#like toddlers that decide they will spend the rest of their life together

[hina-has-no-life]

Lucifer and Blitzø have a special place in my heart and should definitely be besties

[pucksandpower]

Ice Queen: Fire Meets Ice

Max Verstappen x Räikkönen!Reader

Summary: how you and Max went from playing together in the paddock while your fathers raced to being the ones racing

Series Masterlist

First Meetings

“Who’s that, Papa?” You ask, pointing to a slightly older boy playing with toy cars a few feet away.

“That’s Max,” Kimi replies, glancing down at you with an amused expression. “Wanna go play?”

You consider it for a moment, your two-year-old face taking on a comically serious expression. “Will he share his cars?”

Your father chuckles, “Only one way to find out.”

As you toddle over, Max looks up, his blue eyes curious. “Hi. I’m Max.”

You stare at him, sizing him up with all the intensity a two-year-old can muster. “I want that one,” you declare, pointing to a red toy car.

Max raises an eyebrow, a hint of a challenge in his gaze. “That’s my favorite.”

You mimic the same deadpan expression you've seen Kimi wear countless times. “Mine now.”

Max seems taken aback for a second but then bursts out laughing. “Okay, okay! We can share.”

For the rest of the day, the two of you are inseparable. Racing toy cars, building makeshift tracks, and causing minor chaos in the paddock.

At one point, you both decide to “race.” Max, being older, naturally has the advantage but that doesn’t deter you. You’re determined to keep up.

“Papa says I’m fast,” you tell Max confidently as you both line up for the big race.

Max smirks, “My vader says I’m faster.”

You frown, looking genuinely offended. “No way.”

The two of you race, or more accurately, engage in a hilarious toddler trot. It’s less about speed and more about who can go the longest without tripping over their own feet.

As the day draws to an end, Max’s father approaches. He doesn’t seem as warm as your father but he nods in acknowledgment, “Looks like you two got on well.”

Kimi ruffles your hair, looking down at you with a smirk, “She has a way with people.”

You and Max exchange a final high-five, both of you making a pact to race again someday but next time in real cars.

“Pwomise?” You ask Max, holding out your pinky.

He nods solemnly, linking his pinky with yours. “Promise.”

As you leave the paddock, your father leans down, “I think you’ve made a friend for life there.”

You nod, clutching one of the toy cars Max let you keep. “He’s alwight. But I’m still faster.”

Kimi chuckles, lifting you into his arms. “No doubt about it.”

Until We Meet Again

“Papa,” you begin, tugging at Kimi’s leg, “why is Max packing all his cars?”

Kimi crouches down to your level. “His papa is leaving F1, so they won’t be around next season.”

You frown, not fully understanding the implications but sensing the seriousness of the situation. “But ... I want to play with Max.”

The boy in question walks over, his toy cars clutched tightly in his hand. “It’s not fair,” he says, stomping his foot with a little scowl.

Your lip starts to wobble. “Very not fair.”

Max’s shoulders slump. “I’m going to miss this. And ... and I guess I’ll miss you.”

“You’re leaving? Like ... fowever?”

He nods, looking down. “Yeah. But we can still be friends, right?”

You think it over for a moment then smile, a plan forming in your mind. “We can write letters!”

Max seems to consider this. “That sounds cool. Let’s do it!”

The two of you spend the rest of the day drawing letters to each other seated on the rough tarmac, complete with scribbles and doodles. The content might be indecipherable to any adult but to you and Max, they’re precious messages.

As the final race of the season ends, and it’s time for Max and Jos to leave, you give Max a tight hug, your small arms wrapping around him. “Don’t forget, okay? Letters!”

He hugs you back. “I promise.”

You watch as they walk away, Max turning back every few steps to wave. Kimi, sensing your sadness, lifts you into his arms. “You okay?”

You nod, clutching the red toy car — Max’s favorite — that he gave you as a parting gift. “I’ll miss him, Papa.”

Your father presses a kiss to your forehead. “I know. But hey, you have a pen pal now.”

You giggle, the idea bringing some comfort. “Yeah. And when we’re older, we’ll race together!”

Kimi chuckles, “No doubt about it.”

Reunited and It Feels So Good

“Who’s that guy over there?” You ask, pointing to a young driver in a Toro Rosso race suit chatting with his team.

Your father squints in the direction you’re pointing and smirks. “That’s Max Verstappen.”

You blink in surprise, studying the taller figure with a more chiseled face. “Max? As in my Max?”

Kimi nods, eyes crinkling in amusement. “One and the same.”

“He’s … changed. I mean, he kind of looks like Sid the Sloth from that Ice Age movie.”

Your father chokes on his drink. “You always did have a way with words.”

Without any hesitation, you start walking over to Max, Kimi trailing behind. As you approach, Max looks up and for a moment, there’s no recognition in his eyes. But then something clicks.

“Is that ...” His eyes get even wider.

You smirk and cross your arms. “Last time I checked, Sid the Sloth wasn’t a Formula 1 driver.”

Max bursts out laughing, the sound echoing around the garage. “You haven’t changed a bit!”

You raise an eyebrow, “Can’t say the same for you. You used to be so cute. What happened?”

He grins, a hint of the mischievous boy you used to play with still shining through. “It’s good to see you again. Been too long.”

Your father walks up, throwing an arm around your shoulder, “She’s just here to make sure I don’t slack off.”

Max chuckles and shoots a wink, “Knowing you, I’m sure she has her work cut out for her.”

You nod sagely, “Full-time job, really.”

As the day winds down after free practice, Max finds you outside the Ferrari motorhome. “We should hang out more. Catch up properly.”

You tap your chin exaggeratingly, “Hmm ... I guess I could spare some time for an old friend.”

Max nudges you playfully, “It’s like Kimi copy and pasted his personality to make you.”

“Someone’s got to keep you on your toes.”

With a promise to meet up soon, the two of you part ways but not before your father adds, “Stay out of trouble, you two.”

You and Max exchange amused looks. “No promises.”

A Nudge in the Right Direction

“Remind why exactly we are watching an F2 race again?” Christian Horner asks, adjusting his sunglasses as he tries to blend into the crowd.

Max grins sheepishly, “Just thought it would be fun to watch some up-and-coming talent, you know? Besides, there’s someone racing today you might find ... interesting.”

Franz Tost, who has also been “accidentally” dragged along, narrows his eyes, “This isn’t one of your schemes, is it?”

Max looks offended, “Me? Scheme? Never.”

Christian chuckles, “Alright, Max. Who are we looking at?”

Max points to a car getting ready on the front row. “That one. Trust me.”

As the feature race begins, it’s clear who Max is talking about. Your driving style stands out with precision, aggression, and an undeniable talent reminiscent of a certain Finn of few words.

“Hmm,” Christian murmurs, watching intently as you expertly navigate the track. “Who is that?”

Max smirks, “Someone who’s used to the world of F1, thanks to her father.”

Franz raises an eyebrow, “Kimi’s daughter?”

Max nods, “Impressive, right?”

The two team principals watch with sharp eyes as you overtake competitors with ease and display skills beyond your years. It’s clear you’re a natural.

As the checkered flag waves and you cross the finish line in P1, Max turns to Christian and Franz with anticipation. “What do you think?”

“She’s certainly got the talent.”

“And the lineage. Räikkönen skill is clearly in her DNA.”

Max smiles widely, “So ... Red Bull or AlphaTauri?”

Christian chuckles, “You’re quite the talent scout.”

Franz sighs, shaking his head but smiling, “We’ll have to discuss it of course. But I think either team would be lucky to have her.”

“I just have one question,” Christian interjects. “How is she not part of a development program already?”

Max shrugs, “Kimi didn’t want her to limit her options and have to wait around to break into Formula 1 by binding herself to a team that might not have any seats open for a while. Just thought you guys should see her in action.”

Christian pats Max on the back, “Good call. We’ll be in touch.”

As they walk away, Max sends a thumbs-up in your direction. You, still high on adrenaline and not yet aware of the high-profile spectators, simply return the gesture, wondering what the mischievous grin on Max’s face is all about and whether it should worry you.

I’m Coming Up

“Guess what?” You blurt out as soon as Max picks up the phone.

“You ate my hidden stash of stroopwafels?”

You roll your eyes even though he can’t see. “No, although that sounds tempting. I just signed with Red Bull to race for AlphaTauri next season!”

There’s a moment of silence before Max erupts, “I knew it! That is brilliant!”

Your smile widens at his enthusiasm. “Thanks. Thought you’d like to know.”

Max snickers, “You’ll be driving for Red Bull in no time, watch.”

You laugh through the speaker, “Oh? Ready for some actual competition?”

The seriousness with which he responds makes you pause for a second, “Absolutely. I’ve been bored without you to race against.”

“Careful what you wish for.”

He feigns offense, “You think I can’t handle the heat?”

“I’m just saying,” you tease, “that once I’m there, you better get used to the sight of my rear wing.”

Max laughs again, “I’ve missed your comebacks.”

“And I’ve missed using them against you,” you shoot back.

“Seriously though, congrats. I’m so excited to see where this takes you.”

You nibble your lip, “Thanks, Maxie. That means a lot coming from you.”

“Just don’t forget us little people when you’re taking F1 by storm, okay?”

You snort, “Little people? Last I checked, you’re taller than me. And probably the best driver of his generation.”

“Probably?”

“Well,” you draw out, “Charles Leclerc exists …”

“Y/N …” Max whines.

“Oh, don’t get your panties in a twist. It’s not like he’ll do much damage to you if Ferrari keeps up this pattern.”

You can almost hear Max’s pout through the phone. “Fine.”

“But,” you grin, “that doesn’t mean I won’t.”

“May the best driver win. Just promise not to leave me in the dust.”

You laugh, “No promises.”

Easy Choices

“All right, drivers, ready for some quick-fire questions?” The Red Bull social media coordinator asks, camera poised.

Max nods, “Born ready.”

You tighten your ponytail, “Let’s do this.”

Sergio and Pierre exchange amused glances, clearly anticipating the shenanigans ahead.

“First question,” the coordinator starts, “Which driver would you want to be stuck on a deserted island with?”

Without hesitation, you and Max respond in unison.

“Max.”

“Y/N.”

“Always so predictable,” Pierre laughs.

Sergio grins, “Afraid of a little competition?”

You raise an eyebrow with a smirk, “From you? Not particularly.”

The group erupts in laughter and Max adds, “It’s just logic. We’ve known each other the longest.”

The coordinator smiles, clearly enjoying the banter, “Okay, okay, next question. Who is most likely to get lost in a new city?”

Again, without missing a beat, both you and Max point to each other.

Sergio chuckles, “Clearly, there’s a pattern here.”

Pierre nods in mock seriousness, “And if you two ever do get stranded on that island, please send us a postcard.”

You laugh, “Deal.”

“Last question,” the coordinator announces, “Which driver do you think has the best taste in music?”

“Definitely not Max,” you shake your head.

“Excuse me? My playlist is legendary!”

Pierre chimes in, “If by legendary you mean questionable ...”

Sergio retorts, “At least it’s better than your love for French pop.”

“It’s cultured!”

As the session wraps up, the coordinator grins, “You two are a match made in racing heaven.”

You and Max laugh but both of you can’t help the way your cheeks warm at the comment or how you avoid meeting each other’s eyes on the way out of the studio.

The social media coordinator must spend so much time online that fans’ ships are getting to her too.

That’s clearly the only reason she would say that.

Nothing else.

Nope.

Taglist: @ironmaiden1313 @ilovedreming @jamie2305 @reidsworld @notyouraveragemochii @faithm120601 @idkiwantchocolatee @cha-hot @formulaonemad3 @eugene-emt-roe @champomiel @topguncultleader @gods-menace @razielchrysanderoctavius @sainzluvrr @kimmchijjajang @imagandom @roseseraj @minkyungseokie @daniellarogers @that-aesthetic-chic @elijahslover @coffeewhore18 @glitterf1 @a-mixers-serenity @itsjustkhaos @leilanixx @scoobdoobdoob @lillianacristina @keii134 @olliesoakberry @ruleroftheuniverse @mellowarcadefun

[laswells-ashtray]

hi the post about soap buying ghost the blanket has been on my mind like all day and i have to hear more. if you have more. please. 🙏🙏🙏

this is the only ask I have right now that isn't about Sergeant Price and MacMillan so I welcome it happily. I'm running out of ideas for those two.

Soap bought the blanket as a pisstake, he'd walked past it in Home Bargains in September, it was out with the Halloween shite, and he'd bought it as a joke. Honestly, he'd expected Ghost to throw it away or give it to someone else.

He'd been in Simon's room more than once for... professional conversations between a sergeant and a lieutenant. And not once had he spotted the blanket, even when he was face down arse up on Ghost's bed. And that happened a shocking amount.

But then he walks in on Simon asleep with the blanket and he decides two things: Ghost is just a bloke and he urgently needs to wife up Simon Riley.

The next time they end up sprawled out in Simon's bed together, he asks about it.

"Ye ever use that blanket I gave you?"

"Yeah, I also rescue kittens and bake for the elderly."

Nevermind, he doesn't want to spend the rest of his life with an Englishman. He's better than that.

"Kept it for when the draft gets bad around here in the colder months." Simon admits quietly, like it's some kind of punishable offence that he's using a blanket for its intended purpose. Like enjoying a gift is a foreign experience.

The next time Johnny lands his arse in Simon's bed the blanket is there, coincidentally that's also the first night he sleeps in the Englishman's bed.

They fall asleep and Soap thinks nothing of it until he wakes up at around 3am, Simon is still dead asleep as are most people on base. He's firmly pinned under a quietly snoring lt. Simon is lying on top of him with a hand over his waist, but instead of grabbing onto him his hand is firmly gripping the edge of the blanket in a tight fist. And given how flat the edge of the blanket is, Soap has to assume he sleeps with that same edge in his hand most nights.

It isn't until one day they're all blethering that it makes sense. Gaz is talking about how his sister is expecting a baby and he's already bought the wee lassie her first bear, one like he used to have when he was wee. That becomes a whole other conversation.

"You didn't have a teddy bear when you were a kid? Really?!" Gaz sounds appalled but it doesn't surprise Soap, he can't imagine The Captain Price with a wee bear. He just imagines a toddler's body with Price's head.

"My old man would've had an aneurysm if I'd been caught with something as girly as a stuffed toy."

