#memories of being a kid and my dad having to basically corner me to brush my hair in the morning before school

[yardsards]

when characters have poofy messy but otherwise straight hair, i like to headcanon that their hair is actually naturally wavy/curly and they just don't know how to/don't care to take proper care of it. bc irl that is often the case (speaking from personal experience)

[passivenovember]

Being a dad is something he's always wanted. Call it a cliche, right, the all-American, golden boy who's caught up in the idea of four to six snot-nosed brats looking up to him as they try to make sense of all the big and small things because they have no other choice. You only get one dad, right?

He images them, crawling and then walking and then sprinting through the same ancient, brand-new stages of life. Six months, learning the kitchen-magic of how their fingers and toes bend on command. A year, stumbling Jello-legged down a hallway. Fifteen, slamming their bedroom door only to rush, crying, into Steve's arms when he works up the courage to rap his knuckles on the wood like the dad from Full House.

Maybe. It's all Steve's ever wanted. More than that signed Nicks basketball his own dad sent for him when he was twelve. More than Nancy Wheeler. More than his need for mountains, and oceans, and something else.

But then he meets Billy, and it's like all that other shit goes away for a while. None of it disappears, really, but he's got something to focus on, now. Something to work toward, with someone, and that makes it worse, in a way.

Billy finally lets him fuck, and Steve lays in bed that night with an irritatingly awful douchebag drooling a spot onto his chest, and Steve thinks. Knows--

Look, he won't admit it on the first fuck, but this is it for him. He wants to buy this dude house, and he wants wedding rings around the fat and bone of both their fingers, and. He wants babies, with Billy.

Aches Billy to love him.

He wants a life with this asshole. The whole nine. Steve runs his hand through Billy's hair and falls asleep imagining family Christmases, and vacations, and the fragile, shining hope that Billy will wake up tomorrow and swear that he's in love. That Steve is who he's waited 19 years for. That to each other, they'll always belong.

Obviously, that doesn't happen. Maybe.

If it does Steve wouldn't know, because Billy's not a lunatic. He's gone before the sky's fully blue. Leaves his phone number scrawled on the corner of Steve's mirror in Sharpie.

Steve's in love.

So. Immediately, he wants the impossible, but mostly, he just wants Billy. And by some giant, invisible, choking miracle he gets Billy. His body first, and then his thoughts. His laugh, genuine and biting and whole. Billy shares his memories, like pieces of bread dropped in water for hungry birds, for Steve. Achingly slow, he tells his hopes, his dreams, and.

Eventually, one night with his head on Steve's chest he says, "You terrify me. I never want it to end."

So. It's basically love.

Steve's a loose canon when it comes to this feeling. Pedal to the medal, he shoots through walls with bright red booming firepower until everything is cracked and bleeding and open around them. Until there's room enough to say, "I love you, move in with me."

So, Billy does. Impossible.

Wonderful and joking, even though it's not a joke when Steve's parents meet him on move in day and Steve's dad is thrilled that Billy knows shit about cars, and Steve's mom likes that Billy has a weathered recipe book that was, "passed down from my grandma, back in California," for her to find a place for in their tiny, warm kitchen while she unpacks.

"He's very nice," Steve's mother says, "Respectful. Handsome." In that same wistful, sleepy tone that she used when she first called Nancy wheeler sweet. Beautiful.

"He's a fine young man, son," Steve's dad tells him. "Try not to run him off."

Steve watches them reverse from the ratty, rocky, untamed driveway, with his heart in his throat. Imagines the day he and Billy will leave their kids, supported and loved fiercely, to make that wobbly step toward the brush-fire shore of their lives.

--

Steve's plan for the future lives and breathes in a small, tucked-away corner in his mind for months. He nearly chokes to death on it, several times a day, watching Billy relax into his routine.

Billy cooks dinner every night. They eat on the couch in their boxers, dishes left on the coffee table until Billy kisses him awake in the blue light of the television, "Let's go to bed, baby," he says. Steve always notices that the plates and cups are cleared away, the living room tidy for the dawn.

Billy buys a shovel and digs two holes in their patchy backyard. Steve watches him from the kitchen window, wondering what the cavities will grow with the start of spring.

Billy plants a clothesline. "My mom used to dry our clothes this way," He says, when Steve raises an eyebrow. He tacks sheets and sweaters to sway in the sunlight. Talks about laying a patio out there, so they can grill for people when it's warm.

Steve gets hard from the image of himself, in an apron, grilling hot dogs and hamburgers for their friends, first, and kids. Someday. A total dad.

--

Billy makes use of his library card and checks out every book about homesteading he can find. He learns about gardening, and bricklaying, and how to buff gashes out of hardwood floors. For his birthday, Billy hints at a Better Homes and Gardens subscription.

When Steve forks out the cash and the May issue arrives in the mail two months later, Billy presses a hasty kiss to his forehead and disappears onto the porch. He spends his Sunday afternoons with sticky notes and an overused ballpoint pen from that moment on, circling things that have no rhyme or reason, to Steve.

--

They've been living in their house for six months when Billy says, suddenly, "We should see if we can buy it." Like he's been planning his own version of their future.

It's Sunday, and he's just come up for air from Better Homes and Gardens. There's a cheese plate in his hands. He's parked by the front door, on his way out, looking startled as if the words escaped from a caged area buried deep inside of him.

"Huh?" Steve's more of the lay-around-and-rot-in-his-underwear-on-Sunday's type. He's eating ice cream out of the container, distracted by something Barney Fife says. He laughs.

"We should buy the place," Billy tells him.

Steve blinks, "The house?"

"It's our house," Billy says delicately, with all the weight of the world resting on him.

Steve looks up from the television set, shocked that Billy's hair is wet in some places and drying in others. As if he was being groomed by some large, impatient cat. He peers around Billy, out the screen door. "Is it raining?"

"Sprinkling," Billy says, "I have an umbrella."

"Your magazine's gonna get wet."

"I'm reading The Grapes of Wrath," Billy tells him, pulling a weathered copy out from under his cheese plate.

"Sure, but if the rain picks up, your book--"

"--The characters could use a little water," Billy says, "They're trapped in the dust bowl."

"I'm in love with you," Steve says. Like it's the first time he's ever admitted something like this out loud. So it's a surprise. "I like that you read. I like that you talk about everything like it's real."

Billy pads over to the couch and knocks Steve's legs apart. He settles on the arm of the thing, cold, wet toes pressing into Steve's thigh. Steve winces, sputtering when Billy feeds him a slice of American cheese wrapped in bologna.

He chews. Swallows. "I need to make more money, baby."

"Why," Billy asks, feeding himself.

"Because," Steve chokes on the next round Billy feeds him, heart soaring when Billy smiles, "Because if we're gonna lay a patio and grill for our friends I want to make sure you have decent ingredients."

"I don't mind the cheap stuff."

"You deserve better," Than what I can provide, Steve doesn't say.

Billy shrugs, feeding him another round of cheese and meat. "Well, if we're following through with the patio and the grill--"

"--And a porch awning," Steve says, feeding Billy a slice of cheese, "I'm adding that to the list. You can’t read your book and eat snacks while holding a fucking umbrella over your head."

Billy stares at him, swallowing and red cheeked. "I think any sort of permanent installment has to be cleared through the landlord."

Steve thinks about it, humming low when Billy slips off the armrest and settles, heavily, into his lap. "So, we buy the place."

"I need a better job, too."

"We'll look when the paper comes tomorrow."

They lapse into silence, eating cheese and bologna until it's gone, then they move to the ice cream Steve was working his way through, chuckling at The Andy Grifith Show.

It starts pouring rain, little hammers falling on the roof until the power flickers. "I want to make this house nice for you," Billy says.

Steve looks at him. "It's already nice."

"It could be better," Billy says, fiddling with the hair on Steve's chest. "We could have a garden. And I think the beige walls are boring as shit, we need to get some wallpaper. Or paint, or something."

"What else should we do?"

Billy shrugs, "The kitchen needs a rug. I saw this book at the library about how old men in Russia and China and shit learn to weave rugs on giant wooden looms. Some of them have seaters, and others hang them from the ceiling. Your car needs a new power steering pump--"

"--Sounds like you need a shed."

"Yeah, I guess so," Billy says. He grins, and then his brows furrow. "But. Steve, I want to build us a life, here. I want to start my life with you, I don't want to wait until we move to something we own, because I like this house, and I feel like when we start to grow our family, we can--"

Steve's heart stops beating.

His vision tunnels, all his focus collapsing on the words Billy says. Phrases that sound wonderful and impossible, all knitting together to equal nurseries built from two-by-four.

Billy stares at him cheeks red. "Sorry, I know we haven't talked about any of this. I get excited."

"I'm in love with you," Steve tells him, breathless.

"I know, dumbass, I'm in love with you."

Steve kisses him. Pulls away. "You really wanna buy a house?"

"Yeah. Not a house, this house."

"You wanna have my babies?"

Billy tugs on his chest hair, grinning when Steve yelps. "Maybe you wanna have my babies, instead."

"Sure," Steve tells him immediately, "Yeah, anything you want."

"I'm going back onto the porch," Billy says, "We'll start with the job listings in the paper."

Steve watches him go. Thinks he could be alright at this, being a husband and a father. Someday.

Right now, he's alright at being Billy's.

[dokifluffs]

Dada’s Home | Oikawa, Atsumu

Pairings: Oikawa X Reader (female), Atsumu X Reader (female)

Genre: fluffy domestic haikyuu goodness

Author’s Note: oh to be y/n 

Dada’s Home | Kenma, Iwaizumi // Dada’s Home | Ushijima, Tsukishima

Warnings! All post time skip! Spoilers to manga end for Iwa! and also they have kids

OIkawa: 

"Yoohoo, Y/N~” Oikawa’s silky voice sounded from the front door, immediately pulling you from the sleep you were about to fall under as he shut the door behind him, stepping out of his shoes and letting everything drop to the benches near the door 

Your head that was slowly falling, suddenly jerked upright against the couch, baby monitor still on before you on the table still giving you a view of your baby girl fast asleep in her crib upstairs 

“Welcome home, Tooruuuu,” you stretched out every word as well as his name as his smile brightened the room even more as he jogged a little to the couch where you sat 

“I’m home, Y/N~” he leaned down, cupping your head as he kissed you all over, repeatedly to your cheeks and forehead, fits of giggles erupting from all his affection tickling you 

“And how’s our little angel?” He plopped himself down beside you, wrapping his arm around you to pull you even closer 

“She’s sound asleep,” the two of you looked fondly to her through the night vision camera as she laid still, asleep with a bit of her tongue sticking out, a small habit of hers already developed 

“Hm, we should sleep too. Thank you for waiting for me, but next time if you’re about to fall asleep, I don’t mind if you go to sleep first,” he smiled gently, leaning close to peck his lips to yours 

“I might just take you up on that,” you yawned, almost losing balance as you stood but Tooru steadied you 

He smelled so fresh as you walked beside him, you couldn’t wait to sleep 

especially since tomorrow was a rare day off where Oikawa didn’t have practice and you had finally convinced him to rest

tomorrow was going to be one of the first days in so long since the three of you would spend the entire day together as a little family 

You playfully swung his arm as the two of you held hands, walking up the stairs and down the hall toward the bedroom 

He twirled you around as he nudged the bedroom door open with his foot

“Oh my god, I’m so excited to sleep,” you practically threw yourself into the center of the bed, pulling and burying your face into the comforter and pillows, letting the silky fabric rub against your skin 

“I’m gonna change, don’t fall asleep without me just yet,” he hummed as disappeared into the closet 

“Mmhm,” you could barely keep your eyes open at this point 

By the time Oikawa came back out, donning a loose alien tshirt and pajama pants

and you were basically asleep at this point, your body laid on top of the covers 

“Y/N, you need to actually get under the blanket,.” he laughed as he got onto the bed beside you, laying on the blanket as well as he draped his legs over you 

but just as he did this 

sad cries sounded from the baby monitor 

“Aw, D/N,” you yawned as you naturally gravitated to her nursery whenever she cried 

“Don’t worry, I got her. You get some sleep, alright?” He scooted himself off the edge of the bed as you melted back to your spot. “But asleep beneath the blanket” 

He walked down the hall towards the semi-lit nursery as a nightlight cast dim stars and moons across the room’s walls

“Oh, oh oh, my sweet princess, what disrupted your precious sleep, baby?” Oikawa carefully lifted his daughter from the crib, his presence immediately able to soothe her cries 

“Shh, it’s okay, papa’s here,” he chimed quietly as he swayed side to side, wiping her tears away as her cries got reduced to sniffles 

“Papa’s here,” Oikawa repeated, his voice no louder than a whisper as his daughter leaned close, her tiny hands clinging onto his shirt as he rubbed his hand in a small circular pattern on her back 

her small head resting on his shoulder, her short brown hair that matched Oikawa’s, tickled his jawline and cheek 

“My sweet angel,” he hummed as he just absorbed this moment

Atsumu: 

Atsumu let out a deep yawn as he entered through the sliding door of the side door the two of you mainly used, slipping out of his non-practice shoes, feeling the cold floor through his fresh socks before he slipped into his slippers, scattered around the smaller shoes of your guys’ children

Glancing at the time as he stepped into the main hallway, he was glad he showered back at the gym now since it meant now that he could go straight to sleep

Or so he thought as he plopped his bag down to the side near the coatrack in the corner of the hallway near the front door yet instead of being met with a dark house, the lights were still on

“Didn’t Y/N say she was goin’ ta sleep?” He scratched the back of his neck as he pulled out his phone, rereading the last messages the two of you sent to each other but he was right

That’s what what your last message had read, so why were the lights still o-

And then he saw it as he reached for the light switch, turning off the light to the main hall

“Hey, baby,” his voice was gravelly as the little nickname for his little girl as he locked eyes with his princess

He shuffled his feet over the wooden floors as he walked around the couch where you laid fast asleep, half a blanket draped over your legs as your son laid on your chest, fast asleep with his cheek squished to your collar

“Hm, lucky,” he thought to himself, envying his little son as he knelt down, nuzzling the back of his index finger to the infant’s cheek

You slept peacefully, body and face completely relaxed in the couch cushions, one of your hands draped lightly over the little boy’s back

But before Atsumu could continue giving any more admiration, his finger was suddenly latched by his little girl as she babbled, whining for not having her fair share of attention from her beloved dad

“Shh, I got ya,” he smirked as he plucked her, from her spot not he couch as she wore her little onesie, holding her beneath her bottom, over his sides

She continued her little babbles as she looked up to him with wondrous eyes yet he looked at her with the stars in his eyes as all he could see was her as he held her

“It’s sleepy time, princess,” his voice was even softer as he brushed his hand over her soft, silky hair

He knelt down as she let out a small yawn, resting her head on his shoulder

“Mama,” he rest his hand on your arm, his skin rough meeting yours

He gave you a light squeeze, shaking your arm, rubbing his thumb repeatedly. “Mama,” he called, his voice the slightest bit louder but careful to not wake your son

You took a deep breath in as your eyes cracked open, your eyes burning now that they were open when they should’ve been closed

“Welcome home,” you whispered as you carefully sat yourself up, Atsumu’s hand on your back, helping you up

“Let’s head upstairs and sleep,” he stood, bending down to kiss the crown of your head as you repositioned your hold on your son

The two of you switched off the lights, making your way up the dark stairwell as you tiredly walked up the stairs, anticipating the feel of the bed sinking beneath your weights with Atsumu by your side

You each held a twin as he walked behind, holding his daughter as the warmth transferring from his body into hers began to lull her to sleep The two of you brought them into their rooms, setting them in their cribs on the opposite sides of the room, tucking them in

You leaned on the edge of your son’s crib as memories from the day they were born, from the day the two of you brought them home flooded your mind until a pair of hands snaking around your waist pulled your attention back to the present

“Bedtime for us too,” Atsumu’s voice was velvety in your ear, his chest rumbled against your back as he spoke

