#miracle morning routine

[fastlane-freedom]

Parenting Success through the S.A.V.E.R.S. Morning Routine

Parenting is a demanding and rewarding journey, filled with challenges and joys. As parents navigate the complexities of raising children, establishing effective routines becomes crucial. One powerful framework that has gained popularity is the S.A.V.E.R.S. routine, a holistic approach to personal development introduced by Hal Elrod in his book “The Miracle Morning.” In this blog, we’ll explore…

[blackjacksmemeclinic]

BlackJack: Literally just putting on his bowtie Me: This man is literal perfection

[notreyev]

Hi, this is anon again! I, for one, am very excited for some insanity to be added to my life because my enclosure has been lacking enrichment for far too long and I crave it.

dw big dawg i got u. i haven’t been normal since 1983

i do post good omens spoilers tho so if u want to be saved just. just go watch the show

[origami-mama]

🌱 Et si tu plantais aujourd’hui les graines de ta nouvelle vie ? Il y a quelques mois, j’ai osé sauter dans le vide : quitter un job qui ne me ressemblait plus, pour créer une vie alignée avec qui je suis vraiment. Pas de magie. Pas de recette miracle. Juste 5 actions concrètes, semées chaque jour avec foi et douceur, qui ont transformé ma trajectoire. ✨ Dans cet article, je te partage : ✔ 5 pratiques simples mais puissantes ✔ Mon histoire personnelle (sans filtre) ✔ Des astuces concrètes pour toi aussi amorcer un vrai changement de vie 💬 Le printemps, c’est le moment idéal pour planter ce qui portera ses fruits demain. 👇​ Lis l’article complet ici ! Et dis-moi en commentaire : quelles graines veux-tu semer dès aujourd’hui ? 💛 #ChangementDeVie #DéveloppementPersonnel #ReconnexionÀSoi #Gratitude #OrigamiMama #SemerPourRécolter #RoutineMatinale #BienÊtreFéminin #SlowLife

[notjustjavierpena]

Sundays

Main Masterpost | Support a disabled creator

A/N: Season 2 of The Last of Us ruined my life, so here is my attempt at fixing my eternal wounds. Lord knows that everyone deserves better. I spent four weeks trying to perfect this. It might be the best thing I’ve ever done. Please be kind and patient with me ❤️

Summary: Joel’s Sundays are for early morning patrol and making babies with you.

Pairing: Joel Miller x f!reader/you (no y/n)

Tags: Domestic fluff, soft but haunted Joel, banter, teasing, Star Wars reference, kissing, praise kink, dirty talk, pussy eating, fingering, breeding kink, one use of daddy, emotional and filthy sex, creampie, aftercare, cuddling 

Word count: 5.7k

Link to this work on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/65911807

Sundays

On Sundays, Joel does the morning patrols while the rest of the town sleeps. When someone asks why he has volunteered to do them, he lies and grumbles something about nobody else wanting to get out of bed during the weekend so he has to. Yet he always wakes up at the crack of dawn without complaint, showers in the miracle of hot water, fixes himself a cup of coffee, and reads his book - they have recently emptied a library on an extensive supply run and they found The Shining on dry shelves - with his glasses perched on his nose. He likes it; the quiet time for himself while feeling your presence in the house as you sleep under warm blankets upstairs. His morning routine always ends with taking off his glasses to put them on their designated spot on his nightstand and kissing your beautiful hair, watching your body curl up contentedly underneath the covers or if he is really lucky, you turning onto your back and sleepily muttering a demand for a proper kiss. 

He goes back down, ties his well-worn leather boots on a dining chair, holsters his handgun, throws his rifle over his shoulder, and then leaves with a quiet click of the door. 

The Spring air bites slightly in the morning but he doesn’t mind, appreciates the way it wakes him up a bit more and sharpens his focus. He misses you the second he steps out the door, thinks about your warm and soft skin while he checks the front of Ellie’s house, and then walks towards the stables, the gravel crunching underneath his boots. He listens for anything out of the ordinary - can’t be too careful - and even checks the fences surrounding the horses, the weak spots he keeps meaning to patch up himself because he doesn’t trust anyone else to do it right.

Patrol is as usual. He doesn’t expect any danger and thankfully doesn’t find any either, but he is a man of habits and old habits die hard. His free hand rests near the strap of his rifle in case of anything out of the ordinary, but the only time he needs to be on his guard is when Callus, his horse, gets frightened by a rabbit in the bushes along the trail. He calms the animal with a broad, soothing hand and kind words. He thinks about Sarah, about how she would have loved the nature here, and rarely anymore about how her blood felt on his skin.

He is gone for a few hours, three maybe but no more than four. He does all of his usual inner checklists and rides past each checkpoint, all the while thinking about your hair still messy from sleep, your bare foot sticking out from under the blanket.

On his way back, his thoughts continue circling around you. It’s almost dangerous how much he lets his mind drift; how easy it is to get lost in wondering what you’re up to on his way home. He pictures you in the sun coming in through the windows of the house he built for you with hands that have killed but now get to cradle your face too. He loves you most bathed in morning light that makes your skin glow. With a half-laugh, you said you’d be doing housework today, dragging your fingers through his hair last night whilst tangled up in his body. 

He wonders if you’re humming to yourself while mopping the floors or fighting extra stubborn dust bunnies underneath the couch. What are you wearing? What are you thinking about? Is it him? Are your souls really so entwined that your thoughts are full of him whenever his are so full of you? Joel doesn’t even know if he believes in that sort of thing - hearts beating in sync like that - but you don’t give him a choice sometimes, a feeling that not even Ellie has ever teased out of him.

When he arrives home, he smiles with his eyes closed at the twinkling sound of the wind chimes hanging on the porch ceiling. There is dust on his boots and his bad knee has started to ache from the slow change in temperature over the last few hours but he feels content. He removes the rifle from his shoulder to leave it by the door and then toes the boots off carefully. 

He inhales the smell of home deeply in through his nose before holding his breath to listen for any sound of you. His brown jacket comes off right after he has noticed the quiet movements upstairs that make the house creak just a little. However, it’s not the noisy floorboards but your soft curse that makes him climb the staircase.

A younger version of him - a version that was newer to you - would have first thought that you were up to something sinful and private but Joel now knows that the near-silent swear is one of quiet frustration. You don’t hear him at first, too busy muttering to yourself about the fitted sheet that keeps slipping from your fingers as you try to tug it down over the corner of your shared bed. 

“Shit,” you curse again quietly, bent across the bed in a kneeling position with one knee on the mattress and the other stretched out behind you. 

He knows he should announce his presence like the gentleman he is but he is too busy trying to catch his hitching breath from the sight of your gorgeous body. The swell of your hips and the dip of your back have his old ticker beating in his chest like a kick drum but it is, more specifically, the choice of your underwear that has him feeling downright lightheaded. Hugging your hips are a pair of lace panties and they’re see-through and barely there but most importantly cute. You probably picked them up from the trading center without much ceremony, drawn by their aesthetic rather than their practicality, and then forgot they existed until laundry day arrived. He can understand why; they are so impractical that they almost piss him off but it doesn’t outweigh the near-laughable way he is already hardening in his jeans.

“Hey baby,” he finally says from the doorway, his hands shaking slightly with how hard it is to not just walk up and grab at your hips as a greeting. 

“Joel,” you jump a little in your spot and look at him over your shoulder, the sheet still hanging between your fingers in a secure grip, “You scared the shit outta me!”

“What are you wearing?” He asks simply instead of apologizing, trying to act nonchalant as he walks to the side of the bed but you pick up on the strain in his voice. 

You glance down at yourself with a sigh but it just makes your ass jiggle, “Oh, these? They’re my last clean pair right now since I’m doing an epic pile of laundry today. Sun’s coming out. Perfect day for hanging it outside.” 

“They’re–” he replies, gaze fixed on your ass. His voice continues in the same strained tone but he doesn’t know how to finish his sentence. 

“They’re awful,” you help him and start struggling with the corner of the sheet again, “Feels like my ass is being flossed by lace.”

Joel snorts at that, “Should take ‘em off then.”

“You’d like that wouldn’t you?” You snort yourself, finally managing to pull the sheet over the edge. You flatten it with your palm, caressing it almost as if you’re apologizing for the roughness you’ve caused it and so it looks like it hasn’t been a battle to secure. Then you flop onto your back, stretching your arms out behind you to hold yourself up. The grin on your face is mischievous and sexy yet subtle, the position you’ve put your body in pushing your chest out so he can see your breasts through the thin fabric of your t-shirt. He thought he wanted you badly during his patrol but looking at you now, he thinks he might lose it if he doesn’t touch you soon. 

“You’ve got me. Take them off,” he murmurs with a smirk but when you playfully don’t follow orders, he starts leaning down over you slowly with his sore knee dipping into the mattress. You try to crawl back, squealing but he has taken on bigger things than you.

“Joel,“ you stop him by planting your bare foot on his chest but the way your leg bends at the knee just exposes that soft, intimate skin between your legs. He wants to dive into you but he’ll humor you for a moment.

He grabs your ankle to make you laugh but his mind betrays him by reminding him of how fragile his existence here with you is. Jackson remaining completely untouched by reality is a fantasy. He doesn’t tell you, never would tell you how easily it could all go wrong again, because you deserve the fantasy more than he does.

“Joel,” you repeat his name and he comes back to you if only briefly, watching your loving grin with a deep ache in his chest. He hasn’t felt this kind of ache since Sarah’s mother, a tell-tale sign that you are the real thing for him, that he built this house so you can fill it up with love and life. 

Life. It seems almost bordering on insanity to be thinking about children at his age in a world so broken but your eyes sparkle in the town square where mothers carry their babies in wraps while trading cartons of strawberries. You deserve to nurture someone other than him because your soul has so much to give. 

“If you’re not going to do anything but overthink,” you hum teasingly when time has passed and Joel feels embarrassed for having been lost to his own inner world. His thumb presses into the curve of your Achilles heel, tugging your body closer to himself by wrapping your leg around his waist instead.

“You’re the only person who talks to me like that,” he chuckles softly while his cheeks are slightly crimson. 

“It’s good for you,” you shoot back him and it is the truth.

“Was just thinking ‘bout how you do so much that I don’t deserve,” he says with his eyes roaming over your face and chest for a place to kiss. He chooses the column of your throat, “Cooking, cleaning… Lovin’ a man like me.”

“It’s not about deserving,” you muse and sigh at his stubble on your skin, “Do you want me?”

What kind of question is that? He wants you so much that it sometimes feels like it would be easier to live in your veins, to replace his tired and aching bones with yours if it meant never being without you. He sounds psychotic, sounds like something that he read in the string of horror novels he has gathered by now because they feel oddly comforting when there’s something worse on the other side of the gates. 

“Forever,” he replies simply. He would rather die than not have you.

“Not too much to ask for if you ask me,” you reach to cup his face, thumbs stroking along his cheekbones until he closes his eyes at the feel, and then pull him to your lips. You kiss him gently for a moment but with how much Joel wants you, he quickly lets it drift into something else, something more. He kisses you with all that want in his body, needs it to stop prickling underneath his skin. 

“Have you had breakfast?” He murmurs against your mouth, checking in, the question heavy with care for you. 

“No,” you whisper back into another kiss, fingers threading through the hair at the back of his neck, “I was waiting for you.”

“What if, after this, I take you down to the market?” Joel starts descending his lips on your body. He mouths over the mound of your breast, nipping at your sensitive nipple as it strains against the fabric of your top in its arousal, “Could get you fresh strawberries. Or blueberries we could throw in pancakes.”

You let out a soft moan that’s mixed with a breathy laugh, “I’m ovulating.”

“What?” Joel’s voice has gone scratchy. He stills his touch, moving to look up at your face to see what emotion is playing on your features. He didn’t even know you were keeping track. At first, he doesn’t understand your point but you’re quick to let him in.

“There’ll be babies all over the town square,” you grin down at him, cheeks warm with playfulness as you glow, “Just saying.”

“Maybe one of ours one day?” Joel tests the waters.

“Yeah?” Your grin turns into one of unabashed glee.

“Yeah. I wouldn’t mind it if we made a baby,” he answers quietly and moves his palm up under your top to lay it flat against your belly, “We could try. I mean, we’ve been dancing around it for months now, haven’t we?”

“Then don’t pull out,” the way you say those words, like honey dripping from your tongue, makes Joel swear under his breath and his cock jump. He watches the dizzying sight of you shimmying out of the lace underwear before spreading your legs to give room for him. Looking between your legs is like he’s been offered something holy by the devil himself, your slit already glistening and ready for him.

“Wasn’t gonna,” he smooths his hand down your belly to grab the hem of your top again, easing it up your body. You lift your arms over your head to help him get it off, the movement of your body making your tits shake. He moves backward on the bed, kissing his way down your sternum while squeezing your right breast. You arch slightly into the touch, taking it with a soft release of your breath.

Joel revels in you, revels in the fact that you have allowed him something that he hasn’t thought about in decades because the world did not allow it. He wonders if he’ll be a good father again after all these years of never letting himself think of being something to someone so tiny and fragile, dependent. Ellie had already been a mouthy teenager when he got her, and while she had relied on him, she had had one hell of a survival instinct and hadn’t needed any cradling. A newborn will be different; they will need parts of his being that he hasn’t touched since Sarah was handed to him in the hospital. He doesn’t know if he can trust himself to cradle his newborn with hands that now only know how to pull a trigger. He doesn’t know if it is like riding a bike, that it will happen naturally the second he sees them, but he knows that he wants it. God, he wants it. 

