Your mother, however, did not resume her knitting, instead suspiciously interrogating you.

“Market clothing? But you’re so strongly against shopping on Saturdays because of how busy and noisy it is. Not to mention, we just went on Thursday.”

You forced a calm smile to your lips, “Sasha says they sell the best food on weekends because they know they’ll get the most customers.”

To your surprise, your father let out a loud laugh, “Well, if Sasha says anything about food, I’m inclined to believe her. She does seem to be an expert on that sort of thing. That girl’s eating her poor father out of house and home.”

Your smile was genuine this time, “Yes, well I’m going to meet up with her now. I’d promise to bring back food but, knowing Sasha, there won’t be leftovers.”

“Hm…” Your mother still looked suspicious, but she didn’t say anything else, just giving a short, permissible nod that had you hurrying out of the house before she changed her mind.

As soon as you were out of view from the house, you broke out into a sprint for Sasha’s house in the woods, desperately hoping that she was home.

If your parents knew what you planned to do, they’d be in hysterics over it. They’d overreact, no doubt about it.

“Sasha! Sasha! Please tell me you’re home!”

The door to your best friend’s house creaked open, brown eyes meeting your gaze, “Eh? Your folks got you out of your room on a Saturday?”

Your face flushed, “Don’t tease me, Sasha! I need your help.”

“With what?”

“Can your father hear us?”

“No, no, he’s dead asleep- we were out hunting all night and caught nothing but a few rabbits,” despite her claim, Sasha slipped out of the house and carefully pulled the door shut behind her, “Now what’s so important that you don’t want your folks hearing about it even secondhand?”

You took a deep breath and let it out slowly, letting your heartbeat fall even before you told Sasha about your dream and how real it felt.

“Oh wow,” Sasha’s eyes widened like saucers, “Hitch totally cursed you before she died!”

“No, I don’t think…” You had definitely considered the possibility, but there was another idea that plagued your mind, “Minister Nick said witches had future-seeing abilities once, didn’t he?”

“So,” Sasha thought hard for a moment before continuing, “either a witch cursed you to have something bad happen in your future or she saw that something bad happens in your future. Does it really matter which one it is? Either way, if your dream wasn’t just a nightmare, something bad’s going to happen to you.”

“You’re awful calm about this.” You said sourly.

“She’s dead,” Sasha reminded you, “and witches are powerless after death. If she were still out there casting spells, I’d be terrified for us both.”

You were both silent for a moment before Sasha spoke up again, “Did you just want to tell me about your dream or was there more?”

“Well…” you squirmed uncomfortably, trying to think of a way to put your strange thoughts into words, “I thought I’d borrow a horse from you and go talk to the Dreyse family on their side of town. Try to help them in their mourning.”

Sasha looked surprised but shook her head, “They already left town early this morning. You’re too late.”

“Oh. Isn’t there anyone else she was close with? I just… I have this feeling that I need to do this. I can’t explain why.”

“Um, well,” Sasha frowned deeply, “there’s her one and only friend, but she’s a right piece of work and she lives on the other side of town!”

“I want to see her friend.”

Sasha’s frown deepened, “She’s a total ice queen! She doesn’t talk to anyone and she’s so scary-looking! What if she’s a witch too?”

“I want to see her still. I can’t explain why I just… I feel like I have to.”

“Fiiiiiiine…” Sasha groaned, throwing her arms up in frustration and defeat, “but don’t say I didn’t warn you when we get there.”

“We? I can just go alone.”

Sasha gave you a meaningful look- one that seemed to hold feelings you couldn’t quite comprehend, “I’d never leave you, (Y/n).”

“All right, let’s get the horses. I did tell my parents we were out together, after all.”

The two of you ran off to the stables and saddled up a pair of horses, keeping quiet so as not to wake Sasha’s father.

Sasha chose to ride her favorite horse- a caramel-colored mare named Potato and you borrowed a brown stallion named Meat. You silently questioned Sasha’s naming choices and briefly worried about her future children before you both galloped off towards the center of town.

You noticed that she rode a little too close to you for comfort and that she watched you out of the corner of her eye- that strange, foreign emotion still there, dancing in her eyes.

Her words came back to the front of your mind for some reason.

I’d never leave you, (Y/n).

Why did it leave you feeling like you had a pit in your stomach?

And why did Hitch’s warning from last night seem even more dire than before?

…it may keep you well.

[butwhyduh]

Holiday Party

Damian Wayne x reader

He’s about 16 yrs old here.

Warning: Christmas? Kissing

Christmas series 4

You were early. Damian looked out his door to see no one around and he rushed downstairs to meet you at the door. You were being dropped off by your older brother who gave Damian a look from the front seat of his car that all but said he’d mess Damian up if he hurt you. Funny to think about your brother trying to beat him up but he would never consider it. Damian opened your car door for you.

“Beloved, you’re early,” he said with a grin. Your brother gave a rough hey and Damian’s face dropped and he gave a curt nod. “I’ll have Alfred drop her off so you won’t have to pick her up,” Damian told him. Your brother nodded again before leaving.

Damian barely held your finger with his own as he walked you up to his room. He didn’t want his brothers to see him being affectionate. He pulled you into his room and engulfed you in a huge hug. He wasn’t short little Dami anymore but had been hit by puberty like a bus and was almost 6 foot tall. He smelled like cologne and his sweater was so freaking soft. You felt the fabric on his chest with your hand and he stiffened and coughed a little. Oh yeah, he could feel that. You flushed.

“So you want to watch a movie?” Damian said pulling away.

