#it's about moving forward where you used to stand still and choosing to stay when it's easier to run away!!

[mobius-m-mobius]

-Julio Cortázar, from "Bolero" (trans. John Joseph Lyons)

Loki S2 Anniversary x Episode 2 - “Breaking Brad”

[bloomzone]

2025 : #1 be disciplined

[ the 2025 glow up serie ? Click here !]

Motivation feels amazing, doesn’t it? It’s like a spark—a burst of energy that pushes you forward. But what happens when the spark fades? That’s where discipline steps in. It’s the routine you build, the habits you cultivate, and the consistency you stick to even on days you don’t feel like it.

So, instead of waiting to feel ready, discipline says, ‘Let’s go, regardless.’ It’s the engine that turns dreams into reality.

"Ask urself right now: What’s one thing I can commit to daily in 2025? Write it down. Small steps lead to giant leaps."

1.Building Your Disciplined

How do u stay disciplined? Start with these three small steps:

✒️.Growth is not supposed to feel good. You’re going to hate it. You’ll feel like quitting more times than you can count. That’s normal. Growth is built in the moments where you want to give up but don’t.

1. Create Clear Goals: Be specific. Instead of saying, ‘I’ll study more,’ say, ‘I’ll study history for 30 minutes every evening.’ BUY A SMALL NOTEBOOK AND WRITE ALL UR GOALS WITH SMALLER ONE TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE

2. Track Progress: Whether it’s journaling or using an app, tracking helps you stay accountable.

3.Master Your Mindset: Stop waiting to "feel motivated." Understand that motivation is fleeting, but discipline is reliable. Every time your brain tells you to quit, remind yourself: your emotions don’t run the show—your goals do.

2.Excuses Are Lies

Excuses are lies you’ve sold yourself to stay comfortable. 'I’m too tired.' Lie. 'I don’t have time.' Lie. 'I’m just not motivated.' Biggest lie of all.

Here’s the truth: You’re scared. Scared of failure, scared of discomfort, scared of how much effort it takes to change. But let me tell you something: Fear is temporary. Regret is forever. Which one do you want to live with?

No more excuses. You don’t need more time. You need more discipline. You don’t need motivation. You need action. Stop talking about what you want and start doing the work to get it. Right now.

3.look at yourself in the mirror

Look yourself in the mirror tonight and ask: Am I proud of the choices I made today? If the answer is no, fix it tomorrow. And if the answer is still no, fix it the next day. Don’t let yourself off the hook.

2025 isn’t your year unless you make it your year. Stop expecting change to happen to you. You are the change. Get out of your head, get off the couch, and get to work. The only thing standing between you and the life you want is your own laziness. Crush it.

4.Action Plan for a Disciplined Life

Stop acting like you’re doing enough when you know you’re not. If you want that dream college, that perfect GPA, or that career you keep fantasizing about, you need to stop wasting time and follow a real plan. Get up the second your alarm goes off—no snooze, no excuses. Tackle the hardest, most uncomfortable task first thing in the morning because procrastination is for quitters. Create a non-negotiable schedule and stick to it like your life depends on it, because it does. Eliminate every distraction: delete the apps, unfollow the nonsense, and stop treating your phone like your best friend. Hold yourself accountable—write down your progress every day. If you didn’t do anything to move forward, face the fact that you’re the problem. Plan your next day before you sleep, so you wake up ready to win, not wander. And for the love of everything you want in life, stop choosing comfort over progress. Your excuses won’t get you that GPA, that acceptance letter, or that dream job—but discipline will.

breaking this into chunks

1. Kill the Snooze Button: Get out of bed the moment your alarm goes off. No "just 5 more minutes." Those 5 minutes are the difference between starting strong and losing the day.

2. Start With the Hard Stuff: Tackle your most challenging task first thing in the day. Procrastination is your enemy—eat the frog and move on.

3. Create a Non-Negotiable Schedule: Block out specific times for studying, working out, or any critical task. Treat these blocks like appointments with your future self—don’t cancel.

4. Cut Out Time-Wasters: Delete apps you waste time on. Unfollow distractions. If you spend hours scrolling or binge-watching, you’re digging your own grave.

5. Build Accountability: Tell someone your goals and have them call you out when you slack. Better yet, make it public—you’ll hate embarrassing yourself in front of others.

6. Track Progress Daily: Write down everything you’ve done that day to move closer to your goals. If you haven’t done anything, face the hard truth: you’re slacking.

7. Plan Tomorrow Tonight: Before you go to bed, write out your next day’s schedule. If you wake up without a plan, you’ve already lost.

8. Say No to Comfort: Skip the cozy excuses. If it’s not pushing you closer to your goals, it’s holding you back.

Discipline is the foundation of every success story. It’s not about luck, talent, or fleeting motivation—it’s about showing up, doing the hard work, and making the right choices every single day. If you want to achieve your dreams, you need to stop waiting for the perfect moment and start building habits that get you closer to your goals. Cut the excuses, own your failures, and take control of your life. The road to greatness isn’t easy, but every sacrifice, every uncomfortable moment, and every disciplined action will take you one step closer to the future you deserve. You either make it happen, or you watch someone else do it. The choice is yours. The clock is not waiting for u !

@bloomzone ✒️

[divinesangel]

— random details about your future spouse [PAC]

pm me for an affordable, in-depth personal reading! — 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐞!

— 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝟏

they've been through some stuff and came out the other side with a calm, steady mindset. they're the type who doesn't get easily shaken or overwhelmed by life’s challenges.

when things get hectic or stressful, they stay chill and don’t panic. they can handle chaos without losing their cool, making them someone you can rely on in tough situations.

they’re not the type to rush into things. they like to take things slow, think things through, and make sure they’re making the right moves, whether it’s in relationships, work, or life decisions.

they probably have a strong sense of family and respect for long-held values. they believe in things like loyalty, commitment, and honoring what came before, whether that’s family traditions or their own personal principles.

they’re either spiritual or have a strong personal philosophy that guides their life. they probably reflect on the bigger picture and have a deep understanding of their own purpose or place in the world.

they're not afraid to step out of their comfort zone. they love exploring new places, trying new things, and keeping life exciting. they can be spontaneous and enjoy breaking out of routines.

always thinking outside the box. they might have a knack for coming up with new ideas or solutions, whether it’s in their work, hobbies, or just life in general. they love expressing themselves in unique ways.

they don’t take shortcuts. they put in the effort and grind steadily toward their goals, even if it takes time. they understand that success is built on consistent work and dedication.

you can count on them, no questions asked. they keep their promises and show up when they say they will, whether it’s for something big or small. they’re the kind of person you can trust with anything.

they’ve got their finances together. they don’t live paycheck to paycheck, and they know how to manage money responsibly. they’ve probably built a secure foundation for themselves and are smart about financial decisions.

once they’re in, they’re in for the long haul. they’re fiercely loyal and protective of the people they love. they’ll stand by your side through thick and thin, and you’ll always know they’ve got your back no matter what.

— 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝟐

they’ve been through some tough stuff before (like heartbreak or betrayal), and they’re still working on getting over it. they’re in a process of healing, so they might be a bit cautious when it comes to love, but they’re definitely growing through it.

at times, they might feel a little lost or unsure about where they’re headed. they’re working on figuring things out, but they can get stuck in their head, trying to make the right choices. they may need a bit of time to get their confidence back before moving forward with big decisions.

they used to hold onto things too tightly, whether it was their money, their emotions, or their need to control everything. but now, they’re realizing they need to loosen up a bit and trust the process. they’re getting better at letting go of the things they can’t control.

they care a lot about building something real and secure for the future. they’re the kind of person who’s thinking about their career, their finances, and how to make sure they’ve got a strong foundation. they’re not into quick fixes; they’re focused on what lasts.

they can get caught up in the “what ifs” and feel like there are too many options to choose from. they might struggle with indecision or fantasizing about all the possibilities instead of making moves. they’re learning to focus and stop overthinking everything.

they’re someone who’s always looking for fresh starts. they might be starting a new chapter in their life—whether it’s career, relationships, or just personal growth. they’re focused on making things better and are always willing to work toward something new and more secure.

they’re ambitious and want more for themselves. they’re standing at a crossroads, thinking about what the next step looks like. they’re starting to plan ahead, but they’re also trying to figure out what path is the right one for them.

they’re soft-hearted and sensitive, not afraid to show their feelings. they’re the type to express their emotions and be vulnerable with the people they trust. they’re also really intuitive and can pick up on how others are feeling, offering emotional support when needed.

— 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝟑

they’re someone who’s got their life together and doesn’t rely on others to feel secure. they’re proud of what they’ve built and enjoy the rewards of their hard work. they’re confident in their own abilities and don’t need validation from anyone else.

they know that good things take time. they’re not into rushing through life but are all about putting in the work and letting things grow naturally. they’re all about steady progress and building something real and long-lasting.

sometimes they feel unsure of themselves, especially when things aren’t going as planned. they may have moments of questioning their strength or abilities. they’re still figuring out how to trust themselves fully, but they’re working through it.

they can be a little guarded, especially when it comes to their emotions or what they’ve worked hard for. they like to keep control, but they’re learning to let go and trust more. it’s a process, but they’re getting there.

they’re the type of person who handles life with a lot of maturity. they take responsibility seriously and know how to manage their finances, their career, and their relationships in a practical way. they don’t take shortcuts.

they can be hard to read sometimes, and their emotions are deeper than they let on. they’re intuitive and sensitive, but they often keep their feelings under wraps. they might struggle to fully express what they’re going through, but they’re working on understanding themselves better.

they don’t like rushing into decisions. they’ll spend a lot of time weighing out their options and might even avoid making tough choices altogether. they want to make sure they’re doing the right thing, but they can get stuck in overthinking.

when they finally make up their mind, they’re sharp, direct, and won’t hesitate to go after what they want. they’re all about clarity and truth, and once they’re sure about something, they’re confident in their actions.

𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 !

hi! it's daphne here.

i'm currently offering personal readings for €8 and soulmate readings for €15 so don't hesitate to send me a private message if you're interested!

thank you for being here!

[stevie-petey]

episode nine: the piggyback

“It’s always been you,” Steve whispers, lips pressed above your brow. “The six kids. The family I’ve always wanted. Traveling the countryside. My dream, it’s always had you in it.” You laugh, breathless and in love. “I know, honey.” Sickly sweet warmth cascades through you. Your lips find Steve’s, you kiss the smile off his face. He lets you. “I’ve always known it was going to be the two of us.”

Summary: operation save hawkins is a go. youre eagle one, steve is currently doing that, eddie is youd be lying if you said you havent thought about it, nancy is it happened once in a dream, robin is if you had to pick a girl, and dustin is eagle two. what could possibly go wrong ? spoiler alert: everything. literally everything goes wrong. might as well break a few promises while youre at it. for the plot. but at least its over, right? .... right?

Rating: general, some swearing, violence

Warnings: fem!reader, use of y/n, cursing, weapons, blood, death and gore, injuries, lowkey suicidal thoughts

Words: 8.5k (we broke tradition where the last chapter is the longest but tbh this is probs for the best)

Before you swing in: oh my god this is the end. i am. very very emotional rn. this story is my baby and i dont know what im going to do now that its done. i cant even write an in between chapter because we still dont have season 5 content :((( im gonna miss writing this story, and i will absolutely go crazy waiting for season 5 so i can write again. these next few months will be ROUGH but !!!! thank you guys so so so much for reading. all your comments/reblogs/kudos/likes have meant the world to me. im truly the luckiest girl ever :') for now, and for the final time... enjoy !

–

It’s pitch black outside. All around you is darkness. The sun is long gone, its golden warmth no longer present, retreating into the treeline as if afraid of what the night will bring. 

You’re afraid, too.

Everyone stands around Nancy. The group is quiet as you await whatever she has to say. When she turns to face you, her voice is leveled, calm, but her hands shake. 

She’s afraid, too.

“Okay,” Nancy exhales deeply. “I wanna run through it one more time.” She looks at Robin, prompting her to recite everything back. “Phase one?”

“We meet Erica at the playground.” Robin responds. “She’ll signal Max and Lucas when we’re ready.”

“Phase two.”

You step forward. “Max and I will bait Vecna. When he goes after one of us, he’ll go into his trance. If he chooses Max, we’ll go onto phase three together.”

“And…” Nancy swallows, looking away. “And if he chooses you?”

It’s Steve who steps forward this time. He stands tall, brave, but his voice shakes. “Then I’ll stay with her, walkman ready, while you and Robin go on your own.”

You grab his hand, squeezing it. He squeezes back. 

“Speaking of phase three.” Dustin clears his throat, weary eyes never leaving you. “Me and Eddie wil draw the bats away.”

“Carefully,” you look pointedly at your brother. “Right?”

He rolls his eyes at you while Nancy continues speaking. “Okay, phase four.”

“We head into Vecna’s newly bat-free lair and…” Robin holds up a molotov cocktail. The liquid sloshes around. The scent of gasoline still stings your nose from when you helped her pour it into the bottles earlier. “Flambe.” 

“Nobody moves onto the next phase until we’ve all copied. Nobody deviates from the plan, no matter what.” Nancy reiterates, looking around the RV. Her eyes linger on you, cautious, almost doubtful. She trusts you. She knows she trusts you. But she also knows your heart and the lengths you’ll go to save others. 

Nancy has always admired your selflessness, but she’s also always seen it as your greatest strength and weakness. A coin, two sides. Now, tonight, she has to hope that you’ll follow the plan. Even if it means leaving Max behind if she’s the one Vecna chooses.

Your eyes harden when you realize what Nancy is thinking. Without saying anything, you nod at her. The jut of your chin tells her that you’ll be fine. That she needs to trust you. 

Eddie’s trailer is only a few yards away, but the walk to it feels like decades. Steve guides and Nancy is close behind him. You stay back, walking beside Dustin. Your shoulders brush. His presence grounds you, reassures you that you will make it through the night. 

Dustin, sensing your fear, reaches for your hand. He extends his warmth to you, silently promising you that he will always be here. There isn’t anything left to say.

Steve opens Eddie’s door, turning the lights on and tossing his backpack to the ground. He eyes the rope that connects the trailer to the Upside Down, getting ready for the part of the plan that you honestly really hate.

“Be careful, please.” You urge him, uncomfortable that he has to be the first one to return to the hell that is the Upside Down. It makes sense, he’s the only one able to climb the rope up, but still. You’ve had shit luck these last few days.

“I’m always careful, angel.” Steve winks at you, rolling his sleeves up. “Here goes nothing.”

He climbs up quickly, years of being an athlete being put to use. Everyone watches anxiously. However, when Steve crosses through the gate and lands with a cheesy flip, you and Robin share a disgusted look. 

“What, does he want us to applaud?” She scoffs.

You shake your head. “Somethings I think he has an imaginary audience in his head.”

“Do you think they ever boo him?” “Not like we do.”

Nancy covers her mouth, muffling her laugh, and Robin snorts. You smile at the two of them, momentarily forgetting what’s to come.

“Alright,” Steve shouts up, tossing down Eddie’s old mattress. “Let’s go.”

You take a deep breath, steadying your nerves. Wiping your hands on your jeans, you place them on the rope and prepare for the inevitable torture that this will be. You’re pretty sure you’re bleeding again. 

“A little help?” You ask the others, motioning towards your injured leg and shoulder. “Sorta out of commission.”

Eddie grips your waist while Robin and Nancy gently hike your legs up. Together the three of them are able to carry you almost all the way up. Breathing through your nose, you grit your teeth and climb the rest of the way, wincing every few seconds. The pain is unbearable.

You really hope you don’t sound as pathetic as you look.

When you land on the mattress, small, black dots litter your vision. “I think I’m gonna throw up.”

Steve is already bending down, helping you up with ease. “And ruin Munson’s tidy home?”

Woozy from pain, you bat Steve away and wait for the others to join. Nancy comes next, then Robin, then Eddie and Dustin. Weapons get tossed down. Bodies land on the mattress with finalizing thuds. 

Outside, it’s just as cold as you remember it. Eddie and Dustin stay in front of the trailer. This is as far as they’re going. They aren’t leaving.

Roughly you pull at your brother. His body lands against yours, but the kiss your press to his forehead is gentle. You haven’t done this since he was a kid. Dustin flings his arms around you, nearly knocking all the air from your lungs. He squeezes you tight, as terrified as you are, and you feel tears in your eyes.

“We’ll come home,” your whisper is hoarse, rough and desperate. You bury your face in his mess of curls and kiss his head again. “The house won’t be empty.”

Dustin sniffles, too weak to hide his tears. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Your throat burns. How can you possibly leave him? 

Vision blurry with tears, Eddie manages to catch your attention as you cling onto your brother. The teen nods, lifting his pinky in the air to wave it at you, reminding you of his promise to you. He’ll protect Dustin. He swore it.

Reluctantly, you pull away from Dustin and wipe your face. “Please don’t die. Who knows what Mews’ ghost would do to you?” Dustin laughs wetly, wiping his own face as well. The thought of your childhood cat haunting his grave is enough to lessen the sting of letting you go. 

“If things here start to go south, I mean, at all, you abort.” Steve breaks the remorseful silence. He doesn’t want anyone getting hurt. He doesn’t want you losing anyone else. “Draw the attention of the bats, keep ‘em busy for a minute or two. We’ll take care of Vecna. Don’t try to be a hero or anything.”

His tone is harsh, but you know Steve means well. You also don’t want Dustin and Eddie anywhere near danger. As long as they stick to the plan, they’ll be fine. They have the quickest escape route and the most amount of protection.

“What Steve is trying to say is that you two better climb back through the gate the moment anything bad happens.” You look at the two boys. They stare at you, grim faced. “I mean it, okay? Go through the gate, don’t try anything else.”

“We’re the decoys, we get it.” Dustin rolls his eyes. “Don’t worry. You and Steve can be the heroes.”

“Look at us,” Eddie nudges your brother’s shoulder. “We’re not heroes.”

Your stomach twists. You hate how Dustin views his and Eddie’s position. They aren’t just decoys, they’re heroes in your eyes. They’re facing an army of bats all on their own, but you don’t dare say this out loud, afraid to encourage them. 

“Just…” your mouth is dry. “Just be safe, alright?”

“We will.” Eddie swallows. Then he pauses, his gaze darkens slightly. Looking back at you, he breathes out, “And make him pay.”

You and Steve look at each other. So much of Eddie’s life has been ruined by Vecna. Even if you all make it out of here alive, killing Vecna, there’s no guarantee that Hawkins will accept him back into the town. You understand the anger that resides within Eddie. The desire to kill the very thing that has destroyed everything he loves. 

You bite your lip. You’ve never made a promise you haven’t been able to keep. But this time you’re facing something bigger than anything you could’ve ever imagined. All this time you’ve tried convincing yourself that you’ll win. That everything will work out.

But you remember last summer. 

The mall. The fire and the deaths. Hopper. Billy. The power Vecna seems to hold, his claws that have sunk into you and Max. His threat to Nancy. The danger that Hawkins is in, up above where your mother sleeps peacefully. Unaware of what you’re sacrificing for her.

This is more than anything you’ve ever dealt with before. But a promise built on an unsteady foundation is all you can give Eddie. 

“Well will,” you echo his earlier promise.

Eddie smiles at you. The one you’ve grown to like, even find charming. Slanted and mischievous. The glint in his eyes never dimmed, even after everything. Through it all, he remained kind.

This is how you’ll always remember him.

– 

The further you walk away from Eddie and Dustin, the harder you have to force yourself to keep going. Your body is heavy, the weight slowing you down, pleading with you to go back. None of this feels right.

Steve’s hand on the small of your back is the only thing keeping your heart from collapsing. Robin’s smile helps, too. 

“You’d think this place gets less creepy the second time around.” She says, stepping over a root. “But I’m still pretty damn creeped out.”

“It isn’t the most pleasant place.” You agree. 

Robin steps over another root, looking back at you as she does so. “At least I’m here to protect you, Y/N. Pretty brave, don’t you think?” “Hey,” Steve warns. “Watch it.”

You knock your shoulder against his and smile apologetically at Robin. “Like always, I think you’re the bravest.”

She smiles proudly, throwing her fist in the air in excitement. However, after stepping over a root for what feels like the tenth time, her heart starts to pound. Looking around, all the trees suddenly look the same. Have you been here before?

“Not to alarm anyone, but I swear we’ve seen this tree before.”

“That’s impossible.” Nancy dimisses.

You agree. “We’re in the woods. All we’re going to see are trees.”

Robin tries to calm herself down, but ultimately fails. There are so many components to the plan, so many ways it can go wrong. “I mean, that would suck, right? Veca destroys the world because we got lost in the woods.”

“We aren’t lost–” You try to reason with her, but Robin is already running away in a panic. You scream at her, terrified of losing her. “Robin!”

“I’ll be back!”

You start to stumble after her. “Why does everyone want to separate?” You huff out, nearly tripping. “There’s safety in numbers! Come back!”

Nancy, seeing your fear for your friend and horrible coordination skills, steps in front of you. “I’ll go after her. You stay here with Steve.”

