#it's a reminder how i'm getting closer to 30 & have done nothing with my life

[thisisyourdriverspeaking]

.

[cherrycola27]

Styx and Stones

Part 8:

"And even though I'm unsure about most things in life, I am certain that I love you and will continue to love you forever." -Hedda Hare

Rooster sighed as his early morning alarm went of. Delilah snuggled closer to him... well as close as her nine month pregnant belly would allow her to get. Rooster skimmed his hand over her bump and hummed contently to himself. Delilah is due in two weeks with their son or daughter. They decided to keep the gender a surprise but made sure to have a name picked out for both.

Delilah let out a groan as she sat up. "What's wrong baby?" Rooster asked settling his had on her lower back.

"You child is playing soccer with my spine." She huffed out. Rooster began to massage her lower back for her. "Oh that feels so much better... thank you honey." Delilah sighed and kissed him.

She pushed herself off of the bed and stretched her arms above her head. Rooster stayed on the mattress a few more minutes admiring the sight of hus pregnant wife.

Delilah was one of those woman who was made to be pregnant. She had done nothing but glow throw the entire thing and took everything with stride. She never once complained about her morning sickness or how parts of her body began to swell. Rooster supported her through the whole thing from rubbing her tired feet and ankles to midnight craving runs. This pregnancy had been surprisingly easy on them... which scared Delilah to death.

But Rooster always reassured her that everything was fine. The more her belly grew, the more he worshiped her in all aspects of their relationship, especially in the bedroom.

Something about her carrying his child made the man insatiable. He would frequently praise her for it while he was buried deep inside of her.

"Maybe you should take a picture it will last longer." Delilah teased snapping him back to reality.

Bradley laughed and grabbed his phone and did just that. He looked at the image and it was perfect. She stood there in an oversize shirt and a messy bun, the sun just peaking through the curtains and her hand resting on her bump.

"Oh this might be my favorite one yet!" Rooster smiled as he showed it to her. Delilah snorted out a laugh and went to turn the shower on. "Are you going to join me or do I need to call Maverick and tell him the reason you are late for training is because you can't stop oogeling his niece whom you knocked up?" She joked before heading back into the bathroom.

Rooster shook his head and joined her in the bathroom. Delilah was already under the hot spray of water when Braldey slid open the shower door. He came up behind her and cupped her stomach in his hands and gently lifted it up.

"Oh that is nice." Delilah moaned out sinking back against him.

"Won't be much longer until the little guy or girl is here and I won't get to do this until the next one." Rooster whispered in her ear. "Next one?" She questioned him.

"Baby, you know how fucking sexy I think you are like this. So swollen and round and full of me. You really think I can only experience this one time?" He asks as his voice drops an octave.

"Well can we at least get this first one out before we work on number two?" Styx shoots back.

"Sure thing baby. Now let me take care of you."

Before she can ask what that means, Rooster is sitting down on the wide shower seat and pulling Delilah into his lap. He hard cock easily slips between her folds. Being this pregnant makes it hard for Delilah to do anything other than cling other her husband while he moves inside her.

Minutes later the shower is filled with the cries of their collective high. The pair finally emerged as the water begins to cool.

Rooster gets ready for his day in the sky while Styx opts for something she deems cute yet comfortable.

"Don't fly too hard baby... remember I'm bringing you lunch today on base around 12:30." She reminds her husband before a pain twinges through her stomach.

"Honey are you okay?" Bradley asks rushing to her side. "Yeah, the baby is just kicking pretty hard today is all." She waves him off.

"Are you sure it wasn't a contraction? I can call in today..." Rooster is filled with concern.

"I'm not due for another two weeks Bradley, everything is fine." She reassured him before sending him out the door.

A few hours later Delilah made her way onto the Naval base. She waddled down the hall towards the briefing room, ignoring the cramps she had felt all morning.

When she walked in Hangman, Coyote, Payback, Fanboy, and Maverick where all there observing and listening to the training exercise. Rooster, Phoenix, and Bob were giving the new class of pilots hell in the sky.

"Hey there is our favorite baby mama!" Coyote exclaimed getting up to hug her.

"Kid still sitting snug on their perch just like their dad I see" Hangman joked while helping Styx into a chair next to her Uncle.

"Hey there sweetie." Maverick greeted her and kissed her temple. "Care to listen in and provide some feedback?" He asked handing her a headset. Styx quickly took it and put it on. While she couldn't be in a plane she was eager to help.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the is Lieutenant Comander Styx Bradshaw speaking and I can see that my husband and his partner are putting you through it right now." Styx said into the mic.

"Honey? You're hear early." Rooster called back smiling.

"Got bored and wanted to see how training was going. Have you made anyone puke yet?" She asks him

"No but I have!" Phoenix joins in.

"Miss um Styx ma'am..." one of the new pilots asks her "Yes....Stormy..." She starts as Mav informs her of the pilots call sign.

"Is it true you have 8 confirmed kills? Rooster talks about how amazing his wife is all the time and how it's a shame we couldn't fly with you because of your um... condition." The pilot says trying to be polite.

"Yes sir, 8 confirmed, but don't let him fool you... Rooster is an Ace himself!"

Just then a loud explosion is heard.

"What the fuck was that?" Styx asks

"Rooster is on fire!" Phoenix yells

Delilah and everyone hear him trying to put out the fire, but it's too late. The sound of Maverick yelling at him to eject filled her ears.

"Rooster! Rooster! Bradley come in! Rooster!" Delilah wails as the coms go dead. Everyone in the room is looking at each other not sure what to do. Delilah let's out another loud scream and almost collapses on the floor. Hangman and Coyote rush over to catch her.

"Del, everything is going to be okay. They saw a parachute its going to be fine." Jake tells her helping her back to a standing position. She looks down and clutches her stomach, her worst fear confirmed.

"I'm not so sure about that" Delilah pants out. "Why not?" Coyote asks her while he and Jake are still holding on to her.

"I think my water just broke" She tells them with wide eyes as another contration rips through her body.

"Fuck" Jake mumbles under his breath as Deliah grips her stomach.

"Everyone, get your asses in gear now and get Lieutenant Comander Bradshaw back here right the FUCK now! His wife is in labor and I will be damned if he misses that!" Jake screams at everyone in the room. People began to move like their asses are on fire at his words.

Maverick jumps up from his seat with panic all over his face. He heads for the door ready to go hop in his own F-18 to join the calvary out looking for Rooster but Delilah stops him before he can leave "Uncle Pete, please don't leave, I need you..." while reaching out for his hand.

Pete grabs her hand and helps her into a chair. "Fuck, it hurts Mav." She grits through her teeth. "I know honey, let's get you down to the infirmary." Maverick tells her. "Payback, Fanboy, help me get her to the infirmary." Maverick commands the two men who are still in the room.

The duo come up on either side of Delilah as she flings an arm over each of their shoulders and help her up.

"Think you can walk Styx?" Fanboy asks her. "Yeah I think I ca....no... no... no I can't" She breaths out as the pain hits again. Not wasting anytime Payback scoops her up bridal style and beings to carry her while Fanboy races ahead to let the doctors know she is coming in. Maverick has to sprint to keep up with Payback while he carries her down the hall.

When Payback bursts into the infirmary with Styx in his arms and Maverick on his heels Fanboy directs them to a room that is waiting. Payback gently deposits Delilah on the on the bed.

"You got this Styx. I'm going to go see if I can help get Rooster back." He says before he and Fanboy take off.

Delilah is quickly changed into a hospital gown while several monitors are hooked up to monitor both her and the baby. Maverick sits beside her holding her hand.

The OBGYN on base Dr. Nelson quickly exams Delilah to see how far her labor has progressed. "Lieutenant Comander, it seems like you are about 8 centimeters dilated. I know you must be in pain but you have progressed so fast we can't give you an epidural now." She tells her. "It won't be long until it's time to push. I heard about your husband... I'm terribly sorry. Hopefully they can get him here in time. Dr. Nelson finishes before exiting the room.

"I can't do this without him Mav." Delilah tells her uncle as she starts to cry. "I can't, I won't." She breathes out and squeezes Pete's hand while another contraction rips through her body.

A nurse come in and tries to help her get more comfortable but nothing the staff or Maverick does helps her. Delilah is desperate to have her husband with her.

When the doctor comes in an hour later Delilah is fully dilated and is almost ready to push, there is still no word about Rooster.

"No, no, no!" She screams when Dr. Nelson asks her if she is ready to push. "I won't have this baby without him. I won't do it! Rooster is supposed to be here! It wasn't supposed to happen like this." She cries holding onto Maverick.

Dr. Nelson sighs and asks to speak to Pete alone for a moment.

"Admiral Mitchell... I understand that your niece is upset about her husband, the distress is probably what sent her into labor, put if she doesn't start pushing soon, she or the baby could be in danger and then we would have to perform an emergency c-section, and I don't want to do that. Please try and speak to her." She tells him as Pete shakes his head.

"Rooster!" Bradley hears Hangman yell across the mountain side as the Navy helicopter finally came to pick him up. "Hangman!" Rooster yells back as he runs towards his friend and the waiting aircraft. Both men hauled inside before Bradley can speak. It had been about three hours since he ejected and he was glad he had finally been located.

"Jake.... is Delilah okay? I know me ejecting must have scared her and with her being so far along I've been worried." Rooster asks him. But the moment Rooster saw Hangman's face he know something was wrong.

"Roos, Styx is not okay she..." before Jake could finish Bradley's heart dropped.

"Oh my God she is in labor isn't she." Rooster's eyes went wide as Hangman nodded back to him

"Fuck! No! I can't miss it.... oh my God no!"

"Rooster calm down! We are going to get you back to base. I promise you won't miss this!" Hangman reassured him as the helicopter became airborne.

"Delilah you can't wait much longer. You are going to have to push soon or you risk putting yourself and the baby in a position where the doctor is going to have to do an emergency c-section." Maverick told her as she tried to fight off her labor.

"This isn't right. It wasn't supposed to be like this." Delilah cried into her uncles shoulder. "He is supposed to be here.... they are supposed to be here" She sobbed.

"Who?" Maverick asked looking back at her.

"Mom, and Dad, and Goose, and Carole. They should be here with you... with me..." She cried more.

"I know kid. I know it's not fair. But listen to me... this baby is coming one way or another. Bradley wouldn't want you to put yourself or your child in danger. Del, this isn't an enemy aircraft honey.... you can't fight it." Maverick told her kissing her hair.

"I'm right here. I know I'm not Rooster but I promise I won't leave you until he gets here. Now Delilah Grace, you have to push." Pete told her.

She looked back at him taking in his words.

"Okay." She responded before sitting up slightly and trying to push. "Roooooster." She called out her husband's names as if she could will him to materialize.

Roosters boots hit the ground as soon as the helicopter landed. He sped past the medical team waiting to check on him and ran straight for the infirmary.

"Lieutenant Comander Bradshaw, my wife she is in labor... where is she?" He panted to the poor nurse at the station who looked at him stunned when he burst through the doors.

"BRADLEY!" He heard his name being yelled. "Nevermind I'll follow the screams." He said running down the hallway

"Ahhhh.... I can't do it... I can't do it... I need him Pete" Delilah cried flopping back down on the bed closing her eyes and crying once again.

"Delilah! I'm here! Did I miss it?!" Rooster called plowing into the room and taking her hand that wasn't in Maverick's.

"You're here....you're okay!" She cried out seeing him.

"No you didn't miss anything Lieutenant Comander... we are all glad you are here and safe." Dr. Nelson told him.

"Delilah I need you to keep pushing. I can see the head. You can to this." The doctor told her.

"What do you need me to do baby. I'm here now." Rooster asked. "Can you get behind me like we did in birthing class please?" She asked.

Rooster quickly hopped up behind her as Maverick got up from his seat to leave.

"Pete.... where are you going?" Rooster asked looking confused.

"You're here now Rooster. She doesn't need me." Pete replied. "Yes I do Mav. You can't leave me now! Not when your grandchild is almost here!" Delilah groaned through another push.

"Grandchild?" Mav asked about to cry himself. Before Delilah or Rooster could say anything else a huge contraction rocked Delilah's body. Maverick returned to her side while Rooster supported her from behind. Both men gave their girl words of praise as she pushed with everything she had.

After a final push that Delilah was sure would kill her the cry of a health baby filled the room.

"Congratulations Mom and Dad... and Grandpa... it's a boy!" Dr. Nelson exclaimed as the infant was placed on Delilah's chest for skin to skin contact.

"Oh my God look at him." Delilah cried as the baby calmed and looked back at her with golden brown eyes that were definitely from his father.

"Oh baby he is adorable. I'm do proud of you... you did so good." Rooster whispered against her hair line as the held both Delilah and the baby from behind.

"You really did do good kid. He is a cutie... what are you going to name him?" Maverick asked

"Nicholas Mitchell Bradshaw... after Goose, Dad, and you Maverick." Delilah told him. "It wouldn't be fair to name him after just two of the best dads around we had to do all three... that why Mitchell for his middle name." She explained to him.

"Thank you." Was all Maverick managed to choke out while holding back a sob. "He truly is beautiful honey, but I know you need your rest. So I am going to go tell Penny the good news, however tomorrow I expect to be the first to hold him." Maverick joked sending the couple a wink and leaving.

"He looks just like you babe." Delilah said turning to face her husband. "Not fair that I carried him for nine months just for him to be your twin! Good thing I think you're so handsome." Delilah teased. "He is like 2 hours old he doesn't look like anything right now!" Bradley defended himself, but he knew his wife was right. He looked down and saw his eyes and nose. Baby Nicholas even had a dusting of his golden brown hair on his head.

Rooster smiled down at his little family holding his wife and son tightly.

In his head he whispered a silent prayer to thank those above for bringing him back to his wife once again and for bringing their son safely into this world. He vowed in that moment to protect them with everything that he had.

The Bradshaws enjoyed their moments of happiness and when their daughter Caroline was born two years later, they felt the same happiness yet again.

What a shame that all good things must come to an end...

Tag List: @dreamingathighaltitude @callsignmuse @shanimallina87

[ejs-writes]

Miss Perfectionist- CEO!Wanda x F!Reader

CEO!Wanda x f!reader

A/N: (Minors Don't Interact) CEO!Wanda, fingering(R receiving), angsty, office sex, neck kisses, marking

Summary: Late nights in the office have become a regular occurrence for y/n and Wanda, it’s hard to deny certain temptations in all the frustration.

Miss Perfection-

You'd been sat on the edge of Wanda’s desk as she paced the office up and down in front of you, her hands running through her hair as she thought.

You’d been preparing for a meeting presentation all evening, long after the rest of the office staff left. Just one lonely light was left on, dimmed, on the top floor of the multi-story skyscraper.

As the silence buzzed in the room along with the light click of Wanda’s heels and heavy breaths you became hyperaware of the fact it was just you and her, alone.

You and your boss.

Your boss, who at this hour, had one or two less buttons done on her blouse, her hair taken down from her bun, loose waves cascading long past her chest.

Now wasn't the time to be reminded of the figure below her clothes that you'd longed to see since she interviewed you nor was it the time to watch the way her hips swayed when she walked or the time for your heart to pound in your chest at the sight of her veins showing in her hands as she ran her hands through her waves.

“I need this presentation perfect, I can't be messing this up tomorrow,” Wanda stressed.

“I don't mean to sound- I'm not sure but Wanda we've gone through the presentation over and over there's not a word left to say or memorise- it's 10 o'clock,” you sighed as you watched the minutes hand reach the twelve on your watch. A painful reminder of just how long you'd been locked in her office, alone.

“I have a lot on the line people have high expectations, I'm not leaving until this is perfect y/n and neither are you. Understand?”

“Wanda,” you pleaded.

“I’m serious y/n now let's start it from the beginning,” she instructed.

You pulled up the first slide and Wanda began giving her presentation, making alterations where she thought was best. She'd already gotten the presentation perfect, in your eyes everything she did was perfect, but in her eyes every minor mistake was a reminder that she didn't deserve the job she took so much pride in.

She was a perfectionist who couldn't ever see perfection. Not when she looked in the mirror, not when she did her job and definitely not in her life.

You on the other hand found it almost impossible to see a fault or flaw in the woman except for the fact that no matter how good she got she never believed that she was good enough.