“What are you doing?” You question when he is suddenly between your legs, his feet out over the edge of the bed, and it makes him stop dead. Maybe he should stop having these thoughts when he makes love to you. 

“What do you mean?” He asks as he is halfway down on the floor to get in position. He furrows his brows in confusion. 

“You do realize that this is not how babies are made, right?” You giggle in response, sweetly enough to make his cock twitch. Oh, that’s what you’re playing at.

“Ain’t it?” He smirks.

“No!” You snicker. 

“Then I guess I’m just doing this for fun,” he replies and swings your legs onto his shoulders. He yanks at your hips to pull you towards his mouth, “C’mere, you.”

You squeak with giggles and Joel’s heart dances to the sound. However, your laughter switches to a moan the second his mouth touches you and covers nearly the whole of you. He doesn’t need to think about it anymore, has learned what you like by now from the countless times he has eaten your pussy like it was his last meal on this godforsaken earth. 

“Shit,” you gasp towards the ceiling and cross your ankles on the broadness of his back. He swears that he can hear it in your voice how your eyes roll back when his tongue caresses you in soft strokes. You taste so good that he moans into you, lapping up every drop of sticky sweetness with his tongue. 

“I know, baby. I got you,” he pauses briefly to suck on two of his fingers to wet them, following it up by turning his hand toward the ceiling and then sinking the digits inside of you. He expertly presses them upward, curling them into the spot that immediately has your hips jolting. 

“There,” you tell him with a whine, twisting your hands in the freshly-made bed sheets with a curse that he doesn’t know if is directed at him or the stupid fitted sheets slipping from the corners again, “Joel— ah, don’t stop!”

You gasp as he rubs into that spot over and over again, pairing it with his mouth circling in on the place you need it the most. Your clit is hard and sensitive, perfect for wrapping his mouth around and sucking until his cheeks hollow. 

“Oh God… Oh God,” your pitch rises as he works you open on his hand. At some point, you lose yourself enough in it to start tightening your legs around his back and shoulders. It makes your pelvis lift off the mattress until your back is beautifully arched, makes your cunt press firmly into his mouth for any friction. He grabs your thigh with his free hand for leverage and groans softly into you, taking the reward of sinful pleasure shooting straight to his cock from the way you fuck yourself on his fingers and mouth. 

Outside, the heat can’t compete with the warmth coming off of your body. He can hear another gust of wind blowing through the wind chimes around the porch, mixing with the sound of the city waking up and coming to life. He could die right here, he thinks, between your beautiful thighs with skin that smells just faintly of your homemade lavender oil but right now mostly of sex. It wouldn’t be bad, hell, the whole town would say that he died doing what he loved. 

A hand tangles in his hair now. You have relented on the sheets in case you’ll rip them, and Joel takes each painful sting of his follicles with pride as you balance on the edge. He sinks his fingers deeper, works his mouth faster to get you to tip the scales and come so hard that the world fades away from the both of you. 

It happens a moment later. You hold your breath for just a few seconds, completely quiet as you concentrate while the anticipation within your body crackles like electricity he swears, he can feel. 

Then you cry out in relief, throwing your head back and squeezing your thighs around his head so the sound in his good ear blurs as well. He can feel your muscles clamp down on his fingers, near-arrogant pride swelling in his chest from how skilled he is in making you feel good. 

He keeps his mouth on you as long as you allow him, the tip of his tongue flicking over your sensitive and goddamn pretty clit until you protest with a whimper. When he draws back, he keeps fucking you through the aftershocks with his fingers and dares look up at you, heart beating out of his chest and his dick hard enough that it is aching. His fingers are wet with your come, making your cunt squelch in the otherwise quiet room. 

“Attagirl,” he breaks the silence with a praise in his easy southern drawl, letting his fingers slip out finally, “You liked that, huh?”

You hum approvingly in your afterglow and he can’t get close to you fast enough. He crawls up from the floor, grunting at the way his knees remind him of his age, and moves up on the bed. He slots between your legs again like he was made to fit there, kneeling between your thighs. You look soft and dazed, chest still heaving from your high. 

“I love you. Every damn inch of you,” he murmurs softly. He looks at your face, how you smile with your eyes closed and your nose is slightly scrunched up as the sun dances over your features through the window. You’re glowing. Simple as that, no other word for it, like you will when carrying his kid, and he should tell you that you’re the only peace he has ever found. He should say it to you but he cowers each time. It feels more weighted than telling you that he loves you. 

“I know,” you whisper back eventually, eyes blinking open and your hands reaching for his belt. The metal clinks as you undo the buckle, a smug little grin on your face. 

“Alright, Han Solo,” he rolls his eyes for show and then moves over you, the devil in his eyes. He wipes his slick chin and lips on your face, making you laugh in the way that is enhanced by dopamine. He bumps his nose into yours, “Think you’re funny, huh?”

“Little bit,” you smile and get the fly open. You reach inside and wrap your fist around him, the playful air in the room settling immediately when you stroke him lazily, “But I’m just trying to get you to take your clothes off.”

“Fuck, baby,” he groans while you run your thumb over the slit of his dick, “You’re killing me. Gimme a sec of this.”

You give in and let him have this for a moment, stroking him with practiced flicks of your wrist until his hips start to rut so he can fuck your hand. He moans as he stares down between you, the muscles of his neck and shoulders wound so tight from trying not to come that it is a miracle his old bones haven’t snapped in half.

When you feel him near the edge, you squeeze around the base to halt his orgasm. You’ve started to breathe hard alongside him, clearly worked up by the sounds he is making for you. 

“Fuck me,” you beg him, your voice stutters as you frantically try using your free hand to yank his jeans down over his hips, “Please, Joel, I need you inside me.”

He thinks about how worked up you must be between your legs after holding out for so long. Knowing how wet you get from touching him like this, you must be soaked for him and ready to be taken care of like you deserve. It means that Joel doesn’t need to be told twice, already tugging his jeans and underwear just far down enough for what matters. 

However, despite the rush of getting undressed, he still takes the time to reach for one of the newly-fluffed pillows resting against the bed’s headboard. 

“Up,” he says without further explanation but you know what he wants to do, would probably trust him with your life even if he just gave you a look. When you lift your pelvis in the air without question, he slides the pillow underneath you so your hips are tilted just right for him to reach deep. 

Your legs are spread, your cunt practically served on a platter for him with how it is raised slightly in the air, squeezing around nothing as if begging for him. He looks down at your face as he runs the head of his cock through your folds, coating the very tip in a mix of precome and your shiny slick. 

You aren’t watching him though, too busy chewing on your bottom lip with your eyes glued to how the head of his cock sinks into your wet heat. When he starts stretching you with his thick girth, your mouth falls open in a soft moan. 

He places a hand just above your mound, holds you there while he bottoms out with a growl. Then he rocks his hips once then twice, setting up a pace that gives the both of you time to indulge in each other. You are snug around his dick as he fucks you, slick heat that makes his skin tingle and his breath stutter. The remnants of a southern gentleman in him know that he shouldn’t compare, but no other woman has ever made him unravel so much during sex, has ever made him feel so powerful and powerless in bed. 

“Tell me who this pussy belongs to,” he demands to regain some form of control, staring down at your face contorted with pleasure. 

“You,” you gasp feebly, “It’s yours.”

When he fucks you like this, you are his. He doesn’t need to second guess this fact, knows it just from the way your bodies are connected like they know it too. 

He reaches for your thighs, his knuckles going white as he lifts them onto his hips. You lock around him by instinct and force him forward, so he has to brace himself with a hand beside your head. The angle makes him go deeper, the thick head of his cock kissing at your cervix and your greedy cunt flutters like it wants to do the impossible and pull him further in. 

“Look at me,” he says in a voice that reveals just how good you feel to him, watches the way your tits bounce with each thrust, “Say it like you mean it.”

You stare up into his eyes, your brows furrowed as the tip of his cock drags along the front of your walls. He is in there deep, focused on coming just where it matters. Meanwhile, you have to concentrate on forming words, needing to start over several times with how close you are to babbling.

“It’s– ah, fuck. It’s your pussy, Joel. I’m yours,” you cry for him, your pitch close to, but not quite, the one of a wounded animal. The difference is the lack of hesitation; you are both so sure of each other that it makes him ache all over and ignore the sweaty strain on his old back. 

Your hands scramble to touch him but you make a noise of complaint when his chest is covered by his shirt, the barrier a nuisance when you want all of him. He shed the flannel earlier along with his jacket, but right now, it is the soft fabric of his t-shirt that you’re pulling at to get to his skin. 

He dips down to let you pull it over his head, it slipping down his arm unceremoniously until he can grab it with his fist and toss it over his back. Your trembling hands find his skin immediately and it makes you sigh with relief. Your nails drag through the hairs on his chest, leaving red streaks in their wake until you grab the flesh of his sides. 

He sees how your eyes roam over his torso, where scars tell stories of a life much more complicated than this. You have loved each one of them so many times that he doesn’t feel insecure about them anymore, have traced them with your fingers and kissed them enough to get him to believe that he is more than the events that brought them. 

“You’re so beautiful,” you say softly and settle a hand at the back of his neck, drawing him into your arms. He braces himself on his forearms, kisses you like he isn’t inside of you, and has missed you for a weeklong patrol, still taken aback when you say things like that. 

“Sweet girl,” he whispers against your lips and you whimper as his cock pulses inside of your body. You look at him with fiery love and lust, the stare so intense he knows that this will be over soon because he can’t hold back anymore. 

His next thrusts are slower but rougher, harder and insistent in touching the parts inside you that make you barrel towards the edge. He can feel the difference between all the other times he’s been buried in your cunt to the hilt and this time. While the air is still thick with labored breaths and whispered cries for a higher power he doesn’t know if he believes, this is not just sex; this is about taking the very best parts of you and mixing them with the leftover parts of him that he has found aren’t fatally broken because of you. 

The sound of his name pulls him back to you. His pelvis has aligned with yours with each rock of his hips, the spot just above the base of his cock grinding into your twitching clit. 

“I’m gonna— fuck, I’m gonna come,“ you choke on air, “Please, Joel. Don’t stop, baby.”

“I know, honey,” he moans at the way you flutter around his length, voice cracking at how you feel better than a Texan summer. You’re so wet it sounds filthy when he fucks you, barely pulling out anymore and letting you soak his dick while he switches to simply grinding. For a moment, he is even scared that it’ll set him off before you’ve had your second fill, “Jesus, yeah, I can feel it.” 

Your orgasm hits like a runaway train. The hand resting on the back of his neck slides down to squeeze his shoulder, fingers denting his skin as you seek something to cling onto in your state of ecstasy. You come so hard that air is knocked out of him from how tightly your cunt grips him, his whole body shuddering like he’s the one losing it.

He presses a lingering kiss to your gorgeous neck while your head is thrown back, feeling the rapid beats of your heart under his lips. Your free hand cradles him like you’re meant to be a mother already, making it irresistible for him not to inhale your scent of lavender from the spot where your neck meets your shoulder.  

“You feel too good, baby, ’m not gonna last,” he grits out against your sweat-slicked skin, his cock throbbing in time with his heartbeat. 

“Don’t want you to last, want you to put a baby in me. Gimme a baby, Joel,” you beg him and bury your nose in his temple. You squeeze him tighter in your arms, whining from oversensitivity as his thrusts start to intensify toward the end, “Wanna make you a daddy, baby, please, I’m ready.”

Daddy. The word coming from your mouth makes Joel snap. He pushes his hips against yours and comes with a groan, the head of his cock flush against the very back of your cunt. In his life, he has witnessed wildfires and his climax spreads through his lower belly just as fast. His breath is stuck in his lungs as he fills you to the brim, his tongue wanting to say filth but only your name comes out. It’s good enough to make a grown man tremble without remorse in the embrace of his woman. 

After a beat, his body sags from exhaustion. When you let go of his shoulder to run your hand over your hair, your nails have created little crescent marks on his body. He grunts as he rolls off of you in fear of crushing you underneath his weight. You whimper at the loss, a few heavy drops of his seed landing on the pillow still beneath your hips. 

“C’mere,” he murmurs as a haze settles over the both of you, the sweat on his skin turning slightly chilly. He holds his arm out to invite you into the space that always holds you perfectly and you oblige without a word. He’d lay here forever with you if he had to, would embrace being trapped here with you until they had to send out a search party. 

He is still breathing hard when you lay your head on his chest, draping your arm across his body whose stamina isn’t what it used to be. You don’t comment on it though, simply hold him while the sheets get dirty again from the mess between your thighs. While the world fades away around you, Joel decides that he’ll help you do the extra load of laundry. 

Without thinking, his fingers absentmindedly start tracing up and down your forearm in a soothing motion. You swing a tired leg over his body in response, attempting to get impossibly closer despite already practically melting together with him in the post-orgasmic heat you share. 

Outside, a young child shrieks with excited laughter and Joel nearly tears up from how new the sound seems even though it is a daily occurrence in the little town. He must know if you feel the same. 

“What’s on your mind?” He asks and breaks the quiet, still caressing your arm gently. 