And then she’s gone, disappearing into the mass of branches alongside Robin. 

“They’ll be fine,” Steve reassures you, grabbing your hand. “They’re tough, even if Robin may lose her mind sometimes when she’s distressed.”

“I think we’re all slowly losing our minds.” You laugh, bitter.

Steve tightens his hand around yours. The two of you walk in silence for a while. The thunder above you serves as a reminder of where you are. The darkness is a threat. But you’re here, together. That’s all that Steve cares about in the end.

“Did you really mean what you said? Back at the cemetery?” He asks, clearing his throat in unease. The question has been on his mind ever since he heard your pleas for Vecna to take you instead of Max. 

He thinks of how adamant you’ve been to protect her. How you’re only here with him right now because Max wouldn’t let you blindly walk towards your death. 

The question strikes deep guilt within you, yet an exhaustion follows. You’re ashamed of how desperately you pleaded to die. Steve and Dustin had to hear you beg for your death. Lucas, too. 

You’re ashamed. Yet you wouldn’t take it back.

“I did.” You finally say. “I wanted him to take me.”

Steve already knew you’d say this. He’d been expecting anger to follow, to be furious with you for sacrificing yourself knowing he’d be left to pick up the pieces. 

But seeing the way you set your jaw and stare ahead, seeing the resolve that masks your face, the acceptance of your decisions, Steve can’t bring himself to be angry. Not at you. 

This is who you are.

“I won’t let anything happen to you.” Steve promises you again. He will always promise this to you. Over and over again, he will die saying these words to you. “I-I can’t lose you. I refuse to lose you.”

Your eyes remain downcast. 

“I know that this is how you love,” he grabs your jacket, begging you to look at him. “I know that I can’t let you lose the ones you love. Dustin, Max, Robin, Lucas, or El or Mike or Nancy. Hell, even Jonathan. I won’t let you lose them, but I won’t lose you, either.”

He understands, then. The selflessness within you and its selfish ways. Yet he doesn’t shy away or hiss at its venom. Steve opens his hands and allows the selfishness to stay there, warming it with his skin. 

You kiss him. Surprising both him and you, yet you melt together. Steve circles his arms around your waist, pulls you flush against him, and in the cynicism that surrounds you, there is still love. 

“Thank you,” you breathe against his lips. He’s wonderful. He loves you wholly, without any faults. Your kindness and its destructive ways; he accepts it all. “Thank you for understanding.”

And this, you believe, is the most selfless act a person can do. Steve’s understanding of why you need to do this, to sacrifice your life for Max’s, even if it means he risks losing you. 

“I should be the one thanking you,” Steve kisses you again, softer this time. Slower. 

You pull back, confused. “Why?” He pulls you in again. “I mean, I don’t know if you know this, but I was a pretty huge asshole back then.” You laugh softly, and Steve knows he’s exactly where he’s meant to be. “You saw this good in me that I didn’t know existed. Right off the bat you saw through me, expecting more from me than anyone else ever did. I wouldn’t be who I am now without you. ”

“Steve…”

“And I’m sorry for thinking you didn’t see a future with me.” He continues, unable to stop now. This is everything he’s wanted to tell you ever since you allowed him into your life. “I know it’s stupid now, apologizing for our fight a week ago after the hell we’ve been through since then, but…”

He can’t believe he almost let something as small as a misalignment of where you’ll be a year from now jeopardize what you have. There is a string that attaches Steve to you, it brought you to him and tied your heart to his. 

“I meant what I said, Y/N.” Steve’s forehead presses against yours. “I’d wait forever if it means I can have forever with you.”

His eyes shine down at you, brown and warm. The honey you fell in love with when he pretended not to know your name, all to get you to laugh. 

“When your head went under the water, that night at Lover’s Lake, I thought you were dead.” Your voice shakes, remembering the fear that choked you. “For those thirty seconds, I thought you were dead, and it almost killed me.”

It was then that you realized how truly you can’t lose Steve. You’ve always known this, but to have his soul ripped from yours so suddenly, so permanently, there are no words to express the agony that poisoned you. 

Losing him would be the one thing you’d never recover from.  

“I don’t ever want to live through those thirty seconds again,” you’re crying. Steve is, too. He wipes a tear that falls, strokes your cheek, and you can’t bear the thought of a world without his touch. “I want forever with you, too. We’ll figure it out, but I’m not losing you. You have to be in my life, in whatever capacity. Whether you’re in a small, cramped apartment with me in New York or in Hawkins, waiting for me to come home.”

Your breath hitches. To think that a childish argument almost separated him from you. 

“As long as we come home to one another, it doesn’t matter.” 

Steve is quiet after you’ve said all this, and for a moment you’re scared you’ve said too much. Revealed too much of yourself, convinced him he’s gotten it all wrong, but then he cradles your face. His hands are soft, tender, the weight of them familiar against your skin. 

He kisses your forehead, and you exhale the last of your uncertainty. All that is left within your lungs is love. 

“It’s always been you,” Steve whispers, lips pressed above your brow. “The six kids. The family I’ve always wanted. Traveling the countryside. My dream, it’s always had you in it.”

You laugh, breathless and in love. “I know, honey.” Sickly sweet warmth cascades through you. Your lips find Steve’s, you kiss the smile off his face. He lets you. “I’ve always known it was going to be the two of us.”

Steve smiles, wide and bashful, and you know that this is where you’re meant to be, too.

“Hey, guys!” Robin breaks through the treeline, running back with Nancy right behind her. “Awesome news!”

“We aren’t lost.” Nancy cuts to the chase. “We think the Creel house is up ahead.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” You step out of Steve’s arms, though your hand remains intertwined with his. “Let’s go face imminent doom.”

Nancy huffs out a laugh and Robin winces, though Steve squeezes your hand and is the first one to start walking. Together, the five of you descend deeper into the woods.

Unsurprisingly, the Creel house is even more terrifying in the Upside Down. Bats surround it, their screeches stinging your ears. Lightning flashes a deep, blood red and the thunder that follows causes your heart to drop.

You stand at the crest of the hill. There’s a light below you, its glow pure in the abandoned park where it resides. The same park that you told Erica to hide in as she waited for Max and Lucas to take their place. The light flashes.

It’s time for phase two.

– 

“Max is moving into phase two: distracting Vecna. Y/N, get ready.” Erica’s voice carries into the Upside Down.

Nancy, Robin, and Steve all turn to you. Grief and longing taint their faces. Your walkman hangs from Steve’s hand. He grips it tightly. Tension coats the air, nearly suffocating you; you can’t run anymore. 

No one says anything as you carefully lower yourself to the ground. It’s cold beneath you. Hard, unforgiving. You cross your legs, ignoring the deep ache of your wounds as you do so. You close your eyes. The storm is coming. 

“Take the bait, you son of a bitch.” You hear Nancy whisper. 

You or Max.

Take me, you silently beg. Take. Me. 

Silence settles over the group. Everyone waits with bated breath. No one knows who Vecna will choose. 

Steve stands nervously behind you, his hand on your walkman at all times. 

Just take me. Kill me instead of her. If you’ve watched me for so long, then just get it over with. Don’t make this easy, don’t be such a fucking coward.

The words echo in your head. Taunting Vecna, hoping their malice will be what saves Max. That he’ll choose you in the end, give you what you want. You’ll do whatever, say whatever you need, if it means Max will come home. 

Something pricks your skin. An uncomfortable, electric sensation coats your entire body. 

Vecna. 

For a moment you think he’s listened. You can feel his presence, the weight of him shadows in your mind. He’s here, he’s spared you mercy after prolonged cruelty. He’s chosen you and Max will survive. Her blue eyes will remain bright, her body alive.

Then it all comes crashing down.

“He chose Max. I repeat, he chose Max.” Erica says, voice cutting through the delusions you allowed yourself to get lost in.

Your ears are ringing. Somewhere in your body there is still oxygen that has not escaped you, but you cannot find it. He chose her. 

Robin radios Dustin and Eddie, you think she’s instructing them to move onto phase three, but her words are jumbled in your mind and you can’t hear anything besides the screaming in your head. 

He chose her.

“Y/N,” someone roughly grabs your shoulder. “Y/N, look at me.”

Nancy. She’s in front of you, kneeled down. She grabs your arms, her grip vicious. Her mouth moves. She’s saying something, the way her chest heaves makes you think she’s yelling.

Is she yelling at you?

“Y/N!” The ringing doesn’t subside, but you manage to look at Nancy. “We need to go!”

She’s right. You need to leave. There isn’t time to remember how to breathe. You know this. Somewhere in the distance there’s music. Guitar rifts through the wind, Eddie’s melody enrages the bats that swarm the Creel house. They’re gone in seconds, flying towards the sound, and you need to stick to the plan. 

Your head moves shakily, managing a small nod, and Nancy yanks you up with Steve’s help. She looks at Robin, and suddenly her and Steve grab your arms and force you to walk alongside Nancy. They aren’t aggressive as they do so, nor are they cruel. But you can’t afford to shut down. Not now.

Max won’t survive if you do. There’s no time to hesitate. No turning back.

You hope she finds the light.

Lightning flashes all around you, illuminating the Creel house as you stand before it. Steve opens the door first. The vines that cover the ground writhe at the disturbance. He shines his flashlight, his heart drops when he realizes just how infested the house is.

“Shit,” he breathes out. The floor is virtually impossible to walk across. “That’s not good.”

Then, because he has no other option, Steve starts jumping to any safe spot he can land on. He looks ridiculous as he does so, but for once you aren’t focused on that. Instead, you stare down at your injured leg and wince.

“Great,” your thigh is currently more blood than flesh. Jumping on it is quite literally the last thing you should be doing. “This is gonna hurt.”

“At least you have good balance?” Robin offers, though she doesn’t believe what she’s saying either. 

Nancy grabs your hand, then Robin’s. She looks at the two of you and smiles, trying her best to look reassuring. “It’s okay. You guys got this.”

The first jump hurts, setting the remaining nerves in your upper thigh on fire, but you can’t afford to scream or collapse. You have to remind yourself that the vines are interconnected. One wrong step, one miscalculated fall, and they’ll wrap viciously around you. 

It’s a slow, tedious process trying to get to the attic. The stairs are the hardest part. The vines twist with every step, slithering across the walls. Steve does his best to help you, offering you his hand for support, but you both hold your breath every time your foot slips. 

When you make it to the attic door, everyone readies their weapons. In one hand are your knives, in the other a molotov cocktail. Steve spins you around, digging into the backpack for an ax while Nancy grabs her gun. 

Your foot lifts, about to step forward, before the ground beneath you shakes violently. The entire house trembles, and Steve barely has enough time to catch everyone as all of you struggle not to fall. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” You sneer, holding desperately onto Steve. This is all some sick, cruel joke. A poorly timed rupture in your rapture.

But then the house stills. Everything is quiet. You, Nancy, Steve, and Robin stare at one another, panting. Nobody moves. There’s a clarity in the air, a false sense of security. 

That’s when the first vine latches onto Robin. 

It folds around her ankle before tearing her away from you. She screams, so do you, and her body is thrown against the wall as more vines encase her limbs. They move fast, snake like, and everything unravels after that. 

“Steve! Y/N!” She screeches, terrified. “Nancy!” 

You’re at her side in a second, stabbing at the vines. Your knuckles are white as you grip your knives, your biceps strain. You aren’t letting them take Robin from you. “Hold on!”

Your teeth grit together in exertion, sawing as fast as you can. Steve and Nancy are on the other side, throwing their axes as hard furiously into the vines. But nothing works, they’re too thick, and you don’t realize that one of the vines has wrapped around your arm until it’s too late.

“Y/N!” Steve screams when your body gets lifted into the air. You try to fight it, to pry your arm away, but your legs give out and soon a second vine wraps around your other arm. Then a third, a fourth and a fifth. 

In seconds you’re pressed against the wall. 

“Steve!” Screams are ripped from your throat, you try to call out, to beg for your life, but the more you move, the tighter the vines constrict.

Steve calls after you, ramming into the wall as he tries to cut you loose. “I got you! I–”

The ax he’s holding gets yanked back by a vine. He’s launched into the air, body landing harshly next to yours several feet up the wall. He screams again, but his voice dies when a vine cuts off his breathing and chokes him.

Another vine coils around your throat and suddenly you can’t breathe. Your airway constricts. Sobbing, you try to reach out to Steve. You’re inches apart, his fingers are so close to yours that you can feel their warmth, but you can’t reach him

All you want to do is hold him. 

Nancy falls to the ground, the last victim. She gets thrown to the opposite wall, it all happens so fast that she doesn’t even have time to scream. 

Your vision blurs. You close your eyes.

This is how you’ll die. 

Far away from your home. No one will find your body down here. Dustin will come looking for you and he’ll face the same fate. He will die trying to find you. Vecna will destroy everything you’ve ever loved.

Your lungs burn, fighting for breath that they cannot get. Blood rushes to your head. You take your last breath. The sound of it echoes in your ears. 

Everything goes black. 

Your mother will be worried about you. 

I’m sorry.

– 

There’s a body beneath yours. 

It groans, gasping for air, but your vision is dark and you can’t see anything. Pain erupts in your wrist. You try to move it, but the sting makes you nauseous. 

There’s coughing all around you, but you’re too weak to suck the air back in. Everyone cowers for breath. The vines rescind, unwrapping themselves from your skin. There’s a body beneath you, and a gentle hand cups your cheek, you know it’s Steve.

“Breathe, angel.” His voice cracks, wounded. It hurts to speak, but he needs you to breathe. “Y/N, you have to breathe.”

Everything is numb. Your lungs are empty; you can’t remember how to fill them. Steve coaxes your lips open, blows air in your face, does whatever he can think of to get you to breathe, before finally, miraculously, you inhale sharply and begin coughing. 

“Are you alright?” Steve asks you softly, rubbing your back as you cough. “It’s okay. Take your time.”

Your throat is raw. It takes everything within you to speak, but you want to. You need to. There’s only one thing you want to say. “We have to make him pay.”

The anger is back, and Steve’s jaw sets. Vecna has hurt you. He’s hurt everyone you love. He’s chosen Max for his final death and your fury threatens to devour the sanity you have left. You’re tired of his shitty mind games.

It’s like what you promised Eddie: you have to make Vecna pay for what he’s done to you all.

“I don’t believe in a higher power,” Robin rasps, breaking you from your thoughts. “Or divine intervention. But that was a miracle.”

Nancy cocks her gun, already walking towards the attic door. “Then we better not waste it.”

“Phase four.” Steve says, steadying himself against you. 

“Flambe.” Robin finishes. 

You flick your knives out. “Let’s finish this.”

– 

Vecna’s body hangs in the attic, thick, gruesome vines attach him to every crevice. He’s unmoving, eyes closed, and seeing his body up close makes you want to gag. He’s a terrible, vile creature. 

But Dustin had been right: Vecna is in the same trance-like state that El goes into when she uses her powers. 

Without being told to, Robin sets down her bag. All the molotov cocktails are inside. Everyone grabs one, silent. Almost as if you’re all too afraid to break the spell he’s under. You only get one shot at this. 

Steve has the lighter. You hold the first cocktail up, and he looks at you, eyes shining. He asks you if you’re ready, if this is what you really want, and you nod. At your signal, Steve throws the cocktail into the air.

The bottle shatters against Vecna’s body. The flames engulf him, the impact of the blast so powerful that it knocks you and everyone else back. There’s an awful scream as Vecna’s vines begin to snap from the sudden heat.

Your screams mix with his, throwing another cocktail with every ounce of strength you have left in you. You’re bruised and bloodied and exhausted, but you think of Max. You think of Billy and Hopper. Eddie and how his life will never be the same again. You think of Chrissy, Patrick and Fred. All the innocent lives that have been lost for a cause that you despise. 

This is for them. For Hawkins. For your home.

The last of the vines die withering away, and Vecna’s body falls to the ground. He stands, body on fire, and stalks towards you. His eyes are only on you. 

Robin lights the final cocktail and the force of it sends Vecna stumbling back. It’s enough to break through his chest, and he’s weak. Weaker than you’ve ever seen him. 

“Shoot him, Nancy!” You cry, ready for this all to end. 

And she does.

The first blast pierces Vecna’s skin. The second, third, and fourth diminish him to ruined pieces. With every shot, Nancy steps forward, drawing him out, and you’re right behind her. Vecna releases a deep, furious roar. The sound of it sinks into your bones, but you no longer fear him. 

He isn’t worth your fear. 

Nancy raises her gun again. She deals the final blow, sending Vecna through the old, rotted wood of the house into the dark night. He falls, screaming, before everything is quiet. 

The roar of the fire that surrounds you is the only sound. You all stand in the attic, numb. None of it feels real. All that’s left of Vecna is a hole in the house, his body far below, sprawled on the concrete outside. 

“Did we…?” You’re afraid to jinx it, to somehow bring him back. But this has to be it. There isn’t any other way for this to end.

Nancy doesn’t say anything. Instead, she turns around, running back down the stairs. No one has to ask why she does this; you all know. There has to be a body. There must be tangible proof that you’ve won.

Everyone runs outside.

Vecna’s body is gone. 

The only indication that he’d been there is an outline of flames that molt the grass below it. But there is no body.

“No,” you run down the steps, kicking through the grass as you look around. You’re frantic, sprawling on the ground as if you’ll find him buried beneath the ash. “No, where is he?”

You killed him. He was on fire. Nancy put more than five bullets in him. He fell from the attic, a height that alone should’ve killed him. Where the fuck is he? You did everything right. Followed every step of the goddamn plan.

“This doesn’t make any sense.” Something is wrong, you just don’t know what. Steve and the others join you. They’re quiet, fearing what you’re refusing to even consider. Four deaths. That had been all Vecna needed. But you killed him. “None of this makes sense, unless… Unless he–”

No. 

A bell chimes. 

The sound sends you to the ground. Your knees give out, collapsing under the weight of it all. “No!” Your scream is loud, guttural. Tearing from your chest as it tears out your vocal chords. There’s blood in your mouth and you want it to choke you. 

It’s Max. 

He got her. He killed her. 

All of a sudden there are arms around you. Someone carries you back up the stairs, back into the house that has taken everything from you. Steve holds you to his chest as he, Nancy, and Robin stare at the grandfather clock before them. 

It’s alive.

“Four chimes,” Nancy’s voice can barely be heard above your crying. “Max…”

The realization settles upon all of you. You’re in hysterics, no one can calm you down. You’re crying so hard that you can’t breathe, but you don’t want to breathe anymore. 

Grief pours from you in cruel, bitter waves. All you do is cry, barely even registering the earthquake that follows your devastating loss. 

Steve has to set down your crying figure in order to stabilize Robin and Nancy. You curl into yourself on the ground, making yourself as small as possible. There is too much. It’s all too much. Your head digs into the floor beneath you, cutting you, and your tears mix with the blood. 

Over and over again the clock chimes. Like laughter. His laughter. 

He won. 

Steve holds onto the stairs as the earthquake worsens. He has to crawl over to you; you’re rocking back and forth on the ground, your cries heard even above the cracking of the earth. His hand wraps around your weeping body and he won’t let you go. Steve tries to shield you from fallen debris, the world is falling apart, but you don’t move.

You don’t care anymore. 

It’s always your fault in the end. You lose everyone eventually; you get them killed. You can never save them. You will never be able to save them.

She’s gone. 

Max is gone. 

– 

The days pass. You’ll come to remember them in fragments. 

Returning to Eddie’s trailer and finding Dustin crying over his dead body. Prying him away, your tears mixing with your brother’s when you have to tell him that something has happened to Max.

Finding Hawkins in flames. Seeing the deep gashes in the town you grew up in. Stumbling to the Creel house, racing side by side with the ambulances for everyone within the once quiet town, and collapsing again when you find no one there. 

Going home. Your mother’s arms breaking you. 

Steve. How he never left your side throughout it all. Holding Dustin’s hand, unable to stop crying. 

Visiting Max in the hospital the day after. The stench of sterilizer and surgical tools. Seeing her lifeless body still alive. The countless other bodies in the building that died due to your failure. 

When the news broadcasters announce Hawkins to be cursed. The burden that you can’t tell them that they’re right. The guilt seeing your baby brother’s limp. Another scar he will carry with him forever. 

All the hurt in the town. The pain. 

The collapse of your home; they’re calling it an earthquake. 

It all comes to you in flashes. 

Hawkins high school gets converted into a donation center for everyone dishoused. Visiting it is your idea. You can’t bear the thought of spending any more time inside your home knowing there are hundreds of others who no longer have a place to call home. 

“Anything else?” You place your old comics into one of the boxes you’re donating. 

Dustin shakes his head. “That’s the last of it.”

He hasn’t left your side in days. He still keeps your walkman on him, though neither of you know if it’s important anymore. Dustin is afraid that you’ll never put the headphones on again, even if it could save your life. 

You tape the boxes up, carefully writing down their contents on one of the flaps. Your fingers are scabbed. Your wrist is stiff, locking up if you move it too suddenly. 

Books.

Bedding. 