“Wanda this is perfect,” you told her as she concluded.

“I don't like it,” she tutted to herself.

“It’s 10:30 I'm exhausted, you're exhausted don't you think it's time we went home?”

“I said perfection,” she snapped, not out of anger but out of utter frustration.

You pushed yourself off her desk as you made your way over to her.

“This is perfection, there's nothing else we can do I promise you this is as good as it gets,” you sighed.

You found yourself standing closer to her than warranted, eyes lingering on hers longer than need be.

“I respect your opinion I do but I’m the CEO, you’re just-” she cut herself off as she saw the look in your eyes fade to disappointment.

You held her so high and to her you were- you were just- not even worth the time or energy it took to finish that sentence, that's how you felt.

That's not how she actually thought of you.

“You can stay but I’m not sticking around,” you told her, pain in the pit of your stomach.

“Come on,” she groaned as you grabbed your bags.

“Goodnight Miss Maximoff,” you rolled your eyes as you reached for the door handle.

“You know I didn’t mean it like that, y/n, can you just stay for one last run through?”

You dropped your bags by the door as your hand rubbed over your temples.

“I know my opinion doesn’t mean much to you given my status but Wanda I won’t stand here and listen to you go on and on when this prestation has been perfect since 9 o’clock everything about you is always so god damn perfect,” you breathed out slowly as you closed your eyes, exhaustion clear in your manner.

Her breath caught in her throat at your words. Yours did the same as she walked closer to you, her face filled with uncertainty as she looked over you, observing every detail.

“I wish you wouldn’t say that- I’m not- and you and I both know that’s not what I meant you know I value everything you have to say,” she said softly, her voice slightly horse from her tiredness.

You rolled your eyes as you looked away from her. You were tired of her fixation on her flaws, exhausted by her constant drone on about being better, being perfect.

“You’re about as perfect as you can be and it kills me that you don’t see that ever, it kills me that you don’t trust me when I tell you you’re good enough, Wanda I couldn’t imagine a person who’s more of a perfectionist than you and it’s exhausting,” you sighed.

“Yeah well being a perfectionist has gotten me this far, has it not?”

“Congratulations Wanda really congrats, you have your name on the door, you’re a CEO, you have shares in this company bigger than I could comprehend but how happy are you? really?”

She avoided eye contact with you as tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, tempting to well, tempting to floor. You’d hit a soft spot, Wanda wasn’t happy, not really and she knew that but like anyone in her mind would she ignored it.

“I couldn’t be happier than I am right now, what you determine happiness to be is up to you but there’s nothing that could make me happier that I am I promise you,” her voice shook.

“That’s not true,” you whispered as you closed the gap between the two of you, “that’s far from true.”

“Y/n,” she warned, you ignored her, you couldn’t deny yourself any longer. You just had to try- somewhere in your mind you hopped you could make her happy, send her mind to places she'd never seen. Relieve that pent up stress.

“Can you trust me?”

She nodded her head as she studied your face carefully, desperate to see what was behind your blown pupils, yearning to know if you were about to do the one thing she’d been wanting to do since you’d started staying after office hours.

“Then can you believe me when I say every ounce of you is perfect?” You hooked your hand under her chin as you ran you ran your thumb across her bottom lip.

She took the few steps needed to push you against the glass door, her body just a bit taller than yours in her heels, hanging over you.

Your eyes shut tight as your head rolled back to rest against the door, willing away the tangles twisting in your stomach as the scent of her perfume strangled you.

“Mm,” you swallowed.

Your hips rolled forward at the sensation of her hand running along your side.

You’d wanted this for so long, not to your knowledge but she had too.

She had so much power in this position, you were helplessly pinned under her, breathing frantic, lips desperate to taste hers but her shaky breath was enough of a sign to you that she was just as nervous even despite being as desperate you were.

You’d built that moment up in your head, sworn to yourself you’d never act on your fantasies but there you were under her ready to do anything she asked. She’d thought about all the things she’d do if only she were given the change but now with every opportunity at her fingertips, she was unsure of what path to take.

Your hand pulled her neck down to you as you kissed her easing her nerves ignoring your promises to yourself.

Some promises are just worth breaking, it’s as simple as that.

Your heart hammered at the sweet metallic taste of her blood on your tongue as your teeth sank into her bottom lip, pulling it needily.

Breathy moans fell into your mouth as she pulled away, only for a second, to look at you before finding your lips again.

Her hand moved from your side to the back of you, fiddling with the zip on your skirt until the fabric dropped down around your feet. Soft fingers slipped under your underwear, coating themselves in the slick that dropped between your thighs.

“Shit,” you gasped as you breathed in sharply.

With one hand you pulled at her shirt buttons until you could see the white lace beneath the sheer material. Gold skin flushed as she you pulled her bra down allowing one boob to show. You rolled her nipple between your fingers pulling it the same way you’d pulled her lip.

Your behaviour only encourage her more as she dipped the tips of her fingers inside of you, her thumb rubbing circles against your clit.

Your hips lifted and rolled as you pushed her fingers deeper inside of you, hitting your g spot perfectly when she cured her fingers. Your free hand gripped her shoulder under her shirt for support, your nails dragging across once flawless satiny skin leaving it with with raised red scratches.

Between kissed she told you how pretty you looked for her, how despite all that you’d said she only found perfection in one thing, you.

Your mind hazed with pleasure as you struggled to hold back the rush of emotions breaking the dam. Your leg lifted around her waist giving her even more access as you came, body jolting in sensitivity as she rode you through your orgasm.

You slowly lowered your leg back down, struggling to find your balance as you caught your breath.

“We can stay here or we can go back to my place,” she smiled as adrenaline surged through her veins. You pushed on her chest walking her back to her desk confidently. She smirked as she took note of your intentions, allowing you to do whatever you wanted.

She sat on her desk, legs spread as you stood between them lowering her back down against the surface. “Here now, your place after,” you whispered between kisses along her neck, marking her.

If you were going to have her you may as well leave her some souvenirs, right?

[femininefutbol]

prompt list

1. “are you crazy? of course, i love you”

2. “are you flirting with me?”

3. “but i don't want to do that anymore! i want you!”

4. “can i kiss you?”

5. “can i touch you?”

6. “can you stop ignoring me please?”

7. “come back! i'll do anything!”

8. “do me a favour and lose my number”

9. “do you have any idea how adorable you are?”

10. “do you really still not get it? i lied”

11. “don't call this number again”

12. “don't fucking touch me!”

13. “don't go! don't leave me. i can't do this without you!”

14. “don't leave me, i’ll do anything, please”

15. “forget it. just forget it”

16. “friends don't look at each other the way you two do”

17. “get over it, you can't get upset over these things if you're living this life"

18. “god, you're perfect”

19. “goodbye, my love”

20. “gosh, you're beautiful”

21. “has it always been just an act?”

22. “hold me closer?”

23. “how about a kiss?”

24. “i always knew I'd never be able to keep you”

25. “i always wondered why you were everything i could never have”

26. “i can't believe you're mine”

27. “i can't keep doing this. i can't keep kissing strangers and pretending they're you”

28. “i can't sleep without her holding me”

29. “i deserve this”

30. “i don't know where i'd be without you”

31. “i don’t want to lose you”

32. “i found love, and then i lost it”

33. “i have a surprise for you”

34. “i just want to you love me one more time”

35. “i like it when you talk a lot”

36. “i love making you laugh”

37. “i loved you”

38. “i miss being in your arms”

39. “i missed you so much”

40. “i never got to say goodbye”

41. “i never meant to hurt you”

42. “i never stopped loving you”

43. “i thought I told you to leave me alone”

44. “i tried but I can't forget”

45. “i want a fucking answer”

46. “i want to kiss you so badly but there are too many people here”

47. “i want to show you how much you mean to me”

48. “i wasn't aware i had done anything to you”

49. “i wish you were here with me”

50. “i- um. Is it ok if i hold your hand?”

51. “i'll always choose you”

52. “i'll always protect you”

53. “i'm growing bored of you”

54. “i'm in love with you and it's driving me crazy”

55. “i'm up for the challenge”

56. “i've always loved you” 

57. “i’ll always be there for you”

58. “i’ll keep you safe. i promise”

59. “if you die, i'm going to kill you”

60. “if you love me so much then you should be able to say it, right?”

61. “is that your idea of an apology?”

62. “it reminds me of her”

63. “it smells just like her”

64. “it was an accident”

65. “it was supposed to be us”

66. “it's hard to tell someone you love them when you know it's not true”

67. “it's just us. it'll always be us”

68. “it's really not that complicated”

69. “it's three in the morning”

70. “just shut up and kiss me”

71. “let me carry you”

72. “let’s keep it a secret”

73. “no matter what you decide, i'll be by your side through it all”

74. “promise me you won't forget me”

75. “she deserves better”

76. “she is the most beautiful person i’ve ever seen”

77. “she was the only good thing to ever happen to me, and now she's gone”

78. “she's not going to make it, is she?” 

79. “some people are just worth suffering for”

80. “sometimes i wonder why i even try anymore”

81. “stay with me”

82. “stop saying that you're okay! i know you're not”

83. “take me back” “i can't”

84. “take my jacket”

85. “thanks for nothing”

86. “the hurt isn't ever going to go away, is it?”

87. “this is the stupidest thing i've ever heard”

88. “wait a minute…are you jealous?”

89. “wait, don't pull away... not yet”

90. “wait… is that my shirt?”

91. “wait, let me walk you home”

92. “walk out that door and we're over!”

93. “want me to hold your hand?”

94. “was i just a game to you?”

95. “we can't be friends, i will always see you as something else”

96. “we play dumb, but i swear we know exactly what we're doing”

97. “we used to do that all the time”

98. “well…this is awkward”

99. “what did you expect?”

100. “what do you have behind your back?”

101. “what the hell is wrong with you?”

102. “what, you never thought about us?”

103. “what? you think that was funny?”

104. “where the hell have you been?”

105. “who said friends can't kiss?”

106. “who were you talking to?”

107. “why are you looking at me like that?”

108. “why can't you listen to a single thing i say?”

109. “why do i still like you, knowing you're a total asshole?”

110. “will you marry me?”

111. “will you say something or just keep staring at me?”

112. “wow- you look.... amazing”

113. “you broke her, don't you understand?”

114. “you can call me whenever you want”

115. “you can't leave me”

116. “you can't really blame me, it was all your fault, to begin with”

117. “you can't run from your problems forever”

118. “you deserve this”

119. “you didn't miss me at all?”

120. “you didn't” 

121. “you don't need to leave so soon”

122. “you fucked up”

123. “you have got to be kidding me”

124. “you know i'll always be here for you, right?”

125. “you know we can't keep this up forever”

126. “you left me!”

127. “you look like you need a hug”

128. “you look really cute when you're half asleep like this”

129. “you look really good in my sweater”

130. “you look... stunning”

131. “you made me feel weak”

132. “you made me want to become a better person”

133. “you make everything just a little bit better”

134. “you never cared that you broke my heart”

135. “you promised you wouldn't forget me”

136. “you ruined everything”

137. “you seem somewhat familiar”

138. “you were always a coward”

139. “you were the only person i thought i could trust”

140. “you'll be my wife one day”

141. “your kisses are all i need right now”

142. “you're beautiful, you know that”

143. “you're just not the same person”

144. “you're mine. all mine”

145. "you're my dream come true”

146. “you're so fucking hot when you're mad”

147. “you're the one i've been waiting for my whole life”

148. “you're joking, right? please. please just say you're joking”

149. “you're never going to let that go, are you”

150. “you're the reason she's gone”

[blueeyedgeorgie]

Cancelled-Dream Was Taken

A/N: Surprise bitch. Weren’t we expecting for me to release mcyt fanfics soon? If I didn’t tag my usual @‘s it’s because idk if you’d like to be tagged for mcyt content.

Pronouns: she/her

Word Count: 2.3k+

_________________

"You're so harsh on him!" Her hands sat on the keyboard, staring at the green human that stood on Y/n's computer screen.

She needed to be careful. While this was a heated moment, she couldn't let herself get too loud for multiple reasons. If she got too loud, Dream's stream viewers would be able to tell she was in the next room or they would just receive noise complaints from their neighbors.

"No Y/n! You're too soft on him! He needs to learn that he can't get away with everything. You're setting him up for failure." As the h/c girl listened to her roommate speak, she had to remind herself over and over again; 'This wasn't real.' Dream was mad, not Clay.

This had all been arranged as roleplay. Y/n would be leaving in a few days to go visit some of her family for a reunion, so Wilbur had been the one to think up the brilliant idea of what was playing out now; an argument between Y/n and Dream. The plan was to have Y/n get so upset she didn't log onto the SMP for the next few days, only to come back with a master plan to backstab Dream.

At first, Clay wasn't really on board with the thought of him getting angry at Y/n. They had been together for a little over a year, there wasn't a single moment they had gotten upset with one another. But surprisingly, Y/n had been the one to convince Clay it was a good idea.

The fans knew Dream and Y/n had a close friendship, Dream had always been so protective of her. But when this was going down, they didn't know how to act.

Every time Y/n would glance at her chat, she'd see thousands of comments rising up as new ones appeared. Comment after comment, it looked like the fans were shocked by the way this stream was turning out.

"I'm not setting him up for anything! He's a kid, Dream!" Y/n glanced from the chat,  back at the screen showing her PC game. Standing on her screen was Dream and Tommyinnit, she had accompanied Dream to visit Tommy.

"You're just babying him! 'He's a kid!' Well, he needs to learn to grow up eventually," his voice had been filled with such spite. It felt weird to hear Clay speaking to her like this in such a tone.

For a moment, she stared at the green man before a short scoff escaped her lips. "I can't believe you." With that, Y/n had pressed a few keys, turning her character towards the nether portal a couple of yards away. Before Dream had gotten the chance to speak again, Y/n began to move away.

"Y/n! Come back here!"

She flicked a few buttons, taking a moment to look behind her character to see Dream following. Good, everything was going according to plan. Within the next few minutes, she'd be able to log off and she'd be on vacation for the next few days.

The h/c girl ignored the green man as she stepped through the portal, taking her to Minecraft's version of hell. Almost done, she just needed to find a good spot to stop as she listened to Dream continue to speak.

"You can't keep ignoring me! You know I'm right in this. You know you can't keep defending Tommy. You know Tommy is driving a wedge between us-"

Perfect. Y/n had stopped just on the edge of a bridge, molten lava sat feet below them. If she fell, she'd surely die. "No."

"No?" Dream was a bit surprised to hear Y/n cut him off, but he stayed silent as he was prepared to listen to what she had to say.

"No. No more. I don't wanna hear you blame Tommy for us breaking apart. I want you to listen to me. You've been acting like much more of a dick than usual and I hate it. I despise it. You've changed for the worst because you think you can step on everyone. At this point, everyone fears to tell you the truth-except me. I'll be a hundred percent honest with you, you've been so egotistical, it's really pissed me off. This is your fault, Dream. Not Tommy's. You exiled a child for pulling a prank on a vacation house! Not even George's real house!"

"But-"

"Shut the fuck up. I'm done, but I don't wanna hear you bullshit me. So shut the fuck up."

A moment of silence passed between them as Y/n stared at her screen. Just a few more steps.

And within seconds, Dream had pulled out his netherite sword. With one hit, she was falling back into lava. Y/n glanced at her chat, a look of shock on her face as she read over what a few comments said. A moment of silent tension had passed before Y/n had finally spoken up, removing her from the voice chat she was in.

"Alright guys, I guess that's enough for the day. I'll see you all... later." With that, she had clicked a few buttons, raiding Dream's live-stream as she ended hers.

For the next 20 to 30 minutes, Y/n knew Clay would be busy streaming. So she had decided to take a bit of time to wind down and think to herself.

Get a glass of water.

'Are the fans harassing him in his twitch chat?'

Sit down on the living room couch.

'The SMP fans were always so protective of me.'

Pet Patches.

'Was I too much when I snapped at him?'

It didn't seem like 30 minutes had passed when Clay had walked out of his streaming room, only to find Y/n on the couch with Patches in her lap. "Hey, N/n." "Oh, your stream is already over?" Y/n smiled, pulling herself out of her thoughts as she scoot over, giving Clay room to take a seat right by her.

