#mean bean employee shadow

[j-restlessgeek]

@rockingpeeble

This is my favourite scene from Sonic Movie 3

p.s I am NOT drawing this as a SHIP. The ship I support is stobotnik and sonadow. I will block anyone who tell me that Shadow is an old man or adult because he has been frozen for 50 years. He has stopped growing physically due to being frozen and also his mind is just a child. I think so.

[espballs]

It's Never Just Coffee

Chapter 1 - I Saw You Paint The Sun

♡ Summary: The Mean Bean gets a new alien barista! And Shadow wants to learn more about the other hedgehog in Green Hills

♡ Note: Canon divergent, technically takes place at the start of Sonic 2 but Knuckles left Eggman and became bros with Sonic. Shadow got released by Commander Walters. Gerald died. Shadow doesn't want to destroy the world cuz Eggman and Gerald aren't there. Characters may be ooc because of altered events

♡ Cross posted on AO3

“Ma’am this is The Mean Bean… There are no Unicorn Frappuccinos here...”

The little girl on the other side of the counter frowned. “Then can you give me something pink?” She asked quietly, instantly perking up with a new idea. “Oh! And add a little unicorn horn to it too! With sprinkles, powder, and drizzle!”

Shadow recoiled out of sheer disgust. How could anyone drink something like that when coffee beans existed?

Shadow sighed and softened his gaze. He looked down at the little girl. “I can’t make that, but what I can make you is a hot chocolate with lots of whipped cream”

The girl brightened up again and slammed a ten dollar bill onto the counter. “YES! Make me that!” she screamed.

Shadow recoiled so fast he almost fell off of his stepping stool. But he took her money and entered it into the cash register and handed the girl her change before hopping off his stool.

His ears flicked when she let out a squeal of excitement. The little girl quickly rushed out the way for Stone to take care of the next customer. 

Shadow moved with precision every time he made a drink. Cold milk from the jug poured carefully into the pitcher. Pitcher under the steam nozzle, where it’d let out a small hiss and the milk began to bubble as the temperature rose.

Shadow tended to think while it heated up.

Shadow hadn’t been working at Coffee shop for long, today was his second day and he was already considering quitting. It had been two weeks since his sudden release from G.U.N.

But Shadow knew he was definitely being monitored—if the band on his left wrist was anything to go by.  

Milk swirling with cocoa powder always drew Shadow back in. The rich scent it released was one Shadow had grown accustomed to in the past week. It brought him back to her.

Pouring the mixture into the ceramic mug. Shadow wondered why they let him out, and why now. Fifty years of pain and they let him go despite the fact he might try and take revenge on them for killing her?

He circled the whipped cream around till it began to build up into a tall mountain of white. Shadow stepped back to momentarily admire it before he stuck a peppermint stick in the center.

Shadow placed the hot chocolate in front of the girl with a soft exhale, not realizing he’d been holding his breath until the moment passed. He glanced up and saw the little girl’s eyes light up as she admired her drink.

“Thank you,” She quickly said before she grabbed the mug and chugged her drink.

Perhaps it was the little girl's youth, her blonde hair, or even her blue coat that somehow reminded Shadow of Maria.

Perhaps it was odd of him to be reminded of her every time he saw a blonde, whenever he looked at the color blue, or whenever he saw someone as youthful as she was when she died.

Maria was a constant thought in his brain ever since his release. The pain of her loss felt like too much to bear at times

Shadow just shook his head and turned back to his work. 

“You alright Shadow?” Stone asked, standing by the front counter.

Shadow didn’t respond at first. He tried to steady his mind many times without success, he worried it was beginning to become a distraction. Would Stone get rid of him for it?  

“Y’know… if you’re feeling sick I can get Brayden to cover your shift.” Stone whispered.

Brayden was the only other employee of The Mean Bean. He worked there before Stone owned it. But Brayden was the only employee that Stone didn’t fire after he took over. (after he accused the previous owner of money laundering and got her locked up)

Shadow quickly shook his head. “I’m fine.”

Stone sighed, showing his dissatisfaction at Shadow’s response. Stone shuffled his feet, glancing around the shop. “You know, you could talk about it, if you wanted to." Stone tried to be subtle about his suggestion. Stone failed.

Shadow shot him a glance, his gaze narrowing into a glare and he felt like throwing Stone out the window. Shadow refrained from doing so since Stone had taken him in and given him a job. "I'm not here for therapy.”

“I get it. I do,” Stone held up his hands in a mock surrender and backed away from Shadow. "I don’t know what you're thinking about, or if anything at all." Shadow really wanted to just walk away. “But you’ve got a fresh start, kid. Even if it feels like you’re passing or wasting time, this is a chance to get away from whatever put you in that alleyway”

What put Shadow in that alleyway was the rain. Shadow had been hiding in a trash bin to cover from the night when Stone found him.

So technically that made no sense.

But Stone constantly drew his ex that disappeared off the planet on customer's coffee’s everyday and cried about how much he missed the guy so he never made any sense. Shadow was pretty sure Stone was going insane too…

“...Okay?” Shadow had no idea what to say to any of that.

Stone just nodded awkwardly and took a step back, still staring at Shadow. “Okay… okay” He kept staring at the hedgehog till the bell at the door rang and a customer walked in.

Weirdo.

“Oh, fuck” Stone sighed.

Now Shadow just had to turn and see what customer managed to make Stone curse with their mere presence. Either to thank them for helping him escape the awkward conversation or give them a kick to the face.

“What's up, Stone!”

Shadow would be annoyed too if someone walked in with that much energy at 11:23 in the morning. But he would be annoyed if anyone came in with that much energy at any time so who was he to be talking?

“Wade,” Stone greeted through gritted teeth, putting a smile on his face.

Wade Whipple was apparently a regular at The Mean Bean, much to Stone’s dismay. Shadow wondered if he would end up having to suffer the same fate as Stone: Having to serve Wade Whipple a coffee with copious amounts of sugar.

Stone had given Shadow an entire tutorial on how to make Wade’s concerning order without killing the man or dissatisfying him on his first day.

Wade walked up to the counter with a blindingly bright smile on his face. “Got an important case to solve today!” he announced proudly. Now that interested Shadow. As far as he knew, Green Hills was a quiet town with little to no crime at all.

“Three donuts went missing from my desk this morning!” Oh , way to disappoint! 

This was obviously not worth Shadow’s time. The espresso machine was in need of cleaning, and much more worthy of his time.

Stone forced a smile, he forced it so much you could tell he was forcing it. “Let me guess. Large coffee, and a ton of extra sugar?”

Wade obviously didn’t notice. “You know it!” Wade smiled so much it was starting to concern Shadow. “Oh, and throw in one of those muffins! I’ve been craving one since Friday” It was Tuesday… Why didn’t he just go to the store? Were the Mean Bean’s pastries that good?

Stone barely had time to start Wade’s coffee order before the doorbell chimed again. Shadow was gonna have to serve that customer… he crossed his fingers and prayed they wouldn’t be as energetic as Wade.

“Morning, Wade!” the man greeted, his tone casual as he approached the counter.

Well he technically wasn’t as bad!

The sigh Stone let out told Shadow that the guy definitely was.

Shadow wondered if quitting on the spot would be rude. He decided it probably was and turned around.

A man in a sheriff uniform walked up to the counter and stood besides Wade. The name ‘Wachowksi’ was on the right side of his uniform. He looked normal, not that interesting, and the soft smile on his face looked normal compared to Wade. He didn't look like a strict cop, but he wasn't as sunshine and rainbows as Wade.

“Ah! Tom! I’ve got a case for you!” Shadow desperately hoped it would be more interesting. “Donuts! Three stolen right off my desk!” Goddamnit.

"You sure it wasn't you that ate them-"

Shadow hopped up onto his stepping stool and waited for the two to finish talking. “Oooo! Another alien hedgehog!” Wade whispered.

… Another?

Shadow resisted the urge to tilt his head and ask about that. But instead, he looked Tom dead in the eye and asked, “What would you like to order?”

To say the sheriff was dumbfounded was an understatement.

Tom just blinked at him for a few moments before he shook his head. His mouth hung open for a moment before he spoke. “Oh, uhm… just coffee, black” He said before quickly going back to staring at Shadow and recovered just as quick. “Thanks”

Shadow nodded before hopping off the stool.

“He looks like Sonic, but dark and edgy with gay highlights...” Wade failed to whisper quietly. “You think he knows him?”

Sonic must be the other hedgehog!

“Isn’t it wrong to think all alien hedgehogs know each other?”  

Shadow really wanted to laugh, but I’d reveal he was eavesdropping on their conversation. 

“I mean… aliens coming here is basically normal after Tails and Knuckles dropped by.” Tom laughed quietly. 

So there are other aliens on the planet besides me and Sonic!

“Right, right, right” Wade nodded in understanding, bowing his head slightly before quickly bouncing back. “He’s all dark and broody though, nothing like Sonic… bet they'd be best friends!” 

Shadow did not like where that was going.

“You should bring Sonic here! I bet he’d explode just seeing another hedgehog around!” 

Tom chuckled lightly. “I don’t think Sonic needs any more explosions in his life. And knowing him, he’d probably run around the room and talk a mile to the guy.”

Wade clasped his hands together as if the idea thrilled him. “Exactly! Imagine how happy he’d be! Sonic’s like your son dude! You should want him to have friends he relates to! It’d be so good for him!” 

Shadow wanted to think something mean about that, but he was starting to wonder if it’d be good for him too.

Stone handed Wade his coffee and muffin. “Will that be all today?”

“Oh, yeah! Thanks!” Wade was smiling brightly again before he turned back to Tom. “Just saying! I think their friendship would be mind blowing dude!”

Tom just nodded along. “Yeah, yeah”

Shadow saw the opportunity to step back onto his stool and slide Tom’s coffee over to him. 

“Shouldn’t you get back to working on your… donut case?” Tom asked. Is he trying to get rid of Wade?

Wade’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open. “Oh crap! I totally forgot about that.” Wade rushed out the door. Shadow was kind of sad to see him go since now he wouldn’t be able to find out much about that other hedgehog.

“So… new to Green Hills?”

Shadow looked up at Tom. “Yes” he said in the most monotone voice he could muster. Shadow was fighting the urge to ask a million questions about the man's alien hedgehog son.

“Don’t know if you heard, but my kid, Sonic—” Tom cut off mid-sentence when he looked back and Shadow’s pupils dilated in what was probably excitement, his tail wagging behind him. “...Sonic, he’s also a hedgehog, not from earth… and he's... blue”

“I’ve heard.” Shadow replied, trying to sound monotone and bored but the slight tightness in his voice betrayed his interest. Shadow hadn’t heard anything about the hedgehog before, but the idea of him was enough to have Shadow captivated.

Tom smiled at him. “Well, nice to meet you! I gotta head back to the station now!” Tom took his coffee and left.

Shadow only watched him leave.

“What do you know about Sonic?”

Stone blinked, rubbing his eyes tiredly. “The Hedgehog?” He asked, even though there was no one else Shadow would be asking about.

Shadow nodded up at him, now that they were in the privacy of Stone’s apartment. Shadow wasted no time in getting to the point, as soon as the door shut it was time to interrogate Stone.

“He’s… a hedgehog” Shadow, ever patient and kind, resisted the violent urge to punch Stone to the moon. “Uhm… he’s fast, like stupidly fast” Shadow ran to his bedroom and rushed back with a notebook and pencil in hand to write that down. 

Stone gave him a funny look, so Shadow glared at him to continue. “Uhm… He never shuts up, he’s ridiculously optimistic, annoyingly energetic…”

Shadow nodded along as he frantically scribbled the words down. He muttered to himself as he wrote, “Talkative…. Optimistic… energetic…”

Stone laughed. “Is he not your type?”

Shadow ignored the comment and watched Stone as he sat down on the couch. “Tell me more about him” Shadow didn’t demand it this time, his voice softer and his tone sounded almost pleading .

Well Stone couldn’t say no to him now… 

“He lives with The Wachowski’s, Tom and his wife, Maddie” Stone began, holding up two fingers to count. “Then there's Tails, he’s a yellow alien fox with two tails, he makes gadgets and stuff”

Shadow continued to nod and mutter. “Residence: Wachowski household. Family: Tom, Maddie, Tails” he looked back up at Stone to continue.

Stone momentarily wondered if he should be concerned but decided this was totally normal. “Then there’s Knuckles, believe it or not the guy came to Earth to kill him! But Sonic forgave him! Now he’s part of the family!”

Shadow froze in his scribbling, mind bouncing back and forth between wondering how Sonic could be so forgiving and how anyone would ever want to kill him?

Did Sonic have some super secret super dark backstory?

Shadow wrote that theory down in an instant.

“You know, for someone who pretends to be all disinterested… You’re really into this.”

Shadow shot him a glare but didn’t deny it, because he was very interested. “Is there anything else I should know about?”

Stone scratched his chin and went quiet to go deep into his thoughts. Shadow held his breath as he slowly leaned in closer to hear what the man would say.

“He’s like a hero to the people of Green Hills,” Shadow wasted no time in writing that down. “He helps the people here out of the good of his heart, just to be a hero… y’know?” 

“A hero… selfless… kind…” Shadow muttered.

“He, Knuckles, and Tails are kind of like a team now, they work with G.U.N to keep the world safe.” Shadow was quickly alarmed by that. “Not for them, but with them, they’re not assets or anything.”

Shadow wrote that down.

Shadow looked back up at Stone, that same hopeful glint in his eyes. Shadow was smiling.

It made Stone want to smile so bad. When he first met Shadow, he was like a dirty stray cat, out in the back alley of the Mean Bean hiding in trash cans. Maybe helping Shadow learn more about Sonic wouldn’t be so bad considering it made him smile. 

There was a childlike gleam in his eyes when he smiled.

Gosh Stone was really starting to get attached

Stone shifted in his seat and looked at Shadow, that familiar teasing glint back in his eyes. "I didn't know you were such a fan of Sonic, is he your new hero?"