"I never had one either when I was a kid. Best I had was some ratty old blanket that Mum bought from a second-hand place." His reaction is subtle, the way he freezes and realisation washes over him. Ghost doesn't talk about his childhood a lot and they never ask. But suddenly everything makes sense to Soap.

The big and scary Ghost who spent his childhood comforted by some tattered old blanket. The same one who clutches the blanket Soap gave him so tightly that he worries about the strength if the fabric.

Soap can't judge, he wouldn't anyway but he truly can't because he used to sleep with a ratty old Chewbacca bear that he'd lob off of his sister's head when she would piss him off.

If later on he buys Simon another blanket to give him the choice between the two then that's his business. And if a simple stuffed bear with a silly and all too familiar hat appears in Price's office then that's Gaz's business.

[whenanafallsinlove]

i quite literally screamed when i saw ur 150 post. i’d say i wanna be the james to ur betty but betty is too good for the world, let alone any guy 😞

ANYWAY, congrats on 150 🤍 you deserve that and so much more 🪽 SAD PROSE 🖋️ touya tdrk + “with my calamitous love and insurmountable grief”

- mady 🤍🪽💿💭🐚

ahhh sorry it took this long! this was a challenge! i really hope you like this. I guess, be the betty to my betty? anyway, love u mady!

✒️"SAD PROSE" - send a character + your favorite folklore lyric, and I'll write a short blurb

"MY CALAMITOUS LOVE AND INSURMOUNTABLE GRIEF" - TOUYA TODOROKI x reader

Touya and you were childhood friends. You had known him since you were a toddler, because you were neighbours.

The first time you met Touya, was when you were around three years old. Your had just moved in to the neighbourhood, so your mother decided that you should greet and introduce yourselves to the family next door.

You didn't remember that moment with a lot of detail, but you recalled your mother knocking on the door, a beautiful white haired woman opening, and a little Touya peeking from behind.

From that moment on, Touya became part of your life, and you his. You practically ate, slept and breathed together. It was so common for you to be at his house, that you weren't even amazed anymore by the fact that his father was one of the biggest heroes.

To you, he was just the man who usually made your best friend cry.

Touya was homeschooled, so he always asked you what it was like to study with other people. His reality was very different to yours; he was taught by private tutors, and as he grew up, most of his free time was spent on quirk trainning with his father.

Still, you did everything that was possible so you could see him everyday. Of course, you started to spend time with his sibblings as well. Fuyumi was just a few months younger than you, whereas Natsuo and Shoto were still very little.

As the years passed, you started to comprehend better a lot of things, you started to see things that you hadn't seen before.

You saw how Touya's father had a lot of expectations on him, you saw how your best friend was getting injured because of this, you saw the way Rei was as preoccupied as you were, and you understood how impotent you were in this situation.

The only thing you could do for Touya, was hold him while he cried, help him clean his wounds, and hear him vent about his father.

Throughout the decade you had known Touya, you had seen him change. He seemed to have lost his happineess, and replaced it with a motivation to please his father's wishes.

But you always remained as his constant.

Since you met, Touya told you that he would keep you by his side forever, that when you grew up, you'd be together for the rest of your lives.

But destiny played its cards, and on a windy day in winter something happened...

"Y/N, today is the day! I'm going to show my father how a great hero I can become!" Touya said, seemingly excited.

"Are you sure Tou? I'm sure you'll be a great hero, but I'm still worried about you..." You said to your best friend. Touya scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"You sound like my mother, Y/N. I have told you not to worry, I'm stronger than my father, he has to see that!"

"I really hope he does. Just be careful, Tou!" You knew better than to push Touya. He needed to feel supported, so you gave him that.

"Yeah, whatever..." Touya shrugged, and you both stayed silent for a few seconds, before he spoke again.

"You know, Y/N? I want you to be by my side forever. I'll marry you when we're older."

"Huh!? Don't talk nonesense Tou, you're too young to decide that!" You felt your cheecks burn.

"That's why I said when we're older. I'll be the greatest hero, and I'll have the greatest best friend as my partner" Touya gave you a small smirk, so you shoved his shoulder.

"Shut up, idiot!" You said, but couldn't help the smile you had.

You both started laughing and shoving each other. In that moment, your heart burnt with intensity, but the incident that happened later that evening made it burst into a thousand ashes.

That was the last time you had seen Touya; he had made you a promise he wasn't able to fulfill. Your forever dissapeared hand in hand with him.

The years that followed didn't make it any easier, you kept telling yourself "It takes time", but deep down you knew that it was only making you ache more and more.

So, when you watched the news and saw your childhood best friend confessing to be part of the League of Villains, you entered a state of shock. You felt a mix of happiness, nostalgia, hope and depression.

You weren't sure whether he remembered you, if you could contact him or if you should just let everything stay buried. But a few days after the transmission, you found a letter in your doorstep.

It was inside of an envelope, that had "Touya" written in it. You sat down on your couch and opened it, with a hole in your stomach.

"Dear Y/N, It's been a long time, so I'm not sure if you will read this. I haven't had classes in a long of time, so don't get petty with my spelling, okay dumbass? I'm sure you're confused with all the mediatic stunts I pulled, and you may have a lot of questions, so I'll try to answer some of them. That day, after we talked, I went to the place where I had asked my father to meet me. He never showed up. I can't remember much after that; I was surrounded by fire and the next thing I knew, was that I woke up in a hospital three years after. The next years, I worked on developing my quirk. I couldn't go back home, and I couldn't go back to you. I may sound like a stalker, but I've been keeping an eye on you though. Just checking from time to time that you were okay... You know? I sometimes wonder if you would feel dissapointed for the way I turned out. I hope that deep inside you, you understand that this was my only way to get my revenge at the old bastard. You're collateral damage. I'm sorry I didn't keep my promise, our field of dreams ended up engulfed in fire. Anyway, you may have been right back then. We were just kids, what we thought was for all time, was momentary. I don't have much more to say. This might be the last goodbye, please use this as closure Y/N, and don't try to contact me. I loved you, you were the loss of my life. - Touya "

With your watery eyes, you were forced to let go of Touya for the second time. Your heart filled with an emotion that you could only describe as calamitous love and insurmountable grief.

a/n: so... I know this was supposed to be only inspired by folklore, but i had to add a little ttpd for the suffering! btw this is not proof read, again! so sorry if there are any mistakes

[floralcyanide]

𝐃𝐚𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬

Ghostface x Reader

Headcanons of how each of the guys would be as a dad. (No Ghostface)

warnings: mentions of infertility, mentions of illness of a parent, not much else other than that, this is mostly fluff

word count: 1127

author’s note: hiii I know it's been a while since I've written and posted. but I wanted to write a little something for father's day for our fave slahsers. I hope you enjoy!!

masterlist | add yourself to the taglist here

ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴄᴏᴘʏ, ʀᴇᴘʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴇ, ᴏʀ ᴄʟᴀɪᴍ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴀs ʏᴏᴜʀs ᴏɴ ᴛᴜᴍʙʟʀ, ᴀᴏ3, ᴡᴀᴛᴛᴘᴀᴅ, ᴏʀ ᴀɴʏ ᴡᴇʙsɪᴛᴇ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴘᴇʀᴍɪssɪᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ᴜsᴇ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋs ɪɴ ᴀɪ ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀs ᴏʀ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀʀᴛɪғɪᴄɪᴀʟ ɪɴᴛᴇʟʟɪɢᴇɴᴄᴇ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴀʏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴜsᴇ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋs ᴛᴏ sᴇʟʟ ғᴏʀ ᴀs ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴏᴡɴ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛɪᴏɴ.

Billy:

❈ Billy is such a girl dad, and you can’t change my mind

❈ you end up having twin girls, both of which look just like Billy

❈ they are attached to him in ways you can’t explain

❈ your girls love you, and you love them very much, but their dad is definitely the apple of their eye

❈ Billy spoils the hell out of the girls growing up

❈ they’re still very humble despite them getting everything they want

❈ you and Billy made sure to teach them values

❈ when they’re teenagers, they’re drop-dead gorgeous, which makes Billy nervous

❈ he’s definitely the dad who threatens the boys who date your daughters, even though you tell him to be smart

❈ but, knowing Billy and his past, you know for sure he would definitely kill for his girls

Stu:

❈ Stu is also a girl dad

❈ when your daughter is born, he’s a mess

❈ Stu has this huge smile he can’t wipe off his face every time he looks at your daughter

❈ he takes her everywhere with him when she’s a toddler and buys her any toy or candy she points out

❈ when school starts, you don’t who cries harder, Stu or your daughter

❈ prom and graduation are also very emotional times for Stu as his daughter is now grown up

❈ Stu is protective of his daughter, but not so much that he’d go into a murderous rage

❈ but he still scared the boys in her life enough to where they never hurt her too badly

❈ Stu is ecstatic when your daughter gets married and has children of her own

❈ just as he was a cool dad, he’s now a cool grandpa

Mickey:

❈ Mickey has always wanted a son to teach everything to

❈ so when you find out your baby is a boy, Mickey is beside himself with excitement

❈ he has a whole list of names picked out already

❈ when your son is born, Mickey stares in awe at him and how much he looks like the both of you

❈ he has your eyes and Mickey’s nose and smile

❈ Mickey is the perfect father, getting up to take care of him at night when it’s his turn

❈ sometimes he’ll do it when it’s your turn, too, so that you’ll get more rest

❈ and he’s just enthralled with his son and loves spending time with him

❈ skin-to-skin contact is Mickey’s favorite part of your son being a baby

❈ when your son is old enough to do things, Mickey is over the top with getting him into sports, art, music, and so on

❈ he wants his son to be happy no matter what he chooses to do with his childhood and his life

Roman:

❈ you have both a boy and a girl a few years apart

❈ the girl is older and very sassy, just like her father

❈ the boy is very shy and to himself, also just like his father at times

❈ Roman loves teaching the kids about art and film

❈ your daughter picks up photography, much to Roman’s delight, while your son is into costumes and designing them, which also makes Roman excited

❈ you both decide to send the kids to an art school, and Roman is upset that he won’t see the kids as often as he’d like during their teen years

❈ but he knows they love what they do and need the necessary education for those subjects

❈ once your kids are no longer kids and have graduated university, Roman makes sure that they get good jobs in the industry in Hollywood

❈ watching your little family be so close and working together makes you incredibly happy

Charlie:

❈ Charlie was very terrified when he found out you were pregnant

❈ but god, does he love his son more than anything

❈ your son looks like Charlie spit him out, with his large, round eyes and rosy lips

❈ your son is just like Charlie personality wise

❈ but your son can be very outspoken sometimes, which can make Charlie a little mad

❈ however, Charlie is very patient and learns how to handle your son and his attitude

❈ when your son struggles in school due to attention problems, Charlie researches and does everything possible in order to help his educational needs

❈ when your son graduates high school, he decides to go on to college for something Charlie isn’t a big fan of

❈ but upon seeing how skilled your son is in the career field, Charlie grows happy for him

❈ once your son has a family of his own, Charlie helps him a lot with raising his own son

Richie:

❈ at first, Richie wasn’t too keen on the idea of having children

❈ but when you both find out you’re infertile, his attitude changes

❈ suddenly, he wants to do anything to make you happy, including having children, even if they aren’t your biological ones

❈ you both decide to foster kids for a little while

❈ Richie is surprisingly wonderful with every kid who comes through your household

❈ one kid specifically holds a dear spot in your and Richie’s hearts, so you decide to adopt them permanently

❈ soon, you adopt a few more kids, making your family grow larger

❈ once all your kids have completed school and the house was empty, you realize just how much your unluckiness with fertility changed everything in your and Richie’s lives

Ethan:

❈ when your last living parent falls ill and is no longer able to take care of your little sibling, you have to step up and have temporary guardianship

❈ you and Ethan have been together for a while, but kids haven’t really been brought up quite yet

❈ so it’s weird suddenly having the responsibility shared between both of you for a child

❈ but the weird dynamic quickly becomes habit and routine

❈ Ethan takes your sibling to school, makes breakfast and packs their lunch, helps with their homework, and just about anything you can think of

❈ you and Ethan discuss having children of your own once your parent gets better and has your sibling back in their household

❈ but when your parent doesn’t get better, and it seems your sibling living with you is permanent, life throws another curveball, and you become pregnant

❈ so you and Ethan raise your sibling and child together very happily

❈ Ethan is great with kids because of his personality, and it definitely has reflected onto the kid he helped raise as well as his own child

taglist:

@bridgergf @criminalmindsfan13 @axen-gers @belovedtylerr @bonbekahsfav @jokersgrf @snazzynacho @cobra-kaii @im-a-slut-for-this-man2 @nicepeony @her-violent-delights @justacosplayerlol @chiimiki @radiant-whore @ppanemorfii @teleiophiliac @18lkpeters @vampyrgoff @roryculkinsbf @leilani788

[theyhavetakenovermylife]

Hi there, I just stumbled upon your posts and I’m in love with the Sons of Leonardo one! 🤍 can you write more about Leo and his family, maybe about how his brothers get along with their nephews and niece? 💙💙💙

Plz and thank you!!

Love Of Uncles (Fluff)

Bayverse!Leonardo x reader

A/N: I most certainly can! Hope you didn’t wait too long💙 I’ve had this idea, that even when the guys get married and have children, they would still live together as a sort of collective, each with their own area/rooms where they, their partners and the kids sleep. With that being said, they see their uncles, aunts, grandpa and cousins everyday, making them pretty close💙

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Warnings: Spelling💙

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“Are you sure you got her?”, Leo asked in a worried tone, watching as Donatello hugged Valentina closely against him, the 2 year old happily resting her head against her uncle.

“I got it, Leo”, Donnie answered, leaning his head towards his niece, causing the young girl to giggle. “I have twins. I know how to take care of a child”.

“I know, I know”, Leo said with a sigh, the worry still clear in his eyes. “But if anything happens-”.

“Nothing is going to happen Leo”, you said, cutting your husband off. “Like Donnie said, he got her”.

Leo looked at you with an almost pained expression on his face. He had never been a big fan of leaving your kids behind in the lair, without at least one of you to look after them. Especially not while your youngest was still a toddler. In the two years that had made up Valentina’s life so far, Leo had gone up an extra step in his protectiveness, both him and your sons making sure that there was nothing that could harm her in the slightest.