He led you by the hand, the door closing behind, his hold never leaving you and it never did the entire night

~~~~~ Thanks for reading! Masterlist for more! Please do not repost anywhere else!

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[ktheist]

finale — show me yours & i’ll show you mine

➙ muses. seokjin x college student / gamer!reader ft. best friend! taehyung

➙ genre. best friend’s brother au. university au. working au. fwb au.

➙ word. 2.1k

➙ index. 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | finale | side story 1 |

➙ synopsis. 

“show me yours and i’ll show you mine.”

x

“be nice," taehyung mouths across from you as he sits next to mina.

the red handprints on his cheeks becoming more apparent with each passing minute. it was half-believable to say taehyung fell face first in the snow, got stuck there for more than two minutes and voila, sported a red face upon your return to the kim’s.

but now, you’re just lucky no one’s pointing out the very obvious palm shaped mark on his pudgy cheeks as he stuffs his face with food.

“oh, mina, do you have any plans tomorrow? you could stay over and spend christmas morning with us," mrs kim asks as she passes the bowl of the roasted potatoes seokjin’s been boasting about.

“o-oh,” the brunette stammers, holding the fork with both hands as if citing a prayer of hope, “no, i couldn’t intrude on you any longer.”

“no such thing, we’re all family here.” mrs kim waves a dismissive hand and even that brief gesture feels warm, “___’s mother and i have known your mother since we were kids and i watch you two grow up with my boys - you’re basically  daughters i never had,” she shoots you a smile, eyes crinkling in the corners.

not seeing the remark coming, you end up almost choking on the mushroom soup you’re just in the middle of enjoying.

“i can’t say i’d love to have tae as a sibling but here we are,” you jest, half-heartedly while laughter erupts from everyone at the table.

if there’s a god, please don’t let mrs kim find out i fucked her oldest son.

“i heard yuukal co is interested in your flower arrangements and wanna buy exclusive rights to have you deliver them to the company whenever they have an event lined up?” namjoon chirps up, dimples digging into his cheek as he digs into his 

��the secretary of yuukal co was an acquaintance of mine in college, that’s probably why.” the brunette says shyly, pushing her hair to the back of her ear.

“so, you’re not planning on going back to college?” 

but it’s your voice that makes her blink once and stare at you like you’re some tricky math question.

“what- oh,” she shakes her head, as if shaking away the trance that delayed her response, “i don’t know, my major has nothing to do with what i want to do so i’m thinking of taking another year off.”

you nod casually. understandingly. “i’m sure the college has plenty of spots for people who actually wants to be there, i guess.”

it’s not a new low. but it’s a kind of low you never usually stoop to.

no one seems to notice though, as mina laughs. obviously uncomfortable by your remark, “haha yeah.”

“taehyung got offered a job at the company he interned in last year,” with a smack on the aforementioned boy’s back, seokjin proudly announces.

and just like that, taehyung takes the spotlight to himself.

“oh my god, that’s wonderful news. kim taehyung, when were you going to tell us?” mrs. kim is the first to say something, eyes brimming with anticipation as she looks at him, waiting for him to tell everyone at the table more about it.

but the fact of the matter is, kim taehyung is torn between working a nine-to-five, subsequently making his parents proud or going professional as a full time gamer.

he breathes out an ‘uh...’ before his lips curl into a forced smile.

“surprise?”

x

some time after dinner, you end up drinking and playing card games. mrs kim already went to bed and it's a hour past midnight and all four of your find yourselves in your house to not disturb the kim couples.

the grinch is playing in the background because you, taehyung and mina won against namjoon and seokjin who wanted to watch frozen.

“frozen is so unchristmasy,” taehyung complained.

though, at one point, you did backtrack a little - only a teensy bit - and sided with seokjin who looked like he just won a lottery when you casually say, “i mean frozen’s got that wintry feeling and christmas is in-”

“oh girl, not you choosing a man over your best friend,” taehyung started tickling your sides as giggles erupted from your lips while trying to beg for forgiveness.

 “okay! okay! i’m grinch team all the way!”

“is that allowed? yah! you can’t say that after converting to team frozen!” seokjin’s rebuttal sounded every bit casual.

in retrospect, him joining taehyung’s ticklish assault would have felt out of character had you not fucked behind taehyung’s back nor kissed like you were star crossed lovers just hours ago.

“two against one! not fair! seokjin- ah- hahahaha!” 

one good thing came out of it though: you ended up sitting next to seokjin. it made you a little too conscious of him - of his cologne, of his thigh that brushes against yours with every movement you make and pretend like it’s nothing and of the ghost of a touch of his pinky finger that lingers on your knee when he seemingly places a hand on his own knee. 

still, it’s the closest you could ever be in public and it’s enough to tell mina to back off.

she doesn’t seem to notice but her compliments are equally distributed to everyone in the room. she seems to be the giggly drunk. giggling at every single thing everyone say.

somewhere deep in your heart, you feel the guilt gnawing because of your uncalled for hostility.

“i better get home,” she starts to stand at 3:07 am and you wave a dismissive hand, “no, it’s so late. stay over. please. you promised to make me your special hot chocolate in the morning.”

she objects at first like she turned down mrs kim’s invitation to spend christmas morning at the kim’s. and that’s how you know your views have been blinded with jealousy to see mina for who she is - a cute, lovable girl who’d be the heroine of every romance novel there is.

“oh thank you, thank you!” her arms flail around before they wrap around you in a drunken hug.

you laugh, hugging back.

x

the memories of how you huddled together like children and fell asleep in the living room, is hazy but when you wake up - the time on your screen displaying a 6 something am - you find a blanket draped over your body.

the light from the kitchen pours over the living room but not enough to wake the slumbering bodies there.

seokjin shoots you a smile when he sees you ambling over to the dining table with hair pointing in every direction, eyes squinting trying to block out the light while holding the blanket around your shoulders.

“you’re working? jinnie, it’s christmas,” you whine, head resting on his shoulder, feeling your heartbeat skip at the small contact.

he chuckles, bumping his cheek against your head before you hear the sound the keyboard again.

you stay like that, blanket curled around your body, seokjin typing away at his laptop.

that is, until his velvet voice cuts through the silence.

“so... i reckon that red handprint on tae’s cheek isn’t because he fell face first in snow.”

“it was because i slapped him in the face,” you wave your injured hand that’s now wrapped with a panda printed band aid instead of the duck ones seokjin used in the beginning.

he takes your hand, making sure not to apply too much pressure on the injury and kisses the top of your hand, “why would you do that?”

your cheeks warm at the gesture but you clear your throat, trying to play it cool, “because he told me we looked good together after all that shit he put us through.”

silence lulls in once again.

it feels like the longest you’ve ever gone with your heart palpitating inside your chest and unspoken words hovering over you but not quite reaching the who they’re supposed to reach.

“do we?” seokjin muses.

“do we... what?” you ask despite having an inkling of what he means.

“look good.” he turns to you, one arm on the table, thumb brushing against your pinky finger.

“i don’t know- we never even took selfies together.” you shrug.

“i think our selfies would look cute,” he pauses, naturally pouty lips curling into a smile, “so cute that the guys in your dm’s would be devastated to know that you’re dating me.”

“i can’t... do this,” the words slip out of your mouth like a waterfall like it’s bound to pour out of your heart through your mouth at some point, “because taehyung was... right. i don’t have a love language - even if i did, it’d be being jealous of every girl that talks to you. lashing out at those girls even though it’s completely understandable why they’d have heart eyes when they talk to you because you’re just that amazing... and... and... you like me? why?”

seokjin’s eyes look like someone personally plucked stars from the sky and trap them in those dark brown irises.

no- actually, he’s looking at you like you’re the star and he’s the moon that shines silver white rays just to have you notice him.

“who’s to say i don’t get jealous?” he cups your face, brows furrowing like you’re a math question without a solution and he’s going mad trying to figure you out, “i get so jealous at the thought of guys sliding into your dm’s, let alone make a pass on you but then i thought ‘if she’s not looking at me then i just have to try harder to make her notice me’ and i might or might not’ve reciprocated mina’s passes to make you jealous...”

you feel the corners of your lips tugging into a smile as you smack his chest lightly, “ass.”

that earns a chuckle from the man before he goes on, “but i’m not even sure what my love language is either, last i used it, i ended up getting dumped because apparently i’m too boring.”

“you’re not boring...” red flashes in your vision as you spit out the word, offended, “your dad jokes are bad but that’s what makes them so lovable. you’re so tall but you’re a literal walking teddy bear. you have biggest, kindest heart... and you’re so hung.”

something devious and prideful flashes across his eyes for the briefest moment before he asks ever so softly, “yeah?”

“yes.” you take his hands and grip them tightly, wishing the touch would convey your feelings.

“isn’t that kind of your love language?” his thumb feels callous against your skin as he rubs circles on the back of your hand. but that’s what makes this feels real - an affirmation that you’re not dreaming, “so... show me more... show yours and i’ll show you mine.”

you’d want to say you share a deep, passionate kiss to seal your promise for each other. but when you open your eyes - not knowing when you closed it - you’re staring at the white ceiling with neon starry stickers tacked up on it. 

and seokjin?

he’s nowhere to be found.

the morning air sends shivers down your spine as you pull your blanket over your head, trying to tune out taehyung’s voice.

but the universe seems set on kicking your sleepy ass of your bed when the door swings open with a bang! 

“get up! get up! it’s christmas!” the tall boy literally screams in your ears before hoisting you over his shoulder like a sack of potato and setting you down on the toilet in the bathroom with a “you better wash your face by the time i come back!”

you do as told.

eventually.

since the presents are all set under the christmas tree at the kim’s and you’re not looking to upload a christmas morning story in mismatched pj’s, you change into a cute totoro onesie.

mr and mrs kim got mina - she thanked you for letting her stay over last night even though you woke up to an empty house, she even has different clothes on than last night - new kits for the florist.

taehyung almost hugged you to death when he unwrapped his new ps5 that he’s been dying for.

namjoon got a new pair of gucci loafers from taehyung and booked an interrogation slot with their mother because-

“kim taehyung, where did you get all this money?”

you suspect he’s going to reveal his gaming channel to her where he got sponsors from to buy namjoon those loafers.

and seokjin gifted you with a heartshaped necklace as well as a new pc set for taehyung and a signed book of namjoon’s favorite writer that he’d been talking about for ages as well as an all expense paid trip for his parents to thailand.

“thanks for the necklace,” you lightly bump seokjin’s elbow as you come to stand next to him at the sink. he’s washing the mug he used for hot coffee.

he steals a glance at his family and mina in the living room. they’re laughing over taehyung having his head down, sitting on his calves like he’s asking for the forgiveness of a lifetime after confessing that he didn’t want to work a nine-to-five and wanted to go pro.

then his eyes find yours again. the glint in them makes your heart stop before he leans down, lips brushing yours ever so gently yet very seokjin-like.

you think your heart just burst as you freeze in your spot, staring up at the man with slightly parted lips and warm cheeks like a high school girl whose crush very obviously hinted he likes her back.

he raises a quizzical brow at your reaction before realization settles on his face and his lips curve into a smirk, “what? did you think last night was all a dream?”

x

taglist.  @aretha170 @scalubera @ambersaesthetics @heyjiminnie @hyuck-me @fanfuckingfic @fangurl-ontgeside @bri-mal @waves-and-woods @rjsmochii​ @kimmieloveswho​

[weasleypogues]

fight club (p.h.)

request: hii can i request smth angsty with pope ? maybe it could end well for both the reader and him but overall it’s just filled with angst and slow burn and tension ? ty xx

ofc lovieee!!! loving this pope recognition finally!! :)

this will be a two part becuause this was longer than i expected!!! part 2 here!!!

masterlist.

you literally felt like you could not sit still. anger was pulsating through your veins as you paced back and forth on the porch of the chateau. you also felt the piercing eyes of pope follow you back and forth as you struggled to form a cohesive sentence.

“it’s just- ugh! she can’t get away with this! she thinks because she’s a kook that i’ll be begging for her forigveness and shit like i’m a starving peasant just to save my reputation! i’m a fucking pogue, i don’t have a reputation to uphold!” you spat as your hands clenched together so hard you swear you were going to accidentally draw blood from your palms.

vanessa was a kook that you never had problems with when you were kids because you two had a friendship that was secretive and playful because of opposing groups. it wasn’t until middle school was when she ditched you, similar to kie and sarah’s relationship. thankfully for them, they sorted it out. however, vanessa was bitter and bitchy every chance she could get. 

“yes (y/n)! keep it fiesty! i wanna see you win a good cat fight.” jj egged you on.

“you’re gonna make yourself go crazy if you don’t just sit down.” pope spoke in a sterner tone than you would have expected. but as the rage filled you from vanessa, pope’s tone was not helping. you felt a tinge of hurt in your chest as he expressed his clear stress and annoyance with you. but you weren’t going to let it go that easily; not in this state.

“i’m fine just the way i am, thanks.” you responded just as passive-aggressively as he did. you literally had to restrain yourself from rolling your eyes so you wouldn’t egg this on, because the last thing you needed was for pope of all people to be on your bad side. 

you heard him scoff from behind you and his footsteps faded away. you spun around so quickly, maybe even too quickly to play it cool, to just see a flash of him as he turned the corner. your eyes flashed to john b, kie, and jj who had expressions that were just as shocked as your own.

“what’s his problem?” you asked, expecting an answer real quick before you had to go investigate it yourself. your teeth grinded against each other and you felt your face and ears go hot. 

“he probably just doesn’t think this is worth it (y/n/n).” kiara stated, trying to give him the benefit of the doubt and giving you a look that said don’t let it get to you. kiara shared a quick glance with john b and jj, which definitely did not go unnoticed by you.

“w-what was that? that little look you three shared?” you asked pointing your finger at them interchangeably and confused but angrily eager to find out. you raised your eyebrows, expecting another speedy answer as you finally turned towards jj who held his hands up in defense and bit his tongue. 

“cut pope some slack. you’ve been looking for trouble lately (y/n), it’s been keeping him on edge each time.” john b responded and slapped his hands on this thighs before getting up off the couch. you felt your cheeks get a little hot and your jaw drop slightly.

pope was trying to be protective of you. this was not a secret that you and pope were always flirty with each other but neither of you ever acted on it. both keeping the same sad mindset, if they wanted to, they would. everytime you talked about this with kiara and sarah at a girls’ night, they playfully judged you for thinking like that and tried to encourage you to just go for it. 

you took a deep inhale and relaxed your shoulders and face, feeling the tension ease up on your body. “she’s asking for it...look i don’t want to make pope upset or anything but vanessa can’t keep pulling this shit. she’s asking for her teeth to get knocked in.” you huffed out as you grabbed your backpack and phone to hop on your bike and head home. 

--

your grabbed your phone and backpack as you headed back outside to your bike. you didn’t even bother to text the rest of the group about catching a ride to tonights kegger because you were just a little fired up from earlier. they were your friends and if this were any other case, they would be backing you up. why is this time any different?

you’re recalling yourself getting ready. stud earrings because she can grab hold of hoops. your hair in two braids because there was less surface area for her to snatch onto. sneakers to make a run for it in case shit gets bad. 

what the rest of them don’t understand is that not only was vanessa mean, spoiled, and made your existence on the obx difficult, was that you had a bumpy past with her. more than just losing a friend. she made up a rumor based on fake ideas that she overheard her parents talking about. when she would run into you on the street with her other kook friends at the ripe age of 13, she would be a bystander as they spat insults your way. that always caused a strain in your friendship. 

until one day, she started the picking on first. she judged you on your family’s financial situation and said quote-by-quote “i heard her mom cheats on her dad with all of her little pogue friend’s dads. who knows, they could actually be related and we wouldn’t know. she’s a whore and i’m sure she’ll end up just like her.” tears still brim your eyes at that memory. you wouldn’t dare tell the rest of the pogues, whether it was out of embarassment or fear. it was best for them and their own minds that it was never brought up again. since then, it seems like constant torture from her. 

you pulled up on the beach and hopped off your bike as your tires were definitely not made for the sand. you laid it on a tree and made a b-line to the keg that john b was basically guarding. “thought we’d hear from you.” you heard kiara state as she sat on the sand and glanced up at you, squinting her eyes to keep the remaining sun from basically burning them.

“yeah well, just got a lot on my mind.” you responded. you didn’t want to be so abrupt with them but your blood was basically boiling with the idea of vanessa. john b stared between you and kiara and handed you a full red solo cup which you gladly took, taking a gulp.

“soooo...” jj started, throwing an arm around your shoulder, “cat fight tonight?” you felt a chuckle rise out of you as you playfully rolled your eyes.

“if you’re lucky enough, maybe you’ll get front row.” you joked, sending a smirk jj’s way and taking another gulp. you felt a presence behind you and turned to be faced with pope. his facial expression had clearly changed from what you saw from him last time. he looked almost guilty and concerned rather than aggravated. 

“come to snap at me again?” you said, turning towards the horizon on the water. looking into his eyes right now was difficult. maybe because it was the idea that you knew some part of you wanted to snap at him for him snapping at you earlier but you couldn’t make another enemy. not tonight. 

“about that...can i actually talk to you for a minute?” pope muttered, instincitvely cracking his knuckles, clearly scared to tread on water. you felt your shoulders relax and your facial muscles follow suit. placing your drink and backpack on the ground you followed a few paces behind him, closer to the sand where the tide was rolling in. although he didn’t stop, he wanted this to be a walk and talk situation. 

you strolled beside him, both of your hands slightly brushing against each other every now and then. while neither of you took initiative to grab the others’ hand, neither of you pulled your hands out of that pathway either. that connection and touch felt nice. it was reassuring that his snappiness, along with your own, was out of love and protection of each other. 

“you won’t be happy with what i’m about to say...” pope started, basically holding his breath.

“so why say it, pope? i know it sounds bad to say outloud but, why not just let me fight her? she has made my existence so unbearably difficult on this island and has slandered my name and countless others of those i love too much and for too long. i’m sick of being a pushover and letting her get away with it because of mommy and daddy’s money. im done!” you blurted out, letting more info out than you expected. “why does it bother you so much? if this was topper and john b going at it, or rafe and jj? which keep in mind, both have actually happened, i’m sure you would be more hesitant to stop them.”

your strolling came to a sudden halt as pope took a step directly in front of you, face to face. he looked longingly into your eyes, somewhat darting back and forth between your own eyes to search for an answer to his questions or even an answer to yours. 

“(y/n)! i can’t see you get hurt. i know how badly you want to do this and how much it means to you but in the end, what is it going to get you? an even worse reputation among kooks, bloody nose, and a black eye? is it worth it?” pope rambled drasticaly. 

“it is worth it! and i’m so thankful that you care about me and my well being and everything in between but this is something that i have to do. once and for all. i’m not putting myself and everyone i love through this torture anymore. and if that means beating the shit out of her and getting a bloody lip and battered up on the way, than so be it!” you responded, using your hands quite animatedly throughout the performance. the waves seemed like the loudest thing on earth as you awaited an answer from pope. he looked defeated and anxious, knowing that there was no getting through to you for this. 

“i-” pope started before cutting himself off, looking deafeated yet again. he ran his hands over his face in frustration and as he let his eyes shine over the tips of his fingers, they locked with yours. you felt stuck in place and in a trance for a split second before you felt a pair of hands on your waist and soon enough, you were lip locked with pope. 

instantly you pulled away, your heart feeling full and your legs feeling limp. your hands made their way to his jawline, slightly caressing his cheeks and neck as you pulled him back into the kiss, elongating it. 

he pulled away, shocked yet proud with himself. you could not help the small smile that made it’s way onto your face as your cheeks felt hot immediately. “i can’t believe i’m saying this but...fuck it. beat the shit out of vanessa.” 

the small smile grew as a laugh escaped your lips. you were quick to grab his hand as you both made your way back towards the kegger that was becoming a little more dense as the minutes passed. sarah, kiara, jj, and john b’s eyes were quick to fall on your interlocked hands with pope. both of you kept quiet, playing it nonchalantly. but you couldn’t help but notice pope’s look to john b and jj, all with smirks lined up on their faces.

part two out later!! :) 

[libraryofloveletters]

Loss To Love

Eddie Diaz x Reader

Warnings: mentions of childbirth, disagreements

Category: Angst with a lil fluff 

Word Count: 3.4k

Author’s Note: some of the dialogue is the same as the first one because y/n and Eddie have similar versions of what happened. Basically Eddie’s version of what happened and lil something at the end. 

Part 1: Love To Loss

----

Was loss real ?

Did it ever stop hurting ?

All the pain and broken hearts and despair, was it all worth it if in the end, I got to come home to you ?

Last thing- last person he excepted to see was you. Living, breathing, in the flesh, right in front of him. He hadn't seen you in years, not that it was intentional but life got busy and you, of all people, knew that. Judging by the way Buck’s mouth hung open and the flickering looks between you and him, you had told them the story. Carla had the same look when he told her after she stumbled across a picture of the two of you with Christoper. 

Everything in him wanted to run over, wrap his arms around you and never let go again, but “what are you doing here ? How’d you find me?” came out instead. He was shocked to see you, your face mirroring the same look and you were the one that had come looking. 

“Uh- honestly I don’t know” you chuckled, “to which question ?” Eddie looked over at you

“Both” you gave him a smile. 

“Yeah, okay. You need to go, I have a shift” he tells you. “Eddie, we don’t have any calls right now. They can stay, I don’t have a problem with it” Bobby tells him, Eddie nods. “I get that Cap, but I have a problem with it” Eddie turns to you. “You need to go” he tells you again, you didn’t want to fight with him, especially in front of his team so you nodded. Turning back towards the team, you give them a smile, “it was nice to meet all of you” and you headed down the stairs. Eddie watched from the stairs, Buck pushing past him and shouting for you as he ran down the stairs towards you. Eddie stepped away from the stairs and moved to the balcony as you and Buck spoke. He watched as you smiled, scribbling something onto Buck’s hand, making him blush. Eddie’d be lying if he say he didn't have a twisted feeling of jealousy, his stomach twisting at the sight of the two of you. Everyone was looking at him, their eyes burning into his back but his focus was on you. 