Clothing.

Anything you can offer, you’d give it all to Hawkins if you could.

Steve picks you up. He helps you put the boxes in the back of his car, gentle with you as always. “You guys ready?”

You nod weakly, and Steve kisses your forehead, careful of the cuts that litter it. He helps you into the car. Turns on your favorite songs. Tries to distract you from the wreckage that encases Hawkins as he drives; you keep your head down. You can’t look at any of it. 

Nancy is waiting in her driveway with Robin, a pile of their own boxes at their feet. They greet you kindly, warmly, with an air of fear that you’ll break, and you’re too tired to pretend. 

“I found some more of your old stuff in the attic,” Mrs. Wheeler walks out of the garage, smiling despite the circumstances. “I think it’s lovely you’re doing this, Y/N.”

“We all just want to help,” you politely respond, staying near Steve’s side. 

Nancy picks up one of the stuffed animals in the box and pouts, seeing her old favorite toy. You’re about to tease her, try to laugh, when a pizza delivery van speeds down the block. 

“Someone order a pizza?” Mrs. Wheeler asks.

“Not that I recall.” You mumble, confused as your eyes follow the car. Every business in Hawkins is shut down right now. It doesn’t make sense for there to be a pizza delivery.

It parks in front of the Wheeler’s, and when you see who steps out, you drop the box you’re holding and run towards them. 

Will and El throw themselves around you, hugging you tightly. Dustin joins, and holding them again, having them here with you, makes everything okay for a moment. Your kids are okay, they’re safe. 

“Are you okay?” El asks you, pulling away slightly. Her eyebrows knit in concern when she notices the cuts on your face and how red your eyes are. “Did he get you?”

Somehow you aren’t surprised that she knows about Vecna. 

“I’m okay, sweetie.” Her hair is buzzed. Already you miss the long strands she once had. You don’t know what she’s been through this last week, but you hope, more than anything, that she hasn’t lost her kindness. “I-I’m okay.”

Your voice catches at the end, and immediately El understands that something else happened.

“We were worried about you,” Will doesn’t let you go. “When El told us what was happening, Jonathan almost lost his mind.”

Jonathan.

Hearing his name makes you remember everything. Instinctively your eyes find him. They always do. Jonathan has Nancy in his arms, but when he senses your eyes on him, he looks up at you. He will always be able to find you. Your heart stops, looking into his once familiar brown eyes.

Jonathan rushes towards you, as he always does, and his arms around you feel like home. 

“Bug,” he breathes against your neck, holding onto you tighter than he ever has before.

You melt when the nickname drips from Jonathan’s lips. It’s been so long since someone has called you that. It’s been even longer since you’ve held Jonathan like this. 

“God, what happened to you?” His eyes roam your body, catching on your bandaged shoulder and thigh. The cuts on your cheek. You try to ease his concern, grabbing his hands, but Jonathan starts to ramble. “We-we tried to get back to Hawkins as soon as we could. The second El told me you were in danger I–”

He inhales shakily, presses his face deeper into your neck. “All I could do to stay sane was think of your voice. Of our last phone call.”

You bury your face into Jonathan’s messy hair. You’re crying, but for what, you don’t know. His scent is bittersweet. His arms are reminiscent of what was once. You’ve missed him, but nothing will ever be the same again.

“I need to see her.” El’s raised voice causes you to let go of Jonathan. She’s standing in front of Dustin, arms crossed, and you know he’s told her the truth. “Take me to Max.”

“What’s wrong with Max?” Mike slings an arm over your shoulders, putting all his body weight against you in greeting. “Miss me, Henderson?”

You move his arm down, forcing him into a hug. You want to remember these next few seconds. The remnants of his childhood before it comes crashing down on him. “I did, Wheeler.”

Mike hugs you back, but when he sees the distress on El’s face, he lets you go and walks towards her. “What? What’s going on?”

Dustin is the one who breaks the news. Shamefully, you know it should’ve been you, but you haven’t been able to say Max’s name in days. There’s too much guilt, remorse, resentment that it hadn’t been you. 

It’s a mess of tears and panic when Dustin tells them. Will covers his mouth, holding back tears, while El storms inside the pizza delivery van as Mike demands that Jonathan take him and everyone else to see Max. They don’t believe any of it. El told them that she saved Max. 

“Are you coming, Y/N?” Jonathan holds his keys up. Everyone else, including Nancy, are already inside. A boy your age, you think his name is Argyle, waves at you from the passenger seat. 

So much has changed. Unable to form the right words, you shake your head at Jonathan. Yet even after months apart, he understands your unspoken words. You can’t see Max again. Not yet. It’s too soon, too much for you to bear.

Seeing her limp body once was enough. 

“We’ll be back,” Jonathan hugs you one last time, pressing a kiss to your hairline as he lets you go. “I promise.”

Steve steps forward then, wrapping an arm around your waist as he stands next to you. The two teens lock eyes, Steve gives Jonathan a cool, steely look. He remembers what you’ve told him. He remembers Jonathan’s words to you before everything collapsed. 

Sensing his anger, you squeeze Steve’s arm. Not here, you beg him. Not now.

Exhaling slowly, Steve offers you his hand. You take it, allowing him to walk you back to his car as the others leave.

– 

The donation center is packed. There are so many people inside, sitting on makeshift cots and pinning missing posters of their loved ones to a bulletin board. Nurses tend to the injured. Mothers cradle their children. The sight makes you ache. All these people, displaced by what they believe to be an earthquake.

You set the boxes down at the main dropoff table, and though the kind employee praises you for how organized the boxes are, you can’t help feeling that you should be doing more. 

In the hundreds of injured and grieving people you’ve seen, you’ve only noticed a handful of workers. 

“Is there any way we can help?” You ask the woman, looking around with a frown.

“Truly anything.” Robin says. “We just… we want to help.”

The woman seems surprised, and you wonder how rare it is for kindness to still be in a town that has known nothing but turmoil these last few years. 

You and Steve get placed sorting clothing while Robin is assigned to the food station. Dustin passes out cups of water for everyone. It isn’t much, but the work is meaningful and it eases the tension in your chest. 

“So…” Steve folds a t-shirt. “Can I ask about Jonathan yet?”

Picking up tattered jeans, you place them in the trash pile. “Might as well.”

“How do we feel about his sudden arrival? I mean, the giant pizza statue on the van was a little dramatic for me.”

He’s trying to keep the conversation light, which you appreciate him for, but you also know that Steve is doing this because he’s worried about you. And, you know, he’s unnerved seeing Jonathan. There’s still a lot left unsaid between you. 

“It’s… a lot.” You admit, struggling to find the right words to convey how you feel. “I’m relieved he’s okay, and I really am happy to see him again, but I… I understand, you know. If you’re upset.”

Steve scrunches his face. “I’m not upset, just… I don’t know. Annoyed with the guy.”

“So you’re upset.”

“Okay, no–”

“Is that Vickie with Robin?” You unintentionally cut Steve off, too surprised by the fact that mere feet away from you is Robin and Vickie making sandwiches together. And they’re laughing. “Are they talking together?”

Steve whips his head around, disbelieving, but lets out a low whistle when he sees Robin making easy conversation with Vickie. “Well I’ll be damned. Who knew our girl had it in her?”

The Jonathan talk lays forgotten as you and Steve admire your friend. You share a secret smile, remembering your own first awkward, bantering conversations together. There is so much pain in this town, and yet you watch as love still blossoms within it.

Across the room, you see Dustin talking to an older man. They’re deep in discussion and you notice your brother’s shaking shoulders. He’s crying. The older man is, too. You narrow your eyes, unsure if you should approach, but when Dustin hands the man Eddie’s old guitar pick, you realize who it is. 

“I’ll be back.” You kiss Steve’s cheek, excusing yourself. 

He tries to ask where you’re going, but you’re already gone. Your brother needs you right now.

Walking over, you stand to the side and allow Dustin and Eddie’s uncle some privacy. While there are so many things you want to say to the man, like how kind his nephew had been, how brilliant his mind was and how you’ll never forget the smile that never left his face, this is for Dustin and Dustin only. 

Eddie was his dearest friend. There is no greater loss than that.

Whatever Mr. Munson tells Dustin will be good for him; it will be the closure you can’t give him yourself. 

An arm wraps around you. You lean into the touch, knowing who it is without even having to look. You rest your head on Steve’s shoulder, exhausted, but content with the warmth he offers you. The two of you keep an eye on Dustin, ready to catch him in case he falls. 

Eventually Mr. Munson leaves, and you take his place next to Dustin. The second you sit down, the boy cries into your shoulder. Tears soak your shirt and your brother’s frail body shakes. “I-I had to tell him that Eddie died a hero.”

“I know,” your head falls against his.

“They’ll never know what he did for this town.” Sobs wrack Dustin’s body. “It isn’t-it isn’t fair.”

You rub his back, brush his hair out of his face. “None of it is fair, Dust.”

He cries even harder and you try to shield him from the world with your body. You try to block out the grief, the bitterness that follows death. How empty it can leave you. An emptiness that can swallow a person whole. 

You won’t let it happen to Dustin. 

“We’re gonna get through this together, alright? You and me, just like it’s always been. I promise–” Your words catch in your throat, tears forming in your own eyes. There’s so much you want to promise your brother, to swear that will come true, but you’re just as hurt and lost as he is. 

“I promise,” you make the words come out. “That everything will be okay. We’ll-we’ll be together, heal and do whatever we can to make everything okay. I-I’ll never leave you, you hear me? I won’t leave you again.”

Though Dustin still cries, his breathing slows. 

“Together. We’ll face this together.” As you talk, you notice a crowd of people swarming by the windows. They’re looking at something, staring and gasping. Your voice grows weak, anxious that something bad is about to happen. “It’ll… it’ll all work out.”

Dustin notices the crowd, too. He looks to you for answers, but you’re silent. You don’t know what’s happening. There’s a murmur in the crowd, hushed, urgent. It sets your skin on edge. Even more people get up now, some are even running outside, and every nerve in your body is screaming at you to run. 

Suddenly the room darkens, as if a giant cloud has covered the sky. Your stomach twists, and you get up, following after the crowd. Bodies shove each other, people blindly walk through the haze of whispers and uncertainty. 

When you step outside, all you see is ash.

The ash falls like snowflakes, beautiful and pure. There’s a softness to it, something delicate in the ruin it leaves. Dustin knocks against you, staring up into the sky with the same dread that you feel. The crowd is murmuring with glee, whispering excitedly about what they believe to be snow; but they’re wrong.

You’ve always won in the end. 

You’ve come to believe this to be a fact. You once told Steve that you believed you used up all your luck. Saving Will, closing the gate over and over again. The penance was the deaths from this summer for the greedy way you abused luck.

Steve had reminded you that there was still good leftover in the bad. That there will always be softness in the destruction, a reason for hope. That you will always find a way out, that luck and love were two sides of the same coin.

You’ve always won in the end. 

Yet, lost in the swarm of people, you watch as the sky begins to fall and Hawkins descends into the Upside Down. 

You no longer believe it.

[END OF SEASON FOUR]

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[antinousletmehit]

˚₊‧꒰ა Chapter 8 ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

୨୧┇Pairing: Telemachus x fem!reader

୨୧┇note: We’re finally in little wolf. Also this is a long chapter

────୨ৎ──── ────୨ৎ──── ───

Telemachus strode through the palace corridors, his thoughts heavy and his expression grim. He barely noticed where he was going until he was suddenly jolted back to reality by a hard shoulder slamming into his own. He staggered slightly, turning to see Antinous towering over him, a smug grin plastered across his face.

“Watch yourself, boy,” Antinous said, his voice dripping with disdain. Then, as if the insult wasn’t enough, he added with a mocking drawl, “So, when’s your tramp of a mother going to pick a new husband? We’re all tired of waiting. Telemachus froze, his blood boiling at the insult. His fists clenched at his sides as his eyes burned with fury.

“Don’t you dare call my mother a tramp!” he snapped, his voice trembling with rage.

Antinous laughed, stepping closer to loom over him. “I just did,” he taunted, his grin widening. “What are you going to do about it, champ?”

Without thinking, Telemachus swung a fist at Antinous, the sheer force of his anger propelling him forward. The older man dodged easily, his laughter echoing through the hall. “That all you’ve got?” Antinous jeered, shoving Telemachus back. “No wonder your mother hasn’t remarried, you couldn’t protect her even if you tried.” Telemachus lunged again, his punches wild and untrained. This time, Antinous caught his wrist mid swing and yanked him forward, throwing him off balance. He delivered a sharp blow to Telemachus’s stomach, making the young prince double over in pain.

Antinous grabbed him by the tunic, lifting him slightly. “You’re pathetic,” he spat, shoving Telemachus to the ground. But as Telemachus hit the stone floor, something shifted. A whisper of thought brushed through his mind, subtle, yet potent, like a spark igniting in a dark room. Breathe. Focus.

Need some help?

What's going on here?

Is your plan to stand around?

'Cause I suggest you fight back

I don't know how

Uppercut him, now

Whoa, how did I do that?

Is time now moving slow?

No, I just made your thoughts quick

Woah, that is so sick!

Alright now, let's try this again

Antinous raised an eyebrow, surprised by the sudden change in the young man’s demeanor. “Oh? The wolf thinks he can bite now”Telemachus didn’t respond. Instead, he feinted to the left before aiming a calculated punch at Antinous’s ribs. This time, the blow connected, and the older man grunted in surprise. “Not bad,” Antinous admitted, his smirk faltering. But he quickly recovered, lunging forward with a swing of his own.

Telemachus dodged, barely, and countered with a jab that grazed Antinous’s jaw. The older man staggered slightly, his expression darkening. For a brief moment, it seemed like Telemachus might have the upper hand. The whispers in his mind guided his movements, urging him to stay calm, to anticipate Antinous’s next attack. He landed another hit, this time to Antinous’s side, earning a grunt of pain.

But Antinous was stronger, more experienced, and far more ruthless. He roared in frustration and charged at Telemachus, using his sheer strength to overpower the younger man. A hard punch to the shoulder sent Telemachus reeling, and before he could recover, Antinous grabbed him and threw him to the ground. This time, the impact left Telemachus gasping for air.

“You put up more of a fight than I expected,” Antinous said, his voice laced with mockery as he loomed over Telemachus. “But you’re still just a weak little boy, playing the role of a man.” Telemachus tried to push himself up, but Antinous shoved him back down with his foot. “Stay down, boy,” he sneered. “Know your place. Go back and cry in your corner. Make sure your mother hears. If she won’t choose a man to adorn her. We’ll bring blood and tears.”

As Antinous walked away, Telemachus lay on the ground, his body aching and his pride shattered. The whispers in his mind were gone now, leaving only a heavy silence. But somewhere deep inside, a spark remained. A quiet, determined flame. He might have lost today, but this fight was far from over.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

Telemachus sat slumped against one of the stone walls of the courtyard, his body aching from the fight with Antinous. His knuckles were raw, his tunic torn, and bruises already forming on his arms and face. He stared at the ground, stewing in his humiliation and rage.

“Gods, you really are an idiot.”

Telemachus looked up sharply to see Y/N standing a few feet away, a roll of bandages and a damp cloth in her hands. Her usual smirk was replaced with a look of exasperated annoyance, though there was a glimmer of something softer in her eyes. “What do you want?” he muttered, turning his head away from her.

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic,” she said, kneeling beside him and unrolling the bandages. “You picked a fight with Antinous of all people. What did you think was going to happen? That you’d suddenly grow the strength of Heracles and knock him out?”

“I wasn’t thinking,” Telemachus admitted bitterly, his face twisted with both pain and frustration. “He called my mother a tramp. What was I supposed to do? Just let him?”

“Reckless,” Y/N continued, shaking her head. “You’re lucky he didn’t do worse. Antinous may be my brother, but he doesn’t hold back in a fight—especially not against someone as irritating as you. He hunts wolves for fun.”

“I don’t need your help,” Telemachus snapped, flinching as she pressed the cloth harder than necessary against a particularly sore spot.

“Well, too bad,” she shot back, wrapping a bandage around his arm with more force than was strictly necessary. “You’re clearly incapable of taking care of yourself. Honestly, what were you even trying to prove?” Telemachus glared at her, but her sharp gaze met his, daring him to argue.

“Antinous is insufferable,” he muttered finally, his voice low.

“You don’t say,” Y/N replied dryly, tying off the bandage. “He’s my brother, remember? I know exactly how insufferable he is.” She leaned back, crossing her arms as she studied him. “You’re trying to play the hero, just like your dear old dad. Always dreaming of glory, fighting battles you can’t win.” Telemachus stiffened at the mention of his father, his hands clenching into fists. “Don’t,” he warned, his voice low.

“Don’t what?” Y/N asked, tilting her head in mock innocence. “Say the truth? Odysseus was reckless, too. That’s why he’s not here now, isn’t it?”

“That’s enough!” Telemachus barked, shoving her hand away and pushing himself to his feet. His voice rose with anger, echoing through the courtyard. “Don’t you dare talk about him like that!”

Y/n stood as well, her smirk fading as her eyes narrowed. “Watch your tone, little wolf.” But Telemachus was too far gone. “You don’t know anything about him! You don’t know what it’s like to grow up without a father because of selfish people like your brother who destroy everything they touch!”

He turned to storm off, but before he could take more than a few steps, Y/N grabbed his wrist and spun him around. In one swift motion, she shoved him back against the wall, her forearm pressing firmly across his chest, pinning him still. “Who the hell do you think you’re talking to?” she hissed, her voice dangerously low. Her eyes burned with an intensity that made Telemachus freeze.

He tried to push her off, but she held him in place effortlessly. “You don’t get to talk to me like that, prince,” Y/N continued, her voice venomous. “I’m not one of your subjects. You think you’re the only one with problems? The only one who’s angry? Guess what? I’ve got my own shit to deal with. So don’t you dare take your frustrations out on me just because you’re too weak to stand up to my brother.”

Telemachus’s breath caught in his throat as he met her glare, equal parts anger and something else he couldn’t quite name. “You think you’re the only one with problems? The only one with a legacy to live up to?” she snapped. “Get over yourself, Telemachus. You’re not the only one.” For a moment, the two of them stood frozen, the tension between them thick and electric. Telemachus’s chest rose and fell with heavy breaths, and Y/N grip on his wrist tightened slightly before she finally let him go, stepping back with a scowl.

“Clean yourself up,” she muttered, turning on her heel and walking away. “And next time you feel like picking a fight, try not to be an idiot. You’re soaring too close to the sun, and we both know how that ends.” Telemachus leaned back against the wall, his heart pounding. For once, he had no retort, no sharp words to throw back at her. All he could do was watch as she disappeared into the shadows, leaving him alone with his thoughts and the echoes of her words.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

“Tell me Athena why you came to my aid?” Telemachus sat against the wall of his room, his eyes closed. He wasn’t sure how he knew she was standing there. He could just feel her presence. Everything was still so surreal to him.

“I had a friend before..he was a lot like you,” Athena’s voice was smooth and calm as she spoke to the prince, “I helped him through war, but he had his demons too.” Telemachus glanced up at the goddess. She wore a war helmet and a white chiton that gracefully draped down to her ankles. Her spear and shield were leaned against his nightstand.

She continues, “We grew apart..and his spark went out” It seemed as if the memory of this friend pained Athena.

“I always think that maybe if I had made a different call, we would be fine. And maybe now if I help another soul reach their goal, I can finally sleep at night” The goddess seemed to be glancing at a family portrait of Telemachus and his family. It was made when Telemachus had just been born. His mother is sitting on a step in a pink chiton, a smile gracing her pink lips. Odyssesus was standing behind her, wearing a white tunic. He was completely admiring the baby and his mother. Telemachus was wrapped in a white cloth, the only thing visible being his head. They looked so overwhelmingly happy. Telemachus still couldn’t seem to figure out why Athena was glancing at the portrait.

The prince stood up from the floor, ignoring the aching on his body.

“Athena, I don’t know who your friend is or what he was like. But all I know is that our time has been splendid.”

The goddess raised her eyebrows, an almost amused expression, “Is that so?”

“I got in a fight and I didn’t die!” Telemachus exclaimed. Athena lowly chuckled at the boys’ low expectations.

“I’ve never felt so strong before, and maybe with us as friends everything will be fine.” Telemachus smiled, but quickly winced from moving so much. He held his hand out to the goddess for a high five. She’s not sure why she extended her hand and reciprocated the boy’s high five.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

[vigilante24ish]

🌙 Moon Phases 🌙

Agatha Harkness X Fem!Reader

Word Count: 1282

Finale I - part 1/3 (Agatha X Reader ending):

Rio never intended to harm you that way. Even attacking Agatha was more of a bluff. Use the dagger to make her drop her guard, perhaps try to scare her or draw just the tiniest bit of blood.

And then you interfered... and she didn't have the time to pull back.

She tried to redirect the attack, and in the end; she did not harm you... not lethally, at least.

The blade pierced your clothes and your skin, leaving a nasty wound above your chest; blood quick to escape the new wound.

