#like he'd try to take care of her and she'd grow up to be like idk 10 and then he'd leave her with kaya and usopp when it gets too dangerou

[troywindsor]

"You're a lawyer, I'll let you make the obvious connection."

As rare as it was for Troy to take anything seriously these days, Esra's accusations were getting to him and making his react in ways that were nearly impossible for him. Not because of the nature of them, or the fact that she was right. Troy was involved. He didn't know just how much, but he had a hand in her party turning into a disaster, in the situation spiraling into a mutual friend of theirs to end up with gunshot wound on her way to the hospital.

Her accusations were hitting a spot inside him because despite how often he fed off her usual remarks against him, Troy was now completely aware of what she really saw in him ever since they met.

It no longer felt as if they were just butting heads over small disagreements or her judging him for how he lead his life, or what she knew of it. It downs him right then and there, as police officers walk past them and as partygoers come and go, that this is how Esra Durmaz sees him.

There is a shift in his stance as the words leave her mouth, but when he speaks up, his tone of voice is still low, though there is way more emotion attached to it than he'd care to admit he's ever capable of feeling. Not a trace of humor. "Why does it matter if I lied to you? Since when are we honest to each other? Whatever the fuck that means."

He's actively avoiding being honest now, not because he has a lot to hide but because he's slowly gaining back his composure the more than he realizes this is a fight that he won't be able to win. The more he looks at Esra's defiant expression, his jacket still wrapped around her shoulders and the usual coldness in her eyes. The more that Troy struggles to hide the fire that is slowly growing within him.

It's like Esra single-handedly found a part of him that had been missing that he hadn't really missed until now; the part of him that cared.

There would have been an offer to help her with most of the issues she brought up, but Troy was now pulling away from her without even trying. He was unsure if it was pain he was feeling, his pride taking a hit or simple annoyance at the fact that he was feeling everything he'd once vowed to never feel again. She'd be stuck dealing with the cops and the party, because Troy was out.

"I'll solve one of those problems for you, don't worry about me lying to you because I'm leaving. Forget this conversation ever happened for both of our sakes." He retorted, his words dripping with sarcasm as he began walking past her. Troy didn't look back, instead grabbed his phone again to begin making calls as the police officers parted like the red sea for him despite not having questioned him yet.

Additional uniforms come aboard after Cami and Enzo's body are taken off, most of them corralling guests and making pithy directives that she otherwise ignores. Because for the first time in their entire span of knowing each other, Esra's attention is focused solely on the attorney general when he speaks. Reading his face, his body language. Staring long enough to finally notice that their eyes are the exact same color.

"Your assistant, right. Must be a real emergency for them to give up their Saturday evening to bother you." Unfortunately when it comes to spotting a liar, it takes one to know one. Had he deduced her hypocrisy, too? Comfortable with spilling untruths and white lies to Troy whenever it suits her, yet simmering with rage at the prospect of him doling them out in return.

What the hell are you asking right now?

What she's implying would feel insulting to anyone; a slap in the face might be kinder. Unfortunately the freshness of the situation and her growing unease over the police presence behind them only serves to muddle an otherwise level head. "You're a lawyer, I'll let you make the obvious connection." Maybe he had been out on a late night promenade, but she won't give him the chance to make his case.

To her, the order of events are simple. He leaves, the lights cut out, the doors lock, and the youngest Barone ends up alone with a gun in her face... Esra doesn’t want to imagine that he’s capable of doing something like that to all of these people. To Cami. To her. But this is Los Angeles and she knows well enough shady barely scratches the surface for most of the attendees tonight.

Her arms cross beneath the enclosure of his jacket in the same breath that he runs a hand through his hair, piercing her with the same brusque tone she normally reserves for him. It suddenly dawns on her that she's never witnessed Troy ticked off before. "My friend was critically injured, the LAPD is crawling all over this boat, and you're lying to my face. I’m peachy."

[beanghostprincess]

Luffy is in his 50s he has a baby (is it his? We don't know. Maybe maybe not. Don't think too hard about it. He just has a baby) He's the king of the pirates. It's too dangerous. He can't keep the child what does he do? Well he pulls a Garp and finds someone else to take care of her. He gets a small boat and leaves his current crew and heads to syrup village to meet an old friend. It's ussop he's a retired pirate. Aged like a fine wine, married to Kaya. They were never able to have kids of their own. Living in an empty mansion. Here comes Luffy carrying a baby and asking him to take care of her. Out of all of the straw hats from his first crew, he is the one he trusts the most with a child.

Usopp is not sure if he's capable of raising a baby at his age especially someone possibly related to Luffy. (That baby is going to eat him at a house and home) kaya got a hold of the baby and fell in love. She finally gets to be a mother something she never thought she was able to do. Tears in her eyes she looks over to her husband and the look she gave her answered all his questions. He's decided. He's raising the baby as their own.

He has to protect her from anyone who wants to hurt her. She is allowed to know her father's identity but he's not allowed to tell anyone else. Yet. And when she's of age and she wants to become a pirate she is allowed to do so. Luffy gifts them with a year's worth of clothes, diapers and food and a box inside the box is a devil fruit. She's allowed to eat it when he believes she's ready and of age.

AWWWWW This is actually so cute. Luffy following Roger and Shank's steps called: Being a deadbeat father.

I mean, Roger was not a deadbeat just dead. But yeah. And Shanks did it for Uta's own good, but still a deadbeat. Honestly Luffy would do that too, although I'm also very fond of the concept of Luffy actively taking care of the child having in mind how many members of his family he has lost already. I think he would be able to protect her just fine but also he's very careless and would probably do the same thing Shanks did. If he thinks it's too dangerous he would certainly make Usopp and Kaya take care of her 100%. Also, he finds that child in a treasure chest obviously because then what's the point.

[erwinsvow]

thinking about night shift reader getting jealous when a pretty temp nurse or patient won’t stop flirting with jack

YESYESYES!!🤭 i need that imagine him trying to convince her/ console her and she’s actually so jealous and mad w him

the squeal heard around the world. i loved writing this. i am soo sorry i am terrible at writing about the girl we are supposed to be jealous of, even though this was my own damn idea. i hope you like ♡ this is about 3.6k. oops

jack abbot is great at being your boyfriend, and he's even better at being a doctor.

he's the kind of boyfriend you spent all of your youth dreaming about, as though he had read the scribbles in your journals growing up, like he'd been right next to your friends when you'd tell them about what you want in a relationship.

sweet, devoted, caring. he takes care of you in ways that you didn't realize you needed to be cared for���does it so effortlessly that you're left wondering how it comes so easily to him. you know he's been in more relationships than you—he was married, and that is something you don't take lightly. he had already found the person he was going to spend forever with, and because of some cruel twist of fate, he ended up alone again.

you can't imagine that. you've been on the night-shift maybe six months, which means you've been official with jack for coming on four months now, and you can't even imagine what a single day without him would be like.

(you've experienced it in the broadest sense of the word—he once got called in at three in the afternoon on a day you both had gotten off. the two of you had only woken up an hour or two ago, and had spent the following time indulging in an afternoon delight, and when his phone went off, you were about to drift off to sleep again against his chest, to the sound of his heart. you still hold a grudge against shen for that day, and you know what it's like to be without him when you're so spoiled by what it's like to be with him—you were miserable until he came back home at ten that night.)

jack abbot is a great boyfriend. he surprises you with your favorite flowers, makes you breakfast because he worries about you not eating enough, and even though he's an old man, he replies to your texts as soon as he gets them, as soon as he can. (but he doesn't really need to, since you're always together anyways.)

but sometimes, your boyfriend is really fucking oblivious.

there's a travel nurse taking over for one of your favorite night-shift nurses' maternity leave. you were sad about it already, being without her, though it's hard to stay upset when she sends you photos of her cute baby napping and videos of him realizing he has fingers.

and you are nothing if not sweet, if not welcoming. you had been the newbie not that long ago, and even though you've settled into a great routine (that only partially includes jack, because despite the fact that the scheduler loves you, you don't get every shift with your boyfriend. that would just be wrong. and distracting, you think), you still remember how hard it was in the beginning.

so you beam at her with your smile, ask her about her hobbies and give her recommendations for the best coffee nearby. you do all the things you'd do if it was anyone else, trying to make sure she feels welcome. (jack told you once that you have a complex about making sure people like you. you told him to shut up.)

the first few shifts with her were fine. you've been on with shen and ellis for a week—that's just the way the schedule was. you and jack both have a golden weekend coming up soon, and there was another couple of days he took off to go visit his sister upstate, so you knew it would be a mildly sad few weeks without him there every night with you. it would be worth it for the forty-eight hours you had been daydreaming about, all of them in jack's apartment, not a single one outside of his bed.

but she'd been on with you every night you'd been there, and nurses only work three times a week—that's what's running through your head when jack comes in for his first shift this week with you. he'd come from his apartment, calling you to tell you that he'd made it back home safely and that he was going to sleep before heading in. you had ended the call securing a promise to get breakfast at the diner after tonight's shift, your usual routine.

but you feel sick to your stomach at eight-thirty, staring at the new nurse and your boyfriend, standing in front of a patient's bed.

jack looks good—he always looks good. his hair isn't as messy yet, his scrubs are still clean. he shifts his weight a little because he's had a long drive back from his sister's, and he didn't get to sleep that much, another reason why you are so excited for this empty weekend. were so excited.

you didn't even think you were the jealous type. how could you have known—with no one ever being so close to you that you had any reason to be jealous? you try to rack your head through a couple of first-dates and your sweet but boring short-term college boyfriend. no, you conclude, you've never been the jealous type.

except now, you suppose, watching the pretty nurse lean in a little too close to jack, showing him something on the tablet in her hands. she stares up at your boyfriend, and he stares at the tablet, and then the patient, and you stare at them. and then you see it—he looks at her and stays something, and she laughs. loudly, flirtatiously. you know that laugh, you see it all around you in a hospital full of flirts. and before either of them can catch you staring, you turn around and find a patient to take care of.

you tell yourself for the next thirty minutes that being jealous and getting angry is awfully immature of you, while stitching up a man with terrible knife skills who had secured his visit tonight during a failed attempt at making hibachi for dinner. you don't even hear him when he asks you when he should return to get the stitches out, and the nurse helping you looks at you in confusion. you never zone out while talking to patients, never leave them hanging. she fills in for you, telling him two weeks while you meander back to central.

and you feel a white hot ball of anger burning in your chest again. she's talking to him again. god—don't they both have jobs to do? she's doing the thing again, leaning in towards your boyfriend, looking at him with an expression that is entirely too familiar to you. it's the one that's constantly on your face—the one that the other night shift crew are probably sick of seeing by now. it's something like adoration and reverence and paying attention to every word he says so you don't miss anything. but hers isn't like yours, there's something else there too.

jack is talking to the patient now, taking a step closer to the bed and away from the nurse, and your thudding heart calms down for half a second before the nurse follows right behind him. and she touches his arm. not a tap, not a poke to get his attention. she wraps her fingers around his bicep, holds on for a little too long, and your boyfriend turns to look at her, and that's when you realize you need a moment.

you shut your eyes. it's times like this that you realize how green you really are when it comes to the whole 'dating a really handsome, really smart guy' thing. but jack has never given you a reason to be worried, has never said or done anything that even made you think he would entertain something like this. you know he wouldn't, he's too good for that, too nice of a boyfriend for that.

but it still stings. and so you turn away immediately, heading back to the desk and leaning against it. you report the two cases you dealt with to ellis, who asks you questions that take you too long to answer. you try to avoid staring at either your boyfriend or the nurse for too long, a storm cloud brewing inside of you when you see her trailing right behind him again.

you haven't even talked to him tonight yet, you think bitterly. miserably. and that nurse has been with him for two hours.

and unfortunately, you're also pretty green at hiding the fact that you're upset too. not to your patients—though you do let shen and ellis run the incoming and settle for debriding and wrapping up a burn instead, sitting behind a shut curtain so jack couldn't find you, if he was looking.

(of course he was looking. you're just caught up in your own head.)

and after that, it's almost ten. jack has a cup of coffee waiting for you, if he can find you. he tells the nurse who's been following him around all night if she can track you down for him, and then the patient with the chest pain he's been monitoring wants to speak with him, so he walks away to do that, stretching his neck to see if you're at one of the beds nearby. you have a pair of pink sneakers you wear, though every single person in your life had told you to buy black ones, him included. you don't listen, and times like this he's thankful, searching for the bright shoes under a few beds before giving up. maybe you had just walked away, maybe he had just missed you.

you're back at central, sending in an order for antibiotic gel and finishing a note. you're not a mean person, it doesn't come very naturally to you, but you do have to try really hard to resist the urge to roll your eyes when you see the nurse walking towards you.

you've been nice to her every day so far. it would be obvious if you started being mean—whatever your version of mean is—now. but it doesn't seem like she would notice, with that same love-sick expression as she sits in the empty chair next to you.

you're grumpy and tired and frankly too busy to deal with this, but when she starts talking, you listen anyways. (screw jack and screw your goddamn complex. you need to learn how to be mean.)

"how is this the first time i'm meeting him?" she asks, and you bite your cheek so hard you think it might be bleeding. you keep typing your note, looking in her direction and forcing a smile—stupid. complex. "he's so handsome."

"what's that now?" you grit, the screen in front of you not making much sense anymore. you backspace and delete the last two sentences that are filled with gibberish and abbreviations that don't exist.

"dr. abbot," she says to you and you think even your fingers are trembling. you are so, so incredibly bad at this. and you don't even realize why—so much anger and sadness pooling inside of you. normally you'd be caffeinated enough for a clear mind on this side of ten o'clock, but you've been avoiding your boyfriend, and therefore avoiding the cup he makes for you every shift.

the nurse rambles on, your heart beating faster with each word she says. dr. abbot is cute and nice and charming and, like, so funny.

i know, you want to yell. i know he's funny! you just met him three hours ago.

but you stay silent, stay nice, no matter how much it's eating at you. you are being extremely immature but everytime you think of how close they were standing and the fact that some other girl touched your boyfriend's arm, you want to black out.

she keeps rambling and you stay silent, trying for the most part to ignore her, until you hear it at the end of one of her sentences.

"he wears a wedding ring, though, i noticed it earlier when we were with that other patient. but i mean, he's a doctor right? they never care about-"

the thoughts you're thinking would get you put into the psych ward, you think.

"-oh, he was looking for you. you need to report to him, right? we were over by bed ten, i think, the guy with chest pain. we were-"

we, we, we. it's all she says.

"he was looking for me?" you repeat, tired of listening and frankly, a bit tired of the weight of your own emotions.

yes, you might be stupid for getting jealous about something like this, but if that's the case, then you accept your own stupidity. you would never touch some nurse's arm like that, not unless you were trying to give someone a hug after a bad loss. and you would never lean in close like that to anyone, no one besides jack. well, jack and that older radiologist who speaks very softly, so you always need to get real close so she doesn't have to keep repeating herself.

you guess you thought jack would feel the same about not doing those things for you. maybe he doesn't care, maybe it's nothing to him. but it's not to you, not right now, not while listening to a temp nurse gush about him all night.

"oh, there he is now. do i look okay? that other incoming was coughing up blood and we-"

you look up, meeting your boyfriend's pretty hazel eyes while he leans on the other side of the counter from you.

"do you need anything, dr. abbot?" she pipes up from next to you, and this time you do roll your eyes. fuck—you're really bad at this. jack sees it happen, shaking his head at her and turning his attention to you.

a few hours ago, this would have made you perfectly happy. but it keeps replaying in your head—the arm grab. maybe it's because you have your own complex about jack's arms, but it's not okay. and you won't pretend like it is either.

jack sets down your yellow mug by your hand. it's filled with a light colored coffee.

"here's your cream and sugar with a side of coffee." you stare up at him blankly, forcing a small smile.

"thank you," and then you turn your attention back to the screen. jack looks at you, confused with furrowed eyebrows. you can feel the nurse's eyes going between your yellow mug and jack. "i discharged hibachi guy with fifteen stitches. and the forearm burn wants to pick up the gel from his local pharmacy, i guess he knows the tech there or something-"

"you okay, kid?"

you release a breath you've been holding all night. when you turn to your side, you see the nurse is still staring, but not at you, just at jack. you turn your attention back to him.

"yeah."

you watch it happen in front of you. he turns to the nurse, and she beams, just like how you always do.

"would you mind giving us a minute?" he asks her, and you can see her deflate a little. you get a smug feeling, which you immediately curse yourself for. that's mean of you, and you don't like being mean—though you are very pleased he said that. she nods and gets up slowly, making sure to ask him again if he needs anything before she goes. and she walks somewhere away, though you're sure she can still see him.

"hey," he starts, and you do have to look up now. you can't ignore jack if you tried. "what's wrong?"

"nothing," you lie through your teeth, ignoring how weepy you feel inside.

you don't know how to handle being jealous, and you want to say something mean and biting but you can't really think of it. so you settle for the next best thing, staying silent.

"c'mon, kid. don't lie to me. i haven't seen you all night."

"i was on chairs," you say, eyes flicking between jack's arm resting against the counter and the cup of coffee he brought you. and then you look at the recently emptied seat next to you. "and you were clearly busy."

jack hasn't been dating you for that long, but he still knows you better than you know yourself sometimes. knows that you're too nice, knows about the new nurse that replaced your pregnant friend—distinctly remembers you telling him about it on the phone last week. he knows that he's never seen you like this, that you haven't given him that smile that makes his knees weak and his heart thud all night. that he was waiting for it after a few days without you.

you chew your cheek again, taking a sip of the coffee. it's perfect, just like every other night.

(you had once confessed to jack at three am during the first month you two were officially dating that your coffee always tastes better when he makes it. it's what he thinks about when he makes it for you—here, at your place, at his place, at the diner.)

"thank you for the coffee," you say quietly, briefly flickering your sad eyes to him. jack leans in, holding your hand that just set down your mug.

"hey," he starts quietly, and you try to wrestle your hand away, though he doesn't budge. "hey. what's going on? did i-did i do something?"

you stay silent, though he notices your eyes getting watery. it's so stupid, crying over this like you've just lost a patient or something. but you can't help it. jack abbot makes you feel every emotion like it's your first time feeling it all over again. your eyes look at the chair next to you again.

"i saw her touching you," you admit quietly. saying the words out loud lights a fury inside of you, getting angry all over again at the very idea that he didn't realize what was happening.

"oh, kid, i-"

"d-don't. you asked, i'm just telling you." it's hard for him to listen when he notices your chin trembling a little, thinking about how this might be the first time he's messed up in your short relationship.

he comes over to the other side of the desk, taking the seat next to you and holding onto your hand again.

"please tell me this is not about that-that nurse," jack starts, and you want to walk away from him so badly. "sweetheart. i have absolutely no interest in her, even if she does. i told her to find you for me, so i could get your coffee-"

"but she touched your arm," you say, not realizing just how sad that had made you. but jack realizes, knows that you must have seen it from somewhere where he couldn't see you. knows you didn't see him brushing her off, standing by the patient, figuring out how to get rid of his new shadow.

"hey, i'm sorry, okay? i would have made sure she understood that i'm very happily taken if i had known-"

"but you should have known," you say, though the words are covered with a tiny sob. "i-i'm not crying because i'm sad, i'm angry, i just don't know how to stop crying when i-"

"hey, it's okay. c'mon, let's go on a walk."

"no, i need to finish my notes-"

"sweetheart, come on." jack takes both your hands in his, turning you towards him. he stares right into your eyes and you feel slightly better—slightly. "i need to apologize to you and then i'm going to kiss you. and i know how you feel about me doing that sort of thing in front of everyone, so-"

"i don't know what you're talking about," you snip back. "i don't have any feelings about doing any sort of thing in front of any sort of people-"

and jack wants to laugh, not sure if you entirely understand how cute you are like this. he'll tell you all about it tomorrow morning, when he's got you in his bed, after he apologizes every single way he knows how, after he proves to you how little temp nurses mean to him when he's finally got you.

he leans in close, knowing he's got eyes on the two of you.

"is that so?" you have a habit of shutting your eyes when you know a kiss is coming, and your body does it automatically, despite what your brain is thinking. "so you're not gonna mind if i-"

and he bridges the gap, kissing you at central until he has to pull away to let you breathe. your eyes blink open, staring at hazel until you hear it from behind you—the charge nurse, clearing her throat, suppressing a laugh.

"doctors? if you're about done, we have an incoming mvc-"

"coming, bridget. thanks." jack speaks for both of you, and a little dazed, you stand up with him, still staring.

"i'm still upset."

"i know."

"she still touched you-"

"and i think she's gotten the message by now, but if she hasn't, i will make sure she understands."

"i haven't worked with you since last week." the last part you say sadly, realizing how long it's been since you've seen your boyfriend.

"i'll make up for it in the morning. promise." you take one last sip of coffee, knowing it'll be cold by the time you come back to it, following jack to the trauma bay. you walk right by the temp nurse, who you catch watching as you tie jack's gown and he ties yours, and though you really shouldn't, you beam your friendliest smile at her as she waits with you and the other nurse outside.

"you look great, by the way. and he is cute, isn't he?"

[thepinkprincesss]

BABYDADDY!JJ ✗ READER 𐙚

haii guys !! this is based off this ask :p

pairings ፧ babydaddy!jj ✗ reader

warnings ፧ violence , language , jj being a deadbeat :3 , mention of sex , reader being a homie hopper :333 , 🦄

just as you'd thought finally, babydaddy!jj would step up and try to at least be a father to your babygirl— just like that he was gone. you'd opened yourself up to him like a fool that night when he'd wandered on your doorstep, walking straight into his words like a mouse would a trap. he hadn't even stayed long enough to see your babygirl awake, long enough to see that she began to develop his features and she'd inherited those eyes that you fell in love with when you were young which seemed like a life time ago now, in a twisted way your happy he didn't. if he'd stayed for breakfast your sure that your daughter would then expect him everyday— he saved her the heartbreak.

it'd been a few months from then now, your baby girl had been developing rapidly in the past few months, growing and reaching new milestones every day. she'd recently hit the age where she'd began to babble, trying to form words and sounds. she'd even started crawling and taking her first few steps, albeit more of a stumbling than actual walking, but progress was progress, and you could hardly believe how fast she was growing.

she’d become a constant topic of conversation between you and john b- as he’d unexpectedly been around more often to see her and pitch in for diapers and formula, you saw him more than you saw your actual baby daddy. john b had showed up at your doorstep like his best friend— sharing the same traits and actions. but the brunette wasn't there to just sweet-talk you and fuck you then leave the moment it ended, he'd approached you with a box stuffed with all sorts of different pattern onesies aimlessly with sizes he'd thought fit your baby. from that day on it'd become a daily occurrence where john b was at your apartment, either laying a helping hand with your sweet girl or providing her resources.

everyone automatically assumed that you and john b had something going on, from the way he'd entered your apartment at four o'clock and left at eight o'clock— it raised suspicion from the cut, everyone who was associated with the pogues knew that you were jj's girl, his baby mama and someone that was meant to be left untouched like a piece of cake in a fridge full of hungry people. john b knew that. he'd heard and got first hand reality if anyone were to cross you in any way that the blonde wouldn't hesitate to resort to violence. , yet again the brunette was up in your apartment caring for you and your daughter. playing the daddy role.

it did something to you, the way john b cared and stepped up for your daughter. he'd been so soft and gentle with her, cautious since the moment he met her. you couldn't help but want to give him his own baby, you felt ashamed even giving attention to those thoughts that circled your head— if jj could have full access to anyone he wanted, why couldn't you? just because you bore his baby meant you were instantly off-limits to anyone? you weren't wrong for having a little fun. so yes, you did seduce him, and he didn't exactly reject you.

oh did jj catch you off guard. it’d been a long day, filled with the usual hustle and bustle that came with being a parent. you were tired and feeling rather worn out from all the emotional and physical exertions that came with caring for an infant. so you’d decided to have a movie night, settling in with the baby and john b. just the three of you, a nice and peaceful evening. till a knock that you swore caused trauma disturbed it. as those knocks at the door echoed throughout the four walls of your home, the movie being playing was muffled to a halt as your eyes and john b's shot to each other, both equally confused.

who would be trying to get your attention at this hour? at first, you thought it was nothing, that the wind must have knocked against the door but after a few more taps, there was no denying there was someone at your doorstep."i'll go get it. you just wait here with her." your friend spoke gently, giving you a soft smile, knowing that you were both puzzled.

he stands up and pads over to the door, his footsteps muffled against the carpet. he reaches for the handle with a furrowed brow, unsure of who could possibly be standing on the other side. the lock twists, and then he pushes the door open, and there he was. the same boy you'd been in love with since you were sixteen, the boy you shared a child with — jj maybank himself. his face was a mixture of emotions - surprised, angry, hurt. he looked tired too, like he hadn't slept properly in days. his eyes meet john b's, their gaze locked. there's a tense silence that hangs between them, a charged energy that fills the air.

