#it's been forever since I made brownies

[erwinsvow]

drunk rafe nd shy!reader talking when he starts telling her all about his dark twisted plans of marrying her and getting her pregnant, that she’s going to be his forever. <3

"you need to sleep, rafey," you hum, trying to keep your boyfriend upright while you get him inside tannyhill.

topper had been sweet enough to drop the two of you off before heading home, knowing that you would have trouble driving rafe's truck. you had to remember to thank him tomorrow, maybe bake him some brownies, since you remembered those were his favorite last time you made them.

"wha' i need is you-" he slurs back, and you giggle. rafe never gets drunk like this, and he's usually always composed. the extra shots at the end did him in—the boys were celebrating something that didn't make much sense to you.

"what you need is an advil and some water. and greasy food tomorrow morning, don't worry, i'll make some for you."

"i know y'will." you try to sneak in, remaining as quiet as you can while you guide rafe up the stairs. you're sure everyone's asleep and though rafe's family seemed to really like you, you don't want to make a bad impression. rafe's being loud, and you pray no one wakes up while you get him into his bedroom.

finally finishing the journey up the staircase, rafe gets on his bed, struggling to untie his laces. you can't help your smile, the laugh spilling out. you never get to see him like this.

you hurry over, dropping down and taking the laces into your hands, untying them quickly. rafe kicks off his shoes and sits up on the bed, opening his arms to you. you know you should go and find the bottle of advil, but you can't resist, crawling into his lap and steadying yourself by holding onto his arms. he looks right into your eyes, something that always makes your face burn.

"you're a real good girl, y'know that?" rafe says, words a little less slurred. you smile and nod gently, at a loss for words. rafe's hand comes up to touch your jawline, holding you there a little tightly, but not painful at all. "really. mean it. you're so perfect."

"rafe-" you protest quietly, entire body flushing with a wave of heat. you're used to all kinds of praise for him, it's really commonplace for the two of you, but this feels different—feels more intimate, maybe because you know he's in the state of mind that makes you say everything you're thinking.

"no, i mean it. you're perfect for me. you always listen, always do what i say. how'd you get like that, hm?"

"i don't know," you mumble. he's drunk, so you think he won't remember. "you bring it out in me."

"good. you're so good." you smile, resting your head against his shoulder, eyes shutting while you inhale his scent. "m'gonna marry you as soon as i fuckin' can." your eyes shoot open, a laugh bubbling to the surface.

"rafe-"

"no, really. maybe i should knock you up now, make sure no one gives us any problems."

you pick your head up, looking back at your boyfriend. he seems to be in his own world, lost in his thoughts.

"that sounds good. knock you up and then marry you, and then it'll jus' be me you and the kids forever. that's right. perfect. gotta get on that." you listen with wide eyes and parted lips. even in his drunken state, he wonders if he scared you this time.

"promise?"

[onlyangel4]

it couple. fc43. smau.

franco colapinto x girlfriend!reader

the addition of a new f1 driver means a brand new wag and fans quickly learn that they are a match made in heaven

faceclaim: amelia zadro

y/ninsta posted a story tagging francocolapinto

written: just having my morning coffee and franco calls me with the best news ever, my boy is going to f1!!

francocolapinto posted a story

written: time to celebrate with my love

y/ninsta posted a story tagging francocolapinto

written: power nap ready for italy !

f1wags

liked by user1, user2, user3 and 43,283 others

f1wags: first look at the brand new couple in the paddock. franco colapinto and y/n y/ln have been dating for three years and after doing some research i have concluded that they are the cutest couple ever. y/n is a baker and she is forever posting her making protein treats for franco that fit in his meal plan. they are so cute.

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user1: the more i learn about them the more i love them

user2: cutie patooties

user3: i have been following franco since he first got with y/n and i can confirm that he is whipped

francocolapinto posted a story tagging y/ninsta

written: hungría estamos en ti. (hungary we are in you)

y/ninsta posted a story

written; fit for my man's first f1 qualy

lilymhe posted a story tagging y/ninsta

written: alex and franco returned from a meeting to find me and y/n seeing who could hang from this random beam we found in the garage. y/n may be young but damn does she have superhuman strength

alexalbon posted a story tagging francocolapinto and y/ninsta

written: breaking news: rookie slacks on first race weekend and misses a meeting because he is napping

y/ninsta posted a story

written: race day. race day. race day.

y/ninsta posted a story tagging francocolapinto

written: p18 to p12 in his first race. idgaf about points my man did that!

francocolapinto

liked by y/ninsta, lilymhe, alexalbon and 872,273 others

tagged: y/ninsta

francocolapinto: first race in f1 completed ! this weekend made me realise how lucky i am. y/n has been my side for three whole years and she never gets sick of listening to me yap about racing. she is always there to listen to me talk about racing strategies, even if she doesn't understand what i am saying. i am so incredibly in love with you y/n thank you for being here

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y/ninsta: omg you are going to make me cry into this brownie mixture franco

francocolapinto: sorry my love

user4: he is not sorry at all

lilymhe: thank you for introducing me to my soulmate

y/ninsta: marry me

alexalbon: i think i have a couple objections

francocolapinto: me too

user5: my fav couple on the grid

∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘

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@nichmeddar

[stillpanicking]

Jack Fenton loves his children. His heart forever aching for his past, current and possible future mistakes. Crying onto his children's shoulders begging for forgiveness for his and Maddie's actions and inaction. Maddie right there by their side, horror overwhelming them for what they have done to their children.

Despite the reassurance that all has been forgiven, Jack and Maddie try their utmost best to help their children deal with those that dare cause them harm. Even if it means backing treats for them.

One said treats is Jack's apology fudge.

It is mentioned that once, when Dan escaped from Clockwork's relam, he found himself facing his parents. Danny found Dan eating a tray of apology fudge while Jack apologized for not being a good father in his timeline. Dan was so entrapped by the treats that a deal was made. It was clear the fudge has an effect on Dan that made him more... subdued. More calm... more....

"It reminds me of hugs... I missed the old man's hugs."

It's making him feel whole again. Long as Dan is on good behavior, he will not need to return back into the thermos.

When Dan once lost a container of his last batch of brownies and cookies made by his father, it was found on a roof in Gotham...

Red Hood found the baked good on the roof of his warehouse one night. Wondering who left it there. Normally he would throw it out or call out who left it there. Yet...

He felt the need to get one grew strong. Picking up the container, the smell from the goodies caused something within him to get warm. It took him 10 minutes to realize he ate everything in the container. Shock over whelmed him as he hasn't felt this much in peace since his revival. He felt... he feels that he's getting better.

He needs to find more.

[trulyumai]

Fall Baking

pairing: eddie munson / gf! reader

synopsis: it was finally fall. more rain, more sweaters. this also meant the return of the infamous, ‘Hawkins Fair.’ eddie could care less about it really, but you were ecstatic.

warnings: none, fluff only!

A/N: im baking like crazy right now so this automatically came to my head. I’m ready to drown in pumpkin bread and warm coffee.

Eddie knew you loved the fall.

When the leafs started to turn, the weather getting colder and sbittier than normal, yeah, that was when that thing happened to your eyes.

They’d get all shiny and well, cute.

He was the opposite. He could do without the hindrance of rain bearing against him anytime he wanted to take out the trash or walk to the corner store.

But seeing you so happy about little sprinkles of condensation made the man weak.

So he detested the cold weather a little less for you.

And you know what the cold weather brought?

Fall excursions.

Aka: The Fair.

“Guys, you’re not gonna believe this!” Slamming your lunch down on the table, your body molded against his in one solid motion.

Eddie grunted out in surprise, but it didn’t stop you from talking about the surprise you had in store.

“The fair is coming back!”

Only stares were given, Gaven looked over at Jeff who was returning the same empty, confused look.

Eddie jumped in with a clearing of his throat, being the best boyfriend ever he had to save the day, right?

“No way, baby!”

“Way!” You giggled, relaxing into Eddies hold as you dug out the celery sticks in your little box.

“And, the school is accepting student stalls, that’s gonna be so much fun!”

“Why is that fun— ow!” With a harsh kick to Gavin’s knee, Eddie changed the subject.

“That’s cool babe, you could do a baking themed one. Your treats are to dieeeee for.”

“Oh yeah! Been a while since I got the iconic Mrs. Munson brownies,” Gavin sighed out. Already imagining the pillowy, chocolaty goodness that was always oozing with warmth.

“That’s not what I named them.” You laughed, “Buuuut if you boys help me out with the stall I promise to bake one thing if your choosing!”

This garnered the attention of the hellfire club fast. Eddie was almost jealous at how entranced you got everyone.

“Anything?”

“Can you do cakes?”

“Ooooh the brownieees!” Almost everyone talked over one another, already fantasizing about the treats they’ll ask for.

“Uhhhh babe?” Eddies rings were cold against your thighs, your dark green skirt rid up against the tops of his legs, showcasing your pretty and soft skin.

“Mhm?” You replied, already turning towards your wild haired boyfriend.

“And what do I get? I mean I love your baking, obviously! but I can get that anytime.”

That was… true.

Damn it you thought you had everyone sinched into the plan. But of course Eddie would try to sneak something else into play.

“Well ummm,” he stumped you this time.

Furrowing your brows, you bit lightly on the inside of your cheek. Thoroughly searching your brain for anything Eddie might approve of.

Clothes? No, Eddie only wore his favorite staples anyway. Maybe you could offer to clean his room? No, you just did that last weekend when he was too busy snoring on the couch.

Think, think!—

“I knooow what I want.”

You knew that tone. That deep drawl that makes his voice come out in a low, teasing hush.

Eddie indicated you closer with just a wag of his index finger.

You felt the weight of his breath hit the side of your face, warm and light.

“I want,” he breathed in this time, dragging his lips closer and closer until they brushed against the side of your jaw.

“You, to spend the night, every nite this week.”

“Eddie!” Rolling your orbs you pushed his face away. “That’s kinda impossible. You know how my parents are—“

“Pretty please, sweetheart? It’s been forever!”

“I just spent the night on saturday!”

“That was literally forever ago.”

“Eddie.” Your fingers brushed with his temple, lightly pushing against them.

“That was two days ago.”

He only shook his head in rebuttal, moving his legs until your frame was once again close to his.

“My point still stands. Forever ago! And you need my help, who will keep these idiots in check?”

“Hey!” A few club mates responded back, but quickly went into their own baking conversations.

“Not all week. Two days,”

“Three!” Eddie challenged. With a mocking squint to your eyes you huffed out a breath.

“Fine! You win. Three days.”

“Yes!” Eddie cheered, smothering a sloppy kiss on your cheek and raised a hand to high five Gavin.

What a dork.

“You won’t regret this baby. I just got new snacks, cleaned my room—“

“You cleaned your room?”

Eddie cleared his throat and his long fingers came up to play with the loose hair around your neck.

“Well.. no, but it’s still clean from when you did it— ouch!”

Grabbing the man’s soft cheek, you began to pull.

“Hey hey, easy easy, I was just joking!—“

“Sooooo funny, Eddie.” Laughing, you watched as his fingers came up to the pinched spot, rubbing it with a soft tenderness like you had plucked the skin right off his face.

Grabbing at your celery you joined into the groups conversation. Trying to remember each and every goodie the gang wanted you to bake.

This is gonna be a long week.

But at least it’s fall, right?

….

Right..?

[generalllimaginesss]

jackhughes

Liked by elblue6 and others

jackhughes I’ve never been one for sappy posts, but this past year with this little one has been heaven on earth. I’ve heard so many parents complain about lack of sleep, crying, and so many other things, but how can you complain when there’s something so innocent looking at you like this angel looks at us? I’d do this over a million times if it meant you stay this little forever. Happy first birthday. Always and forever going to be my little girl.

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lhughes_06 Thanks for making me the favorite uncle, bro.