Your eyes were wide at the sharp pain that came from the wound, one hand instinctively going to where you were injured; feeling the warm blood that was staining your fingers.

Rio was as shocked as you, but before she or Agatha could do anything, Billy did.

He had been recovering in the green house, fighting his new superficial bruises and wounds while watching the battle going. He wanted to interfere, to try and help some more, but he hesitated; seeing you and Agatha already struggling, and you were far above his level.

And then.. when Agatha was about to get reaped, you jumped in front of the sharp blade before he could use his powers in any way.

Seeing you wounded, faintly seeing the red blood on the blade and on your white clothing... he lost it.

In a moment of sudden anger, he unleashed his powers on Rio. The attack caught her off guard and threw her back, away from you.

He rushed towards you as you bent a single knee, adrenaline, and years of hardships, the only thing keeping you standing and focused.

Agatha was already by your side, looking at you with worry and fear. An expression that reminded you a lot of the night Billy almost died back then during the second trial of the road.

However, this time, it was you who was wounded but not as deep as Billy was. Of course, that was not much of a comfort; considering your foolish heroic move to try and put yourself in front of Rio's blade.

"I'm okay," you reassured her as your white magic slowly started work, fighting to heal your wound.

It was tricky, even for you, because Rio's blade was unique; capable of reaping souls out of bodies and even cutting through the road as if it was nothing.

Rio managed to get up, and whatever shock you had from the initial attack had passed. A new opportunity had been presented, and she was not going to let it get away.

"This will never end. You all know it," She said and pocketed her knife. "So will let you choose, which one of you is coming with me"

You exchanged a look with the others, unsure about this dilemma.

How could you just point a finger at someone else and sacrifice them just like that? Especially after the battle you have just been through.

Ypu were about to volunteer when, to your surprise, Agatha did.

"Take me," she said, but before you could argue, Billy did.

"No , it has to be me," he argued, mastering all the courage he could find within him. "Take me," he bravely took two steps forward.

At that moment, one would expect Agatha to argue with him, but she didn't. Much to Billy's surprise and slightly to yours.

"Yes, take me him, like we agreed."

She did feel some sort of guilt for letting Billy die, her heart heavy because that damn boy often reminded her of Nickolas.

But, at that moment, no victory was in sight. You were injured, and she was not going to let you waste your life or die for her and Billy.

She finally got you back, and it looked like you were going to stay this time. Agatha was not going to lose you so easily, not when she finally might have a chance with you.

She offered her hand, wishing to help you get up, but you sapped her hand away.

You were clearly feeling betrayed by her words and her final decision, though you should have been used to it by now. Yet, a part of you deep down was truly rooting for her... for the light she still had in her heart.

Agatha looked at you defeated and took a step back, realizing you were not going to forgive her so easily.

She refused to leave you back, though.

"Come along, sugar," she said, expecting you would obediently listen to her. "You heard him. He volunteered himself to save both of us."

You managed to get up, the bleeding having stopped, but the wound remained open. Your hand was sticky with your blood, but it was the last of your concerns at the moment.

You looked at Billy, and you could see the fear behind his dark eyes. He did not want to die, but he also didn't want you or Agatha to die. Though with the latter's reveal, he was starting to rethink for whom he was volunteering.

Yes,he did volunteer himself, but he had already faced death once, and he was a mere boy; back then in the Hex. He wasn't sure if he was gonna be able to pass through it again, especially after spending so long fighting for answers... after actually managing to give Tommy a body.

You couldn't bear to look at him.

No, he had a full life ahead of him, and he had already started tough in the beginning. You were not there to somehow help Nicky when he passed, but you were present now, and you were going to make your stand.

"Take me," you repeated as you locked your gaze with Rio's and no one else's. "I don't care about your rules. You wanna take a soul with you. Then take mine and let Agatha and Billy go."

You could clearly see that Rio was hesitating, for there were rules at place that even she could not break. Rules that she could not bend like she did for Nicky.

Rules she had explained to you not so long ago when pieces of your past and hers started to go into place.

But if you volunteer yourself, so openly; she could try to make an exception under the right circumstances.

Plus, Rio had started to enjoy having you around, and she did want you around. Like she did want Agatha, which was why she had not argued with the deal.

After all, Billy was the one she was after from the beginning.

Agatha was just looking to be tormented for the words she told Rio at the Road, showing how ungrateful she was despite the rules Rio bent for her and their son.

You didn't like her hesitation and in a moment of spontaneous thought, you grabbed a window shard laying close by and brought it closer to your neck; sharp edge threatening to rip your skin with one clean cut. "If you hesitate to take me, I will make it easy for you, but i'm not letting you take Billy or Agatha."

Your words and the sharp item by your neck, surprising your three companions, some might even consider you a madwoman, but you were tired of losing people. And you were tired of standing to the sidelines while everyone else did the work.

You were tired of being scared of your powers and regretting all the life choices you had made due to fear.

This time, you were making a choice, and you were certain about it.

This time, you would protect your loved ones.

[A/N] - This is part 1/3 for the First Finale (Agatha X Reader ending). Tomorrow, I will publish the next part.

Part 2 now out!

[valkierrie]

ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜꜱʏ, ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜꜱʏ

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Warning(s): Swearing, alcohol.

Plot: When a childhood friend of Y/n's comes back into her life, a green-eyed monster slowly creeps up on Noel. Things come to a head during a party, where Noel's jealousy is confronted.

Word count: 2.2K

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Noel was sat on the opposite side of the booth from me, a steaming porcelain cup of tea rested in front of him untouched. Even after I had successfully convinced him to step foot into the cafe, it was like he had his opinion on the place engrained in his head. It was simply “not his style”. He’d be so cooped up in the studio that the only time we could really see each other was in the very late evening. The unexpected day off was certainly appreciated. 

“You’re not drinkin’ your tea?” I asked, taking a sip of the green tea in my own teacup. 

Noel leaned forward and towards the small red table between us, his head propped up by his left hand as he looked at the tea with disinterest. “I told you, I’m not thirsty.” his Mancunian laced accent was spoken with a twinge of annoyance. 

Noel had been in a mood all afternoon. My intuition was telling me that it had something to do with Liam, which wasn’t a far-fetched assumption because of the way he spoke about Liam back at the flat. It wasn’t unusual for Noel to insult Liam at any instant, but with the way Noel spoke, his words laced with venom and bite, something had definitely occurred. True to his aloof nature, Noel had stayed quiet about the whole thing, choosing to only show a semblance of what had occurred through his expressions.  

“Noel, you’ve barely eaten all day.” A soft, yet concerned look was engraved on my face. “If you’re not going to eat, at least drink something.” 

Noel continued to stare at the drink like it owed him a living.  

“Please, Noel,” I insisted, slowly pushing the cup closer to him, sticking out my lower lip for optimal effect. “If you don’t, I’m gonna pout.” 

“You are pouting.” Noel rolled his eyes, moving his eyes around as if to avoid his kryptonite, yet still picking up the cup, muttering something that my ears couldn’t pick up. 

Noel’s eyes met mine once more, with a sigh, he drank the tea. 

“See, that wasn’t so hard.” A satisfied grin steadily emerged on my face. 

“Takin’ the piss, are you?” 

“No,” I denied, taking another sip of my tea. “Just glad that to know that I hold some power in this relationship.” I teased, reaching out my hand to gently stroke his cheek. 

Noel rolled his eyes once more, but I could tell there was an inkling of an amused smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah, well—” Noel was about to speak, but a voice from beside our booth interrupted.  

“Y/N?” 

Noel and I turned our heads simultaneously. A tall, slender figure overtook our vision, his eyes lit up with excitement, and his face was beaming. It took a few seconds of staring in confusion for my brain to finally snap and allow my memory to jog back up and recognize the familiar man. “Dave?” 

David smiled, taking a few strides to come closer to the booth. “I thought I recognized you.” 

I slid out of the booth, standing up with excited, anticipation bubbling within me. I pulled him into my arms. My arms encircled his shoulders, while David’s encircled my waist. A small giggle escaped my lips before I could stop it as David gave me a small spin. When we pulled back, David’s arm still lingered around my waist. 

“I thought you were in France.” 

“I had a change of plans,” David grinned widely, even after being in France, I could tell that his cockney accent was still untouched and unchanged. “Thought I’d pay England a visit.” 

“How ‘ave you been?” 

“Great. And you?” 

I was about to answer, my eyes looking around, then they landed on Noel. Noel sat, staring at David and I with an expression on his face that I couldn’t quite decipher. I brushed it off. 

“David, this is my boyfriend, Noel.” I introduced, gesturing for Noel to stand up and come closer.  

Noel obliged.  

“Noel, this is my friend, David. We go way back.” 

David extended his hand towards Noel. “Alright?” 

Noel stared at David’s hand briefly before shaking it with a nod. 

I didn’t know it then, but that day had unleashed the Damm-like structure that kept the chaos that was feelings away. I wasn’t sure what had occurred in Noel’s mind. His behaviour afterwards was downright peculiar. The scoffs at the mention of David’s name, especially if it was after I mentioned that David and I would be going somewhere together. David wasn’t blind, I was certain that he saw it too, even if he passed it off with a daft-like laugh. His behaviour towards me had shifted too, though I accounted that to the increasingly less time I spent with him. Don’t even get me started on the insults. 

“That tosser taggin’ along?” Noel asked when I told him that I would be going out. A puff of smoke was exhaled from his lips, a cigarette dangling from it. 

I shrugged it off at the time as Noel being in one of his moods. Tonight, however, I was uncertain. 

The evening started off typically, nothing too out of the norm had occurred. Except when we were invited to a party by a mutual friend. The place was a small flat, a lot smaller than it should have been given the number of people outside. Noel and I pushed through the myriads of people loitering about beside the entrance. Music vibrated from the inside of the flat. I could feel the pulse of it on the ground as Noel and I entered the small place. The interior’s atmosphere was laced with the thick stench of cigarettes and alcohol. Fuckin’ chaos was what it was. We spotted a few of Noel’s mates standing beside the kitchen doorway. Noel went to join them, I was about to too, but I spotted David sat on edge of the brown living room sofa, sipping a drink out of a red solo cup. It only took a few strides for me to reach him. 

“Alright, Dave?” I greeted, a bit loudly, attempting to make my voice louder than the crappy music that was playing. 

David’s face lit up as a soft smile played on his lips. “Hey, Y/N.” 

I looked around for somewhere to sit, spotting an ottoman left haphazardly in the living room. I wasn’t sure why it was there, but I didn’t question it. I pulled the ottoman closer to the sofa and sat down, turning to David. “You here alone?” I asked. 

“No—uh,” David nodded toward a group of guys who were chatting up some birds in the dinning area. “Came with some friends.” 

“They seem...busy.” 

“Yeah, that’s what I get for coming to a party with a group of single guys.” David deadpanned. “Anyway, what about you? You here alone?” 

“Nah, I came with Noel. You remember Noel, right?” My eyes immediately darted towards the kitchen. Noel’s eyes caught mine for a few seconds. There wasn't an expression on his face that spoke of anything wrong, but the way the grip on his beer had his knuckles white made me question the rhetoric.  

“How could I forget?” David chuckled. “Pretty sure the bloke has it out for me.” 

“He does not.” 

“Yes, he does.” 

“No, he doesn’t,” I sighed. “It just takes a while for Noel to get...accustomed to people.” The tone of my voice didn’t help in convincing David, wasn’t even sure I believed myself. 

“Right.” David took a sip of his drink. “Bet he thinks me name‘s rubbish.” There was no bite in his tone or hurt, I could tell it meant to be a joke. 

“Doubt it, his middle name is David.” 

“Middle name, eh?” David laughed at that. “Didn’t know it was that serious, what else do you know about him?” 

“I can’t,” A small, fond smile was growing on my face. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.” My chest tightened, in the best way. I didn’t need a mirror to know that my face was flushing.  

David chuckled. “I know how you feel—I mean with Amilie, I—” 

“Amilie?” I interrupted, a teasing smirk. 

David’s face grew red, as he chuckled softly. “I met her in Marseille.” David placed his drink on the coffee table and reached for something in his back pocket. David pulled out his wallet, opening it before handing it to me.  

In one of the small pockets of his wallet, there was a picture of a woman. She had a small frame, a short brunette bob, and a bright smile that could go on for days.  

“She’s fit as hell.”  

“Yeah,” David nodded in agreement, taking his wallet back. “Maybe when she comes to England, you can meet her.” 

“I’d like that.” I beamed.  

Our conversation lasted a few more minutes, going through different aspects and topics before I was ready to wrap it up. 

“Hey, I’m gonna go find Noel.” 

David nodded. I stood up, giving him one last smile before I went towards the kitchen where I left Noel and his mates. The entrance was still surrounded by people, but they weren’t Noel or his mates. 

Inside the kitchen, I found Noel, leaning over a counter, downing a beer bottle. Two other bottles laid beside him.  

“Woah there, slow down.” I teased, catching his arm before he took another sip.  

Noel pulled his arm away, taking the drink anyway. “What are you? My sitter?” 

I was confused. I knew Noel was the sardonic type, but he usually kept that reserved for other people, not me.  

“Hey,” My voice grew soft, I placed a hand on his shoulder. “what’s wrong?” 

Noel just looked at me, his blue eyes once warm and inviting were now glassy, repellent, dreary and drained. “Nowt.” He pulled away from my touch again.  

“Noel,” I insisted. “Come on—” 

“Would you just drop it.” Noel snapped. 

I was taken aback by the sudden outburst. “What is your problem?” 

 “’Course I’m the one with the problem.” Noel scoffed. “That the shite yer boyfriend’s been feedin’ you?”  

His sarcasm felt like a slap to the face. Cold and unremorseful.  

“My boyfriend?” I was confused and frustrated at why he wouldn’t just talk to me outright. “You’re my boyfriend, Noel. I don’t know you’re on about.” 

“Just drop it.” Noel sighed, “Go back to Derek or Daniel, whatever the fuck his name is.” 

The loud and overwhelming ambience wasn’t doing anything to help the tense feeling that was brewing between Noel and me. It didn’t take rocket science to figure out who he was referring to.  

“What does David have to do with any of this?” 

“God, Y/N, do I have to spell it out for you.” Noel let out a bitter laugh, so it bitter it seemed cruel.  

I was still very much confused and very much frustrated.  

“You and him. You’re always together, doesn’t matter where you’re going, the tosser’s always tagging along. I—” He cut himself off, his jaw was tight and his gaze was set on the floor, as if he were calming himself down. He went into something of a trance. 

Nothing was said between us. The music still thumped loudly, even louder as someone cracked up the volume. Even in a setting like this, as loud as it was, it still felt like just Noel and me. His connotation was clear, though, I couldn’t be angry with him. I stood there, pondering. Searching and scanning in my mind for everything David and I did, as well as what I wasn’t doing with Noel. Even with Oasis taking almost all of his time, since David came back into the picture, I wasn’t doing much. It was as if I was struck from a great height, the realisation that dawned upon me. David was great, he was fun. But he couldn’t compare to Noel, no one could. He was my everything and had my heart in ways even the best cardiologist couldn’t explain. Right now, I didn’t care who was wrong or right, I just wanted my boyfriend back. 

“I’m sorry.”  

Noel looked up, my words having startled him. “Sorry?” 

“I’m sorry.” I nodded. “You’re right. David’s not my boyfriend and he never will be, you are, but it doesn’t feel like it.” I took a few strides, moving closer and taking his hand in mine. Noel didn’t pull away.  

There was a minor moment of silence before Noel sighed, raking his free hand through his hair. “Don’t be daft. You don’t need to apologise. I’m the one who’s being a knob.” Noel spoke quietly, almost to himself. The tone of his voice having grown softer with an edge of vulnerability. He eyes met mine again with hesitation before softening. “I’m sorry.” His hands went to either side of my face. “I love you, I love you so bloody much it fuckin’ hurts. I don’t wanna lose ya, just the thought of it drives me insane.” 

“You won’t ever lose me, not to David or anyone else.” 

Noel shut his eyes briskly, expiring a shaky puff. He pressed his forehead softly against mine. “You promise?” If the vulnerability wasn’t evident then, it was now. 

My hands cupped his own cheeks, my fingers pressed on his subtle stubble. “With me whole heart.” 

Noel pulled me close; his orphaned lips find their place on mine. The kiss was slow, pace less, as if he was expulsing all of the feelings he couldn’t properly form through words. Throughout my relationship never did I ever think we’d be snogging in a kitchen during a party. Mainly because Noel wasn’t too fond of PDA, but in the moment, I couldn’t say that I was complaining. 

[missmielyhoran]

Oreos and Pickles

in which you spent 2 years with Harry and a grocery store trip makes you realize it was all secondary...

[Warning- Just angst, fluff if you like close your eyes ig, pregnancy cravings, complicated feelings and a very awful grocery store trip]

A/N- Don't even ask me where these sad things even come from

Masterlist

*****

"Why do they have Oreos so far back?!" You whined as you walked down the lines and lines of grocery racks. Harry laughed beside you and slid one of his arms around your waist while other held onto the trolley.

"Why don't you stay here and choose which pickle you want, and I will be back with your oreos, okay?" Harry said, and you nodded quickly, ready to go home as quickly as you could. Harry gave you a kiss on the forehead and walked forward while you chose from the plathora of pickles.

This pregnancy has made you weird. You used to be one of those people who would make faces while seeing pregnant people eat weird things like cucumber and ice cream and now you're one of those people and your weird craving of the month has been oreos and pickles.

You sighed and took out two jars of lemon pickles and decided to just walk towards your boyfriend since he was taking ages to get a packet of oreos.

As Harry came into your view, so did someone else.

"So how have you been?" You heard them ask to your boyfriend who was picking on loose threads of his sweater, which was one of his nervous ticks.

You quickly moved towards him, thinking he might need comforting. Harry wasn't very talkative person even ordering his coffee gave him so much anxiety that he brought an overpriced coffee machine. So, you didn't think much of it.

"Hey babe, you found oreos?" you asked as you came to stand beside him. The person's eyes went from him to you, and it's then you realized that they both were wearing the same shocked nervous expression.

"Yeah- um here" He took the jars from your hands and put them in the trolley with oreos.

"Who's this?" You whisper asked, not wanting to be rude if this was someone you already knew. It was hard for you to remember people, especially their names. That's why you and Harry fit so perfectly, he would remember people for you while you talked wherever he couldn't.

A perfect team as he called it.

"Hi I'm Allison" She put forward her hand to shake and you took it shaking it happily.

"She" He cleared his throat, "She's my ex wife" He said the last part almost in whisper. You eyes widened but you quickly got your shit together.

"Oh it's so nice to meet you, I'm Y/N" You introduced yourself. Harry never talked about his ex wife, you knew he was divorced and very much depressed considering you two met at the same therapist office when the receptionist accidentally appointed both of you at the same time.

Anytime you would ask, a certain sadness would cloud over his eyes, and his face would morph into a frown, so you stopped asking. If he wanted, he would tell you at his own pace.

The two of them kept staring at each other, not saying a word, and you felt a bit uncomfortable. It might have been your pregnancy hormones you didn't know, but an unknown deep pit sat in your heart.

"I will get some more things over there" You said quickly walking over to the other side still in earshot before Harry could say anything.

You winced as your sore feet ached more from walking.

You just wanted to go home.

"How have things been?" Allison asked but your back was turned so you couldn't see Harry's reaction.

"Good ya really good" He replied and you felt a relief. Why? You didn't know. You trusted Harry he would never break your trust.

"That's good to hear Harry" She replied and from her tone you guessed she was smiling maybe not really but a smile indeed.

"What about you? When did you move here?" He asked and that's when you turned not fully but enough you could look at him sideways.

They were still in their own bubble, eyes locked but neither of them were in present you saw the longing in them, maybe in both of them but you could only speak of Harry's.

You had never felt so out of place near your own boyfriend. For a second, it felt like you didn't belong here like you had separated two lovers, but you did neither of those things. You weren't some other woman who stole someone else's man, but why did it feel like you were?

"I'm just here for a work meeting. It went well so" You heard her speak signaling to the wine in her trolley.

"That's great. Congratulations" Harry said, you picked out more things from the racks you didn't need but you would rather walk home than go in between that awkward conversation.

But you had to cause now your hands were full. You sighed and started walking back, Harry gave you the gentle smile he always give when you wince while the woman's eyes followed your every move.

You stood beside Harry again and saw her eyes flick down to your grocery trolley when Harry put down the stuff you brought over.

"Pickles and Oreos? You hate both of those things" she said with a small chuckle.

"It's for her not me" Harry just gave her a small smile while you shifted your weight on your feet.

You wanted to go home.

It might have been your dramatic brain but you saw the moment realization hit her. When her brain put the two and two together, her eyes flicked towards you and then towards Harry.

"Oh, Congratulations!" She said with choked words but you knew she was forcing it. You gave her a smile and looked at Harry who opened his mouth and then closed it as if he was about to speak.

Like he had an explanation. An excuse.