your first instinct is to detach yourself from your cozy place on the couch, sensing the vibe becoming nasty. you see the drastic change on jj's face, his face becoming sour and envious, recognizing that dangerous glint in his eyes. you stand up with your baby on your hip, hurrying to set her down in her playpin then approaching the situation. "jj— what are you doing here?"

he looks at you, his expression unreadable for a moment. his eyes flick over your figure, taking in every detail of your appearance - the way your hair is tousled slightly from how you'd been laying on the couch, the way your top is slightly askew, exposing a bit of your collarbone. he narrows his eyes at your neck, his gaze lingering on the small mark on your skin that he knew hadn't been there before. he looks back up at your face, his jaw tense. “i could ask you the same thing.” he snaps.

you scoff, rolling your eyes at his audacity. you'd been doing it all on your own with little help from him, and now he's suddenly showing up and expecting you to explain yourself? you take a step forward, your eyes narrowing at him. "oh, so you want to act hurt now? where were you when i was up at two in the morning changing diapers and comforting our crying daughter, huh? where were you when she took her first steps, or when she said her first word? you weren't there, jj."

he bristles at your words, his lip curling in annoyance. he takes a step forward as well, closing the distance between you two. his jaw tenses and his eyes flash with something that looks a lot like guilt and regret. “yeah, so you get back at me with my best friend? proves your a fuckin' whore. real low mama.” he retorts, his voice raising slightly.

john b glares at jj, his eyes dark and angry. his protective instincts kick in, and he steps forward to stand between you and jj. "watch it maybank. she's not some side piece, she's your baby's mom. she hasn't had it easy at all." john b clenches his jaw, his body slightly tense as he stands his ground.

jj scoffs, his eyes narrowing at the sight of john b standing in front of him. his expression is almost feral, the sight of his best friend, his brother protecting the girl who he thought still belonged to him driving him insane. he takes another step forward, his chest heaving with anger. "that's the mother of my child, and your fuckin her?" he snaps, his voice dripping with jealousy and anger.

you watch the two of them, seeing the way they both glare at each other with so much anger it's almost tangible. you can feel the heat radiating off them both, the tension crackling in the air. you take a step forward, placing your hand on john b's back, trying to diffuse the situation. "stop it! just stop." you say firmly, your eyes flickering between the two boys.

john b doesn't back down, his eyes still fixed on jj with a stern expression. he feels your hand on his back and he relaxes a bit, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. jj, on the other hand, looks at you for a moment, his face softening momentarily before his expression hardens again. he takes a step back, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "so, y'all together or what?" he asks quietly.

you can feel the tension in the room thicken. you swallow, your heart pounding in your chest. you look from jj to john b, the two boys standing opposite each other with their eyes locked, like they were in a standoff. you take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. you know that whatever you say next could make or break the situation, and you don't want to cause any more tension between the two of them. you look at jj, your eyes meeting his gaze. "what do you mean?" you ask quietly, your voice barely above a whisper. fully aware on what he meant.

he scoffs, the anger in his voice replaced by a hint of hurt and vulnerability. he doesn’t take his eyes off you, his gaze pinning you in place. “you know what i mean.” he pauses, taking a moment to collect himself and trying to rein in his jealously and anger. “are you with him?” john b stays silent, his eyes flickering between the two of you. he could feel the tension mounting, the silence becoming more potent. he doesn’t make any movement, waiting to see your response to jj’s question.

you can feel the weight of both boys' gazes on you, waiting for you to respond. the tension in the air is thick and palpable, and it's almost suffocating. you can sense the pain and hurt in jj's voice, the way his body language screams protectiveness. and then there's john b, his eyes fixed on you, waiting for your answer to the question that could break the three of you apart. your mind races, trying to figure out the right thing to say — the only thing you can manage is a soft, quiet whimper, which escapes your lips involuntarily.

jj's expression falters for a moment at the sound, his eyes softening for a split second before hardening again. the sight of you, his girl, whimpering in front of him - it did things to him that he couldn't explain. he clenches his jaw, returning his focus back to the brunette in front of him. "would've never done this to you, never." he takes one last look to you before he's lunging at john b, who doesn't hesitate to return the favor back.

a gasp escapes your lips as jj lunges at john b, their bodies colliding with a loud thud. you're in shock, your mind racing as you watch them grapple with each other. their fists fly, and a mix of grunts and curses fill the air as they exchange blows. you're torn, a part of you wanting to intervene, but the other part paralyzed with fear. you take a step forward, your heart pounding in your chest. "stop it! jj stop! our baby is here!" you manage to say, your voice trembling with desperation.

but neither of them pay you any mind, too consumed in their own anger and frustration to listen to reason. they continue their brawl, fists flying and bodies crashing into furniture and walls. the sound of their fighting fills the air and you can't help but feel helpless a wave of helplessness washes over you as the boys get more violent by the second, with no signs of stopping.

the abrupt cry from your babygirl jolts the boys out of their anger and they both freeze, the sound of the baby's wails piercing through the air. they're both panting, sweat and blood staining their faces and clothes. they look at each other for a moment, the tension between them still thick, before turning their attention to the playpin where the baby's crying. the sound of your baby's cry is like a bucket of ice water being thrown on them, jj and john b freeze, their chests heaving as they slowly back away from each other, their fists raw and bloodied. "jesus christ." john b mutters, his eyes darting over to the cry of your baby girl.

you walk over to the play pin, your heart heavy with a mix of concern for both the boys and your little girl. you scoop your baby up into your arms, cradling her against your chest, whispering soothing words of comfort and trying to calm her down. "shh it's okay baby i'm here. mama's here. everything's going to be okay..." her soft little cries piercing through the room. she's probably been woken up from the loud noises of the fight, and she's scared and confused. you notice the moment that both boys stop their brawl, their attention shifting to the baby's wailing. she's still too young to understand what's going on, and you can tell she's scared. your heart breaks a bit at the sight of her crying, and the guilt and shame creeps up on you for allowing this to happen in front of her.

john b stands there, panting heavily as he watches you soothe the baby, guilt and remorse etched across his features. he can't help but feel responsible for this whole mess, and he knows that he should have stopped the fight sooner. he looks down at his bruised and bloodied knuckles, still clenched from the fight. "goddammit." he mutters, his voice hoarse. meanwhile jj just stands there, his eyes fixed on the baby, and then you. his heart is pounding in his chest, his mind racing. seeing his child being so scared and crying because of their stupidity, he's never felt more like garbage.

you look over at john b, your eyes pleading. "can you - can you just go? for a while." you say softly. "I need to talk with him." you point to jj with your free hand, still rocking your baby girl softly.

john b doesn't hesitate, he nods and slowly heads to the door, his shoulders slumping with guilt. he knows he should have stopped this from happening, but instead, he had only made things worse. "yeah, yeah I'll go." he mutters, his voice soft and filled with regret., leaving just you and jj in the now tense and quiet apartment.

you focus on the baby once john b goes, trying to soothe her with soft words and gentle rocking. it takes a few minutes but she eventually calms down, her cries subsiding into small hiccups. you sigh in relief, cradling her against your chest. the silence in the room is palpable now that you're left alone with jj, both of you knowing that the conversation you're about to have is long overdo.

after a while, your baby begins to make small coos and whimpers in your arms, reaching small, soft hands outward. her eyes are searching for something or someone. she squirms and fusses as if she wants you to set her down. as you start to realize what your baby wants, your breath catches in your throat. you look up at jj, who's just been watching from a distance until now, his face a mixture of hurt, confusion, and something that almost looks like longing. you shift towards the blonde, holding out his daughter toward him.

jj looks at you, his eyes wide with surprise. he's staring at you both with a mix of emotions. seeing the baby, his baby, squirming and fussing, it triggers something within him - something that he can't quite put into words. he's torn between anger, hurt, and this overwhelming sense of longing to hold her - to hold his child.his heart pounding in his chest. he takes a step forward hesitantly, as if afraid to touch her. but he can't resist the urge, and slowly, he reaches out a hand to take her from you. his fingers brush against her small, soft body, and he gasps softly as he holds her in his arms for the first time in a long time. "woah." he whispers, looking down at the baby with awe and wonder. "she's so small."

the baby's eyes focus on the man holding her, her tiny lips parting in a soundless 'oh'. she reaches her small hand out, gently touching his face, as if trying to understand who this giant is. she makes a small noise, not quite a cry but not quite a coo either, tilting her head to the side. the man seems to realize she's studying him, and he lets out a soft chuckle. "hi sweet girl, it's your daddy." he murmurs, his voice gruff but gentle. "sorry ya gotta see my face all beat up."

you watch the interaction between your baby and jj, a mix of emotions welling up inside you. seeing him with her, holding her in his arms, it's all so surreal. his face, normally so rough and guarded, is softened as he gazes down at her. tears prick at the corners of your eyes as a wave of feelings wash over you. love, regret, hope, and uncertainty all swirled together in a confusing mess. you swallow back a sob, trying to hold it together.

jj can sense the emotions radiating off of you. he looks back up at you, his expression shifting from adoration for his daughter to a more guarded one. he can tell that you're struggling with your own feelings, and a part of him wants to know what's going through your head. but another part of him is afraid to know. his eyes soften, and he gently rubs the baby's back, all the while keeping his gaze fixed on you. "ya mama is a crybaby like 'chu."he jokes gently.

a small, shaky laugh escapes your lips as you wipe away a stray tear that has managed to escape. "yeah," you choke out, your voice strained but trying to keep it light. "something like that." the sight of jj holding the baby in his arms, the way he was gently rubbing her back, it was both heartwarming and painful all at once. you wanted to step closer, to wrap your arms around them both, but you held yourself back. you knew there were still so many things unsaid between the two of you.

jj sees the way your body tenses, and he can tell you're holding yourself back. there's a part of him that wants nothing more than to pull you into his arms, to hold both you and his child close, but he knows that there's still so much to say, so much to work through before y'all can cross that bridge. the room is silent, except for the baby's soft coos and whimpers. jj gently bounces her back and forth, and she seems to be getting comfortable in his arms. he looks at you and sighs. "when ya gonna start bein' honest with me?"

your heart sinks at his question, you know he deserves the truth, but the idea of facing it all head-on makes your heart race. you look at him, your eyes locked with his, and you take a deep breath, tears threatening to fall again. "i just want you to be her daddy. just be her daddy." you admit, your voice cracking. you look at the baby, still clutched in his arms, and a wave of guilt washes over you.

jj's expression softens as he sees the tears pooling in your eyes. he takes a step closer to you, his eyes never leaving yours as he speaks, his voice low and soft. "i am her daddy." he responds, a hint of vulnerability in his tone. "i'm here now, aint' i?" he looks down at the baby, his daughter, his eyes full of love and affection.

just like that night so long ago, your crumbling into him. you lean into him and let him hold you.

jj feels your body sag against him, and he instinctively tightens his grip around you, holding you close to him. he whispers soothing words in your ear, his voice gruff but full of tenderness. "shh, i got you. i'm here." he rubs your back, his touch gentle and reassuring. he can feels the tears wetting his shirt, and he sighs, resting his chin on top of your head.

it's sooner or later that the baby falls asleep in his presence, and later so will you too once he's finished with you.

[wileys-russo]

filling the void (5) II a.putellas x sister!reader

prequel one two three four

warning for just like...a lot of angst? but also, some more steps forward and a little comfort filling the void (5) II a.putellas x sister!reader

"because the last time someone i loved when into hospital, he never came back."

after hearing that alexia's blood ran cold and she stepped away, wanting to give you a little privacy as her ears burned from already having heard too much.

she settled herself on the lounge trying to focus on finding something to watch, pretending like she wasn't fighting every temptation to grab you and pull you into a hug and never ever let go again.

a short while later you returned, alexia glancing at you and trying not to notice the obvious tear tracks on your face as you mumbled something about using the bathroom and darted away.

washing your face you spared no time going through your usual skin care routine, trying to shake the piercing anxiety in the back your head about your mami and her condition.

you padded into your room and with the weather taking an oddly cool turn tonight you rummaged around your wardrobe looking for your favourite hoodie.

you let out a squeal as you tugged at something and suddenly a bag tumbled down onto your head. swearing under your breath you bent down to repack its contents, making a mental note that you needed to donate the old clothes inside you'd had sitting there for far too long.

but it was something entirely unexpected that had your breath catching, having forgotten about it all together since you'd stuffed it into the bag intending to donate it alongside your clothing you'd grown out of.

you sat cross legged on the floor holding it in your hands, staring at it as memories flooded your mind and you were so caught up in them you didn't even hear alexia call out to check you were okay after hearing the thump of the bag falling.

when you didn't respond she came to check on you, her head peering around your doorway and curious hazel eyes softening as they found you. calling out again you didn't hear her, only becoming somewhat aware of your sisters presence as she carefully took a seat beside you, not too close but still enough that you knew she was there.

seeing the turmoil of emotions flashing through your eyes as you stared at it in your hands once again alexia wanted nothing more than to wrap you in a bone crushing hug and never let you go again, determined to protect you from the world and all the pain that came with it.

but the warnings of both her mami and her girlfriend echoed in her mind and she ignored the itching in her hands to reach for you, knowing that especially now more than ever she needed to let you come to her.

her own eyes falling on the object clutched tightly in your hands brought forth an entire sea of unique memories and emotions for your sister, at first taking her back to a time in which you needed her and she needed you just as much if not more.

and when you'd all lost him was a feeling that no amount of time passed would ever make alexia forget.

she'd been stood at his bed with alba by her side, holding his hand and telling him about the match she'd played that afternoon and the goal she'd scored and dedicated to him.

he'd smiled tiredly but barely had the energy to hold his eyes open let alone speak, and neither alexia or alba could stand the silence so they made sure never to allow it to grow, filling every quiet pocket with a new story or comment.

eli was sat in the chair on his other side, hand settled on his head and a watchful eye on a much younger you who was sat on the floor playing with a handful of matchbox cars, the small pieces of metal some of the only reminders you'd have of your papi as you grew older.

he had a friend at work whose wife worked in the factory where they were made, and every now and then he'd come home and gift you with a new one.

growing up a family of three kids meant you weren't always rewarded with the luxury of new toys or new books or new games, all three of you lived in hand me downs or homemade clothes for most of your childhood, not that you minded.

"fresa." eli warned softly as you made a rather loud noise mimicking an engine, smashing one of the cars into the leg of the chair you were sat by and nearly toppling it over, catching her eye and falling quiet.

you were again far too young to understand the truth of what was happening, and as you grew older your family all fell into a silent agreement that perhaps they'd kept you a little too sheltered around what was really going on.

which was why when a large group of family members arrived, visitors having been in and out all day saying their prayers or goodbyes, you looked up in confusion. you frowned as one of your tio's pinched your cheek hello and his wife gave you a weird watery smile.

your confusion grew as the crowd of people around your papi all fussed over him, some of them with tears in their eyes as one of your tia's began to pray, tightly holding your mami's hand.

"hey fresita, lets go for a walk?" you met your eldest sisters eye as she now crouched down beside you, a tired smile on her face as she sensed you were beginning to become overwhelmed at not understanding what was going on.

as you nodded your sister lifted you up and onto her hip, aware you were starting to become a little bigger and heavier but still she would hold and carry you for as long as you let her.

"my cars." you struggled for a moment in her grip as she let you down, kneeling and opening the backpack she'd packed for you when eli couldn't, zipping it up once your cars were safely inside and helping you shrug it on before picking you up again

"alba, venga hermana." alexia softly tapped her younger sisters shoulder who had moved aside to allow older family members to be by the bedside, hugging herself and stood in the corner.

eli caught her eldest daughter eye as she finished her prayer, sending her an appreciative smile before her attention was captured again and alexia left the room, you on her hip and alba tucked into her side.

not a word was said between the three of you as alexia tried to ignore the sad looks tossed your way by the nurses at the ward desk as you passed, knowing all too well which room you'd come from and the inevitable outcome which could happen any day now.

"can we get food?" you finally broke the silence, a small chuckle leaving both your sisters mouths as you all stepped into the elevator. "sí pequeña, we can get food." alexia bounced you as you smiled and nodded.

"mami usually brings snacks when we go out." the seemingly innocent and harmless comment had the air sucked right out of the confined space of the elevator, both of your sisters faces hardening.

"mami is just looking after papi right now fresa. but you will always have me and alba to look after you, vale?" alexia promised firmly, kissing your cheek as you nodded, her smile growing just slightly as you kissed her cheek in return.

"thats why you're my best friend ale." you yawned a little tiredly, head resting on her shoulder as the elevator opened now reaching the ground floor. "hey what about me?" alba protested, moving to your other side and poking at you making you grin and push her hand away.

"alexia is my best friend, you're alexias best friend, and im your best friend." you explained as alba ohh'd with an over enthusiastic nod. "what if you're not my best friend?" she teased with a smile as you frowned unhappily.

"only joking fresita, you might be annoying but you will always be my best friend." alba smiled as you huffed. "you're annoying, and old and grumpy." you stuck your tongue out which she returned.

"yeah? well when you're older and grumpier i promise to be just as annoying as you are and we'll see how you like it!" you squirmed as her fingers tickled your sides and you kicked your legs at her, alexia smiling at the interaction and kissing your head.

placing you down she gave alba some money and sent her off to the canteen to get some food for the three of you, noticing that the moment she put you down you hugged her leg, eyes roaming the hospital nervously.

she couldn't blame you, alexia hated it here and she knew what it meant. for you this was probably much more overwhelming, not understanding anything but easily able to pick up on the chaos of it all.

there were women crying, children yelling, nurses and doctors talking in serious tones with serious faces, machines beeping, weird smells, beds with wheels being pushed around and very tired looking people sleeping on them.

just last week you'd accidentally seen a man be wheeled past whose leg was split wide open down to the bone, eli barely able to cover your eyes in time as he was rushed past and you were quickly handed over to alba who raced you outside for some fresh air as your eyes filled with tears.

so as you clung to her leg and stared around clearly on the brink of distress your sister tugged gently on your collar gaining your attention as you looked up at her and she nodded her head forward, taking your hand and walking.

alexia walked the two of you in the direction of the gift store, scooping you back up onto her hip as she entered and sent the woman at the counter a small smile.

"we gettin something for papi?" you questioned with a small frown as alexia shook her head. "no, for you." she poked at your nose, soft smile growing as your face lit up. "really?" you asked happily as alexia nodded and walked the pair of you around for awhile.

"what about this?" alexia grabbed a small red bear she spied hidden beneath a pile of stuffed animals, balancing you on her hip with one hand as she held it up with the other.

"its red like a strawberry!" you chirped happily in approval making your sister laugh. "you and your strawberries. no wonder we call you fresa, you will one day turn into a strawberry." you giggled as she poked at your stomach but handed you the bear.

"will not!" "will too!" "will not!" "will too."

"what are you gonna name it nena?" alexia questioned once she'd paid for the small bear and placed you back down on your feet, one of your hands securely held in hers as the other hugged your new friend and the two of you headed toward the canteen to find alba.

"red." you stated as alexia gave you a funny look. "you are calling it red?" your sister questioned as you again nodded, giving it a kiss and tucking it under your arm.

"thats a colour though hermanita, don't you want to give it a real name?" alexia asked as you shook your head. "red is a real name! its her name." you were undeterred, spotting alba and trying to run toward her but your sisters grip on your hand prevented so.

"no running please fresa, not here." alexia warned gently as you nodded and hugged red, mumbling an apology as your sister brushed a few stray flyaway hairs out of your face.

"look!" you presented your new friend to your other sister who scooted her chair back, allowing you to climb up and into her lap as alexia sat across from her, a tray of food sat on the table in between them.

"her name is red, ale got her for me." you proudly announced as alba snickered. "red? thats just st-" the girl started, hissing as alexia kicked her under the table and shot her a warning look. "thats very cute fresita." alba looked down at your tiny hopeful face and pinched your cheek, kissing your forehead and encouraging you to eat.

once the three of you finished your food you made your way back toward the room, your new little friend working wonders to brighten your mood as you chattered your sisters ears off, your hand again held tightly in alexias much larger one to stop you running off.

though as you all arrived and alexia heard the sound of eli's sobs, clearly taking a private moment with her husband now she was alone with him, alexia stopped in her tracks as her stomach lurched hearing the foreign noise.

of course everyone had cried the moment he fell sick, even more when despite the best efforts it was deemed terminal and there was no longer anything that could be done, it was just a matter of waiting as the days passed and his condition deteriorated.

knowing that not with bad intentions your chatter and questions would likely make things worse alexia didn't continue forward, exchanging a look with alba as they held a quick silent conversation and nodded in agreement.

"hey i wanna see mami and papi." you frowned as alexia turned and headed back for the elevator, near dragging you with her now as you fought to tug your hand free.

"i wanna show them red! ale stop, let go!" your sister winced at the sob you let out when she didn't do as you asked. instead she pulled you with her and alba back to the elevator, your cries echoing throughout the ward as alba nudged her and as soon as alexia let go you tried to run but alba was faster.

"no! put me down! no no!" you struggled in her grip, your arms pinned to your side as you tried hitting out at her, not understanding why they wouldn't let you go back to the room as instead you were back in the elevator again.

"hey hey fresa, look at me nena por favor." your body heaved as you sniffled and choked back a sob, alexia cradling your face in her heads which had gone bright red. "breathe hermana, in and out." she cooed softly as you hiccuped and shook your head.

"i wanna see mami!" you choked out, alba rubbing gently at your back. "mami needs some adult time with papi, you can see her later promesa." alexia promised, swiping at the tears which leaked from the corners of your eyes.

"now." you huffed stubbornly as alexia shook her head. "no fresa, later. there is a garden here, do you want to go see it?" you hesitated at that, albas hand still rubbing at your back as you slowly nodded.

"okay. now can you breathe please hermanita? in and out." again your sister demonstrated as you copied, yours a little shakier as by the time you all exited the elevator you'd calmed yourself down a little with her help.

the three of you walked in silence out to the small courtyard garden in the middle of the hospital, alba putting you down as her and alexia sat down at a bench and you wandered off with red still in their sights.

a sniffle broke the silence which still grew between them, alexia glancing to her side to see her younger sister wiping at her eyes with the edge of her sleeve, head turned away from her.

"ven aquí hermana." alexia spoke softly, lifting her arm and pulling the younger girl into a tight hug, her head resting on alexia's shoulder as the sniffles continued, the eldest putellas fighting back tears of her own knowing now she needed to be strong.

alba hurried to try and hide her tears as you returned but you'd already seen them, frowning up at her as she tried to smile. "you sad?" you asked your sister as alexia lifted you up to stand on the bench in between them.

"a little, estoy bien." alba assured with another sniffle, taken a little off guard as you launched at her, wrapping your arms tightly around her neck. "its okay to be sad al." you patted her back making both girls smile.

you had always been an affection person especially when you were younger, your entire family quite affectionate it was no surprise but it was during this time that your hugs meant that little bit more even if you were too young to realise why.

"gracias fresita, te quiero." alba whispered, more tears welling up at the gesture as you hugged her tightly, red clutched in one hand. alexia watched on with a fond smile, still swallowing her own emotions and pushing them down for the sake of her sisters.

she was the eldest, it was her job to look after the two of you and make sure you were okay first, her needs came second and she was fine with that if it meant you and alba were as okay as you could be and knew that she would be there for both of you anytime and anyway needed.

but that didn't mean that you both didn't pick up on her needs every now and then too. which is exactly why when you deemed alba was okay your small form latched onto alexia next, arms slung around her neck as she squeezed you.

"estoy bien pequeña." alexia assured as you let go, your sister moving you to stand on her knees as your hands grabbed at her shoulders to steady yourself. "everyone needs a hug sometimes and you said mine are the best." you reminded making both girls chuckle.

"i did say that didn't i? and they are the very best fresa, the very very best."

your papi passed away in his sleep that night, and it was more than assured to say that your hugs were in high high demand.

"red." you finally spoke, still looking down at the bear in your hands as alexia hummed, meeting your eyes and sending you a small smile before your gaze dropped again.

a soft smile curled into your own features as your finger traced over the faded red bear, tugging gently at the small sweater which it wore that of course had a strawberry right in the centre. "i remember when abuela knitted that." alexia spoke up again nodding to the item of clothing.

"mami had to hand wash it because i kept trying to feed red strawberries and got it all dirty." you puffed air from your nose, the closest thing to a laugh you could manage now still swamped beneath the symphony of memories, thoughts and feelings washing down over you.

"abuela gave it to me at papi's funeral." you remembered, thumb rubbing small circles against a particularly faded patch of fur, just as you used to do whenever you were nervous about something and much much younger, always having red with you through it all.

another bout of silence fell between you two until eventually alexia decided to test the waters.

"can i ask you something hermana?" your sister asked gently as you nodded, still focused down on the bear in your hands not having paid it a single thought for a long time now, the moment you started to feel your sisters pulling away had red shoved out of sight as well, a little too painful in a different way all together than you had felt before.

"is it because of him that you don't want to go and see mami in hospital?" alexia didn't even need to specify who as your stomach clenched uncomfortably and the anxiety returned, your chest tightening a little.

you took a moment and for a second alexia feared she'd crossed a line, readying an apology but you nodded before she could say another word, a cocktail of both sadness and relief flooding her body.

