#it's just gonna be longer than 50 chapters

[simonxriley]

I don't think 50 chapters is gonna be enough for Jade Helm, I have way too many events that happen from now to when the fic ends 🙃

[aro-aizawa]

sighs in contentment......

[luvyeni]

10 DAYS TO FALL IN LOVE — chapter 6. dates and apologies !

word count. 0.8k+ content warning. none just angst and fluff

You clutched the stuffed animal in your hand that heeseung had won for you as you walked through the park per his request. “You’re really happy about that stuffed toy.” He said. “Be careful people might think you’re crazy and on a date with that thing instead of me.” You rolled your eyes pouting. “don’t call my child a thing, he has a name.” You said, the boy laughed. “yeah, what is it?” you thought for a while, before shrugging. “well I won him, why can’t he be named after me?”

You shook your head no, smirking menacingly, looking back at him. “I like the name sunghoon.” His face dropped. “That’s not funny.” He said flatly. “It’s a little funny.” You said. “not even remotely.” He tried to walk a head of you. “yah! Don’t leave me.”

“Stop walking so fast.” You grabbed his arm. “say your sorry and i'll slow down.” You whined, and he started speeding up again. “okay! Okay.” You shouted. “im sorry.” You said , and he stopped turning to you. “I won’t name him after sunghoon.” You said. “and?”

“And we can name him heeseung.” He smiled. “thank you,  that’s all I ask.” You rolled your eyes. “can we sit, I tired from chasing after you?” he nodded , finding a bench to sit on near the water. “here lets sit here.”

“did you have fun.” He asked — his eyes filled with so much nerves. “i won’t give you so much credit.” He frowned. “but I had a lot of fun.” You said, lightly punching his shoulder. “you remembered how much I love amusement parks.”

“of course! We used to go all the time after classes.” He said — remembering how you’d drag him whenever you had the chance, riding all the rides you could and eating the food until it was time to go home. “we had so much fun back then.”

You smiled — quickly frowning, it was fun hanging out with heeseung — but you couldn’t help but remembered why you stopped doing those things in the first place. “we did have fun back then didn’t we?”

He saw the change in your mood. “you okay?” you nodded, he kissed the back of his teeth. “it’s been 5 years since we hung out , not 50, I can still tell when you’re upset and lying about it.”

“Why are you doing this?” you said. “doing what?” He questioned. “this ,being nice to me, wanting to go on a date — I mean even as high schoolers you didn’t want to be anything more than friends, now all of a sudden you want to flirt and date me, even after that situation.”

He knew this was gonna come up and he thought he was ready , but he suddenly couldn’t speak. “I want to forgive you, I really do, but I need at least an explanation, is this just a joke between your friends because — it’s not I promise.”

“Then tell me what it is.” You said. “I’ve always liked you yn, even when were in high school.” He said. “I didn’t say anything because I didn’t think you’d like me back , I mean we both what I looked in 9th grade.” You dry laughed. “but then things changed, I didn’t mean for them to, they just got out of hand.”

“you really hurt me heeseung, you were my only friend, I stood by you for everything.” You felt tears welding in your eyes. “and for you to say all those horrible things, and that our friendship meant nothing.” He wrapped his arms around your body. “im sorry.”

It was silent — both of you didn’t say anything as you say on the bench. He finally spoke up. “im so sorry I hurt you.” He whispered into your hair. “I'm so fuckin stupid yn.” He wiped your wet cheeks. “I’ve been waiting for the longest time to tell you that.” He said. “for the past 5 years that’s all I wanted to tell you.”

It felt like a weight had been lifted off both your shoulders. “please forgive me.” He said , squeezing your hand. “I’ll try my best to quit, I swear.” You wanted to believe him — it was only 5 days, but it was longer than you’ve ever seen him in 5 years. “you’d really quit?” you asked. “for you? Of course I would.”

You both began to get cold , so you found your way back to his car — making your way back to your dorm. He parked outside your building, not really wanting to let you out. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow and take you to school.” He said , you nodded. “good night heeseung.”

You undid your seat belt opening the door. “Let’s go baby heeseung.” He laughed. “are you really gonna call it that?” you nodded. “of course , he’s our child.” You said , quickly reaching over to kiss his cheek his eyes widening. “wh-what—” before he fully say something you got out of the car.

“yah! You can’t just run away after doing that.” you turned waving. “goodnight!” you shouted, he watched you go into the building , before driving off a big dopey smile plastered on his face.

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— ( TAGLIST: CLOSED ) @en-happiness @leep0ems @wonwoos-wineparty @deobitifull @yeonboy @jiaant11 @heelee-01 @yer1-lvr @luvvsnae @mochimchimo @thefangirloncrack @shxhhsjs @lostwonderwall @yyayobhb @yvesgfss @ni-kimura09 @herversus @adeoluhh @astrokeisuke @hwnggyu @nycapartmentsworld @txtlyn @soulsbbg @troublemaker02 @darlingz99 @jayhoonvroom @darly6n @boutyouwonu @seungjiseyo @velvtcherie @laylasmother @dimplewonie @wonhoishot @rodygr @wonyofile @y4wnjunz @icantpickabiasugh @ne0c0r3 @wooziswife @certified-niki-lover @eleanorheartschishiya @yunjinsbbg @haechansbbg @pockyyasii @aishigrey @kpophosblog @midmourn @miumiusme @l0vee-l3tters @soomelon

©️LUVYENI

[livwritesstuff]

i’ve been very quiet so srry - my week started with my annual performance review (which went well) and ended with an emergency surgery (also went well) so…a lot going on to say the least

this is a deleted scene from the first chapter of plant a seed

When Robin called, Steve and Eddie were in the phase of newborn parenthood where they froze every single time the phone rang (because said newborn was napping more often than not and when she was, there was a 50% chance minimum the phone would wake her up).

So when Robin called and the ringing of the phone broke the otherwise peaceful silence, Steve froze and he waited. When the baby didn't wake up, Steve exhaled a sigh of relief and answered the call.

"This is Steve."

"Hey Steve-o!"

Steve immediately recognized the voice as Robin's – of course he did, even if he hadn't heard it since she and Nancy left for a work trip in Japan a little over a month ago.

“Oh shit,” Steve said, because this means that Robin and Nancy are finally home, finally back in their Boston apartment fifteen minutes away from his and Eddie's in Cambridge instead of the opposite side of the entire world, “You’re home!”

“Yep,” Robin replied, popping the P, “That plane was a million degrees, I’m pretty sure. No more August flights if I have any say in it. Anyways – wanted to let you know we made it back unscathed. What’s new with you guys?”

“Uh…” Steve began, not totally sure where to start, because Robin didn't know about the baby he and Eddie had been placed with two weeks ago and she certainly didn't know that they're going to adopt her (because they'd landed on that decision that very day – about two hours ago, to be specific), “Well–”

“Hey, do you still have those placements?" Robin interrupted, "The kids who like to read the Goosebumps books?”

“Oh,” Steve blinked, “No. They went back with their mom a couple days after you left.”

“Damn. Been a while. Forgot this trip was longer than usual – wait, so are you between placements now, then? Hey, we should finally make that trip to P-Town!”

"Might need a raincheck on that," Steve said with a laugh, because at the moment a trip to the goddamn grocery store required at least a day's worth of planning, "We've got another placement right now – a newborn. We've had her for, uh, for just under two weeks, pretty sure."

“Shit, a newborn?" Robin repeated.

Steve faintly heard Nancy's voice, though he couldn't make out exactly what she was saying. He listened as Robin recounted to her what he'd just said, then started to laugh.

"Nancy just said that if she misses out on a chance to hold a new baby, she'll kill you," Robin told him, "Any idea when she might move on?”

Steve paused for a second. He and Eddie had decided earlier that they wouldn’t be telling anyone about the baby until the adoption was finalized, but…it’s Robin. 

He doesn’t think he’s ever kept a secret from Robin before, certainly not something this big and certainly not for very long.

He has to tell her.

“We’re, uh, we’re actually adopting her.”

Robin was silent.

Then –

“Holy shit – Steve.”

And then –

“I’m coming over right now. Immediately. Wait–” Robin stopped, “Damn, I can’t be a dick and come over unannounced anymore, can I? Because you guys have a baby. A baby. And she’s gonna be yours? What the fuck? Wait, let me start over.”

Robin paused long enough to take a deep breath.

“Steve Harrington – my best friend who’s finally fulfilling a lifelong dream of becoming a dad – when will you allow us to come and be formally introduced to our niece?”

Truth be told, Steve wouldn’t say no to a visit from Robin and Nancy that day (especially after the our niece comment), but their case worker had just started faxing over all the paperwork to get the ball rolling on the adoption process and Steve has a feeling that he might catch Eddie trying to fill that shit out as it came out of the machine so tonight they might be a little occupied.

"Tomorrow?" he suggested.

"Morning?" Robin added.

Steve laughed, "Sure. Tomorrow morning."

"Bright and early, dad. Holy fuck, I can't believe you're a dad."

"You can't?"

"No, I totally can."

[jkslipppiercing]

Bumblebee teaser | jjk

• summary: Jeon Jungkook was your high school bully. What are you gonna do when your parents are forcing you to marry him as the country's most well-known CEO?

• pairing: ceo!jk x reader, high school bully!jk (more to come in upcoming chapters cuz i dont wanna spoil anything.)

• genre: enemies to lovers, slowburn, high school bully to lover, arranged marriage, CEO/billionare romance, marriage of convenience.

• warnings: a little cursing, not much since it's a teaser, more to come in upcoming chapters.

• WC: 0.99k

taglist form (please fill in the form if you want to be added to my taglist ♡)

index.

previous/next

Mythical; his beauty one of pure magnificence. Who is he? Who does he work for? What’s his name? What does he do for a living?  Well, considering where you were, it wasn’t that hard to guess.

Your father is the CEO of HG Enterprise. A company worth over 2 billion dollars- as he had mentioned before- which is pretty impressive for a lingerie business. After the mentioned company had passed a milestone just two days ago, your father wanted to plan an event in honor of celebrating 50 years of HG. He claims the company as his baby, and it’s only fair to go all out on a party, just like this one.

Over 10,000 people have come to this celebration, and you, as the CEO's daughter, are responsible for keeping the guests company. Surely, your parents’ task is harder because greeting 10,000 people isn’t as easy as it sounds. For goodness sake, it doesn’t even sound possible!

Your night would’ve been more interesting had the guests been more intriguing. They either go on about their mansions with great pride over their money, or they utter bad dad jokes all the time. Just as your mother calls your name for the third time, you’re jolted out of your trance by an arm elbowing you in the gut.

“Y/N! Mom has called your name 3 times by now!” Your younger brother hurriedly sputters.

“First of all, ow…”, You rub the side of your ribs where your brother just elbowed you and glare at him. He smiles sheepishly in return, and says, “Sorry about that. You weren’t answering me, and why was that anyway?” his brows scrunch in confusion.

“I…um…I was lost in thought.” Yeah right. More like salivating over that hotshot guy you’ve been staring at this whole time- your brother doesn’t need to know that though. He looks at you unconvinced, his brows raised in question. “Never mind. Where’s mom?”

You’re making your way to your mother when your phone chimes with a new notification. You reach for your purse to fish your phone out- slam!

You screw your eyes shut and get ready for the impact of your butt hitting the cold marble floor, but instead, you feel a hand snake around your waist. As he pulls you towards him, the position has you flush against his body as your breath gets caught in your throat at the sensation. You open your eyes to be met with…oh my god!

You scramble to push yourself away from the guy when you lose your footing, and almost kiss the floor, again. He grabs your waist more firmly this time, pulls you to him, and chuckles.

“We wouldn’t want a beauty like you on the floor tonight, would we?” his breath fans over your ear as he whispers.

Your face flushes with major embarrassment as you try to conceal it with your hands. His hand leaves your waist only to circle around your wrists and pull your hands down. He then brushes a stray strand away from your face and tucks it behind your ear as he places distance between the both of you.

He offers his hand in greeting, “I’m Jeon Jungkook, CEO of Jeon Modeling Agency. Pleasant to make your acquaintance.” Jeon Jungkook? THE Jeon Jungkook? You’re fucked. So, utterly, fucked.

Jeon Jungkook became a CEO at the young age of 27. Only a year older than you, but he was still capable of managing a modeling company on his own after his dad’s unfortunate passing. With his late father no longer around to direct him, he was on his own, yet his decisions concerning the evolution of the mentioned company put the agency at an impressive top 10 in the country. Not only was the man in front of you the CEO of one of the most remarkable agencies in the world, but he was also your high school bully. You couldn’t recognize him at all, and all the previous attraction you had towards him dissipated into thin air.

“Y/L/N Y/N. That ring a bell, bumblebee?” The nickname dripped poisonous venom as it rolled off your tongue.

Blood drained from Jungkook’s face as his smirk dropped. All evidence from his earlier flattery evaporated, leaving him glaring at you. If looks could kill, you’d be 6 feet under.

Bumblebee was a nickname he bullied you with in high school. From day 1, he saw you wearing bumblebee socks, and the nickname stuck with you all the way. In class, in the hallways, just everywhere, and in front of everyone, he always used it to address you. You hated it, but nevertheless, he would still use it to pick on you every single day throughout the whole school year. You used to plead with him to stop using it, but he wouldn’t budge. Nothing worked. He would never stop picking on you, and you’ve always hated him for it.