Watching as you looked back once more, your eyes locking with his before you stepped out. “Eddie-” Bobby called, the alarm began blaring. 

Saved by the bell, thankfully. 

Bobby’s hand was on his shoulder, Eddie glanced back at his captain, “we’ll talk after, okay ?” Eddie just hummed, heading down the stairs to the rest of the team. Buck nudged his shoulder with his as they settled into the engine, “you alright man ?” he asks, his eyes on Eddie. Eddie knew what Buck was doing, he was trying to read him- his new hobby, annoying one it is - “I’m fine Buck, stop squinting at me. You’re going to hurt your eyes” Eddie gave him a small smile, brushing off Buck’s look. Buck hummed, the occasional glance at Eddie. Eddie’s mind was everywhere but on the call, he felt the engine rumble and the movement of the truck but his head was somewhere else. 

El Paso, 2008. 

His back tickled, someone’s finger brushing across it in his sleep. “Mhm Shan- stop” he mumbled, his brows furrowing in his sleep as he shifted. “Not Shannon-” your voice filled his ears, a smile now on his face. “just me” he felt the weight shift as he rolled over and onto your lap, making himself comfortable again. You were warm, not from the sun beating down on your skin but you were always warm and comfortable- safe, he felt safe when he was with you. 

“Come on sleepyhead” your fingers running through his hair. If he could stay in bed with you all day, he would but instead he groaned at your attempt to get him out of bed, “5 more minutes”

“You’ve been sleeping all day, mom says you gotta get up” Eddie flips onto his back, head still on your lap as he looks up at the ceiling. The room is quiet as he gets up out of bed, you speak first. “Do you really have to go ?” you ask him, sadness dripping from words, Eddie doesn’t turn around, his heart already breaking. “You know I do” he sighs, watching as you get up, the two of you packing his things in silence. 

“I don’t want you to leave” once again, the sadness dripping from your words. “And you think I want to leave ?” his words were harsher than expected. Eddie glances towards you, the look on your face was enough to make him look away. He didn't want to fight with you during his last day with you, but the two of you have had this exact conversation countless times, the only real conversation you’ve had recently. What he really wanted to tell you was that he was in love with his best friend, the person he grew up with, the person he had shared so many memories with, that he was in love with you. He sat on the bed, reaching for your hand, you hummed and turned your attention back to the clothes, he tugged slightly. You sat beside him, the room was quiet and the only noise was coming from the open window in his bedroom. 

“Y/n, I-” his sentence is interrupted when Sophia knocks on his door, sticking her head in the room. “Ed, Shannon’s here to see you” she pulls the door in halfway before leaving the two of you in the room. 

Shannon. 

He had forgotten about her. In that moment, the moment with you, Shannon didn’t occupy a single thought in his mind. 

Eddie looks at you, he opens his mouth to say something but you shake your head. “Go,” you breathe, “don’t keep her waiting” giving him a small smile. “Are you sure ?” he asks, his hand on your back. You hum, “I'll be out in a minute, I just have to call my parents” Eddie nods, leaving you in his room. Eddie walked into the living room, making himself comfortable on the recliner as Shannon walked into the living room with Sophia, Shannon took a seat on Eddie’s lap and pulled him into a hug. Sophia’s face screwed into a disgusted expression, Eddie shot her a glare as her attention moved to something else.

To you.

Eddie glanced at you, watching your expression as Shannon spoke to you. He knew you well enough to know when you were putting on a facade for everyone. Might be believable to them but not to him. “Why didn’t you call me ? I would have came” His girlfriend smiled at him, her nose pressed against his cheek. “Oh uh, yeah sorry” he mumbles, his eyes still on you. Giving you an apologetic look, you shrug slightly and head into the kitchen, telling his mom that you’re gonna set another place for dinner, for “Eddie’s girl” he hears you say. 

You weren't wrong, Shannon was his girl, but she wasn't the one he wanted. 

El Paso, 2011. 

Eddie had visited home a few times, most of the time was spent with family and Shannon. He wishes he spent more time with you every time he leaves, promising himself that he’d spend more time with you next time he came home.

He had a week’s leave before his next tour and this week was being spent with Shannon and the newest addition to their family, their son, Christoper. Eddie did call you earlier in the day to tell you Shannon had given birth and you promised to stop by. 

“He's perfect” Shannon whispered, admiring Christoper who was asleep currently. Eddie hums, smiling at the little boy. The sound of your voice caught his attention, he glanced at Shannon who was looking at him, and it seemed that she heard you too. Eddie excused himself from his wife, stepping into the hallway. 

“Y/n!” he shouted from the end of the hallway. He watched you press the visitor’s badge onto your shirt and walk over to him. “Eddie! or should I say dad?” you smiled at him, wrapping your arms around him. 

God it felt good to have you back in his arms. 

“Congratulations on the baby, you're a baby yourself, I can't believe you have a kid” you teased, giving his face a little squeeze as the two of you walked in. Eddie’s arm was over your shoulder and your arm around his waist as the two of you entered the room. Shannon’s look was burning a hole in Eddie, she knew the two of you were close but it didn’t mean that she had to like it. The look was enough for Eddie to let go and take a step to the side. She gave you a smile, “nice of you to come by y/n” 

“Of course, hope you don’t mind”

“Oh no, of course not! You’re Eddie’s best friend”

The baby began crying, “he’s got a pair of lungs on him huh ?” you chuckled, Eddie smiled as he picked up Christoper. Eddie rocked the little boy in his arms, humming quietly, all eyes on him. You were in the corner by the chair when Eddie turned to you, “do you want to hold him?” Eddie stepped towards you, Chris had settled now. “Um, yeah” taking a seat in the chair, he handed Chris off to you. You smiled at the little boy in your arms, Eddie’s heart swelling at the sight of you with his son in your arms. Eddie sat on the end of the bed when you smiled at them, “the two of you have a beautiful little boy” 

Yeah, the two of them. He and Shannon had a beautiful little boy, not you and him like he had always envisioned. 

El Paso, 2017. 

Eddie returned to the kitchen after giving Chris the ice cream and headed straight to the fridge to get a beer. “I take it dinner didn’t go well ?” you ask, sitting on the counter. Eddie let out a chuckle, “well wasn't even in the house tonight”

“What happened ?” taking the beer from him and taking a sip of it.

“They think it's a bad idea to move across the country with a kid, that Chris needed stability and apparently- they’re the only stability he’s ever had.” Eddie groaned. He couldn't believe his parents. He knew they wanted to help but Christopher was his son and the choice was his. 

“And you're sure you want to do this ? Move to LA?” 

Eddie’s brows furrowed, he looked at you. “What do you mean? Are you siding with them ?”

“No, of course not. I’m just asking if you're sure if you want to move”

“Of course I am. I need to get out of here, Chris needs a change, somewhere that doesn’t constantly remind him of his mother.” he sighed. Shannon upped and left them. It was hard at first, he missed a big part of Chris’s life, he basically had to figure it out as he went and he did a damn good job if he said so himself. 

“Eds, you know if you move you’ll be on your own. I don’t agree with your parents, you should be able to take Chris wherever you want but you won’t have the help you have here. You have your parents and me and Chris has his friends, are you sure you want to do this ?”

“Are you going to stop me ? Like you tried to stop me when I enlisted ?” he grumbled. Your expression dropped, his words hurt you. He felt like he did when he enlisted for the first time. “How could you say that ? I didn’t try to stop you, I just didn’t want you to leave, which was the truth by the way.” you roll your eyes. 

“Listen, I just came here for you to say bye to Chris because we're leaving tomorrow” Eddie begins walking out of the kitchen, you grab his hand. “What ? That’s it? We're going to leave things like this ? You being mad for no reason ?”

“You’re the one that doesn’t want me to move on” Eddie’s voice raised slightly

“Are you kidding me?! Did I try to stop you ?” your voice raises as well. Eddie pulls his hand from yours, he waited for Chris to say bye to you. His heart sank into his chest as he went. He and Chris stepped out and you followed them, watching as they got into the truck. Eddie watched you, watching them expect you couldn't see that through the tint of the truck. 

---- 

The call went like clockwork, Eddie on autopilot the whole time. The team could tell that Eddie was off the entire time, his mind was elsewhere. Not ideal considering they could use all the hands they could get but Cap didn’t bother Eddie, leaving him to tend to the wounded with Hen while Chimney stepped in for him.

Upon arriving back, Eddie excused himself from the team and headed to the locker room. The shift was almost over and he just wanted to get out of there. Bobby and Buck stood by the truck, “should I-” Buck whispers, Bobby nodded. “Give him some time first. Eddie’ll come around, he always does” Bobby patted his back, leaving him by the truck. Buck was going towards the stairs but made a beeline to the locker room instead. “Hey,” he knocked on the wall, Eddie looking over at him. “What’s up?” Eddie asks, buttoning the sleeve of his shirt. 

“Just wanted to see if you were alright,” Buck took a seat on the bench, looking towards Eddie. “Your mind seemed to be elsewhere on the call” Eddie hummed, his attention on his locker. Buck sat quietly, his eyes burning a hole into Eddie, studying his body language. Eddie just wanted to go home, home to Christoper, to his safe space, where no one could reach him, where he could spend the rest of his day in bed thinking- thinking about you. 

It always came back to you. 

“What were you two talking about ?” Eddie asked, his curiosity getting the best of him. Buck hummed, brows furrowed, “me and ?” 

“You and y/n. What were you two talking about? You stopped them on the their way out” 

“I promised them I'd try and reason with you. Gave me their address and number.” 

“Give me” Eddie pulled his phone from his pocket. Buck looked down at his hand, the pen ink smudged and the words illegible. Letting out a sigh, he showed his hand to Eddie who also let out a sigh. “I’m sorry man, I should have taken a picture of it or written-” “it’s cool. I’ll figure it out. I’m going head home, you’re working tomorrow ?” picking up his bag, Buck nods, “then I'll see you tomorrow” 

Eddie made it to his truck but not without the feeling of guilty heavy on his shoulders. He barely made it into the truck before it began raining, heavy rain and thunder. This day couldn't get any worse he thought, the lighting lit up the sky. 

You’ve got to be kidding me. 

He pulled his phone out to call Carla, letting her know that he’s going to stop at the store on his way home. Scrolling through his contacts to find her name, his mind flickered back to you. He had gotten a new number but did you ? 

Your name was still on the list, the contact untouched for the last 2 years. There were so many times he had opened the contact, his finger hovering above the number but Christopher called for him or he couldn't bring himself to call you- what would he even say to you ? “sorry to being an ass and leaving oh also I'm in love with you and have been for years” - yeah some call that would have been. His finger tapped the edge of his phone case, his eyes fixated on the rain pouring outside. The sound of a line trilling caused him to pull his eyes away from the rain and to the phone. 

Shit. It was calling, well I guess this was it. 

He could hang up but he couldn't bring himself to hit the button. A regular occurrence for him. 

“Hello ?” your voice called from the other end of the line, echoing through the empty truck. 

“Y/n” he breathed, came out almost so quietly he didn’t hear it himself 

“Eddie ?”

“Can we talk ? I can pick you up if you’re not busy ?” he couldn’t believe the words that were leaving his mouth 

“Yeah, did Buck give you the address ?”

“No, it smudged. Only the number was readable” he lied, you hummed. 

“I’ll text it to you. I'll be waiting” you tell him before hanging up. His phone buzzing in his hand, a text from you appearing at the top. It was a while before he pulled out of the parking lot, he had to think – he wasn't sure what he was going to say to you or if he was even going to say anything to you but he knew he had to see you. The way he left things – he didn’t like it but he didn’t know if they were fixable. 

You were leant against the building when he pulled up, making your way over to the car as the rain soaked the top of your shirt slightly. “Hey,” you smiled, looking over at him. “Can I drive ? I just- can I ?” he asked you, you hummed. “Anything’s fine with me” you tell him, shifting your attention to the passing buildings as Eddie drives. He drove around the block a few times, after the first 2 times you realized you were going in circles. 

“Eddie, is everything ok-” 

“I’m in love with you.” 

Silence. 

Silence was a major factor in your relationship with Eddie. Comfortable silence, awkward silence, unspoken feelings and thoughts, movements made in the dead silence of the night.

Eddie kept driving, he didn't wait for any answer nor did he mean to blurt it out like that. He didn’t even know if you were seeing someone, he didn't care because it was true, he was in love with you. 

“Eddie,” you sigh, your lips curving upwards into a smile. “I’m in love with you too” 

His foot hit the breaks as your hand reached for the dash to keep you from falling forward. The two of you looking at each other, no words but comfortable silence. Eddie’s hand cradled your hand, your hand wrapped around his wrist. 

“Can I kiss you?” he whispers as he leans towards you

“Do you really have to ask?”

“Well- yeah I mean I should-” “just shut up and kiss me already” 

His lips finally met yours. Eddie’s heart pounding in his chest, only focusing on how soft your lips felt against his- the need for you urging him to pull closer. This was the moment the two of you had been dreaming about since the day you shared in his room before he left, the one that was supposed to fix everything. The raw emotions of love, lust, loss and need all wrapped into one kiss- this kiss. 

He pulls away only for a moment - to catch his breath. He looked at you, his hand still cradling your face, just to make sure you weren't a fiction of his imagination. Eddie’s arm wrapped around you as his lips met yours again halfway. 

Forehead to forehead, “you have no idea how long I've wanted to tell you” he whispers. “Mhm, I think I do” you chuckle softly, Eddie flashes you a smile. 

“I love you so much that it hurts” he breathes 

“I know the feeling” you smile. 

Love to Loss to Love again. All the pain and broken hearts and despair, was it all worth it if in the end, I got to come home to you ? 

Yeah, it was. 

---- 

Taglist: @ssa-volturi​ @advicefromnixxxx​ @keenmarvellover​ @mikaelson-emma​ @beth-winchester21​ @averyhotchner​ @fernandaweasley2​ @yikesyikesyikes95​ 

tagging those that wanted a part 2: @wanniiieeee​ @pandq707  @shipshipshipau​ @eternalharry​ @lost-willow​ 

[det-loki]

poison & wine part five

Oh, you let your feet run wild Time has come as we all oh, go down  

warnings: angst, mention of harm to a dog, cussing, kidnap/drug/alcoholism mention

pairing: detective loki x fem reader

word count: 3,554

A/N: feedback is welcomed! let me know what you think and if you want more!

1  2  3  4   ⌽  6

You stared blankly at the ground in Captain O’Malley’s office as Loki was talking to him angrily.

David was pissed. 

Arriving at the station this morning, you found out Alex had been missing after calling Holly about a dog that had been hit after Alex took it for a walk and never came back. You leaned against the wall lazily, observing the conversation between David and O’Malley.

The dog collar had been thrown onto the captain's desk, Loki gesturing to it, “Holly Jones’ dog got hit on Southward Street. Apparently, Alex Jones took the dog for a walk the night before last, they never came home. And his aunt didn’t want to tell us about the dog when we called her about it this morning. She said she thought it would get him into trouble or some shit. I thought you said you would keep him under surveillance.”

O’Malley picked the collar up, “Yeah, and I thought you said the guy was innocent. And I thought the guy from last night you said was our guy. Look, I don’t have money in the budget for watching innocent people.”

Loki pointed at him, “You said to me that you’d put him under surveillance.”

“What do you want me to say?”

“You gonna keep your word? You could have just given me or Y/N a call because we would have been there all night, I would have stayed up all night. I would know where he was now. I need to know where everybody is.” Loki was at his wit’s end, no one was listening to anything he or you said. 

O’Malley looked defeated, “All right, point made. All right? Point made.”

Loki’s voice was harsh, “If you can be clear with me, then I’ll be clear with you. I need to know where everybody is. If you’re going to do something different, please tell me.”

Loki walked out of the room, O’Malley turning to you with his eyebrows raised, “You have anything you wanna yell at me about too?”

You shrugged, irritated, “He’s not wrong, captain. All you had to do was give either of us a call and we wouldn’t be in this situation. That’s all you had to do.” 

O’Malley threw up his arms, “Look, I get it all right? I fucked up. But it’s day five, your window is closing. You need to start preparing yourselves for the worst,”

Your body filled with rage, your fuse was blown, “Captain, you don’t ever speak to me like that again, you hear me? You can be upset with me all you want, but you ever call my ability to my job into question again, I will make your life hell. Day five means nothing. You have no idea what David and I are going through with this case, okay? Go fuck yourself.” You walked out of the room before he could respond, you needed to find David to make sure he hadn’t punched a hole in the wall. 

 You found David in the interrogation viewing room as he wound, rewound, and wound the tapes of Alex’s interrogation over and over, obsessively looking for something he may have missed.  You walked deeper into the room without a word and sat next to him as he pressed play on the video. Ripping at the seams, crumbling. 

A secretary you didn’t really know the name of came into the room, interrupting Loki’s obsessive behavior, “Loki, you got a call.” Loki rolled his eyes and huffed, hand coming up to his face to clutch his eyes before he stood rigidly, the silhouette of his body creating harsh lines filled with tension. 

You remained in the viewing room as Loki went to take the call as you read over the notes he had scrawled on the yellow notebook paper.

RV?  

Kidnapped with help? 

Drugged…like her? M-

You stopped reading after that.

Loki came back into the room, pulling you out of your thoughts before they got too deep and pulled you under, “Hey, we gotta go.”

You stood in the local Value Mall, speaking to a young female employee, Jill, who had called about the man who fled from Loki last night.

“I called as soon as I saw the sketch on TV. He comes in here every week almost and buys kids’ clothes, but he’s always buying stuff in different sizes. Caught him messing around with the mannequins once.” Gross.

“What did he pay with?” You were silently hoping she said card, finally giving you something to work with.

“Cash.” Behind you, you could hear Loki mutter ‘fuck.’ 

You pull your business card out of your pocket with your name and number on it and hand it to the girl, “All right, you give me a call if you hear anything.” You turn to Loki who was still rifling through clothing racks, lost in thought, snapping your fingers, “Loki, card.” He turned around and handed the girl his card as well, now she had both your numbers. 

You walked out of the store and looked up at the gray sky, taking a moment to yourself and to take in your surroundings. Loki stopped a few feet in front of you, looking back at you with a quizzical look. You didn’t say anything, only bringing your hand above your head and crossing them, taking a deep breath. You dropped your arms and continued walking towards the car while David remained standing confused in the same spot. Even in times like this, he admired your ability to stop and take notice of the world around you. Even a gray sky meant something to you. 

The rest of the day was spent staring at a computer screen, researching anything you could get your hands on about Barry Milland. It was basically a dead end. Your cell phone buzzed in your pocket, grabbing it to see Dover’s called ID. It was 2 A.M.

“Hello?”

Ralph Dover, son of Keller and Grace was on the other end, “Hi, uh, my mom is kind of freaking out right now. She’s saying someone broke in, she thinks it’s Anna but no one is here.” He sounded nervous and tired. Poor kid.

“Okay, Ralph, we’ll be right there.”

Grace Dover was a wreck. You stood across from her, listening to her recount what she claimed happened. 

“And she wasn’t here. And I...I came in here and the window was open. And- and it wasn’t open before, And the...and then Ralph, he- he came in. And he looked and- and uhm- .”  Loki walked to the closed window, brushing the sheer curtain back to look as Ralph floated nervously in the hallway. Your eyes remained Grace, her eyes bloodshot and heavy as she watched Loki. “-And then I don’t know. Aren’t you gonna write this down?” Loki looked past her at you as he took out his notebook from his inner breast coat pocket to appease her.

Grace let out an exhale, “The basement. I didn’t check the basement. We need to check the basement. I’ll show you. I’ll show you.” Loki looked towards the bedside table covered in prescription medication for Grace’s anxiety since the abduction. He had experienced the same thing with you, a prescription being the only thing to get you to sleep months after the accident. He knew Grace wasn’t in the right mind, but he went along with it anyway. She walked out of the room frantically, brushing past an obviously distraught Ralph. Loki followed her out as you caught his elbow, “I’m going to stay up here with Ralph.” Loki nodded as he continued to follow Grace. 

“Hey, Ralph. Is it okay if I talk with you for a second?’

Ralph shrugged, “I guess.”

“Has your mom been sleeping much lately? At least that you know of?”

He shrugged again, eyebrows furrowing, “I mean, not really. When she does it’s because dad makes her take the medicine the doctor gave her. When she isn’t sleeping, she’s crying.”

You nodded along, “And you? Are you doing okay?”

“Not really.” He stopped talking when he saw his mother reappear in the hallway, Loki behind her. The look on David’s face concerned you. 

David slammed the driver’s door shut as he got in the car. He breathed heavily as he slid a hand over his face in frustration, “Grace said Keller was out with the search party, but you and I both know he’s not. And now Alex is missing. There's half a bag of lye in Keller's basement along with shelves of doomsday shit, something is up.”

“You think Keller had something to do with it, don’t you?” You wouldn’t be surprised, very few things shocked you anymore. 

Loki didn’t say anything, only turning the keys in the ignition and driving home in silence.

It was raining as you sat in the Crown Vic alongside Loki. You watched the water droplets fall down the window, collecting at the bottom. Stupid fucking rain.

Today you were trailing Keller Dover to see where he went when he claimed he was searching for his daughter when he wasn’t. You watched with tired eyes as Keller pulled out of his driveway while Loki turned the car on and followed. 

Loki pulled up to a light, Keller had pulled into a liquor store across town on the corner of Wallace and Campello Street. Except when Keller got out of his truck, he didn’t walk into the store, he walked towards an old building across from the liquor store. What are you doing?

Behind you, a trash truck pulled up and laid on it’s horn signaling the light was green. Loki didn’t move, his eyes were still on Keller who had now turned around at the sound of the horn. Loki was agitated, telling the truck to go around so as to not blow your cover. Keller turned around and started walking towards you and into the liquor store. Loki pulled into a vacant lot across from the liquor store, “Fuck.”

Loki turned off the car and rubbed his hands together to create some sort of warmth, still refusing gloves as he reached on the dash to grab his coffee beans, popping a few in his mouth. At least some things never changed. The rain continued to pour down outside, each drop hitting the window added to the memory of the night of your little girl’s death. It had stormed that night, worse than anyone had seen in Pennsylvania in a long time. Your hatred of rain was deeply rooted. 

“Come on, Mr. Dover.” You heard Loki mutter to himself as you brought your legs underneath you in the seat. Might as well get comfortable while you waited. You look out of the rain covered windshield to see Keller approaching quickly with his hood up, popping open the liquor bottle he had in a brown paper bag and taking a long swig.

He stood at Loki's window that had been rolled down, leaning at the waist as he spoke, “Why are you following me?” 

“Get in the car.” Loki demanded; Keller opening the rear passenger side door and sitting down, you and David turning to look at him. He looked even more tired than when you saw him last. His eyes were different though, changing from a scared father to a godless and angry man.