_quinnhughes You’re not the favorite.

lhughes_06 Oh my bad, I’ve never heard her say your name so I thought she just didnt know you existed🫢

_quinnhughes she’s one. How tf is she supposed to say a “q” when she’s one?? I wasn’t the one that was 2 days late to the birth because of “plans that you couldn’t get out of.” 🫢

jackhughes if Quinn didn’t live in the middle of nowhere Canada he’d be the favorite by a long shot🫢

elblue6 I could not have chose a better daughter-in-love or granddaughter for my sweet boy. Nonna and Poppa love all three of you beyond words! Also, is my little angel walking yet?

y/nhughes We love you more! She’s not quite able to walk on her own yet, but Jack is making sure she learns to skate before she walks😉

elblue6 I expected nothing less coming from him lol!

trevorzegras it’s cute watching Quinn and Luke argue over who the favorite uncle is when I’m holding her right now. She may not be able to say my name, but she sure as hell cries when I’m not holding her 🫢

_quinnhughes you traumatize her so much when you hold her that she has to let it out when you’re not.

lhughes_06 she probably has ptsd from looking at your face

trevorzegras anyways, happy birthday to my sidekick. Can’t wait to piss your mom and dad off together when you’re older🫶

nicohischier the best thing to come from a Hughes brother. Happy birthday, love!

jackhughes that was a very unnecessary backhanded compliment, Nico.

lhughes_06 I once brought you brownies to practice. I’m hurt.

nicohischier You’re brownies were burnt.

_quinnhughes are you comparing our niece to burnt brownies Luke?

lhughes_06 Quinn, you’re irrelevant.

colecaufield since everybody else ruined your sappy post…Buddy you’re the best dad. She’s absolutely perfect, just like her mom.

trevorzegras I’m deceased

jackhughes I may not be perfect, but at least I’m not Zegras’s bitch

jackhughes sorry I meant caddy. Damn autocorrect.

y/nhughes love you coley!

jackhughes really y/n?

_alexturcotte happy birthday to my favorite baby. make another one so I can have 2 favorites.

jackhughes gotta talk to y/n about that. If it were up to me we’d have 12.

y/nhughes you can have all the babies you want when you push them out :)

y/nhughes our beautiful little family. You both make life so precious.

jackhughes we would be lost without Mama💜

y/nhughes

Liked by trevorzegras and others

y/nhughes On the left was our first day home, and on the right is you just now. They weren’t lying when they said time is a thief. I went through the worst pain in my life bringing you into this word, little girl, but you made me forget about it the second I heard your first cry. Happy first birthday, angel. Mama and Dada love you infinitely times one hundred.

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nhl Happy birthday Baby Hughes!

fanuser1 she’s so perfect. So happy for the Hughes family! Happy birthday!

_quinnhughes Uncle Q’s favorite girl. Happy birthday!

_alexturcotte The sweetest little family. Now add more. ps happy birthday beautiful.

y/nhughes We love you, Turcs! Our favorite babysitter😉

_alexturcotte the true favorite uncle doesn’t have to brag about it🤷‍♂️

fanuser2 I didn’t like y/n at first, but she’s grown on me.

jackhughes same tbh

y/nhughes Jack I stg if you don’t shut up…

bff.user you may have a lot of boys arguing about the favorite uncle, but I’m secure in knowing I’m the best aunt😙

trevorzegras we can be the aunt and uncle power couple😛

bff.user @jackhughes put your friend on a leash

jackhughes I’ll put a muzzle on him while I’m at it.

trevorzegras you all love me ;)

jackhughes unfortunately

elblue6

Liked by jackhughes and others

elblue6 Happy birthday to Nonna and Poppa’s favorite girl! You’re little heart is too good for this world, but we are so blessed for you to share it with us. You look so much like your mama, but you act just like your dada! (I’m saying a prayer for your mom). We can not wait to celebrate you this weekend! With love, Nonna and Poppa.

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[comradekarin]

are fans not allowed to prefer Taylor over Beyonce? why do you people always use the race card like do something else its getting tiring atp...

You are definitely allowed to prefer Taylor Swift over Beyoncé for… whatever reason that may be god bless your unseasoned soul. What you shouldn’t be doing is diminishing the work of Beyoncé and other black and queer artists in order to prop Taylor up. The fact that it’s the year of 2023 and we’re having these weird ass conversations of can Beyoncé even sing, dance, or put on a performance? You don’t even have to be a fan of Beyoncé to recognize the immense talent and impact that woman has on multiple demographics of people. Whether that be the Black community, other POC, or the LGBTQ community, Beyoncé has made an impact. And she actually does her research too and doesn’t use minorities as brownie points in her work (cough taylor’s vogue dancer cough). Beyoncé’s work only continues to improve, mind you. And to either deny or downplay that talent in order to prop up a mediocre white woman and her mediocre lyrics and her mediocre production is insane.

Prefer Taylor over Beyoncé? Ok. Love both? Ok. There is nothing wrong with that. As I stated in my previous post, I don’t like comparing female artists; it doesn’t do anything for me or those artists (especially since, from what I understand, they’re on good terms). However, if you expect me to believe that what’s considered the standard for Taylor is the same standard for Beyoncé (or, the standard for white artists vs the standard for black artists), it’s not going to happen. If you want an example, Beyoncé preparing for Coachella is more than enough proof; she had to destroy and completely reset her body after giving birth to twins in order to give the best show she could possibly give. Being the first black woman to headline the festival meant she had literally everything running on the line. We see this sentiment true with other black artists, too, like Halle Bailey, who had to undergo death threats, racism, bullying, and harassment despite having a perfect performance on the big screen and during her live performances. Halle had to prove she deserved to be treated with human decency, and had she even had a strand of hair left out she would have been crucified. I can even go on about the treatment of darker skinned vs light skinned/mixed women (those in closer proximity to whiteness) in the rap industry. We would be here forever talking about this.

And it’s not me pulling out the race card, it’s me simply recognizing that white women are celebrated for their mediocrity and black women are not. It’s me saying that Beyoncé’s fans calling out Taylor’s whiteness is in no where comparable to them calling out Beyoncé’s blackness, especially since Taylor’s whiteness benefits her in contrast to the way Beyoncé’s blackness punishes her. We can no longer pretend the struggle of white women are identical to the struggle of black women. Because, as we’ve seen with Taylor, her ally ship is performative, something she can hang up in the closet and forget about when she goes home at night. When it comes down to it, she will always adhere to her white womanhood to get her out of the shit she places herself in.

If you want to be ignorant and play colorblind to these issues, that’s on you. But don’t expect me to pretend that there isn’t an issue here—an issue that has always been here.

[ohtobeleah]

I can’t read it until all 3 parts are out. For my own mental stability. I’m waiting patiently.

Well. This is it folks. The final instalment. It’s been a ride. Please know this isn’t truly the end. But it’s the end of our main storyline. There will be more to come. Your feedback, reactions and support are so deeply appreciated.

-> Warnings: Mentions of Domestic Violence/Abuse. Bradley Bradshaw x F!reader. Jake Seresin x Platonic!F!reader.

-> Word Count: 5.2k

As always, for the final time—read from the beginning here. Finale Part One | Finale Part Two | Finale Part Three | Jake & Fe’s karaoke Song <- Please Listen To

***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~**

In the darkness of the night you slowly made your descent down the flight of stairs. Everything was still, not a sound could be heard amongst the silence that was three in the morning. You’d woken with a hankering for a few scoops of that delicious fudge brownie ice cream you had in the freezer. 

When you reached the bottom of the stairs, a familiar shadow caught your attention as he sat on the lounge. You knew who it was. 

“You can’t stay here forever Bob—“ You sighed as you padded on into the kitchen. Bob followed you silently as he watched you reach for two spoons. “I thought once Rooster ripped up that carpet you would have got the memo.” You turned on your heels to reach up and into the freezer for your pint of ice cream. 

“Got nowhere else to go.” Bob shrugged as you handed him the spoon. “You got me killed, remember?” In the blink of an eye, Bob didn’t look like Bob anymore, he looked like something straight out of a horror film when you looked back up to meet his gaze. “You didn't do enough when you should’ve known what he was capable of.” There was no excuse you could have given the version of Bob that stood before you that would have made things right. But you settled for the truth, the fact of the matter as the bloodied, beaten and shot version of Robert Floyd took a spoonful of your pint of ice cream. 

“I was scared—“ You whispered in the darkness of the night. “I was scared of him.” Bob just nodded. It always ended the same. 

“So was I.” 

With a gasp you woke up in a mess of cold sweats. This had happened before and it would surely happen again. It had only been a few weeks since Bob's untimely death and two weeks since his funeral. There was not a dry eye in sight as Rhett stamped those wings into his brother's coffin. 

“I wish I could change what happened, Rhett.” It was during a recess break in Jaidyn's initial custody hearing that you found Rhett outside the courthouse. He could tell by the way your voice sounded meeker than normal that you were afraid of what he thought of you. That he blamed you for this, for everything. The way he had come barrelling into the hospital once he’d heard what had happened was a sight you’d never forget. “I wish I could go back and change how I did things. Had I maybe done something sooner—been a little more brave, Bob might still be here.” 

“What’s happened, happened.” Rhett finally turned to where you sat next to him on the bench under the trees that were kissed with fall tones, amber, orange and brown. “That's an expression of faith in the mechanics of the world.” Rhett explained softly as he wrapped an arm around you, pulling you closer till your head found comfort against his shoulder. “People use it as an excuse to do nothing—but you—Y/n, have done all that you can.” 

“I don’t believe in fate—“ You replied through a soft whimper. “I don’t believe that fate would have taken him away from us.” You sobbed in Rhett’s warm embrace as Bradley stood close by watching over you. He was always watching. He was just there in case you needed him—and thank goodness he was because you needed him the most. “I don’t believe fate would have put me through that, put you through this.” Rhett could understand where you were coming from, to fight off falling into a bottomless pit of despair and depression Rhett had to see all this from another perspective—the perspective of his brother. The brother that gave the ultimate sacrifice. His brother Bob. 

“Call it what you want, but it happened and all we can do now is try to clean up the mess we’re left with.” 

“What do you call it?” You asked as you sat up to give Rhett your full attention, you knew after the short recess that it would be all about Bob's untimely demise. The first half of the session had been all about the abuse you’d endured. “This, all this chaos?” Rhett knew what Bob would have said. He was a numbers guy, a grounded in reality kind of guy. “What do you call it?” So with one word Rhett explained to you that he wasn’t mad nor spiteful. He wasn’t angry or out for revenge—against you that was. If given the chance Rhett would kill that son of a bitch in the blink of an eye. But he was simply glad he’d been there for you and done all that he could to protect you from possibly being the one who you’d just laid to rest three days prior. Just like Bob had asked him to do. 

“Reality—“ 

As you sat up in bed you turned on your little bedside lamp that illuminated the bedroom you shared with Bradley in an orange hume. He was sleeping soundly on his chest, snoring slightly because the deviated septum he now had made it harder for him to breathe. He was getting used to it though, pulling G forces however—that hurt like a mother fucker. 

“You okay there mama?” You and Bradley had decided to stay in the home that had been a house or horrors for that one fateful day. You didn’t want to run anymore, didn’t want to hide. Bradley had replaced the bloodied carpet and rearranged the living room. He thought changing things up might help. It wasn’t in the logistics to move, he still had a lease. 

The new carpet didn’t make the nightmares any less paralyzing or less prevalent though. You were both working through the PTSD that that day left behind. So was Jake. So was little Odette. You couldn’t get her in the upstairs bathroom to save yourself. For good reason. 

“I’m fine, just had abit of a nightmare.” You’d been having pretty consistent nightmares since that day. Your therapist assured you that it was completely natural. That it was all a part of the grieving process. The healing journey.

“The ice cream one or the couch one?” Bradley sighed as he rolled over, flicking on his own lamp as he rubbed his eyes. You were still in an immobilization sling for another few weeks. Doctor Taylor wasn’t happy to see your name back on his chart less than twelve hours post your first discharge. But he couldn’t say he wasn’t surprised. If he had been a beating man he swore his life savings would have been on your odds. 