"Yeah, did you lose track of time or something?"

"I must've. How did the chat react after I 'died'?" She smiled up at her boyfriend as he wrapped an arm over her shoulders, pulling her closer into his embrace.

"Everyone was filled with joy that you died."-Y/n playfully swatted at him. "Okay, okay! I got a few chat messages of people bashing me for it, but it's fine."

"Well, it's a good thing the chat wasn't completely littered with hate. How was it after my raid?"

"Honestly, not that bad as you expect. Like I said, just a few comments. Nothing bad, I just ignored it." Clay placed a hand on Patches's head, gently scratching her, followed by the animal beginning to purr.

"Good to hear, anyways... I'm not ready to pack. Do you think we can procrastinate?" The h/c girl let out a huff leaning against her boyfriend. "How?"

"I was thinking a bit of movie binging, cuddling, and ordering dinner?" A cheeky smile spread on her face as she spoke.

"It's like you read my mind."

The couple had made it through three movies, by now it was later at night. The sun had set and they had already door dashed some food. By now they were in the middle of watching 'The Empire Strikes Back.'

'I love you.' 'I know.'

The iconic moment between Hans and Leia had been interrupted by the sound of Clay's phone buzzing. "Why is George calling?"

"What?" Y/n was a bit curious herself. Considering the timezones, George should be asleep right now. Pausing the TV, she turned her attention to her boyfriend's phone.

"Hey Clay."

"What's up, George? Isn't it like early in the morning for you?" Clay raised a brow, moving his phone so Y/n would be able to see George as well.

"Yeah, I had to stay up to fix a YouTube video I need to get out today. I was about to go to bed and I checked Twitter-"

"Oh no." Clay made a short joke, only to be cut off by his friend.

"I don't know if it's trending for you in America, but you might as well look."

"What's going on?" He swiped up, taking him to his home screen so he could click on the little blue bird app. Y/n had grabbed her phone from the coffee table, opening up the app as well. "#Cancel Dream... #Y/n... #Dream SMP"

"Is... is Clay getting canceled for killing me in Minecraft?" Y/n scrolled through the tweets involving the hashtag 'Y/n.' She could see plenty of people defending her, but making it much bigger of a problem than it actually was.

"Oh, hey Y/n. But yeah, he is." George chuckled awkwardly, scrolling through his Twitter app as well.

"This is so fucking stupid."

"It really is. So we might as well get this cleared up with the fans as soon as possible. Do you want me to tweet something, or do you want to?" Y/n looked up at her boyfriend, it looked like he was thinking.

"Yeah, I'll tweet it. Don't worry about this, Y/n."

"Alright, whatever you say," she replied, pulling a blanket over her as she waited for Clay to finish typing his response.

"Here's what I'm gonna say: 'I can't believe you guys actually think me and @(y/n) are in an actual fight in real life. We have been good friends since forever, the fight was only roleplay. I love that you guys are so protective of Y/n, but no one's actually upset.' How's that sound?"

"I think that's good," George hummed softly.

"Yeah, I doubt you'll stay 'canceled' once you've explained to them it was all part of the SMP lore." The h/c girl smiled up at her boyfriend with a small nod.

"Alright, I'm gonna post it. George, I think you should go to bed because you're half asleep already."

Y/n turned, looking at her boyfriend's iPhone. "Go to sleep, Gogy!"

"Alright, alright... I'll talk to you guys later." The call had ended with Clay and Y/n saying goodbye to their friend while George simply yawned to them as a response.

As soon as the call was over, Clay looked at the response to his tweet. It didn't seem to be going too well. There had been a few fans who understood what was going on and responded with a paragraph as an apology for the misunderstanding. But most replies had been telling Clay he was bullshitting the fans or that he wasn't being honest.

"I'm sorry, Clay," his girlfriend had huffed as she read through the responses to his tweet.

"Honestly I'm just a bit pissed off. Literally, any time someone tries to 'cancel' me, it's over something stupid. I'm not a bad guy, it just feels like some people just don't want to see me succeed." Clay had excused himself to grab a glass of water from the kitchen.

It hurt Y/n to hear how upset her boyfriend was. He never got too upset over things, but seemed to take a small toll on him. "Hold on. Let me say something." The h/c girl couldn't be asked to post multiple tweets of her response to hate sent towards Clay over the internet. So what was better than a short video that could be posted to the blue bird app?

"Um, hey guys. I'd just like to make this quick. Stop sending hate towards Dream. The fight was roleplay and nothing more. I'm gonna be busy for the next couple of days so Wilbur thought of a good idea to help build SMP lore with me and Dream and we both agreed to the argument. Now stop sending the green man hate, or I'll commit war crimes or something-"

Y/n had been interrupted by the sound of Clay letting out a small giggle. "What? What did I say?"

"Nothing, just keep going with your video."

"Whatever, I'm cool. No matter what Dream says. Anyways, I'll speak to you all later." Y/n had hit the red button again, ending her video. Within seconds, the video had been uploaded to her Twitter account.

Placing her phone back down on the table, Y/n approached her boyfriend, wrapping her arms around his torso. "I'm really sorry about the hate, Clay. I love you."

"Don't apologize for something you can't control. I love you more." The brunette held his partner close, accepting her hug. Y/n always loved his hugs, she always felt so safe in his embrace.

The rest of the night had been spent with more cuddling and more Star Wars movies. Hours had passed before Y/n had even thought about the Twitter situation again. But for some reason, she had decided to look at the app again tonight.

It was 2 in the morning by now, Clay was half asleep. His head laid in the h/c girl's lap as she brushed a hand through his hair, her free hand opening up her Twitter app once again.

It had been a bit of a surprise to see a couple of trending hashtags had changed so quickly. What was trending now was #Dream, #Y/n,#(ship name), and #Dream's Laugh. This had to be about Y/n's short clip she posted. And by the looks of it, people had stopped acting so harsh towards Clay. But instead, they had decided to focus on the fact Dream and Y/n were hanging out together. Not to mention the fact Dream and let out a stupid little giggle because of Y/n. People had been apologizing to him through Twitter for being so hard on him.

"Babe."

"Hm?" Clay mumbled, not bothering to open his eyes.

"Pretty much everyone is apologizing to you over Twitter for being hardasses."

"Hm, that's good to hear."

"You're really tired, huh?" Y/n paused her scrolling to look down at her boyfriend.

"Yeah," He continued to mumble, followed by a short yawn.

"Alright, time for bed, babe." Y/n smiled to herself, beginning to carefully move away from Clay. "I can pack tomorrow and we can laugh over the stupid bird app tomorrow after you've gotten a good amount of sleep."

"I still can't believe Twitter tried canceling me over roleplay."

"I can't believe you got uncancelled by shippers."

Taglist: @notphilosopherstudentblog

[abarbaricyalp]

Idk if you are still taking prompts, but you know the vine two dudes chilling in a hot tub 5 feet apart cause they're not gay, and a girl quoting it in a park about two girls in the distance and one of them hearing and going "Actually I am gay" Like that scenario, only involving them fixing the boat? Maybe Sarah quoting it to give Sam shit when she thinks Bucky cant hear and Bucky goes "Wait, no I'm gay" or something, or just the general gist of that. Sorry if this us too specific, I've never sent anyone a prompt before :P

Hello Friend! Thank you so much for sending anything in at all! I know the vine you're talking about, but I couldn't find it on Youtube. (I did find a two day rabbit hole of old compilations though) This was also my first foray into writing Sarah as a fully fleshed character! I was excited to get the practice 'cause I had an idea bouncing around in my head about her and Bucky talking after he wakes up in the Wilson house. I kept her a little more like she had been in my other fics pre-show here. I so wish we got a little more of her!

Feel free, anyone, to send me Sambucky prompts!

The North American Superhero in a Domestic Situation

Sarah Wilson loved her brother deeply. The kind of soul crushing love that could only be formed through family, loss, and approximately four thousand brawls around the living room throughout their life. She looked up to her brother more than she could ever imagine looking up to anyone. Even when they were fighting or picking on each other, she couldn’t help but feel a swell in her chest when he came into her line of sight.

That didn’t mean she understood him. In fact, from the age of eight, watching her brother interact with the world had become her go-to pastime. Why did he have to roll every pea around the plate individually before eating them? Why did he and his friends spend seven years socking each other in the arm to prove friendship? Why did he talk to himself in the mirror, even when he knew Sarah or someone else was standing in the doorway?

Sam Wilson was just deeply weird. She had no idea how he had tricked the Avengers, a plethora of bad guys, and half of the media world into thinking he was remotely cool. She saw a news story once that had King T’Challa standing on a platform with Sam and the newscasters talked about how impressive Sam’s suit was. It was unnatural, the effect he had on people.

And in all her years, she never thought she’d see anyone weirder than Sam. But then James Barnes had showed up. It was like a complete reversal of Sam. Sarah was taken in for approximately three hours by his charm and face before she realized he too was deeply, deeply weird.

She justified sitting on the edge of the Paul and Darlene, watching her brother and James Barnes spar off about some dumb trivia fact, by deciding it was an anthropological expedition. The North American Superhero in a Domestic Situation. She watched Sam watch Barnes take a long pull off his beer. She watched Barnes kick his feet up near Sam’s legs and then draw them back quickly when a current jolted the boat. She watched Barnes’ fingers tap-tap-tap against the edge of the boat, inching closer to Sam’s shoulder before he chickened out and brought his hand back to his own lap. She watched Sam suggest Bucky take his jacket off, ‘unless you plan on sun blinding me with the robocop arm.’ She watched Sam look away when Barnes did shrug his jacket off.

When she was seventeen and Sam was fifteen, she had found Sam crying in his room, pillow pressed to his face to muffle the noise. They were at the age where going into each other’s rooms uninvited started international conflicts, but Sarah, who watched her brother intently, felt like she knew what was going on. So she let herself in through their Jack-and-Jill bathroom and shut the door behind her.

Sam didn’t stop crying, not even to yell at her to get out, so she sat on the end of his bed and rolled a baseball under her foot for a while. Finally, she’d said, “You don’t have to tell Mom and Dad, y’know.”

Sam had just about wailed and bit the corner of his pillow to stop himself.

“That’s gross, stop it,” Sarah ordered and pushed Sam’s shoulder back enough to yank his pillow free and then reached over to wipe the tears from his cheeks. “I should make you do the laundry this week so I know I’m not touching your snot germs,” she teased softly.

“How did you know?” Sam hiccuped out. Tears were still brimming at his eyes, but they didn’t fall.

“I’m your older sister. I made you. Like a doll. You think there’s something about you that I don’t know?” she joked. And when the tears did spill over his long lashes, she sighed and pulled him closer to her side. “I just know the way you interact with that boy from the basketball team ain’t just friendly.”

“Jesus, do you think he can tell?” Sam asked and she could hear the mortification in his voice.

“Sam, he’s a freshman in high school. The only thing he knows is that he’s scared of everything too. No one’s paying that much attention to you.”

“Screw you,” Sam muttered.

“What’re all these tears for you if you didn’t make a move and get shot down?”

“God, Sarah, can you not say things like that?”

“Watch your mouth,” Sarah warned with no heat in her voice. “Come on, tell me what’s wrong. I’m not leaving until you do.”

“I just…” Sam sat up and worked his jaw for a while. His chin dimpled and his eyes watered but he managed to control himself. “I’m scared, Sarah. I’m scared of never being in love. Of having to leave if I am. I’m scared to say something and I’m scared not to say something. I’m so scared of...losing any of it.”

“Sam,” Sarah sighed and pulled Sam into another hug. “You’re fifteen. You’re not supposed to be in love yet. You don’t have to think about any of that. You just have to focus on passing Geometry, alright? Mom’ll whoop your ass more for failing than anything else.”

“I have a B+, that’s not failing!” Sam snapped. He kept his face against her shoulder for a second long before he sat up and wiped his tears away. “Please don’t tell anyone.”

“Who am I gonna tell? I told you, my friends don’t like you as much as you think they do.”

“Your friends like me more than they like you,” Sam shot back and he almost sounded normal.

Sarah smiled softly and patted Sam’s cheek. “I won’t tell Mom or Dad. Of course not. That’s for you to do. But--”

“I’m always going to tell them when you sneak out the window.”

“No! Sam! You can’t! You owe me now!”

“Going to field parties is not the same thing!” Sam said in a shriek as Sarah leaned over to pinch his sides. They grappled for a second before Sam managed to push Sarah off the bed.

“You owe me,” she reminded him as she walked back to the bathroom.

Sam wiped his eyes again and nodded. “Sure, Sarah. I do.”

Sam almost had the same look on his face now. Like there was something he wanted to reach for that he thought was too impossible to hold. The Older Sister Instinct to Antagonize into a Solution kicked in.

“Two bros, chilling on a boat, five feet apart ‘cause they’re not gay,” she sing-songed. Sam looked mortified again but masked his face into something more irritated with a roll of his eyes when Barnes looked over at him.

“Ignore her. It’s this old video--” Sam started.

But Bucky interrupted to say, “Actually I am gay,” as he looked back over at Sarah. “Sorry if I got your hopes up,” he added with a grin that really did get the hopes up.

“What?” Sam asked and Sarah, ever watchful, could see the beer bottle shaking in his hand.

“What?” Bucky repeated innocently.

“He said he’s gay,” Sarah clarified.

“Thank you, Sarah,” Sam ground out. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

Bucky snorted. “When would I have said anything? ‘Sorry for ripping your wings off and kicking you off of a hellicarrier, by the way I’m gay.’?”

“You did what?” Sarah asked.

“‘Sorry for claiming I didn’t bomb the UN only to be reverted back to the assassin who would have done that and then fighting you again. By the way I’m gay.’ ‘Thanks for saving my life. Sorry about the giant undersea prison. By the way I’m gay.’ ‘There’s an imminent battle with weird ass space dogs that want to eat our faces. By the way I’m gay.’ ‘Sorry about Tony Stark, whose life I kind of ruined. Lovely funeral. By the way I’m gay.’ ‘I’m in the middle of being pissed at you about the Shield. By the way I’m gay.’ ‘Maybe don’t take me rolling through a field of flowers. It does things to me ‘cause I’m gay.’ ‘John Walker’s fucking insane. I’m gay, but definitely not for this bullshit.’ I mean, come on, Sam.”

“Flowers?” Sarah asked.

“Besides, why would you care? I don’t make it a habit of telling straight guys I’m into guys.”

“You don’t seem to make a habit of telling many people that,” Sarah pointed out. “I googled you. Nothing suggesting that came up.”

Bucky shrugged. “I’m a guy from the 30s. It was trained out of me.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Sarah said quickly. “Back up away from that because we’re not gonna try to Oppression Olympics our way through our histories. Did you just say Sam was straight?”

“Sarah!” Sam hissed.

“Sure. I mean, I saw him with Romanov. Hill. He has Tinder on his phone.”

“Samuel Thomas, you better not,” Sarah warned lightly. “You’re better than that.”

“He’s a lady-killer.”

Sarah snorted and had to bring her hand up to her face. “He definitely is not. There has been no lady-killing on his end for a long time.”

“Sarah!” Sam tried again.

“You explain it to him then. Mr. 30s is gonna need the long way round explanation.”

Sam sighed and dragged his hand over his face. “Dammit. Fine. I’m not straight either, alright? I’m...bi, or something. It’s been a while since I’ve had to think about it.”

“What?” Bucky asked, not unlike Sam had.

“He said he’s bisexual. Interested in both parties. Swings either way. Hit a homerun and then hasn’t really swung since.”

“Sarah, Jesus Christ,” Sam groaned.

“What?” Bucky asked again.

“I was engaged. To a man,” Sam said.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Bucky asked, clearly missing the irony.

“Oh, it was inconvenient for you but I had plenty of opportunities, huh?” Sam asked. “Ms. Tell-It-All over there wasn’t joking. I haven’t swung any direction in a while. Not since before I met Steve. My fiance died. And then it never came up.”

Bucky blinked at Sam. He kept bringing the bottle halfway up his body and then setting it back on his leg without ever taking a drink. “Fuck, Sam, I’m sorry,” Bucky said, which was not what Sarah was expecting and it clearly wasn’t what Sam was expecting because Sam finally moved closer to Bucky on the bench.

