#marcus moreno is the sweetest dad don’t @me

[sir-thisisadndserver]

Motherly Talks

Pairing: Marcus Moreno & female!reader

WC: 1126

Rating: fluff, angst

Tags: reader and Marcus call Missy baby bear, established marriage, teen angst, reader has Mama bear instincts

Prompt: You and Marcus are married, you’ve been in Missy’s life ever since she was born. (You guys married years after her mom died) Missy comes home from school in tears after being made fun of for not having powers. Marcus is working late. Poor baby is drowning in self-doubt. She feels that not having any powers is disappointing to both of her Heroic parents, no matter how much they reassure her that they are proud of her. And yes I did use Abileen's mantra for Mae Mobley from The Help but I added my own stuff to it.

“UGGGHHHH!!!” is the shriek you hear, coming after a slam of the front door. Both which make you jump out of your skin while trying to plan dinner for your little family. You had only just gotten off the phone with Marcus, he had to stay late at HQ. Mama-bear instincts quickly kick in after the initial shock wears off. “Missy, what happened honey?” you ask her, trying to tread lightly so as to not anger her more. *cue dramatic teenage sigh* “People happened, Mom” she growls, while looking at her feet so as to not let you see the tears of frustrated defeat in her eyes. “What people, honey? People at school?” you pressed on, being gentle so as not to ‘poke the bear’ as Marcus would say. “God. It’s not a big deal! Why do you care so much?!” she shot, storming off to her room.

Now normally, you would press more to try and figure out what was upsetting her so much, but knowing that she tended to lash out when cornered like that, you opted to instead order from her favourite pizza place and give her some space, until she had calmed down a bit.

*30 mins later*

After the pizza had arrived, you went about setting some aside for Marcus to eat when he got home, as well as setting a plate with extra garlic bread; your peace offering to Missy. You set yourself a plate, and set off to Missy’s room, somehow managing to gently knock on her door despite balancing two plates full of food.

“Come in…” came Missy’s quiet voice. The fact that she wasn’t yelling was somewhat of a good sign, but you knew in your gut that she was still hurting from whatever happened today. Pushing the door open with your hip, you entered Missy’s room, balancing your two plates with both hands. Missy was sitting on her bed, hugging her knees. “Hey baby bear. Hungry?” you asked gently, sitting on the edge of her bed.

“Thanks,” she mumbled, lifting her head just enough to accept the outstretched plate. You both just sat for a bit, quietly munching on your food. As you sat, you watched her, scanning her body language for her tells that she’s ready to talk. Upon doing so, you noticed that she had donned her favorite of Marcus’ hoodies- something she did only when she was anxious- which dwarfed her small figure.

After what felt like hours, and the plates were cleared away, she piped up. “Kids at school,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “They were making fun of me for not having powers”, she continued, refusing to make eye contact with you. “How so?” you asked, tucking her hair behind her ear. “They kept saying that I was a disappointment to you and Dad, since you both have powers and I don’t” she continued, shifting in her spot on the bed, “I didn’t listen to them at first but then they brought up my birth mom…”.

At the last word, she turned her head to face you, which showed her puffy, red eyes from crying. “They-“ she stammered, her lips starting to quiver, “they said that my birth mom would be disappointed in me”. she whispered, the harsh words echoing in her mind. “Oh honey…” you said, immediately pulling her into your lap. The action broke the final barrier Missy had up and sent her into another fit of sobs, burying her face into your neck, her thin arms wrapping around your neck in an attempt to bring you closer to her.

“Shhhh, it’s okay baby bear”, you whispered, stroking her hair while rubbing her back and placing gentle kisses on her forehead. “I’ve got you”. you assured her, pushing your anger at the kids down.

*10 minutes later*

After continuous minutes of soothing Missy, her sobs eventually slowed and became soft sniffles. “Why would they say that, Mom?” she whispered, her words muffled by her face still being nuzzled into your neck.

“Say what?”, a familiar voice said. “Hey honey”, you said, shifting Missy so that you could look at your husband better. “Bad day at school”, you mouthed, trying not to move her too much.

“Want me to tell him, baby bear?” you whispered to Missy, wanting for Marcus to know, but also wanting to respect Missy’s current state. “No, it’s okay. I’ll tell him”, she said, her voice hoarse from crying. She turned to face her dad, still not moving from her spot in your lap. As she began to re-tell the events of the school day, Marcus sat on the end of the bed across from the two of you, giving her a hand to hold.

After Missy had finished talking, the three of you sat in silence for a few moments. “Honey, you know that stuff isn’t true, right?”, asked Marcus, his chocolate eyes glistening with sadness at seeing his daughter in distress. “I know, Dad. But it just hurt a lot. And I got in my head about it and couldn’t help but start to think that it could be”, she rambled, breathing out a sigh of relief.

“Missy, you know that we could never be disappointed in you. I can’t speak for your birth mom, but I have a feeling that she would be very proud of the person you’ve become”, you said calmly, wiping the tears from her cheeks, “While you may not have magnetic powers like your dad, or shield powers like me, you do have a power. You have the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met, and always find a way to be nice to everyone you meet.” you finish, Marcus beaming at you from behind Missy’s head. That seemed to be what she needed to hear, as a smile started to form.

“What do we always say to you?”, you asked, still stroking her hair. “You are kind. You are smart. You are important. You are loved”. she said, smiling at the mantra you had recited to her since she was old enough to talk. “That’s right baby bear”, added Marcus, pulling the both of you into his arms, “and that hasn’t changed. Never has, never will.” he said, giving each of you a kiss on the forehead.

[pedroshotwifey]

WIP Wednesday Game

Thank you, @kewwrites for tagging me!

Step one: Post snippets of the fics you're working on (can be a summary if there's no snippet)

Step two: put them in a poll and let people vote on which one you should work on, then prioritize the one with the most votes.

Step three: Ask me about my WIPs! I've got lots of lore to share + more snippets, etc.

Alright, I have a few loaded up for y'all, but I mostly just cleaned out my WIPs. Most of them were requests, which you will also be seeing a bit more of here soon!

First off, we have a lil snippet of TTF 9:

You push against him, trying to pry his arms away, and this, combined with the seriousness ebbing into your tone, finally catches his attention. He looks up at you, a slight pout on his full lips.  “I just need to let her know,” you say, waiting for him to loosen his grip, but he only sighs.  “Honestly, I don’t think that’s a good idea, sweetheart,” he admits, looking at you with genuine concern.  You frown, a bit taken aback.  “What do you mean?”  He sighs again and looks down past you, almost like he’s getting ready to explain something to a small child. You don’t like the way it makes you feel like such. You’ve noticed recently that he has a tendency to make you feel like a kid, though you don’t think it’s intentional. The age gap definitely doesn’t help either. It makes you worry sometimes that you’re too immature for him, even though you know you’re not in the slightest.  “I don’t think you should tell anyone you’re leaving,” he explains.

Next up, FB 7:

What’s worse, though, is the way your brain plays tricks on you. You see memories from your childhood, your mom and dad standing vividly in front of you.  Sometimes, you’ll wake and find Mando hovering above you, adjusting your pillow, cleaning your wounds. It seems so real, as real as the tears in your eyes and the ache in your chest, but you know it can’t be. It feels real, sounds real, looks real, but you know it's a figment of your cruel imagination. A fever dream trying to trick you into thinking that everything is okay.  It doesn’t work though; you know better than that. So you close your eyes again, as you do every time, willing your body to get the rest it needs and your brain to stop fighting with your heart. There are a couple times where you close them fully expecting not to open them again, and you find that the thought doesn't scare you. Being exhausted is exhausting, you decide after the first few times. 