 Keller asked the question again, “Why are you following me?”

Loki looks him over before speaking, “Where were you going just now?”

Keller took a deep breath, “I parked at a liquor store.” He held up his bottle of liquor he had taken a drink from previously, “-I have a bottle of liquor. You’re the shit-hot detective. Work it out.” He took another drink from the bottle, the stench of whiskey filling the car. You wanted to puke, it reminded you too much of your drunk of a so called father.

“I actually meant before that. You were walking in the opposite direction across the parking lot. Towards Campello Street.” 

Keller took another drink before answering Loki, “Yeah, well...I haven’t had a drink in nine-and-a-half years. I figured if I walked around the parking lot for a while, by the time they opened, I’d stop wanting it that bad. And then-then I saw you two. Sorta helped me make up my mind.” He seemed to have an explanation for everything.

There was a long pause before David broke the uncomfortable silence, “There’s a bag of lye in your basement that’s half empty. Your wife thinks you’ve been helpin’ us...but we all know that’s not true.” Loki turned to look at Keller who was staring at him.

“I used the lye to bury our dog last year. And ‘helping the cops’ sounds better than ‘I’ve been driving aimlessly in my truck ‘cause I don’t know what else to do.’” He really did have an explanation for everything. 

Loki questioned him, “Is that what you were doing last Saturday night?” 

“Probably. Am I a suspect?” 

Loki’s voice went up as he spoke, “No, I’m only asking- I’m only asking ‘cause you assaulted a man who’s now missing.”

Keller looked away briefly, his eyes moving to the yellowing bruise on your jaw before turning back to David, “I heard about that. What happened to him? I thought you had him under surveillance.”

“I’m gonna assume you’re asking me because you have no idea.”

Keller shook his head, “Well, I didn’t think it was something I could get away with.”

Loki deadpanned, “It’s not.”

“Yeah, well. It couldn’t be that he skipped town ‘cause the asshole is guilty. Couldn’t be that, right? ‘Cause that would mean it would be your fault, right?”

“Mr. Dover?” Loki looked at Keller with an intense gaze as Keller’s defense began to crumble in front of you.

“What?” Keller snapped.

“You need to take care of yourself and your wife. That’s the best thing you can do right now. That little girl is gonna need you when she comes home.”

Keller took in a shaky inhale, “Kids gone longer than a week have half as good a chance of being found, and after a month, almost none are. Not alive. All right? So forgive me for doing everything I can-”

Keller struck a nerve in Loki, his finger now in his face, yelling, “You know what? It hasn’t been a fucking week!”

The energy shifted in the car quickly as Keller lunged furiously over the center console, yelling, “You’re right. It’s day fucking six! Day six!” His voice broke as he continued to yell, David blinking harshly beside you, “-And every day she’s wondering why I’m not there to fucking rescue her!” David attempted to calm Keller down as he furiously pointed to himself, “All right. Do you understand that? Me! Not you! Not you! But me! Every day! So forgive me for not going home to have a good night’s rest!” Keller pounded on the center console with his fist, shaking yours and Loki’s seats, “Now, why don’t you look for my fucking daughter rather than fighting-”

Loki interrupted him as Keller began to get emotional, tears welling up in his eyes. Your back was pressed against the dashboard as to put as much space between you and Keller as you could as he spoke, “Don’t follow me.”

Loki held his hand in the air in a calming gesture, “Hey. Hey. Mr. Dover, Mr. Dover.” A long pause occurred before Keller reached for the door handle, stopping as Loki called after him, “You don’t think we’re gonna let you get behind the wheel after you’ve been drinking do you?”

“I’m gonna walk. You look for my daughter.” You sighed in relief as Keller left the car, sinking back into your seat as Loki huffed beside you, eyes blinking harshly as he watched Keller walk away in the rain. Loki ran his hand over his face and jaw, lost in thought as he watched the rain fall. 

You crawled into bed alone that night. Loki stayed at the station, reading reports, telling you to go home and sleep. You couldn’t sleep however, for it was still raining outside and you never slept well without David. The sound of the rain outside made you furious, slapping a pillow over your head and squeezing your eyes shut. Somehow, sleep found you, pulling you under by your ankles.

You trudged into the station the next day to find Loki still at his desk where you left him, intently reading his computer screen. When he saw you he motioned for you to come over. He read you whatever he had been so enthralled in, “I looked into the old apartment building Keller was walking towards yesterday, it used to be his father’s. He committed suicide there, Keller and his mother found his body. I think it’s worth checking out.”

The car ride over was quick, Loki driving faster than necessary, he was obviously eager to have a lead in the case that had so far been working against you. You took notice of Keller’s truck in the liquor store parking lot as Loki parked the car. You stepped out of the car, your black boot landing on the slushy ground as the car dinged as Loki got out. The building was old, windows boarded up and looking to be on the brink of collapsing. 

Loki inspected the boarded window for a way in, settling on ripping off the plywood. It fell on the ground at your feet as you whipped out your flashlight and looked inside the building. Loki climbed in first and turned for you to join him. You weren’t really up for climbing today but did it anyways, jumping down from the window as Loki’s hand found your hip, steadying you. 

You turned around with your flashlight, taking in your surroundings. It was falling apart. Dirty and musty, obviously not being taken care of very well. You and Loki walked through the doorway into another room looking the same as the last except this time you found Keller Dover lying on the ground surrounded by empty whiskey bottles.

Loki tapped him with his foot as he jerked away, squinting up at him through the fluorescence of the flashlight as he spoke, “Hey, rise and shine.”

Loki walked deeper into the room. “I’m not gonna find two girls here, am I?” 

You stood in front of Keller who was still laying on the ground, taking in Loki’s words, “Fuck you.”

You looked down at Keller as he moved to sit up, “What about Alex Jones?” You obviously weren't expecting an honest answer, but was curious to see what he would say. 

Keller looked at the ground, avoiding your questioning gaze, “What about him? I came here to drink. I don’t want to drink in front of my wife.”

Moving away from Keller you looked around the room as he spoke, “Look, my father left me this building, all right?”

Loki spoke across the room, looking at something you couldn’t see, “You mind giving us a tour?”  

Keller stood and put on his coat, glaring at Loki as he walked by with you trailing up the staircase you had come to. 

Loki spoke in front of you to Keller, “Why didn’t you tell us about this place?”

Keller huffed, “I didn’t think it mattered.”

“Everything matters.”

The three of you walked into another room filled with old materials and tools, “It’s all pretty much like this.” You couldn’t help but feel like Keller was hiding something, wanting you and David to leave as soon as possible. 

“I’m gonna renovate soon.”

Loki nodded in agreement, “Yeah, not as organized as your basement, huh? What’s up with all the survivor gear in there?”

“Pray for the best, prepare for the worst.” Keller’s statement caused O’Malley’s words to hit you in the face, ‘you need to start preparing for the worst.’

Loki spoke ahead of you, “Guess we agree there, yeah?”

Keller led you through door after door, each room looking exactly the same as the last. Loki was getting impatient, as were you. You felt like you were being led through a maze.

As you walked through another door, just like the same, you noticed Keller pause. Loki was across the room with his back turned, missing Keller’s sudden odd behavior. He stood in front of a hallway you hadn’t been down yet, acting as if he were guardian something. He followed Loki’s every move with skeptical eyes, completely missing your own skeptical gaze on him. He was hiding something. 

As Loki walked further away, his phone rang in his pocket. He picked it up, speaking to whoever was on the other line. As Loki walked further down the hallway, you could see the color drain from Mr. Dover’s face. What was down there?

Loki reappeared from the hallway running, nodding for you to follow with his notebook in hand. Obviously he had something for the case, you ran out after him, yelling at Keller to go home. You prayed it was something to help those two girls get home. You couldn’t handle anymore let down, your luck was running out fast.

Yet you had no idea what was to come, oblivious to the fact that your world would shatter around you and David soon.

taglist: @lexie-wayland @whew-oh-em-gee @winterlavenderskysworld​ @buck-this-nasty @heeyirenee @pinkpunkdynamite @eleventhdoctorsangel @multiyfandomgirl40 @thanossexual​ @speedybonkuniversityzine​

[keanureevesisbae]

Mister Cavill, your dog is kinda fat - Chapter 1

Summary: Veterinarian Olivia Tran has zero time for bullshit. After becoming a mom at age twenty three, the one thing she wants is a good life for her daughter Vanessa. Her ex didn’t want anything to do with her nor the baby and she decided that man are officially banned out of her life. But then she meets Henry Cavill at her clinic and her ban slowly starts to crumble apart. Henry on the other hand is looking for one thing: a family. And when he meets Olivia Tran, he finds just that.

Henry Cavill x Olivia Tran (ofc)

Warnings: None

Wordcount: 2.4k

A/N: The beginnings of a new fic! It’s kind of a build up, so there isn’t a lot of Henry Cavill inthis chapter, but the next one is from his pov and more than 4.5k. I hope you like this new story 🤗

Masterlist // Next chapter

For fuck’s sake, I can still smell the fluids from those anal glands I have been popping all day. Even when you wear gloves every single time, that penetrating smell will just stay with you.

After a long day at the clinic, I can finally call it a day. Of course, I’m on call tonight, but other than that, I can relax now. Working as a vet has always been a dream of mine and now, at the ripe age of twenty nine, I have managed to become doctor Olivia Tran, one of the loved veterinarians here.

‘See you tomorrow, Belle,’ I yell to my best friend and other veterinarian at this clinic.

‘You on call tonight?’ Belle asks.

‘I am.’

‘If you need to go, I can’t watch Vanessa tonight,’ she tells me, while she is checking the ears of a pug, who seems to have severe breathing problems from the looks of it. ‘I have a date.’

‘No worries,’ I say to her with a smile. ‘I probably don’t need to go anyways. Hasn’t happened in the past months, so I highly doubt that something will change tonight. Please let me know how your date went tomorrow.’

Belle, the gorgeous brunette with legs for days and blue eyes as big as Rapunzel, flashes me a bright smile. ‘Of course, dear. Give Vanessa a big kiss for me, will you?’

‘Will do.’ I walk out of the clinic, give a sweet Jack Russell a scratch behind his ear and check my watch. I have twenty minutes before I have to pick up Vanessa, but it’s a fifteen minute walk if I hurry and if I just stroll around, it’s twenty minutes. Can I manage to buy myself some cookies or should I wait after I picked her up?

I think I would have a very happy six year old if I waited with the cookies after I picked her up from school.

I bury my hands in the pockets of my coat. Yesterday it was official: the summer has passed and autumn is here. I always love it when I see the green leaves slowly turning orange or brown and cover the pavement with a blanket of crunchy leaves. It’s Vanessa’s favorite season as well, but that’s mostly because it’s her birthday on November 12th.

I never planned on becoming a mother at twenty three. I never really gave it a big thought, the idea of having kids. In the far far far future I might’ve become one, but I always thought I had more cool aunt potential.

The day I found out I was pregnant, I was scared, but since I was in a pretty serious relationship with Wesley for almost three years, the man I thought I’d end up marrying, I figured we would make this work. We would marry, have this kid and live happily ever after, maybe even have a few more.

But Wesley broke up with me when I told him about the pregnancy and that I was going to keep the baby. I went to my parents for comfort, thinking that they and my two brothers would be supportive of this. We got through the time that I was partying all night, getting tattoos and smoked some weed out of my window. I mean, we would be able to handle this right?

But my parents kicked me out when I told them I was pregnant and I was going to keep the baby. ‘But what about your degree?’ I can still hear my mother say those words, but what was maybe the worst thing, was seeing my brothers turning their backs to me. Their literal backs towards me. ‘You worked so hard and you just got a job as a vet,’ my mom began to yell.

To be fair, I was their only hope. My brothers dropped out of high school and are now sort of working in construction, but they can hardly finish a job ever. My mother never worked  a day in her life and my father was a lawyer. I told them that I could work something out, with a bit of help of them, but my mother just pushed me out of their house and told me to never bother them again, if I was going to have a kid out of wedlock.

So I had to do it by myself. I had to find a place for me and the baby to stay, but thankfully Belle was already working at the vet and decided that I needed a bit of help. I could stay with her, even after the baby was born. Belle went with me to the ultrasounds and when I went into labor, she was right there with me.

Belle is Vanessa’s one and only aunt and my best friend. When you get pregnant and not only your boyfriend leaves, your family disappears out of your life, you also notice how many people despise you. My friends from college all of the sudden seemed to have fallen off the earth and never checked in with me.

Now I have a happy six year old, a nice home for the two of us and a baby sitter Belle, who is becoming less and less available, since she has discovered the world of Tinder, because she wants a boyfriend.

I hear the bell ring when I step onto the schoolyard. It doesn’t take long before I see my daughter running towards me. Her baby blue coat is hanging open, her backpack in her hand and a rolled paper in the other. She insisted on wearing her boots to school today, but leave it to her to cover them in mud.

Entirely.

I catch her when she jumps in my arms. ‘I missed you, my lovely lady,’ I say to her.

Vanessa peppers my face with kisses, something she always does when I pick her up from school. I brush the hairs out of her face, including the sweet bangs that she insisted on having. Originally she wanted the same haircut as me from when I was the same age as her, but since I have severe traumas of the bowl cut, I had to spare her that and opt for some sweet thin bangs.

‘Mommy,’ she says, ‘I missed you a lot.’

‘Well, you want to go to the store, so we can buy some cookies?’ I ask her. ‘And maybe tonight we can order a pizza.’

‘Yes, yes, yes!’ She gives me a tight hug.

Sometimes I doubt my parenting skills, especially when I look around the schoolyard. I watch those mothers who are housewives, with very handsome husbands and kids that always look formidable and put together and probably only eat fatty snacks on their birthdays. Sometimes I wished I had that: a husband, a man that Vanessa could look up to.

I figured that when my ex Wesley couldn’t provide that, my brothers and father would step in and treat my daughter like they treated me: a princess.

Now I have to do that myself.

It can be tiring, being both the mother and the father for Vanessa, but if I could turn back time, I’d do it all over again.

With Vanessa’s tiny hand in mine, we walk towards the store, to buy some cookies that I desperately craved the entire day I was at work.

Vanessa looks a lot like me. She’s basically my clone. People often stop us, simply to tell us that Vanessa is like a miniature version of me. I always like compliments about my daughter. I mean, she is my world.

When we arrive at home, I help her change into something more comfy. ‘Mommy, can we please have a pajama night?’ Vanessa asks, while I help her out of her dress.

‘It’s four in the afternoon,’ I say, knowing exactly what she wants. ‘You want to wait two hours before you wear your pajamas?’

Vanessa shakes her head. ‘No, I want to wear my pjs now.’ Her bright smile nearly lights up the room. I watch her nose scrunch up as the corners of her mouth curl up, the only trait that she inherited from her biological father. ‘Are you going to wear yours too?’

I don’t have anywhere to go and besides, after all popping all those anal glands today, I desperately want to get out of these clothes. ‘Yes, sweetie, I’m going to wear mine too, but first I’m going to take a shower.’

‘No bath, mommy? Because I like baths.’ Her dark brown eyes start to gleam with enthusiasm. ‘Please, mommy, please.’ She pouts, knowing damn well I can’t say no to that.

≫≫≪≪

The second Vanessa is in bed, I have some time for myself. I love every second we get to spend together, but it’s nice to have a breather every now and then. I stare at my arms, to see how Vanessa has colored in my tattoos. She’s obsessed with them and when she’s in school, she sometimes tries to draw them on her own arms by memory, sometimes even drawing on others when they want to. A few weeks ago, her teacher asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up. ‘Well, I want to be two things,’ Vanessa told her. ‘Like my mommy I want to be a vet, because I love animals, but I also want to draw tattoos on people.’

I sit up straight, looking at the drawing she made me today in school. She always makes drawings for me, but they are always the same. She draws a house, with me in it and herself. And outside she draws a dog and a man, with suitcases and moving boxes next to them. ‘Because,’ she explains every single time, ‘one day you meet a nice man who has a dog and he can become my new daddy. A daddy that does want me.’

Belle didn’t agree on me telling Vanessa her real dad didn’t want her, but I figured she needed to know the truth. Her biological father is a low life that disappeared into thin air and didn’t want to be involved in her life.

Vanessa understood, to the extent that was possible, but she really wants a dad, preferably one with a dog. Though she keeps pushing me, I can’t start dating again. Vanessa is the most important person in the world and men simply don’t fit into this—in my head—perfect picture. Vanessa is my life and men are big fat losers, so I don’t need them. I don’t want them, because the chance of them getting tired of maybe me, maybe Vanessa and leaving, is something I can’t risk.

Vanessa already lost her real father, what if a man that becomes really important to her, leaves too?

At around eleven I drag myself to bed, placing my work phone beside me. I hate being on call, but like I told Belle, I didn’t have a call in months, so I think I’m good.

I’m dreaming about Keanu Reeves (the only man on earth that I’d break my no man ban for) and how he takes me out on a lovely date, has Vanessa on his lap and helps her to cut her food, when the phone starts to ring.

‘Are you fucking kidding me?’ I mutter, before I click on my nightlight. It’s three in the fucking morning. I don’t want this. ‘Animal Clinic Westside, doctor Olivia Tran, how may I help you?’ I say when I pick up the phone.

‘Hello, I’m terribly sorry for calling at this hour, but my dog is vomiting and I see some blood in it.’ Oh, poor man, he sounds so panicked. ‘He collapsed and is breathing really heavily and I don’t know what to do.’

I sit up straight in bed and rub my eyes, as I try to be as alert as I can on this early morning. ‘Sir, it’s okay. Did your dog eat anything out of the ordinary today?’

‘Not that I know of.’

‘You think it’s possible for you to come to the clinic? I’d like to see the dog.’

‘Of course, of course.’ The man on the other side of the line has such a lovely and deep voice. He could become a voice actor or a narrator like Morgan Freeman. If liquid gold had a voice, it would sound like this.

‘I hope it’s not too much to ask, but could you take some of the vomit with you? Especially the part with some blood. I’d like to check it.’

‘I’ll bring it with me, of course.’

‘What kind of breed is your dog, sir?’ I ask, while writing it all down on a piece of paper.

‘An American Akita. His name is Kal.’

I don’t think he ever went to our clinic, I think to myself.

‘I’ll be at the clinic in about forty minutes, mister…’ I say, hoping that this man will say his name.

‘Cavill,’ he quickly says. ‘And I can be at the clinic in about an hour.’

That name does sound kind of familiar though, but I could’ve sworn that this man isn’t in our database. Maybe I went to college with him or to high school?

After we hang up the phone, I quickly get out of bed. I opt for a pair of tight fitted black leggings and an oversized sweater (after I put on a bra, because who knows mister Cavill is handsome and my nipples don’t want to keep that a secret) and I slip on some white sneakers. I put my hair into a bun. I freeze when I’m moisturizing my face.

I kind of forgot I had a daughter. I don’t like the idea of bringing Vanessa with me, especially since it’s three in the morning and she’s asleep, but then I realize that tomorrow it’s Saturday. Plenty of time for her to catch up on her sleep and plenty of time for me to feel less guilty about dragging her out of her dreams.

‘Sweetie,’ I whisper, when I gently wake her up. ‘Mommy has to go to the clinic, but you can’t stay at aunt Belle tonight, so you’re going with me to work.’

Vanessa was a groggy mess when I nudged her awake, but when she realizes she can go with me to work, her eyes light up. ‘Really?’

‘Yes, someone has a sick doggy, that needs to be taken care of.’

She gets up out of her bed and I help her with her socks, though she is perfectly capable of doing so herself. ‘You’re gonna save a doggy?’ Vanessa asks.

‘I’m going to try.’

I hand her a thick vest and while she puts it on, she says: ‘You’re a hero, mommy.’

With a smile on my face, I softly pinch her cheek. ‘I guess I am.’

Taglist: @thelastsock​ // @flhorah​ // @sausagefest1996​ // @laufeysodinson​ // @xxxkatxo​ // @memoriesat30​ // @henrythickcavill​ // @crimsonrae​ // @henryobsessed // @madbaddic7ed​ // @summersong69​

[iamkidfish]

Would you be at all interested in writing a prompt based off a quote? I've been reading On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous and got destroyed by the line "sometimes being offered tenderness feels like the very proof that you’ve been ruined". I feel like it's a line that works for both Leah and Fatin, and I would love to read your interpretation of it!

have a little angst this morning

Read on ao3!

It shouldn’t be a big deal. 50 days on the island. 50 days of fighting for their lives against the elements, against each other, against themselves. 

It shouldn’t be a big deal, except it is. 

50 days pass for eight girls barely surviving on an island when there should be nine.

There’s a choked sob, like someone is trying to muffle the sound, and then another and Leah wakes to the sound of Fatin crying. It surprises her more than it should, Fatin crying. She hasn’t seen Fatin cry, not at school, not on the first day, not when Fatin held Leah in her arms on the beach, not even after Nora pulled Rachel’s unconscious body from the ocean, her bloodied arm looking like it got sent through a wood chipper.

She turns over, trying to look for Fatin’s body by the shine of the moonlight. As the weeks went by, they all started sleeping closer and closer together, kind of like a group of seals on a dock, so it’s impossible to discern Fatin from the others. Shelby’s blonde hair catches Leah’s eye and she focuses in, noticing how Shelby’s left hand is gently curled around the inside of Toni’s elbow. Leah smiles, in spite of herself.

Past Shelby, Martha and Dot are curled together, with Dot lying on her back, mouth open, and Martha tucked into her side. Near them, Nora and Rachel are wrapped up so tightly Leah can’t really determine who’s body is who’s. They’ve slept like that ever since the accident and every time Leah looks at Rachel her eyes can’t help but slide down her arm to what’s left of her wrist. It’s mostly a mangled stump, but considering the limited supplies, it looks at least stable. Rachel’s been highly medicated most everyday and every few hours Dot pours their quickly depleting supply of vodka on it. 

A noise behind her makes Leah turn around. She maneuvers around their campsite, the best she can in the dark, stepping over water bottles, pieces of driftwood, even Martha’s suitcase, before she reaches Fatin. 

She’s curled tightly, more like a ball than the fetal position, and away from Leah so she can’t see her face. It’s not particularly cold out, but Fatin’s shaking. 

Leah drops to her knees, hands hovering over Fatin’s side, unsure if she can touch, then switches direction to lie behind Fatin. She tries to ignore the butterflies in her stomach, the ones that have been there since around day 29, as they try to flutter awake. For a second, Leah pauses before wrapping her arms around Fatin. The other girl doesn’t protest at the contact, but she also doesn’t acknowledge or lean into it, just continues shivering.

It’s hard but she tries not to notice how well their bodies fit together. They’ve slept close together before (Fatin actually has been insistent about Leah sleeping near her ever since “Leah’s second Virginia Woolf moment” as Rachel dubbed it accordingly), but never this close, with her front pressed up against Fatin’s back. They’re basically spooning. 

As if she heard Leah’s thoughts, Fatin mumbles, “I’m the little spoon. God, how embarrassing.”