“What for? You didn’t do anything. This time.”

“Yeah, but if I’d known you were into me too, I woulda kissed you in Germany.”

“Oh, I am so not into you,” Sam denied. “And I wouldn’t have our first kiss ruined by immediately running into the government’s roving show monkey.”

“That’s the worst,” Bucky agreed and also finally moved over on the bench until they were pressed thigh to thigh. “Tell me how much you don’t like me again,” he challenged.

“I can’t stand you,” Sam answered and brought his hand up to Bucky’s jaw.

Sarah couldn’t fight down the grin that came to her face and turned to prop her feet on the pier, back to Sam and Bucky. Just this once, she didn’t need to watch her brother to understand him.

Read on AO3 here!

[tinyboxxtink]

"Black Magic" *Part 3*

Alright y'all this took me ALL day to write [the entire rest of the story] and it took me an hour and a half to just edit this chapter. So I HOPE you like it. I had to find a breaking point it was getting too long, but the next chapter is coming like...maybe 30 minutes.

EEK!!!

Part 4

Part 2

Tag List

@wanniiieeee

@word-scribbless

@milkshqke

@gibbs274

@chasingeverybreakingwave

@aprildecker-blog

@lolliepopsicle

@stars-in-the-skies-world

@omgsuperstarg

@stars-trash-18

@objection-argumentative

@madamsnape921

-------

After saying goodbye to Maria and the kids Rafael took your hand and you both got in another Uber he had called.

“So where to now?” You asked.

“Well we're going to need somewhere to get this food,” he smiled. “So I'm taking you to my favorite place in the city,”

Soon enough the Uber pulled up in front of Central park. We both got out and walked to the front entrance.

“Central Park is your favorite place in the city?” You asked. “Kind of basic but okay,” you teased.

“Shut up,” he laughed, punching you in the arm playfully. “Wait until you see what part of Central Park.” He took your hand and you walked for a bit until you came across a fountain.

“I mean it's gorgeous but still kind of basic,” you teased some more.

“This is where we're eating lunch carino,” he told you. “The surprise comes after,”

You set up camp on the edge of the fountain and spread out the food. It was enough for a feast. Luckily Maria had included napkins, plates , silverware and sneakily enough she snuck in an old blanket that you could spread out.

“Oh my god.. this is so good,” You said in between mouthfuls of food.

“I told you,” he laughed through a mouthful of his own food.

“No like you don't understand. I've never had food this good,” You insisted.

“Oh no? The fancy lunches from work, not your style?” He smirked.

You stopped eating for a second. Had he really noticed that you took home whatever food the bigwigs never finished? It was kind of a detail that you never had guessed that he would even pay attention to.

“I have no idea what you're talking about,” You innocently replied.

“Sureee…” Rafael nodded with a smile.

“I'm sorry, please don't fire me,” You begged.

“Fire you? I think it's adorable. Trust me I would do the same thing back in my law school days when I had nothing,” He patted your shoulder.

“God do I hear that,” You agreed.

“Wait so you have nothing?” Rafael asked, concerned.

“What? No! Kind of…..I have enough.” You assured him.” It's not like I'm homeless or anything.” Oh my God this is getting worse. “I just mean like, back when I was in college I had even less than I have now.”

“Oh you went to college?” Rafael asked.

“Wow okay counselor I see where the snobbishness is coming back,” You acted offended. And you actually kind of were.

"Oh no no no, mi amor,” He put a hand on your knee, scared he had offended you. “Please don't think that I would ever think down of you. I think you are the most beautiful, smartest caring person in the world.”

He didn't even know you. That was definitely the spell. You sadly shrugged” it's fine,”

“No no what I meant.. I don't know I don't know what I meant,” He shook his head, blushing.

“Yeah you do it's fine you can say it Rafael I'm not going to get offended,” You assured him.

“I just meant... I don't know, or don't understand why somebody with a college degree would be temping, instead of using their degree for a job in their field. I seriously doubt you went to college for temping,”

“Well I don't know if you remember this since it was eons ago before you had money but living in New York is quite expensive.” You half laughed. "And when you have student loans to pay you kind of have to take what you can get even if it's not in your ‘field’,”

“I get it,” He nodded. “I totally get where you're coming from. I'm so sorry I offended you,”

“You know before today I would have stomped off and written you off as just the snob pompous asshole that I thought you were. But after seeing where you came from I know you really mean that,” You smiled.

“So…” he hoped to change the subject. “What exactly is your degree in? Something law related I assume?”

“Why do you assume that?”

“Well.. usually the people that apply to be my intern are only interested in kissing my ass and getting ahead in the lawyer corporate world. But you haven't done that.. Yet,” He raised an eyebrow with a smirk.

“Oh.. yeah.”. you look down at the ground nervously.

“What are you going to kiss my ass now? Because I'll gladly let you do it,” He smiled cheekily.

“No no!” You waved your hands. “I mean that would be nice but--I mean no, what?” You were flustered.

“You're adorable when you're flustered,” He rubbed your bright red cheeks.

“Haha,” you pushed a hair behind your ear. You thought to yourself “Well he's not going to remember any of this anyway so you might as well tell him the truth,”

“Truth is.. I may or may not have manipulated the system to beat out those other snobby law students to get this job,” You admitted, still looking down.

“Really…?” He looked at you suspiciously. “...And why’s that?

“...Because I saw your picture on the file and I thought you were gorgeous and I wanted to see that face everyday,” You blushed intensely, still looking at the ground, not able to tell him in his face..

There was a very long pause and then he put a hand on yours. You slowly looked up at him and he was smiling cutely.

“That is the most adorable thing I've ever heard in my life,” He grinned.

“Really? You think so?” Well obviously he thought so he was programmed to think whatever you did for the adorable duh.

“Yeah I don't think I've ever had a woman try that hard to get my attention. Or want to see me that much, or even think that highly of me,” He grinned.

“I mean it's not really thinking highly of you, just that you’re really attractive,” You laughed.

“Right, of course,” He was blushing even more.

“And that was even before I saw your butt!” You laughed without thinking.. But he really did have the best ass you've ever seen in your entire life. Everyday you walked into that office you just wanted to take a bite of it.

Rafael choked on his food. “I um…” His face was red hot now.. “Thank you?”

“Anyway…” He tried to steer the conversation away from his butt. “You avoided the question,”

“What question?” You asked. Completely in all honestly forgetting what you were talking about. Once you got lost in Rafael's ass your mind kind of went blank completely.

“What iis your degree in?”

“It's embarrassing,” You looked at the ground.

“What? It can't be that bad,” He shook his head.

“Well I say it's embarrassing to someone like you,” You half laughed.

“Someone like me?” He looked offended. “What iis that supposed to mean?”

“I mean I don't.. I mean the person that I thought you were before today,” You grabbed his hand.

“Well you seem to have really disliked me before today,” he nodded curiously. “It's like you don't know me at all.”

“What? Of course I know you.” You assured him. "I love you, remember? And you love me?”

“Yeah.. I do, but I don't know anything about you,” He looked away as if he was trying to figure out an equation.

Oh shit. What's happening? Was this supposed to happen? Wasn't wearing off? Oh God.

“It's a theater degree!” you blurted out, trying to change the subject. Maybe it would work. If you distracted him maybe this would take over again.

He turned his head to the side and stared off blankly, as if he was rebooting. Then he looked up and smiled at you. “A theater degree? That sounds exciting!” He was back to his “usual self''..

You let out a sigh of relief. However, you wondered if you had gotten him out of the spell, would he have freaked out? Would he have accepted it? Would he maybe start having real feelings for you? Well, it was too late now.

“Does it really though?” You rolled your eyes.

“It really does. I don't know if you would believe this, but I'm kind of a theater nerd myself,” He chuckled.

“No way. You? Nahh,” You blew a raspberry.

“Seriously! I had a bit of a theater bug when I was younger in fact. I wanted to be a big Broadway star” He admitted.

You couldn't believe what you were hearing. Raphael Barba the stuffy ADA of New York City as a big Broadway star? Yeah right!

“That's insane! You laughed. So why did you give it up?”

“Well.. as you know, being on Broadway isn't a great way to make money. It's more of a passion thing right?”

“So true,” You nodded as you were eating your empanada dessert.

“So.. I took a hard look at where I lived, and how hard my mom and abuelita were struggling and I vowed that I would get out of El Barrio. And make something of myself and be able to take care of them when I was an adult the way that I couldn't when I was a kid,”

You felt tears choking your throat once again for the millionth time that day. But this time it wasn't for you. It was for him. You really hadn't known any of this, to you he was just a pretty face. You actually had a lot in common.

“That is so sweet.” You pushed the trash between you away and moved up closer, pulling his hands into your lap and looking at him endearingly.

“Yeah?” He asked you with a half smile like a kid looking for approval.

“Yeah it really is. You gave up your passion for your family. I wish I was as selfless as that,” You said softly.

“What do you mean?”

What did you mean indeed? Did you really want to get into the story? Then once again you reminded yourself that he would have no idea no recollection of this after today, so you felt comfortable telling him your secret.

“Well….. You.... I came from nothing too. But all I could think of was getting out myself and never looking back,” You admitted in shame.

“Oh?” He looked at you curiously.

“Yeah, I was really passionate about theater and becoming a big Broadway star. With all the fame, and the money, and getting away from my small town in Jersey. So I threw myself into every activity, every theater, every play, every community theater, every performance, anything I can get my hands on. My parents were super supportive and never thought anything bad of me, even though they probably should have. They wanted me to have the world. And I took that for granted,” You began to get choked up.

“Why do you say that…?” He took your hand and squeezed it feeling like something bad was coming.

“They saved up their entire married lives to give me a college fund. I wasn't aware of it, but when I got accepted to NYU School of acting, they told me that they had enough saved for the first two years,” You continued, trying to breathe.

“Well that's good isn't it?”

“Yeah no totally, except I wasn't grateful,” You look down tears stinging your eyes thinking about how selfish you are as a kid. All I could think about and yell at them was how they didn't have enough for the full four years. How was I supposed to be a big Broadway star if I was still trying to pay student loans?”

“Oh Y/N…”.

“Yeah and that's not even the worst part,” Tears started stinging your eyes. You were lucky he was under some spell because he would definitely hate you after this under normal circumstances.

“Go on, I'm not here to judge you,” He pressed his forehead against yours. He realized how hard the story was taking its toll on you.

“One day it was my big end of semester performance and it was snowing. So my parents said that they weren't going to be able to make it. I screamed at them and told them that this was the biggest night of my life, and they couldn't be bothered to show up and what horrible parents they were and that they never cared about me and a whole huge temper tantrum like a 3 year old.”

You tried holding back sobs you had to make it through this whole thing without breaking down.

“No, honey…” He put a hand on your face.

”And so they tried…” You sniffed. They tried driving on the icy roads of Jersey to drive into the City and they served on black ice in the Jersey tunnel where they hit the wall and were killed instantly.

“Oh my god.. he whispered, “Baby I'm so sorry,” He grabbed you in a hug as you broke down. You just sat there for a minute letting him hold you while you sobbed into his shoulder.

“I just told them what shitty parents they were!” You sobbed muffled into his shirt. "And I killed them!”

“Hey,” he pulled your face from his shirt and looked you in the eyes. “No no you didn't do anything,”

“Yes I did! If I hadn't been such a brat and told them and guilted them into coming to see my stupid show then they'd still be alive!” you kept sobbing.

“No,” he took your head in his hands. “Look I didn't know you back then but I'm sure that your parents loved you and I'm sure that you loved them. That's why you wanted them there so bad. And sometimes it's just people's time. You didn't do anything wrong. Do you understand me?”

“Yeah.. I guess so,” you looked down. “I mean I was punished enough for it”.

“What does that mean?”

“Well I mean, obviously I was distraught from my parents dying. And that semester was the last one that was paid for. So kind of lied to you,” You paused to look at him apologetically.

“I had to drop out one year after that because I could only get student loans for that next year. And you had to have a certain GPA to get them to keep paying for the last year and I most certainly did not have that,”

“Oh...carino, I'm so sorry”

“Then me being me the arrogant bitch that I am, I thought well maybe I don't need a degree. Tons of actors don't have degrees. They can just make it on their own. So I just started throwing myself into auditions for about a year and a half, and I ended up living on the streets because I refused to take any kind of job. Telling myself that I was going to get my big break and be famous,”

“Oh my God”

“I know, right?” You laughed through tears. “I'm so stupid,”

“Hey you are not stupid,” Rafael grabbed your hands again.

“Yeah well, the first temp agency that I applied to had the first job as a personal assistant to a fancy lawyer. So maybe I'm not that stupid,” you smiled.

“Ah.. see? Happy ending. Maybe you went through all that to find me,”

“Yeah.. maybe,” You sadly smiled at him.

Although you knew deep down in your heart that was bullshit, because you really didn't have him. All you did was take another shortcut and be selfish and tried to take him for yourself instantly without any of the work. You were still a selfish bitch. And he didn't know that

“You know...if it makes you feel any better, you are lucky to have such loving parents,”

“What do you mean? Didn't you say you gave up your dream to take care of them?” You assumed that must have meant they were super close.

“Yeah well, for my mom and abuela..”.

You suddenly realized he hadn't mentioned a father.

"Oh? I'm.... No dad?”

“No, no dad.” He shook his head sadly. “I wasn't completely honest with you earlier YN,”

“What do you mean?” You took his hand, already knowing this wasn't going to be good.

“I was forced to give up my dream,” he replied sadly while staring at the ground.

“What?”

“When I was a kid I would watch musicals at my abuelitas house. It was the only place I was….safe,” He continued.

“Oh God.” You muttered.

“I would dance and sing all over her house. She was the only person in my life who ever supported that side of me,” he continued to stare at the ground.

“When my dad came to pick me up one day and he saw what I was doing…. “ He stopped again, you realized he was trying not to cry.

“Rafa…..”

“He tried to "beat the gay out of me.",” You saw tears dripping on the pavement.

You silently gasped.

"Not that I'm gay,' he quickly assured you.

"That was literally the last thing on my mind baby," you shook your head, tears coming to your own eyes as you pulled him into a hug. He collapsed into tears as you rubbed the back of his neck and whispered comforting words into his ear.

Finally he composed himself enough to finish his story.

“Anyway, he uh...he didn't just beat me for that. It was anything really. But I kept at it at my abuelas. She encouraged me even if she couldn't stand up to my dad. I can't blame her or my mother. When my mom caught me still pursuing it she told me to stop if I wanted to keep our dad around saying he wouldn't tolerate a….f word son,"

“Oh my god.” You whispered. You couldn't imagine your parents or any parents really, trying to discourage their kids from anything, and threatening them for being something they were so passionate about.

“Well I guess it didn't matter either way because he ended up taking off anyway. And I felt so guilty that we lost our only income, so my mom had to end up getting two jobs and my abuela moved in to help with bills that then I swore to become better so that I could atone for my sins,” He couldn’t look at you.

“Oh my god. Rafa, sweetie I…. That wasn't your fault., it wasn't your fault at all. He sounds like a grade a asshole,” You made him look at you just as he did when you told your shameful story.

“He was...is. I don't know if he's dead or alive actually. I haven't seen or heard from him since he left. I hate him so much,” he clenched his fists.

“Oh honey,” You pressed a kiss to his forehead.

“No you don't understand. My middle name is Eduardo, named after him. So he's always with me. I have always told people it's Antonio, because I want nothing about me associated with him,” He started to cry again.

After a minute, he looked back up at you very seriously. “I've never told anyone that story.”

“Really? Not even Liv?”

"Not even Liv," He stroked your hair. "I've never felt as close to her as I do with you.” He pulled you into his lap. “The truth is Y/N I have never felt safe since my abuela’s house. Until I met you,”

“Rafa…” You pulled him into a deep kiss, tears dropped down both your faces. “We can be each other’s homes now,”

[thendaction]

[ BOOK REVIEW : VERITY ]

GOODREAD'S SUMMARY

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish. Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity's recollection of what really happened the day her daughter died. Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen's feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife's words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.