Just as you're indulging in the glare-off between you and jungkook, your mom interrupts; "Oh, Y/N! I suppose you've already met Jungkook?" She smiles as she gives jungkook a once-over and looks at you right after.

You come back to your senses as you nod at your mom. "I have, and i already wish i hadn't-" Jungkook cuts you off as he turns towards Mrs. Y/L/N and beams at her, "You look beautiful tonight, Mrs. Y/L/N. Y/N must take after you!"

Your mother swoons over Jungkook's words, completely ignoring your previous comment.

"Why, thank you, young man! I trust she'll be in good hands..." Your mother glances at you then hesitates, "I suppose you haven't mentioned the 'big surprise' to Y/N yet, have you?"

What "big surprise"?

"What are you talking about?" You take turns glancing at Jungkook and your mom. You scrunch your brows in confusion. Your mother never mentioned anything about a surprise, and what does Jungkook out of all people have to do with it?

What on earth?

"Y/N, you and Jungkook are getting married in 6 months."

What. The. Fuck?

next

[platonicmoonwater00]

I see these everywhere. and i mean EVERYWHERE. and also i need motivation so lets go ig

10 notes- i'll drink on weekends too(i forget cos on weekends im just at home and not at school lugging around my frank green in my tote bag)

20 notes- i will(try to) pay attention in class

30 notes- i'll watch my whole watch later playlist on yt

50 notes- i'll actually do the techniques im learning in ✨therapy✨ to help with my anxiety and shitty social skills

75 notes- i'll take my iron tablets every day

100 notes- i'll start my assessments when i get them(i have one due tomorrow which i was gonna finish now but i'm doing this apparently)

125 notes- i'll ask my crush to hangout alone during spring holidays

150 notes- i'll try to go for a run or at least a walk every day

500 notes- i'll write another chapter of my fanfiction

1k notes- i will actually make an effort to get clean

2k notes- if i see someone pretty that i want to go out w in public i'll ask for their number cos holy fuck i need to put myself out there. even if we js end up being friends cos holy shit im lonely

3k notes- i will actually finished the dress i started making

4k notes- i will try to get over my crush cos its ✨never gonna happen✨(she so pretty and masc tho its gonna be hard)

5k notes- (this is so far up here cos idk how to do this so im gonnna need a lot of time to figure out how) im gonna try to demolish the rumour that im gay thats going around a bit.**

6k notes- i will finish all my crochet projects and not start any new ones until im done.

**context. i go to an all girls school and theres a lot of people so its not like everyone knows everyone, even in my year(theres approx. 174 in my year alone, and theres 6 year groups at my school cos high school is 7-12 where i live) but some people know me ig cos i know a few girl who are more notable, im in the top class and i recdntly started sitting with a group that the popular girls call furries.

(theyre a pretty big group and popular girls hate them cos one or two of them are trans - ftm, ftnb etc, no mtf cos my lovely/s catholic school wouldnt let trans girls in- several of them are gay, a few of them are emo, most of them are poc's and a few of them dont have english as their first language. overall they are seen as the "weird kids" in my year)

so this rumour apparently is going around that i like a girl in my class(i absolutely do but if you havent noticed my school is hella hoomophobic and i could very well get beat) which js isnt ideal and is gonna lead to a lot of issues, especially if a lot of people start believing it so if you guys have any advice pls lmk. and its not like i can js get a fake bf and show him off cos its a GIRLS SCHOOL. if i reconnect with a friend from primary school tho we could pretend to be dating and like make a post on social media. but then kids at his school would find out and hed either have to tell them its fake(which would eventually find its way back to my school, and when i say eventually i mean immediately) or he couldnt get a girlfriend so that probs wouldnt work.

i know it sounds like im making a mountain out of a molehill but ive got years to go here and i dont want to spend all my high school years getting bullied bc even if i went to a teacher about it or smthing id have to like analyse them first and try to figure out which ones are homophobic or not.

like learning about why "being gay is a sin"(pretend im saying that really mockingly) is literally in our curriculum.

holy shit that was longer than expected.

no pressure tags: @wishiwereheather13 @loserboyfriendrjl @fracturedsunsets @chasingthemoony @stars-and-leather @starsofleo

thats all im doing idk how you guys can stand js copy and pasting moots over and over i cant do this i did the first six that came up and that seems like enough 🤷‍♀️

begun doing

going to do

finished

[spicybunni]

YANDERE DONNA BENEVIENTO HEADCANONS

I'm back again with my girl! I love her so much and think her chapter deserved more development. Also the haunted house aesthetics for her estate? HELLO? This is more of a continuation of my previous Yandere Donna post with some repeated themes but longer version I guess? Hope you enjoy 🖤

WARNINGS : YANDERE TENDENCIES / ISLOATION / SCARING DARLING / DOLLS / SFW / SLIGHT VIOLENCE TOWARDS READER

🪡Never let’s you leave the manor. Are you joking? She hardly leaves unless it’s to meet with her siblings or Mother Miranda.

🪡Stop trying to escape. You're just gonna be chased in a circle by unimaginable horrors back into your isolated room. If it not by dolls or monsters it would be by ghosts.

🪡If she's in a forgiving mood, all she would do is scold you and leave you be. You are her beloved so she can't truly be angry with you. You didn't know any better from the 100 other times you have attempted and failed!

🪡However, if she is furious with you. It definitely shows. She will isolate you and lock the door to your room but the dolls haunt you for the remainder of the evening. If dolls don't scare you she would make you hallucinate. She would come back in once she hears your screams die down. Finding you in a corner shaking with snot and tears dribbling down your face. So easily manipulated like putty into her embrace again.

🪡You would grasp onto her and cry into her shoulder. Muttering apologizes and pleas for that to never happen again, that you would do anything.

🪡Her grin would go unnoticed by you. "Then just obey and be good." She would say, stroking your hair to calm you down.

🪡Do not keep asking her to let you go either. If she tries to start conversation with you and all you ever say is to let you go? Immediately gives you the silent treatment! And if you continue despite that? Then its downstairs for you.

🪡Makes cute dresses/clothes for you. How do you think all of her dolls look so good? She can pretty much sew anything.

🪡There's no option to refuse wearing the clothes she makes because she will literally toss all your wardrobe until you wear whatever she made.

🪡If you got an unexpected face reveal from her? Immediately sent to the basement to be isolated. If you even dare to ask what happened to her face her dolls would cut you. Of course it wasn't in your control, but now you know her biggest insecurity. She must make you fear her all over again.

🪡A better response rather than just staring is if you avoid her gaze back at you, covering your eyes and repeatedly apologize for looking. She would be satisfied with that and move on from it.

🪡Does not like it when you talk about your previous life. You can talk about your interests or ask her questions, and she will gladly respond to you. Don't talk about these past friends or god forbid you mention your family. It makes her shake with anger and she will send you to your room.

🪡Also becomes your doctor while keeping you. Her knowledge does not stop at medical plants and herbs. She would give you check ups every now and then.

🪡PDA would include sitting closely on the couch, having your head in her lap, some hugging, and hand holding. After a while I feel she would order you to sleep in the same bed as her.

🪡You figure it's better than being awake all night by yourself hearing creaks in the wood of the manor or high pitched giggling from her dolls littered everywhere.

🪡Honestly since you're one of her first darlings that is somewhat compliant, and hasn't been killed immediately, her conflicting emotions with PDA are 50/50. She only allows it if she initiates or demands it. But if you ever surprise her and do it back without her permission she gets flustered easily and will leave you in your room again. Eventually she would be alright with you touching her, but for now let her have the power and control of PDA.

🪡At some point you are finally broken and realize there is no escape, you become a housekeeper for Donna. Mostly just a helper. She doesn't let you cook alone.

🪡Does expect compliments when she shows you her embroidery or her latest garden project. She loves when you actually show interest in what she's doing. If you don't, Angie would just yell insults at you until you did.

🪡A compliant darling gets the best treatment from Donna. She would have no reason to punish you and would actually grant some freedoms of roaming the mansion. Letting you go into her library and cinema room on your own. She would pat your head or hold your face between her palms lovingly.

🪡 On the flip side if you're a defiant darling....well, you get nothing beneficial. You are locked below the mansion in the attic with a few books and a bed. Not even a bathroom. The only interactions you get are her sliding a food tray into the room and wellness check ups on you. She doesn't even give you the comedic relief of Angie. If you ever try to get the best of her while she's with you, she is not against chaining you to the bed post or the center of the room.

🪡Donna can be a very gentle yandere. She is obsessed with you becoming her companion in life till the end. Or rather your end. Just be a good darling to her and you can expect a life of comfortable silences and cozy fireplace chatter.

[mrghostrat]

i’m not sure if someone already asked you this, but now that you posted flawless, you’ll finish atws? or you’ll start posting the editor au? so sorry if you answered this question before

yea i wanna focus on atws next because its been sitting there for too long. editor au is still in progress, much longer to go than flawless, and i might not even write it privately until i have the next chapter of atws done

but fuuuuck man, just to vent for a minute

i’m trying so hard and nothing is killing my motivation more than this fic. i can only ever write like 50 words at a time, and it’s pulling teeth for every letter. flow doesn’t exist. even after editing down this scene, or trying to skip past it and write the funner bits that come later. i think my inspiration is just dead for this world and it’s gonna take a playlist or multiple rereads or some other kind of external trigger to get me in the mood for it again.

i’m upset that i’m struggling with this world, but it’s also frustrating that of course it’s the one that’s everyone else’s favourite 🫠

i don’t think it’s demand avoidance because i’ve had so many days where i think about it and get myself amped up like yEAHH gonna write streamers today!! and then i open my doc, fully medicated and all, and everything dies on my fingers.

[nhlclover]

first day sparks fly au!

✭ — summary: on the first day of classes, sofia and rutger meet.

✭ — warnings: none!

✭ — a/n: first chapter! i've decided i’m gonna write some chapters that will be longer but also little blurbs. the chapters will follow a timeline.

✭ — word count: 0.91k

The lecture hall is much smaller than Sofia pictured. She didn’t really have a good concept of how big a room would need to be to fit 50 people, but apparently, it wasn’t that big.

Sofia did a quick scan of the room, finding a good place to sit. She decided on a spot in the middle of the audience, a bit to the left. Once she sat down, she pulled out her laptop and water bottle, settling into her seat.

She occupied herself with the required reading of Of Mice and Men while the rest of the class slowly filed in, picking away at the empty seats, though both remained empty on either side of her. Sofia had read Of Mice and Men many times before, it being a classic in literature. She flips through the pages, rereading the familiar story until the professor begins the class.

Rutger rushes through the front doors of the building, searching for room 143. He walks down a few halls before finally finding it. Rutger pauses, checking his watch before bursting through the doors. He’s 17 minutes late.

He softly pulls open the door, stepping inside of the back of the class. He barely makes a sound, avoiding all eyes in the class turning to look at him. He does a quick scan of the room, looking for an empty seat. He eyes a blonde girl sitting on the left side of the room, an empty spot to her left. Rutger finds himself staring at her for a little too long, missing more and more of what the professor is saying.

He makes his way down the stairs, slipping past others to the empty seat to her left. Rutger slips into the seat, quietly pulling out his laptop and the required reading. He glances over at his neighbour's computer screen, trying to see how much he missed.

She has a page of notes written out, but her screen is at too much of an angle for Rutger to get a good look at what the professor had already said. He glances at the girl's face, her blonde hair cascading down, blocking most of his view.

He finds his eyes being drawn back to her face, wanting to get a good look at her features. She finally tucks the hair behind her ear, letting Rutger see her profile. Rutger barely registered anything that the professor had said since he sat down, instead being too occupied with the girl he had chosen to sit next to.

Eventually, the professor must’ve decided to give the class a short break because everyone is suddenly moving around and shuffling about.

Sofia was pretending to not notice the staring but it was now a couple of times he’d looked over at her. She didn’t know how to interpret the staring. It was possible that he was staring cause he thought she was pretty. But it was also very possible that he was a complete weirdo.

After a short internal conversation, Sofia decided to confront him.

“Hi.” Sofia says.

Rutger snaps out of the daze he was caught in looking at the girl, noticing she was talking to him. “Oh, hi.” Rutger says.

A blush forms on his cheeks, realizing she had in fact caught him staring at her.

“I’m Rutger.” He says.

“I’m Sofia.” She says, still hesitant as to whether or not this guy is weird.

“I uh, came in late. Can I borrow your notes?” Rutger asks.

“Oh, you didn’t miss much, she was just kind of going over the syllabus.” Sofia tells him.

Rutger furrows his brow, glancing at her page full of notes on her screen. “You seem to have some written there.” He chuckles.

“That’s just notes about the book. My thoughts and analysis basically.” Sofia explained, shutting her laptop.

“You’ve already started reading?” Rutger asks, suddenly questioning if he’s already fallen behind in the class on the first day.

“No. I mean yeah. Kind of.” Sofia rushes out. “I’ve already read Of Mice And Men. So these are notes from the past few times I’ve read it.”

“I’m going to take a wild guess and say that English is your major?” Rutger asks.

Sofia laughs. “Not quite. I’m majoring in elementary education and I want to be an English teacher.” She explains.

“Oh shit, cool.” He says, a smile on his lips.

He’s got a cute smile. Sofia thinks. Actually, scratch that, he’s got a cute face.

“I might be coming to you for help when I inevitably fall behind.”

Sofia furrows her eyebrows, Rutger making a reference she didn’t quite understand. “Oh I’m a student-athlete so I miss class kind of often.”