Lastly, I got that Marcus Moreno fic I was talking about a while back:

He looks fucking gorgeous as always. He’s wearing a light blue button-up with black slacks and shiny black shoes. And, of course, those thick-rimmed glasses that have proven themselves to be your ultimate weakness. He smiles back at you and it’s like your blood turns to lava coursing through your veins.  “Hey, sweetheart,” he says way too casually as he sets his coat down on the chair beside him. “How was your day? Missy didn’t give you too much trouble?”  It takes you a moment to register that what he said required an answer. You were too busy picking his outfit apart and damn-near tearing his clothes off with your eyes.  “No, she was an angel as always!,” you say completely truthfully. Missy is the sweetest, most calm child you’ve ever babysat. At six years old, she is perfectly well behaved. “Did a bit of swimming and played a board game before dinner. She’s out cold now.”  Marcus beams as he walks to the kitchen.  “I’m glad to hear,” he calls out to you as he starts rifling through cabinets. “C’mere, I got something for you.”  Your stomach flips, but your brows furrow. Why would he have something for you?

Feel free to send in some asks! I'd love to see what y'all are thinking!

NPT: @callachloe @nerdieforpedro @wannab-urs @beskarandblasters @chaotic-iguana @morallyinept @romanarose and anyone else who wants to play!

[flightlessangelwings]

Sweet Surprise

Marcus Moreno x gn!reader

Word Count: 1.2k

Warnings: none, fluff, food mention, no use of y/n, established relationship

Request from anon: “Could you do a Marcus Moreno x reader where they’re secretly dating because they don’t want to hurt Missy or are afraid of how she would react, and she found out the truth in one way or another. You can decide the end 😊 Please”

~

Music played from your little speaker as you and Marcus mixed the batter together in his kitchen. You two had been dating in secret for the past few months, and life had never been better. He was the kindest, sweetest, most caring person you had ever met, and you felt honored that he chose you to be with. Marcus Moreno treated you better than anyone ever had, and you felt yourself fall in love with him faster than you ever thought you could.

When he asked to keep your relationship a secret, you were concerned at first. You had been hurt in the past when your partner asked the same of you. It took you weeks to find out that you were a secret because you were the side piece, and you did not want a repeat of your past. And you were afraid to tell any of this to Marcus too, since your relationship was so new at the time.

“It hurt, Marcus,” you finally broke down and told him what happened, “I felt so used and betrayed and…” you told him how you closed yourself off from love after that, and it was only his kindness and good heart that made you start to open up again.

However, Marcus was completely different. He understood your feelings, and explained his reasoning to you, “I want to keep you safe,” he told you that enemies sometimes liked to use the heroes families and loved ones against them, “And I worry about what Missy would think. Just until we’re sure about what this is,” he paused as he looked at you with those big brown eyes as he cupped the side of your face, “I promise I won’t hurt you like your ex did.”

You nodded and smiled, “You’re right, Marcus.” The sincere look in his face told you that you could trust him with your heart.

From that day, months passed and the more time you spent with each other, the more you both knew that this was something serious. The nights you spent apart felt cold and lonely, and you fell asleep on the phone with him almost every night. You only stayed over when Missy was at a friend’s house, and Marcus always took you home before he went to pick her up in the morning.

She saw you come over at times, but you and Marcus insisted that you were just friends to her. It must be a family trait in the Moreno family to be likeable, because the more time you spent with Missy, the more you liked her too. She was fun and smart and a great kid. Sometimes, you would spend time there just to teach her how to bake or to help her paint a room as a surprise for Marcus. And she seemed to enjoy your company as well, which was a relief to you.

You and Marcus Moreno were in love, you were both completely sure of that. And after a long talk, you both decided it was time to tell Missy. So the next morning, you decided to bake a cake together and share the news with his daughter. What better way to break the news than with a delicious homemade cake?

You couldn’t remember the last time you laughed this much. As capable as Marcus was out in the field, he could not make his way around the kitchen to save his life. Thankfully, you were there to save the day for him. 

The two of you danced together as you added the ingredients one by one to the mixing bowl until the batter was nice and creamy. You couldn’t resist the temptation to dip your finger in and place a little dollop on Marcus’ nose. He giggled as he wrapped his arms around your waist and leaned in while you kissed the batter off his face.

Marcus mirrored your action and scooped even more batter than you did and smothered it across your face. His movement was less graceful than yours, but it was adorable. He pulled you close and nibbled at your skin as he licked the mess off your face, although he mostly just made a bigger mess in the process.

“Marcus…” you giggled as you tried to push him away when he found a ticklish spot on your skin, “We have to get this in the oven before we eat all the batter.”

“But you taste so sweet, baby,” he gave you a little pout as he tightened his grip on your hips. 

“Ha ha,” you chortled back before you turned around and froze.

Marcus said your name in concern as he watched your posture stiffen. He followed your gaze to find that Missy came home early from her friend’s house and she stood in the doorway to the kitchen with her mouth open in shock. You took a step away from Marcus as fear ran through your system.

“Missy, listen,” Marcus stepped in front of you, “Let me explain,” he held his hands up as he tried to find the right words.

Her face stayed stoic, “You two are dating aren’t you?”

You held your breath but stayed silent.

Marcus sighed and dropped his head; this was not how he wanted his daughter to find out, but he also didn’t want to lie to her. “Yeah, we are,” he met her eyes, “But listen…”

“I knew it!” Missy’s face lit up as she bounced with joy, “I knew it!” she wrapped her arms around her father in a tight hug.

You stayed frozen, and it wasn’t until she let Marcus go and ran over to you that you broke from your trance. She hugged you tightly, and you felt the warmth in her embrace, “So… You’re ok with this?” you asked as you hugged her back.

“Are you kidding?!” she glanced between you and Marcus, “I figured this out months ago. You guys suck at hiding things,” she said with a chuckle.

Marcus’ eye met yours and you two shared a glance. You thought you were so careful when you were around Missy, but obviously you weren’t. Part of you was worried she wouldn’t be happy, even though you two got along so well, but her reaction was a huge relief.

Missy said your name to get your attention, “You make my dad happy, I can tell,” her words made tears from in your eyes, “And you don’t put the eggs in the sink.”

“Hey,” Marcus cut in, “That was one time.”

“Twice,” you and Missy replied in unison. 

“Oh no,” Marcus sighed as you and Missy burst into laughter, “I’m in trouble now aren’t I? You two are going to start ganging up on me.”

You grabbed a spoon off the counter and dipped it into the batter before you handed it to Missy. She eagerly took it and licked the batter off while you stepped over to Marcus and wrapped your arms around him, “With a daughter that intuitive, you’re definitely in trouble, Marcus.”

He laughed at that as he held you tight against him and placed a sweet kiss to your cheek. You closed your eyes and leaned into his touch.

“Ew,” Missy exclaimed, “Come on guys! Children are present,” she gestured to herself as she gave you two the same puppy dog eyes that Marcus used on you at times. 

“Sorry, sorry,” you dropped your gaze as heat rose in your face from embarrassment, “How about we finish this cake together?”

Marcus moved so that he stood between you and Missy and put an arm around each of you, “I’d like that.”

“Me too,” Missy added with the brightest smile you had ever seen from her.

[forever-rogue]

Would you be up for writing a SMUT fiction with the one & only, Marcus Moreno? Where Y/N is like 5 years younger then Marcus, but they fall in love anyway. Y/N meets his daughter and they have dinner together, but then she has a sleepover at a friends house and then Marcus and Y/N fuck? 😂 Idk, something like that.

I love Marcus so much, okay? I am weak for this man! Enjoy - this does have spice, the sweetest of spice - 18+ only!

Marcus Moreno x fem!reader; warnings: smut

Pedro Characters Masterlist

»»————-　♡　————-««

Marcus was a man of many things - conviction, steadfast in his ways, kind, selfless, funny, handsome - the list went on and on. But among the many things, he was also incredulous at the fact that someone like you could be smitten with him.