“Just thinking,” you reply and splay your hand on his chest, brushing your thumb over his nipple without thinking. You kiss him where you can reach. 

“About?” He pushes, looking down at the top of your head as if he can read your emotions like that. You probably could with him. 

You crane your neck to stare at him with a little tired smile, “Babies. You. How much I love you. I love you.”

“I know,” he answers smugly, arching an eyebrow with a smile. He thinks another confession of his devotion might set his chest alight and right now, you don’t deserve to have his guilt winning.

“You asshole,” you dissolve into a burst of laughter while his smile turns wolfish, your body curling in on itself on top of his chest. He loves your laugh, the way you nearly snort and feel embarrassed by it. It makes him settle a hand on the base of your skull and drag you into the sort of kiss from a person who’s learning to trust joy again.

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[phagodyke]

I have to be up for work in 3 hours and I'm gonna be real I think ive hit the point where I might not be getting any sleep at all. for fucks sake.

[undyingdecay]

ik damn well that bob would lose it if he went to nurse and found that his sweetheart actually produced milk for him - you can end up lactating just from consistent breast stimulation alone and he clearly has made a routine of it. He wouldn't know what to do with himself, poor guy

oh, he like actually loses it.

the first time it happens, you’re both in the usual position—your back half-curled against his chest, the morning light slicing lazily through the blinds, his mouth hot and reverent over your breast like it’s the only prayer he knows how to recite. there’s alwys a rhythm to him. suckle, breathe, moan, repeat. but this time—

this time, you feel a warm trickle. sticky. wet. a strange pressure releases with a faint squirt, and bob’s throat works around it with a startled grunt. he stills. both of you do.

your eyes widen. “wait—” you try to sit up, scrambling to process it, to look down, but bob’s arm snakes around your waist with strength you’v never felt from him before—more sentry than man—and he hauls you back down into the mattress like you’re his sun-warmed anchor.

“don’t go,” he rasps, already descending again. “don’t—please. it’s real, i didn’t make it up—oh god, it’s real.”

and then he’s latched again—louder now, messier. greedy. your breast is being suckled with a pressure that’s bordering on frantic, his lips slippery with fresh milk that leaks faster the more he draws. he’s moaning into your skin, and when he pulls off to gasp for air, there’s a dribble down his chin and he’s sniffling through it, crying.

“thank you. thank you—so much,” he hiccups, milk bubbling on his lips. his nose is pink and leaking like he’s caught in the middle of some personal spiritual awakening. “you’re giving it to me. you made this—for me?” his voice breaks, a thick sound that vibrates against your sternum. “i didn’t think i’d ever—i didn’t think anybody ever would…”

he drinks so fast he chokes, jerking off with a wet cough, milk splattering across his chin and your chest. he gasps through the hiccups, refusing to stop, like he’s afraid it might go away if he pauses.

he won’t let you out of bed that morning. not even for water. he holds you pinned beneath him, body curled like a worshipper at some living altar, lips pressed to your leaking breast, occasionally switching sides to nurse the other, milk collecting in the corners of his mouth. at one point, delirious and trembling, he sobs while drinking—full-body shakes as he tries to mutter out “i love you” between swallows, voice so thick with milk it’s barely a sound.

you’d think it might taper off. that it’d be a one-time thing. (a lie, denial is the first stage after all)

but not even a week later, he shows up with a breast pump in a glossy cardboard box. still shrink-wrapped. his ears are red.

“i thought it might help,” he says, too quickly. “you said your chest hurt yesterday. that it was too full.” he doesn’t meet your eyes when he adds, “i looked it up. you can save it in bags. we can refrigerate it. maybe freeze some. i’ll get a cooler. i can label them—dates, quantities. i’ll drink it all. promise.”

you don’t even get a word in before he’s pushing you down onto the couch, straddling your hips with reverent weight, hands already working over your sore breasts. his thumbs are warm, callused, and the way he massages you feels like he’s trying to coax divinity from your skin.

he moans low when the milk starts leaking, even before the pump is clipped on. “god, it’s already coming. you’re so full for me. fuck, i can see it.” the letdown is messy, splattering over his fingers. he smears it across your nipple with a thumb, staring like it’s some kind of divine ichor. “it’s beautiful, you don’t even know.”

he kisses you between every pump whirr, but never stops watching your chest. when the bags begin to fill with cloudy white, he exhales like he’s watching a miracle.

by the end of the week, he’s built a little stash in the fridge. carefully labeled freezer bags, double-sealed and dated in his loopy handwriting. he’s so serious about it, you catch him checking the temperature twice a day. once, you find him with the fridge door open just staring at them, one hand flat against the crisper drawer like he’s in church.

and then there’s the doctor visit.

you try to be vague. you try. you mention something about induced lactation. about hormonal fluctuation and stimulation. you don’t even bring up the words milk stash or nipple worship, but your doctor’s eyes narrow like she knows.

“have you had a baby recently?” she asks, confused.

you shake your head.

she glances down at the chart. then up at you. then down again. she clears her throat.

“well,” she says tightly. “that… can happen. in rare cases. with persistent… stimulation.” a beat. “be mindful of mastitis.”

meanwhile bob’s in the waiting room, probably scrolling through reviews for breastmilk storage kits and wondering if he can find tiny glass jars instead—“so it feels more special.”

he’s gone full collector. archivist of your milk. he drinks some every day and stores the rest with obsessive care, quietly losing his mind in the most sincere, devotional way possible.

you swear he gets glowy after drinking it.

and the worst part?

you don't think you mind it.

(me next bob!!!)

[tacoguacamole]

ANOTHER TIME | JJK - 2

Summary: All you wanted was time. Time to love your husband. Time to feel him love you back. To see his smile again, not shadowed by grief and resentment. Time to share laughter instead of silence, warmth instead of distance. To feel his arms around you, not the cold of where he used to be. Time to hear “I love you too” before it’s too late. Time should’ve been simple.

But somehow, it always slips through your fingers just when you need it most.

[Pairing: Creative Director!Jungkook x Ceo!Female Reader]

[Theme: Marriage AU. BF2L2S]

[Warnings: Major Angst, Multiple Flashbacks and Time Jumps, Mature Theme, Smut, Mature/Explicit Language, A lot of fluff, Romance, Slowburn]

[Older JK, Older OC, Older Bangtan, Lawyer Seokjin and Namjoon, Doctor Yoongi, Event Planner Hobi, Solo idol Jimin, Secretary Taehyung, Brief cameos of Seventeen Mingyu, GOT7 Mark, Kook's a jerk and mean for the earlier chapters]

[Status: Ongoing]

[Part 1. Part 2. Chapter Word Count: 8k+]

[Tag List: @iamstilljk | @captainchrisstan | @kokoandkookie | @rexana19]

[Chapter Summary: Some days feel like beginnings, even when they come too late. A glance, a question, a flicker of something you almost forgot to hope for — it stirs quietly beneath the routine. But even the softest shifts carry weight, and as night falls, you're left wondering if it's the start of healing… or the calm before the break.]

[MINORS DNI! 18+]

The morning light fills the room, warm and steady, like a soft blanket over everything. A familiar, rich smell drifts through the air — savory and comforting. For a moment, it feels like you're still dreaming.

Then you turn your head and see him.

Jeongguk sits beside you, back resting against the headboard, a food tray balanced on his lap. Makguksu and Samgyeopsal — the dinner you spent hours preparing the night before — now half-eaten as he absently twirls the noodles around his chopsticks, eyes glued to the flickering screen where Iron Man 3 plays.

For a long second, you just stare. You don't move. Don’t speak. Simply watched, heart clenching painfully at the sight of him – relaxed, at ease, eating something you made, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

It shouldn’t feel like a miracle, but it does. You can’t even remember the last time Jeongguk touched a meal you cooked.

 “Uhm...morning?”

Jeongguk flinches slightly, startled, and looks at you with wide eyes. “Is it too loud?” his voice a little rough. “I was going to watch in the living room, but… it was too hot down there.” There’s a brief flash of panic on his face.

The sight tugs at something deep in you, almost painful. “It’s fine,” you murmur, voice rough with sleep. “Was about to get up anyway.”

You sit up, grabbing the robe hanging by the bedpost and pulling it over yourself. The fabric slides over the old, worn T-shirt you slept in — one of Jeongguk’s from his college photography club days, when his dreams were still caught behind the lens of a second-hand camera.

You wonder if he even remembers it. Wonder if he’d find it pathetic that you still wear it — clinging to pieces of him when everything else feels so far away. You wonder too much these days.

You tie the robe loosely, pretending you don't notice his gaze flicker toward you for the briefest second — before snapping back to the TV.

Silence stretches between you, the kind you've gotten used to.

Until Jeongguk speaks. “Any plans for tonight?”

The question throws you off. The last time he asked about your day, about anything that wasn’t transactional — groceries, bills, errands — you can’t even remember.

His words hang in the air, strange and unfamiliar.

Still, you answer. Because even now — especially now — you crave any scrap of normalcy he offers.

“Dinner with the Tuans,” you say, keeping your voice light. “Their flight's landing late from Paris, but they want to meet right away to discuss the deal we closed.”

Jeongguk nods slowly, still focused on his tray. “What time will that end?”

“Maybe 10? 11? Depends how much they want to go over.”

There’s a pause, filled only by the muffled explosions from the movie.

Then he speaks again, softer this time. “Can we meet after? Maybe grab a midnight snack... or coffee? Anything, really.”

It hits you harder than it should — how careful he sounds. As if he’s asking permission to step into your life. The sting comes fast and sharp. But you push it down. You push everything down. Because above the sadness, above the aching cracks in your chest — something small and stubborn flickers back to life.

Hope.

Maybe... maybe he remembered. Maybe this was his way of making up for last night. For all the nights he had forgotten.

You swallow down the emotion clogging your throat. “Sure.” You try not to let your smile show too much, try not to look pathetic in your own happiness. “I can meet you after or—"

“No.” He cuts you off gently, setting his chopsticks down. “I’ll come to you. Just text me the address.”

You nod, feeling a little breathless, hands trembling slightly as you fidget with the belt of your robe. Without another word, you slip off the bed and head toward the bathroom, shutting the door behind you.

A small, giddy sound escapes your lips — half-sob, half-laugh — and you press your hand to your mouth to stifle it. Tears prick at your eyes, but this time they don’t burn the way they usually do.

Because for the first time in what feels like forever...

You smile. A real, honest-to-God smile.

Jeongguk’s day moves painfully slow, wearing down his patience bit by bit. He’s checked off plenty from his planner — finished reports in the first hour, helped train interns even if the seniors were around to do that job, gave notes on concept proposals, approved shoot locations, updated campaign boards that aren’t due till the next season — but the time on his laptop still feels like a joke. 4:00 PM. Only.

A loud knock breaks the silence.

"Come in.”

His secretary walks in, arms full of contracts. Normally, Jeongguk would toss them in a tray and forget about them for a week or two. Today, he forces himself to focus. Reads carefully before signing through each page, like paying extra attention might help calm his busy mind. Minutes later, he pushes the signed stack back across the desk.

"Gunning for Employee of the Year?" Taehyung jokes lightly. "Nominations don’t even open till November, you know."

Usually, Jeongguk would bite back with some sarcastic remark. Not today. His temper is already hanging by a thread.

"Don’t start with me," the words were harsher than intended.

Taehyung raises a brow but doesn’t argue. Has long grown used to Jeongguk’s moods — especially the bitter ones.

Their friendship was built not just on the grind of corporate life, but also on the pauses in between — the after-hours confessions, the tiredness that had settled into Jeongguk over the years.

Taehyung knows the truth, the ugly, heavy parts Jeongguk never says out loud.

How the man he respects stays late not for ambition, but to avoid the coldness of home. How Jeongguk puts on the mask of a devoted husband at office parties because their CEO pushes "family values" — only to curse quietly later, slumped in the passenger seat of his car.

How coming home feels more like serving a sentence than seeking comfort.

Taehyung remembers when it was different. The endless searches for anniversary ideas. The worried questions about how to keep the love alive after years of being together.

He remembers how Jeongguk's voice had cracked when he passed along the message no friend ever wants to deliver, "She's in the hospital. She's fighting for her life. You need to go — now."

Photoshoots. Endless meetings. The paperwork that buried his silent phone back then.

The guilt was a chain Jeongguk never managed to slip free from.

So when Taehyung hears the clipped anger in his friend’s voice now, he already knows.

Another fight. Another scar added to the ones that never healed.

Still, he asks gently, "Another one?"

Jeongguk doesn't answer immediately. Just drops his gaze to the edge of the desk, fingers tapping a restless, erratic rhythm.

When he finally speaks, it’s quieter. Different. "I'm taking her out tonight.”

The words hang in the air, almost fragile. Taehyung blinks, caught off guard. That... wasn’t what he expected. A glimmer of something — hope, maybe — rises inside him. Maybe the cracks weren’t permanent. Maybe there was still something worth saving.

Taehyung tries to sound casual. Cracks a joke to ease the mood. "About time. You’ve missed enough anniversaries already."

But Jeongguk doesn’t laugh. Doesn’t even smile.

Instead, he reaches into his desk drawer and pulls out a folder Taehyung had almost forgotten about. A folder that had been shoved away, gathering dust, no matter how many times Taehyung hinted that it was better to just get it over with. Inside, the papers wait — sharp-edged, cold to the touch, heavy with everything unsaid.