You and Leo had finally decided to go spend some couple time alone in April and Casey’s cabin. It had been his brothers’ idea, seeing how having four kids at very different ages was starting to take a toll on you. Sure, you had 18 year old Romeo to help out, but with his new found freedom and enjoyment for the world above, you did not want to force him into staying in the lair and taking care of his siblings.

“Don’s right, Leo”, Mikey said, walking by carrying Luis and Gerardo under each arm, the 12 year old cousins laughing and having the time of their life, as 10 year old Ragnar followed behind, poking at their feet. “We got them, like we always do. Isn’t that right, Raph?”, Mikey called out for the turtle in red.

“Sure we do”, Raph said, watching with a proud smile as Joan and Marcello showed Minerva how to punch a punching bag, exactly the way he had taught them.

“I’m still not too comfortable with it”, Leo sighed, already imagining all the ways things could go wrong while he wasn’t there.

“Leonardo”, sounded Master Splinter’s voice from the entranced to the dojo, 16 year old Galileo and 18 year old Romeo’s heads poking out of the door as Splinter made his way over to his oldest son, making sure he did not step in Dorothy, Marie and Sunny’s little get together at the end of the staircase. “There’s no reason to be worried. You and (Y/N) can safely go on your trip while we look after the kids”.

“Not that we need any looking after”, Marcello called out from the other side of the lair. “Last time I checked, it was only Valentina that still wore a diaper”.

“Hey!”, Romeo yelled out from the dojo sliding doors, his attention directed at his younger brother. “Be nice!”

“I did nothing!”, Marcello yelled back, starting a loud argument between the two, yelling from each side of the room. Leo sighed loudly and rubbed the bridge of his beak. This was one of the many things he feared would happen.

“Romeo! Marcello!”, Splinter yelled with a stern voice, tapping his cane against the ground with a loud bang, causing your sons to cease their fighting. “No fighting!”

“Sorry, grandpa Splinter”, they both mumbled, looking sheepishly at their feet. You tried to hide your smile as Splinter turned to Leo, a smug smile on his snout. “I believe we got them under control”.

“Well”, Leo said reluctantly. “I guess you’re right…”

“Of course he’s right!”, you said, tossing your bag in your husband's direction, causing him to blink in surprise when he caught it. “Now, let’s go. We should have left 20 minutes ago!”, you continued, pushing him towards the exit of the lair, as he called out the last few reminders to his brothers.

“Donnie! Remember that Valentina has sensitive skin! No soaps with perfumes! Remember what I told you about her sleeping schedule! Mikey! No milk to Gerardo! He’s lactose intolerant!”

“I’ve known that for the last 12 years!”, Mikey called back with a big smile, enjoying the laughter of Luis, Gerado and Ragnar as they hung onto the back of his shell.

“Raph!”, Leo continued, almost playing tug of war with you in order to get him out of the door. “Remember Marcello’s bedtime! He gets grumpy when he doesn’t get his sleep!”

“Dad, I’m 15!”, Marcello yelled back.

“Yeah, but your sleep schedule is still worse than uncle Donnie’s!”, Leo said, causing Donnie’s children to snicker. “Oh! And dad!”, Leo continued, the old rat nodding. “Please make sure Romeo doesn’t get himself stuck in the dojo all night”.

Splinter chuckled as a blush crept up on Romeo’s cheeks. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure of it”.

“We’ll call when we get there!”, Leo called out, before you finally managed to pull the loud turtle out of the exit.

“No we won’t”, you retorted, turning your attention back towards your kids. “Be nice to your uncles while we’re gone, and your aunts when they get home from work. We’ll see you on Sunday. Love you all, bye!” And with those words you pushed Leo out of the lair, hurrying towards April and Casey's apartment, so you could borrow their car like they had promised you you could. That left your kids in the care of their uncles, and honestly, it was nowhere as bad as Leo had thought it would be. The only problem they stumbled upon was Valentina asking for you and Leo with the few words she had, followed by a few minutes of crying. However she was quickly comforted in the arms of her uncle, soon giggling and smiling all over again.

After a few hours, the brothers’ partners returned from work for the weekend, ready to enjoy it with their extended family. With their return, Mikey and his wife went into the kitchen to cook dinner, closely followed by Sunny, Luis, Gerardo and Ragnar, all while Raph was throwing a ball to Marcello and Joan, Mini was curled up beside her mother on the couch, watching television as she knitted, while Donnie and his wife was playing with Valentina and his daughters, and Romeo and Gali was training in the dojo with grandpa Splinter.

Once dinner was made and the table was set, the large family gathered to eat together. No matter how big your strange family got, it had always been a rule that the family ate together. Even though each brother may have a hallway, containing bedrooms for themselves and all of their children, the living area, kitchen and dining area was still common areas, where they all would spend time together.

It was a little strange not to have you and Leo at the dining table, but they managed, talking and making plans for the weekend. You and Leo’s kids would have so much fun, that they wouldn’t even notice that the two of you were gone, bringing you some much needed time to relax.

[cringywhitedragon]

Some Halloween TC Rambles/Headcannons

It’s spooky season so to celebrate why not share some little bite-sized ramble ideas for some of the TC/TT cast for the spooky season

Being in the hospital can suck, especially for children during the holidays. Caduceus is well aware of that which is why both of the US (To fix the discrepancy in New Blood, I head-cannon that Caduceus has 2 branches in America, Caduceus USA East (Maryland) and Caduceus USA West (Angeles Bay)) and the European branches like to hold a little day of celebration. Staff will decorate the halls and most of the children patients will get the chance to participate in little activities related to the season. That even includes a little trick-or-treating event.

Dr. Niguel isn’t a big fan of the whole tradition unlike the rest of the staff as he usually just spends the whole day cooped up in his lab. Though it hasn’t stopped him one year from using a small pumpkin to test out a new surgical laser he was working on that then proceeded to sit on his desk proudly for the rest of the week leading up to Halloween or the rare thank you Leslie got when she decided to bring him the leftover candy from that year’s hospital trick-or-treat.

Tyler and Amy often go out trick or treating together when he can with this little tradition beginning as far back when she was just a toddler. Though this did get put on pause when Amy came down with GUILT but it didn’t stop them from finding other ways to celebrate together (Though there was a bit of somberness about in Tyler’s eyes at the possibly that Amy wouldn’t recover, yet that all changed after Derek came around and well you know the rest.)

Resurgum does have some similar traditions for Halloween a bit like Caduceus but on a lesser scale because they are a much smaller hospital.

While it’s not one of the busiest holidays in terms of calls, Maria Torres still gets a handful of strange cases that she and the other paramedics have to respond to that involve people doing stupid stuff sometimes. But hey, at least it’s not Christmas, The 4th of July, or Black Friday which often tend to be a whole lot worse.

Naomi, similarly to Victor, wasn’t really one who paid much attention to Halloween until Alyssa came into her life. The two went trick-or-treating one year with Alyssa dressed as a cat and Naomi has become known by several children who trick-or-treat in the neighborhood as the house that hands out those types of candies that look like eyeballs and fingers and whatnot (But hey, the kids, manly the boys, love it)

And just one more just for fun. About a year after the whole GUILT Pandemic, Derek had invited Angie to his place one Halloween after their shift had ended just to hang out when a group of kids passed by. One of them recognized Dr. Stiles as the one who had saved his dad which lead to the poor doctor to get surrounded by the boy and his friend group who were just in awe. When asked by Angie on what his costume was supposed to be, the kid responded that he was dressed as a doctor like his hero. Angie would not let poor Derek live that down.

[wannabepapa]

Haiii!!!!! Coming in with an ask to hopefully brighten your day at least a little!

I keep thinking about renting a quiet cabin somewhere where there's lots of snow for the holidays. I'm due in a month or so, so we wanted to spend one last holiday season snuggled up together before our bundle of joy is here. We get snowed in, but there's no cause for worry; we've got plenty of supplies and each other's company. Cozying up next to the fire, donning massive sweaters that look ridiculous yet adorable on us. Mine would be tight around the belly, but that makes for easy belly rub access, so I view that as a plus. I'd get you all situated by the fire with plenty of pillows and blankets before waddling off, coming back a few minutes later with some warm cookies and two mugs of cocoa. After everything's situated and settled, I'd crawl into your cocoon of blankets to snuggle up next to ya, letting my belly, alive with the movements of our little nugget, rest gently on your tummy. A perfect evening for a snowed-in couple of goobers, and as the fire smolders to embers, we'd either sleepily head to bed or decide to stay snuggled up on the couch for the night.

Or something like that sdjbahdahsbfha I am rambling hard. I am very eepy so thoughts are a little jumbly rn. Anyways enjoy this slightly messy Marin Brain Thought™

Marin, light of my life, the sweetest friend to ever exist!!!!!!!!! I am kissing your head because that brain is beautiful and I am so very appreciative of this ask it hits me in the feels for the cozy and domestic stuff!!

We take this moment—it's the holiday season and we deserve a break before baby comes—to disappear into a cozy cabin for the remainder of the holiday season. Our perfect second baby moon (I would have taken you on another holiday while you were around five months pregnant because the woman carrying my baby DESERVES A HOLIDAY) to not only reign in the new year but to celebrate us before bringing in a new being. I have made sure that we've got the coziest place with the perfect views before booking our nearly three week trip.

I have purposefully overpacked so we would have our favorite blankets, pillows, pjs, and even some of the baby's stuffed toys so we would feel comfortable on vacation. I have never been anywhere that has snow that didn't melt the next day so this is exciting for me. I've got new jackets and jumpers for us to cuddle in by the fire so we stay pleasantly bundled while watching the snow fall. I hope the baby is as excited for this trip as we are because this cabin is perfect and I don't really want to leave.

You bury me in our soft things and all the things we found in the cabin to make a nest of the living room floor. We don't have our at home but this will do as a temporary replacement. I keep trying to drag you back in to get warm though you keep escaping my grasp to waddle away. When you come back with snacks and cocoa I can't help but imagine our little nugget toddling right beside you with our newest addition nestled safely in your now noticeable bump. Who knows, maybe I'll be the one wrapped up in blankets with our newest addition while you get snacks for our happy toddler.

As you nestle down beside me my arms bring you in close, a hand spraying over your swell to feel our baby. That jumper is stretched so thin we can see their movements clearly—I love pointing out their little feet and poking them to play. Once we're settled I talk about how this is a perfect tradition to continue with our family, and how I can't wait to have another baby with you.

[indigosunsetao3]

A Reason To Try

Chapter 1 - Onset

Masterlist of Chapters

Warnings: 18+ - No minors Please read the tags on AO3 for any of your triggers

Alex Keller X Original FMC 8.7k words - AO3 Link

With a huff, Madeline leaned back in her office chair and stared at her computer screen. She was waiting for the latest batch of files to finish dropping so she could start working down her current client’s bills. The system she was using was old and this many documents could take a few minutes before they were ready. But there was no walking away from the computer, her supervisor was a hard-ass that spent his days watching all his employees’ statuses to make sure they didn’t go idle. He also enjoyed randomly calling with mundane questions just to be sure people weren’t rigging the system to show they were there when they weren’t. If the job market hadn’t been so bleak, especially with her lack of experience, Madeline would have left it by now. The gig was just a temporary contract job, an attempt to start saving up some cash on the side so she could spend money without feeling guilty for it.

Boston was where Madeline found herself calling home these days. She had grown up in the Northeast but the minute she had turned eighteen she fled the house determined to make her own way. She traveled all around the United States for much of her young adult life. Worked odd jobs, couch surfing, and at one point had even lived in a commune for a bit when her money ran out. It exasperated her parents who implored her to be more like her older sister, Josephine.

Josephine, Madeline’s older sister by twelve years, was the golden child. She had been the one that stayed close to home, attended college at an elite school, and graduated with honors. She quickly dominated her field after her residency and married a respectable man. Within a year of marriage, she had become pregnant and had a son, Everett. Somehow, Josephine managed to do all this while maintaining a career and helping her parents navigate through their golden years while dealing with terminal illnesses.

Then there was Madeline, the accidental but no less wanted, rebellious child. She had been born when her mother was in her early forties and her father almost fifty. They were a bit too old to be raising a rambunctious toddler and headstrong teenager, but they did their best. While Madeline was not horrible in school, it wasn’t her favorite thing and she was often in trouble for goofing off or skipping it all together. Marriage was something that terrified her, a lifelong commitment in her early twenties like her parents tried to push on her made her run even further away. And children? She could barely keep herself functioning, there was no way she could be a mother. Not yet.

Josephine had stepped in often to keep Madeline in line and help pick her back up when she fell flat on her face. Despite the age and personality differences, the sisters were close. They stayed in constant contact through Madeline’s journey around the country, each keeping one another up to date on current things happening in their lives. When both of their parents passed a few years apart from one another they leaned heavily on each other to get through it. The loss had been a hard hit, less than two years between each passing, and Madeline debated on moving closer to Josephine realizing that she wanted to be around her sister and her nephew more. She didn’t really care for her brother-in-law much. He was a bit too opinionated and she had no problem calling him out on his bullshit when she thought he was being too full of himself. But if putting up with him to be with the rest of what was left of her family she would do it.

So, when Madeline got the call that Josephine’s marriage fell apart, her husband having multiple mistresses, Madeline decided that was the universe’s sign it was time. Josephine had been the one who cared for their parents before they both passed and always helped Madeline. This time she needed someone to look out for her. Without second thought Madeline packed up her meager belongings and flew in from California almost nine months ago and had set up residency in the guest bedroom of Josephine’s rather spacious fifteenth floor apartment. Josephine didn’t ask much of her younger sister, just for her companionship and to help with her son instead of having to hire babysitters.

“This is hot chocolate weather,” Madeline muttered to herself as she peered out the window and saw the beginning of a few fat snowflakes falling. The news had called for another snowstorm that day, nothing like the nor’easter they had over the weekend, but it could be a few inches. She glanced down at her computer screen to see that the files were only thirty percent of the way loaded before clicking to see her supervisor’s status. He was on lunch. Pushing out of the chair she wandered to the kitchen and set about making herself said cup of hot chocolate.

Just as she was about to make her way back to her bedroom to take a seat her cell phone buzzed in her pocket. Digging it out of the fuzzy pants she was wearing, the perks of working from home, she spotted it was Josephine calling. Her sister was out of town, out of the country actually, on assignment with EIS. Her sister was an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer, she was the one they sent out when outbreaks happened to see the cause of a sickness and how to contain it. During the West Nile outbreak, SARs in Asia, and Ebola scare in Africa her sister had been on the ground figuring out the spread. This time she was in the jungles of South America following the outbreak of some new disease.