"I will go to counter for billing" You said a little bit snappy which you didn't mean but he hurt. The pregnancy wasn't planned but what was he about to say? Why he looked like he wanted to explain it to her?

Harry hesitate a bit, you saw it how his legs froze for a second and now they looked like they both wanted to stay there but you didn't.

You had no hard feelings towards her, but you did feel it was wrong. Like this whole meeting of the grocery store was wrong, a glitch in matrix that wasn't supposed to happen.

But no matter what was wrong and what was right, you knew one thing loud and clear.

Harry will never love you like he loved her.

*****

Harry's Pov

it was in my drafts, so I posted it cause I haven't posted in very long.

I've almost settled in my room, but still, it's new, and I have so many classes. I hope you guys understand that I can't update very much. I will update the stages of grief, and I'm so so sorry it's delaying sm.

I love you hope you understand<3

Taglist- @tenaciousperfectionunknown @that-daydream-look @harryspirate @tiaamberxx @lomlhstyles @vmpellie @sunshinemoonsposts @jayde515 @yeehawbrothers @sleutherclaw @ikea2-0 @thechaoticjoy @astridcommings @grapejuicebluesrry @gxbiqs

Please Like, Comment and Reblog.

And tell me how this was here♡

[a-writer-on-elm-street]

hello :3 i was wondering if i could request a lil fic with either daryl dixon or thomas hewitt about a hyper-feminine, juicy couture and lip gloss wearing, victoria secret perfume having, reader? maybe where the family is judgemental over the reader for their looks, but one of the boys stands up for the reader? (maybe end with them showing much they like how the reader dresses ¬‿¬)

and sorry if this is incoherent my ambien kickin in lolz

a/n: omg this is such a good idea. thank you so much for the request i hope you like it! <3 also i apologise for it taking so long

also, i'm not sure how in character any of this is because it's been a while since i watched any of the tcm movies so i hope this is okay <3

pairing: thomas hewitt x fem!reader

warnings: hoyt, fluff (neither of which are directly related)

word count: 659

You were wearing a yellow sundress you'd found a while back, glittery lip gloss coating your lips. You felt pretty, until you'd walked down the stairs to find Hoyt in the armchair, a snide look on his face as he looked you up and down.

"The fuck are you all dressed up for?" He scoffed, picking at the already broken leather of the chair, a bone chewed between his teeth.

You shrugged. "Nothin' wrong with wantin' to look nice from time to time."

You'd been with the Hewitts for a long time, ever since Thomas had taken a liking to you years ago. You were used to putting up with Hoyt's shit by now, choosing to simply shrug off his mocking comments and wildly inappropriate humour. He was an asshole, you knew that.

You were just here for Thomas.

Hoyt laughed, waving a hand at you. "You know there ain't nobody gonna fuck you just 'cuz you're all dressed up in some fancy fuckin' frock."

You folded your arms across your chest, glaring at him. Again, he was an asshole. And as much as you wanted to put a knife through the bastard's eye socket, he was still family.

"You think Tommy's gonna fuck you? Is that it?" He carried on, sitting forward in the chair now. "Hey, Tommy! Come on in here, boy!"

It was silent for a moment, and then you heard heavy footsteps thudding against wood, Thomas walking in from the kitchen.

Hoyt smirked, pointing a finger in your direction. "Look at your little lady friend over there. Ain't she pretty? Huh, boy?"

Thomas stayed silent, watching you from across the room.

"So?" Hoyt carried on, turning to look at Thomas. "You wanna fuck this bitch?"

You were about to say something, cuss him out, except Thomas moved first, crossing the room in seconds, forcefully pushing a large palm into Hoyt's chest. The chair rocked backwards when Hoyt's back hit the leather, Thomas towering over him, silently threatening.

You didn't know what to do as you stood there, your dress still floating around your ankles, hair standing up on your arms.

You half expected Hoyt to fight back, scold him in angry retaliation, but when Thomas withdrew his hand, Hoyt remained where he was, glaring up at Thomas.

And Thomas didn't say anything as he turned and walked towards you, roughly gripping your hand in his and leading you down to his room.

You remained silent as he stood with his back to you a moment, his shoulders gently rising and falling from taking steady breaths.

He'd stood up for you, fought back against his family in your defense. It made you giddy just thinking about it. You took a few steps towards him, cautiously brushing your fingers down his back.

He tensed under your touch, and when he turned around, you could see the reserved look behind his eyes, like he was unsure of what to do next. So you stood there, completely still, allowing Thomas to do as he pleased in his own time.

You inhaled a shaky breath when he reached a hand out towards you, dragging his fingers up your body, stopping when he reached the curve of your breast, a quiet sigh leaving his lips as he took you in.

"Thomas," you whispered, your eyes fluttering shut as he moved his hand up to your collarbone, fingers curling around the back of your neck, tugging you closer.

He trailed up to touch your face, stroking his palm along your cheek, all the while you remained completely still, letting him do what he wanted.

No words would ever pass his lips, but as he touched you like this, you knew. You knew that he was admiring you, revelling in your body being this close, taking in the feel of your warm skin beneath his hands.

"Thank you for taking care of me," you spoke quietly, a smile pulling at your lips. "Thank you."

[Main Masterlist]

[selfaware-bungou-stray-dogs]

*TW*

Hello!!! I absolutely love platonic yanderes with teenage reader so can I ask for a fic where the teen!reader is basically a traumatized being. They have experienced hell throughout their life from mental abuse to physical abuse. Like I mean, they have gotten in many dangerous situations which ended up with police involved (kidnapped, assaulted, murder attempt). Ofc the reader never really did anything wrong, they were just an innocent child till everything went downhill. They don't have any family members left leading them to stay at an orphanage. Anddd you could say the orphanage people aren't the nicest. And their mental health has become so fucked up that they had attempted suicide.

You don't have to do this if ur uncomfortable ofc. Sorry about how triggering the request might be

On the roof

Self-Aware! Platonic! BSD Cast x GN! Teen! Traumatized! Reader

Description: You are on the rooftop in the middle of the night.

Trigger warning: Suicide attempt. Abuse. Child abuse. Kidnapping. Assault. Attempted murder.

List of Suicide hotline numbers can be found here and here.

Warning: One swear word. English is my second language.

__________________________________

You silently opened the door, that leads to the roof of an orphanage. With your phone in hand, you take a few steps forward.

The door closed behind you.

You just stand here. You were silent.

You were here. You wanted to end this.

You sighed and looked around.

Should you just... Go to the edge and jump? It's not like someone would care about you.

You didn't bother with the last note.

No one would care about the reason.

You will simply become a name in documents.

You just wanted to be heard.

You mindlessly looked at your phone.

Should you take it with you?

Or left it here, so someone else would use it?

Your gaze stopped at the "BSD Mayoi Inu Kaikitan" icon. Will the new owner delete it? Or will continue your progress?

You tapped on the icon. You didn't leave a note.

Yet, you "talked" to BSD Characters so often, that it seems right, to let them hear your last words.

Your reasons.

You opened the Main Menu and choose 'Meeting Hall' option.

The picture of ADA Office appeared. And Chibis of all BSD Characters appeared.

This new option was cute. You liked petting chibis.

All chibis 'looked' at you.

And you finally spoke.

"Mom was strange..."

________

Your mom was strange.

She smelled funny. Like water everyone told you not to drink.

Sometimes, she stared at you. Stared for a long time.

And there were rules.

1. Don't cry.

2. Don't annoy mom.

3. You eat last.

4. If you stayed past curfew, you will sleep outside.

5. Don't tell anyone about your home life.

At least, she let you play outside as much as you want. Mom liked, when you were away from home.

*******

You were five, when you got kidnapped.

That night, you wake up to get some water.

Mom saw you.

In her eyes, you broke a rule.

You were sleeping outside.

One moment you were trying to get comfortable under the porch.

Next moment a man in a mask was dragging you in a van.

Three days.

You were in a dark, scary place for three days.

On a third day you heard two men talking.

"What do you mean, that mother didn't realize, that kid were missing?!"

_____

"Still... Mom paid the ransom. Kidnappers left me. It takes three more days for police to find me..."

____

You were standing near a police officer. And your mom finally arrived to the police station to collect you.

You walked to her, your head was low.

She hit you.

You screamed.

You collapsed on the floor, and your mother bent over you. She hissed and pushed you in the side with her feet.

"Are you satisfied, brat? Get up and go pack your belongings, we’re moving to a shed."

"You should treat your kid more kindly..." the officer grumbled. Your mother squealed.

"Kindly?! This brat had ruined my whole life!” Your mom was mad. She screamed like a fury, jumped in place and gave cowering you blow after blow. You didn’t try to dodge. You just trembled, curled up into a ball.

"Hubby ran away as soon as he gets it inside me! But dear relatives didn’t let me throw it away. They didn’t let me give it to an orphanage! They said that I need to raise this child! They stood up for a little bastard! But now, when I need to pay debt, they are nowhere to be found! They say I play cards too much! I'm just unlucky! Things are not going my way! The house is mortgaged! I poured all my savings into the last card game and won! I would pay off all my debts! And because of this thing, I now have to live in a shed! What will I tell my family now?! What will others say about me?!"

Officer heard enough.

The CPS were called.

_______

"... They were trying to find my father... Until then, grandmother and grandfather agreed to took me in..."

_______

You were six.

Your grandfather sat on the opposite side of the table.

Your textbook and notebook were laying on the table before you.

And your grandfather was talking.

"I finished checking your homework. As I expected, you are a little idiot. A stupid, worthless waste of space. You have made few stupid mistakes. You wrote numbers in a wrong order.

Grandfather opened your notebook. A red paste was covering the page.

2 + 1 = 3 1 + 2 = 3

3 + 1 = 4. 1 + 3 = 4

"So..." Grandfather take a ruler.

"Give me your hand. It will be ten hits for every wrong number."

________

"...it took two year to find my father. He had a family. And I... I was a child from affair. They never let me live it down... For years"

_______

You were nine.

The blow, when it came, took all of your air out of your lungs. You would have fallen if not for your two... "siblings" holding you.

"It feels good, giving a good beating to a dirtbag, right?"

The next hit was in your left eye. You managed to close it in time.

But it will be swollen.

You felt hot breath on your face.

"Your hair is too good for a bastard child."

Your sister brought the scissors up to your hair.

Snip, snip, snip. Cutting right alongside the scalp, sending your hair like leaves swirling to the ground.

Then scissors were plunged into your stomach.

"Die, child of a dirty whore."

______

"...Police was called. They were arrested. But I remained with father and his wife..."

_____

You were twelve.

You were going food shopping. Big bags were heavy, you were tried.

You still need to clean up the house and make dinner.

When you were attacked, because someone tied to rob you, you didn't even care.

You only knew, that, you will be beaten again for being late. And for losing food.