She lets out a pained laugh and Leah freezes. She wasn’t expecting for Fatin to react, let directly acknowledge what’s happening. 

“Don’t tell me you haven’t spooned someone before, Rilke,” Fatin’s voice cracks but still manages to have her signature teasing lilt. 

“Of course I have,” Leah says into Fatin’s shoulder, her face heating up against her will. Thank God, Fatin isn’t looking at her.

“Well then you know you have to commit,” Fatin says, moving Leah’s arm so it’s curled against Fatin’s stomach. Leah counts to 100 by 7’s twice to resist the urge of flexing her fingers against Fatin’s skin. Not the time.

Her brain blurts out the first thing she thinks of, “Ironic, how you’re talking to me about commitment.”

(Smooth Leah, real smooth)

Fatin doesn’t respond to her stupid ass comment, doesn’t talk for a long time. She is not crying as much, at least not that Leah can hear, the tears could still be falling down her face silently, she reminds herself.

“You know, my dad didn’t let me say goodbye to my brothers,” Fatin finally says. “At the airport. Didn’t even let them come, they had to stay home with my mom. He said they had ‘too much homework’ which was bullshit. School was almost over by the end of May. I knew he just didn’t want me to see them and now…”

Fatin takes a shuddering breath and dissolves into fresh sobs.

“It’s been fifty days and...and I don’t know if I’m ever going to see them again,” she hiccups. 

“Fatin you don’t…” but the reassurance dies in Leah’s throat. After fifty days, dying on the island seems like a very real possibility, as real of a possibility when Leah was losing her mind over the realization and tried to run into the ocean a month ago, maybe even more so now, with their collective fear growing each day about how purposeful everything feels, how a group of (seemingly) random strangers arbitrarily came to be stuck on an island, depending on each other. The day they saw the plane fly over doesn’t even register in Leah’s mind as significant anymore, just another circumstance on her list proving that something is fucking wrong. 

It hits her, Leah’s bad at this. Being there for someone, let alone comforting them. It feels alien to her, as much as her cell phone or Ian, a thousand miles away, desperately insignificant to her, to what’s on this island. Honestly, she can’t remember the last time she’s touched someone like this before the island, especially someone she cares about. Leah was never a particularly touchy kid but after him, when she started to flinch at her mother’s touch or shunned away from her father’s hugs, her tolerance for physical contact plummeted, pretty much becoming nonexistent. 

The feeling rises from her chest into her throat like bile and Leah becomes acutely aware of how her body is positioned, how she’s holding Fatin, just like how he held her: from behind, chin tucked into shoulder, arms snaking around her waist. She always found it comforting but now, in the haze of the memory, she wonders if he did that to keep her in place, to hold her down. Leah stiffens, she can’t help it, as the pressing, suffocating feeling settles again over her body.

But Fatin isn’t him, and neither is she. Leah knows that, knows it in the way Fatin’s hair smells like pears and sand and salt, knows it in the spaces that she's hesitant and timid, Fatin is unselfishly bold, knows it by the way Fatin’s fingers never rest, even now tapping out a slow melody on her arm, knows it because Fatin’s been there for her since the plane crash (well, close enough), holding her and crying with her, and a tiny, persistent voice in the back of Leah’s head whispers loving— 

Still, Leah gently extracts her hands from around Fatin’s waist and tugs on her shoulders until Fatin is turning over to face her.

“You will. We will get back home, we have to.”

Maybe it’s the darkness that makes her bold, but Leah leans forward, just enough, to brush her lips against Fatin’s forehead. She tries to ignore the hitch in her chest or the memory of Fatin doing the same to her after she ran into the ocean, thinking Leah was still knocked out from the pills instead of just dozing.

“You probably just got sand in your mouth, dummy,” the weight of the insult is weakened by the way Fatin’s voice breaks.

“I don’t care,” and Leah doesn’t. She has more important things to think/worry about than a few grains of sand, like keeping everyone she knows alive, keeping herself mostly sane, and not screwing up and saying something incredibly stupid in front of this girl she’s holding in her arms.

Fatin sucks in a breath and maybe, just maybe, thanks to the light from the full moon above them, Leah sees Fatin’s lips quiver. It takes her a second to look back up at Fatin and the other girl is already looking at her, the air thick with tension, thick with an unspoken something. 

Leah’s nose tickles as Fatin nudges it ever so slightly with her own. It feels like an invitation and maybe in another life without deserted islands and broken girls Leah would understand and kiss Fatin until they’re both breathless, but she looks at Fatin again, still with tears on her face, and wonders if Fatin expects it because that’s all she’s ever known: people using her body for their own motivations. And it’s not that Leah doesn’t want to kiss her, because God, she does, but she wants to do it right, and wants it to last this time. 

She leans in because she can’t completely resist the hedonistic (self-destructive) pull in her stomach, the curiosity of how Fatin’s skin feels against her lips, and presses her lips into the corner of Fatin’s cheek, just close enough to her mouth to say I want this too, but not now. Leah knows she’s lingering, but the mix of perfume and salt is almost addictive and it just feels so fucking good to touch someone, knowing Fatin won’t break. (Is it because they’re both broken already, who knows?)

Leah pulls back and Fatin’s looking at her with more tears streaking silently down her cheeks, but Leah’s pretty sure she understands. 

She wipes a tear from the side of Fatin’s eye and maybe, she thinks for a moment Fatin is going to make a comment about messing up her mascara, but then thinks better of it, because this moment, where they’re both staring into each others eyes under the moonlight on an empty beach feels too heavy for any words.

Instead, Fatin just tucks her face into the crook in Leah’s collarbone and shudders and shakes with silently sobs, but Leah holds her, all through the night, even when she’s too exhausted to open her eyes anymore, and falls asleep too. 

Thankfully, when Dot finds them in the morning still curled into each other, she waits until they walk back to camp with the others before nodding and passing a water bottle to Fatin. 

[mrsseverussnape]

Love Is You - chapter 11

A/n: hopefully this is gonna be posted… It was very stormy and the power is off for hours because of it. I tried to create a moodboard and i am trying to post it but even my own data is not working very well, the storm was that bad and probably damaged something… I deserve some comments after trying that hard to post that😂

    Christmas was around the corner, but Scarlett wasn't as excited as she used to be even it was her favourite time of the year. She was planning to celebrate it with her kids but apparently, they had other plans which she found out quite late. Sirius has invited Leo and Remus over for a boys Christmas celebration and Carina would celebrate it with her boyfriend's family this year. Actually both of the kids have offered to stay with her but she didn't want to ruin their plans for her own enjoyment. Then Scarlett thought to spend the day with her parents just like the old days but it turned out they have already booked a holiday, they would be in Switzerland during Christmas week. So this plan has cancelled too for her. Normally she wouldn't mind staying alone but on special days she would like to have a company, especially this year she needed it more. Scarlett thought if she could invite someone over for Christmas but she didn't have many friends and the ones she had already married and would celebrate it with their families or they were living in abroad. Then one possible person came to her mind but she wasn't sure if he had someone special to celebrate the Christmas with. But she wanted to give it a try and wrote a letter to Severus and invited him over for dinner.

    Christmas had a special place in their relationship. They have started dating on December, couple of days prior Scarlett's 18th birthday then she has invited him to her house for Christmas break when she found out he would stay at Hogwarts and with that he could meet with her parents. And the best memory of that Christmas was the present that Severus gave to her. He has got her a white British long hair kitten that she fell in love with immediately. Severus has gotten that idea since Scarlett was such a cat lady and actually she was a cat herself as an animagus, also she has told him about her late cat who passed away a year ago. Scarlett has named the new kitten Pearl and she has become basically their baby and in the summer of the same year they got another kitten together and named him Paul. The warm feeling of the memories made her smile, these happy memories has become her comfort zone lately.

    It was the Christmas evening and the kids were ready to leave while Scarlett was busy decorating a cake. Leo and Carina came to the kitchen to say goodbye to her.

"Mum the cake looks delicious but isn't it way too big just for you to eat?"

"I will have a friend over, i won't be alone."

"Oh you didn't mention that. Now we don't feel as guilty for leaving you alone. Who is coming?"

"Professor Snape."

The kids exchanged looks for a moment. They still haven't said anything to her about the trunk so she had no idea that they know about her past relationship with Severus Snape.

"It will be great for you two to remember good old days, I am sure you have missed them. Have fun!"

Scarlett looked at Carina rather suspiciously after what she just said. She was asking and talking a lot about Severus and her lately. "Thank you... Are you leaving?"

"Yep, take care and don't drink much mum."

"Okay mother." Scarlett rolled her eyes at her daughter. "You two have fun and say merry Christmas to everyone from me." She kissed their cheeks goodbye. "Love you."

"Love you too mum, bye!" Carina and Leo both apparated at the same time, leaving Scarlett by herself.

She did the final touches on the cake and put it in the refrigerator to set. Now she needed to get dressed before he came. Scarlett decided on a velvet bodycon dress which is off shoulder and its emerald green colour was complimenting her copper red hair beautifully. She brushed and styled her wavy hair and finally put her signature red lipstick. Scarlett looked herself in the mirror and enjoyed her view truly for the first time in a while. She hasn't dressed up fully for a long time and she has missed seeing herself like this.

    The knock on the door took her away from her thoughts. She rushed to the door and took a deep breath before opening it. When she opened the door and saw him standing there with a winter bouquet and wine bottle in his hands. It was such a coincidence that he has picked a velvet emerald green jacket to combine with his black trousers and shirt.

"Welcome Severus, come in! It is snowing outside."

"Hello." He smiled and entered the house once he lived in together with her, handed her the bouquet and the wine he brought. “These are for you.”

"Ah thank you, the flowers are so pretty!" She inhaled the flowers’ scent.

"Not as pretty as you..." Severus couldn't take his eyes off of her, Scarlett has aged like a fine wine.

She blushed lightly at his statement and looked away from him. "You can directly go to the dinner table; we better eat them before they get cold. And you know what, i cooked everything by myself, no help from the house elf!"

"Today is the big day then huh? You are showing me your improved cooking skills?"

"Oh yes today is the day!" Scarlett giggled while they were taking their seats.

He looked at the small feast that she prepared for them. It wasn't a classic Christmas feast since both of them were vegetarians but everything was looking more than perfect.

"I must say, i am already impressed Scarlett. Everything looks and smells splendid."

"Everything tastes splendid  too, i guarantee." She winked at him. "Help yourself, bon Appetit!"

    After the dinner they moved to the couch with their drinks in hands. Severus has really enjoyed the foods even he admitted that Scarlett's cooking skills have moved from 1 to 5 point. Scarlett was more than happy to hear that because cooking wasn't her best skill at all.

    Hours have passed and they have talked little bit of that and little bit of this, ate the cake Scarlett has baked and listened to some music from the record player. After 4 glasses of wine, Scarlett had an unnecessary amount of courage and suddenly asked him if he had anyone in his life even though she wasn’t sure if she wanted to hear the answer. Severus wasn't expecting that question at all but he had the answer.

"No, i don't." Severus finished off the wine in his glass. Starting a new relationship didn’t even cross his mind after their breakup. It was either Scarlett or no one for him.

"How come you are still single? You would make a great husband, i am sure."

Severus sighed and shook his head. "Scarlett, you are the only one who value me, every part of me that i don't even like myself... And i am so stupid that i let you go..." He wasn't planning the say those things but they did flow from his mouth, apparently wine has affected him too. But he didn’t care, if they had to do the talk they would now.

"I didn't want to go, you left me..." Scarlett whispered while playing with the wine glass. He hasn't even given her a proper reason, just left her. "Why did you leave? I deserve an answer Severus... It has been years, won’t you tell me still?”

Severus still didn't want to tell her the reason, he was sure it would make Scarlett very upset but he knew he should eventually. The reason has made sense to him at the time but the moment he broke up with her, Severus has regretted his decision deeply but he couldn't turn back because he has thought she wouldn't want him back anymore after how much he hurt her.

Severus took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly, this talk wouldn’t be easy at all for both of them. "I will tell you but please let me finish it before saying anything… You remember that nightmare-like times between us and Sirius… I have visited Sirius when he was at the hospital after his suicide attempt, this was before your dad informed you about it. All he talked about was you and how much he loves you, how much you mean to him. And i thought maybe he loves you more since he tried to kill himself after you cut the ties with him, because of me... Scar i don't know, i just thought that he could give you more things than me and you deserve the best so i decided that you would be happier with him than being with me... Don’t look at me like that…"

Scarlett couldn't believe the things she just heard. She has always thought that he fell in love with someone else or he didn't love her anymore. "Severus, that is the stupidest thing i've ever heard from you... Didn't i show you enough that i was in love with you deeply and i was so happy with you...? I didn't want anyone or anything else but you Severus. I loved you… but apparently you didn’t love me enough…"

“That’s not true…” He couldn't dare to look into her eyes or say anything else, the words stuck into his throat. Now he knew it is a stupid reason but as a young boy it made sense to him. Severus has never thought a beautiful and rich girl like Scarlett would be his friend, let alone be dating someone like him. And there was Sirius, Hogwarts's most handsome boy and Scarlett's lifelong best friend, plus he was in love with her like crazy. Sirius looked like a better fit for Scarlett rather than himself, he never felt confident against Sirius, Severus didn’t have the looks nor the money while Sirius had both. But now looking at Scarlett and Sirius's divorce, it was clear that his thoughts were nonsense because he would never cheat on Scarlett, ever.

"Severus...?"

Scarlett’s trembling voice brought him back to reality from his thoughts. Severus looked into her tearful eyes, she always told more with her eyes and Severus liked that silent communication but now her eyes had an effect of a dagger and stabbed his heart. Then his eyes moved to her red lips and unconsciously he leant into them ever so slightly but he pulled himself back in the next second he noticed what’s he doing, he shouldn't have kissed her even he wanted nothing else. Scarlett was the same; her heart was wanting to kiss him but her brain was saying it's not a good idea at the current situation.

"I better go... Thank you for the dinner." Severus stood up to leave suddenly;  If he stayed any longer, he was scared that he wouldn't control himself and the conversation had a tool on both of them.

Scarlett just nodded, she still couldn’t process the things Severus revealed. "Good night..."

"Good night Scarlett..." And he vanished in the air.

Taglist:

@snapefiction @lizlil @elizabeth-baelish @misselsbells06 @mais-e @lunnybunny12 @anfre109 @entirelymesmerising @wolvesofwinter13 @mrssnivellussnape @mestin-writes

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[unlocktxt]

more than just a memory | c.s.b

Choi Soobin

❦ genre: angst, fluff, ghost soobin!au, soobin x reader

❦ description: moving into your new house, you expected to be met with peace and quiet, but everything doesn’t seem to go according to plan when your met with a tall lonely ghost named soobin.

❦ word count: 5.6k

❦ warning‼️: this includes/mentions death, loss, heartbreak, afterlife, and swearing

The burning sun could be felt on your skin, tanning it as you ran down the never ending street. You checked your digital watch to see that you were now five minutes late to your moving in get together. Your absence would be evident to your close family and friends. The thought of your parents nagging about your tardiness only motivated you to move faster. You were running so fast that you just barely managed to dodge an old woman and her barking chihuahua. “Watch where you’re going before you kill someone’s dog!” You didn’t have to look at her to know that she was pointing her angry accusing finger at you. “Sorry miss!” You quickly turned the corner, finally on your street. You were relieved to know that the old woman wasn’t your neighbor. With the house in your sights you ran even faster, those years spent in track finally paying off. Practically feeling like a cheetah, it was hard for you to stop yourself as you approached the house. Trying to slow down was a useless attempt as you tripped. The stupid rock causing you to fly forward, foot hurting like a bitch. Your reflexes didn’t seem to be enough, but they still managed to get you to crash into the parked car, rather than the pavement. As if things couldn’t get any worse, the car alarm started blaring. At that moment, you were willing to dismantle that moving money eater. The car alarm suddenly stopped, causing you to face the small group of people on the porch. Well shit. Waving with a big smile on your face, you fought the urge to laugh at yourself and feigned innocent. This clearly didn’t work because when you made eye contact with your parents, you could practically feel the disappointment. Good thing you have your own house now. 

You made your way over to your favorite people, still out of breath from running. “Hi guys! So sorry I’m late. I uh... I had to go help this elderly woman catch her chihuahua that got loose.” You decided against telling them that you managed to get lost walking around the many, many blocks. Nodding your head in satisfaction, you thanked the old woman and her dog for saving you from the wrath of your parents. The only person who didn’t seem to fall for this was your friend, Taehyun, who shook his head in disapproval, although you knew he found it funny. “Let’s get this party started!” You ushered everyone inside as you made your way over to Taehyun and Beomgyu. “Okay so what the hell were you actually doing?” Taehyun raised an eyebrow at you, basically staring you down. You let out a sigh, knowing they would make fun of you. “I went out for a walk because I got spooked... and then I got lost.” Beomgyu immediately started laughing. “You- You got lost in your own neighborhood!” He couldn’t help his laughter, you were just too oblivious of your surroundings. Taehyun, who actually listened carefully, had more questions. “So why did you get scared in the first place?” Taehyun seemed interested in what you had to say, giving you the confidence you needed. “Well... the house is always kind of cold you know... and they say it could be because it’s haunted. I didn’t really mind it, but I swear I saw a reflection in the mirror.” You shivered just thinking about it. This caused Beomgyu to look around with wide eyes. “No way... your house is haunted!” Beomgyu shouted, causing Taehyun to put his hand over the loud man’s mouth. “She probably just isn’t used to being home alone, so she got paranoid.” Taehyun shrugged. To be fair... it does sound more reasonable, however, you could’ve sworn you saw a tall figure staring at you. Then again it only lasted for a split second. “Your parents brought cake, come on.” Taehyun got us back on track, but not before Beomgyu mouthed we should totally go ghost hunting. Ignoring the heavy feeling on your chest, you followed after them. What couldn’t be seen, was how Soobin lit up. So she did see me, he thought. After months of having an empty feeling, he finally felt something. Hope. He now made it his mission to get your oblivious self to notice him.

“I can’t believe our child is all grown up now.” Your mom’s eyes glossed over as she looked at you. “Mom don’t cry,” you chuckled at her pouty face, “you’re acting like I’m never going to visit you.” Shaking your head, you realized that you were going to be all alone in this house. Like a slap to the face, the thought of having to be completely independent hit you. The sudden realization scared you, but you knew it was about time to grow up. “I think that you’re still our little one, after all I’ll just be glad you don’t burn the house down.” Your dad’s joke had everyone laughing, they all knew how much he wanted to see you everyday. The memories of your childhood seemed to flash through your mind - the time your dad would always set you on the tree until you were able to climb up it just like him- or the time your mom chased you around the yard, trying to tickle your small self. These are the memories you would cling onto for the rest of your life. “I’m not that bad of a cook!” Sure you had caught noodles on fire, but that was like three years ago. You’ve improved since then, or so you thought. “There’s a reason no one asks you to cook.” Your mom admitted, to which you puffed your cheeks. You were being called out and your friends just nodded in agreement. The ultimate betrayal. “Then it’s a good thing I had you to take care of me. I probably picked up a few of your tricks.” Key word probably. 

Your parents weren’t going to stay long, that way you and your friends could have some fun. Just when you turned to walk your parents to the door, the plastic cup moved an inch. Soobin, who had moved it, quickly turned to look at you with a big, proud smile. “I just did that!” He was excited about his achievement that took ten minutes to pull off, but as he looked at your back facing him, his face fell. “You have got to be kidding me.” The poor invisible Soobin really wanted to take out his frustration, but as his fist went to collide with the wooden table, it went straight through. An exasperating sigh came from Soobin as he moved onto plan b. Having not seen this, you waved your parents goodbye, slowly closing the door before turning to your two friends. “I call the dog!” Beomgyu ran to the monopoly board that Taehyun set up, diving for the little piece. You happily scurried over to your friends as you grabbed the shoe before Taehyun could. “Oh I’m definitely going to make you go bankrupt for that one.” Taehyun grabbed the car, sending glares. From past experiences, the three of you decided to put away the hammers and any potential weapon. Rolling the dice to see who’s first, you punched the air as you rolled a 6, higher than the two of them combined. As you did so you could’ve sworn your hand brushed against something cold, but maybe it was just the air conditioning. Soobin, sitting directly beside you, jumped as a result of your fist going straight through him. Was monopoly really this exciting, Soobin wondered, now wanting to play along. The three of you, not noticing the ghost boy, started the game with you rolling the dice. Your game face was now on. You decided to buy the first property you landed on. Taehyun went next, landing on the same color, his face told you that he wasn’t planning on letting you go that easily. “Don’t you dare buy that property!” You wanted all of the greens, but Taehyun wasn’t letting you have that chance as he bought the property. “Fine then... I’ll just make you go bankrupt.” You were now going to make them pay.

When the game ended you felt defeated. The look on Taehyuns face scared you. He truly was the monopoly master. “I can’t believe you took all of my money.” Beomgyu whined. It was now eleven at night, the game had lasted a while. “We should probably get going.” Taehyun said as he grabbed his stuff, taking a slice of cake with him. “Okay be safe on the way home.” You walked them to the door, waving their car goodbye.

Sighing, you couldn’t help but notice how chilly it was in the house. “Does the thermostat even work?” After messing with it a bit, you decided to just get a blanket, however, as you leaned over to grab one you met eyes with a man who looked similar to a bunny. “Get out before I call the cops!” You turned around quickly as you ran to the kitchen, grabbing a knife. You could tell he was caught off guard as his eyes seemed to enlarge. He definitely wasn’t very good at whatever he’s doing. As you turned on your phone, he seemed to get the gist. He came running at you, panicking. You were terrified and did the first thing you could think of- stab him. Your hands shook as your eyes trembled, you didn’t know what to do, but you did know you were terrified. Your hand and knife just went straight through him. Now that Soobin knew you could see him, he put all his energy into taking your phone. You were stuck in shock at what was happening. When you finally gained enough sense to move, you backed up. “P-please don’t kill me!” You were helpless against an invincible man.