But here you were - his lover, his friend, his partner. So many brilliant things all wrapped into one. He'd been hesitant to approach you, considering himself to be too dorky, too lame, and too old. He was only a few years older, nothing much, but it had never seemed to bother you. As soon as he'd met you and felt that familiar warmth wash over him, he'd felt like an old fool.

 More times than you could count had you caught him staring at you with that silly, goofy smile on his face. But he was never going to make a move, no, nope, definitely not. That would have been a sin, practically blasphemous and he would never entertain the notion and he was nervous just thinking about it and -

You had casually strolled him up after a mission, giving him a smile before sitting down next to him and cutting to the chase.

"Do you want to go out with me?" Marcus nearly spit out his coffee as you sat there and watched him a soft smile tugging on the corners of your mouth. Once he calmed down and quit coughing, he opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to get his bearings.

"Do I...what?" he pushed up his glasses - surely he couldn't have heard you correctly.

"Do you, Marcus Moreno," you pointed at him with a bemused expression, "want to go out with me? And I'll make this super clear, do you want to go out with me on a date, with romantic intentions? I'd like to take you to dinner sometime."

"Me?" he bumbled as a tinge of pink flushed into his cheeks.

"Of course you," you laughed lightly at him and he visibly relaxed at the warm sound, "unless there's another Marcus Moreno around I should know about?"

"I...no..no. Only me."

"I hope not," you insisted as you reached over and straightened his glasses, "because I'm quite fond of this one. You don't have to of course...please tell me if I'm overstepping boundaries since you are technically the boss. And perhaps I flatter myself with thinking you might feel the same."

"I'd love to," he nodded as he relaxed and grinned back around you, "I...ugh...yeah. I'll really like that."

"Great," you beamed at him, making him melt all over again, "its a date."

»»————-　♡　————-««

That had been a few months ago, and some days he still couldn't believe his luck. Then again, neither could you - how you had gotten on lucky as to call Marcus your own you would never know. 

Marcus had been nervous about stepping back into the dating field, well you, you were the first and only, but you'd made it so easy. There was never any awkwardness or worry or fear...it all just fell into sweet, blissful place. 

The thing he has been most nervous about though was Missy. Her approval meant everything, she was his world after all. But he also wanted you to like her because you were also becoming an increasingly big part of his world.

But his worries had been for naught because you fell in love with the young girl when you'd met her and vice versa. Now the two of you were thick as thieves, often ganging up on him. Not that he minded of course; his heart hadn't felt so full and happy in a long time and that was everything to him.

"Honey?" you put your hand on his shoulder before giving it a gentle squeeze. Marcus had been halfway through stirring a pot of pasta, homemade that afternoon by yourself and Missy, but had completely zoned out. As soon as he felt your gentle touch he seemed to snap back into reality, a small smile crossing his features. You gently tapped the side of his before he leaned in and kissed you, "What's going on up there, Moreno?"

"Nothing," he turned back to the pot and gave it a final stir before putting the lid back on. He reached for you,  his hands easily finding purchase on your hips as he tugged your towards him. You made a small sound of surprise before snaking your arms around his neck and carding a hand through his dark locks, "just thinking about how much I love you."

Love. That's what this was. He knew that now, hell, he'd known for some time, but he'd been nervous to admit to it. He never thought he'd be saying those words again, at least not to anyone besides Missy or his mother.

And it had terrified him. It had scared him to death - the idea of loving another again. At first he didn't know how to respond, how to react or what to do. It was overwhelming and all consuming, and yet...it made him happy. So happy. And it was apparent to everyone around him - how filled with life he was again, how the light never faded from his eyes, how his smile was bigger than ever. That's when he knew exactly what it was.

Of course, Marcus being Marcus, was so concerned with when and how to tell that he blurted it out during the middle of sex. It was right when you were both on the precipice of your climaxes, and he couldn't help himself as he nuzzled his face into your shoulder.

It had been slightly unexpected, sure, but you just kissed him and repeated the words back to him sweetly - reverently. You knew too that this wasn't like anything you'd experienced before...this was everything.

"I love you too, Marcus," you whispered as you trailed a few fingers along jaw, touching the patchy stubble that you loved so much, "I-"

"The kitchen is a communal place," Missy groaned at the two of you as he came down the stairs, her backpack and sleepover gear in tow, "I'd appreciate if we kept it that way."

"Very funny," Marcus pulled back from you with a wink as you went over and helped Missy with her stuff, "I'm the adult I make the rules!"

"Whatever Dad," she sassed him as you just laughed, "see you tomorrow. Love you!"

"Love you too kiddo," Marcus offered her a wave as you carried her bag to the door for her.

"Have fun with your friends," you leaned down and gave her a tight hug. She responded in kind before taking her things in hand, "don't get into too much trouble, yeah? And if you need anything, we'll be right here."

"We won't," she insisted with a sly little grin that you couldn't quite believe, "have fun too! See you tomorrow. I love you!"

And just as quick as a flash she was bolting out the door and down the street to her friend's house. It took you a moment to recover as you realized what she had said. You walked back to the kitchen with a grin on your face and your heart feeling like it was going to overflow at any moment.

"What?" Marcus asked as you walked in a daze.

"Missy," your voice was soft as you leaned against the counter, "she said she loved me...its the first time she's said it."

"And why wouldn't she?" he too felt an overwhelming rush of emotion as he realized just how much this meant to him, "you're pretty amazing after all."

"I love her too, so much...I just...I want her to know I love you and her and I want to be a part of your lives  but I would ever try to replace her mom," you explained as he nodded in understanding. Marcus moved to stand in front of you, his hands finding either side of your face as he pressed a kiss to your forehead, "how did I get so lucky to find the two of you? I love you both more than you will ever know."

"And so we do," he promised as he leaned in and properly kissed you, "I love you."

Without thinking, you hopped onto the counter and wrapped your legs around his waist before wrapping your arms around his neck. His large, warm hands slowly worked their way from your waist to up and under your shirt, as he skimmed your soft skin.

Your soft kisses quickly turned into hungry, needy ones as you pulled off his glasses and tossed them aside. Marcus went from your lips to your jaw before working his way down your neck, biting and sucking at the delicate skin.

"Marcus," you almost moaned his name as you pressed yourself against the hardness you could already feel in his jeans, "this is a communal space. Keep it clean."

"Don't want to," he huffed with laughter as his hand moved to the button of your jeans and he quickly undid the fly. He lifted you up briefly as he pulled down your jeans and underwear as you reached for his jeans to repeat the process. 

Your mouths almost never parted, except for the soft giggles that flowed as you felt more like naughty schoolchildren that could be caught at any second, rather than grown adults.

"Marcus - the food," you suddenly remembered. He shook his head as you paused for a moment.

"Its all off," he promised while cupping your breasts in his hands, earning a delighted moan from you, "it can all wait. Dessert first."

"Then take me," you tugged down just jeans and boxers, pushing them down as he wasted no time in lining himself up at your entrance and slowly pushing in. When he bottomed out, you both groaned in between kisses as he gave you a moment to adjust. 

Then there was no rush, and he started to move languidly, setting a gentle pace as he kept on kissing you. It was sweet, sex with Marcus was always something you thoroughly enjoyed, especially times like this. It was so intimate, so loving, it was everything and all consuming at once.

"'m not gonna last," he whispered as he left a trail of fiery kisses along your jaw. You nodded in agreement as you held him close, trying to memorize every touch, every feel.

"'s okay, honey," you promised as you guided him back to your lips, "come with me, please. I love you Marcus, I love you so much."

That was all it took to get him to reach his peak as your walls hugged him and you both came with small moans. Marcus held you tightly as you tried to catch your breath and he stayed buried inside you, peppering you in the most saccharine of kisses, "I love you too. More than you will ever know."

»»————-　♡　————-««

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[madslorian]

weekly fic recs!

More recommendations! Everybody seems to love the very first one I posted, which is amazing!!! Everything I have recommended can be found on my {fic rec masterlist}.