“If you’re calling to complain about how hot it is I’m going to hang up,” Madeline said into the phone as she took a hard seat back in her chair and checked the files. “We’re getting even more snow today, wind is rattling the windows like crazy,” she sighed and shook her mouse to get the screensaver to turn off. And of course, there was a message from her supervisor asking where she was.

“I need you to go get Everett,” Josephine said, completely ignoring everything Madeline had just said to her. She sounded a bit agitated and perhaps urgent.

“What? Is he sick? The school didn’t call me,” Madeline answered, pulling her phone away from her ear to make sure she hadn’t missed the call. Or text. Or Email. Schools were so different now than when she had been in them. They had twenty different ways to get ahold of you, including an app and Madeline wouldn’t be surprised if there were live camera feeds soon so parents could stare at their children all day. She never would survive school these days, she skipped way too often as a teen.

“No, they didn’t call, I just,” Josephine sighed and Madeline heard people talking to her in the background. “I can’t tell you much alright. Just, please go get Everett. Give them an excuse about a family emergency if they ask. Stop at the store and get some food to last a few days. Don’t interrupt,” she said as she heard Madeline open her mouth to argue. “It’s hopefully nothing, me just being paranoid but I don’t want to risk it.”

“Josie,” Madeline said, ignoring the call coming over the computer from her boss. “You’re scaring me. What is going on?”

“This is just, it’s out of hand down here,” Josephine answered. “And I don’t think their government is being truthful about the spread,” she continued. “I think it’s already much further along than what we’ve been told is all. It’s highly contagious and we all remember how SARs was,” she stated with a sarcastic laugh.

“SARs? Please tell me it’s not something like that again,” Madeline said instantly feeling her heartrate skyrocket. SARs had been a horrendous time for the whole family, Josephine had been gone for months on end and had been her shitty husband's excuse for finding the company of other women. “Should I assume you will not be coming home this Thursday?” Madeline asked as her supervisor called her yet again on the computer and she declined it.

“No, not SARs,” Josephine said, though it seemed a bit cryptic, maybe even ominous. “And safe assumption,” Josephine answered before someone yelled for her. “Pick up some shitty junk food and tell Everett it’s from me,” she laughed, “and get yourself some wine. You’re going to need it locked up in the house with him for a few days.”

“I’ll need a case,” Madeline joked, though the unease in her stomach as her sister hung up made it feel flat.

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“Goddamn it, Keller,” one of the men said as he threw down his cards on the table in defeat. They had been playing poker outside in the setting sun. The desert heat was oppressive but being in the tents with no circulating air was ten times worse so they had set up the table in the shadow of one of the trucks.

“I warned you not to play with him,” came Farah’s voice and Alex turned around and grinned at her as she peered over the table. The spoils of the game were a mix of some coins, cigarettes, and a pack of gum. “He reads people too well,” she patted Alex’s shoulder as he scooped his winnings toward him before tossing a cigarette to the guy next to him.

“My poker face helps as well,” Alex answered as he flipped open the pack of gum and popped a piece into his mouth. He had been dominating the game with shit hands for the most part, but when it mattered for the biggest pot, he had actually made sure he had the winning one. “You need to just get better about your tells,” he mused as one of the guys rolled his eyes, shuffling the cards up.

“I see right through that poker face,” Farah answered she nudged his shoulder with her hip as she snatched up a smoke as well.

“That’s why I don’t play with you, you’d fleece me for everything I’ve got,” Alex responded before shaking his head at the offer to play another round. “I know when to walk away,” he taunted as he flipped a coin with his thumb before pocketing it. “Need to give you boys a chance anyway,” he glanced up at Farah who merely nodded her head back to indicate she wanted him to walk with her.

Pushing up from his seat Alex followed along behind Farah, always keeping himself a half-step behind and to the side when they were around others. She was the commander of the ULF, and he was her second, so Alex made sure to display that respect.

“You got a message from Laswell asking you to call her,” Farah explained as she led the way into a small canvas building, holding the flap up for Alex to grab before disappearing inside. When she saw the face Alex pulled, she smiled a bit, “a phone call won’t hurt.”

“I just don’t know what she could possibly want from me,” Alex said as he reached for the satellite phone that was resting on the table. The number was already programmed in the phone and he hit the button to dial, watching Farah.

“We need you back here Alex,” was Laswell’s form of hello, “shit is about to happen and we’re going to need all hands on deck back here.”

“What?” Alex asked, instantly curious despite the fact he had told himself he wouldn’t feed into whatever she wanted from him. “I can’t come home, you made sure of that,” he added with a hint of agitation as Farah raised her eyebrows.

“That’s done with,” Laswell said dismissively, “I cleared that shit up weeks ago once I was done holding my grudge.”

“Weeks? Shit, Laswell, you could have fucking said something sooner,” Alex snapped as he grabbed the back of the chair he was standing next to.

“You wouldn’t have come home anyway. Farah seems to be your home now,” she tacked on with a small sigh. “I’m not going to argue about it right now. We’re all about to be in some deep shit, Farah included, and I’ve got a mission for all of you. I’ve already called Price.”

“Price,” Alex asked aloud, flicking his eyes to Farah so she knew what they were discussing. John and Farah had been close for years and he knew if Price was in on it, she would follow suit. “Fine, let’s hear it,” he tacked on before taking the phone from his ear and sliding it onto the table hitting the speaker button.

“There’s a sickness spreading,” Laswell said, her voice tinny through the phone. “Started in South America, not sure the origin. The Venezuelan government covered it up as long as possible and by the time we were able to get our people down there, it spread.”

Farah pulled out a seat across from Alex and grabbed a notebook, while he continued to stand, leaning over the back of the chair listening.

“Spread where?” Alex inquired as Farah jotted down a few notes.

“Reports of it in Colombia and Panama already,” Laswell answered. “And found on shipping vessels docked in Cuba and Nigeria.”

“But what does this have to do with us? Hardly sounds like a military operation,” Alex said, drumming his fingers.

“The illness isn’t the flu,” Laswell replied. “It’s making people violent,” she stated and they heard her flipping through papers. “Infected people are attacking others, biting, ripping them apart,” she continued. “It seems to spread through bites. It’s in the blood, saliva. Killing them is next to impossible without a headshot, bullets don’t slow them down otherwise.”

“What, like a zombie?” Alex asked with a small laugh but when Laswell didn’t respond with a laugh, an ominous feeling settled over him. “You’re joking,” he added.

“Not joking Keller,” Laswell replied. “This is deadly and fast spreading. We need you to extract the scientists working on it down in Venezuela. They’re our best shot at a cure, they think they found patient zero,” she explained. “The 141 has already signed on and I want you with them. The research team we need extracted is being led by an American woman. It’s a joint effort with British and Canadian scientists. We need to get to them before the Konni do.”

“The Konni? What do they have to do with this?” Farah piped up, instantly narrowing her eyes.

“They’re also aware of the situation and they want the chance at a cure first. Whoever has the cure has the power in this situation and no matter what we do, it’s going to get out of control. Fast.” Laswell answered.

Alex glanced at Farah, a silent question and also requesting permission. She stared back at him for a second, her eyes darting between his before giving a curt nod.

“When?” He asked finally.

“I can have transport to you tomorrow morning at o-five hundred,” Laswell replied. “You’ll rendezvous with the 141 in England then you’re meeting up with Shadow company back here,” she continued. “All of you need to put your shit aside,” she tacked on knowing there was bad blood between all of them and Graves. “We don’t have time to fight amongst ourselves. This illness was first reported to us three days ago and it’s already in five countries that we are aware of…and I’m afraid there’s a lot more we aren’t aware of.”

“What do you want from me?” Farah asked.

“Keep your people safe,” Laswell answered. “And be prepared. If we can’t keep this contained it won’t be long before it’s over there.”

Farah couldn’t be part of the unit; Laswell may have been able to smooth things over with Alex but it was a bit harder for her to clear a non-American citizen for defying orders. The American government still classified ULF as a ‘terrorist force’, though they didn’t do anything to them, just refused to work with or aid them.

“We’ll get it done,” Alex answered after a second as he looked at Farah. He wasn’t leaving her behind forever but he wasn’t going to let this spread either. If he could help reign it in before it got to Urzikstan she wouldn’t have to deal with it at all.

“I’ll have more information on your mission when you get back on American soil,” Laswell said before hanging up.

Alex stared at the phone for a second, processing what Laswell had just told him before glancing at Farah across the way from him. She was staring at him, the pen in her hand tapping idly on the notes she had scribbled; it wasn’t much information.

“I don’t like leaving you like this,” Alex said after a second as he looked around the empty canvas room.

The tent they were in was Farah’s, the command center and living room rolled into one, her bedroom behind another flap in the far corner. They had set this small area up as a base about two weeks ago, they needed one out on the east side to keep a better eye on a few Russian sympathizer neighbors. It had been a nice break from the hustle of the city. They had only brought a small group of soldiers with them and the silence was peaceful, as well as the semblance of a bit of privacy.

It was known that Alex was Farah’s right hand and had been since her brother betrayed her. It was also whispered that he was more to her than that, though Alex truly wasn’t sure. Truth be told there wasn’t a title for what they were to one another, it was never actually discussed between them. They both had jobs to do, Farah’s country and duty came first. She had made that very clear and Alex understood implicitly. If he came in the way of that or clouded her judgment, she would end whatever it was between them. So, Alex was careful with the extent of his affections even if it burned him from the inside sometimes.

“I’ll be fine Alex,” Farah answered as she pushed up from her chair and shut the notebook. “I can survive without you for a few days,” she tacked on with a small smile, knowing this was going to be more than a few days, more likely weeks.

“I know you can,” Alex said as he walked around the table and stood in front of her, arms crossed over his chest as he looked down at her. He itched to grab her and pull her to him but he didn’t. “Doesn’t mean I want you to,” he replied, conceding to reaching out and brushing a stray strand of hair off the side of her face. “If this is spreading like Laswell said it is,” he paused, “we may be too late already. I’d be better served here, with you. Keep you and the others safe.”

“You need to go help them find those scientists and that potential cure,” Farah replied. “Laswell didn’t ask for your help without reason. She must need something from you that only you can provide.”

Alex took a deep breath through his nose, adjusting his stance a bit as Farah seemingly stared down at him despite him having multiple inches on her. Her gaze was hard and he knew a command was coming from her so closed his eyes in defeat and nodded. He knew Laswell had asked because of his background; CIA. He could move through different countries easily. He also had contacts all over the place and could provide intelligence from other agencies he had worked with in the past. Laswell may know powerful people but Alex knew the seedy underbelly ones that she couldn’t be associated with; the ones that actually ran things. And if they were going to the America’s he had more pull than John Price did there.

“One more night of peace here,” Farah said as she tilted her head and reached out to rub his upper arm with her hand, the only soft gesture she ever gave him freely. “Don’t brood,” she teased, “make it worthwhile.” She stepped around him to head back outside where someone had started up a fire. She didn’t glance back and he heard her call out to a friend and start commenting about what they were making for dinner.

Alex watched her go, watched her disappear out of the tent and he sighed a bit at the disappointment after getting his hopes at her last comment.  He knew his mind and emotions wanted more from her, ached for something else besides scant touches and sidelong glances. But Farah wouldn’t let that happen.

Farah had only let her guard down and dragged Alex to her bed a handful of times and after each time she fled from him and avoided him for days, weeks. Alex would pretend nothing had happened, let her get comfortable again, and they’d go back to this slightly awkward dance until she sought him out again. He’d always willingly given himself over to her, hoping this time it would be different but it never was. He had to deal with the painful aftermath, pack away his feelings, and tell himself not to let it happen again. He failed at that resolve every time.

Alex busied himself in his own tent for a bit, despite the sweltering heat. It was right next to Farah’s private quarters, close enough that if a threat happened upon them, he could get to her in seconds. He packed up all his things, tossing the meager items he had brought with him on this trip before someone popped their head in to ask if he was coming to eat. He joined them with a smile, careful to sit across the fire from Farah as they all ate and talked. He caught Farah looking at him, the calculated gaze he knew too well, but Alex adverted his eyes. He had already let his hopes get too high today; he wasn’t going to do it again. Maybe this time away would help him clear his head a bit, her too.

As the group started to disperse Alex helped with the clean up before heading to his own tent. He kept his gaze fixed purposely forward to avoid Farah whose eyes he could feel burning into his back. The tent was still warm despite the cool air that had settled over the desert but it didn’t deter him; he was used to the heat by now. Alex’s rest was fitful, most of it spent staring at the dying glow of the fire through the dark brown tent canvas. He gave up trying to sleep at four and disassembled his tent quietly, folding everything up and tucking it to the side so the group didn’t need to bother with it when they left.

Farah met him where he had sat next to the dead firepit fifteen minutes before his transport was due to be there. He had been flipping through his pack to make sure he had all his documentation before glancing up as she handed him a coffee. He smiled and thanked her before they sat in silence, shoulders pressed against one another. It wasn't long before the whir of a helicopter could be heard approaching.

“I guess that’s me,” Alex stated with a small grin as the helicopter landed fifty yards away, kicking the sand up into a giant dust cloud. He set his cup down on the log next to him before saying, “I’ll be back soon. Stay safe.” Farah reached up a hand to squeeze his upper arm, a forced smile gracing her features.

“I’ll see you in a few days,” she agreed with a small nod before dropping her hand and tilting her head toward the helicopter indicating he needed to go. She opened her mouth as if to say something else but didn’t, and Alex didn’t try to get it out of her. Some space was definitely warranted between them.

Pulling up his shemagh, Alex gave Farah one last look before jogging toward the waiting helicopter. By the time he was situated inside and they lifted off again she was already gone. Back inside the tent to get back to work.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Just because you get to stay home does not mean you get to miss out on doing work,” Madeline said to Everett as he flopped over dramatically on the couch. She had picked him up early from school two days ago and he had been trying to get out of the homework packet his teacher had sent home with him since. Madeline had laid down a false lie about a family emergency and that he would be out the rest of the week. She would wait to hear back from her sister before she kept him out any longer, hoping that Josephine was just being extra cautious and would give the all clear in her next phone call.

“But it’s a snow day!” Everett argued as he pointed outside at the fresh layer of snow that hadn’t all been cleared away yet. “I want to go sledding,” he whined as he pressed his nose to the glass to watch other kids outside in the park across the way throwing snowballs and sliding down the very small hill.