Shadow's face flushed slightly, caught completely off guard by the teasing, but he kept his cool, trying to brush off the question. "I wouldn’t say that..." he muttered, eyes darting around. He hated to admit how much he was beginning to care about someone he didn’t even know.

Stone smiled at him, because he knew exactly what Shadow was feeling. “He’s interested in meeting new people, especially people like him. As soon as Tom opens his mouth about you he’ll be running to say hi.”

Shadow’s eyes widened. “Why didn’t you say that?!” He yelled, frantically flipping pages and writing notes at top speed. “What am I supposed to say to him if he shows up! I need to prepare! What if he shows up Tomorrow? I need to brush my quills! Do you know his favorite food? Maybe I should make him some food as a... friendship gift! Yeah that, now do I decorate the Mean Bean for his arrival...” Stone tuned out at that because he was not looking forward to any other ideas Shadow might have.

Stone was beginning to wonder if Shadow was a teenage girl in disguise.

Note: Only posting this on tumblr in-case ppl from ao3 like it here more... also cuz I wanna post updates n funny shit

[whitepolaris]

Afterglow Vista

Most people think family cemeteries, particularly ones in the western United States, consist of a couple of tumbledown marble or wooden headstones surrounded by a rotting picket fence. Sad to say, this is mostly true, but there are exceptions. Take, for example, the family plot of the McMillins in Roche Harbor.

John McMillins owned the local lime works and was active in local and state politics. He believed he owed much of his success to his religion, personal philosophy, and family, and he wanted to express this through the construction of a family tomb that was full of symbols that would be rich to him and to others. The meaning of many of the tomb's symbols has faded, but visitors can find several places in Roche Harbor that have maps to the tomb and pamphlets explaining the design and purpose of the magnificent structure.

The mausoleum is located near Roche Harbor and can be found by following a trail in the in the local cemetery leading through a green, overgrown wood; a sign reading AFTERGLOW VISTA marks the entrance.

After going through the gates, visitors must walk up three flights of stairs. The steps symbolize many things, especially to Freemasons. The first light has three steps, which represent the ages of man. The second has five steps, which represent both the five orders of classic architecture and the five senses. The last flight of seven steps represent the seven liberal arts and sciences and also symbolizes the seven days of the week.

Once up the stairs, visitors reach a raised platform on which several pillars support a domeless roof. In ancient times, pillars lined the western entrance to any house of worship. At Afterglow, one of the western pillars was installed broken to symbolize the way death breaks the column of any man's life.

Perhaps the most striking feature of Afterglow is the large limestone table on the platform, which symbolize the entire McMillin family meeting in unity over dinner. Around the table are chairs for each family member, with the corresponding names written on the chair backs. A hollow niche inside each seat serves as the place in which the family member's cremated ashes rest.

Besides the family, one other person is buried here: Ada Beane. She was McMillin's governess and more like family than an employee. After she died, she was cremated, and the family kept her ashes, which were later interred in the family crypt.

Unfortunately, vandals turn up even in remote places like Roche Harbor. A few years ago they attacked the McMillin crypt, damaging one chair back and removing another completely. Even so, the place still has a peaceful aura. As the sun goes down on summer evenings, the light shines through the trees on the tomb. Some people believe that when it does, the shadows change, and the McMillin family meets again to have a ghostly dinner together in the afterglow.

[hedgehog-university-au]

This is the exact vibe of Shadow and Espio working at the Mean Bean.

Relationships that have real king/lionheart energy, that whole “I have sworn myself wholly to you, I am your sword arm, I am your dog” to someone else’s “you are the one person in this world I can rely on, and I am both bolstered and burdened by your absolute faith in me” vibe, but it’s in circumstances that are like. so low stakes. Manger of a movie theater/the one usher who doesn’t smoke weed at work.

[134340am]

warnings: afab!reader, nsfw content, minors and ageless blocks do not interact!

kuroo sure is a sight for sore eyes. and by sore eyes, you mean your eyes that have been staring at a small laptop for five hours straight, in an effort to rush out your quarterly report due first thing tomorrow. 

granted, looking at anything that wasn’t an excel sheet – bare minimum, you know – would have given you the relief you needed. but you’d rather spend your break looking at the most good looking man on this floor than scroll through social media for a few mindless minutes.

you watch out of the corner of your eye as kuroo sips on his latte, lips pursing as he swirls his coffee around his mouth briefly. the elaborately decorated paper cup, boasting colourful illustrations of coffee beans, is balanced between three of his lithe fingers and his thumb, while his index finger traces his bottom lip in deep thought. 

your tired eyes travel from his face to his body, indulging in the sight of him deliciously stretched out across his office chair, lap looking utterly empty and inviting. his entire appearance screams overworked corporate slave, and the look is pulled together by a touch of darkness rimming his eyes – seems like he’s been working late too.

hard work and exhaustion somehow look good on him. too good, even. it makes you want to strut over, sit in his lap, and loosen his tie. it makes you want to fit your pussy over the bulge in his pants (whose shadow you have caught sight of one too many times), pull him closer, and slide your tongue in his mouth. if you’re feeling nice, you’d massage his scalp and let him grope your chest over your shirt as a reward for working so hard lately. and if you’re feeling… not as nice, you’d kick off your heels and suck him off till he’s completely spent and sated, then watch him panic about the lack of progress on his report.

but in reality, you’re not nice or naughty – you’re delusional, with a report that’s only half-done due in 12 hours. 

you could still feel the tips of your ears burning as you make your way to the pantry for some water and a little bit of quiet. while kuroo (and his crazy good looks and charming personality) has been the subject of your work daydreams since forever, now isn’t the time to be fantasising about his strong hands and cheeky smile and the cologne he wears and how close he’d get to you when he’s looking at something on your screen…

one refreshing glass of cold water later, you’re heading back to your seat with renewed determination to finish up and go home by 10 tonight. you strut out of the pantry as if you’ve won employee of the month – only to be greeted by the blur of baby blue stripes and flurry of messy hair that is kuroo.

“whoops – sorry! need the toilet! sorry!” kuroo yelps, dodging you with the reflexes of an olympian. he rushes off as soon as he regains his footing, which was in no time at all.

“you okay, kuroo?” you yell after him.

he whips around to look back at you before rounding the corner. his hair, though messy as always, falls over his eye boyishly as he barks out a sheepish laugh.

“forgot to ask for oat milk in my coffee,” he explains, before the smile on his face drops to a pained grimace. “gotta go, bye!”

(masterlist)

[froghwon]

ALRIGHT I’VE HAD ENOUGH SLEEP TO FUNCTION AS A HUMAN BEAN, and im ready to talk about the amazing time i had seeing svt yesterday!!! 😊😊

i took some videos from the concert and saved them to this google drive folder for anyone thats interested: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1955YuE8GkDD6jw3XOwkDn5iDGaIvaf2_?usp=sharing

i’ll keep them in there until i see sunmi in september ^^

Ok rant starts below the read more :]

pre-show

got to the venue early to buy merch :]

waited in line for 45 mins :’’) but managed to get a cute crop top + a pc pack ^^ (apparently jun wore the crop top during the encore??? love that for us <333)

went to a nearby cafe that was doing a bday event for scoups for snacks <3

tripped on a curb while walking around, and ate concrete hard 🤡🤡🤡 had to ask the employees at a boba shop for a bandaid >.< (reason why my body hurts today #1)

MET UP WITH A LOVELY ANGEL BEFORE THE SHOW 💞💞💞💞 miss Lissa, aka @wonheons

the concert itself

the setlist was so good omg!!!!! a lot of the songs they did were fan faves and/or songs i just LOVE <333 i mean they did mostly title tracks obviously, but they did march and shadow, my fave songs on the FTS!!!! 🥰🥰

performance unit did my fav perf u song, moonwalker, the first half was rearranged to be slower, and it was ~sexy~ ^^

hhu did my fav hhu song, gam3 b01!!!! the hype was sooo real

other songs that made me go fucking ape: hot, hit, aju nice back it up, left and right, and mansae

they did aju nice in the middle, so i was worried we wouldn’t get a neverending aju nice encore, but i was fortunately proven wrong :’’)

vocal unit did a rearranged version of come to me which was absolutely gorgeous 😌

also they did imperfect love (which is not really one of my favs) and right before the bridge they’re like “come on~ you know the words, sing along!” and i felt like a highschooler being unprepared for a pop quiz like no the fuck i do not sdncksndjfkn the romanized lyrics on the big screens behind them was no help whatsoever LMAO :’’)

at the end when the lights go went down and we were chanting for an encore, my voice is absolutely shot and cracking in the middle of my screams :’’) (reason why my body hurts today #2)

the boys come to the part of the stage that’s closer to my seat, so i throw up a scrolling sign on my phone screen that says “ 부석순 2022!” (BOOSEOKSOON 2022!) in hopes that they see it, and it lights a fucking FIRE under their asses, c’mon fellas, the year is already halfway over!!!!! >.< (reason why my body hurts today #3, my arms are so sore fuck + i have a bruise on my right shoulder from falling before the concert, so it hurt to sleep on my side </3)

they did a few songs for the encore, ending with the never ending aju nice chorus (+ sometimes the bridge) and i fully went mental kjdfnksdskf jumping up and down and screaming omg (reason why my body hurts today #4) 

tldr: svt are absolutely incredible live performers (no surprise there), but getting to experience the music and see them live in the flesh, is just inexplicable 😌😌 no videos or online concerts can replicate that same feeling of excitement and connection 💗 you’d have to experience it for yourself to know >.< so i cant WAIT for the next opportunity to see them live again!!

[angelizs]

Hello :D back again with more rambles !!! So as much as the Leech twins say they don’t care about Azul and would leave him; I have a hard time believing they genuinely would. I mean yes they clearly don’t have a traditional friendship but they definitely have one. The twins seem closer to each other but they often shadow over Azul even when he does things that seem boring. Playing more on the thought I mentioned in my Floyd ask, I think they might not say they’re friends because it could be exploited? Of course the twins are obvious with how close they are, but they can protect themselves. Meanwhile, Azul is powerful but not so much in the physical parts. They could avoid showing their friendship simply because it would make them seem “weaker” or that someone could harm Azul to harm them. Their dynamic is interesting because it breaks the stereotype of having 2 loyal servants. The twins are free to do whatever they want and deny a request unlike in other shows. Overall I think they have a friendship it’s just different than a traditional one- 🦭

HIII 🦭 ANON HOW ARE U?? I'm so sorry for taking so long to answer, life has been real busy lately, but I'm powering through!! thank you for sending your thoughts again!!

I agree with you, the twins and Azul are not only friends, but also very close ones! they've stayed with Azul for years and have watched him grow into the person he's now, being by his side the whole time! they all know each other on a very deep level, thus they also care about each other, in their own eccentric ways.

the twins, at first, only stayed because Azul was different from others (as this is the reason he was bullied in the first place). because of that, they didn't know what to expect with him, thus making him insteresting to be around. they ended up actually becoming friends though, and stayed together after that, following each other from dephts of the cold ocean to the lands of the warm earth.

of course, they say they'd leave should Azul start to bore them, but I don't think Azul would ever get boring, not with his witty intelect and shady schemes. Azul says he doesn't control the twins, which is absolutely true, but that doesn't mean they won't stay by his side. as they said themselves, they don't care about the money, as long as they're kept entertained.

naturally, the twins are closer, as they've been working together since their birth, only them against the cold and cruel sea. they always been odd ones as well, so that's why they clicked with Azul so well, but they're still different brands of weird.

hmm, I could see that! with the line of business Azul conducts, it might be dangerous to have weak points such as a soft spot for his two closest and most competent employees. not only that, but being openly friendly with people that are supposed to obey him, as their boss, could crack his intimidating untouchable image, thus making him seem weaker.

still, Azul isn't weaker, as he seems to be! he's actually stronger than the twins, as Floyd mentions on beans fest, so he's got strong magic, strong muscles and a strong brain. I think it'd be hard for anyone to harm him, unless they could get under his skin by attacking his more emotional side. Azul's got an amazing mask of indifference and faux confidence, but he's still very insecure about his past, which could be one way to get to him that would involve the twins.

I personally think that their refusal to be seen as friends might have come from old habits they carry from their home. as I see the Coral Sea, if it's anything like real sea life at all, it's a dog eat dog world, where everyone lives by themselves and protect their own. sea life can be very cruel, even to their own kind, so it would make sense for them not want to appear weak. it also is related to their own personalities, as they're not very open and emotional people, like Kalim for example, and they don't like showing their hand, prefering to keep their cards close to their chest.

their dynamic reflects that of Ursula and Flotsam and Jetsam very well! differently from other disney villains, who are cruel to their minions and oftentimes only put up with them for their own gain, Ursula genuinely likes the eels, as they are her beloved pets, not her servants. the eels are very cunning and like to create trouble, aiding Ursula in her evil schemes. when they are accidently killed by the end of the movie, Ursula gets furious, going on a rampage and attacking the ships. (see background part of the wiki!)

also, I really like this meme that sums up what you said really well lol

their relationship is very insteresting indeed! since they individually are already so fascinating, as part of a dynamic they have even more potential. a non traditional friendship like theirs is a nice break of stereotypes that TWST does once more!

[howtosingit]

Fic: And Every Birthday After

TK makes a decision about his relationship with Carlos.

*

AU after 1x05.

3K | Also on AO3

A/N: This is up a day later than I wanted it to be, but considering it’s the first thing I’ve written in two months, I’m still going to take it as a win. Happy reading!

- - - - -

TK climbs out from the car, his eyes on his phone as he shouts a quick “thank you” over his shoulder to his Uber driver before closing the door behind him. The car pulls away from the curb as he glances up at the glowing Austin Police Department sign before him, his bottom lip trapped between his teeth while he thinks about what he wants to do next.

With another look down at his phone to check the time, he nods, turning his back on the precinct to cross the street. It doesn’t take him long to find what he’s looking for: Carlos’s blue Camaro draws attention no matter where the police officer parks it. 