Here are all the amazing writers I have included in this weeks recs:

@forever-rogue

@gryffindorwriter

@autumnleaves1991-blog

@dindjarindiaries

@frannyzooey

@opheliaelysia

@ithinkhesgaybutwesavedmufasa

@winchesterxxi

@pedros-mustache

@pedro-pascal-love

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅

⊱{Frankie “Catfish” Morales}⊰

"WE'RE JUST FRIENDS." "FRIENDS DON'T DO THIS TYPE OF SHIT." BY FOREVER-ROGUE

Reader and Frankie have been friends for many years and it's finally come to the point where emotions are taking over and you can't sit there and act like you're just friends anymore.

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅

⊱{Agent Whiskey / Jack Daniels}⊰

“I TRUSTED YOU." / "I DON'T KNOW WHO I AM WITHOUT YOU." BY GRYFFINDORWRITER

Takes place during Whiskey's final scene of the movie, but reader has some words to say to him that talk him down

TRUST BY GRYFFINDORWRITER

After the reader and Whiskey have a few drinks together before Whiskey's next mission, they share a quick kiss. When Whiskey is shot the next day, there's only one thing that reader can think of to restore his memory

MEMORY BY GRYFFINDORWRITER

Reader loses her memory when she gets shot and despite the agency's efforts to recover them, they seem to be lost for good much to Whiskey's dismay. So he replicates their first date again

MISCOMMUNICATION BY GRYFFINDORWRITER

Ginger tells Whiskey that reader has been shot and killed on a mission, the pain of losing yet another love begins to settle in when suddenly you're stumbling through the agency doors injured

SCREW TRADITION BY GRYFFINDORWRITER

It's the reader and Whiskey's wedding day and reader is having a panic attack before the ceremony. Jack doesn't give it a second thought before he's rushing through the doors to help alieve all the stress and emotions

REGRETS BY GRYFFINDORWRITER

After a mission goes wrong and Whiskey and reader are facing impending death, they miraculously survive and Whiskey is intrigued when the reader mentions not wanting to have died with regrets

“I TOLD YOU NOT TO FALL IN LOVE WITH ME." / "H-HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN STANDING THERE?" BY GRYFFINDORWRITER

Reader confides in Ginger when a pregnancy test comes back positive, and stresses over Jack not wanting kids after what happened with his first wife and their child

*SLEEPY SEX BY AUTUMNLEAVES1991

NSFW! Reader and Whiskey admit to the sexual tension between them one night during a mission, and as you can assume, smut ensues!

“[CHOKED UP] I THOUGHT I LOST YOU." / “[CHOKED UP] I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE YOU AGAIN" BY GRYFFINDORWRITER

Reader is out shopping at a store when Jack sees on the news there was a shooting there, and he immediately rushes to find you with fears of what happened to his high school sweetheart flooding his mind

“WHO ATE ALL THE ADVENT CALENDAR CHOCOLATES?!" BY GRYFFINDORWRITER

Reader confronts Whiskey about the empty advent calendar only four days into December, and he sends you on a wild goose chase to distract you. Overall the cutest fluff ever!

"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING? IT'S NOT SAFE OUT THERE!" BY GRYFFINDORWRITER

Reader and Whiskey get into an argument after reader spends more time at work recently. He changes his attitude pretty quickly when you turn to walk out into the cold night

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅

⊱{Javier Peña}⊰

"WE'RE JUST FRIENDS." "FRIENDS DON'T DO THIS TYPE OF SHIT." BY AUTUMNLEAVES1991

Okay, think Frankie's version of this prompt (if you read it!)... but a complete 180º. This has a lot of angst and it just makes me realize how much poor Javier needs a hug, desperately.

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅

⊱{Din Djarin}⊰

SNACK TIME BY DINDJARINDIARIES

Day 6 of Mandoctober by this author. Absolute fluff between Din and Grogu where dad!Din has to teach Grogu to not play with his food

RAZOR CREST BY DINDJARINDIARIES

Day 7 of Mandoctober by the author. As Din grows closer with the reader, the term home is something he begins to feel properly identifies what the Razor Crest is for the three of you

AD'IKA BY DINDJARINDIARIES

Day 10 of Mandoctober by the author. This follows Din's usage of the word Ad'ika, or little one, towards Grogu and how the child responds to it

COZY IN THE COCKPIT BY DINDJARINDIARIES

Reader is badly injured when the Razor Crest takes a beating, and in order to save you from hypothermia, Din locks the three of you in the cockpit and cleans up your wounds while Grogu attempts to help too

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅

⊱{Marcus Pike}⊰

THE RISING SUN BY PEDROS-MUSTACHE

A short story about the reader suffering from depression and anxiety, but has Marcus by their side to face it all. A someone who has been in a (scarily) similar situation to this, it was so comforting hearing the things I both needed to hear and wish I would have heard from my previous s/o

"IF YOU THROW THAT SNOWBALL, THAT MEANS WAR" BY AUTUMNLEAVES1991

This is absolutely, 100%, pure fluff. Reader and Marcus are having a fun snow day with their two kids and I melted reading this

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅

⊱{Dave York}⊰

*WELL, THIS IS AWKWARD (SERIES) BY PEDRO-PASCAL-LOVE

NSFW! This story awoke something in me... a new interest in Dave x Nanny stories. It follows the events of Equalizer 2, just with the reader added into the plot

(ALSO I AM SO EXCITED THE AUTHOR IS CONTINUING THIS STORY... Y'ALL NEED TO GIVE IT A SHOT!!!)

*DAVE YORK X NANNY DRABBLES/ASKS BY FRANNYZOOEY

NSFW! I found this shortly after finishing Well, This Is Awkward and I love it. These are all drabbles/asks the reader has gotten about certain situations regarding Dave and the Nanny!Reader. It's all the right amount of spice in all the right places

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅

⊱{Ezra}⊰

*AKRASIA BY OPHELIAELYSIA

NSFW! Reader and Ezra are locked down in their ship before being able to dock and part ways. With sexual tension building, there is only so much time left to do something about it

HOLD ON TO THESE WORDS BY OPHELIAELYSIA

Reader struggles with insomnia and late-night anxieties, meaning Erza never finds himself waking up beside you. However, one night he wakes to you lost in your own mind and comforts you

WILDFLOWER BY OPHELIAELYSIA

Reader is exploring nature one morning before Ezra wakes up and is greeted with the sight of beautiful flowers, which remind you of your lover in the sweetest ways possible

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅

⊱{Pero Tovar}⊰

*CLANDESTINE BY PEDROS-MUSTACHE

NSFW! Reader and Pero cross paths when Pero is hired for protection in your kingdom before the King arrives for a festival. Lots of small glances and hidden love-making in the dark shadows make for something sweet yet forbidden

*LIKE THOSE FOREIGN STARS BY PEDROS-MUSTACHE

NSFW! Reader and Pero are married, but for most of your marriage, he has been off selling his sword. When he is gone for much longer than originally intended on one job, his arrival back home calls for a passionate reunion on the kitchen table, and the floor, and the bed...

*RAISE YOUR HAND TO ME AGAIN AND I'LL CUT YOUR HEART OUT MYSELF BY ITHINKHESGAYBUTWESAVEDMUFASA

NSFW! WARNING: SUGGESTED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE/SPANKING DISCIPLINE, I felt like that was needed before recommending it.