“Oh, what sport?” Sofia asks.

“I play on the hockey team.” Rutger says.

Sofia suddenly realizes why she recognizes the boy sitting next to her. “Oh my god.” She says.

Rutger has a sudden uncomfortable look on his face “What?” He asks.

“You know my brothers.” Sofia laughs.

Rutger furrows his brows, wondering how he would know this girl or her brothers.

“Adam and Luca?” Sofia prods. Rutgers eyes go wide, then his brows furrow again as he processes the information.

“Adam and Luca have a sister?” Rutger asks.

Sofia laughs, opening her phone. She finds a picture of her and her brothers from the draft, showing Rutger.

“Oh my god,” Rutger says as he sees the photo. “I genuinely had no clue they had a sister.”

“Yeah uh, they keep it a bit of a secret from teammates.” Sofia says, showing another one of them when they were kids.

“Why?” Rutger asks.

Sofia hesitates to tell Rutger the real reason. She’s saved when the professor resumes the lecture, Sofia and Rutger turning to the front.

[kfaem]

Tied || Sylus Qin Love and Deepspace

pairing: Sylus x MC (Luna Do) cw: child experimentation, violence. future established relationship, spoilers for the chapter 9 (obviously) notes: just some headcanons/theories i guess. i started writing this a while back but never really got to it. im sorry that this kinda sucks. i finished writing this when i was a few drinks in and proper grammar kinda skipped my mind lmao tags per request <3 @iwillpissyourpants @lizzetmv

It was hurting again, that familiar ache in her chest that usually made Zayne tense up. She glanced in the mirror of her lover's bedroom, gently pulling down her shirt to look at the scar right over her heart.

The scar had long since faded, hidden from a far away glance but oh so noticeable when she was looking for it. She always wondered why the scar looked so...unprofessional, like her surgeries were all done in some kind of cheap lab. Grandma would never tell her, just brushing her off and repeating the same line she's heard all her life. "That's what it looked like after the attack happened, sweetheart."

When she met Sylus and his team, including a former researcher who was apart of her Grandmother's team all those years ago, it all came together. The lab that remained untouched on the outskirts of the N109 Zone, the weird, dated technology that was ripped from the walls and thrown all over.

After she gained the Aether Core and memories came to her, she could never look at Grandma the same.

"Josephine, they're not as weak as you think they are, if we keep them linked to the same machine for just a bit longer-"

"This is no longer a medical research trial, we're torturing these children and you know it." Josephine, a woman in her late 50's couldn't bare to see the barely moving heart monitors, the scarce beeping giving her nightmares. "Even if they're bound together- what life will they have?"

Sylus was about 13 years old, newly orphaned due to the wanderer attacks that brutalized his home. Luna was 9 years old and the only survivor from her neighbourhood. Sylus clenched his jaw, wanting nothing more than to rip all the stupid wires off of himself, but then she squeezed his hand, turning her head to him. "Sy?"

"Yes Lune?" He whispered, not wanting to attract the scientists outside the door. "Don't talk too loud remember? They get mad whenever we interrupt them."

"...I know." She whimpered in response, her tiny hand holding his even tighter than before. "Sy?" He hummed. "Are we gonna die here?"

"I don't know, maybe." Is what he considered saying, but he knew better than that now. "No Lune, we're gonna be just fine." He was lying to himself.

The lab door opened and both scientists entered the room, one going towards the desk and the other towards their charts. "We should follow through with the implantations tomorrow while the girl is still in good health." The man spoke with certainty, glancing over at Josephine who nodded. "Have we properly decided on...where?"

"Last I recall, we agreed that the boy was to receive the core in his right eye and the girl in her heart." Sylus tensed, realizing that this man was talking about him and the girl beside him. "However, the girl's implant is significantly more likely to go array, we'll have to line up a suitable candidate if she dies during or after the surgery."

Luna began to shake, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. She couldn't speak. Not when Sylus told her not to.

"Tomorrow at noon should be an adequte time to begin the girl's implant, the boy will be much easier and shall require less time."

"Sweetie?" Sylus's deep voice pulled her out of her thoughts, she looked into his crimson eyes, and the scar that she never noticed until after her memories came back to her. "You've been staring in the mirror for a while now, is everything alright?"

Luna let go of her shirt, forcing a smile in her reflection. “Yeah, just… thinking.” Sylus hummed in response, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her head. Luna tightly gripped Sylus’s hands, feeling comfort in his hold. “Can we go back to the lab soon? I just… want to see it again.”

His eyes peered up at their reflection, a sudden glaze coating his usually sly gaze. He moved his hand up her body, slipping it under her shirt and letting his fingers run along the scar over her heart. He sighed, closing his eyes. “It took longer than they anticipated, you weren’t responding well to the Aether Core or any medications they were forcing into you. When they brought you back into the laboratory, you were as good as dead.” His chilly fingers continued to touch the scar, and the skin around it.

“Sylus-“ Luna whispered, feeling the slight trembling at his touch.

“They wouldn’t tell me what was happening, I was sedated and taken back for my own surgery. Once I awoke, you were connected to all sorts of machinery.”

“You were… awake?”

“Barely.” His voice turned hoarse as he recalled the long forgotten memories. “I tried calling for you, the one researcher, Eric, decided to separate us.”

Luna held his hand tighter, watching as his eyebrows furrowed. “What happened then?”

“The Evol linkage appeared, a force so strong that the scientists couldn’t break it- break us, apart.” Sylus ran his free hand down her waist, pressing his lips to her neck. "He was angry and expressed the desire to permanently separate us."

"They...wanted to kill one of us?"

"You, specifically." He hummed, "they said you were weak after your surgery, weak enough that they wanted to reharvest the aether core." Sylus turned her around, his arms pulling her to his chest. "But we don't need to revisit those memories, we're here now, together."

"Right," Luna whispered, pulling him closer. "Thank you for staying alive."

"Only for you, my love."

[likeahorribledream]

new guy

» CHAPTER TEN: A LITTLE GUIDANCE

CHAPTER NINE

SUMMARY: WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR YOU AND RANSOM?

PAIRING: Ransom x Reader

WORD COUNT: 5.0K

WARNINGS: Fluff, angst. New Girl AU.

REQUEST: Librarian!Reader, she’s shy and insecure about her appearance.

18+. Minors DNI.

ᴍᴀɪɴ ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀʟɪꜱᴛ

𝚂𝙴𝚁𝙸𝙴𝚂 𝙼𝙰𝚂𝚃𝙴𝚁𝙻𝙸𝚂𝚃

As soon as the door slams shut Theo and Chase come out of his room, looking around to see if the coast is clear.

"How bad do you think it is?" Theo asks.

"Pretty bad." Chase sighs. "I'm gonna go check up on her." He stops in front of your door and knocks softly. "It's me, princess. Can I come in?" 

You poke your head out from under the covers long enough to tell him to come in and disappear under them again right after. 

"Are you ok?" Your best friend asks as he closes the door behind him and walks over to your bed. 

"No. I'm not." Your voice breaks as more tears rush out of you. 

"What happened?" He sits on the edge of your bed and pushes back the covers to let you breathe. 

"I don't want to talk about it." You keep your back to him, curling up on yourself. 

He reaches over to you and rubs your back. "Where's Ransom?" 

You shrug. "I don't know, I think he- he left." You reach for a pillow and hug it tightly to your chest to try to calm yourself down.

"Want me to stay with you?" He pushes back your hair, away from your face.

"Can I be alone, please?" You whisper, scared that if you speak any louder you're going to break. 

"Of course. If you need me or Theo, just send us a text." Chase leans down and kisses your temple before standing up. "We love you." He adds before leaving. 

Ransom waits for his Über to show up to take him to his destination. 

"If you want a good tip and review I'd recommend not talking unless it's to ask for directions.."

The driver nods as he looks at him through the mirror. "Got it." 

With now time to think about what he wants to say, Ransom writes a few things down on his phone to make sure not to forget anything. He has a lot of questions to ask. 

The driver, as promised, keeps his mouth shut and Ransom gives him 5 stars and a $50 tip just for leaving him alone. 

He gets out of the car and up the few steps that lead to the front door, going in right after knocking. 

It's only been a few months since he has stepped into this house but it feels like it has been years. Things change quickly, he has changed too. Probably more so in the past few months than he has over the past 10 years. 

"I thought we were finally rid of you." Fran sighs as she sees Ransom walking toward her. 

"Fuck off." He says as he walks past her to his grandfather's office. He knocks but this time he waits for permission before walking in. 

"I like the beard and longer hair. It suits you." Harlan says to him as he takes a seat. 

"Mh. Thanks." He runs his fingers through his hair. 

"Not a fan of the bloodshot eyes though." 

Ransom sighs and glances down at the desk before looking back up. "Why did you have kids?" 

Harlan sits back in his chair and looks at his grandson, really looks at him, frowning. "What do you mean?"

"Have you always wanted kids? Is it because Nana and Great Nana wanted them for you? Why did you choose to have kids?" 

Harlan takes a moment to really think about his answer, he's not sure why Ransom is asking him this but he has a feeling that his answer could potentially change Ransom's opinion. Whatever it is. "I don't know how it happened." He says sincerely. "I don't remember ever thinking about wanting to have kids until I met your Nana. I was a lot like you when I was younger. Reckless and handsome." He teases to lighten up the mood. "You often hear people say "I met the love of my life and my world got turned upside down" but when I met the love of my life my world finally made sense. All the puzzle pieces fell into place and everything felt right. I loved her with all of my being, still do. There's not a day that I don't miss her but she's not really truly gone because I see little pieces of her in every single one of you." He smiles fondly. "I can't say when exactly I decided to have kids, all I remember is thinking that the world would be a better place with more of her in it. Now that she's gone, I'm glad I have all of you to remind me of her."  

"Would you still choose to have kids if you knew how bad we were going to turn out?" 

"Not everyone turned out bad and it's not entirely their fault if they did." 

"Meg is fine but the rest of us, not so much." 

"You turned out fine." Harlan looks at Ransom with a smile and pride in his eyes.

Ransom can't help but laugh. "In what world did I turn out fine?" 

"Look at how much you've changed since I cut you off, how much you've grown. For the first time in… years, you look happy. Genuinely happy."

Ransom shrugs and looks down. "I was." 

"It's that girl, right? Your friend that Marta helped? You fell in love."

It's not a question, it doesn't need to be.

"What happened?" 

Rubbing his hands over his face and sighing, Ransom feels close to breaking down again. "She wants to have kids." 

"And you don't?" Harlan asks curiously.

"Why would I? With how fucked up our family is, I don't need to put that kind of burden on a child or on her. She deserves better. My dad cheats on my mom constantly, they both hate me and each other." He shakes his head. "I'll be a shitty dad and a shitty husband." 

"Tell me, do you think your dad stops to think "am I being a shitty husband?" before cheating on your mother?" 

"Fuck no." Ransom laughs but there's no joy to it.

"Exactly."

Ransom frowns and raises a brow, confused. "Exactly, what?"

Harlan chuckles and sits up on his chair, leaning forward on his desk. "You are not your father. You are nothing like your father. You love her, you care about her. Let's forget about your parents, about this family. It's just you and her in the world, would you have kids with her?" 

"Of course I would. She's my whole fucking world, I'd do anything for her. I'd give her anything she asked for but this is the real world and Drysdale men don't make good fathers." 

"Then break the cycle." Harlan says, like it's the most obvious solution. 

"Oh, right. Sure. Just like that." Ransom answers, clearly being sarcastic as he rolls his eyes. 

"Why not? Are you a good boyfriend to her?" 

"I don't know. I guess."

"Do you love her? Show her affection? Treat her right? Take care of her? Respect her?" 

"I do."

"Then you've already broken the cycle of Drysdale men being shitty boyfriends or husbands. If you can do that then you can break the bad father cycle." 

"What if I can't and I end up ruining her life and the kid's life?"

"What if you can and you end up being happy with a great family?" 

"I hate it when you answer my question with a question." He shakes his head.

"I know you do." Harlan chuckles. 

"I'm scared I might have lost her." Ransom admits, so quietly that Harlan almost missed it.

"If you love her then fight for her. If you just give up then you're sure to lose her. Go home, fix it." 

Ransom runs a hand through his hair. "We have two roommates, they are protective of her, they probably won't let me talk to her alone and if they do they'll just hide and listen to everything." 

"Here." Harlan opens his desk drawer and pulls out a set of keys. "Send them there."

"Are those the keys to my old house?"

"Those are the keys to the house that I paid for. Now go, fight for your girl. Make me proud." 

Ransom stands up and takes the keys. He walks over to the door and opens it, turning around to add one more thing. "Please don't tell anyone about me and her. I don't want them anywhere near my relationship." 

Harlan nods. "You got it. Your secret is safe with me." 

"Thank you. For everything." 

His grandfather smiles at him. "I'm proud of you Ransom." 

He walks out of the house while taking his phone out of his pocket and tries to call you. He's not surprised when you don't pick up, it was to be expected. He hangs up to get an Über and he's surprised to see how late it is already. He hadn't realized that so much time had passed. It's almost dinner time but it feels later than that because of how dark it already is outside. 

On his ride home, Ransom thinks about how or what he'll need to do to get you alone without the guys. 

Once he gets dropped off near the building, he calls Theo to say he needs to see both he and Chase to clear the air before seeing you. After the call, he runs up the stairs and waits until he's sure they are gone. 