“Yeah. Sounds great,” you said sitting on his bed pulling your shoes off. You slid up the bed to lay on his pillow as he grabbed his laptop.

“Drake doesn’t know but I’ve set it up that every film he downloads, I get a copy too so I’ve got a bunch. Though his taste is pretty sappy for some of these,” Damian said wrinkling his nose.

“Probably to watch with his girlfriend. Or maybe he’s a sap,” you laughed. Damian climbed on the bed and laid the laptop on the other side of you. His arms temporarily caged you against him and you couldn’t help but think of him on top of you. Damian laid back as the film started playing. He put two pillows behind his head to watch from behind you. You laid on your side and he wrapped an arm around your waist loosely.

The film was probably great. All you could think of was how close your boyfriend in the softest boyfriend sweater was right beside you. You slid farther back until your back hit his chest. He inhaled audibly but didn’t move. Damian cursed himself. You had definitely heard that.

You ran your hand along the arm of his sweater as the movie went on. He smelled a little like soft cologne and spiced tea. Everything was fine until there was a sex scene. Nothing graphic but enough to where you were both very aware of your situation. Damian slid his body a little back from you making a little space between you and him.

You turned to look at him and he couldn’t help but brush his lips against yours. You slowly turned in his arms until you were making out while laying on your side. Damian held your face softly with one hand. Your fingers slid into his hair. His tongue slipped into your mouth gently just exploring you.

The door to his room opened.

“Master Damian, your father needs you in his study at your earliest convenience. Also... do take care with your visitors. You are only 16,” Alfred said, looking pointedly at the ceiling before leaving. Damian flushed on his tan skin. you covered your mouth and giggled, embarrassed.

“At least it wasn’t your dad,” you said. He nodded as he stood up.

“I won’t be long. Just watch the movie and I’ll be back as quick as I can,” Damian said and you noted that his lips were pink and maybe even a little swollen from kissing.

“Yeah, no problem.”

It took all of 1.7 minutes for Bruce to notice his son’s lips. His eyes narrowed a little and he looked critically at Damian who was staring at the computer screen.

“Damian, you are of the age where sexual education is important. You are practicing safe sex, yes?” Bruce asked in an even tone as if almost casually but really he wanted to seem calm. Damian twisted so fast to look at his father.

“I am not,” he said quickly.

“You aren’t??” Bruce asked shocked. “That’s very dangerous-“

“I’m not having sex. At all,” Damian said completely red. Bruce calmed.

“None? Because condoms-“

“Father, I’ve been taught. And if I do have sex I will be safe but I’m not now,” Damian said. He refused to look anywhere but the screen. “How did Alfred tell you so fast?” He complained.

“Tell me? Is there something to tell me? You know what? Don’t answer that. I trust you. There is a bowl of condoms under the sink in the bathroom off my study. All of the boys use it and it stays full. No questions asked. And the family doctor is very discreet for any questions you might have,” Bruce said delicately.

“Okay. I got it. Thanks. But please stop. Tell me about the case,” Damian practically begged.

——————————

It was not a few minutes but a full 2 hours later that Damian came back to his room. You were asleep. A movie played in the background and you hug his pillow. Damian smiled a little before waking you. It was almost time for his brothers to arrive. You sat up quickly. You’d never fallen asleep at his place.

“Sorry I was so long. Family stuff,” he said vaguely. He did that all the time. “It’s almost time for the party.”

“Oh I need to get ready,” you sat up. You’d planned to get started a little earlier. You didn’t dress fancy around Damian; he didn’t care. But his family’s Christmas was fairly formal.

“Is this okay?” You asked 20 minutes later. Damian nodded with a little smile.

“You look beautiful in anything, beloved. But this is exceptional,” he said and you flushed. His way with words. “It’s time to go down stairs.”

Damian took your hand and you walked downstairs. His eyes lingered on you longer than necessary. Somehow Tim and his girlfriend and Duke had beat you both downstairs. Damian pulled out a chess board and Tim and Bruce once again dragged work into every room they entered.

“I won’t go easy on you,” Damian warned. He was far better at strategy but your moments on the board were incredibly erratic to the point that he couldn’t predict your next move.

“I wouldn’t expect anything else. If you did, I’d expect a body snatcher,” you said and he hazarded a small smile. Damian didn’t want to appear too pleased. Bruce was watching him while maintaining conversation. You understood his weird stoic family dynamic enough to ignore it.

Damian won 3 out of 4 games. You could admit that your win was more luck than skill but you took it. Dick and his girlfriend arrived and the party moved to the dining room.

After a few minutes, a man you had never seen showed up humming to introduce himself and his date. The butler seemed very happy and for a minute you wondered if it was his son. No, this was the mysterious brother who was always fighting with the family.

“Dami, who is that?” You asked whispering.

“Jason Todd, one of my father’s wards. And I suppose his girlfriend,” Damian said. You nodded and watched as they sat down. Later in the evening, the eldest, that Damian had even called his brother, proposed to his girlfriend.

You were given a small glass of champagne and you looked at it quietly. Did they forget you and Damian were 16? Not exactly legal. But you didn’t say anything and you both drank the tiny amount of alcohol with everyone else. Damian squeezed your hand and gave you a tiny smile.

The party moved to the parlor with a billiards table and a dart board on the wall. The adults were served more alcohol and pudding was served informally. A tasty sticky cake that you dare not asked the ingredients was quickly eaten. You and Damian sat on a loveseat in the corner where you could watch the others play billiards and other games. Tim and Jason played a heated game of 9 ball. Jason was a natural. Tim was all strategy.