REVIEW

I have read TWO Colleen Hoover books in less than a week, while I'm starting to become a little concerned with my well-being, I am not disappointed, and I can't say that I regret it. Verity was nothing short of a chilling mind-trip, with a taste of mystery, and more than a hint of suspense in every turn of the page. Scratch that, in every paragraph break.

“Death by routine.”

More like death by Colleen. I am honestly struggling to string my initial thoughts on this book into coherent sentences because I have been rendered speechless. But I won't drag this out. The book was amazing. You never know how little you truly know until you experience something that makes you feel as though you know nothing. I don't even trust myself at this point.

Colleen's writing style is nothing short of brilliant. her way with words had my heart, mind and soul interconnected with the experiences Lowen, the main character of this piece, is subjected to. My heart just races at the recollection of what lies within those pages. A tale so disturbing, unnerving, captivating and thrilling, I would have finished the book in a single sitting if my better sense didn't remind me it was a Tuesday night at 2:30 A.M and I had things to do the next day.

The characters of this book were hard to stay away from, the situations they found themselves in were even harder. And, the style of this piece, I have never been so glad to have an autobiography within a book, such a clever device to further deepen conflict and drive the plot. The whole book felt like a ticking time bomb, every word a moment closer to blowing up. The set up, the follow through and pay off just makes my heart happy.

“One should only walk away from an autobiography with, at best, an uncomfortable distaste for its author.”

You think you know things until you don't. You question your own sanity, your own life choices, your environment, anything and everything that so much raises an eyebrow. Is our mind our greatest enemy? Do our demons come out at night or rise from the page because in reality we're truly scared of our own selves? So many questions. No answers. I think when it comes down to it, that's one of the key things it comes down to. We don't know what true is, we don't know Verity. The truth is merely what we tell ourselves to make each other feel better for whatever we have to atone for.

“I stretch truths where I see fit. I’m a writer.”

If there is anything I could critique from the whole piece is that at times it became repetitive. Certain thought processes were drilled on us on several occasions. Whether to build suspense or more realistic characterization, the amount of times we went over some ideas was somewhat pesky. Clearly not enough to make me put the book down.

Who can you trust when you can't even trust yourself? This is the question that keeps reeling in my mind, this is what I keep asking myself after finishing this book. If you are not ready to answer this question, read this book anyway, because perhaps it'll give you an opportunity to solidify your thoughts. Or maybe it'll leave you a complete mess for a day or two, like it has done me. Either way, it'll be worth it.

[80s-roger]

when love must die: joe mazzello

summary: you're married to joe mazzello for three years; the best three years of your life and the previous three dating and later being engaged. however, since day one of your marriage, you try for a successful pregnancy but they all end up failed. your most successful pregnancy was an IVF one, but the tube baby didn't make it at the last day of the first trimester. 

portray: current joe obv, female reader at 30.

words: 2306

warnings: unprotected sex, fluff, domestic violence experience, argument.

note: there will be part two.

masterlist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joe was at the set, he'd be back home soon for dinner. The table was ready and you got yourself a pregnancy test. You ran to the bathroom upstairs to finally find out. Plus or minus? You didn't have your period since the last time you had sex with him -almost two months ago- and you were excited if it was because of a fetus growing inside you.

You took the test, sitting impatiently at the toilet's cap, waiting for the result. You wished it was a plus symbol, meaning you're pregnant. Unfortunately, it had just a horizontal line. You were disappointed again. Crying loudly because your husband wasn't home, so you finally had the time to let it all out. You've been praying days and nights to have a baby. It's unfair for you when other women throw their newborns at the litter.

Suddenly the door opens fastly and you were scared to death. You got relieved as you saw Joe looking at you with terror in his eyes.

"What happened?" He asked terrified sitting next to you, placing you in his big arms.

You didn't say a word. The tears wouldn't stop running. He erased them with his fingers, until he noticed the test next to you. He looked at you without saying a word. He took it at his hand and saw it was negative. He threw it at the bin and pulled you closer, rubbing your back.

"It's going to happen. Don't worry." He whispered.

Thankfully, he was really supportive on this. He wants to be a dad as much as you want to be a mum but he is patient and never stresses you on this. You've seen your doctor and he says it's just your nature. Nature? A woman's nature after unprotected sex, is getting pregnant, having a fetus growing at her uterus for nine months and later having it in her arms, breastfeeding it. You can't try forever. There will be someday, you'll reach menopause.

Joe and you walked at the kitchen, ready to eat your dinner. He places you at your chair but you had no will on eating.

"Baby you gotta eat." He said after taking a bite of his portion.

"I'm not hungry..." You sobbed, placing your dish away from you.

"It's probably too early for the test to know..." He mentioned the test, trying to make you feel better.

"It's been almost two months, not two days." You commented, looking at him. Your dinner stopped. It was just talk.

"I'm trying to help here. I know it's hard, but we'll make it." He placed his palm over your hand.

"It's easier said than done Joe. Do you have any idea how terrible I feel?" You whimpered. "We're trying for three years, we'd have a baby by now." You stuttered.

"It's fine Y/N... I'm patient enough to make space for your emotions." he explained.

"Why are you even married with me? I'm nothing but an obstacle to your new family." You pledged. It was so sad.

"You're my family. What are you talking about?" He sat on his knees, kissing your hands. He proposed to you on one knee. Good memories.

"But you want kids. And we lost the older one. Remember?" You reminded him. His eyes darkened.

"I remember. But that does not prevent me from not being with you. I can't even imagine my life without you." He implied and caressed your cheek.

"I love you Joe." You silently wailed and he leaned closer to you.

"And I love you." He toned. "Listen, how about going upstairs and lay? I'll be there in a few, I have to fix the table." He smiled and you nodded.

You closed the door behind your bedroom, changed to your nighty and laid on the bed, calling your mum.

"Hey mum." You said.

"Hello darling, how are you?" She asked. You didn't reply. "Um.." she started. "You tried again, didnt you?" She knew about your lack of fertility.

"Yes, it was negative." You answered.

"What did he say?"  She somehow didn't really like Joe, but Joe didn't give a shit.

"He's nothing but a supportive and patient husband." You nod your head feeling great for being his wife.

"And what are you going to do now?" She curiously asked.

"Try again, I guess..." You implored.

"But you've seen that sex won't help you get pregnant." she decreed.

"And where are you getting with it? Doing medical procedures in cold laboratories?" You gasped.

"Keep that method, it almost happened. Your husband has money to afford it." she had the nerve to instruct.

"It's not only his money, but mine too. We both work. We'll both raise this baby." You corrected her. "I just called you to let you know it was one more unsuccessful try. You won't know about it by the day you'll see me with a baby in my arms." You elaborated and hang up your phone without hearing her answer.

Five minutes later, Joe came to your bedroom. He took off his clothes and went inside your bathroom, taking a shower. It didn't last long and he was next to you, on his towel, around his waist. He sat next to you when his big palms caressed your stomach. That move made you whimper.

"Don't cry, it'll happen." He really is an optimist person. He wiped off some of your tiny tears ready to escape from your eyes. "I don't know if it's the appropriate time, but do you want us to try again? Or should we go for in vitro fertilization?" He gently asked.

"I don't want IVF, I don't feel comfortable there. Only with you." You disclosed and he came closer to your face kissing you gently.

His big hands caressed you everywhere. You looked so tiny beneath him, however it made you feel important. Your hands kept touching his attractive biceps until he removed the towel around him, staying naked on top of you. With one move, he removed your nighty and massaged your breasts, when his face leaned towards your neck, giving you soft kisses. He finally removed your underwear and trusted inside you. His moans were so deep and his eyes locked in you. Your arms, around his neck and his back, giving small nail scratches.

"I love you Joe." You moaned between the thrusts you received.

"I love you too y/n ..." He softly said when you felt him moving deeper. He knew every inch of your body. Literally. He knew how deep you could take him and how much. "Babe, are you close?" He asked making sure you'd finish too.

"Yes..." You moaned kissing his lips.

"Alright, because I am." he caressed your cheek and his moves were sudden and slow, which means he was done inside you, possibly fertilizing you. You came together and after removing himself from you, he wore his underwear and helped you get your clothes too. He covered you with the layers and hugged you tight.

"I hope this time it's happening." You said at his arms.

"Fingers crossed." He smiled at you.

You were the little spoon tonight; Joe was hugging you from behind and you felt protected. This is how he makes you feel everytime you're together. You're just made for each other.

You woke up in the middle of the night, sweating and frightened of your nightmare. You stood up from your bed crying loudly. Joe next to you grabbed a bottle of water, you always have at your stand, offering it. He gently rubbed your back telling you to calm down, it was just a bad dream, it's not reality. But what if it really is? What if you really are infertile? You were on the edge of going insane. He pulled you closer, playing with your hair so you'd eventually return to your sleep.

The next morning, Joe wasn't next to you. He probably went downstairs, making breakfast. You had to get ready and see him at the kitchen. But you heard speeches coming from there as you walked the stairs so you decided to eavesdrop. There was your younger brother Ben talking with him. That's how you actually met each other. Ben set you up.

"How's things?" Ben asked. You didn't really talk to him about you and Joe but Joe does. They are like best friends.

"Terrible." Joe admitted and Ben looked at him confused. "I mean, I love her but we keep failing on growing our family." He explained and took a sip of his coffee.

"How long have you been trying?" He asked preoccupied.

"Since the wedding night, counting three years." He declared.

"I've heard my mother talking with y/n about it but I didn't really pay attention. However, how do you feel about it?" Ben questioned.

"I can't blame y/n about this, it's happening to many women but I also can't see myself without kids." He opened up to his best friend. You instantly felt heart broken.

"And then what? Will you divorce her because of that? She loves you more than anything Joe." Ben explained.

"I can't divorce her. She's my everything. But I also don't want to keep trying. I want to have babies in this big house as soon as possible. I don't want to age." He shook his head broken hearted.

"You do feel sad about it. Do you have any idea how sadder it is for her? A baby is a bless." Ben protested. You wanted to hear more. They'd stop the conversation if you appeared in the kitchen.

"I'm not pressuring her. When we did the IVF, we were sure it'd happen but it died too. How many possibilities does she have when she gets older? Less than they already are." Joe questioned himself. Ben didn't say a thing.

You decided to get inside the kitchen, pretend like you heard nothing.

"Good morning sis." Ben smiled at you.

"Morning Ben." You neutrally said, faking what you thought before. You couldn't hide your anger at Joe's confession.

"Good morning my love." Joe attempted kissing you but you backed off. Both of them noticed your reaction and stared each other confused. "So um, are you okay?" He checked on you.

"I'm perfect." You lied. You're dying inside.

"Maybe I should get going." Ben felt the tense and had to leave.

"Yes you should. I'll take you to the door." You raised you eyebrow at him.

You were with Ben at the door and Joe eavesdropped without being noticeable.

"The next time you'll talk with Joe about my lack of fertility, I'll murder you." You threatened him.

"You know you can't do it sis." He joked.

"I can't, but I can cut your balls and you'll see who's the weak." You aggressively said to him and he didn't say a word.

"Damn sis, okay." He was defeated and left your home leaving you with your husband.

He came out of the kitchen guilty. But it wasn't his fault. You just wanted to throw your weight somewhere else.

"You heard us?" He silently asked.

"Are you joking? Of course I did. Is that what you talk about with your friends outside?" You angrily argued.

"No! He asked me! Besides he's your brother, he can know about it." he pointed out.

"I don't want him to know! I won't even let my mother know from now!" You attacked.

"Fine! But he's my best friend! I want to talk to someone! Why don't you let me do it? I never pressure you so stop pressuring me!" He shouted leaving you at a staring shock.

"I want you to leave right now Joe." You silently closed your eyes pointing at the door. "And tell everyone we can't have kids because I am infertile." You were so ironic.

"Where will I go? Are you kicking me out of my home?" He concede.

"Yes I do and don't come back. I'm angry." You walked inside the kitchen and he followed you.

"But you'll be over it by evening." He calmly said.

"No I fucking won't!" You threw him a glass and it accidentally fell down at his feet, with some pieces of glass hurting his arms.

"You arrogant bitch!" He yelled coming to your place menacingly. "You want to kill me now or what?" He raised your hand on you and covered yourself with your arms, afraid if he'd hit you. Flashbacks of domestic violence crossed your mind. Your alcoholic father hitting you in every chance he'd get.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, sorry!" You sat down at the floor, crying loudly and hiding yourself, so he wouldn't harm your body but your arms.

After Joe finding out what he was doing he shockingly moved his arms and sat in front of you, getting you inside his arms. He started crying too.

"I am sorry y/n, I didn't mean to do it! I'm just so sad." He whimpered at your neck.

"Please Joe, divorce me. I can't keep making you unhappy." You cried at his chest, avoiding the eye contact.

"I can't do it. I love you, I'm literally attached to you, mentally, emotionally and physically. I just can't." He kissed you. "We'll find some way to fix it. We can do it, I know." He silently cried, hiding his voice cracks.

[neshabeingchildish]

03. Robin’s Telling

I’m using some of my head canons I shared when @writing-excuses​ was wondering about ones we have for Chasper in this fic. So, y’all’ll see some things that aren’t necessarily canon, but I’m trying to a certain degree to be canonical with who the characters are at their core, and trying to build the story on that. Try to be patient with me, as this ain’t really that popular of a ship and don’t really have a super amount of ‘canon fodder.’ Lol. I have about 5 chapters outlined, so after the next couple, it may slow down a little. 

Robin’s Telling or Tales from the Friendship Zone

So, whenever they were in 6th grade, Jasper and Charlotte were assigned to this team building experiment disguised as a creative writing project. They had to write a round robin story, which means that they took turns adding material to the story and had to try to feed off of the last of the information by their partner to write the installment of the story. Jasper started it off and Charlotte found it a challenge to sometimes make sense of whatever nonsense he had written, but she was a girl who could appreciate a good challenge. What she hadn’t appreciated was the ruse by their teacher to make her and Jasper get along better! But. she had to admit, it helped. 

The friends used the story and the notebook it was written in to continue this process and in turn, sort of built upon their friendship as the saga continued.  When they came to the end of the spiral, Jasper panicked. “It can’t be over! We never made an ending for it!!!” He was seriously freaking out. Charlotte happened to have another spiral notebook available at the time, and she said, “Look... We can keep it up. Maybe... this could be the second season of it. I’ll even start it out.” She opened it and started this new installment of the story, then passed it to him. “Chill out. One of these days, it has to end.”

“According to who?” He wondered, snatching the spiral from her. She rolled her eyes and walked off.

And now, they were in season 6 of Robin’s Telling, as she liked to call it (He called it Tales from the Friendship Zone), and they rarely ever really used it, but every now and then, one of them would either continue from where they left off or ask the other if they had continued yet. It was in Jasper’s care at the moment and after he left her house (which was done after he watched her sleep for a little bit, then realized that was probably weird and creepy, but waking her up was probably dangerous). He got home and his mom wasn’t even there. Typical. But, he was able to pull out the current spiral and get some writing done. He’d pass it off to her at Man Band practice.

.

Charlotte and Henry were laughing and playing video games whenever Jasper came into work. “Hey, Jasp!” Henry cheered. Charlotte didn’t say anything. Jasper wondered if everything was okay between them. 

“Hey,” he said and put his gym bag away. “What are you two playing?”

“I’m playing. He’s just losing,” Charlotte said, laughing. 

“I’m playing, she’s just being mean,” Henry corrected. 

“Neither of those statements answered my question, but enjoy.” He went back to the store and Henry gave Charlotte a weird look. She ignored it and continued playing, so he moved on, too.

Later, whenever it was time for them to go home, Henry and Charlotte were discussing plans for at Henry’s house. Apparently, they were hanging out after work, too. Eventually, Henry made some comment that seemed to elude that Jasper was invited too, but he didn’t know if he wanted to hangout with the two of them. Maybe he was just overly sensitive because he shared a lot of very intimate. personal information with Charlotte and she seemed to be acting like it never happened. Maybe she was avoiding speaking with him because he made her uncomfortable. At any rate, he said, “I don’t know how my mom’s gonna act if I spend two nights away from home.”

“No, you’ll be home later tonight,” Henry said, shrugging his shoulders.

“Maybe, you could call ahead and check in with her, to see if she’s more understanding, if you do it that way?” Charlotte suggested.