Disclaimer: This is a glorious Outlander AU, but I think it can be read without any knowledge of the show. Reader and Pero are married due to a deal to keep you safe as you travel with him and the other men, and when you step out of line he is expected to reprimand you as your husband. Pero ends up having a change of heart as to what being a husband means to the two of you

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅

⊱{Poe Dameron}⊰

MARRIED TO A SKYWALKER BY WINCHESTERXXI

Adorable headcanons about how life would be if reader was a Skywalker/Solo kid and how interactions would be with Leia and Han

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅

⊱{Oberyn Martell}⊰

DORNISH DELIGHTS (Part 1) (Part 2) BY AUTUMNLEAVES1991

A modern AU where Oberyn owns and runs a shop called Dornish Delights and reader has quickly become one of his favorite customers. There's a strong sense of comfort when picturing this shop and I desperately wish I could go there and be loved by Oberyn like this

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅

⊱{Marcus Moreno}⊰

FIDDLE BY PEDROS-MUSTACHE

An adorable fic about reader fiddling with Marcus' wedding ring beginning on their honeymoon. After ten years reader is worried he is annoyed by it, but all is well in the end

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅

⊱{Max Phillips}⊰

WITH CHERRIES ON TOP (SERIES) BY ITHINKHESGAYBUTWESAVEDMUFASA

I am still actively reading this and am only a couple of chapters in, BUT IT'S A PROPOSAL AU! Brief rundown if you don't know the movie, WITHOUT giving anything major away; The boss is getting deported and creates a fake engagement with the assistant! It's really fun to see this plot with Max plugged into it

[mxndoscyarika]

Honeydew (Marcus Pike/Moreno x OC) | Chapter 3

Summary: Erin He moves to DC after working for the FBI in Texas and runs into a hero in disguise; Marcus Moreno. Something about him is familiar, too familiar, yet different in a way that she can’t quite place. Although confused, she can’t deny her feelings for him; perhaps, after years of regret, she finally found the one.

Warnings: food/drink, death mention, mention of politics

Ao3

Honeydew masterlist

Like my writing? Here’s my masterlist.

Author’s Note: Happy New Year, everyone! We made it! To celebrate, here’s the next chapter of Honeydew. I’d like to mention that this story takes place a few years BEFORE the events of We Can Be Heroes, so that’s why some things are a bit different from canon. If we make it far enough, there might be some allusions to the movie, but for now you can think of this as being set 3-5 years before the movie. Wishing you all a safe and healthy new year!

Erin locked her car and walked down the sidewalk to the entrance of the restaurant. She felt just a little bit overdressed with her pencil skirt and ruffled blouse, but it was a day full of meetings and she didn’t have extra time to change. Hopefully she didn’t stick out like a sore thumb.

When she walked in, she spotted Marcus sitting by a window, gazing out into the street. The daylight highlighted the curve of his nose beautifully, almost like a painting. His glasses framed his eyes perfectly, drawing attention to the warm brown of his irises and accentuating his strong jawline. The short beard on his cheek looked soft and kissable, though shorter than her Marcus kept his.

Her heart fluttered as she stepped into the dining area. Each step towards Marcus Moreno felt like one step further away from the past, from her Marcus.

But wouldn't her Marcus want her to be happy?

Stop getting your hopes up, she scolded herself. This isn’t a date.

Part of her wished it was. It was the same part of her that gravitated towards him after they met at Sachi’s party and filled her with warmth when he texted her for the first time.

She knew it was silly to develop feelings for him; he was probably too busy for relationships. After all, he had to take care of his daughter, Missy.

What if he already had a wife, too?

Her heart sank as she glanced down at his hands, which were clasped together on the table. Shining on his left hand was a ring.

Definitely not a date, then.

“Hi,” he greeted, his face lighting up when she approached. He rose to his feet to give her a hug. When they pulled apart, he took in her outfit. “Wow, you look...great.”

She blushed, hands still resting on his arms. “Thanks, you too. I must say, a suit looks good on you.”

“Oh this? It’s nothing,” he said, beaming. Before she could stop him, he pulled out her chair so she could sit. “I, uh, ordered you a coffee; you sounded tired on the phone when you called, so I figured you would want a little pick-me-up.”

In front of her was a mug filled with steaming coffee. It was a cappuccino–one of her go-to orders. When she wasn’t surviving off of plain coffee, she loved the warmth and luxury of the more elaborate form of caffeine. Sitting down, she asked, “Thank you. How do you know my coffee order?”

Marcus laughed softly, his cheeks flushed. “Lucky guess?”

“Very lucky, indeed,” she hummed, taking a sip. As she did, memories of a certain agent and cup of coffee raced back to her. It was such a lovely coincidence that both Marcuses managed to give her coffee in the sweetest way possible. Admiring his dress shirt and tie, she asked, “Are you coming from work, or do you always dress like this for lunch dates?”

She let out a breath of relief when he explained it was for work. The man sitting across from her was already beautiful–she wasn’t sure how she’d cope if he also wore suits every day.

Marcus explained that he worked for a group called the Heroics, which was the organization responsible for coordinating superpowered individuals to protect the world. There was a dress code for those working in the offices, though sometimes the heroes staying behind could be ready in their super attire.

The Heroics were a fairly new group, one that the government had seemed interested in working with. However, most of the information was classified and only relayed to those working at the Pentagon. With the rising concerns of police brutality and the acceleration of technology, the world was searching for a newer, better, way to keep civilians safe.

When she asked him what position he had, he groaned playfully. Even after all this time, his honeydew never rested. He tried to ignore what that meant for her during the past few years. “Isn’t this supposed to be our break from work, honey?”

“What, can’t a girl be curious?” she teased, tilting her head.

Marcus chuckled, heat rushing up to his face when he realized his eyes had fallen to her red lips. Without thinking, he reached across the table to take her hand into his. “How about this: I’ll tell you later if you can make it through lunch without talking about work.”

She huffed playfully. “Alright, you win.” Rubbing her thumb along his fingers, she asked, “What do you want to talk about, Mr. Moreno?”

Everything. He wanted to talk about everything. Yet at the same time, he wanted to talk about nothing; he just wanted to spend time with his best friend.

But he was Marcus Moreno, not Marcus Pike. Even if she was his best friend, he wasn’t hers.

“I guess I just want to get to know you better,” he said, shrugging. The corners of his mouth curved up in a soft smile. “What does Erin He, the FBI’s Operational Technologies Supervisor, do in her free time?”

“Not that I have much free time these days,” she began, “but, I like making things. Food and art, mostly. There’s a new art gallery opening nearby. I’ve been meaning to go but work has taken up a lot of time. That, and most of my friends aren’t really into that kind of stuff.”

Back in Texas, Marcus had introduced her to the prospect of viewing and enjoying art, not just creating it. At first she’d been hesitant–she never really enjoyed walking through museums or galleries–but listening to Marcus’s interpretations of the artwork, and then offering her own, made her reconsider it. Maybe it was the art; maybe it was the company and quality time that used to come with it. It became a part of her life, a treat to herself amidst the bright screens and headaches. It was her escape from the world, even if it was short-lived.

She just wished Marcus could’ve been there in her years after moving to DC.

Marcus smiled. “Well, I’d love to go with you someday. Maybe not during the week, but one day when Missy’s over at a friend’s house.”

At the mention of his daughter, Erin remembered his wedding ring. Her stomach churned at the thought of keeping him away from his family. Retracting her hand, she said, “Oh, right. Of course…. But wouldn’t you want to spend time with your wife?”

His brows furrowed with confusion, then he followed her eyes to his ring. He smiled sadly. “Oh, right. I forgot to tell you…my wife passed away a few years ago.” He tapped on the metal band. “I used to see this as a symbol of my marriage, but now I like to consider it a reminder of my daughter. A reminder that I have someone waiting for me to come home and provide for.”

There were days when he missed his wife more than others, like whenever Missy would come home from school with an art project made for Mother’s Day. Or when she’d want to try new hairstyles or try on clothes at the mall. It had been years, but there were just some things he couldn’t be no matter how much he tried.

“I’m sorry,” Erin said. Offering him a small smile, she added, “For what it’s worth, I’m sure you’re a great dad.”

She always knew what to say, always a step ahead. He’d missed that about her. “I don’t have the best track record with relationships,” he replied, letting out a huff of laughter. “Let’s just say that.”