You leaned against Damian’s shoulder as the storm raged outside. You were full and the room was warm.

“It’s far too dangerous to drive out tonight. It’s turned into a blizzard so you all will stay here. There are plenty of rooms and beds for everyone and anything you could need,” Bruce announced to the group. Jason sighed and Damian opened his mouth. “I’ll call her parents to let them know. Don’t worry Damian.”

Damian relaxed and wrapped an arm around your shoulder. You began to doze as the pool games played. He ran his fingers along your outer arm and watched from the corner of his eyes as you fell asleep. He enjoyed your body warmth and soft sweet scent subtly.

An hour later you woke as you were slowly being moved. Strong arms cradled you and you could smell Damian’s pleasant unique scent strongly. You gripped his arm as he carried you out of the room. He hushed softly to let you go back to sleep.

“You got him shot?!” One of the women in the room yelped and you jolted awake.

“It’s okay. Go back to sleep, beloved. Don’t mind my stupid brothers,” Damian said quietly. He gently laid you on his bed and pulled you in the covers. His soft sheets quickly lulled you to sleep.

While you slept, he grabbed blankets and settled on the floor. Half an hour later, right as Damian was falling asleep, Bruce opened the door quietly. He saw the boy on the floor, nodded, and shut the door.

[rainydaymiddleearthimagines]

Hi! Can a request an aragorn x reader one where everyone of the fellowship knows he loves her and she just doesn't realise? Fluff and maybe a kiss in the end? Thank you

Aragorn was by no means stupid. He was quite intelligent really. However, the second you entered the picture the man became a complete moron. He’d trip over his own feet, he’d walk smack into wall, half of the time he couldn’t carry a full conversation with you because he’d literally forget how to speak. Everyone could see it. Everyone but you apparently. Aragorn was in love. He had known you for a number of years, seeing you as the occasional hunting partner seeing as you worked for Barliman in the Prancing Pony.

Aragorn first saw you walking in with a dead deer strapped to your back and actually thought you to be a man at first before you removed your hood. Then he saw your face. Your e/c eyes met his and it was game over. The man spoke with you and discovered that you originally hailed from Rohan but moved after a sickness swept over the land. Aragorn found out quite a bit actually. You were a hunter who frequently supplied food to the inn, you played the lute (very well) and you loved to be around the bar. But more importantly, you loved adventure. According to you, without adventure, many a song would not exist, which by all rites was true. You had a bit of a adventurous soul that constantly wanted to run through fields, so when Aragorn went on a task to help a group of hobbits leave to Rivendell, you naturally decided to leave with them.

Even Merry and Pippin could see the love in Aragorn’s eyes when he looked at you. It was hard not to notice such love. Which is what they had trouble grasping. How were you not noticing it?

The fellowship was formed, you joining them after Aragorn announced that he’d go with them. Was he thrilled to take you on a potentially deadly mission? No. Was he happy that you were going to be right next to him for a long time? Yes. Arwen said that he was acting like a child for not voicing his emotions towards you though. She claimed that if he didn’t speak up soon she’d have to do it for him. Well, this led to Aragorn being irrationally paranoid about leaving you alone with Arwen. Anyone else? sure. But Arwen was a big NO.

You stood in the halls, looking at Isildur’s sword with Boromir. “It’s impressive even if it is broken.” you pointed out. “Indeed." Boromir agreed. You stared at it with this almost sad look. "Do you suppose there is a true heir amongst us?" Boromir asked. You nodded. "Aragorn bares the ring and shares Isildur's blood." you stated. This was a fact he told you after four years of knowing him. He told you after a hunting trip, you had asked why he was a ranger for Gondor. He didn't tell you at first but you asked him why he went by another name. That, he answered. He showed you the ring, the books from Rivendell about his lineage. How he technically switched his name twice and didn't know of his true lineage until he was older. You were shocked of course. You had heard stories of your people hoping to accidentally stumble across an heir. You had done it without meaning to.

Boromir sighed. "You believe this to be true?" Boromir asked. "Did Lord Elrond, a man who once stood with Isildur, object when Legolas claimed this?" you asked. Silence fell over Boromir. Shit, you were right. If Elrond didn't object then it had to have been true. "Do you suppose he'd be a good king?" Boromir asked. "Yes." you nodded. "How do you figure?" He asked. "I've seen Aragorn with people. He understands their struggles, he grasps why people need something. He has resolved many problems, all while dealing with his own. " you stated. Boromir looked at you once more. "...You feel strongly for him?" Boromir asked. You stuttered. "I-I never said-" " you didn't have to, it's rather obvious." Boromir said. You sighed, looking down. "Please don't say anything." You muttered. "Why not voice your feelings?" Boromir asked. You sighed. "I don't want to make him uncomfortable." You muttered.

Boromir blinked. "You mean you do not notice it?" He asked. "Notice what?" you asked. "Notice what?" You asked. He chuckled. "What!?" you asked again. "It is not for me to tell you." He said. "My lord please! I must know now, you treat me as if I was a child!" you whined. He sighed and turned to you. "You want an honest answer?" he asked. "Please." you nodded. "With the way he looks at you, there is a large chance he reciprocates your feelings." He said.

And so you were driven mad by this statement, observing Aragorn's actions to you at a microscopic level. He was touchier with you, often patting your shoulder or head when you did something. He stuck closer to you and often stayed up with you if you could not sleep. Perhaps Boromir wasn't insane for assuming something. Aragorn did in fact have some sort of affinity for you, however you weren't sure in what manner. Was it romantic? Platonic? Brotherly? What was this?'