After the night they had locked you up in the loft together you had confiscated the keys from that specific lock and put them all in a drawer in the kitchen so while the guys are moving down to the first floor, Ransom quietly sneaks into the loft and locks the door. He leaves the key just in case one of you wants to get out, he doesn't want to hold you hostage he just wants to keep the guys out until he has had a chance to have a real talk with you. 

He sends them a quick text to tell them where he hid the key of his old house with the address. The guys would be pissed if they weren't so impressed by how quickly Ransom has learned to play by their rules. Plus, there are worse ways to spend your Saturday night than in a giant, beautiful house. 

Once he's sure the guys won't be interrupting anything Ransom takes off his shoes and his jacket, leaving them close to the front door. He takes a few deep breaths to settle his nerves before heading to your room. 

He usually loves moments when the loft is calm and in complete silence, like right now, but tonight he wishes there would be a noise, a sound, anything to cover his nervous heartbeat and the blood rushing through his veins at an incredible speed.

Ransom turns the knob and walks in without a sound before closing the door again. He moves closer to your bed, his heart clenching painfully at the sight of you looking so small and fragile, almost broken. He hates that he did this to you.

Lifting up the covers, Ransom carefully gets into your bed and lies behind you. A sigh of relief almost escapes his lips when you don't flinch or tense up at his presence, counting it as a small win. 

You have no idea what time it is, all you know is that you've spent the entire day in bed crying, sleeping or staring at the wall in front of you. You're tired and your body aches from lying in the same position for hours on end, yet you can't find the energy to move. Not even to turn around. Chase and Theo check up on you often to make sure you don't need anything, maybe that's why you're able to tell right away when it's Ransom who comes in and not one of your other roommates. 

You let him get in and settle down right behind you without saying anything. What is there to say that hasn't already been said earlier? 

What you don't expect is for him to reach over and wrap his arm around you, like he always does, and you feel terrible for jumping the way you do. Ransom tries to move his arm away when he sees and feels you get scared but you stop him, putting your hand on top of his. 

Ransom's eyes are burning with unshed tears as he wraps his front around your back, getting as close to you as physically possible. 

"I'm sorry for leaving the way I did." He says quietly, not surprised to hear the pain in his own voice. "Can you turn around, please?" 

You hesitate but slowly turn around to be facing him. As soon as he sees your face he moves his hand away from your waist and uses it to wipe off the fresh tears on your cheeks, not realizing that his own are now running free.

"I'm so sorry, kitten. I'm so fucking sorry." He whispers, knowing that his voice can't get any louder without breaking or wavering. 

You're fast to cover his cheeks with your hands, using your thumbs to make his tears disappear as soon as they come out. "You don't have to apologize. Sometimes things just don't work out." You give him the tiniest of smiles to show him you're not mad. You could never be mad at him for knowing what he wants or doesn't want. 

Ransom's eyes widen as he realizes why you think he's apologizing. "No, no, no, no." He says quickly and puts his index finger under your chin to make you look in his eyes. "I went to see Harlan today and we talked, for hours. You were right. I'm not my dad and I'll never be my dad. I love you, I'm fucking crazy about you and I never want to hurt you. I promise I'll never cheat on you or do anything else to hurt you, to hurt us." 

"Oh, Ran. I know you won't. The thought never even crossed my mind and I love you, I really do that's why it hurts so much but we want different things. As much as I love and adore you, I haven't changed my mind about wanting to have kids. I'm sorry." 

"I know, kitten. That's what I'm trying to say." He grabs your cheeks with both of his hands and rests his forehead against yours. "I changed my mind."

Your eyes widen and you quickly sit up. "Are you for real?"

"Yes." He sits up too, facing you. 

"A few hours ago you didn't even want to think about having kids, Ran this isn't like changing your mind about getting a cat." 

"Like I said, I talked to Harlan and he opened my eyes on a few things." He tucks a strand of your hair behind your ear, letting his fingers linger across your cheek. "If it were someone else, I wouldn't have changed my mind but it's you. I know you won't be scared to call me out if I do something bad and I know I'll love our kids because they will be yours. I really thought about it, I'm sure."

You stare at him speechless. "Maybe you should take some more time to think about it." You suggest, a little taken aback.

"I don't need to." 

You're shocked that he has changed his mind so rapidly but also shocked that you believe him even if you think an afternoon isn’t enough to make such a big decision. He seems so sure of himself, there's not even an ounce of doubt in his voice, in his words or in his eyes. 

Before you try to argue again, Ransom closes the distance between the two of you and kisses you. It starts off chaste and soft but it quickly turns sloppy and full of need, full of desire. One of his hands travels down your body to the small of your back where his hand then moves under your shirt. He sighs at the contact of your warm, soft skin and moves closer to you. 

You put your hands to the back of his head where you tangle your fingers in his hair to keep him close, as if he'd ever dare to leave you like this. 

Ransom kisses the corner of your lips and trails down from your cheek to the side of your neck to give you a chance to breathe. He sucks and nips at the skin, smiling against your neck when he feels you shiver. 

You bite your lower lip and close your eyes to let yourself get lost in his touch. 

He lifts up his head and he grins at the sight in front of him. "You look so beautiful." He presses his lips to yours, stealing your breath once more. He helps you lie down on your back, holding himself up with one hand flat on the mattress while the other is still on your back. He lowers himself with you and settles his body on top of yours, between your legs so as to not crush you under his weight. His hand that's on your back moves from under you and comes to take yours instead, intertwining his fingers with yours as he raises them above your head to rest on the pillow. 

Once again Ransom breaks off the kiss to let you breathe and instead presses soft kisses all over your cheeks, forehead and nose. He stops to look down into your eyes when he feels you cupping his cheek in the palm of your free hand to get his attention. 

"I love you." You say softly after feeling the urge to say it first this time. 

Ransom's breath hitches in his throat and he gently squeezes your hand that he's holding. He gets lost in his own mind for a few moments, trying to think back to the last time that someone told him they loved him and meant it. For years girls have told him they loved him, not because that was how they felt but because they thought it could get them expensive gifts or money. It didn't. Those three little words have always turned Ransom off, until tonight. He used to hate hearing them but now they might be his favorite words. "Fuck." He curses quietly under his breath, his heart is pounding in his chest in the most wonderful way. "I love you." He adds quickly right before kissing the tip of your nose. "Wanna get started on those babies?" He asks you, cheekily as he wiggles his eyebrows and grins down at you. 

You can't help but laugh at his playful attitude. You tilt your head a little to the side, matching his playfulness. "Are you sure you want the babies and not just the baby making?" 

"I'm a big, big fan of the baby making." He smirks. "But I'm gonna be an even bigger fan of the babies that come from it." 

You shake your head as you smile, amused. "How about for right now we practice and we can talk about babies tomorrow morning?" 

"Anything you want, my love." He smiles as he leans down to kiss you. The moment your lips touch, his playfulness is gone and all of his focus is on making you feel good, beautiful and loved beyond words. Over and over again until you're both too exhausted to move.

Ransom rolls off of you and lies on his back next to you, letting you both catch your breath. You wiggle closer until you’re flushed against his side and rest the back of your head on his bicep. He moves his head to look at you and smiles at how relaxed and at peace you look. He wraps his index finger and thumb on both sides of your jaw to angle your head in the right direction to give him easy access to your lips as he leans in to kiss you. He nips at your bottom lip before pulling away.

‘’We totally just made a baby, I can feel it.’’ He rests his head back on the pillow and looks up at the ceiling. 

You laugh and take the hand that was on your face, holding it between yours as you close your eyes. ‘’I think it’s going to take a little while before we do. At least I hope so.’’

Ransom frowns and turns his head to look at you. ‘’What’s that supposed to mean?’’

You blindly trace his pinky ring with the tip of your finger, slowly opening your eyes to look back at him. ‘’I love how excited you are about this but we don’t need to have a kid now. We need money, lots of it and our own place because I’m not taking care of a newborn baby on top of taking care of Theo and Chase.’’

‘’Right.’’ He sighs. ‘’I keep forgetting that money is an issue for me now.’’

You raise a hand to his beard and gently scratch with your fingers along his jawline. ‘’We just need to come up with a plan, to make sure we’re ready when it does happen. If we did make a baby tonight, we’ll make it work but I’d like to be prepared.’’

‘’It’s a good thing that one of us is smart.’’ 

‘’Don’t say that, you’re smart too.’’ 

‘’Oh, I know. I was talking about myself.’’ He laughs at your shocked gasp and kisses your temple. ‘’I’m just teasing.’’

You sit up to put your shirt and leggings back on. ‘’I hope you enjoyed getting laid earlier because that was the last time in a very long while.’’ You stick out your tongue at him before hurrying out of your bed and heading to the bathroom to take a shower. 

‘’No, come back.’’ He tries to stop you from getting out of bed but you’re too quick. ‘’Kitten.’’ He whines and smiles when he hears you laugh. He gets out of bed and follows you to the bathroom, not bothering with putting on any clothes since it’s just the two of you and he has locked out your other two roommates. ‘’What are we doing?’’ He asks, innocently.

‘’I’m taking a shower.’’ You turn on the water to let it warm up before getting in.

‘’What a great idea for us to take a shower.’’ 

You bite down on your lip, trying not to laugh and encourage him. You shake your head instead. 

He leans down to kiss the side of your neck, covering every inch of skin with his lips as he puts his hands under the front of your shirt to cover your stomach. ‘’Need some help with your clothes, kitten?’’ He nips at the skin right under your ear, making you shiver.

You slightly lean back into him, making him think he has won but you quickly snap out of it and pull away. ‘’I got it, thanks. I’ll be done soon if you want to take a shower after.’’ You take off your clothes and walk inside the shower, closing the door behind you as you step under the water. 

A few seconds later you feel a big gush of cold air coming in, making you aware that Ransom has opened the door. He steps in and stands behind you as he closes the door right after. 

‘’Ran, what are you doing?’’ You don’t turn around, your poker face sucks and you want to pretend to be mad for as long as you can. 

‘’Just making sure my beautiful baby mama is safe.’’ He wraps his arms around your shoulders and kisses the back of your head. 

You laugh quietly and lean back into him. ‘’I’m not a baby mama yet.’’

‘’Yet. But I’m working on it..’’ He moves his hands to rest on top of your stomach and you almost melt at how adorable he is being since coming back from Harlan’s. 

A small part of you wants to tease him and tell him that he’s being super cheesy but the sincerity in his voice stops you. Instead you put your hands on top of his and relax under the hot water. 

‘’Ran?’’ You say his name quietly after a few minutes of just holding one another. 

‘’Yes, my love?’’ 

‘’I’m starving.’’ 

He chuckles. ‘’Yeah, me too. Let’s wash up and then we can go out.’’

‘’Out? Ransom Drysdale are you taking me out on a date?’’ You turn your head to look up at him.

He smiles and kisses your forehead. ‘’I don’t know if you can call it a date because I definitely can’t afford fancy restaurants but we’re going out to eat.’’ 

‘’Well, lucky for you I’m more of a small restaurant kinda girl. Small prices, big portions and I have my own money.’’ 

‘’I’m paying and I sure am lucky.’’ He smiles before letting go of you to grab the soap. 

By the time you get out there is no more hot water but neither of you care. You head back to your rooms to get dressed and meet back at the front door.

You’ve decided to walk to the small italian restaurant a few blocks away, you’ve gone often but Ransom hasn’t had a chance to eat there yet and you have a feeling he’s going to love it. You, Theo and Chase have been going there for years and the owners know you well, they often give you discounts that you pay back in their tip. 

You sit at your usual table and Ransom surprises you by sitting next to you instead of sitting across from you. You are so used to your boyfriends being either ashamed of being seen with you or trying to hide that they have a girlfriend in case they run into their other girlfriends that you’re always pleasantly surprised to see Ransom doing the exact opposite. He puts his arm on the back of your chair once he's settled and runs his fingers up the back of your neck as he takes one of the menus to decide on what to eat. 

You on the other hand don't even look at the menu because you know exactly what you're going to eat, the same thing as usual. 

"Everything looks so good." He says as he flips through the few pages with his free hand. 

"It tastes even better, I promise." 

"I bet. It smells amazing in here." He quickly glances around to see what is on other people's plates to potentially help him make a decision. There are so many choices and it's hard to choose just one.

A waiter comes over to pour you water and take your orders, leaving swiftly after. 

Ransom gets closer and kisses your cheek as he reaches for his glass of water at the same time with his free hand, taking a few quick sips before putting it down. He watches as you lean into his side, smiling as he watches you yawn and rest your head on his shoulder. Bringing his hand up to your head, he gently strokes your hair while kissing the top of your head. "Tired, my love?" 

You nod. "Yes. Today was exhausting." 

His heart clenches at the painful thought of everything he put you through today. "I'm so sorry." 

"You don't have to apologize, Ran." 

"Yes, I do. I hurt you and I made you cry. I'm sorry." 

You tilt your head to be able to look at him without having to move away from his shoulder. "You didn't hurt me or make me cry. I was scared that we were done and I didn't want us to be."

"You're not getting rid of me that easily." He teases, smiling lovingly down at you. 

"Good, I don't want you to go anywhere." You smile back at him, a look of pure adoration in your eyes.

Anyone that would look at the two of you right now could see, without even knowing you, that you're in love with each other. The looks, the smiles and the touches are filled with respect and need for each other that makes it beautiful to watch the interaction between you two. 