You were long past gone. There were no point in carrying about yourself.

~~~~~~

You were thirteen.

Your father, his wife and you were going to the funeral.

Your father's uncle died.

Now he only has his wife and kids. And you.

He noticed your gaze in a reflection.

He yelled at you for staring.

And he crashed.

You spent three hours in a broken car.

You were the only survivor.

_______

"... I was sent to an orphanage. I am too old to have any chance to be adopted. And I wasn't the only one, who had no chance to have a family..."

______

You tasted dirt and blood. An old rug was thrown over your head, to make it harder for you to fight back.

Someone pressed a knee on the back of your neck and held your face against the ground.

A kick in the side made you roll on your back.

Another person began to push down on your neck with an arm.

You began to struggle, thrashing about with your legs and beating them against the floor, but it was no good.

There were other kids around—at least a dozen of them. One of them would do something. One of them was sure to see that things were taking too far. Your vision began to go fuzzy.

Caretakers saved you only because the noise didn't let them watch TV.

________

"I couldn't take it anymore. I... thank you... Thank you for making me happy... For being the only happy thing in my life."

You finished talking and put your phone on the ground. You stand up and walked towards the edge.

You heard a loud noise. You turned around.

BSD Characters were standing behind you. Real.

And you were still standing near the edge. You were silent. Nikolai lift his overcoat and put his hand into the portal.

His head reappeared near you. You jumped away. Now you were even closer to the edge.

"No... I... I don't want to... Don't come closer..." whispered you. You took another step. You were almost here.

"[Y/N], if you go back, I will give you a hug!"

You froze and turned around.

Kenji Miyazawa made a step forward. He opened his arms, offering a hug.

"I promise, I will give you a hug. Come here... You really need a hug."

You trembled. You moved towards Kenji.

Step. After step. After step.

Kenji was standing here. Offering a hug.

You launched yourself forward, wrapping your arms around Kenji. He immediately hugged you back.

You cried. For the first time in years.

In a few minutes, you were in a middle of a large group hug.

________

You are fifteen.

You are living with your family.

You still have a long path to recovery.

And you are not alone.

BSD Cast will stay with you.

And will make sure, that you will never be hurt again.

[bloomzone]

THE "LUCKY VICKY" MINDSET !

The Lucky Vicky Mindset or jang wonyoung mindset was created by Jang Wonyoung herself combining "lucky" with her English name "Vicky" (stand for Victory )to share her positive mindset that it's abt choosing a perspective that helps you move forward with confidence so this mindset is about understanding that your attitude shapes your experiences and that seeing yourself as "lucky" isn’t about chance but about the way you navigate challenges, setbacks n success.cuz It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when things don’t go as planned. Whether it’s struggling in school, facing criticism, or dealing with self-doubt, the natural reaction is often frustration or discouragement. But if u shift by thinking like : What if, instead of seeing obstacles as signs of failure, you saw them as redirections toward something better?

This mindset isn’t about ignoring problems it’s about handling them with clarity and resilience. "So how do you develop it?" u need to :

ஐ - 𝟷. ʀᴇғʀᴀᴍɪɴɢ sᴇᴛʙᴀᴄᴋs

There will always be moments when things don’t go your way. Maybe you didn’t get the opportunity you wanted, maybe people misunderstand you, or maybe you feel like progress is slow. The lucky vicky Mindset teaches us that nothing is truly working against us—it’s just working differently than we expected.A well-known example what wonnie said "This happened during a tour when I visited Spain. At that time, I waited a long time at a famous bakery, but all the bread in front of me was sold out. They told me that if I waited a little longer, fresh bread would come out. I thought, ‘That’s Lucky Vicky,’ because I could eat freshly made bread. I shared that story with my fans, and from then on, ‘Lucky Vicky’ spread instantly and became a popular meme.” It’s a small moment, but it reflects a powerful way of thinking it mean that Instead of focusing on what didn’t happen, focus on what’s still possible.This applies to bigger situations too. Didn’t get the result you wanted? It’s a chance to adjust your approach. Lost an opportunity? Maybe it wasn’t the right one, and something better is coming. Feeling stuck? That means growth is happening, even if you can’t see it yet.The way you choose to interpret setbacks determines whether they drain you or empower you.

ஐ - 𝟸. ɴᴏᴛ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴅᴇsᴇʀᴠᴇs ʏᴏᴜʀ ʀᴇᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ

Wonyoung is often criticized online, but her response to negativity is simple: “No problem, I don’t care. You are you, and I am me.” This isn’t about arrogance or something but it’s about understanding that not everything requires your energy.If you spend too much time thinking about what others say, replaying negative moments, or trying to justify yourself, you lose focus on what actually matters. Some opinions do not need to be addressed. Some people are not worth your time.That doesn’t mean ignoring constructive feedback, but it does mean choosing where you place your attention. The Lucky Vicky Mindset is about knowing when to engage and when to walk away because your energy is too valuable to be wasted on things that don’t help you grow.Jang Wonyoung also said in a show interview : "I believe there is energy in thoughts and words. When I got anxious and negative thoughts, I tried to correct them positively. In the end, there was no wrong path even if I looked at where I am now,"

ஐ - 𝟹. ғᴏᴄᴜs ᴏɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴏᴡɴ ᴘʀᴏɢʀᴇss

Comparison is one of the biggest traps in personal growth. Social media makes it easy to see others succeeding and wonder why you’re not at their level. But the truth is, no one’s journey looks the same and no one has it all figured out.Wonyoung has been in the spotlight since she was a teenager, constantly compared to others, yet she stays focused on her own path.

🗝️:You don’t need to be ahead of anyone else you just need to be ahead of where you were yesterday.

Instead of thinking:

"Why am I not as successful as them?"

Try:

"What small step can I take today to improve?"

Your timeline is your own. Trust that your progress is happening at the right pace for you.

ஐ - 𝟺. ᴄᴏɴғɪᴅᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴇs ғʀᴏᴍ ᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ

A lot of people wait to feel "ready" before taking action. They think confidence comes when they finally have everything figured out. But in reality, confidence grows through experience, not through waiting.Wonyoung didn’t become poised and self-assured overnight. She gained confidence by stepping into situations that challenged her. The only way to become good at something is to do it, even when it’s uncomfortable.So, whether it’s speaking up more, taking on new challenges, or stepping outside your comfort zone, start before you feel fully prepared. Confidence isn’t about never making mistakes but it’s about knowing that mistakes won’t break u

ஐ - 𝟻. ᴛʜᴇ ɢʟᴀss ɪs ʜᴀʟғ ғᴜʟʟ

I want to add something about positive and negative thinking for the setback part

People often say, "The glass is half full" to mean optimism and "The glass is half empty" to mean pessimism. The Lucky Vicky Mindset takes it a step further.

wony once said, “I was about to drink water after practice, and just about half a cup was left. I had hoped for just about half because it would be too much to drink all of it and not enough if it was too little. I am totally a ‘Lucky Vicky!’”

That it’s about seeing things as aligned for you. It’s not about forcing happiness or pretending everything is perfect. It’s about trusting that what’s in front of you is just right cuz The way you interpret situations shapes your reality so this way of thinking removes the pressure to categorize things as "good" or "bad." It allows you to move with life instead of resisting it. When you start seeing every outcome as something that fits into your journey, you naturally feel more at peace, less anxious, and more confident that things are unfolding the way they should.

So instead of asking, “Is my glass half full or half empty?” try thinking, “Maybe this is exactly the amount I was meant to have.”

@bloomzone

This mindset allows you to be present, grateful, and naturally attract opportunities. When you believe that life is working with u, rather than against you, everything starts to feel like a lucky break even the things you didn’t expect.i hope y'all like this blog and thank you for the love and support ! have a lucky Vicky day 🍀

[smileyallthetime77]

What do you think about a Reader who is an alien, who looks like a human except they are stronger and have more stamina than humans, but nothing else? It's up to you whether you choose Batfam or Superfam

Reader's spaceship was on its way back to its home planet but was unfortunately damaged by a solar storm while passing by Earth. They were forced to make an emergency landing. Reader's appearance is quite childish. Next to Reader is a robot that can turn invisible and fight, as well as transform into a motorbike to help them travel on any terrain, even in the air. They are a programmer, hacker and gamer.

Possibly Yandere!Batfam x Fem!Alien!Reader

Words: 3,558

Characters: 19,347

Warnings: Death, Cuts, and a bit of kidnapping.

The clicking sound of buttons disrupted you from your thoughts. You turned your head back to see why it was doing that. Core was staring at the ceiling messing around with them. Core was your robot. It wasn’t real so you didn’t feel the need to give its name much thought.

The only reason you had come to earth was for some stupid school project. The teacher instructed you to retrieve an object, figure out its use, and when you arrived back, explain to your peers what it was used for.

When you first arrived on earth your object was called a “key”. With your very short trip, you had figured out it was used to unlock things. Doors, cars, etc. What you didn’t know was that taking keys from someone’s house was not ‘okay’. You had barely made it back to your ship with men in blue uniforms chasing after you.

Once back on your ship and ready to return home you had noticed little specks flying towards your ship.

Your ship’s proximity alarm began to blare as the specks neared your ship.

The specks made dents in your ship and you knew you couldn’t move around them.

It was time to make a choice: stay and wait to see what the specks were or get moving. You chose the latter option and took your ship into hyper-speed, but the specks kept up with you.

As much as you hated Earth, it wasn’t worth your life to risk being killed in space.

You prepared for an emergency landing on an abandoned piece of land. Your ship came crashing down through the forest and rolled to a stop. Once the smoke cleared up, you could see everything in the area was dark except for the small fires caused by your ship’s crash.

The last little blip you heard from the navigator on your ship was, “Landed. Gotham, New Jersey, United States of America”.

You grabbed the key and any of your belongings and climbed out of your ship. Your ship might not have been fully damaged but it was enough for the engines to shut down.

You crawled out of the ship trying your best not to place any weight on any glass. You managed to avoid a few pieces but you still had some cuts and bruises on your arm and legs.

You got off the ship and stood up trying to assess your surroundings in the darkness. The only thing you could see was the small fires from where your ship crashed.

You saw Core standing out of the ship.

He was standing up not too far, and surprisingly still in perfect condition. He started to scan the area. He then turned his head from side to side before finally making eye contact with you.

“Core, come on”.

Core slowly took steps towards you, but stopped halfway. He turned his head again to scan the area once more.

He seemed to be looking at something, but from where you were standing, you couldn’t see a thing.

“Core, I said let’s go”.

He turned to look at you and then back into the trees, but remained in the same spot. It was like he was waiting for something or for something to happen.

“Core-“.

He was still staring out in the trees and you were growing impatient. You took a step forward but stopped when you heard a rustle in the trees.

A wolf knocked Core down, but it immediately fought back against the beast. They scrapped around and you could hear the sounds of crashing through the forest and Core’s robotic grunts.

Core managed to scare the wolf away, but it remained slumped against a tree smoking and sparking. It looked to be on the verge of breaking down completely. The lights in its eyes dimmed as he lay motionless on the ground.

Your robot was down for good. All that was left was the sound of the crackling fire.

You knew you couldn’t restore him. You departed from the ship and the remains of Core.

You left your ship behind and began walking in a random direction hoping you’d eventually find some civilization.

You walked quietly, hoping not to attract the attention of more wildlife. The silence was deafening while the darkness surrounded you.

You kept walking until you began to hear a sound in the distance. It was a soft humming noise at first and then it soon grew louder.

It sounded like an engine, which meant people. You picked up the pace, rushing closer to the sound hoping it was someone who could help.

The further you walked ahead, the more noise you heard. The humming noise didn’t stop, but you were hearing faint voices as well.

You quickly rushed over to where the sound was coming from and found cars going by.

You had reached the end of the woods and entered into a road. You could see what looked like bright lights coming from the distance. The trees of the forest blocked the view but you could see multiple cars driving past.

You quickly sprinted to the road. After looking both ways you quickly sprinted across the street. There, were humongous buildings.

You reached the other side of the road and could now see just how big the buildings were. These types of buildings weren't as common on your planet. All of them lit up with bright lights, and there were more people there than you expected to see.

Your presence did seem to catch some people's attention as you got a few weird looks from strangers. Some people stopped and stared while others just continued to walk past, minding their own business.

Eventually, you stopped one of them.

You stopped a man who was passing by. He had been on his phone before you stopped him, but his eyes were now on you.

“Do you know where I can find medical stuff?”.

The man was confused by the question but took a moment to think before answering, “Uh, you can find some around the next block. There's a pharmacy down the street.”

“Thank you”, you said before quickly walking off to the ‘Pharmacy’.

The man continued on his way while you started walking towards the pharmacy. It didn't take long to reach your destination as you could see the sign from afar.

It was a small building compared to others around it, but there were still quite a few people entering and exiting the place.

As you got closer to the building, you saw a man walk out carrying two bags full of stuff.

You walked into the building and went up to a desk where an old woman was working.

The old woman looked up from her computer and greeted you, “Hello, how can I help you?”

“Where can I get some bandages?”

The woman pointed towards an aisle, “You can find some bandages right down that aisle there.”

“Thank you”, you said trotting over.

You went down the aisle and picked up a large roll of bandages, a box of gauze, antibiotic ointment, scissors, and a few other first aid supplies.

You shoved them all in your hand and then walked out of the store.

No one seemed to notice that you were stealing things, even the old woman at the front desk who helped you didn’t notice. You managed to leave the store without paying.

You walked out of the ‘Pharmacy’ without getting caught and looked around at the people passing by on the street. It seems like you were blending in quite well, so you continued to stand near the building trying to figure out what to do next.

You sat down on the ground and began organizing everything you took from the pharmacy. There was a large pack of bandages, a roll of gauze, a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, scissors, and antibiotic ointment.

Suddenly a loud thud came from beside you. You jolted and looked up to see a figure in all black standing less than a meter away from you. It looked like a man, all dressed in black armor and a cape.

You began to rap your arm, “Can I help you?”

The man stared down at you, with a cold look before finally replying, “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?”

The man tilted his head as if he was analyzing your movements. Then, he spoke again, “Stealing.”

You had heard that word before. When you got the keys from that house! “Well, it’s not like I can bleed out. It’s for a good cause”.

The man raised an eyebrow, “What good cause is there for stealing medical supplies?”

“Not dying”.

The man didn’t respond. He just stood there with a neutral expression on his face like he was deep in thought processing what you just told him.

He looked you up and down before eventually speaking again, “Why are you so banged up? Did you get into a fight?”

“No”.

The man gave you a skeptical look, “If you didn’t get into a fight, how did you get all those cuts and bruises?”

“I fell”.

“And where exactly did you fall from?” The man questioned, his eyes still analyzing your every movement.

“A tree”.

The man’s expression changed like he was now confused, “A tree?”

“Yeah”.

The man still seemed unconvinced and took another look at you, “Why were you climbing a tree to begin with?”

“I was helping a cat”.

The man narrowed his eyes like he didn’t believe you. He didn’t seem like an untrustworthy kind of person, but you could tell that he was suspicious of you.

He took another glance over you, observing your appearance before asking, “What’s your name?”

“Y/n”.

The man was now taking a look at the things you laid on the ground, “So Y/n, you need bandages for all those cuts?”

“Yeah”.

He knelt beside you but still kept a distance between you two. He examined the scratches on your arms, “The cuts don’t look too bad, but they are pretty deep. Have you had them treated yet?”

“I’m trying to”.

“You don’t have someone else to help you?” The man inquired, still studying the scratches on your arms.

“No”.

The man’s expression didn’t change, but he had a look of slight concern. He then let out a sigh, “Here, let me help you.”

The man shuffled closer to you and began unraveling the roll of gauze, “Hand me your arm, and keep it still.”

You slowly extended your arm to the man, keeping it as steady as possible. The man started to wrap the gauze around your arm, careful not to apply too much pressure.

“Is it too tight?” The man asked, continuing to slowly wrap the gauze around your arm.

“No”.

“Good”, he replied as he finished wrapping the bandage around your arm before securing it in place. He then reached for the pack of bandages and started to tear one open, “Give me your other arm.”

You lifted your other arm and held it out to him. The man slowly wrapped another bandage around your other arm, his hands moving quickly and precisely like a professional who had done this many times before.

“There, that’s done”, he said as he secured the bandage in place. He then took a look at your legs, “You have any cuts on your legs?”

“A few”, you said rolling up your pant leg.

The man glanced down at your legs where the cuts were. He grabbed another roll of bandages and said, “Lift your leg for me.”

The man glanced down at your legs where the cuts were. He grabbed another roll of bandages and said, “Lift your leg for me.”

You lifted your leg and held it in place. The man began to tightly wrap the bandage around your leg, making sure it wasn’t too tight but tight enough to stop the bleeding.

He secured the bandage and then said, “Can you lift your other leg?”

You lifted your other leg so that he could wrap it with another bandage. The man followed the same procedure as the last time to make sure the bandage was secure but not too tight.

“Alright, all finished”, he said as he secured the last bandage on your leg. He leaned back and examined his work before looking at you, “That should do it.”

He studied your face for a moment, “You sure you didn’t get into a fight? You’ve got a pretty nasty cut on your cheek.”

“The ground's fault”, you shrugged.

The man’s expression showed that he was slightly amused by your answer, “Looks like the ground hates you then. It left quite the cut.”

“Why don’t you come back with me? I have some food and I can locate your family after”, he suggested.

You sat quietly for a moment, contemplating his offer. You hadn’t planned on staying anywhere, but you could use some food. You were hungry.

“Why not?”, you said standing up.

The man stood up as well and took a good look at you. He then nodded and started walking away from your spot. He stopped and looked over his shoulder gesturing for you to follow him.

“Come on then.”

You followed him as he led you out of the alley. There were still a few people walking by and it was getting darker as the sun started to set. They all gave the two of you confused looks.

Eventually, you both reached a car.

The man approached the passenger door and opened it for you, “Get in.”

You obeyed his order and climbed into the passenger seat. The man closed the door walked around to the other side of the car and climbed into the driver’s seat.

He started the car and began driving away from the area you were in before. The ride was mostly silent, you could tell he wanted to ask a question but for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

The man parked the car in front of a gigantic house and turned off the engine. He quickly got out of the car and then came over to the passenger side and opened your door, “Here we are”.

You were in awe when you saw the house and the size of it. You also notice that no other houses were near this one, it was the only one that stood in the area.

The man shut the car door and started leading you towards the house. Upon reaching the door, the man pulled out a key and unlocked it. He pushed open the door, holding it open for you to enter.

The inside of the house was just as big as the outside. It was well-furnished with expensive-looking furniture and decorations. The man closed the door behind you.

A butler met you at the door. He had a pair of white clothes in his hand and handed them to you.

The butler was a well-dressed middle-aged man with a professional aura about him. He didn’t seem fazed by your appearance even though you looked a mess. The butler spoke with a serious tone as he extended the clothes towards you, “Please put these on.”

“Where can I change?”, you questioned him.

The butler gestured towards a door down a hallway, “You can change in the bathroom just down that hall.”

You took the clothes from the butler and made your way to the bathroom. Once in the bathroom, you change out of your old dirty clothes into new ones. It was quite nice, the clothes were soft and comfortable.

You looked down at the clothes and noticed how simple it was. Just a plain white shirt and pants. No colors or designs at all. It may not have looked interesting, but it was comfortable to wear.

You walked out of the bathroom and the man, who was now out of his cape thingy led you to a dining room where ten people were already sitting. Plus the butler in the kitchen.

You followed the man through the house and into the dining room where the others were. There were eleven people seated at the table, each one dressed nicely and looking important. There was also the butler in the kitchen, quietly observing the group.

The man guided you over to an empty seat towards the end of the table and pulled out the chair for you. You sat down and looked at the people surrounding you. All of their eyes were on you, looking at you up and down. They studied your appearance as if they were analyzing every detail about you.

One of the men sitting across from you leaned forward and spoke, his eyes still studying you, “Who exactly is our guest?”

“Y/n”, you answered.

The man raised an eyebrow and nodded his head, “I’m Dick. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

He went around in a circle, “Well this is Kori, my girlfriend”, he pointed to everyone after that, “Jason, Tim, Steph, Duke, Barbara, Cass, Kate, and Damian. This is Bruce”, he said mentioning to the guy who was previously in the cape suit.

Everyone at the table looked at you with a mix of interest and curiosity, especially Damian who had a neutral expression on his face.

Bruce was sitting at the end of the table, silently observing you. He seemed to be deep in thought, almost as if he was analyzing your every move.

Kori, the girl with the red hair, eyes are a little bit.

Kori had a soft smile on her face as she glanced over at you, her eyes seemed to be studying your appearance. She didn't say anything at first, but her eyes were fixed on you as if she was trying to figure something out.

She then whispered something to Dick who whispered it to Damian. Damian kept a neutral face as he spoke to Bruce, “Kori la connaît. Elle est à peu près sûre qu'elle vient d'une planète qui a envahi les autres. Elle pense qu'il est préférable que nous la gardens dans la salle disablement” (Please don’t look up the French translation until after that story :))

Bruce's expression changed as he listened to Damian's whispers. He looked at you for a moment, studying your appearance and behavior, then turned his gaze to Kori.

"Are you sure?", He asked Kori.

Kori had nodded.

Bruce looked back at you again, his expression serious. He seemed to be deep in thought, weighing the decision in his head.

He spoke again, his tone firm, "After you finish eating, Kori is going to show you something".

The table was quiet after Bruce spoke. No one said anything, everyone was just looking at you. You could feel the tension in the air, the others at the table were anticipating your reaction.

“Okay”, you said taking a bite of the solid food on your plate.

Everyone continued to eat their food in silence. The only sounds were the clanking of silverware against plates and the soft murmurs and whispers between the group.

Some were sneaking glances at you while trying to act nonchalant, a few were paying close attention to your every move.

You continued to eat your meal, feeling the weight of their gazes on you. It made you a little uncomfortable, but you tried to ignore it and focus on your food.

After a few minutes, Kori spoke up, "I'm finished. Can I show her that thing now?"

Almost immediately, all eyes turned to Kori, and then to you. Bruce nodded his head, "Yes, you can."

Kori stood up from her seat and gestured for you to follow her. You got up and followed her out of the dining room and into a different part of the house.

As you walked, Kori looked back at you and spoke in a soft tone, "We're going down to the basement."

The basement? Your curiosity peaked as Kori led you further through the house. You wondered what could be in the basement that Kori wanted to show you.

The walk to the basement was silent, neither one of you spoke. You just heard the sound of footsteps echoing off the walls of the house. A few minutes later, you both stopped at a large door.

Kori turned around and looked at you, "We're here."

You looked at the door and wondered what could be on the other side. What was Kori so eager to show you? She placed her hand on the handle and pushed the door open, revealing what was inside.

Nothing. 

It was blank. Just white, white, and more white.

You were quite surprised to find that the basement was empty. The walls, ceiling, and floor were completely white, giving the room a sterile, almost clinical look. There were no windows, just white light coming from the ceiling.

You felt a hard shove on your back, and you fell into the room with a ‘clunk’.

You had heard the unmistakable sound of the door closing and locking behind you.

“You’ll understand soon”, Kori said before you heard her steps slowly fade away.

You slowly turned your head and saw a tiny camera in the top right corner of the room. A little part of it was blinking red.

Something was watching you.

(Thank you for the request 😘)

[olenvasynyt]

A Court of Embers and Sunlight: A Lucien backstory fic

Chapter 13: One Foot In, One Foot Out

Fic Summary:

It has been eighty years since the end of the Human War, and a delicate, tenuous peace has grown in Prythian. But as an ancient rivalry between two High families suddenly arises, the consequences of the War are pondered, and painful memories are stirred up for members of the Vanserra family, including Eris Vanserra and the Lady of Autumn. But being sixty and the youngest of seven brothers, Lucien Vanserra is eager to avoid a lot of things. Including the consequences of the War. Haunted by secrets and keen to avoid the Forest House, Lucien allows his errancy to lead him to Prythian’s Summer beaches, Winter lakes, and Spring fields until he finds himself stumbling down a path to a female he never expected. One who lights up his dark, rotting world like dappled sunlight through the leaves.