TK gently runs his fingers along the shiny, unblemished surface, his attention divided between the car in front of him and the building across the street. Carlos should be appearing any moment, fresh off his shift, and TK smiles as he leans back against the door, crossing his arms in front of his chest, trying to adopt a casual pose. He can practically hear Carlos’s laugh now, his brain supplying him with the memory of the last time he failed to casually lean against the Camaro, while they waited for Paul outside the 126. 

(TK thinks that just because Carlos has perfected the art of a casual lean, he shouldn’t get to laugh at those who are still learning.)

“TK?”

He’s so lost in his memories of that night - dancing close to Carlos in the club and sneaking kisses whenever the lights left them in the shadows - that he misses when the man himself appears right in front of him. TK jumps when he hears his name to find Carlos already halfway across the street, heading right for him.

“Hey there, officer,” he calls.

“What are you doing here?” Carlos asks, and TK’s eyes shift down just in time to see Carlos hide a giant green gift bag behind his back. “I thought we were meeting a little later.”

“We were, but I got out of work earlier than I planned and thought I’d surprise you.” 

TK waits for Carlos to come a little closer, maybe even give him a kiss the way he usually does, or at the very least a smile, but the officer does none of those things. Instead, Carlos stops a few feet away from him, his beautiful brown eyes wide as he presses his lips together in a tight line. TK notices the gift bag peeking out behind his back, fidgeting in his fingers. “Did someone get you a gift?” TK asks, breaking the weirdly awkward silence with his mounting curiosity.

Carlos freezes for a nearly imperceptible moment, looking like he’s been zapped by his own stun gun, before he lets out a sudden high-pitched laugh, his face morphing into a mask of forced normalcy. “Oh, this?” he asks, pulling the bag out from behind his back. TK watches as his eyebrows furrow - truly an adorable sight - as Carlos glances between the bag and TK. “This is from my boss, for Employee Appreciation Week.”

A smile suddenly appears on Carlos’s face as he steps closer, swinging the bag at his side before wrapping an arm around TK’s waist and pulling him in. TK goes willingly, his brain still trying to catch up to Carlos’s abrupt mood shift, and lets Carlos press their lips together in a chaste kiss. 

“Thank you for surprising me,” Carlos murmurs against his mouth. “Seeing you was exactly what I needed after today.”

“Long shift?”

Carlos hums in reply, stealing another quick kiss before backing away to pull his keys from his pocket. “Something like that.”

“You want to talk about it?”

“Maybe later,” Carlos admits. TK notices the way his eyes are twinkling under the streetlights. “Right now I’m starving. Did you finally decide on a place to eat?”

“What do you think of that Greek place on Lavaca?”

“I think,” Carlos starts once they’re both in the car, tossing the gift bag in the back seat before leaning over the console to invade TK’s personal space, “that if that’s what you want, then that’s exactly what I want.”

TK lets out a breath at Carlos’s claim, a feeling of contentment running through his body from head to toe. He feels Carlos’s hand on his cheek, his breath on his face. It’s overwhelming in the best possible way.

“You’re kind of sickeningly sweet, you know that?” TK teases, pressing forward to steal another kiss. 

“That doesn’t sound like a complaint,” Carlos fires back, his eyes crinkling as a cocky smile takes over his face.

“You’re far too confident.”

“Now I know that’s not a complaint,” Carlos smirks, his eyebrows practically dancing. 

“Shut up,” TK whispers, claiming Carlos’s lips again to ensure that he does just that.

- - - - - 

“No, I’m telling you, Paul actually said that, no hesitation whatsoever. It was pretty badass.”

“Sounds like it. Though, I’m guessing Marjan didn’t really appreciate it, did she?” Carlos asks, pulling the front door closed behind him as TK flips on the light before toeing off his shoes.

“Oh, she definitely did not. I kind of thought flames were going to shoot out of her eyes, she looked so pissed.” He flops down on the couch, pulling his feet up to get comfortable. 

“I know I’ve only met her on calls, but I can still picture that face so perfectly,” Carlos laughs, cutting through the room to the kitchen, where he drops his gift bag on the counter before opening the refrigerator. “I have cake for dessert, if you want any?” he asks, glancing back over at TK.

“Oh my god, yes,” TK moans, pulling himself off the couch and towards the alluring appeal of something disgustingly sweet. He drops his phone on the table before taking a seat on one of the barstools, watching as Carlos pulls out a small chocolate bundt cake before reaching into the freezer for a pint of vanilla bean ice cream. He flits about the kitchen with a casual ease that TK is more than happy to observe, his eyes drawn to his striking figure. There isn’t a single part of Carlos that TK doesn’t like, and he knows he could sit and watch the other man every minute of every day and never get bored. 

He gives himself a little shake, trying to clear his head, and his eyes land once again on the gift bag sitting on the counter next to him.

“So,” he starts, his tone laced with curiosity, “what exactly does APD give their best patrol officers for Employee Appreciation Week anyway?” He smirks, rolling his eyes. “I’m sure it’s got nothing on AFD, we all know firefighters have you badges beat.”

It’s not something he really believes in - the whole firefighters versus police officers rivalry - but that doesn’t mean that he and Carlos don’t like to joke about how they’re “sleeping with the enemy” every now and then. It’s even made for some very satisfying, competitive moments in bed, though they’re always followed by laughs and kisses and comments about how ridiculous it all is.

TK turns back to Carlos to find him completely frozen for the second time tonight, the ice cream scoop clutched firmly in his hand with ice cream melting down the sides as he looks from the bag to TK. 

This time, TK doesn’t let it go unnoticed.

“What is it with you and this gift?” he asks, reaching out to flick the bag with his finger. “You’ve been acting weird about it all night.”

Carlos swallows, his tongue darting out to lick his lips as he drops the scoop back in the carton. 

“I lied to you.”

TK stares at him across the counter, taking in the tense set of his shoulders. It’s been awhile since Carlos was this uncomfortable in front of him, and he really doesn’t like it.

“What are you talking about?” he asks, having no idea where this is going. 

“This,” Carlos says, pointing to the gift bag as he circles around the island to stand next to TK, “is not a gift for Employee Appreciation Week.” 

“Okay, what is it then?”

Carlos stares at him for a moment, his eyes wide, before nodding and taking a deep breath, looking like he’s about to jump off a cliff.

“It’s a birthday present.”

“I don’t understand what…” TK trails off, his confusion disappearing as his brain works to put all of the pieces together: the gift bag in front of him, the chocolate cake and ice cream sweating a few feet away. His mouth goes dry, his heart hammering in his chest. His gaze darts back to Carlos, standing in front of him looking a little terrified but also a little eager, like he’s waiting to see what happens next. “It’s your birthday?” TK asks, his voice tight and barely more than a whisper.

Carlos nods.

“Oh my god, Carlos, it’s your birthday!” TK exclaims.

“It is, it is, but it’s fine, it’s nothing, it’s not a big deal,” Carlos rushes to assure him, reaching out to take his hands in his own.

“Not a big deal? It’s your birthday!” TK cries, trying to figure out what to do with this new information. His brain unhelpfully supplies a detail he had forgotten. “Wait, you’re the one who said we should get dinner together tonight,” TK reminds him.

“Yeah, we both had the night off and I wanted to see you,” Carlos mumbles, staring down at their fingers, intertwined between them. TK feels his breath stutter in his chest.

“You wanted to spend your birthday with me?” TK hedges, the words uneven as his heart threatens to choke him from where it’s become lodged in his throat.

Carlos wordlessly shrugs, a complete inversion of his confident attitude from just a few hours ago. TK takes a moment to appreciate how layered he is, how he sometimes feels like a million people in one, but how he’s still always Carlos, no matter what. “I like spending as much time as possible with you,” Carlos states, still not making eye contact. 

TK lets the words roll through him, feeling the way they light up every single nerve ending in his body. He’s surprised to find that they don’t scare him like he thought they would. Ever since the failed dinner date, they’ve both been careful to keep things from getting too serious. They’ve been having fun, hanging out and exploring Austin before coming back to Carlos’s place to roll around in bed together. They’re friends - TK is sure that Carlos is his best friend - and they’re a little bit more than that. 

Maybe TK’s finally ready to face the reality of what that could mean.

He thinks about finding out about his dad’s cancer diagnosis a few weeks ago, and how Carlos was the first person he ran to with the news. He remembers how Carlos talked him down from his uncontained anger and hurt, how he held him tight when he cried. 

Carlos was there for him when he needed him. TK’s only known him for a few months, but Carlos has always been there, strong and steady and grounding. A beacon of safety and comfort.

And TK knows that he wants to be there for Carlos in the exact same way. He honestly can’t imagine being anywhere else, now that he really thinks about it.

“Come here,” he says, tugging gently on Carlos’s hands to pull him closer, opening his legs for Carlos to stand between them. Carlos lets out a sigh, moving to place his hands on TK’s waist when TK wraps his arms around his shoulders. They rest their foreheads together, taking a moment to stare at each other, truly open and honest for maybe the first time. 

“Happy Birthday, Carlos,” TK whispers, waiting for Carlos’s smile to break through his frown before leaning in to steal it from his lips.

His breath catches again as their tongues tangle, their bodies sinking into each other as they give into their embrace. Every kiss with Carlos is worth writing a poem about, if TK was the type of person to write poetry, but this one would definitely inspire TK’s best work. He has a feeling that it’s because of him; he knows that Carlos gives his everything every time, but it’s TK who is now meeting him there with his whole heart. It’s like the wall that he’s put up has fallen away, crumbled to dust in the blink of an eye. Honestly, TK can’t even be bothered; no wall stood a chance against Carlos Reyes anyway. 

Carlos pulls away much sooner than TK thought he would, and as his eyes blink slowly open, he finds the other man staring at him, his brows furrowed once more.

“Are you mad that I didn’t tell you?” Carlos asks, his voice tight.

“No,” TK assures him immediately, reaching up to cup Carlos’s face in his hands. He feels the way Carlos sinks into his hold, letting him take some of his weight, like he trusts TK to keep him upright. “I’m not mad, Carlos. Though, I do wish I would’ve known.”

“I know,” Carlos sighs, reaching up to grip his wrists, dragging his thumbs along TK’s skin. “I know, I should’ve told you. It just… I didn’t want to make it a whole thing, spending my birthday together. I didn’t want to freak you out, I know you’re not looking for that kind of thing, I know this is just us having fun and I don’t want you to feel pressured or anything…” Carlos trails off, his grip tight as if he’s scared TK will jump up and run out of the house again. 

TK feels Carlos’s fear as if it’s hammering against his heart, but he definitely can’t blame the other man for his thoughts. Their past mistakes are all the evidence he needs to understand why Carlos hid this from him. He nods, biting his bottom lip, trying to figure out how to make it clear that he feels differently now, that he actually wants this to be a whole thing. That they’re on this path together now.

The idea comes to him so suddenly that he almost barks out a relieved laugh. Instead, he smacks a quick kiss against Carlos’s lips before jumping up from the stool, watching as Carlos’s eyes widen in panic.

“Wait, what-”

“I think I know how to make sure this never happens again,” TK interrupts, continuing to hold Carlos’s face in his hands as he backs him up a few steps towards the dining table. He pushes Carlos against it, taking pleasure in the way the other man automatically widens his stance, allowing TK to step between his legs and press their hips together. Without a word, he reaches down to grab his phone, smirking as he brings it up between their faces. 

“There,” TK says a moment later, turning his phone to show Carlos, who has stayed silent and slightly terrified this entire time, if his face is anything to go by. He looks over at the screen. “Now I���ll never miss your birthday again.” TK can tell the moment that he processes what he’s seeing, watching as Carlos’s face softens and his arms come up to wrap around his waist. 

“You want to remember my birthday next year?” Carlos clarifies, and TK is surprised to see tears in his glassy brown eyes. He tosses his phone back down on the table, reaching up to run his fingers along the stunning features of Carlos’s face.

“Babe,” he says, testing out the word for the first time and thoroughly enjoying the way it causes Carlos to vibrate against him, “I want to remember everything about you.”

There’s barely any warning before Carlos is on top of him, their lips attached once again as Carlos lays claim to him like a man unleashed. TK gives it all back to him, the two of them speaking paragraphs in touches and tastes and sighs and moans. There’s no holding back, not anymore.

When they are finally forced to pull back for air, TK takes pride in Carlos’s disheveled appearance, his curls wild and his face flushed and his lips bruised. He knows he probably looks the same, and he loves seeing the proof of their want and desire and need for each other with his own two eyes. He drags his fingers along Carlos’s plump lips, realizing for the first time that they are his to kiss, for as long as Carlos will let him. 

“This is the best birthday present I’ve ever gotten,” Carlos sighs, and TK meets his eyes to find them blown black but fixed on him, his gaze never wavering. 

“While I am obviously very glad to hear that,” TK begins, leaning forward to press a quick kiss to his favorite lips again, “you should see what kind of birthday gifts I give when I’ve had time to plan them. I can promise you, you’re not ready for next year.”

“I’m ready for anything, as long as I’ve got you,” Carlos says without hesitation.

TK groans, falling forward to press his face into Carlos’s neck, feeling the vibration of his soft chuckle against his cheek. “You’re so sickeningly sweet, I can’t stand it.” Carlos merely hums, dragging his hands up and down TK’s back to soothe him. 

They stay like that for a few moments, just enjoying the way they get to hold one another, before TK pulls back to give Carlos a look.

“Speaking of sickeningly sweet,” he teases, his fingers dancing along Carlos’s thighs on either side of him, “what do you say we take that cake and ice cream upstairs and unwrap some other presents, birthday boy?” He finishes the suggestion with a raise of his eyebrows, watching as the blush on Carlos’s face deepens before he lets out a loud, bright laugh, the two of them falling into each other as they struggle to remain upright against the table.

And TK decides that this, right here, being deliriously happy in Carlos’s arms, is everything that he could ever want or wish for.

On this day, and every birthday they’ll spend together after.

[writinggarbage007]

The Captain’s Assistant

Chapter 6

Steve Rogers x dark! reader, Avengers x dark! Reader

Summary: After 3 years as Cap's assistant and being treated like nothing, you are captured by Hydra and everything changes.

Warnings: swearing, dark themes, abduction, torture, cannon level violence

Will update warnings on each chapter.