You barely let go of each other long enough to eat and as soon as you're done you find yourself back into Ransom's side. 

The same waiter from earlier comes back over to clear your plates and ask if you need anything else.

"I'm full, thank you." You smile before finishing your water and putting your empty glass back on the table.

"Just the check." 

You try to pay for your half of the bill but Ransom insists on paying, you know better than to try and fight him. Instead you might "find" $20 in his jeans pockets while doing the laundry, that you'll make sure to give back. 

You walk back to the loft with your arm around his waist and his arm around your shoulders. Walking is a great way to help the food go down but the air is getting cold and gets through your clothes. 

Once in the elevator Ransom pushes on the button for your floor and wraps his arms around you, hiding you under his coat to help warm you up. Back in the apartment, he locks the door again to keep the other two out for the night and meets you in the bathroom to brush his teeth as you do the same. You both head back to his room, closing the door behind you, then taking off your clothes to get into his bed. He stays in only his briefs while you steal one of his t-shirts to cover yourself with for the night.

"I love you, thank you for tonight." You press a kiss to his chest before laying your head on top of his heart, just in time to hear it flutter at the first three words of your sentence. 

"I love you." He rubs your back, closing his eyes as he breathes you in. 

Thankfully the day ends in the exact same way it started: You in the arms of the man that you love feeling good and protected, right where you belong.

[ofoceansandtombsanew]

I Cherish You, Halcyon Days: iii.

“You’re gonna die, kid. In the worst way possible.”

tags: afab!reader (she/her), angst, slow burn

pairing: gojou x reader + onesided!getou x reader

summary: You’re 15 years old when you’re told you’re going to die. You’re 17 years old when you realize who your killer will be. And you’re 17 years old when you make peace with the fact you wouldn’t want it any other way.

index | previous chapter | next chapter

If you thought that on December 8th you would get a break from Gojou Satoru in your life, you were very much so wrong.

At this hour, there isn't even an opportunity to even try meeting up with your friends. They're all in school, one without the luxury of giving students the day off when a birthday or two comes around. You really do have to hope and pray for an opportunity to hang out to fall into your lap. It was one of your few promises to yourself when you entered the world of fighting against curses rather than passively living with them.

Even if you were living out an otaku's dream of fighting evil, you wouldn't forget the normalcy you were leaving behind.

It's just a lot easier said than done now that you're no longer in it ー not that you truly ever were as someone born to see curses.

At the very least, though, if things had been a bit different, you could have at least spent the hours leading up to your birthday with your actual friends instead of the class menace. I don't even know why he's here, you grumble as you skulk forward through the crowd. There are so many things Gojou could be doing besides being in your vicinity.

He could have gone to an arcade.

He could have stayed in his room playing video games. No, instead he's here with you smack dab in the middle of town because it would have been too boring on his own otherwise. Can't he be bored somewhere else? You again wallow over the fact your friends are in school at this present moment before deciding that is likely a good thing. Gojou does not need to meet your personal circle of friends.

"I'm bored," Gojou whines, lazily trailing behind you. "What's the point of doing this if we already know they're throwing us a party?"

My thoughts exactly, you huff. You pointedly ignore the fact that you've been completely fine with the arrangement prior to it being your turn. Birthday party set up is a different ordeal. There's usually plenty to keep you both separated from one another. "Take it up with, Fujioka-sensei and Yaga-sensei," you sigh, as you try to find something that can make time go faster. Your stomach growls and you bite your bottom lip in irritation. I shouldn't have skipped breakfast. But in their haste to boot you and Gojou out of the dorms, you forgot to grab something.

Gojou you could understand. But why you?

He's the one who shakes boxes of presents even if they're his.

You're as a mild-mannered as they come.

"Screw walking around, we might as well just find somewhere to eat," you look over your shoulder at the boy and he shrugs back, fine with the change of plans. "I'm pretty sure there's a Johnny's somewhere close by." Even a hole-in-the-wall restaurant will do.

"What about over there?" Gojou nods his chin far at the first building that catches his eye.

"There?" You raise an incredulous brow, resting your hands on your hips. It's no Johnny's, it seems a bit more cutesy than that with its quaint brick walls and frosted windows. The Christmas decorations leave little to be desired. "I don't want to deal with Santa in my ear the whole time."

Gojou points over to the establishment again and you trail after his finger until he stops at a bright, cherry-red sign, "but there's a discount."

Discount?

Christmas Lovey-Dovey Special: Couple's Receive 50% Off!

You share a look for approximately three seconds before your hands are clasping one another with much enthusiasm as you practically skip to the restaurant in question. "You know, darling, you really do come up with the best ideas, sometimes," you beam, eyes practically sparkling. If there is one thing people love universally whether rich or poor, it's a damn discount. And if holding hands and acting lovey dovey with Gojou means getting half off on a random discount for breakfast, you'll fold faster than Mr. Darcy in Pride & Prejudice.

"Only sometimes?" Gojou croons and you're sure he's fluttering his eyelashes. "I'm pretty sure you mean all the time, cupcake."

Don't push it, your eyes narrow.

You get a shit-eating grin in return. "Table for two please," Gojou holds up two fingers with his free hand as you approach the doors, just as a hostess passes by. "We're just celebrating our birthdays!"

"He's December 7th," you point over to Gojou with a dreamy sigh.

"She's December 9th," Gojou nudges you lightly with a grin. "We're soulmates, it's pretty much a sign we were born for each other. Celebrating on the 8th is a happy medium, right, honey?"

"Satoru, please," your grip on his hand tightens in warning as you chuckle sheepishly. You're being too extra, dumbass. Gojou grins despite that, squeezing back just as hard but twice as obnoxious. "You're embarrassing me. She doesn't want to hear all of that sappy stuff. Don't indulge him, he's just in a good mood because we're partying with our friends later."

The hostess, bless her heart, takes Gojou's excessiveness in stride. She definitely doesn't get paid enough to deal with your antics. "What a sweet coincidence," she smiles politely. "Follow me right this way," she says before leading you to a table not too far away by a window. She's tired of dealing with couples, you hold back a look of pity. May her shift almost be over.

Within seconds of looking at the menu, you already know what you want to order. "I'm getting the drunken udon," you tell Gojou unnecessarily. "And the grapefruit juice. It's got grapefruit chunks in it."

Gojou doesn't even attempt to hide his disgust. When it came to fruit, grapefruit is the only he hates the most. You weren't fond of grapefruit when you were younger, but in the past 6 months you developed a taste for it when you realized it was the one drink in the dorm fridge Gojou doesn't touch. It's not that bad once you get used to. "Right, I forgot you and Utahime hate sweets," Gojou clicks his tongue, unimpressed. "You have boring taste buds. At least look at the special menu before getting something this place serves all the time." He points at a sickeningly pink strawberry soda too large for one person and two heart-shaped straws. "We should get this one instead. And the waffles."

"I like sweets, I just don't wanna taste the diabetes when I consume it," you argue back. You even love strawberries. You just know that the amount of sugar in that drink is likely enough to put a caveman in a coma. There's sweet and then there's the unnatural abominations that Gojou eats on a regular. What's scarier is that his justification is that it helps fuel his brain power or something dumb like that. You're pretty sure he ripped the idea straight out of a manga and is hoping no one notices. "You drink most of it then if we get it. Talk shit about my udon all you want, I'm still ordering it."

"We're getting it," Gojou replies promptly, no room left for argument. Whatever, there's grapefruit juice back in the dorms.

I'm grabbing a water just in case then.

The water is a godsend five minutes later when you are able to confirm that the Lovers' Strawberry Cloud does, in fact, have enough sugar to put a caveman in a coma. One sip and you regretted all of your life choices that led you to this very moment. "You finish it," you mutter after gulping half of your icy water down.

He's so happy about it, you're sure this was planned from the start.

Thankfully, your food arrives not too long afterward. The only real hiccup about the customer service is the waiter giving you the wrong plates. "Here you go," his lips curled upwards gently as he placed Gojou's waffles by your hands. It's only when he tries to give your udon to Gojou that the birthday boy in question stopped the motion with a lazy hand.

"The waffles are mine, actually," Gojou deadpans, passing your plate in your direction with one hand. With a clumsy sputter, the issue is resolved in seconds and your respective meals are placed in front of the right person.

You grimace, holding back a gag of frustration when Gojou wastes no time is shoving his food down his throat. Ravenously as he eats, somehow his cheeks stay clear of sticky mess coating them. Of course, Gojou even eats pretty. You're a hater, but you can give credit where credit is due. Gojou Satoru is, objectively speaking, very pretty. To be honest, all of your classmates are hot. It's almost unfunny how there isn't one average person in their ranks, yourself included of course. Gojou is just the only classmate that's this annoying about it. It's such an insult that someone with such a shitty attitude is this pretty. Where's Utahime to rant and groan with when you need her?

When your stomach growls again, you shake your head. Eat first, hate later.

You relish the taste with an enthusiastic moan. Drunken udon is the absolute best.

"Give me a bite?"

You blink once,

twice.

"No," you look at the white-haired sorcerer like he's grown a second head. "Gojou, drunken udon has chili in it." And yet in spite of your explanation, the prodigal son of the Gojou Clan still leans over enthusiastically, mouth wide open expectantly. "Yeah, I'm not letting you eat this," you snort before taking another bite of your meal. The texture of the noodles and the bell paper, the blend of the chili and garlic. It really is heaven in every bite.

"Some girlfriend you are, you don't even care that I'm starving," apparently the lovey dovey waffle platter on the table means nothing to him. There's a pause and he must have glanced down at his plate because a moment later he added, "this means nothing."

You roll your eyes, "hey genius, a true girlfriend that cares about you won't let you eat something she knows you don't like."

"But [First]," he groans.

"Why do you even want this this, you can't even handle curry that's barely above mild!"

"You're making it look good!"

"Because it is," you reply like it's obvious. For anyone who likes spice, drunken udon is delicious. "Gojou, no," you barely stifle your snickers as you remember the day you were reminded that Gojou and spice weren't compatible in the slightest. All it took was one bite into a hot cheetoh he stole from a box of snacks your parents mailed to you for a small taste of home to send him into a coughing fit so bad you almost felt bad for the guy. "You can't handle the hot cheetohs my parents send. I really don't know what to tell you other than you are not built like that, please stop."

"First of all, I don't know what you're talking about," you shake your head with a sigh as the argument continues. How someone could be this persistent to eat something their stomach can't handle, you don't know. "And second, since then I've become a man." That was literally two weeks ago.

You shrug with a sigh, "if you really want it then." You did your part in warning him, the rest is on Gojou. With a whispered 'yes!' that was far too smug, Gojou opened his mouth expectantly once more and you finally relented in feeding him.

One second.

Two seconds-

That's all it takes before Gojou's face contorts in pain and displeasure.

"Geez, how you can eat this kind of stuff, you can't even taste it over the spice!" Wordlessly, you set down your chopsticks to pass over a napkin and watch as he spits the noodley mush into it. The amusement from watching Gojou fan his tongue and lips like they're on fire is indescribable. "Why would you let me eat this?!" If you were worried about sharing the much-too-sugary couple's drink beforehand, you don't anymore as your classmate makes quick work of ingesting it.

"You said your tastebuds had gotten stronger since the last time."

"And you trusted me?!" Gojou's sunglasses slide down the bridge of his nose to show wide blue eyes in disbelief.

"I didn't," there are a few giggles from the table to your right and you have to purse your lips together to stop yourself from joining them. Your 'boyfriend' just looks at you in utter disbelief and betrayal, rambling on and on about his woes. "Oh stop being a baby, you spat it out so you'll be fine now. Here," you reach over to grab his fork, lifting a piece of whipped cream covered waffle with a thin slice of strawberry to boot. "Heal with the power of sugar." Grumbling all the while, your boyfriend of the hour clamped his mouth down on the goods. "Better?"

When you get another mumble but no complaints, you decide that's a 'yes' and go back to your own food. "Just try not to overdo it with the sweets. We still have cake and ice cream later." You love whipped cream on waffles as much as the next person, but the amount on Gojou's plate is unholy.

"This is better than the hellfire you call food anyway," your eyes roll but your mood is surprisingly at a high. Not even Gojou and his dramatics can spoil a meal, it seems. You also can't deny that knowing he won't be touching your udon the rest of your time there also lifts your spirits. "This is the perfect amount of sweet. The perfect amount of anything," your eyes dart between the whipped cream and your classmate, deadpan disbelief all over your face. "I'm serious. The strawberries aren't sweet so it all works out." When the disbelief doesn't leave your face, Gojou points his fork in your direction. "Try it."

Reluctant, you lean over to take a tentative bite. Oh.

You blink and make a noise of pleasant surprise. The tartness of the strawberries really balanced out the sweetness of the whipped cream. "Not bad," you lick the leftover whipped cream on your lips as Gojou continues gorging himself. From the corner of your eye, you see the people a table away giggling and whispering at your exchange.

You must be selling the couple's bit quite well.

"People in this country really make a big deal of indirect kisses," you say quietly enough for the two of you, returning to your own spicy goodness. "I didn't even know what they were when I moved here. I shared food and drinks like this all the time back home." Cousins, friends and other neighborhood kids that dance across your memories over the seasons from soda to ice cream to fruit. That came to a crashing halt when, during an after school heist at a burger joint, you nearly died drinking lychee soda and angled the straw for your friend Hide to try. Then everyone kept on making jokes about us being a thing and it started getting too awkward to hang around each other because he thought I had a crush on him. Food sharing politics were different from country to country, what a twist. "I guess that's a piece of culture shock no one ever really tells you about when you move to a new country."