Taehyung’s throat tightens as he watches Jeongguk lay them flat on the table. He knows what they are. Remembers setting the appointments with Namjoon. Hearing Jeongguk’s hollow voice tell the lawyer what he wanted. What he couldn’t bear to want but felt trapped into choosing anyway.

"I'm telling her tonight," he says, barely a whisper. Almost like a plea, like he's sealing his own fate.

A year had already slipped by since then.

Taehyung knew Jeongguk hadn’t even hesitated to sign once the documents were handed over. His name written neatly beside the empty space meant for yours. That blank space had remained untouched, day after day, a cruel reminder that while Jeongguk had made peace with ending things, you still hadn’t — or maybe, couldn’t.

There had been countless nights spent practicing speeches, rehearsing apologies and explanations that never seemed enough. Taehyung had listened through them all — Jeongguk pacing across the office floor, torn between desperation and guilt, clinging to the hope that if he just found the right words, maybe it would hurt you a little less.

But Taehyung knew — they both knew — that was a lie.

Just meeting with the lawyer had already hurt you more than Jeongguk was willing to admit.

“Gguk…” Taehyung’s voice fades, the words he wants to offer catching painfully in his throat.

But Jeongguk cuts him off before he can even try.

“It’s killing me, Hyung,” he breathes out. “Do you know what it’s like? Sharing a bed just so she won’t notice the distance? Pretending everything’s fine so I don’t have to come up another lie? Keeping my clothes mixed with hers in the closet, so she doesn’t ask why I smell different every time I come home?”

Taehyung doesn’t answer. Can’t. Knows exactly what Jeongguk means. Knows the weight of the betrayal he’s been helping to bury.

He’s seen Jiwoo. Met her by accident once, but that was enough. Even now, every time he arranged a date or made a call under Jeongguk’s name, guilt twisted his gut into knots.

He still remembers the way your face lit up when you surprised Jeongguk at the office, eager for a lunch together. How your smile faded when you found his office empty. Taehyung remembers the lies that stumbled from his mouth — meetings, emergencies, schedule mix-ups — while he knew full well that Jeongguk was miles away, entangled with someone else in ways that had nothing to do with work.

But he never stopped it.

Because for the first time in years, he saw life return to Jeongguk’s dull eyes, at least that’s what he saw— a spark that hadn’t existed since the day everything fell apart. Since the day the small bundle of sunshine Jeongguk and his wife created had been taken away before her first breath even settled in this world.

Taehyung had made his choice. He closed his eyes to the damage Jeongguk was causing.

He let it happen. Told himself it was better than watching his friend rot from the inside out — pouring cheap whiskey down his throat at dingy bars, sleeping under his desk after too many bottles, slurring desperate voicemails at two in the morning.

Better this, he thought. Better a living sinner than a breathing corpse.

Taehyung voices out his hesitancy. “If you had just told the truth from the start, Gguk... you wouldn’t be stuck in lies now. You wouldn’t have to sneak Jiwoo around to places halfway across Seoul, just to avoid being seen. You wouldn’t be hurting both of them.”

Jeongguk’s fists tighten against the edge of his desk. The pressure builds inside him, snapping loose as his voice cuts through the air.

“I know, Hyung! I fucking know!” The tears barely held back. “I never wanted this. Never meant to hurt her. She wasn’t just my wife—she was my best friend. Seventeen years, Hyung. Seventeen fucking years together. I know her smile. Know her pain. I know every goddamn tear she tries to hide. And worst of all, I know I’m the reason for most of them.”

Taehyung swallows hard, feeling the weight of the truth neither of them can escape. “You’ve already hurt her, Gguk. No matter what you choose now... she’s going to be hurt.”

Jeongguk drops heavily into his chair, the fight bleeding out of him. His gaze turns distant, like he’s looking somewhere far beyond the four walls of his office.

“She made Makguksu last night,” he murmurs. “Samgyeopsal too. It wasn’t burnt. You know how she always overcooks the meat. But not last night. It was perfect.”

A bitter smile flickers across his lips, the memory cutting deeper than any silence ever could.

“You ate them?” Taehyung asks quietly, almost not wanting to know the answer.

“For the last time,” Jeongguk mutters, brushing off the heaviness in his friend's gaze with a dry, forced chuckle. He doesn’t tell Taehyung the truth — that each bite had tasted like guilt. That the food, prepared with so much care, had been harder to swallow than he let on.

Instead, his mind drifts to this morning. The way you quickly grabbed the robe to cover the old grey shirt you wore — his shirt, from a forgotten college club, frayed at the edges and stained with bleach. Jeongguk had seen it before you could hide it, the fabric loose on your body.

It wasn’t the first time.

There had been countless nights he came home late, the house quiet except for your soft breathing. He’d find you curled in bed, wrapped in his clothes like armor. That old Linkin Park sweatshirt, the one he wore during his teenage emo phase, worn thin but somehow still clinging to you for warmth.

Jeongguk always noticed. Always.

But he never said anything. Never pointed it out. Never asked why you chose to wear things that once belonged to a version of him that no longer existed.

Because recognizing it would give you hope, that those small gestures he noticed still meant something.

When it didn’t.

Not anymore.

“Jeongguk—” Taehyung starts, unsure if his friend even wants comfort.

But Jeongguk lets out a short, bitter chuckle, cutting him off.

“Why does she even bother?” His voice is sharp, edged with something close to resentment. “Why does she still celebrate our anniversary—her birthday—after everything? It’s like she wants to keep getting hurt.” His jaw clenches, fingers digging into the armrest of his chair. “I make sure to come home after it’s all done—after the candles are out, after she’s given up waiting—so she won’t have to be reminded. When will she get it, Hyung? When will she understand that I’m never going to be there for those days again?”

Taehyung exhales, running a hand through his hair. He could bite his tongue, hold back the truth Jeongguk refuses to face, but what would be the point?

“Because she still loves you.” The words land like a direct blow, knocking the air from Jeongguk’s lungs. “If those moments didn’t mean anything to her, she wouldn’t care. She wouldn’t spend hours making your favorite food. Wouldn’t set the table for two. Wouldn’t keep waiting.” Jeongguk swallows, throat tight. “She still sees you as the man who once thought she meant the world to him.”

Each syllable sinks into him like a slow, merciless blade, tearing open wounds he’s tried so hard to ignore.

For years, he’s dodged the truth—buried it beneath guilt. Beneath resentment. Beneath another woman’s touch. But now, it rises to the surface, raw and inescapable.

He sees you.

The memory of your smile, bright and effortless, the way your whole body shook with joy when he proposed. He sees you walking toward him in that breathtaking white dress, his heart pounding so wildly in his chest that he thought it might burst. He sees the way he once loved you—with everything, with all of him.

Those memories—once the light of his life—have become shadows he’s spent years running from.

And now, there’s nowhere left to run.

His voice is barely a whisper when he speaks again. “It’s time to let her go, isn’t it?”

The answer has been obvious for a long time, but saying it aloud makes it feel final.

With a heavy heart, Taehyung nods. “It has been. For a long time.”

Finishing dinner with your business partner had never felt more relieving. Normally, you would drag out a meeting, obsessing over every last detail. As a perfectionist, you were known to discuss a deal twenty times over, then triple-check your notes on your iPad to make sure nothing slipped through the cracks.

But tonight, you couldn't stop glancing at your phone. Couldn't stop the way your heart leapt when Jeongguk finally texted back “On my way” when you told him your meeting was almost done.

A shared location pinged a moment later, showing he was close. For the first time in what felt like forever, he was actually going to meet you. A small, excited hope stirred in your chest, fragile but real.

You tried to hide it, but Mark Tuan noticed anyway. He always did. Years of working together had made him an expert at reading you, and teasing you had long been his favorite pastime whenever business wasn't occupying the conversation.

"Congrats! You just set the Guinness World Record for fastest eater in South Korea!" Mark teased, leaning back with an easy grin.

"Sorry! I didn’t mean to rush," you said, feeling a little sheepish as you tucked your iPad away. "Tonight’s kind of a big deal."

Mark smiled, looking clearly amused. "And here I thought Seora getting a spot at Paris Fashion Week two years in a row would be the highlight."

“It is! Showcasing our collection again at one of the top fashion events in the world? That's huge!" You paused, fumbling for the right words. "It’s just—"

"Just messing with you. Honestly, we should’ve just saved this dinner for tomorrow’s meeting with legal. Mom and Dad aren’t even here. But you know how they are—one topic at a time, just to dodge—"

"Excuses like, ‘I was too overwhelmed with the information; it slipped my mind,’" you finished for him, laughing as the two of you shared a knowing look.

After all these years of working with the Tuans, you knew them almost too well. Even before the partnership was official, you had already immersed yourself in every detail of their business operations.

You learned that Mrs. Tuan liked to organize her designs carefully, sorting collections by season in separate binders instead of keeping them in one portfolio. Mr. Tuan, on the other hand, expected his financial reports on time at the end of every quarter — grace periods were, to him, a sign of weakness.

And then there was Mark Tuan.

Unlike his parents, Mark preferred a work environment that was laid-back but still precise. A strict nine-to-five man, he focused on completing daily tasks efficiently, leaving anything unfinished for the next morning — as long as nothing slipped past the contract deadlines.

Despite the age difference, you and Mark had clicked right away. As two young entrepreneurs, you shared the same drive for innovation and the same determination not to settle for safe or ordinary. While you were intense and detail-oriented, he balanced you with a calm, grounded energy that made brainstorming new ideas feel like an endless conversation about the future you both wanted to build.

Working with him felt easy. Safe. Comforting in a way very few things were anymore.

“Well, I won’t keep you any longer. Need a ride to your next stop?” Mark offered, casually tossing his keys in his hand as you both made your way toward the restaurant entrance.

You smiled, grateful but firm. “Thanks, but he’s meeting me here.”

“He?” Mark’s brows lifted, the word slipping out before he could stop himself, a little too eager, a little too sharp.

“Jeongguk.”

“Ah, the husband.” Mark’s laugh was light, but his smile didn’t quite match it. He reached for the door and held it open for you, his voice easy but slightly forced. “Always been the lucky guy.”

You paused for a second, sensing something beneath the surface, but chose to brush it off. Mark had always been playful, and tonight was probably no different.

“Have a great time,” he added, slipping his free hand into his pocket. “Don’t keep him waiting too long. Wouldn’t want to make a guy jealous.”

Just as he’s about to head for his car, Mark suddenly turns back. “Oh, before I forget—I got something for you.”

Confused, you watch him pull a small velvet box from his coat pocket. “Happy Birthday. I’m late, but better late than never, right?”

Curious, you lift the lid and find a delicate, white diamond pendant shaped like the Eiffel Tower, hanging from a fine silver chain.

Getting little surprises from Mark wasn’t anything new. You still used the custom iPad case he gave you last year, your name pressed neatly in one corner. You slept better these days, thanks to the memory foam pillow he had dropped off after you complained once about backaches at the office. Even now, your favorite pen—engraved with your initials—sat tucked in your work tote, a result of him deciding that bougie was the only way to go.

Mark had always been thoughtful like that. A little extra sometimes, but always thoughtful.

Still, this felt different. More personal. More... intimate.

Your fingers hesitated over the necklace. This time, it didn’t feel like a casual office gift. Jewelry like this wasn’t meant for business partners—it was something you gave to someone that meant more.

You glanced up at him, a slight panic bubbling in your chest. “Mark...”

He immediately caught the shift in your expression and waved it off with a laugh. “Relax! It’s not a big deal. Didn’t cost me anything. One of our clients gave a few out for promotion. Figured you’d like it — you know, since the Eiffel Tower is basically all you obsess over whenever we visit.”

You let out a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding, feeling a little ridiculous for even hesitating. Of course. It was just business. Like always.

“Next time, start with that,” you said, shaking your head. “I almost thought—”

“What?” he teased, cocking his head with that familiar mischievous grin.

“You’re such an ass,” you muttered, laughing despite yourself.

The tension lifted, light and easy again. “Want me to put it on?” he offered casually, holding up the necklace.

You smiled and turned around, gathering your hair up without a second thought. You felt the soft brush of his fingers as he clasped the pendant around your neck.

The diamond caught the light when you faced him again, and for a second, Mark just looked at you, something unreadable flickering across his face. But then he was back to his usual self, giving you a mock salute.

“See you tomorrow.”

“Of course. Thanks again, partner. Drive safe.”

You watched him head to his car, the new pendant resting lightly against your skin, feeling nothing but grateful to have a friend like him in your life.

Alone now, you check Jeongguk’s message again. His location pin glows on your screen — parked somewhere nearby. Relief flutters in your chest.

He’s close. Any second now.

But the minutes drag on. Five. Ten. Thirty. The pin stays stubbornly still, unmoving in the dark.

Around you, the world shifts. The line that once buzzed with chatter has emptied out, replaced by new faces wrapped in jackets and scarves. The cold, damp air slips past your two coats as if you wore nothing at all. It's the kind of chill that bites at your bones, making you wonder if winter is already on its way.

You rub your hands together, hoping to warm them, but the ache that suddenly stirs in your joints isn't from the cold anymore. It’s something else.

Something deeper. Older.

You know this pain. It grows from within, heavy and bitter. It wraps around your chest, seeps into your fingertips, making even breathing feel fragile.