“You’re not alone in that camp,” Erin replied. She played with the corner of her napkin. “Though I must say I’ve never made it far enough to have a kid of my own, so you’ve got that going for you.”

“Why not?” He knew dating while working for the FBI was always a tricky situation, but he never thought that she, of all people, would have trouble finding someone. She was sweet, hardworking, and smarter than everyone he knew. She was....everything he ever looked for in a partner. Having lunch with her, getting to relearn what it felt like to be her friend, was everything.

But he also knew her. He understood her dedication to her work, and why she worked long hours at the office. He did the same, too. Well, until he met his wife and had Missy.

Did Erin ever get to experience that feeling? The feeling of being home and content and loved? Did he take that feeling with him when he erased his identity from the world?

She was about to answer when a waitress came up to the table to take their orders. Once the waitress left, she turned back to Marcus. “Let’s just say there was an old friend, one that I can’t ever replace.”

“I’m sorry,” he said softly, so quiet that she almost missed it.

Why did it sound like an apology?

Taking a deep breath, she changed the subject. “Well, it was a long time ago, anyways. I’m just happy that I met you. Tell me, Marcus: what do you like to do in your free time?”

They talked about everything they could think of, basking in comfortable silences once the food arrived. It was all easy; almost too easy. But Erin couldn’t help but let it wash over her. It had been a long, long time since she felt at peace with everything. There was just something about the way Marcus smiled that was comforting, like a hug from an old friend. His humble–almost shy–demeanor only served to draw her in. She quickly realized that, at the end of the day, he was just a man trying to do right by his daughter.

When the bill arrived, he didn’t hesitate to slip in his card and give it back to the waitress. “Don’t worry about it, honey. It’s my treat.” Winking at Erin, he said, “Maybe next time.”

---

After lunch with Marcus, the day passed in a blur. The meetings were long, but not as unbearable as she expected. Even the piles of feedback on her desk didn’t feel as daunting as they usually did. When she left the office, the weight of the folders in her arms weren’t as heavy.

Erin had just finished cleaning up the kitchen when her phone rang, buzzing against the counter. She didn’t even need to glance at the screen to know it was him; she had a special ringtone set up.

Putting the call on speaker, she answered, “Hi Marcus!”

“Hey Erin!”

Warmth filled her chest as he thanked her for having lunch with him. His voice was as soothing as ever, even through the phone. She could have listened to him talk all night.

“I had a great time, too,” she replied, beaming. Sitting on her kitchen counter, she must’ve looked ridiculous with her hair in damp tendrils. Thankfully, Marcus hadn’t decided to do a video call. “I mean it. I don’t think I’ve had that much fun in a while.”

A soft chuckle. “Well, I’m glad I didn’t bore you too much.”

She scoffed. “You could never.” Maybe to some he would be boring, but to her? He was everything. His late wife was a lucky woman, and Missy was a lucky girl. Marcus was everything she ever wanted; he was kind, thoughtful, secure. And although they’d parted ways with nothing more than a promised call, she never felt so happy.

“Actually, I was wondering–”

He stopped as a little voice piped up near him. It must’ve been Missy, his little girl. Erin could just barely hear her ask, “Who is that?”

Biting her lip, she listened on as Marcus chuckled softly and bashfully answered, “She’s, uh, a friend of mine.”

“Is she a girlfriend?”

“N-no,” he stammered, laughing nervously. “She’s just a friend.”

“Is she pretty?”

His answer made her cover her face and fight to contain a squeal. “Yes, she’s very pretty.” A pause. “Shouldn’t you be in bed, sweetie? Why don’t you get in first, I’ll be right there.”

Erin waited patiently as silence settled in the kitchen once again. Her cheeks were hurting from smiling, and she was sure she’d feel it the next morning. He thought she was pretty!

Marcus returned with a sigh. “Sorry about that, Missy can get a little curious sometimes.”

“It’s alright,” she replied, hoping she didn’t sound too giddy. “She’s cute. What were you going to ask me?”

Silence. Then, he said, “Oh, right. I was wondering if, maybe, you wanted to get dinner sometime later this week?”

Her heart raced as she realized what he wanted. It had been so long; what would she wear? Did he already have a restaurant in mind? Did he really want to take her out to dinner?

Was it a date?

Already deep into the whirlwind of questions, she realized she hadn’t responded yet. Without thinking, she said, “Yes. It’s a date!”

You couldn’t have been more subtle?

She braced herself for the rejection, but it never came.

“It’s a date,” Marcus repeated softly, almost as if he were saying it to himself. A soft laugh. “I should probably, uh, go check on Missy. We can figure out the details of our date later, alright?” His voice somehow turned even softer, like velvet. “Goodnight, honeydew.”

Erin yawned, the day’s exhaustion finally setting in. Maybe those files could wait until the morning.

“Goodnight, Marcus.”

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[shadow-assassin-blix]

Parent Trap AU

Part 4

Marcus Moreno x Reader

A/N: The dreaded Ex appears. But lots of Family time and Protective!Dad Marcus. Hm. There may only be 2 more parts after this. There will be lots of headcanons about them though. 

Everything tag: @mikeisthricedeceased

Pedro Tag: @m-1234 @fioccodineveautunnale @artsymaddie @blo0dangel​ @mcrmarvelloki​

It had been a several months since that first date; things have gone much better. The two of them had gone on several dates, both together and with their kids. The four of them had become their own makeshift family.

Currently Shade and Artemis were spending their Saturday together, baking brownies and cookies while watching some Netflix. Artemis really enjoyed The Vampire Diaries, so an episode was on in the background. As they were mixing the batters, there was a knock on the front door. Shade left Artemis to finish mixing the brownies, to answer it.

She opened the door and immediately frowned at who she saw standing there. It was Mike, her ex, Artemis’ father.

“What are you doing here?” She asked in a whisper, angrily.

“What? I can’t come see my daughter?” He asked in a disinterested voice.

“No. Not when you compare her to your other kids and make her feel less than. Get off my property,” She demanded, moving to shut the door.

He grabbed hold of the door, stopping it from slamming in his face.

“I have a right to see her,” He said loudly, trying to push the door pack open.

“No. No you do not. You didn’t want her when I was pregnant with her. You didn’t want her for the first 7 years of her life. I gave you the courtesy of being in her life, and you have made her feel worthless every time she’s seen you. You don’t get to waltz in when you feel like it and mess up her life the way you did mine. Now, I’m goin’ to say this one more time: Get. Off. My. Property,” She stated firmly, putting her weight into closing the door.

The door reluctantly closed, and she locked it as quickly as she could. She could hear him yell at her through the door, before stomping off.

She slid down to the floor, her back against the door. She sighed heavily, wrapping her arms around her knees, bowing her head down.

“Momma? Are you okay?” She heard Artemis ask.

She lifted her head up, looking at Artemis who was standing in the entryway of the living room.

“Yeah. Yeah baby, I’m okay. C’mere,” She waved her over, opening her arms up for her, straightening her legs out.

Artemis rushed over to her, crawling into her lap. Once Artemis was comfortable, Shade held her to her close, rocking her slightly.

“I don’t want to see him anymore,” She hears Artemis whisper to her.

Shade nodded softly, murmuring she understood.

At that point, her phone rang, and as she answered it, she sighed with relief as she heard Marcus’s voice speak.

“How are my girls doing? We still on for tonight?” Marcus chipper voice asked.

“Yeah. Um. Actually… do you mind if we come over to you? I’ll… I’ll explain when we get there,” Shade wondered as she tried to think quickly.

“Sure! Come over whenever you are ready, we will be here!” Marcus replied still trying to sound happy, but she could hear the concern.