Gojou shrugs at your nonchalant observations, "it's not a big deal for me. I just eat what I want."

"That's because you're a food thief."

Another shrug, a lack of denial. Details, details. A comfortable silence falls over the two of you as you continue eating.

This isn't so bad actually, you look out the window, watching as passersby make their own ways to their destinations. Living out their lives while you're some random extra eating drunken udon in a window.

To them, you're not [Full Name], you're just a random face they won't remember if they'll even see you in the first place. It's feelings like that fills you melancholy and fascination. No curses, no sorcerers and no Jujutsu Jesus. You wonder briefly if Gojou ever has such thoughts. To one part of the world he's the one who changed its very balance. To another part, he's just some guy. Just some random guy who happens to have a penchant for wearing sunglasses indoors. If it ever looms over his mind, you can't tell nor are you close enough you think he'd tell you. Maybe he tells Suguru or something. You see a flash of white and red in your peripheral vision and when you look, there's another mouthful of waffle in your face. This is such a weird combination of food, yet you take another bite anyway. You raise a few noodles of your own and mumble over a mouthful, "want another bite of mine?"

"Yeah no, I'm good," the white-haired sorcerer replies without missing any beats and you snicker. You wonder how much time will pass before he decides to test his luck with spice all over again. You have no doubt it won't take long.

A temporary truce between Gojou and the We Hate Gojou Alliance and on your birthday of all days. Well, almost your birthday. The small day set between you both to encapsulate both. Apparently, when his obnoxious levels and extreme lack of respect is dialed down to a 2, Gojou is a lot more tolerable than usual. Talk about a birthday surprise.

The rest of your lunch is eaten in relative silence but it isn't uncomfortable, you decide as you stuff yourself with a mixture of savory and sweet. Gojou tops off the last of the waffles with a satisfied with stretch of his arms before you split the bill. Good gods, I love a discount, you sigh in satisfaction as you finally make your way to leave. "We should probably start heading back to the school right?" It shouldn't take that long to set up a party. There's only one cake. "We probably have a few hours until they're done with the cake and setting up decorations."

"Might as well walk off all the calories so there's room for later," he shrugs and he's about to put his hands in his pocket before opting to grab your hand. "Let's go pet Hachiko or something."

Off to Shibuya you go then.

The grand finale of your pretending to be a couple is nothing special. You simply walk out the door, matching smiles on your faces as you pass by the staff.

When you finally exit the building, you shudder at the cold autumn wind that hit your face. Your hand tightens around Gojou's, clutching for warmth instinctively. Of course his hands are permanently warm. "What are you, a furnace?" Gojou grins smugly when you lift your intertwined hands, scrutinizing his with a squint somewhere between envy and curiosity. He has nice hands, you note. They're soft, but not so unbelievably soft you would think he was some civilian. His palms are a touch coarse, but nothing uncomfortable to hold, with no scars or blemishes to be seen. Must be the perk of utilizing Limitless at his leisure. "Why do you get to be blessed with warm hands?"

"Maybe the universe just likes me more," he replies with ease.

Considering his future is the one that's boring and yours is the one marked with death, that must truly be the case.

"Must be."

Happy Birthday to us.

index | previous chapter | next chapter

Extra

If you're wondering what you got for your birthday: Shoko and Utahime both tipped in to get you a Yamashita Tatsuro CD. Mei Mei just tossed over a gift card and called it a day. Suguru thoughtfully got you a book next in the line of a series you're fond of. And Gojou? Well, you got to be in his presence and it was actually tolerable. Congratulations?

[writerseclipse1]

[four seasons of love] chapter 1: a welcome arrival

a joel miller x reader series by @writerseclipse1

|| next || fsol masterlist ||

warnings: reader is in her 30s, joel in his 50s, abby in her 20s, mentions blood, injury and murder, small description of (canon-typical) physical violence, guns and other weapons, lmk if i missed anyt.

summary: jackson is stunned by an unexpected yet certainly welcome arrival. the plan falls into place a little too perfectly, like two sugars in a plain, black coffee.

word count: 3.8k

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ a/n: first chapter done!! hope u guys like it <3

++++++

March 19, 2037

“I hate it here,” Mike grumbled under his breath, slinging his rifle over his shoulder to adjust the thin material of his shirt. He heaved out a sigh, cheeks tinted a slight pink as a cool wisp of wind—left over from winter—brushed over his face. From his left, he heard a snicker and, turning his head, he saw Eugene stifling his laughter. “What’s so funny?”

“I mean, if you hadn’t fucked up last patrol, you wouldn’t be here,” Mike scoffs at Eugene’s chuckling, the bitter man crossing his arms over his chest as he looks at Eugene with a less-than-pleased look yet this did nothing to ease Eugene’s chipper mood. “Do better at your job and maybe they might let you patrol Jackson next time.” Eugene bursts out in a fit of laughter when he sees the corner of Mike’s mouth curl up into a sneer, his mouth opening to retaliate. The retort dies in his mouth however, when the latter sees a figure from below, back hunched and a trail of blood at its feet, and Mike’s heart leaps out of his chest when it collapses right outside the walls of Jackson.

“What the fuck is that?!”

The gates open and half a dozen men clutch their weapons, laser focused and pointed at their target, ready to shoot on command and at will. Maria clutches a pistol in one hand and a scanner in the other, swiftly attaching it to the neck of the intruder. The apparatus lets out a ‘click’ before the screen turns green. The woman signals the group to advance, their feet trudging along the grass.

They crowd around it, one of them nudging the body with the butt of his rifle but backs away when Maria clicks her tongue and gives a pointed look. “What do we do with it, boss?” The woman pauses, weighing her options before she sighs and shakes her head, surveying the blood absorbed by the soil.

“We take ‘em in.”

++++++

“Whatcha waitin’ here for?” Tommy’s head perked up at the sound of his older brother’s voice. His lips form a half smile, meeting Joel halfway to give him a side hug, wrapping one arm around his older brother’s shoulder.

“Been a week of waitin’ but we got a newcomer comin’ outta the med bay. Found her right outside the walls,” Tommy mused, crossing his arms and leaning on the wall behind him, staring at the curtain that separated him and his brother from the newcomer, the doctor, and Maria, who he speculated was speaking to the newcomer. “If she was out there for ten minutes longer, she woulda been dead before we even got here, well, that’s what Nolan told us.” 

Joel acknowledged this with a huff, nodding as he let himself absorb his brother’s words, but something was out of place. “Hold on, where’s she gonna stay? As far as I know, we haven't built any new houses.” The older man already knew the answer but he still asked, praying that his guess wasn’t the case.

“Yeah well, about that,” Tommy grimaced at Joel’s sharp glare. “Now, come on, give the girl a break! She was just on death’s doorstep, be hospitable for once.” He nudged his brother’s arm but before the latter was about to counter with his inevitable refusal, he interrupted him. “I’m sure you know how it feels to be bleeding and alone. Wouldn’t want our guest to feel that way, do ya?” 

It stopped Joel in his tracks, looking at his brother with an unreadable expression, the gears turning in his head as his decision was swayed by practicality versus sympathy. In the end, the soft sigh that Joel lets slip out of his mouth was the source of Tommy’s satisfaction. The younger man patted his brother’s shoulder with a grin, nodding his head. “Thanks, Joel. And who knows? You might like the girl more than you think.”

Joel didn’t get to retaliate before the curtain was pulled back, revealing Nolan Matthews—head doctor of the infirmary—with a mask that certainly did nothing to cover his evident smile, the corner of his eyes wrinkling as he neared the two. “Good news, she’s alive and well, and definitely expecting a full recovery from all the injuries she sustained. It’s insane how she got here with all of it, though,” he turned to Joel. “Best keep an eye on her for a couple of days until she’s completely back on her feet. Just give me five minutes and then you’ll be allowed into the room.” Once again, the doctor gave Joel no chance to respond before he disappeared behind the curtain.

Tommy ignored Joel’s pointed gaze, a victorious smirk gracing the younger man’s face while his brother greeted him with a scowl. “So now we’re tellin’ the whole town that a girl’s gonna stay in my place forever?”

“Not forever, unless you want her to.” The groan that escaped Joel’s mouth did nothing to ease the smile from his brother’s lips. In fact, Joel swore Tommy’s grin just got bigger. “Come on, you have an extra room! It’s just until we get a couple more materials to make one for her, that’s all.” If Joel looked closer, he would have seen the way Tommy’s hand moved behind his back, his fingers crossing as he licked his lips. No way in hell would Tommy make a new house for just one person when someone else had a functioning extra bed. Plus, he thought he was helping his brother out. It’s been a while since Joel had mingled, maybe he just needed a bit of a nudge.

“You two done? She’s ready to meet you.” Maria’s voice cuts them from their internal squabbling, the two nodding their heads as they push themselves off the wall. ““Couple more materials” my ass,” Joel muttered to himself as he moved the curtain out of his way and entered the room.

Joel was the first one among the two that you laid your eyes on, your gaze staying on him longer than it should have before your eyes flittered to his brother. Maria cleared her throat, tearing your attention from the two imposing men. She introduced the pair to you, her lips spreading out into a warm and welcoming smile. “This is Tommy, my husband,” she held his hand, squeezing it in her grasp and you gave him a meek smile as he tipped his head in your direction. “And this is his brother, Joel.”

Joel’s gaze had been pinned to the floor the entire time but when he felt Maria’s hand on his shoulder, he looked up. He looked much younger than you knew him to be but the greying hairs on the skin of his jaw and the ones on the side of his head told you otherwise. A swift glance gave you the chance to peek through the hazel glaze of his eyes, telling you of the murders he’d committed, the hardships he’d gone through, and the love that had slipped from his hands. Like his brother, he nodded his head in your direction, eyes still piercing into yours. “Welcome to Jackson.”

The corners of your lips turned upward, your own name slipping through your lips as you looked between the three, your eyes eventually focusing on Maria as she started to speak. “Thing is, we don’t have your house ready yet, but Joel offered his spare bedroom for you to stay in until we finish. Is that okay with you?” If you paid closer attention, you would have seen Joel glare at his brother and the smug smile on Tommy’s lips but you only nodded, slightly surprised that you were still welcome in a settlement with about 300 people.

“Yes, of course. I’m just grateful you still have room for one more person,” your voice came out small, looking up at them with gratitude. Before you could react, Maria had engulfed you in a hug, her accepting gesture making you relax even the slightest, almost making you forget what you had come here for in the first place.

Almost.

“You’re always welcome here and there will always be room,” she smiled, helping you stand on your shaky legs. “Now come on, we’ll show you around.”

++++++

“Take your shoes off and put ‘em in the rack before you come in,” Joel’s gruff voice cut through the air as you followed him up the steps to the porch which was painted a light shade of brown. Heeding his request, you untied your boots and let the laces hang down the sides of the shoes and without another word, followed him into the house.

After you had finished your tour around town, Maria had insisted that Joel lead you to your “temporary” place of residence and show you your room. The sun hadn’t even set, its rays still shining down on Jackson without abandon but you felt the exhaustion of the week spent in the infirmary slowly come down on you like feathers dropping onto your shoulders.

The exterior matched the interior, with minimal furniture and a layout that was certainly easy to memorize. The kitchen and the dining area on your left and the living room to your right. Other than looking over his shoulder to see if you listened to his earlier request, Joel paid you no mind, letting you explore the house as you wish. Hanging your jacket on the coat stand and placing your boots in the rack, you headed to the living room first. You sighed softly at the warmth of the fireplace as your fingers ghosted over the brown, worn out leather of the couch and a part of you wondered just how many times he had accidentally fallen asleep on it rather than his bed.

A sudden ‘thump’ from your left drew your curiosity��to the corner of the room. You took a second to appreciate the small library Joel had set up on a wide, wooden bookshelf and to also admire his slightly obvious affinity for reading. He didn’t seem like the bookworm type, especially if you took him at face value. A book laid on the ground and as soon as you picked it up, you wiped the dust off the cover with your sleeve. “An Idiot’s Guide to Space.” It made your eyebrows raise in curiosity, the pad of your thumb brushing over the somehow sleek cover of the book.

“Didn’t peg you as a space nerd,” his head tilted in the direction of your voice, eyes focusing on you as you kept your back to him. Smoke rose from the surface of his coffee, watching it disappear as he let the comment hang in the air for a while but you didn’t mind, not expecting a reply from him in the first place.

“‘M not. I’m into woodworkin’ and a lil’ bit of history but none of that—” he brushes it off with a wave of his hand in the air. “—whatever. But, uh, Ellie, she likes space so I’m tryna figure out half the things she says.”

“You have a daughter?” You would be lying if you said you were surprised.

“No, no.” Shaking his head, he wiped his hands on the towel that hung from the oven, idly walking toward you. “She’s a kid I came here with, saved her from getting eaten alive out there.” His footsteps got nearer and nearer and you felt your words die in the back of your throat when you felt his presence behind you, the scent of coffee and his natural aroma invading your senses. You made no move to turn, your eyes scanning the title of the book over and over until it was ingrained in your mind.

You snapped out of your daze when he cleared his throat and you looked over your shoulder, seeing a cup of coffee in each of his hands and you hurriedly returned the book to the shelf. Turning around, you carefully took the mug from his left hand, blowing gently before taking a sip. You peered at him from over the rim as you muttered a soft ‘thank you’, not noticing how he hid his face by sipping his own coffee.

