#let these kids have a childhood good lord

[twinsarekeepers]

Just sketched the entire timeline of the pjotv series to prove to the “Walker and Leah are too old” crowd that they are, in fact, not that old and lo and behold, they’ll be a mere 20 years old by the time season 5 has completely aired.

[britneyshakespeare]

you know i mentioned last night that i realized only *after* i started rereading david copperfield that since i recently became an aunt, i was gonna see the story from a whole new angle and start relating more to betsey trotwood. i didn't even think about how at salem house i was gonna be poor mr. mell...

[astonmartinii]

careful what you wish for | alex albon social media au

pairing: alex albon x fem norris!reader

be careful what you wish for because sometimes childhood dreams come true (not the way you think though)

MASTERLIST | BROTHER'S BFF MASTERLIST | TIP JAR

yourusername

liked by alexalbon, landonorris and 453,096 others

yourusername: it's sweet treat hour in the paddock

view all comments

user1: oh to be a person in the f1 paddock getting a sweet treat

user2: ummm actually i think i deserve one more than any of the guys on the grid

yourusername: probably true lol

georgerussell63: BLASPHEMY

landonorris: blood is CLEARLY not thicker than water 🤨

maxverstappen1: i can't believe this betrayal

charles_leclerc: puppy play date is OFF

yourusername: not you people proving them right within 0.5 seconds.

user3: y/n really is god's strongest soldier these fools must be so annoying

alexalbon: not me tho

landonorris: nuh uh 😐

alexalbon: sorry to burst your bubble lando but on the scale of least annoying (me) to most annoying (carlos) ... well marketing love carlando for a reason

landonorris: Y/N TELL HIM TO STOP BEING MEAN TO ME

yourusername: i'm not your mum, defend yourself

landonorris: ???

carlossainz55: THERE IS NO WAY I'M THE MOST ANNOYING ON THE GRID? Y/N TELL HIM THAT

yourusername: keep your car away from oscar and maybe

oscarpiastri: thank you grid mum 🫶🏻

carlossainz55: grid mum clearly showing favourites 🤨 does my sleepovers at the norris household mean anything?

yourusername: your old ass does not need a grid mum be fucking for real

carlossainz55: GASP!

alexalbon: nevermind what ever the fuck that was... the sweet treats slapped, thank you very much

yourusername: see this is why you're my favourite

oscarpiastri: i am right here

logansargent: :(((((

yourusername: NOOO MY LITTLE DUCKLINGS I LOVE YOU

user4: the way y/n has taken to oscar and logan makes my heart so warm

user5: her missing a lot of the start of the 2023 season and logan saying he started to feel less lonely when she was back coming to races as she went out of her way to support him

user6: her and alex going to miami a week early and acting more like parents than logan's actual parents

user7: it's like the older drivers are her grid kids but she only goes full mama bear for oscar and logan

user8: i'm gonna need this friends to lovers arc for alex and y/n

landonorris: do you people ever shut up

yourusername: LANDO ???

landonorris: sorry you have to die single sorry i don't make the rules

f1

liked by yourusername, georgerussell63 and 1,405,788 others

tagged: alexalbon, landonorris & georgerussell63

f1: ALBON P5!!! now that's why lando had a poster of him in his childhood bedroom

view all comments

user9: i know lando forever regrets bringing that up all those years ago

user10: since we know how close alex and y/n are... i'd bet a lot of money y/n brings it up at any opportunity

yourusername: LET'S FUCKING GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

alexalbon: always knew you were my biggest fan

yourusername: it must be a norris thing

landonorris: alex the literal f1 account is making fun of me and you're SAYING SHE IS YOUR BIGGEST FAN

alexalbon: okay buddy lets calm it down

landonorris: don't put me in time out you're not my grid dad

alexalbon: am i not?

this comment has been deleted

alexalbon: i wouldn't claim you dummy

landonorris: i saw that ............. interesting

user11: the way this is the biggest hint for y/n x alex we've ever gotten but lando is not putting 2 and 2 together

yourusername: i've never had to try to keep a secret from lando i've always had to spell it out for him we're safe

landonorris: who is we?

user11: i see what you mean

georgerussell63: good lord, will i ever get out of the alex DRS train?

alexalbon: NEVER MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA

georgerussell63: have you already started drinking?

alexalbon: maybe, you know y/n can't mix drinks for shit

yourusername: P5 in a williams calls for a throwback college tequila punch

maxverstappen1: college tequila punch without me THE FAVOURITISM HAS GOTTEN OUT OF HAND

yourusername: you AND I QUOTE said "never talk to me again, i don't want to see you with any kind of receptacle that a person could drink out of, i never want to see a bottle of tequila ever again i feel like this is a hangover that will be passed on as some kind of generational curse"

maxverstappen1: now you say that i do recall saying something similar

user12: the way oscar and logan were so happy for alex, that's a grid dad for real

logansargent: we knew all of our drinks would been on his tab 🤞🏻

oscarpiastri: and he brought our kebabs!!

user13: how do i get this kind of treatment on my nights out?

logansargent: you have to third wheel alex and y/n when they're insufferably cute 👍🏻

this comment was deleted

user14: i'm on to yall

alexalbon

liked by landonorris, maxverstappen1 and 720,987 others

tagged: yourusername, logansargent & oscarpiastri

alexalbon: post night out munch with my favourites

view all comments

user15: oh i can smell the arguments coming

yourusername: no one die i'm putting my phone on do not disturb

user16: so real

georgerussell63: HOW DARE YOU DISRESPECT THE SANCTITY OF OUR FRIENDSHIPS I THOUGHT WE WERE PLATONIC SOULMATES OUR LOVE FOR EACH OTHER SEWN INTO THE VERY FABRIC OF OUR BEING

alexalbon: well damn

georgerussell63: well damn? WELL DAMN? THAT'S IT YOU ARE NOT INVITED ON MY ANNUAL EASTER SUNDAY WALK AND BOUTIQUE EASTER EGG HUNT

landonorris: wow that'll really show him george

georgerussell63: LANDO WHAT THE FUCK WE NEED A UNITED FRONT

yourusername: babe this isn't trench warfare

georgerussell63: i thought you weren't getting involved this is a GALEX DISCUSSION

charles_leclerc: i thought this was a twitch quartet dicussion?

georgerussell63: maybe if you people MADE YOURSELF USEFUL IT WOULD BE

charles_leclerc: you know what i don't like your tone. i am very secure in my friendship with alex and am happy he has other thriving friendships especially with those who have recently joined the team and need the extra comfort

alexalbon: finally a normal person

user17: what is happening

user18: i think this is what the kids call losing your shit

user19: kinda feels like it's ended prematurely

alexalbon: he's at my door

user20: oh? should we like maybe be afraid?

yourusername: WHY AM I LIVING IN THE SHINING RIGHT NOW DOES HE HAVE AN AXE?

landonorris: hold on .... why are you there?

yourusername: george russell is at the door screaming for justice potentially wielding a weapon and that's what you took from that?

landonorris: ummm yes? there's something weird going on here

oscarpiastri: i'm also here

logansargent: me too (PLEASE SEND HELP)

user21: well wasn't that just ... delightful

landonorris

liked by maxverstappen1, alexalbon and 903,788 others

tagged: oscarpiastri & yourusername

landonorris: this whole grid kid thins has gotten out of control why is this kid being treated better than ME in my OWN HOME

view all comments

user24: how could lando be angry look how pookie oscar is

oscarpiastri: this is what i'm sayingggggg

yourusername: so fuck me i guess

user24: babe that's alex's job

yourusername: you right

user25: HOLD ON PEOPLE IS THAT Y/N/ALEX CRUMBS ???

user26: quick add it to the spreadsheet

alexalbon: there's a spreadsheet?

user26: we don't fuck around about your hypothetical relationship with y/n

alexalbon: that much is clear (send it my way asap)

yourusername: talking about favouritism in the norris household as if i have not lived with this for MY ENTIRE LIFE

landonorris: booooooo let me complain (did you or did you not get your weird kids from my career favouritism in the family)

yourusername: don't weaponise my children against me

landonorris: but they're so annoying oscar is eating all of the ROAST POTATOES THIS IS THE NORRIS FAMILY DINNER EVERYONE KNOWS THE ROASTIES ARE MINE

oscarpiastri: not anymore :P

landonorris: choke

oscarpiastri: don't make me call my dad

landonorris: call him up i'll beat his ass at this point I CAN SEE YOU TAKING ANOTHER POTATO

oscarpiastri: @alexalbon :(

alexalbon: keep my kid's name out your fucking mouth

landonorris: excuse me?

yourusername: ugh that's so hot

landonorris: EXCUSE ME?

user27: well .... add it to the spreadsheet?

landonorris: i'm so close to blocking all of you

yourusername: i thought you loved alex :(

landonorris: not that much

alexalbon: i see....

landonorris: NO I'M SORRY I TAKE IT BACK I LOVE YOU ALEX (YOU BETTER NOT BE SHAGGING MY SISTER HYPOTHETICAL OR NOT)

yourusername

liked by alexalbon, charles_leclerc and 528,095 others

tagged: landonorris

yourusername: silverstone babyyyyyyyyyyyyyy i hope my home treats my boys right

view all comments

user28: i would give a kidney to be there for real

user29: you might have to the prices at that race are INSANE

landonorris: finally the home race which means you actually have to root for me

yourusername: ehhhhhhh

landonorris: girl i did not get much sleep last night wtf do you mean EHHHHH

yourusername: alex is a london boy

georgerussell63: once again fuck george i guess

yourusername: you didn't give me time !!!!

georgerussell63: were you actually going to say it?

yourusername: no ❤️

landonorris: right george i think it's time to unionise against y/n and alex

yourusername: the fuck do you (do we?) know about unionisation babe our family are the capitalist machine

user30: so like when are we getting the full albon pets meetup with sausage?

alexalbon: you always treat me right

yourusername: only the bestest for you

alexalbon: oh wow i'm blushing

yourusername: i can make you do a lot more than that

landonorris: do you mind?

yourusername: LET ME FLIRT IN PEACE GOD I CAN'T HAVE ANYTHING

alexalbon: yeah let y/n flirt with me in peace

logansargent: he's giggling and swinging his feet - we might even get a skip away

alexalbon: sue me

user31: alex and y/n being so tired of lando is so true

oscarpiastri: they match each other's freak and they really need to let that freak flag fly

logansargent: as they should i need to post some of the cute pictures of them my phone storage is suffering

landonorris: i'm throwing my phone out of the window

user32: confirmation? CONFIRMATION?

alexalbon

liked by georgerussell63, maxverstappen1 and 1,359,086 others

tagged: yourusername

alexalbon: bro my nurse is hot as fuck

view all comments

user32: bro nearly died and THIS IS WHAT HE POSTS

user33: is it insensitive for me to celebrate that they're together on a post just hours after he was in a massive crash

yourusername: probably but we'll take the compliment regardless

georgerussell63: let it be known i'm annoyed that this is how i found out about this relationship but i'm so glad you're okay and that you had your person with you as support

alexalbon: my person awwwww georgie you're such as softie, but thank you i'm all good

yourusername: i knew you loved me really georgie

georgerussell63: i'll come round to this i guess

yourusername: so no more morning visits with weapons

georgerussell63: THERE WERE NO WEAPONS

alexalbon: you called me many mean words and sometimes words are our biggest weapons

georgerussell63: shut the fuck up

yourusername: that's not very peace, love and kindness he nearly died russell change up your tone

user34: YESSSSSSSSS WE CAN FINALLY SEE THE TRUE POWER OF THE ALEX/Y/N SASS

user34: also obviously very happy alex is okay

user35: i fear we as a fandom do not have our priorities in check

landonorris: i wouldn't leave the hospital if i were you

alexalbon: is that a threat?

landonorris: very much so

maxverstappen1: he's serious i'm literally holding him back (it's not hard he's like a gremlin)

landonorris: A GREMLIN WHO HAS BEEN GIVEN WATER

yourusername: but i thought you loved alex? surely this is the least offensive option on the grid?

alexalbon: awwwwww babe

maxverstappen1: i'm really not sure thats the compliment you think...

landonorris: NO I DO LOVE ALEX BUT NOT LIKE THIS

yourusername: it could be worse, you're besties with alex - i could've gotten with carlos or pierre!

carlossainz55: excuse me?

pierregasly: what did i ever do to you?

yourusername: whores ❤️

landonorris: true they are whores

alexalbon: and i'm a big ol family man

landonorris: you keep that to yourself

oscarpiastri: get well soon dad

logansargent: we love you !!!

yourusername: don't think we've forgotten about you exposing our relationship....

alexalbon: but we love you anyway

yourusername

liked by logansargent, landonorris and 783,209 others

tagged: alexalbon

yourusername: f1 cars are too dangerous actuallyyyyyyyyyyy you're all BANNED

view all comments

user36: finally some good fucking food

user37: i feel like we've been waiting for this relationship for so long i expect a wedding invitation at this point

alexalbon: yeah soz only the girl with the spreadsheet is getting an invite

user26: SCORE

alexalbon: well aren't we just the cutest couple in the world

yourusername: i fear we are

yourusername: and if any of you hoes try and comment any dumb shit like "us erasure" i'll break your toes

georgerussell63: oh! okay...

maxverstappen1: sure i guess so...

charles_leclerc: i'll let you have your moment for now

landonorris: i'm single but i want to be involved

user38: the lipstick print... i'm weak

user39: they already made me feel lonely before we got confirmation i think i might need to redownload hinge

landonorris: ugh i guess you guys are kind of cute

yourusername: of course we are one of us is a norris

landonorris: TRUE 💅🏻

alexalbon: ??? so you don't want to kill me anymore?

landonorris: no i guess not

landonorris: also max put a bell on my chain and my fingers are too fat to open the clasp so i can't sneak out to kick your ass

maxverstappen1: he really is an overgrown toddler

alexalbon: also your 5'2 ass is not beating mine

landonorris: i am NOT 5'2 i am 5'10 at the least

yourusername: girl you're maybe 5'5 and i WILL be getting my lick in if you fight alex - revenge for all those hair pulls all those years ago

landonorris: i'd say stop defending alex but you've always done that... i should've known

user40: so y/n really wasn't lying when she said she didn't have to hide anything from lando cause he doesn't pick up on anything 😭

landonorris: sorry i'm not actively looking for clues about my sister's sex life

alexalbon: bro i am in love with your sister lets frame this better

yourusername: hehehheheeehehhehe

landonorris

liked by maxverstappen1, logansargent and 1,874,036 others

tagged: alexalbon & yourusername

landonorris: i guess i always did say that i wanted alex as a bigger brother, be careful for what you wish for kids

view all comments

user41: FINALLLLY

logansargent: you're telling me we've BEEN waiting

oscarpiastri: i kinda miss having a secret like what do i hold over lando now?

landonorris: DON'T THINK I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN ABOUT THIS YOU WILL BE DEALT WITH PIASTRI

oscapiastri: okay babe

landonorris: you really take after your mum and it scares me

yourusername: you shouldn't have such good friends that i just can't help falling in love with so really this is your fault

landonorris: sure.... but you have a good point, i'm very happy it's alex of all people

yourusername: you've really come round fast since you realised that we'll pay for your stuff whenever we go out

landonorris: what can i say stuff tastes better when it's free

alexalbon: you literally make double what y/n and i make

landonorris: and i'm the younger sibling so you should TREAT ME BETTER

user42: yeah we all knew lando was the younger sibling but he's giving massive annoying baby brother vibes

alexalbon: and he wonders why we prefer oscar and logan

landonorris: i'm just going to pretend i didn't see that

alexalbon: but for real lando, thanks for being the most annoying norris and having such a lovely and cool (and smoking hot) sister - i appreciate it!

yourusername: i love you too babe

alexalbon: don't worry you'll get to drop the last name soon

yourusername: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

yourusername: i can't wait to be mrs. albon

landonorris: blocked.

user43: i can't believe we got the conclusion to the lando alex poster storyline

landonorris: it wasn't exactly the conclusion i thought it would be but i'll take it

yourusername: you love us really

alexalbon: really you were just manifesting this for like ten years

fin.

note: here's a wee post from brother's bff before the race because i need somehtign to distract me from my horrible NERVES - ENJOY!