You try to steady yourself, counting slow inhales, slow exhales, the way the doctors taught you. You tell yourself it’s just exhaustion. Just hunger. Just the day wearing you down.

But even as you lie to yourself, your body knows better.

The weight in your head grows unbearable. The world tilts slightly, and panic surges up your throat. You glance around desperately for a seat, a place to land, but the small bench near the entrance is already full — laughter and conversation blurring around you.

With no other choice, you lower yourself onto the edge of the pavement, not caring about your clothes, not caring about the stares.

Your hands barely catch your fall. The pavement's roughness scrapes your skin, but it’s a distant thing — muffled, almost gentle compared to the roar building in your chest.

You close your eyes. Tell yourself it’ll pass. It always does. It has to.

But this time, the darkness rises faster than you can fight.

Jeongguk should feel at peace.

It’s been three days — three days of coming home to an empty house. Three days without seeing the coffee pot you always left ready for him, even though he never used it anymore. Three days without the packed lunches you still made, even when he stopped taking them. He should feel free. He doesn’t have to wash off the scent of someone else’s perfume anymore after spending the day with Jiwoo.

But no matter how much he tries, he can’t feel happy.

His mind keeps going back to three nights ago.

He remembers sitting in his car outside the restaurant, watching you with your business partner. He saw how Mark stood close to you, how he laughed with you, how he reached out and fastened a necklace around your neck.

Jeongguk tries brushing the thought away. Tells himself it’s no big deal. But somehow, the image still sticks. Shows up when he least expects it. Tugs at the edge of his mind.

Simple work tasks now take forever. Emails sit unanswered in his inbox. Feedback on important campaigns, which he usually gives quickly, is delayed. His desk is buried under a growing pile of work he keeps putting off. Every morning, he wakes up already dreading the day ahead.

Taehyung notices the change. He doesn’t usually question Jeongguk’s habits, even when work piles up. But with the Calvin campaign shoot coming soon, and Mingyu as the new model, things need to stay on track.

He thought Jeongguk would feel better after finally telling you the truth. He thought letting go would give him some kind of relief.

Instead, Jeongguk looks worse. Instead of feeling free, he just looks even more lost.

“Did it end up being worse than you expected?” Taehyung asked casually, leaning back in his chair.

Jeongguk paused, confused. “Huh?”

“Dinner with her. Did it really go that bad?”

Jeongguk understood immediately. “No. We never actually went out. I didn’t even get the chance to tell her.”

Taehyung frowned. “You’re not avoiding it again, are you? We’ve talked about this, Gguk. You can’t keep running from the truth.”

“I know, Hyung. I went there, swear. You saw me leave with the papers that day. I showed up... just never made it to her.”

“Why?”

“Saw her with Mark.”

Taehyung raised an eyebrow, surprised. “Tuan? Her business partner?”

Jeongguk nodded, his jaw tight. “Yeah.”

“And that stopped you?”

Jeongguk shifted uncomfortably. “They were outside the restaurant together.”

“So?” Taehyung shrugged. “Could’ve just been a work thing.”

“It wasn’t,” Jeongguk knew it was a work thing. You mentioned it during your brief conversation earlier that morning. Just knew his gut was the more reasonable thing to trust. “That guy’s been in love with her for a while. Knew it the first time I met him at an event. The way he looks at her during her speeches... it’s obvious. And all those little gifts she brings home after their meetings? That’s not just business.”

He recognized the signs too well — they mirrored the same things he used to do for you when your marriage still had warmth left in it. Jeongguk’s voice carried an unexpected bitterness.

Taehyung studied his friend for a moment, sensing more behind his words. “Not to be rude, but... why do you even care? If she’s moving on, then so be it.”

“I don’t. Seriously, if she’s happy, found someone new, that actually makes everything easier,” Jeongguk paused, staring down at his hands. “It’s just weird, seeing them alone together like that, for the first time.”

Taehyung didn’t argue, but he didn’t look convinced either. “You shouldn’t be feeling anything, you know that, right? You haven’t felt anything for her in almost three years.”

The words hit harder than Jeongguk expected.

But he nodded, trying to ground himself in the decision he had already made.

After days in the hospital, you were finally going home.

The new agreement you signed with your lawyer left them with no choice but to release you. When your mom dropped you off, all you could think about was your own bed, your room filled with that soft lavender scent you missed so much. You just wanted a real shower, clothes that didn’t feel like paper, and a night of sleep without nurses checking your vitals every few hours.

You looked for one of Jeongguk’s old sweatshirts buried at the back of the closet. That old Linkin’ Park sweatshirt was always the comfiest, giving you the warmth of late-night talks and reminders of when you’d tease him for his broody music taste and soft, wide-eyed pout that made him look like a moody bunny.

As you pulled the sweatshirt free, something bumped against your hand—a soft thud, then a few papers slid out from the side of Jeongguk’s briefcase. Papers that looked too clean, stiff, and far too careful to be forgotten.

The sight made you stop cold. Your heart felt like it stopped too.

Maybe the universe thought it was funny — throwing one hit after another your way, just to see if you could survive it. Maybe it believed you were strong enough to take everything.

But even the strongest people get tired. Even they reach a point where they can’t keep going.

The universe clearly didn’t care. Because how else could you explain everything? The love you watched fall apart. The terrible news Dr. Min gave you. And now, these divorce papers scattered across your bedroom floor, already stained with the tears slipping down your cheeks.

You knew the marriage had been over for a long time. You felt it in the way Jeongguk drifted farther from you with every passing day.

But seeing it written down — seeing it official — still crushed something inside you.

You weren’t ready. Not today. Not after everything else.

But as you glanced down at the date typed at the top of the agreement, a bitter truth settled in. 

Maybe it wasn’t too soon after all. Maybe it was long overdue.

Because it had been three years now — three long years of being invisible. Of being nothing more than a shadow in the life you used to share with him.

Seeing the divided assets listed on the paper, you barely paid attention to the money he chose to split. It didn’t matter now. If anything, you thought Jeongguk had done a decent job of being fair.

What hurt was seeing his signature already stamped on it. It was realizing how easily his name stretched across the page, the faded ink, proof, that this decision wasn’t something he wrestled with. It hurt more knowing he had made the choice without even talking to you first.

Years of knowing his laugh before you even knew what falling in love with him felt like. Of sharing secrets under morning skies and sunlight that filtered through café windows. Of sneaking out of back-to-back meetings just to see each other for ten stolen minutes, coffee in one hand, his tie half-loosened, your heels in the other, saying nothing important—just “I missed you.” And meaning it. Of birthdays and anniversaries spent trying to outdo each other with handwritten letters, and slow, quiet mornings where nothing mattered except the way he looked at you like you were his favorite view.

You built a life with him. Chose him through every season. You held him when he broke down, he held you when your world went dark. You thought a love like that was untouchable. That all those years were proof of something unbreakable. That if anything in the world was real, it was you and him.

You thought that kind of history meant something. Thought it would keep you safe. Thought it would be enough.

But it wasn’t.

And maybe that’s the most painful part – that all those memories, all that love, all those years, not even the friendship you’ve built, was enough to stop him from letting go.

Seventeen years of love and memories, tossed aside like they didn’t matter.

The ache inside you wasn’t sharp anymore. It had settled into something heavier, deeper — a kind of grief that didn’t leave room for tears.

This was it.

The end of everything you once believed would last forever.

The soft creak of the bedroom door pulls you out of your thoughts.

Jeongguk steps inside. His eyes find the papers scattered around you, and for a second, you catch the panic flashing through him. "Where did you find that?"

The question is so cliché, you almost laugh. But you can’t even feel that anymore. There’s nothing left. Just emptiness.

You don’t bother answering him. Instead, you ask quietly, “When do you need it?”

His forehead creases. "What?"

"I’ll need some time to review it with Jin," you say, your voice steady, too steady. "But I’ll have it back to you before you know it."

You gather the papers neatly, ignoring how your hands tremble. Forced yourself to keep going, acting like none of it matters.

Jeongguk stares at you like he’s seeing you for the first time — and he doesn't seem to like what he’s seeing.

“Wait—” he starts.

But you cut him off, stacking the documents back into the folder. "Just tell me if you want it sent to you directly, or through your lawyer. Either way works. If there’s anything you want to change, send it back to me."

Your calmness seems to knock the air out of him. You can see it — the way his shoulders stiffen, the way his mouth opens but no words come out at first.

“That’s it?" he finally chokes out. "You’re just going to accept that I lied to you? That I kept this from you? You’re just... letting it go? You’re not even going to fight?"

You lift your gaze to him, tired, defeated. “Fight for what, Gguk?”

He doesn’t answer.

And you realize he has nothing left to give you.

“It’s over," you say, barely above a whisper. "You’ve won. You’re getting what you wanted."

You rise to your feet, feeling the weight of everything you’ve ever carried pulling harder now.

But there’s one thing you have to know.

You owe yourself at least that much.

"If you won’t mind..." you add, voice breaking just a little, "I just have one question." He watches you carefully, guarded, almost scared. "For once, Gguk... please be honest with me.”

You swallow the lump rising in your throat, then finally ask the question you’ve been burying for too long.

"Do you love her?"

Jeongguk’s face went pale. Sweat collected along his forehead, catching the light. His eyes—lately that’s been hard to read—were filled with panic now, darting between the folder on the floor and your face. He didn’t expect that question, not tonight.

He opened his mouth, but all that came out was a quiet, shaky, “When... when did you find out?”

“A while ago,” you said, voice steady but cold. “I went to your office one afternoon to see you. Brought lunch, thought maybe we could eat.”

You looked away, your gaze settling on the wall, anywhere but him.

“Taehyung said you were in a meeting, so I waited. Figured I’d stay at the café nearby in case you had time later. It was Ha-yun’s second death anniversary.”

You paused, the name alone pulling something deep from inside your chest. “We didn’t get to see each other that morning. Thought we could at least talk... remember her together.”

Jeongguk’s shoulders tensed, but he said nothing.

“But when I saw you walking out of the building later that evening, you weren’t alone.” You let the words hang in the air, suffocating.

“She was with you. Was wearing your coat – the faded navy one with the frayed cuff. The one I spent hours stitching together, gave it to you on your first day for your new role. Told me it made you feel like you could conquer everything at that time.”

“And there she was, wearing it like it was just another coat. I saw you laughed at something she said – it’s that same laugh you used to share with me.”

“Then, she kissed you. You kissed her back like you had nowhere else to be.”

You paused, forcing yourself to breathe as the image flooded your mind again. “And then you both got in a cab. Left off to wherever it was you were going. Looked like you didn’t even care that you had me, that you had a wife and a home that was waiting for you.”

He flinched. A small, almost invisible movement—but you caught it.

“I stayed at the café a little longer,” you went on, voice quieter now. “Watched the street like an idiot, hoping maybe I was wrong. That you’d come back, even if I saw everything. Thought maybe you’d call me, apologize, tell me you loved me, that I still mattered to you. Thought maybe it was just a one-time thing. I was going to let it go for that one-time thing. Told myself something stupid that it might’ve been one of your drunken mistakes.”

You let out a shaky laugh, bitter and sad all at once. “But you never came back. It wasn’t a one-time thing. Because I’d seen all of it already it before. The scent on your shirts. The lipstick stains I kept finding. The lemon cake mixes you started buying even though you hated them. The tattoo—God, even the tattoo.”

His eyes widened, and for a moment, something flashed there—maybe guilt, maybe fear. You don’t know anymore.

“I saw the moon and stars on your wrist and realized you’d erased me. Replaced the sun—our sun. The one you said reminded you of how I made everything feel warm.”

You looked back at him, met his eyes, hoping to find even a flicker of regret—nothing. Just silence where love used to be.

“You didn’t even remember what that day was, did you?”

 “I’m so—”

“Don’t,” you cut him off, voice breaking. “Don’t say you’re sorry. You’re not.”

Then, you asked again, the one question you hadn’t dared to say out loud until now. “Just tell me. Do you love her?”

The way his eyes dropped to the floor, the way his lips stayed shut—it told you everything you needed to know. He didn’t have to answer. Because he already had.

You don’t say anything else. Just walked away with the weight of the papers still in your hand. Every step toward the closet feels heavier than the last, like your body is finally reacting to the emotional collapse you’ve been holding back. You open the door quietly, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing you break, even if your heart already has.

The space smells like both of you—faint traces of cologne and lavender, memories clinging to folded sweaters and hanging jackets. You grab the first largest bag you can find and begin packing what you can—just the essentials. A few changes of clothes. Some things for work. The rest you’ll deal with later, on a day when Jeongguk isn’t around, or maybe you’ll ask your mom to send someone for it.

You move on autopilot, focused on finishing before the lump in your throat can rise too high. Zipping the bag feels final, like the sound seals something off inside you.

When you step outside with the first load, Jeongguk is already there, standing near your car like he thinks he has something to say that could change the outcome. You don't look at him. Don’t have the strength to.

Another trip inside, another bag. Still, he’s there, hovering close like he’s waiting for you to fall apart in front of him. But you won’t—not here, not now.

You toss the last bag in the trunk and slam it shut. He takes a small step forward, eyes filled with something you can’t read anymore.

You pause before opening the car door, glancing back at him one last time.

“There are some conditions I want to add to the papers,” you say, your voice steady despite the storm inside. “But don’t worry. I promise, you'll get what you want."