You sat on a rock, reading a map. Or at least trying to... Your focus was all over the place. You sighed, running your fingers through your hair. You heard someone sit next to you and saw Aragorn. "Trouble with the map?" He asked. You jumped at the sound of his voice. "Oh uhm... I wanted to see if Gimli was right about us taking the path through Moria... He isn't wrong. It would be quicker but for some reason Gandalf seems adamantly against it." you muttered. Aragorn nodded. "There is much danger within those walls of Moria. You seemed close with Arwen, I am surprised she didn't speak with you about it." He muttered. You looked over. "Her mother once took that path." He told you. You looked back at the map. "she mentioned this story, she never mentioned the path that was taken." you muttered. Aragorn nodded. "Are you... close with Lady Arwen?" you asked. "She is my friend. Why?" He asked. "A friend? Nothing more?" you asked. He rose a brow. "Why the sudden curiosity?" he asked. A blush came over your cheeks and he leaned forward, observing the expression on your face.

To hide the embarrassment you raised up the map, blocking his view of your face. He pulled the map down and rose a brow. "Y/n, what's going on?" He asked. You wanted to speak but nothing came out. "Aragorn, it is my turn to watch." Gimli said, trudging over. You got up but Aragorn followed. "Y/n, why are you suddenly flustered? I haven't seen you like this since the first time you met Lord Elrond." Aragorn said. You still didn't talk, walking over to your sleeping area and sitting down. Aragorn of course, slept near you so he sat in front of you. "Boromir mentioned something and I cannot get this out of my mind." you sighed.

Aragorn rose a brow. "What is it?" he asked. "He said, something along the lines of you..." You sighed. "This is ridiculous. Can I please just sleep-" "Y/n, this is clearly bothering you." He said. You looked down. "He said you held romantic feelings for me." you said in a low mutter. He gulped.

Well shit, he expected Arwen to say something before Boromir would. "But that's... Foolish. Right?" you said softly. He looked at you. "Why is that foolish?" He asked. "Aragorn you... you're a king, you have these important titles... I do not fit with your life I-I'm just a woman." you muttered. "You speak as if you are nothing." He said. "I speak realistically because to most, I am nothing." you said. Aragorn shook his head, clearly upset by your feelings. "You are not nothing to me." He said. You swallowed, looking at him. "Aragorn-" "I don't give a damn about your status. I don't care if you're the lowest class possible, you are an amazing woman. You are beautiful, kind, you are someone who is strong and courageous- Y/n how could I not love you!?" He asked. You blinked. "...You... You love me?" You asked. He swallowed.

Aragorn was never very straightforward with his feelings, in fact he rarely showed large amounts of emotion, he typically kept to himself. You however had this effect on him. He'd share everything with you. And right now that was showing. "I love you." He repeated. You didn't move. Your expression didn't change. In fact you seemed motionless. "Y/n?" He asked. You seemed frozen. "...Y/n are you alright?" He asked. You finally leaned forward, gripping him by his shirt and kissed him.

He was shocked of course. The second he registered what was happening though, he put a hand on the back of your neck, pulling you into his arms. You eventually had to pull away for air, looking into his beautiful eyes. "You are not useless. Please know that." He said softly. You hugged his neck, him burying his face in your neck.

The next morning you two were found asleep in each other's arms. Sam looked at Frodo with a grin. "It seems we missed a lot while we rested." Gandalf said. You leaned up with a yawn as did Aragorn. You smiled at him and he smiled back at you. He felt eyes on him though making him turn. "...It seems we have an audience." He said. You looked over. "What should we do?" You asked softly. "Give them something to look at." Aragorn chuckled before he kissed you.

[dreamkidddream]

Heya! It’s me again!! Can I request a BSD crew with Dazai, Chuuya, and Atsushi with a older siblings reader that really cares for them and is overprotective. (Really cold on the outside, but with them its a whole different story) Sorry it’s long!! Looking forward with your works!

Thank you for the request and thank you for reading!! Sorry about the wait, and it got kinda long. Reader is gender neutral and hope you enjoy!

TW: Suicide talk in Dazai’s (nothing too heavy is mentioned), and small spoiler for Oda (I know I keep bringing him up but I love him okay), abuse mentioned in Atsushi’s 

Being an Overprotective Older Sibling (Sour but Sweet) with: Dazai, Chuuya, and Atsushi

Dazai

He stresses you out so, so, SO MUCH

You were ready to just wrap him up in a straitjacket and just attach him to your back, but you figured he would find a way to break free or kill himself (or even both)

When people saw the two of you together, on the outside, it looked either like a: you were handling an overgrown toddler or b: he was being held hostage by this scary looking individual that looks like they could rearrange your organs from the inside out

But, with you guys, it was the complete opposite. You were the best relative that Dazai had and could count on, but you refused to let him try any suicide attempts from his book (at least while he was in your presence). You were really sweet, always made sure to look out for him, and constantly protecting him. 

When you came into the ADA looking just for him, everyone was confused. Who was this random stranger coming in with the coldest expression, asking specifically for Dazai, holding a wrapped box. They knew that he had many enemies that range from now to his past, so now they were assuming that you were someone that came to get revenge.