[novy2sirius]

family dynamics 🏘️🚙

the 4th house can tell about the type of family dynamic u grew up around since it rules family and also is associated with our inner child ♡⃝

depending on whether ur parents were at a lower or higher vibration in life when raising u, u may not relate to some of these traits ♡⃝

the 4h sign itself can tell abt ur family dynamic, but if u want to dive deeper check the 4h lord - how to find ur house lords ♡⃝

do not copy my work - ©novy2sirius ♡⃝

𖥨᩠ׄ݁ ˖ aries 4h: if u grew up in a lower vibrational household then there could’ve been lots of aggressive energy as well as fighting/arguments in ur household. if u grew up in a middle to higher vibrational household then ur parents were likely very direct and assertive. they likely did not play around when u did something bad and showed a lot of tough love. one of ur parents (or both) may have played lots of sports with u growing up or made sure u were active as well. they likely taught u to be someone confident, bold, and passionate. u may have also grew up in a wealthier household with this placement because due to numerical reasoning aries is the wealthiest sign

𖥨᩠ׄ݁ ˖ taurus 4h: if u grew up in a lower vibrational household then there could’ve been lots of stubbornness from ur family members or parents growing up. they may have tried to buy u things to make up for how terrible they treated u or been a lazy parent. if u grew up in a middle to higher vibrational household then ur family dynamic was likely on the more chill side. ur parents likely let u make ur own decisions and weren’t terribly hard on u, but still made sure u were safe at the same time. they were likely patient with u and reliable whenever u needed them. with this placement u also may take a lot of what u saw from ur parents marriage into ur own relationships and depending on the type of home u grew up in this could be either a positive thing or a negative thing that u must work to unlearn. ur parents likely taught u to be a grounded and determined person

𖥨᩠ׄ݁ ˖ gemini 4h: if u grew up in a lower vibrational household then there could’ve been lots of gossip/arguing in ur household that was childish and immature. if u grew up in a middle to higher vibrational household then u were likely very close to ur siblings growing up and learned a lot from them. u likely grew up in a household with a more fun and energetic dynamic where there was lots of healthy communication between everyone. some ppl i see with this placement r raised by their siblings more than their parents. with this placement ur family or siblings and u could become well known on social media and profit off of posting online together. this placement also indicates that ur parents taught u to be someone who was rly charming, communicative, and intellectual

𖥨᩠ׄ݁ ˖ cancer 4h: if u grew up in a lower vibrational household then ur parents were probably always gaslighting and playing victim in situations where they were not the victim. they could’ve been emotionally manipulative which rubbed off on u in a negative way. if u grew up in a middle to high vibrational household then ur parents were likely very caring and sensitive toward ur emotions. this would be an ideal sign to have in this house if ur family was good to u since cancer is the natural ruling sign of the 4th house. this could mean u had a very ideal childhood as well and beautiful family dynamic. ur parents likely taught u to be someone who’s empathetic, family oriented, and super protective of the ppl u love

𖥨᩠ׄ݁ ˖ leo 4h: if u grew up in a lower vibrational household then ur parents were probably very egotistical and self absorbed. they probably yelled at u a lot. u could’ve grown up with a narcissistic parent. they probably never apologized to u and brainwashed u into thinking u were always the problem as a kid. if u were raised in a middle to high vibrational home tho then ur parents likely tried to raise u in a very happy home dynamic and did everything in their power to make u happy. u could’ve been the favorite child or spoiled a lot. ur parents likely taught u to be confident, optimistic, and to be proud of who u r as a person regardless of what others think

𖥨᩠ׄ݁ ˖ virgo 4h: if u grew up in a lower vibrational household then ur parents were probably very judgmental and critical of u, even when u did something that would make most parents proud. if u grew up in a middle to higher vibrational household then ur parents were probably very organized and did everything they could to help u become the best person u could be. they likely r very humble ppl and taught u to be humble as well. sometimes i notice these ppl r closer with their family pets than their own family tho

𖥨᩠ׄ݁ ˖ libra 4h: if u grew up in a lower vibrational household then there may have been a lot of passive aggressiveness rather than problems being confronted directly. u may have had lots of fights with ur family that got swept under the rug and forgotten the next day which over time led to more conflict bc nothing ever got resolved. ur family may have also cared too much abt looks and made u insecure abt ur appearance bc of it. if u grew up in a middle to higher vibrational household then ur likely grew up in a very harmonious and loving household. ur parents likely taught u to be someone who’s very loving, charming, and someone who seeks fairness in every situation. this also indicates having beautiful houses/homes or growing up in a beautiful place/neighborhood

𖥨᩠ׄ݁ ˖ scorpio 4h: if u grew up in a lower vibrational household then there may have been lots of aggressive, manipulative, or intense energy in ur household. this can indicate having family members that have anger issues and don’t know how to control their anger. this placement often indicates someone with a lot of family trauma. if u grew up in a middle to high vibrational household then ur parents were likely very strict, assertive, and showed u tough love. they likely were very sensitive to ur emotions and not ashamed to apologize to u when they were in the wrong. ur parents probably taught u to be very powerful, confident, and ambitious. they may have played a lot of sports with u growing up as well

𖥨᩠ׄ݁ ˖ sagittarius 4h: if u grew up in a lower vibrational household then it’s likely ur parents were egotistical and complained a lot abt u never being enough even when u tried ur hardest to be. they probably never apologized to u when they hurt u and may have said they’re just “honest”, but in reality were harsh and mean. if u grew up in a middle to high vibrational household then ur parents were probably actually honest and straight forward with u rather than plain mean. u likely grew up in a positive home dynamic and ur parents were likely very optimistic. ur parents likely taught u to be smart, constantly seeking positive growth, and probably taught u to be a positive person in general. u may have traveled a lot as a child and loved to explore/go on lots of adventures. this placement often indicates moving out of ur hometown once u become an adult as well

𖥨᩠ׄ݁ ˖ capricorn 4h: if u grew up in a lower vibrational household then ur parents may have come off very cold and may not have shown u enough love. they could’ve been overly strict at times isolating u too much and not letting u do things others kids did which made u feel rly alone. many ppl with this placement have a rough childhood which causes them to mature quickly. i’ve seen many with this placement who basically had to raise themselves. if u were raised in a middle to higher vibrational household then ur family was likely stable and put together. ur family was likely filled with hard workers which taught u to be hard working as well. ur parents probably also taught u to be very humble and have a lot of self discipline

𖥨᩠ׄ݁ ˖ aquarius 4h: if u grew up in a lower vibrational household then ur parents could’ve been absent as aquarius is the sign associated with rebellion. u could’ve been forced to be overly independent as a kid and probably had to learn a lot on ur own that should’ve been taught to u by ur parents. this can also indicate a chaotic family/family dynamic in general. there could be lots of ups and downs with u and ur family’s relationships. if u grew up in a middle to high vibrational household then ur parents were likely very unique people who taught u to also be ur most unique and authentic self without caring what others think of u. ur parents also probably gave u a lot of freedom growing up which allowed u to make mistakes and learn from them so u didn’t have to make them as an adult. this placement can also indicate switching residences a lot growing up since aquarius is associated with ups and downs

𖥨᩠ׄ݁ ˖ pisces 4h: if u grew up in a lower vibrational household then ur parents probably acted like u were insane and they were the victim (even in situations where they weren’t) and also gaslit u. ur family dynamic could’ve caused u to want to escape as quickly as u could. if u were raised in a middle to high vibrational household then ur parents were likely very kind, empathetic, and compassionate towards u and taught u to be the same way. they could’ve taught u a lot abt spirituality and become ur most powerful spiritual self as well. u may have grown up with family members who believed in things like astrology, numerology, etc and were very artistically talented. ur family was likely very supportive of ur dreams as well

[twilightkitkat]

Revised fanfic inspired by this post about how our universe's X-men (assuming they were alive) would react to Logan returning from the dead.

---

The world at large moved on from The Wolverine's resurrection shockingly fast.

Of course, people were excited to see their childhood hero return, but with all that's happened in the past decade in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it's far from the craziest thing to happen. An entire half of the world's population disappeared and reappeared with the flick of a finger—one man coming back to life wasn't the biggest call for concern.

With his initial reemergence, people questioned whether or not he would rejoin his old teammates in the X-men. Now that they were back together, it was only natural for The Wolverine to take his rightful spot.

But, contrary to this speculation, he made no move to rejoin the X-men. In fact, he seemed to avoid contact with them at all. When it became clear that he wasn't returning to the hero scene or the spotlight any time soon, the media attention fizzled out.

Logan was grateful. The last thing he wanted was to constantly be hounded and compared to the hero he couldn't be in his universe. He'd finally come to terms with his past and was content to spend the rest of his life peacefully with Wade (well, as peaceful as it could be when you kill for income).

But while the media let it go, the X-men didn't.

They had been initially shocked and confused when they heard that Logan was back from the dead. They'd brush it off as a false rumor if not for the fact that were eerily realistic photos of him online. He looked so similar and yet so different from the Logan they knew. He was older and had wrinkles where he hadn't before, but he undoubtedly looked like their Logan.

But this opened up a whole new can of worms. Charles had searched using Cerebro and found he was gone for good, and everyone had already mourned him. Was someone impersonating him? Was there a villain? (If so, how dare they?)

The X-men were in a slightly manic state until Colossus returned and explained that this Wolverine was from another universe. The other X-men questioned how he knew, and he reluctantly revealed that Deadpool (the insane mercenary that Colossus was somehow friends with) had brought him to their timeline on a mission to save it from collapse.

...It was a lot to take in. But after getting over the shock of the impossibility, they were relieved. Lord knows it was difficult to manage all the kids and protect the mansion, it would be nice to have him back.

And so they waited for Logan to come to them. To return to the mansion. He had been part of the X-men in his own world from what Colossus had told them, and while he hadn't elaborated too deeply they'd surmised that they were no longer around. It was a perfect fit: the X-men who lost their Wolverine and the Wolverine who lost his X-men.

But he never did. At first, they chalk it up to him going on a solo trip. He liked to run off from time to time—to brave the wilderness or disappear on a personal unspecified mission. When asked, he'd said it helped clear his mind. It made sense. He never really stayed in one place for too long.

After all, it was his personality. He was a Lone Wolf. Logan was the type to get antsy if he felt like he was being tied down. He wasn't the type to like commitment and wanted to be free from the shackles of other people.

The X-men had accepted this as fact, never pushing further. Why would they? If Logan wanted to stay, he would. He was self-assured enough to realize he could come and go whenever he wanted. Nobody was stopping him. (Nobody was telling him that they wanted him there, anyway. No point.)

But then a month passed. And then two. And Logan didn't show any indication that he would be coming back. Or reaching out to them.

And even if he was the type to do his own thing, this was a little ridiculous. He'd just come back to life and didn't even bother showing up to let them know what he was doing?

This Logan couldn't be all that different from theirs if they'd had near-identical origins. Even if he kept up his guard and acted gruffly, he only really had them. They were like a family. They took him in and fed him and clothed him and he showed up to help when shit went sideways in return. A perfect, neat, package with a bow on top.

(Because that's what family is, isn't it? People who provide for your physical needs. People who protect you when you're on the battlefield. What else was there?)

The anticipation was killing them.

And so they staged a confrontation with Colossus one day. They interrogated him about Logan's whereabouts. Prodded him about his well-being and what he was doing. Why he wasn't reaching out and when they should expect him to come back.

His answer shocked them.

Apparently, Logan wasn't out on a mission at all. He wasn't just on a temporary retreat and planning to return.

Instead, he was staying with Deadpool at his apartment and just... living there. Living the same menial, day-to-day life as any other civilian (aside from the contract killing). Apparently, he didn't show any interest at all in returning to his old life or taking up the helm of an X-man again.

(It was hard wrap their heads around. When Jean asked what he spent his days doing, Colossus responded that Logan had gotten into cooking. That he was experimenting with different recipes to see which ones Wade liked and that recently, he'd been learning to make alfredo pasta from scratch.

...Logan? The same Logan whose only hobby was stealing Scott's motorcycle and pissing him off? Who spent his free time smoking and drinking when he wasn't fighting? That same Logan, learning to cook? Living a quiet, domestic life?

That couldn't be right.)

He wasn't even particularly busy, he just hadn't visited. When they inquired further, Colossus smiled slightly and said that he seemed happy there. Content. That Wade was good for Logan and Logan was good for him, too.

It was... nearly impossible to imagine. Logan—fierce, closed-off, restless—just staying in one place? Content to just live with someone, help with chores around the house, and accompany them on mercenary jobs.

Speaking of mercenary jobs, since when did Logan prefer teamwork? He always tried to turn joint missions into solo ones, and went out of his way to brush people off. And yet Colossus told them about how Logan always insisted on accompanying Wade like it was his duty, how their fighting styles were perfectly synchronized, and how he used their teamwork as an example to teach his trainees.

More than that—Logan, a mercenary? He'd rather pick up illegal work for some extra cash than return to being a hero? To being with them? Why did he decide to stay in a shitty one-bedroom apartment with a mercenary instead of returning to their mansion?

What even was his relationship with Wade? They'd only met him once, indirectly, when he came to the mansion to recover after he'd apparently tried to blow himself up. Even through the walls, it was hard to drown out his incessant chatter.

He was erratic and loud and annoying. He was the complete opposite of Logan, but in a completely different way than Scott was. And Logan hated Scott, who acted calm and collected where he was short-tempered and rowdy. They had an infamous rivalry because of the drastic differences in their personality.

So what about Deadpool, who never took anything seriously and was a pain in the ass, made Logan agree to be his roommate? Especially when he had other options. When Logan was notorious for hating people who were "annoying" and picking fights with those whose personalities fundamentally clashed with his.

They only discovered the answer to this question when Laura hosted her 19th birthday party at the X-mansion.

Laura was an interesting case. They'd taken her in after she'd sought refuge in their universe, but she was always reserved. She made friends among the other teenagers and kids at the X-mansion, but often avoided the older X-men.

They were curious about her, considering her connection to Logan, but didn't have an excuse to push further when her control over her mutation was sound. It was also difficult to get close to her when she seemed outright hostile to some of them, particularly Jean and Scott.

When Jean first introduced herself to Laura, Laura glared at her warily. And when Scott had offered a handshake, she'd eyed it suspiciously and turned away. (The apple didn't fall from the tree with this one. It brought up a wave of nostalgia for him.)

But despite this, she was still a part of X-mansion, and so they hosted a party just like they did for the other children. It was just standard practice.

Except for the fact that the Wolverine was coming.

When the X-men had asked who to expect for her party so that they could create a guest list, she'd mentioned offhandedly that both Logan and Wade were going to show up.

It caused them to do a double-take and ask her if she meant Logan as in Logan. She'd raised an eyebrow and asked, "Who else would it be?" as if it were natural that he'd be there.

(When she left, they'd cornered Colossus to bombard him with questions. Was Laura in touch with Logan this entire time, and they didn't know? How did she send him an invitation?

He merely responded that he knew she visited their apartment sometimes, but that it wasn't his business. He saw her every few weeks when Wade had his friends (or "found family" as he called it) over for dinner, but didn't pry further.)

The X-men were hurt. And confused. And angry.

Why was the first time they saw Logan at a birthday party for someone else? Were they not enough reason to visit? They'd taken him and showed him kindness in spite of his... difficult personality. Didn't he at least owe them that much?

He was acting like they were strangers.

They let their questions and emotions fester until the moment of truth finally arrived.

And Logan came, just like Laura said he would. But they barely recognized him, from how differently he looked.

There was something so fundamentally different about the way he held himself. His posture had changed, shoulders drooping instead of perpetually tensed.

He looked... relaxed, for the first time in as long as they could remember. He didn't look hostile or cagey. His expression was open and he stretched with the same lazy, self-satisfied demeanor of a cat.

He looked like a man content with life instead of the one they knew who ran away the first chance he got. He looked like a man who would settle down and start a family instead of the man who always had an itch under his skin to move and never stayed too long.

It was difficult to take their eyes off him. To look away from the glaringly obvious image of how he'd changed. He looked different than he did even in the pictures that had leaked when he'd first come to this world.

(Back then, he'd at least been recognizable. Had some semblance of the Logan they knew. Had the same eyes and clench in his jaw and furrow in his eyebrows.

But now he looked like a man reborn. Like he'd been given a second wind to life, a passion for something other than violence. Had he ever looked like this, back then?)

They wanted to approach him, but it was difficult when he stuck to Wade like glue. They were always touching, somehow. An arm around the shoulders, a hand placed firmly on Wade's waist, fingers intertwined, legs pressed together. Logan was touchy—affectionate, even—in a way he never was with them. (In a way they never thought was possible.)

The way he looked at Wade was like he hung the stars and the moon and the sky itself.

They tried to catch his eye from across the room, but he didn't pay attention. His eyes were firmly locked on Wade's face, a warmth there (a softness) that they'd never seen before. (Was their Logan capable of making such an expression?)

Wade gawked at the mansion and its decoration as he entered, holding Logan's hand. He darted around the party, flitting between Colossus and Negasonic, and Yukio. Then he moved to the buffet table, gleefully grabbing some of the food like a little kid.

And Logan stayed by his side the whole time, only watching him, murmuring something too quiet to decipher in his ear occasionally. Wade responded by jabbing him in the elbow while he tried (and failed) to suppress a cackle.