Slight AU

Walking down a mountain after leaving the castle wasn't your idea of fun. Still wearing your sack dress and no shoes had you wishing you had stabbed Brock a few more times.

At the bottom of the mountain you found a small general store. You scouted around but the store didn't seem to have security cameras. That was a bonus.

You had stolen money from the doctor so it wasn't hard to purchase a pair of cheap shoes, a tank top , some t-shirts and jeans. The cashier seemed to be curious but smiled when you said you had run away from your asshole ex.

"Good for you honey." She said softly. "Now I know we're supposed to forgive those who trespass against us but I never had use for a man who couldn't control himself. Some of them were just born mean."

You agreed softly and smiled when she added another pair of jeans, some socks and hair ties to the pile of purchases. You really wanted to buy a case of bottled water but settled for a few bottles you could fit in your pack and some granola bars.

She let you use the employee washroom to clean up and change and you thanked her by putting a hundred dollar bill in her apron pocket.

As you left you made sure to tell her if anyone asked she didn't see you and she assured you she wouldn't tell a soul.

With your pack and some decent clothes you once again walked down the road, keeping yourself in the trees. You moved further into the shadows when you heard a noise that seemed suspicious.

It took you four hours before you found an abandoned house set back from the road. The windows seemed intact and stepping up on the sagging porch you surveyed the area. Lots of cover, the driveway unrecognizable with overgrowth, A good place to hide for tonight. Tomorrow you'd see what was in the area.

The house smelled musty so you opened the windows on the second floor. Singing to yourself you went through every room once again collecting what you could use.

It was still partially furnished but since there were no beds you moved an ancient chaise lounge near the window of the master bedroom. The linen cupboard yielded sheets that were clean but needed airing. You hung them over the porch rails.

It would be dark soon so you gathered everything and moved it all into the master bedroom. The sheets were all you could find for blankets and pillows so you would make do. Tomorrow would be soon enough to make a plan.

As you lay reclined on the chaise lounge you wrapped the darkness around you again. You needed to test these powers. Tomorrow, you told yourself as you closed your eyes.

You awoke with a start when you heard crackling in the trees. It was almost daybreak. Rising slowly you clung to the shadows by the window keeping your eyes moving in the darkness.

A flash of red and gold almost made you laugh out loud. Tony Stark was many things but subtle wasn't one of them. You stayed in your position to see if he could find you.

"Y/N" he called after retracting his helmet. "Please don't be dead. Fury is gonna eat my liver with fava beans if your dead."

He approaches the house slowly and you hear him ask Friday to do a scan for signs of life as you creep down the stairs.

"Nothing human is showing up boss" Friday answers as you slowly ease the door open.

The look on Tony's face when you drop the shadow and yell "Booo!" Is priceless. You really wish you had a camera. He clutches one hand over his heart and the other comes up with the repulsor ready to fire.

Your laughter feels rusty but this is literally the funniest thing you've seen in years.

"Guess Fury isn't going to need a bottle of Chianti Tony," you say with a hiccup and watch as he rolls his eyes at you.

"Yeah, yeah. That's so funny."he says lowering his arm and tilting his head in curiosity. " Wanna explain how you hid from Friday. And how you got this far from that castle so fast? The team has been searching all night...Shit. Friday inform the team I've got the package and to prep for evac at my coordinates."

"Right away boss."Friday answers and you cringe.

"Yay, the Avengers are coming" you say with no enthusiasm.

Tony looks at you funny then sighs, as if it occurs to him you may not want to see the team.

"Come on and show me your party tricks Y/N" he said, thinking it would kill time waiting for a jet.

You let him experiment with reading your energy with his suit and he was astonished that the shadows concealed you completely.

He handed you a rock to see if you could conceal it as well and as the jet approached he had a brilliant idea.

"See if you can conceal me in the shadows with you. We'll scare the team. I promise to record."He adds the last in a joking manner and you couldn't resist.

Wrapping your hand around the arm of his suit you pulled shadows around the two of you just as the jet rose over the trees and prepared to land.

The two of you grinned at each other as the ramp lowered and Cap and Bucky strutted down looking around. They seemed confused as they called out for you and Tony and got no answer.

You approached them slowly as you had Tony and when you dropped the shadows you and Tony screamed "Boo!!" In unison.

Steve threw his shield in your direction and Bucky punched Tony's suit and sent him back a few feet.

Everyone froze in shock as your hand came up and the shield slowed and stopped in front of it.

"Tony, I want to go home now." You said letting the shield drop in the dirt and walking past the super soldiers like they didn't exist.

"You heard the lady, Rogers. Let's get out of here."Tony said watching Steve recall the shield.

"What did she just do?" Sam asked. "I'm not the only one who saw that, right?"

"I can't feel anything from her." Wanda said, eyes glowing red. "It's like a black hole. Drawing all the light." She looks at Nat and shares a silent message "She is very different."

Nat just gave a slight nod and watched as you took a seat next to Bruce and started discussing what had happened. You felt like someone was staring at you and turn to see most of the Avengers are. You give them a toothy smile and turn back to Bruce.

You didn't show weakness for months in renaissance fair hell, you'd do your damnedest not to show it to this bunch

[ahatintimepieces]

He’s Going to be Okay

I wrote a little fic for @doodledrawsthings ahit “Coffee shop AU” about one of Luka’s early days working at The Horizon! Nothing fancy but I got the idea and just went with it. Please enjoy!

              Luka flexed his four fingers against his coiled torso, staring at the thick purple prongs with tempered despair. Yes, he had been getting used to his new fluid body after traveling around for a few years, but now that he had recently started working at The Horizon, he found himself aching for his human body even more.

              Whenever he shapeshifted, he became acutely aware of just how much he had changed. While making coffee or wiping down tables, he could feel how flexible his arms and fingers were, like they were those cylindrical jelly toys meant to slip out of children’s hands the second they were squeezed too hard. He always feared if he grabbed a carafe or a customer’s change too firmly, his hands would melt back into purple goop.

              Blinking, he ran his hand through the fur on his head. He had to get up. Hattie was at school, which he was so grateful that a chance for her to have a normal life as a kid again, and he had work, which was another wonderful blessing. But he was so tired.

              Shaking himself as he uncoiled and floated over to the bathroom, he gazed at his reflection in the mirror. His pair of golden, glowing eyes and jack-o-lantern smile stared back at him. He longed for nothing more than to see his familiar, human features, but just the idea of shapeshifting just then drained him of non-existent energy.

              Come on! He could do this! He had been working full time and taking grad classes on top of being a single father before all of this! He didn’t know the meaning of fatigue! Surely, he could keep his liquid body in the right shape for one measly shift!

              Determined, he shrunk himself enough to curl his tail at the base of the sink as he gripped the edges. He stared into the mirror. It was only his forth day on the job and he wasn’t going to be late! He stared at his golden eyes, using the promise of coffee to summon enough strength to—

              He groaned and hunched over the sink, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

              Okay. New plan! He would grab some clothes and commute as a noodle. Maybe a short flight through the forest would wake his body up enough to change.

              Once he collected his things, he shrunk himself and snuck outside through his bedroom window. Luckily, most everyone in the complex had either left for work or school, so he only needed to slip past an older couple sitting on a bench at the boarder of the forest. He flew behind him, using their own shadows for cover, and darted into the woods.

              Use the shadows to hide. Think about the coffee waiting at work. Remember he’s doing this for Hattie. Hattie. He has to be able to support her. His daughter is all he had left, and he knew he could be okay as long as he had her.

              Feeling a touch more rejuvenated from both his mental pep talk and the fresh forest air, Luka landed behind the usual tree he used as cover when he started to slip in work. From his tree, he could smell the roasted coffee and his mouth watered. While Hattie did make him breakfast that morning—complete with lots of bacon, as if his sweetheart knew he needed an extra boost—he found himself still hungry. He vaguely wondered if all the shapeshifting lately required more fuel as well as sleep, but he shoved those thoughts down swiftly.

              He didn’t really have time to dwell on these things.

              With concentration, he first focused on shifting into a humanoid shape. The fluff around his neck easily molded into tufts of soft hair and shrinking his length to his human height was also a breeze. The hard part was splitting his tail into legs and his mittens into hands. But soon, he found himself standing—oh standing! How he missed feeling firmly planted on the ground on two feet!—and he could flex his humanoid fingers and thumbs. Next came his features, which he manifested while he shimmied into his pants.

              Nose. Teeth that weren’t fangs. Human eyes—with pupils and everything!—and brows. He skipped the ears because he figured his hair would cover them anyway and he was still so tired. Cutting corners on his appearance might help. Soon enough, he felt himself in proper human-shape, even if he still felt like a water balloon with his innards shifting around in a magic shell.

              As he buttoned his shirt—something so normal felt so good—he focused on changing his color to match how he was before. Brown hair, chestnut eyes, and not a drop of purple anywhere on his skin. He inhaled a steadying breath and walked around the shop and towards the entrance.

              “Hey there, Luka,” MJ called from the cash register as Luka briskly walked towards the back. “How was drop-off?”

              Drop-off? It took Luka a second as he put on his apron before he registered that MJ was asking about dropping Hattie off at school—the reason Luka had said he couldn’t take an early shift.

              “Oh, yeah,” Luka offered a nervous smile. He felt bad not only that he had to lie about the real reason but also because he wished he could have walked Hattie to school instead of being confined to the apartment as a weird purple snake monster. “It was fine. She seems to be making friends already.”

              That, he realized gratefully, was true and he couldn’t be happier for his daughter.

              But it also meant he really needed to make sure he didn’t screw up this job.

              “That’s great!” MJ offered a warm smile before turning back to the customers, his blue hair bouncing on top his head with his movement.

              Luka glanced down as he tied his apron, smiling softly.

              “Enough chatting!” Clover appeared from the back with a tray of plastic-wrapped pastries in hand. “Luka, can you get started on making drinks?”

              “Oui, Chef!” Luka saluted, which earned an eyeroll from Clover.

              “We outsource the pastries, you goof!” She gave him a gentle nudge before restocking the reserves beneath the display case.

              Instead of quipping back, Luka just laughed as he crossed over to the espresso machine, where cups with orders were already lined up.

              It felt good, he marveled, laughing with coworkers. How long had it been since he just spent time with friends? His gaze lingered on his human hand as he grabbed a cup.

              Too long, he decided.

              The first half of the shift went by in a blur. The mornings were always busiest, leaving Luka pushing out cup after cup. It wasn’t until MJ handed him the last order that Luka let himself relax long enough to breathe. Even then, when he read MJ’s instructions on what coffee to make, it just read, “Luka’s Favorite.”

              “What?” Luka glanced over at MJ, taking a moment to briefly scan the room for anyone waiting for coffee.

              “You’ve earned it,” MJ answered as his gaze narrowed on something in front of him and furrowed his brows. MJ removed his red-rimmed glasses and frowned at an apparent smudge before using the edge of his apron to clean up the lens. “I don’t know your favorite though,” MJ looked back up, squinting slightly at Luka without his glasses. “You’ll have to tell me a few times before I remember, as a heads up.”

              “Chestnut-infused Columbian Bean with cream and sugar,” Luka replied softly, smiling as he started to make himself a cup. “What about you?”

              MJ pushed his glasses back onto his nose and was about to respond before he titled his head with concern.

              “Dude, you alright? You’ve got some pretty gnarly bags under your eyes.”

              Luka’s heart dropped into his stomach as he instinctively lifted a hand to his face.

              “Um, mind if I—” Luka gestured towards the bathroom and MJ nodded. Luka practically threw himself into the cramped employee bathroom and glanced up.

              Oh no.

              Sure enough, purple was starting to spread, starting at the base of his eyes. In addition, his chestnut irises were starting to reflect gold in the dim bathroom light. He glanced down at his hands, his usual indicator that he was out of time in his human-shape. They remained untouched by purple and he still had his thumbs.

              Okay. Maybe this wasn’t so bad. He had made it through most of the shift and might be able to stick it out the rest of the day. Looking exhausted was fine, so long as he still looked human.

              He inhaled a deep, calming breath. He would be fine. He just needed a cup of coffee and that should tide him over. He could stick it out! He could do this!

              He returned to the counter with an anxious smile plastered on his face. MJ was wiping down the top of the display case when Luka went to finished making his coffee. While he poured the cream, he noted his hands were shaking but he ignored them.

              “Luka,” MJ asked as Luka lifted the steaming cup to his lips, “is everything okay?”

              “Oh yeah!” Luka smiled but he soon felt two sharp somethings—his fangs, he realized with dread—dig into his bottom lip. Panic gripped his chest and he glanced down at his hand holding the coffee cup.

              The tips of his fingers were turning purple.

              “Actually,” Luka’s shoulders slumped with resignation. He shifted the coffee cup into his other hand—which was still free of purple—and hid his changing hand behind his back. “I’m not—I think I need to—”

              MJ zeroed in on his hand and for a second, Luka feared the purple was spreading and the cat was out of the bag, but his fears were soon assuaged when MJ spoke.

              “Your hand is shaking more than my old dryer!” MJ explained in disbelief and worry. “Listen, do you need to go home? I can cover for the rest of the day.”

              “I hate to leave you mid-shift again and with Clover off getting more cup sleeves—” Luka winced from the way his growing fangs scratched against his mouth as he stepped back towards the door.

              “It’s all good,” MJ promised, his brows tight with concern. “Just get some rest before you need to pick up your daughter.”

              “Thank you!” Luka just about dashed out the back door, “It won’t happen again!”

              He barely made it outside before the purple creeped up his arm and his fingers on his one hand clenched back into cumbersome mittens. He ducked behind the tree and let out a frustrated groan as his thin control over his body dissolved.

              Not wanting to ruin another pair of clothes, he placed his coffee down and swiftly undressed. He tried to maintain fingers on the hand that was just turning purple as he struggled with the buttons on his shirt. It took a few tries but he finally managed. The second he shed his shirt and pants, his purple form ballooned into the now familiar form of a large snake with fur and noodle arms.