Kunikida tried to intercept you first, but you told him that you only came to see Dazai and no one else. And that he better still be alive and uninjured or else. Well, they obviously took that as a threat and before a whole brawl could break out, here walks in Dazai and Atsushi

“Oh, (Y/N)! What a surprise to see you on this lovely day. Here to check on your dear little brother?” Hold up...BROTHER?? DAZAI HAS A SIBLING, AND HE’S THE YOUNGEST??! Poor Kunikida is about to malfunction and Ranpo is just sitting back enjoying the show with his snacks

“Osamu...How many times do I have to tell you...stop forgetting your lunch! You need to eat properly. And before you even say anything, you are going to eat this. I know you didn’t eat breakfast this morning, because just drinking coffee is not breakfast, and...”

You went from getting ready to whoop some ass to nagging him what is going on

��And that was the day that the Agency found out that Dazai had an older sibling. They were wondering why you never came to the office, and when you responded that is was, “none of their damn business”, they decided not to question it (at least in front of you). And they were so shocked to see you act, no be, so delicate with him. You were still talking to about your lunch, looking at him with the softest expression telling him, “I know you struggle with caring for yourself, so let me do it for you. You’re my younger brother, Osamu, let me do my job in taking care of you. You won’t let me protect you when you’re on the job, so let me protect you everywhere else.”

So, he was the reason why you weren’t working in the office alongside him? And it was true. After his days in the Port Mafia, when you were working alongside him, it was fine. He hated that you always got in the line of fire to “protect” him (and he knew and kept telling you that he didn’t need it, and if he did get hurt, to just let him suffer, to let him die). You didn’t understand his complete need to end his life, and it ate you up inside, but it also you a new resolve. Maybe he didn’t believe that his life was important or that he mattered to someone, so you took it to show him that someone did care, that you cared. 

It backfired one day on a mission, when you took a bullet that was meant for him. You were so close to death that day, knocking right on His door, and it shook him to his core. Back in those days, he cared for you and Oda, and cared little for himself. He came so close to losing you, and he realized he wouldn’t know what to do without you. You were one of the only people (honestly beside Oda) that he actually felt some kind of emotion for, and he would be damned if he lost you too

So he came with a new resolution after he left the Mafia, he would handle the dangerous life, while you stayed home. You obviously strongly rejected this idea, but he left no room for refusal. He rather be the one close to death than you, you still deserved to live life, not him. 

It led to a very long, emotionally draining, confrontational argument for hours, but the decision was made. You would live a regular life, far from any kind of violence or death, working a regular job while he would put his life on the line. On the terms that he would constantly keep you updated (ie. not ignoring your hourly calls and texts), actually eat the food that you prepare (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), and not push you away whenever he needed someone to leave on. 

You also threatened politely let him know that if these conditions weren’t followed, then all bets are off and you would raise hell. You were here to stay and you’ll make sure that he is too

You were a positive influence on Dazai’s life, and it was so funny how you would switch personalities. How you switch from being so kind and childlike to so frigid and antisocial was very entertaining to see. He does love you, and while you would try to police his every move (which was literally impossible), he wouldn’t change it for the world.

Plus he LIVED for you coming to stop by in the office now, seeing how Kunikida would try to avoid eye contact with you and Atsushi nervously sweating in his seat was hilarious. He knew you wouldn’t hurt them, but it was still pretty amusing

Chuuya

Opposite of Dazai, you stress him out SO MUCH

Part of it is because you’re overprotective, another part of it is because you are a complete smartass and you knew it

“Damn (Y/N) can you LET ME BREATHE FOR A SECOND?!”

“...”

“Seems like you’re breathing fine to me.”

“WHY YOU-“

But, he may complain, but he actually didn’t dislike that you were working with him in the Port Mafia. You could keep an eye on him, and he could make sure that you didn’t get into any extra trouble that could interfere with his missions or have you get disciplined by Mori. It was a win-win for you both

If there was one thing that he could change though, is your constant need of trying to take the hits designated for him. He doesn’t need you always jumping in front of him, defending him with your own body. He was more than capable of taking care of himself, if he wasn’t then not only would he not be one of the top executives, but he also wouldn’t still be alive

Also he has a reputation to uphold. How was he suppose to display his raw power and talents when you were continuously intruding on his cases?! Not to mention the fact that you act so detached when you’re dealing with the other members. It’s to the point that they’re too intimated to even make eye contact with you

Which he thought was so bizarre because you were one of the nicest people that he has ever come in contact with (even though he was your brother and you guys interacted with each other every day). You played the annoying sibling role very well (too well in fact), but you still make sure to look out for him and make sure that he’s okay, emotionally and physically. 

He understood why you did it, but at the same time he didn’t. You were both extremely strong, and he was the one with the better ability (not to mention that he’s the one that has Arahabiki inside of him). It came off that obviously you wanted him safe, but also that he couldn’t handle what comes at him. He’s not a little kid, he’s not some weakling that needs to be persistently protected, you both didn’t survive this long solely because of you, it was because of you both. It was a teamwork effort, and while he gets that he’s your youngest brother, he worries about you too

And he proved his point one night, when he had to dress your wounds after a mission went south. Here he was, scolding you and cursing about how stupid you were being, and the more he went on, the more you figured that he was angrier at himself for letting this happen. 

“Why is it so hard to understand that I want to protect you too?! Why don’t you give a damn about yourself like how you do about me?! You act like this entirely new person on the field like you don’t give a damn what happens to you and it PISSES ME OFF! Just like you protect me, I can and will protect you. I may be loyal to the Port Mafia, but you come first, always.”