(And Logan let him. He didn't even retaliate aside from a grunt when Wade punched him in the arm, rolling his eyes and flicking his forehead in return but entirely content to let Wade at him.

The trust there was so obvious it was painful. The familiarity. The warmth. Was this what a family looked like?)

The first time Logan took his eyes off Wade was when Laura came up to greet them. His eyes softened as he looked at her, almost imperceptibly if not for the fact that in their memories, his eyes were always hard. Guarded.

(Jaded in the way that losing your memories and fleeing from a lab only to spend years facing discrimination and hate would do. Jaded in the same way as a dog who feared humans because it'd been hurt by them. Jaded in the same way as an animal who only knew pain and never had a safe place to return to.)

They could count on one hand the number of times they saw even a semblance of the fondness that expression held. And even then, Logan's occasional gruff kindness was reserved for Jean or Rogue.

They watched Laura hug him, grinning as she prattled on about what she'd been doing lately. Logan hugged her back, arms coming to wrap firmly around her. Easy affection. (Easy, but unprecedented.)

She pulled back and Wade hugged her too, spinning her around in the air as she laughed and hit him and asked him to put her down.

When Logan looked at them, the fondness was so obvious it was painful. They were used to seeing Logan show emotion—anger, sadness, fear, arousal. But never softness. (Especially not for a tumor-ridden mercenary and an experiment built off of his DNA.)

The party continues like that, with Logan leaning against Wade and basking in his presence. Hiding in his shadow when he's tired, pressing his forehead against Wade's shoulder.

Until they finally decide to approach them. Scott and Jean held hands as they approached him for the first time, tired of observing him all night. Storm followed closely behind. (Rogue watched from the sidelines, a quiet resignation in her eyes.)

"Logan, nice seeing you man. It's been a while," Scott smiled crookedly at him. He expected Logan to respond how he always did. To grin back, insult him, and start up their typical banter.

Like a well-oiled machine, they kept their rivalry going. Logan and Scott would act like they hated each other in public and fight like children over Jean until she inevitably chose Scott (and then it'd repeat). Sometimes, under the veil of the night, they'd become more. But that was rare, and Scott preferred the comfortable rhythm they normally kept to.

(It was easy. Predictable. Scott didn't have to give anything up for Logan. He could keep his image, keep his life, and still have Logan when he wanted. And then, when he was done, he could keep going as if it never happened. No strings attached.)

But Logan barely looked at him (and was that a look of caution in his eyes?) and nodded, then turned back to Wade as he talked about some kid's show and its "artistic ingenuity."

"Logan, that was a little rude, don't you think?" Jean lightly scolded him. "You got here over a month ago, and we haven't heard from you at all. The least you could do is let us know you're alive."

Scott tightened his arm around Jean. He knew what would come next. Even if Logan was ignoring him, he'd never miss out on a chance to flirt with his girlfriend and rub it in his face.

He knew Jean would always choose him, in the end, but it was annoying to see Logan hit on her. She'd entertain him enough to keep him interested, and occasionally the three would wind up in bed together in a moment of passion. But Jean was his, in the end.

(It was easy. To delegate Logan to the role of a quick fuck. To never really deign him with the courtesy of a lover but still get the benefits. Scott always felt a rush of power when Logan was beneath him. It was like winning a trophy against your rival. Like achieving a conquest—taming the untameable beast.)

Except, Logan didn't react. He just grunted in response. When his eyes met Jean's, they were completely devoid of any emotion. The fire that one burned in his eyes for her was reduced to nothing. Not even a spark or an ember was left. It was like felt nothing for her.

That couldn't be the case, could it? Logan wouldn't move on that quickly. Even if it had been years in his world, he'd always like Jean. He always had before. It was the status quo: Logan always yearned for Jean, who he couldn't have. Jean and Scott were in love, but they occasionally deigned Logan with enough breadcrumbs to keep him on their trail.

And yet Logan didn't even look at her. His eyes were solely on Wade. He didn't flirt with Jean or banter with Scott. It was as if he'd disengaged entirely.

It was only when Wade's eyes flicked toward them and he waved that Logan bothered to acknowledge their existence.

"Oh, hey! You guys are the real deal! The original X-men! The ones that took the 2000s by storm and made Marvel a shit ton of money," Wade grinned at them as he spoke, and the craters on his face stretched and twisted. Jean averted her eyes.

Logan snorted. "Did you not expect to see the X-men in the X-mansion, bub?" It was the first time he verbally acknowledged their existence, but it didn't feel that way. He spoke like they weren't there right in front of him. Like he was only entertaining Wade's train of thought, nothing more or less.

"Considering the budget on my previous movies? Fuck no. It was too expensive to even have a good cameo, let alone actually have them on screen for more than a minute to have a conversation."

Jean and Scott shared bewildered glances. They both wondered what the hell he was talking about. They'd heard rumors of Deadpool being... odd, to put it lightly, but they didn't expect him to act this way in their mansion. He spoke like he was making an inside joke nobody here was privy to, almost as if he was making a reference for an invisible audience. He sounded insane (and definitely not somebody that Logan would willingly live with).

But Logan laughed, genuinely, and it was like the world stopped spinning for a moment. He smiled and his eyes wrinkled, forming crescents.

"No wonder you got a shitty budget. You can barely keep it together as is, let alone in a mansion with children. I doubt you'd fit in with a bunch of kids at a boarding school," he snickered at Wade, but it was light-hearted. It reminded the pair of how he used to act around Scott, before everything.

"My movies are rated R for everyone! And besides, we're not even in the MCU right now. In fanfiction, anything goes. I can talk to the X-men as I damn well please."

Scott coughed awkwardly into his hand.

"Oh, sorry, got a little caught up there. You know how it is. You must be Jean and Scott, nice to meet you," Wade stuck out his hand. Jean hesitated for a moment, suspiciously eyeing the scarred flesh, then reluctantly shook it.

"Deadpool," Scott greeted. His voice was a carefully crafted mask of cool indifference.

Jean smiled tightly. "We've heard a lot about you." It was true. In their search for information about Logan, they found out that he and Logan were partners of some sort. Anyone who had an encounter with The Wolverine naturally also encountered Deadpool. They always did jobs together, and there seemed to be a common understanding among the underground that they were a package deal. It was jarring to hear, to say the least.

"Good things, I'm sure. Who could ever have a complaint about me?" Wade cut into a piece of cake with his shitty plastic fork and took a bite, chewing obnoxiously.

"Johnny Storm would be one," Logan replied.

"You never let go of shit, do you? For the last fucking time, I only told the truth. It isn't my fault he decided to go and shit-talk Cassandra the Almighty. As a concerned citizen, I had an obligation to report treason to the authorities."

"And here I thought you weren't Truthful Timmy, the Blowjob Queen of Saskatoon." Logan leveled Wade with an unimpressed stare, which soon devolved into low laughter as Wade cursed him out.

Jean and Scott stared stiffly at the scene. It was uncomfortable to watch. It felt like someone took Logan, their Logan, and distorted him into a barely recognizable reflection of himself. Their Logan was an asshole with his sense of humor, too. He made sarcastic quips and dark jokes without batting an eye. But he never acted so light around them. He never laughed so freely, like it was as easy as breathing. When he did chuckle, it was low and restrained. Not the uncontrolled, wild, and genuine laughter he had around Wade.

But Jean wouldn't let herself get distracted. Even if Logan was different, he was still like their Logan. He still had a spot reserved for him on the team.

"Logan, can I talk to you for a second?" Jean interrupted. When he made no move to leave, she added, "Alone, please."

Logan's posture shifted, almost imperceptibly. His eyes hardened again, and his mouth pressed into a line. He straightened his spine and leveled her with a steady, calculating look. It was the first time he had really looked at her all night, and yet it made her skin crawl. It was like he was sizing her up, as if she were an enemy or unwanted annoyance.

He tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing. "Anything you need to say to me, you can say with Wade here."

"C'mon man, don't be like that," Scott tried to diffuse the tension, sensing something amiss. "We just want to catch up. Jean worried about you, you know."

It was at that moment Storm arrived. She'd been lurking on the sidelines, waiting for her chance to interject. "Logan, Scott's right. Jean's been worried about you. We all have. It wasn't the same without you here."

Logan's hands slipped into his pockets, but nobody missed the way they clenched into fists. His shoulders rose tensely, and his expression turned guarded. The soft look in his eyes faded into one of wariness.

"Woah woah woah, what is this, middle school? Don't schools teach you all about boundaries these days? Peer pressure isn't cool, say no to drugs," Wade interjected. His smile looked forced, pulled too tightly around the edges. His eyes flitted to Logan, who looked at him with an exhausted type of gratitude.

Jean sighed, centering herself. She needed to stay calm if she wanted to reach out to him. Getting worked up wouldn't help anything. "That's okay, we'll just talk to you here."

Scott scoffed next to her. "What, afraid to speak to us in private?"

Logan stared at him blankly. "No, I just don't want to." He didn't rise to the challenge for once. He looked the bait dead in the eyes and walked past it.

Scott inhaled sharply next to her. Logan never turned down a chance to fight. He'd grin at him, canines showing, and charge in. He got a feral thrill from fighting, from blowing off steam.

He'd told Scott that once, when they were alone together. It was after a sparring session, and they were both sweaty and exhausted, collapsed next to each other. Logan had grinned at him, sweat dripping down his forehead, and told him that fighting was the only time he allowed himself to just let go. His eyes were shining and his hair was damp and his tank top was soaked in his own sweat. He was rugged and handsome and disheveled. Scott had pinned him down and taken him right there.

(In the aftermath, Scott had hurridly zipped up his pants and adjusted his clothing. When he looked halfway presentable, he went to leave. Logan had grabbed onto the leg of his pant, still heaving for air.

"Can't stay for long?" he'd hoarsely asked. His eyes were burning, bright, passionate. His tongue darted out to lick his lips self-consciously. His voice was laced with an undercurrent of urgency. Of desperation. Of hope.

"No, I just don't want to.")

"Logan..." Jean trailed off, unsure of how to start. "I just wanted to ask you how you were doing." An olive branch.

"Fine." His voice was clipped and blunt. No room for argument or extrapolation. He snapped the branch in half.

"Alright, what the hell is your problem?" Storm asked. "We haven't heard from you since you fucking resurrected and now you're acting like a moody teenager when we ask how you're doing?"

"Hey, don't talk to him like that," Wade snapped. It was like a switch had flipped. He went from cheerful and obnoxious to serious the second they insulted Logan.

"No, he needs to fucking hear it. He can brood another time. Logan, we're your friends. You can't just walk away and ignore us anytime you want." Storm crossed her arms, glaring at him like she would a particularly unruly child.

Wade began, "You—"

"Since when were we friends?"

"...What?" Storm looked at Logan incredulously, like she couldn't believe what she just heard. "What did you say?"

"I said, since when were we friends?" His voice was harsher this time, enunciating each word as if it would help them understand.

"Logan, you can't seriously think that, right?" Jean looked at him, concerned.

"So what if I do?"

"Logan," Scott spoke firmly, deciding to rejoin the conversation. "Just because you're upset doesn't mean you can say that. You just hurt Jean's feelings."

Logan snorted. "Yeah, well I'm so sorry Jean's feelings are hurt. What a travesty."

"Alright Logan, what the fuck?" Storm interrupted. "We come here to find out how you've been and all you do is treat us with hostility. All you're going to do is create tension in the mansion for no reason."

"What the hell does the mansion have to do with me?" He glowered at her.

"What do you mean what does it have to do with you? When you come back acting pissy, all of the children will be affected too. They might be used to you and Scott fighting, but you can't pick a fight with everyone here." She glared back.

"...What do you mean, 'come back?'" He spoke to her like she was a child, unable to comprehend a basic lesson. Like she was stupid for even insinuating he'd return.

"When you return to the mansion, she means," Jean added.

Wade raised his nonexistent eyebrows. "Since when was Logan coming back to the mansion? Is Marvel doing a family reunion arc? Although that'd definitely make some money off of nostalgia, it kinda goes against the whole theme of that Logan is different from the old one. Gotta keep them separate to pay homage to his legacy and all that shit."

"What he means is that I never said I was coming back, and in case you need it spelled out for you, I don't plan to." Logan slung an arm around Wade's shoulders and squeezed him protectively.

"...What?" Scott murmured, staring at Logan blankly.

"Logan, you don't really mean that," Jean stated calmly, as if she were placating a wild animal.

"Yes I fucking do," he retorted.

"After all we've done for you, you're going to turn your back on us like this? We took you in and treated you like you were one of us and now you're just going to abandon us because you want to take the easy way out?" Storm pointed a finger at him accusingly.

Logan looked irritated now. He was flexing his knuckles, as if he were prepared to unsheathe his claws at any moment. His eyebrows were furrowed and a deep frown was etched onto his face.

"You don't get to fucking say that," he growled.

"What?"

"You don't get to fucking say that. To talk as if I'm the crazy one for wanting to leave."

"Yeah, well maybe if—"

"No. You don't get to talk. You've had your turn. You all always had your turn first." He glared sweepingly at all of them, teeth grinding together. "Firstly, I don't owe you shit. I'm not even the Logan you took in to begin with."

"But—"

"Secondly, stop fucking talking to me like I'm a toddler. I know what I want, and it isn't to go back to the X-mansion. If I'm so free to come and go as I please, then let me go. Forever."

"Logan—"

"Thirdly, stop acting all high and mighty. Yeah, you fed and clothed me, like any reasonable refuge shelter would. Big fucking deal. I already paid off that debt when I saved this place from getting destroyed countless times."

"You—"

"And finally, stop. Just stop. I just—look. I'm done. I'm done. Nothing you say will change that. So just give up and stop wasting both of our time."

Silence fell across the X-men in front of him. They stared at him blankly, uncomprehending.

Finally, someone broke the silence. "...But Logan, you love me," Jean murmured.

"I did, once. And look where that got me." He glared at her, now, for the first time. It made her distinctly uncomfortable. It made her want to hide.

"Logan, you couldn't possibly mean that," Scott tried to reach him.

Logan's razor-sharp glare turned to him instead. "You were just as bad. You two loved stringing me on. Giving me just enough hope to stay interested. So I'd keep being your little fucktoy. I'm done."

Storm's eyes widened. "Logan, what do you mean by that?"

"Like you all didn't know. Everyone fucking knew that I was passed around like a blunt, it just didn't bother you all. Because it's fine if it's me. 'If Logan suffers, the rest of us can have it a little easier. He can take it, can't he?'" Logan's voice turned shrill and mocking.

"Logan, you know that's not what we—"

"Yes, it was. You meant it. Because if you actually saw me as family, you'd treat me like one. But you had years to and you never did. So don't start now. Not with a replacement Logan that isn't even your own." His eyes hardened, chest heaving. And yet, underneath the tenseness, there was relief. His emotions had been pent up for so long that it felt cathartic to finally release them all in one glorious shitshow of a conversation.

"I won't interfere with your lives, so stop interfering with mine." And then he spun around on his heel and walked away. He left them behind.

They stood there, frozen. They were so shell-shocked that they forgot to breathe, to move, to speak. Until Jean snapped out of it and made an aborted attempt to shout after him, "Logan—"

A hand clamped over her mouth. "Woah there buster, slow your roll." Wade stared at her like she was insignificant. A nuisance. It was almost poetic—the irony of being looked down upon by someone she looked down on herself—if it wasn't so sad.

"Get your hands off her," Scott snarled, yanking her back. She fell against his chest and grabbed his hand for support.

"My bad. I'll keep my paws off your girl if you keep yours off mine," Wade raised his hands in the air nonchalantly.

"...What do you mean, 'your girl?'" Storm warily asked.

"Wolvie, of course. Well, technically a guy, but you get the gist. Besides, he practically fits the vibes with the kitty cat ears."

"...Logan?" Scott questioned.

"Yeah, he's mine. Official title and all. I know you guys had a fling back in the day, but I'm the real deal. I'm the one who wifed him up. So I'd appreciate it if you left him alone so we can keep living out our days in ooey gooey domestic bliss," Wade sighed dreamily at the last part.

"...What?" Jean murmured. She knew Logan sometimes slept around, but with Wade of all people? It would explain why Logan was staying at his apartment, but it still left so many questions unanswered.

(Why wasn't Logan looking at her? Or hell, even Scott? Any of them? Why had his eyes been transfixed to Wade like he was the only person in the world worth watching? If they were dating, then that explains the clingy behavior to some extent, but... was Logan really capable of that? She could remember Logan being aroused, flirty, romantic, even—but never soft. Not like how he looked at Wade.)

"You heard it," he whistled. Like it was just a game to him. (Maybe it was.)