"but i don-" you looked up and started as your sister shook her head, tentatively reaching a hand out to rest it on your shoulder, again relieved when you made no move to push it off.

"we do not need to talk about it now if you don't want to. but i meant what i said, you will always have me to look after you hermana. i have not been very good at showing that lately and i do not know how else to say sorry with words-" her hand moved slowly to rest on your cheek and again you made no move to push her away.

"-but i have to let my actions show it now. and i love you fresa, very much. mami will be okay, but i promise you that you would never ever be alone." you could only give a stiff nod at her words, your sister sensing you were slightly overwhelmed and removing her hand, slowly getting up to her feet.

"buenas noches hermana, i am just down the hall if you need anything." alexia promised softly as again you nodded, sending her a tiny smile but even that was reward enough for alexia as she left you and headed for her childhood room.

as everything crashed down on you your body plunged into exhaustion, forcing yourself up and kicking aside the bag of clothes, tiredly rubbing your eyes and closing your bedroom door with a soft click.

nobody would know but you, but as you slipped into bed and flicked off your lamp, red was clutched tightly in your hands as your eyes slammed shut and you fell into a dreamless sleep.

alexia on the other hand was wide awake, wandering around her childhood room which felt like a time capsule, hardly changed since the day she moved out.

rummaging through her wardrobe she froze seeing a faded nike box pushed up against the back, hidden behind a stack of old textbooks which she quickly moved out of the way, coughing slightly as she blew off the thin layer of dust which coated the top.

taking a seat on her bed she placed the box down in front of her, gingerly opening the top and her body going limp as it was confirmed the contents were indeed what she thought they might be.

before she had time to rifle through and look at anything her phone rang and she jumped in surprise, her girlfriends contact name and number flashing across the screen as alexia clicked answer.

"hola mi amor." the older girl greeted which was returned, the two catching up about their days as olga pretended not to notice that part of alexia asking so many questions about her girlfriends day was to avoid speaking much about hers.

though with some gentle prompting she opened up a little, olga listening attentively as she did. "red is an adorable name." olga chuckled in an attempt to ease the obvious emotional discourse the blonde was feeling after she'd explained the backstory to the small bear.

"its a colour, not a name mi vida." "you could argue that fresa is a fruit, not a name amor." olga countered, stunning alexia into silence for a moment. "see? you cannot disagree." her girlfriend laughed as alexia sighed but agreed none the less.

"then i found a box in my wardrobe, i forgot it was there but i tore my room apart when i moved trying to find it to take with me and i thought someone had thrown it away." alexia admitted as olga hummed.

"its my fresa box." the blonde murmured quietly, switching her girlfriend to facetime and propping her phone up on the nightstand and moving around a little.

"your fresa box?" olga encouraged her to elaborate but gently, not wanting to push her as she could clearly see the pain masked in her lovers eyes, her poker face unreadable to most but olga could always see right through it.

"sí. it has notes, drawings, holiday cards, pictures, all things she gave and made me when she was little." a fond smile curled into alexia's features as she carefully rifled through the box, holding things up to show her girlfriend whose own face was filled with joy at the sight.

"fresa wrote all of that?" olga asked with raised eyebrows and a grin as alexia finished reading out an essay you'd had to write in school about your hero, and you'd chosen alexia.

"oh mi amor." olgas tone softened seeing the singular tear escaped the corner of her lovers eye, quickly wiped away as alexia cleared her throat. "hey, ale. don't do that, you don't need to run away from your feelings with me." olga promised as alexia attempted to change subject.

"i just-" alexia tried to speak but could only shake her head, no words coming out despite just how much she had to say. "you miss her cariño, sí?" olga echoed softly as alexia nodded.

"and this is probably how she has felt if not worse when she thought alba and i did not care about her anymore. i made her feel like this! my fresa." alexia managed out, eyes squeezed shut as she inhaled shakily, her girlfriend encouraging her to breathe slowly while still assuring it was okay for her to feel this way, it was okay for her to cry.

"she loves you alexia, she always will. you know how you made her feel which is why you will not let it happen again, and you have the rest of your life to prove that to her amor." olga promised sincerely as alexia nodded, wiping quickly at the corner of her eye with the collar of her shirt.

"i remember this." alexia was even faster to change topics, grabbing out a drawing as her girlfriend watched three or four different emotions flicker through her hazel eyes before she turned the page.

"your tattoo." olga smiled in recognition as alexia nodded, the drawing in question one you'd done for her not long after juame had passed and you'd returned to school, still not quite understanding that he wouldn't be coming home again.

alexia's head was covered with a hood, ignoring the pitying looks of the parents around her who had obviously heard what happened, hoping the scowl on her face would ward off any attempts at talking to her.

though it melted the moment she locked eyes with you, unable to resist smiling at the way your eyes lit up and you sprinted toward her, seemingly never any less excited to see her despite the fact she picked you up from school practically every day.

"catch me!" alexia bent down and scooped you up as you dropped your backpack and leapt at her, but she didn't spin you around like normal and gently pushed away your hand when you tried to pull her hood down to see her properly.

"you're not going to football?" you asked a little confused as why your sister wasn't dressed for training like normal and she shook her head wordlessly, grabbing your backpack in her free hand and quickly leaving before anyone had the chance to try and talk to her.

though apparently she wasn't fast enough as someone called out her name and she sighed recognizing your teacher waving her down as she lingered at the school gates and contemplated for a moment just making a run for it.

"stay here please fresa." you were placed back down on your feet and the oddly serious tone of your sisters voice had you rooted in place as alexia stepped away for a moment to speak with your teacher.

"lo siento for the bother alexia, i was going to call your mami but i am sure there is a lot going on at home." the woman started gently as alexia gave a tight lipped smile and crossed her arms across her chest, keeping one eye on you over the womans shoulder as one of your classmates had wandered over to chat with you.

"look i just-your hermana drew something in class today, a picture of your family." the woman started as alexia's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "she draws every day." her reply was sharp, clearly thinking this was a waste of time.

"no no lo siento, a picture of all your family. i complimented her on it and she said it was all of you in heaven visiting your papi, and that she really hoped you would all be able to go there to see him there soon." the womans words were much softer now and concern was clear in her eyes for what the younger girls reaction would be who stayed silent.

"i didn't want to overstep by correcting her. but alexia, if you or your familia need anything, please know i am here." the woman promised as alexia swallowed a lump in her throat and nodded, mumbling out a quiet gracias and turning quickly to head back toward you.

"venga fresa." your sister held her hand out which you grabbed, waving goodbye to your friends as the two of you left the school, alexia stuck in her thoughts and only half listening as you started to chatter on about your day as you always would.

"ale." she came to at a tug on her sleeve, looking down at you. "lo siento nena, what did you need?" she stopped walking and bent down to your height with a tired smile which didn't reach her eyes as you pointed to your backpack.

presenting it to you you unzipped it, shoving your arm in and feeling around with a frown before pulling out an apple as alexia made a face. "fresa i packed this for you on monday!" she cringed plucking it from your hand and glancing around before tossing it into a bush.

"i drew this for you." you finally found what you were looking for, offering her a piece of paper. swallowing hard alexia's eyes roamed the artwork and a lump formed in her throat as your teachers words came to fruition.

"its you and me and alba and mami and papi in heaven! you were sad this morning so i drew it for you. maybe we can go see papi in heaven today? i did a drawing for him too." your little face was filled with such innocence and hope it crushed alexia's heart like someone ran over her with a truck as she wanted to throw up.

"no lo siento fresa, we can't go see papi in heaven. but lets go for a walk in the park pequeña, i think we need to have a big girl talk."

"you had to explain heaven to her?" olga asked in disbelief as alexia sighed with a small shrug.

"someone had to. we all agreed as she got older we should have done more when he was sick to explain what was happening but...she was just so little, so happy, so innocent." alexia breathed out with a pained wince.

"she went out of her way even if she didn't understand why everyone was sad to try and cheer us up, i needed her and alba just as much as they needed me. mami was...she was grieving amor. she did her best but there was slack and i picked it up, i had to be there for them." alexia forced out a small smile as olga's face softened.

"but mi corazón, who was there for you?" the girl asked softly as alexia sighed again, fingers instinctively tucking under her shirt to trace the tattoo on her ribs.

the five of you in stick figure form holding hands, your drawing for your sister which was now and would always be with alexia inked to her skin, forever.

~

your day hadn't started as you'd hoped.

when you woke up your sleep last night had been anything but restful, waking up multiple times throughout the night as your chest tightened with anxiety the back of your eyes ached with exhaustion.

you'd quickly called in sick to work, a small smile on your face as your boss had joked he was almost going to cancel your shift if you didn't slow down to look after yourself before promising you'd be able to take all the time you needed.

word spread quickly through the clinic as texts of support poured in from your friends and coworkers, all encouraging you reach out should you need anything which you were very grateful for.

when your door was still closed two hours after you were supposed to have left for work alexias own body relaxed a little, relieved you were finally taking a day for yourself and stepping outside onto the balcony to have a coffee and make a few phone calls.

your sister was surprised that when she returned you were awake, your back to her as you made a coffee of your own. though soon as it was done with a tired smile you headed back to your own room again.

alexia gave you your own space until lunch time, knocking at your door as you responded and she pushed it open.

"do you want to go get sushi for lunch?" your sister questioned, knowing you hadn't eaten all day she already had back ups in mind if you declined but to her shock you gave her a nod, asking for some time to shower and change.

you didn't say a word the entire car ride clearly lost in your own head, barely batting an eyelash as alexia pulled up in front of alba's house and your sister joined you in the car, sharing a look with alexia who subtly shook her head, the radio filling the silence of the journey.

but as you turned down a familiar road you seemed to come more to attention, pulling your head off the window and frowning, a small scoff leaving your mouth as alexia pulled into the hospital parking complex.

"funny looking sushi restaurant." you muttered sinking into your seat once alexia found a park. "i can't believe you lied to me." you shook your head angrily at the deception.

"i didn't. we will get sushi hermana, just after you see mami." alexia decreed as you shook your head again and crossed your arms. "im not getting out of the car." you refused stubbornly as alexia sighed.

"you will." "i won't." "you will." "i won't." "you will." "i won't."

"this is ridiculous. fresa, get out of the car!" alba intervened as you glanced to the back seat and shot her a filthy look which didn't deter her.

"alba." alexia gave her a look of her own as she backed down and got out of the car herself, closing the door and leaving you with your eldest sister.

"she's awake."

your head snapped sideways to look at her with a frown. "you're lying." you decided as alexia shook her head. "no, the hospital called me this morning. but i wanted to give you a little time to yourself first before we came, but she is awake and stable fresa, i promise." alexia assured softly as you wrenched your eyes away.

"she's not going anywhere hermanita, but we shouldn't keep her waiting, she's still very tired." alexia added on, reaching over to gently squeeze your knee before she opened her door.

you watched for a few minutes as your sisters spoke with one another, clearly about you as they glanced back to the car every few seconds with a shake or a nod, likely planning to drag you from the car themselves if you refused much longer.

so with an exhausted exhale you unbuckled yourself, hauling ass out of the car and closing the door, wordlessly following after your sisters toward the hospital.

the closer you got the more your stomach twisted and clearly your apprehension was written across your face as your sisters slowed just slightly to fall into step with you, now both stood protectively either side of your shorter form.

"can i go by myself?" you asked quietly as you all signed in and arrived to the coronary ward, glancing past them both to eli's room as they shared a look. "sure hermana, we'll be right out here if you need anything." alba promised as you nodded and they stepped aside, your legs feeling like jelly the closer you got to her room as they hung back watching you go.

it was as if you were a balloon and someone stuck a pin in you the moment you entered her room and caught her eye, deflating entirely and crumpling as you dragged yourself to her bed side.

"mami." you managed to whisper out, dropping into the chair by her side as she smiled tiredly and reached for you, your face buried into her shoulder as her hands cradled your head.

"mi hija pequeña." she spoke, her voice flooding your body with relief as tears welled up and you hugged her tightly, though still very carefully as you were more than away of the amount of wires which protruded from her skin.

"you're okay." you whispered again as you pulled back and wiped your eyes, eli smiling with a nod. "i am okay. not going anywhere hija, takes more than that to kill me." you knew it was a joke but you frowned, the older woman apologizing and pushing a loose strand of hair out of your eyes.

"i was so scared mami. you just...you collapsed, you weren't breathing, i didn't know what to do or how to help." your voice broke as you forced back the tears which were clawing their way up.

"but you did help fresita, you did everything right. but i am so sorry for scaring you mi hija, lo siento mucho." eli apologised, voice full of remorse as you shook your head dismissing it.

"no. i am just glad you're okay mami." you promised, taking her outstretched hand, your intertwined fingers resting on her mattress. at her request you filled her in on everything that had been going on the last few days, not leaving out many details as you never did, always the most honest with the woman you trusted more than anyone.

"oh nena i am not going anywhere, i promise." the womans own eyes near filled with tears as you managed to force out the story of finding red and all the turmoil of memories which had surfaced being back at the hospital all those years ago.

"mi fresa. i need to tell you some things, about some of my regrets in life." eli spoke softly, giving your hand a squeeze as you frowned in confusion but nodded for her to continue.

"even before your papi was sick i worked a lot, so did he. we needed the money so i took up night work, so did he. it meant i relied on your hermana's to look after each other but mostly after you, you were still so young and...well to look after someone that age can be a lot." eli started gently as you nodded for her to go on.

"then when your papi was sick i relied on them more, alexia especially. your hermana did for you things i should have done for you as your mami, she shouldered the responsibilities of a parent when she was barely a teenager and that was not fair on her fresa, i was not fair to put her in that position." eli paused to cough as you hurried to help her sit up a little more and grab her a glass of water which she sipped at and placed back down.

"when your papi passed i was grieving heavily, we all were. but again, alexia had responsibilities on her shoulders that were far too heavy, far too much for a teenager and a daughter herself. she took on not only her grief but also mine, and alba's, and yours, she stepped in when i pulled back. your hermana pushed her grief down and bottled up her feelings to care for everyone elses, she has always done so." eli explained again squeezing your hand.

"in a way i stole part of alexia's youth with how much responsibility was put on her, i never ever meant to, and i do not blame anyone but myself for not noticing sooner. it is something i have to learn to live with, and that your sister will never understand, to her its just...how it was, how she needed to be." eli continued as you stayed silent letting her speak.

"but fresa, alexia loves you more than anyone in the entire world, she has from the very second you were born. you were a gift to this family and alexia has always maybe looked at you as a little more than her hermana. i am not excusing how your sisters made you feel mi fresita, but if you hear them out you might find they did not mean to make you feel that way." eli seemed to finish with that as you could only nod, choking back tears and afraid if you attempted to speak that dam would break all together.

"so promise me you will hear them out." you again nodded at that, eli raising your adjoined hands to her mouth and softly kissing your hand before you leaned in to hug her again, head resting against her chest and closing your eyes, memorizing the sound of her heartbeat as her hand ran through your hair.

"te quiero hija mia."

~

promising to be back tomorrow and to send your sisters in next you'd quickly darted off to the bathroom to rinse your face and take a moment to yourself, overwhelmed with emotion as you bit down on your shirt to stop your sobs being audible.

after a few minutes you'd calmed enough to regulate your breathing, rinsing your face again and exhaling, wincing at your reflection but leaving the ward bathroom.

you found alba sat where you'd left her, alexia nowhere to be seen.

"i think she went to call olga." alba shrugged as you questioned her whereabouts, checking you were okay as you nodded and she hurried off to see eli, all of you having been warned by the doctor that having just woken up she would obviously be exhausted and likely need to rest soon.

you waited around for awhile but when alexia didn't return you decided to look for her, eventually seeing the back of her tall figure at the end of the hallway where there was a small kitchenette with tea and coffee for visistors, nobody else around.

though as you grew closer you soon realised why your sister had made sure that was the case, hearing the tears in her voice as she held the phone to her ear.

"-and sí i know mami is okay now but its just bringing back all of the memories from before and i was so worried that she would not wake up and-" feeling eyes on her back you shrunk as alexia's head whipped around and spotted you.

quickly murmuring something and hanging up the phone she furiously wiped at her eyes and cleared her throat, trying to cover up the fact she'd been crying as she sent you a forced smile.

"how was-" alexia didn't get another word out before you'd closed the gap between the two of you and your body barreled into hers, your arms wrapping around her in a tight hug as your sister almost fell over not having expected this in a million years.

it took a moment for her to register what was happening before her arms wrapped around you in turn, your face pressed into her shoulder as the two of you just held one another in silence, both needing it just as much as the other did.

"i love you alexia."

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

six

[lemon-berri]

Perfume

Gojo Satoru has been standing in a perfume shop for the better part of half an hour now, looking for a specific bottle. He carefully scans the shelves, cerulean eyes searching through the different labels carefully, and still he can't find it. A pout crosses his face, and he hums in dissatisfaction. Maybe they've stopped selling it? Surely not...

"Hi sir! Can I help you find something?" The sound of a shop assistant interrupts his thoughts, and he turns to find an older lady in a store uniform, smiling up at him. She'd noticed him from afar, the tall man carrying a bouquet three times the size of his head in one arm and about a dozen gift bags in the other- he was hard to miss. Now, her gaze lands on the golden band on the ring finger of his left hand, and she attempts to connect the dots. "Is it an anniversary?"

Satoru shakes his head, a proud grin replacing his earlier pout. "Nah, I don't need a special occasion to surprise my wife - though I have forgotten the name of her favourite perfume..."

"It happens all the time!" The lady reassures him. "Could you describe the scent?"

Satoru hums. "Well... its like... watching the sunset, or being embraced by warmth, or thousands of compliments, and butterflies in your stomach.."

"I..." The shop assistant nods along, trying to help despite the fact that he's describing concepts rather than scents. Not to mention he isn't making much sense.

"Wait- actually I think I have a picture." Satoru takes his phone out and the shop assistant visibly relaxes. She takes one look at the picture he shows her, already knowing where to find the particular bottle. "She has good taste.."

"Don't I know it." Satoru grins more. He purchases the bottle, watching as the shop assistant carefully wraps it and places it in a gift bag with a nice little bow. He thanks the lady before leaving the shop, satisfied with the amount of gifts he's purchased today.

The sun is already low in the sky, and day will soon turn to night, but Satoru's day is far from over. He walks with a bounce in his step, whistling to himself and earning the attention of everyone who passes him by. But he doesn't pay them any mind, he's on a mission after all. The one he loves is waiting.

This route is familiar to him, so he isn't paying much attention. His mind replays the days events instead, from teaching classes to fighting curses, to his impromptu shopping trip. Around him, blossoms have started to grow on the trees. It'll be spring soon, longer days and warmer weather, a sign of new begins and good things to come.. right?

Its dusk by the time he reaches the room.

"Hey Angel, I'm sorry I took so long today."

He places the huge bouquet of flowers in a vase on the windowsill, next to the many other floral arrangements he's bought this week- it's starting to look like a florist shop in here, but you've always liked flowers so he doesn't care much. The more the better.

"You'll never believe what happened today. Get this, I walked into class, ready to teach the first years. Only they weren't there. Turns out all of them overslept." He chuckles, taking a seat. He places the various gift bags next to the chair. "I guess it's not too surprising, given there's only three of them. But it was funny listening to the three of them running down the hallway..."

But he gets no response. You're laying on the bed in front of him, resplendent as a painting, bathed in the golden light from the window. Like a sleeping doll. Just within reach yet so far away.

It has been two months. Two months since he'd heard your voice, or seen you look up at him with those pretty eyes of yours. Two months since you had been sent on a mission against that strange cursed spirit, only to go missing for two days, and when they'd found you.. you'd looked just like this. Completely unharmed but unresponsive. Not a scratch on your frame, but refusing to wake up.

Nobody knew what had happened to you. And the cursed spirit had vanished. Perhaps you'd exorcised it. After all it's not natural for a curse to leave a victim unharmed and flee, especially without a trace. But then why weren't you waking up?

He was told talking to you would help. So that's what he does. It's all he can do.

"They opened a new bakery near our place. Thought I think I'll wait for you, so we can go together. Don't make me wait too long, yeah?"

Satoru comes every day, as evidenced by all the flowers and cards and gifts. When you wake up, he wants you to be surrounded by things you love, things that make you happy. You've always loved flowers.

If he's not here, or working, he spends every free moment trying to track down the curse. Or figure out what happened, some way to bring you back. Goodness knows he's tried it all.

He watches the gentle rise and fall of your chest, reminding himself you're still alive. At least some part of you is still here, with him.

"You know.." his expression relaxes, eyes finally showing the sadness he's so desperately been trying to hide. "It's hard without you. The students miss you, and I do too, we're all worried about you..." he sighs.

"But don't worry about that, okay? Focus on getting better. Come back to me."

Satoru spends a few more hours here, telling you about his day, making a few jokes here and there, and filling you into the most recent episodes of the show you love. His voice fills the quiet room, and he tries to imagine what you might say if you were awake.

It's early morning by the time he leaves reluctantly, but work will start up again soon, and he has to get at least some sleep because he knows you'd be mad if you knew he wasn't resting. He leaves the gifts by your bedside. All except one bag, the small one with the little bow on the top. That one was actually a present for him.

Later, when he gets home, he'll spray a little on your side of the bed. That way, at least you'll appear in his dreams.

Seasonal depression has hit me like a truck this year. So now everyone else must suffer too. 😈

Pt 2 Pt 3

I hope you all enjoyed the angst! As usual this is not proofread, please don't point out my mistakes I'll cry.

Thank you for reading 🩵

Banners by @bunnysrph

[kumkaniudaku]

Me and Your Mama

Summary: Terry and Patrice learn more about their love through life changing news on New Year’s Eve.

Pairing: Terry Richmond x Black!OC

Word Count: 4,436

Warnings: Mentions of Pregnancy

Recommended Reading: Spoiled, Caught

Author's Note: We're at the end of Ficmas! Thanks for all the requests sprinkled in the middle. This has been a fun little ride and hope you feel fulfilled at the end of this one. Stay safe this New Year's Eve. See you in 2025.

Several mornings passed between Christmas, New Year's Eve, and their five-hour drive up north with no attempt to confirm Patrice's suspicion. She'd purposely avoided all conversation about it, preferring to push the thought to the back of her mind until she and Terry could no longer tiptoe around the growing elephant in the room. 

Moments after luggage was rolled into their downtown D.C. hotel room, the pair braced themselves for punishing winds and bitter cold in search of the nearest convenience store to pick up comfort snacks and three different pregnancy tests. Terry did the honors of selecting what he thought were the best options based on his research, while Patrice forced herself to take an interest in potato chips and snack cakes a few aisles over. 

She couldn't bring herself to engage. Talking about it, whatever it was, would make the dreams more real. And if what she dreamed wasn't true, she didn't know how she could pretend that all was well while her heart chipped and shattered inside her chest. So, she stayed away and let Terry put on his brave face for the both of them.

In the bright convenience store nearly empty as people prepared for a night out to celebrate the incoming new year, they felt like children caught doing something wrong instead of an adult couple on the precipice of discovering what the rest of their lives could look like. 

Terry mumbled through passive small talk with the smiling cashier, staying just vague enough in his answers to avoid the glaring topic of the day before ushering Patrice out of the automated sliding doors and back toward their home for the next few nights. 

Once they returned, neither of them spoke. Patrice slowly unpacked plastic bags filled with items, leaving the slender white boxes for last. 

She drug a fingernail across the box on top, then looked at Terry, who couldn't take his eyes off her. "I think I'm gonna pee by myself if that's okay." 

"That's cool," he answered, offering support with a weak smile. "I'll be out here if you need me."

Most of Patrice's time in the bathroom was spent staring at her reflection in the mirror. She slowly lifted the hem of her thick, cashmere sweater to examine her stomach, twisting side to side for the best angle. Nothing of note. The small bump that did exist was no different than any other day. At least, that's what she told herself as she ran her fingers along the slight curve. 

Unfolded instructions littered the bathroom counter, each saying a variation of the same thing: Pee, wait, have a minor panic attack, then check the results. Or something like that. Patrice's eyes were starting to cross from information overload. 

On the other side of the door, Terry stared out of the large bedroom window at nothing in particular as thoughts quickly ran in and out of his brain. He'd never considered being anybody's dad unless Patrice was on the other side of the fantasy. Maybe once or twice when other partners brought it up, but nothing concrete. Nothing this real, nothing that felt this right. 

Sure, it was quick. And sure, it was probably not a great idea to introduce a child into a relationship that was only recently recognized by the state as a legal union. Any boy, girl, or otherwise would be dropped into a marriage not much older than them and cared for by two humans still trying to understand life. But they'd be loved. They'd be showered in affection from sun up to sun down. He had no doubt about it. What greater joy than to hold a child that was half him and half the woman he loved with every fiber of his being? 

But he was only one part of the equation. Ultimately, Patrice was the deciding factor. Patrice and a collection of three pregnancy tests two minutes away from unveiling their fate.