“Do your work and we can talk about going out to play,” Madeline bargained. She knew Josephine would have her head if she let Everett outside after explicitly pulling him from school. But it was cruel to make a six-year-old stay inside all day when there was perfectly good snow to play in. “Ah ah, I said talk,” she reiterated as Everett’s eyes lit up and he dove for the file of papers to get started.

Madeline had kept a close eye on the news about this sickness her sister had mentioned. Josephine hadn’t given her much details so any mention of illness caught her ears and she watched the news carefully. Nothing truly stuck out as devastating or worrisome, just typical flu, so the fear that had been gnawing at her abated as each hour passed. No news was good news after all.

Madeline sat in the living room with Everett as he worked, mostly jiggling her mouse so her status didn’t go idle. She had finished her actual work hours before Everett even woke up, knowing she would have her hands full with a kid to actually get work done. Her boss didn’t need to know that though. After three hours of watching Everett, or E as she liked to call him because his full name was too stuffy for a child, Madeline was over it. The snow was still lightly falling and even from this high up she and Everett could hear the children outside laughing and carrying about.

“Promise to not tell mom?” Madeline asked as she fought with the zipper of Everett’s puffed-up jacket. He was bouncing on his feet with excitement, glancing toward the front door where his sled rested.

“I won’t Aunt Mads,” Everete said exasperated as Madeline had already told him twice not to mention anything to Josephine. His mom had pulled him from school because she didn’t want him around anyone, and taking him to the park was a direct violation of that action. “It’s going to get dark soon,” he whined as Madeline tugged on her own hat.

“You’ll be a frozen popsicle and asking to come inside long before it gets dark,” Madeline answered with a laugh before yanking the door open and following Everett out the door as he bolted for the elevator. She had tucked a few face masks in her pocket, and effort to show some semblance of caution. If they were around too many people she’d just slip one on each of them under their scarves. “Hold on,” she called as Everett waved her forward having left her to lug the sled.

The park was mostly empty, the kids that had been out all day finally calling it quits either because they were soaked to the skin or their parents came to get them. Madeline cleared off a bench and perched on the edge to watch Everett as he trucked up and down the small hill laughing the whole way. He asked her to ride down with him a few times which she refused, but willingly watched him every time he shrieked for her to watch this slightly different sitting position as he went down the hill. She had pulled out her phone and was scrolling through her news feed again, carefully looking for anything new when she noticed Everett had fallen a bit quiet.

Snapping her eyes up she saw him talking to a little girl, maybe a year or two younger, and they were moving to ride down the hill together on Everett’s sled as her father looked on. The man looked over at Madeline and gave her a small smile, which she returned feeling slightly guilty at betraying Josephine’s trust. Everett at least had his scarf around his mouth and the little girl was bundled up as well. One ride wouldn’t hurt.

Pocketing the phone, she watched them go down the hill before noticing someone down at the bottom that hadn’t been there before. It was an older man, he was walking a bit awkwardly, coughing and he stumbled falling down to one knee as the sled came to a stop. Everett, ever the one to be helpful, hopped up and went to offer to help when Madeline shrieked for him.

“E! We have to get going,” she called quickly and she saw the confused look her nephew gave her as he glanced between her and the man. The guy was coughing still and his body seemed to be almost twitching as he didn’t even attempt to stand up. Madeline felt a chill that had nothing to do with the cold running down her spine. The little girl’s father had also picked up on the oddity and called his daughter over to him as well. Madeline and the father exchanged glances, and a small nod before he turned tailed to leave the park.

“What if he needed help?” Everett asked as he dragged his sled over to Madeline, glancing over his shoulder at the man who hadn’t gotten up yet. “We shouldn’t leave him,” he said apprehensively as Madeline took the sled from his hands.

“I’ll call someone to come help him,” Madeline offered as she stared concerned at the man over Everett’s head. He had fallen back on his butt and he was visibly choking as he coughed, and there was bright red blood on the snow around him. Not wanting Everett to see she quickly placed a hand on the back of his head to steer him out of the park with a forced smile.

“How about spaghetti for dinner?” She asked knowing it was his favorite. She glanced over her shoulder again as she moved to get her phone out of her jacket. She wasn’t heartless, she had planned on calling someone but it seemed another good samaritan had seen and walked over to help the guy. Good. If she didn’t have Everett with her she would have gone over herself, even if she had no idea how she could help.

As they crossed the street to the apartment building her phone buzzed in her pocket. Digging out her phone she saw it was Josephine and she cursed under her breath. Everett looked at her with a mix of scandalization and amusement, knowing his aunt now owed him another dollar for the swear jar his mom and she contributed to. Hustling into the building Madeline put a finger to her lips with a grin as she answered the call, pausing at the mailboxes to grab the mail from the past few days.

“Madeline,” Josephine said as soon as the call connected. She sounded concerned, her voice an octave higher than normal. The background noise was loud and chaotic and Madeline had to put a finger in her other ear to hear better.

“What’s up, Josie?” Madeline asked as she dug out junk mailers from the small box and handed them to Everett who was flipping through it. She really needed to check the mail more often. She dug out more items that were stuck and stuffed them into Everett’s hands.

“Where are you?” Josephine asked.

“The mailroom,” Madeline answered truthfully as she shut the small mail door and locked it up.

“Go back to the apartment,” Josephine answered tersely. “And pack.”

“What?” Madeline asked, her hand pausing on the mailroom door as she shifted the sled under her arm more. “What are you talking about?”

“You need to get out of the city,” Josephine answered. “I’m trying to see if I can get you to the CDC,” she paused before something smashed in the background. “Or fuck, out of the country. Somewhere, just not in the city.”

Everett had heard the cuss through the phone as they stood at the mailroom door and grinned holding up two fingers.

“Josie,” Madeline said quietly as she pushed open the mailroom door as someone walked over to get in. She instantly stepped away from them and crowded Everett behind her out of caution, subtly pulling her scarf back up over her own mouth. “You’re freaking me out a bit. Can you give me a little more details?”

“It’s spreading Mads,” Josephine said. “I haven’t gotten all the details yet, things are so murky, but the sickness is already out of hand.”

“Okay, so we just stay in the apartment, right? Avoid people, wait it out,” Madeline said as she called the elevator. Her sister had shared protocols and standard procedures with the family years ago. After all the things she had seen, she wanted to make sure the family was prepared. She had always lived by the motto when, not if when it came to sicknesses spreading. “Take our vitamins, sleep all day, and eat soup,” she joked a bit looking at Everett who pulled a face at vitamins.

“There’s no waiting this out,” Josephine answered. “It’s making people,” her voice cut out as the elevator rose up between floors. A few more jumbled words came through but it was static.

“Hang on Josie, we’re on the elevator,” Madeline said as she held her phone away from her face to see if the call dropped. Tapping her foot impatiently she waited for the elevator to reach their floor before darting out and putting the phone back to her ear.

“-blood and salvia.” Josephine finished, not realizing the call had dropped for a bit.

“Wait, explain again, we were on the elevator,” Madeline said as she fished out the apartment keys. She bit off her glove as she fumbled one handed with the key before getting the door unlocked and ushered Everett in.

“I don’t have time,” Josephine said a bit hurriedly. “Just pack up go bags and be ready. Have both of your passports just in case I can’t get arrangements for you to meet me at the CDC. Maybe I can get you down here.”

“Josephine,” Madeline said a bit sterner than she was feeling. “Are you fucking with me?” She looked at Everett who was peeling off his snow clothes in the laundry room, he hadn’t heard her. “Like is this a joke?”

“I’m not joking Madeline,” Josephine answered seriously, using her full name like Madeline had just done to her. “Your passport is with Everett’s in the lockbox in my closet I put it there when you moved in.” She knew her sister well enough that Madeline would lose it if someone didn’t keep track of it for her. “With some cash. I have a to go bag filled with essentials in there too. Tucked behind Garett’s old shit he never picked up.”

“Cash? This is...Josie please how bad can this really be?” She watched as Everett started poking in the pantry, using Madeline’s temporary distraction to sneak a snack before dinner. Traveling with a six-year-old was going to be hellacious. Everett was a good kid but children were not easy, especially when they were in new high stress situations. Madeline barely managed to figure out traveling herself, then she’d have to potentially go international. “What about Garett? Does he need to know?”

“Who cares about him? He left a year ago and hasn’t even called his son,” Josephine said agitated. “Look I have to go. Go pack. Now. Don’t wait. Once I get arrangements, I’ll call you and things are going to move quick…don’t roll your eyes.” She finished knowing Madeline had been in mid-roll. “And stay in the damn apartment. No midnight runs to the corner shop for ice cream, or to flirt with the neighbor down the hall.”

“You’re the worst,” Madeline answered before hanging up and looking at Everett who had quickly stuffed three cookies in his mouth so Madeline couldn’t tell him to put them back.

“When is mom coming home?” Everett asked as he glanced at the phone. He knew his mother worked odd hours, sometimes not calling for days but he had obviously clocked she hadn’t asked to speak to him. “Is she okay?”

“She’s alright bud, just busy. You know how she gets when she’s working,” Madeline said quietly, silently cursing herself for not calling him over to at least say hello. “Go take a shower,” Madeline said as she ruffled his hair which was damp with sweat and melted snow. He was shivering slightly and she knew a shower would warm him. Plus, if they were traveling, he needed to get cleaned up. She couldn’t remember the last time he showered and to be honest she could use one as well. “We’ll eat afterward,” she reasoned as he huffed and rubbed his stomach. “Those cookies you snuck should hold you off.”

When he was safely in the shower Madeline went into his room and grabbed a few clothes, staring at the potential items. What was she supposed to pack? The CDC was in Atlanta so that was warmer, but it was still winter. But if they were going to South America it would be way too hot for winter clothes. She sighed and tucked a few things under her arm before going to her room and pulling random things out of her dresser and closet. Yanking a duffle bag out, one of her exes that she had taken when she left him in the middle of the night over a year ago, she stuffed all their things inside of it. Then ventured into Josephine’s room, pausing to make sure Everett was still distracted. He was still singing in the shower and she smirked before delving into Josephine's closet.

The lockbox combo was Everett’s birthday and when Madeline opened it her eyes widened. There was a stack of cash, passports, divorce papers, and other random paperwork mingled inside, including her parent's wills. Fishing around all that Madeline took the cash and passports and jammed them into her duffle before pulling Josephine’s bag out from behind a box labeled ‘asshole’s shit’.

It was a professional looking backpack that had a handle and wheels, the perfect opposite of Madeline’s beaten and frayed bag. She unzipped one of the pockets to take a look at what her sister qualified as 'essentials' but heard Everett calling out to her from the kitchen. He was already in the cabinets and the rattling of pots because he was impatient. She left the bag half unzipped before standing up, she’d check it later.

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“We have limited time,” Price said as he stared at Graves across the table from them. He had taken up the mantel of talking, Soap’s face had been murderous as he stared at the commander the moment he walked in the room. “Alejandro and Rudy checked in; it’s moving fast. Mexico is already starting to get overrun,” he tossed a file on the table. “This is intelligence from an hour ago, but based off Laswell’s call this is probably all outdated already.”

“What the fuck is it?” Gaz asked the question they had all been wanting to ask.

“Not sure boys,” Graves said as he pushed up from his chair. “The scientists have akin it to something like rabies, but it’s not killing the hosts and it's rapid onset. Some people get sick within minutes, others an hour or so. Just makes them crazed, they attack others unprovoked. Only way to put them down is,” he pointed between his eyes. “Body shots just piss them off more.”

“Even filling them with bullets?” Ghost asked and Graves nodded. “How?”

“It’s like they are running on pure muscle memory and electricity. Blood loss is nothing to them. You have to kill the brain to get them to stop,” Alex said as he gestured to the pile of paper in the center of the table. He hadn’t been able to sleep since they landed and spent the past few hours going through all the papers.

“Could always blow them up,” Soap stated, “doesn’t always fucking work though,” he added cutting a glare to Graves who merely gave him a sarcastic smirk in response. Soap adjusted in his chair like he would get up but Ghost quickly put a hand on his chest and pushed him back into the seat.

“If they aren’t really dead, or alive for that matter, once they get infected,” Gaz asked looking around, “what’s a cure going to do?”

“That’s above my pay grade,” Graves answered. “We don’t even know if they have a cure yet, or vaccine, but we need the information they’ve gathered.”

“So, what’s the plan? If it’s moving this fast we can’t just sit here,” Alex said, his thoughts instantly going to Farah. He had tried to call her when he touched down in Boston and settled in the nondescript building they were using as headquarters, but she didn’t answer. Not unusual but it made him uneasy.

“Their head scientist has a request,” Price said. “She wants us to get her family,” he looked at Graves who scoffed. “Her son is six,” he tacked on with a bit of an edge to his voice. “I told her if someone can get them here, we would take them. But they needed to be here before we left, we aren’t waiting.”

“Why is her son special?” Ghost asked, never one to worry about tact or being blunt. “There are plenty of children that are at risk.”

“Nothing,” Price answered curtly. “She asked and I said I’d see what I could do but I wasn’t going out of my way. She understood. She has four hours to get him and her sister here.”

“What are we going to do with a child and civilian in the jungles of Venezuela? It’s going to be bad enough keeping the scientists alive,” Gaz stated sitting back in his seat with a skeptical look. “They’d be safer here at home I’d think, or going out into the countryside a bit.”

“We’re not all going to Venezuela,” Graves answered. “Some of us are headed right to the CDC to prepare for their arrival. Russia is racing us to the finish line, if they think we’re going to win they’ll sabotage anyway they can.”

“And they know the CDC is where we will go,” Alex answered. “We’re taking the family to the CDC with us instead.”

“Exactly,” Price answered.

“Who got the short stick?” Soap asked, not really saying which he considered a short stick but everyone knew it meant being with Graves.

“Alex, Gaz, Graves, and I are headed to South America,” Price said and he saw Soap open his mouth to fight. “You, Ghost, and a chunk of Shadow company are headed to the CDC.”

“We’re on babysitting duty,” Ghost stated, his voice highly unimpressed.

“You’re transporting a kid and his aunt to the custody of the staff there, yes,” Price replied evenly. “If they get here. You just have to deal with them on the flight.”