"There's no way Logan would—"

"—Wade!" Logan called. "C'mon, bub, they're going to start opening presents soon. Ours is the first in line!"

"Coming, babygirl!" Wade shouted back. "Well, duty calls," he blew them an exaggerated kiss before skipping off like a schoolgirl.

Wade sidled up to Logan when he got close, hooking arms with him and leaning his head on his shoulder. He batted his eyes at him and Logan reached out to stroke his cheek so tenderly that Jean didn't think they could be anything but lovers.

Her Logan was never like that. Never open, never soft. He cared, in a distant way, but he never stayed. (Was it really that? Was it that he never tried to stay, or that they never gave him reason to? That they never gave him the chance to come inside before shutting the door in his face.)

But here it was. Physical proof that he was capable of looking at someone so softly. Of melting his hard exterior and becoming something more. Someone capable of cherishing the person they loved, of being domesticated.

Because there was really no other way than "domesticated" to describe him. He used to be like a wild animal—all sharp edges, jagged teeth, and razor-sharp claws. He snarled and growled at anyone who got too close and cornered him. He'd drop by for food, but snatch it and run off.

(But that's the thing about wild animals, isn't it? To get them to calm down, to stop seeing you as a threat, you need to be patient. To reach out. To prove you're safe. Did they ever really try?)

And now he even looked different. His hard muscles had filled out with a layer of fat. He looked healthy, like he wasn't just a tool built to fight and gnaw on the scraps he was given. He looked like a person who came back from work and ate a warm, balanced dinner at night. Who got adequate sleep had all of his needs taken care of. Who had a home.

Jean thought that Logan's personality was rough, sharp, and jagged. That he was just Like That and it was useless to try to change it. It was written into his character—Jean was the good girl and Scott was the good guy and Logan was always cast as the bad boy. Like a set of actors forced to play the same roles each time.

(After all, the bad boy is just someone you flirt with. Not someone you take home. Jean had said that, hadn't she?

And Logan had told her he could be the "good guy." Tried to show that he was capable of being more than just how he acted when he was hurt and alone. But she brushed it off. They all did.

And yet here Logan was. Soft and entranced by Wade in a way he never had been, even with her. Looking at him with something so much deeper than lust or attraction or infatuation. Looking at him with devotion. Reverence. Complete and utter love.)

But Logan wasn't Like That. He had always wanted to be soft. To be able to curl up next to somebody and trace the curve of their spine with his fingertips. He'd always yearned for a home he could feel genuinely warm in, where he'd be accepted and allowed to be vulnerable. Where he could laugh and cry and express emotions even if they weren't pretty. Even if they contradicted his "image."

He'd only been hard because he had to. Because if he wasn't, the biting words and indifference of everyone around him would cut so deep he'd never recover. Because if he let himself love and be vulnerable with the X-men and they still viewed him as a passerby, as a tool, as an outsider, as just someone to sleep with—he'd break.

But Wade gave him a home. Gave him the chance to finally love and be loved and not feel afraid. To open up. To show his emotions without fear of being scorned. To know he'd always be taken seriously. To not just be seen as the bad boy, but as a broken man desperate for anyone to show him even a crumb of affection. A reason to stay.

He was finally seen as more than just a stereotype. He was allowed to just be Logan. Gruff, angry, and animalistic. Soft, kind, and emotional. He was allowed to be both.

(Everyone always made him choose. Kind or gruff. Good or bad. Animal or human. Logan had to fit what they were looking for, hiding away the unwanted parts of him. He was either a ruthless tool or the perfect man. He could never just be himself. Not if he wanted people to stick around.)

Logan was used to being hidden. He was always the shameful secret. Jean was embarrassed to like him. Scott hid him away during the night and fought him during the day. He was a temptation, but that was it. They'd always choose each other first. Every member of the X-men had their person, but he was nobody's.

But with Wade, for the first time in his life, he was the first choice. He was the priority. He got to eat at the table instead of being fed scraps thrown onto the floor.

Logan thought it was natural to be treated as lesser. To be an afterthought. But when Wade cradled his face like he was something precious and was willing to die for him, he realized that he could be loved just as fiercely as he loved Wade. As an equal. As partners.

And so when he saw the X-men, he reacted the same way they had all those years ago: with indifference. With the same detached care he'd grown so used to. He spared them the effort of a few words, of reluctant acknowledgment, but that was it. If they never wanted to look closer at him or care about his needs, it was fine. But he'd do the same.

"Do you think Laura will like the gift we chose?" Wade hummed.

"I'm sure she'll love it," Logan murmured in response, leaning in closer to kiss his forehead.

After all, there was no need to scramble to collect crumbs when he was well-fed. There was no need to look for a shitty room in an empty-feeling mansion when he already had a home.

[mrkeatingsblazer]

The Prophecy [Oh, Was It Punishment] Part Two

Apollo x Child of Hermes! Reader

Part One Part Two Part Three

It has been six months and seven days. Six months and seven days since the war against Gaia. Six months and seven days since Rachel has made a prophecy. Six months and seven days since Lord Apollo has been missing. Not even his children have heard a whisper from the God, not even a glimpse in a dream and while Demi-Gods are used to being ignored by their parents, it is never to this extent; it is never with this God.

You’ve found yourself with the three Apollo campers a lot, trying to comfort them during such a peculiar and unknown time. No child should have to worry for their parent. Will Solace especially has taken the blunt of the hardship. Being so young and taking care of both the wounded from the war and his cabin since the Battle of Manhattan has taken a toll on the kid. You find yourself relating to the younger boy immensely. When Luke left and you were finally claimed, Chiron made you the head of the Hermes cabin. Though unlike you, who has been out of camp more often than not and was allowed to appointed the Stolls the title of Co-heads, Will has been burdened with being alone with his responsibilities since he was 13. You watch him now, folding and unfolding bandages repeatedly out of a nervous habit. The frown on his face was subtle but still there. He could have been finished up with inventory an hour ago but chose not to.

“I think we’re done Solace,” you say from atop the infirmary counter, letting your feet swing back and forth.

“You can head to dinner, I’m fine here. Thanks for the help,” his tired voice mumbles in response.

“Kid, you’ve rewrapped that one bandage like 8 times now, I think it's been wrapped enough,” you say quirking your brow.

Will sighs, placing the bandage down before turning to you, “will you stop it with the kid thing, you’re only 2 years older than me.”

“2 and a half,” you point at him with a scalpel that was lying beside you and smirk, “and I’ll have you know I’m a legal adult William.” He looks you up and down and snorts. His expression quickly converts back downtrodden, as if that momentary joy was a mistake. Along with the fact that his father is gone M.I.A, camp has been more depressing than usual. Kids were going missing, and no one understood why; one of these kids being your little brother and Will’s best friend, Cecil. You watch as he shuffles around like a stray kitten, you’d never pity him not when you can relate. Hopping from the counter, you walk over to him and seize his arm, yanking him towards the door. It was a comical sight, with Will being almost 2 heads over you.

“[reader]- Hey!” he gently tries to get out of your grasp but fighting two wars made your grip nothing less than steel. You continue to push the boy towards the door

“Don’t even Solace,” you scold as he tries again to get away from you, “we will be going to dinner and after that we will be going to the campfire whether you like it or not.” you yank open the infirmary door and shove him out, “and hey, maybe a certain son of Hades will be there,” you smirk as the blonde turns bright red. He grumbles, rubbing his arm but compiling and following you to the dining pavilion. It was adorable to see the kid with his crush, especially due to who it was on. You’ve known Nico since he was an annoying but excitable little 10-year-old and Will even longer, neither of them have had a good childhood, most demi-gods never do. In a way, you were living vicariously through them. You did that a lot. With Annabeth who got with Percy, your old crush, Piper and Jason, Hazel and Frank. You couldn’t help but wish you had what they had or in the case of the former, who they had.

You remember your days on the Argo. When there were no battles or group meetings, you were subjected to sit and watch the love emulating around you. For a while you thought the countless couples around you meant something, that because they were all members of the crew and got together, that for sure meant you were to get with the last single member, Leo. He thought so too. After his little thing with Hazel, that even now you don’t try to understand, you felt as though something was forming between the two of you. At one stage you found yourself hanging off him more than you were around Percy and Annabeth. You couldn’t help but be attracted to his mind, his creativity, his light. Your two best friends encouraged the blooming relationship between the two of you, even with Percy not liking Leo a whole lot, and so did the rest of the crew.

Everything changed after he came back from Ogygia. He came to you first after he returned, making you feel special in a sort of pitiful way. Expecting a grand reunion, you were instead greeted by his starry eyes as he spoke about another girl- no not a girl, a Goddess, who had him returned to you utterly smitten. Your heart broke as he told you he was planning to find her again. When you were given the truth by Eros, it made sense in the end. Leo being sent to Calypso was the Fates way of ensuring you remained loveless and killing him was just a way for them to remain cruel.

You sat through dinner at the Hermes table, which was smaller than it ever has been in years. Connor was beside you flinging peas at Clovis who would jolt at the impact before dozing off once more. Nico Di Angelo was sitting at the Apollo table, next to a blushing and, surprisingly, flirting Will Solace. You sighed looking around at all the missing campers, be it they left for college, died during the wars or as of late, were lost to Gods knows where. Even the rising moon seems dimmer than it should have been. You wonder if that was on purpose, was it Lady Artemis’ way of showing her sadness for her twin brother? Was she also in the dark as much as all of us?

By the time the campfire rolled around, you just wanted to retire to your cabin, but chose not to, for the sake of your sibling, Will Solace and yourself. As Austin was doing his cover of ‘My Sweet Lord’ by George Harrison, you heard rustling coming from the forest behind you. At first you passed it off as nothing more than a noisy nymph. It was when you heard a yell did you twist your ring, transforming it into your sword. The object was gifted to you before you even knew of your parentage, by an original member of the Argonauts, Atalanta. You recall the words of the swift footed women, who aided you during your mission to save both Lady Artemis and Annabeth; “never let a man take you unless he can keep up,” she winked before racing off. Many other campers joined you in seizing their weapons, Nico and Clarisse come to either side of you, swords ready. Two figures stumbled out of the forest, neither were recognizable. The taller seemed to be giggling and relying on the smaller to carry their weight. As they came closer you could make them out. A small Asian girl with black coke bottle glasses was cursing the taller brunette boy. He was gangly and average; you deemed him instantly not a threat.

“Hold! Who goes there?” Chiron boomed.

The boy gave a wobbly grin along with a shaky wave and replied, “oh, hi! I’m Apollo!” before collapsing to the ground

[ifyoucandaniel]

jayroy childhood unrequited love to mutual disaster adults AU

au where dick and roy are only a couple years older than jason when he gets adopted and starts living in the manor and his older brothers super cool friend comes and hangs out sometimes. jason has a massive crush on roy and deals with it like any 13 year old would, by calling him names and annoying him and dick. bruce pulls the classic parent and tells dick he has to let his younger brother hang out with him and his friends or else he can’t hang out at all. “he just wants to be included in your world dick” “he’s so weird around roy bruce! he called him a asshead! what even is that!”

jay deals with his crush by pretending it doesn’t exist and antagonizing his older brother and his friend and roy asks dick if he did something to piss the younger boy off but dick is just like “no he’s just weird.”

flash forward a couple years and jason has gotten pretty good at pretending his crush doesn’t exist and is good at acting normal around roy (lie) when he goes to ethiopia and suddenly no more crushes on older brothers friends. when jason dies roy is there for dick through the mourning of his little brother, he takes care of dick while he regrets never being a better big brother and quietly mourns the young boy who used to call him names and blush whenever roy teased him back.

now, six years later dick has been in gotham pretty much constantly since the sudden entrance of a new crime lord. roy doesn’t hear from him much until one day he shows up with a crime lord in tow and is like “roy! meet red hood!” and roy is like “??? the crime lord?” when jason dramatically reaches up and unclasps his hood, bending over to take it off and when he stands back up he dramatically shakes his hair out like a slow motions teen movie, before smirking the smirkiest smirk and reaching a hand out to shake, saying “sup speedy, finally grew out of the tights?” and roy is just like “who the fuck are you??”

jason is trying to be so cool and impress his childhood crush and suddenly he’s so embarrassed and wants the world to swallow him whole and oh my god his stupid plan to be cool and sexy did not work (little does he know roy is currently just,, roy.exp. has stopped working, that was the most attractive and ridiculous smirk he’s ever seen) and dick swoops in to be like so funny story jason is not dead anymore :D yay!

cue roy having a mental breakdown as they tell him what happened. what do you mean the scrawny kid with gangly limbs who used to follow us around like a lost duckling is now 6’4? wdym your kid brother was with a group of assassins traveling the world and doing assassin training?? wdym your brothers hot now????? wdym he’s taller than me??? which is immediately followed by 200k words of mutual pining as roy thinks jason definitely grew out of his little crush on roy and no way would the cool ex-assassin with the muscle mass to rival batman be interested in him anymore, while jason thinks roy would never see him as anything but his friends kid brother and a nerd and sooo awkward and he’s trying so hard to be nonchalant around roy but he’s soooo chalant. dick is so tired of them being gross and in love with each other while also not being together he’s about to scream

jason: oh yah i've just been *dramatic hair toss * ya know, off traveling the world and training with assassins after i came back to life. nothing big.

roy internally: oh my gof oh my god oh my god oh my god

dick: this is painful to watch. tim put me out of my misery.

[fluentmoviequoter]

A Home to Thrive In

Pairing: Tim Bradford x fem!neighbor!reader

Summary: You still live next door to Tim Bradford's mother, and when he visits for the first time in years, you have to decide if you're willing to let go of the idea of him you fell in love with.

Warnings: spoilers/rewrite for 4x09 "Breakdown", angst, arguments, discussion of past abuse, r is Tim's childhood friend, fluff and comfort

Word Count: 3.5k+ words

A/N: It's late. This may be terrible. I will reassess tomorrow.

Masterlist Directory | Tim Bradford Masterlist | Request Info

“Have you talked to Mom recently?” Genny asks. When Tim doesn’t answer, she sighs and murmurs, “Don’t know why I thought you would.”

“Isn’t it bad enough that you’re dragging me back into the Tom Bradford-centric world I’ve been trying to outrun since we were kids? Now you want me to tell Mom about everything that’s happened,” Tim argues. “I’m already working on a murder case that Dad hid for decades. I don’t need more family drama right now, Genny."

“She worries about you, Tim. Just wants to be part of your life again.”

Tim's phone rings, a saving grace, and he excuses himself as he pushes his chair away from the table and leaves his sister.

“Tim,” Lucy greets. “I brought Monica Ochoa back in.”

“The woman who was killed by the gun I found in my dad’s house. Why?”

“Because I knew there was more to her story. You- you couldn’t see past the version that you wanted to see.”

“What’d she say?”

“Your dad… Tim, Monica confessed.”

Tim hangs up on Lucy, walks directly past his sister while ignoring her questions, and gets in his truck to visit his dad. To see if he’ll tell the truth when he has no other choice or if he’s really the terrible man Tim thinks he is.

“You didn’t kill Frank,” Tim states.

Tom sighs before he counters, “Sure I did. Now, come on. Cuff me. Let’s just get this over with.”

“Monica confessed.”

“Leave her out of this.”

“Frank was beating her. She fought back. She shot him. She was terrified, so she ran to you. You came up with the burglary story, helped her stage the house, then you hid the gun in case the cops got too close, and you needed to frame someone else.”

“He was brutal, abusive,” Tom explains. “She deserves a medal for what she did.”

“He was abusive?” Tim repeats.

“What? You think I’m like him? I was nothing like Frank. I taught you what you needed to know, son. You’re a man now because of me.”

“No. I’m who I am in spite of you,” Tim replies. His dad doesn’t speak, and Tim nods as he adds, “Goodbye, Dad. I hope it hurts.”

In the hallway outside his dad’s room, Tim pulls his phone from his pocket and calls Grey.

“Bradford,” Wade greets as the call connects.

“I need to take some personal time,” Tim says instead of a salutation.

“Lord knows you’ve stashed up enough of it. Where are you going?”

“To see someone I should’ve visited a long time ago.”

“You did the right thing, Tim. Take your time and know we’re here for you when you get back.”

Tim ends the call, then texts his sister that he’s taking her advice. He hasn’t been home to his mom’s house in years, and he needs her, needs space from his family and his station, and needs to work through the events of the week on his own. Though he isn’t sure if he’s welcome or if his mother's new home will feel the same as it did fifteen years ago, Tim gets in his truck and drives toward the last place he felt at home.

Your evening walk is refreshing, and the sunset helps you focus on the beauty of the day as you wind down.

“Sweetheart!” your neighbor calls, waving from her porch.

“Mrs. Bradford,” you greet with a smile as you step onto her walkway. “How are you today?”