Soobin knew he shouldn’t scare you, but he wanted to have some fun before reassuring you, after all... he used to joke about haunting people. He slowly approached your cowering figure, trapping you against the wall with his body. His arms were placed beside your head and he stared, you didn’t have anywhere to go. This is when you got this brilliant idea, if the knife could go straight through him maybe you could too! His face was a little too close for comfort, so you quickly tried to catch him off guard and lean forward, however, when you expected your face to fall right through him, you ended up meeting with something hard. Not only did this shock you, but also Soobin. He did not expect you to lean in and kiss him... the warmth of your lips sparking a fire within him. You were now highly embarrassed on top of fearing for your life. “I... I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to! You know I just thought that I would go right through you... but that didn’t work. Please don’t kill me... just tell me what you want!” You rambled trying to get him to spare your life. Soobin had just gotten over the shock, now enjoying your flustered state. He smirked as he leaned closer, “Maybe another kiss.” That surely was not what you expected. Is that really what he wanted... or was it a trick? The tall black haired boy started laughing as he backed away from you. You were confused, but relieved as you finally let out the breath you were holding.

 “I actually want you to help me see my friends and family. You see... you’ve probably already guessed, but I’m a ghost and I’d like to say goodbye to them one last time.” His whole demeanor  had changed and you were now looking at a very cute guy. You opened your mouth to speak, but he continued. “My names Soobin. I actually used to live here or well... still kind of do. Surprise you have a dead roommate because I can’t seem to leave the house.” This was not normal... at all. When you decided to live here, you didn’t think it was haunted. “May I ask when you died?” You couldn’t help yourself, you were curious. Besides if you were going to help him  then you’d need to know if these people were still alive. The humor he had before seemed to be a mask because once you asked this he had a distant look on his face. “If I remember correctly it was three months ago.” Something seemed to hit you, now looking at him you felt pity towards the ghost. You don’t know if you would’ve had a different reaction had he said something else, but you were now fighting the urge to cry due to his tragic situation. He was alone for three months, knowing that his loved ones were in pain missing him. The lump in your throat formed, “why don’t we sit down?” You grabbed his hand, almost retracting yours from the ice cold feeling. When you looked up at him, your eyes seemed like a mirror, reflecting the light as a burning feeling reached your nose. Don’t cry, you reminded yourself. Soobin, who had longed for the warm feeling, unconsciously tightened his grip on your hand as he moved closer. Noticing this warmed your heart, it relieved you that he seemed to enjoy your contrasting temperature. You wanted to give him the warmth he needed, so you placed another hand on his. The two of you smiled at each other before heading to the living room. His smile contained so much kindness, you wish you knew him before he had passed away.

Soobin had talked on and on about his plan to get his friends and parents here. You could tell he was excited and thought a lot about how to this this, however, it didn’t seem that he thought of the consequences. It was a wholesome plan, but you just didn’t think it would work out. Although his plan wasn’t all that great, you knew that the reason he couldn’t find peace was because he didn’t get to say goodbye. You had to compromise. “Soobin,” you took a deep breath before looking him in the eyes, “I don’t think telling your loved ones that you’re a ghost is a good idea.” You were met with Soobin’s confusion. “Well they obviously won’t believe you at first, but that’s where I come-”

“No Soobin... I don’t think they should know that you’re still somewhat on this earth.” The hurt on his face tore you to shreds, he felt betrayed. “And why not? I thought you were going to help me.” Soobin released his grip on your hands, confusion turning into anger. His narrowed eyes were locked on you. “I still want to help you Soobin... it’s just... they have been adjusting to your death for three months. In other words, they are three months into grieving.” You hoped he would understand as you reached for his hand. Soobin’s pale face tensed up as he pulled his hand further away. “As if you would know. My parents need to know that I’m okay! You don’t know what it’s like, so keep your shitty opinion to yourself. If you won’t help me then I’ll figure out another way.” Venom was laced in his voice and you noticed he seemed to be going in and out of transparency. You stayed calm, “I could never know what you’re going through, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to help. We can think of another way. By telling them you’re a ghost, you’d be giving them hope to be with you again. They’d have to lose you all over again, who knows what could happen to you as a ghost. I’m sure it would hurt them to know that this whole time you were alone and not in a better place.” You hadn’t looked away from Soobin, so you were able to see his expression change. His furrowed brows seemed to drop as he looked at the ground, clearly upset. He looked lost, his hope of saying goodbye being stripped from him. You felt guilty that you were the one to make him like this, but it was the right thing to do. Or were you just telling yourself that?

 “What am I supposed to do now?” Soobin felt defeated, he was stuck in a place he didn’t belong. You slowly leaned into Soobin, looking for any sign of disapproval, and hugged him. The warmth that enveloped Soobin like a blanket was still able to give him comfort. “You could always write a letter and pretend you wrote it before you died.” You talked softly, scared that any harsher of a tone would break him even more. Soobin escaped from your hug with newly found hope, his red puffy eyes looking at your pity filled ones. “That’s a brilliant idea!” Soobin was sad that he wouldn’t get to have a conversation, but at least this would cause less pain. Looking at his excited self made you wish you thought of this plan sooner. You had just met this man, but you were completely willing to make him happy. You assumed it was just the fact that you’d want the same done for you. “Well let’s get some rest and then we can start on that tomorrow.” Soobin nodded, he didn’t need any sleep, but knew that it was important for you. You still managed to get the couch comfortable for him, even putting a heavy blanket over him just in case it would work. Although Soobin knew blankets would do nothing to ease the cold feeling, he felt warm on the inside as you tried to take care of him.

When you fell asleep Soobin hesistantly walked through the wall and into your room. His eyes softened as he looked at your relaxed form. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was scared. Scared that if he didn’t stay beside you, he would be forgotten. Which led him to sitting beside your bed, holding your hand for the warmth.

You could smell something delicious, making your mouth water as you woke up. With eyes halfway open, you made your way to the smell that was coming from the kitchen. “Oh you’re awake!” Soobin turned towards you, hearing your dragging steps. Seeing him like this made you feel like you lived with him for a while. You’re once tired eyes opened wide as you realized he was cooking. “You cook?” You asked as you walked over to him. “I cooked here and there when I was alive. I heard that you’re not a really good cook and thought that I could pay you back for your help.” Soobin’s small smile and words left your cheeks tinted red. “You didn’t have to do this.” You couldn’t help your watery mouth when you looked at the fresh pancakes. When Soobin looked at you he was overjoyed seeing your shining eyes looking at the pancakes. “Yeah I know, but I wanted to. Besides I thought you’d be hungry.” He slid the last pancake onto the plate as he brought it to the table. “I’m not that hungry...” You tried to play it off, but the rumble coming from your stomach betrayed you. Soobin chuckeled, “eat up. I can’t really eat.” You we’re stuck looking at Soobin. You didn’t even think about it... he couldn’t really enjoy pancakes anymore. Shaking away this thought, you spread the syrup and grabbed the fork in excitement. As you went to dig in, you saw Soobin staring at you with a smile on his face, causing you to slow down.

“So when do you want to start writing?” You swallowed a big piece of the pancake as you waiting for an answer. “I’ve actually started already. The problem is that I keep throwing them away because I don’t know what to say.” Soobin sighed, resting his chin on his palm. “Why don’t you try writing from the heart?” The words flowed out of your mouth, too busy focusing on your almost finished pancakes. Soobin looked at you, clearly unimpressed. “Why didn’t I think of that? Oh wait... I did.” You laughed a bit at his sarcastic tone, now putting up the dirty plate. Soobin came up behind you, grabbing your arm and swinging it. “I need help.” He pouted. “Well... have you tried starting with the memories you’ve shared? That way you can work your way up and really know what it is you want to say.” You used to write a lot of letters for your friends and this had always helped you.

Soobin nodded, heading over to the small table where tons of paper were sprawled about. By the time you got over there Soobin had already picked up the pen and started writing. Being the nosy person you are, you read over his shoulder, giggling at the cute memories he wrote down.

“No way... did you really set your couch on fire and try to hide it?” You were hunched over trying to catch your breath as you visualized a tiny Soobin sitting on the burnt fabric, never getting up in attempt to hide it. Soobin, watching your fit of laughter, smiles fondly. Your laughter was beautiful and he never wanted to let it go. “Says the one who nearly burnt her house down trying to cook.” Soobin added in, causing your laughter to come to a halt. “You weren’t supposed to know about that.” You cursed your dad in your head.

You started to learn a lot about Soobin from reading about his life, to talking with each other. The longer Soobin was around, the more your head was filled with thoughts of him, but you blamed it on the fact that he was in the same room as you. “Ugh... I finally finished and need a break.” Without thinking about it, Soobin grabbed your hands and placed them on his chest. He couldn’t help but long for your warm touch. you were now pressed up against the chair and his back, leaving your face awfully close to his. The close proximity made your face heat up and when Soobin turned to look at you, you panicked. Coughing you withdrew your hands and backed up a bit. “Then let’s talk.” You pulled a chair next to Soobin and sat down. Soobin knew that he flustered you and he couldn’t help but enjoy it. He knew he was being selfish, but the feeling of his fake heart beating told him that he was starting to see you as more than the living girl willing to help him. You on the other hand, wouldn’t allow yourself to admit the reason behind your not so subtle glances at him that made your heart flutter. When you looked at him now he seemed different. He seemed... happy. Looking at him like this, you could easily mistake him for an everyday attractive boy. Couldn’t the two of you just stick together? The selfish thought of yours shocked you. If you did that then you’d be forcing him to live without his friends and family. Couldn’t you be enough? You quickly disregarded these thoughts, Soobin needed to find peace and you were not going to be the one to stop him. 

You didn’t notice your eyes getting watery until a single tear streamed down your cheek. Soobin managed to see this. “Maybe we should talk about this whole thing.” He suggested, leading you to the couch as you quickly wiped the tear away. He ended up laying his head on his thighs as you ran your fingers through his hair. “Okay... what about it?” You asked with a heavy heart. “I know you’ve been wondering what I think about this whole situation.” You nodded your head, admitting to your prying mind. “I’m a little scared.” You could see where this was going, the look on his face showing concern as his eyes darted around. “I can’t help but wonder what comes next.” He took a deep breath in. “What if I get stuck here or if wherever I’m going isn’t as nice as it seems?” After telling this to you, Soobin felt the weight lift off of his shoulders, but you were stuck thinking about how he was going to go into the unknown. “Well... I don’t know. It depends what you believe, but what I do know is that you won’t have to feel out of place anymore. You’ll probably be comforted by the big bright light.” You yourself didn’t know what you believed, but Soobin’s glow was enough to reassure you he’d be alright. 

There was a soothing silence before Soobin spoke up once more. “I don’t want to be just another memory that gets forgotten.” Soobin was now looking at your eyes that were focusing on his hair. “You would never be just a memory, nor would you be forgotten. You lived Soobin and in everyone’s hearts you will stay alive.” His hands grabbed yours, placing them where his heart should be. This caused you to look into his ocean blue eyes. The eyes that once lacked life were filled with emotions, causing a fire to ignite within you. You couldn’t lie to yourself anymore, you were falling for him. A forbidden relationship that should never exist. Maybe you didn’t want to admit this to yourself because you knew it would end in heartbreak, but you couldn’t seem to lie to yourself anymore. “Thank you.” Soobin wanted so badly to confess to you, but he was dead. He wanted to stay for you, but he knew it would only hold you back, so he kept his feelings to himself. He could tell you were being distant, so he made sure to continue. “You know... when I first saw you I knew there was something different about you, so I kept trying to get your attention.” Soobin wore a smile now, and you noticed that he was slightly glowing. He was ready to accept death completely and you had to live with that. “Well I’m glad I was finally able to meet you.” You successfully hid your sadness behind a smile. In order to stop himself from saying something he shouldn’t, he decided to get the show on the road. “I guess you should head to Yeonjun’s house now.” Soobin hesitantly mentioned. The two of you looked at eachother in silence, both having so much to say, but keeping it all in. “Yeah... I guess so. Bye Soobin... I’m glad I could help you.” You quickly grabbed the envelopes as you left in a heartbeat.

When you arrived at Yeonjun’s house, you didn’t think you would be this nervous. Hesistantly knocking on the door, you were trying to shake your nerves away. Maybe you should’ve mailed them. Your breath hitched while watching the wooden door open. The man who had opened it was young, blonde, and very handsome. “Hi, I’m looking for someone named Yeonjun. I found this letter left behind from the house I just moved into. Your address was on it.” The exact words that you rehearsed on your way here were hard to get out. “Okay well... I’m Yeonjun.” He looked at you weirdly, probably ready to call the cops if anything went south. “It says it’s from Soobin.” With that one name Yeonjun’s happy exterior seemed to deflate. “Oh... thank you.” His shaky voice broke your heart, you knew they’ve been best friends for the longest. “I hate to ask this... but there’s also one for someone named Hueningkai.” The boy infront of you clearly was having a hard time dealing with Soobin’s death. “He’s actually here right now. I’ll take it to him.” You handed him the other letter, reluctant to leave. “You know, you look like his type.” You looked up at the blond best friend with a raised eyebrow. “Who?”

“Soobin.” His answer left a bitter sweet feeling in you as you just smiled and nodded before walking away. You were close to tears, but wanted to be strong for Soobin. Seeing his parents could potentially break your heart even more, but you knew it was for the best. You used everything you could to distract yourself from the sad thought, now choosing to look at the different colors of the pavement. You must’ve been so distracted that you managed to forget about the world around you, that was until the unfamiliar door opened. You were now looking at a man that resembled Soobin in many ways, just older. It was obvious this was his dad. His sunken eyes were a little too noticeable and you were correct, your heart was breaking piece by piece. It was almost like you were reliving the life that was lost. Just seeing the people he wrote about left images of what the memories looked like to you. Why did the world have to take away this young twenty-two year old? Holding back the tears, you once again said what was rehearsed, like a broken record. “Hi, I’m sorry to bother you, but these two notes were left behind from where I just moved. They had your address on them and it’s from someone named Soobin.” His already sad eyes seemed to fall deeper in the darkness as he shakily took the letters, with a faint thank you. Before he could close the door you couldn’t help yourself and went off script. “Your son must really love you. I bet he’d want you to live a nice, long, and happy life.” You could tell he considered your words, finally walking into the house with his shoulders raised. The moment the door shut was when you realized that Soobin should’ve found peace by now. Instead of crying, you decided to hold it all in.

You didn’t realize how lonely you could feel until you opened the door. You kept reminding yourself that he had found peace, but you just felt numb. that was until you saw the tall black haired ghost looking at you with a frown. You wish your heart didn’t flip when you saw him. You wish that you didn’t hope to see him one last time. Although you wanted to be happy for this moment with him, you panicked. “What are you doing here? You should’ve found peace!” Did something go wrong? “Y/N... the reason I can’t move on yet is... is because of you.” You didn’t know how to react. His words sent a surge of emotions through you, causing you to lash out. “Soobin you can’t stay here! There’s nothing keeping you here! I’m okay with you leaving!” The lies left your mouth, anything to have him move on. Soobin didn’t say anything as he walked over to you, strongly pulling you against him. His hand pushed your head against his chest as he rubbed your back. “Please...” the anger left your body as you struggled to keep your tears back. “I couldn’t leave yet because it didn’t feel right. I never gave you a proper goodbye. Now... it’s okay to cry, I’ll miss you too.” He seemed to hug you tighter, his words relieving you. “Why did you have to die?” Tears ran down your cheeks as you started to shake from your choked sobs. “I don’t want to lose you, but I can’t keep you here.” Soobin’s shirt was getting drenched as you continued to cry into it. 

He pushed you back a little so he could look into your eyes. “I like you Y/N and I’m sorry that we had to meet like this.” His eyes were red and puffy, but you didn’t have time to say anything before he leaned in, placing his cold, soft lips against yours. The kiss was passionate, the two of you never wanting to let go of this moment. You grew to enjoy his cold comforting touch, but it was slowly disappearing. When your lips left eachother Soobin made sure to put his hand over your eyes. “Please... just keep your eyes closed.” You listened to his last wish, shaking as you choked out a goodbye. The little trace of cold was replaced by warmth, causing you to fall to your knees as your eyes opened. You were met with an empty living room. For once, the house felt warm, but this could never make up for the internal warmth that had been stripped from you.

The next day was hard. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion and you seemed to zone out the whole day. People continued on with their lives as if nothing happened, but you knew and that was enough. You were able to say goodbye and you were grateful for that. When you got home and tossed your keys on the dresser, you became aware of the white envelope with Soobin’s handwriting. You were delicate with the envelope, not wanting to rip it. This letter was to you, the last thing you had of Soobin.

Dear Y/N,

You told me to write about my memories and work my way up. Sadly, we didn’t have much time together, however, every moment spent with you meant a lot to me. The days can get hard, but life is worth living. Even when everything seems to be going wrong, there is always something good right around the corner. Anyways, I’m sorry for scaring you that night, although I wish I could’ve messed with you some more before I leave...or left. I’ve never met someone who has made me feel the way you do. If you’re willing, I’d like to meet you in another life. Our time together was too short. I want to thank you as well. Thank you for helping me move on and for finally being able to save me from the cold. Please don’t cling onto me, I’d like you to move on as well. Let’s both be happy. Thank you for keeping me alive in your heart.

Love, your ghost boy Soobinie

[trashyswitch]

Living as an Afton

Michael recalls memories of being the idiot adolescent in the family. He spends his adolescence slightly humiliating the Afton Family and being the butt of jokes, yet grows to enjoy some aspects of being in his family.

I'm gonna start straying away from Fnaf a little bit after this fanfic, and try to get some prompts and headcanons done for a few people. But, I hope you all enjoy this fanfic.

Michael had always felt like the bullied one in his family. He wasn’t presented as the favorite, and it wasn’t hard to see which child was the favored child. And yet...sometimes Michael wonders if maybe he’s teased the most by the family because of the family dynamic he was born into. Or maybe he's treated this way because of how he acts in public around them.

He remembers when they were shopping together at the mall, and William had met up with a staff member from the pizzeria. He remembered that he wanted to make himself presentable with a silly little joke that would contradict his father’s job completely: if he likes pizza or not. He was gonna walk up to the staff member and declare that he hates pizza. The truth was, Michael actually loved Pizza and thinking he knew his father, he thought he might go along with it. But Michael never got that joke out.

Why? Well…

“The child running around with Elizabeth, is Chris: my youngest.” William introduced. “And this is Michael-”

Michael walked in front of his father. “I CAN’T STAND- OH FU-” Michael shouted as he lost his balance. Before the boy could physically stop himself, Michael had fallen into a stringed pit of kids bouncy balls that was right beside them. Michael’s body flopped right through the strings, right into the balls and knocked almost every single ball right out of the pit!

Elizabeth and Chris had stopped running and both bursted out laughing at Michael and the multi-colored balls that now bounced all around the area! William’s wife was giggling as well, and walked over to help the adolescent back onto his feet. Meanwhile, William was rubbing his forehead in utter embarrassment while the staff member had wide eyes and suppressed his own laughter. Michael had basically made a fool of both himself and his father, right in front of a Fazbear’s staff member. Not only that, but Michael had also made himself known in the store as ‘the kid who fell in the bouncy pit’. When word spread that he was the eldest from the Afton family, Michael would later be referred to as ‘Clumsy Afton’.

There were moments though, when Michael would be teased in a more positive way by his father. His younger siblings had become REALLY good at making fun of him...And because he was the older one who got in trouble for making fun of them, Michael would just take the teasing.

William and the family were taking care of some garbage bags. They had been doing some gardening and leaf-discarding as well, meaning there were a few more garbage bags than usual. William, Clara, Michael and Elizabeth (With some of Michael's help) carried a bag each up to the front lawn. By the time William had gotten his bag up, there were 2 bags sitting there already, with William and Clara watching the kids.

Elizabeth placed her bag down beside Michael’s. “Hey look!” Elizabeth declared, before pushing Michael into the garbage bags. “It’s garbage!” Elizabeth told them.

“HEY!” Michael yelled, struggling to get back up thanks to the stretchy, slippery bags.

“Elizabeth! That’s rude.” Clara yelled at her, pulling her away from the bags. William couldn’t help but stifle a laugh at Elizabeth’s joke.

Michael glared at his father. “Wow. Real nice of you.” Michael spat at him.

William lifted an eyebrow. “Aww, did I hurt Michael Trashton’s feelings?” William teased.

Michael’s jaw dropped, but only for a moment. Feeling agitated, Michael huffed and crossed his arms. “Yes. and that just made it worse.” William added.

William chuckled and shook his head, while Michael lifted up his hand to his father. “Hey Dad. I won’t tell Mom that you called me Trashton, if you help me up.” Michael offered.

William raised his eyes a little and decided to agree. Michael has been known to be a bit of a snitcher when it came down to it. So, taking any bribery to keep his mouth shut, was an opportunity you should always take.

William brought his hand over and grabbed onto Michael’s hand. He was about to lift him up, but Michael suddenly pulled him first! William yelped and fell right into the black garbage bags. “Michael!!” William yelled, grabbing him and putting him into a headlock. Michael chuckled a little, reached back and just tickled his father’s sides in retaliation. “HEHEhehey! No, stop that!” William bursted out, letting him go immediately and covering his sides. William turned himself right around to face his father and continued to tickle him anywhere he was vulnerable. “If I’m Michael Trashton, then you must be an old Snickers bar!” Michael declared.