“The ice cream one—“ You yawned as you looked at the time on your phone. Three am. Bob's most prevalent witching hour. “He only told me I killed him like once this time so I think we’re making some progress.” Bradley chuckled softly as he pulled you down and into his chest. He knew how much you were struggling to overcome the adversity you’d faced, he was too. You all were. No one had seen Phoenix of Rhett in days. Fanboy was doing his best to keep tabs but he was only one guy. 

“I think he’d get a real kick knowing Hangmans got a pair of glasses tattooed on his ass.” The entire group had gone and gotten a tattoo in memoriam. You, Bradley, Jake, Phoenix, Fanboy, Payback, Coyote and of course Rhett all had a pair of Bobs signature glasses tattooed. Yours had been placed on your finger. Bradley got his on his wrist. You couldn’t help but to smile against Bradley’s exposed chest as he wrapped his arm around you. He’d lost a fair few people in his life. Bob was just the latest on the list of good people taken too soon. “But I also think he’d be so proud of you.” 

“No you killed him.” Jaidyn played his final attempt to manipulate you. He wanted you to kill him. That was his end game. That was his plan. To ruin your entire life. “You killed him Y/n and darlin, you don’t have the fucking balls to kill me you poisonous bitch—“ Jaidyn snarled as you pressed your foot further into his chest. “Go on, pull the fucking trigger! DO IT!” 

*Bang* 

You hadn’t killed him, Jaidyn that was. But you did shoot him through his shoulder before you dropped to your knees in shock at the fact you’d thought about it and came seconds away from doing so. He was arrested and taken to hospital under police custody. He’d still yet to be officially sentenced, but for now he was in custody, without possibility of making any kind of bail. He’d spend the entirety of the time waiting on his trial behind bars. 

“I’m gonna go sleep in Odette's room for a little while.” You mumbled before you turned to kiss Bradley’s chest. He understood why. You’d been like this for weeks.

“I love you.” Was all he mermed in response before you were sitting up, swinging your legs over the side of the bed and pushing off out of the warmth of the bed you shared with the love of your life. Rooster saw no reason to spot you, he was only going to follow you in about five minutes or so. 

“I love you too.” You took your time as you padded down the hall to the room where your daughter slept soundly. She’d taken a little while to get used to having a room all to herself. Most nights she was racing down the hall in her pajamas screamed and crying just looking for you. On the nights she was able to sleep soundly through the night you’d be the one who woke up in cold sweats from your own nightmares. Both one in the same—the pair of you couldn’t go a night apart. 

As you opened her bedroom door the sight you saw melted your heart. Bradley had hooked up one of those roaming lamps that projected stars onto the roof of Dots room. He’d told her one night during one of her moments where she felt like she was drowning, that her grandparents would keep her safe from all the monsters in her closet while he was sleeping and that he’d keep her safe from the monsters of the world. That was his promise, that he’d always protect her. 

The stars lit up her room just enough so that she wasn’t shrouded in darkness. The teddy bear in her arms wore a flight suit with a tiny ‘Bob’ stitched into the fabric. He wore a set of glasses that matched your tattoo. Bobby bear had quickly become Dot's favourite toy. Rhett had gotten it for her, he’d never tell anyone but he had one too. It sat on his suitcase just staring at him just wondering when he was going to go back home. 

“My sweet girl.” You whispered as you crawled into bed with your daughter. Bradley swore blue that he and Jake were going to find the time to make her the princess bed she deserved. For right now though it was just a simple frame with a lip big enough to stop her from falling. “Mamas here.” You cooed as you pulled her close. Even in her sleeping state Dot reached up to touch your cheek. “I love you so much.” 

Mav had been staying in the spare room since the incident. He’d felt so guilty for not being around. He’d been so focused on the internal investigation into Beau Simpson's competence that he truly did believe there were enough people around you to stop a tragedy from occurring again. 

He’d been wrong. So in the spare room he stayed until Bradley had convinced him that his little family was safe. 

“Room for one more?” Bradley’s voice sounded ever so soft as he crept into Odette's room. You looked at him as he padded in. Sweats hanging low off his hips to expose those deep vee lines with the elastic of his boxer briefs poking out the top. 

“Unfortunately Bradshaw, I think this beds full.” The way you smiled, the way you spoke, the way you loved so deeply and so passionately made Bradley Bradshaw's heart skip a beat. He’d sat with you and your lawyer every time you had a meeting, he listened to all the abuse you endured and put up with for years. As did Jake. The pair sat and listened to the pain in your voice and watched the tears stream down your cheeks. They couldn’t understand how you didn’t harbor that hatred. But Bradley finally understood why you’d been so hesitant to give him a chance. 

He was so thankful you did. 

“Floor it is then.” He groaned softly as he dropped down to his knees and snaked one of Odette stuffed toys for a pillow. Bobby Bear looked him dead in the eye as if to say pick another. He did just that and settled for the stuffed ladybug. You chuckled softly to yourself at the way Bradley trailed behind you only minutes later. He’d been plagued with nightmares of his own. Only his were of you on your knees telling him you loved him with that gun pressed to your head. In his nightmares Jaidyn always pulled the trigger. In his nightmares Dot was drowned. In Bradley Bradshaw's nightmares he lost both his girls, and that’s what made him settle for the floor of his daughters room most nights, looking up at the stars that roamed the roof of her bedroom—

Slowly but surely drifting off to sleep. Knowing that you’d be there when he woke up. Forever and always. 

***~***~***~***~***~***~

Four Months Later 

“Amilia! It’s tradition! Now, give me the microphone!” Jake whined as he trailed behind Amilia like a lost puppy. She was busy doing her rounds, collecting empty beer bottles and glasses from the table tops of the Hard Deck. 

“Just because it’s tradition doesn’t mean I should be subjected to your awful pitch, Seresin.” The two had been inseparable since their date at Preston’s. Jake had failed to actually show up for their planned date. With all his emergency contacts already being in the hospital and with the rest of the Daggers in complete and utter shambles over Bob's death, Jake had asked the nurses that were looking after him to call Amilia for him, as his emergency contact. 

She’d stayed his emergency contact since. There was no point having you anymore, because whenever you were in trouble you could count that Jake was gonna be there right beside you and vice versa. 

The second Jake was discharged though, with cuts and bruises alike, he took Amilia to Preston’s like he’d promised he would. They went straight there and hadn’t looked back since. Like two peas in a pod. 

“I’m gonna combust woman! I need to!” Jake pleaded as he held Amilia still by her hips from behind so she couldn’t step another step away. “Give, me, the, microphone.” 

“Don’t do it Oz!” Fanboy egged on the drama unfolding before him as he sat at the bar waiting on Penny to finish gathering his latest order. “Don’t make us suffer—“ 

“Coyote is on top of the leaderboard!” Jake wanted to pull his own hair out. He was the karaoke king, you were the karaoke queen—there was no ifs or buts about the situation. “Do you understand how pressing this matter is!?” As Amilia rounded the corner back behind the bar where Penny was busy pouring copious amounts of liquor for her alcoholic patrons, she shook her head and rolled her eyes. 

“If you sing home among the gumtrees again I swear I’ll have Penny ring that bloody bell Jake.” Amilia conceded. “Five buck entry fee—cough it up.” She stuck her hand out as Jake grinned ear to ear, he was quick to fish the crumbled up bill from his wallet before he slapped it into his girlfriend’s awaiting hand. 

“You won’t regret it.” Jake beamed as he watched Amilia pocket the five dollar bill. It was her gig, karaoke with half price wings & tings night had really become a hit. Penny let Amilia make a little extra cash with the five dollar entry fee. She’d essentially been robbing Jake in broad daylight ever since. 

“Somehow I think I will.” Amilia leaned over the bar to kiss Jake on the cheek before she handed him two microphones from under the bar. “Go reclaim your crown.” 

“I'll be back to revel in my glory soon.” The smile couldn’t have been more genuine if Jake wanted it to be. He was in love, if he wasn’t he couldn’t begin to imagine what true love actually felt like if this wasn’t it. “Stay gorgeous, make sure these guys are tipping you well!” He shouted as he walked away and all Amilia did was shoo him off. Immediately turning her attention back to the crowd surrounding the bar. 

“Fe!” Jake's voice rattled around in your brain as he approached the table you’d been sitting at with Rooster and Pete. little Odette was on your lap colouring in one of the many colouring in pages you’d grabbed from Amilia on the way in. “Show time!” He wiggled his hips as he showed you the microphones. “Just like old times?” 

“Oh no—“ You tried to turn the offer down. “Jake, it's packed in here!” But it was to no avail. Jake was reaching out for Dot like there was nothing stopping him from reclaiming what was rightfully his. All Bradley did was chuckle to himself as Jake played the little girl down in his lap. Deciding he was now on Dot duty while he whisked you away to be his partner in crime. 

“Uh, yeah! Which makes it the perfect time to whoop Coyotes arse!” Jake hadn’t been this content in a while. He felt like things were all coming together again after his entire world had been tipped on its axis point. He missed Bob, so fucking much. He took it personally to the point that his nightmares were almost a nightly occurrence. The choice he made he’d never forget. The tattoo on his ass served as a permanent reminder of the guy who was every bit the man Jake wished he could trade places with. “So come on! Let’s get our karaoke on!” You looked to Rooster across the booth for support, he gave you some as he shrugged his shoulders and tilted his head. 

“Better get up there.” 

“You’re meant to have my back.” You groaned as you squinted your eyes and sighed in disbelief. 

“I do, that’s why I want you to go and have some fun.” Bradley had in his back pocket his mother’s engagement ring that she’d given him before she passed. He’d kept it in his dads red velvet wedding ring box since he’d had it. As Bradley watched Jake haul you away to belt out a beat, he knew he’d made the right choice. 

“Everythings set outside when you're ready, Rooster.” Mav bumped the son he’d claimed as his own on the shoulder. “She’s just perfect for you.” 

“Yeah—“ Bradley still hadn’t taken his eyes off you as he watched you and Jake set up and select your song. “Yeah she really is isn’t she.” There wasn’t a time Bradley didn’t believe you weren’t the one for him, but after everything you’d gone through, after everything he’d seen, after the losses you’d learnt to accept and the fear you’d overcome—Bradley had never been so sure. 

“Your mum and dad would be so proud of you kid.” Mav had watched the man sitting beside him grow up into such a fine young man. He was every bit the man his father was. “They really would be.” The music filled the Hard Deck and captured everyone’s attention—whenever you and Jake were paired for karaoke they all knew it would be a good time. 

“Our children will always hear romantic tales of distant years, our gilded age may come and go. Our crooked dreams will always glow.” You sang a little off tune but with a whole lot of heart as the entire Hard Deck watched you and Jake dance and act like teenagers who’d snuck into an underground nightclub. 

“Stick with me, oh you're my best friend! All of my life, you've always been, Remember remember, All we fight for!” Jake shouted at the top of his lungs. Rooster saw from the corner of his eyes the way Amilia blushed from second hand embarrassment from behind the bar. That was her dork now. All Bradley had to say was good luck to her. 

Across the way sat Rhett and Phoenix. It was the first time Bradley saw a genuine smile creep across Natasha’s face since Bob’s death. Out of everyone it hit her the hardest. They’d flown together for years and without Bob? Phoenix didn’t know what she was doing in the sky. What way was up or what way was down. But she knew he was here, watching over them. Her tattoo was placed across her heart. Gone but never forgotten was Robert Floyd. She didn’t blame you either. Not a single bit. 

“Don't leave me, oh you're my best friend

All of my life, you've always been. Don't leave me now, you're my best friend, All of my life, you've always been!” As your voice melted with Jakes, Bradley also took notice of the genuine hold Rhett Abbott had on Natasha's thigh, just above her knee. Not too high that it would be deemed inappropriate for a public setting. It was just genuine and real. The pair had been spending more and more time together, Bradley assumed it was from the grief, but now? When he saw the way Phoenix looked at Rhett the same way Jake looked at Amilia the same way he looked at you? He wasn’t so sure it was grief, but love born from a tragedy. How that would turn out he wouldn’t hold his breath over, but he was happy for them. 

“Remember remember—, All we fight for!” It was your turn to sing as Jake jumped around. 

“Remember remember— All we fight for!” It was Jake's turn to scratch out as you twirled and laughed at the cheers that echoed out around you. 