The toilet flushing made Terry blink back into reality from daydreams of diaper changes and kindergarten graduations. He caught a glimpse of himself in the window's faultless glass before turning in enough time to see Patrice poke her head out of the bathroom for his attention. 

She fiddled with her fingers and rocked on her heels. "You can come in if you want." 

He nodded, careful not to appear too eager or unconcerned, and moved to join her for the wait. 

The soft click of the door closing sealed them into the room together. Terry silently shuffled into the room past Patrice to sit on the closed toilet lid and nervously ran his palm down the back of his head. He took a deep breath before looking over at Patrice, who'd gone back to obsessing over how her stomach looked beneath her clothes. 

"Hey," he spoke in a sweet, low tenor to avoid startling her. She looked over, eyes shining from suppressed tears, and found him looking at her with round doe eyes. He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer. "Come here, sweetheart." 

Sweetheart. To Patrice's soul, the word felt like warm chicken soup on a winter evening. She could never question how Terry felt about her. He'd been there to offer comfort through a tumultuous, frightening week. Feeling his large hands grip her waist to pull her between his legs grounded her in the right there and then. Regardless of the results, he'd still be around to kiss away the bad times and laugh with her through the good. 

Patrice lightly placed her cold hands on his face while he looked up at her, waiting for anything she decided to say. 

She closed her eyes and sighed. "What if it's negative?" 

"Well. We'll go out and drink champagne all night like we planned. I hate the taste on its own but know I'll love it on your lips when we kiss at midnight. Then we move on. Maybe have a conversation that we should've had a long time ago on the drive home." 

"And if it's positive?" 

Terry took a deep breath, allowing the words to come out in a mind-clearing huff. "We skip the champagne and keep the kiss. But we have to celebrate either way, baby. Time's gonna pass no matter what." 

For all his mixed bag of positive and negative traits, Terry's sneaky optimism was Patrice's favorite. A short, airy laugh came through Patrice's nostrils as she tossed her head back and groaned. 

"You're always so sure of things and I'm sitting here about to throw up my lunch." 

Terry rubbed his hands up and down the back of her legs with a smile. "I'm not sure of shit, really," he laughed. "I just know that we'll be alright in the end. This Gunny I was close with told me everything goes back to baseline. Don't sweat the bullshit in between. So, that's what I'm doing. Waiting it out."

"That doesn't scare you? The waiting?" 

"Sometimes." A quick glance down convinced him to slowly lift Patrice's sweater with one hand and hold it in place while he pressed feather-soft kisses across her abdomen. Kisses for her? Kisses for who he hoped lived inside? He didn't know. But he spoke against the area to communicate with whoever would listen. "But waiting always brought me something better than what I had. How could I not trust the process when I have the result standing right in front of me?" 

A rush of emotions broke the levees holding Patrice's tears back, sending a wet stream sliding down her hot cheeks. Terry wiped her face with the back of his hand in silence, the gentleness in his care working double time to soothe whatever thoughts and feelings were coming forward for her. 

When the short bout of crying had ceased, and she was left with nothing but her husband, a timer ticking down to mere seconds and a looming result hanging over their heads, Patrice ran her thumb along Terry's cheek and smiled down at him. 

"I love you more than I ever thought I could, but we gotta slow down, Terrence. I'm worn out." 

Terry answered her joke with a low chuckle that bounced his shoulders and spread his smile wide. "I'm with you, baby. That should be our New Year's resolution." 

"Either that or finally getting around to that budget we've been talking about. Might have to add a baby fund line item." 

"We got it. Don't worry." Terry assured before kissing the inside of her wrist. "Whatever happens, we're okay. Gimme a kiss."

Sweet affection in the face of potentially life-altering change offered some sense of normalcy as they allowed the world to turn into abstract concepts with shared, tender smooches. 

They'd almost forgotten what brought them into the bathroom until the harsh trill of Patrice's phone timer ripped through space and time, again placing them smack dab in the middle of the present. 

When Terry reached to grab one of the tests after silencing the noise, Patrice jolted forward to grab his wrist. "Okay, wait!" she panted. "I-I'll grab one, and you'll grab one. Then we'll do the third one together. Does that make sense?"

"Alright. Which one do you want?" 

"I don't fuckin' know! Choose for me! I can't do this, TJ!" 

Terry wore a crooked smile as he calmly plucked two tests from their containers and placed the digital option into Patrice's palm face down. He took the analog test and covered the result with his thumb before swallowing the lump in his throat. 

A deep breath rushed through parted lips. "Turn it over on three. One, two…" 

Three never came for Patrice. Even after Terry had uttered the number and turned his test over slowly, Patrice kept her eyes closed, waiting for him to spill the beans. She couldn't bring herself to verify on her own accord. He'd have to be her eyes and ears. 

Silence hung in the air for a few seconds, making the wait agonizing until Terry broke the seal. 

"Treecey," he called out. "Please look with me. I need you to see." 

A deep breath helped her blink her way back into clear eyesight. She didn't look at Terry or try to peek at the pink test in his hand. Instead, she flipped her test over with trembling fingers and stared at the small digital screen displaying a single word. 

"Oh –" was all she managed to choke out before looking up at Terry's beaming smile and tear-soaked face. "Does yours say –?" 

"Two lines, baby. Two!"

Disbelief gave way to unadulterated shock. "Oh. My. God. Look at the other one!" 

"You have to do it with me!"

Another countdown as they held on to the final test together preceded an excited flip and harmonizing reactions that could only be described as happy sobs. 

Patrice rocked Terry in a tight embrace while he clung to her, crying into her sweater's soft fabric more than he'd cried in years. An avalanche of emotions wrapped in disbelief that he'd been immeasurably blessed after his year started with so much strife. His losses came with gains ten times above what he could ask or think. 

His wife brushed tears from her already stained face before kissing the crown of his head and repeating, "You're gonna be a daddy, Pooh. You're gonna be a daddy!"

Emotions distorted his deep voice. "Swear?"

"Swear, baby. You're gonna be a daddy."

He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, not caring who he disturbed. Then, he'd run down the hallways, through the lobby's doors, out into the cold D.C. air, and holler to anyone who would listen that his wife, the girl he fell in love with before he could legally drink, was carrying a child that might look just like him someday. 

But he couldn't get past sharing the excitement seemingly gushing out of his pores with the only other person who could understand his joy. He chose to lift Patrice up in the air as he stood tall, spinning her in a slow circle before gingerly placing her back on her feet and pressing his forehead against hers. 

"What the fuck," he laughed as he tickled her sides, causing her to giggle back. "I'm having a baby. With my baby!"

"I guess I couldn't beat teen pregnancy. My parents are going to be so disappointed in me." 

"Stop it." The thought of his parents sitting in their living room without a clue that their firstborn was miles away receiving such big news flipped on a light bulb in Terry's head. "Our parents! Should we call? We should call them now. Do you wanna do a group FaceTime or like a conference call or what?" 

Patrice watched Terry fumble around his pockets for his phone until he came up empty-handed and reached for hers. She pushed the device further away and shook her head. "Nuh-uh. Can we just…enjoy the news by ourselves tonight. I want it to be our secret a little longer. Is that okay?" 

"Of course, Piggy. Whatever you want. I'm sorry, I just - shit. This is insane. You have a baby in there. Should we tell them we're a party of three tonight at dinner?" 

"No," Patrice laughed, finding his unbridled excitement adorable. "If they cancel this reservation because you playin', me and you might have a problem, Daddy." 

Terry bit his lip and lowered his head to kiss at her neck. "Damn, I love hearing you say that. Say it again."

By the time they were approaching a swanky steakhouse on Patrice's long list of places to visit, she'd called him Daddy so much in jest that she almost told the hostess that that was the name on their reservation. 

Pockets of quiet conversation held over candlelight and crisp white tablecloths greeted them as they were led through the dimly lit restaurant to the table for the evening. Terry moved to pull out a chair for Patrice, but she stopped him with a kind smile. 

"I'm gonna run to the restroom. Mommy bladder is starting early. Order something cute for me?"

Her joke made Terry smile like a little boy until she was out of his sight and safely inside the ladies' room. 

Romantic jazz music oozing out of speakers concealed inside the walls like smooth red wine gave Patrice time to replay the day in her head, unable to contain the elation on her face as she washed her hands at the sink. 

Another woman, tall like a model and beautifully sepia-toned, applied lipstick in the mirror and noticed how she tried but failed to stop grinning. She smiled at Patrice before speaking. "You're glowing," she complimented. "I need whatever you've got going on tonight." 

Patrice chewed the inside of her cheek after a bashful thank you. She wanted to keep the words in and pleaded with herself to walk out of the restroom and return to Terry without uttering another word. 

"I'm pregnant," she blurted, unable to fight the urge. "My husband and I – he's the tall one out there waiting on me – we just found out that I'm pregnant. We were best friends over a decade ago, and I still can't believe we're married. Now, there's a baby inside me with half his DNA. I'm having a baby with Terry Richmond. Oh my God." The realization of her social blunder hit her like an 18-wheeler. "And I just told a stranger all my business. I am so sorry!" 

"No, no! That's incredible, girl! Can I hug you?"

Patrice didn't know why she obliged, but she did, allowing herself to sink into this woman's arms like she was an old friend and not someone whose name she didn't know. The woman rubbed her back and squeezed tight before pulling away. 

"Congratulations, sis. Happy Holidays." 

While Patrice received well wishes on the other side of the establishment, Terry gave his full attention to the cocktail menu as a server attempted to provide recommendations. 

"That one is a crowd favorite," the young man pointed out. "Is she a rum lover? It comes with top shelf Appleton Estate if so." 

Terry chuckled to himself. "She is, but she can't have any right now. We just found out she's pregnant before we got here." Further explanation caught in his throat. He didn't mean to offer up their secret. Excited Terry had done the talking, not calm and reserved Terry. 

He watched with wide eyes and an internal scolding rattling around the container of his mind as the server smiled and jotted a note on his pad. "First, congratulations! I'll note that to the staff and see if we can't do something special for you and your beautiful date. Second, no worries at all. We can turn that one into a mocktail and not lose too many of the flavor notes." 

"Thanks," Terry breathed out. "Hey, can you make sure you don't tell her I said that? It was supposed to be a secret." 

"Our lips are sealed, Mr. Richmond. Consider it a little something extra to celebrate the new year." 

Terry made a mental note to leave a handsome tip behind as Patrice reappeared from her time away. Her smile hypnotized him until she was close enough to remind him about her chair. He scrambled to his feet to take care of his duty, nervously pushing her to the table as if this were their first date. 

When he was back in his seat, he watched her survey the room and menu, taking in each of her features. 

High cheekbones passed down from a long line of majestic women. Soft, mahogany skin that mesmerized him in golden hour light every evening. Dark, expressive eyes that told the story of her inner thoughts, even when she tried to hide. Full lips he couldn't resist. The total package. Everything he hoped for was wrapped in one person. 

Terry sat across from her, smitten. His grin showcased all of his teeth and then some while she scanned the appetizers for something to satiate her peckishness. 

Prolonged silence made Patrice glance up and then double-take when she noticed Terry's one-sided staring contest. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?" 

"Just trying to remember how you looked on the second most important night of our lives." 

Sudden bashfulness sent heat rushing to her face. "The third," Patrice corrected with a smile. "Don't leave out New Orleans." 

Terry chuckled at the memory. "Baby, the sun was barely in the sky when you decided to disturb the whole third floor."

"It was time to wake up anyway. That's what's wrong with the world now." 

Jokes and discussions about the possibility of dessert before dinner dominated the conversation until their server returned with two drinks meant to loosen their lips and hips for the evening. A subtle wink between Terry and the server communicated all he needed to know without tipping off Patrice as she excitedly watched beautifully decorated glasses hit the table. 

"To our first night out as Mom and Dad," Terry toasted, prompting Patrice to raise her glass. 

Mom and Dad—parents to be—two bodies forming one in a few months—a culmination of thousands of experiences leading them to a fate written before they were born. The concept sounded so foreign yet so familiar. 

Patrice dabbed at misty eyes, sniffling out a breathy, "To Mommy and Daddy." 

Glasses softly clinked before she joined Terry in a long sip and starry-eyed gazes across the table to officially kick off a night of celebration. 

Or so they'd hoped. Full bellies caught up with exhausted minds and bodies once silver forks hit clean porcelain plates well before their planned 10 p.m. exit. They tried to negotiate the next move with each other: a little walk for digestion, maybe a minute to listen to street performers play go-go renditions of oldies their parents would enjoy, perhaps another dessert to keep the mood high. 

All of their suggestions paled in comparison to hearing the mechanical whir of the hotel's lock precede the door swinging open to a warm room. There were no crowds trying to cram their bodies onto a rooftop brimming with eager folks anticipating good fortune as the clock flipped forward on a new year. There was only each other and the comfort of familiarity. 

Bottles of Sprite from the downstairs market acted like expensive bottles of bubbly poured into scavenged plastic cups next to a collection of fatty snacks, and cell phones switched to silent mode to avoid distractions. 

Terry and Patrice two-stepped hand in hand to jams playing from the television broadcast, dressed down in comfortable clothes and sporting ever-growing smiles. 

Under warm lamplight, Terry held Patrice's hand over her head to help her spin like a wind-up ballerina before pulling her close. "What were you doing last year around this time?"

"Ugh, don't remind me," she groaned, a sour look making her frown momentarily. "I was in a bathroom stall breaking up with my ex. Then Phee got us so drunk that we ended up blacked out before the countdown. I still don't know how we got back to her house or why we were cuddled up in her bed like that."

"Sounds like the kind of chaos you three get into when you're unsupervised."

"Whatever." Patrice laughed before making her fingers dance across Terry's broad shoulders. "What about you? What were you doing?"

Terry let a wry smile creep across his face. "Alone and sleeping. I didn't think there was much to look forward to, and I had to work in the morning anyway. Don't even think I turned the TV on."

The thought of Terry sleeping in on the night handpicked for blind optimism drew a sympathetic look from Patrice. "We both had a rough go at it, huh?"

"I don't know, mine was pretty chill. You were the one missing chunks of time." Patrice took faux offense at his joke, slapping across his chest before they let off laughs that slowly dissipated into a comfortable silence. 

Terry rested his head atop Patrice's, his mind taking a winding road back to the beginning while she hummed a made-up tune to herself. 

"Fifth-period Forensics with Mr. Turner. Junior year. You were wearing little strawberries crocheted on a pink sweater and your hair in a high ponytail. Kind of like tonight."

Patrice looked up and tilted her head in confusion. "What?"

"That's the moment I fell in love with you. I'd always liked you, but that's the moment I realized that I loved you," he clarified. "I spent so much time denying it, tiptoeing around how I felt and trying to find you in other women long after we were done, but I kept coming back to you acing that pop quiz in a pink strawberry sweater."

Patrice chuckled and smiled, recalling the time when her feelings blossomed beyond butterflies in her tummy at the mention of his name into a full-bodied, ever-present yearning for his heart. 

Terry waited expectantly, longing to know if there was a moment for Patrice – if her love had a spark that rocked her world the way she did so long ago for him. 

Flashes of bright light and distant cheering cut in just as Patrice seemed ready to confess, stealing her attention for a second too long. 

She gasped like a child on Christmas morning. "Look, baby! We can see the fireworks from here." Patrice tugged Terry along, all two hundred plus pounds of him yielding to her will slowly but surely. 

He had to admit, the sight was beautiful. Bright flashes of light turning into whimsical bursts kept him captivated as the clock ticked down the final minutes of the year. He slowly embraced her from behind, needing to feel her warmth combined with his for comfort. Patrice watched in content silence, smiling to herself while Terry watched the show unfold from the reflection in her glasses. 

Two minutes left. Two minutes to cap off a whirlwind 365 days and march triumphantly into a new slate. Two minutes to release long-forgotten truths buried in the recesses of Patrice's mind. She leaned back against Terry and craned her neck to admire him from her vantage point. 

A jawline fit for a man meant to be showcased to the world. Piercing eyes that shifted and changed with his emotions. Skin marked with blemishes telling countless stories – some he'd share and others that would follow him to the other side. Full pink lips that talked her through good, bad, and intimate times. All the features that might grace a child not yet named and growing in her womb.

"Senior prom night. You told me you loved me, and I said it back because I always said it back. But, that time, it felt different. It wasn't like sayin' it to my parents or my friends or the stray cat Mama let us feed. A different part of my heart meant it. That was the first moment."

Terry looked down at her, smirking and silently encouraging her to continue. She turned in his arms and then took hold of his ears to rub gentle circles against them. 

One minute left. Seconds dwindling. She continued. "The second time was today. And I hope there's a third, a fourth, and one hundred more to come. I never want to stop falling in love with you, TJ." 

Terry squeezed her a little tighter as if she might vaporize and blow away if he didn't hold on for dear life. "Yeah, me too," He whispered, drawing closer to her lips. "Never." 

Faint voices shouting a countdown in unison floated through empty streets and up to the 10th floor to surround a couple preparing to embark on a new journey. 

“Ten…nine…eight…seven…”

An excited buzzing, nearly perceptible by touch, sparked across the city. Heartfelt 'I love you's' shared as one breath passed between Terry and Patrice just before they connected lips and tongues. 

“Six…five…four…”

Colors painted their bodies from the window, bathing them in light one last time from January to December. A final salute from the Most High. 

"Three…two…one! Happy New Year!" 

Endless possibilities coated in an extra dose of magic felt real for the first time in forever. A lover's embrace carried hope and a promise. They'd start anew in lockstep the way the stars intended, with an extra set of fingers and toes to usher through life at some point in the future. 

But, for a moment, Terry and Patrice stood suspended in time, drunk off the taste of each other, ushering in the new year the only way they knew how. 

Together.

———————————

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[chosos-mascara]

all my love, suguru

chapter 1

summary: after an unexpected night spent with your close friend, you find yourself pregnant, and unable to tell him so. will you be able to come to terms with this news, or will it destroy the delicate relationship you'd had left?

chapter warnings: pregnancy, mentions of declining mental health (suguru), mentions of unprotected relations...

masterlist

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"She's acting strange, I'm telling you." 

Satoru speaks through the gritted teeth of his smile, waving widely toward you while Shoko sees you out. What had been another work week filled with training and teaching had ended with drinks; this week's rotation leading the four of you to Shoko's apartment. Though of course, much like last week's invitation, you declined, instead choosing to return to your own home with promises of an early night.

Only once you're safely down the corridor, the door firmly closed behind you does Suguru turn his head to reply to his friend. A weight lifts from his shoulders, and he stands a little straighter once he's sure you're not coming back.

"Seems fine to me." He attempts to throw Satoru from the painfully strong scent, forcing a nonchalant demeanour as he takes a sip from his newly opened bottle. There's been an obvious awkwardness and distance wedged between the pair of you and the group, though Suguru couldn't fault you alone - he's equally to blame for this uncomfortable situation.

"For once, I agree." Shoko steps away from the door, shoes kicked to one side to join the other pairs in a messy pile. Although she'd grown comfortable with taking them off on the carpet while seated on the couch, Suguru's constant remarks of her apartment's disorder had gotten to her. Not because she'd cared all too much, but because it was beginning to grate at her; though this new habit did mean she'd had to clean the floors less. But, she wouldn't tell him that. "Something's up with her." Her eyes move from the heap shoes to her friends.

Suguru stalls his reply, taking an unwanted swig of beer while his heart picks up it's pace. He tries to reassure himself that there's no way they could know, that they're just too curious for his liking. It would've been unlikely you would indulge in sharing that sort of information with the others, you'd always been closed off unless it had come to him, and even then, he'd had to push. He's sure he could end this conversation now... he just needed to think of a good enough excuse. 

"Probably just work, right Sugu?" Satoru pats his back a little too hard, turning to follow Shoko into the front room while Suguru lags behind. He's grateful this is coming to a close with little work from himself, and allows himself a moments reprieve.

"I don't think it is." Shoko places the keys on the scuffed coffee table, throwing herself onto the couch. Her own drink sloshes in the bottle with her thoughtless movements, but thankfully not enough to spill over. Her eyes move upward in thought, attempting to make sense of Satoru's initial concerns, linking the possibility of your recent absences to a conversation she'd shared with you a few days prior. 

Shoko considers letting the others know, and although she does stop to consider the effects of sharing what should probably be kept between the pair of you, she decides this is better said than left secret. 

"She asked if we had pregnancy tests in my office the other day." 

Suguru tenses. He can't tell if the others notice every muscle in his body hardening, or his skin growing cold. There's a stagnant air left in place of their reactions and Shoko doesn't look to either party, trying to suppress the simmering guilt she feels for sharing what was probably personal to you.  

"It's probably nothing, though." Shoko affirms herself more than her friends, brown eyes finally flickering up from the coffee table to gauge the damage she'd incurred. She winces at both of her friends' expressions, each of them displaying some depiction of shock with slack jaws and wide eyes. "I mean, she'd have told me if it was positive." 

Satoru moves first, taking a seat beside Shoko on the couch, arm outstretched to rest over the back cushions. Suguru doesn't feel ready to take a seat, his emotional state wavering, but he knows he needs to avoid suspicions from the other two. They'd moved on, he needs to too.

"Yeah." He speaks, an attempt to convince himself that Shoko's statement is true while he sits down in the loveseat in the corner of the room. His eyes scan over various bits of clutter that seem to decorate it; Shoko was rarely home, and rarely cleaned at that. Books are stacked in various piles, a few pieces of stationary here and there, a mess of clothes pushed to one side. 

He tries to focus on his surroundings, but his gaze turns hollow as he's distracted with imaginary scenarios, consequences of an unplanned pregnancy riddled with fear. He couldn't share his inner battle with them, because half of your quartet is blissfully unaware of an evening he'd willed himself to forget. 

But it feel useless when no matter how hard he tries, he can still remember everything.

"Just crash here, it's fine."

Sleeping at Suguru's hadn't been part of your plan, though neither had staying beyond the bounds of Saturday. You look down at your phone, and with the time glaring back to reflect the early hours of Sunday morning, you agree to stay over with some reluctance. Although you'd stayed at Suguru's plenty before, there's still an uncomfortable twist in your stomach when you're sleeping beneath a blanket that smells like his washing, on a couch that smells like him. You're sure this will end as the others always had - with a bad neck and a hangover.

"See you later." Shoko raises a hand while Satoru wraps an arm around her, his much larger frame bending forward to bear his weight onto her smaller one. He smiles wryly, attempting to imitate her good-bye, though voicing only incoherent nonsense. She rolls her eyes, forcing him to take steps toward the door.

Suguru brings through a few blankets, throwing them over the arm of the couch. His hair is free over his shoulders, gentle waves flowing freely instead of tied in their usual bun.  "Need anything else?" Now the others have left his voice feels weaker, and for the first time this evening you focus on his eyes. They look tired, almost downturned, hanging lower than usual with purple blotches under the skin. 

"Could I get some water?" There's some guilt in your heart as you watch him slowly moving toward his kitchen. You're sure he's likely stressed about work, there'd been an influx of curses as of late, and he worried about his student's wellbeing much over his own. 

The TV is on - flickers of light and quiet chatter as some old movie was on, and you take a seat in front of it. It looked to be something to do with war, as uniformed soldiers carrying guns run amok. Suguru returns with your water, placing the glass on a side table next to you. You lift it up, bringing the cool liquid to mouth and taking a few gulps before placing it back over the wet ring that had been left without the use of a coaster. 

He stands beside the couch, eyes locked to the screen, lips rested into a frown. "Suguru." You pat the couch to your right, legs moving to accommodate him beside yourself. At first, you think he isn't going to move, though he eventually begins to plod toward the spot, and the cushions move beneath his weight. 

"Are you okay?" The question leaves your mouth in a hushed tone, a small waver in your voice as you watch his stoic face turn to face yours.  "Hm?" His aloofness concerned you, and with an arm outstretched you place a worried hand over his forehead. It feels warm beneath your fingers, but not enough for him to have a fever. He looks to you in his confusion; you aren't usually so maternal with him, and touch wasn't something you often choose to give. At least, not as of recent. 

He has distanced himself from you, from everyone, as of recent. The sudden closeness between the pair of you felt much more intense given that context, and he realises his breath has caught in his throat. Being a sorcerer was difficult at the best of times, but as of recent it had felt like wading through water each time he would grow closer to the school. He thought he'd kept it under control, but as you inch closer to him, he realises he hasn't. 

Perhaps leaning toward him wasn't the right thing to do, but with your hand on his cheek, you're not able to hold back any longer. 

Smooth lips lock with yours, and your once concerned hand fell mellow against him, slipping back to lace beneath the dark waves of his hair, a gentle tug. There's a subtle taste of whiskey on his lips as you continue to kiss him delicately. The subdued motions are returned, palms finding your hips to move you toward him. You set on your knees, though he tugs more, and you find yourself seated within his lap.

Suddenly, the lull of the television is drowned out by the sound of your own heart racing within your ears, the quiet smacking of lips, the slow breaths from your chest. Everything feels heightened, leaving you with a sense of both belonging and urgency - you want so much more of him. Want overpowers any other logic in your mind, and although you suspect you will come to regret this in the near future, you can't help but entertain the thought of spending more time like this, within his arms. 