Shade hung up, and the two of them got up. Shade quickly cleaned up the kitchen, tossing the abandoned batters. Shade packed an overnight bag for the both of them, wanting to get away from the house for the evening. Once their bags were ready, the two of them got in the car and drove off. They arrived at Marcus’ home in less than 20 minutes and made their way inside.

Marcus looked at the two of them, worry furrowing his brow.

Artemis dropped her bag, and immediately hugged Marcus. Marcus picked her up, hugging her tightly. Artemis buried her face into his chest, and Marcus spoke to her softly, carrying her to the guest bedroom.

Missy came downstairs and gave Shade a hug in greeting, and looked around confused.

“It’s a long story, kiddo. So, what do we wanna do for dinner?” Shade asked, trying to distract herself.

“I was thinking takeout? Not pizza, but maybe some Chinese?” Missy offered as the two of them walked into the kitchen.

The Hero

Marcus carried Artemis into the guest bedroom, so they could talk. Artemis had quietly said she wanted to talk to him when he had picked her.

The two of them sat down onto the bed, and Marcus waited for her to speak.

“…my dad came by today. He wanted to see me. Mom wouldn’t let him. I don’t want to see him anymore,” Artemis rambled quietly.

Marcus felt a slight swell of anger build within him; Shade had told him in great detail many of the things he had done in the past. He had constantly allowed his kids to bully her and made her feel like she was a burden.

Marcus pressed a kiss to her head, before looking her in the eyes, “Hey, you are perfectly allowed to choose that. If you don’t want to see him, you don’t have to. Besides, you are mine. Just like Missy. You two are both my kids. Nothing will change that.”

Artemis looked at him, tears building up her in eyes, “Really?”

“Really, really. You’re mine. You are my daughter too,” He said firmly.

He hears her sniffle and pulled her into a hug; he allowed her to cry and let it out. It took several minutes, but soon the tears subsided. She pulled away, rubbing her eyes.

“Do you want to go eat dinner, or do you want to relax in here for a bit, and eat later?” Marcus wanted her to have the option to rest if need be.

“Not really hungry. Wouldn’t mind just taking a nap if that’s okay?” She requested, her voice a little hoarse.

“That’s perfectly fine. It’s the summer anyway, sleep schedules are allowed to be off from time to time,” He said with a smile, tucking her into bed after she slipped off her shoes.

Artemis smiled back a little, curling into a ball under the covers. Marcus stayed with her until she fell asleep, turning the light off and leaving the door propped open.

Marcus stepped back out to the kitchen, smiling as Missy told Shade about her day as they wrote down the takeout order to call in. Missy looked up as she heard him stepped in and smiled brightly.

“Hey dad. Where’s Artie?” Missy looked past him as she asked.

“She’s not quite hungry right now, so she’s going to take a nap. You can join her if you want, I’m sure she would like your company,” Marcus proposed as he leaned the kitchen island.

Missy was down the hall in seconds.

It was quiet as the two of them stood there, the air felt slightly tense in some way.

Marcus slowly walked around to Shade, tugging her gently into his arms. She all but collapsed into his embrace. He felt her take a deep breath, releasing it shakily. Marcus simply held her, knowing she simply needed someone to be there for her.

“I can’t believe he just… showed up. Like. Like he hadn’t ignored her for the past year. I hate him. I’m so glad I never put his name on her birth certificate,” She muttered the last piece.

Marcus gently pulled back a bit and looked at her confused.

“Every time….” She began but stopped, taking another shaky breath. “Every time he pops back up, I worry that he’s going to try and take her. Try and… fight for custody of her.”

Marcus sighed sadly, feeling her pain.

“Well. Guess it’s a good thing you have me. He’d have to pry her from my cold dead hands to take her from us. I know… I know this is sudden but… I know two things. One, I want to marry you soon. Two, I want to adopt Artie. You two are my girls, just as much as Missy is. I’m not letting either of you go,” Marcus declared looking her in the eye.

The Artist

Shade blinked rapidly at that declaration. Of all the things she expected him to say, that was not one of them.

“You… you what?” She whispered not quite believing him.

“I don’t mean to unload this all on you suddenly. But I wanted you to know that I want and love both of you. I wanted to talk about this to you in a more romantic setting, but-” His statement was cut off by her kissing him.

Shade couldn’t help herself. It was probably the sweetest thing she had ever heard, and she was overcome with the urge to kiss him. She felt him smile as he kissed back, one of his hands resting at the base of her neck. Shade’s arm found a home around his neck, keeping him close.

When they finally parted, they were panting slightly, trying to catch their breaths.

“I love you,” She said softly to him.

“I love you too honey,” Marcus replied kissing her nose.

They spent the rest of the evening constantly near each other, and the girls when they both got up to eat.

The Hero

The next morning, Marcus slipped quietly out of the bed, kissing Shade on the cheek as he left her. He got dressed and drove back to Shade’s house. The two of them had talked last night about her and Artemis staying a couple more days. So, he was going to drive to their place, to get more clothes for them.

He had a spare key on him, so when he parked, he simply let himself in. It didn’t take him long to pack up a suitcase for both of them, with clothes and some toys/stuffed animals for Artemis. He had just placed the bags in the trunk when another vehicle pulled up.

A tall man with dirty blonde hair, and a scowl on his face stepped out.

“Who the hell are you?” The man asked as he stepped up to him.

“Marcus Moreno. You must be Mike,” Marcus wasn’t impressed by him.

“Yeah. I am. Where is Shade and Artemis?” He demanded to know.

“None of your business. So how about you leave?” Marcus refused to answer.

“How about you to tell me where my brat is and her whore of a mother?” Mike got directly in his face.

Marcus was done. He wasn’t going to allow this cretin bad mouth his family. He couldn’t stop himself. He threw a punch, knocking Mike down.

“I’m going to say this once. You will leave my fiancé and OUR daughter alone. You will not harass them. You will not show up out of the blue like this. You got it? As a Heroic, I have dealt with villains of all shapes and sizes. But men like you? Men who treat their children as disposable? You are the worst,” Marcus said with disgust.

Mike looked up at him with slight fear and realization, “Wait. You’re THAT Marcus Moreno?”

Marcus raised an eyebrow at him, nodding once, daring him to say something else.

Mike scrambled to get up on his feet and ran to his car.

Marcus stared harshly as he watched him drive off. He was then suddenly aware… that he had an audience.

He awkwardly smiled, rubbing the back of his neck as some fans had stopped and recorded the whole scene.

“How long have y’all been there?” He asked somewhat embarrassed.

“The entire time sir. Are you really engaged?” A teenaged girl asked staring at him in awe.

“Yeah. I am,” He answered with a nod.

He heard her go ‘awww.’

The boys of the group asked for an autograph, which he happily did. One of the boys, started to leave but turned back.

“That was really cool… defending your family like that. Wish my dad was like that,” He said to him, before walking away.

He didn’t quite know what to say to that, and once the coast was clear, he got into his car and drove off.

When he returned home, and brought the bags inside, he checked on all 3 of his girls. Missy and Artemis were still passed out. Shade was slowly waking up when he stepped into his bedroom.

“Hi. Where did you go?” She asked sleepily.

“Went to go get you some stuff from your house. Ran into Mike,” Marcus said with a wince thinking back to the situation.

She shot up and stared at him concerned.

“Umm. I might’ve punched him… and referred to you as my fiancé. And called Artemis “our daughter.” It was…. Not my best moment,” Marcus confessed.

She stared at him incredulous… before several snickers escaped.

Her giggles continued for several minutes, which caused Marcus to chuckle a bit as well. Marcus told her everything in detail, especially the part about the audience.

She still giggled but sobered up finally to tell him, “I’m just glad he didn’t try to hurt you.”

“Hurt me? Never,” Marcus played it off, with a wave of his hand.

She was about to say something else but there was a powerful knock at the door.

Marcus made his way back downstairs, answering it quickly.

“Miracle Guy? What are you doing here?” He questioned looking at his best friend.