“WAIT- GAAHEHEHEHEHEHE! DOHOHON’T TIHIHICKLE MEHEHE!” William bursted out laughing.

“Well that’s not fair! Wrestling and fake fist fights are not allowed either! I gotta fight my father somehow!” Michael argued.

“TICKLE FIGHT ON DADDY!” Elizabeth declared, jumping into the trash bags to tickle her Dad.

“EEEEHEHEK! WAHAHAIT! NOHOHOT YOHOHOU TOOHOHOHOHO!” William shouted as his armpits were attacked by Elizabeth’s tiny fingers.

Clara just giggled at the silly scene in front of her, and it didn’t take long for Clara to get Chris in on it too. “Hey Chris...Go tickle his tummy.” Clara encouraged, lifting him up and flying him over to the garbage pile. “Look out! Another tickle monster on the loose!” Clara told them, before placing Chris onto William’s belly.

“WAHAHAIT! CLAHAHARA! WHYHYHYHY?!” William asked.

“Cause it’s funny!” Clara replied. “Plus, I didn’t want poor Chris getting kicked in the face if he went for your feet.” Clara added.

“Mom! Go for his feet!” Elizabeth told her, pausing her tickling for a moment.

William pushed Michael aside and pulled the adolescent into his lap. “Mwahahaha...I’ve got you now!” William teased, before tickling Michael back. “If I’m an old snickers bar, then you must be a Laffy Taffy package.” William added.

Michael squeaked and started pushing his father’s hands away as he tickled him. “WAHAIT- DAHAHAHAHAHAD!” Michael laughed.

“Yes?” William replied.

“NOHOHOT MYHY AHAHAHARMPIHIHIHITS!” Michael screamed at him.

William just smirked at that. “Okay. I’ll go somewhere else then.” William replied before stopping. Michael happily took the break, and recuperated his breath as much as he could, before he would be tickled again. Unfortunately, Michael only got a few slow seconds before his ankle was grabbed and his shoe was thrown off.

“William...Do you really have to get Michael back? It’s cold out here.” Clara asked.

“Yes. I do.” William replied.

“Can’t you tickle him inside?” Clara compromised.

William smirked and started tickling Michael’s socked foot. “Nope.” He replied proudly.

“EEEEEP!” Michael shrieked, tugging his foot. He threw his head back and BURSTEDwith laughter! “NAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NOHOHOHO! NOHOHOHOT MYHYHY FEHEHEHEHEET!” Michael begged.

“What’s this? Your feet are more ticklish than your armpits? What a strange conundrum.” William teased.

“YOHOHOHOHOU SUHUHUHUHUCK!” Michael shot at him.

“Like a leaf blower? Like a vaccuum? Oooor like a straw?” William teased.

“SHUHUHUHUT UHUHUHUP!” Michael yelled back.

“Naaaah...I’ll never shut up- EEEEP!” William’s smooth teasing quickly lost its spark as William felt skittering fingers on his feet. “HAHA- Clara, d-dearest, NO!” William warned suddenly.

William was staring down his mischievous wife, who was holding his ankles and prepared to tickle them. Clara’s smile just widened more as he metaphorically cornered William into a wall. “You must choose, Mr. Afton. Get your feet tickled or perish in our lovely home.” Clara warned, bringing her voice low like a villain.

“No! NO! CLARA! DON’T DO IT!” William begged with a wobbly smile on his face.

Clara’s smirk only grew bigger before she skittered her fingers all over William’s foot. William shrieked and shook his head as laughter spilled out of his mouth like a tap on full force. His kids were just watching with smiles on their faces, while Chris was laying on William’s shirt and bouncing from William’s laughter.

“WeEeEeEeEeEeEe!” Chris exclaimed. Michael and Elizabeth both bursted out laughing at the funny scene.

Even though Michael may have been bullied and teased a little more than the rest, the Afton family still had it’s fun moments. Even though Michael has proved himself to be a clumsy idiot with a record of creating havoc, Michael was still glad to know his father was capable of being embarrassed in front of his family members.

Even if it is something as innocent as tickling…

Later on, Michael got a chance to somewhat bond with his father. He was playing a song on the record player, while he was brushing his hair in front of the mirror, the middle of the living room. Michael still didn’t know why his father would do this, but...he did happen to know the song that he was singing while he brushed his hair.

“🎶Where it began...I can’t begin to knowin’...But then I know it’s growin’ stroooong…Was in the spring...And spring became the summer...Who’d have believed you’d cooome aloooong...🎶” William sang. “🎶Haaaaaaands...Touchin’ haaaaands...Reachin’ oooutt, touching me, touching yooooouuuu-🎶”

Michael decided to join him. “🎶Sweeeet Caroliiine-🎶” Michael sang.

“BWAH BWAH BWAAAH!” William shouted.

“🎶Good times Neveeer seemed sooo goooood…🎶” Michael sang.

“SO GOOD! SO GOOD! SO GOOD!” William shouted.

“🎶IIIII’ve been incliiiined…🎶 BWAH BWAH BWAH! 🎶To believe they never woooould, but...now...I...🎶” Michael and William both sang.

William pointed to Michael. “Alright, alright. 🎶Look at the niiight...And it don’t seem so lonely...We fill it uuup with ooonly twoooo…🎶” Michael sang, before pointing at William.

“Really?” William reacted.

“Yeah! Go!” Michael told him.

“Okay. 🎶And when III hurt...Hurting runs off my shoulders...How can I hurt when hooolding yoooouuu?🎶” William sang, walking up to his wife and holding her hand. “🎶Oooooonne...Touching ooooonnne...Reeaachin’ ooouut, touching meeee, touchin’ yoooooouuuu!🎶” William sang to his wife.

“Awww, Will…” Clara cooed.

“🎶Sweeet Clara-liiiine…🎶” William sang, adding her name within the name Caroline. Clara giggled at this.

“BWAH BWAH BWAAAH!” Michael shouted, completely ruining the gushy moment.

“Michael!” William shouted back.

Clara just bursted out laughing at Michael. “🎶Good times neveeer seemed sooo gooood…🎶” Clara sang.

“SO GOOD! SO GOOD! SO GOOD!” William and Michael both shouted at once.

Clara laughed yet again. “🎶III’ve been incliiiined…🎶 -BWAH BWAH BWAAAH!” Clara sang, before shouting the trumpet part as well.

“YEEEAAAAH!” William and Michael both cheered as Michael ran to them both. “🎶To believe they never would...oh...nooo, nooo…🎶” William and Michael both sang to Clara.

“Awww! My sweet boys!” Clara cooed, cupping one cheek on each of the boys.

“Mooom!” Michael whined, not liking the childish coos. Clara giggled and removed her hand.

“Staaawwwp...You’re making me blush.” William complained, pouting like a child.

Clara giggled and tickled his side in response. "Aww, poor baby." Clara cooed.

William yelped in surprise and threw his hands in front of him. “Noooooo, don’t you dare.” William warned.

Michael chuckled and tickled him too. “I dare.” Michael announced to him.

“NOhoho! Evil!” William reacted. William started pointing to the both of them. “Evil, evil, evil.” He whined.

“Oh? How evil?” Clara asked before squeezing his side.

“Very eVIHIHIL! STAPIT!” William laughed, waving his hands around.

But Michael just squeezed his other side. “Not as evil as me, I’m sure.” Michael teased.

Clara lifted an eyebrow and smirked. “Is that a compliment? Or a challenge?” Clara asked her son as she squeezed her husband’s side a few more times. William started wiggling away, and whimpering with titters in between.

“Both.” Michael replied proudly, squeezing his other side a few more times.

William finally wheezed and breathed in to let out his laughter. “STAHAHAhahap!” William giggled.

“Truce?” Michael offered her mother.

Clara looked at William’s flustered and giggled state. “Perhaps a partnership?”

“Oooooh!” Michael reacted, growing interested. “Okay.” Michael replied before he shook on it.

‘Wait, WHAT?!” William shouted.

“Get him!” Clara shouted to Michael.

Clara and Michael took some spare time to freaking destroy William with tickles. It was long after the song had ended, that William had finally gotten his break. Michael and Clara laid beside him, and it didn’t take long for William to wrap his arms around both of them and tickle them back. Michael and Clara’s laughter filled the room for a good while, before the house soon fell into white noise and panting.

So, Michael began to see his family a little differently. They were loving in their own way, and showed their vulnerable love once in a while. And so, Michael counted the happy memories he had made.

Perhaps one day, he’ll be able to say his family’s pretty alright.

[yetanotherhoeforpedro]

Sinfully Armored

Chapter 2 - Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 1

When you walked down to the training rooms the next afternoon, you wondered how you ever let Luke talk you into doing this. It’s not like his mind tricks would have worked on you, although that seemed like the only logical explanation. But when he brought you your favorite breakfast this morning and asked to take the mysterious tinman and fake Yoda with you on your mission with his puppy eyes, you couldn’t disagree. Plus, you couldn’t deny that you might need some back-up, a Mandalorian bounty hunter at your side would be a great advantage. If, of course, he didn’t kill you first, given how much he hated your guts.

As you arrived at the door, you paused and sighed. There was no turning back anymore. With a quick swipe of the Force, you opened it and stepped inside. The Mandalorian was sitting cross-legged on the floor with the child laying across his lap. It was playing with a small silver ball, letting it hover in front of the warrior’s face. It was weirdly domestic, hardly what you would’ve expected of a Mandalorian. You had to admit that how deeply he cared for the little one proved of a somewhat decent character. And Luke hoped you could get along. He had asked you to try and smoothen things out with the stranger this morning, for everyone’s sake. Nonetheless, the idea of spending a good amount of time in space with him wasn’t too appealing.

He looked up at you, the frown almost visible despite his helmet. “Oh, don’t you give me that look, I know you despise me, but we’ll have to put up with each other for a while if you want your kid to become a Jedi,” you said as a way of greeting. He didn’t respond, so the conversation was up to you. “I assume they didn’t teach you much about humor back on Mandalore, huh?” you attempted to break the silence again. “Don’t you dare mention my home,” he growled. “Or what?”, you challenged him, not able to resist the provocation.

He put the foundling down, rose and took a few deliberate steps towards you until he was right in front of you. Maker, he was huge, towering you by maybe one foot. Then he slowly bent his visor down to you. “It – wouldn’t be wise”, he replied.  “You know what’s unwise? Threatening a Jedi. If you believe your shiny armor could protect you from me, you’re terribly mistaken,” you retort with a snort, holding his stare. He moved his helmet up and down and you felt his eyes taking you in. Your heart began to beat a bit faster, but not out of fear. You were too horny for your own good as well.

“We’ll see about that”, he said after a while, slowly turned and went back to your new – Padawan? You had no idea what the child was to you. The obvious disrespect conveyed through him turning his back on you made you blaze up with rage. He sat back down and picked the green creature up again. Looking up at you, he added: “Why do you look so furious? I thought Jedi weren’t allowed to feel anger”. That comment didn’t help your aggression. “Why are you suddenly so big with words?” You knew your come-back was weak before you it even fully passed your lips, but he had hit your weak spot. And he seemed to know it. You bet he was looking pretty smug underneath his stupid helmet right now.

Before the situation could escalate any further, Luke entered. “I see you two have become friends already. How nice!” Luke joked, but he shot you a warning glance at the almost tangible animosity in the room. You shrugged, but felt a little ashamed. You should have been above these provocations.

“Are you ready to chase down some Imperial criminals?” Luke went on. “Always.” You grinned at him and the corners of his mouth quirked up slightly in response. The Mandalorian also got up once more. “Let’s go,” he said dryly and pushed past you to get out of the room. “See why I don’t get along with him?” you whispered to Luke. He just shook his head with a smile. You grinned back at him and the two of you followed the rude stranger to the ships.

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

“C’mon Luke, another shitty ship? You’d think we couldn’t afford any new ones!” you exclaim upon the sight of the wreckage in front of you. The ancient ship looked like it had seen far better days. Luke rolled his eyes, beyond dealing with your constant sarcasm. You were well aware that remaining inconspicuous was important for your missions, but you wouldn’t mind a little more luxury for once.

As you were still taking in the ship, R2-D2 rolled up to you. You turned to Luke with a confused expression. “You’ll need a droid on this mission, and I’d trust no one to be more competent than Artoo,” Luke said to you while patting R2. You furrowed your brows. “Luke–,” you began. “A droid won’t be necessary,” the Mandalorian interrupted. “We can handle this.” At that, you turned back to the man. “Are you scared of R2?” you mocked him. “And you’re wrong, we do need a droid to navigate and assist us on this mission.” The intruder sighed. “Fine.” To your surprise, he didn’t seem to be up for another fight with you.

You spun back to face Luke. “We cannot take Artoo with us, any other droid will do. I know what he means to you,” you uttered softly. Luke gave you a fond look. “And that’s why I trust you to take good care of him.” He put a hand on your shoulder. “You’re my best fighter and I want you take him with you. You might think it’ll be a burden to protect him, but he might just turn out to be the one to protect you. You know how often he saved my ass.” He smiled tentatively at the memories.

“All right, Luke. It’ll be an honor to have him accompany me – us.” You smiled at him and put your hand on his shoulder as well. Without a warning, he pulled you in for a hug. “Be careful,” he whispered into your ear. You were astonished at the sudden show of affection, he wasn’t usually that cordial before sending you off to missions. He let you go and you blushed slightly. In your peripheral you noticed a helmet facing you. “I always am,” you replied, but this time the sarcasm didn’t reach your voice. Luke didn’t say anything else; he only pressed a small device in your hand – most likely the map – and brushed your cheek with the back of his hand softly while shooting one last look at the Mandalorian behind you before departing. You looked after him in wonder, the blush probably visible on your face now. Keeping your head down, you walked past the Mandalorian and entered the ship without another word.

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

You welcomed the quiet of the cockpit, staring out into space for hours without hearing any sounds, completely lost in your thoughts. Why did Luke act so weirdly? Why did you have to crush on him of all people? It was not like you had developed any serious feelings for him, at least not yet. He was more of a friend you wanted to fuck sometimes, but you feared that if you gave into those desires, serious feelings would follow, which would jeopardize both your friendship to him and your moral code. You let out a long sigh and wondered if it was time to change your morals. Luke was right, why should it be illegal to love? But your past held you back, as it always did. It would have been downright treacherous to give in to your desires at this point.

Heavy footsteps pulled you out of your identity crisis as the Mandalorian entered the cockpit and sank down into the seat next to you. “What do you want?” you inquired sharply. You were so not in the mood to be taunted by him. He slowly turned his helmet towards you. “What’s with the foul attitude? Missing your boyfriend already?” he replied, his voice tinted with venom. Maker, he knew how to push your buttons. “Fuck you,” you answered, way beyond coming up with witty retorts. “Oh, I don’t think it’s me you want to fuck,” he said, and you could hear a grin in his voice. “Cut the crap. We’ll be here for a while, so why don’t we at least try to get along?” You swallowed your anger down and tried to reason with him. He stared at you for some time before he got up again and left. You wondered why you even made the effort; he was clearly a lost cause.

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

After enjoying a bit more solitude, you decided it was time to fulfill your duty. You promised Luke you’d try to train the green child and it’s not like there was anything else to do to pass the seemingly endless periods in space. You got up and stretched a little, the muscles in your back and shoulders being sore from sitting for too long. As you opened the door to leave the cockpit, your destination was already standing at your feet. “Hey, little guy,” you said, once more a little disheveled by his appearance and allowed him to waddle past you into the cockpit. After a few steps, he turned around and looked at you expectantly. You raised an eyebrow. “You sensed my intentions, huh?” you murmured quietly. Apparently, the Force was quite strong with him.

“I guess you coming to me means you are willing to let me instruct you?” You sensed his approval through the Force. Interesting, why would he have agreed to let you train him, but not Luke? Especially considering the fact that his dad hated you openly and most ardently.

“Great. Now, I don’t want to bore you, but let’s start with the basics,” you began. Grogu cocked his head to the side. “First of all, you need to be sure that you are willing to follow the Jedi Codex. It’s what allows us to use the Force without losing ourselves in it like those who turn to the Dark Side.” Through the Force, the little one showed you images of you and the Mandalorian fighting, a sneer on your face. “Grogu!” you exclaimed offendedly. “I see Luke has already told you all about our principles and all I can say in my defense is that nobody’s perfect and I’m working on it.”

His humor reached you and you couldn’t help smiling at him. His looks really were the only thing he had in common with your late Jedi Master. “You know what, I like you.” You thought you caught a wave of him returning your sentiments, but it was gone quickly. “But between us,” you gave him a conspiratorial grin, “your dad’s a total prick.” He didn’t seem to take any offense in this statement and rather appeared utterly amused.

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

You spent the following couple of hours connecting with Grogu through the Force and going over the basics of wielding such a power. You only stopped as hunger overcame you and your apprentice seemed to lose focus as well. “You did well today, Grogu,” you praised him. The little guy had somehow managed to waddle his way into your heart in the last few hours. “You deserve some rest.” You opened the door once more and spotted the Mandalorian standing next to it. Without a word, he picked Grogu up and left, probably to retire him to bed.

You yawned, feeling exhausted despite not having done much today and groggily searched for your food reserves. You came upon some toast and dried fruits, that’d have to do for now. You took your dinner back to your cot and settled in for a relaxed night, when a shadow suddenly blocked your vision.

Maker, how did he sneak up to you without you noticing? You must have been even more exhausted than you believed. “What?” you snapped at him, simply wanting to eat and sleep. “You wore him down way too much. You can’t wear him out like that, what were you thinking?” he snarked accusingly. The annoyance at his audacity filled you with energy again. “What are you thinking, questioning my methods of teaching like that. Do I need to remind you which one of us is the Jedi again?” You tried to stare at him with as much hate as you could muster. “Do I need to remind you that he is my child?” His modulated voice came out in huffs. “That attitude is exactly why it’s been so hard for Luke to train him.” You sunk back into your cot and laid down. You closed your eyes for a moment and when you reopened them, the shadow was gone.

Chapter 3

Masterlist

[peakyblinderswhore]

Can you do Thomas Shelby x reader imagine where they are married couple and have children together, basically imagine where they are looking after their kids and do parents job, or you choose it, something to do with them and their kids.

A/N: i forgot to say sorry for the long delay, wednesday i had until the afternoon to myself and finished up the finn one and posted it and started this one but had to go out. then thursday i fell so ill i hadn’t slept properly all night but i still had to go out for the day so i didn’t write a thing! a big fat apology from me and please know i am very excited for what’s to come :)

W/C:  2.2k

You open your eyes, the sunlight streaming through the thin curtains that adorned each window of your room. Your hair was lying around your face on the pillow that your head rested on, making you look like a sleeping angel.

Of course, you’re not self-absorbed like that, but Tommy always tells you how much you look like an angel, swearing that you saved his life for many reasons over the years but mostly for just existing – he says.

You smile at the thought of him, you remember the day the two of you were married. You’d been fucking for years on and off and then one day Polly pushed him into it, well that’s your suspicion since she’d given you odd looks every time you stood side-on or complained about your breasts aching. Polly always had an eye for knowing when someone was pregnant. You hadn’t even known yourself until Polly pointed it out to you after he had proposed.

Sighing in content at your memory you lifted your left hand – Thomas didn’t hold back when it came to someone that he loved as much as he did you.

And then came the twins, your greatest pride and deepest pleasure at heart, something that you and Tommy had created, wholly you and wholly him too, something that you would never have imagined to come true. Emma and Charlie. Charlie sometimes scared you with how much he reminded you of Tommy but secretly Tommy thought the same thing about Emma and you. They’re four years old and the light of your lives, brightening it more every day.

You pulled yourself up and out of bed and the sound of Charlie running in and calling after you, “Mama, are you up?”

You chuckle, “Yes darling, where’s your father?”

“With Emma,” Charlie replies, “what do you want for breakfast, Mama?”

“Whatever Margaret is cooking, darling, you know I’m not fussy,” you pause, pulling a robe around your shoulders and hold Charlie’s hand in yours, “are they in Emma’s room?”

“In Dad’s office, Mama.”

The two of you walk down the beautifully decorated hallway, you walk past a sideboard table with a picture of you and Tommy from when you had first started seeing each other exclusively in between a picture of Emma and one of Charlie. You smiled, more than content with what your life had become.

“Tommy, love, you in here?” You say, entering the office. 

Tommy had plenty of room in his office, the walls were full of books that he probably hadn’t read but you had insisted on having them in there so that you could spend some time together while he continued to work from home. Despite all of the room, the two chairs opposite his own in front of his desk, Emma was perched on his left leg watching him as he wrote down small bits here and there on whatever he was doing. 

“Yes, love,” he looks up from his desk smiling at your beauty, before noticing Charlie stood next to you.

Charlie let go of your hand, running over to his father he called out, “me too!” holding his arms out to be lifted by Tommy onto his leg also.

Tommy turned on his chair and caught Charlie as he jumped into his arms before placing him next to his sister. 

You smile and laugh at him smiling at his children. Your children. Everything in your life had to lead up to this, this one beautiful moment.

“And you, my love,” Tommy ushers you over waving his hand, a grin evident on his face.

You giggle at his grin, watching as it widens as you approach him with your own grin adorning your face. You were completely and utterly in love with him as he was with you. It was undeniable and every single one of the Shelby’s supported the relationship whole-heartedly. Grace had been a mess of a story and she had momentarily turned his head in her direction before Polly had held his face in place, directed at you but after he had his head screwed on straight he’d been undeniably focused on you and only you. You were his long-term goal.

Sitting proudly on his desk was a hinged double-photo frame, one side there was a picture of you with the twins resting on our lap, taken two years ago with you smiling directly into the camera, and on the other, a picture of you in a casual dress, looking off to the side in front of the estuary that backed onto your home.

Tommy puts down his pen and opens out an arm for you, offering his hand as you perched on his other leg. He kissed your jaw and leant in to whisper something into your ear, “How about we try making some more?”

The twins were oblivious to the two of you whispering to each other, merely enjoying being sat on their father’s lap as he held them close.

You lean away from his face, capturing his gaze and smiling flirtatiously, “I think I’d like that, after this one of course; you know that I may be an angel but I’m no miracle worker, only a couple more months Mr Shelby and you can start making more,” you rest your forehead on his, enjoying your moment, “after all, we were so good at making those two, weren’t we?”

Tommy kisses your lips lightly before replying, “Emma’s got the face of an angel, like you.”

“And Charlie’s got the charm of a gentleman, unlike you,” you continue smiling and watch his eyes lower.

“Don’t you go saying things you know aren’t true,” he begins, he pulls his head away from yours and faces the twins, “Charlie, Emma, let’s get Mama for telling lies about your handsome Father.”

The twins instantly agree with enjoyment and hop off of his leg and all begin to tickle you until you cry. Of course, you’re laughing the whole way through it.