“Oh oh oh oh oh—“ The both of you sing in unison into the same microphone. It was like a slow motion fade out as the music died down and the applause erupted. Bradley held Odett high in the air so she could clap and wave your way. Only placing her down when you’d made your way back to him. 

“I love you so much.” Bradley pulled you close as he kissed your temple, having watched you and Jake sing your hearts out to keep your covenant top stop on the karaoke board. “I’ve got something to show you if you’ll step outside with me for a minute?” He whispered in your ear as he looked at him with questions and confusion written all over your face. 

“Sure—“ 

“Tooster has a supwise for you mamma.” Dot added as you walked hand in hand with your little girl out towards the back patio of the Hard Deck where it backed onto the Beach reserve. You could see all the festoon lights outside but never thought in a million years there'd be a little picnic set up under those lights. 

“I can see that little miss.” You looked down at Dot as she held your hand and walked by your side, Bradley was just ahead of you, looking up at the stars above in the night sky hoping his parents were out there somewhere looking down on him. “Did you know about this?” 

“Tooster told me before bed wast night.” 

Rooster thought that it would be good to keep Odette looped in, his palms were super sweaty as he tucked her in and turned on her little star lamp. He kneeled beside her bed—kissed her forehead softly and told her that he loved her. 

“Can you keep a secret?” Dot nodded. Bradley wasn’t so sure, she’d developed a bad habit of throwing people under the fucking his lately. Her latest victim had been Chase—who was sneaking lollies from the lolly jar. But he wanted her to know. “You know I love you and your mama very much right?” 

“So much?” Dot had had a big day, she’d spent the afternoon with her uncle Jake, what those two had been up to Rooster had no idea, but whatever it had been had tuckered the little tack. 

“Oh the most baby girl.” Bradley smiled so bright at your daughter. “So much that I’m gonna ask your mum to marry me tomorrow night, because that’s just how much.” What Bradley didn’t tell little Odette was that he was gonna ask her too. 

“Bradley, what is all this?” You asked cautiously as Dot ran off to catch up to Rooster. He picked her up and spun her around as you reached the small blanket laid on the sand under festoon lights. “Rooster—?” 

“I’ve uh—“ Bradley just had to get it all off his chest. “Honestly this is something I should have done months ago if I’m being honest.” He let out a soft chuckle as he rubbed the back of his neck and looked around. He could see Jake standing on the back patio, proud as ever that his best friend was finally getting her happily ever after. “Y/n—“ 

“No stop, you're not Rooster.” You wanted to cry as you cupped your hands over your face. “This isn’t happening—“ 

“I told you when we were in the hospital that I was gonna ask you to marry me.” Bradley reminded you as he reached in for the ring box in his back pocket. He was on one knee before you in seconds with Odette in his arms. “Y/n, you deserve so much more than you’ve ever been given.” Bradley started as you began to cry tears full of happiness. “There are so many things about you that make me want you forever, your smile, your character, the way you love so fiercely.” He held your daughter close as he kissed her cheek and looked up at you over her shoulder. “If you had asked me when I first met you if I knew I’d ask you to marry me I would have said yes.” With shaking hands you reached out to cup Bradley’s cheeks as you stood above him, looking down. He had his own tears threatening to spill as he smiled up at you with golden irises full of love and admiration. 

“You’re the love of my life and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, for Odette.” Bradley wanted to include your daughter in all this as much as he possibly could. It was important to him. “You came into my life like a whirlwind dream and not once have I ever had any doubts about you, about wanting to marry you.” 

To Bradley, you were a force to be reckoned with. You’d seen your fair share of trails and heartache that would’ve brought most people to their knees. But not you. You maintained a peace about you that Bradley thought was otherworldly. You carried yourself with such grace but yet held such fire behind your eyes. He knew, for sure, that you were the one he wanted in his corner forever. 

“Rooster—“ 

“Marry me Y/n.” Bradley finally said it. He said the three words that took the breath straight from your lungs. “My god please marry me, I just wanna spend the rest of my life reminding you how much love you deserve, how so loved you are.” 

“Rooster—“ You were trying to say yes, trying to tell the man kneeling before you that you wanted him forever and then some more. But he wouldn’t let you interrupt. 

“I'll never not remember the fear I felt when I almost lost you.” It was a harsh reminder of the things you fought so hard to protect. “I can’t ever lose you—you're my best friend, the love of my life, the best mother to the best little girl I know.” Yep. That was it, that was the moment you dropped to your knees and took Bradley’s lips hostage with yours. He let out a small oof when he fell back against the blankets with Dot. 

“Of course I’ll marry you, how could I ever not.” 

“Really?” Rooster’s eyes were as wide as they could get with joy and excitement. 

“I’m in love with you Roo, have been ever since I first met you.” The thing about Bradley that scared you the most was you’d do anything he ever asked of you. If he asked you to jump you’d ask how high and without hesitation he’d be jumping right next to you. “I always will be.” The two of you could not have been more perfect for one another if you tried. With all your imperfect flaws and weaknesses you made each other whole. “So yes, a thousand times yes I’ll marry you.” 

As if to say he couldn’t believe what he was hearing Bradley embraced you and your daughter like it was the first time he was experiencing touch filled with love and compassion. This was it for him—you were his everything. A few months ago he thought he’d lost it all. But now, laying here with you under the stars in North Island, everything was going to be okay. 

“And for you miss Odette.” Bradley sniffled as he reached into his pocket for a golden signet ring he’d had made for the little girl who’d stolen his heart. It had her birthstone and all, a little red garnet encased in a heart. Bradley’s heart. “I wanted to ask you something too.” He turned all his attention to Odette who wore the brightest smile on her little face. “Will you let me be your friend forever?” 

It melted your heart. Odette nodded as her bottom lip quivered, she didn’t really know what any of this meant but one day she would. 

“I wuv you, Tooster.” Odette cuddled into Bradley with all her might as he sat beside you on the blankets under the festoon lights. So much love was left to share between the three of you. So much heartbreak was still left to overcome. But the most important thing of all was that Bradley had his family, the love of his life was about to be his wife. The three year old in his arms would grow up safe and oh so loved. 

Bradley was your rock, your world. And as you caught the sight of Jake standing out on the back porch with Amilia wrapped up under his arm you wished he’d get the chance to feel this love too. He’d been the best damn best friend anyone could ask for. He gave you a loving family, the only thing you ever asked for in your entire life. 

Odette had her person, her protector, a friend she could count on for the rest of her life. She had her Tooster. And oh boy was that Roosters favourite thing of all. Being Odette's Tooster.

It was his favourite thing of all, it was his favourite job, his favourite roll. 

It was his favourite……Term Of Endearment. 

Fin.

***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~**

Tags: @a-serene-place-to-be @lilyevanswhore @thescarletknight2014 @blindedbythelightt @averyhotchner @emma8895eb @blairfox04 @caitsymichelle13 @oxxolovemelikeyoudooxxo @teacupsandtopgun @aemondssiut @akalei349 @notjustsomeblonde @americaarse e @avaleineandafryingpan @phoenix1388 @xoxabs88xox @je-suis-prest-rachel @pono-pura-vida @rosiahills22 @starset21 @anarchyrising @caidi-paris @starkleila @criticalroleobssedperson @enchantingdreamergothprune @flrboyd @emma8895eb @endofdays56 @seresinsaint @topguncortez @mandylove1000 @clancycucumber230

[wordsmithwhumpsandfluff]

a really pukey, burpy, feverish aiden w oliver and issac as caretakers?

This one took forever😭

!TW! emeto

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“Too fucking early,” Aiden grumbled at the sound of some Tears For Fears song Spirit helped him set as his ringtone. Lying on his stomach, face smushed against his pillow, he began reaching out blindly to his ringing phone. He grabbed it and tuned his head, having to squint hard since he wasn’t wearing his glasses and the screen was bright. ‘Dad ;)’ was the name displayed on the screen.

He yawned as he answered the call and put it on speaker. “Hey, pops. Whassup?”

“Are you still sleeping, son??” his dad asked, waaaaay too loud and energetic. Aiden winced and turned the volume down a bit.

“Mm-hmmm,” he hummed in response. “So what? It’s so early.”

“It’s past noon,” his dad told him. “Are you okay?”

Aiden groaned. “It is not past noon, dad. It’s. . .” he squinted harder at the corner of his screen trying to read the tiny numbers. When the fuzziness cleared up a bit, his eyes widened. “Shit, it’s 12:57?!” The surprise startled him so much that he tangled up in his blankets and lost his balance as he tried to sit up, only to yelp as he tumbled off the side of his bed. “Fuuuuck,” he groaned, earning a hearty laugh from his dad’s end of the call.

“I’ll let ya go, Aiden,” his dad said. “Don’t go back to sleep, please. And your mom wants you to come over tonight for dinner. Could ya? I know the drive is a pain, but we miss you, kid.”

Aiden used his bed to pull himself up and said, “Yeah yeah, sure. I’ll come, dad. Bye now.”

“Bye, Aiden. Love you.”

”Love you, too.” He ended the call and let out a heavy sigh. He grimaced now that he was awake and aware of the unhappy grumbling in his belly. He’d made the mistake enough times to know exactly what the issue was.

The day before, he’d been too tired from a full day of working out—trying some boxing and fighting classes that Spirit had recommended to him—that he fell asleep as soon as he got home and woke up exhausted and sore and starving. He didn’t give a shit about where he ate dinner. A Ci-Ci’s Pizza was where he found himself eating dinner at nine at night. He must’ve scarfed four slices of pizza, a basket of boneless wings, four of those powdered-sugar-covered brownies, and re-filled his cup 3 times with Pepsi.

He hated eating that unhealthy. Not because he didn’t enjoy the taste, but because of the gross feeling and awful aftermath.

Cramping and hugging his churning gut, Aiden made his way to his bathroom to sit on the toilet. It took at least twenty minutes before he felt empty and a bit lightheaded.

He flushed and immediately got in the shower, using warm water to was the sticky feeling of sweat away. He kept pressing a hand to his stomach and massaging, bringing up belches that did little to ease the tightness in his gut.

He got out of the shower, got dressed into some sweatpants and a loose hoodie, put on his glasses, and slowly made his way to his kitchen to search for Pepto or Tums or something.

He had nothing. No medicine besides cough drops.

He was thankful that there was a grocery store not to far from his apartment. He lazily slipped on some crocs and grabbed his keys and left his place.

It took everything in him to stay focused on the road instead of his stomach. He just wanted to take some medicine, and then go back to sleep.

He parked close to the front of the store and muffled a burp against his fist as he got out. Still, he felt awful. He was eating lettuce and water for the rest of the week, he told himself.

The store was surprisingly empty, which he was glad about because that meant there’d be basically no lines at the checkout area.

Aiden went to the medicine area of the store and began scanning the shelves for Pepto. He got it in tablet and liquid form. Now, all he had to do was get back home, take the nasty medicine, flop on his bed (or the couch cuz it’s closer), and go back to sleep.

He planted a hand on his stomach, biting the inside of his cheek. Maybe he’d visit the grocery store’s bathroom first.

“Aiden? Hey, man.”

The familiar voice snapped Aiden out of his own mind, and he turned his head enough to see Isaac coming down the aisle.

“Hey,” Aiden said, smiling and trying hard not to sound exhausted.

He must have failed because Isaac’s own smile faltered ever so slightly. The blonde noticed the medicine in his hands. “Are you sick?” he asked.

Aiden shrugged. “It’s just a stomachache,” he assured the blonde, lying. Then he couldn’t help but ask, “How’s Spirit?”

“She’s doing great. We’re just picking up some Tylenol and other things for her.”

Aiden raised a brow. “We?”

Isaac seemed like he was about to answer when someone else who wasn’t in the aisle suddenly yelled, “Would Spirit kill us if we brought cucumber Gatorade instead of the lemon-lime one?”

Isaac chuckled, yelling back, “She might kill me. You’re safe, even if it’s your fault.”