Jasper nodded, “Yeah, I’ll do that.” Whenever he spoke on the phone with his mom, he told her that he would be hanging out with Henry until later on... “Yeah, she’s hanging out too...” Then he sighed and was listening to something for a while. Charlotte and Henry looked at each other. “There’s nothing like that going on. We’re all just friends. She’s a good girl. Top of the class...” 

Charlotte raised an eyebrow and leaned into the mouthpiece to say, “HEY JASPER’S MOM!!!” Henry pulled her to the other side of himself and Jasper rolled his eyes, but they didn’t know whether at Charlotte instigating with his mom, or with his mom, obviously on the other line, trash talking Charlotte. 

“I’m sure that she’ll be home by a time that’s decent for a young lady. She’s a good egg. I don’t feel like doing this. Do you need anything? Okay. Yeah, love you too.” He hung up and asked Charlotte, “Why would you provoke her?”

“She’s trash,” Charlotte said, simply. Henry gasped and Jasper furrowed his eyebrows. “Sorry. I meant to say she was talking trash about me. My bad. Words got choppy in my head.” She really meant what she’d said, but that was a bit much to say to someone’s face about their mom. 

“Good save,” Henry said, sarcastically and wrapped an arm around Jasper’s shoulder, “But, what kind of trash was she talking about Charlotte?”

“I’m interested, as well.”

“She asked, if my little friend was gonna be there, said what’s her name, then pretended to say the wrong names. Then, she said that if a girl hangs out with a couple of boys this much something fresh must be going on.” 

He didn’t want to go into detail, but his mother had advised him to use protection, in case she had something and also forbid him to do anything with her if both boys were in the room..

“You know what? I’m gonna shut my mouth and move on with my life,” Charlotte said. Jasper’s mom had SOME nerve, after the child-rearing job she’d done. Which reminded her, “Oh! Hey, I found something that might be useful for you. Actually, I heard an ad when I was listening to one of my podcasts. I’ll send you the info. She texted him a link to a therapy connection that charged $30 a week and you could text a licensed therapist! He smiled to himself and put his phone away. 

Henry was curious about what she’d sent to him, but tried not to butt in. There was some kind of other friendship happening with those two that he knew he wasn’t included in. SO, he made a conversation topic that the three could participate in. 

.

At Henry's, Jasper seemed in his own world. Charlotte was concerned about it, because he usually was the most talkative and cheerful one. At some point, while Henry was in the bathroom, she asked, "You okay, Jasper?"

He sighed, "I thought maybe you didn't care one way or another. I'm… worried that I weirded you out with all my baggage. You're not supposed to unpack in front of people unless you're going to be there for a while. I feel like I just dumped it all over the place and then suddenly, you were distant."

"It wasn't like that to me. I thought that speaking about your trauma probably stirred up some things and maybe you could use a break from focusing on it. Sorry if I seemed taken aback. I wasn't. In fact, I feel closer to you than ever. I'm honestly glad you felt like you could come to me. Are you gonna use that service I sent you?"

"Yeah. I'm gonna check it out. Do you mind if I hug you?" 

She smiled and went over for the hug, fell on his lap and they laughed about it, but she didn't move. Jasper had a pretty cozy hug. They didn't usually hug much, but his arms were bigger than she'd noticed and he was soft and slightly cushioned. It was like hugging a life-size, warm, plushie, or as comforting, anyway. Plus… did Jasper always smell this good? That was definitely new. 

He strummed her back and she rested on his shoulder until they heard, "Whoa!" Henry was back and he was shocked and confused by the contact. 

Charlotte got up and said, "I fell. Shut up."

"Fell and landed right in Jasper's lap, into a hug, on his shoulder, huh?"

"That's what I said," she told him. 

Henry looked at Jasper. "What? Sometimes people fall." He smiled at Charlotte and her face went warm. Sometimes people fall. Such a simple and true statement. Sometimes people fall in more ways than one. Not as simple, but she couldn't tell yet if she minded it at all.

.

Charlotte was surprised to see that Jasper had handed her the copy of Robin’s Telling. It had been a long while since they’d passed it around, but the anticipation of whatever she was feeling lately about him was heightened by her memories of how this process had brought them closer as friends. Jasper was kinda cute, if she was honest. If you took away some of his weird quirks and gross habits and just looked at him - like... if she had seen him in passing without knowing that he picked at his scabs, or asked you to help pop pimples on his back... She’d have to say that she thought he was an attractive guy. And either he was going through some life changes or she just had started paying attention - but a lot of his gross habits she couldn’t recall seeing lately.

It was almost like he had been either getting better or at least pretending to be more dignified. She hoped that meant that he was talking to someone about his problems and improving himself as he felt healthier. It still blew her mind that he carried around pain in that jolly body of his. That behind that boyish smile were tears that he didn’t shed or didn’t show to even his closest friends. She hoped that he knew that he could, if he needed to. She hoped that he was gonna sleep well tonight. 

As she finished writing her segment in the notebook, she knew that her emotions would show up in it. They usually did. Whenever she had something on her mind, stress, sadness, or anything... it was generally reflected in the story. Jasper used to be able to tell. He’d always draw a cute and/or corny doodle on the page whenever he noticed that she was down via her entries.

And a few days later, whenever she got it back, he had drawn her a three legged pickle, “a tri-pickle, if you will.” 

[atqh16]

Dear Friend, Forgive Me Where I'm Weak

Summary

Foggy has always known that there was a risk of Matt's enemies coming for him and using him against his best friend. He just wishes he wasn't sick with Cancer when they did. Inspired by the 2011 Mark Waid Daredevil run (Chapter 30#). Where the Matt's enemies show up to torture Foggy for information while he's undergoing chemotherapy in the hospital.

Matt Murdock & Foggy Nelson

Angst, Whump. Hurt/Comfort, Cancer, Chemotherapy, Foggy!Whump

AO3

Foggy opens his eyes to a blonde man in a coat inspecting the machines near his electrocardiogram monitor. He's unfamiliar but that doesn't really rankle up his nerves till he sees the man pull out a syringe and starts fiddling with the tube of his saline bag and intravenous chemo drip.

"Doctor?" He calls out carefully, mind heavy with sleep but still wary from the last time an unfamiliar man in a coat holding a syringe - sent by Bullseye of all people- had almost killed him a few days before in that very same room. "Sorry but I've never really seen you around here. The nurse usually tells me when they're about to add anything to my usual drip. To warn me ya know? Did I miss a memo or-"

The man doesn't even bother to turn and face him. Instead proceeding to place the needle of the syringe into his injection port. "It's alright Mr. Nelson. No need to be alarmed. This is merely a supplement", he says as if that was enough to explain everything.

The words induce the opposite of a calming effect on him and Foggy frowns. "An anti-emetic?", he pushes suspiciously. But 'Blondie' doesn't answer. Instead 2 other men in Black suits enter into his room and close the door behind them with a click of the lock.

Foggy's alarm bells  are fully ringing now and he reaches for the emergency call button but doesn't hear the usual beep when he presses it. His heart starts to drum in his ribs. The nausea that had already been creeping up his throat from the chemo treatment starts to edge even higher, combined with the fear that was setting a slight tremble at his fingertips. He wishes more than anything right now that Matt would show up for one of his surprise visits. Even though he knows visiting hours had ended an hour ago.

"Who are you? What do you want?" His voice sharp despite the fog of panic. Turning his head from the men in the suits to the man in the coat -regretting it immediately at the throbbing pain of his aching neck muscles- though not really expecting an answer. His hand creeps cautiously under his blanket for his phone, groping around uselessly before realizing-

"Mr Nelson there's no need to be alarmed as long as you cooperate," one of the men - Mr short and pudgy- says. His voice comes out a harsh, gravelly tone and Foggy half expects him to pull out a stick and yell at kids to 'get off his damn lawn!'

"We're merely here to ask you to clarify certain allegations against your friend, Mr Murdock and other accusations concerning his 'nightly outings'. If you answer our questions we'll leave you to your treatment with no harm done before the hour is even up," he continues. The statement sounds reasonable enough but the 'if you don't' still hangs threateningly in the air.

Foggy immediately realizes what this is about and his hands ball up the rough hospital sheets in his fists.

"You're the Sons of Serpents" Foggy says, eyes narrowing when none of them deny it. He racks his brain for all the information he's read up on them and what Matt had told him before. He's never met them in person or been in their cross fires in the past. But he's researched enough of their history to know they're nothing but bad news. A racially motivated group doing everything to gain and maintain power and cruelly dispatching anyone in their way. Particularly those who they thought didn't look the way they felt 'people' should look. They were basically the new Nazi propaganda hell bent on spreading their influence all across the globe. Matt simply called them racists trash and frankly from what Foggy's found in his own research, he couldn't agree more.

"If you think I'm going to give you any information willy nilly then you've got the wrong guy. In fact I'm pretty sure we've already proved what you're suggesting as bullshit half a dozen times in court already"

Mr pudgy creeps closer to his bed and it takes all of Foggy's control not to cringe away.

The man brandishes a thick file in his hand the same way Foggy had expected him to do to his proverbial stick.

"Mr Nelson lets not play that game. We both know the truth. Let's skip the pleasantries and commence to the meat of the matter shall we? And don't bother trying to scream for help. We have people in the building to aid us in redirecting any unwanted intrusion" He says with a condescending tone and a disdainful expression on his face and Foggy finds himself paying closer attention to his unwanted visitor.

The man's suit is impeccable and almost impossibly taut with not a wrinkle in sight. He reeks of an offensive -and obviously expensive- cologne that makes Foggy's nausea claw higher up his throat the closer he gets.

But worse of all - at this proximity- Foggy can't help but see a coldness in his eyes that reminds him of ruthless men who would do anything and everything to get what they want.

The thought sends a cold chill down his spine and he can't seem to hold back the resulting shudder.

It's not that he's never faced with anything like them before. Matt's infamous repertoire of villains have ensured that Foggy has had more than his fair share of being in the presence of merciless and remorseless men who would do the unthinkable with a snap of their fingers and a turn of their wrists without even a hesitant flinch. These men have nothing on Wilson Fisk and he's stood in front of the Kingpin himself and survived and he damn well wasn't going to be intimidated by these borderline ridiculous and literal 'Men in black'.

But as he attempts so sit up to meet the man eye to eye a jolt shoots up his spine like a serrated bullet and he can't help the the choked gasp he emits at the pain.

The effect immediately reminds him of how defenseless he really is at the moment from his cancer and it's subsequent hellish treatment. He holds his breath and finds himself noticing even more how exhausted he really is. The muscle of his fingers were already throbbing from their earlier exertion, frail and weak. He can barely move his limbs without a sharp ache in his joints and the ever present twist and pull of his stomach had nothing to do with the men in the room.

Vertigo edges at his line of sight, daring him to turn his head like he did before and his already labored breathing quickens at realizing that this wasn't a confrontation he could fight.

And frustration welled up in him at the thought because even in life and death situations in the past, he had always been comforted by the thought that Matt's enemies would have to face him kicking and screaming if they wanted to put him down.

Foggy is not a brave man. He's never had any illusion that he was. He's a pacifist at heart and even despite that, fear has always been such a strong fixture of his identity that it practically runs in his veins.

Between a villain and his best friend he's always understood that his place is set permanently behind Matt because he knows his limitations. Understands that words have always been his choice of weaponry over a physical fight and he wields them just as well if not better than Matt does his fists.

But lying there now on his hospital bed with toxins and the equivalent of poison spreading in his system he knows instantly that it won't be enough. This isn't a battle he can fight against and most likely not one he can dream of winning.

And nothing tightens the chill around his heart more than the thought that he was at risk of giving these man any thread of leverage against his best friend.

But he'll be damned if he was going to make it any easier on them anyway.

He knows he's not exactly an impressive picture of defiance, especially with his aborted attempt at pulling himself up. Regardless, he meets the man eye to eye as well as he could. Daring him to do his worst.

"Fuck off" he spits out

The other man - Mr tall and oily (seriously, he looks like he lathers a tub of grease on his head every morning)- raises an eyebrow at his ensuing determined silence and nods towards the man In the coat.

Foggy spares a glance to the side to see him pull out another syringe to inject into his port.

It takes a while and Foggy even indulges in the idea that it hadn't worked before suddenly his muscles are contracting against his will and he barely holds back a gasp behind clenched teeth.

What happens after that is this. They place the file on his over bed table and asks questions with every sheet they pull out. Every 5 minutes where he doesn't cooperate another vial of the substance is shot through his system. The pain increases at a sluggish pace but it's effect is potent. They continue to ask him questions, shifting through the papers all the while and it alarms him how much they already know about Matt. Everything from newspaper articles about his incident, his father's career and death and even his medical records from his first hospitalization at nine years old to his last most recent visit this year. It dawns on him after a while that they weren't there to ask for information but instead for confirmation. To make sure what they already uncovered was 100%  true and the only reason they were even bothering to do so would be because they needed to ensure that what they had would hold up under inspection and the only reason they would be so thorough about that was if they planned on bringing up those same documents in court or publication. They weren't just trying to find Matt's weakness. They were going after his credibility. His integrity. Even his livelihood if it was enough to get him disbarred or jailed. And most likely it would.

He's not even sure if he says a word to them. The pain is literally blinding with how often his eyes threaten to roll up into his skull and breathing feels like drawing air through a straw.

After a while he notices that the men weren't even facing him and were instead studying his heart monitor, taking notes every time a question made his heat rate spike.

It's sometime after the seventh injection that he finally lets out a shout, though it comes out more a sob. The machines beside him all begin to beep their warnings and he can hear hurried shuffling and voices in the corridor outside his room from what he hopes to be one nurse to the other.

'God please. Please. Help me. Someone help me please' Foggy can't help but beg in his mind.

But the men in front of him don't seem to be apprehensive at the possibility of attracting attention. Instead taking their time to leisurely shuffle and arrange their papers and closing their file with a muffled flip.

"We are done here I think. Thank you for your help Mr Nelson. It was much appreciated. And don't worry, we won't let you die yet. Keeping you alive is very much in our best interest"

And just like that they were gone but Foggy barely notices. Every nerve and muscle in his body is on fire and his heart is thumping like a drum in his ears. He would scream if his throat wasn't so dry and even then he can almost feel the lining of it threaten to tear at his effort. Though he finds himself more preoccupied with how it had become even harder to pull enough air into his lungs for a single breath.

He's suffocating. He can't breath!

'This is it', the pain submerges his thoughts into mass panic. 'I'm going to die. I'm going to die like this. I won't see Matt again. This is how it ends'

The door finally bursts open and a flow of attendants and nurses hurried into the room, calling out instructions he can't bring up the strength to try and understand. The last thing he sees before the darkness finally takes him is the blonde man in the coat standing in front of his bed, watching him before everything goes black.

Awareness struggles at the periphery of  his consciousness. Pulling him back to the surface at the sound of Matt's voice. There are other people in the room and it takes him a while to recognize them as the men from before. Matt sounds tense and furious but everything is too muffled for Foggy to understand their conversation.

Having Matt so near at his side is enough for him to feel safe and relaxed especially when it became obvious that Matt was standing protectively between Foggy and their unwanted visitors. But there's a guilty nudge inside him when his mind becomes present enough to understand what was being said. Recognizing the men bringing up the same information from before. Allowing him to comprehend enough of the situation to know that these men were already starting to use the info they have against his best friend. Possibly to black mail him to do what they want. Things Matt might decide to do just so he could protect Foggy and their other friends because if nothing else Matt will always try his hardest to protect those around him even at his own detriment. His too kind and compassionate heart never being able to bear the thought of anyone being hurt and god Foggy hates what it does to his friend but he's known him for too long to not understand. And he can feel tears welling on his eyelids to know that these men were using that same compassion - and the information they've had Foggy unwillingly confirm - against him.

'Matt. Matt I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I tried to fight. I tried so hard. I tried not to tell them anything I swear! I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.' Foggy tries to say but his tongue feels thick and heavy behind his teeth. Either way the mask over his mouth and nose stifle any sound he manages to make and it's only when he hears the men making their way to the door and closing it with a familiar click, that he manages to inch shaking fingers to wrap around the wrist Matt is resting on the bed beside him.