“Good, good. Talked to Genny earlier, she’s visiting Tim.”

You smile and nod, unwilling to touch the sensitive subject of Tim. Growing up with him, you saw the worst parts of his childhood, home life, and father, but that never added up to you. He ran away from his mother, from love and home just to outrun bad memories. A task you know to be impossible.

“How was your book?” you ask, moving away from Mrs. Bradford’s stressful family life. “Did you finish it last night?”

“I did. You were right, the twist at the end was a shock. I thought the vigilante did it!”

“Interesting,” you muse. “I was torn between him and the builder.”

Mrs. Bradford hums before her oven beeps.

“You take care of that,” you say as you wrap your arms over her shoulders in a quick hug. “We’ll talk about the book and start the sequel on Saturday?”

“Count on it. Have a good night!”

“You too!”

Headlights reflect off your front door as you push it open, but you don’t bother to turn around and see who it is. Two of your neighbors get home around this time, and there aren’t many visitors or tourists in your area. So, when you’re closing the curtains and notice an unfamiliar truck in Mrs. Bradford’s driveway, you decide to watch and ensure everything is okay.

“Tim!” Mrs. Bradford calls excitedly as the driver’s door opens. She rushes out and pulls him into a hug, and from the way he grips her and buries his face against her shoulder like he’s eight again, you know that this isn’t just a sorry I stopped calling, Mom visit. Something happened and that’s the only reason he’s home.

“Welcome home, Tim,” you whisper before you pull the curtains together and put the distance you’re used to back between you and Tim.

You kneel by your front door to tie your shoes. Then you untie them and loop the laces differently. Knowing that Tim Bradford is next door makes you hesitate to go outside. Yet, you don’t want to let him impact your life more than he already has. It wouldn’t be surprising to learn that his mother already told him about your downward spiral, how you fell apart when he left without so much as a word. As a kid, you fell in love with Tim Bradford, and you stayed in love with the idea of him in high school. Then, when he disappeared without a word or trace, and you only found out that he was a cop for the LAPD through his sister, you decided that the idea of him was as good as you would ever get.

“You can do this,” you tell yourself as you stand and lay your hand on the doorknob. “It’s just the man who has occupied your every thought for years. Just walk by.”

The magnitude of your mistake hits you in full force when you’re nearly past Mrs. Bradford’s fence. Tim says your name and your heart clenches at the realization that you remembered his voice so well. Years of hearing it in your dreams will preserve your memory like that.

“Tim,” you reply, swallowing as you face him. “I didn’t know you were coming home.”

“It wasn’t exactly the plan. Genny showed up and everything just kind of blew up in my face.”

Kind of like what you put me through, you think. Rather than saying it, you nod sympathetically.

“Did my mom… did she tell you about my dad?”

“Tim, your mom tells me a lot. But no one close to your mom has brought him up in years.”

“Wish my sister had gotten that message,” Tim scoffs.

“I hope you enjoy the time with your mom,” you interrupt. “But I’ve got to get going.”

“Right,” Tim agrees. “I’ll see you around.”

You nod but feel your chest tighten as you hope he’s wrong. Losing Tim Bradford again is not an option, so you refuse to let him closer than he needs to be.

“I didn’t know she moved with you, still lived next door,” Tim muses as his mother ushers him inside for breakfast.

“You don’t know much,” she points out, not unkindly but not untrue. “She knows more than you. I’ve told her everything Genny passed along. You were so close as kids.”

“Yeah,” Tim agrees before he trails off. He remembers being friends, but not the kind of friends that would ask about each other. “I don’t think she wants to talk to me.”

“Well, you can hardly blame her.”

“What does that mean?”

Tim’s mother looks at him and presses her lips together. He has her eyes, but he doesn’t have her understanding or the intuition about people she tried to instill in him when his father wasn’t trying to teach him to be a man.

“If you can’t see it, Tim, it’s too late to explain it. She’s coming over for lunch and our duet book club tomorrow. You have thirty hours to read the book if you want to participate.”

“Thank you for letting me come home, Mom.”

She lays her hand on Tim’s shoulder and promises, “You’re always welcome here, Timothy.”

You knock on Mrs. Bradford’s door while Tim’s truck is gone. With one of her signature ceramic loaf pans in your hands, filled with your favorite cookies, you wait for the door to open to return her dish and offer some goodies.

“Sorry to…” you begin as the door opens. “Oh, Tim. Sorry, your truck was gone so I assumed your mom would be here.”

“She borrowed my truck to do something that she refused to have help for. Come on in.”

Tim opens the door for you, and for reasons beyond your comprehension, you accept his invitation and walk inside. After you set the pan on the counter, you turn around to leave, but Tim is leaning against the table and watching you.

“Enjoying your time off?” you question, wringing your fingers together behind your back.

“I am. Especially after the last case I worked on,” Tim answers. “My mom hasn’t told me much about you.”

You hum and look at your feet as you reply, “Not much to tell.”

“She seems to tell you a lot.”

“Look, Tim, I’m just trying to respect your boundaries. She told me that your dad was involved in something, a murder, but it’s not my business.”

“Frank Ochoa,” Tim interjects.

You furrow your brows as you ask, “Monica’s husband? But that was a robbery.”

Tim tilts his head to the side as he says, “My dad admitted to killing him. He was protecting Monica.”

You pull your bottom lip between your teeth and nod.

“But you knew that, didn’t you?”

“What?”

Tim stands from the table, his crossed arms falling to his sides. “You knew something and didn’t tell anybody, didn’t you?”

“Tim, I-“

“Look, I’ve been lied to by too many people this week. You still have the same tell you did in elementary school. What did you know?”

You clench your jaw and step to the right to go around Tim, but he moves to block you, and rather than running into his chest, you retreat further into Mrs. Bradford’s kitchen.

“This case – the people there – have been lied to, we’ve been wrong, there’s been no justice for decades. And you’ve known something the whole time? How can you live with that?”

“How can I live with it?” you repeat incredulously. “How was I – a child, Tim – supposed to go to the police and tell them that I saw Frank beating Monica over and over? They wouldn’t have believed me!”

“You didn’t try!”

“Yes, I did!” you yell. Wiping the single tear that managed to escape in your memories of the only time you tried to help your neighbors, you lose some of your fight.

“Doesn’t seem like you tried very hard,” Tim adds under his breath.

You laugh once and shake your head. “I told the police your dad was beating you, Tim. You know what happened? They came and asked him about it. He denied everything. After they left, he took you out into the backyard and demanded to know who you told. So, see if you can wrap your cop brain about why I was scared to tell on someone else.”

“I didn’t know you-“

“You didn’t know anything, Tim.”

Tim scoffs and argues, “Oh and you know so much about who I am now because of what my sister tells my mom?”

“At least I talk to your mom, Tim,” you snap. Immediately, you regret it. “I’m sorry,” you offer.

“I couldn’t,” Tim defends.

“Did you try?”

Tim’s truck rumbles as his mother returns from the store, and you hold Tim’s stare until the engine shuts off.

“Can I leave now, or do you want to blame me for something else?”

Tim steps back and opens his mouth, but you storm past him before he can say anything else. You return to your house after you hug Mrs. Bradford and tell her about the cookies. The idea of Tim Bradford that you’ve clung to since childhood is growing fuzzy around the edges, and alone in your house, you cry over what he told you today, the mistakes you made, and the loss of the Tim you were born to love.

Someone knocks on your door the following morning, and you stare at it rather than walking toward it.

“Sweetheart, it’s me,” Mrs. Bradford calls.

With a sigh, you stand and invite her in, not caring if she notices your teary eyes or unusual attitude.

“I thought you might want someone to talk to. Somewhere away from my son,” she explains as she leads you to your dining table. “So, I brought food and company. Choose what you want.”

“It’s not just Tim,” you explain. “I mean… he was right, but it’s different.”

“Different than when you fell in love with him?” she guesses.

You look up at her, wide-eyed at her question. She smiles and gestures for you to continue.

“I’ve been dreaming about him coming back, thinking that we could pick up where we left off, but he’s nothing like what I remember.”

���Time will do that,” she soothes, taking your hand over the table.

“It didn’t do it to me.”

“Sweetheart… you didn’t let it. I love you, you know that, but you cling so tightly to the past, to the familiar, that you haven’t allowed yourself to adapt to the beauty of the growth and changes around you. Haven’t even let yourself show the woman you’ve become.”

You lick your lips before sniffling and asking, “What if I don’t like it?”

“But what if you thrive in it?”

Wiping the back of your free hand across your face, you clear your tears and nod. You know that Mrs. Bradford is right, but you also know that there will be pain in the beauty when you choose to move forward.

“Does he hate me?” you whisper.

“Timothy? I don’t think he could ever hate you.”

“He can sure blame me for a lot, though,” you point out with a wet laugh.

“Beating himself up over that at the moment, if you’re wondering. And, when you’re ready to talk to him, maybe you should try getting to know who he is today.”

You nod and pull a homemade candy from her special-made meal. “Thank you.”

“Anytime. Now, are we going to keep crying over silly boys or try to solve a murder mystery on a pioneer plantation?”

Dressed in your favorite outfit, you shift from foot to foot on Mrs. Bradford’s porch as you try to get your courage up. Just as you lift your hand to knock, a throat clears behind you. You spin around quickly, then release a breath and press your hand over your racing heart.

“You could have told me you were back there sooner,” you point out softly.

“I wanted to see where this was going,” Tim answers, closing his tailgate. “Listen, about the other day-“

You raise your hand to silence Tim and shake your hand. “I came over here to talk to you. About more than that. Do you maybe want to go somewhere to do that?”

Tim nods and opens the passenger door of his truck, offering his hand as he helps you in without a word. The drive to the local high school football field is quick but silent, and when you exit the truck and join Tim on the tailgate to watch the sunset, you take a shaky breath.

“I’m sorry you had to go through all of that with your dad, the house, Frank, all that,” you begin. “But I’m sorrier that I didn’t do more back then.”

Tim nods and says, “You were right. They wouldn’t have listened, or it would’ve spooked my dad and made everything worse.”

“I guess we’ll never know.” You look at Tim’s profile and ask, “Are you okay?”

“No,” he admits without hesitation. “My dad was protecting Monica. He never did anything to protect us, but his mistress – broke half a dozen laws for her.”

“I knew that, too,” you whisper. “My mom made me stop sitting by the door after that year, which was probably a good thing. Uhm, are they going to prosecute your dad?”

“No. Not on his death bad. But it doesn’t matter. He’ll get judged soon enough.”

You nod, your eyes still on Tim rather than the pink sunset before you. His eyes have teared up, and everything inside of you begs for you to just let go.

“Tim, you’re nothing like him. You know that, right?”

Tim nods a tiny movement that breaks your heart. This isn’t the Tim you remember, not the Tim from elementary school or the one who was punished for your ill-conceived attempt to help. Most importantly, you realize, this isn’t the Tim you’ve dreamed of loving. Tim Bradford, the man before you, is who you can love, want to love, and desperately, wholly, devastatingly need to love.

With a deep breath, you release everything you’ve been holding onto. Your grip on your dreams, on your memory of Tim and what you thought you wanted, and the moment that trapped you in your position of being terrified to do the wrong thing in your efforts to do good weakens, and you feel like a flower in bloom. Everything seems new, the possibilities are endless, and you’re a new person who isn’t afraid to do right, even when it terrifies you and carries the potential to break your heart.

“Tim,” you whisper.

He turns toward you, drawn by the tone in your voice, and blinks past his tears. You shift on his tailgate and raise your arms toward his shoulders. Tim leans forward and meets you halfway, pulling you into his lap as you collapse into a hug that heals the broken edges of who you are. With Tim’s arms against your back and waist, you feel more at home than ever, and he feels the same. His mother’s house was never the home he was returning to, but a pursuit for this feeling, right in your arms.

“I’m so sorry,” you murmur against his shoulder.

He shakes his head, tightening his grip on you, and this version of you - unafraid, complete in Tim Bradford’s arms - is ready to thrive. You won’t heal overnight; neither of you will, but it’s a start.

His phone buzzes in his pocket, and Tim laughs against your neck before he pulls back gently to retrieve his phone from his pocket.

“My mom,” he tells you. “If you haven’t kissed her yet, what are you waiting for? Another set of wrinkles?”

You fail to stop the laugh that escapes at Mrs. Bradford’s bluntness. Then, you realize how glad you are that he’s reading her text messages.

“Well?” you ask. “Should we kiss or wait for more wrinkles?”

Tim pushes a stray hair out of your face and promises, “None of it was your fault.”

You nod and thank him, then brush your thumbs against his cheeks. “Last time we were on a field together, it was raining. I also wanted you to kiss me then.”

“You never told me.”

“How was I supposed to tell you that, Tim?” you ask. “I… I was caught up in an idea of who we could be, and I was scared to ruin it by doing something new.”

“And now?”

Rather than asking for what you want, you take it as you lean forward and kiss Tim. One of his hands moves to the back of your neck, and the first raindrop feels suspiciously like a teardrop as it runs down your face and onto Tim’s. You laugh as you run toward the truck doors, thunder rumbling as a storm approaches from the west. In the truck with Tim, you find yourself face-to-face with a better version of the dream life you craved in Tim’s absence.

Bonus:

“Get inside, it’s going to start raining again!” Mrs. Bradford calls from the kitchen when she hears the door open. “Don’t need you catching a cold on your time off, Timothy.”

You press your lips together and smile at Tim, who is drenched after offering you his jacket to hold over your head in a poor attempt to stay somewhat dry.

“She’s going to mother you, too,” he points out.

“Hey, I’m used to it,” you reply. “Like it, even.”

“Oh, dear,” Mrs. Bradford murmurs as she appears in the doorway. “Go get dried off and change, Tim.”

After he disappears into his room, Mrs. Bradford offers you a towel and a change of clothes. She smiles as she leans in and says, “Flowers that thrive need plenty of rain to grow, you know.”

[allpiesforourown]

So a bit off topic from hatman but does Luo Binghe have kids already in the harem member Shen Yuan AU? I know you had another post with stepmom Shen Yuan but can you imagine some of Luo Binghe's kids falling for the pretty omega that lives in the secluded part of the palace. Not only is he pretty but he actually works to help out with the problems their families face. Plus he's one of the few people that calls out the emperor for not spending enough time with his kids and ensures they all get a proper education. He also remembers their birthdays and somehow knows their favorite sweets! He's not only a better father to them but a better husband to their moms. At some point some of them realize that Luo Binghe has not touched Shen Yuan and in demon terms, an unmarked omega is fair game. Cue a bunch of kids making plans to bridenap Shen Yuan once they come of age. Because Shen Yuan deserves a lovely mate who will dote on them and give them children. Plus their moms would no doubt be thrilled to have Shen Yuan as family. In the mean time they plan to subtly court the oblivious omega.

Spoiler: Luo Binghe is definitely not supportive of this idea.

So real.. adding onto this: Luo binghe qi deviating into a child like in the return to childhood extra. He's too ashamed to admit what's happened so he's just walking around his palace wondering how he can use his current form to his advantage and bumping into shen yuan.

I think most harem members would be very cold to children from other mothers for obvious reasons.. binghe expecting harem drama, waiting for shen yuan to get angry because "your mother can secure a place in the harem by birthing you, but I can't!"

Instead shen yuan sees this little boy who looks like binghe wandering around unaccompanied and kneels down and asks if he's lost. He carefully says it's dangerous for a child to be alone in the palace (not mentioning envious wives who take their anger out on other people's kids because binghe won't impregnate them) so no one is blamed. He just takes Binghe’s hand and asks "who's your mother? I'll help you find her."

Binghe feeling really emotional for a second and letting it slip that his mother passed away. Shen yuan is confused because how could a wife of the protagonist die? He doesn't want to question it though, he's read enough harem dramas to know some women only have children as a status symbol they neglect... so if this boy is making excuses to avoid seeing his mother, that's okay!

Shen yuan being so sweet and gentle with binghe, patting his head and calling him a good boy... then when binghe returns to normal shen yuan goes back to calling him "lord luo" and maintaining a respectful distance.

When binghe sees his kids hanging around shen yuan instead, getting his smiles..... he's drinking soooo much vinegar

[temis-de-leon]

Demon Brothers as Single Fathers

What if the brothers already had a kid when MC first appeared in the Devildom?

Characters: demon brothers, gn! kid and gn! MC

Part 2

Masterlist

CW: lesson 16, death during childbirth mentioned, but there's nothing explicit. Some brothers are better fathers than others, but they all love their kid with a passion. Romantic interest towards MC at the end

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Lucifer

There´s no way he’s having a kid with a random woman. I already posted a headcanon regarding demonic pregnancies, stating them as difficult, so my guess here is that he had a long-term relationship and his partner died during childbirth.