Suguru's tongue finds your own in a ploy to deepen this kiss, and you shyly accept. To begin with, the motions are a little sloppy, though you're soon dancing against one another in a languid pace. He raises his tongue and glides against you, and you gracefully repeat the action, growing closer, chest to chest, hands locking one to the other as desperation grows with every drag of his lips over yours. 

When your mouth is left bare, his finds itself at the nape of your neck, open mouthed kisses and nips igniting spark under skin. His fingers tilt your head backward to allow himself more room, and a soft bite at your flesh gives rise to a groan in your throat. His fists tighten over your shirt. 

He tugs at the fabric, palm kneading bare skin before deciding to discard of the garment altogether. Soon enough, there's a trail leading just shy of his bedroom door, and he finds himself asking the question; "Are you sure?" 

You don't allow yourself to think twice, to consider the consequences that may arise from sleeping with a close friend, and ignore the bubbling in your stomach. There's a voice telling you to take it slow, though it is overpowered by want. Years had been spent beside him yearning to be more than just friends - this would prove his loyalty to him, wouldn't it?

"I want you." You feel sure of it, even if there could've been a date first, a confession of longing. If this is the opportune time, then so be it. 

When you wake the next morning, there's an empty space beside you. It makes sense, you're just friends after all, but it still stings all the same. Your skin is bare beneath the blanket, and when you sit up to glance around the room, you notice your clothes folded into a neat pile at the foot of the bed. 

When you're dressed and up Suguru isn't in the apartment, and you realise what this is. He's unhappy, and you were just caught up in his sheets after he'd needed stress relief. 

You don't wait up too long for him because you're sure he doesn't want to see you. In your last moments you look naively for a note he may have left for you, hoping for the promises of breakfast - though of course, there wasn't any. There's no text either, and you're back at work soon enough, trying to ignore the fact he won't even look at you anymore.  

Weeks later, you're teary eyed and looking down at the result you didn't want to see. Of course, you're pregnant.

It's difficult to come to terms with the positive before you. Out of many imagined scenarios you played within your mind since childhood, finding out you were pregnant within the staff toilets of Jujutsu High had been the last of your predictions for what should be a magical moment within your life. 

There were suspicions that led you to this moment, and perhaps you could've done this at home, maybe taken some time to discuss with someone other than your rapidly racing mind, but you simply couldn't take it anymore. Your period was a week late, you felt tired, your stomach weak - it was evident without the test that something was up. The two pink lines had simply confirmed your fears. 

Your fingers shake, eyes welling with tears that you wish wouldn't fall. It wasn't supposed to happen this way, you'd planned on speaking to him about that night, to admit those feelings you ignored for far too long. Before then, there'd been little progression on the budding crush you harboured throughout your adolescence, though now you felt stupid for ever growing close to him.  

There's a few options that cross your mind among picturing yourself telling Suguru the news. You hadn't even built the confidence to tell him your feelings, how would you tell him you were carrying his child?

This was something you were hoping to reserve for a lover, for someone who'd adored every fibre of your being, who would love and support you through the difficulties of carrying and raising a child. As much as it pained you, you weren't that person to Suguru.

Your heart pulses in your chest, and you try to picture a life with him, one the pair of you would make along with a third, though you can't help but remember his lack of passion for you following those moments entwined with him. Because since that night, he'd done nothing to display any form of fondness toward you. 

You would have to deal with this on your own. 

You put the test in your pocket, pulling yourself together and placing your hand on the stall's lock before stepping out into the hall. It's a near silent journey back to your classroom, the sound of your beating heart and uneven breaths your only soundtrack, a whirring in your head that you don't seem to notice until you're at your desk, putting the test into the opening of your bag.

"You're still here?" Satoru's voice causes your body to jolt, eyes wide as you glance to your classroom door. His arm rests at the frame, head cocked to one side. You wonder if he'd seen anything, though you're sure he would've reacted by now, so you stay quiet. "Are you drinking with us tonight?" There's a smile on his face, one that hasn't changed through the years you'd known him and it takes you back to the innocence of your junior years, before any of you had really harnessed the power of the cursed energy that resides inside you.

You think of the child you hold, of their energy. Would they take after you, or their father?

"No," You clear your throat. "I've got a bunch of paperwork to fill out." It's a lie, but you sell it well with an open gesture to a pile of paper next to you. It's mostly student reports and letters, but you rely on the fact he won't notice. "Eesh." He sighs exuberantly, exaggerating his expression with bared teeth. "Sucks to be you!" His exclaim is followed by a creek of wood as pushes himself from the frame, turning. "See you tomorrow."

You sigh with relief, though it's only temporary - you have a lot to think about. 

tags - @animeisforkings @emikisses @boredwithwrath @karazorel7 @tomiokasecretlover

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[velvetvisionsaurora]

Pairing: Hongjoong x reader, Seonghwa x reader, Yunho x reader, Mingi x reader, Wooyoung x reader.

Summary: Five eight-year-old boys aboard the slave ship Crimson Serpent form an unbreakable bond with five-year-old y/n. before she's sold at auction. Despite their failed rescue attempt, they swear a blood oath on her teddy bear to find her. Fifteen years later, now feared pirates leading the ATEEZ

Warnings: Slavery/Human Trafficking, Separation/Loss, Violence, Eventual Smut. SA(not by any main characters) y/n gets switched to a real name but it has a purpose. More warnings to be updated.

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Masterlist

Chapter11 

Silent Language

*The Crimson Serpent - Fifteen Years Earlier*

Mingi crouched in the shadow of a storage crate, his small knife moving carefully over the piece of wood in his hands. At eight years old, his fingers weren't as skilled as they would be later in life, but even now, his talent was clear in the small figure taking shape beneath his blade.

The ship creaked around him, its movements a rhythm he'd learned to recognize during six months of captivity. Three decks above, sailors would be adjusting sails to catch the afternoon wind. Two decks above, the captain would be checking charts with the navigator. And one deck above, Hongjoong would be studying those same charts, soaking up knowledge that might someday help them escape this floating prison.

But here in the hold's deepest corner, Mingi had made himself a quiet sanctuary – a place where, for a little while, he could escape watchful eyes and harsh commands.

The wood under his knife gradually took form – a small bear with simple features, its proportions carefully balanced despite its tiny size. He'd been working on it for three days, stealing moments when chores and supervision allowed, hiding both knife and carving in a loose panel behind his sleeping mat.

"What are you making, Puppy?"

The small voice startled him despite its softness. He looked up to see Daniela watching from behind a nearby barrel, her five-year-old curiosity temporarily overcoming the caution she'd developed during her weeks aboard. Mr. Hugs was clutched to her chest as always, but her eyes were fixed on Mingi's hands with genuine interest.

Mingi stayed silent, not because he was unfriendly but because words often tangled in his throat. His thoughts were clear in his mind but somehow unreachable when he tried to speak them aloud. Instead of trying to answer with words, he held out the half-finished carving. Unlike adults who demanded speech and got frustrated with his silence, Daniela simply moved closer, accepting his wordless answer without judgment.

"It's a bear," she said quietly, settling beside him with the easy trust she showed all five boys. "Like Mr. Hugs, but smaller."

Mingi nodded, grateful she understood without explanation. Having someone sit so close would usually make his shoulders tense up, a defensive reaction to potential threat. But Daniela's small presence carried no expectations, no demands he couldn't meet.

"Is it for me?" she asked after watching him carve for several quiet minutes.

The question made him pause. He hadn't really decided who the carving was for, focusing instead on the simple joy of creating it. But her question brought immediate certainty – of course it was for her. Who else would he give it to?

He nodded again, sending more wood chips falling as he continued working. The bear's face grew clearer with each careful cut, its expression somehow matching the solemn watchfulness of the real teddy bear clutched in y/n’s arms.

"Thank you," she said, her simple gratitude needing no response beyond his continued work. Unlike adults who demanded acknowledgment, her appreciation needed no confirmation or formal acceptance.

For nearly an hour, they sat in comfortable silence – Mingi carving with growing confidence while Daniela watched without interrupting. The quiet between them wasn't empty but filled with a shared understanding that went beyond words.

"I don't mind that you don't talk much," she said eventually, her voice barely above a whisper. "Mr. Hugs doesn't talk either, but I always know what he's thinking."

Her observation, delivered with childish certainty yet surprising wisdom, created an unexpected warmth in Mingi's chest. Unlike others who saw his limited speech as a problem to fix, Daniela accepted it simply as a different way of expressing himself.

"Grown-ups think talking is the most important thing," she continued, adjusting Mr. Hugs against her chest. "But sometimes the quiet people see things noisy people miss."

The insight, remarkable coming from someone so young, showed wisdom beyond her years – understanding perhaps born from her own recent trauma. Mingi's hands paused momentarily, his eyes meeting hers with an intensity that said what his voice couldn't: agreement, appreciation, recognition of their shared understanding.

"You see everything, don't you, Puppy?" she asked softly, the nickname containing no mockery. "Even when you're so quiet everyone forgets you're there, you're watching and remembering."

Her question showed such a perfect understanding of his experience that Mingi felt momentarily disoriented – as if she'd somehow seen straight into his mind without needing words. His persistent silence wasn't absence but a different kind of presence, observation rather than withdrawal.

Without thinking, Mingi reached into the inner pocket of his tattered shirt and pulled out something he'd kept hidden there like treasure. He held out his palm, revealing a small wooden sparrow.

"It's beautiful," Daniela whispered, reaching out but stopping just short of touching, unsure if she was allowed.

Mingi gently placed it in her small palm, the gesture giving permission where words weren't needed.

"Did you make this too?" she asked, examining the bird with careful fingers.

He nodded, watching her exploration with satisfaction. Unlike the tools and useful things others made out of necessity, this served no practical purpose – it was beauty for its own sake, creation beyond mere usefulness.

"A little bird, like Woo calls me," Daniela observed, turning the wooden piece to catch different angles of light.

The connection hadn't been conscious in Mingi's mind when he made it, but her observation felt right.

"Can I keep it?" she asked, her question showing both hope and understanding that she'd accept his answer either way.

Mingi considered briefly, then shook his head. He pointed to one of the areas in the ship, a panel he'd made removable to hide her.

"Hide," Mingi said.

"You want to hide it," she translated immediately, understanding with no frustration. "So the bad men won't find it and take it," she added, glancing toward the upper deck.

Her simple understanding – interpreting his meaning without needing more words – created another wave of warmth through Mingi's chest. Unlike adults who demanded proper sentences before accepting his communication, Daniela moved easily between different ways of understanding without forcing him to follow just one.

For the next half hour, they worked together in comfortable silence – Mingi completing the bear's basic shape while Daniela held Mr. Hugs as an attentive audience. Their partnership needed no constant reassurance or explicit direction, their shared purpose flowing through occasional glances and small gestures rather than complicated explanations.

When Seonghwa's voice called softly from the corridor – warning of an approaching inspection that meant Daniela needed to hide quickly – their peaceful time together ended abruptly. She slipped away toward their established hiding place, Mr. Hugs clutched to her chest, while Mingi quickly hid his carving materials beneath loose floorboards.

Just before disappearing into shadow, Daniela turned back with a whispered promise: "I'll remember this, Puppy. How we talk without talking."

The moment hung briefly in time – a connection established through something other than conventional words, understanding flowing without reliance on traditional speech. Then practical necessity took over, survival requirements forcing them back into their respective roles within this hostile environment.

Yet something had shifted between them, recognition established without needing to be spoken aloud. The quiet boy who struggled with speech and the small girl clutching a worn teddy bear had found a connection that went beyond words – a shared understanding that created genuine interaction despite the limitations around them.

The night of Daniela's failed escape and her ultimate auction, Mingi removed the panel, taking the small bird out. He cried silently at the loss of his little shadow, the one who didn't need words and explanations to understand him. Who kept him company while he carved. He made a decision then to carve as many animals as he could, for as long as he had to. He would place them wherever they went, a silent message that they were looking for her.

Mingi gripped the bird, walking to the dock and throwing it as far as he could into the Halazia streets. His first breadcrumb. Unknown to him, a child following his owner would later stumble upon it and give it to a scared girl to bring her hope.

The medical bay's lamps had been dimmed to evening setting when Mingi first regained consciousness. Pain immediately hit him despite whatever medication was flowing through his system. His right side burned with an intensity that reminded him of combat injuries rather than simple accidents – explosive force rather than just impact.

Memory returned in fragments: the naval battle with the Southern Trade Company vessel, his modified cannon mechanisms performing better than expected, then a sudden explosion as return fire struck the gun deck with unexpected precision. After that, nothing but darkness and distant voices, awareness fighting against the drugs as medical treatment happened without his participation.

The first thing he noticed beyond the pain was an unusual weight against his left side – something substantial yet soft, warm pressure that felt like a person rather than medical equipment. With effort that showed his weakness, he turned his head slightly toward this unexpected contact.

The sight that met his gradually focusing eyes left him momentarily disoriented. Ella was asleep in a chair pulled alongside his bed, her body leaning forward to rest partly against his uninjured side, her head nestled against his shoulder.

Even more disorienting was the object clutched against her chest: Mr. Hugs, immediately recognizable despite fifteen years of wear and careful repair, the teddy bear's remaining eye button catching the dim light just as it had caught lantern glow aboard The Crimson Serpent.

For several long moments, Mingi simply watched this impossible vision, uncertainty mingling with his discomfort. Had the explosion damaged his mind? Had the medical treatment caused some kind of dream?

"She's been there since yesterday," came Yunho's quiet voice from his other side. "Refused to leave even when Yeosang insisted she needed proper rest."

Mingi carefully turned toward this familiar presence, relief flowing through him as reality reasserted itself – Yunho's concerned expression confirmed this was no hallucination. His closest friend occupied another chair, evidence of a long vigil visible in his disheveled appearance and the shadows beneath his usually bright eyes.

"How long?" Mingi managed, his voice rougher than usual after being unconscious.

"Two days since the battle," Yunho replied, understanding the question's multiple meanings. "You've been unconscious since the explosion. And yes, it's really her. She revealed herself when you were brought in injured."

The confirmation created complex emotions. This wasn't a hallucination or wishful thinking; Daniela's presence meant the actual end of fifteen years of searching – real fulfillment rather than just continued pursuit.

"How?" he asked, the single word born from both physical weakness and his usual economy with words.

Yunho's expression softened with understanding, his familiarity with Mingi's speech patterns allowing him to grasp the full question. "When you were brought in wounded after the battle, she broke through all her careful disguise. Called you 'Puppy' in front of everyone. There was no question after that – it was the final confirmation."

The specific detail – that childhood nickname rather than just general recognition – affected Mingi more deeply than a long explanation would have. This particular reference represented genuine emotional connection – personal relationship rather than just operational significance.

"She's barely left your side since," Yunho continued, warmth evident in his voice despite his fatigue. "Hongjoong gave her Mr. Hugs yesterday."

Mingi absorbed this information carefully despite his discomfort, his focus entirely on the sleeping figure leaning against his uninjured side.

"She knows," he stated rather than asked, confirmation clear in his simple observation.

"About all of us," Yunho confirmed, understanding the layers in the question. "Our search, our oath, our transformation from cabin boys to the officers of the ATEEZ.

Mingi's attention returned to Daniela's sleeping form, his gaze lingering on Mr. Hugs visible in the dim light. The teddy bear looked older, worn by fifteen years of handling and careful repair, yet unmistakably himself – recognizable despite time's passage.

"She knows about your carvings too," Yunho added quietly, following Mingi's gaze. "That you've been leaving them in every port, hoping she might find one and recognize your work. And Mingi," his voice softened further, "she did.She found a bird. Another time a wolf." Yunho smiled. 

The information created unexpected emotion. Unlike his usual controlled response to information, this revelation triggered a genuine reaction that broke through his habitual restraint.

"One reached her," Mingi whispered, disbelief mingling with profound gratitude despite his weakness. "All these years, all those ports – one actually found her."

"She called it her talisman," Yunho confirmed, a genuine smile warming his tired features. "Said it reminded her that beauty could exist even within Blackwell's walls, that someone had taken time to create something with no purpose beyond its own existence."

As emotion threatened to overwhelm him despite his habitual control, Mingi deliberately shifted toward practical matters – temporarily displacing personal response as protection against vulnerability.

"Ship status?" he asked, deliberately focusing on operational context.

Yunho accepted this transition without comment, understanding the necessary protection against overwhelming vulnerability – a temporary shelter rather than permanent distance.

"Significant damage to starboard gun deck but structural integrity maintained," he reported, matching Mingi's professional focus. "Three wounded including yourself, none critical. Hongjoong managed an impressive tactical victory despite our damaged firing capacity – Blackwell's vessel withdrew with substantially greater injuries than ours."

Mingi nodded slightly, processing this information despite his discomfort and weakness. "Innovative strategy?" he asked, genuine curiosity in his question.

"Extremely," Yunho confirmed, admiration evident in his voice. "After your gun deck was hit, he ordered a reconfiguration that exposed our damaged section while concealing intact weaponry. Made us appear more vulnerable than we actually were, drawing Blackwell's vessel into an overconfident approach that placed them within range of our remaining hidden guns."

The tactic represented classic Hongjoong strategy. Unlike standard defensive positioning that might have minimized existing damage while protecting remaining capabilities, this innovative approach had transformed apparent weakness into actual strength – vulnerability into opportunity.

"Casualties?" Mingi asked, professional concern evident.

"Minor injuries beyond your own," Yunho assured him. "Nothing requiring extended recovery or creating permanent disability. Yeosang handled everything well, though he was a bit less formal than usual. Daniela seems to bring out a more approachable side of him."

The observation created a subtle shift in Mingi's focus, his attention gradually returning to the sleeping figure leaning against his uninjured side.

As if sensing this renewed attention despite her continued sleep, Daniela shifted slightly, a subtle movement that seemed more like unconscious response than deliberate adjustment. Mr. Hugs remained clutched against her chest, protective even during sleep.

"She's exhausted," Yunho observed quietly, his perception encompassing both physical and emotional assessment. "The revelation, the battle, your injury, reconnecting with everyone after fifteen years believing herself forgotten or abandoned – it's been overwhelming despite her remarkable composure."

Mingi's hand moved without conscious thought, fingers gently brushing a loose strand of hair from Daniela's forehead with a careful touch that avoided disturbing her sleep. The gesture – protective tenderness rather than just practical adjustment – emerged from his essential nature beneath the tactical persona, genuine expression beyond professional presentation.

"Little shadow," he whispered, the childhood nickname coming without deliberate thought.

The nickname created a subtle response despite her continued sleep: a slight smile touching Daniela's lips, minimal pressure increase against his uninjured side, fingers tightening fractionally around Mr. Hugs' worn form. 

For several comfortable minutes, they remained in quiet tableau – Mingi gradually adjusting to consciousness despite his discomfort, Yunho providing reassuring presence without demanding interaction, Daniela continuing her healing sleep against Mingi's uninjured side. This moment represented a remarkable reunion against impossible odds. 

"I didn't think we'd ever actually find her," Yunho admitted eventually, his voice barely above a whisper to avoid disturbing the sleeper. "I kept searching because we'd promised, because giving up hope seemed worse than continuing without realistic possibility. But somewhere deep inside, I'd started believing our oath was more about honor than actually finding her."

The confession revealed personal truth beneath professional assessment – human uncertainty despite continued commitment.

"I never stopped believing," Mingi replied, an unusually long response flowing despite his physical weakness and habitual economy with words. "Not because of greater faith or stronger commitment, but because the alternative seemed impossible to accept. Finding her wasn't just a goal - it was a necessity. Like breathing."

Yunho's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Mingi almost never spoke this much at once. Instead of his usual few carefully chosen words, he'd actually opened up, sharing something deeply personal rather than just sticking to the bare necessities.

"That's why you made the carvings," Yunho said softly, his eyes full of understanding. "They weren't just keepsakes or reminders. They were messages you were sending out into the world, hoping somehow they'd find her. You kept doing it all these years, even without knowing if she'd ever see one."

Mingi nodded slightly. No words needed. That simple nod said everything.

"And one actually reached her," Yunho continued, his voice still filled with wonder even though he'd had time to process the news. "Against all odds, your little wooden bird and wolf, somehow found its way to her. It gave her comfort when we couldn't be there, protected her in a way even when we were worlds apart."

Before Mingi could respond, Daniela stirred more deliberately against his side – gradually waking rather than just shifting position, consciousness returning as sleep faded away. Her eyes opened slowly, momentary confusion crossing her features as she oriented herself.

When her eyes met Mingi's and saw awareness there, her face transformed. Behind the careful self-control that fifteen years of captivity had taught her, real joy broke through.

"Puppy," she whispered, the childhood nickname holding fifteen years of memories. "You're awake."

Those simple words carried so much more than they said on the surface. In that quiet moment, all the years of separation seemed to collapse.

"Little shadow," Mingi replied, his voice growing stronger despite his weakness, as if the emotion itself gave him strength.

Just those two childhood nicknames, exchanged after fifteen years apart, said more than a thousand words could have. They recognized each other—not just the people they'd become, but the children they once were. Something essential had survived in both of them, unchanged beneath all the ways they'd had to adapt.

For several long seconds, they just looked at each other. Then the careful composure Daniela had maintained for so long finally cracked, real emotion showing through.

"I thought we'd lost you," she admitted, vulnerability emerging. "When they brought you in after the battle, there was so much blood, and you were so still, and Yeosang looked so worried despite trying to hide it.”

Her voice shook slightly as she spoke, a rare crack in the careful control she'd developed during fifteen years of captivity. For just a moment, she let her guard down, showing a vulnerability she normally kept hidden.

"Hard to kill," Mingi assured her with a hint of humor beneath the serious reassurance. "Too stubborn."

His simple response drew an unexpected smile from Daniela, a flash of genuine amusement lighting up her face. It wasn't just politeness or appropriate response—there was a real connection between them, as though the years apart had somehow never happened.

"That much hasn't changed," she said, her voice warm despite her lingering worry. "I remember how you'd keep carving even with bleeding fingers, or how you'd fall asleep right over your knife. Always pushing beyond what anyone would consider reasonable."

The specific memory seemed to hit Mingi harder than any general recognition could have. His eyes widened slightly, as if amazed that she'd kept such details after all this time.

"You remember," he said softly, wonder in his voice.

"Everything," Daniela confirmed, understanding all the questions behind his simple statement. "How you taught me to whittle simple shapes when my hands were too small for your knife. How you'd leave tiny carvings under my blanket when nightmares kept me from sleeping. How we figured out our own way to talk without words when speaking was hard for both of us, just for different reasons."

These details visibly affected Mingi. His usually composed face showed more emotion than anyone had seen in years, despite his physical pain and weakness. Those precise memories proved she hadn't just remembered the broad outline of their friendship—she'd held onto the small, intimate moments that defined it.

Yunho watched them with a gentle smile, clearly pleased yet careful not to intrude on their reunion. Despite his obvious exhaustion, he remained quietly supportive, present without inserting himself.

"I should tell Yeosang you're awake," he said after a while, giving them a natural reason to be alone. "He'll want to check on you now that you're conscious."

His thoughtful exit created privacy without making a big deal of it. He slipped out of the medical bay quietly, leaving them to continue reconnecting without an audience.

As the door closed behind him, a brief silence fell between Daniela and Mingi—not awkward, but a moment of adjustment to being truly alone together after fifteen years apart. Their connection felt surprisingly natural, as if understanding between them ran deeper than mere memory or simple recollection.

"The sparrow..wolf," Mingi said after several comfortable heartbeats, unusual initiative flowing despite his habitual verbal restraint. "Yunho said you found my carvings.“

Daniela nodded, reaching beneath her shirt collar to withdraw a small leather pouch suspended from a simple cord around her neck. With careful movements that showed how precious this was to her, she opened the protective container and extracted not one but two tiny wooden figures – a sparrow with folded wings and a small wolf, both small enough to hide completely in her closed fist yet carved with remarkable detail.

"The sparrow appeared after a storm knocked down part of the garden wall," she explained, holding the carvings where the dim light caught the distinctive compass mark carved into each wooden base. "And later- a friend gave me the wolf. He found it."

Her fingers traced the tiny figures with obvious tenderness. "I never knew they were yours, just that they were beautiful and worth the risk of keeping them hidden. They became my talismans during the worst moments – proof that beauty could exist even within Blackwell's walls. Something small I could hold onto when everything else was taken away."

The way she spoke about his carvings hit Mingi hard. She hadn't just kept them as objects – she'd understood exactly what he'd meant them to be: messages of hope, reminders of beauty in the darkest places. She'd grasped their meaning without ever knowing they came from him.

"I've made hundreds over the years," he admitted, unusual verbal extension flowing despite his habitual economy with words. "Left them in every port we visited, hoping somehow one might reach you. That you might recognize my work and remember our connection even without knowing where it came from."

The disclosure represented significant emotional investment despite his physical weakness and continued discomfort. This elaboration revealed unusual commitment beyond his habitual restraint – extraordinary import transcending normal limitation.