And with that, you slide in, start the engine, and drive off—leaving him behind in the house that no longer feels like home.

Jeongguk sits at the bar, a glass of his usual whiskey resting in front of him. The ice has started to melt, untouched for too long. He knows he should be enjoying himself. Should be out there with Taehyung, laughing over stupid things, pushing through crowds, stepping outside to smoke and complain about the music being too loud.

But tonight, none of that feels right.

His hand stays curled around the silver ring resting in his palm. The wedding band he once wore every day without a second thought. Now, it’s just something he keeps in his wallet—close enough to hold onto, but not close enough to wear. He hasn’t figured out if that’s guilt, denial, or something in between.

It’s only been a week since you left.

The silence in the house is heavier than he expected. He thought he’d welcome the space, the quiet, the freedom. For years, he told himself things would feel lighter once it was over. And yet, all he’s felt since that night is the slow weight settling deeper in his chest.

The papers still haven’t come back. But he doesn’t mind. Told himself he’d wait however long it took. You deserve that. After everything, it's the least he can do. He’s not holding out hope that you’ll change your mind. Your last words still sit in his mind — your promise to finally let him go.

What haunts him is the way you sounded that night. Blank. Too blank. Like you’d already cried all the tears you had left and didn’t see the point anymore. That steady voice — wrapped around the pain you tried so hard to hide — plays in his head every time he closes his eyes.

In the mornings, it’s the marks on the closet floor that hits him. The faint skid of your luggage dragging out of the house feels louder than anything. A reminder that you left without looking back. That you made it easy for him, even when you shouldn’t have.

The missing car keys by the door breaks his heart the most. The keychain — the one with the little sun he bought you when you first moved in together — is gone too. Just an empty hook now. Every time he sees it, he’s dragged back to the moment to how you left.

Not just that you left, but how easily you did. You packed what you could, walked out the door in the middle of the night, and left him with everything—comfort, safety, warmth—when you were the one who deserved it more.

The vibration of his phone on the bar table pulls him out of the thought.

For a second, he welcomes it—grateful for anything to take him out of the spiral. But when he glances at the screen, the relief disappears just as fast.

Atty. Kim Namjoon: Divorce papers got delivered. On my way to the office to pick up. Let me know if you want to keep this off for tomorrow or if you want to meet up now.

Jeon Jeongguk: My house. Ten minutes.

He lets out a slow breath before grabbing his jacket.

Shoving his way through the crowd, he finds Taehyung still glued to someone on the dance floor. “Let’s go,” Jeongguk says, voice low. “I’ll buy you breakfast.”

Taehyung groans in protest, but when he catches the look on Jeongguk’s face, he doesn’t argue.

Outside, the cold night hits his skin, but it doesn’t wake him. He’s already too alert. Too aware of what’s waiting for him.

The house is quiet—too quiet—but Jeongguk barely notices. He’s sitting at the kitchen table, staring down at the revised divorce agreement spread out in front of him like it’s written in a language he doesn’t understand.

Every asset under both your names will be transferred to him. The Cheongdam apartment—originally meant for rent— will be his, along with any future rental income. Your joint account? Expected to be emptied into his name. Your personal savings, too. Business shares you once celebrated over dinner? All will be redirected to him, including your shares in Seora— the company you’ve poured your heart into. Even the insurance policies, meant to protect you both, will stay with him. You’d even signed the car title transfer.

The only things you requested to keep were the vacation home in Busan, every photo you’d taken together, and both wedding rings.

That’s it.

Jeongguk leans back, the paper feeling oddly stiff. He doesn’t understand. He knows the agreement he'd made. Knows what was on the original papers. None of this makes sense.

“There’s a catch,” Namjoon says, opening a separate folder and handing Jeongguk a new document – a single list, yet the paper feels heavier than it should, as if every word on it carries a weight of its own.

Taehyung, seated across from them, leans in.

“What’s this?” Jeongguk asks.

“Her conditions. She had them delivered with the revised agreement,” Namjoon explains. “Said the divorce won’t be final until these are met.”

Jeongguk reads the page slowly, each point sinking deeper into his chest.

Namjoon watches the way Jeongguk’s expression tightens, the weight of the situation settling heavy on his face. It’s not a new look—he’s worn it often since the divorce talks began—but it still makes Namjoon uneasy.

“You good?” he asks quietly.

Jeongguk doesn’t answer right away. His eyes stay on the paper in front of him, the list of conditions still fresh in his mind.

“Why is she giving everything to me?” His voice is low, like he’s talking to himself more than anyone else. “Why is she making this so easy? What's with this list?”

Namjoon straightens. “We can counter. These conditions? They’re emotional leverage. Anyone can see that. This could easily be thrown out or adjusted. If you want to—”

“I don’t want to fight back, Hyung.” Jeongguk cuts in before Namjoon can finish. His tone is calm, but it makes both Namjoon and Taehyung freeze. There’s something cold in it. Resigned. “She doesn’t deserve that. Not after everything.”

He leans back, fingers tightening around the edge of the table.

“If this is all she’s asking for, I’ll do it. I just don’t understand why.” He shakes his head. “I did most of what’s on this list for fourteen years. The rest… I’ve been doing for three. And now all I have to do is repeat it for thirty days, and she signs everything over?”

Namjoon stays quiet. He knows where this is going.

“She’s not angry. She’s not asking for much in return. She’s not even trying to fight me for the things we built together. Why?” Jeongguk’s voice drops. “Why is she still being kind to me after all the shit I’ve done? Why is she making it easier for me to walk away from this?”

Taehyung shifts in his seat but says nothing.

“I don’t deserve easy,” Jeongguk mutters. “I’m not supposed to deserve easy.”

Namjoon knows the answer. Years working through countless divorces, he’s seen this kind of case more often than he'd like. The ones that settle the fastest, the ones that end quietly without dragging each other through the mud.

Taehyung knows it too. Having known you for over a decade, he’s watched how even through all the pain and disappointments, you never stopped choosing Jeongguk.

The unspoken answer hovers between them, heavy and bittersweet.

Namjoon and Taehyung share a look but say nothing, both silently agreeing to keep their thoughts to themselves.

Jeongguk isn’t ready to hear it.

Maybe he never will be.

[linoxpudding]

Dad!SKZ Masterlist

The fics are linked at the end~

So, in linoxpudding-verse, these will be the family dynamics:

Bang Chan 🐺

2 daughters, 1 son

Eldest Daughter: Bahng Juliana (7th Jan, 2029)

Middle Daughter: Bahng Aera (12th Oct, 2033)

Youngest Son: Bahng Noah (2nd June, 2037)

Lee Know 🐰

2 sons, 1 daughter

Eldest Son: Lee Mingi (23rd May, 2032)

Middle Daughter: Lee Minjung (8th Aug, 2035)

Youngest Son: Lee Minhyuk (26th Sept, 2037)

Seo Changbin 🐷🐇

1 daughter, 1 son

Eldest son: Seo Juwon (5th March, 2034)

Youngest daughter: Seo Seowon (6th Feb, 2037)

Hwang Hyunjin 🥟

1 son, 1 daughter

Eldest son: Hwang Rowoon (12th Dec, 2032)

Young daughter: Hwang Hyejin (2nd April, 2036)

Han Jisung 🐿

Twin daughters, 1 son

Twins: Han Jisoo, Han Minsoo (5th July, 2032)

Youngest son: Han Jihoon (19th Oct, 2034)

Lee Felix 🐥

2 daughters

Eldest daughter: Lee Yuna (20th Nov, 2035)

Youngest daughter: Lee Emma (7th May, 2037)

Kim Seungmin 🐶

1 son

Only son: Kim Taesan (5th March, 2036)

Yang Jeongin 🦊

2 sons

Eldest son: Yang Sungheon (12th April, 2036)

Youngest son: Yang Jaeheon (7th Nov, 2038)

Same Year Friends ~

2032 liners - Han Twins, Lee Mingi, Hwang Rowoon

2035 liners - Lee Minjung, Lee Yuna

2036 liners - Bahng Noah, Kim Taesan, Yang Sungheon

2037 liners - Lee Minhyuk, Seo Seowon, Lee Emma

Dad!SKZ — Fake Texts & Fic

📱- fake texts, 📝 - written fics

genre(s): angst 💔, hurt/comfort ❤️‍🩹, fluff 💘, humor 🩵

OT8

📱Baby Daddy Era - Hyung Maknae 💘

📱"I Want A Baby" - Hyung Maknae 💘🩵

📱Tiny Tyrants - Hyung Maknae 💘🩵

📝 First Milestones (headcanons)

📱Skzoo Bias 💘🩵

Bang Chan

📝 Our Little Miracle 💘

📝 Love That Remained 💔❤️‍🩹💘

Lee Know

📝 Like Father, Like Son 💘🩵

📝 Fading Love [4 Part Series] 💔❤️‍🩹💘

📝 Meeting Baby Mingi 💘🩵

📝 Little Rivalry 💘🩵

Seo Changbin

📝 Morning Cuddles 💘 (a/n: I know in previous fics I mentioned Changbin having a daughter first, but I’ve decided to switch things up—let’s just pretend his son was chilling in the other room back then!)

Hwang Hyunjin

📝 Welcome Home 💘

Han Jisung

📝 Second Chances 💔❤️‍🩹

📝 Double Trouble 💘🩵

Lee Felix

📝 Weekend Errands 💘

Kim Seungmin

coming soon...

Yang Jeongin

📝 Routine Chaos 💘🩵

[tadc-harlequin-au]

"Greetings. Please, do enjoy your read, with the official Masterpost of..."

The Marvelous Mechanical Harlequin AU!

Looking for this AU's game counterpart? You can go to The Souls-like AU Masterpost for that!

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INTRO ANIMATIC:

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The long-awaited official masterpost of the Harlequin AU is now here! You'll find everything there is to know about the AU, all in here.

Please note that all of it is still a WIP! And this is NOT an RP blog! ══════☸☸☸════════════☸☸☸══════

CHARACTER ROSTERS & DESC.!

Main Cast:

Supporting Cast:

"The names have the link to the full character biography attached to them. Please note that some aspects of it are still incomplete, (or may even be outdated) for story purposes."

Pomni, The Last Harlequin: |•| Caine, The Puppetmaster:

Coming soon!

Ragatha, The Artifact Collector |•| Jax, The Mischievous Trickster

Lady Gangle, The Bashful Slithery Chronicler:

Z, The No-nonsense Housesmith:

Kingr, The Helpful King:

BOSS ROSTERS, OFFICIAL STORY/LORE SNIPPETS, NON-CANON TIDBITS and FAQs BELOW THE CUT!

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BOSS ROSTERS:

The Lady of Forgotten Memories |•| The Skirmish General |•| The Last Formidable, Imposing Structure |•| The Mischievous Trickster Automaton |•| The Maddened Princess of the Theater |•| Bladed Beast of Steel and Shadows |•| The Pierrot of the Carnival Funhouse |•| The Celestial Twin Entertainers |•| Bandits of the Confectionary Highlands |•| Former Warden of the Labyrinth |•| Overlooker of the Confectionary Highlands |•| The Abstraction |•| Duchess of the Mildenhall Cliff's edge House |•| Proud Queen of the Gatherers |•| The Patriarch of Puppets |•|

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OFFICIAL STORY:

"Thrilling Order Of The Hunt" comic |•| Stalemate (fic) |•| Touch-Starved (Post-boss!Ragatha)

OFFICIAL LORE SNIPPETS:

The Charmer, The Catalyst and The Inventor |•| Memory#1 |•|

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OFFICIAL ARTWORKS:

Coming soon!

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LORE-RELATED ASKS:

You can go here for that!

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NON-CANON:

"Come Back To Me." (showtime, ao3) |•| Cade, The Miracle star (Showtime fankid) |•| Anya, The Little sensitive Poppet (Jesterdoll fankid) |•| The Lady of Forgotten Memories' defeat |•| Who Broke It (Harlequin AU edition) |•| The Hole (Harlequin AU edition) |•| "Chandelier" fanart (fanfic, suggestive ⚠️) |•| Morning routines |•| ⚠️The Puppetmaster's Trophy Harlequin (dark themes, nihilistic/no happy ending)⚠️ |•|

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FAQs!

"Now, what exactly is 'The Marvelous Mechanical Harlequin' AU?"

Well I'm glad you asked! The Marvelous Mechanical Harlequin, or "Harlequin AU" for short, is a grimdark sci-fantasy story about "Puppets", whom are soul-infused robots, trying to regain their lost humanity in a broken world.

It follows Pomni, a short-tempered Combat Harlequin, as she explores the city of Circuits with the aid of Caine, The Puppetmaster.

However, as the story progresses, Pomni not only realizes that there's more to the grand scheme of things as she explores more and more, she also uncovers The Puppetmaster's story, and what secrets he may be hiding.

"How do the boss fights go down in the story?"

Action-packed, fast paced, involves a lot of dying on Pomni's part.

Even though this is inspired by a Souls-like, the boss fights go down more so like a mixture between Cuphead, Shadow of the Colossus, and God of War (2018/Raganarok). Mostly God of War.

"Are there going to be canon ships in this AU?"

Yes! The AU is very Showtime (Caine x Pomni) centric, and some of the story aspects of the AU are heavily surrounded on that. There is a bit of Jesterdoll (Pomni x Ragatha) in it, too.