The twins just stand at your side and lightly tickle your ribs while Tommy holds a firm grip around your waist so you don’t fall over whilst tickling you with his other hand. You’re involuntarily laughing hysterically at it all.

Tommy lessens the tickling and with quick thinking, you swoop up Charlie and place him under an arm and Emma under another before waddling as fast as you could across the room and out of there to the top of the grand staircase. You place Charlie down on the bannister, sit down next to him and lift up Emma to your other side, holding both of their hands as you slide down it for a hasty escape.

Shimmying into the drawing-room, past the front entrance, the three of you duck behind a long sofa, waiting for Tommy to find you. 

You hear Tommy ask a maid where the three of you had run off to and she told him that she didn’t know to which the twins giggled at. Tommy thanked the maid and played along with the game of hiding and seeking for a bit until he leant over the back of the sofa and called, “Got you!” grabbing the twins and playing around with them, one on each arm.

You carefully stand up and smile at the sight of them before declaring it was time for your breakfast. You and Tommy had agreed the day before when he had come home from the office that the two of you and the children would be spending a day together with a makeshift picnic down by the estuary. Maybe Johnny Doggs and his lot would join later on since they lived on the stretch of land a few miles over – the one that Tommy had so kindly bought them so they didn’t have to be moved along every other night.

After you had all finished your breakfast you told Charlie and Emma to put on coats in case it was cold whilst you dressed in a comfy light blue dress and heels that matched. You wrapped a shawl around your hair and walked down the stairs to fetch the picnic that you had asked Margaret to make for you the evening before. 

You thank Margaret and pick up the wicker basket and the blanket folded neatly on top before calling out, “Tommy, can you fetch my coat for me, please?”

You turn the corner  only to bump into him offering to hold the basket and help you put your coat on, “Let me help you, love.”

You blush at his kindness and slip it on, you then turn to him and kiss him full on the lips, “What did I do to deserve you?”

“I ask myself that every day,” he smiles down at you, holding your waist, the basket now resting on the floor next to the two of you, “you do know,” he begins to whisper into your ear so the maids around couldn’t hear what you were talking about; in a husky voice he says, “just because you’re a couple of months away from a new baby doesn’t mean that I don’t want to fuck you… hard.”

You raise an eyebrow, “Is that so, Mr Shelby?” you ask, close to his ear, a suggestive tone flowing throughout your words.

“Most definitely, Mrs Shelby,” he replies, gazing down at your lips. He doesn’t break contact as in one swift motion he is looping an arm around your waist to hold you close and leaning in to kiss you at the same time. His cap brushed the top of your head when he leaned in close to you, clearly not wanting to let it end any time soon.

At this moment, Charlie and Emma come galloping through one of the rooms with a worn-out Alice trying (and failing) to keep up behind them, “Apologies, Mrs Shelby, Mr Shelby said that it was okay for them to go out in their wellington boots.”

The two of you break apart, a lingering lust still within Tommy’s eyes.

“Oh, Alice, my dear, I must’ve forgotten to tell you that we’re having a picnic down by the river,” you gasp, “the twins will most likely enjoying themselves down by the river, looking for frogs and faeries alike.”

Alice smiles, “That’s okay, will you be needing me?”

“No Alice,” Tommy says, “you may help yourself to a sandwich of Margaret’s and go home when you’re finished. Thank you.”

Alice thanked the two of you and ducked out of the entryway through a door and into the kitchen. You smiled up at Tommy before smiling down at your children, “Ready, my darlings?”

It was a sunny day but it was still March so it was still chilly sometimes because of this, you pulled a hat onto Charlie’s head and a pair of earmuffs onto Emma’s.

Tommy held Charlie’s hand and the basket whilst you held Emma’s hand as you were walking down to your designated picnic spot.

“Alright,” Tommy says, gaining everyone’s attention, “you be good now and find loads of frogs,” the twin cheer and run off to the river, “we’ll be sat here and call you up for dinner when it’s time,” he calls out to them.

You throw the blanket down as you giggle at the fact that they continued screaming as they ran down the hill, eager to splash about in the river. Tommy waves his hand in dismissal and turns to look at you, “As beautiful as ever, I see.”

“Thank you, m’ lord,” you curtsey, “would you mind helping me sit down?”

He offers his hand and helps you sit on the blanketed grass. Right before your bum hits the blanket he pulls out a pillow from inside his coat and slips it under you so that you would be more comfortable.

“Thomas, did you bring a pillow?”

“I did,” he replies, setting himself up next to you.

You laugh lightly at him, “You know that I love you, right?”

“As I hope that you know that I love you too,” he replies, smiling at you before leaning back on his hands and drinking up the sun.

You smile, after everything, you had the man, the children, the house and the scenery to look forward to every time that you opened your eyes in the morning.

The air was mildly cold but the river was flowing and the grass was a lush green colour dotted with patches of wildflowers here and there. Closer to the river there were reeds growing, which Charlie enjoyed hiding in for Emma to find him. The sun was warm on your skin and the wind rustled the trees in the distance.

Everything that you had ever wished for had come true.

You lay down next to Tommy and lean your head on his chest.

“Don’t ever go away, this is perfect.”

He opens his eyes, smiles down at you and kisses the top of your head, “Never, love, never.”

[shipaholic]

Omens Universe, Chapter 9 Part 2

Posting a little early today!

Mention of guns.

Link to next part at the end.

(From the beginning)

(last part)

(chrono)

---

Chapter 9, cont. 2019

Sunday, six days until Armageddon

The shadows were long in the garden. It was summer, and the sun had begun to think about slipping placidly beneath the skyline. The leaves of the apple tree dappled the orange light upon the lawn. They swayed in a humid breeze.

A glum-looking ten-year-old sat swinging his legs on the sturdiest branch. Next to him, coiled up and listening intently, was a large black snake.

“She said it made me look grown-up.” The boy gave a careworn laugh.

“Ugh,” said the snake, sympathetically.

“She’s a grown-up, and she gets to keep her hair long. I told her, I’m growing it for a reason. Don’t want everyone staring at this stupid thing all day, do I?”

Adam gloomily scratched his close-cropped hair. His nails raked the base of a red, curled horn on the left side of his head.

“Tarquin’s going to be here, and he’s gonna call me rhinoceros-head all day.”

“Headbutt him,” suggested Crowley.

“I did once, and his dad threatened to sue.”

That sounded about right, from what Crowley gathered about the Dowlings’ social set.

“I don’t get why she wants me to be normal and not head-butt people, but then she takes me down to a weird old barber who smells like dad when she’s throwing a fancy dinner, and shaves all my hair off. I’m practically bald now. It’s all everyone’s going to talk about.”

“Weeell.” Crowley wiggled his head from side to side. “You know, being the birthday kid has its perks.”

Adam gave him a withering look. “Like what, getting the secret service to karate chop them? I’ve tried that, too. Nobody listens to me.” He sighed, theatrically.

Crowley said nothing. Adam clearly hadn’t grasped that what he had just said was categorically untrue.

“Sometimes they really don’t listen,” Adam mused. He tilted back to stare into the leaves. “Like, they can’t hear me. Like someone’s scooped their brains out.”

Crowley’s long body gave a nervous twitch.

“Once I asked Dad if he used to hear voices at night, too, and he screamed.” Adam looked disturbed in remembrance. “Like he’d stayed up all night watching fifteen-rated movies. That’s how scared he looked. And then he looked at me and it was like he forgot what had just happened, and he looked confused and scared. And then he smiled and asked me what I wanted for my birthday.” Adam shook his head in disgust.

Crowley was unsurprised. The mental disintegration of the remaining humans left in this place was a long time in the mix. There was only so much memory erasure, perception alteration, and of course walking in on eldritch horrors using the bathroom,[1] that the human mind could take. The demons had got bolder the more their numbers grew. The last human staff member had broken down, weeping, five months ago, and been promptly replaced by a motivated imp. The only people, besides the Dowlings, who had stayed on were secret service members, though turnover was still high, and the men and women Crowley saw patrolling the grounds stroked their guns for reassurance a lot, even by American standards.

If Crowley had been in charge of this operation - just saying - the whole thing would have been handled discreetly, with subtlety and finesse. But Hastur simply loved being cartoonishly appalling, so there they were.

“Thing is,” Adam said, “I don’t even know what I want for my birthday.”

Crowley was aware what one present in particular would be. They’d all been briefed on it at the beginning of the week. He spied on Adam from the corner of his eye.

“Don’t suppose you’ve ever thought about getting a pet?” he said, so nonchalantly the words strolled out in a smoking jacket, lighting up.

“Oh yeah. I could get a real snake.” Adam brightened.

Crowley was offended. “Rude. Just saying.”

“It is a bit weird, though. Having an imaginary talking snake. Nobody else does. It’s probably because they’ve all got pets and brothers and sisters and stuff. I could get a snake with a machine gun in its mouth.”

“Uh-huh?”

“Or, a snake that shoots poison out of a machine gun.”

Crowley didn’t bother to point out that some snakes could spit poison without the aid of a machine gun attachment.

“You’ll never get a real snake that talks to you,” he said.

Adam shrugged. “That doesn’t matter. You’re not really talking. I’m making up your half of the conversation, aren’t I? I’m really just talking to myself.”

Crowley could say nothing to that.

“Be nice not to have to talk to myself for once,” Adam muttered.

Crowley couldn’t fault him for that. He’d missed a lot of things, the past seventy-eight years. High on the list was someone to talk to. The closest thing he had to a conversation partner was a boy who didn’t even believe he was real. And who was going to bring all life on the planet to an end later that week.

~*~

Wednesday, three days until Armageddon

Crowley skulked around the edge of the lawn, glaring at anyone who looked like they wanted a canape.

The Dowling’s back garden had been taken over by a marquee the size of a small chapel. The sweet, piping voices of children rent the air, while their parents milled, schmoozed and mingled. Many of them gave confused looks to the rows of decapitated stems in the flower beds. Ligur had been busy.

Crowley’s white waiter’s coat was stiff as a straightjacket, which suited him fine. What a bloody awful decade this had been. He was keen to see the back of it. Less keen to see the back of literally everything else.

Shit. He didn’t want the apocalypse. But there was nothing he could do. Even if he’d come up with some feeble plan to nudge the whole thing off-course, he was alone down here. The last time he’d had an ally he could have turned to for aid, Britain was at war with Germany. It would have been a stupid plan, anyway. Never would have worked, whatever it would have been. The only thing that would have made it worthwhile would have been Aziraphale’s company while they worried away the last eleven years. Well, so much for that. It had been a toe-curling span of gradually hunching in on himself to contain his unvoiced scream. Frankly, he might as well try to feel relief that it was finally over. So long, Earth. It’s been real.

He looked up and saw the cherry on the sundae. Hastur and Ligur, each in a grubby version of Crowley’s server outfit, hulked up the lawn towards him.

“Hi guys,” he said as they reached him.

“Get in the marquee. We need eyes on the boy,” Hastur growled. Not so much as a howdy. Whatever.

Crowley nodded. The children were all being entertained in the marquee at present. The pre-adolescent shrieks had all concentrated in there for the past twenty minutes. Crowley was surprised none of his people were in there. For the last three days, the only glimpses he’d got of Adam were through a phalanx of demons flanking him. He secretly missed their bedtime chats.

“No-one else available?” he asked.

Hastur looked nauseated. “The bastards all fled. Nobody could stand to be in there.”

Crowley frowned. “I know children’s parties can be grim, guys, but we all knew what we were signing up for.”

“Nobody signed up to watch a godawful magician,” Ligur spat.

Crowley kept his face carefully blank. His stomach turned cartwheels.

“Really? That awful?”

“Worst thing I’ve ever seen.”

Hastur looked haunted. This was a demon who volunteered for extra guard duty in Dis whenever they needed cheering up.

Crowley’s heartbeat picked up. There were, surely, lots of terrible magicians specialising in children’s birthday parties. Most of them, in fact. He shouldn’t let his imagination run away with him.

Hastur pulled themself[2] together. They leered at Crowley.

“Get in there, then.”

“Enjoy,” Ligur smirked.

They slunk away. Crowley ran a hand through his hair. He squared his shoulders and strutted towards the marquee at a controlled saunter. His steps only wobbled when he got close enough to brush the tent flap with his outstretched hand.

A posh, desperate voice prattled away inside. Crowley’s insides somersaulted.

He slipped into the tent.

A smattering of bored children sat on the floor at the front of the stage. The long-suffering secret service stood at intervals around the edges of the space.

At the front of the room, mugging in a dusty frock-coat and a pencilled-on moustache, was a face that Crowley knew better and more dearly than any on Earth.

He swallowed. Behind his shades, he blinked, hard.

It was Aziraphale.

---

[1] Demons were terrible about locking the door, and all other basic courtesies. It was a matter of unprinciple.

[2] Hastur viewed all human progressive values with bewildered contempt. However, their time in a female corporation had sparked a glimmer of self-knowledge, and they now embraced gender-fluidity. This did not affect their grooming habits in any way.

(Link to next part)

[the-fixation-zone]

and here it is...chapter 2 of The Boys Crack Open a Cold One, the fic I’m writing with @queenspinoodle​! art by my co-writer will be included in this one, as it was in the last. comments appreciated :)

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

The next day, Zucchini is inscribing fresh runes on his hands when Sock enters his tent.

“Knock, knock!” Sock says cheerfully. Zucchini grunts back. “Not a morning person, huh? Well, luckily for you it’s just past noon. Busy?”

“Little bit,” Zucchini says, finishing up the rune over his left hand. The last part’s always the trickiest, and he needs his full concentration. Almost got it…

“I think we should get to know each other a little better.”

Shit! Sock’s statement surprised Zucchini enough that his brush slid sideways, ruining the entire picture. He sighs, getting up to wash the ink off his hands. He’ll have to try again later. 

“Yeah? What makes you say that?”

“Well, we’ll be working together, right? So we probably shouldn’t be at each other’s throats in front of a bad guy. It’s not a good look.”

Zucchini hums, dipping his hands in the cool water of the basin in the corner of his room. “Sure, makes sense. What did you have in mind?”

What Sock had in mind was a trip into town. Sock loves the circus and the people in it, but he loves being out and about more. The sights and smells of the city always warm his heart. A glance over at Zucchini and he quickly realizes that this is not a universal feeling.  His companion has a wary look in his eyes, as if he’s expecting to be robbed at any moment. Zucchini walks stiffly, careful not to touch anyone he passes. Sock tries his best not to roll his eyes. They walk in silence and, after a few minutes, the silence turns...awkward. Sock twiddles his thumbs, suddenly unsure what to do with his arms. 

Zucchini, feeling the change, grows more uncomfortable. It’s not his fault he doesn’t get out much! It’s just easier to stay home reading or practicing his rune work. And, besides, it’s not like he has any friends he’d go into town with. Sock is the popular one. The longer they walk, the more both men feel as though going out may have been a mistake. However, still determined to salvage this outing, Sock finally speaks.

"Um, so do you like… food?" Not the most original conversation starter, but anything is better than the vacuum they’re traveling in.

Zucchini seems to agree. “Yeah! Uh, I mean yes, I like food. I’ll eat anything. Well, not anything with coconut. Or too much sugar. But, yeah, I, uh, eat.” 

"Oh. Do you want to get food?" 

“Sure, that sounds good. Do you have somewhere in mind?” 

Sock, not expecting to get this far, immediately blanks on every place he’s ever eaten. Food? What is food? 

“Uh, Sock? Earth to Sock, you good?”

Sock quickly looks around and notices a vendor selling kabobs. "How about kabobs?" He smiles and tries to seem like he knows what he's doing. He thinks he does pretty good.

“A kabob would be nice, yeah. Which one should I get? I don’t think I’ve had one before.” 

He's never had a kabob? Does this guy do anything outside of practice? Sock gives him a weird look out of the side of his eye and says, "I think the beef ones are the best."

Zucchini doesn’t notice, already walking towards the vendor. “I’ll take your word for it.” To the vendor he says, “One beef kabob, please.” Then he turns back to Sock. “And you? What’ll you have?”

"I'll take a beef one, too." He takes his from the vendor and searches his pockets for enough change to pay for both. Surprised, Zucchini gives Sock a grateful smile. Sock shrugs, the vendor thanks them, and they head off again.

Zucchini takes a bite of his kabob and finds it’s pretty good. Not what he expected, but nice. He realizes Sock made the last attempt at conversation and decides the ball’s in his court. “So…” Zucchini starts, “how did you get into trapeze work?”

Sock pulls a piece of meat off his kabob with his teeth, chewing for a bit as he thinks of his answer. "I learned many of the basics at a young age while being taught to hunt. It wasn't that hard to put it all together for the trapeze." He remembers times when he was learning to hunt, climbing trees to get a vantage point with his father behind him, whispering guidance. It was a happy memory, once.  "Sometimes the best way to catch an animal is to hide where it least expects you. Usually that’s up a tree. What about you?" 

“Well, back when I was living with my dad, I used to like to get away. More like escape, if I’m being honest.” He gives a little laugh. It doesn’t sound happy. “I’d go up to the roof just to be alone and I realized if I crawled across clotheslines, I could get to the roof next door. It was terrifying at first but, like, kind of liberating? I could go anywhere on those clotheslines and no one could stop me. The juggling was different, though. My mom and I used to play catch with things in the kitchen, eggs, butter, just to have some fun while we were cooking together. I liked to show off for her, show her how many things I could catch at once. It sort of spiraled from there.” He smiles thinking about it. “Kind of silly, huh?”

"Nah, it's neat. When did you learn fire manipulation?"

“Oh. You could say it’s a... family tradition. My dad’s really good and he taught me.” Zucchini’s tone turns unquestionably sour.

Sock picks up on the mood change and decides to drop the topic. He looks around for something new to talk about when he notices they're passing by a street lined with clothing stores. He loves shopping for clothes and other material things, though he'd rarely admit it. It isn’t the most masculine thing to be into, and he doesn’t want to face any more ridicule than he has in the past. Besides, he’s already spent most of his money on those kabobs. He does slow down a bit to see if Zucchini is interested, though.

Zucchini notices Sock slowing down and turns to look down the street. “Oh, hey, you wanna go clothes shopping? I think I need some new outfits for my act. And…” he looks around subtly, “maybe we can think about costumes? You know, for crime fighting?”

"Oh, sure! Right, right, costumes." Sock heads to the first shop that doesn’t seem overly feminine.

Zucchini follows him in, looking around. “So, uh, weapons shop huh? Not exactly what I had in mind, but I guess we need something other than nets, don’t we?”

"Yeah, uh, we don't know what kind of people are out there, you know? Gotta keep ourselves safe."

“Right, right,” Zucchini replies, nodding.

Sock examines the various types of weapons they have. He used to have weapons of his own, but he had sold them a few years ago to afford food for himself and his sister. Now that they're in the circus, they no longer need to worry about their next meal. Not that that stopped him. 

Trying to shake the memory, Sock wanders the store. They have many large weapons, like axes and swords and maces, but Sock isn't a big fan of heavy weaponry, nor is he trained to use them. They do have a decent selection of knives and daggers, though. He gravitates towards them, thinking of the knife he has already. It’s old and in bad shape. Really, it’s a wonder it had even cut through that rope the night before.

Zucchini wanders around as well, thinking about what weapon he might like to use. He’d learned sword fighting when he was a kid, but it’s been a while since he’s touched one. Looking around, he finds a pair of swords that look exactly like the ones his dad had in the house. He walks over, staring at them but not picking them up. As he views them, the shopkeeper comes by.

“Ah, I see we have a gentleman with discerning taste! These are my finest swords, handcrafted by the famous Yoshi Hoshi two years ago. Visitors come by often to admire them, but it seems few people have the skill to use them properly!”

“Huh. They do look nice.”

The shopkeeper gives him a conspiratorial look. “Would you like to try them?”

“Oh! I, uh, I couldn’t, I’m just--”

“Go on! No harm in holding them, young man, go right ahead!” The shopkeeper gives him a hearty slap on the back, causing Zucchini to stagger. He quickly rights his balance, hoping he wasn’t too obvious. He takes another moment to look at the swords before he brings them down from their mount.

As soon as they’re in his hands, he knows these are the ones. He holds them together then separates them, taking a step back before giving them each a swing. Marvelous. They fit in his hands like they were meant for him, and the weight of each is perfect. He can feel the shopkeeper’s excitement next to him and is regretful when he puts them back. 

“I’m sorry, I can’t pay for them right now...but I’ll be back. I’ll definitely be back.” Zucchini walks over to where Sock is, his mind still on the swords. “Any luck? Or should we move on?” 

Sock really wants to get at least one of the knives, but after buying the kabobs he only has a few copper pieces left. Too embarrassed to tell Zucchini that, he says, "they have a lot out of stock right now. Maybe I'll check back later."

“Alright. When you come back, I’ll join you. Let’s look for some costumes for now.” Zucchini walks out of the shop and looks around for a clothes vendor. Seeing something suitable, he walks in, Sock following right behind him. 

The moment Sock walks in, he’s overwhelmed by the store’s selection of clothes from all over. Before he can get carried away, he reminds himself that he's only here to find an outfit to fight in. Hopefully a cheap one. He browses the racks, finding many dark clothing articles, perfect for sneaking around at night. He picks some at random, pulling out a black sleeveless shirt and a pair of fairly loose pants. They are low quality and flimsily made, but they’re extremely cheap and he can easily mend the seams back at his tent. 

Zucchini isn’t sure what he wants yet, so he looks around waiting for something to jump out at him. He touches the fabric, thinking about what might feel good when running around after criminals (or, possibly, saving people at the 11th hour…). Finally, he finds a turtleneck in black and some lightweight cotton pants that look like they’d just about fit. “Hey, Sock? Should we get something to cover our faces, too?”

Sock thinks about that for a moment. "I think I already have something we can use."

“You do?” Zucchini is surprised, but not that surprised. He’s always pegged Sock as a theatrical person.

The shopkeeper, who is hovering nearby to assist, starts giving them weird looks. Sock notices and makes a face at Zucchini. "I'll show you when we get back." He approaches the shopkeeper with a smile, trying to look as innocent as possible.

“Oh, right. Got it.” Zucchini follows Sock to pay for his choices as well.

After paying, Sock leaves the store feeling good about having something to fight in other than civilian clothes or circus garb. He has a pair of boots at home he can wear with his new outfit, and a few masks stashed under his cot to hide their identities. It may not be the best costume, but he figures it’s alright for just starting out. 

Zucchini is also pleased with what he bought but isn’t quite ready to go home. “So, uh. You wanna look around some more? We don’t have to buy anything but, well, the day’s still young, right?” 

"Uh, yeah, sure." Sock starts off in the direction of the next store when something catches his eye. Plastered to the wall of one of the shops is a picture. He peels it off the wall to read it.

“Whatcha got there?” Zucchini asks, trying to look over Socks’ shoulder

Sock grins. "Wanted poster. Looks like we've found our first job."