Matt snaps around to face him. His hand twisting so both his and foggy's are holding each other wrist to wrist while the other flits from Foggy's shoulder and upward to gently cup his cheek.

"Foggy?", Matt's voice is a mix of apprehension and relief. There's also a mournful hint in his tone. "Hey buddy. Hey are you with me? Should I call the nurse? Jesus Christ, your skin is so cold. I can barely hear your pulse Fog."

Foggy looks up, trying to nod and convey that he was alright without speaking. His eyes scour his friends face and he can't help but notice how red and flustered Matt looks with his auburn hair sticking in sweaty clumps on his forehead as if he'd ran all the way to the hospital. His black tie that he kept in his office for emergencies hung loose under his collar as if he hadn't really bothered to tie it properly and the tense, stiff stance that he had when Foggy first woke up, melts away and his broad shoulders hung loose from exhaustion.

He looked worn out. Stretched thin. The last time Foggy had seen him so overwhelmed was when Fisk had burned down his home and had him disbarred. He can't help but frown, wonderingly worriedly what the men could have said to his friend to make him look so defeated.

But then Matt bows his head, choking back tears and Foggy realizes that it wasn't what the men had said, but what Matt though they had done that really had him shaking.

"I'm so sorry Foggy. I was in the suit when the nurses called. They said you were in pain. They said you might not- I thought- I thought I'd lost you. I couldn't hear your heart beat. I couldn't- I was terrified. I came as fast as I could. I'm so sorry I wasn't here. You asked me for one thing. You asked me to be here and I wasn't and I'm so sorry Fog." Matt's chest began to heave with gentle sobs

With as much force as he could muster, Foggy tightened his grip on Matt's wrist in what he hopes is a soothing gesture. He wishes he could do more, but simply opening his eyelids felt like lifting weights. He could only hope that Matt would understand what he was trying to say

'It's ok'

'I understand'

'The city needed you'

'Please stay'

'I tried. I'm so sorry'

'It hurt Matt. Everything still hurts'

'I'm so scared Matt. I thought I was going to die. I thought I'd never see you again'

'I'm still afraid that I'm going to die. Who would've thought cancer would be the way I go huh?'

'I'm so scared of leaving you Matty. I don't want to leave you'

Maybe it works because Matt leans even closer, resting his head gently on Foggy's other shoulder. Foggy struggles and manages to pull his free hand to rest on his friends back even though such a small movement already made his muscles ache even worse.

It takes him a while before he can manage to get his hand up and pull the mask down off his lips.

Matt immediately moved to put it back, "Foggy don't-"

"Matt. What did-" *cough * "what did they want? What- what did they ask for?"

Matt looks stricken and Foggy knew he was torn between keeping his sick friend in the dark or unloading it all on his best friend. Knowing full well that the former was something Foggy hated.

So he takes the middle road.

"You're still exhausted Fog," he soothes. Gently putting the mask back in it's place. One hand moving to the back of Foggy's very bald head and leaning forward to place a gentle kiss on his forehead. An intimate gesture that he rarely did but one they both sorely needed after the terrifying experience they just had.

"Go to sleep Foggy. I'll tell you when you wake up." Matt says reassuringly, pulling Foggy's blanket just a little higher.

"Promise?" Foggy whispers behind the mask. Eyes already starting to close but knowing that Matt heard him.

"I promise" Matt replies, bringing up a finger to cross an 'X' over his hearts. It's the last thing he see's and hear's before Foggy falls in a deep peaceful sleep. Comforted at the idea that as long as Matt was around, he'd be safe.

This was inspired by a scene we didn't get to see in the 2011 Mark Waid run. It's an amazing Daredevil comic and my ultimate favorite and I fully encourage anyone who loves Daredevil to read it. Especially if you love reading about the dynamic between Matt and Foggy. Here's the link for anyone who's interested.

https://readcomiconline.to/Comic/Daredevil-2011

Or you can just google 'Daredevill 2011 Read Online'

I dont really encourage piracy but where I'm from some of these comics are impossible to get.

I also fully encourage reading the continuation also by Mark Waid in the 2014 Daredevil run

https://readcomiconline.to/Comic/Daredevil-2014

[shall-we-imagine]

Lovely. (Sigurd Curtis×Reader *AU*)

Requested: 15. "If my day gets any worse, I'm asking hell if they're having an exchange program." + 22. "Insanity runs in my family. It practically gallops." From the prompt list.

Genre: Fluff.

(Second Person Point of View)

"I'm telling you, Amelia! This psycho lady kept insisting I give her a cheese burger with no cheese! And when I tried to explain to her that this is basically just a burger not a cheeseburger, she went nuts!" You complain into the phone, as you struggle to open the door to your apartment without dropping your grocery at the same time.

"Like what even is this?! And when I finally gave up and told her I'll get her that cheese burger with no cheese.." you recite the customer's words in a tone of mockery, "She just still wasn't having it! She asked to speak to the manager who wasn't even there at the time! All my coworkers and even some customers had to intervene before she tries to kill me or something.."

You hear loud laughter from the other side of the phone. "I'm sorry; it's just-" your friend pauses to laugh even harder, "it's actually hilarious; I'm sorry."

"Amelia!" You whine dramatically, "Stop laughing at my sorrows!" Even though you let out a little laugh yourself, you were still willing to demand she doesn't laugh...just because.

After locking the door, you slip off your shoes, placing it near the door frame, then walk into the kitchen to put the items you bought in their correct places.

"At least it's over, though, right?"

"Well, that's not all. After waiting at the bus stop for like 15 minutes, I realized I had forgotten my purse in the changing room, so I had to go back to get my purse then walk to the bus stop again, and by now, I'd already missed the bus, of course. Therefore, I had to wait for 30 minutes for the next bus." You sigh, "And don't even get me started on that weird guy from the supermarket!"

"What happened?" Amelia giggles, still amused by your irritation.

"So, you know how I prefer buying groceries alone because it makes everything quicker and helps me focus better and not forget anything?" You begin placing items on shelves and in the fridge, not planning to stop the phone call before you're done ranting.

"Yeah?"

"Well, this random dude that I never even met before decided that my angry aura wasn't enough to keep him away, no! He decided to just walk up to me, for no reason at all, and make conversation. Now, this wouldn't be too bad if he didn't follow me throughout the entire time I was shopping. Even after I expressed my discomfort and annoyance, he just couldn't take a hint! And I was in no mood for being flirted with or being talked to at all actually." You huff.

"Woah, it's like the universe is just purposely pissing you off."

"Tell me about it! If my day gets any worse, I'm asking hell if they're having an exchange program."

Amelia laughs. "Just get some sleep; you'll be fine." She assures.

"Yeah, I'm really exhausted; I just want to pass out for a week!" You become more and more eager to drown in your own bed the closer you get to your room.

"Well, I'll let you nap for now, but don't forget the essay; we have to hand it over on Tuesday!" Knowing your habit of procrastination, Amelia never fails to remind you of the stuff you need to do. Multiple times.

"I know I know; I'll get started right after I wake up..and eat..and maybe watch an episode of-" She cuts off your already clear intentions of procrastinating.

"(Y/N)! Right after you wake up and eat! Don't make me come over there and supervise as you write!" She threatens.

You groan, "Fine; I'll do it."

After Amelia declares her temporary victory, you end the phone call and get comfortable in bed, ready to get some rest before you have to do your assignments. You set your alarm for an hour after the current time then place your phone on the nightstand.

The mattress and pillow partly engulf your body in heavenly softness, and you happily let the irritation from earlier float away.

However, life seemed to have more troubles to throw at you today.

The sound of drilling coming from the other side of the wall behind your bed startles you into full consciousness. Frowning, you wait a few minutes in hopes the drilling would stop, but, sadly, life still hated you and had no plans of having mercy on you. Trying to ignore the drilling was a hopeless case, too.

"Honestly, what the fuck is wrong with my neighbour?! It's been 25 minutes! What's up with all the noise?!" You complain to yourself, pushing your face into the pillow out of frustration.

You let out a huff. "I'll go talk to them. I'm not sacrificing my sleep for them to put up some decorations or whatever the fuck they're really doing."

Smoothing down your hair to make it look presentable, you contemplate whether you really need to change your pyjamas to go knock on your next door neighbours and ask them to keep it down. Nah.

You rub your eyes, still feeling sleepy and exhausted, as you wait for your oh-so-lovely neighbour to answer the door.

"Hello?" Greets a male about your age. Well..let's just say he certainly is really really really lovely. And suddenly, you regret not changing into something nicer than your my little pony print pyjamas.

He gave you a sweet smile as if he wasn't just chasing the sleep away from you with his drilling.

"Uh, hi." You shuffle your weight from leg to the other awkwardly. "Would you mind..um..not drilling into the wall right now? I've had a long day, and I'm trying to sleep.." You waited for a rude reaction, but the expected response never came.

Instead, the purple-haired male pokes his head back inside the apartment. "Vincent! Hey, Vincent!" He yells.

You hear a faint yeah? come from inside before the neighbour you never knew was so handsome shouts again, "I told you you're gonna bother our neighbours, but did you listen?! Nooo, you decided to try it anyway! Just stop drilling!"

"What neighbours? There's only one other apartment on our floor; don't make it sound like I'm bothering the entire buildi-" the other voice kept getting louder, indicating the person was walking closer to the door. When he finally reached the door and pulled it open, Vincent that was yelling from inside paused mid-sentence.

"Ooh, I see why you're so concerned about the noise." The redhead shoots a wink towards what you assumed was his flatmate before walking back inside, leaving good-looking neighbour flustered.

"Uh-um, never mind him. He just likes joking around; it's nothing, re-" His embarrassed rambling was cut off by a yell from inside.

"Shut up; you know you were calling her cute earlier, Sigurd!" Sigurd's panicked eyes meet yours, and you could practically feel the temperature rising in the hallway, due to the heat emitting from both your faces.

Despite how embarrassed you are, you were still absolutely flattered, which caused you to let out a small giggle, further increasing Sigurd's blushing.

"He's only joking; don't take him seriously. He just likes to embarass me." Sigurd tries to indirectly deny his flatmate's comment. You would be disappointed if it weren't so amusing and adorable watching him sheepishly sputter out excuses and defences.

"Are you saying you don't think she's cute then?" A blond pokes his head outside. You could tell he wasn't wearing a shirt, but he didn't seem to mind being seen like that.

Sigurd falls into another spiral of panicked, embarrassed babbling. "No!" He quickly turns to look at you, "I don't mean you're not cute! You're certainly cute- I mean if I were asked, I'd say you're cute- Like I wasn't just thinking about you being cute; not that I wouldn't think you're cute- oh my god, I'm sorry; just forget about this! Klaus, just go put a shirt on and leave me alone!"

By now, you were full on laughing hysterically at the interaction between Sigurd and his other flatmate.

"It's only fair, compared to how much you tease me." The shirtless male shrugs, walking back inside.

Sigurd sighs. "I'm sorry about Klaus and Vincent; they're practically family, so we tease each other all the time." He scratches the back of his head.

"It's okay." You smile. It was as if you'd completely forgotten you came here, ready to fight whoever disturbed your sleep. "Must be really fun living together like that, though."

"Yeah, I suppose." He nods. "Things sometimes get insane, but we're used to it by now. Insanity runs in my family. it practically gallops." He chuckles.

You let out a laugh, "Yeah, I totally know what you mean."

Seeming to have forgotten about being sleepy just a while ago, you allow yourself to have a full conversation with Sigurd. It may have lasted for a full hour, and you wouldn't even know.

"My goodness, just ask her out already!" Vincent yells from inside.

"Shut up!" Sigurd yells back.

"You really have no idea how to get the ladies, huh?" Klaus joins the yelling fest.

"Says the guy that thinks insulting the girl is a good way to encourage and motivate her!" It seemed like Sigurd had gotten comfortable around you, so he was no longer affected by their teasing; he was ready to talk back now. It somehow made you feel warm inside.

"I'm just being honest!" Klaus defends.

"You're just being mean!" Vincent argues.

"I'm not mean!" Before long, Vincent and Klaus had gotten in an argument in the backgroud, allowing you and Sigurd to retrieve your one-on-one conversation.

"Well, um, do you wanna go grab some coffee later?" Sigurd smiles. "You know..to prove them wrong?" He fakes an innocent smile.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's why." You giggle. "But, sure, why not?"

After deciding the time and day, you said your goodbyes, and you went back to your apartment.

At least now when Amelia calls again you can distract her with news about your date, so she doesn't have to scold you for not working on the essay until now.

[bubblesthemonsterartist]

How about "I'm not stalking you, exactly. It's just that you accidentally put my notebook in your bag and I'm waiting for a good moment to steal it back before you see the doodles/writing of you I did in it" Obiyuki AU?

Obi jerks his pen from napkin just in time to avoid gouging it through when Torou jostles him, nosing her way over his shoulder.

“Whacha doin there, buddy?”

He sighs, eyes towards the ceiling for guidance, but of course she isn’t looking. She’s snatching the doodle up and holding it towards a better spot of light.

“Oooh,” Torou gushes, looking down the bar at an elderly woman with a tight perm and thick makeup. She’s paying neither one of them mind, her attention glued to the TV monitor up on the wall. “He’s doing a really nice one for you, Josie!”

Josie taps her cigarette against the ashtray without looking down. “I believe it. All his drawings are good.”

Obi plucks the napkin out of Torou’s hands, ears hot. She smacks her gum and grins at him. “Don’t you think he should try to sell his stuff at a first Saturday or something?”

“I tell him that every day.” In his head, Obi groans. “Keeps telling me he needs to practice but he doesn’t have the time.”

“I don’t,” he claps back, coming over and sliding the napkin across the bar. “And paints are expensive. And toxic. And may I remind you both that I have a two year old.”

Josie finally looks down from the screen. “You should get rid of those wrinkles,” she complains.

“Now why would I hide all that beauty?” Obi grins, leaning in.

Her eyes flicker up to his. “Flatterer,” she admonishes, but he knows if her make up was any lighter, he’d be able to see a blush. She taps one cherry red nail against the edge of the napkin. “I should really ask you to draw my granddaughter one day.”

Obi grins. “Bring me a picture. I’d be glad to.”

“Why don’t I introduce the two of you instead?”

His face falls. “I’m sure she has a lot to do. Too busy for my schedule.”

Josie reaches across the way, giving his hand one solid pat. “You’re a good kid, Obi. When are you going to find yourself a nice girl to take care of you?”

Obi clears his throat. “Ah, well, you know-”

“He has one!” Torou chimes in, and honestly- death would be a mercy. “Sorta.”

Invisible eyebrows reach towards the ceiling, and Josie gives him a look. “Sorta?”

“We’re not- she’s not my girlfriend,” he sputters. “She’s my neighbor and she watches Aki a lot and-”

“And she spent Christmas with him!” Torou adds, oh so helpful.

“Oh my,” Josie lifts her drink, smacking her lips. “In my day, that was some serious business, son.”

Obi waves his hands, sweat prickling his temples. “Oh no. Things are different now. There’s nothing-“

“You should draw something for her,” she interrupts, gesturing with her drink. “Then make a copy of it so we can see her. I want to know if she’s fine enough for you.”

“She’s very pretty,” Torou confirms.

His head snaps towards her. “You haven’t even seen her!”

“Have too!” Torou shrugs. “From across the street.”

“You were spying on us?”

Torou pouts. “You texted me to wait in the car. So I, with nothing better to do than watch the door, waited in the car. I honestly don’t see what the big deal is.”

“I don’t need you embarrassing me,” he grumbles.

“Me?” she gasps, palm pressed to chest. “When have I ever done such a thing?”

He glares at her. “Now doesn’t count?”

Her grin grows. “Josie started it. I am putting her worries to rest.”

“Just keep it wrapped up this time, will ya?” Josie comments, eyes back on the tube. “Don’t need a repeat of last time until you’re both ready.”

Obi feels his whole face go hot. “I’m going to go clean the back.”

Torou’s cackle follow him to the kitchen.

~ ~ ~

It’s that point between the dead of night and the crack of dawn when he comes home, the song of the earliest morning birds interrupted by the roar and scream of garbage trucks. 