Aside from these canon ships, all is fair game. The Puppets don't have ages seeing as to how they are robots (and were already adults prior to their conversion), so the possibilities are endless.

"Can I make fanarts/fanfics/make original content for your AU?"

Why, of course you can! In fact, I would REALLY love to see it, as long as it complies with my personal boundaries below. So don't be afraid to tag this blog, or @iamespecter in your posts if you want me to see it!

"What are the boundaries of the AU?"

Go wild! The AU's rating is pretty mature, if it wasn't obvious already for it's grimdark genre.

However... I would like to ask that if you would like to make something dark even for my standards for this AU (i.e non-con or dark kinks), all I ask is that you don't show it to me. I personally do not like it, and do not vibe with it.

"What are your thoughts about NSFW surrounding the AU?"

Suggestive content and NSFW is allowed! I am an adult, and I personally enjoy them. (I think I'll make a blog for the more... spicy things.)

Even I make suggestive content for this AU.

HOWEVER! Please tag it properly with "cw suggestive", "tw suggestive", "tw nsft" and various other tags for people who do not wish to see them, or are minors. I can't keep track of everything try as I might, so it'll be up to you to be a decent person, which I know you will be.

"I don't like showtime, but I find your AU interesting. Will that be a problem?"

For you, it might be. The story leans heavily around Pomni and Caine's relationship as a whole, and I'm sorry. I'm just really soft about them.

"Will this be anything like the original TADC?"

Yesss...? And no...? It takes a lot of creative liberty and inspirations from various medias.

⚠️ This masterpost is still under construction! Please excuse the technical difficulties. ⚠️

In the meantime, I hope you had a fun read nonetheless! Things will get updated overtime. - Ziku/IAmESpecter

[valtsv]

can you pitch tsv to me fandom propaganda style… like sell it to me. hook me in. what is it about

the silt verses is a folk horror/political satire/weird fiction podcast set in an alternate ambiguously modern-day reality that asks the question "what if gods (and their saints, and angels, and miracles) were real? what if they formed the core infrastructure of the society you lived in? what if they were sustained by human belief and sacrifice? what if this was just the accepted Way Things Are?" and then introduces you to a cast of characters for whom this is their normal daily routine, and shakes them up through a series of intersecting arcs and plotlines. it deals with a lot of compelling themes - including identity and personhood, how institutions of power are formed and maintained and the potential for abuses of that power even by the most well-intentioned who wield it, action vs. rhetoric and the power of words; whose story is worth telling and whose is erased or adulterated by those privileged enough to write the version that becomes the widely accepted canon, and how struggles for control of something as conceptual as narrative can become very real and legitimate fights for the right to have one's autonomy and personhood recognised, human connection and why it's both so valuable and so destructive, etc. - but the central question it unceasingly begs is "why do we continue to live like this? why do we accept that this is all there is? what will it take for us to care about what's happening all around us, every day, right before our very eyes? what will you do when you realise you've spent your whole life drowning, and every option for relief comes at a cost? how long can you keep telling yourself that you're not really drowning before the water closes in over your head and swallows you like all those before you?"

tsv takes a magnifying glass to the horrifying exploitation and cruelty that so much of our own society runs on, and literalises it, leading to what is often rather heavy-handed satire bordering on the parodic - but it does so with such grace and unflinching, grounded honesty, without preaching to its audience but without letting them off the hook, either. it recognises that we are all both complicit in and victims of our own collective slow grind towards annihilation, and it asks us "isn't this absurd? isn't this horrifying? is this really all there is? is there nothing we can do in the face of this seemingly insurmountable, inescapable self-defeating routine-turned-ritual? why should we, or shouldn't we, care? why should we, or shouldn't we, try to make a difference?" and it's brave enough to admit that it doesn't have all the answers. but it still tries. because the silt verses is, fundamentally, a story about hope - real hope; the difficult, unglorious, unrelentingly in need of maintenance kind that is, nevertheless, still worth every effort to inspire it. the silt verses is a story about why we get up in the morning and try again, even though it might never be enough.

it's also a very character-driven story, and the character writing is truly second to none. every character is a person, in all their infinite messy, human complexity. every character has the capacity for abject cruelty and incredible kindness; to be a significant influence on their reality and to be utterly meaningless in the wider context of things; every character has the potential to be both the hand that pulls someone to their feet in their hour of need, and the boot that grinds them further into the dirt, and every character is both of these things, at some point or another, to someone. every character is both the martyr and the one holding the knife. no character is a saint - not even the actual, literal saints. and while this isn't necessarily something that should be used as a selling point, the way this podcast handles the diversity of identity is fantastic, and never used tokenistically, or as a character's sole defining trait (though not all aspects of identity get equal consideration; the creator has acknowledged that he didn't tackle race as a topic much beyond examining the developmental factors of broad strokes "us vs. them" nationalistic identities, and the arbitrary nature of patriotic loyalty to one's nation when it runs on the same oppressive systems as that which is painted the aggressor, and some fans have pointed out that while diversity of gender and one's lived experiences according to one's gender identity gets plenty of focus, some things are left to implication and inference in a way that doesn't necessarily strengthen the story's themes).

anyway. not sure this is the "fandom propaganda style" pitch you asked for, but listen to the silt verses. it's a brilliant work of fiction and to my mind deserves to be considered a landmark piece of art (even if that does mean that some of my more fandombrained takes would likely come to be seen as unflattering misconstrusions of the source material that betray my personal deficiencies. well whatever it was fun i had fun.)

[tldrthor]

five more minutes | steve rogers

Summary: Steve marvels at his sleepy girl // established relationship fluff, fem!reader, no use of (y/n) // word count: 1k

enjoyed? please like/reblog! you can find my masterlist here <3

Steve Rogers had never been a man who slept easily. It hadn’t been that way since he was a baby, keeping his poor mother awake through all hours of the night. As he grew, sleep never came easily — too many battles, too many scars, and the weight of the world on his shoulders from the moment he learned that to exist was to fight.

These days, the losses of everyone and everything pressed on him like a boulder, something he could never outrun. No, to sleep was to confront — and Steve had done enough confronting for a lifetime.

Most of his fellow Avengers knew the sting of restless nights. They understood that sleep, with its blank slate, was a risky thing — a place where the cruelest parts of their minds could take hold. Steve’s dreams were never kind. He often dreamed of Bucky falling from the train, of his mother lying on her deathbed, or of you — you, lying in a pool of crimson blood.

He flinched as that particular memory resurfaced. The day he thought he’d lose you. His eyes flicked to your sleeping form, cocooned in the duvet like a hibernating creature. Sometimes, he wondered if this was all real or if it was just a dream — a dream he was overdue to wake from.

You were so serene, so untouched by the world’s cruelty. It struck him again, how remarkable it was that after all you’d been through, sleep was still a sanctuary for you. He felt a pang of envy. You were able to rest in ways he couldn’t. Your face was peaceful, your breath slow and steady, while his thoughts raced like an out-of-control train.

Watching you fall asleep each night was like witnessing a miracle. You had this routine, a rhythm he had come to cherish. It was small, simple things — filling your water bottle, turning off the lights, and whispering “I love you, sleep well” before you sank into the comforting embrace of the night.

You had once asked him, “Does it bother you that I sleep so much when you don’t? Do you wish I joined you in the early hours of the morning?”

Even now, that question made him smile. He remembered you, stumbling out of bed hours after him, his oversized pajamas swallowing you whole. It made his chest swell with pride — this little thing with messy hair and a habit of stealing his clothes was his. He got to be there with you, cradling you while you slept, listening to your soft snores.

He could still feel the gentle pressure of his hands on your sleepy face, rubbing the exhaustion from your barely open eyes. He’d kissed the top of your messy hair, holding you close as he whispered, “I love you as you are, my sleepy girl.”

He was the luckiest man alive, and he knew it.

But sometimes, when the sun was just starting to rise, and he had to wake you up, that luck felt like a curse. He couldn’t help it. You were so peaceful, so content in your little cocoon of warmth and softness. The moment he dared disturb that tranquility, you became a beast to tame — his beast, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Sweetheart,” he whispered, kneeling beside the bed. His fingers gently stroked your hair, watching you stir. “It’s time to wake up. We’ve got training in an hour.”

A soft, incoherent noise escaped you as you buried your face deeper into the pillow. “Five more minutes…”

He couldn’t help but laugh. Same script, same lines. “Angel,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to your temple. “You’ve already had five more minutes than I should’ve given you.”

You leaned into his touch but didn’t open your eyes.

“I don’t want to go,” you groaned, wrapping yourself tighter in the duvet.

He sighed but grinned, moving to open the blinds. Sunlight poured into the room, bathing the bed in a warm, golden glow. You, of course, immediately buried your face deeper into the covers, a little mound of resistance.

He sat back down on the edge of the bed, gently pulling the duvet away from your eyes. “Come on, sweet girl. You know you have to get up.”

And then — the bargain. He saw it coming a mile away, heard the seductive lull of your voice as it lured him in.

“Come back to bed,” you coaxed, your voice thick with sleep. “We can cuddle.”

Damn you.

“Can’t, baby. You know how much I’d love to,” he whispered, trying to keep his voice strong as he planted soft kisses on your forehead, your temple, your cheek. “Come on, time to get up.”

A dramatic sigh came from beneath the covers. “You’re so mean.”

Ah, the anger phase. His least favourite.

“I know, sleepy girl,” he replied in a mock-somber tone, unable to resist the playful tease. “Open those pretty eyes for me. Let me see them.”

One eye cracked open, barely a slit. Success. “There she is.”

Before he could celebrate, that eye shut again. Of course. He checked the time—training was fast approaching, and he had promised you he’d give you enough time to get ready. But what could he do? The sleepy beauty before him was winning the fight — again.

He checked his phone, his impulsive fingers moving quicker than his rational, captain brain could stop them -- a quick text to Sam and an instant response:

Can you cover training this morning?

Sure thing. I’ll put them through their paces ;)

With a satisfied smile, Steve kicked off his boots and climbed over you, slipping back under the covers. You stirred slightly, one eye cracking open to assess the disruption.

“What doing?” you mumbled groggily.

“Shh, my sleepy girl,” he whispered, fitting himself into your warm space. You immediately relaxed, a grin spreading across your face at your unexpected victory. He pressed a kiss to your neck, pulling you closer. “Just five more minutes.”

This fic came to me suddenly even though it wasn't on my radar at all! Hope you all enjoy. Reminder you can join my taglist via the google form here <3

Masterlist

[itsswritten]

finally.

Pairing: Azriel x fem reader, Nessian (platonic) x reader, fluff

Word Count: 3.5K

Warnings: Pregnancy reveal, mentions of infertility/struggles falling pregnant, symptoms of pregnancy.

Summary: After years of trying and learning to let go, you are finally gifted your beautiful baby miracle miracles.

Wings Universe - More from this world.

“Gods you really are looking radiant today, Flower!” Elodie beamed, nudging you gently with her shoulder. 

The sun was bright among the wild blossoms, sunlight filtering down to touch your skin with a feverish kiss. The season was slowly shifting from Spring to Summer. Plants were growing larger, petals spreading wider, the pollen in the air stronger. There was a buzz among the land of the Night Court, as nature geared itself for this transformation. You had felt the change in temperature, noticed how the rays licked your skin. Leaving yourself and your friends glowing, sunkissed, glimmering from working in the meadows all day. 

But radiant? That was not the word you would use.

Elodie’s compliment had your brows furrowing gently, bringing your dirt covered hand to wipe the bead of sweat that threatened to roll down your cheek. You weren’t sure how to take the compliment. It described the opposite of everything you were feeling.

Perhaps bloated, and sluggish was more accurate. Out of sorts? You couldn’t quite figure out why, there had been no changes to your routine. Yet everything about you felt, well, just different.

Even Azriel had noticed some subtle changes. Ever the Spymaster noticed everything, especially about his precious mate. Or so he thought. He had mentioned the other day that your scent was sweeter than usual. The typical tones of vanilla and honey were weaved in with a hint of something else he couldn’t quite decipher. Azriel had taken it upon himself to touch every inch of your skin to uncover what, only to come to no answer. 

That had been a long night. A night of caresses and grazes. Not that you were complaining.

Glancing down at your fingers spread within the cool damp soil of the meadows, they flexed under the sponginess of the dirt. You could feel the vitality pulse beneath your fingertips before pulling them out. Glancing upon the skin that hadn’t been touched by dirt yet. Radiant? Perhaps. You always had a glow to you, all fairies did. That unexplainable aura that lit up any room. But maybe just maybe, you had been shining a little brighter. 

Maybe.

Casting a fertilising charm within the ground had been today’s task. Along with your usual working group you had headed to the meadows and woodlands on the outskirts of the Night Court. This particular part of your job, the more physical aspect, was one you usually relished in. The ache of your muscles and bones at the end of a hard day of graft, usually, gave you some kind of instant gratification. But fatigue was plaguing you.

You had been sleeping more than usual. Being a Fairy meant you were always rose with that hot shining beacon in the sky, but there had been numerous mornings recently where Azriel had to coax you from your slumber. The sunshine no longer acting as your alarm. Azriel would rouse you with whispered compliments and gentle kisses. Sometimes, his shadows would stir you too, brushing your skin with their cooling touch.