Of course, he’d cope with her death just like he coped with Lilith’s: hiding his feelings. He had his sister’s room hidden in the House of Lamentation without any of his brothers knowing, so it makes sense that he’d hide everything regarding his former partner from everyone, including his child.

Now, don’t get me wrong, he loves that kid, but he is who he is. A strict parent that wants his family to be perfect, obedient and loyal to Lord Diavolo. His child might get an obvious special treatment, but they still have to reach their father’s standards.

All of that, mixed with the load of paperwork he has to take care of on the daily, makes bonding time very limited.

When MC arrives, he makes sure they know not to bother the kid, his threats visible to anyone with eyes.

We know MC, however. They meddle and they become friends with most of the brothers very easily, so it’s understandable that the kid wants to get close to them too.

Lucifer tries really hard to break that friendship, not trusting MC at all, but the more effort he puts in that task, the more effort his kid puts in disobeying him. And we all know Satan is helping them just to anger Lucifer.

It all reaches an end when MC frees Belphie from the attic.

The kid doesn’t understand the situation, why their new friend is all bruised and bloody on the floor and why their uncle is laughing in such evil way.

Lucifer only gets how much his kid loves the human when he sees their distraught over MC’s death and their tears of relief when MC reappears in perfect conditions.

Time passes and the family is whole again, granting the kid a new feeling of happiness and comfort they’ve never felt before. Lucifer feels obligated to rethink the situation when he sees that.

Then comes the last day of MC’s stay at the Devildom and he knows he’ll regret not showing his desire of deepening their relationship before they leave.

His kid and his brothers are not the only ones that need MC anymore.

Mammon

I kind of imagine him having a child with a one-night stand, to be honest. For the sake of this fic, the other parent is not in the picture, but Mammon loves kids, so there’s no doubt he’d keep his own.

And oh, how much he spoils them. He saves money just for them. Does he go right back into bankruptcy after that? Yes, but the intention is there, you know.

I also think the brothers would use the child to blackmail him, like “you’re such a scumbag, Mammon, you’re going to disappoint the kid”. A dick move, but they are assholes to Mammon most of the time.

And then comes MC, rocking Mammon’s world and, by extent, the child’s.

No matter how old the kid is, they can sense their father’s love towards the human. It’s almost painful to see and it brings so much second hand embarrassment, but Mammon’s happiness makes everything worth it.

Especially when MC starts to defend Mammon from his brothers’ insults.

The kid promotes themselves from child to matchmaker. 

They spoil their uncles' plans with MC so they can spend time with their father, boasting Mammon’s confidence and telling MC how good he is and how good of a couple they’d make.

At first MC thinks it’s pure childhood innocence, not suspecting the kid is acting on ulterior motives, but Mammon knows what his kid is doing.

He tries to defend his status as too good to be interested in a mere human, let alone date them. Of course, the child sees right through his bullshit.

No one stands a chance against his little hellspawn, not even him.

Suffice to say, MC and Mammon establish their relationship long before the year ends.

Leviathan

I love Levi, I truly do, but c’mon guys. I doubt he has any friends outside the online world, let alone a partner; we can all agree he’s a virgin. So, for him to have a child, I think he would’ve had to be either really lucky or unlucky (depending on how you see it), meaning that his brothers took him out of his comfort zone so he could lose his virginity and he left that one girl pregnant.

I think the mother wouldn’t have wanted to be in a relationship with him, leaving him more reclusive than ever. He needed his brothers’ help to lose his virginity and now not even the mother of his child wanted to stay with him? Yeah, he’s not leaving his room ever again.

It’s difficult for him to bond with the kid at the beginning due to the lack of knowledge on how to take care of a child and the kid being born out of a loveless meaningless one-night stand.

He watches and buys anything family-related, finally understanding that the way he became a father doesn’t have to influence their relationship, so he steps up really quick.

Don’t worry, the brothers offer their help the whole time.

They spend most of the time in his room, bonding over anime, manga, videogames and cosplay, especially about TSL. He also forces himself to get out of his room more often for the sake of his kid, even if it’s minimal.

He still distrusts MC when they arrive, not paying them any attention, but he has to reconsider a little bit when he sees the kid so interested in them.

The whole TSL quiz happens and he’s surprised to see not only Mammon and Beel helped MC, but his child too. He feels betrayed and irrationally mad at all of them for an hour or less, just until the kid insists on MC’s genuine interest on TSL and convinces him to give them a chance.

After that, their friendship develops quicker than anyone could've ever anticipated, as well as Levi’s crush on MC.

Another kid that evolves into a matchmaker, although their methods are more dramatic due to being based on anime and manga.

The rest of the brothers have a lot of fun witnessing the whole thing.

Satan

My man has contacts, he knows people all around the kingdom, he fucks. I’m not sure if the child came out of a long-term relationship or a one-night stand, but his contacts definitely have something to do with it.

His whole mission is to treat his child better than Lucifer ever treated him.

No baby voice at all, what nonsense is that? When he reads to them at night he uses different voices according to each character, same as when they play.

The type of parent that wants to respect his kid so much he kind of treats them like an adult. Full conversations and everything. More like monologues, actually, but Satan is patient enough to wait for his kid’s answer, even if it’s a babble.

Cats everywhere. Toys, clothes, bedsheets… You know the drill.

Overall, Satan puts his whole heart into his child’s development.

And when MC arrives, he’s only curious about them because Lucifer is on edge. He’d prefer if his child was left to their own devices, living their life in peace with no human bothering them for no reason.

Then he swaps bodies with Lucifer.

Boy oh boy.

The moment he sees his child running to his brother instead of him, he’s spitting fire. MC intervenes just when the kid starts to get scared, something he’s extremely grateful for.

After the pact is made, both him and the kid see MC in a completely different light, but he doesn’t think about taking them out on a date until his child trips and falls while playing in the garden.

MC tends to them, dries their tears and cleans their bloody knees before using some cute bandaids on them. Cat-themed bandaids.

How could he say no to that?

Asmodeus

One-night stand one-night stand one-night stand one-night stand.

One-night stand? YES.

I’m surprise he doesn’t have a legion of children, Hercules style, but oh well, what do I know.

I like to think the mother tried to stay, but Asmo is a certified narcissist who loves spending time with himself and who’d also love the idea of having a mini him running around, ready to try new clothes on every opportunity and match him.

It’d be difficult to stay in a family like that, with a partner that monopolizes the child’s time so selfishly. It’s bad, but I could understand if the mother chose to leave. I don’t even know if Asmo would care, given that it was a one-night stand with no feelings involved, and he’d probably believe himself to be enough.

Asmo is as dirty minded as ever and he still has various relationships, but he tries to tone down really hard, at least in front of his kid.

They’re partners in crime above all, their chemistry is insane. ‘Don’t talk to me or my son ever again’ type of relationship.

Although the kid doesn’t have Asmo’s charming powers, they’re cunning. Doe eyed with a shiny glare and a brilliant smile, who could say no to them? Sometimes they even fool their own father.

Both of them are pretty superficial, but kind-hearted at the bottom of their hearts. It just takes some time and effort to see that.

The kid treats MC the same way Asmo does, although they have no ill intent, they just want to be like their father. So when Asmo starts to show some interest in MC, pursuing a friendship, so does his child.

Partners in crime, remember? It doesn’t take long for the child to act coy and cute, turning MC’s interest to Asmo. Again, no charm nor manipulation, but a little help from an innocent hand never hurts anyone, does it?

Beelzebub

I don’t have a single idea where the child came from, but if there’s something I’m sure of it’s that they’re each other’s best friend.

Beel takes them everywhere, in his arms, strapped to his chest or sitting on his shoulders, he doesn’t care, but they’re together all the time.

Scared to his very core of losing them, but tries not to be overbearing, trusting his brothers to take care of them when he can’t, mostly Lucifer and Belphie.

They're the most important reason to control himself, Beel feels guilty when he lets loose and scares his child. Seeing your father eat a column can’t be pleasant, after all.

Another one that ignores MC when they get there, preferring spending time with his child. Now more than ever, since Belphie apparently went to the human realm as an exchange student.

When he breaks MC’s wall and they’re forced to share his room, he’s introduced to the dilemma of whether letting them sleep in Belphie’s bed while he shares his own with his kid or letting them sleep in his bed, with his kid in Belphie’s and him on the floor.

He’s very reluctant to let anyone but his twin sleep in the other bed. His nightmares lessen when he shares his space with the child as well, so Beel’s very conflicted.

MC offers to be the one sleeping on the floor, something he immediately refuses, so he finally agrees to let them both sleep in his bed while he’s on the floor.

He doesn’t sleep that night.

It isn’t until MC defends him from his own brother that he starts to think of them as a true friend. He trusts them with his kid and he even feels okay leaving them alone while he’s out doing his own things.

Days after MC goes back to sleeping in their room, his child confides in him how much they miss having the human with them and Beel can’t help but agree.

He asks for his child’s permission before taking MC out on a date.

Belphegor

Had the child with a situationship, but the mother thought he would be too absent to be a good father. She tried to leave with the kid, but Belphie insisted on keeping them. Being one of the Avatars of the Devildom, he had the upper hand.

As much as he tries to be present, he can’t help but fall asleep most of the day, so Beel takes the role of second father. Still, Belphie wants to be in the same room as his kid all the time, even when unconscious.

He’s able to enter other people’s dreams, so his favourite way of bonding is at night, interrupting his child’s nightmares and transforming them into beautiful dreams where they can do whatever they want to do.

He even made versions of Lilith and Beel for them to be together during those dreams.

Kind of entitled, to be honest.

Belphie is a brat and so is his kid, but the child at least has the benefit of the doubt.

When Lucifer imprisons him he’s ready to destroy the house. The only way he can talk to his kid now is through dreams and even then he isn’t sure what to tell them. In the end he decides to let the kid be, but he’s always on edge, trapped, not knowing what’s happening until everyone goes to bed.

MC’s presence feels like a gift. A pathetic gift, but a gift nonetheless.

He asks about his kid and he seethes when MC tells him they’re becoming friends, how much they like spending time with the child.

He focuses so much on revenge that he doesn’t even realize what the kid could think of him if he carried along with his plans; how they could feel when all of it is done.

Killing MC is satisfying and leaves him wanting so much more.

That look from his child, his own blood, takes it all away.

Why are they crying? Why are they hiding away from him? Trying to reach MC’s corpse despite Lucifer’s words or Beel’s grabbing hands, screaming in terror when uncle Mammon doesn’t answer their questions.

Then MC reappears, looking as perfect as ever, and Belphie is overwhelmed with relief, convinced that maybe his kid will stop looking at him that way.

But that doesn’t happen.

He sleeps with Beel that night, feeling lonelier than ever, hands aching and reaching for a smaller body that isn't there. He can’t find them in their dreams when he falls asleep and when morning arrives and he goes to the bathroom, he makes sure there’s no blood under his fingernails.

It takes days before his kid can even look at him without that angry pout on their face. They tell him they’ve been sleeping with MC, listening to their advice so they can mend their relationship with him.

Ever since then, Belphie can’t help but blush whenever MC is in the room.

.

.

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Tagging: @deepestartisanhumanoidshark

[nmakii]

DOMESTIC LIFE WAS NEVER QUITE MY STYLE…

— married life with alastor back in 1925, louisiana

— is this ooc :(? ive been in a ooc rut ever since school ended i miss my pookies n like i cried so much that day 😔 BTW THIS IS THE FIC I HSED THE ALASTOR AI TEXTS :>

lord above! you have to be some kind of gem to secure a man such as alastor. to be that woman, it’s almost certain that you’re someone who understands alastor in ways no one else has.

he doesn’t tend to express his affections physically, but more than makes up for it through his sweet nothings and lavish gifts

he’s most definitely the type to spoil his wife, but only if you ask him for it yourself. he doesn’t want to buy things you have no use for

has a trust fund in his will set for you if, god forbid, he died before you. he doesnt want his love to worry about money, just let him take care of it.

unlike many households at the time, alastor would help with the chores. despite his full-time job, he’d sorta understand that taking care of a house is a full-time job in itself since he’d spent his childhood watching how hard his mother works so, he agrees to always split chores with you.

because of his work, and his popularity, his boss asks that he comes in early to host the morning segment of the show. because of this, it’s not often that you two share a morning together. but, he still remembers to kiss your pretty head good morning, occasionally adding a request for dinner

his mother is MORE than happy to welcome you into the family. she’s just glad that her son found someone that makes him happy.

honestly on the fence about kids. on one hand, it’d make his mother really happy, as well as how it’s expected at the time period. but, he isn’t too interested in physically showing his desires. and, he is quite busy as well with his job and the whole murdering thing. it’s only if you ask him explicitly that he’d decide to look into it, maybe adoption? :>

quite good at putting your insecurities at ease. sweet nothings for days on end can come out of his mouth and he’s still not done.

as you sob into alastor’s chest, his arms wrap around your body warmly as he plays with your hair. "whenever you’re ready to talk, my love.” he held you close, wiping your tears until you were ready to talk.

alastor listened silently as you told him of all your doubts; that you weren’t a good wife, the whispers of every woman in town, everything. “my love, i’ll love you no matter what. it’s the woman inside that i am in love with.” he says as he brushes the hair out of your face, gazing down at you lovingly. “i won’t lie, there are times when you are… feisty. but, it’s your passion and intelligence that always bring me back to you.”

your lips quiver as you try to quell your tears. “can… can you swear that? that you’ll love me no matter what..?” his gaze became gentle as he saw the genuine doubt in your expression. “you have my word, dear. no matter what happens, i’d never stop loving you. even if we fought everyday, i would still be a fool for you. because, well… i suppose the heart wants what the heart wants. and, it is you that my heart yearns for, love.” alastor assured you, his eyes falling as he spoke.

as the sweet nothings fell from his lips, your tears ceased, finding the warmth in his touch. “thank you, dear… you always know how to make me feel better, i love you so much…” you sighed, curling into his touch. “mmh, i love you as well, my pretty girl.” he grinned, kissing your forehead.

as stated above, alastor is not particularly attracted to your looks, but moreso your intelligence and your ability to see right through that charming facade of his. funnily enough, it started a healthy relationship for one of the most deranged men out there.

he’d also be quite attracted to you if you joined him one night. nothing’s more attractive than your beautiful wife in a pretty dress he bought for you all bloodied up with a knife in your hand.

he loves to show you off to the newspapers as his pretty doll, not only because you’re quite the eye candy, but to also make you confident in yourself

he’d still get jealous whenever he’d catch someone staring too long though. ironically enough, he thinks it’s adorable when you get jealous and pout your face. he’s your’s after all, body and soul! why fuss over something that’s not gonna happen?

arguments are quite rare since alastor doesn’t tend to do things that are argument worthy. one of the few reasons you tend to argue is when alastor heads to the club after work and comes home drunk and much later than he intended to. and, after all that, he still apologizes for coming home late, probably tries to come home early so he can cook dinner the next day as an apology :>

[importantstudentbusinessspy-blog]

Heirs

Pairing: Robb Stark x Baratheon/Lannister reader

When Ned Stark comes to King's landing, he learns that out of Cersei's children, you, the arranged bride of his eldest son, are the only legitimate heir of Robert's. This discovery challenges the Lannisters and costs Ned his life.

When Ned Stark is executed, Robb is left broken, his family torn apart... and the only person he can take his frustration out on is you, his arranged bride, and the sister of the boy who ruined his life and had his father killed.

Tags: Arranged marriage, Robb is a bad boy in this one, corruption, innocent reader, first time,

CH. 1 First Meeting - Ned Stark's eldest son and Robert Baratheon’s eldest (legitimate) daughter got off to a relatively exciting start.

Chapter tags: fluff, first meeting, Robb and reader are kids here, teasing, Cersei is nice,

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The lord of Winterfell sat stoic, alongside his lady wife at the long table, on which one side seated his people, across from the other, which seated the party from Kings Landing. Ned Stark's sons were sitting by his side. The eldest, Robb, had just turned eleven. Now, in the midst of his warrior training, the boy wasn't small by any means. Though his body was developing and he had already reached his mother in height, Robb still maintained a spark of childlike michieve in his grey eyes.

Ned had wanted Robb to have a good childhood, but circumstances had forced him to educate his son to fight and rule from a young age. He was glad Robb still had cleverness in him to retort his brothers jests, and the chivalry to protect his little sisters, but knew the playfulness would someday come to an end when Robb will need to lead his people into winter.

The Baratheons visiting from Kings Landing sat alongside the Starks, eyeing the table in front of them, some were eating away happily, like the king, while some, like his wife Cersie grimaced at the display of meat, likely not used to the lack of decorum in her sheltered palace.