“Not my fault. It’s the store’s fault because it’s all they had.” A skinny and short black-haired boy entered the aisle, carrying an armful of cucumber Gatorade bottles. He was reading a small list as he came down the aisle. “Did you find the Tylenol? Because we just need chips, and that’s it. Unless we add something to this list ourselves.” He looked up then, and jumped slightly as he realized Aiden was also there, dropping one of the bottles.

Isaac couldn’t help but chuckle at the guy, and Aiden waved slightly.

“S-sorry,” the black-haired guy said, clearly embarrassed by his own jerkiness.

Isaac managed to stop laughing, but he was still smiling as he picked up the bottle and handed it back to the guy. “Olive, this is Aiden.”

Oliver smiled at him a bit, seeming a little shy. “Hi. I’m Oliver.”

“Nice to meet you.” Aiden put two and two together. “You must be friends with Spirit, too.”

Oliver seemed surprised by the observation. When he looked at Isaac with confusion, the blonde shrugged and stated, “He’s Spirit’s secret ‘friend’.” The way he said friend made Oliver’s eyes widen after a beat.

He looked at Aiden, and then back at Isaac. “Spirit’s dating someone??!!?” he exclaimed. “And you knew???!!!!”

“Well, we’re not ‘dating’ dating,” Aiden said, quite amused by the situation.

Oliver looked at him, still completely flabbergasted. “What does that mean?”

“Well. . . I guess. . .”

“They’re going out, but they’re not ‘official’ yet,” Isaac explained.

That explanation seemed to clear up some of Oliver’s confusion, but he still seemed shocked.

Oliver asked a question, but at that moment Aiden felt his stomach cramp and the felling made him dizzy, causing him to sway a bit. He steadied himself quickly, asking, “Sorry, can you repeat that?”

“I was wondering how long you’ve known Spirit,” Oliver repeated, now studying Aiden’s body language with his eyes. Isaac was doing the same, his smile slightly faltering.

“Oh.” Aiden wanted to get out of there. “Since before summer.” Scratch that. He needed to get out of there.

“Hey, are you sure you’re okay?” Isaac asked, noticing the way Aiden’s throat was bobbing.

Aiden nodded, but didn’t dare to open his mouth again. He felt his throat tickle.

That was the moment when Oliver also noticed the Pepto he was holding. “Are you gonna throw up?” he asked, seeming genuinely concerned and worried despite having just met him.

Aiden shook his head, jaw tense and willing his stomach to get into check. He brought a fist to his mouth, turning his head away from Isaac and Oliver as he let out a long burp muffled by his fist. He could faintly taste soda at the back of his throat.

His face burned as he lowered his fist, his embarrassment not exactly helping the feeling in his stomach. “Sorry about that. That was gross,” he mumbled, scratching the back of his neck. The store felt colder, somehow. Aiden wondered if this was more than just his stomach being upset over his dinner.

“Don’t worry ‘bout it,” Isaac said, seeming more concerned. “You sure you’re okay? You just went, like, three shades whiter.”

Aiden waved off his concern, shaking his head again, but this time doing so just made his head spin and had black spots appearing in his vision. He felt himself teeter to the side and braced himself against the shelves of medicine, knocking a few bottles and boxes over. Something was wrong.

“Shit,” Isaac cursed, stepping forward and grabbing Aiden’s shoulder. “So, clearly you’re not okay,” he assessed. The blonde’s hand found its way to his nape, and Isaac grimaced at the heat there. “You’re burning up.”

Aiden opened his mouth to say he was fine, but his stomach jolted and he doubled over. All that came out was another sickly burp, but that was warning enough for him to shut his mouth.

Isaac cursed again and started rummaging through his pocket with his free hand and pulled out a wallet. “Olive, c’mere.” Oliver walked over, and Isaac stuck his wallet in the guy’s pocket. He then grabbed a bottle of Tylenol that was right there on the shelf and handed that to Oliver, too. Then he took the Pepto from Aiden as well.

“Hey, what—?” Aiden started, but Isaac just told Oliver, “Go pay for the stuff. I’m gonna get him outside.”

Aiden felt his face burn, and he shook his head. “You don’t have to pay for—”

“It’s fine,” Isaac assured him. “You’re burning up, dude. Really, it’s no problem.” Isaac helped him stand up straight and kept an arm on his shoulder as they made their way to the front of the store.

By the time they got outside, Aiden felt like his head was dethatched from the rest of his body and he was fighting back another belch. Or maybe it was actual puke this time.

At the sidewalk, Aiden stopped and doubled over, letting the floodgates open and projectile vomiting onto the curb while Isaac kept a steadying hand on his shoulder.

Another large burp came up, followed by more puke. Aiden groaned as spit dangled from his lip. He spat onto the mess, but didn’t stand back up straight. He wasn’t done.

“This is a nasty bug,” Isaac sighed.

Aiden didn’t look up at him as he said, “Thanks for helping.”

Isaac squeezed his shoulder a bit. “You don’t need to thank me. I’m doing this for my own benefit as much as yours. Spirit would probably kill me if she ever found out I just left you to basically die.”

Aiden chuckled. “Mmm’not dying.”

Isaac shrugged. “Considering what I’m looking at right now, agree to disagree.”

Aiden couldn’t help but smirk a bit, but that small smile fell away as his stomach revolted again and another heavy stream of vomit came up, splattering on concrete and the tips of his shoes. Aiden was left breathless afterwards, panting and squeezing his eyes shut as his head spun.

And how the hell had it suddenly gotten colder?!

Aiden had no idea how long he was bent over and heaving, but before long, he heard Oliver’s voice again.

He was too dizzy to listen as Isaac and Oliver exchanged a few words. Aiden heard the jingling of keys, and then Isaac asked him something.

“Hmm?”

“I said, can you give me your keys?” The blonde repeated. “There’s no way you can drive like this.”

Aiden knew he was right, so he reached into his hoodie pocket and handed the keys to Isaac, finally standing up straight but keeping an arm around his gut. He looked at Oliver and put on a queasy grin. “This isn’t exactly how I imagined I’d meet another one of Spirit’s friends.”

Oliver chuckled at that, reaching into one of the bags he was holding and taking out the Pepto. “I’m just glad that I know that Sprit’s dating-not-dating someone,” Oliver shrugged, handing the medicine to Aiden. “I’m gonna bring her this stuff. I’m glad we met.”

Aiden laughed a little as he took the medicine and put it in his pocket. “Tell her I said hi.”

“Will do,” Oliver said before looking at Isaac. “Just text me your location when you want me to pick you up.”

Isaac nodded, and Oliver walked away.

“Okay, let’s get you home, big guy,” Isaac said, patting Aiden’s back.

Aiden raised a brow. “Big guy?”

“Are you gonna say I’m wrong? You’re, like, ten feet tall.”

Aiden let out a little snort. “I’m only 6’4’’,” he said.

Isaac scoffed. “Only?! You’re a giant. I rest my case, big guy.”

When they found Aiden’s car, Isaac seemed genuinely surprised by the sky-blue BMW. “I honestly pegged you for a pickup-truck or Wrangler kind of guy,” Isaac said as he got into the driver seat.

Aiden chuckled, reaching for his glove compartment and pulling out some grocery bags, causing Isaac to raise a brow at him while pulling out. “You get carsick?”

“No. I’m just still queasy,” Aiden answered, reclining his seat and closing his eyes. “My address is the first one saved in my car’s GPS.

Isaac touched the car screen, and Aiden took deep breaths to push down the nausea.

By the time the car came to a stop at his building, he could feel another bout of sick rising up his throat, and he threw open the car door to puke onto the ground.

“Damn, I’m sorry you’re feeling so crappy,” Isaac said sympathetically, holding Aiden by the shoulder to keep him from falling out.

Aiden gagged a few more times, bringing up little painful burps that made him flush with embarrassment. Then he sat up, undoing his seatbelt. “I’m empty,” he stated.

“Good,” Isaac sighed, sounding relieved.

“Thanks for the help,” Aiden said to Isaac gratefully.

The blonde nodded, getting out of the car with Aiden. “Which floor?”

“The second.”

They made their way up to Aiden’s apartment. Since Isaac still had Aiden’s keys, he unlocked the door so they could both go in.

Aiden grabbed a water bottle from his fridge and went straight to his couch, too exhausted to go all the way to his bedroom. He took the Pepto out of his pocket and started pouring some of the liquid into the cap while Isaac left his keys on the counter before making his way over.

“You gonna be okay if I leave?” Isaac asked. “You’re not gonna die?”

Aiden chuckled before downing the shot of medicine, grimacing at the taste and washing it down with the water. “I’ll be fine,” he assured the blonde. “I just need to sleep this off.”

Isaac nodded. “Okay. I found a marker on your counter and I wrote my number on a napkin, so just text me or something if you need anything. Okay?”

Aiden smiled and nodded. “Okay. Thanks, man.”

Just then, Isaac’s phone chimed in his pocket and he pulled it out. “Oliver’s outside,” he said. “You live surprisingly close to me, so don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.”

“I will,” Aiden assured him. “Thanks. And I’ll pay you back for—”

“No, you won’t,” Isaac stated. Then he smiled softer. “Consider it a thanks for being someone Spirit feels comfortable and relaxed with. It’s a bigger deal than you think it is.”

Aiden felt his smile fade a bit, wondering what Isaac meant by that.

“Get better and don’t die!” The blonde said as he left.

Exhausted, Aiden laid on his side on the couch, fishing his phone out of his pocket and texting his parents that he wasn’t feeling well and would come to dinner tomorrow.

As soon as he pressed send, another text came in. . . from Spirit. Two more followed.

He opened her messages and laughed.

Spirit🔥: So, I heard you met Oliver. First things first, he told me that ur sick and Isaac had to take you home??? Are you okay??

Spirit🔥: Second, Isaac is grounded for letting Oliver get me f-ing cucumber Gatorade.🤮🥒.

Spirit🔥: Third, call me if you’re up to it. I hope you feel better.

Aiden smiled at her messages, sending back a quick, ‘I’ll feel better after I take a nap. We can call later, I promise.’

He was almost about to also type ‘I love you’, but he stopped himself. He knew neither he nor Spirit were ready for that just yet.

Instead, he just texted, ‘Can’t wait to chat after my hibernation’ and put his phone away so he could go back to sleep.

[scarletwinterxx]

the two times he almost did and the one time he did - mark lee imagine

who said I was over my Mark Lee feels?😭 istg I will never get over this guy.

if you have a request or scenario you want me to do, just send me a message I'll see what I can do😊💌

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

and if you want, u can buy me coffee (totally optional but any donation is very much appreciated!) thank you🥺💛

All works are copyrighted ©scarletwinterxx 2023 . Do not repost, re-write without the permission of author.

(pic not mine, credits to rightful owner)

Ever since Mark met you, there's never a day he doesn't think you're the one for him. It scares him sometimes, not because he thinks you might leave him. You've given him assurance over and over again that you're in it for the long run, just like he is. He's scared because he feels like his love for you consumes him too much.

It's an understatement to say you say stay in his mind 24/7 because even in between consciousness and dreams, you're there. You're that one constant in his life.

"Mark, love you okay?" your voice breaking through his haze. He looks over at you with love in his eyes, you look at him with worry.

Mark's been distracted lately, lost in his own thoughts. You're just worried he's going through something and keeping it to himself. As his partner you want him to be comfortable enough with you to share his worries no matter how big or small. You trust him to share when he's ready but this doesn't lessen your worry for him.

He shoots you a smile before leaning back on the couch, shaking his head as a silent answer for you to not worry about him.

"Just thinking about something" he mumbles, you can feel his hand on your back drawing some pattern on your skin. You smile back at him, leaning over to give him a swift kiss.

That was the first time he almost asked you to marry him.

A few days passed and it's still the same. You choose to sweep it under the rug, if Mark says he's okay then you believe him.

You're home alone, it's your day off so you decided to catch up on some house chores. You do your laundry, mixed with some of Mark's own clothes since he stays with you more than he does at his own place.

The two of you haven't officially moved in together but he has his own toothbrush and towel in the bathroom, a shelf for his skincare stuff, a drawer full of his clothes, a mug he uses all the time and his favorite fork.