Not long after, you found yourselves on the couch, a noticeable space in between you and him. Joel was never one for small talk but he gave himself the chance to indulge in it, just this once maybe. He found it comforting, talking to someone with no apparent knowledge of him and his actions prior to his new life in town.

“Five years huh?”

“Yep.” Joel would consider himself a quiet person so it was a surprise when all the questions you asked didn’t go unanswered. Some were short and brisk but you seemed to understand him, not pressing on the subject unless he elaborated further. “Time’s fast though, it’s the reason my back always hurts like a bitch.”

Your chuckle echoed through the otherwise empty house as you leaned over to put your now-empty mug on the coffee table, right beside where Joel put his. The embers in the fireplace crackled, the fire fizzing as it slowly died. A sigh escaped your lips, making Joel’s head turn and watch as you rolled your shoulders. “I guess that’s my cue to go to bed.”

“Alright then,” he stood after you, his palms pushing him up and he tipped his head toward the stairs. “Lemme show you your room.”

It wasn’t anything startling, a simple bed next to the window on the left and a small dresser on the right. You were just grateful for the clean sheets and the assurance of the locks on the front and back door. Pulling the handles, the dresser revealed a small pile of clean clothes that smelled like they were fresh out of the laundry.

“I traded a few things in for ‘em, don’t mention it.” He said, seeing your mouth opening and about to release a cluster of words of gratitude and ‘you didn’t have to’s. “‘Just wanted my first guest to be comfortable.”

“Well, I’ll rate you five stars on Airbnb,” you teased, biting your lip to suppress a smirk when he let out a hearty laugh, one you heard from Maria to be a “rare find these days” yet you find yourself chuckling along with him.

“Wait, you know what that is?” An excited expression graced his face, the corners of his eyes wrinkling and his teeth showing as his lips pulled up into a grin. His arm went up to rest his weight on the door, his free hand resting on his waist.

“I’m not as young as you think, Mr. Miller.” He extended a hand toward you and you looked up at him through your eyelashes, his laugh turned into a ghost of a smile on his face.

“Call me Joel.” The edges of your lips quirked up as you took his calloused hand into your smooth one.

“Nice to finally meet you, Joel.”

You learned two things that night: Joel was in his 30s when the outbreak began and he gets talky when he gets his coffee.

++++++

“Took you long enough,” the blonde's familiar voice echoed from behind you and you bit back a groan.

Sometime after the moon was high into the sky and you were sure that Joel had locked his door, you quietly slid out of bed and down the stairs, relief flooding you for the absence of a creaky staircase. Slipping your coat back on, you grimaced at the thought of soiling Joel’s living room before you ultimately decided to grab your boots and put them on once you got out the back door.

Sneaking out—of the house and of Jackson—was easy enough but navigating through the night without a flashlight made the hairs on your neck stand with every soft whisper of the wind. You remained on high alert, hands grasping your gun tight but you felt the tension in your shoulders relax when you saw the familiar shack, a dim glow lighting up the inside.

“Give me a break, he was a bit chattier than what you told me,” you muttered, slumping onto the couch beside Manny and Owen, giving both men a fist bump. Leaning back onto the backrest, you slung your ankle over your other knee and crossed your arms over your chest as Abby stayed standing, watching the small fire flicker inside the lamp. “What now, boss? Do I bring out the good ol’ golf club and finish the job?”

“Are you ridiculous?” Came her retort and you bit back a laugh at her annoyed expression. “If that was our plan, his brother might come after me and we’d all be dead. If you wanted me to get killed that easily, you could’ve said so.” Her braid swung over her shoulder as she stretched her neck.

“That was a joke, Abigail, if you couldn’t tell,” you could see her jaw tighten, as if she was stopping herself from bashing your head with a golf club. Her distaste for you was loud and clear and it was evident the feeling was reciprocated.

The plan was simple: infiltrate Jackson, get Joel to fall in love with you, lure him out of Jackson by pretending you got kidnapped, then Abby finishes the job in a ratty, old cabin without any witnesses, the same one you were in right now.

“And why me? She could do it herself if she really wanted him killed,” you mused as you glanced at Abby, crossing your arms as Isaac tries but fails to stifle a chuckle.

“No way in hell,” she snarled, her hands balling into fists from the top of the table. “Am I gonna get all lovey-dovey on the man who killed my father. If anything, the only time I’m gonna be laying my hands on him is when I finally get to murder that son of a bitch.”

“You’re also closer to his age than Abby.” Owen piped up, pushing himself off the wall he leaned on. You tried not to roll your eyes but it was difficult when he was being such a fucking tryhard.

“More important than that,” Isaac sent the two a pointed look, putting his elbows on the table and resting his chin on his intertwined fingers. “You’re my most valuable soldier, my right hand, if I may. If there’s anyone this self-proclaimed mission needs, it’s you.” Pride swelled deep in your heart and the daggers Abby stared into your skull didn’t go unnoticed, but it went without a response. 

“Alright, alright, let’s get things done,” Manny started, clearing his throat as he put his weight forward, resting his forearms on his thighs as the attention completely turned to you. “What happened today?”

Clearing your throat, your mind raked through the events of today as your teeth dragged over your teeth. “For one, it’s a miracle I got there in the first place,” your hand smoothed over the back of your neck, wincing when you felt a sting travel from your nape. “You did a number on me, Anderson, felt like I was on the brink of death when I got there.” Abby felt more than smug at your admission because making your life hell is her mission in progress, the side quest of her main task: getting revenge on Joel Miller. 

Before you started to traverse through the remote area the town was situated in, Abby insisted on getting you roughed up. Just a little to invoke sympathy in the people, but she beat the shit out of you so hard you even felt bad for yourself. 

“Just get on with it,” she said, a barely-there, shit-eating grin on her face but you only dug your nails into your palms, not having the energy to contest. “What about Joel?”

“Met him almost instantly, right after they let me out of my hospital bed,” you picked on the hidden bandages that were wrapped around your torso as your body started to throb from the pain you’ve been trying to conceal since you stepped foot in the town. “Then they told me I’ll be staying in his house until they get my house fixed up.”

Abby’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. She wasn’t, by all means, religious but she was taken aback at how Joel was being served to her on a silver platter, like someone out there wanted her to take what she’s been longing for. Not to kill Joel, but to avenge her father in the same way he was taken from her.

“One thing I noticed though,” your voice broke her out of her revenge-filled reverie, looking at you with an unreadable expression. “Was that it’ll take a while for him to fall in love with me, not that I’m basing it off on assumptions but he’s a quiet person in general.” “How long is “a while”?” Mel asked, coming out from one of the bedrooms with her hands on her hips, looking at you expectantly.

“Maybe a year if I’m right.”

“A year? We can’t wait around here for that long,” grumbled Abby, who was greeted with a groan from you. Massaging your temples with your thumb and middle finger and trying to prolong the coming of your inevitable headache, you offered an idea.

“Radio. You got one back at base and I’m sure they have one I can borrow,” you raised your eyebrows, expecting an answer from the blonde. “How’s that?” Her arms crossed over her chest and her knee bounced, a habit she had when she was lost in thought. Eventually, she spoke again yet her words were dripping with skepticism.

“Every Saturday at this time, you give us a weekly report with all the necessary details and, if you can, add in your ETC so we know when to strike. If everything is ready to go, the code word is “do not disturb.” Wrote all that down?”

“Ma’am, yes, ma’am,” you joked, mock saluting her as you stood, only rolling her eyes at you as you shrugged your coat back on and headed out, but not before bidding them a good night and wishing them a safe trip back to Seattle in the morning. They all watched as you weaved through the thick trees scattered in the forest, their attention never wavering, not until you disappeared in the darkness of the night.

It wasn’t a rare occurrence for Abby to be losing sleep over this. It was something her brain did often, questioning her own methods and skills. This time, it settled on the fact that this mission would take a year to complete, more or less. Was it really worth the time?

Then again, she waited five years to kill him. Another year wouldn’t hurt, right?

++++++

[mins-fins]

☆ 1, 2, 3 NCT DREAM !

❝ jaemin really just broke the expensive ass

coffee machine.. how does he

expect to pay for that? ❞

──── ﹒ 𓇬﹐⬦﹒ ⟡ SYNOPSIS !

𓈒 𓈒 𓈒 it's at times like this that you really wish you were born rich. in your opinion, there's nothing worse than having to wake up and get ready in the morning everyday just to be subjected to verbal abuse from adults who believe the world revolves around them. honestly, the fact that you somehow have enough patience to get up and go through this shit day after day is much more surprising to you then the next women that comes in attempting to assault you because you wouldn't give her a 50% discount.

unfortunately, the expensive ass tuition you have to pay and your basic life necessities mean that you can't exactly up and quit whenever you want to. you know if you hold on for just a little bit longer, you'll eventually be able to get through it, but with customers that enjoy berating you, managers that don't give two shits, coworkers that quite literally make you want to rip your eyes from their sockets, and all while trying to balance college work at the same time, your not sure if your remaining patience is gonna be enough to keep you from finally snapping at everyone.

⌗ PAIRING 𓈒 𓈒 𓈒 nct dream & male!reader

⌗ GENRE 𓈒 𓈒 𓈒 college au, the characters work at unnamed retail place, sitcom style fic, fluff, angst, crack, comedy (attempted 😢), isa's written version of superstore, mostly platonic

⌗ WARNINGS 𓈒 𓈒 𓈒 swearing, explicit language, the horror of retail working environments, shitty managers, mentions of smoking, mentions of mental breakdowns, depression, and verbal abuse, everyone has their issues and it sucks

⌗ STARRING 𓈒 𓈒 𓈒 nct dream (ot7). original characters, other idols, and you of course!

⌗ STATUS 𓈒 𓈒 𓈒 updates every now and then.

⌗ TABLE OF CONTENTS ꜜ

⌗ CHAPTER ONE — killing my boss challenge!

⌗ CHAPTER TWO — DO NOT GIVE JISUNG FIRE!

⌗ CHAPTER THREE — jaemin the virgin sacrifice.

⌗ CHAPTER FOUR — free boba

⌗ CHAPTER FIVE — jeno x yn otp

⌗ CHAPTER SIX — that's an instruction manual

⌗ CHAPTER SEVEN — no pun intended

⌗ CHAPTER EIGHT — el oh el

. . . more chapters tba!!

⌗ ISA SAYS ! um hello :]!! happy new year if your reading this and you are ahead of me in terms of timezones. during 2023 i had HORRIBLE luck when it came to actually starting a series and finishing it 🙁 and i am very disappointed in myself but tbh i was never really dedicated to all of those series but this is one im genuinely excited about this one because there's mostly a lack of romance and i am HORRIBLE at writing romance so yeah 🙏 i have to go to work now so i wont be around for a few hours but ily all have a very good new year 🫶

[quinloki]

What's your writing process like? Do you draft everything at once and then release chapter by chapter as you edit or something similar?

How to you keep your notes organized? I think you've said before in an ask you use Scrivener (me too!), how do you organize that? I love seeing peoples writing processes in general, if your comfortable explaining!!

Okay you're awesome thank you 💛

Process. Ah. Ahem. Organization... /sweats/

Okay, so organization I have something like that. Thanks almost entirely to Scrivener if I'mma be honest. My projects are organized by blorbo - so like all the Kid x Readers are in one project, and then broken down in files by book.

Except for A Light Touch - cause that's in the Grandline AU collection project, and all associated stories are in there with it.

Notes, though, and er... drafts... Ah.

So I would like to note I mean this in the stereotypical pop culture way, and not in the legitimate way, but I'm insane.

I have never known how long a story was going to be until I wrote it, and while I've had a few slapdash outlines for stories, I never manage to stick to them, so I barely even bother writing them out anymore.

Usually the process is something like:

Inspiration -> Idea -> details for Idea -> some notes -> decide certain parameters -> and time allowing either set aside or start writing chapter 1.

Quicksand, for instance, was inspired by a piece of fan art. It was going to be a one-shot. I started world-building and deciding functional parameters and uh... it's 20 chapters if you don't count the alternative story line. The inspired scene doesn't even happen until like chapter 18.

And even within that, I'd meant for Crocodile to be way more terrifyingly yandere to the point that Doflamingo was going to be the GOOD GUY.

That was the plan. That did not happen.

Inversely, I had the first 5 chapters of A Dragon's Clause outlined, and got so into it those 5 chapters were 8 chapters when I ran out of outline. There are, however, THREE different pages of notes for world building, characters and orgs, and important details, that I reference while I write, and I very much expect the story will be near to 50 chapters, if not longer.

Hey Doll has no outline. It's got a page of notes.

The Host Club AU as nothing set in stone except the Club itself and the owners. Yeah I did some headcanoning and world building via asks, but I still don't know what I'm going to keep and what I'm going to cut, and I'm going to start writing chapter one in June XD There is no outline.

Hell, the ending of a Heart of Gold was decided by a scene in A Light Touch, so one of the reasons I'm going to a little slower than usual is because I have to make sure Heart stays on track. (And yes, A Light Touch, Quicksand, Heart of Gold, and Thrice Prophesized all happen in the same AU at the same time - it's not just a backdrop AU for those stories like it is for Some Direction and Hey Doll.)