Ned hid his guilty smirk at the discomfort. Cersei and her children all sat together as well, the eldest, a pretty girl of nine was helping her rowdy little brothers and sister to food, mixes of greens consisting of fruits, nuts, and vegetables, with measured and delicate movements.

Ned both loathed and excited at the idea of betrothing his son to the kings daughter. There would be peace in the realm on one hand. On the other hand, her grandfather Tywin's and your mother's ambition and the Lannisters' reputation for manipulation made him uneasy.

The girl was frail, weak even compared to Rob’s small and hyper siblings, let alone to Robb himself. Already you were attracting attention, as the boys at the table kept turning to look at you. With long hair falling on the side of your tanned face and freckles decorating blushing cheeks.

Before the feast, he was pulled Robert and Cersei aside and discussed the match.

Not enjoying the attention some of the boys and even some men were giving you, Ned gave Robb a nudge, interrupting his conversation with his brother, Jon. "Perhaps you should entertain your guest, son?"

The boy followed his fathers gaze to you, then to the men eyeing you and understanding set. Robb nodded and stood to head over to the table where you sat. He bent down and whispered something in your ear, making you jump in surprise at first, before listening in. You looked up at him, feeling a slight warmth on your ears and cheeks, and turned to ask your mother for permission to go with him. The queen nodded at your request, smiling fondly at you, momentarily eyeing Robb with suspicion.

The boy offered one of his signature, easygoing smiles, offering you his hand before leading you outside.

One of his footsteps was twice as big as yours. You had to jog rather than walk to keep up with him, lifting up your dress high enough not to trip but also low enough not to expose yourself. He didn't slow down to match your speed either, which caused your father, the king, to smirk to his old friend.

Ned and Catelyn watched their heir leave the feast with the princess, then turned to his men, who asked him questions about the following year's harvest.

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You let yourself be led out of the warm and loud comfort of the great hall and out into the chilled, windfilled night of the north. "Where are we going?"

"Anywhere," the boy leading you replied. "My father told me to entertain you."

"Oh," you let out a small breath and looked down shyly. Of course, he wasn't with you of his own free will.

"Wanna see what northerners do for fun?" He asked.

You felt a flash of nervousness go down your spine. "Is it dangerous?"

He turned around to look if you were serious, grey eyes studied you in amusement before he let out a chuckle. "No. We just climb up the walls," He nodded towards a massive stone wall of the castle of winterfell, rising up to touch the night sky.

you eyes traveled all the way up, and you mouth dried. Your fear of hights warred with your desire to impress him. In the end, your fear won. "Then, m-maybe we shouldn't."

"Oh, princess.” he drawled, tilting his head mockingly. “Are you scared?"

You felt heat rise to your cheeks. He was so unnecessarily teasing. Nevertheless, you would stand your ground, just as your mother taught you to. "You can not speak to me that way."

He stopped walking and turned to look at her. "Oh, I see. You do have guts…" He said calmly, approaching you. Deep grey eyes staring at you under messy dark brown hair. Taking a step back, you had decided you'd rather he yelled. It would have scared you less than this.

You tried your best not to cower. "I don't want to do something dangerous -" you winced at how your voice rose louder than you had intended, making you sound all the more afraid. "Sorry," you added in a small voice. "Can we do something else?"

He raised one dark brow at you as if considering your question. Finally, he spoke again. "No." He said, and he pulled you by the hand anyway.

Your eyes widened in fear, and you glanced back to the feast, to you, mother, and sister.

"Easy, princess." He said before facing you again and saying quietly, "I won't let you fall."

You didn't trust him, but it didn't feel like you had much of a choice, feeling like you were fighting an uphill battle.

The two of you climbed up the wall. It went up around five meters and was already on a hill. It was the highest you had ever been, and the effects were obvious, as you panted, your lungs trying to catch up with you. Robb had no trouble, effortlessly climbing the slope, not carefully stepping around the slippery ice like you were. At some point, he began pulling you along with his free hand, bringing them to one level. How was he holding on to the jagged, frost-covered brick without a rope? Without gloves? And able to carry both of your weights?

You felt lightheaded as you gripped onto him. At last the two of you reached the flattened top. The sounds of laughter and signing caused you to turn to the right. There were young people everywhere along the top of the wall. A few of them cheered and waved as they saw the two of you climb up.

You blinked and let herself be put down, concentrating on staying upright. You were taking labored breaths, and you turned to look at their surroundings, gasping when you saw the view. The snow-covered roofs were magnificently illuminated by the streetlights and the full moon, and misshapen clouds danced in the stars above you. You were looking in fascination when all of a sudden, a flask was thrust in front of her.

"Drink up," You turned to see Robb wipe at his chin, a clear liquid making his lips shine.

She took the bottle tentatively, gasping "What's in it?"

"Something tasty. Trust me."

"I don't think I should." You shook your head.

He rolled his eyes at that. "Live a little, princess. I already said I'll look out for you. If anything bad happens to you, the king will skin my ass-"

You gasped.

"- so you're safe."

"Why do you speak like that?" You admonished. "You are a prince!"

He gave you a condescending smirk, flashing a set of perfect white teeth. For some reason, you didn't understand. Some Northerners sharpened their canines. Robb was one of them. Had his teeth even fallen yet? You snapped out of your thoughts when he said. "Because it's fun to watch you squirm. Are you gonna have any or not?"

You eyed the container and shook your head, handing it back to him. He took anotyou couple of sips and howled at the moon, startling you again. His was followed by a series of howls from the teenagers on the rocks. They sat on a cold rock and looked over the clouds and mountains. There wasn't enough time to take in all the gorgeous scenery, from the hills to the planes to a big snowy mountain in the distance.

He draped one arm around your shoulders casually, which made you ragged, breathing even more difficult. Bringing his shaggy head close to hers, he squinted. "Do you know what you're looking at?"

"The wall," you supplied. From his close proximity, you could smell the metallic scent of the drink coming from his lips.

"Very good,” he nodded, the praise making a warmth spread in your chest. “The wall. so far away, and here we are. And all our problems. So insignificant." You felt a tug at one strand Of your hair and turned to see his hand pulling at it playfully.

You disregarded the gesture, which made your heart speed up and focused on his words instead. “What's beyond it? What's hiding?”

His look turned serious all of a sudden as he gazed on to the faraway intimidating pile of ice. Then he turned back to you, blue eyes staring in melancholy into your soul. “Nothing a princess should ever worry you thoughts with.”

She blinked up at him, and a shiver ran up your spine. You turned back and looked at the moon. It was marvelous that up close,you could clearly make out the craters and valleys. You wondered, not for the first time, how it came to be.

You were opening your mouth, about to follow up with more questions, but the climb had tired you out quicker than you had expected, and your vision blurred. You felt herself fall back, waiting to hit the ground, when your vision went completely dark.

♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♠︎♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤

You woke up to a black sky filled with stars. Blinking, you realised your head was in someone's lap, and someone was gently stroking your cheek. You took a long breath, and your vision became clearer. The muffled sounds around you were clearing up as well. You realised whose lap your head was in and who was stroking your cheek. You got up with a start, making him move his hand. Grey eyes focused on you with curiosity. "I've never seen anyone pass out from speaking before. Good instinct on not drinking the ale."

Your brows furrowed. "The what? Nevermind. It's the air. It is hard to breathe up here."

You felt yourself going dizzy again. In Winterfell, you had never been this elevated before back in Kings Landing, but sitting on the walls of the castle itself… What were you thinking about again?

"Woah!" Rob caught and held you before you could fall once more, heat from his large, muscular body bringing you somewhat back to reality.

"Bring... me... down," you managed between gasps. You mustered the strength to add, "or my lungs will rupture, I will die, and my father will skin your… ass."

But it looked like the second part of your rant was unnecessary because he lifted you in his arms, said goodbye to his companions, who hooted and laughed. You caught some muttering about a "first timer" or “southerner”. They were laughing at you. The king's daughter. But you didn't have it in you to care as you struggled to stay awake.

♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♠︎♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤

By the gods, this girl was fragile, Robb thought to himself while he carried the gasping, shivering little thing to the edge of the castle walls. He felt around with one hand to find his rope, always neatly tied at his belt. He'd thought to himself, could carry you all the way down and have a boring evening, or, he could excite you a bit. He chuckled to himself, knowing exactly which option he was going to choose. He lowered you to stand on your own and got his axe from his belt before tying it to his rope. He zeroed in on the tall oak in the courtyard. His target. He's practiced and hit with longer distances. He will be fine this time.

You shivered and stared as he did so.

Robb kissed the hilt of his axe, saying a quick prayer. "You may want to crouch."

You did so instantly, making a ball on the ground. Robb took aim and held the end of the rope, which wasn't tied to the axe, and sent the blade flying. It pulled and pulled on his rope until wedging itself sideways in the oak.

Robb grinned down and said, "You can get up now, princess."

You stood up slowly, your eyes widening at his shot. "How…?”

He grinned and tied the other end of the rope around himself, then offered you his hand.

You eyed his outstretched hand, then the rope, the tree, then the wall. "I think I'll just go down the steps-!" He pulled you against himself and jumped. Your lungs must have recovered because you screamed the whole way down. Robb used his weight to swing you both once around the oak before landing in the snow.

He looked down at you and saw a shudder when you glanced back at the top of the wall where you both were a minute ago.

"Gods," you gasped before turning to look up at him, your eyes reflecting the stars. "Thanks for not dropping me."

He raised a brow, implying that you did not need to say that.

♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♠︎♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤

That evening, his father told him something Robb already suspected: the king and queen had arranged a match between you and him.

[kurogxrix]

Charm’

Footballer!E-42 Miles Morales x reader

IN WHICH despite the amount of fame and fangirls that your footballer boyfriend Miles receives, he never fails to remind them that he’s yours and yours only at the end of the day.

A/N: this is a rushed ass wip that i wanted to finish, so don’t expect much😭

The yelling and high-pitched crying has been going on for a solid minute now, and the red carpet laid between the crowd control barriers has yet to be occupied. It was always this way, fans crying out their love to Miles before the man could even leave the building, then yelling some more as the poor man simply walked down the short hall to reach the comfort of the black limousine that was always awaiting him 20 minutes before his appearance.

From behind the shut doors, a suited Miles was mentally preparing himself for his entrance. If he had known that this was the reality of fame, he would’ve never signed the contract in the first place. Though who is he even kidding, anybody would have taken the chance to play for their favourite football team if they could. Hell, he would’ve signed the contract for any team at this point, it was his childhood dream to play in a professional football club - and he was sure that it was many other kids’ dream as well.

Miles couldn’t help but close his eyes for reassurance, begging for his mind to concentrate on anything else but the uproar behind the closed doors that stood just a few metres away from him. Clouded by awe, the obvious first thing that his mind could find to distract himself was you. Lord, he even had to run a hand down his hair to stop his thoughts from running too far. 

You and Miles had been together for 3 years now, that was 2 years before he got signed in the team, and one year into his famous days. Sometimes he’d wake up and raise his head towards the sky to utter a prayer, thanking a god that he didn’t believe in for having you stay by his side despite the ups and downs. 

Miles walked towards the nearest body mirror, the heels of his shoes clicking against the tiled floor as he did so. He made sure to check himself out one last time to see if he looked presentable, he sure as hell wasn’t about to leave the building with a crumpled suit, that wouldn’t look good on the photos now would it?

As Miles neared the exit again, a familiar tune caught his attention from beyond the closed doors. A melody that he could recognize from millions of others, one that he’d stay up relistening to with you past midnight as you both failed to fall asleep. The hypnotising voice that would fill his playlist beyond the never ending lists of rap songs, Rema.  

Miles shut his eyes for a split second, reliving all the singing and laughing-filled moments shared between the both of you as this song played in the background. Taking a final deep breath, Miles finally grounded himself enough to push past the doors. It didn’t even take a millisecond for the roaring of fangirls to erupt, and his foot had yet to even step ground on the outside of the building. 

The camera flashes didn’t wait for him either, blinding him before he even had the chance to step foot on the carpet. Miles would beg to accept that he was used to it now, he’d love to say that he had gotten used to it now after a year of living through it. Though he’d be a liar to admit so, and everything just feels so overwhelming. 

Nevertheless, the striking smile on his face never faltered, and he looked cunning to the very eye. He stood there unmoving for a couple of seconds, letting the cameras capture every good angle of his before they swarm him on the carpet. Miles can’t help his eyes from trailing into the crowd. The very same brown iris widening at the sight, unable to help the deep chuckle that escapes within him. 

A swarm of women, including a couple of men, yelling at his name. Some of them have hefty signs that are raised up for him to see, and he laughs at the outrageous things that are written on them. Their confidence blows at Miles, how in hell can anyone go out in public while holding a sign filled with such filth. It makes him shiver at the fact that those things are written about him, but a warm smile makes way to his face as he skims through the “I Love You” ones. 

He too, loves his fans as much as they adore him. Even through the rather explicit messages that they leave him, he loves them throughout. Beyond the hate that he inevitably received after becoming a public face, Miles must admit that the love is much rewarding. It soothes a piece of his heart that has been tainted by the stress of being a footballer, and it’s even better when he catches children looking up to him with a miniature version of his jersey on. It envelopes his heart with a warmth that he can’t even grasp. 

A sudden movement strays from the others, and it catches Miles' attention. If it wasn’t for the blinding flashes of the paparazzi and the thousands of screeching fans, he would’ve definitely noticed the limousine waiting for him at the end of the line, but he feels his heart stammer as the driver delicately opens the back door. 

Sure, on the outside, Miles’ may resemble a stoic guy. His resting bitch face does his kind heart little justice, and the two fine braids that accompany his fade just boosts his intimidating look. On the inside, Miles feels his heart pounding uncontrollably at the sight of you waiting in the ride for him. You’re  seated at the other side of the open door, keeping a place for him besides you. 

A small smile rises on Miles' face, and a wicked idea brews in the back of his head. He walks a bit faster towards his car, confusing the cameramen and the people that are throwing themselves above the bars just to get a touch of this man. However, when he reaches the car, you’re shocked when he motions for you to grab onto his hand.

Sure, yours and Miles’ relationship was never kept at bay from anyone. You’d been with him since before his fame, and he’d be a loser to keep you in the dark now that he was famous, with your consent of course. It wasn’t unusual that Miles’ would often get questions about you during interviews, and you’d often find yourself smiling at the TV as you watched him answer them with pride. 

Though this was different. You’d never accompanied him out to events, yet alone on a carpet walk. It had nothing to do with Miles but all with you, you weren't all the shy on a usual, but  almost afraid of the camera’s. You’d seen the way they’d flash attack your boyfriend from behind the closed car windows, and sometimes you feared that they’d end up snapping a shitty picture of you, post it and then you’d get burnt on the internet.

The web wasn’t a nice place and you knew it, plus with the thousands and jealousy-infected women out there, you just knew that the things they’d say were going to be more than nasty. Though as you watched Miles’ ‘there’s no pressure’ smile and his soft hand reaching out to you, you decided to push those fears away. 

“Hey ma,” Miles spoke softly to you, the charm in his voice unavoidable as he stared straight into your eyes. It was hard to only stare into those eyes of yours, because once Miles had helped you out of the car, he couldn’t help but notice just how stunning you were on this night. Not that you weren't usually eye-catching, he believed that you were the most beautiful woman to ever grace this earth, though something about this newfound confidence just made you so much more attractive.

“hey..” You were clad in a skintight, dark blue dress that had been gifted to you by none other than Miles. He’d smooth talk you through the “here’s a beautiful dress for a beautiful girl”, in all of his sap. The opera gloves were just as dark as the dress, and the light reflecting off of it gave the blue colour its stunning shine. Miles was enamoured by you, his brown iris unable to leave your form as you stood on your Smiling Melody platform heels. 

Miles loves everything about this moment, from the way you dressed so chique despite your sole aim tonight being to pick up Miles from here before dipping back home. He loved how extra you were, always urging to be the best dressed even if it was for a supermarket trip. Miles loved how that shy smile of yours never left your face as you continued to stare at him. 

The chorus of cheers from behind the both of you broke you out of your trance, and finally, you collected the courage to turn around and face everyone. Miles’ warm palm found a home within your lower back, and the comforting presence of it was enough to ground you. You knew that he was looking at you with that lovesick expression of his, you didn’t even need to glance up at him to be sure. 

The middle of the carpet found you well, and an unfamiliar feeling surged in your chest at the sight of so many people. So many cameras and so many eyes fixed towards you, like your place didn’t belong next to your boyfriend that stood right besides you. Though you tried to keep the thoughts at bay, there were too many things to look at and too many things to concentrate on. It was overwhelming. 

But through your concerns, Miles just knew how to appease your thoughts. 