"And one did find me," Daniela marveled, She spoke with wonder in her voice, even though she'd had time to process this revelation. "Against all odds, somehow your wooden friend reached exactly who it was meant for – bringing comfort when we were apart, keeping us connected even when we couldn't be together."

"I always knew you'd stay yourself, no matter how hard they tried to change you," Mingi said quietly, showing unusual eloquence. "That who you really are would survive, no matter what happened to you."

His words showed he understood something deeper than just recognizing her face. He saw how she remained herself underneath all the changes she'd had to make.

"Sometimes I wondered," Daniela admitted, showing a rare vulnerability. "How much of me survived fifteen years of them trying to crush my independent thinking. Whether the girl you knew on The Crimson Serpent was still in there, under all the changes I made to survive being someone's property."

A meaningful silence fell between them after her confession. Her honest doubts invited him to explore this together, creating a genuine connection.

"Who you are deep down doesn't change, no matter what happens to you," Mingi replied with quiet certainty. "The real you survives underneath all the adjustments you had to make."

He nodded toward Mr. Hugs, still clutched against her chest even though she'd shifted position since waking. "You still fix his bow tie the same way you did on The Crimson Serpent," he said softly. "You still break honey cakes in half before eating them, line things up at right angles when you're distracted, and watch the horizon with that mix of wonder and tactical awareness."

These simple observations clearly touched Daniela more deeply than grand statements would have. Mingi gave her concrete proof that parts of her had survived fifteen years of attempted erasure.

"I never realized," she whispered with genuine emotion. "That so much of me was still visible, even after years of hiding and disguising myself."

"Not to most people," Mingi clarified gently. "Only to those who knew you before, who can spot the patterns under the necessary changes. To everyone else, you appear exactly as you want them to see you – composed and revealing nothing you don't choose to."

His words showed he understood both how well she'd hidden herself and the special connection that let him see through it.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

As the medical bay's lights adjusted automatically to early evening setting, they continued their comfortable conversation amid remarkable circumstances. Their interaction flowed with natural ease despite extended absence – recognition beyond mere memory, understanding transcending simple recollection.

Daniela adjusted Mr. Hugs against her chest with an unconscious movement identical to the childhood ritual she'd performed countless times aboard The Crimson Serpent. The teddy bear looked older, worn by fifteen years of handling and careful repair, yet unmistakably himself – recognizable despite time's passage and necessary maintenance.

"Hongjoong kept him all these years," she explained, noticing Mingi's thoughtful observation. "Carried him in a locked sea chest wherever you sailed, made careful repairs whenever the fabric wore through or stitching frayed. He returned him yesterday after confirming my identity beyond any doubt."

The information created visible impact across Mingi's features despite his habitual emotional containment. This disclosure represented significant continuation beyond mere material preservation – symbolic connection maintained through physical manifestation despite extended separation.

"We used him for our oath," Mingi said quietly, memory flowing despite his typical reticence regarding emotional history

"I never imagined you'd actually keep searching," Daniela admitted, genuine wonder flowing beneath the careful composure that fifteen years of captivity had ingrained. "That five boys would remember a promise made under desperate circumstances, maintain commitment despite passing years and changing priorities."

"Not merely remembered but defined by it," Mingi corrected gently, unusual eloquence continuing beyond his typical verbal economy. "Everything built since that night – the ATEEZ, our operations against slave traders, our reputation for precision and unwavering purpose – all originated from that single promise made during childhood failure. We found our identity through that commitment when circumstances eliminated all other certainties."

Before conversation could continue further, the medical bay door opened to admit Yeosang – not a rushed entrance suggesting emergency but deliberate arrival indicating scheduled assessment. His expression revealed both professional focus and personal pleasure – genuine satisfaction upon seeing his conscious patient.

"Good evening," he greeted, formal introduction suggesting intentional acknowledgment of interruption rather than just casual entrance. "I'm glad to see you awake, though I would have appreciated being notified."

The gentle criticism nonetheless contained warmth beneath its measured delivery, genuine care flowing beyond medical responsibility. Unlike clinical assessment that might have maintained emotional distance regardless of patient identity, Yeosang's approach integrated professional expertise with personal connection – technical competence balanced by genuine relationship.

"My fault," Daniela acknowledged immediately, protective response flowing naturally despite years of separation from her childhood friend. "We've been talking since he woke, and I completely forgot to tell you."

The admission revealed connection beyond casual acquaintance or recent introduction. Their interaction suggested established understanding transcending official designations – genuine friendship beyond merely practical alliance.

"It's understandable with everything that's happened," Yeosang replied, diplomatic phrasing containing gentle understanding beneath his professional demeanor. "I'm just glad to see him awake."

Yeosang moved to Mingi's bedside, setting down his medical bag and withdrawing basic examination tools. Despite the precision of his movements, there was a warmth to his actions that had been absent during his first days aboard the ATEEZ.

"How's the pain?" he asked Mingi directly, his tone both professional and genuinely concerned.

"Manageable," Mingi replied, though the slight tension around his eyes suggested otherwise.

Yeosang nodded, clearly reading beyond the simple response. "I'll adjust your medication after the examination. No need to suffer unnecessarily." He glanced at Daniela with a small smile. "He's always been a terrible patient. Downplays everything."

"Some things never change," Daniela agreed, returning his smile with a warmth that spoke of their shared history. "He once sliced his finger open carving and told no one until Seonghwa noticed the blood trail."

"Still does that," Yeosang commented as he checked Mingi's pulse. "Last year he worked through an entire battle with three broken ribs. Didn't mention it until we were counting casualties afterward."

"Unnecessary distraction," Mingi muttered, though there was no real irritation in his tone.

"It's not a distraction to take care of yourself," Yeosang countered, his voice gentler than his words. "Your well-being matters to everyone on this ship."

The simple statement, delivered without flourish, carried more weight than an elaborate speech might have. Mingi's eyes met Yeosang's briefly, silent acknowledgment passing between them.

As Yeosang continued his examination, Daniela observed the careful respect between the two men – a relationship clearly built over their two years together aboard the ATEEZ, yet different from Yeosang's interactions with other officers. There was a shared understanding in their quiet exchange, a recognition of similar experiences despite vastly different paths.

"The wound is healing well," Yeosang announced after inspecting the bandages. "Better than I expected, actually. The explosion damaged mostly soft tissue – painful, but without long-term consequences if you follow recovery protocols properly."

"When can I return to duty?" Mingi asked, the question clearly foremost in his mind.

Yeosang shook his head, unsurprised by the query. "Limited duties in one week, if healing continues at this rate. Full duties in three weeks, depending on physical therapy progress." His tone softened slightly. "Your gun decks aren't going anywhere, Mingi. Hongjoong has already ordered materials for rebuilding the damaged sections according to your specifications."

This information seemed to ease something in Mingi's expression. "The modified firing mechanisms?"

"Salvaged and secured in your workshop," Yeosang assured him. "Yunho personally oversaw their recovery and storage."

Daniela watched this exchange with growing understanding. The quiet gunner's creations represented more than mere tools – they were extensions of himself, physical manifestations of his mind's workings. Their preservation mattered beyond practical utility.

"Now," Yeosang continued, turning to include Daniela in the conversation, "as your doctor, I need to insist on proper rest for both of you. Mingi needs uninterrupted sleep to heal properly, and you," he fixed Daniela with a pointed look tempered by obvious affection, "haven't had proper rest in days."

"I'm fine," she protested automatically, the response ingrained through years of pushing through exhaustion when circumstances demanded.

"You're swaying in your chair," Yeosang countered gently. "And those shadows under your eyes speak for themselves."

Before she could argue further, Mingi spoke up unexpectedly. "He's right," he said quietly. "You need rest."

The simple statement, coming from the man who had only just regained consciousness after a life-threatening injury, created a moment of surprised silence. Then Daniela sighed, recognizing the truth in both men's concern.

"Fine," she conceded. "But I'm coming back first thing tomorrow."

"I wouldn't expect anything less," Yeosang replied with a small smile. "Your quarters have been prepared – Seonghwa arranged for your things to be moved from the guest cabin to more permanent accommodations near the officers' section."

The information created a momentary pause in Daniela's thoughts. Despite Seonghwa's emotional distance following her identity revelation, he had apparently been making practical arrangements for her integration into the ship's daily life – actions speaking perhaps more honestly than his carefully controlled demeanor.

"That was... thoughtful of him," she said finally.

"Seonghwa expresses himself through arrangements and order," Yeosang explained, understanding evident in his measured words. "When emotions become too complex, he retreats to practical matters where he feels more certain."

This insight aligned with Daniela's own assessment. This perspective offered understanding beyond immediate reaction – recognition of human complexity rather than just operational distance.

"Give him time," Yeosang added quietly. "He's been searching for you longer than almost anyone."

The gentle reminder created space for patience beyond immediate expectation or simple judgment. This perspective allowed natural development without artificial acceleration – genuine process rather than forced outcome.

"I will," Daniela promised, rising slowly from her chair beside Mingi's bed. The movement revealed more fatigue than she had admitted, her body swaying slightly as she found her balance.

Yeosang steadied her with a supportive hand on her elbow, concern evident in his expression. "I should walk you to your cabin," he said, the suggestion carrying more weight than mere courtesy.

"I can find my way," she assured him, though the words lacked conviction even to her own ears.

"Humor me," Yeosang replied with gentle firmness. "Doctor's orders."

The familiar phrase – echoing countless similar exchanges during their childhood in Blackwell's household – drew a small smile​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The familiar phrase – echoing countless similar exchanges during their childhood in Blackwell's household – drew a small smile from Daniela despite her exhaustion. Some patterns remained unchanged across fifteen years, connection persisting despite extended separation and drastically altered circumstances.

"Fine," she conceded again, then turned back to Mingi. "I'll return in the morning. Try not to escape the medical bay before then."

A ghost of a smile touched Mingi's normally solemn features. "No promises," he murmured, the hint of humor revealing more about his improving condition than any formal medical assessment could have.

Daniela hesitated briefly, then leaned down and gently squeezed his hand. "Rest well, Puppy," she whispered, the childhood nickname flowing naturally despite years of careful concealment.

"You too, little shadow," he replied, returning the pressure with fingers still weakened from injury yet carrying genuine warmth.

As Yeosang guided her toward the door, Daniela clutched Mr. Hugs closer against her chest – an unconscious gesture identical to her childhood habit developed aboard The Crimson Serpent. The teddy bear remained a tangible connection between fragments of her existence, a physical link between past and present despite fifteen years of systematic attempts to sever that connection.

"He'll be here tomorrow," Yeosang assured her as they moved into the corridor. "Mingi's too stubborn to do anything but recover, especially now."

"Especially now?" she repeated, curiosity momentarily overriding exhaustion.

Yeosang's expression softened into a genuine smile – a rare display of emotion beyond his usual composed demeanor. "Now that he has something beyond duty to recover for," he explained simply. "Now that you're here."

The observation created unexpected warmth in Daniela's chest despite her physical fatigue and emotional exhaustion.

"It still doesn't seem real," she admitted as they walked slowly through the ATEEZ's quiet corridors. "Finding all of you after fifteen years believing myself forgotten. Discovering that five boys not only remembered me but transformed themselves into the most feared pirates on the seven seas specifically to fulfill a childhood promise."

"Sometimes the most impossible things turn out to be true," Yeosang replied, his philosophical tone tempered by genuine warmth. "Just look at us – who would have believed we'd reunite aboard this particular ship, under these specific circumstances?"

The simple observation acknowledged extraordinary coincidence – meaningful connection rather than accidental collision.

"Apparently the universe has a strange sense of humor," Daniela replied with a tired smile. "Or perhaps remarkable sense of symmetry, depending on your philosophical perspective."

For a moment, they simply stood in the quiet corridor, absorbing this additional connection beyond already extraordinary coincidence. This particular intersection suggested pattern beyond mathematical probability – meaningful design rather than mere statistical anomaly.

"We should keep moving," Yeosang said finally, gentle concern returning as he noticed her increasing unsteadiness. "You're about to fall asleep standing up."

The assessment acknowledged reality without exaggeration. This simple statement recognized genuine condition without inflation – factual evaluation rather than emotional response.

As they resumed walking toward her new quarters, comfortable silence settled between them – not awkward vacancy but peaceful connection, understanding flowing without requiring constant verbal affirmation. Their relationship carried natural ease despite years of separation – recognition beyond mere memory, connection transcending simple recollection.

"Here we are," Yeosang announced eventually, stopping before a cabin door that appeared identical to others in this section yet apparently represented significant transition. "Officers' quarters section, port side. Wooyoung is two doors down, Yunho and Mingi across the corridor when he returns from medical bay."

"Thank you," Daniela said sincerely, gratitude encompassing more than mere escort assistance. "For everything, Angel. Not just today but fifteen years ago. For being the one person in Blackwell's household who saw me as human rather than just property."

The acknowledgment created visible impact across Yeosang's usually composed features, genuine emotion flowing beneath characteristic restraint despite years developing professional detachment. This specific recognition addressed particular connection – meaningful relationship rather than just incidental contact.

"You did the same for me," he replied softly, showing a rare vulnerability. "When all they cared about was what I could do for them, you saw me as a person worth knowing. When Blackwell tried to keep us all isolated, you risked getting punished just to be my friend."

There was a quiet moment between them, a silence that said more than words could.

"We survived," Daniela said quietly.

"We did more than survive," Yeosang corrected gently. "We kept what really mattered even when they tried to take everything from us. We stayed human when they treated us like objects. We found ways to connect when they did everything to keep us apart."​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

His words gave her more than just comfort - they gave her a deeper understanding of what they'd managed to hold onto through all those years. It wasn't just about staying alive; it was about keeping their humanity intact when everything around them tried to strip it away.

Before they could talk more, the corridor lights dimmed automatically to evening mode - the ship's way of marking time passing even below deck. The subtle change pulled them back from their memories to the present moment.

"You need rest," Yeosang said, his doctor's concern showing through again. "We can pick this up after you've had some sleep and caught your breath from everything that's happened."

The way he said it showed he cared about her, not just as a patient but as a friend. He understood both her physical exhaustion and what all this meant to her emotionally.

"You're right," Daniela admitted, unable to ignore her exhaustion any longer. "Though it feels weird to just sleep when my whole world has flipped upside down in less than three days."

"Big changes take time to process," Yeosang said warmly. "And your body needs energy to handle it all. You might want to stay awake and think about everything, but your body needs to recover first."

He explained it simply but kindly, like he was helping her understand rather than just telling her what to do.

"Always the doctor," Daniela teased gently, affection in her voice despite her tiredness.

"Someone has to be," Yeosang replied with a genuine smile, a warmth showing through his usual professional manner. "Especially on a ship full of people who think sleep and recovery are just optional suggestions."

The comment showed both his frustration as the ship's doctor and his fondness for the crew - he understood them even when they drove him crazy.

"Goodnight, Angel," Daniela said softly, using the childhood nickname that had gotten her through seven years in Blackwell's household and eight more without him.

"Goodnight, Daniela," Yeosang replied warmly. "Sleep well. Everything will still be here tomorrow - all these connections, all these discoveries, all these impossible reunions."​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

As Daniela entered her new quarters – permanent accommodation rather than temporary arrangement – she found herself momentarily overwhelmed by yet another tangible manifestation of her changed circumstances. Unlike the guest cabin that had emphasized temporary status, this space clearly represented integration beyond mere visitation – genuine incorporation rather than just tactical alliance.

The room itself appeared similar in size to her previous accommodation, yet subtle differences created significant distinction. Personal effects had been arranged with obvious care and deliberate attention to detail, someone's precise handiwork evident in their thoughtful placement.

Seonghwa's touch was unmistakable throughout the space – from perfectly aligned furnishings to mathematically spaced decorative elements, his characteristic precision evident despite his emotional distance following her identity confirmation. Unlike a haphazard transfer that might have emphasized functional necessity, this careful arrangement revealed thoughtfulness beyond mere practical requirement – genuine care despite apparent withdrawal.

Too exhausted for detailed exploration, Daniela moved directly toward the bed that dominated one wall of the cabin. Mr. Hugs remained clutched against her chest, protective habit maintained despite safe environment, childhood comfort preserved despite adult circumstance.

As she settled onto the surprisingly comfortable mattress without bothering to remove her outer clothing, bone-deep weariness claimed her consciousness with irresistible force. Unlike regular tiredness that might have permitted gradual transition, this profound depletion created immediate sleep.

In her last moments before consciousness dissolved completely, Daniela automatically whispered her nightly ritual – childhood names flowing across fifteen years of separation despite systematic attempts at connection's elimination: "Joongie, Hwa, Woo, Yuyu, Puppy, Angel."

The familiar litany carried new significance beyond mere comfort routine. Unlike protective mechanism that had maintained essential connection during extended isolation, these references now acknowledged actual persons beyond just remembered designations – real individuals rather than simply preserved memories.

Taglist: @hopeless-lovex0 @frankielou02 @jilxxasu @kur0kki @lezleeferguson-120 @uniquecloudbread @miniverse-zen @symmieangela @monstacheol @ateezswonderland @comicnerd557 @pixie0627 @fumaluvr @princesscallie @green-moon @starryjoong-jeongcheollie @wiccanmetallicrose @atinyapple1117 @sassy-snassy @soulphoenix1618 @wxnderingthoughts

[diyasgarden]

Insecurity

Art is insecure. Insecure in the way that it doesn't even have to be said, people around him can feel it. It lingers in the way his eyes narrow randomly, or his jaw ticks. The way he goes a little too silent sometimes and how at times his actions seem a bit too desperate. It's more prominent when he was younger, not necessarily having the foresight to try concealing these things back then, but as he becomes better at hiding them with age he never is able to fully push it away. At the core of it all, he just doesn't feel like he is good enough, and when you latch onto such a basic fear everything can sprout insecurity. If you try to talk about it with him, in any regard, you're just met with dismissive jokes or a snide remark. Not even done with an air of defense, but rather just pushing away the thought all together. If you bring up a conversation about what exactly has him feeling insecure (without even mentioning the feeling at all) then he can get snappy, taking an offensive approach to push you away from the topic all together. If you were feeling insecure, he would be able to tell. He'd pick it up instantly, but would only address it based on how serious he thought the problem was. Again, never the one to properly tackle an issue when need be.

Tashi isn't that insecure. The lack of it doesn't come form this idea that she is better than others or just the best (although she may as well feel so), but rather the fact that she doesn't view her faults or failures as detriments to herself. She knows when she can be wrong or when she falls short, and either views it as room to grow or just something she can't do much about. Although, with the latter it leads to sense of restlessness that bothers her. That is the insecurity she feels. It's a rare feeling, only coming up in relation to things and people she cares about. She won't ever outright admit it, but you can sense it with the way her words become a little more sharper. A defensive reaction in the face of the emotion. There isn't much for you to do so when she feels that way, just having to let her work it out herself (which she always does with a little bit of space). If you were feeling insecure around Tashi, especially for a reason connected to her, she wouldn't understand it. She'd make a joke about it, never in bad faith. She's just teasing, she never wants you to feel insecure with her.

Patrick appears the most confident, almost to a fault, but it's often overcompensation for the things which make him feel insecure. It's a combination of feeling like he's falling behind and also just think you'd leave him. There isn't much you can do to make him feel better about this. It's a lingering fear that doesn't really show up at specific moments, but you can sense every once in a while underlying his actions and words. Subtle in the way that demands attention, yet remains ignored. You know he would deny it if you asked, and there is no way he'd broach the subject without being pushed to that point. If you were feeling insecure, he would hate it. Not in the way that he is annoyed or upset, but because he just doesn't want you to feel that way. He also doesn't know how exactly to help you, which just makes him feel worse.

[wolfbaitbf]

mom who adores her trans son, who thinks he's the cutest thing ever and only wants to support him in whatever way she can. she figures it's hard, considering he doesn't have any brothers, just sisters, and their dad goes away often for work trips. there's no real man who's around enough to help him out. but mom always is.

mom picks up on the changes when he starts hormones. he's a little angrier, hungrier, shuts himself away a little more than she'd like. it worries her, she hates to see her sweet boy retreating in on himself. so of course she checks on him frequently, just wanting to make sure he's okay and he knows she's there for her baby boy.

one day, she goes to check on him without knocking. it's mid-day on the weekend and she knows he's home, no reason why he'd be doing anything weird, right? she opens his door just a touch and peeks through the crack, come to find her son with his hand in his boxers, trying to masturbate but failing. he doesn't know how to touch himself, seeing as before testosterone, he had little to no sex drive.

she steps inside wordlessly, closing the door. the sound of the latch clicking is what startles her son, and he covers himself up out of sheer embarrassment.

"mom, what the hell?!" he huffs, sitting up in bed with flushed cheeks and a bit of a pout. "you can't just barge in!"

"what? it's nothing i haven't seen before. and last i checked, young man, this is my house, my rules," mom replies, sitting down on her son's bed. one hand rests on his thigh, her thumb lightly rubbing through his blanket. "let mommy help, sweetheart."

reluctantly, the son pushes the blanket off, then his boxers. his tdick is aching, his cunt a leaking mess. he just wants to cum, the poor thing. he watches as mom moves to sit behind him, making ample room so he can lean back against her chest and let her take care of him.

mom's hands smooth over his stomach, his hips, his thighs, only working him up more. it's not until he's squirming a little, huffing wordlessly that she actually touches him.

"you don't know how to touch yourself?" she murmurs in his ear, fingers trailing along his slit. the son shakes his head softly, mumbling a shaky "no" when her fingers brush against his tdick. it's throbbing under her touch, her middle finger rubbing little up and down strokes.

"i-i never- f-fuck- never learned. i j-just thought i-it would be w-weird to ask dad..." he says, his hands grasping the bedsheets beside his mother's thighs. his own are trembling, his noises uncontrollable as his mom's touch grows more intense, more firm. and when she switches from rubbing up and down to rubbing in circles, he whines pathetically. it's not supposed to feel good, it's just a demonstration, but then why does his tummy feel like it's getting tighter? why is his hole leaking as much as it is?

mom hums, her eyes trained between his thifhs as he squirms and bucks against her hand like a mutt in heat. "it's never weird to ask mommy or daddy for help, sweetheart. you're our little boy, of course we're going to help you in any way we can. we're so proud of you and your body, honey."

the son grasps mom's wrist, his breathing growing heavier as his orgasm approaches, "m-mom, my tummy feels weird, i-i think we should stop."

"just a little longer, sweetheart. you're almost there..."

he's about to protest when it hits him, that first of many white-hot waves of pleasure, his hips stuttering and back arching. mom's touch never ceases, even as he's whining and moaning and confused as to what's happening. the high lasts longer than he expects, and when it's gone he's a bit of a mess against his mother's chest.

"good job, honey," she murmurs, stroking his hair with her spare hand. the other is still stuck between her son's thighs, lazily touching his too-sensitive tdick. "we're not done yet though. we can't forget about your hole, can we?"

---

(i love moms lately... pls let this reach the right audience [t4t momson audience])

[lilia-calderus-pet-goat]

Found-Family headcanons for a³'s coven of chaos, part 1: (because they all deserved more time with each other)

(part 2, here.)

(part 3, here.)

Agatha learned spanish for Rio, obviously—and spices up her dialogue with Spanish phrases out of habit. I assume she also knows other languages, being alive for as long as she has.

But I'd also like to think that language-learning gradually becomes something they all surprise each other with. And this is definitely super self-indulgent, because I'm always ecstatic when my native English-speaker friends are interested in learning my language.

For example, I definitely think Billy would ask Alice to teach him korean—and she'd be really excited for that. Not to mention, I feel like Billy just has the vibe of someone who'd be interested in learning different languages. (and korean in particular I think he'd definitely find interesting.)

I also definitely think Jen would try learning Sicilian for Lilia, considering the effort she makes to understand her and keep her comfortable towards the end. Lilia would be so moved, because she probably hasn't spoken to anyone in her mother-tongue in centuries. Like, it's literally considered an endanged language. (“Currently considered a “vulnerable” language by UNESCO, Sicilian faces increasing pressure from standard Italian, though it remains stronger than nearly all other Italian language varieties.”)

Mrs. Davis loves making food for all of them, always trying to diversify her cooking to suit their appetites, their cultures, the things each of them can eat, etc. It's a lot, but she doesn't mind!! She's a grandma!! She loves feeding people—and she missed having someone to cook for.

She grows her greens all by herself, too. Rio occasionally helps her with weeding and stuff. Mrs. Davis is freaked out by her rancid vibes at first, but ends up saying she's a “very sweet girl,” to which everyone responds by staring at her horrified.

Mrs. Davis would also definitely make a chore chart for everyone, but it never works out for a NUMBER of reasons.

First or all, Agatha always skips her turn with cleaning, saying that “she forgot.” She knows that either Billy or Sharon will just take care of it anyways. (Jen refuses to do any of Agatha's chores. “She can either do it by herself or drown in her own garbage-”)

Lilia always gets distracted and leaves her chores unfinished. She can only ever remember laundry, for some reason—she does everyone's laundry. But other than that, jeez. My girl is messy and that's okay. She has her very own unique way of finding where she puts her stuff, but others would merely call it chaos. Jen always picks up after her—and Lilia always huffs and puffs about how, “well now I can't find anything!”