              Luka sighed, leaning against the bark as fatigue and sorrow ate at his spirit. Wet, golden tears slipped down familiar paths etched into his cheeks. He momentarily entertained the idea of remaining there, in the shadow of the tree and stewing in his sorry state, but on the other side of The Horizon, he could hear the hustle and bustle of the people of Subcon. The longer he remained in the open, the more he risked being seen.

              Willing himself through the motions, he collected his clothes and draped them over his arm before scooping up his coffee cup between two thick fingers. Careful not to let the cup slip through his fingers because he knew that a little spilled coffee in that moment was all it would take to send him into a spiral of despair he might not be able to recover from, he headed home.

              He hovered through the deeper part of the woods since he had nowhere to be anytime soon. Of course, he wanted to be home before Hattie, but that wasn’t for another hour or two. So, he took his time, letting his tail wiggle lackadaisically as he flitted from shadow to shadow. The warm coffee in his hand was a small comfort and the toasted flavor of the beans soothed him to the core.

              He was mid-sip—eyes half-closed—when a small gasp came from below.

              Luka’s eyes snapped fully open as he glanced down over his coffee cup. A young child in a dark purple hood with fluffy brown bangs that concealed most of their features was craning their neck to look up at him.

              The two remained frozen as they stared at each other for a second. Luka clutched his clothes draped around his one arm and still held the coffee cup to his mouth while the child’s jaw hung open.

              “Wowie! What are—” The child’s awe-filled voice snapped Luka out of his petrification and before the child could finish their sentence, Luka flew away.

              Peck! He was seen! Sure, he had been seen before but usually not mid-day and never that up close! He glanced back at the kid, who thankfully wasn’t following him, just watching in shock.

              That might come back to haunt him…

              Oh well, Luka tried to console himself as he zipped back home. At least the kid didn’t see him shapeshifting, which was more likely to give away his identity. The thought of Luka being found out and having to tear Hattie from another home gripped his chest like ice, but he immediately forced himself to take deep breaths.

              It was okay. The kid saw a purple noodle in the forest with coffee. It was fine. There was no reason to think he was at risk of being found out.

              It was going to be okay. He would be okay. Hattie was safe and happy. Everything was okay.

              The area behind the apartment was void of life and Luka had no trouble shrinking and flying up to his bedroom window, which he had left open for easy access. He flew in and soon expanded to fill the empty room. Sighing, he gingerly set down his cup before folding his clothes and stacking them by the closet. Exhaustion overwhelmed him and he curled around himself, resting his head on his hands on the topmost coil.

              His eyelids drooped as he flicked the tip of his tail back and forth. He wished he could have finished his shift. He wished he could have kept laughing with MJ and that he could have been there when Clover came back.

              He squeezed his eyes shut, as if it would keep a few more tears from slipping out. No such luck. He heaved out a worn sign before shifting his focus on getting some sleep. Maybe if he rested enough, he would have enough energy to maintain a humanoid shape so he could cook a good dinner for Hattie. That would be nice.

              He fell asleep repeating his new mantra.

              It would be okay. He was going to be okay.

[speechlessxx]

I Can Keep A Secret. - 3 (Steve Rogers x Reader)

Chapter Summary: Weeks after the welcome party, Steve and (Y/N) continue their secret affair under her father’s nose. However, when a new face is introduced, the fate of this unlikely not-couple is tested. 

Warnings: surprise guest... love triangle (?), language, short makeout scene, shitty writing. AGE GAP (reader is 21 but feel free to imagine her wtv age you want!)

Word Count: ~3k

<- Last Part -=+=- Next Part ->

Steve tsked to himself as he pressed reply to an email regarding a rejection for an investment deal. He heard the door open but paid it no mind. Thinking it was his assistant, he didn’t bother to look up from his screen – all his attention had to be on this email or else their company may lose another crucial investor. It was only when the lock clicked that his concentration had snapped.

Tearing his eyes away from the computer, an entertained smirk found its way onto his face when he met the oh-so-flirtatious eyes of one (Y/N) Barnes. His eyes glanced down to her hands as she reached over and closed the blinds of the windows that boarded the office door.

“What ‘cha doin’?” Steve asked her as she slowly strutted over to him, her wedges tapped lightly against the floor. He gave her a look over, taking in the short yet flowy sundress that stopped right above her knees. She smirked at him and pulling at his desk chair, turning it so it faced her, giving her enough room to straddle him. “(Y/N) – “

She shushed him and cupped his face with her hands before connecting their lips. As the kiss quickly became heated, the younger woman began to grind herself against Steve’s not-so little friend, who was quickly making his presence known. His hands drifted from her waist to underneath her skirt, cupping her ass with both hands.

He kneaded the flesh, giving it a light slap ever so often, as her arms fell to wrap themselves around his neck, deepening the kiss. He let out a breathy moan as her lips descended from his mouth to beneath his ear, sucking on that spot lightly, smearing her lip gloss on his skin.

It was only when the familiar voice of her father was heard throughout the office floor that the two separated.

“Has anyone seen my daughter?” Bucky asked rather loudly. Steve’s skin was hot – surely the pretty girl in the sundress didn’t go unnoticed as she slid into his office. To his relief, Bucky was met with a few muttered responses of “no, sir”’s. Bucky had yet to formally introduce his daughter to their employees, making Steve’s surprise visitor a complete stranger to most of them.

Through the covered windows, the silhouette of her father could be seen with one hand on his hip and the other brushing through his hair. Steve’s hands quickly retreated from beneath her skirt. One hand had a finger pressed against his lips, the other held her against him, trying not to make a sound.

She could feel his rapid heart beating against her chest and she was certain he could feel hers. (Y/N) knew she shouldn’t have ambushed her secret lover in his office – a hallway and a right turn away from her father’s – but she couldn’t help herself.

Earlier in the morning when her father gave her an empty tour of the building – they arrived before any of the other workers even showed up (much to her dismay) – she had caught a glimpse of Steve. He had a Dunkin Donuts coffee in one hand, his other held his cellphone to his ear and wore a suit – and boy, did it do a number on her.

“Fucking hell,” Bucky muttered. He turned and knocked on Steve’s door, finding it odd that his partner had it locked. “Steve?” He called out, knocking again.

Steve coughed. “Kinda busy, Buck.” He looked over to (Y/N) who had the most devious smile on her face. His brows frowned at her as if to tell her to behave but the mischievous glint in her eyes told him otherwise.

“I’ll be quick… Have you seen (Y/N)?” Bucky asked. He tried to turn the doorknob only to find it locked. He found that quite odd considering Steve, the charismatic and “friendlier” boss, constantly enforced the open-door policy – extending it to his actual office door.

Steve opened his mouth to respond when the woman in question ground her hips into him causing him to stifle his moan into a series of coughs. Both hands found grabbed at her waist as he shook his head at her as if begging her to stop. His very tight grip had successfully stopped her movements, causing her hand to fly up to her mouth to muffle the yelp that escaped her. She was sure he’d leave bruises.

“Are you okay, bud?”

Steve was breathing heavily, head thrown back against his chair as he tried to calm his raging hard on – which he found increasingly difficult with the cause of it on his lap. “Yeah, yeah,” Steve coughed. “Wrong pipe.”

He watched (Y/N) lean towards his ear. He felt her lips ghost over that sensitive spot again. Steve shut his eyes tightly, suppressing another moan.

“Haven’t seen her, Bucky,” Steve called out. The words were rushed, suspicious even, but they could hear Bucky let out a deep sigh before watching his shadow disappear. Steve gave her a pointed look. “You,” he fisted the hair at the back of her head, pulling it slightly, causing her to moan, “are gonna get me in a lot of trouble.” 

He pulled her in, giving her a final peck on the lips.

She smirked as she hopped off his lap, fixing her dress as she stood. “You like the dress?” She asked him, twirling.

Steve nodded. “Where ya off to?”

“You mean where are we off to,” (Y/N) corrected as she began to preoccupy herself by looking through his office. She picked up a snow globe that had the Chicago Bean inside it and shook it to watch the Styrofoam snow float around.

“What do you mean?” Steve questioned.

“Didn’t you check your emails?” She responded, cocking her head to the side. “You and my dad are going to that charity polo match held in Tony Stark’s honor.

Steve scoffed. Of course, Tony would have it in his honor. He clicked around on his computer and sure enough – it was on his schedule. He let out a deep sigh causing the younger woman to laugh.

“What’s wrong? Don’t like Tony?”

He scratched the back of his neck as he tried to find the answer. Truthfully, he wasn’t fond of the Starks though professionally, he respected the empire that Tony built. However, after the many times he and Bucky had spoken to the engineer turned entrepreneur, the exchanges always left a sour impression to the up and coming CEO.

Unfortunately, with his and Bucky’s company tiptoeing slowly beneath the red line, a partnership with Stark would most likely save the company – resulting in their desperate attempts to build a relationship with the Starks.

“I do, I do… He’s just … I dunno, (Y/N)…” Steve sighed as he began typing on the computer, finding himself a bit unfocused.

She frowned before nodding. “Well, I should probably leave you – looking very business-y and serious on that computer.” Steve looked up at her and gave her a quick, thankful smile. She rushed over to his side and gave him a quick kiss before waltzing towards the door. “See you in a bit then, Rogers.”

“Bye (Y/N).”

»»————-　♡　————-««

New York’s sun was undeniably hot. The multitude of attendees – from socialites to celebrities to business owners small and big – took shelter from the blistering summer heat beneath giant white tents. Ever the social butterfly, (Y/N) found herself getting swept away by her new friend, Wanda Maximoff, who pulled around the tables, introducing her to new faces.

Bucky was well known for being the icier partner between he and Steve, but due to Steve’s inability to hide his distaste for the Starks on his face, Bucky had taken the lead when the man of the hour came by to greet them.

“Glad you two could make it.” Steve gave Tony a quick nod. He adverted his eyes to stop himself from rolling them. His attention landing somewhere else – rather… someone else.

The banter between his partner and their most promising future partner became white noise as Steve’s stare lingered on (Y/N). Her arms were linked with Wanda and in front of them was Peter though Steve knew better than to be jealous – the multiple secret make-out sessions that followed (Y/N)’s welcome party convinced him not to be. Although they had never talked about exclusivity, it was clear that their chemistry was almost as hot as the sun. She was his as he was hers without the need for a pesky label that would only complicate the situation even further.

As if feeling his stare, she threw a glance in his direction. He gave her a smile and a small nod in acknowledgement as she gave him a small wave before turning her attention back on Stark’s son.

“So, how’s your daughter adjusting to the city?” Tony asked Bucky, drawing Steve’s attention back on the two men.

Bucky clicked his tongue and nodded. “She’s faring quite well, really… But I’m sure she’s used to big cities, though.”

“So I’ve heard,” Tony nodded. “Peter says she grew up in Los Angeles?”

Bucky nodded. “That’s where her ma took her, yeah.”

“They hit it off – Peter and (Y/N). They’re constantly texting.” That was news to Steve. He glanced over to where she was previously only to find that the three had disappeared. “That’s some good press.” Stark chuckled and Bucky followed suit, leaving Steve the only one silent with a clenched jaw. “Imagine that – Stark Industries and SHIELD inc.’s heirs merging two big business families… Quite the headline.”

“That’s a long headline,” Steve said, dryly. Bucky had subtly nudged his partner as if to tell him to shut up.

Tony nodded, taking it into consideration. “But I’m just sayin’, it looks good for the companies to see both of our kids hanging out, getting friendly.”

“Well, if they’ve hit it off, I’m sure (Y/N) wouldn’t mind being seen with Peter.” Bucky agreed.

Steve fought the urge to roll his eyes or retort the fact that he’ll mind.

“Holy shit,” a woman at the table next to the three men gasped. Bucky shot her a strange look as she fluffed her hair and pulled down the neckline of her dress, exposing her breasts a bit more. “Twitter’s saying the Kents are here!” She and her girl friends began to buzz with excitement.

“Oh, he made it?” Tony asked with a surprised tone. He got up from his seat across Bucky and gave the two a nod. “I gotta go greet him. I’ll see you gentlemen.”

“Kent. Kent.” Bucky repeated, frowning. “Name’s familiar but I can’t quite – “

“One of the wealthiest families in America – well known for real estate and their lavish hotels,” Steve filled in the gap. In their dynamic, Steve had always found himself as the social one, keeping an ear to the ground regarding any good business opportunities.

“Right.” Bucky said in realization. He raised his brows at Steve and Steve instantly understood.

“We should catch up with Tony, then.”

»»————-　♡　————-««

(Y/N) tilted her head, smile never straying as Wanda swayed her phone to take a boomerang of the pair. Although she had come from the land of social media influencers, she never quite understood the appeal. Perhaps, it was because she preferred to keep her endeavors to herself.

“I’m gonna go get a refill,” she told Wanda before making her way through the party. She’ll admit, she was using her half empty glass of champagne as an excuse to find Steve. She would’ve killed for a moment to themselves – preferring his company to Wanda and Peters although she did enjoy being with her new friends.

Her shoulders dropped as she returned to her table, finding Steve and her father were gone. She huffed before putting the glass of champagne down and walking off. When she returned to where Wanda and Peter were before, she found that the pair were now missing, too. She groaned to herself, suddenly feeling completely isolated in a party full of strangers.

She wandered around the grounds for a bit longer, ultimately finding sanctuary from the blazing hot sun beneath an umbrella. She felt her leg start to bounce anxiously as she tried to scan the area for a familiar face.

“Fancy some company?” She turned and found a sparkling pair of steel blue eyes staring at her. He offered her a smile, tilting his head, curiously at her.

“I’m a bit of an extrovert of sorts, so I can never turn that down,” she joked. The man towered over her and was rather built. The buttons on his dress shirt were hanging on for dear life. He chuckled and bit his lip before nodding as he stepped beneath the umbrella with her. God, and he smelled good.

His hand combed through his curls before reaching out to her. “Clark.”

“(Y/N).” She introduced herself and took his hand. He shook her hand firmly, reminding her of Steve. Maybe it was a businessman thing – firm handshakes. The man before her was handsome. Maybe she just had a thing for suits?

“So,” he said, nodding over to the game playing out. Her brows shot up in surprise – she hadn’t even realized it already began. “Who’re you going for?”