“If all goes to plan, we’ll be back in a few days with the joint research team and they get to do the rest of the work. Our job is to keep them alive.” Graves filled in before someone busted into the room. All of them jumped and Ghost's hand itched instinctively to a throwing knife on his vest.

“Timeline is moved up,” a man said as Graves snatched a paper from him. “A flight that landed at Logan airport was quarantined on the tarmac for hours. Man flew in from Mexico after spending time in Venezuela. Fell ill halfway here and they suspected he had the sickness. When the local security finally breached the plane, everyone was too far gone and they couldn’t keep them contained. They didn’t wait for military,” he was panicking, the sweat on his brow and upper lip pronounced. “Boston is going to be overrun by daybreak. There are more reports of it all over the country as we speak.”

“Fuck,” Graves said as he threw the paper on the table. “We move now. We can’t get caught here,” he stated as he marched toward the door to start rallying his team together. “If it’s already that widespread here who knows how bad it is down in Venezuela.”

Alex grabbed a laptop and started to scroll through the news feeds. All the media had been quiet about the sickness mere hours ago and now it was cropping up in bits and pieces. He felt a cold sweat break down his back at what he was finding with each click. A sickness that hadn’t existed a week ago was showing its face all over the place at a rapid pace.

Social media was starting to flood with it and he froze as he saw a shaky video of someone filming a man brutally tackling a woman to the ground with a snarl and literally rip her apart. Her screams were shrill and everyone in the room turned to look at Alex who quickly lowered the volume, not realizing it was as high as it had been.

“How long until we’re wheels up?” Gaz asked as he moved around to look at the laptop with Alex who had moved on from that video. He was looking for anything in the Middle East, for Urzikstan. The sickness was already in Nigeria when he had left, which meant it had crossed the Atlantic which was much bigger than the distance between then Nigeria to Farah.

“Hour and a half,” Graves said as he stormed back in, “we leave here for the airfield in forty-five minutes.”

“That’s not going to be enough time for the boy and his aunt to get here,” Alex said as he glanced at his watch.

“Then they’re on their own,” Price answered simply.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Madeline had passed out on the couch and didn’t hear her phone vibrating on the coffee table for a bit, the wine pulling her into a deep stupor. She was already a hard sleeper but when wine was factored in it was a miracle her phone alarm could wake her in the morning. But by the tenth call in a row, the constant rattling had worked her phone to the edge of the coffee table and it crashed to the floor startling Madeline awake. She groaned and groped for it, then wincing when she saw all the missed calls. As she was about to call Josephine back her sister called again.

“Where have you been!” Josephine all but screamed in relief and anger. “Get up. You have to leave. Now. Get Everett up,” she ordered as Madeline barely sat up on the couch.

“What?” Madeline said groggily as she rubbed at her face. “Josephine, it's two in the morning,” she bemoaned as she tried to blink her tired eyes awake more.

“I’m well aware of the time,” Josephine stated. “I have a way for you to get to the CDC but you have to leave. Right now.”

“Can we not just fly out in the morn-” Madeline started.

“No! Madeline! It’s too late for all that.” Josephine barked. “Get your ass out of bed, get my son, and get in the fucking car. Now!” Her voice had an air of terror and that was enough to wake Madeline up a bit more.

“Alright, alright,” Madeline answered as she walked to the living room light switch and flipped it on, flinching at the brightness. “Why does it have to be now? What’s changed?” She asked as she stretched and headed toward Everett’s room. She had put him to bed around nine, later than normal, and she knew he was going to be a nightmare to try and get up. He was like her with his need to sleep, she had literally dragged him out of the bed before.

“It’s already everywhere Mads. We’re,” she paused, “we’re locked up inside of an old school building. Our camp was overrun,” she stopped again. “We lost half the team. I don’t…please just get a pen and write down this address.”

“Half your team? What the hell is this? You seemed fine just a few hours ago...” Madeline stated as she paused her trek to Everett’s room and went to her own to get a post-it off her desk to write down the address Josephine gave her.

“It’s not like anything I’ve ever seen,” Josephine answered before she babbled off the address. It was a place across town, a twenty-minute drive when there was no traffic on a good day. “Stay away from people if you can. Don’t talk to anyone, don’t stop,” she sighed. “Just get to that building and ask for a man named Price, John Price. Tell them who you and Everett are, explain that you are my sister. They know to be on the lookout for you.”

Madeline wrote the information down before her phone buzzed with a message, then another, then it started to vibrate with a warning like an Amber alert. She hesitated and pulled the phone away from her ear to look at it. It was an emergency broadcast to remain indoors due to an undisclosed threat, more information would follow.

“Josie,” Madeline breathed, feeling her chest tighten. This whole time she had been thinking, hoping, her sister may have been just a touch extra paranoid, but a citywide alert going out made this real. She was getting messages from news outlets now sharing news about the alert. “They just sent a city alert to stay indoors.” Her phone buzzed with the same alert again and she saw the Alexa in the kitchen flash with the warning as well.

“Shit. It’s already out of control there. I knew they were slow to alert us down here,” Josephine snapped before taking a steadying breath. Her voice changed instantly to a calming tone, like a mother talking to their scared child.  “Go now. Get the stuff you packed earlier…you did pack, right?” She tacked on and when Madeline whispered yes, she continued. “Get to John Price and you’ll be fine. Get Everett up, get in the car, and on the road. My phone is about to die, I’ve been on it all day and power is spotty here. But you call me when you get to John.”

“Josie, how bad is this?” Madeline breathed feeling the panic welling up inside her as her phone continued to go berserk with news.

“I’ve never lied to you, have I?” Josephine asked calmly and when Madeline didn’t answer she continued, “this is as bad as it gets, Mads. You need to get out of Boston.”

[aceing-on-the-cake]

I read someone talking once about how the ending to supernatural was happy because it showed Sam and dean would spend eternity together, and that yeah it was sad Sam grew up and old without Dean but that between hell both ways Sam and dean had already spent more of their lives apart rather than together so at least now they finally get to spend it together and it took me forever to realize why that felt so, wrong, to me.

And it's because there's a difference between an eternity in hell and a life lived. Hell is terrible, would be terrible, and would age you, but at the end of the day it's not living.

It's one pain day after day after day until it feels like it's been merely hours and that nothing was ever real before the pain. It's such a large frame of time that it becomes meaningless no matter how many different ways you get tortured. It doesn't have ups and downs it's just hitting one bottom of the floor after another for eternity.

And like yeah, I think both Sam and Dean when they both remembered hell, probably did go through a period of knowing their brother in their soul and having no clue who he was either because it'd been decades before they were seen last.

But again, thats not living an entire lifetime without them.

Sam grew old, in a way Dean is never gonna see and know. Dean is never gonna know what his nephew was like as a baby. Dean is never gonna know what his nephew was like as a toddler, the teenager he would've helped sneak out the window, the young adult he would've taken on impromptu road trips in baby. Because Sam has to live an entire life without Dean, and by the time younger Dean gets to heaven with them, he's gonna be an adult, and that's all Dean's gonna get.

Sam didn't get to watch Dean grow old. Sam will never get to watch Dean grow into the old man who's always cracking jokes no one but him gets. He'll never get to see Dean finally goddamn rest for once in his life. He'll never know what it was to share an entire life with someone who knew him from birth and who knew him in and out all the way until final death. Because Dean died young.

Its tragic is what it is and was. It's tragic that they gave us the suggestion that the brothers were finally gonna settle down, and decided that it's just not in character for Dean to be at rest. That Dean's character arc was always going to end tragically. That the brothers were always going to have to live apart despite them spending an entire 15 seasons doing everything within and beyond their power to do the exact opposite.

Supernatural ended at best bittersweet. It ended by telling us that happiness was never in the world for these two brothers. It ended by telling us that the end of the day, someone is always gonna die young, and someone is always gonna live till they're older than them.

And that has some truth to it, and it's fine to write stories like that, but you have to call it what it is. When it's inevitable, when it's horrible, and when no one and nothing the characters can do can truly fight it,

It's a tragedy.

[amor-immortalem]

Forgetful

Summary: Mammon and Arella’s anniversary is coming up but with as busy as life in the Devildom can get, Arella forgets. Can she make it up to her favorite demon?

Genre: A lil bit of fluff, lil bit of angst

A/N: I wanted to write something about their anniversary but I severely underestimated the amount of time I had to write this before the 28th came about so it’s gonna be a 2 parter.

Life these days is kind of hectic for Arella. Between balancing her tole as human world ambassador, being a member of RAD’s student council, keeping up with friends from the human world, trying to make enough time in the day to spend with her boyfriend, keeping up her grades at RAD, and being a good mother all at the same time, the human finds it hard to even keep her head on straight. She feels like she’s drowning- like she’s bitten off more than she can chew. She needs a break from at least one of those things. Maybe if she could just get a week to herself, then things would go back to normal… hopefully.

So why does she feel so nervous- like she’s forgetting something important? There were no exams coming up at school. Midterms were a couple months out at most. The only birthday coming up within the next week was Cyrus’ but she was planning to take the toddler with her anyway and just have the birthday celebration up there. What else was she missing? Looking at her phone’s calendar, nothing of note really stands out. She’d just have to figure it out later when she has access to her planner.

・・・〆・・・

“I think that’s a great idea.” Thirteen says as she and Arella discuss the human’s plan about Arella leaving for the human realm for a short break. “I’ll be up there too from time to time so maybe we can spend some quality time together without Mammon trying to invite himself along.”

“If you don’t mind Cyrus tagging along then I don’t mind meeting you out somewhere.”

“Why can’t I just come to your place? It can’t be a date if you’re toting a little one around with you all night. Plus its easier than having to worry about finding child frendly places for us to hang out.”

“I just… I’d prefer it if we met up somewhere. If Cyrus is a concern for you, ten I’m sure Aubrie wouldn’t mind babysitting for a night.”

“The munchkin isn’t a concern for me. He’s a part of the package deal you come with- one adorable kid and his insufferable father.”

“Thirteen,” Arella scolds her half-heartedly. “Mammon’s not insufferable, you just have to get past that hot-and-cold attitude he has and then he’s really quite sweet...”

Its silent between them for a moment before:

”You’re not hiding anything from me are you?” There’s an accusatory tone to the reaper’s voice. “You trust me right?”

“Of course I do,” Arella takes a moment to consider the rest of her answer. “And I’m not hiding anything from you I just… I don’t know, its silly… I barely even let the boys into my human world home- even Mammon’s only ever been there twice. I guess you could say I just want that to be the one part of my past that isn’t touched by all the day to day nonsense that I go through here in the Devildom…”

“Yeah that makes sense- magic does tend to linger longer in the human world than it does here…” Thirteen hums, ”I just think it would be easier on you in the long run.”

“I’ll think about it, alright? If I decide that it’s just easier to stay in then I’ll text you my address.”

“Alright, my candles are done forming so I’ll let you go so I can get back to work. Love you. See you soon.”

“I love you too,” Is all the human answers as she hangs up. She places her phone on the desk before getting up to stretch.

“You’re goin’ up to the human world?” Mammon’s voice startles her.

“I was planning on it yes. I need a bit of a break. I was going to take Cyrus with me too.” She takes a couple steps and wraps her arms around his neck and balances on her tiptoes to place a kiss on the demon’s cheek. “Or do you not want me to take him.”

“I mean if you say you need a break then I don’t think ya should..” Mammon hums, wrapping his arms around her. “But you’ll miss his birthday depending on when you go and he hasn’t been up to the human world since he was an infant…”

“It’s really all up to you,” she smiles, “because I’m fine either way. I’m leaving in a couple days.”

“A couple days?” It gives the white-haired man pause, “Why am I only just hearing about this now?”

“I mean I did text you about it last week and our chat log shows you read my message. I just figured I caught you at a bad time and you forgot to reply.”

Mammon fishes his phone from his pocket and looks at his messages. “Huh… I’ll be damned, I did… damn…I even had a surprise planned for the 28th but I guess it can wait until you get back.”

“Oh… I’m sorry I ruined your plans. I’ll find a way to make it up to you. Promise.”

“Ya better.” The demon huffs as he leans in for a kiss, “You can start right now.”

“Dinner!”

Mammon and Arella break apart at the sound of Asmo’s voice. The human chuckles softly at the white-haired demon’s grumbles of disappointment.

“We can continue this later, Dear. After Cyrus goes down for bed.” She takes his hand and laces their fingers together. “Let’s get down to dinner before everything gets taken.”

・・・〆・・・

Its been four days since Arella started her small break in the human world and she still can’t help but feel like she’s forgetting something. She didn’t have anything marked down on her calendar for this entire week except for Cyrus’ birthday.

“Whatever it is, I must’ve figured I wouldn’t need to write it down to remember it… not the brightest move on my part… I should call Mammon and see if he might know.”

Without thinking too much on it, Arella is dialing her boyfriend’s number. With the amount of times that it rings. She’s almost afraid he won’t answer but eventually he does.

“Yeah?” He answers quickly. It almost sounds like he’s trying to hide the way it sounds like he’s been crying.

“Are you okay?” Forget asking whether or not he knew of anything important was coming up for her, this takes precedence. “You sound like you’ve been crying?”

“I wasn’t cryin’,” Mammon’s defense was almost too quick. “It’s just been a rough day- didn’t sleep well last night.”

“I’m sorry, Honey, is there anything I can do for you to make you feel better right now?” Its quiet for a bit and Arella worries the line may have been disconnected. “Mammon?”

“Hm?”

“I asked if there was anything I could do for you.”

“Nah, there’s nothin’. How’s your vacation goin’? The baby bein’ good for ya?”

“Of course he is,” she chuckles, “he’s always good for me. He’s down for his nap right now.”

“That’s good at least. You can get a couple minutes to yourself… Well I gotta go. Hafta get ready for a photoshoot. Is there anything you wanna say to me before I hang up?”

“Mmm…” Arella thinks for a moment, “Only that I love you and I miss you and I’ll see you when I get back.”

There’s a pause at the other end of the line almost as if he’s waiting for her to say more.

“That’s it?” Mammon tries to hide it, but there’s a slight hint of hurt behind his words. “Nothin’ else?”

“Was I supposed to say something else?” There’s genuine confusion in the human’s voice.

“Nah… nevermind. Love you too. See ya when you guys get back.” The line clicks off leaving Arella with more confusion at the abruptness of it all.