Alice is the sort of person who accidentally creates messes everywhere, then stuffs everything wherever she finds. In drawers, under beds, you name it. Very, “out of sight, out of mind.” Like, she probably has “a chair” where she throws all her clothes.

Billy is very responsible, always abiding to the chore chart and oftentimes doing Agatha's chores too.

Jen is a total neat freak. She wants everything to be organised and under control—and she needs everything to smell nice.

She always makes the others scented candles. Agatha claims they're “useless garbage,” but uses them anyways.

Jen is also the one who usually keeps track of the bills and expenses, since she earns the most through her, “real job.”

Lilia is the sort of person to get lost in the mall, or even just the super-market. Alice has needed to look for her more than once.

Agatha loves crushing Jen's videos by appearing in the background and doing whatever bullshit she feels like.

Alice and Billy are everyone's mediators. Whenever someone gets in an argument, they're the ones who force them to work it out.

Alice is very protective of Sharon and Lilia, because she has mommy issues. Agatha has the opposite sort of mommy issues—but Sharon and Lilia treat them both like they're their kids.

The first time Billy brought Eddie to meet his coven, they literally put him through trials to decide whether he's worthy to date their son. Eddie is surprised he's been coven-approved.

“These women are insane, Billy—but then again, so am I for sticking around anyways.”

Eddie is very tired. His favourite coven members are Jen and Alice, who he considers the most normal. I REALLY think he'd fuck with Jen, because they're both so done with everyone else.

[erwinsvow]

shy reader sending rafe nudes for the first time🫢

rafe was so nice to you. his new favorite hobby seemed to be spoiling you—it seemed there was an endless influx of shopping trips and things getting delivered to your house after being mentioned once. you don't know how he always got it right, the exact color you wanted or the perfect size. especially when you weren't even sure which style was the best or were having trouble picking between two. rafe would decide for you, usually picking right or just ending up buying both.

he was very good at this whole thing, and though you had trouble accepting his genoursity at first, you felt you were growing into it quite nicely.

the constant denial that you wanted something turned into a sweet, grateful smile when rafe offered to get it. worrying about how expensive something was long-forgotten, instead you gave rafe a kiss on the cheek instead of mentioning it.

and the best part was that he liked it, liked taking care of you, liked making sure you had the things you wanted. he'd even gotten a shiny silver credit card with his name on it, had insisted that you use it for things.

"what kinda man am i, huh? if my girl has to buy herself nice things. that's no way to treat your best girl, huh?"

mostly he just wanted to hear you call yourself his girl, but it was getting easier and easier to swipe it out and about.

you fell into the trap of the saleswoman at the lingerie store—you'd come once before to buy some nighties when you started sleeping over at tannyhill every single night. you'd handed her the silver card, thinking about what rafe had in store for you if you showed up wearing what you'd just bought, when she snapped you out of it

"is that all for today mrs. cameron?"

she'd transported you into a completely different spiral. so you had returned with a craving to hear yourself be called that again, buying anything and everything that caught your eye, but mostly things that you thought rafe would like.

on your way out, still elated from the sheer headrush of being called mrs. cameron, you don't even notice the missed call and texts from rafe, not until you get home and put on the first of many new outfits.

rafey: what the hell is la perla. the fuck did you buy for $500??

dolled up in your new outfit, you angle yourself to snap a couple of pictures with your phone, the first showing your tits spilling out of the pretty, floral bra and panty set. then you laid down, trying to capture your ass and the best arch you could manage without rafe there to push your back for you. trying on another thing you'd bought, this time a pretty white babydoll, you take a selfie showing just enough of the fabric.

sending the photos without any caption, you wait patiently for the response. but seconds turn into minutes, minutes into ten and twenty, while you wonder if you overstepped, if rafe was displeased at your purchases, at the waste of money.

rafe opens the door so hard it slams, and you flinch.

"get on the bed. now." like always, you comply. you guess he wasn't so mad after all.

[szariahwroteit]

Doll House: A Jude Bellingham + Original Character Erotic Series

18+ Minors DNI

Chapter 5

Tori allowed a day to slip by following the night of the party. Although her mind was tethered to Jude, the reason for her journey to Dubai, she needed a moment to gather her thoughts and find some clarity amidst the whirlwind of emotions swirling within her. The vibrant city stretched out around her, but she felt the need to pause, breathe, and reflect.

However, the next morning, Jude woke up with a newfound determination. There was only one day left of the year, and while he didn’t care for resolutions or using the start of the calendar year to try and implement change, he refused to go into the new year existing in such an awkward space with Tori. They were so new that Jude wouldn’t call what they were amid growing pains, but he knew it was a hurdle they had to get over together if they wanted to be in each other’s lives.

He understood how daunting his life may have seemed and how sought after he was by women, but he also needed Tori to understand that it was her he wanted.

As one of the most heavily documented footballers of the current generation with a star power that only seemed to be going from strength 

to strength, women came in droves, but having options didn't mean much when there was already someone in his line of sight. 

Slipping on his sneakers, Jude stood from his seat on the edge of his plush hotel bed, grabbing his phone and wallet before stepping out of his suite. 

Letting out a breath he'd been holding, Jude made his way towards Tori’s room, his palms clammy despite the coolness of the hotel corridor. 

She'd texted him around an hour prior letting Jude know she was awake, but that had been their first interaction since the night of the party in his teammate's hotel suite. 

She’d spent the day before ignoring every call and message he sent her, only reading them before closing out of the chat. 

Although it wasn't in Jude’s intentions to hurt her, he was man enough to acknowledge how careless he'd been and as possessive and ego-driven as it may have sounded, it wasn't until he saw Tpri with Alex that he fully realized the error of his actions. 

To even see her standing beside another man made Jude’s skin crawl and adding insult to injury Alex had an arrogance about him that Jude didn't care for at all. 

With each step towards Tori's room, Jude's heart raced. The sound of his footsteps echoed softly in the quiet corridor, mirroring the internal chaos brewing within him. He thought back to the moment he recognized his feelings for her—how genuine her laughter was, how her eyes sparkled with excitement, and how she brought a sense of warmth into his otherwise chaotic life.

Reaching her door, he paused, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. He wanted to be honest, to lay everything out on the table, but he also didn't want to come off as desperate or overbearing. He had to strike a balance between vulnerability and strength. 

Before he could second-guess himself, he knocked gently. A few moments passed, and just as he was about to knock again, the door swung open, revealing Tori. She looked beautiful, her hair tousled messy bun and her eyes slightly puffy from sleep. There was a hint of surprise etched on her face, but it quickly faded into an unreadable expression.

“Hey,” Jude said, trying to keep his voice steady. “Can we talk?”

Tori hesitated but then stepped aside to let him in. The air was thick with unspoken words as he entered the room. She stood a few feet away, her arms crossed defensively over her chest as if shielding herself from whatever was about to transpire.

“I should have been more considerate of your feelings, I should have been more attentive and the last thing I want is for you to feel as if I’m just dragging you along for the ride.” Jude took a deep breath, searching for the right words to convey the depth of his emotions. 

“I know I messed up. But I also can't ignore the fact that I feel like you're holding back or anticipating me fucking up,” he continued. 

“I’m not waiting for you to fuck up, Jude I have no idea what I’m doing,” Tori attempted to explain. 

Jude took a step closer, his desire to bridge the gap between them almost palpable. “Then help me understand,” he urged, his voice softer now. “Because I want to be around you.”

Tori looked into Jude’s eyes, searching for answers, for reassurance, for something to break the tension that clung to the room like a thick fog. His sincerity was evident, yet doubt still clouded her thoughts. “The world is yours to do as you please with, the other night made me realize that and it's unfair of me to expect you to change anything about your world because I'm uncomfortable.”

They’d only known each other a few short weeks, but those weeks had been a whirlwind of emotions and unpredictability. Everything that had happened between them thus far has stemmed from impulse and raw attraction to one another, but eventually, they had to be real with themselves and for Tori; this was that. 

“I get that, Tori,” Jude replied, his voice steady despite internally trying to keep his frustration at bay. “But just because I can do something doesn't mean I will, I have self-control.” 

“I never said you didn't,” Tori shot back, a flicker of defiance in her eyes. 

“That’s what it feels like you're getting at.” Jude leaned in slightly, trying to gauge her reaction. “You’re implying that my lifestyle somehow dictates what I should want, or who I should be. But that's not the case, not with you. I need you to see that.” 

The charged atmosphere hung between them, heavy with expectation. Tori took a deep breath, the fight in her eyes softening momentarily as she considered his words. “I just don’t want to end up being another woman in your life, Jude. I want to matter to you—not just because I’m a different kind of distraction.” 

Jude shook his head firmly, his expression earnest. “You already do matter to me. You’re not a distraction. Being with you feels real, and that’s what terrifies me and excites me all at once. I want to make this work, but I need you to meet me halfway.” 

Tori dropped her arms, the defensiveness slowly peeling away. The vulnerability in Jude's eyes tugged at her heart. She could feel the sincerity of his desire, how he was trying to carve out a space for both of them amidst a storm of external pressures. 

“Halfway…” she murmured, the thought lingering in the air. 

“Yes,” he urged. “Let’s be honest with each other. I won’t pretend that it’s easy for either of us, especially with my world. But if you’re willing to try then I'm here.”

Tori felt a knot in her stomach loosen just a bit with Jude's words. They felt genuine, the kind of honesty that could either lead to something beautiful—or something painful. But she wanted to lay down her fears, to strip away the layers of uncertainty that had built up between them. “I want to try too,” she said finally, her voice steadying. “But I need you to understand where I’m coming from. I can’t just dive in without knowing if we’re on the same page.” 

Jude nodded, his expression softening. “Tell me what you need to know.” 

Taking a deep breath, Tori plunged into vulnerability, the words tumbling out. “I just need you to see with me. I'm not asking for constant reassurance, I just want to know that we’re exploring this together, to understand what we both want.”

Jude took a moment to process her words, his heart swelling with the weight of her honesty. “Tori, I want you,” he said firmly.

“If by chance that changes, please just—” Before Tori could complete her thought, Jude swiftly moved forward, enveloping her in his embrace. His arms wrapped securely around her, pulling her close as his lips crashed against hers, the intensity of the kiss catching her off guard. It was a fierce, passionate connection, igniting a spark that surged between them.

Tori felt herself melt into Jude, losing track of the worries that had weighed so heavily on her mind just moments before. The kiss was all-consuming, filling the room with a warmth that pushed away all thoughts of uncertainty. She could taste the determination in his kiss, the promise of sincerity that lingered in the air around them.

As they pulled apart slightly, she could feel Jude's heart beating against her chest, a rhythm that matched the unrest of emotions swirling within her. He looked down at her, his eyes dark and intense, searching her expression for any sign of hesitation. 

“I won't change my world, Tori,” he said quietly, his voice just above a whisper, “but I want to invite you into it. I need you to trust me.”

Tori nodded slowly, grappling with the flood of emotions rushing through her. Fear, exhilaration, longing—it was all entangled within her, but she found solace in Jude's presence. “I want to trust you, Jude,” she admitted, looking up at him, “I just need to know that you see me.”

He stepped back slightly but kept his hands on her arms, grounding her. “I see you,” he insisted, his voice sincere.

“Then can you kiss me again?” Jude's lips curled into a smirk, a playful glint sparking in his eyes at her request. He took a step closer again, his grip on her arms tightening just a fraction before he gently tilted her chin up. The air between them felt electric, charged with an undeniable chemistry that had been simmering since they first met.

“Are you sure?” he teased, though the sincerity in his tone was evident. He wanted to ensure that she was ready for whatever this connection could bring—because he certainly was.

With a soft breath, Tori nodded, her heart racing in anticipation. The nervousness in her stomach began to dissipate, replaced with an exhilarating rush that accompanied Jude’s every movement. He leaned closer, his breath warming her skin, and then his lips met hers once more in a slow, deliberate kiss.

It started gentle, a tentative exploration, a soft brush of lips that spoke of longing. But as the kiss deepened, it morphed into something more urgent and impassioned. Jude’s hands found their way to her waist, lifting her so he could carry her over to the bed. 

Tori couldn't help but giggle as Jude positioned himself above her, his strong hands framing her face. He leaned in closer, his breath warm against her skin, and gently captured the delicate curve of her neck between his teeth, sending a shiver down her spine. The playful intimacy of the moment filled the air with a charged tension that made her heart race.

“All I want is to make you smile,” Jude murmured against her skin, his right hand moving from beside her head to grip her hip holding her in place. 

“I think you do a good job most of the time,” Tori smirked, reaching up to run her fingers through Jude’s coils as she looked into his eyes. 

“Most of the time?” he repeated in mock offence. 

“Most of the time,” Tori confirmed. “For example when you're at parties receiving lap dances, I'm not too hot on you,” she said, making Jude frown playfully before pushing his face back into the crease of her neck. 

“Okay, I deserve that one,” Jude admitted, his voice muffled against her skin. He pulled back slightly, his forehead resting against hers, their breaths mingling in the intimate space between them. “But, can I make you moan?” he asked, a playful challenge dancing in his eyes.

Tori's breath hitched, her heart racing at the sudden turn of the conversation. The boldness in his question sent heat pooling in her stomach, igniting an undeniable desire within her. She met his gaze, searching for sincerity among the playful banter, and found it. Jude wasn’t just teasing; he genuinely wanted to know.

“Depends on how you plan to do it,” she shot back, teasingly raising an eyebrow, her confidence blossoming in the aftermath of their heightened emotions.

“I want to taste you,” Jude whispered hotly into her ear. 

“Is that so?” she replied, her voice sultry, laced with intrigue as she arched an eyebrow, daring him to make his move. 

“Absolutely,” Jude affirmed, his confidence unwavering. He shifted his weight ever so slightly, his body pressing closer to hers. “Let me show you how I plan to make you moan.”

With that, he trailed his lips down the side of her neck, savouring the taste of her skin as his hand reached between them to pull apart her robe, cupping her breast. Tori gasped, every nerve in her body igniting under his caress. The sensation was rousing, the promise of what was to come sending spirals of desire coursing through her.

“Jude,” she breathed the warmth of his mouth on her skin, sending a tingle down her spine. 

“Relax,” he breathed out, his lips and tongue continuing their exploration, trailing lower, sending waves of pleasure shooting through her. His fingers danced over her soft skin, igniting a fire that made her pulse quicken.

“Just let me enjoy you,” he murmured, his breath hot against her as he settled between her legs, raising her left leg to come and rest over her shoulder so she lay completely exposed to him, the space around them fading into a blur of colour and sound, leaving only the two of them.

Tori let out a breathless moan as Jude pressed an open-mouthed kiss against her pussy, groaning as he got his first taste of her on his tongue. 

The sensation rocked through Tori like a bolt of lightning, her body instinctively responding to the warmth and pressure of his mouth. She gasped as he explored her with slow, deliberate movements, his tongue dancing over her sensitive folds, teasing her in a way that made her forget everything else around them.

Jude’s eyes flicked up to meet with hers as she felt his lips spread into a smile against her before he went to work on her.

Tori’s hand reached up to cover her mouth as a means of silencing her moans as Jude feasted on her pussy, his skin slippery against hers from a combination of his saliva and her arousal. 

The sounds that came from his ministrations were lewd, he sucked and slurped on Tori as her back arched from the bed completely intoxicated by her. 

Her senses were overwhelmed, the way Jude's mouth moved with expert preciseness sending waves of pleasure coursing through her body. The air was electric with tension, the intensity of their connection radiating like a wildfire, each gasp she stifled only fueling the fire within. As her breath hitched, her fingers tightened in his hair, guiding him closer, craving more of the intoxicating sensations he created. Every flick of his tongue sent her spiralling deeper into ecstasy, and at that moment, nothing else mattered but the connection they shared, lost in a world of indulgent pleasure.

“You have such a pretty pussy,” Jude groaned, leaning back a little to make room so he could use his thumbs to spread her open, gathering saliva on the end of his tongue before allowing it to drip from his mouth onto her. 

Tori gasped softly at the improper compliment, a rush of heat flooding her cheeks and spreading lower, intensifying the throbbing ache between her thighs.

"Take it," she managed to murmur, her voice breathy and laced with desire.

As if to emphasize her point, Tori's hips tilted upward, offering herself to him more fully. The cool air kissed her damp folds, a stark contrast to the burning heat of Jude's gaze as he took in the sight of her splayed out before him.

"Please," she whimpered, the word escaping her lips before she could stop it. Her fingers tightened in his hair, not quite demanding, but urging him to continue.

At that moment, Tori felt wild, uninhibited, and completely surrendered to the sensations coursing through her body as she watched Jude stand from the bed to remove his clothes before grabbing his wallet and retrieving a condom from it.

“I want you inside of me,” Tori's eyes fluttered open, meeting Jude's gaze with an intensity that stole his breath away. "Please Jude," she whispered, her voice rough with need. "I want to feel you inside me."

She reached for him, her fingers trailing down his chest, leaving goosebumps in their wake. “You’re so beautiful," she murmured, her voice slightly deepening with desire.

Tori's hips lifted off the bed, a silent invitation, an offering of her body and soul. Her legs spread wider, a clear display of her readiness, her need for him.

"Take me," she breathed, the words both a plea and a command. "Make me yours."

In that moment, Tori was lost to everything except the fire burning within her, the aching void that only Jude could fill. She needed him with an intensity that consumed her, obliterating any remnants of doubt or hesitation.

Crawling on top of her petite and slender, yet dangerously curvaceous body Jude led with his tongue as parted her lips so she could taste herself. 

As Jude's tongue parted Tori's lips, she moaned softly, the taste of her own arousal mingling with the unique flavour of Jude. It was a heady combination, one that sent a fresh wave of desire crashing through her body.

Tori's arms wrapped around Jude's neck, pulling him closer as she deepened the kiss. Her tongue danced with his, exploring every inch of his mouth with a fervour that matched the intensity of their earlier passion.

Lost in the heat of the moment, Tori arched her back, pressing her body flush against Jude's. She could feel every contour of his muscular frame, the hard planes of his chest rubbing against the soft swells of her breasts.

The friction of their bodies moving together stoked the fire within Tori, her skin tingling with anticipation. She needed more, craved the feel of Jude's hands on her body, his touch igniting a trail of sparks wherever he caressed her.

Their bodies undulated together, a sensual dance fueled by primal need. Tori's hands explored Jude's back, her fingers tracing the contours of his muscles, marvelling at the strength that lay beneath his skin.

Jude groaned against her lips, the sound muffled by their kiss. His hands roamed her body, skimming over the dip of her waist, and the flare of her hips, before coming to rest on the soft curves of her ass. 

With a firm squeeze, Jude lifted Tori's hips, angling them so that he could slide into her with one smooth thrust. The sensation was indescribable, a perfect reunion of flesh on flesh that left them both gasping for breath.

“Tori, you feel fucking perfect,” Jude groaned into the crease of her neck, his hand slipping from her to wrap around her thighs and pin her to the bed beneath him. 

Jude had never considered himself a man with sadistic tendencies, but where sex with Tori was concerned; she possessed an innocence he wanted to ruin and protect all at once. 

She was so submissive to pleasure, both giving and receiving and all he wanted to do was explore that—explore her. 

Tori's body arched into Jude's touch, a soft gasp escaping her lips as he filled her completely. The sensation was overwhelming, bordering on painful in its intensity, yet Tori welcomed it, craving more.

"Ah!" Tori let out a throaty cry as Jude slammed deep into her, the sudden fullness stealing her breath. "God, yes! Fuck me harder, Jude!"

Tori's nails raked down Jude's back, her fingers digging into his skin as she urged him on. Her hips bucked against his, meeting each of his thrusts with equal fervour, driving them both closer to the brink of ecstasy. 

"You're so fucking tight," Jude grunted, his voice strained with the effort of holding back. "So good, baby." Tori's head fell back against the pillows, her dark hair fanning out around her like a halo.

“Get on top, I want to watch your beautiful little body while you ride me,” Jude continued, raising his head so he could look into her eyes. 

Tori hesitated, her eyes widening slightly at his request for a change in position. She wasn't used to taking the lead in the bedroom, preferring to let him guide her. 

But there was something about Jude's command, the way he looked at her with such raw desire, that made her want to please him, to give him exactly what he wanted.

Slowly, carefully, Tori manoeuvred herself into a straddling position, her knees on either side of Jude's hips. She could feel the heat of his body, the hard length of him pressing against her core, and it sent a shiver of anticipation through her.

As Tori lowered herself onto Jude's cock, she couldn't help but moan softly at the sensation of being filled, stretched, and consumed by him. Her walls clenched around him as if trying to keep him inside her, never to let him go.

Tori’s mouth fell open in a silent cry, her eyes locking with Jude’s as he raised his hips beneath her, the head of his cock kissing firmly against her cervix. 

A rush of sensations flooded Tori’s body, the fullness igniting every nerve ending as she gasped at the invasive, yet welcomed pressure. Jude’s intense gaze held hers captive, the heat of his desire reflecting back at her like flames in a hearth. 

“Fuck, you feel unbelievable,” he rasped, thrusting gently as he pushed deeper, each subtle movement sending electric jolts of pleasure cascading through her. Tori arched her back, her hard nipples brushing against his chest, intuitively wanting more of him, more of this exquisite connection.

“More,” she urged, her voice barely a whisper, heavy with longing. “Please, Jude... I need it.”

A predacious grin spread across his face, and without a moment’s hesitation, he complied. Placing a hand on the back of her neck and the other on the small of her back, pulling her body flush against his. 

With a powerful roll of his hips, Jude drove deeper, claiming her in a way that turned her breath into a string of frantic gasps. The rhythmic motion filled the space between them with an intoxicating harmony that made her pulse race. Tori’s body melted against his, surrendering to the waves of pleasure that rippled through her, echoing with each thrust.

“Jude, you're so deep,” she moaned, her voice weak with desire as the sensation overwhelmed her. It felt as if he were reaching into her very soul, each movement igniting a fire that blazed hotter with every stroke.

“Look at me,” he growled his words lacking in diction as his hand on the back of her neck came to wrap around her throat, easing her body to sit up some so he could look into her eyes as he rounded his hips into Tori, fucking her incredibly deep. 

Tori’s heart raced, the combination of his grip and his commanding gaze sending shivers of exhilaration down her spine. She loved this side of him, the way he took charge, the way his need matched her own. The space around them faded, leaving only the two of them tangled in a whirlwind of heat and desire.

“Jude…” she breathed, her voice trembling as she leaned into his touch, craving both his possession and his passion. The intensity of his stare felt almost tangible, wrapping around her and binding them in this moment of unadulterated pleasure.

“Tell me how it feels,” he urged, his voice low and rough, sending a thrill of excitement coursing through her veins.

It took Tori a moment to gather her thoughts, to articulate the overwhelming sensations crashing through her. “It’s... so much,” she managed, her breath hitching as he ground deeper inside her, every thrust perfectly timed to lift her closer to the edge. “It’s everything, Jude. Just—just don’t stop.”

His eyes burned with a mix of ownership and satisfaction, and he revelled in her response as if her words were his own personal high. He adjusted his angle, hitting a spot that sent a wave of pleasure washing over her, causing her to arch into him. 

“Don’t ever second guess how fucking perfect you are,” Jude growled, his voice deep and resonant, filled with raw need. He intensified his pace, each thrust resonating through her as he delved deeper, pushing her closer to the brink. The heat between them crackled, an electric current that sparked at every point of contact, igniting every sense.

Tori’s breath quickened, each inhaling a desperate gasp for air as if the sheer force of their connection threatened to overwhelm her lungs. 

“Oh god, Jude… yes,” she cried, her back arching further, urging him on. It was as if his every touch had created a symphony within her—a melody of pleasure that coursed through her veins, building to a crescendo that she could almost taste.

“Feel how much I want you,” Jude painted, a hint of desperation creeping into his voice as he quickened the rhythm. His hands roamed her body, exploring every curve, every contour, as though he wanted to memorize her completely.

Finally settling his hands on her hips as he bit down on his bottom lip, Jude’s brow furrowed as his gaze fixed on Tori's glossy brown eyes as she gave herself to him. 

The connection between them deepened with every thrust, a magnetic pull that transcended the physical realm. Tori felt exhilarated and vulnerable all at once, ensnared in a dance of ecstasy that made her skin tingle and her heart race. Jude’s gaze burned into her, the depth of his desire setting her aflame from within.

“You’re everything I want,” he murmured, his breath hot against her ear as he quickened his rhythm, driving them both higher.

As Tori’s eyelids heavy with lust slid shut, she felt a singular tear of unadulterated pleasure roll down her cheek, a physical testament to the overwhelming sensations coursing through her body. Every thrust from Jude felt like a promise, each powerful movement igniting more than just her body; it deepened their bond, drawing them closer together as though they were the only two souls in existence.

“Jude,” she gasped, opening her eyes to meet him once more, searching for some kind of guidance. Her body was his, even if only for the moment. 