“You haven’t been answering your phone calls or texts,” Miracle said making his way inside.

Marcus pulled out his phone to see he had several missed calls and texts from… everyone.

“HQ has been losing their mind, apparently one of those kids was livestreaming the entire incident. Everyone wants to meet this fiancé of yours. Every news outlet wants an interview about your new love interest and everything,” Miracle explained with a shake of his head.

“Okay. Well. Then they are just going to have to continue wondering. Not that I’m not happy to see you and all MG, but why are you telling me this and not someone from admin?” Marcus asked him curiously.

“Oh. I am here to call a best friend foul. Why haven’t I heard about this fiancé of yours?” MG teased him.

“Marcus? Everything okay?” Came Shade’s voice as she stepped downstairs, dressed.

MG looked at him surprised as he looked between Marcus and Shade.

“Shade? No way. S’that you? Wow. You look great!” MG exclaimed giving her a hug as she stood next to Marcus.

“Hi. Yeah. It’s me. I hear you finally settled down, wife and kid and all,” Shade said with a smile.

He smiled proudly, nodding.

“I’m guessing his little performance caused some problems,” Shade noted hesitantly.

“A little bit, but nothing that can’t be handled,” MG said with a shrug.

“Yeah. If any damage control needs to happen, please let me know what I can do to help,” Shade offered with a half shrug.

“Alright. Good to know,” MG said as he made his way to the front door.

Shade moved to check on the girls, allowing Marcus and MG some privacy again.

“Damn. You have so much to explain man,” MG said lowly.

“I’ll tell ya everything when I come in later today. Suspect I am going to have to give a statement and such,” Marcus promised with a smile.

“You better,” MG said as he took off.

Marcus closed the door, staring at his left hand as he did so. He had taken off his ring a month after he had started dating Shade, feeling it was time. He looked at his leather jacket, specifically the lump that could be seen in one of the pockets.

He hears Shade leading the girls into the kitchen promising pancakes for breakfast. As she did that, he made his way upstairs, closing the door, so he could make some phone calls.

One of which was to his mom. It took only two rings before she picked up.

“Hello my sweet boy. What’s happening?” Came her cheerful voice.

“Hi ma. Um. Some things have happened, and I needed your advice,” He began, before explaining everything that happened this morning.

“I… I want to marry her. Even… I even have the ring… but…” He didn’t know how to explain his feelings.

“The closer you get to Shade, the farther you get away from Isabelle?” His mother supplied.

“… Yes. Guess… part of me never thought I would wind up here again. Deeply in love with a woman that I want to make mine forever,” Marcus whispered looking down at his lap.

“But that doesn’t mean you are forgetting Isabelle. You still have the memories you shared with her. If you feel in your heart that she makes you happy, and that you want to take that step with her, then do it. Isabelle wouldn’t want you to put your life on hold,” His mother tells him softly.

He hummed softly, “You’re right. Guess… I guess I’m just scared.”

“Just because you’re a Heroic doesn’t mean you are fearless, my dearest. Now, go take care of work and tonight talk things out with Shade,” His mother ordered.

Marcus hung after thanking her and made several more calls to work. An hour later he had to make his way into work and make official statements.

The Artist

Shade took care of the kids while Marcus did what he needed to do. As the girls played outside, she suddenly got inspired to draw. She pulled out her sketchbook from her things and began to draw. She sat outside with the girls as she drew, smiling at the giggles she heard occasionally.

Eventually, she felt the girls hover over her shoulders to watch her work. She was quietly drawing Marcus in his superhero outfit, with a hand on his hip and the other hovering over his sword handle.

It was the first time she had drawn him in a very long time and for the first time she had so many ideas floating in her mind. She stopped when the girls wanted to hang out and sat her sketchbook on a table inside the house. The three of them watched some movies. Marcus didn’t come home for dinner, and the girls went to bed at about 10pm.

Shade waited for him in the living room, returning to her sketches. It was close to 11pm before the front door open and Marcus walked in and collapsed onto the couch next to her.

“Tired?” She asked setting her book and pencil down.

He turned his head to look at her and nodded tiredly. He pulled his arms out of his jacket, just letting it sit there.

“Today was a mess but everything is settled for now,” Marcus said with a sigh.

He was quiet for a moment, reaching into one of his pockets. He pulled out a small velvet box.

“Not… not quite how I wanted to do this but,” He said as he handed it to her.

She took it from him, slowly opening it. Inside was an engagement ring that had a rainbow of gems lining the band.

“Not going to lie… I’ve… I’ve carried that since college. I kept it in a lockbox when we broke up. I was going to say some cheesy line of ‘my world was black and white, and you brought color to it.’ When we started to date, I took off my old wedding band, thinking it was time. The past 10 months just made me remember how much I loved you when we were younger and that love has just grown exponentially,” He began to explain.

She listened to him closely, her eyes flicking between him and the ring.

“It took me a long time to get over most of the guilt I felt with moving on with my life. It still creeps up every now and again, like… this morning. But I want you to stay in my life. You make me so happy. You and Artemis both have are so wonderful. I can even see Missy changing for the better. She’s so much happier with Artemis in her life. You… don’t have to decide now, if you are overwhelmed, but I was serious when I said I wanted to marry you,” Marcus concluded taking a deep breath.

Shade stared at him in shock. It took a minute for it to fully process what he said. She blinked rapidly as she stared at the ring, and felt tears welling up in her eyes.

She slowly pulled the ring from its box. She examined it with a smile that slowly grew. She slipped it onto her left ring finger, noting that it fit perfectly.

“No time needed. I love you and Missy too. Artemis… was so shy before she met her. I never would’ve thought she’d hit a boy to defend someone being bullied,” Shade joked thinking back.

Marcus chuckled, nodding his head.

Marcus leaned over to kiss her. Shade kissed him back enthusiastically, the two of them smiling at each other. The two of them heard giggles around the corner followed by a shushing.

The two of them shook their heads, and Marcus called out, “Ladies. What are two doing up at this hour?”

The two of them waited for a moment before they heard two sets of feet rushing to them. The girls ran to them, jumping into their laps, excitedly talking, and asking questions at rapid fire.

The two of them laughed at their excitement and waited for them to settle to answer questions.

Missy was sitting in Shade’s lap, while Artemis was in Marcus’.

“Well. The two of you are bright and intelligent. I guess we should talk this out with you two,” Shade said looking at the girls. “Are the both of you okay with us getting married?”

The two of them looked at each other and smiled, nodding happily.

“Does that mean we will be sisters?” Artemis asked somewhat shyly.

“Yes. It does. Are you okay with me being your dad?” He asked her directly.

“… kinda thought you were already,” Artemis said quietly, looking down.

Marcus nodded his head, and Shade could see some tears forming in his eyes, as he hugged her.

“Yeah. I am sweet girl,” He told her.

“Missy. What about you? Are you… are you okay with me being your mom?” Shade asked her hesitantly.

Missy was quiet for a moment, before answering, “Yeah. There’s lots of room for you and Artie in my heart.”

Shade thought back to one of their first conversations and realized what she was referring to.

“Yeah? That’s good to know. Do you remember what else I said that day?” She asked her.

“That you don’t want to replace my mom. Though… like Artie… I kinda thought of you as my mom already,” Missy admitted.

Shade smiled at her sweetly, hugging her.

“So. We are all okay with making this family legit in the eyes of the law? Say aye,” Shade said jokingly.

There were three ‘ayes’ in response followed by several giggles.

The four of them spent some time talking further, before heading to bed.

Marcus and Shade spoke more about details, like, wanting to make the engagement long while they found a home that was big enough for all four of them. The two of them didn’t want to rush anything and wanted to make sure they got everything ready. The wedding wasn’t going to be large grand affair; something small for them and their friends and family.

They didn’t have anything set in stone yet, but they knew one thing for sure. They had each other, and their girls were happy.