It's easy to embrace the domestic life with him, it's exciting to think of your future together and if this is how it feels like you really can't wait to spend forever with him. No matter how long that forever is.

"Hey I was calling for you" you shriek when you heard another voice, looking over to see your boyfriend by the doorway. You playfully threw the towel you were folding to him which Mark caught effortlessly

"Sorry, was busy thinking about that sock I can't find. You sure you didn't accidently threw it away the last time?" you jokingly asked him, he did the last load of laundry and you haven't seen the other pair of one of your sock

"I didn't! I swear, I'll buy you new ones when we go out. Do you need help here?" he asked even though he was already taking the pile you finished earlier to put it in the closet down the hall

"Am almost done anyways, what do you want for dinner?" you ask back, a few seconds passed when you hear his footsteps then a pair of arms engulf you

"Mhm how about pasta for tonight?"

"Okay, and for dessert?"

You hear a chuckle from behind you, "You"

"Mark Lee"

"Kidding babe, I kinda want the brownies you made last time if it isn't too much trouble for tonight"

You finish the last cloth before turning around to face him, throwing your arms around his shoulder and standing on your tiptoes to rub your nose against his. The action making Mark smile and his heart melt.

"Of course I can make them for you, no eating the chocolate while I make them though" you tell him. Mark smiles again before swooping down to give you a kiss, he can feel your grin against his own lips making the familiar feeling bloom in his chest.

That was the second time he almost asked you to marry him.

After some time, you've completely forgotten about your unsolved worry. The two of you decided to go out for a night walk, no destination in mind. Just walking hand in hand wherever your feet takes you. The two of you talk about anything and everything.

Stopping near a garden, you sat on the bench while Mark stands beside you still holding your hand.

"It's your birthday soon, what do you want?" you ask him

"It's your birthday too" he tells you, the thought of sharing such a special day together further proves his thoughts of you being the one for him.

"Yea but you're a day ahead of me"

"And then you came, like the universe knew I needed you in my life" he adds, feeling your cheeks flush you just roll your eyes at your boyfriend earning a few laughs from him

"What? I'm telling the truth, you don't believe me?"

"I do, you're the only one I'll always believe in in this world full of uncertainties" you tell him, "in some timezone we probably share a birthday" you add

"I like that, there's no other person I would want to share that day with"

Mark thinks of all the chances he had and all the chances he could have, but this right here right now felt like the right moment. So he pulls on your hand making you look up at him.

"Can I tell you something" he says

Mark swears he's never been more nervous than he is right now. Not because you might reject him, no. He's scared he'll mess up his words and regret all the things he'll forget to say

"Yea, what is it?"

"I'm so nervous right now, I think I'll screw this up" the words flew right out before he can stop them. Instead of being weirded out, you just giggle before standing up to standing infront of him,

"Then do it, I'll still love you either way. Just say it now so later on you can do it perfectly" you tell him,

"Yea that's the thing I can only say it now"

"Why?"

He takes a deep breath, suddenly the velvet box in his pocket got 10 times heavier.

"Mark? You know you can tell me anything, it's just me love. I'm not going anywhere"

This is the third time he thought about marrying you, and right now it's all or nothing.

"Will you marry me?" he blurts out

"Oh gosh wait, I was suppose to have this long speech about us but I'm really really nervous. I've had this ring since Christmas and I was scared you'd find it, and whenever we're together I almost always ask it but then I back out because you deserve something grander. And right now I just can't wait any longer, love. I love you, I want all of you, all of your days, all of your cries and laughs and worries all of them. I want to share my life with you, I want my tomorrow to be you. I want you to be my last first love, I want you to be my last girlfriend my last first everything. Will you marry me?"

One second.

Two seconds.

Three-

Then you leaped into him, arms hugging him close while you chant your answer over and over again.

"yes yes yes million times yes"

It's like the weight of the world was lifted off of Mark's shoulders, like everything fell into place. All at once everything make sense.

[stedesparasol]

Made up fic title:

Cookies and Cream 🍪

Welcome to the Sweet Revenge Ice Cream Shoppe, where proprietor Stede Bonnet has used all of the money his father (miraculously) left him in his will to open up the most frivolous and whimsical business he could think of.  So everyone wears those old timey striped outfits and hats and it looks like a 50s diner but with progress pride flags everywhere so that the patrons know it’s retro but not dated and it’s the Hot New Spot to get your ice cream!

In retrospect, opening it up in winter may have been a bit of an error in judgement, but that’s okay, Stede has money to spare.  And despite the cold weather, the place appears to have acquired one regular patron… Ed, the hot tattoo artist from down the street, who pops in every other day for an ice cream.  Even if it’s snowing.  Sweet tooth, he insists, grinning at Stede and making him turn almost as pink as his uniform.

Of course, all of Stede’s staff get very invested in watching their interactions as they turn more and more friendly, and insist that Stede ask him out, but Stede keeps arguing that that would be very unprofessional and he doesn’t want to lose their most loyal customer.  Since Ed appears to be making his way through the ice creams in order, getting a different one each time from right to left, top to bottom, Lucius makes Stede promise that when Ed reaches the final ice cream in the final corner, he'll attempt to ask him out.  Since that feels forever away – there are a LOT of ice cream flavours – Stede agrees, if only to get Lucius to stop pestering him.

Weeks later, the time comes: there’s only one ice cream left for him to pick, right in that bottom corner.  Stede makes sure he looks extra nice that day (yes he’s wearing the same uniform and yes his hair is covered by the same hat, but he moisturises TWICE) and prepares for Ed to ask for the final flavour: cookies & cream.  But he doesn’t.  He asks for bubblegum.  That’s way back at the beginning!  Has he forgotten that he hasn’t made it all the way through yet?  Has he caught wind of Stede’s plan and wants to let him down easy by not even letting him ask?  Whatever the reason, Stede is far more disappointed than he ought to be considering he hadn’t wanted to do this to begin with.  His staff pointing out that he could’ve just asked him anyway doesn’t really help: Stede had a plan, had an excuse, and now it's all shot.

He hopes Ed will order the cookies & cream next time, but nope, he goes for caramel swirl.  Next time?  Mint chocolate chip.  Chocolate fudge brownie.  Vanilla???  Now this is just cruel.  Stede serves them all to him with a smile, while practically dying on the inside.  Eventually, Oluwande takes pity on him, and when Ed comes in two days later, he asks if Ed would like to sample their totally brand-new and improved cookies & cream recipe.

‘Aw, no thanks mate,’ Ed says, ‘dunno what it is, just never been a fan of cookies & cream.’  He smiles across at Stede.  ‘I’ll take some of that yummy lavender one, though.’

‘WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO OUT WITH ME,’ Stede yells. Turns out this death knell had been just the push he needed to go for it anyway.

(Cookies & cream is served at their wedding. Ed doesn't eat any of it though.)

send me a made-up fic title and i’ll tell you what i would write to go with it ✌️

[the-paris-of-people]

Blue Brownies and Finding Nemo

Summary:

“Do you think if I was captured in the sea and taken to Australia, my Dad would try to find me?”

She looks like how Percy imagined her that night in the train bunk, sad, lonely, completely unloved. Percy blurts the first thing he can think of.

“Well, that would never happen because I wouldn’t let you get lost.”

Percy and Annabeth have a blue food movie date at Percy and Sally's apartment. Set at the end of summer after The Lightning Thief.

Read on AO3

“Honey, does Annabeth like brownies?” Sally calls from the kitchen. 

“It’s okay, Mom,” Percy reassures as he rounds the corner. Thick heat hangs in the kitchen from the August humidity, slapping his hands with a thick coat of sweat. “I’m sure between the blue popcorn, gummy sharks and gummy bears, Annabeth will eat something. You didn’t have to prepare so much.” 

“Oh, of course I did,” His mom drapes her arm over him as she tears open the brownie mix with her other hand. Percy closes his eyes, savoring the perfume and warmth he once thought he lost forever. “I don’t remember the last time you brought a friend over! And I’ve heard so much about Annabeth.” 

“It’s not a big deal or anything, Mom,” Percy lies as he draws out a mixing bowl from the cupboard. “We could have just gone to the movies ourselves.” 

“And miss out on the blue food extravaganza?” 

“Yeah, the AMC did stop serving Blue ICEES." 

"See? And what would a Finding Nemo party be without that? Oh," His mom's smile grows wider as she hears the door knock. "That must be her." 

Percy and his mom both stare down at each other, then sprint to the door at the same time. 

"Mom!" Percy protests. He knew Annabeth would love to meet his mom, but he was dreading all the embarrassing stories Sally joked she would tell. 

"Sorry," Sally teases as she swings open the door. "You know I had to beat you here. Hi Annabeth!" 

"Hi, Mrs. Jackson," A perfectly composed Annabeth greets. On her neck a sea-blue trident bead hangs low and in her hands lay a tray of blue brownies. If he didn't know any better, he would've thought meeting friends' parents was as smooth and natural to her as a knife cut to a monster's neck. Still, he caught the slight shake in Annabeth's voice, how she nervously brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She’d tied her braids back into a low ponytail, like she was leading her Capture the Flag team to victory and needed to be prepared for anything. Percy always liked when she wore her hair like that. "I know you and Percy like blue food so I made these." 

"Well, Percy was right when he said you were always prepared," Sally takes the brownies from her and pulls an off-guard Annabeth into a hug. For a second, Annabeth squirms in his mom’s arms, unsure of how to move, but finally she settles in and hugs her back. "Come in, sit down, I'll bring everything out to you." 

"It's okay, mom," Percy was worried about his mom's energy level since she’d gone to the Underworld. Even though Smelly Gabe was gone and she'd enrolled in night classes at NYU, he saw how fatigued she’d been the past couple months, sagged slightly in the moments she thought he wasn't looking.  "I'll bring out the food." 

"Thank you, honey," Sally ruffles his hair as he walks by.

Percy’s hands tremble as he sorts the assortment of blue food in their special blue platter his mom had bought at the farmer’s market down the street, the hand-painted one with a mermaid on it. How was this going to go? The only time his mom had ever met one of his friends, he was kind of being chased by a minotaur and disappeared to the Underworld. What on earth was she going to talk to Annabeth now that they weren’t in a life or death crisis? 

“Oh, and look how cute he was, in his jammies,” When Percy comes back out to the living room with the food, Sally had drawn out his baby albums and was pointing to a photo of baby Percy in his high chair, smeared pears across his lips. 

“Mom,” Percy’s ears burn crimson red. “Can you please put that away?” “There’s no need to be embarrassed, Seaweed Brain,” Annabeth’s eyes glimmer mischievously. Oh gods. She would be using this as fodder for teasing him the next few summers. “Your pajamas don’t look that different now.” 

“Mom!” Percy’s cheeks light on fire. 

“Okay, sorry honey,” Sally shuts the album and touches Percy’s cheek tenderly. “You two enjoy. I’m just going to be in my room in case you want anymore brownies, just come get it.” 

As she floats into the next room, Sally leaves a warm trace of brownies and buttery popcorn and sugary candy behind her. Percy inhales it as Annabeth stares at his mom in a trance. Percy’s mom had that effect on people. 

“So,” Annabeth rubs her palms on her cargo pants as she chews on her lip, analyzing the snack options, then looking back up at Percy for a plan of attack. “You normally just eat all of this during your movie nights?” 

“Not always,” Percy scoops out a bowl of popcorn for her, knowing it’s the snack that she would like best. ”Sometimes we just buy blue snacks from the bodega, but one time we made an entire blue pizza together. It took a week to get the dye out of the kitchen, but you should have seen it, it was awesome.” 

“Cool,” Annabeth takes the popcorn from him and shifts in her seat uncomfortably.  Percy wanted to smack himself for being an idiot. She’d come up here now because she was going to take the train down to D.C. to live with her dad for the first time in six years. She’d never had a movie night with her parents, and she wasn’t sure if history would repeat itself or if they could in the future. He shouldn’t have been going on about how well he got along with his mom. 