“Let go,” he urged, his voice a heated whisper as he captured her gaze, anchoring her in the depth of their connection. Tori felt as if he was unravelling her from the inside out, his words wrapping around her heart like a warm embrace. The trust between them intensified the experience, elevating every sensation beyond the physical.

“Just you and me,” he said, his breath heavy with need. “Nothing else matters right now.” With those words, he thrust deeper, asserting that claim within her, pushing her to places she had never dreamed of reaching.

Tori managed a nod, her voice lost in the tumult of pleasure. She surrendered completely to the moment, allowing the waves of ecstasy to wash over her. The rhythm between them grew urgent, a fierce manifestation of their shared longing, building in intensity with every tide.

“Fuck, you feel amazing,” Jude groaned, his hands tightening possessively around her hips as he lost himself in her. The pressure building within her was electric, every pulse of pleasure drawing her closer to that swirling vortex of release. 

“Jude, I—I can’t hold on much longer,” she warned, her words whisper-soft amidst the gasps and moans echoing through the room. 

“Good,” he encouraged with a primal growl, his eyes darkened with lust. “Let it go, Tori. I want to feel you cum on me.” 

With each powerful thrust, he pushed her closer to that edge, his rhythm relentless, a beautiful pinnacle that made everything else fade into oblivion. Tori’s body responded instinctively, tightening around him as if seeking to pull him even deeper.

“Jude!” she cried out, feeling the pleasure tighten into a coil, ready to unravel. He pressed on, relentless in his pursuit, his voice a seductive growl that wrapped around her heart. 

“Just let it happen, Tori. Feel all of me,” he coached his hands firmly gripping her hips as he tilted his hips into her, making sure she felt every last pulsing inch.

The intensity of their connection reached a fever pitch, each thrust adding fuel to the fires that roared within her. Tori could feel the overwhelming waves of pleasure crashing over her, a tsunami she couldn’t hope to hold back any longer. Every nerve in her body tingled with need, each pulse syncopated with Jude’s movement, forging a bond between them.

“Just like that!” she gasped, her words melting into moans, expressing the bliss that swelled within her. Every inch of her became attuned to his rhythm, and she relished the dance of their bodies—the slick sliding sensation that came with each thrust, their shared breaths mingling in the charged air.

Tori’s fingers tangled in his hair as she leaned forward, wanting to feel every part of him pressing against her. “I’m so close,” she confessed, her voice breathless and laced with desperation. The heat radiating from his body set her ablaze, igniting a fire that refused to be quenched.

“Cum for me,” he commanded, his voice raw with desire, pushing her to the brink. His hands gripped her tighter, anchoring her as he thrust deep, each movement driving her closer to the edge she was so desperately in pursuit of.

Tori's body quaked above him, the tension coiling tighter and tighter. She could barely string words together, lost in the depths of her pleasure. “Jude, I can’t… I—”

“Give it to me,” he urged, his strained as he felt his end nearing. “Please, Tori.” The desperation in his voice pushed her over the edge, that insistent tone igniting the last spark of her restraint.  

With one final thrust, Jude buried himself deep inside her, and Tori felt the world swirl around her. The coil of pleasure snapped, sending shockwaves coursing through her body as her orgasm shattered every thought, every worry, leaving only raw ecstasy in its wake. Waves of pleasure rippled through her, overwhelming her senses, and she forgot everything except the intoxicating rhythm of their bodies entwined.

“Jude!” She cried out, her voice hoarse as she let herself fall into that abyss of pleasure, riding the crest of the wave as it crashed over her. Every muscle in her body tightened, and she felt herself pulsing around him, tightening and pulsing in the throes of her release.

“That’s it, baby,” he grunted, his own body responding instinctively to the feel of her climax. With each tightening clench of her walls around him, Jude lost himself completely, the warmth of her body drawing him into a well of bliss. 

He felt his release building, the intensity of her orgasm pushing him over the edge. “I’m right there with you,” he groaned, his breath coming in ragged gasps. 

Tori locked her gaze on his, their breaths mingling as they rode the waves together. The connection between them deepened with each pulse, each beat of their hearts echoing in time. 

“Jude!” she gasped, as another wave washed over her, pulling him along in its wake, and then, as if their bodies were synchronized, he delved deep into her, stilling as he poured himself into the condom he wore. 

“Fuck, Tori!” he cried out, the sensation of her wrapping around him perfectly driving him over the edge as his cock filled her completely.

As the remains of their orgasms gradually faded, Tori collapsed against Jude, panting against his chest, both of them lost in a cocoon of warmth and satisfaction. Her heart raced, still thumping with remnants of pleasure as she felt Jude’s arms wrap around her, holding her close.

After a few moments of blissful silence, Tori began to regain consciousness of her surroundings, the warm afterglow of their passion enveloping her like a cozy blanket. The city outside was bustling with life, but inside the room, time felt suspended, a private moment shared between just the two of them. Tori would have been content to lie there forever, nestled against him, but a sudden wave of apprehension washed over her. 

Jude, sensing her shift in mood, tightened his grip around her. "What are you thinking?" he asked softly, his voice low as he stroked her hair, pulling her even closer. 

“Not much,” she mumbled, nestling deeper against the warmth of his chest. The contentment surrounding them was intoxicating, even as a flicker of reality started to seep back in. 

“I was thinking about taking you shopping today,” Jude suggested, a teasing lilt in his voice, his fingers gently grazing back and forth over the small of her back. “I want to spoil you a little.”

“Spoil me?” she asked teasingly, tilting her head to look up at him.

“Yes,” he replied, a charming grin spreading across his face. “So you can get dressed up for me tonight while we bring in the New Year.”

Not only was it a chance to spoil her and in turn feed his ego, but there was also something about the act, the quality time spent that seemed rather intimate to him. 

“What would you like to see me in?” Tori asked with a smirk as she sat up, her breast round and perky as she straddled Jude’s lap. 

Jude's gaze darkened with desire as he took in the sight of her sitting on him, her body radiating confidence and allure. “Honestly? I like you in absolutely nothing, but a dress would be more fitting considering our plans for tonight,” he replied, his voice low and gravelly.

Tori felt her cheeks flush at his words, the compliment igniting a warmth within her. “What are our plans for tonight?” she asked, her breath deepening as Jude’s hands came to rest on her hips. 

“Dinner and then a New Year's Eve party at the marina,” he explained, his dark eyes locking onto hers, filled with anticipation. “And you have my word no lap dances will be taking place,” he smirked, earning a laugh and playful punch to the bicep from Tori. 

When they finally pulled themselves from the bed, Tori made her way into the bathroom to get ready as Jude went to leave her hotel room and head back to his own. 

As he pulled open the door of Tori’s room, he noticed Alex walking towards him, dressed in a suit similar to the one he wore the night of the party when he comforted Tori. 

Instead of saying anything, Jude offered Alex a knowing smirk, his body still humming for the passionate encounter he just had with Victoria. 

Making his way back to his room, Jude changed clothes and alerted his security guard of his plans to leave the hotel with Tori. 

As he dressed, Jude felt a sense of anticipation bubbling within him. The thought of taking Tori shopping, of sharing the day with her, filled him with excitement. He couldn't wait to see her in something stunning for the New Year’s Eve party, something that would make her stand out and remind everyone—especially Alex—who she belonged to.

Once he was ready, Jude stepped out of his suite and made his way down the corridor to Tori's room. He knocked, his heart racing again at the thought of seeing her. The door swung open, and Tori stood there, looking radiant despite the casual outfit she wore. A fitted black top hugged her frame, paired with high-waisted jeans that accentuated her curves perfectly.

“Tori,” Jude spoke up, his voice laced with genuine admiration. “You look incredible.”

Tori smiled shyly, a light blush creeping onto her cheeks. “Thanks. I figured I’d keep it simple for shopping,” she said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“Simple? You look anything but,” Jude replied, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. “Come here,” he instructed. 

Tori’s heart fluttered at the command in his voice, and she took a small step toward him, curiosity lighting up her eyes. Jude reached out, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. 

Tori’s breath hitched in her throat as Jude pressed a kiss against her plump lips, his hands slipping down to caress her backside as he walked her backwards into the nearest wall. 

His mouth moved against hers with a hot intensity, igniting a fire within Tori that she couldn’t ignore. She thawed into him, her body responding instinctively as he deepened the kiss, his tongue exploring the warmth of her mouth. 

“We need to leave or I'm going to end up fucking the shit out of you in this entryway,” Jude groaned against her lips, a teasing smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. Tori couldn't help but laugh softly, the tension of the previous days melting away in this moment of intimacy.

“Then we should hurry,” she replied, her voice playful, yet filled with a thrill of excitement. She stepped back, breaking the embrace just enough to catch her breath and regain her composure. Looking into Jude's eyes, she felt an undeniable connection, one that made her heart race and her stomach flutter.

Jude gave her a lopsided grin, clearly enjoying her reaction. “Shopping first, party later.”

Tori grinned, her excitement bubbling to the surface as she took Jude's hand, guiding him toward the door. “Lead the way then,” she said, her voice playful.

[riddlerosehearts]

thinking about how people who watch the emperor's new groove and somehow come out of it shipping pacha and kuzco, or thinking yzma only became evil when kuzco fired her and that she would've been a better ruler than him, are both so wrong in so many different ways and are also missing one of the things that i absolutely love about the movie. which is that, the way i see it, pacha and yzma are counterparts. as parental figures to kuzco.

like, just to get this out of the way first, yzma was a dismissive asshole to a peasant whose family was starving. and yeah, if kuzco had been in her place he definitely would've also done that, which... is why she would not be a better ruler than him. she'd just be the same because they're both horrible people in the exact same ways. her reaction to being fired is to plot murder, and as soon as his funeral is over she sets everyone to work on replacing paintings of kuzco with paintings of herself and covering the palace with imagery that makes it clear that it's all about her now. i'm not even sure why this is a discussion tbh.

and also, kuzco is literally a teenager. he's barely 18 years old. source: in the movie, yzma says at his funeral that kuzco was "taken from us so tragically on the very eve of his eighteenth birthday." she also claims in the movie to have "practically raised" him, to which kronk replies "yeah, you'd think he would've turned out better". and sure, she could be exaggerating, but what evidence do we have that she is? we learn absolutely nothing of his parents, who are never mentioned even once in the movie, or of anyone else who could've raised him, and she's his advisor who for some reason sees no problem with attending to royal duties in his place. most likely because she's his regent. also, i'm not exactly a fan of the sequel tv series "the emperor's new school" but it does have something that backs up my point: kuzco is revealed to be an orphan and just before his father went and got lost at sea, he asked yzma (who was also his advisor) to take care of kuzco if anything happened to him. so, yeah, the writers who worked on the series clearly thought that yzma genuinely did raise kuzco, and nothing in the movie contradicts this.

and i find the idea of her being his only parental figure for pretty much his whole childhood incredibly interesting because, and this also goes back into why she wouldn't be a better ruler than him--she mirrors him as a reflection of what would've become of him if he'd never met pacha. they're both incredibly arrogant, power-hungry, selfish, and cruel, with a tendency to blame their problems on everyone but themselves. yzma was even originally going to have her own reprise of kuzco's theme song "perfect world", which i really wish had been kept:

[ID: Lyrics that read:

I'Il be the sovereign queen of the nation And the chicest chick in creation I'm the cat with all the cream and ooh-la-la This deadly concentration Will put an end to my frustration Now this perfect world begins and ends with moi

What's my name? Yzma, Yzma, Yzma Yzma (what's my name?) Yzma, Yzma (What'd you say?) Yzma (Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!) Yzma. End ID]

(this song can be fully heard in "the sweatbox", the documentary about the making of the movie, and is also on youtube btw)

anyway, i'm sure yzma would not exactly have been the most nurturing or hands-on guardian, especially given that she and kuzco don't exactly treat each other like family. but it makes a lot of sense to think that her behavior influened kuzco's throughout the years. and for the entire movie, she remains determined to kill him. when he tries to reason with her and admits that he should've been nicer, she says the same thing to him that he originally said when he fired her. she never grows or changes and in the end, she hurts the one person who was willing to stand by her (and even then, kronk had never fully been on board with her plan) and he ends up trying to crush her with a chandelier. kuzco on the other hand is able to realize the error of his ways, come to regret who he was in the past, and start taking steps toward being a better person. his theme song gets a reprise where it's changed from a song about one person being the center of the world to a Power Of Friendship song. why? because, as i've already mentioned, he has pacha.

pacha, who similarly to both yzma and kuzco is in a position of authority as the leader of the village but unlike either of them is gentle and humble. who isn't afraid to stand up to kuzco and be honest with him even though he's the emperor, who agrees to take him back to the palace but has no obligation to be so helpful, kind, and caring toward him--and just about every reason not to be--and still chooses to be anyway. pacha who is 45 years old (also stated in the sweatbox documentary) and can see that kuzco is practically still a kid, not a single day over 18, who has time to grow and change. pacha, who already has a wife and two kids with another on the way, but practically treats kuzco like one of his own. who acknowledges that if kuzco dies all his problems will be gone and then still worries about him and goes out of his way to rescue him after he wanders into the jungle. who sees kuzco shivering at night and covers him with his poncho, who carries him when he's genuinely too weak to keep walking, who refuses to give up on him even after repeatedly being betrayed by him because he believes there's good in everyone.

also, while yzma ends up repeating kuzco's harsh words of dismissal as she tells him of her plans to kill him, kuzco had previously repeated pacha's words that "nobody's that heartless" after he saved pacha's life. and as the movie progresses kuzco and pacha's relationship becomes more and more equal and is constantly contrasted by moments of yzma being cruel and unappreciative of kronk's kindness. a good example of this is how kronk is constantly being forced to carry yzma everywhere on his back while yzma literally walks all over him and steps on his hands when she gets down, whereas when pacha briefly carries kuzco after the latter collapses he tells him he'll have to walk the rest of the way later and kuzco doesn't even protest.

idk if i'm even explaining well what i'm trying to say here. but basically, if yzma actually raised kuzco and contributed to his current behavior, then she and pacha both are figures who guided him and helped him grow. only yzma helped him become the tyrant that he was at the start of the movie, who was selfish and callous and saw everyone else as beneath him. whereas pacha helped him see the value in being selfless and considerate of others. and in the end, yzma is stuck as a cat and nobody is concerned about her. kronk has found a new job that makes him genuinely happy, while kuzco has decided to build a hut on the hill next to pacha's and effectively joined his family. in the sweatbox documentary it's even mentioned that chicha and the kids were at risk of being removed from the film, but it was decided that they needed to be there because having just pacha as a single guy who lived alone wasn't interesting enough--kuzco needed to go from having basically an empty world where he had nobody to being able to come together with pacha's whole family. and i just think that's incredibly satisfying and beautiful. it also leads up to one of the few things i really do enjoy about the emperor's new school, which is the fact that during the show kuzco moves in with pacha and chicha and pretty explicitly thinks of them as basically his parents while he's like a son to them.

idk. i feel like my mind went in a million different directions while i was writing all this. but i guess i just think that for all of the praise the emperor's new groove gets for its comedy and for how hilarious yzma and kronk in particular are as a duo, the movie also has a lot of genuine heart that gets overlooked. kuzco's character growth and his unique dynamic with pacha is, for me, really what elevates the movie from just a funny movie that i like to one of my favorite disney movies. and i wish more people appreciated that aspect of it and saw it as a found family story in the same way that treasure planet, brother bear, and lilo and stitch are all found family stories.

[poppinspops]

Hey I was just wondering if you could do a descendants 4 Hades x Maleficent x reader were the reader is the kid of the big bad wolf (or the younger version of the big bad wolf) so shes a werewolf and its close the full moon and she feels psychically sick and achy and shes been unintentionally avoiding them the past few days and they get worried. If you do this thank you so much.

Werewolf season

Paring: Hades x Big bad wolf reader x Maleficent

Genre: hurt/comfort, happy ending ofc & werewolf changing described kinda like growing pains..

Warnings: Hurt/comfort, descriptions of pain, cursing, and Grammer/possible spelling errors that I'll fix later

A/N: I was watching an ever after high edit whilst writing this, so if she reminds you of a certain wolf girl.. anyways I'm so sorry this took a hot minute, schools coming up but I hope u like this still!!!

God, was it torture to be in class right now

I mean, how could you stay focused in class when the full moon was coming in two days.

You started your werewolf changing process, which was rather slow this year, taking a full week to start, and of course, the changing process was causing you to be more paranoid, mainly more paranoid of hurting others around you because some werewolfs couldn't control themselves when in their werewolf forms, you being one of the unlucky people.

An incident of this being when you fully changed and attacked a student in freshman year, almost getting yourself expelled if it wasn't for your parents arguing with merlin about how horrible and a 'punch to how werewolves are already treated as monsters' so he'd be setting back all werewolves by years back and adding that you couldn't control yourself in that state making it not your fault

And clearly, your parents won that argument as you're still attending merlin Academy.

And so here you where practically laying on your desk in this boring history class with clenched teeth, wanting nothing more than for it to end.

You forget every year how painful the changing process really was as you felt sick, not a cold sick. Your whole body felt like it was growing and stretching from under your skin, and it was.

Bouncing your leg under the table, trying to distract yourself from the pain you were in as you spaced out or tried to space out, it wasn't really working all too well.

Your eyes kept flickering towards the clock, 10 more minutes until this class ended, you rolled your eyes, they now had a weird itchy feeling so did your hands balling them up and closing your eyes waiting out the minutes till you could run to your dorm room away from the prying eyes of your classmates

Honestly, this class wasn’t all that bad. The teacher was lenient to you being as she did, she'd research on werewolves and could hold your attention for long enough.

But a certain fae, your girlfriend that you just so happened to be avoiding, was currently staring holes into your skull with a slight worried expression on her usually blank face

You had almost forgotten you shared this class together and where seatmates... well, you two didn't actually sit together, but the kid she stole the seat from was too scared to get it back, so it was her seat now.

You felt her hand on your shoulder as she stared down at you. "You've been ignoring me and hades." She said, not caring for the teachers annoyed expression. When she interrupted the teachers rant, she was more focused on her girlfriend, who had been ignoring her and their boyfriend almost all week.

She didn't understand or know why

"I dont know what you're talking about. " You mumbled out a blatant lie through your clenched teeth, eyes avoiding hers.

Maleficents eyebrows furrowed at the lie, her mouth opening to say something but was interrupted by the teacher. "maleficent, i will send you to the principles office if you interrupt me again, im teaching you can talk to your girlfriend later." Maleficent rolled her eyes at the teacher but stayed silent, returning to staring at you

The teacher looked at you, shaking her head but continued on with her boring rant about some old witch called 'glinda' and all her good deeds she'd done for some girl from a place called Kansas. Who would name their kid glinda?

The bell rung signaling classes was over everyone had stared to get up gathering up their stuff to leave but being stopped by your teacher as she spoke loudly "class i will be assigning homework for you to do tomorrow."

Your whole class could be heard groaning and complaining from down the hall as they all packed up their things to leave the classroom. She was the only teacher to assign homework when Castel coming was happening in a week

You had already been out the door the second the teacher finished, heading straight for your dorm

If you had looked back, you would have seen a confused and almost hurt look on your girlfriends face as you practically ran away from her

You'd been lucky enough to get a dorm with a girl that had a boyfriend, so that meant she was never really there, so you had the whole dorm to yourself most of the time

As you rounded the corner, you collided with someone, stumbling back as growling at the person looking up to start yelling at whoever almost made you fall only to see hades your other partner you were avoiding.

Hades looked almost caught off guard by you growling at him. He'd seen you growl at others before, but never him. But that wasn't the only reason for his concerned look

You looked bad. Your hair was messier than normal, your nails looked sharper, almost claw like, and your eyes were blown wide and seemed to have this glow to them, making the normally cocky God concerned

"Are you alright?" He asked, almost uncertain of his words as he stared at his girlfriend who was looking anywhere but at him "I'm fine, I really have to go so..!" You said almost too quickly as you ran past him and towards your dorm you could hear him call out your name but you didn't turn back

Once you got to your dorm, your roommate not being here per usual you flopped onto your bed backpack thrown somewhere across the room as you immediately curled into yourself tail wrapping itself around your front as you just wanted to stay in bed and rot.

Your body ached in places it normally wouldn't it normally shouldnt. your body was growing, changing and it hurt is bad your nails digging into your arms as you held yourself tears brimming in your eyes as you wanted someone to stop it, wanted someone to hug you close without you accidentally hurting them in the process..

As you laid there you heard a knock, not a gentle one, one that makes you jump at how hard it was but it abruptly stops another person is seemingly yelling at someone and soon comes more gentle knocking oh.. you knew both of those knocks maleficent and hades where knocking at your door.

You slowly sat up staring at the door, contemplating if you wanted to open the door knowing your partners that you've been avoiding like the plague the best you could where standing on the other side of the door waiting for you

Begrudgingly, you sit up, sitting on the edge of the bed for a minute or two and getting up your bare feet touching the cold wood floor making you wanna crawl back into bed but you couldn't, not now... sadly.

You slowly walked closer to the door as you hearing the two bicker through the door, making you sigh out loud before twisting the door handle, looking down at your hand and noticing just how long your nails are and how they look a bit dirty before looking away and pulling the door open

The twk stopped arguing when they noticed you standing there, still holding the door handle, turning towards you. maleficent was the first to speak as always

"Why are you ignoring us, and don't say you aren't because you are blatantly." She said, crossing her arms as she spoke, her voice flat like she didn't care but her slightly raised eyebrow, and the way her eye twitched told you otherwise..

hades preferred to stick to snide comments, but he still nodded at what maleficent said, furrowed eyebrows and a frown

You took a breath already regreating your choice of opening the door as now you're being greeted with the consequences of ur actions, actions being not telling your clearly worried partners about being a full werewolf not just the whole werewolf traits and such.

You looked at them a frown of your own now on your face. You stayed quiet for a bit, trying to think of what to say, but your head was empty. There wasn't anything you could say that would be a good excuse, so you kinda shrugged, standing there before you quickly tried to close the door and end this rather tense and awkward silence

But you where stopped by hades boot that was now in between the door keeping you from closing the door, before his hand pushed it back open you looked at the door than him, then maleficent before sighing as you knew they wouldn't leave you alone till they knew why you where ignoring them

"Don't just close the door. We're just worried about you, and we deserve an explanation." Hades said as he looked at you. "You've been avoiding us. Why?" He said as you stayed silent looking away as you realized you couldn't hide this anymore even if you wanted too.

It's not like it was that big if a deal it was just.. you were a bit ashamed for no apparent reason but still

You put a hand on your side that felt a bit like it was streaching, which it was, and it hurt a bit. "I just... I'm sorry, yeah, I've been purposely avoiding you guys it's just.. im a werewolf, and I didn't want you two to think differently about me, so I hide it. " You took a deep breath before speaking awkwardly laughing a bit before continuing."I know it's really not that big of a deal, but it is to me! Being a werewolf is frowned upon, and i was afraid that if you knew, then you wouldn't want to be with me anymore, I guess.."

You took a shaky breath before looking at the two who stayed silent in the doorway. They both had strange looks on their faces that made your heart twist in your chest as the longer they stayed silent, the more you were sure they didn't want to be with you anymore nkt that you'd blame them you did lie to them..

You were one of the monsters people would tell stories to their children about to scare them from going too deep into the woods

Maleficent rolled her eyes as she spoke, "That was the reason you were ignoring us?" Making your eyes snap over to her before shaking your head, yes. "I mean, yeah, it was -"

Maleficent interrupted you as she spoke as if you had said the stupidest thing ever. "Well, that was a stupid reason. We've been together for two years, and I truly couldn't care less what you are. you're our girlfriend either way, beast or not." She stated, shaking her head as hades let out a laugh, making maleficent hit him in the side with her elbow

Now, it was your turn to feel slightly stunned. You felt silly for worrying about what they'd think now that they were here. You really were worrying all for nothing, eyes stinging, and the fatigue finally hitting you

Hades rough hand came to your shoulder lightly pushing you aside so that they could come in instead of standing outside of your room

A softer hand grabbed yours, being careful of the claws that now replaced your nails, leading you over to your bed sitting on the large bed, placing your head on her lap as you almost curled up immediately in her lap, bottom lip wobbling a bit

Hades moved your legs so that they were now resting on top of his lap as the two stayed silent, just listening to your slightly incoherent mumbles, and every now and then groans of pain

Maleficent already figured out that you must be shifting still. That may be why you've been more flightly than normal and more... emotional as the tears in your eyes just from your head in her lap only proved her point

Hades drew patterns on your leg that calmed you down a bit. You'd say it was the hand motions when asked, but truly, it was just his touch

Maleficent silently and skillfully undid your cape strings that were tied securely under your chin, slipping the soft meterial off of your form tossing it onto your floor. You'd complain about that later

With the cape gone now, there could be seen two small ears and a long tail that would most likely get bigger in the next two days when you actually shifted fully.

But no comment was made about it, just a comforting silence from your partners as you drifted off, succumbing to sleep in your lovers embraces.