He slowly cracks open the door, taking in the mess of toys littering the floor, the glow of the TV still stuck on cartoon network barely audible in the background, Yuki’s papers and books spread out across the couch, and then Yuki herself, passed out on his recliner. Her eyes are rimmed with deep bruises, jaw slack, and she doesn’t even twitch when he closes the door behind him.

The runt is drooling all over her chest.

A pinch of guilt twists his gut. Aki must have been a real gentleman after he left.

Grabbing a blanket off the back of the couch, he tip toes his way over the boobytraps left all over the floor, fanning it on top of both of them. Adjusting the cover so it goes all the way up to the neck, he runs his hand once over Aki’s warm scalp, brushing hair away from his face - the boy would need a haircut soon, definitely. He wrinkles his nose, itching it against Yuki’s shirt before settling once again.

Laughing softly, his eyes flicker up to share a secret smile with Yuki. She is still sleeping and her face - it is much closer than he originally thought.

He pulls away, squashing down the jolt of his heart before it could put down another root. It was dangerous, too dangerous, and she had her whole life and a career ahead of her, besides. 

Running his hand through his hair, he pulls out his phone and heads towards the bathroom. 9am should be early enough to wake her up so she can get to class on time.

“Obi?”

Her voice is so soft in the way it wraps around him and he comes up short, glancing back over his shoulder. Yuki’s eyes are still closed.

“Sorry,” he whispers. “I didn’t mean to wake you. I can take Aki now if you wanted to get up?”

A sleepy smile curves her lips. “No,” she shakes her head. “Leave him. I just wanted to make sure you made it home safe.”

He swallows hard.

“Aki made something for you.” Under the blanket, she gestures with her hand. “I think we left it in the kitchen.”

He glances across the way, to the kitchen table that is just as much of a mess as the rest of the apartment, scattered with broken crayons, one of his old sketchbooks, torn paper, and half empty cups.

In the middle of it all, on top of the crumpled pile, one only slightly mashed drawing of bright colors and random shapes lays, offering itself up like recently unearthed Pollock. Obi smiles, lifting it up, and glances back towards the recliner.

Yuki’s chest rises and falls in the slow, steady rhythm of those lost to sleep, lips parted and hair fanned over his chair like a sunset. The first rays of morning light slip through the blinds, washing them both in gold.

His fingers itch.

He looks back at Aki’s drawing.

~~~

“Oh my God. Aki, no!”

Obi jerks awake just as a blur of blanket stumbles off of the recliner, barely missing sharp plastic toys it crashes to the ground.

It takes him a minute, crusty eyes blinking into the bright sunlight, but the blanket is on the move, crawling across the floor towards a screaming banshee accompanied by devilish songs with an incessant upbeat tune playing behind it.

Wait, what?

“Let me have that,” the blanket says, prying something from the banshee’s clutches and just that alone is enough to snap him awake.

Oh no. Oh noooo.

“How bad is it?” he croaks, unwinding his legs out from other him.

Yuki’s kneeling, head bowed and hair covering her face. Aki is trying to slip the phone back out of her grasp and she lets out a great and mighty sigh of defeat. “It’s locked for the next 523 years.”

Obi groans, head thudding against the cushion. He rubs his face. “Another trip to the Apple Store. Joy.”

She sighs, standing up, and hands him the phone. “Sorry about the mess. I tried everything last night to get him to settle and–”

Obi takes it from her, blanching when he sees the screen. He checks the wall clock to confirm. “Yuki,” he breathes. “Don’t you have to be in class in 30 minutes?”

He looks up at her just in time to see the blood drain from her face. She snatches the phone back and stares at the screen. “Oh. Oh no.” She looks at her papers scattered all over the couch. “Oh no, I have a test today!”

He’s up, gathering her papers and books. “Go change!” he says, tapping everything into neat piles. “Do you need a ride? Wait. No. Shit. My car is still in the shop. Should I call an Uber?”

She’s already halfway to the door. “Not if I am out the door in the next seven minutes.”

She must set some sort of record for quick change, because when he sees her next, she’s charging down the hall from her apartment with a freshly scrubbed face, clean clothes, and her hair up in a messy bun. He holds up her backpack and she finishes shrugging her jacket on.

“Thanks,” she breathes, taking it and sailing past him. “I’ll see you later.”

“Good luck!” he calls behind her, the door slamming in her wake.

~ ~ ~

It’s five minutes after she leaves that he finds his graphite pencils between the seat cushion.

Ten minutes before he realizes that his sketchbook is nowhere to be found.

And thirty minutes before he collapses on the floor of his living room, face planted into the couch cushions. 

“Fuck me.”

~ ~ ~

The knock on the door comes earlier than expected.

Obi’s hands freeze in soapy water, heart and breath caught in his throat. 

When the knock comes again, Aki turns from his toys. “Dada,” he points Foxy towards the sound. “Dada, door.”

Obi swallows with a hard thunk. “Thanks, buddy,” he says, toweling off his wet hands.

He crosses the room like a man heading towards his death sentence, takes a breath, and throws open the door.

Shirayuki’s face is flushed red, hands tucked behind her back. Green peeks up at him underneath a fan of long, orange lashes, and-

Ah, fuck.

“Hi.”

She shifts, and even the tip of her nose is red. “Hi.”

“How did the exam go? Did you make it on time?”

She nods once, sharp. “Oh, um, yea. There were two or three questions that I wasn’t sure about, but, um…”

Her voice trails off to silence. Obi decides to get it over with.

“I accidentally packed my sketchbook in your bag.”

Yuki’s blush is so deep that it’s almost purple.

“Look, I’m sorry,” Obi blurts. “I used to draw in highschool and I still do sometimes. It gets me extra tips at the bar, but one of my regulars was telling me that I should draw more and I didn’t mean to make anything weird or make you feel uncomfortable. It’s just that I came home and you and Aki were asleep and the light was perfect and-”

She holds up one hand, a startled laugh wheezing out of her. “No, no,” she shakes her head. “I should have stopped looking when I realized it was your sketchbook!”

“Don’t apologize,” he breathes. “It was my fault and if you feel like I’ve betrayed your trust or something-”

Shirayuki’s eyes go wide. “Oh, Obi, no!” she says, pulling her other arm out from around her back and- there it was. The yellow covered pad that he spent the better part of his day hoping that he put on a high shelf somewhere. “It was nice. I liked them.”

Obi’s eyes snap from the pad to her face. “Really?”

“I don’t really do art, but you’re really good,” she professes, and then- she wrinkles her nose. “Although… my ears don’t look like that.”

Obi laughs, a tense sharp bark of sound. “Ears are hard,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Can I have it?”

His face turns hot, disbelieving. “I, um- Do you want it?”

“Mm!” She nods emphatically, although her smile is sly. “Is there an artist fee? I feel like I should pay you.”

“I do it for the exposure,” he jokes weakly.

Shirayuki laughs, a clear bright sound, and oh- this could have gone terribly. He’s so glad it hasn’t. “You should be paid for your work, Obi.”

His heart squeezes. “Do you have any idea of what I should charge?”

She taps her finger on her chin, lips pursed like she does when she is pouring over one of her textbooks. “I can think of something,” she says, eyes tilting shyly. “I’m just not sure if you would like it.”

As if anything she could give him would be less than perfect. “Try me.”

She swallows, drawing her lower lip between her teeth. “Okay,” she laughs aarily, looking down the hall one way, then another. “Come here.”

Obi frowns, taking one step into the hall, keeping his foot between the door jam. “Here?”

“No, um, I mean yes,” she brushes her hair behind her ear. “But I need you to lean down.”

He does as she asks, lashes fluttering and nerves closing off his throat. “Here?”

Her lips twitch, free hand coming up to lace through his hair and pull him down farther.

“Here,” she breathes, closing the space between them.

The touch of her mouth against his is soft, charged with the pop of static and they jump back, startled. Her eyes are wide honestly- she looks more surprised than him, and then they soften, leaning back in.

This time, electricity doesn’t snap between them. This time his eyes fall shut when her mouth falls upon his, breath pouring out of his lungs in one long rush. Her lips are soft. And sweet. And lemon flavored. They shoot sparks down his spine, through his blood, and he tilts his head, fingers alighting upon her cheek.

She hums against his mouth and he can’t help but smile against hers.

Josie was going to be intolerable.

She pulls back, nails dragging against his scalp before smoothing down his hair. “Do you think that was fair payment?” she asks quietly, her eyes searching his.

Obi swallows, his throat dry. “I think I may double my fee.”

Shirayuki smiles and it is so beautiful. “You drive a hard bargain.”

“I learned from the best.”

She pulls him back down.

[timebuzzer]

Ever After Chapter 8.2

3rd Person

After their second round of pure bliss, Sage transferred Alex to their bedroom in all his grandeur. He knew she was tired so she did not disturb her sleep. But when she felt the comfort of the bedsheets, she opened her eyes and asked the man beside him, "How long have I been asleep?" Alex asked lazily as she snuggled closer to him.

"30 minutes. Sleep more, I will be here when you wake up." Sage then snuck the misplaced strands of hair to her ear.

"I can't waste another 30 minutes of sleeping. We can talk about anything. I just want to spend as much quality time with you while I still can." Alex insisted. She leaned her head on his chest as she intertwined his hands with her.

"Hmmm, Honey? Would you mind moving to Aira's building apartment while I am in the military? I can't seem to put my heart at ease knowing that you will be alone here. I could ask Hans to help you with the papers." He uttered worriedly.

"You don't have to worry, Hon. The security here is top-notch and we have a lot of memories here. I, at least, I have our memories with me to keep me company. I will be fine." She reassured him.

"Okay then, but please, take good care of yourself. And you can call Hans if you need extra hands. He may look unreliable but he gets things done, you can count on him." He paused then after a few seconds, he continued. "... And I think you would be needing Hans' help when dealing with your agency... You haven't informed them about our marriage, right?" Sage was hesitant to address this issue but they still have to discuss it.

"I did not tell them about my change in civil status yet. But Aira already checked my contract beforehand when informed them about my intention to register our marriage. And there are no specific stipulations in my contract about the change in my civil status by any chance... However, Aira told me that if things get worse, I may still need to pay damages but she made sure that it would not be too much of a blow on my end." Alex casually tells him as if it didn't bother her at all.

But Sage still felt distressed for her. Lucky for him Hans is his CEO but that is not the case for Alex. She is still an employee of another agency and he knows that her CEO would not like the news she would be telling him. But they could no longer do anything about it.

He then heaved a deep sigh and said, "I'm sure Hans is already on to it because Aira is involved. He won't just sit around and do nothing. He knows how to handle this stuff so we can trust him. I don't mind paying the damages but I won't just sit around if I find out that you would be punished more than what is just. I am your husband and I won't allow my wife to be bullied by anyone. I don't care if he's your CEO." He uttered with utmost determination.

"Why, did we not talk about this sooner? I could have reviewed your contract and could have formulated a more feasible plan of action about this." He mentioned with frustration in his voice.

"Love, we can handle this. Enough with this topic, it's giving me a headache. Visit me if you are given vacations okay?" Alex pleaded. She sure knows that she would miss him because he gave her too much to remember.

"I'll try but I won't promise. I can use my unused vacations to be released earlier, so I guess, I'd do that?" Sage rebutted.

"Fine. Fine. But be sure to take good care of yourself and eat at the right time. Don't worry about me. Aira and my team won't neglect me. I'm worried about you. They won't give you special treatment..." She enumerated as she continued with her long list of reminders.

They then became silent afterward. Sage thought it is getting late already. When he checked the clock, it was already 3:16 AM. So he started humming a song while caressing her back, trying to lull her to sleep.

"What song are you humming? Can you just sing it for me instead?" Alex asked. Sage was reluctant because he knew the song would change the mood. But when he saw anticipation in her eyes, he could only agree, applying the "happy wife, happy life" motto.

"Here I am waiting, I'll have to leave soon

Why am I holding on?

We knew this day would come,

we knew it all along..."

He started singing Daylight by Maroon 5 softly. His version is slower as if he felt the weight of every lyric but he continued.

"How did it come so fast?

This is our last night but it's late

And I'm trying not to sleep

'Cause I know, when I wake

I will have to slip away..."

When he received the letter about his enlistment, his only plan was to confess. He doesn't want to leave with another what-if at that time. Who would have thought that before his enlistment day, Alex would have become his wife? Three months passed like a blur. They enjoyed every moment of it, but also, it made the couple get used to each other's presence... making them reluctant to leave each other alone.

"Would it be easier to leave if we spent the last three months differently?" He asked himself. "I bet, it would still be the same", he thought then continued singing.

"And when the daylight comes I'll have to go

But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close

'Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own

But tonight I need to hold you so close..."

Sage's hug tightened as he sang but still enough for Alex to breathe. He held her so close as if memorizing the mold of her figure that perfectly fit with his embrace like a puzzle piece.

"Here I am staring at your perfection

In my arms, so beautiful

The sky is getting bright, the stars are burning out

Somebody slow it down

This is way too hard

'Cause I know, when the sun comes up

I will leave, this is my last glance

That will soon be a memory..."

Alex closed her eyes as she wanted to stop herself from crying. She wanted to imprint this song in her memory. She would miss his songs that will put her to sleep. And the bed beside her would be cold from now on. She abruptly felt heavy while having these thoughts.

Before they realized it, the sun has already risen which also signaled Sage's days in the outside world has ended. The alarm then broke the silence in the room.

Alex hugged her husband as tight as she could one last time. She became emotional that tears started to flow heavily and Sage could only allow her to release them. He too would miss his wife terribly but he could not do anything about it.

"I love you so so much," Alex whispered in his ears.

"I love you more. I promise this will be the last time I will leave you..." Sage responded as he sunk into her neck and inhaled the scent of his wife one last time.

The newly married couple then started to get up and prepare for Sage's enlistment. They took a shower together. The couple did their routine like Sage blowdried her hair while Alex shaved his face. Sage cooked breakfast while Alex packed his small luggage.

Sage tried to lighten the mood by making jokes but Alex can't seem to smile even with it. They tidied things up after their meal and they were now sitting on the couch waiting for Hans and Aira.

Sage told Alex not to send him off because it would burden him to see her while he gets in, especially if she started to cry. It was already torture to see her puffy and sad eyes. Luckily, Alex agreed to it.

"Think of your dream wedding while I'm away, okay? I thought of having even a simple wedding ceremony yesterday but I know you want to be in charge of it so I didn't push it through. Nonetheless, the simple dinner last night was wonderful."

"Whenever you're missing me, just send me messages even if I may not able to reply immediately., Sage added.

"I'll write and send letters to you from time to time. Wait for it."

"Letters? It might end up as a "diary" or a mini-book because you have a lot of things to say." Sage joked. He expected her to laugh or to pinch him. But he only got a smile from her, a sad one.

"I won't mind reading even your most random idea or your endless rants even if it reached 100+ pages. Just tell me about anything. I will try to write back if possible. Wow! Writing back and forth... that's like us in the pre-telephone era."

Then their doorbell rang. Alex opened it and saw that it was Hans and Aira.

Hans took Sage's luggage and went outside while Sage hugged his wife one last time. He closed his eyes as he was stopping himself from tears when he turned his back from her and started walking with heavy steps to the door.

Parting time will never be anyone's favorite but he has to. "Get it done now, so I could go out and would never have to leave her again", he conditioned his mind while going out.

Both gentlemen exited the apartment as Aira was left with Alex in the living room. When the door closed, Alex could no longer hold it in and broke down in tears as she hugged Aira.

[spreadplaylist]

SPREAD CH.1 - ARTIST SPOTLIGHT... SPOTLeyeT <3

Hi SPREAD listeners! For those of u that don't know, the SPREAD blog will feature a monthly Artist Spotlight, an interview I have with an up and coming artist featured in that month's playlist. A core value of SPREAD is sharing music that u may not have heard, hopefully increasing artists' exposure and fanbase. The SPF 30 featured artist, LeyeT, is a dear friend of mine, and I can't wait for u to get a closer look into her music and her artistry. HERE WE GO!

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LeyeT: Hi! I’m LeyeT, pronounced "light." (: I’m from Orange County, California – reside in LA, and LOVE all things music. I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember and songwriting since I first picked up the guitar about 12 years ago. I recently began my new artist project as LeyeT and released my first single on 2.28. Can’t wait to bring you more music in the coming months