After that, you did let him handle his own battles (but if he got a single scratch on him, then you will be joining whether he agrees or not). You were still annoying in Chuuya’s eyes, but it was just him being his stubborn, short tempered self about his older relative. He wants the best for you without a doubt and he wants you to realize you don’t have to carry this imaginary burden of protecting him, because you weren’t the powerful one in the family. He had your back just like you had his. You were one of the only things that still convinced him that he was still human and not a monster, and no words will measure just how much he appreciates you for that. You had your moments when you were irritating the hell out of him, but he still loved you regardless

Besides, you were the only person who somehow was able to get one of his favorite vintage wines (it still confused him so much how you got it and not him, and you refused to tell him) so he definitely couldn’t afford to lose you

Atsushi

Okay, you do not play about this man, ever

After growing up in the orphanage and joining the ADA, it took a while to get readjusted to being around people that weren’t trying to purposely harm you for just existing. For Atsushi, even though he was hesistant to join the agency, you were honestly against it. Sure, it was a fresh start from that horrible place, but it was also another gateway for danger. Not to mention how sketchy this suicidal guy was, if he was able to join the agency there’s no telling what other nut cases are apart of it too

Plus, you needed to keep your brother in your presence at all times. Enough has happened to him already, and you were going to do everything in your power to prevent him from going through that type of pain ever again, you swore

But after he discovered that he’s the weretiger that’s been causing trouble (which you had a hunch about but no way to confirm) and with him having no type of knowledge on how to control this new ability, it seemed like you two had no choice but to stay with the ADA. You weren’t very happy about this arrangement, but if it was able to help Atsushi with his newfound ability and provided you with the means to support you both (ie. getting paid), then so be it. You sucked it up and both joined

It took...some time for the other members to get used to your demeanor. Having someone in the agency give off such an intense deadly vibe was a little unsettling. It seemed like Kenji, Ranpo, and Dazai were the only three (besides your brother) that weren’t phased by it, but other people like the Tanizaki twins tried to steer clear of you as much as they could

It wasn’t that they hated you, it’s just...your aura wasn’t the friendliest. And it was even more confusing since you were the exact opposite for your brother! You conversed and laughed with him, but you never did it with the others. Watching Kunikida and Dazai do their daily banter didn’t even make you crack a smile. But whenever you were around Atsushi, it seemed like you were carefree, glowing even. It was evident that you both kept each other smiling and positive, and it warmed everyone to see

Whether it was desk duty or field missions, you were both always paired with each other. If Dazai and Atsushi were assigned to a case, guess who was also magically assigned with them too? If he was stuck on desk duty, you were too. No one had a problem with it surprisingly. Which was a complete lie but after you...made a convincing argument, they left you alone and let you tag along with your brother as long as it didn’t interfere with the success of the case

Junichiro low key understood it though, don’t be fooled cause he’ll snap for his sister too if he had to

You didn’t even give any enemies the chance to even come close to Atsushi. That’s how serious you were with keeping your word. Even when him and Akutagawa fought, you would find a way to get involved. You will not let anyone else hurt your brother again if you could help it

He did get upset with you, whenever you did this, which led to a really bad blowout between you two. You figured this was going to happen sooner or later. It just seem like Atsushi was ready to prove himself to someone when he didn’t have to, but you didn’t understand why he felt that need.

Ever since you guys have been in that hellhole of an orphanage, you always tried to protect each other, but you always tried to take the beatings that were meant for him. He always blamed himself for you being beaten and tortured. It was his fault, if he just takes the abuse and the “punishments” by himself, then you wouldn’t have to get involved and suffer because of him. If Atsushi wasn’t so frail, if he wasn’t so weak, if he just wasn’t a mistake-

“Naka, you okay? You’re zoning out again. You’re gonna walk right into the street if you don’t stop that!”

“R-right. Sorry (Y/N). I guess what happen-“

“The orphanage still gets to you, I know. Please stop blaming yourself, Nakajima. It wasn’t any of our faults, and I don’t blame you for none of it. If anything, I should have done a better job of protecting you. There’s no excuse, neither one of us should have went through what we did, especially you. If anything, I’m the one that needs to apologize. I should’ve tried harder in keeping you-”

“(Y/N) stop saying that! Neither one of us deserved it! You can’t be the strong one for the both of us. I want and have to protect you too! I want to be confident enough in myself and my ability to keep you safe. I already failed when we stuck at that damn orphanage, I’m not going to fail you again! Damn it (Y/N)! Give me a chance to prove to you that I can take care of you like how you took care of me!”

You were stunned. Did your little brother carry this much of a burden because of you? How long has he been feeling this way? He didn’t have to prove himself to you! He was more than enough, and you couldn’t help but feel guilty thinking that it was your fault for him feeling this way

After a very long heart to heart with him, you finally understood where he was coming from. You couldn’t promise him that you would stop your protective nature, but you did let him fight his own battles for once (but you still weren’t letting him get seriously hurt, that still wasn’t going to happen obviously). He told you that he was getting older, and that like it or not that you weren’t always going to be by side. He needed to learn how to stand on his own two feet, and while he loved that you were there for him to lean on, he needed this for himself and for you. He knew that being the best brother that he could be was getting stronger and getting better with his ability, he owed you that much

Atsushi loves you, and he has the same resolve like you. Being that you two are the only thing that you both have left in this world, he wanted to make sure that he wouldn’t lose you under any circumstances. Him bettering himself everyday with the help of you and the agency members and was more than enough to make sure that wouldn’t happpen

[amonrawya]

The Greatest Gift of All

(Inspired by^ for the people who asked :D hope it was worth the wait!)