“Anyway,” Percy turns on the TV and hovers over the Finding Nemo feature. Annabeth’s eyes flicker from the screen to the apartment door, like they did when she was distracted by something sad. Percy talks faster to get her to think about something else. “I figured we could watch a classic. You’ll love it. It’s got this talking turtle whos ‘totally tubular babyyy!’ ” 

Okay, maybe he immediately regretted his weird surfer dude British voice, but at least the voice did pull Annabeth out of her sadness. She raises her eyebrows her way to say you’re an idiot, Seaweed Brain , then grinned and looked down at the floor as she laughed, her eyes lit with sparkle where there was darkness a second ago. 

“You know, between this and the baby pictures, you’re just giving me things to make fun of you for next summer.”

“It’s okay,” Percy bobs his head, trying to ignore how full his chest felt with relief. For some reason, he hated seeing Annabeth upset more than most other people. “If you want, you can email me if you think of them sooner.”

“You want me to email you the insults I think of?” Annabeth repeats, shaking her head. “There isn’t enough time in the world for that.” 

“Okay, well at least send me a photo of the big sitting president statue,” Percy turns back to the TV and clicks on the movie.  

“You mean the Lincoln Memorial?” 

“Yeah. You’ve been talking about it at the last four sing-a-alongs. I want to know if you finally got to see it.” 

When he looks back, Percy swears Annabeth is trying not to break into a smile. It was getting harder to ignore how full his chest felt. He makes himself turn his eyes away from her as they start the movie, the ocean blue light pouring over her expressive eyes as she scans the screen. 

“This is computer animation, right?” She asks thirty seconds in. He quickly glances back to see her eyes and mind moving a million miles an hour, analyzing the kelp, the corral, and the schools of fish in blues, yellows, purples. He could never understand how swiftly Annabeth’s mind worked, but he liked watching the gears turn. That was what he admired about her so much, she was constantly in puzzle-solving mode. He, on the other hand, was constantly counting to make sure he had all the pieces to the puzzle.

“It’s like that game we played in June,” Annabeth’s voice drops to earnest fascination. “The detail looks particularly sophisticated. This probably took years to make, with animators and writers and marine biology researchers..” 

“They don’t need marine biologists,” Percy lays back on the couch, finally relaxed now that they had fallen back into their rhythm and got past the awkward part. He pointed to Marvin and Nemo’s swaying purple new home, “I can tell you right now that’s…”  

“A sea anemone,” Annabeth finishes a flabbergasted Percy’s sentence. “Actinaria. It’s the perfect home for clownfish because it ensnares predators with its tentacles.” 

“How’d you know that?” Percy fake-pouts, mildly insulted. “I’m supposed to be the one with the sea knowledge.” 

“Please you should have dealt with this by now,” Annabeth teases, with that prideful, know-it-all twinkle in her eye. “I’m smarter than you.” 

Percy grabs a few kernels of popcorn from her bowl and tosses it in Annabeth’s face. She smirks, picks it up from her lap, and throws it back at him. Percy playfully catches one of the kernels in his mouth and winks at Annabeth, who laughs at him for the third time that day. 

They continue to tease each other intermittently as Marvin’s journey to Australia begins, his full chest easing into calm and warm. He realizes throughout this is the only time he’s fully been at peace since he left camp a couple days ago, maybe ever since he and Annabeth started really becoming close. When Marvin and Dory cruise on Crush, Percy imitates them again and Annabeth rolls her eyes so hard they spill to the back of her head, but soon she joins in with her own surfer voice that’s far better than his. (“You have a gift,” He tells her as she sits up smugly.) 

As the blue of the ocean on the screen turns somber and quiet, Annabeth falls silent while Marvin laments the loss of his son. She fixes her eyes on the scene, sucking on her lip, not responding to Percy when he asks if she wants anymore brownies. Percy’s heart sinks as he watches her, disappointed and crestfallen as she did in the elevator at the Arch. 

“Hey, you okay?” Percy instinctively reaches out to touch her shoulder. “When you get quiet like this, it usually means you’re sad.” 

Annabeth looks back at him, her vulnerable eyes dark and full, and because it’s because they spent all summer together, or because she’s seeing her dad soon, but she doesn’t evade the question like usual. “Do you think if I was captured in the sea and taken to Australia, my Dad would try to find me?” 

She looks like how Percy imagined her that night in the train bunk, sad, lonely, completely unloved. Percy blurts the first thing he can think of. 

“Well, that would never happen because I wouldn’t let you get lost.” 

Annabeth cocks her head at him. Oh crap, he blushes. He shouldn’t have said that. 

“You wouldn’t let me get lost?” She repeats, like he’s implying that she had no directional sense. 

“I mean I know you can honestly navigate anywhere, even like, that crazy maze that changes in space in time.”

“You mean Daedulus’ labyrinth.” 

“Whatever,”  Percy backtracks, trying to think with her melting brown eyes concentrated on him. “I mean you can somehow follow my mind. But if you ever fell in the sea or got captured by a boat, I wouldn’t leave you in there. I would dive right there and fish you back out. Not just you, Grover too.”  

Annabeth’s smile lingers as she turns her attention back towards the movie. 

“Well it’s nice to know you use your sea power gifts for good use,” She grabs another gummy fish from the table. She’d eaten a lot of those, too. Percy had to make note of that for the next time they watched a movie together. “I wish I could say I could save you from an evil owl or something, but who knows how that would turn out.” 

Percy laughs and revels in another flood of relief. Annabeth had unclenched now, her cheeks and legs relaxed as she re-focuses on the screen. He studies her again as he watches the gears grinding in her mind, dissecting the movie at every new scene. He couldn’t believe he wouldn’t see her for a whole other year, except through emails and iris messages. 

“Hey,” Percy nudges her when Marvin and Nemo finally reunite. She turns back to him, like she knows he knows the right thing to say to her. “Your dad would save you. I know he would.” 

Annabeth beams at him for a moment, then quickly frowns, like she just smelled their downstairs neighbor’s bad lasagna downstairs. 

“Hey,” She turns her entire body towards him, as if to tell him something serious. Oh no. Did she smell the neighbor’s lasagna? “You know I don’t actually think I’m smarter than you, you know?” She asks frantically, searching every inch of Percy’s face for reassurance. 

Percy blinks, taken aback. He doesn’t know what he was expecting her to say, but it wasn’t that. 

“I know,” He says softly, because he does. ‘Don’t worry, I know.” 

Slowly, very slowly, they smile at each other, studying each other for maybe just a second too long. They turn back to finish the movie, and Percy thinks about how he knows, just like with Grover, but somehow a little different, that Annabeth is his friend for life. 

*** 

I finally made it, Seaweed Brain. Now tape this to your locker and carry it around. 

He rereads the email once, twice, three times. It could be because he’s dyslexic, but he swears he rereads it at least 10 times in the next hour. 

Even though he knows she’s just teasing, he does print it out and carry it around with him.  

[twig-the-toad-licker]

"Hey everybody!"

"So, I wanted to address some of the like, weird rhyming posts that have been going on with me ever since Torbek started having problems again."

"I just wanna assure everybody, it's totally fine!"

"Ya see, Brownies have this thing where each and every one of us is born with a Boggart half to us, so I think all these weird posts are just my sister. She can be kinda...well, weird I guess, but we're like twins! Had her with me forevers!"

"I named her Kitzy. I had to name her, cause our parents didn't - they knew she'd be there, but well...Brownies kinda like to sweep to whole Boggart thing under the rug, ya know?"

"I keep her in my head, cause she can be really rowdy, but I still love her! So, just keep in mind that she can get pretty lonely all cooped up like that."

"Just wanted to let everybody know! OH! And I just made a whole batch of those 'Crooked Moon' sweets I was talking about earlier, if anybody wants some!"

[vale-isei]

While I'm feeling nostalgic and waiting for my brownie waffles to cool down (do NOT microwave brownie waffles for two minutes I am a professional idiot.)

The new Days Union fans have no idea what they missed out. Back in 2019, everything was peak and very very community-based. The OLD server was a hellhole of chaos and fun. Remember the late nights where operatives came on for like a millisecond and people freaked tf out? Remember that one phase where everyone was hellbent on making songs for the operatives? Remember the Arsenal game night with the operatives????? If you're a new fan, you were absolutely ROBBED of these experiences. It's like taking the candy store from the kid. I literally would not know who I am to this day without those chaotic experiences.

Since the fall of the old Days Union, I've been in and out of different fandoms. BUT LIKE. I always circle back to Days Union. It's like a comfort even though it's 99% dead now. I like the forever war, the compelling characters, the politics and all that shit.

But is it the same? No, absolutely not.

I think what made the Days Union so special for me was the community. Just a bunch of idiots conversing and talking about lore and freaking out when operatives come online. Also just the operatives actually existing. Lawl. Those two things made the Days Union special. Every interaction I've had was 90% positive.

Now, do I wish for the community to come back? Yes and no.

There were obviously some really bad people in the community (AND NOT JUST THE OPERATIVES' ADMIN STUFFS). I wouldn't want to regather the old community. Instead, just make a new community out of the current survivors who now have actual brain cells. Survivors who are grateful for just a sliver of Days Union content. Survivors who won't be weird. Y'know?

Anyway my brownie waffle is finally cooled down. Have a lovely day! 😭👍

[ghostofasecretary]

so

today had a lot of pleasant things! i had a good hair day. i got to wear my own clothes. i Managed Spreadsheets, my favorite task in the whole world. i embroidered! i called a friend i don't talk to as much as i'd like and it was so lovely! i wrote cards to my friends!!

and my friend's voice is in the back of my head right now going "take your own advice and be nicer to yourself. it's good advice"

but. tomorrow i'm meeting with my professor friend and i think i'm gonna be like "so, don't think grad school will work out this year." which i expect will feel quite bad because it feels bad!! and it's not SETTLED. and there's still more jobs i can apply for and i will.

but. like. i've been waiting to have a plan for my next two years and also August since fucking. January. and it turns out six months is kind of my limit for not knowing things! and "no" is easier than yes! and i made the best decisions i could at the time with the knowledge available to me!

and i feel a little like roadkill. and there's a part of me that's so indignant and entitled and absurd like "i got into [INSTITUTION], i am CLEARLY GOOD AT THINGS, why won't you GIVE ME MONEY," but i--backspaced what i wrote because i was chewing myself out. it's not relevant. it sucks, so, okay, it sucks.

i'm now planning to use the Christmas money i'd earmarked for celebrating grad school (and cried over, in April, when funding announcements failed to be what i wanted them to be and i was told i'd be in limbo forever) to celebrate moving, once i have a workable plan to move. still a life milestone! just--fuck. not the one i wanted. oh well.

i embroidered something sweet. i'm sending notes to people i love. i had brownies with my family and bought them ice cream with my employee discount and the skillet brownies a la mode were DELICIOUS. my coworker complimented my outfit. i also ate some vegetables so i'm fucking winning.

and i'll use that--stability, that sense of Being A Person, to do the poetry work tomorrow and also present my state of the Ghost, as it were.

steps:

- clean off bed and work space

- pjs

- brush teeth and floss

- skim stuff, give your sleeping mind some food

- mobile game

- bedstime

you've got this. i'm proud of you. growing pains suck but it's still growth.

[scythegameing]

Conflicting Lives- Chapter 6: Comfort and Chill Vibes

Word Count: 2247

It was the third day following the meeting. Scythe had woken up later on the same day of the meeting, about an hour after the others had gotten him back to his dorm room, but didn't talk much, just letting the others chat around him. Sam was coming over today though, so he at least had something to look forward to. He mostly just sat on the couch either watching tv or playing some games, but today he was too excited to see someone else to properly focus on anything on the tv. 

Thankfully, Scythe didn't have to wait all too much longer in his little pool of excitement before there was a knock on the door. “Come in!” Scythe yelled from where he sat. Ella was in class right now, and the door had been left unlocked for the past few days so friends could come check on him if they needed to, and he didn't mind one bit. Sam walked in, taking care not to knock anything over with his extra arms, they came with being a spider hybrid after all.