Read on Ao3

Start from the beginning

Excerpt:

“I need to find more ways to make you blush like that,” he remarked.  “It’s a beautiful sight.  Like the golden hour is hiding under your cheeks.”

“I am not blushing,” she retorted.

“You are.  I can feel it from here.”  

He needed to touch her, to feel that warmth of her skin.  His hand moved almost instinctively, and he found his knuckles stroking her face, caressing her prominent cheekbone where that shimmer grew. 

Her eyelashes flickered, and she let out a breath as his fingers roamed down her cheek to her jaw.  The glow seemed to follow, activated by his touch.

He concentrated on her eyes, watching for any signs of deterring.  But she gazed back with a look that almost matched his: filled with hunger and intrigue.  

His thumb brushed the corner of her lips. He dared to lean in closer, the few inches between them growing scarcer and undeniably warmer from the heat of her skin…

Jesminda pulled back and turned her head slightly away, the bow of her lip creasing as she held back a smile. 

Too quick.  He was too quick, too eager.  He dropped his hand and suppressed a smile.  “The sun gets to kiss you and I don’t?” he asked softly.  

She looked up at him, and her blush grew so hot Lucien was sure it was reflected onto his own skin, especially with how close they still were.  The autumn colors in her eyes flickered like light through a canopy.  But she said, “The sun isn’t a stranger.  I only let strangers kiss me when moonlight kisses me.”

He forced his hands in his pockets to resist touching her again.  “I could come back around sunset, then.”

She laughed.  “Or you can choose not to be a stranger.”

“And how do I not be a stranger?  Buy an apple from you every day?  Bring your breakfast and sit at your stand and talk about my travels?”

She adjusted her fur hat, as if she wasn’t sure what to do with herself.  “If that’s all you can think of, then please, by all means.  But I think you can try harder than that.”

“I enjoy a challenge.”  Leaning forward a bit, he added, “But my original offer is still on the table because I can still learn who you are in the moonlight.  I might not be able to see you as well, but that’s why the mornings are always the best.  I think your blushing skin can give us some light too.”

He expected the heat of her blush to radiate stronger.  But she retorted, “And would you stay a stranger?”

“I feel like I know you fairly well already Jesminda.  And that little performance next to the inn wasn’t just because you wanted to heal my cut.”

She leaned closer to him, and he felt the urge to brace himself.  “I’m glad you're picking up my hints, Lucien,” she crooned.  “But you’re still a stranger to me, even if you’re easy to read.  And I don’t want you as a stranger.”

He didn’t know what to say to that.  Being strangers would make it easier; he couldn’t count how many one-night stands he’s had, where they would flirt for hours, fuck, and then slip away from each other before the sun rose.  But this was different.  She was different.

By the fucking Cauldron, he needed to know every inch of her.  Not just the blush of her skin, but every thought behind those beautiful eyes, every meaning behind her movements and breaths.  He needed to know the rhythm of her heart and if it matched his.  He was quite sure it did.

[amethystarachnid]

A PLACE TO STAY - part II

⤷ STEVE G. ROGERS

ᯓ★ Pairing: Steve G. Rogers x fem!reader

ᯓ★ Genre: fluff, some angst, more fluff at the end

ᯓ★ Request from: MARVEL Holiday special

ᯓ★ Story type: one shot

ᯓ★ Word count: 6.6k

ᯓ★ Part I

ᯓ★ Summary: one Olivia is officially your daughter it's time to show her what having a family means

ᯓ★ TW(s): mentions of abandonment and abandonment issues, reader discovers she's pregnant

ᯓ★ I'm so sorry I know you asked just fluff but I swear the fic wrote itself, and I will sure as hell write a second part where Steve and Y/n adopt Olivia because I'm crying.

ᯓ★ My Masterlist

ᯓ★ MARVEL Holiday Special

ᯓ★ MARVEL Multiverse - choose an AU, pair it with your favorite character and make a request!

ᯓ★ Songs & Superheroes tales - The Game (to make a request, follow the rules on the link!)

ᯓ★ MARVEL Bingo

ᯓ★ English isn’t my first language

The days since you and Steve had decided to adopt Olivia have been filled with a blend of excitement, nerves, and a deep sense of certainty. It feels like the right thing to do. Every time you picture Olivia’s face—her bright smile, the way she clings to you for comfort, the way her tiny hands grasp your fingers with unspoken trust—your heart swells with love. The idea of offering her a stable, loving home is overwhelming, but you both know it’s what she deserves.

Today, after all the conversations and emotions that have led up to this moment, you and Steve are about to head back to the orphanage. It feels different this time. You’re not just there to spend time with Olivia. This visit is about making things official, about taking the first steps toward a new future—for all of you.

The crisp air of Brooklyn greets you as you and Steve step out of your apartment, bundled up against the cold but still feeling the warmth of each other’s presence. Every step toward the orphanage feels like it matters. Today, you’re not just visiting a child. You’re talking to the headmistress about adopting Olivia.

When you arrive at the orphanage, the familiar sight of the building brings both comfort and nerves. It’s strange to think that not too long ago, this place was just where you met Olivia for the first time. Now, it’s a place where your future with her is about to take root.

The moment you step through the doors, the warmth of the building surrounds you. Children’s laughter and chatter echo in the hallway, but your attention is on the headmistress’s office. You know that Olivia is probably somewhere in the building, playing or perhaps getting ready for her afternoon snack, but today isn’t just about her. It’s about speaking to the headmistress and moving forward with the plans to make Olivia officially part of your family.

You exchange a glance with Steve as you approach the office. His face is soft, yet resolute, the same warmth you’ve come to know in his every expression.

“She’s going to be so happy,” Steve says softly, his voice filled with the same tenderness that’s always there when he talks about Olivia.

“I hope so,” you reply, squeezing his hand. “I know we’ve talked about it, but… asking her feels like a big moment.”

“I think she already knows, Y/n,” Steve responds, a slight smile tugging at his lips. “She already looks at us like we’re family.”

With that, the two of you push open the office door and enter, greeted by the headmistress, who stands up as soon as she sees you. Her kind face radiates warmth, her smile deep and genuine. She’s always been welcoming, and today, that feeling is even more palpable as she takes in your presence.

“Y/n, Steve,” she says, her voice full of kindness, “it’s so good to see you both. I’m glad you could make it today.”

“Thank you for meeting with us,” you say, your voice quiet but filled with gratitude. “We wanted to talk about something important regarding Olivia.”

The headmistress nods knowingly, a slight glint of understanding in her eyes. “I can only imagine what this is about,” she says gently, sitting back down at her desk. “You’ve both been wonderful with her. It’s clear she’s formed a strong bond with you.”

You glance at Steve, and he squeezes your hand as if to reassure you that this moment, this conversation, is one you’ve both been ready for.

“We’ve been thinking a lot about Olivia’s future,” Steve begins. “And we want to make sure that if we’re moving forward with adoption, we’re doing it with her best interests in mind.”

The headmistress nods, her gaze soft but wise. “Of course. We always want what’s best for the children here. Olivia is a wonderful little girl, and I’ve seen her grow so much since you two started visiting her. You’ve brought a light into her life that wasn’t there before. She deserves all the love she’s getting.”

You smile, a mixture of relief and emotion filling your chest at her words. “We want to give her that love permanently,” you say, voice steady but your heart beating faster as you realize the magnitude of what you’re saying. “We want to ask her if she wants us to be her parents.”

The headmistress looks at both of you, a warmth in her gaze that only deepens. “I think that’s a wonderful idea. Olivia has always been a shy, cautious little girl, but over the past few weeks, I’ve seen how much she’s come out of her shell around both of you. She’s more confident, more trusting. She’ll understand the question more than you might think.”

Steve nods, though there’s a trace of doubt in his eyes. “We just… want to make sure she’s really ready for this. Before we go through any legal processes, we want to be sure that it’s something she wants, too.”

“You’re being very thoughtful,” the headmistress says. “I’m sure she’ll be thrilled. But it’s important that she feels like she’s part of the decision. The transition won’t be easy, but I can see how much she’s come to rely on you both. She looks up to you so much.”

There’s a slight pause, and then the headmistress leans back in her chair, her eyes twinkling with understanding. “I can’t think of a better family for her, if I’m being honest. And I know she’ll be happy with you. But asking her is the right way to go.”

The words feel like a confirmation, as if this is the final piece falling into place. It gives you the confidence you need to move forward.

You take a deep breath, and then glance at Steve, who nods again. You both stand together, ready to ask Olivia the question that will change all of your lives.

“We’re going to ask her now,” you say, your voice steady. “Thank you for your support.”

The headmistress smiles warmly. “Take your time. I’m sure it’ll go wonderfully.”

You and Steve exit the office, your hearts racing in unison as you head toward the room where the children are gathered. As you approach, you spot Olivia near the corner, sitting with a few other kids and playing with a set of building blocks. Her little hands are busy, but the moment she sees you, her face lights up.

“Y/n! Steve!” she calls, pushing herself up from the floor and rushing over to you both. The others around her giggle, some calling her name playfully, but it’s clear Olivia only has eyes for you.

You kneel down as she reaches you, and she practically throws herself into your arms. The weight of her small body in your arms feels natural now, like she belongs there.

“Hi, sweetie,” you greet her, brushing a few strands of hair from her face. “How’s your day been?”

“Good!” Olivia exclaims, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “I make tower!” She holds up a small block, showing off the tiny structure she’s built. “Look!”

“That’s amazing,” Steve says with a smile, bending down to admire the little creation. He’s always so gentle with her, always so patient. You can see the love he has for her written clearly on his face.

But today is different. Today, you’re here to ask her something that will change everything.

“Olivia,” you say softly, your voice filled with warmth and care, “we need to talk to you about something important.”

She tilts her head, her brow furrowing slightly as she looks between you and Steve, her small hands still clutching the block in front of her.

“Do you remember when we talked about going home with us? About being a family?” you ask gently, making sure she’s following along.

Olivia’s eyes widen, and she nods enthusiastically. “Home!” she exclaims, her small hands clasping together. “Go home with you!”

You smile at her eagerness, your heart swelling. “We’ve been thinking a lot about that,” you continue, “and we wanted to ask you something. We want to know if you’d like us to be your mommy and daddy. If you want us to be your family. Forever.”

Her eyes search yours, blinking a few times as she processes the words. It’s quiet for a moment, and you wonder if she truly understands the weight of the question. But then, after a beat of silence, she lets out a little gasp.

“Yes!” she says, a huge grin spreading across her face. “Yes, yes, yes!”

You can hardly believe it. The joy in her voice is undeniable, and her little arms reach up toward you as if to prove it. You pull her into your arms, laughing with tears in your eyes.

“Are you sure?” Steve asks gently, his voice thick with emotion. “You really want us to be your parents?”

Olivia nods so enthusiastically it almost makes her dizzy. “Yes!” she says again, her tiny voice filled with joy. “Mommy, Daddy. Yes!”

You and Steve exchange a look of pure joy and disbelief. It’s as though everything has fallen into place—this little girl, who had been so cautious at first, now completely trusts you both to be her parents.

“Then it’s settled,” you say, your voice breaking slightly with emotion. “We’re going to be a family.”

Steve smiles, his eyes glistening with tears of his own as he hugs Olivia tightly, pulling you into the embrace. The three of you hold each other, the weight of what you’ve just agreed on sinking in. This is the beginning of something beautiful.

And in that moment, you know that Olivia has found her home. And you’ve found the family you were always meant to have.

The days after Olivia’s joyous acceptance of the adoption felt surreal. Everything was changing, but it was a change that you had longed for. It was a change that filled you with a sense of purpose and a warmth that made every moment feel even more meaningful than the last.

As you and Steve sat down to discuss the legal steps of adoption, you knew that this wasn’t going to be an easy or quick process. The legalities of adopting a child, especially from a system as large and complicated as the one Olivia had come from, would take time. A lot of time. It would require patience, paperwork, and plenty of legal representation. And while you were confident that everything would work out in the end, there was one thing that remained a little daunting: the financial side of it all.

But neither you nor Steve gave much thought to the cost. You both knew that money would come and go, but this—Olivia—was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This was your future. The legalities, the bureaucracy, the long wait—none of that mattered when you had the love and commitment that you and Steve shared.

“We’re going to do this,” Steve said one evening as you sat at the kitchen table, papers strewn across it. “No matter how long it takes. No matter how much it costs. Olivia deserves this.”

You nodded, taking a deep breath. The stack of forms was daunting, but it didn’t faze you. “We’re ready,” you replied, your voice steady. “We’ll get through it together.”

It wasn’t easy, and it certainly wasn’t fast. There were meetings with lawyers, phone calls with social workers, and stacks of paperwork that seemed to multiply by the day. It was overwhelming at times, but every step felt like it was bringing you closer to Olivia. Every time you signed a form or spoke with someone about the process, you felt more certain that this was the right thing to do.

In the midst of the whirlwind of legal meetings and paperwork, there was something else that kept you both busy—transforming your apartment to prepare for Olivia’s arrival. You’d always loved your space, but now that the thought of being a family was a reality, it felt more important than ever to make sure everything was perfect for her. Your apartment in Brooklyn had been cozy and inviting, but there was one room that remained a little underused—the spare room. It had always been a place for storage or an extra guest room, but now, it was about to become something far more important.

This room would be Olivia’s.

“Alright,” Steve said one Saturday morning as you stood in the doorway of the spare room, surveying the space. “We need to make it perfect for her. What do you think?”

You looked around at the room, which was still filled with old furniture and boxes that hadn’t been unpacked from when you first moved in. It felt like it had so much potential—like it was waiting to be something special. And now, with Olivia’s future in mind, it felt like the perfect canvas.

“I think it needs to be… pink,” you said, your voice full of certainty. “It’s her favorite color.”

Steve’s lips curled into a smile as he looked at you. “Pink, huh? I’m not sure I’m ready for a pink overload, but if it’s what she wants…”

“It’s not just what she wants,” you replied, your tone soft and affectionate. “It’s what she deserves. She deserves a room that’s all hers, a place that feels like home. A place where she can feel safe, loved, and special.”

Steve’s smile softened, and he nodded. “Alright. Pink it is. But we’ll need some other colors to balance it out. Maybe some white and cream? Light wood accents?”

You nodded, already mentally planning the color scheme. “Yes, exactly. Light and airy, but still warm and cozy. We can put a little white dresser with pink accents, and maybe a cream-colored rug. And for the walls—maybe a soft pastel pink with some fun, subtle wallpaper that has little hearts or stars?”

“That sounds perfect,” Steve agreed, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “I love the idea of making it feel like her own little world.”

You both spent the next few weeks going to stores, picking out paint samples, furniture, and little decorations. It was one of the most enjoyable experiences you’d had together. Every decision felt meaningful—the color of the walls, the design of the bedspread, the little stuffed animals that would sit on the shelves. Each little detail seemed to add up to something bigger than you could have ever imagined. This was no longer just a room. It was Olivia’s room, and you were making it a place where she would feel nothing but love.

One Saturday, you and Steve got to work. You started by painting the walls a soft, pastel pink, the color already feeling like it belonged. You laughed as Steve struggled to find the right angle to reach the top of the walls, his tall frame a bit too much for the small space. You stood on a ladder, rolling paint on the lower parts of the wall, exchanging playful comments as you both worked together to create a room that would feel like home for Olivia.

“You know,” Steve said between strokes of the roller, “I didn’t think I’d ever get this excited about painting a room. But this… this feels different. This feels important.”

You smiled, looking over at him. “It is different. This is her space, Steve. She’s going to have a place to call her own, a place where she’s safe and loved. And that’s everything.”

As the paint dried, you and Steve began to assemble the furniture—an adorable white bedframe with a matching dresser, soft pastel-colored bedding with little floral patterns. You hung up shelves, arranging stuffed animals and toys that you’d bought for Olivia over the past few weeks. There was a small rocking chair near the window, perfect for reading bedtime stories, and a pink area rug in the middle of the room that felt so soft underfoot.

Steve was putting together the final pieces when you stood in the doorway, admiring the room. It felt perfect—so inviting and full of love, a space where Olivia would flourish.

“We’ve really done it,” you said softly, your voice filled with awe.

Steve walked over to you, his hand resting gently on your back. He gazed at the room with you, his eyes soft. “She’s going to love it.”

“She already does,” you replied, your heart swelling. “We’re giving her everything she needs. She’s going to have a real home.”

Later that evening, after Olivia had returned from the orphanage, the two of you brought her to the room, her little hands grasping yours as you led her inside. Her eyes widened in shock and wonder as she stepped into the transformed space.

“Wow,” she whispered, taking in the pink walls, the soft bedding, the shelves filled with toys. She ran her hands over the bedspread, a smile spreading across her face. “Mine?”

“It’s all yours,” you said gently, kneeling down to her level. “This is your room, Olivia. You can play here, sleep here, and just be yourself.”

Her face lit up with joy, her small hands reaching out to touch everything in the room. “Pink! I love pink!” she exclaimed, her voice full of excitement.

Steve crouched down beside her, smiling warmly. “I’m glad you love it, sweetheart. We made it just for you.”

Olivia beamed at both of you, her little arms reaching up to wrap around your neck as she hugged you tightly. “I love it. Thank you, Mommy. Thank you, Daddy.”

You felt a lump form in your throat, and your heart swelled with an emotion you couldn’t describe. This was real. This was happening. You were building a life with Olivia—a family. And every moment, every decision, every laugh, every hug made it feel like the most beautiful thing in the world.

As Olivia giggled and bounced on her new bed, you and Steve exchanged a look. There was so much left to do—so much more to give her—but in that moment, you knew that this was the beginning of everything. This room, this life, this love. It was all for her.

And together, you and Steve were ready to give her the family she had always deserved.

The months since Olivia had become an official part of your life had been a whirlwind. What started as visits to the orphanage, cautious steps toward adoption, and days of transforming a room into a bright, pink sanctuary for her, had led to this moment. The paperwork was finally done, the court hearings had been completed, and after months of waiting and hoping, Olivia was now your daughter—legally, forever.

The day you got the final confirmation that the adoption had been approved was a blur of emotions. You and Steve sat together in your apartment, holding each other as you stared at the email, the news still sinking in. A few months ago, you couldn’t have imagined that this day would come so soon. The future that had once seemed uncertain now felt like a reality—a family forged in love, patience, and care.

“Olivia is our daughter,” Steve whispered, his voice thick with emotion as he held the phone up to show you the confirmation. “She’s ours.”

Tears welled in your eyes as you squeezed his hand. “She’s really ours, Steve. After everything, it’s real.”

Now, it was time to bring her home—truly home. No more visits. No more goodbyes. Olivia, the little girl who had captured your heart with her smile and cautious trust, was about to become a permanent part of your family.

It was a warm Saturday afternoon when you and Steve drove to the orphanage to pick up Olivia. The sun was shining, the city bustling around you, but none of that mattered. Your heart was focused on the little girl waiting for you. Olivia had already been told by the headmistress that today was the day, and when you walked into the orphanage to find her, she was already bouncing with excitement.

Her eyes lit up when she saw you both standing in the doorway. She didn’t hesitate for a moment, her little legs propelling her forward as she ran into your arms.

“Mommy! Daddy!” she squealed, wrapping her arms around you both in a tight embrace. The feeling of her small body pressing against you was something you never got used to—it was the feeling of home, the feeling of being exactly where you were meant to be.

“Hi, sweetheart,” you said, hugging her close, feeling the joy bubble up inside you. “Are you ready to come home with us?”

Olivia nodded enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling. “Home! Forever?”

You looked over at Steve, your heart full. “Yes, sweetheart. Forever.”

As you made your way out of the orphanage and into the car, the world outside felt different. There was a sense of finality, but also excitement. You could almost feel the air shift, as if everything had aligned just right for the three of you. This was the moment you had been waiting for—the day when Olivia would finally get to experience what it was like to have a real home, a safe space with two parents who loved her beyond measure.

The ride to your apartment felt like it took forever. Olivia chattered excitedly in the backseat, her tiny voice full of enthusiasm as she looked out the window at the passing scenery. “Is it big? My room? My bed? My toys?” she asked, her curiosity bubbling over.

“Your room is waiting for you,” Steve answered, glancing at her through the rearview mirror. “It’s just as you left it—pink and perfect, just the way you like it.”

You smiled at her, your heart swelling. “And we’ve got lots of toys and books for you to enjoy. We can play together, every day.”

By the time you arrived at the apartment, Olivia’s excitement had reached its peak. As soon as you parked the car, she was already unbuckling her seatbelt, eager to get out. You both helped her out of the car, holding her hands as you walked into the building and up the stairs to your apartment.

When you opened the door, Olivia stood frozen in the doorway for a moment, her eyes scanning the familiar space. It was no longer just a place she had visited—this was her home now, every corner filled with love and warmth. She walked inside slowly, her little steps careful, as if she were waiting for something to change.

“Do you want to see your room?” you asked gently, crouching down to her level, making sure to give her the space she needed.

Her eyes widened, and she nodded quickly. “Yes!”

You took her hand and led her down the hallway toward the room that had been waiting for her all this time. The door creaked open, and Olivia gasped, her tiny face lighting up as she took in the sight of her room—her very own room. The walls were painted a soft pink, the bed covered with a fluffy duvet, and the shelves lined with toys, stuffed animals, and books. The soft cream rug beneath her feet added to the warmth of the room, and it felt like a true sanctuary.

Olivia’s small hands touched the bedspread, the pink fabric soft under her fingers. “My bed… it’s so soft,” she whispered, sitting down gently, her eyes wide with awe. She ran her hands over the sheets, a sense of wonder filling her voice. “This is mine?”

“It’s all yours,” Steve said softly, his voice full of pride. “And it’s where you’ll sleep every night, sweetie.”

Olivia beamed, her little face glowing with happiness. “I love it,” she said, her voice quiet, as if taking in the gravity of the moment.

You sat next to her on the bed, wrapping your arms around her. “We love you, Olivia. This is your home now, and we’ll always take care of you.”

Over the next few days, Olivia slowly settled into the rhythms of her new life. At first, everything was new and a little overwhelming for her. She had never had two parents who looked after her constantly, never had a place where she could leave her things out without worry, and never had the security of knowing that no one was going to take it all away.

There were moments when she seemed uncertain, moments when she clung to you a little tighter than usual, but as time passed, she began to relax into the comfort of her new home. She knew she was safe here. She knew that Steve and you would always be there for her.

You and Steve took turns comforting her when she woke up in the middle of the night, crying softly for reasons she couldn’t always express. It wasn’t always easy, but you both understood that this was part of the process. Olivia was learning to trust that she would never be abandoned again.

“I’m here, sweetie,” you whispered one night as Olivia curled into your arms, tears staining her little cheeks. “I’m right here. You’re not alone.”

Olivia’s tiny hands clutched your shirt, her sobs quieting as she relaxed into your embrace. “Mommy… stay with me.”

“I’ll always stay with you, Olivia. We’ll always be together.”

And slowly, the nights became easier. Olivia began to sleep through the night more and more often, her dreams peaceful as she adjusted to the stability of her new life. During the day, she was full of energy—laughing, playing, and exploring her new home. She was becoming more and more comfortable with the idea of having two parents, and it filled your heart with joy to see her growing so quickly.

Steve was always there, helping to create routines that made Olivia feel secure. Breakfast together in the mornings, with the sunlight streaming through the windows as Olivia ate her pancakes and giggled. Afternoons spent playing games in the living room or reading books together, Steve sitting on the couch with Olivia in his lap as she pointed at pictures in the storybooks, asking him to read each word. Evenings spent cooking dinner together, with Olivia sitting at the kitchen counter, her small hands stirring the bowl of batter as you and Steve worked side by side.

Sometimes, when Olivia wasn’t looking, you’d catch Steve glancing over at you with a smile that said everything. The joy in his eyes as he watched his little girl grow more confident, more secure in her place within your family. It was a look you shared—one that said this was everything. This was what you had been waiting for, together.

Olivia had begun to call Steve “Daddy” without hesitation. It had been a slow process, but now, when she ran into the living room with a drawing in her hand, her eyes shining with excitement, she’d shout, “Daddy, look what I made!”

And when she ran into your arms at the end of the day, she’d whisper, “Mommy, I love you.”