*

Long before the war, before Captain America or the Winter Soldier, there was simply Bucky and Steve. At least, that's what history says. But they missed out one very important person, a girl called Y/N.

Women in those times often found themselves with little opportunity, and only two easily attainable pathways in life: wife and mother. But Y/N carved out a life for herself that defied all expectations, and it all started in Brooklyn.

She dived headlong into scuffles, usually next to Bucky in defence of Steve. Regardless of the opponent, Y/N stood by them both, and often held her own quite impressively.

Her dress style borrowed from more masculine cuts, and Y/N was never seen without her cap. A lot of people had a problem with this, but she shut them up fairly swiftly.

Everything about this girl drew Bucky in, a battle he fought with little effort. They reveled in each other, flaunting their love at every opportunity. More than a few were jealous that the rough and tumble girl got the best looking boy in town. 

In a way, before even coming of age, they started an adult life together. The three of them moved into a flat. Y/N and Bucky took hard labour jobs, or anything they could get. They had little room to be picky. 

Both managed to hook steady summer jobs at the local docks. They used most of their money to keep a roof over their heads, buy food, and pay for Steve's medical needs. He attended art school, and sold his work every now and then; but physically, he was in no condition to work.

The war appeared on the horizon, just as they started to pull themselves an inch above the poverty line. Y/N saw it coming, the inevitable. She treasured every second they spent together, and dreaded the day when the draft came.

A lot of the older women she worked with were disrespectful, looking down on her pre-marital relationship with Bucky. They claimed she couldn't possibly understand their grief, despite the fact Y/N had seen Bucky off at the docks that very morning. 

In truth, they already planned on being married, but at the time, they simply didn't have the funds. Bucky promised, once the war ended, that ring would be on her finger.

Except, he never came home. Not properly. The person Hydra gave back to Y/N was damaged and jaded, angry at the world, angrier than she ever saw. But still, they loved each other. Though she never forgave them for stealing away his innocence, for trying to snuff out the light in his soul. A part of him would always belong to them, and she hated it.

Refusing to stay home while they risked their lives, never knowing, Y/N trained as an army nurse, working specially with the Howling Commandos unit.

Then one day, she went out to welcome them back from a mission. Every face looked devastated, but none more so than Steve. His eyes, red-raw and streaming, seemed incapable of rising from the ground. At first, the realisation didn't process, the idea simply incomprehensible. He promised.

Dugan was the one to finally break through and catch Y/N as she fell, holding her as the tears poured. Once he shook off his daze, Steve took his place, sharing in her grief.

Her world fell apart so quickly, with no warning and no mercy. Their commanders celebrated the capture of Arnim Zola, while Y/N and Steve sat, staring at an empty place at their side.

Everyone mourned Bucky, and swiftly after, began to mourn Y/N, too. The loss took a part of her...the sparkle, the happiness, the laugh that lit up her face. It all vanished. She worked hard, looked after them all, but only Steve was able to make her smile. Even then, it looked pained.

So when Steve went down with the plane, the very last shred of Y/N died with him. No tears left her eyes, no screams ripped up her throat. A cold numbness took over, freezing the woman from the inside out. 

V-Day came and went. The Commandos stood and drank to their lost comrades, and Dugan silently drank another...for the loss of a bright, fiery girl who had virtually nothing to lose, and still lost everything.

She spent her days as a robot, doing nothing but going through the motions of badly imitating life. The flat was empty and quiet, yet somehow, bursting with the ghosts of her loved ones. Nightmares plagued her, terrible images of Bucky's body, forever trapped in a freezing hell, nothing but food for the birds. And Steve, his body...was it cast adrift in the ocean? Or destroyed, burnt to ash in the belly of a metal beast. 

They were simple folk before the war turned them into soldiers, into weapons. Before symbols and flags stole away their names, driving them to sacrifice their lives for a greater cause.

Y/N knew their fight against Hydra was important...knew the honour behind their sacrifice. But when it's you left sitting at an empty dinner table, it's much easier to be angry and bitter.

She never married, never settled, bouncing around countries working as an army nurse. The Commandos slowly died around her, each one fading to grey as the curtain drew the show to a close. Each death, each funeral ripped open her wounds, bigger and deeper each time. Until eventually, Y/N let the blood flow freely.

Or at least, that's what would have happened. But one choice, one decision, made by a boy she thought dead in the far future, changed it all.

*

Bucky Barnes struggled to find himself again. His memories were mostly all returned, if a bit hazy and fragmented. He had Steve there to right any wrong recollections, and connect with on their shared experiences. But something always seemed to be missing, a piece of the jigsaw that hadn't been found.

He remembered Y/N. He remembered her clearer than anything. She was glowing like honey in the sun when Bucky closed his eyes and brought her back to mind.

Face covered in muck, hair tousled and streaked with grease from the boats, soot on the very tip of her nose and a cap perched jauntily on her head; wearing the deepest expression of concentration as she aimed a hanful of rotten fish guts at the sleezy Connell boy from Fifth, who decided his opinion on her backside mattered. The image shone crystal clear. Her laughter, rolling out from between curved lips, beautiful and full of mischief. 

It never failed to make him smile. Or cry. Or sometimes, both. He missed Y/N than he thought possible for a human being. 

Bucky often wondered about her life, whether she went on to marry, or maybe even have children. Was she happy? Did she bury him and move on? If they met today, would Y/N even recognise the man he was now? 

More importantly, in his mind, something he both feared and longed to know: would she still love him?