“Hey Scythe, How are you feeling today?” Sam asked with a wide smile. Sam goes to Cursia University as well as Ella and Scythe, and studies his major, Digital Game Design, as an off-campus student, traveling to go to his classes. He walked over to where Scythe was on the couch and sat down next to him.

“Way better honestly even though I still don't quite understand how I got so panicked so quickly. It is what it is I guess,” Scythe responded as he moved to the side a little to give Sam more sitting room. “I’m glad to have you here though it's been forever since we’ve been able to just hang out, chaos causing or not” 

Sam chuckled and agreed, “Yeah it really had, but with what's been going on I'm not really surprised we haven't been able to either.” The pair sat for a minute longer, simply enjoying each other's company. And then there was a knock on the door.

The door burst open, and before Scythe could turn to see who it was, he heard a familiar Australian accent. “What’s this then? A sad friend? Well that just won’t do!” That's when both Sam and Scythe found themselves with chocolates and chips being dropped on their heads.

Scythe chuckled and looked up where the friendly voice was coming from. “Hey Pearl!” Scythe said with a smile plastered across his face. “Did you really come all the way from Survas just to dump junk food on me? And you didn't have to open the door so fast either y'know.”

“Nonsense, of course I have to make an entrance! How else do you think I got my reputation as Scarlet Moon?” The tall moth hybrid replied with a smirk and a wink. She walked around and plopped down onto the floor in front of the two younger men, and looked expectantly at them. “Well, are you going to try anything or not? Cleo and Gem made those right there--” Pearl pointed to two pieces of tupperware, one circular and one square, that had landed between Scythe and Sam “-- and the two made sure that they were your favorite.”

Scythe looked at the circular tupperware, hardly hesitating before grabbing it and opening the lid. Almost instantly the smell of chorus fruit met his nose, the scent of pie coming only a moment later. He looked back at Pearl, still sitting on the ground, and said with a grin, “Please tell them I say thank you and that I love them. It has been far too long since I've had chorus pie and I know it'll be damn good if both of them had a hand in it.”

He took one more good sniff and put the lid back on to save for later. Reaching for the other, more square tupperware, Scythe opened it as well. “And fudge brownies?? Oh my void those two are saints I swear.” he said as soon as he saw what was inside of the container. Sam and Pearl burst into laughter, and it took a minute for Scythe to realize what they were laughing about before he started laughing too

“I don’t know if I would call those two saints but they sure are something.” Sam said in between laughs. “It definitely is nice of them to do that for you though.” The three finally stopped laughing as much, and Scythe found himself nodding in agreement.

“They may be chaotic but who’s to say you guys aren't either?” Pearl responded

“Yeah but you and Cleo are something else entirely” Scythe said back with a smirk.

“Hey you can’t say anything either, Scythe. Not with what you and Joel can get up to together.” Sam said, and Pearl stuck her tongue out at the Enderman hybrid in a mocking victory.

“Wooooow Sam. And I thought you loved me,” He said back playfully, holding his hand to Sam's face, blocking the view of the others' faces. The pair on the couch laughed, pearling chuckling along as well.

Scythe handed the other two a brownie after pulling one out for himself. “We all deserve a wonderful brownie if I do say so myself.” He said after taking a bite of his own piece, and the other two nodded in agreement while taking a bite.

The three just sat and talked for a few minutes longer, each enjoying the snacks Pearl had brought. They ended up splitting just about everything between themselves, Scythe making sure to grab a few that he knew Ella would like. He enjoyed having the company of others with him, but these were two of a select few people that he enjoyed talking to the most.

“Do you guys want to play some games?” Scythe asked eventually. “I’m not quite sure what we have that all 3 of us will want to play but we can always look”

“Sure! What kind of games ya got?” Pearl replied.

“I don’t even think he knows what he has himself” Sam chuckled and said, causing Scythe to stick his tongue out.

“I know most of the games I have, thank you very much! I just don’t know what we all want to play!” He pouted as he responded.

“Quit your bickering ya spoons,” Pearl said, standing up and gently hitting them both on the top of the head, effectively bonking the pair. “Let’s see what games you’ve got, eh Scythe?”

Scythe nearly jumped off the couch and to his shelf of video games, pulling around 15 off of it to show to the pair waiting behind him. He excitedly “ran” back to them, sitting on the ground and spreading them out in front of him. 

“This one--” he pointed to a game on the left side of the spread, “-- is more of a sandbox game. Its open-world type but still kind of has a goal but really we could all play and do whatever.” he pointed  to one a few to the right, “And this one is more a fighting type game, but not in like a 1v1 type style but more of like pve style and can have I think up to five players in a game.

This one over here is sort of a mix. It has the partial open world and sandbox type aspects, but it's also a lot about surviving and building a base from primitive tools to advanced machinery.” that time Scythe was pointing to a game on the far right side. He explained the rest in a similar way, then waited for Pearl and Sam’s responses.

After what felt like forever to Scythe, but was only probably a few more seconds, Sam spoke. “I think the mixed kind of one sounds cool. It could be a really fun challenge.” Pearl nodded in agreement, “it certainly does sound like a challenge, and a fun one at that!” She said with a smile.

And so Scythe booted up the game and they played. They played for what felt like hours. At some point, Ella has returned to the dorm after her classes for the day, hopped in a shower and had some snacks. She joined in as well, opting to be the farmer in the game, focused on getting food for them all. Pearl took the role of building the house up, Sam took to material gathering for just about everything, and Scythe took to taming the beasts that the in-game world had to offer.

They must have played though the entire night, as when they were finally starting to get tired the clock read 10:42pm. They all winced simultaneously at how late it was getting, and Pearl was the first to stand, followed by Sam.

“I should probably be getting home right about now lovelies, but thank you for letting me stay and play some games with ya!” she said, grabbing the few belongings she had brought along with her. The other three said goodbye, and Pearl left the dorm room and Scythe could’ve sworn he saw her flying through the window..

The three friends sat for a few minutes longer, but it wasn't too much longer until Sam grabbed their own items. “I should probably head home too. All of my stuff for my classes tomorrow are at home.” The spider hybrid said, double checking he did have all of his belongings.

“Alright, well get home safe Sam.” Ella said, helping him to get all of his surviving snacks in his multiple appendages and minimal bags. “Don’t do anything stupid on your way back.” She added with a small glare.

“Hey I’m not that dumb--” Sam's said, turning back to face Ella, stopping what he was saying at her stare. “-- ok maybe I can be but it's too late to do anything, plus I already said i have classes tomorrow I’m not going to do anything.” He conceded. 

“If I know you and Scythe, and I do--” Ella looked at Sam, then at Scythe, “-- you guys get up to stupid shit at stupid times. I know you likely won’t do anything stupid, but that doesn't mean you won’t at all.” She ended her sentence, making sure to enunciate each point of her mini-lecture.

Sam looked at Scythe for some support. “Come one Scythe help me out here man.” “I wish I could Sam but, well, she’s not wrong.” the Enderian replied, and Ella’s face turned into one of triumph.

“How could you betray me?” Sam said jokingly before the three laughed together a bit. “Alright , alright, I wont do anything too stupid. I promise.” He added as Ella looked at him once more with suspicion.

The trio said their goodbyes to each other, and when Ella had closed the door behind Sam, Scythe grabbed something. As she made it back to the couch where he was sitting, Scythe held out the circular tupperware from earlier in the day.

“What’s this?” Ella said, looking at the container Scythe handed her, trying to determine what it was before opening it. “Is it something that Pearl had brought?”

Scythe nodded, “Yeah! Cleo and Gem made it for me, but I thought we should share a slice or two given what it is.” Ella looked at him curiously. “Open it you dummy! Look at what it is!” he said in response to her curious glance.

She chuckled a little to herself and opened the container. The smell of the Chorus Pie once again hit Scythe’s nose, and he could tell that Ella was excited about the delicious treat as well. She looked back up at him, her eyes full of excitement. “Can we eat some now?” she asked, her multi-colored wings flapping a bit in her excitement..

Scythe laughed, “Yes, yes we can.” he grabbed the tupperware back from her and got up to go to the kitchen and cut a few slices. “You know, you can be really cute when you get all giddy and excited like that.” he said, smiling as he put each slice onto its own plate, grabbing a fork each. Ella’s cheeks turned a lighter, pinker hue, and her wings instinctively moved to cover her face. “The little wing movements make it even cuter.” Scythe added.

He chuckled as he walked back to the couch with the chorus pie slices, setting one next to a flustered and “hidden” Ella. Slowly, his winged partner  emerged from her feathered cocoon, mumbling small curses as she picked up her plate and took a bite of the pie. Almost as soon as she took the bite, her wings flapped a bit happily.

Scythe chuckled to himself once more, and Ella shot him a glare before taking another bite, and he put his hands up in defeat. Taking a bite of his own slice, Scythe appreciated Pearl's partners ever more for the pie, and how well they made it. From what he knew, chorus pie was pretty difficult to make, mainly because of the toughness and general difficulty to handle chorus fruit itself.

As the clock ticked ever closer to midnight, Scythe and Ella ate their slices of pie, chatted about some random stuff, and even played a few games, more chill in comparison to the one they were playing with Sam and Pearl. By the time the clock did hit midnight, the pair were already in bed, falling asleep and getting ready for another hopefully peaceful day.

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[mouseratz]

tagging game! tagged by @yarboyandy

-three ships

uhhhh. Off the top of my head. 1.lisacreature duh. the whole movie. they're not a healthy relationship but like they're fine they just destroy everything around them. i lurv it . also of fucking course I wanted a zombie boyfriend as a teenager. I won't lie to any of you

2. danbert bc gay people in my phone. classic case of toxic yaoi. so toxic I've been thinking about them for years. if only reanimator had like been gay on purpose we could've had it all

3. also based off of "what's in my camera roll". the evil scientists from mst3k are gay also. Dr Forrester and tvs frank.... is this even disputed. I don't care. I've known this since I was a child. "they're gay married and kill each other in looney tunes esque situations daily" feels like part of the character concepts.

-first ship

Inuyasha x Kagome, most likely. it's like one of the first obsessions I can remember where a show had like, a romantic throughline I cared about at all. although, to be fair, I was still mostly into the comedy and supernatural stuff, and this was Very Young.

-last song I listened to

I stumbled upon the tiny desk concert performance and well. I am not immune to popular things. chappell roan is pretty awesome. I love the videos and performances, but the pop music is also really solid, and I find myself enjoying it way more than expected. this songs good but I haven't listened to it a lot yet....my first time actually

-currently reading

Perry Mason and the Glamorous Ghost. I'm only like a chapter in. idk it was an impulse buy on my birthday because the cover was awesome. also pictured: my copy of Frankenstein. I read that in October. loved it

-currently watching

uhmmmm. still rewatching always sunny in Philadelphia. forever. watched a couple episodes of space ghost coast to coast earlier. I still want to keep watching twin peaks the return but I haven't because. idk. its hard to be me....

-relationship status

very incredibly single. it is very hard to date when u can't drive where I live. I mean it's hard in any circumstance but whatever shots I had are dust. would love to date sometime in my life possibly. I have been feeling that way for um. like four years now. so. we will see how that goes.

-current obsessions

Lisa Frankenstein, obvs.....my hobbies and such though? kind of in a slump. I've been like.....learning how to apply makeup for once for fun. I'm still very bad at it but idgaf it is what it is what's always made me uncomfortable about it was that it never "looked right" and I didn't want to be judged. instead of just treating it like a for fun thing. ie I want Colors On My Face I don't even cover up my acne atp. oh and the gender thing. like if I didn't do the makeup right I was being bad at being a girl. and now I do not have to worry about that at all.

-currently craving

like, food? um. I hope the brownies I made tonight taste good in the morning. I let them cool overnight so idk how they taste yet.

-favorite color

green, but I'm a big fan of what pink and black (I KNOW it's not a 'real color' IDC) and some shades of blue and yellow and orange have going on. I just like colors lmao

-tagging

hiiii I won't mind if you don't do it this is just a little shout-out okay :) @mahkari @jokeryuri @homokommari @mushroom-in-space

also anypony else who wants to do it can.....I won't be mad