・・・〆・・・

To be continued

[starthetripledevil]

Mario Legacy Challenge: 1979

Last year, Jumpman quit his job as a basketball player. He is working in retail for now but is still looking for other possible jobs. His wife, Lady, has a much more successful career as a stylist. The two are living in the city of Brooklyn (which is in a completely different dimension and not in New York) with their daughter Pauline, currently a toddler.

One night early in the year, Jumpman reads his daughter a bedtime story about aliens.

At some point in either early 1979 or before, Lady makes this drawing as a decoration for Pauline's room. (Iirc this was made with the sketch pad which came with her job.)

Jumpman goes fishing and after some time, he starts thinking... maybe this could be a good next job. He joins the fisherman part-time job while still also working in retail (since the game allows 2 part-time jobs at the same time as long as the schedules don't clash).

With Jumpman having two jobs, he will have less time to spend with his family. But he at least gets to spend breakfast together with his wife before leaving for work.

One day, Jumpman returns from work feeling not so good. And so close to his birthday too! Now Jumpman doesn't really hold big celebrations for his birthdays, but this one is particular is included in the series since it's him aging up into an adult with my custom lifespan.

Fortunately, Jumpman recovers before his birthday and is able to invite his neighbor Emmalyn to celebrate with his family. However, there won't be more guests than that.

It's time for Jumpman's 35th birthday in May 1979! (Also looks like Lady is still wearing her work clothes.)

And of course, we have cake. (And some leftover cake for later.)

Some time after the party ends (and Mario has come back home from his job as a fisherman, based on the outfit), Lady goes to talk to Jumpman about her fear on unfulfilled dreams (something which started shortly before the birthday). She feels dissatisfied with how life is going, though she doesn't quite know how to improve things. However, after a conversation, she no longer has the fear, even if she isn't really making any notable changes to her life.

Jumpman gets promoted in his retail job and feels happy about it, so he might not be quitting soon after all.

In around Q3 1979, a festival is happening near the Mario family's home, so Lady decides to go there and order some food.

Among the people attending, there's also Tony Arthur, her brother-in-law. Lady and Tony used to not get along back when she first moved in with him and his wife/her sister (more about that in earlier posts of this legacy), but now they're good friends.

In fact, for the rest of this post, the focus will be on the Arthur family. Tony's twin daughters Marianne (left) and Luigeena Jr. (right) will be turning 6 in December. (That being when Sims age up into children, so again, that's why the birthday party is shown. Other birthdays can be assumed to happen off-screen.)

But before that, it's the 35th birthday of their mother, Luigeena. Like Jumpman, she doesn't have a big celebration.

And some time later, it's time for the twins' birthday. This is a bigger party with family members invited. Lady aka Aunt Pauline is the first guest to arrive.

Then we have Uncle Jumpman and Grandpa Nico.

And the youngest guest, 4-year-old Pauline. Apparently Luigeena doesn't want her to eat on the floor so she places her in a high chair.

(That's not what actually happened, since in reality, I think it was Lady who placed Pauline there. But I think, considering Luigeena's snob and neat traits, she probably wouldn't like toddlers eating on the floor.)

They're having this winter themed cake for the party since it's also close to Christmas. (I'm not sure how close exactly.)

Here we have the aged up twins, sitting at the table with their dad and grandpa. They both have the Social Butterfly aspiration and outgoing trait, and already completed the first stage simply by knowing all the people at the party and talking to them (apparently it counts as meeting even if they already knew them as toddlers).

The twins then spend the rest of the party playing with their cousin.

Meanwhile, Jumpman and Lady are still eating.

Marianne and Luigeena become best friends.

Following Marianne and Luigeena's birthday party, the Marios go back home. Soon, it's the end of not just a year but a decade. Though this time, Jumpman doesn't spend the beginning of a decade at a New Year's festival.

For Jumpman's experiences in 1980, see this post.

[rorythorne]

.*･｡ﾟ ━ ( natalia dyer / cis female / she/her ) i think i just saw AURORA ‘RORY’ THORNE on the subway. the 27 year old FORMER ACTRESS has been living on cornelia street for SIX MONTHS. aurora’s friends know her to be charismatic, spontaneous, and ambitious, but she has a reputation on cornelia street for being self-indulgent, superficial, and impulsive. when i see aurora , i can’t help but think of a sun-kissed body laid atop a bed of silk, perfectly manicured french nails, the lingering smell of cigarettes, half-empty bottles of wine, and missing for something no longer there ! in fact , i sometimes i think i hear ANTI-HERO when i see her walk by.

THE BASICS

Full name: Aurora 'Rory' Celeste Thorne

DOB: May 27th (i am deciding she is just now going to be turning 27 bc I picked this bday after applying)

Zodiac: Gemini Sun, Libra Moon, Libra Rising

From New York City, NY.

Daughter to the Anastasia Thorne.

Rory is the middle child.

YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF AURORA THORNE?

Born and raised in New York, NY among the elite, Aurora has always appreciated the finer things in life — regardless of price. That's not to say she was a toddler in Balenciaga or anything, but she was most certainly spoiled.

Her career started when she was just a toddler, modeling for diaper companies and various children's clothing lines.

Being the middle child, she often felt like she was vying for her mother's attention and she'd do anything to keep it, even if that meant acting out. Unfortunately, maintaining her mother's attention wasn't particularly easy, and just trying to was beginning to become tiring.

Rory often jumped from hobby to hobby, having a tendency to give up when she grew bored or things just seemed too hard. Over the years, she tried gymnastics, pottery, knitting, sewing, archery, and piano, the last being her longest-held hobby. She performed in recitals, her mother bought a piano for the house, and soon she started voice lessons to be able to accompany herself.

She was encouraged to pursue a music career, and she did end up releasing an EP, but her passion faded and she broke her contract without a care for the financial consequences.

Acting, on the other hand, was where she felt herself thrive. Some think it's her form of escapism, but she refuses to acknowledge such claims.

At age 23, she moved out to Los Angeles. Her mother's name was more than enough to get her into auditions, and her appearance sealed the deal. However, after her first four films, she gained a reputation for her pickiness with her work, often dropping scripts just weeks after casting or partway through filming for unexplained reasons.

After a heated phone call with her mother and manager, she got her act together enough to land and maintain her role in her most recent film, but she had no idea as filming wrapped that it might be her last.

“SHE'S LAUGHING UP AT US FROM HELL!”

Rory would never pin all the blame on MUSE B, buuuuuut it was their choice that seemed to be the final straw for their mother.

Money management, who's she? Up until now, she'd had what seemed like an endless supply of money, never blinking an eye at price tags for the things she wanted.

Being cut off felt like a slap to the face, and forced Rory to address the harsh realities that she doesn't know who she is without money and her mother's name. She doesn't know how to survive the way the rest of the world does, still spending beyond her means and waiting for it to bite her in the ass.

The news of her -ahem- financial independence is a touchy subject, so those who address her by her full name or even begin to mention her situation are met with a glare and a bitchy tone, which certainly isn't helping her build a positive reputation on Cornelia Street.

MISC. / OTHER

Find Aurora’s stats page here.

She is a cat mom to a beautiful little brown tabby, who she spoils rotten the same way she was spoiled for the majority of her life.

Her favorite colors are pink and seafoam green.

She is a social drinker!

She picked up smoking cigarettes on the set of her first film and has tried (and failed) to stop smoking a handful of times in the years since, but her recent stress has re-sparked the habit.

Her best friend in L.A. was supposed to be her impulse control, but was more of an enabler. Said friend dropped her as soon as her mother did, making it clear to Rory that they were only friends because of her name. As a result, this bitch does not know how to trust people.

about the mun

hi! i’m gianna (27, she/they) and i reside in the hell state that is florida in the EST timezone. i’m open to all kinds of plots, so please feel free to message me here or on discord at any time! i also write astrid beckett who is muse a in the new year's day skeleton. 💛

[runnning-outof-time]

Roadside Daisies | Tommy Shelby x Reader

Request: no - part of @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie ‘s summer challenge

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x reader

Summary: Flowers play a big part in Tommy and (Y/N)’s relationship.

Warnings: none...just some good ol’ family fluff

Word Count: 1000

A/N: this challenge was so fun to participate in. My prompt was ‘wildflowers’ and I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out. Enjoy! :)

I’D LOVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! - YOUR COMMENTS & REBLOGS HELP ME WRITE!

Let me know if you’d like to be tagged in stories similar to this one!

The evening was winding down, but the couple sitting in the car was still buzzing. Tommy tried to keep his eyes on the road instead of (Y/N), but it was a challenge. He was still in awe of the fact that he’d actually got her to agree to a date with him.

“This is such a beautiful road. I’m glad you decided to take the long way home,” (Y/N) said, a smile on her face as she watched the rolling fields pass by.

“I knew you’d enjoy it,” Tommy answered before he decided to pull the car over and park.

“Tommy, what’re you...” (Y/N) wasn’t able to finish her sentence because Tommy had gotten out of the car and walked over to the opposite roadside. He was gone for a few moments before he came back to the car with something in his hands. “What’s this?” (Y/N) questioned as he held it out to her.

“Daisies...to remember the long way home,” he smiled at her, moving the handful of delicate wildflowers he’d picked in her direction.

“They’re lovely, Tommy, thank you,” (Y/N) swooned at the sweet gesture, happily accepting the flowers from him and holding them close to her chest. Tommy grinned, accepting the kiss to the cheek that she happily gave him before he continued on the drive to her home.

That night, (Y/N) made sure to tuck the handful of daisies between the pages of a book so that they’d be able to dry and be kept for years to come. She wanted to have something that would let her remember the night she knew she’d found the man to spend the rest of her life with.

-Seven Years Later-

The entire Shelby clan had finally had a day where they were all together and had nothing to do. There were no dance recitals, no football practices, and no business meetings. So (Y/N) suggested that they all go out and spend the day amongst the fields of wildflowers that had just bloomed.

Of course, getting the entire family out of the house was a feat in its own. The twins just had to be fighting about something, the toddler refused to go without making sure the entire toy chest was coming along, and, amidst the chaos, Tommy had slipped off to his office.

But soon enough, everyone was loaded into the car and they were off. After a few minutes of driving, they had pulled over on the roadside and walked in a bit to get to a clearing underneath a tree.

The two oldest kids immediately took off to run around the fields of colorful flowers, and the toddler — Oliver, although he tried to run with his older siblings, ultimately gave up and sat off with his toys just beyond the blanket that (Y/N) and Tommy were relaxing on.

“Isn’t this nice, Tommy?” (Y/N) questioned, a smile on her face as she rested her head against her husband’s shoulder.

“It is,” Tommy hummed in agreement, “let’s hope some time away from the office does me good.”

“It’ll always do you good,” (Y/N) assured him, lifting her head to smile at him. He couldn’t help but lean in and press a soft kiss to her lips that was broken up pretty quickly by the sounds of their children approaching them.

“Mumma! Mumma! Look what I’ve picked you!” their boy announced as he came to a screeching halt, his twin sister right on his heels.

“What have you got?” (Y/N) asked with sheer excitement in her eyes. She always got like this when they’d come to her with something. Receiving little presents from her children always brought her joy.

“Flowers!” the five year old exclaimed, the widest smile on his face as he pulled his hand from behind his back to show her the small bouquet of wildflowers that were now drooping slightly from being roughed about.

“Oh wow, Max. That was very thoughtful of you to pick them for me,” (Y/N) smiled as she accepted them from the boy, holding them safe against her chest.

“I picked some for you, dad!” his sister then chimed in as she presented Tommy with a similar bouquet.

“Thank you, my love,” Tommy sent her a smile as he accepted them from her. (Y/N) felt tears forming in her eyes as she looked over to her husband. This was just too sweet. “Your mum loves flowers,” Tommy told his kids.

“Is that why I’m called Daisy?” their daughter asked, her ears perking up slightly.

(Y/N) couldn’t help but laugh at her reaction. “You’re called Daisy because your dad pulled his car over to pick me some on our very first date,” she told the little girl, her smile growing wider at the thought of the fond memory.

Daisy smiled widely at the new information before she and Max took off running again, this time allowing Oliver to join in with them. (Y/N) couldn’t help but glance over at Tommy once they were alone again. She smiled as she leaned in closer to him.

“I love you,” he breathed against her lips before closing the gap to kiss her.

“I love you, too,” (Y/N) responded once they pulled away to sit closer to each other than before. Silence fell over them as they watched their children run about in the fields.

“How ‘bout we name this next one Poppy?” Tommy questioned then, his hand moving to rest against the swell of her stomach; she was five months pregnant with their fourth child.

(Y/N) sent him a straight-faced expression. “No,” she flat out said.

“Petunia?” he tried another name, a grin present on his face now.

As much as she tried, (Y/N) was unable to keep the smile from her face. “Tommy, stop,” she scolded him playfully before leaning in to kiss him again.

What a beautiful life...all created by some roadside daisies.

Tagged: @alreadybroken-ts @magicalxdaydream @the-anxious-youth @cloudofdisney @look-at-the-soul @golden-hoax @elenavampire21 @peaky-cillian @mrsalwayswrite @julkaamazing @evita-shelby @lilyrachelcassidy @notyour-valentine @easilyobessedbutflighty @shelbydelrey @december16-1991 @onlydeadcells @peakyswritings @just-a-blackhole

MASTERLIST

[thepixeldemon]

Happy, together, forever.

Bakugou x Afab! reader

Summary: Reader thinks that Bakugou is going to propose, and is afraid of losing him because their life directed them into not wanting and deciding to never have kids. But they decide to talk about it with him, to not end up hurting him more. Also in ao3

Warnings: slight angst, fluff, comfort, hinted sickness/infertility for the reader, just comfort for childfree people because we deserve love and validation too.

Word count: 1k+ (I'm passionate about this)

When you met Bakugou, you never thought that your relationship would reach the point where the two of you would want to spend the rest of your lives together. Throughout your life you were surrounded by the archaic idea of ​​the cycle of life, being born, growing, reproducing and dying, despite having fantasized a thousand times about the perfect romance, you never believed that you would get to live it, romance never happened in your life, you were a little scared of it, and when you reached the age in which your acquaintances started to ask about you having childrens, you couldn't help but feel uncomfortable, although you always knew it, you were afraid to accept it, since that would be the definitive barrier between you and a long term love, that idea of getting married just to have children was unpleasant for you, can't you want to be with the love of your life without having to get tied together with children? You thought about it from a young age but now it was final, you don't want children, and you wouldn't change your opinion for anything in the world, you were decided to have a happy life even if you couldn't experience that romantic ideal, but he showed up.