Ending the night with Miles kissing you before the very cameras was not how you had expected things to go. In fact, you were sure that he’d angled the both of you to face them, instead of trying to shy away. He didn’t want to hide you, and he wasn’t. The excessively loud roar that broke the crowd once more now fell pridefully to his ears. 

He wanted to show you off to the world, show these people around the  globe that they stood no chance besides you. He wanted the images to hit the news, be the main title of next week's People magazine. Miles’ wanted nothing more than having these girls holding up those outrageous signs to go back home with disappointment swarming their chests as they realise that he’ll only ever be with you, as mean as it sounds. 

You didn’t either expect the night ending up with you and Miles unable to keep your hands off of each other during the ride back home, him whispering all sorts of blarney talk into your ears as you gripped onto his shoulders for dear life, but that’d be a magazine-cover drama for another week. 

For now, you’d enjoy your giggle-filled ride back home as you both unceasingly requested for the chauffeur to replay the previous song. And amidst his annoyance, he had no other choice than to bother each time the song ended to press backwards on the limousine’s tactile screen. The music was a little too loud for his taste, but that’d be something that you could care about tomorrow morning. For now, you’d be too busy enjoying the tunes of Rema’s Charm with Miles to bother about anything else. 

-

IK there’s not much actual footballer!miles but this is just some sort of intro to the AU, if i choose to continue it…

[melzula]

Heyaa, when the requests are open can you maybe do a princess x Zuko where the princess is always clinging to Zuko when she's cold? Just a random thought that came into my mind since Zuko is a firebender hehe :)

pairing: zuko x princess!reader

a/n: this is technically part of the fire lilies series but can also be read as a solo piece independently

summary: princess and zuko go penguin sledding

~ part of the fire lilies series ~

The rush of cold wind against your cheeks is exhilarating as you glide down the snow covered hills. Your delighted laughter carries through the air and brings a smile to Zuko’s face as you enjoy a day penguin sledding out in the palace courtyards.

Being kidnapped by Gilak and having your life threatened once again had been a traumatic experience for both you and your boyfriend, so Hakoda and your mother had advised you take a much needed day off for yourself. He could handle the work of drafting plans for an eco friendly oil rig and the foreign embassies while Pakku and Katara took on the school for the time being. Though you were hesitant to take a day off knowing there was so much to be done, Zuko had been the one to finally convince you that you desperately needed a break.

Today would be his last day in the South before he had to return home, and so you figured the best way to spend your time together would be with a trip through memory lane. You hadn’t been penguin sledding together since you were kids, so it seemed like a good idea to both of you to revisit your favorite pastime from when you were children.

You slow to a stop as you reach the end of the hill and land onto the plush snow below you with a laugh. The chill of the ice sends shivers down your spine but you choose to ignore it. All the back and forth traveling you’ve been doing hasn’t allowed your body the chance to acclimate to the weather of your home yet, but you try not to let it bother you.

“Having fun?” Zuko asks with a laugh as he helps you up off the snow. You immediately cling to his figure in an attempt to steal some of his heat, prompting the Fire Lord to raise a brow as he wraps his arms around your frame. “You’re not getting cold, are you?”

“Of course not,” you scoff indignantly, though your subtle trembling says otherwise.

“Maybe we should head inside-“

“No!” You immediately cry out in protest before he can finish his sentence. “We’ve hardly just begun the day. Don’t you want to keep penguin sledding?”

“Of course I do,” he assures you with a comforting kunik, “but I worry the cold might be too much for you.

“Too much?! I’m Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, I don’t get cold.”

“Alright,” Zuko relents with a chuckle at your adamant rebuttal. For a water bender you’re surprisingly stubborn, but he loves your headstrong nature more than anything. “Let’s keep sledding.”

Your face lights up with glee when he finally relents and allows you to carefully pick up your penguin and carry him back up the hill while showering the creature with praises and pets. He’d forgotten just how much you enjoyed the activity, and it was nice to see that same smile from your childhood again. It had been years since you both went sledding, since you both were just two kids unaware of what the future held in store for you, since you both were free of fear and responsibility and hurt. The war had taken a lot from you, forced you both to grow up too fast, so he was grateful for the fact that you both could just be kids again, even if only for a day.

“Y/n,” Zuko calls as the sun begins to set and the day begins to end, “I think it’s time we head inside for dinner. Your mother said she was making five-flavor soup for us.”

“Just one more time down the hill?” You plead with your best pout, though you know it doesn’t take much to convince Zuko to give in to your requests.

“Alright, but that’s it,” he tells you with a chuckle before following you up the hill. The courtyard lanterns begin to glow beautifully below as the moon starts to overtake the sky, and you exchange playful smiles with one another before beginning your decent down the snow.

Zuko’s hair blows wildly away from his face, his grin the biggest you’ve ever seen it, and you’re so caught up in admiring him that you don’t even notice the large pile of snow you’re about to crash into.

“Princess, look out!” Zuko tries to warn you, but it’s too late. You can do nothing but pull the penguin to your chest and shield it from the impact as you collide into the snowy mound. The Fire Lord winces on your behalf before quickly rushing to your aid. The otter penguin emerges after a moment and shakes the snow off its body before waddling away, but you fail to do the same. Zuko has to dig through the slush to pull you out, and as he lifts you up and into his arms he’s able to feel just how cold to the touch you are.

“Th-Thhere’s s-snow e-every-wh-where,” you complain through chattering teeth as you wrap your arms as tightly around his neck as possible in a desperate attempt to feel his warmth.

“Let’s get you inside before you freeze to death,” he comforts while carrying your trembling figure back inside the palace. If not for Zuko’s body heat, you’d surely already be feeling the effects of hypothermia taking place.

Thankfully, your boyfriend is able to swiftly make it back inside the palace and carry you through the halls towards your room. The heat of Zuko’s embrace melts the ice inside your clothes, but the dampness only seems to worsen the feeling of cold. You shiver incessantly, and he can only look on guiltily as he tries his best to ease your discomfort.

Finally, he swings the door to your bedroom open and carefully sets you back on your feet before helping you remove your heavy coat. He sets the wet material aside to dry before coming up to your trembling figure and rubbing his hands up and down your arms in an attempt to spread heat across your limbs.

“I’ll go find your mother and tell her what happened. You stay here and get out of those clothes before you catch a cold,” he advises you with a meek smile, a red blush tinting his cheeks when he realizes he probably should have phrased his sentence more delicately. Zuko presses a tender kiss to your forehead before leaving to give you your privacy and shutting the door behind him.

Your skin feels like ice as you peel off the rest of your ensemble as quickly as you can. You were so used to beach days at Ember Island and swims in the lakes with your friends that you’d forgotten just how cold the water could be. Considering you grew up in the South, you’re a tad embarrassed to know how easily it gets to you now. You’d been away for so long, and even when you returned home you still found yourself venturing out often, so a part of you wondered if maybe you’d never fully readjust to the climate.

“Y/n?” A voice calls from the other side of the door followed by a gentle knock. “Zuko sent me to check on you. I have the warmest blanket I could find. May I come in?”

“Just a second, Mom,” you reply as you scramble to throw on a fresh set out of clothes and make yourself decent for visitors. After slipping into the warmest dress you can find, you open the door and allow her into your room.

“Someone got a little carried away penguin sledding, I hear,” she says with a teasing smile before draping the blanket around your shoulders. “You’re like ice! Thank spirits Zuko has that natural fire bending warmth to him or you might have frozen out there!”

“Yeah,” you murmur in agreement with a dejected frown, one that your mother notices right away.

“My little koala otter, what’s the matter?”

“I’m just a little embarrassed, I guess,” you admit with a sheepish laugh. “I thought I’d gotten over my aversion to the cold.”

“I think anyone who managed to get snow in their clothes would be cold,” she notes with a faint smile before pressing a kiss to your forehead. “I’m just happy to see you having fun again. You had to grow up very fast, something your father and I should have worked harder to prevent, so it’s nice to hear your laugh again and see you sledding like you did as a little girl.”

You smile at her words before pulling her into a tight hug, hoping the action conveys all your appreciation for her. Zuko walks in then with a tray of steaming five-flavor soup and tea in the hopes it will return some of your warmth to you.

“I’ll let you both enjoy your dinner alone,” she says after removing herself from your embrace. Exiting the room, she pauses to give Zuko’s arm a light squeeze. “Make sure she stays warm.”

“Yes, Kira,” he replies with a nod before returning his attention to you. “Let’s get you settled in.”

Setting the tray aside, Zuko escorts you back to bed and tucks the blanket around your figure as best as he can with you sitting up. Once you’re comfortable, he presses a tender kiss to your forehead before handing you the cup of tea. It’s the same cup from the set Iroh had gifted you some time ago, and the sight of it brings a faint smile to your face as you take in the smell of jasmine.

“You’re already starting to feel warmer,” Zuko notes pleasantly before trading your cup for the bowl of soup. “I should have warned you about that pile of snow sooner.”

“It’s okay, I don’t regret a thing. I had so much fun today, the most I’ve had in a while. I wish you didn’t have to leave tomorrow.”

“Don’t worry,” Zuko assures you as he uses his bending to reheat your tea before it can grow cold, “the day will come where we’ll never have to be apart ever again.”

“I can’t wait,” you confess with a smile only for it to fall at the sudden sneeze that leaves you.

“I think you might be catching a cold, my love,” Zuko notes with a frown.

“Will you stay and keep me warm?” You ask with a pleading look, one that makes it impossible for him to deny your request. How could he say no to your sweet face?

Climbing into bed with you, Zuko envelops himself around your figure and allows you to steal his warmth. He’ll never get tired of being your personal heater, and he’d be happy to spend the rest of his days like this.

You’ll never reacclimatize to the cold, because no matter where you go, Zuko will always be there to bring warmth to your life.

| zuko tags: @ilovespideyyy @yiyibetch @eridanuswave @lammello @a-monsters-love @taeeemin @livelaughlovekuni @lovialy @alexatiu @aerikim246 @heartfully10 @creationcitystreet-em

| fire lilies tags: @emberislandplayers @kikaninchen-2 @music-geek19 @thia-aep @thyunnamed @haylaansmi @nataliahaslosthershit @idkdude776 @aangsupremacy @thirstyforsometea @ihaveaproblem98 @brown-eyed-thang @xapham @chewymoustachio @that-bucket-hat-gal @chilifrylizard2 @kyomihann @kaylove12 @kiwihoee @freggietale @moon-spirit-yue @bubblegum-bee-otch @rinalsword @cipheress-to-k-pop @potato87123

[greatwyrmgold]

After finishing Dungeon Meshi, I had a lot of thoughts. Most of them were thoughts I'd seen echoed by other people, but there's one thing I don't think I've seen anyone else say:

Everyone hates Laios.

Obviously Kabru makes hating Laios his whole personality for a while, and the western elves think he'd be a dreadful dungeon master Lord of the Dungeon, and half of his party gets annoyed by his enthusiasm for monster cuisine. But I'm not talking about that.

Let's start with how almost literally everyone thinks he'd be the worst possible Lord of the Dungeon.

(cut this down)

This isn't just Kabru being in his "hating Laios is my entire personality" phase; everyone assumes that Laios's desires being fulfilled by the dungeon would be bad for humanity.

To be clear, they're wrong. Sure, Laios is susceptible to the Winged Lion's temptation, but so is everyone. At least Laios's stint as ersatz dungeon lord didn't have a body count! (Unless you count the Winged Lion's clones.)

But that doesn't matter, does it? People hated him before he reveals his obsession with monsters, and they have no shortage of reasons. Laios keeps talking about monsters and asking unwanted questions, he can't hold a normal conversation, he can't read the room or understand social cues, he doesn't fit in anywhere.

Laios does his best to act normal (most obviously when he pretends not to notice the Golden Country spirit because no one else sees it), but it's not good enough. People can still tell that he's different. They hate him when he acts weird and they hate him when he acts normal. Don't take it from me; take it from Chilchuck.

The left panel is the whole reason this post exists. It states in plain English that Laios would still be ostracized even if he only said "reasonable" things. People's distaste and distrust of him isn't rooted in how he acts or what he says, but in who he is.

...

Pretty much anyone who knows what they're talking about accepts that Laios is autistic. Probably also Falin, maybe also other party members, but Laios is definitely the poster boy for Dunmeshi autism. And the reasons people hate him are pretty closely aligned with his autism. That's usually subtext, but Shuro says the quiet part out loud.

Shuro doesn't know about the monster-eating or think Laios is gonna destroy humanity. He just can't stand Laios's eccentricities. And he's far from alone.

We don't see a lot of Laios's childhood, outside his interactions with Falin...but the subtext isn't great. You don't need to be a seasoned dungeoneer to recognize that someone is "different"; any kid can do it. And from the sparse glimpses we've seen of the Thorden parents—Laios's nightmare, the little indications that he shaves to avoid looking like his father, etc—they don't seem to have accepted their son's differences, either.

I doubt anyone in the Dungeon Meshi world knows the word "autism". If you tried to explain it to the Thorden party, their reactions would probably range from "Are you sure that's a thing?" to "Come on, everyone thinks like that sometimes, right?" But you don't need words to recognize difference, or to loathe it, or to make different people's lives hell. To make them want to escape their lives, by whatever means are necessary.

Is it any wonder Laios identifies with monsters, when so many people already treat him like one?

[aetherdoesthings]

can i request straw hat members luffy zoro sanji nami robin with a kid like how they are around children thanks!

elo anon! ahhhh the ideas i had for this

forethoughts: excuse my absence, life is hard. also is it about time i create a masterlist for all my work? idk. also this hc request gave me an idea of a new fic i wanna write, so look out for that!

notes: fem!reader in mind, but still gn! i suppose.

Luffy

Here’s the thing. Out of the bunch, Luffy is the one you go to to have fun and get that adrenaline rush every child wants to have. But he’s also the one you spend the most time with least, because the other Straw Hats are deliberately trying to make sure you don’t spend as much time with Luffy for the sake of your safety and adulthood. It’s not the first time Luffy accidentally left you in the middle of a dangerous battle between the marines to beat some admiral up, or throwing you to the side and throwing some stuff on you and ordering you to stay still. While Luffy loves playing with you and having fun around the Sunny, yeah no Nami ain’t gonna let that happen. Luffy’ll still do anything to entertain you and make you have a fun and stressless childhood, and even if he does forget he’s babysitting sometimes and children are less durable than adults, you still love him like he’s your big brother.

Zoro

I’d imagine Zoro tolerating you and treating you like how he treats Chopper. He’d reluctantly play with you, doing whatever you want, but oftentimes he’s just asleep, and you’d have to wake him up if you wanted to play with him. But if you fall asleep on him or next to him, be sure you’re either going to wake up in his arms or in your bed snugly tucked in. He’d also be the one to randomly find you under a pile of rags and clothes on the ground after getting lost in the battlefield, and pick you up and bring you to the Sunny to safety. Everyone was of course overprotective of you, but Zoro was high up on that list. Lord have mercy on whoever tries to ask you out when you grow older. 

Sanji

Sanji would give you prince/princess treatment 100%, making you extra food each meal with all the nutrients you need to grow strong and healthy, whilst teaching you how to cook and ramble about the All Blue. He had even stopped smoking regularly for your lung’s sake, and the only time you could see him smoke was at night during his shift of watching over the Sunny. He would berate Zoro if ‘he was too rough with you’ or Luffy if ‘he was being too reckless with you’, but then proceed to roundhouse kick anyone he sees getting near you, which definitely was a good influence to your little kid mind. 

Nami

Nami was your big sister to you, always taking you out on shopping sprees, dressing you up in clothes she bought for you. You were always either with her or with Robin when the Sunny docked, as Nami bought anything you wanted to have. She’d also beat and scream the living soul out of any man or person that stares at you for far too long, giving them a good whack with her clima tact. Nami also doesn’t charge you any money or have a tax when you ask for money from her, since she’s buying everything for you willingly anyways. Every night, you, her and Robin would make a little fort in your room, and talk about the day and what you liked and didn’t. Nami was just your big sister you could go to for anything.

Robin

MOMMY ROBIN 100%. You are now her child, and she is your mother. Robin was the one who’d berate Luffy if he did something that could potentially harm you. She’d scold Sanji for smoking in front of you, Zoro if he cussed. She made sure you would have a safe and healthy environment around you as you grew up on deck, seeing that life on ship wasn’t like life on land. She would teach you academics and all that, making sure you would keep up with your academics and won’t slack. When the crew was getting loud and rowdy, she’d always keep you close to her, letting you put your hands around her shoulders as you tried to sleep under the noise, or just feel Robin’s presence next to you. At night, she’d personally tuck you in, read you a bedtime story, give you a little kiss on your forehead before leaving. Robin was, if not, the most overprotective of you amongst the rest. She saw you as a copy of herself when she was younger, and she was determined to give you the childhood she did not have.