Unbeknownst to Bucky, Steve saw all this. Understood, to a degree, his pain. But he and Peggy never got the chance to bond so strongly. He knew Bucky needed him, but Steve also knew he needed Y/N more.

So once his goodbyes were said, he looked one last time at Bucky, and smiled beneath his suit as he vanished into time.

*

The living room looked exactly the same as he remembered. Bucky's coat, slung over the back of the chair, his sketchbooks strewn around the desk. Every rip and chip. His heart swelled with nostalgia, and pain, thinking of the life they were supposed to have.

What must have been in their heads...running off to fight, so eager to throw everything away. And who was left to stare at empty beds and eat breakfast alone every morning? Y/N.

His chest constricted, hearing the keys in the door, the lock rattling three times before letting her in. His nerve faltered for the briefest second, wondering if he was ready to see her again.

"Who the hell are you?!"

Time's up.

Slowly, he turned, and watched as Y/N's eyes widened, all the bags in her hands falling to the floor with a crash.

"...Stevie?" The name came out as a whisper, nearly inaudible.

He grinned, laughing as tears stung his eyes. "Hey, spitfire. Long time no see."

"Steve!" She launched herself at him, arms wrapping around his neck and clinging on for dear life. 

Catching her by the waist, he swung Y/N around, burying his face in her hair. They held onto one another as if they might vanish if they let go. But after a minute, Steve gently pushed her back.

"How? How are you here? What are you wearing? I don't understand, Steve, they said you died! Your plane went down in the ocean," she stammered, hand on his forearm with a grip like a vice.

"I survived. The serum kept me alive in the ice for seventy years," he said, questioning his own sanity momentarily; standing in the flat again made everything that happened seem like a distant dream.

Y/N frowned, brows knitting together. "What? Did you hit your head? Steve, this is 1945."

"I know, I came from 2023. I'm alive," he said, and saw her mentally backing away, so added, "I'm alive, and so is Bucky."

Her head snapped up, eyes immediately filling with tears. A dozen emotions whizzed through them in a second; disbelief, pain, hope. It shone clearly in her face as she stepped closer.

What did you say?" She asked, voice choked as she brought her shaking hands up to her mouth.

"Bucky's alive," he repeated softly, "and I can send you to him, in the future. But we don't have a lot of time. You need to listen to me, carefully, and do what I say."

She spluttered, struggling for words. "I, but...what about you?"

"I've made my decision," Steve said, and gently took her hands in his, "now, please, listen."

*

Bucky watched the machine, feeling a wave of numbness wash over his insides. Nothing was a better deal than the pain, the cruel sting of betrayal fighting to be felt. But he beat it back, unable to allow those thoughts validation.

Steve gave up so much for him, he fought for years to get him here. Steve deserved this. And no matter how wrong those words sounded in his head, he resolutely stood by them. 

The seconds ticked by, noted by Bruce's countdown. A flash of guilt almost made Bucky explain what was going to happen, explain that Steve left them. Left him. But he possessed no energy to speak, they'd see in a second, when no one appeared-

Zap. A blinding flash of light.

There's someone there.

Bucky frowned, hands falling from his pockets. Did Steve change his mind? Did he...

All the thoughts in his head stopped as the figure stepped down. Too small, too lithe for it to be Steve. Bucky's heart rate quickened, something in his unconscious already registering his recognition. 

The suit fell away, and if he weren't frozen in place, Bucky wouldn't have been standing. A quiver shot through him, nearly buckling his knees. Shock, fear and pure disbelief all delayed his reaction.

Y/N looked around, amazed, but turned to stone as she set eyes on him. Her face went utterly blank, a strangled sound leaving her lips.

Wearing her yard slacks, with a small bag on her shoulder, her face covered in dirt, hair streaked with grease, cap perched on-top, slanted to one side...she was everything he remembered, and his heart tried to leave his chest to go to her. To be whole again.

But fear held him back. She didn't know the things he'd done, the person he became after the train accident. What if-

"Who is she?" Sam asked, glaring as he stalked towards her, an accusation rising on his lips.

Bucky answered without hesitation, or thinking; the question had been asked countless times over the years. It always recieved the same reply. "My doll."

Sam stopped short, glancing between them, the way neither took their eyes off the other. He nodded, brows still closely knit, and backed off.

Slowly, Y/N approached, encouraged by the sound of his voice. She reached out carefully, when she got close enough. Trembling fingers brushed his cheek, and a shudder ran through her. 

"My Bucky..." She said quietly, eyes roaming over his face, a small smile tugging at her lips, "...you're here, in front of me. Alive."

He swallowed dryly, heart thundering away beneath his skin. "I'm different...you don't know..."

No sooner had the words left his mouth that her eyes found the cold metal where his flesh used to be. In reaching to hold it, she'd been taken by surprise.

Gently, Y/N took the hand in her own, examing the limb with a careful gaze. Moments passed, and she met his eyes again. Bucky steeled himself for rejection, for the disgust and horror.

Her hand went back to his cheek, and he involuntairly leaned into it. The warmth seeped into his blood. She stood on her tip toes, the smile on her lips blossoming into a bright beam of sunlight. "You've always been my Bucky, and always will be. Metal appendages and all."

He fell apart and dove down to capture her lips, clutching her to him with the hunger of a starving man. She pulled herself in, hands tangling in his brown locks, and both tasted salt on the others' lips.

So filled with joy his heart could burst, Bucky revelled in the feeling of holding his girl again. Laughing through the tears, he buried his face in her neck.

Thank you, Steve, for the greatest gift of all.