At first you only considered that it would be something temporary, a relationship that you could remember as a beautiful memory, so you shouldn't worry about any parental wishes he might have, even though every once in a while he blurts out the casual "that's why I don't want kids" the fear still existed. But days, months, years passed, and you were currently living togheter, working as pro heros on the same angency, and ready to celebrate your fifth anniversary. Worries about the future had been left far behind in your mind, he made you forget all that, he made you feel that your lives were complete, that nothing needed to change to have a happy life, the two of you were more than enough for each other, but the fear returned a thousand times stronger when you accidentally found the search "engagement rings" on the laptop of his office. At first you though that it may be of some coworker, or maybe Kirishimas , but Katsuki was the only one that used that account, you felt happy, weddings were so romantic, you definitely would be up for one, specially with the love of your life, the joy you felt made you jump like a fangirl teen, until your eyes made contact with a framed picture of him after saving a toddler, the little kid was clinging to his chest with a relieved expression while Katsuki held a fist up flashing his usual victory smile. Your heart skipped a beat as all the fears you had forgotten hit you again with destructive force. The voices of family members, friends, coworkers, paparazzis, interviewers...

"When are you planning on getting pregnant?"

After thinking a lot, and even coming up with the idea of ​​pretending and "changing" your opinion just for him, to make him happy, you decided that it was best to talk about it, if things had to end it's better to do it once and for all, you couldn't live avoiding that subject and lying to him, as you did with relatives who pressed the issue of "new blessings in the family". The thought of ending you relationship shattered your heart, but you couldn't live forever under the pressure of a husband demanding a child, you have heard of stories where people "trick" their partners into getting pregnant, and even knowing that Bakugou would never force you to do something you didn't want, you were still terrified , not only that, but he deserved someone who could made all of his dreams true, someone who could fulfill all of his desires, and you couldn't do that.

You hoped that he wouldn't care, that he didn't want children, that he only wanted you and your well-being, but deku had invited him to his son's baby shower, so that possibility became smaller and smaller to you. It was now or never, you needed to bring that issue to the table and end that problem once and for all.

You were on the train on your way home, after patrolling all day together, both quieter than usual, specially you, and he noticed it, but he preferred not to mention it until arriving to your shared apartment, since he didn't want to bother you, even so he couldn't hide his worried look, you noticed it and that made your nerves go even more crazy.

The train arrived at its stop, Katsuki took your hand to guide you home, a habit that he never lost since the days studying together, when you felt his warm palm your heart began to beat even faster, you didn't want to lose him, you really wanted to be with him forever, but just imagining his disappointed face while trying over and over again to convince you to try and give him a child, his mother's disapproving look, the whispers of people judging you, all that just made you want to vomit.

You replayed the words you thought to say to start that conversation, over and over again, changing anything that may sound bad or self pitying, anxiety coursing trough you veins, suddenly you felt a light squeeze of his hand, you turned to see his face, and he flashed a warm reassuring smile to you, god, you really loved that man. That made you start second guessing yourself, why were you so worried? Despite the fact that at first it was hard for you to accept it, you were sure that he loved you, way too much, he had told you several times, that he was willing to do anything to see you happy, that he loved you and would be with you no matter what, that he wanted you to be by his side when he became the number one hero, he showed that not only with words, he always was supportive with your life choices, he was always so caring when your health was not the best, he took care of you like nobody did before.

You were lost in your thoughts when you heard his keys opening the door of the simple yet stunning apartment you both shared, your styles combined perfectly adorning the place that witnessed all those moments that you shared, the sad ones, the happy ones, the ones that you will treasure until you closed your eyes a final time, the ones that you were afraid of needing to forget.

Still quietly, you both got changed and started heating up the dinner, you were still so nervous, and he couldn't wait more to know why "— are you okay?" he asked in the softest voice he could make, you forgot the little speech you prepared, untill you felt his warm hands caress your arms, softly you responded "— I think is time to talk about something, something very important" nervously you looked up to meet his gaze, still concerned he gestured for you to continue "— I always joked about it, and you know about my health issues, time keeps going and we continue to become more and more serious about a future together, everyone is starting to raise their families, and people keep asking about ours, and... I really want to spend my life with you Katsuki, but, we can't have a family, at least not in the traditional way, I don't want to have kids, I can't, and if having mini Bakugous is something you want in your life, you should consider looking for someone that can give you that, i can't, i can't make you happy like that..."

Your eyes got watery, you adverted your gaze, afraid of his reaction, but a breathy laugh of him made you look up again, he had a disbelieved expression, "so that was it..." he gave you a sympathetic smile, he hugged you softly, and pressed a kiss on you forehead "you don't have to worry about that, just having you with me is more than enough"

"But..." You were a little bit shocked "no buts, we don't have to raise that kind of family to have a happy life, and frankly, i don't think that i would be a good dad" he laughed.

You smiled, yeah, not only him, you also would be a terrible parent, not only that but hero work was really dangerous, you could die any day, the possibility of bringing a human life only to end up as an orphan because their hero parents died was just selfish and sad, a tragedy.

You sighed, needing a final reassurance "you really don't care? What if you change your mind?" He looked at you seriously "— no, i wont, and don't question me about more 'what if's' you're sounding like my mom"

You laughed "—yeah, I'll stop, definitely not want to be like that" you both giggled, basking on each others warmth, you felt like a weight had been lifted of your shoulders, you were happy, happy that you found your perfect man, that you can make him happy, and that you could have that dreamy perfect life you only though that was possible on you fantasies.

"—besides, you are already a pain in the ass, and the pets are a lot of responsibility, i definitely don't need more stress getting on my way of becoming the number one" you pinched his side, making a pout jokingly, he kissed you cheek "—i also promised that i will never let anyone hurt you, you don't deserve that kind of pain"

"— But katsu, i think my tummy is going to hurt now"

"— huh? What are you talking about?"

"— something smells burned"

"— shit".

Notes: My first writing in years, i was just tired of not finding any childfree Katsuki fics, and in a blog that i love i saw that someone made an ask about this topic, so i decided to write this to have a small comfort for feeling like i don't deserve love in a world where people are crazy over Dadsuki and I'm just like yuck, kids being raised by a traumatized man with an extremely dangerous job that could kill him any day.

I don't think I will write very often, I'm not a good writer, i just needed to express my feelings in a way that i can't with a drawing (and that's why I posted this in my side account), and maybe this will be a great comfort for other people too ✨

Anyways, remember, he would love you no matter what 💕

[matbarzyy]

Winter Magic

A/N: This is my piece for @miracleonice87 for the winter fic exchange organised by @antoineroussel . I feel like it’s such a short one compared to all the fics I’ve seen being posted for this lately, but it’s very sweet so I hope you’ll like it! <3

Word count: 1746

“Baaaaabe,” Mathew whined from the couch, getting you to step out of the kitchen to see him pouting under his pile of blankets.

“What?”

“Cuddles,” the one word reply matched his attitude and you sighed.

“I’m nearly done,” you went back to the kitchen without another word, knowing that Mat would be sulking until you came back to him.

There had been issues with heating in the apartment the two of you shared for nearly a week, and it had been impossible to turn it on for two days now. There was, of course, no one to fix it until tomorrow, which left you to deal with the cold.

Mat had immediately decided that the best way to stay warm was to cuddle, and he had since refused to part from you. Cooking, however, required limbs free of Mat’s hold. You tried to make something quick, partly because you wanted to be back to hiding under a blanket as soon as possible, but mostly because Mat was acting like a toddler to get his way.

“Mat, you can’t eat if I’m sitting in your lap,” you grumbled when he pulled you onto him as soon as you had set the bowls of food on the table.

“I don’t care,” he nuzzled his face in your shoulder and gave your sides a squeeze.

“Mat!” You jumped and turned to look at him. He looked at you like a wounded puppy, so you settled next to him and extended your legs over his lap. “What’s going on with you?”

“Playoffs,” he sighed the word, leaning back against the couch and closing his eyes. His hands didn’t come to cover your legs like they usually did, and you knew it was because he thought he had annoyed you.

Mat was a lot. He knew it from hearing it a million times during his childhood. He knew it from hearing it from ex girlfriends who loved the affection at the start and grew sick of it so fast it gave Mat whiplash and made him wonder if he’d ever find someone who genuinely enjoyed spending that much time with him.

It had always been his biggest insecurity in your relationship. You laughed with him and were capable of the most stupid things when you were together, but he always had this lingering feeling that you’d grow tired of how annoying he could be.

“We’re gonna be okay,” you reminded him and brushed your fingers through the hair at the back of his head. “We’ve done it before,”

“I know, doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“C’mere,” You motioned for him to rest against you.

His eyebrows furrowed as he eyed the bowls on the table. “You don’t want to eat?”

“If you want cuddles, then we can cuddle first.” You declared, watching his eyes light up.

“Cuddles please,” Mat didn’t hesitate to move your legs so that he could lie down on you and rest his head on your chest with a content sigh. “Best pillow ever,”

“You’re such a baby,” you chuckled when he grabbed your hand and placed it on top of his head. You took the hint and began to play with his hair.

“Mmh,” he hummed without a care in the world.

“We’ll be fine, Maty,” you spoke softly, twisting longer strands of his hair around your fingers and slowly letting them slide away before doing it all over again. “It’ll suck, sometimes, but we also have down times when you’re home, it’s just life. I’ll do my best to be at games even if they’re far,”

“I want to marry you,” he murmured.

Your heart skipped a beat and your mouth went dry.

It was so unexpected, and it took several seconds for you to find your voice again. “Are you…”

“Not right now,” Mat reassured you, meeting your eyes. He could hear your heart beating ten times faster than normal with his head on your chest. “I just, I want to. I always hear all the older guys saying they’re going home to their wives, and I think of the day I’ll be able to say that about coming home to you.”

“I don’t know what to say,” you breathed out, slowly processing everything he had said.

Leave it to him to casually drop a bomb like that and carry on with the conversation like he didn’t make your heart jump out of your chest. It wasn’t that you didn’t want to marry him one day, but more that you didn’t even know you were already at the stage of your relationship where you could talk about it.

Mat continued, seeming unbothered by your lack of answer. “I’ve had girlfriends before, but what I feel for you is so much stronger than what I felt for any of them, it doesn’t feel right to use the same word. I think wife might be a better word, if you think you can see something like that in our future,”

“I can see that,” you felt a surge of emotion at the thought. You had imagined it hundreds of times, but you hadn’t yet told yourself that it could very well become a reality. “I think about it a lot, especially every time we see Marty and Syd,”

“You want babies?” It was Mat’s turn to be shocked, his voice an octave higher than normal, and you chuckled.

“Let’s start with the getting married part,” you soothed him with your hand in his hair, and it only took a second for you to feel him relax against you again.

“Mmh, but we should talk about kids too, right? I mean, a mini you running around our place would be adorable,” he sighed, already creating scenarios in his head and picturing how everything would look.

“They’re adorable until they’re teenagers, Maty,” you brought him back to reality. “Especially if we end up with a mini you. Can you imagine the chaos?”

“Do you think they’d want to play hockey?”

“If they’re anything like you, they’ll find something to be passionate about.”

“I picture it, sometimes, when we go to sleep,” Mat confessed. “I wonder what it’d be like to have our kid crawl into the bed with us in the morning, or how you’d both come to games in my jersey and other stupid little things,”

“I don’t think they’re stupid things at all,” you smiled because you had pictured the same things. “I think about it too, but then I think about the way we’re living now and I know we’re far from ready,”

“One step at a time, love,” Mathew grasped your hand in his and gave it a squeeze. “No one said we had to have a baby any time soon,”

“There’s going to be a wedding to plan first, is that it?” You grinned, thinking of his disorganised self trying to deal with the preparations.

“Mmh, speaking of which, I’m going to need you to tell me your ring size.” He brought your hand up to his lips and brushed them over your knuckles. “And while we’re gonna take our time to get to the baby part… we can definitely keep practicing making them,”

“Oh?” Your eyebrows rose as he tumbled off the couch and scooped you up in his arms, the blankets falling to the floor. “Mathew!” You squealed as he lifted you off the couch and made his way to the bedroom.

“What? It’s a good way to warm up,” he dropped you on the bed, letting you bounce on the mattress before he crawled on top of you and rested his hips against yours.

Despite having been in this position with him hundreds of times, a new wave of emotions surged in your chest. Mat’s eyes were shining, and his smile was just as bright, telling you that he was feeling the same things.

“Are you going to kiss me or just stare at me?” You taunted him after several seconds had passed, and Mat only shook his head with a chuckle.

“Sorry, just thinking about you becoming Mrs Barzal in the near future,”

“Bold of you to assume I’m taking your name,” you snorted, surprising him.

“You don’t want to?” Mat hadn’t meant to assume anything, it was the twenty-first century after all, but he also hadn’t bothered to think you might be against it altogether.

“I like my name,” you shrugged, trying not to feel bad when the light in his eyes dimmed slightly and he nodded his understanding. “I could hyphenate, maybe? Does it matter to you?”

“It’s your name, honey. I would love for you to take mine, but I get why you wouldn’t want to. Hyphenating sounds like a good compromise, if you’re up for it.”

It was your turn to nod this time, but you wanted more than half a minute to think about it. This discussion was a start but you knew it would be better to come back to it once you had both had time to consider everything. “How about we talk about that again when it’s actually happening?”

“Oh it’s happening,” Mathew’s smile grew back on his face. “But we can go back to focusing on the baby making part right now if you’d prefer,”

“Yeah, I think I do,” you lifted your hips up to meet his as a response.

Mat’s tongue poked out to wet his lips and didn’t waste another second before his lips were on yours. You pulled him closer to you, your arms wrapping around his neck and your legs lifting to circle his waist so that you could get rid of any unnecessary space between your bodies.

A quiet grunt came from his chest as he gave in to your silent request, letting his weight press you into the mattress. “I love you,” you breathed out between two kisses, not even caring about catching your breath.

“I love you too,” he let you pull his hoodie over his head before moving to get rid of your own clothes. “So much,” he added just as his lips were about to meet yours again, his chest pressed against yours and his hips slowly rolling against yours.

Every touch made worry disappear from your body, comforted you in your decision and reassured you that Mat was the only person that would ever be right for you.

Even in the bleak and coldest of winter days, he knew just how to make you the happiest person alive.

.

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