But yeah, that's uh... that's it. I don't really have much of a process beyond "This is what I want to work on" and then I turn on a appropriately themed playlist, pick some art to have on one monitor and write on the other. And honestly, thank fuck for like @swampstew, @mamaalpha, @standfucker, @lyndsyh24, @writing-yarn-goblin, @kazieai, @anon-germany, @theaceofflamesposts, @zorostittiesz, @leakyweep, @icy-spicy and @thus-spoke-lo and @mewiyev for all being awesome fucking friends.

Between writing sprints, and beta-reading and inspiring with head canons and thots and art and support and the list goes on and on - I just. (and gods that's not even including @friedbluechicken and @cyborg-franky and can you understand how long this list is gonna get?)

I just kind of stumbled into this whole fandom thing. I didn't know wtf I was doing or what, and I swear I tripped into being friends with Lyn and Raven and it's all kind of a blur and from those two to everyone else on that list to many more beyond that and these alarmingly talented people talk to me of all the random ass bastards out there, and folks are sending me asks thinking I'm cool and wanting to know my process and like -

I'm just a stoat in a trench coat man, I don't even know what I'm doing here.

/ahem/ Okay, I got a little off the topic, but I guess I can't really say I have a process, and I don't plan out my stories much at all. But I will have highlights like I want x, y, and q to happen, so how do I do that? And the real relief is being okay when the story goes a different way and I just let it. I wrote Some Direction inside of a month just doing that. The only thing I knew about that story was who the antagonist was going to be ^^;

[lolasimms]

a lots gonna change pt.13

Summary: Married life isn’t great, infidelity ensues and things change

This was written after I had two vodka crans and a few cigarettes…enjoy!

next chapter

"Did you have fun?" You walk over to Lila who is sat in Joel's arms.

"Yes, I caught a fishy today!" She exclaims, reaching down for you and you take her into your arms.

"She did a good job today" Joel laughs as he crosses his arms. His hair had grayed over the years no longer salt and pepper. He wore a Sherpa jacket and had his beard full grown.

"Ok baby, go get your bath things ready, you can shower in mommy's bathroom." She squeals in delight as you place her on the floor, heading up to your room.

"I hope she wasn't too much of a handful, can I get you something to drink?" You round the corner of the couch making way to the kitchen.

"Water would be nice, and no she was pretty good." You grab two waters from the refrigerator and hand him one as you sit on the arm of the sofa.

"So, your party's coming up in a few days, you excited?" Joel was turning 50 and for once he'd accepted a party he thrown for him. He wasn't a social guy but with his brother and the rest of the family's insistence he gave in.

"I ain't gon lie, not really" He takes a sip of the water and awkwardly smiles.

"Not keen on getting old or what?" You smirk and tilt your head and he just laughs at you.

"Not that part, the social part. You know I'm not a party kinda guy."

"Oh I think we all know you aren't a party kind of guy, but it's 50 Joel, only happens once."

"Yeah we'll, enough about me, how's Abigail?" You roll your eyes at his refusal to drop the formality.

"It's Abby and she's good." You can tell he wants to say something but he won't get on with it. "Joel just come on out with it"

"I wanted you to invite her, Abby."

"Really?"

"Yeah, y'all been together for a while, it's time she met Lila's family.

"I don't know how Ellie would feel about that, you know how she is."

"Doesn't matter how she feels, just invite her. Ellie's gotta learn to deal with it"

-

Your hands shook slightly, as you applied a coat of mascara onto your eyelashes. You placed the tube into your makeup bag and reached for your compact before powdering your face and making your way out of the bathroom. Sat on the hanger inside your wardrobe was the emerald green satin dress you and Dina had spent 3 hours searching for. You quickly slipped it on and shoved your feet inside a pair of spaghetti strapped heels, rolling your eyes at the loud and obnoxious music that was booming throughout the house.

"Lila, turn that off. I don't wanna hear that shit again" you yell. You make your way down to the living room where the 5 year old had the most annoying songs playing.

"Why, it's funny?" She quips with a smile, knowing it'll piss you off even more. You shake your head at her and roll your eyes.

"Alexa, turn off the music" you say with your arms crossed as you stare at your daughter. Challenging her to even dare try anything. She smirks at you, and you know you're in for a long day.

"Alexa, turn the music back on" she says and you shake your head at her stubbornness. You make your way over to her and she's already running up the staircase and slamming her room door shut.

"You need to put your shoes on and be ready in 5 minutes or else I'm calling Shay to come watch you" Immediately she's running down the staircase with her shoes in hand and readying herself. You knew the threat of leaving her with her babysitter would get her to comply.

"You're such a handful sometimes, I want you on your best behaviour tonight or else" you warn her as you look in the mirror, placing your earrings on.

"I'm not a handful" she groans and comes over to you with a hair tie and a brush. You sit her down and brush her coiled curls into a ponytail, while she rambles on about something that happened at school. You smile at her silly stories, she could be a handful but you loved her more than she knew.

-

"Mommy! Abby's here" Lila calls out to you and you rush out of the kitchen, phone in hand and purse tucked under your arms. You make your way to the front door where Lila is stood holding her grandpas gifts. Abby is stood leaning against the wall patiently waiting for you. You walk over to your girlfriend, placing a chaste kiss on her lips.

"Ewww, gross" Lila groans as she makes her way to the car. You both pull apart and laugh at her judgement. Abby smiles down at you and you do the same to her.

"I think she's grossed out by us" you say as you lock the front door. Abby simply laughs and walks you towards her car, she places Lila into her booster seat and then proceeds to open the passenger door for you. Ever the gentlewoman.

-

"Did you buy your grandpa a gift?" Abby asks, as she looks in the mirror to catch a glimpse at Lila.

"Mhm" she mumbles as she lifts up the gift bags and shakes them. You smile at her and shake your head.

"You bought it or mommy bought it?" You question and she huffs in annoyance causing you and Abby to smile.

"I put in some of my money from the swear jar, and you swore again today so you need to pay up" she says and Abby turns to you, a face of fake disappointment.

"Did you swear in-front of Lila again mommy?" She tuts and shakes her head as if she were disappointed in you. Causing Lila to quietly laugh. You roll your eyes, glad the two of them could get along.

-

The venue was held at an outdoor garden, fairy lights gracing the venue, a bar setup with special cocktails, the main table and a gift table, where you instructed Lila to go and place her grandpa's gifts. Joel would turn 50 today and you were tingling with nervousness as this would be the third time Abby would meet him and the first time she'd meet the rest of Ellie's family. At first you didn't want Abby coming with you as you didn't want to take attention away from the event but Joel had insisted you bring her.

"I can tell that you're nervous, you need to unwind, relax, take a deep breath" Abby says as she plucks two flutes of champagne from a servers tray and hands you one. You accept the drink, take a sip and nod.

"I know, I just need this to go well, I don't want to ruin his day. 50's a big deal and he deserves a peaceful party"

"You won't ruin anything baby, just breathe" She smiles and you do the same. Just as you're about to head to the table, Lila comes sprinting towards you.

Her hands are reaching out to you and you roll your eyes.

"Mommy carry me" she holds her arms up to you and you hand Abby your purse and pick the kid up.

"Fine, but you have to carry me next" you joke.

"I can't carry you, you're too tall"

-

Guests piled in and soon enough the table was filled with friends and family members. Joel had taken it upon himself to introduce Abby to the family and they were all quite welcoming. Joel's brother Tommy and his wife had arrived, playing with Lila and keeping her entertained. Yet there was no sign of Ellie. Lila was sat in between you and Abby, whining and moaning about the food. Your patience was wearing thin when finally she had fallen asleep in your arms, distracting you from being able to eat. Abby took it upon herself to sit the child on her lap so you could eat and have a few drinks without the distraction. Soon enough you were feeling way more relaxed and found yourself enjoying the party.

Around the time that the first course had been served is when Ellie had finally showed up. Her auburn hair half tied into a bun, while the rest laid against her shoulders. She wore a black dress shirt and a pair of black trousers to match. Her eyes met yours and then landed on Abby's, you assume Joel hadn't told her about the guest as she looked quite surprised.

Ellie made her way over to where you were seated and stroked Lila's hair, causing the now half-asleep child to squint up and spot her mother.

"Hi momma" she said sleepily, still in Abby's arms as she slowly drifted back to sleep. Ellie smiles and greets her with a peck and a small "Hi honey" She shakes Abby's free hand firmly and you give her a half-assed wave, before turning your attention back to your food. You felt Abby's hand land on your thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze. You knew it was her way of reassuring you everything was okay. You were still guilty about the kiss with Ellie but Abby had done everything to reassure you she trusted you.

-

"She can sit with me now" Ellie whispers to Abby midway through the dinner, as Lila had been half asleep for over an hour now. Most likely tired out from all the playing she had done in the afternoon. Abby looks down at Lila and asks if she'd like to sit with her mom to which she whines and insists on sleeping where she was. You knew Lila had nothing against Ellie and if she weren't half asleep she'd happily sit with her, but children were just fussy like that when their sleep was interrupted. Unfortunately you knew Ellie too well, her anger issues wouldn't allow her to see past logic and any minute now she'd take this personally against Abby.

"She's probably just tired" Abby tries to ease the awkwardness by giving the excuse, however the damage has already been done and Ellie is pissed.

Everyone on the table chews their food and downs their drinks in silence, as the awkwardness of the interaction becomes too hard to watch. Tommy and Maria share knowing glances and Joel visibly tenses up. You take a sip of your cocktail praying the interaction was over when you hear Ellie's voice once again.

"Just hand her over to me." She stares Abby down and you swallow your drink, fearful of what was to come.

"She's clearly exhausted, what's the harm in letting her sleep here, I don't see the problem." Abby mutters as she looks from you to Ellie.

"Y/n?" Ellie calls out to you, her tone icy.

"What?" You question, looking her dead in the eye.

"You just going to sit there and watch or?"

"You're making a scene, can you stop" you say lowly, though no difference in your volume could take the the entire tables focus off the three of you, this was exactly what you didn't want to happen tonight. You couldn't believe this was the same Ellie who got high with you in a school parking lot and fed you vending machine candy no less than a week ago.

"I'm making a scene? I don't even know why you brought this bitch here" Abby's eyes raise to make eye contact with Ellie and you immediately get up from your seat having had enough. Ellie wastes no time before she's trailing behind you.

"What's bitch?" Lila questions sleepily , having been awoken from the bickering and Joel grumbles. Not only at the corruption of his granddaughter but at  the blatant display of childishness being put on show.

"It's nothing, don't repeat it" Tommy says looking at Lila with serious eyes.

-

Just as you make your way away from the table, Ellie follows you deeper into the garden. You turn to face her and immediately roll your eyes.

"Why can't you just be civil, this was meant to be Joel's night and you ruined it" you exclaim, pointing your finger at her.

"Why did you bring her here Y/n, was it to spite me?" She questions ignoring what you had just said.

"You're seriously worried about her, it's been 2 years, we're over get over yourself." She scoffs at you and begins to pace.

"I can't believe you, of all the people it had to be her, couldn't you find someone else, honestly?"

"Ellie let me remind you that you're the one who cheated on me, you're the reason our marriage ended. Abby was there for me,  so you don't get to dictate or pass judgment over who I can or cannot see."

"Baby I told you that I'm getting you back, why can't you just let me in?" You roll your eyes at her weak attempt when she takes your hand in hers.

"Let go of her" Abby calls from behind her and you knew this wasn't going to end well.

"Fuck off would you, this has nothing to do with you" Ellie turns to her, getting all up in her space trying to intimidate her.

"It does Ellie, I'd like to do this the easy way. You stop trying to seduce my girl and I show you respect you."

"Your girl? She's my fucking wife"

"Ellie that's enough, just stop." You try to get in between them but Ellie persists on getting in Abby's face.

"Ex-wife, for a reason,  you recall cheating on her don't you? Because I'm sure the rest of us remember you doing that." Abby's words are enough for Ellie to swing a harsh punch against her jaw.

Immediately the two of them are throwing punches left right and centre and your mind blanks for a second. You try coming in between them but there is no use. Abby's arms are on Ellie's shoulders as she attempts to push her to the ground, while Ellie's are on Abby's waist as she shoves her repeatedly.

"Abby stop it" you try pulling her away from Ellie but she's too engrossed in the fight to hear you. Not to mention the fact that she's way out of your strength leagues.

"You fucking kissed her, who do you think you are?" Abby lands a blow on Ellie's cheek.

"She's going to leave you for me, watch and see" Ellie forces through groans, landing a punch on Abby's face.

Some staff of the restaurant notice the fight and immediately come in between the women to stop it. They must've been louder than you'd expected as Joel, Tommy and a few others from the table had heard the commotion and came running. Once you'd seen that they had both stopped fighting you headed off to get your daughter and leave. You didn't want to speak to either of them.

-

Much to Joel's dismay you decided to turn in for the night, Lila was tired and quite frankly so were you. Abby offered to drive the three of you home, after profusely apologising about what had taken place tonight. You rejected her offer and decided to take an Uber instead, you weren't dealing with her or Ellie at the moment. As you grabbed your things to leave, you spotJoel yelling at Ellie in the corner, as she ices her knuckles with a small glass filled with ice cubes. Her face was already bruising and her lip was busted. You were glad Lila was still asleep, not wanting her to see any of this.

"Baby?" You feel Abby's fingers tap your shoulder as you're stood outside the venue holding Lila, your Uber was arriving any minute now.

"I don't feel like talking right now, go home Abs"

taglist;

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