“Truthfully,” she laughed, “I came here with my boy – dad. My dad.” She caught herself before the word could even escape. He’s not your anything, dumbass, she reminded herself. “So, I’m not quite sure what’s even going on.”

“Well,” Clark chuckled. “One team’s funded by the Starks. The other by the Kent family,” he eyed her to see her reaction, finding she was just as clueless. He smiled to himself realizing she didn’t know who he was. “Whole thing’s organized by Tony Stark… something about his birthday? Honestly, I didn’t even read the invitation.”

She hummed and smiled at him. “Well, you have more of an idea about what’s even happening than I do.”

“Go for the team in blue,” he encouraged her with a wink.

“Will do,” she nodded.

“So, (Y/N),” he segued, “I haven’t seen you around before. Are you new?”

“Technically, yes. I was born in New York City but was raised in LA after my mom and dad split,” she explained.

Clark nodded. “Well, Los Angele’s loss is New York’s gain. I’m sure,” he smiled.

“What about you?” She piped up. “New York native?”

He shook his head. She watched as a curl fell, draping over his forehead. She fought the urge to reach up and comb through his locks. That’s creepy, (Y/N). “I was raised in Kansas.”

“Wow, that’s a big difference.”

He smiled. “I suppose. I moved around a bit but always found my way home.” Before she could respond, a gust of wind suddenly blew into the air, cooling off many of the attendees and managing to blow up her skirt.

She gasped as both she and Clark reached down to stop the dress from exposing her. Their hands grazed each other – and she felt an odd feeling in her stomach… fuck, are those butterflies?

“Should’ve went for a longer dress,” she laughed as the wind calmed.

Clark’s hand reeled back as he stared down at her. They held each other’s gaze. The fluttering feeling had yet to dissipate.

“Kent!” She looked past Clark to see three men hurriedly walking over. She didn’t miss the way Steve frowned at her, rather at Clark – he had obviously witnessed whatever that was.

“Ah, Tony,” Clark greeted as they neared.

“(Y/N)?” Bucky looked over at his daughter.

“Hi, dad.” She smiled.

“I see you’ve met the lovely (Y/N) Barnes,” Tony told Clark.

“Barnes.” Clark repeated, glancing over to her. “As in SHIELD inc?”

“That’s us,” Steve responded through clenched teeth.

“It’s a pleasure.” Clark offered his hand to the blonde. “Clark.”

“Steve,” he responded, ignoring Clark’s outstretched hand.

Tony raised a brow at Steve’s sudden iciness, finding it rather strange. Bucky, trying to make up for his partner’s uncharacteristic attitude, took Clark’s hand, giving it a shake.

“James, but please, call me Bucky,” her father added. He threw Steve a weird look as if to tell him to be professional – they needed an investor.

“Enjoying the game so far, Kent?” Tony asked.

Clark nodded. “Honestly, I haven’t been paying attention, had the loveliest distraction.” She felt her cheeks heat up as Clark winked in her direction.

Watching the interaction made Steve’s blood boil. Peter Stark had been one thing – a momentary lapse of judgement. He was just a kid. Not a real threat at all. But Clark Kent, a man who rivaled Steve in many ways, was a completely different thing.

He made her blush, the jealous voice in Steve’s head taunted. The reaction was rather odd, to say the least. (Y/N) had always been the one pulling the reins with her and Steve, coming and going as she pleases. Steve had always been the blushee and her the blusher. Finding that the tables turned for Clark caught Steve off guard, and he hated it.

The men had begun to talk. Steve let Bucky take the lead again, not trusting himself to interact without saying the wrong thing and ruining any potential deals. He watched a bored expression glaze over (Y/N)’s face as she began to look around the grounds, finding Wanda again. Just before the conversation took the business route, she excused herself.

She began to walk away when she heard someone call her name. She turned to find that Clark had chased after her. “Sorry about the interruption.”

She waved him off. “No need to apologize.”

“But I would love to see you sometime. Of course, if you want. No interruptions. Promise. Just you, me, dinner?” He tried, smiling and hopeful.

She bit her lip. “Okay,” she nodded. “Dinner.” She fished her phone out from her clutch and handed it over to him.

As Clark punched in his number to add to her contacts, Bucky saw his daughter making a valuable connection to help keep their business afloat… Steve, on the other hand, saw a threat.

[allstarsmash]

💎🏳️‍🌈💢 for sonic (t hedgehog)

AW YEAH THIS IS HAPPENING

💎 are there any fun facts or trivia that you would like to share?

there have been five sonic cartoons and all of them MINUS SONIC X have featured chili dogs. the chili dog thing was entirely part of the american sonic interpretations (archie comics, aosth, etc) so they never show up in the one sonic anime. now we wait to see if they’re in prime (yes they probably will be). also another fun fact i am obsessed with is the whole shadow eats coffee beans thing. he eats them raw. no idea where they got that idea but it kills me. and one more for the road: tails has had the most (english) voice actors out of any sonic character- yes even sonic himself- with nine.

🏳‍🌈 do you have any headcanons (lgbt, race, neuro, etc) that are important to you?

WELL. OPENS UP SCROLL THAT DRAMATICALLY ROLLS OUT ACROSS THE FLOOR. mainly i think mr the hedgehog himself is trans and bi because yeah. a lot of them are autistic in my mind too since it makes them cooler but especially tails . sorry i get embarrassed when i talk about my headcanons but those ones are like my everything. frantically rolling up the scroll

💢 what do you NOT like about your hyperfixation? is there something you would want to change about it?

can i say the dude from crush 40 doing NFTs. i want that to change. also i wish that as a whole content wasn’t rushed. i feel like there’s so much happening this year and it makes me worried that something or another is gonna be put to a time crunch that hurts the employees and final product. i mean we saw what happened with 06 i’m just hoping that doesn’t happen again or we don’t get the thing nintendo does now with downloadable content. mainly looking at frontiers with this one it’s like the meme with the guy holding up the dog and saying do not blow this for us. and finally this is personal but i wish i hadn’t lost my copy of colors ds. damn you past louie

[espballs]

Its Never Just Coffee

Chapter 3 - I Heard You're On The Run

♡ Summary: Stone and Shadow talk. Stone wonders if adopting an alien hedgehog is possible

♡ Reminder: Canon divergent, technically takes place at the start of Sonic 2. Characters may be ooc because of altered events. Previous chapters needed for context

♡ Cross posted on AO3

Stone was starting to get concerned after the twentieth minute of Shadow staring at the clock. Shadow’s shift had ended at 5:30 but he stayed at The Mean Bean. Probably just to watch the clock. (Instead of going to the apartment he had a key for)

Shadow stared unblinkingly and unmoving at the clock. The bowl of coffee beans in-front of him had been long forgotten.

Stone wondered if he should intervene at this point or watch with him. Intervening was probably his best bet at this point. So he set down his latte (With Robotnik’s face drawn on) and approached Shadow’s table. All the other customers had been served and probably didn’t care to hear a conversation between the owner and his teenage alien hedgehog employee.

“Alright, what did that clock do to you?” Stone asked.

Shadow snapped out of his trance just to give Stone an odd look. “It’s an expression.” Stone quickly explained, holding out a hand to stop Shadow before he questioned it. “But really, what are you waiting for?”

Shadow glared at Shadow before looking back up at the clock. “I’m waiting.” He grumped, taking a handful of coffee beans and stuffing them in his mouth.

Stone wanted to bash his head against a wall. Talking to Shadow was like that sometimes. “Yes, but for what?”

Shadow stopped again, then lowered his head. “For the race.” He ate another mouthful of coffee beans.

In moments like this, Stone wanted to giggle and tease him or do backflips and squeeze Shadow out of cuteness aggression. Stone just had to exhale a breath and shake the thoughts out of his head because Shadow would probably kick him across town if he did that.

“With Sonic?” The answer was obvious. There was no one in green hills that Shadow liked and matched his speed. It was definitely Sonic.

Shadow nodded, not meeting Stone’s eyes.

Stone wondered if this is how parents felt when their children started dating. And Shadow wasn’t even his kid… or dating (yet.)

Stone tried hard to suppress his grin but failed. “You’re nervous, aren’t you?” He asked, taking the seat across from Shadow and watching as the hedgehog lifted his head to give him a glare. 

“I’m not embarrassed,” He scoffed, shaking his head. “I don’t get embarrassed!” he added, before shoving another handful of coffee beans in his mouth while glaring at Stone.

Stone wondered if that many coffee beans was even healthy… and started to wonder if his financial situation would eventually be at stake due to Shadow’s concerning eating habits.

Stone decided that the sooner they got together, the sooner Shadow would start opening up to people and finally get some friends. “Y’know, you’re treating this a-lot like a date…” Wow some matchmaker he was.

Shadow’s head shot up, looking Stone straight in the eyes. Shadow’s eyes were blown wide and he looked horrified.

“How did you know the race was a date?!”

…HUHHH

“...Huh?” Stone praised himself for keeping his composure and not yelling aloud.

“Okay, it could be a date because we’ll be running around and chasing each other around at night in a field which is apparently a romantic setting but even thought Sonic’s whole thing is going fast I don’t think he’d dive head first into a relationship!”

Stone honestly stopped listening when Shadow said the word ‘date’ and only started listening again when Shadow said ‘relationship’ and he felt like his mind had just been blown by Shadow saying those two words.

Stone looked around to check if he had been transported into a romance fanfic.

He read a ton of those, it’d be like karma if he got transported into one.

Shadow lowered his head into his hands, “If it is a date… I want it to be right, and I want him to be happy.” Okay there was no way this wasn’t some type of romance novel now what the hell

Stone really had no idea since the last time he had feelings for someone it was a weird power imbalance thing where he pinned himself to the wall and gave the guy coffees because the guy loved the way he made them.

“Okay, let’s back up,” Stone deciding, holding up his hands. “First of all, have you even asked Sonic if this is a date? Or, you know, just a race?” he asked in the most serious tone he could muster. Customer service mode .

Shadow frowned, his ears flattening slightly. “No,” he admitted, his voice barely above a grumble. “But it’s implied. ”

“Uh-huh,” Stone said, nodding slowly. “So, you’re basing this on… what, exactly?” 

Shadow hesitated, clearly reluctant to answer. Finally, he muttered, “The way he looked at me when he asked. He seemed… excited… very excited” Shadow looked out the window. “ And maybe a little nervous…” He admitted, cheeks flushing a bit.

Stone had to fight back a grin. He clasped his hands and nodded to himself. “Okay, let’s assume for a second that you’re right and this is a date. What exactly is your plan?”

Shadow blinked, looking back at Stone before tilting his hand to the side. “Plan?” he asked. Gosh Stone wanted to legally adopt the kid.

“Yeah, plan.” Stone repeated. “You know, what are you gonna do to make this ‘date’ special?” Stone wiggled his fingers for emphasis. Seriously, if his son his employee 

Shadow hesitated, his confidence faltering. “I… thought we’d just race.”

Stone sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Shadow, buddy, I hate to break it to you, but if this is a date, ‘just racing’ isn’t exactly going to sweep him off his feet.” Stone really thought he had taught him well…

All those episodes of La Última Pasión for nothing? Stone felt like shedding tears. 

Shadow frowned, looking genuinely puzzled as he tapped on his chin. “But he loves running? It makes him happy.” Shadow looked at Stone for an explanation. 

Stone rubbed his hands together. “Well, what else does he love?” He asked, pulling out the notepad he conveniently kept in his pockets. 

“Chill dogs.” Shadow said without hesitation. “He would not stop talking about how amazing they were.”

Stone had honestly not heard of those before. Frankly, he never wanted to because that sounded horrendous.  

Stone considered kidnapping Sonic and sending him to the nearest mental hospital. 

Stone nodded and put the notepad down. “Alright here’s what we got,” He slid the notepad over for Shadow to see. Shadow looked horrified the moment he saw it. 

Shadow looked back up at Stone, his mouth hanging wide open before he forced it closed. “Stone… what the hell…?”

Stone furrowed his brows. “What? What's wrong with my ideas?”

Shadow pointed at the words written on the notepad with an offended expression. “Run across the world to get him the world's best chili dog?” He scoffed before his eyes. “Have his kids in 10 years?!” he gasped before looking around to make sure no one heard.

Stone nodded solemnly, putting a hand over his heart. “You should always plan ahead!” He then gave Shadow another serious look. “You should be planning baby names by now!” 

Shadow paused, scratching his head as he looked down at his coffee beans before stuffing his mouth full of them again. Shadow’s eyes sparkled with an idea before he swallowed his coffee beans and looked back up at Stone.

“Memphis” Shadow decided, looking proud of himself despite the fact Stone would definitely bully a kid with that name. (Not like he could be bullying anyone)

“...Memphis?” Stone repeated with a strained smile. This is what trying to be supportive gets you, Stone.

Shadow nodded, his eyes shining and his ears perked with happiness. A genuine smile gracing his face before he closed his eyes and nodded again, a bit more eagerly this time. “Memphis Tennessee, like the city!”

Stone nodded, fighting back tears. “That's great!” God should strike him down for lying, and so horribly too. The pain was etched across his face he. Stone was momentarily thankful Shadow didn’t notice.

Shadow opened his eyes and smiled, before looking at the clock and looking absolutely horrified. Shadow hurriedly jumped out of his seat before speedily throwing his coffee beans in his mouth and chewing them at speeds that had Stone remembering the kid was an alien.

Shadow looked up at Stone and said, “It’s seven, I need to go meet Sonic” Before he sped off.

Stone sighed and lowered his head. “God when’d I become a single parent?”

"Sonic! Are you off to pursue your potential life mate?" Knuckles called, watching as the hedgehog tried to sneak up to the front door and failed miserably. Getting caught by his entire family who was currently watching The Godfather.

Gosh Sonic hated that movie, it insisted on itself too much.

"Whaaaaaaat no???" Sonic laughed, trying to brush of Knuckle's comment but the looks he got told him he wasn't fooling anybody. Not even Tails! 