There were still moments of adjustment, of course. Olivia sometimes had trouble articulating her feelings, and there were moments when she felt confused or afraid, but those moments were fewer now. With each passing day, she was learning to trust the love you and Steve had for her, learning to see you both as the safe haven she had always longed for.

One afternoon, as you sat on the couch with Olivia nestled beside you, her head resting on your shoulder, you thought back to the beginning. The first time you had met her at the orphanage, the way she had clung to you so tightly, unsure of the love you were offering. And now, months later, she was here—fully your daughter, fully a part of your family.

It had taken time. There had been struggles, doubts, and moments of uncertainty. But none of it had mattered. Because now, Olivia had a family who would always love her, who would always be there for her.

And you, Steve, and Olivia were finally together, forever.

Every day with Olivia brought something new—moments of discovery, laughter, and, occasionally, confusion. She was growing more comfortable in her new life, but there were still times when the weight of all the changes was visible on her small face. You and Steve worked tirelessly to make sure she felt loved and safe, prioritizing her happiness above everything else.

One of those days came during a trip to the mall, an outing you had planned as a fun adventure for the three of you. Olivia was still enamored with the idea of the mall after her first visit, but this time, you promised to let her pick out something special for herself. As you walked hand in hand through the bustling corridors, Olivia’s wide eyes darted from one brightly lit store window to the next.

“Mommy, what’s that?” she asked, pointing to a mannequin dressed in a shimmering pink dress.

“It’s a dress, sweetie,” you explained with a smile. “Do you like it?”

She nodded thoughtfully, her tiny face serious as she considered the possibilities. “Can I try it on?”

“You sure can,” Steve said, squeezing her little hand gently. “Let’s go see if they have it in your size.”

Olivia’s excitement bubbled over as you led her into the store. A kind salesperson helped you find the dress in her size, and soon, Olivia was standing in front of a mirror, twirling as the pink fabric shimmered under the lights. Her giggles echoed through the dressing room, and your heart swelled as you watched her revel in the simple joy of trying something new.

“You look beautiful, sweetheart,” Steve said, kneeling to her level as she continued to twirl. “Like a princess.”

Olivia stopped spinning and looked at Steve with wide eyes. “A princess? Like in the movies?”

“Exactly like that,” he replied, grinning. “But even better, because you’re real.”

Her laughter filled the air as she hugged Steve tightly. “Thank you, Daddy.”

Moments like these made the transition easier for Olivia. She was discovering a world she’d never known before, filled with kindness and possibility. But not everything was so straightforward. One evening, while you were all enjoying dinner together, Steve’s phone rang with a tone Olivia had come to recognize—the one that meant he was being called to work.

“No,” she said suddenly, her fork dropping onto her plate. “No, Daddy, don’t go!”

Steve’s brow furrowed as he crouched beside her chair, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Sweetheart, I have to. It’s my job to help people, remember?”

“But what if you don’t come back?” she asked, her voice trembling. Tears welled in her eyes as she clung to him.

Your heart ached at the sight of her distress, and you knelt beside her, wrapping an arm around her small shoulders. “Daddy always comes back, Livvy. He always will. You know how much he loves you, right?”

Olivia sniffled and nodded, but the worry didn’t leave her face. Steve pulled her into his arms, holding her close. “I’ll be back before you know it,” he whispered. “And I’ll call you every chance I get. Promise.”

Eventually, Olivia let him go, though her eyes stayed glued to the door long after he’d left. That night, you let her sleep in your bed, her small body curled against yours as you stroked her hair and reassured her that everything would be okay.

Despite these challenges, Olivia continued to flourish. Her days were filled with new experiences, like her first trip to the park, where she discovered the thrill of swinging high into the sky, and her first attempt at baking cookies with you, which ended in flour-covered laughter and some surprisingly delicious treats. She was constantly learning and growing, her curious mind eager to absorb everything her new world had to offer.

But what she seemed to love most of all was simply spending time with you and Steve. Whether it was movie nights snuggled on the couch, reading bedtime stories together, or lazy Sunday mornings filled with pancakes and cuddles, Olivia thrived on the love and attention you both gave her.

One particularly chilly evening, after a long day of playing in the park, the three of you were bundled up on the couch, wrapped in blankets as a movie played softly in the background. Olivia was nestled between you and Steve, her head resting on your shoulder as her tiny fingers played with the fabric of your sweater.

“I love this,” she murmured sleepily, her voice barely audible over the movie. “I love being with you.”

Your heart melted at her words, and you kissed the top of her head, holding her a little tighter. “We love being with you too, Livvy.”

Steve reached over to brush a stray curl from her face, his eyes filled with warmth. “You’re the best part of our lives, kiddo.”

Olivia beamed up at him, her face radiant with happiness. Moments like this were what made everything worth it—the late nights, the tears, the challenges. She was your daughter, and there was nothing more fulfilling than seeing her feel safe and loved.

As time went on, Olivia continued to settle into her new life. She grew more confident and independent, but she never stopped seeking the comfort of your arms or Steve’s reassuring presence. She learned to navigate the complexities of her world, from the excitement of trying new things to the confusion of understanding Steve’s dual role as her dad and Captain America.

And though there were still moments of uncertainty, one thing was clear: Olivia had found her place in your family, and she knew, without a doubt, that she was loved.

For her, that was enough. And for you and Steve, it was everything.

The week flew by in a blur of cuddles, playtime, and quiet moments that made life feel impossibly full. Then came the invitation: a family dinner that would bring both your and Steve’s families together, all eager to meet the newest addition to the Rogers household. You were thrilled at the thought of introducing Olivia to her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, but as the day approached, Olivia grew quiet and withdrawn.

On the drive to your parents' house, Olivia sat in her car seat, clutching her pink bear—a beloved souvenir from her first mall trip. She was uncharacteristically quiet, her eyes fixed on the scenery outside.

“You okay, Livvy?” you asked, turning slightly in your seat.

Her little shoulders lifted in a hesitant shrug. “What if they don’t like me?” she asked in a small voice, barely audible over the hum of the car.

Steve met your worried gaze in the rearview mirror. “Oh, sweetheart,” he said gently, glancing back at her. “Why would you think that?”

“’Cause I’m not really yours,” she mumbled, her words tugging at your heartstrings.

You immediately turned to face her fully. “Olivia Rogers, listen to me,” you said softly but firmly. “You are ours in every way that matters. And our families are going to love you because you’re you. You’re smart, funny, sweet, and the most incredible little girl. They’ve been so excited to meet you.”

“Really?” she asked, her voice tinged with hope.

“Really,” Steve said, smiling warmly. “They already love you, Livvy. Just wait and see.”

The reassurance seemed to calm her nerves a little, but she still clung to her bear as the car pulled into the driveway of your parents’ house. The porch light was on, casting a warm glow over the scene, and the sounds of laughter and chatter floated through the open windows.

As soon as you stepped out of the car, the door opened, and your mother appeared, a wide smile spreading across her face as she waved. “They’re here!” she called over her shoulder.

Olivia hesitated, her small hand gripping yours tightly as you walked up the steps. Steve carried her overnight bag, his other hand resting reassuringly on her back.

“Hi, sweetie!” your mother greeted warmly, kneeling to Olivia’s height. “You must be Olivia. I’ve heard so much about you!”

Olivia glanced at you, her eyes uncertain. You gave her a gentle nod, encouraging her. “It’s okay, Livvy,” you whispered.

“Hi,” Olivia said shyly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Your mother beamed, her joy palpable. “Come on in, everyone’s so excited to meet you!”

Inside, the house was a bustle of activity. Steve’s mom was setting the table with your dad, and your siblings were chatting with Steve’s sister. The moment Olivia stepped into the living room, she froze. Piled in the corner, almost spilling into the room, was a mountain of brightly wrapped gifts, each adorned with a bow or ribbon.

“That’s for me?” Olivia asked, her voice a mix of awe and disbelief.

“Of course, they’re for you!” Steve’s mom chimed in, coming over to greet her. “We couldn’t wait to spoil you!”

Olivia’s grip on your hand tightened. “But… why?”

“Because we already love you,” your mom said, her voice filled with emotion. “And we want you to feel at home here.”

Slowly, Olivia’s nerves began to melt away as family members took turns introducing themselves. She remained quiet at first, answering questions in single words and holding tightly to her bear. But as the evening wore on, the warmth of her new family worked its magic.

The turning point came when your dad crouched down beside her and asked, “Olivia, do you like games?”

Her eyes lit up for the first time since arriving. “Games? I love games!”

“Well,” your dad said conspiratorially, “I happen to be the best checkers player in this whole house. Think you can beat me?”

A small giggle escaped her lips, and she nodded enthusiastically. “I can try!”

From that moment on, Olivia blossomed. She played checkers with your dad, who “accidentally” let her win every game, and she insisted on showing Steve’s mom her pink bear. Your mom pulled out a photo album and sat with Olivia on the couch, showing her baby pictures of you and Steve, much to Olivia’s delight.

“Daddy was a baby too?” Olivia asked, her tone incredulous.

Steve chuckled, ruffling her hair. “Yep, even me.”

As the night continued, Olivia grew bolder, her laughter filling the room as she bounced between relatives, sharing stories and soaking up the love and attention. The mountain of gifts was slowly unwrapped, revealing toys, clothes, and even a pink tricycle, which earned an ear-piercing squeal of delight.

By the time dessert was served, Olivia was perched on Steve’s mom’s lap, chatting away like they’d known each other forever. She didn’t seem to mind that her grandparents couldn’t run and play the way she was used to; instead, she found joy in their hugs, their stories, and the simple act of being included in the family.

As you watched her interact with everyone, your heart swelled with pride. This was her family now, and she was already carving out her place in it.

Later that night, as the guests began to leave and Olivia’s energy started to wane, she curled up on the couch beside you, her head resting on your shoulder. “Mommy?” she murmured sleepily.

“Yes, sweetie?”

“They really like me,” she said, her voice filled with wonder.

You wrapped an arm around her, holding her close. “Of course they do, Livvy. They love you.”

“And I love them too,” she said, her words slurring as she drifted off to sleep.

Steve scooped her up gently, carrying her to the guest room where she’d be spending the night. As he tucked her in, he kissed her forehead, his voice soft as he whispered, “Goodnight, kiddo. Sweet dreams.”

As you stood in the doorway, watching him with Olivia, you felt a wave of gratitude wash over you. This was your family.

[mssonepiece]

Pirate Rubber Ducks

Proof read and edited

Monkey D. Luffy x Reader smut

You may love everything about Luffy, but the rest of the crew certainly has their complaints about the captain.. Especially Nami. She has to beg you to make Luffy take a bath when he just doesn’t feel like doing it for a while(which happens to be weeks or even months at a time).

18+ under the cut.

Day 1

Getting Luffy to shower or bathe was pretty hard, but he’s just finished his last weekly shower of this month. Sanji had to sacrifice his usual afternoon activities with cooking an unusually large feast for when Luffy was done his shower. Of course I had to stay in the bathroom with him and guide him through the steps of cleaning himself, like every other time. But it was worth it for him to be clean after. Now I can sleep peacefully for a while without worrying about complaints from the more hygienic crew mates.

Day 7

Its been a boring week on the ship, theres been no island sightings yet, this can be a good an bad thing. When the crew is off the ship on an island we use less water, when everyones on the ship for so long the water filter slows down. Luckily Franky always gets it working again within the day. But this does lead to less showers being taken when we are traveling at sea since everyone must switch off days.

Day 10

I took a shower this morning and usually I like for Luffy to shower with me so we are both clean, but he's been running around the ship all day avoiding me since I woke up this morning and told him I was going to get ready for a shower. So I got the idea on the last island in some shop that maybe Luffy would like some toys for bath time and maybe that would make him want to bathe more. He’s never really been fond of showers, just comparing it to the rain and saying he doesn’t need to shower since he did in the rain.. Nami does not like when I relay this back to her.

So when we were on that island I went to the shop and it had the perfect bath toys, I took the time to look around carefully for items I knew Luffy would think were cool and entertaining. I found a yellow rubber duck with an eye patch to make it look like a pirate. It was perfect for him. I also found some bubbles and a few other colored ducks, one red and one blue. I haven’t shown him yet but I’ve been sure all day that Nami would come to ask me to get Luffy in the bath. I sigh in response and stand from where I was seated on the deck to look around for Luffy.

He was in the mens bunk room with Ussop and Chopper. “Hey Luffy,” Luffy turns his head at the sound of my voice behind him. “sorry to bother your guys game like usual but Luffy.. I got something for you” I would love to join their card game but hopefully they’ll still be playing when me and Luffy come back.

“What is it?” He hasn’t got up yet, still choosing to sit on the ground and look up at me. Ussop and Chopper already know that it’s time for Luffy to get clean and start to ushering Luffy to go with me. “Alright.” He says with a laugh as he finally stands up and follows behind me out of the mens bunk room. “what’s up” He hugs me from behind, I got a feeling he already knows what's up and wants to distract me.

“I got you a little friend for the bath.” I move my feet forward, half to try to get him to let go and half to just get him to move with me.

“is it you?” he laughs in my ear.

“no,” I join him but I’m not gonna let him charm his way out of this. “its not me. come see, I already got it all ready for you baby.” maybe some baby treatment will make him want to listen to me… I mean I did buy him a bunch of bath toy in order for him to take interest in getting clean. He might as well be a big baby sometimes.

“I think I’d rather take a bath with you babe.” He squeezes me a little tighter as I start to make some leeway.

"Yeah? I think you'll like this too Lu, just come." I put my arms on top his trying to pull them away. Luffy groans and slides back, keeping his hands on my hips.

"What is it?" He pulls my back against his chest and looks at me over my shoulder. I smile back at him and he returns the favor as always. "huh"

"Come." He finally lets me pull his arms and bring him to the bathroom. On the way he's sulking trying to make me change my mind but once we enter the room and he sees the bubbles and the rubber ducks floating around he's much happier.

"Are those rubber duckies?!" He shouts excitedly so I guess I've finally found a way to get him in the bath. "So cool! There's so many bubbles y/n" I can't help but laugh at his cute face getting all excited by a few bath toys and bubbles. "come on, take your clothes off.." Funny enough it's like every time Luffy acts like a cute child it's followed by acts of lust. He gives out very wholesome love I guess. So wholesome that sometimes I can't even tell when he's in the mood.

"what?"

"You heard me y/n." He's already removed his shirt and working on his shorts and boxers. I didn't really plan on joining him because I already took a shower this morning and he knows that but obviously he doesn't care. I must have been standing really still because Luffy came up to me and started pulling on my shirt after he was fully undressed. "Why aren't you moving."

"I don't know. Why don't you get in the bath?" He laughs at me but takes my hand and pulls me towards the bath, trying to get me in with my clothes still on. "WAIT! LUFFY NO!" He stops pulling and laughs so hard he has to grab onto me for support. Thank god he didn't pull me in the tub. He just slowly starts lifting my shirt from the back with a smile. "I already showered this morning. You were supposed to come with me and this would have already been done if you just listened Luffy."

"Soo?" Luffy pulls my shirt fully off now and moves to my pants. He leans into my neck and starts leaving rough kisses as he tries to pull my pants down for me. "you'll be extra clean." He bites my neck making me press my body into him then he laughs, knelling in order to remove all clothes from my bottom half. He's smiling as he stands back up of course and picks me up, dropping me in the tub. Luckily it's a pretty deep tub but my knees still hit the bottom of it hard.

"OW! Luffy.." He climbs in next to me and pulls me right on top of his lap facing away from him.

"Sorry.." He laughs and hugs my waist tight, leaving a kiss on my shoulder now he's got me so close again.

"Sure." I roll my eyes and wrap my arms over his. It would be nice to just sit like this for a while but I don't like being in the bath when it's cold so I'd like to get Luffy clean and get this over with.

The ducks start floating around us and Luffy clearly took notice, grabbing the pirate duck and bringing it close to us. "Heh, did you get this for me? Cause I'm gonna be-"

"King of the pirates." We smile at each other as I finish the sentence for him. "Yeah. I saw it at the last island and it reminded me of you."

"Oh heh. I just need an eye patch." He drops the duck and sinks his hand down into the water to crawl up my leg. I tilt my head onto his shoulder trying to get a look at his handsome face, he's looking down at, I'm assuming, the bubbles. He's dragging his hand up and down my left thigh. Inching closer to where I think he wants to be... I think the only way he's gonna get clean today is if I'm the one cleaning him. So I reach my hand over to grab the shampoo and squirt some in my hand, turning my body slightly to the left so I can put it in Luffy hair. I scrub it in and he's smiling with his eyes closed. He's moved his hand to rest on my right leg pulling both of them toward him, still dragging it back and forth slowly.

"Keep your eyes closed." I tell him as I grab the water cup, fill it, and pour it over Luffy's head. He smiles up at me when I'm done and quickly pounces at my lips. Of course I kiss back and wrap my hands around his face. Luffy brings that hand back between my legs rubbing up my thigh, getting closer and closer to.. "Luffy.. stop it I gotta get you clean baby." He groans in response and starts rubbing my clit. This shuts me up and honestly he's got my focus good now, I'm not too worried about giving him his a bath much anymore. "Lu.." He kisses me again and keeps working under the water.

"Babe.. I don't want to get clean. Can we play first?" He brings his fingers down and puts two fingers inside. I guess I have no choice. He gets the chance to stick his tongue in my mouth and does not miss it. Luffy's not one to usually take things slow but right now he's too distracted with fitting his tongue down my throat to move his fingers any faster. I'm hoping he'll still take baths with the toys without me in the future but I'm perfectly fine with this for now. He curls his fingers and I let a moan out into his mouth, he eats its up. He tries to kiss deeper but by now both our lips are hella swollen and possibly bruised from the biting. Luffy tries not to bite hard but always makes my lips bleed, I've grown to love it since it's a reminder of what me and him do together.

Finally Luffy pulls back to take a look at my face probably to see how I'll look at him with so little time to react. He smiles and speeds up his fingers with this knew found focus. "nnnh.. Lu-ffy." He's watching closely now, appreciating the work he did on my lips which draws him back in, kissing me so deeply again I have to grab his arm for support. "don't stop..."

"Baby.." He drags out the 'y' and smiles tauntingly. "Don't stop?" He chuckles to himself. "I thought you said 'Luffy stop it'" He's mocking me but I'm to invested in his fingers to care for his mouth right now. Though Luffy doesn't miss the tightening around his fingers at his words. "so should I stop?" with a pauses "or no?" and he starts again, clearly toying with me. He really is so childish. His other hand behind my back comes up into my hair and pushes me back onto his lips for another passionate kiss. I can barely kiss back at this point with how hard he's pushing our heads together, and with how he's moving his two fingers inside of me. "Hm?" Luffy pulls back for me to give an answer.

"no.." My mouth has been open this whole time, not able to keep it closed long enough to care anymore. He smiles brightly like he always does and his hand that's in my hair brings me back to him.

If I had to guess then I'd say that one thing Luffy can't stop himself from doing is fingering me during anytime of the day. To be honest I'm not to sure why, but it works for me. He's truly a great boyfriend. Who else could bend and stretch their fingers like Luffy can? No one of course, so I'm happy he choose to be with me, and is choosing to speed up his pace as he bends those long fingers in my pussy right now.

"Luf- ah baby please." I moan into his mouth and he can't help but smile against my lips, taking them in between his teeth and pulling back. I hope he thinks I'm cute, but it's quite obvious he does with how he looking at me. "I'm goin..to cum Luffy."

I love how he doesn't change his pace, honestly I think one reason he fingers me so much is because.. well I ask him so much. It's just not the same when I touch myself and there's really no need. He knows exactly what to do now with all the practice we've had.

He tries to play with my clit too but he's not doing too great a job, but luckily his other fingers are too deep and moving too swiftly for me to be affected by his clumsiness. I can feel already that I really am about to cum, he’s a magic worker with his devil fruit powers. Luffy leans over to kiss and bite the other side of the my neck he didn't get to cover yet. "baby"

"You're so cute." He whispers against my neck, going back to kissing it right after. He scissors his fingers quickly after feeling my cum coat his fingers, soon washed away by the water in the tub. He pecks my lips and smiles. Why does he have to be so cute? "Do I still have to take a bath?" Of course he asks.

"Luffy," I laugh at him. "we're almost done. I already washed your hair I just have to wash your body."

"Oh okay. Well get to it baby." He puts his hands on his hips and I quickly wrap my arms around his neck to hold me up.

"Okay." I laugh and grab the red loofa I know that's his and the body wash from the side of the tub. Luffy's watching intently again. I squirt the soap onto the loofa and rub it in, turing back to Luffy and starting with his scarred chest. "Do you like the ducks?"

He smiles and pulls me close by my waist. "Heh, yup."

Day 15

I'm peacefully sleeping in bed when Luffy throws himself on top of me, laughing already about some nonsense right in my ear. He pulls the comforter back, making me groan, and wraps his arms around my waist a few times to help bring back some of the warmth he took. Finally getting up close to my ear again to whisper

"Bath time baby.."

[absurdthirst]

Kinktober 2023: October 24th

Day 24: Bratty Sub, Anal/Oral Training, Caging

Marcus Pike x F!Reader

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 812

Warnings: Caging, collaring, dom/sub dynamic, nude reader/clothed Marcus, oral (male receiving), praise

|| Kinktober List || MasterList ||

Click Keep Reading only if you have read the Rating and Warnings and understand the warnings may not be complete to avoid listing spoilers. As AO3 says 'creator chooses not to use warnings'. You also agree that you're the right age to be consuming anything here.

There’s always a slight rattle to the door, giving you time to look over. To reposition yourself the way that you know he prefers you to be sitting. The way a good girl greets him. 

The bars of the cage are wide enough for you to stick your hand through. Comfortable enough that you can lay down when you curl up or sit up without feeling cramped. It was a very nice enclosure. You could definitely have worse. 

Your collar tinkles slightly, the bell at the hollow of your throat is one that you had been embarrassed about when he had clipped it around your throat. Making him aware every time you move. It’s impossible to keep from moving when he’s thrusting into your body, filling you with his cock so hard you rock forward. 

Coming to your hands and knees, you tilt your head down, keeping your eyes on the space right in front of the cage that he will be standing in just a few moments. The door swings open quietly, just a whisper of sound and then a pleased hum makes your cunt clench. He likes when you obey him without any reminding of what you need to do. Obviously today you had been positioned perfectly. 

“Good girl.” Your entire body lights up, listening to the praise and the soft sound of his steps as he comes closer. He always moves so quietly, it’s not a heavy tread to make you wary but a soft step that has you yearning for his presence. His feet come into view, still wearing socks but he’s obviously removed his shoes. Still dressed in his smart suit pants and you wonder if he has to leave. 

He is probably looking down, most likely is. Admiring the way your naked body is presented to him. You don’t move, trying to keep the bell quiet and be the door girl that he had praised when he walked in. 

Your cage is your safe space. All the anxiety from the outside word is left outside the door of the metal crate. The lock protects you from what is beyond. Your worries are limited to just what pleases him and nothing else. 

“Eyes up.” You eagerly start to lift your eyes from where they were focused on his socked feet. Sliding up his thighs and over his groin, his cock already hard underneath the layers that separate him from you. Your pussy throbs and he must know that because he hums again. 

Continuing up his chest, covered in a snow white dress shirt and a tie that’s already been pulled loose from the knot at his throat, the tails hang loose, making him look even more handsome and slightly disheveled. The slight stubble that he complained about growing out because it itched, but he also preferred it over the smooth cheeked look that he had sported for a long time. You think that either look is sexy on him and say so when he asks you. 

Over the aquiline nose that he hates and you adore, up to his warm, melted caramel eyes. Eyes that can appear darker when he’s upset or angry, but now they are soft, focused on you and betraying the lust that is swimming in them. 

“Hello, pet.” He chuckles as he reaches down and flicks open the belt around his waist. “You have been so good for me today, haven’t you?” 

You nod, eager to show him that you will continue to be good. “Yes sir.” You whisper quietly. 

“It’s so good to see that you didn’t try to escape.” He smirks slightly at the lock that is on the door, preventing you from getting out even if you wanted to. “I always love when my good girl stays put. Enjoys the nice little spot that I’ve made for you. Isn’t it nice?” 

“Yes sir.” You nod quickly again, agreeing with him. 

Marcus pulls his cock out and pumps it a few times in his hands as he shuffles closer and slides it through the opening in the bars of the cage he has you in. “Continue being a good girl and suck daddy’s cock and I’ll let you out to fuck you this time.” He promises, deciding that he won’t fuck you through the cage like he had the last few times. You deserve a treat for not trying to get out. You deserve to come out for a few hours. 

His cock twitches and he looks down expectantly. “Open that pretty mouth, sweetheart, daddy wants to cum.” 

You moan and open your mouth obediently, eager to do exactly what he wishes so Marcus will let you out. He will keep his word. He always does. Despite the fact that Marcus Pike keeps you in a cage, he treats you like his perfect little pet and you love it. “Good girl.”