"Sonic, you spent an hour brushing your quills today. There is no way this is not a date." Tails scoffed before looking back at the TV and eating a handful of popcorn. (of which Knuckles tried to sneakily grab a handful of but Tails swatted his hand away)

Tom just chuckled. "Yeah, yeah" He looked over at Sonic as he opened the door. "Make sure to be back by ten!" He yelled.

"Yeah! Got it, Donut Lord!"

"And make sure if there are any sudden off-spring that you name one after me!" Knuckles put a hand to his chest and held his head up high. "Knuckles The Echidna!" He raised a fist to the sky despite the horrified looks from his parents. 

Sonic just sighed, and had mentally resigned himself to writing 'Knuckles Jr' on a baby name possibility list he had been forced to write by Knuckles. 'You must be prepared for future challenges!' he had said. 

Sonic first had to get through the challenge of actually asking Shadow over for dinner. For the candle lit dinner Sonic had planned before he had even met him where Shadow will be gently kidnapped and gently sat down at a table and gently forced to eat chili dogs.

"Yeah sure!" He yelled back before shutting the door behind him, locking it too before hiding the key away under the doormat. (Which Tom had told him not to do, but it was convenient!)

Sonic should not be trusted with naming things anyways. Knuckles would have better luck convincing Shadow... Not that they would be having kids together!

Tom sighed, resting his head atop his wife's before he looked over at Knuckles. "You were joking about the baby name thing, right?"

Knuckles side eyed him before slowly eating a fistful of popcorn.

"...Right?!"

[misslavendertown]

🌹My thoughts on Steven universe future!🌹

WARNING this post contains a lot of steven universe future spoilers if you haven't seen the new episodes and don't want to be spoiled don't read. I would put a read more link below the warning but Tumblr mobile sucks.

Little homeschool

So Steven can heal corrupted gems using a mixture of what I expect are the diamonds escents? Maybe it's from the extraction Chambers? I can't remember what they're called but yellow's sauna and blue's bath.

Pamphlets about being uncorrupted. Kind of makes me think of those awkward puberty pamphlets you get from school.

The next few minutes are just the trailer.

Connie's preparing for college. I'm so proud. 😊

Pearl teaching gems how to use phones is just golden. Also Holo Pearl is back.

"took me forever to pull those puny green earthlings out of the ground" "you mean grass"

People are gonna hate me for saying this but I actually kind of feel bad for Jasper I think she's bored. She just wants to fight maybe she can take up boxing or wrestling. You know what never mind she'll kill the first person who steps in the ring.

F I G H T M E!

Steven putting a bubble around baby birds to protect them from him and Jasper's fight is purest thing I've seen on the show.

Pink Steven shows up but we already knew about that.

Steven seeking guidance from Jasper disturbs me. This obviously isn't going to end well.

Guidance

Guidance counselor amethyst!

Mr. Smiley has gem employees now maybe he can finally get some sleep. Does anyone remember that?

Amethyst assigned human jobs to the gems and a lot of them are doing jobs they did on homeworld. Steven has a big problem with that but I'm not going to be quick to judge him because I also had a problem with it and I'm sure I'm not the only one who did.

I thought little larimar would be smaller

Larimar and snowflake have I've powers. It's really hard not to make a Frozen joke.

Snowflake seems to have a "male" voice like rainbow 2.0 I think it's Ian Jones-Quarty voicing them but I could be wrong so don't get your hopes up.

I just hope people won't start thinking the gems have genders. The gems don't have genders and I'm tired of explaining that to people.

"I wish to hear the humans scream forever" - little Larimar 2019

Steven is becoming a bit of a control freak that must be the diamond in him.

Uncle Andy is back.

One of the rubies has a #1 body guard mug. I love the idea of a Ruby drinking coffee

As expected Steven forcing gems to do things they suck at goes horribly wrong and now there's all kinds of crazy stuff happening including a runaway rollercoaster.

SMOKY QUARTZ RETURNS!!

Pink smoky and they have super speed now or Steven has super speed. they're so fast everything is slow motion like that one episode of regular show with the double glazed apple fritters.

For some odd reason amethyst never questions Steven's new abilities but then again she probably doesn't know that it might be a bad thing.

Some of the gems actually enjoy what they did on homeworld. Amethyst is a really good guidance counselor I'm really looking forward to seeing more of this in the future.

"sometimes you save all the people and the rollercoaster still crashes into the ocean....and that's okay" words of wisdom.

Amethyst found out who she is and what she wants to do.

Larimar likes children and now she hands out prizes for them at one of the game stands.

"I love their laughter it's sounds just like screaming"

"OH NO WE FORGOT ONION!!! eh he's fine"

Onion is immortal apparently. Whatever it's onion don't question his logic.

Rose buds

The homeworld humans are back! They've taken control of the zoo after the diamonds freed everyone and now it's a cruise ship.

J10 and y6 being salty about Greg not choosening them. J10 annoyed at the amethysts for being lazy. I guess he doesn't realize that's how cruise ships work.

Holly blue agate and the famethyst are back! Holly doesn't know how to relax.

THE BUBBLED ROSE QUARTZ GEMS ARE FREE AND THEY ACT LIKE TEENAGERS. THEY'RE SO CUTE!

They consider Steven their hero and are super excited to see what the Earth has become since they've been. There's only three of them staying.

Steven feels overwhelmed by all their questions and accidentally invites them to dinner.

Only three of the roses come a bubbly rose, a laid back rose and the one we saw in the trailer

As expected it's super awkward for everyone the gang isn't ready to face them yet.

They call carrots carrot beans and it's so adorable. I love them so much.

Greg considers the human zoo humans his exes. He mentions he hasn't had this many exes in one place since and then he's cut off I would like to know more about Greg's exes and the incident he was talking about.

"I can feel the rest of my hair falling out!" -Greg Universe 2019 seriously though poor Greg.

They all hide in the bathroom.

The rose quartz want to stay with Steven. he's uncomfortable around them but doesn't want to seem rude and hurt their feelings or make them feel unwelcome.

SLUMBER PARTY!!!

Steven tells the roses how he really feels and turns out they were faking their feelings too. They're really hurt over what happened and they know what Steven is going through with the whole pink diamond fiasco and their conflicting feelings regarding her. It's a very sweet and touching moment between them.

Steven considers them siblings now because they were all created by pink diamond and understand what it's like living in Rose's shadow

I know they don't stay on earth with Steven but I hope we get to see the roses again before the series ends.

Volleyball

Doctor Steven > Doctor Mario don't @ me.

long necked Ruby is hilarious

Pink Pearl's crack can't be healed by Steven's spit.

She doesn't remember being under White's control which makes sense. She was under her control for 8000 years.

So Pink hurt pink pearl why am I not surprised? 😒

I think she's still grieving obviously. Again trailer stuff.

Pink pearl is older than pearl

Some Pearls were made on Earth and the facility doubles as a repair shop. It also has accessories basically it's like a place where you can get your phone fixed and shop for phone cases and other stuff.

Pink pearl is a ribbon dancer. That's what they're called right?

The problem isn't her gem it's a psychological thing.

Gems can damage their physical forms without damaging their gem. That's very interesting and I don't think we've seen this in the show before.

Pink had destructive tendencies It was a tantrum that hurt pink pearl after being denied a planet and gave her PTSD or something similar.

Maybe it was PD hurting Pink pearl that made the other diamonds realize she was a force to be reckoned with and that led to them giving into her demands and giving her Earth.

Seems like those destructive tendencies are starting to come out through pink Steven. Maybe the corrupted Steven theory is right?

Steven should really consider anger management but hey puberty will do that to you. Just kidding I am genuinely concerned.

Apparently the Pearls were both in denial and kept making excuses, never really accepting who PD really was. pink pearl kept saying "she didn't mean to hurt me" this is clearly a metaphor for abuse.

The crack must've been caused by her burying her feelings.

I swear rose/pink gets worse every episode I get she was abused herself but that's not a good enough excuse. Not saying I don't like pink diamond l just hate the things she's done.

I love how the two Pearls bonded over pink hurting them and how they never stopped hurting. it's so sweet and wholesome how can you not ship it? Pearl's gotta stick together.

PEARL FUSION SHE HAS A CAPE!!! SHE LOOKS LIKE A QUEEN!!

I'm assuming the fusion's name is red pearl.

I can't tell if it's a different voice actor playing the pearl or if Deedee is speaking in a low voice.

They didn't show pink Pearl's eye so whether or not if it's healed is up for interpretation.

I think this is easily my favorite episode so far.

[nataliedanovelist]

GF - Where the Crop Circles Grow ch.5

Summary: When things get out of hand at the Pines’ family farm, Ford asks an old college buddy to assist investigating anomalies and Stan hires a farmhand. Who knew asking for help would actually get you somewhere?

For @lemonfodrizzleart. Part of her Farmer AU and featuring her OC, Jackie Asante.

Ao3 link here.

ch.4 - ch.6

~~~~~~~~~~

Jackie was folding laundry on the porch to enjoy the nice weather. Soft, fluffy, warm towels made the farmhand feel proud of her work (the towels were kinda scratchy and stiff when she first came a month ago). Her eyes averted from her folding up ahead to her boss, who was chopping woods on an old tree stump.

His shirt was almost completely unbuttoned to help his sweaty body cool down. A golden chain just barely grazed his thick chest hair, showcased by the created V. His stance was strong and his arms tightened his muscles as he swung the axe down on a sorry piece of wood. Occasionally he had to bend over to place a new log on the tree stump, giving Jackie a very pleasant view through his jeans. After a few minutes of Stan’s show and of Jackie not getting anything done, her hands frozen on a towel in her lap, Stan stopped his work and turned away from the sun as he wiped his forehead dry of sparkling sweat; Jackie barely looked away in time and if it wasn’t for Stan’s eyesight adjusting to the lack of sunshine, he might have caught his admirer.

Fiddleford came out with a glass of sweet tea in his hand and breathed in the wonderful late-afternoon air. He noticed at once that something was slightly out of the ordinary, and one look at Jackie’s glossy eyes and Stan’s half-exposed body as he picked up the lumber told the Tennessian everything he needed to know. The second Stan entered the house to put the logs where they belonged, Fiddleford gently elbowed Jackie as he stood next to her rocking chair. “Well, kettle my corn, somebody’s in love.”

Jackie rolled her eyes and smiled smugly up at her friend. “Yeah, right. Stan’s just a cool guy. It’s not like I lie awake at night thinking about him.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Jackie laid on her back, staring up at the ceiling, tucked into her bed with one arm draped over her chest, and her eyes wide with energy. She could feel a rock being plunged into her stomach as it dawned on her that Fiddleford might have been right. “Uh, oh.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Stan was whittling a small piece of wood in his hands as he sat on the porch, rocking in his chair. The sounds of laughter made him glance up from his work and he smiled to see Jackie and Tate playing. It was a basic game of tag, but they were both laughing joyfully and Tate was grinning like it was the best day of his life. For a few minutes Jackie purposely went slow, but then she sped up, caught Tate in her arms, and plopped down on the ground to tickle his ribs. Tate squirmed and squealed as Jackie laughed alongside him, hers less force than the boy’s.

Stan smiled and watched them from the corner of his eye as he whistled a tiny tree; Tate seemed to enjoy the toy train he had made for him, so he was secretly working on tracks and trees and houses and people so the kid could build a village for the train to ride around. It was something entertaining for Stan to do in his free time and he knew it would make a good birthday gift or a present for the holidays. As he worked and watched Jackie play with Tate, his thoughts reverted back to his feelings for the farm-woman.

Was it wrong for him to be crazy for his employee? Probably, but who cares? They hardly had a boss-worker relationship; if anything it was a firm friendship that just came so easily it was like they had known each other for years. With Jackie, it was just so easy, but that didn’t mean it was predictable; Jackie was spontaneous, passionate, and different, everything Stan valued in a person. Not only was she a hard worker, but she was really smart, creative, the best cook he had ever met, and really really beautiful. Anyone would get a crush on her, so why should he? For the time, Stan was content that a woman as amazing as her would never have a crush on him, not in a million years, so with any luck his little crush on her will die and no one important will get their feelings hurt.

~~~~~~~~~~

In the middle of May Stan and Ford told Fiddleford and Jackie about a hoedown that took place at the end of May to mark the beginning of summer. It was hosted in a huge barn and everyone pitched in to help with the food and there was music and dancing and everyone had a great time; word on the street was that it even beat the Northwests’ annual fancy shindig. So the weak of the party Jackie was excused from work on the farm so she could spend more time in the kitchen, meaning Ford and Fiddleford had to pitch in and save their investigations on the unicorns for another time.

It wasn’t a fancy party, but people usually dressed up a little bit, almost like going to church. Ford went for his blue t-shirt with green flannel and clean jeans and he polished his black shoes that clicked on wood beautifully. Fiddleford went for a more casual army-green floral shirt, a favorite from back at Backupsmore, and he put Tate in a red short-sleeved button-up. Stan opted for clean jeans and a light-merlot button-up, but Jackie was perfectly happy to wear a plain white dress that went down to her knees and came with noodle straps. She decorated the outfits with black heels to match her curly hair, which she somehow managed to control without losing its breath-taking fullness.

Stan found himself staring for a creepy amount of time, but she was too busy trying to get her food together to notice. The Diablo was packed full with food so Stan and Jackie drove in that car while Ford, Fiddleford, and Tate rode in the newly repaired blue truck. The large barn sat a few yards from a huge lake and at the top of a hill, a smaller barn filled with hay to the side and a white fence establishing the boundaries of the property. Already the barn was busting with music and laughter and vehicles and even two horses stood outside the party. Stan and Ford helped Jackie with the food while Fiddleford held Tate’s hand and had his banjo over his shoulder, and they entered.

The newcomers awed at the hustle and bustle. On a stage a bass, an acoustic guitar, a cello, a harmonica, and some spoons were being played by some townsfolk. Many more were dancing in the wide open space care-free. Kids Tate’s age were holding hands and swinging, Toby Determined was doing a lonely tap-dance, that dweeb Durland was spinning a lady too fast and making her cross-eyed, and Ma and Pa from Dusk 2 Dawn were holding each other as they danced. Most people were doing a big group dance together, but some were over at the long tables filled with good food. 

Susan was stirring hot apple cider and spooning mugs full for people, Manly Dave had brought his family recipe of Cages Full of Meat, and there were platters and bowls filled with delicious ham, turkey, cobblers and pies of every berry and fruit that existed, green beans, collared greens, salad, macaroni salad, potato salad, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, fried okra, smoked ribs, smoked pork, boiled peanuts, jugs full of moonshine, and barrels full of taffy and candy. Jackie happily added her Lemon Meringue pie, grilled chicken, fried chicken, boiled potatoes, yeast rolls with cinnamon butter, cranberry sauce, spinach dip and crackers, and a huge pot filled with jambalaya made with Cajun sausage, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, and rice. All that food could feed three New York Cities, let alone little Gravity Falls, but with all the dancing and activity going on the food was happily accepted and the night was off to a wonderful start.

Jackie happily chatted with Susan at the long tables while the men dispersed. Fiddleford was invited to play with the others on stage, Ford began to play chess with some of the old men in the back of the barn, and Stan happily took Tate out on the dancefloor and let him stand on his boots to lead.

The sun was soon gone but the night was lit up by not only the huge light fixtures in the barn, but the strings of lights on the walls, and rustic exposed lightbulbs at the door, and the little lights on the grass to highlight the walkway from the party to the rides home. Fireflies buzzed around as well; a few kids left the loud party to play among the bugs and let the flickering lights crawl into their outstretched hands.

As the moon got higher and higher into the sky, the part continued to be very enjoyable. While Tate was busy making quick friends with Tyler Cutebiker, Stan dragged his twin out on the dancefloor and made him dance. Fiddleford took a break from playing his banjo and somehow ended up dancing with Susan. Jackie happily danced alone by the tables and enjoyed the blissful music. As much fun as the party was, her energy was running out and she could do with some quiet. She decided to go outside and watch the kids play.

Out in the cool late-spring air Jackie breathed peacefully as she watched the children run around, but soon she wanted to be alone and explore her new surroundings. That smaller barn was a ways away, so she slipped into the shadows and ventured towards it. Jackie quietly slid the door open and smiled to find a single lantern hanging on the wall and the barn filled to the brim with blocks of hay. It smelled clean here and it was quiet and lovely, so Jackie made her way to a wall and sat on two blocks of hay, taking off her heels to rub her sore feet. No blisters, thank goodness, but standing and dancing for so long will make your feet ache.

In the silence and with nothing better to do, Jackie resumed her thought about Stan. Was it wrong for her to fall for her employer? Probably, but who cares? They hardly had a boss-worker relationship; if anything it was a firm friendship that just came so easily it was like they had known each other for years. Stan was just so easy to talk to, so comfortable to be around, but that didn’t mean he was predictable; Stan was spontaneous, passionate, and different, everything Jackie valued in a person. Not only was he a hard worker, but he was clever, considerate, a true-blue family man, and really really beautiful. Anyone would get a crush on Stanley Pines, so why should she? But Jackie could swallow that a man as amazing as him would never have a crush on her, not in a million years, so with any luck her little crush on him will die and no one important will get their feelings hurt.

The door opened slowly, still managing to make Jackie jump a little, but she smiled and relaxed at seeing Stan at the entrance.

He had been having a lot of fun at the party, but he had planned on dragging Jackie out to dance, having noticed that no one had danced with her (she must have danced with at least of one of handsome guys here and Stan just didn’t see it, there’s no way a girl that pretty had resorted to wall-hugging all night) and he planned to fix that, but he soon noticed that Jackie was nowhere to be found. Checking to make sure she didn’t get eaten by a mountain lion, Stan exited the big barn and watched the kids for a minute before guessing she was in the smaller barn away from the crowds and noise. He smiled when he saw he was correct and leaned against the doorway. “Hey, whatcha doin’ over here?”

Jackie shrugged casually. “Just needed some alone time.”

Stan nodded and drastically changed his plans to give her what she needed. He let his arm fall from the doorway and said, “Gotcha, okay, I’ll see you…”

“No,” Jackie said too quickly and felt herself go red with embarrassment. “I-I mean, I can be alone with you.” She quickly explained and then swallowed nervously. That didn’t make any sense, she wasn’t making any sense! But the way this guy made her feel didn’t make sense, either.

Stan saw her nervousness and smiled at it; the best dating advice Ma had ever given him was to never a date someone who wasn’t nervous around you; if they’re nervous that means they like you. He made a mental note to not put up too much of a brave front and then he entered the barn and closed the door behind him. “Whatever you want, sweetheart.”

Jackie smiled, not as nervous now, and watched as Stan plopped himself down on the hay-coated floor, resting an arm next to where Jackie sat. He popped his neck and yawned, comfortable and relaxed, one leg bent up and the other laying flat. He turned his head to look up at Jackie, resting his square jaw on his knuckles, and asked, “So whatcha thinkin’ about?”

Jackie leaned forward so her elbows her on her knees and one hand was just under her chin. “I was thinking how this has got to be one of the best parties I’ve ever been to.”

Stan snorted. “Really? Guess it ain’t so bad. I’ve never missed a single one. Great graduation celebration or a ‘welcome home’ event for college students. One year Ford n’ I snuck out n’ went over to the lake to swim, but Shermie caught us n’ tried to pull us out, but we dragged him in n’ we all got in trouble for it.” He chuckled.

Jackie giggled along with him and commented, “I’ve actually never been to a lake. I’ve visited a beach, but not a lake yet.”

“We’ll fix that.” Stan said. “The beach, though, huh? Always wanted to see one. Where else’ve you been?”

“Everywhere.” Jackie said. “I was a bit of a traveler before stopping here. Never been outside the country.”

“What was your favorite place?”

“New Orleans.” Jackie answered quickly. “They had the most delicious beignets and seafood and the jazz was beautiful, and the ocean was so beautiful. I really liked southern California, too, the beach was amazing and I made a lot of Hispanic friends there.”

“Any reason why you left?” Stan asked; with such good friends and great places, the farmer couldn’t help but wonder why didn’t she stay.

“Too busy and loud.” Jackie said. “I love the occasional crowds, but I wanted some place quieter and easier to find work, so that’s why I came up here.”

“Well, I’m glad you did.” Stan said earnestly, in such a deep, meaningful tone that it made Jackie’s face hot again and she looked away as she gently shook her head.

“You give me too much credit, Stan…”

“No, Jackie, I mean it.” Stan swallowed nervously, making his Adam’s apple bobble, and he went on with his eyes on the beautiful girl above him. “I’m not just butterin’ you up, I think you’re real pretty, n’ I mean it when I say you’re probably the best thing that ever happened to our place. Even without your killer cookin’ n’ extra help, I’m just really happy you’re around. I don’t know how I can make it up to you, but I’ll think of somethin’.” He had carefully worded his compliment so Jackie could take it as a friend making a friend feel good if that was all she wanted, but he had meant it as so much more and wanted it to be so much more, so it was all up to Jackie now.

She noticed the nervous look in his soft brown eyes and smiled. Was there a possibility, a teeny tiny possibility, that he liked her the same way she liked him. She could be dead wrong, she could lose everything she had worked for the last few weeks and everything she had grown to love. Goodbye, Dot. Goodbye, Tate. Goodbye Pines farm filled with some of the best people she had ever met. But she took a gamble, tried to ease her nerves as discreetly as possible, and she said quietly, “You could kiss me.”

Stan’s eyes grew to the size of dinner plates and his brown eyes sparkled adorably. Jackie bit her lip to keep from laughing at the look on his face, her heart relaxing and her nerves settling as she realized how much he wanted to kiss her. His grin was the last thing she saw before he stretched up and she leaned down and they met for a soft kiss.

The amount of sparks that flew only through lips touching was unbelievable. As a strong hand cupped Jackie’s cheek and a smaller hand landed on the back of Stan’s head, the kiss deepened and it only got better. Holy Moses, it was far better than anything Jackie could have imagined in her head, all those night daydreaming about this moment, and more, and it was better and full of more bliss than she thought it would be. She was putty at Stan’s touch, and as another arm wrapped around her waist and the kiss included it’s fair share of tongue, Jackie slid down from her little seat until she was sitting on the ground beside Stan.

Warm chuckles of pure joy leaked from their lips and for a while it was nothing more than hugs and kisses, but it was everything. Stan was blown away that such a beautiful woman wanted to hold him and kiss him, of all people, and he knew better than to question a good thing. His heart was roaring like a lion in his chest, his face was warm despite the goosebumps on his arms, and while he was beyond grateful for just a kiss he wondered if he was lucky enough for more.

They separated for air and Jackie rested her head on the cushion of Stan’s arm, his free hand on her knee. Stan’s cheeks and ears were rosy pink, his five o-clock shadow unable to hide how the girl in his arms made him feel. Jackie smiled at him, unable to believe she was so lucky, and put a hand over his heart to enjoy his heartbeat, but then she slowly unbuttoned his shirt a little to let his chest hair be showcased by a proud V. At the same time, Stan’s hand slowly went down her bent leg, closer and closer to her hip, pushing her white dress up. With a gleam in their eyes and one sure smirk, they both knew what they wanted.

(If you want smut, CLICK HERE! If you’re not comfortable with that, then keep reading.)

~~~~~~~~~~

There were still some stragglers at the party, mostly drunk men singing their hearts out, but Ford and Fiddleford were ready to go. Tate was asleep so Fiddleford gently tucked him in his car seat as Ford looked around for Jackie and Stan. It wasn’t a big deal to leave without them, they had brought two cars, but still. Curiosity had grasped his mind and he generally wondered where they were. Fiddleford cleared his throat and suggested, “Maybe we should go ahead home, Fordsie.”

“I suppose so,” Ford said casually and nodded in agreement. “But if they get arrested for trespassing, I’m not… SWEET LORD!” Ford put a six-fingered hand over his mouth to stop his screaming, but his other hand was pointing at the couple who had hoped they could emerge from the shadows undetected, but that clearly wasn’t going to work out.

They were covered in hay. Both Jackie’s long black hair and Stan’s brown mullet were frizzled and out of control, like someone had shaken their hair wildly. Or grabbed it tightly. Jackie’s white dress was missing, but she held Stan’s button up around herself tightly to preserve what little dignity she had left. Stan, shirtless, had a dopey grin on his face with hazy eyes, like he was sleepwalking. While Stan was oblivious to his twin’s scream, Jackie’s face was scarlet with embarrassment and she rubbed the back of her neck as she gritted her teeth.

Poor Ford was a mumbling mess. “B-B-B-But… you… you two… you… and you…”

Fiddleford patted his shoulder and instructed gently, “Stanford, get in the truck.”

“B-B-B-B-But…”

“I know, I know, just get in. Leave ‘em be.” Fiddleford guided his best friend into the car and even closed the door for him. While Ford buried his head in his hands to try to collect himself, Fiddleford gave the happy couple a thumbs up before entering his vehicle and heading home.

Jackie wanted to disappear and never reappear.

Stan, however, was far too busy repeating a single thought in his head to even register what was going on in front of him. “I’m gonna marry her.”

[daemongal]

HEADCANONS YOU SAY? Sure. Tell me how the boys take their tea and/or coffee. :D

Hello there friend! Caffeinated headcanons coming up!

Dante

I feel like on the rare occasion he drinks coffee it would either be an overly sweet latte or a black coffee after a particularly long or late evening

Standard caffeine high Dante would just be just short of intolerable

foot tapping, pacing, pen clicking, you’ll probably have to out right kick him out the room

as for tea, I can imagine him enjoying chilled fruit teas in the summer but I can’t see him making them himself

maybe if his S/O makes some up or Vergil leaves some out in the open he wouldn’t turn it away

I can see him pulling a face of disgust at Vergil’s choice of herbal tea’s though

“I swear all that time in the demon world has well and truly fucked your taste buds brother”

Vergil

Speaking of which, Vergil is definitely a herbal tea drinker

I can imagine him being fond of a mint tea and he will absolutely have his own tea set that only he uses

He may have read a few books on the different health benefits of certain herbs and even made his own mixes

Most of the staff from his local shop will likely disappear whenever he enters the shop, maybe only leaving a lone brave member of staff that will approach and offer him help. Who knows maybe he’ll even start timing his visits for when this particular employee is on shift *wink wink*

As for coffee, he’ll have his own coffee grinder and will source his own fresh beans

His face will scrunch up whenever he sees Dante making a coffee with his freeze dried instant coffee

Nero

Well, as we know, this boy is a caffeine fiend!

He’ll be on the espresso wagon through most of the day. I don’t think he’d enjoy sipping on coffee rather than drinking it as a means to an end

He tends to feel the effects of later nights more than the twins so on longer jobs he might need to pop into some drive thru’s and grab a few shots

He may or may not be the sole reason the local shop put a hard limit on “no more than 4 espresso shots per person” after causing a manager to worry about them causing a health and safety risk that time he downed 6 shots from one cup and purchased 4 more to go. Thank Sparda for his demonic genetics or he’s probably have a heart condition by now

Kyrie probably has a hard ban on coffee in the house, so he’ll probably be reduced to drinking tea around her to get his fix on a morning

He’s probably a black tea drinker, he’s not as fond but he can’t bring himself to say no to her when it’s on the kitchen table readily brewed for him when he gets up

V

I honestly can’t imagine V as much of a coffee drinker and if he did it would be on rare occasions, maybe while on long jobs. I can very much imagine he’d get the jitters off caffeine and the restlessness that came with it would just get on his nerves

especially if it has a second hand effect on his familiars. Like, Griffon on caffeine, just not worth it... however Shadow running circles chasing her tail on the buzz may make it occasionally worthwhile

However I can see him being big into tea, especially the blooming tea sets

He’ll have an assortment of glass teapots and teacups

If you’re ever a guest at his house, he’ll make a big fuss of presenting you with the most beautifully displayed tea you’ll ever drink and he’ll always know the best little herbal additions to bring out all the flavours, and he’ll always use the right colours for the seasons!

Thank you for the ask! ^.^