There had even been times when Azriel had let you sleep in. Never a working day of course. Gods be damned, Azriel knew better than that. A day missed at the meadow was the end of the world. Or at least your world. Azriel learnt in the early years of friendship that you took your duty very seriously. So on the days where he knew you had nowhere to be– nowhere other than his arms. He let you sleep.

“Honestly y/n you have this glow about you…” Elodie continued, turning fully to you now her own hands pulling out of the soil. She gently brushed them down her honey coloured dress, her apron picking up the soil as she wiped them. The sun cast a gentle glow across her deep skin, golden eyes glinting with curiosity. A curiosity you wanted to question but before you could, the call for lunch was bellowed across the meadow. 

Food wrapped in little gingham cloths were passed round, a parcel finding its way to your lap. You were starving you realised, as your tummy made a small groaning noise. Hastily you unravelled the packed lunch, the sweet recognisable scent filling the air around you, a smile spreading on your plump lips at today’s choice.

Cake and jam. Your favourite.

The little parcel was packed with nuts, berries, and veggies. But your sweet tooth had your fingers itching to pick up the sponge cake. Licking your lips gently, you brought the sweet slice, covered in a slab of strawberry jam to your lips. Taking a bite of your favourite sweet treat. 

Only it wasn’t sweet.

Instantly you gagged.

The chewed up cake quickly came rolling out of your mouth as you discreetly caught it in your hand.

“Is the food off?” Elodie hushed quietly, turning to you as she inspected your lunch. 

Your group always took turns bringing in food for the day. And you truly couldn’t knock your friends baking. Perhaps a little stereotypical, but fairies were very domestic. Not only great with plants and gardening, but also sewing, crafting, and of course baking. Gus in particular, whose cake you had just spat out was probably the best baker of all the Hollow. 

Shaking your head quickly, you secretly hid the chewed up cake underneath your berries. Your tongue swilling the metallic taste the cake had filled your mouth with. You couldn’t bear Gus finding out you’d spat out his food. The poor male would be heartbroken. 

“No, no it isn’t. It’s fine I promise. I don’t know what came over me,” you hurried out a whisper. “I’ve been feeling a little off recently. Maybe I’m under the weather.”

Placing her lunch to the side, your friend looked at you with her deep warm eyes, concerned etched into her brows as she gently pressed the back of her hand on your forehead.

Chewing your lip you let your friend examine you. “You don’t have a temperature…” she muttered, more to herself than to you as she began to fuss.

Leaning closer then, her hands clasped around your cheeks. Her grip was slightly firm as your lips were squished into a pout. She didn’t notice though, not as her eyes began to quickly flicker over every line and curve of your face. Her meticulous scrutiny not letting up. A glimmer of something winked across her face, catching her off guard if only for a second before her brows furrowed.

Then she began to sniff you.

“El, what are you doing?” You asked, tone annoyed and bashful, as you swatted her looming face away lightly. She was naturally quite a tactile fairy, but even this was a bit much for her. 

Elodie had sat back now, her eyes widening. It was as though you could see in her eyes the pieces falling into place, but for a puzzle you weren't aware of.

“Thank the Mother,” she whispered, her lips stretching to a smile, before she clasped your hand pulling you away from the group.

“El?” You were annoyed now. Your fingers were flexing at your sides, as she had pulled you into a field filled with tulips. The pink and orange hues swayed gently in the breeze, as an uneasiness began to roll over you. 

“It all makes sense now. How you were so emotional when you saw those baby hedgehogs the other day–”

Shaking your head, you lifted your hands in confusion. You didn’t understand.

“Your scent, your glow…your wings!”

There was an uncomfortable rising feeling under your skin at the signs your friend began to mention, the symptoms you knew all too well that were rolling off her tongue. You knew them so well because for a period of time you had analysed every part of yourself hoping to see these aspects, only to not ever see a glimmer.

It couldn’t be?

Quickly glancing over your shoulder, you squinted to take a hard look at your wings. Furling the iridescent membranes closer to you, as you examined the very appendages your friend was peering so intently at.

There was nothing really different…except maybe there was. You squinted harder.

The tips. 

They’d turned a darker pink.

Your heart was in your throat, an audible gasp leaving your lips as you turned to get a closer look. Spinning in a circle, round and round. Only to find the exact thing Elodie had noticed.

“Wait, Elodie. No, it can’t be?” your lip quivered as realisation began to sink in.

You and Azriel had decided two years ago that you wanted to expand your family. Especially seeing your loved ones with their own growing families. Feyre and Rhys had Nyx and Selene. And of course, Nesta and Cassian recently had their little Athena.

Over the years you had tried everything, taking tonics, eating certain foods, you had even scheduled a very meticulous conceiving plan. But nothing worked. There had been numerous appointments with Madja, and even the healers and midwives of the Hollow. But everything you did was futile. No matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t fall pregnant.

There was a period of time your mind tore you apart. Speculating and obsessively analysing the possibilities of why you couldn’t conceive. That perhaps it was you and Azriel that weren’t compatible. Biologically. That the Mother had made a mistake with you. That maybe things would have been different if you were Illyrian, not ‘lesser’ fae. That your own body was not strong enough to nurture his offspring. Defective somehow.

That duration of your life had been hard, and even harder to move on from. But with time, and endless love and support from your mate you eventually let go of that dream.

But now, that slither of hope was growing brighter than the summer sun beaming down on you.

Eloide, your longest friend. Had her hands clasped around yours. Her own eyes filled with a watery brim, mirroring your own.

She nodded with a smile.

You were pregnant.

𓇢𓆸

Azriel stood darkly behind his High Lord who was seated casually at the head of the meeting. Azriel was positioned on the left, Cassian on the right. The perfect guards to the Night Court. The large obsidian table stretched across the room. High Lords littered down the long ornate slab, all wearing the colours of their respective court. A few of Rhys’ closest alliances had joined for this gathering, discussing borders and peace treaties.

The meeting had begun in the morning, and by the stacks of documents officials were passing round it didn’t seem to be letting up anytime soon.

Azriel was focused, stood clad in his Illyrian leathers, blue syphons gleaming as the muscles in his jaw flexed. Despite this being an era of peace, with so many High Lord’s and emissaires in the room he was on high alert. His shadows gently grazed along the floor of the room as Azriel stayed attuned to the room's conversation.

One of his shadows seemed restless though, vibrating slightly behind his wing before curling up to his ear. Revealing nothing but nervous energy. 

With a subtle jolt, Azriels wings unfurled slightly as he felt a small ripple down the bond. It was skittish and nervous, unease seeping from you down the thread.

Cassian gave Azriel a sideways glance, an unspoken question if everything was okay. But Azriel only stood straighter for his answer, reclaiming his composure as he sent a gentle vibration down the warm glowing bond.

Is everything okay, my love?

You were quite a passionate soul, an empath. Oftentimes, involuntarily, Azriel would feel all types of emotion spill down the bond. It was one of the reasons he loved you, a quality he found endearing. How open to love you were, how you felt the sorrow and joy of others wholeheartedly. But this uneasiness left him unsettled.

Azriel was only met with silence on your end. Spurring him to send another ripple. His shadows started to become more restless, spreading and striking behind his wings subtly, as if displaying the uneasiness of their master or perhaps they were twitching out of eagerness for something else– for someone else.

Azriel was usually quite a composed male, cool and collected was the blueprint of his facade. Yet, when it came to you and your welfare, any patience went quickly out the window.

He was about to send one of his shadowy tendrils to look for you, to check you were okay in the meadows. Also on the verge of sending another question down the bond. Only for the large oak doors to swing open with a force that flushed the room with a gust of wind.

You.

It was you, his beautiful shining mate. 

A very beautiful dishevelled mate, however.

You were flushed, cheeks hot and rosy as you stumbled into the large meeting room. Your lovely pink dress was covered in soil, the lacy strap hanging off your shoulder. The flowers you’d braided into your hair that morning were hanging limp only by a few strands. Pink hues of light flickered across the room, as it became obvious to everyone your beautiful wings were unfurled behind you.

There had been no stopping you once you’d got your confirmation, you had flown urgently to River House. Storming through the hallways with a haste one wouldn’t usually associated with such a delicate fairy.

But you needed him. You needed your mate.

You needed Azriel, and no meeting, no court officials or High Lords were going to stop you.

Your eyes instantly found those hazel beacons, eyes locked in on your handsome shadow of a lover. If you weren’t so encaptured by him, you may have noticed the panicked scrape of Rhys’ chair as he stood in concern, or how Cassian left his post towards you. Hand twitching by his sword, ready to strike at any recognition of the danger that must have caused this display by you.

If you’d been listening you might have noticed how the room had fallen quickly into a silence, all heads snapping to you. Momentarily, eyes glazing over the iridescent lights that were now reflecting off your wings.

A very rare sight.

“What a beauty…” someone purred, although you didn’t hear them.

Azriel was beside you in mere seconds, his shadows consuming you protectively moving you slightly into the pocket realm. The tendrils coiled on the corners of your vision so you could only see Azriel, who tenderly had a hand pressed against your jaw, thumb gently grazing the dirt spread on your face. His other arm protectively wrapped around you pulling you close.

Something must have happened Azriel concluded. Fear seeped into his mind as he began to imagine the worst.

Your energy, the vulnerable look in your eyes and tousled appearance had Azriel reeling. Itching to figure out what had caused this. Had a danger broken into the court? Had his shadows missed something? Were you hurt?

“My love, what is it? What’s wrong?” there was an urgency in his tone.

You shook your head, tears rolling down your cheeks. Azriel was confused. You were in a state of disarray, but he could feel nothing of the sort through the bond. Instead there was an overwhelming feeling of joy and love rippling through.

“There is nothing wrong, love…finally everything is right,” you cried through your smile.

These were not Azriel’s choice of words, but later on when Cassian and Rhys relayed the scenario to the rest of the family they said you looked a little mad. Deranged even. Your tangled appearance and abrupt entrance was unlike anything they’d seen from you.

Azriel was quick to move you from here, his shadows engulfing you both as they transported you to a small lounge in the house. He wanted you away from prying eyes, and needed to check you were safe. That you weren’t hurt. His hands were still cupped around your face as he began to inspect you carefully. His eyes analysing your expression, shadows circling around your ankles to check for anything that might explain your distress– no it wasn’t distress, it wasn’t madness, it was joy.

“Breathe my little butterfly, what’s got you so worked up that you barged into a High Lord’s meeting?” Azriel cooed, his expression softening as he recognised the vulnerability in your eyes. Large scarred hands lightly brushed your unrurly hair, his fingers delicately bringing the dress strap back over your shoulder as he tried to soothe you with his touch.

“Everything is finally right Azriel,'' you whispered, repeating the words from earlier. For a moment Azriel couldn’t understand. The disarray, the vulnerability, the uneasiness. How could everything finally be right?

But then he felt it, the rippling down the bond. That unconditional love again, joy, delight…but also relief. Relief that something had finally happened. Something you had both been waiting, praying and dreaming of.

The Shadowsinger tilted his head, his hands dropping from your face, not daring to breathe the words himself as the emotions he felt began to paint a vivid picture.

“I’m pregnant.”

In that moment Azriel crashed down onto his knees, an overwhelming sensation consuming him as he digested the truth you spoke. It was as if at that moment, everything slowly slotted into place. The clues he hadn’t even known were clues sung to him. Your scent, your temperament and emotions, your wings. Everything he had acknowledged subconsciously, had been tucked away in his mind because he couldn’t phantom the possibility– the possibility of being wrong. Getting your hopes up.

His hands softly came to your hips, drawing you closer as he rested his forehead against your stomach.

“We’re having a baby?” Azriel’s voice broke, the words barely audible.

“Babies.” You whispered back.

𓇢𓆸

Cassian had been pacing back and forth outside the lounge for well over an hour now. He’d desperately called down the bond to Nesta, who had arrived in a hurry with their little Athena in her arms. His reaction may have been slightly over dramatic. But Cassian assured her that if Nesta had seen the state you’d run into the meeting room earlier, she would be behaving the same way.

Nesta didn’t really believe him, her mate had a way of being quite theatrical in situations.

There had been no danger, Azriel had spoken into Rhys mind and it had been passed onto Cassian. So Cassian spent the time speculating on what could have brought such an uncharacteristically reaction from you. He’d seen you when things didn’t go the plan in the meadows and assumed something at work must have gone array.

Nesta sat lazily in a chair outside the lounge, book in hand. Every now and then, glancing up at her mate who was wearing a mark in the stone floor from his pacing. Cassian held his little baby while he patrolled outside the room, whispering theories on what possibly could have happened to Auntie y/n.

“I don’t know Thena…maybe the ladybirds lost their spots again?” He mused, recalling a previous drama you had shared with him once, that had sent you a little haywire last year.

“All spots are accounted for,” your voice sang. Cassian hadn’t even noticed you and Azriel had stepped out of the room.

“Sorry brother I didn’t know you were waiting for us” Azriel smiled softly, giving his brother’s shoulder a gentle squeeze.

Cassian’s expression softened, as Nesta came to his side. Her arm looping around his free side while she kissed her little babe on the head. “Is everything okay though?” Cassian asked, concern still lingering.

“More than okay,” you beamed, tears quickly filling your eyes again.

Cassian and Nesta glanced between you both. Their expressions desperately trying to figure out what was happening. The penny dropped for Nesta first. Her own lips pulled into a genuine smile.

“Thank the Mother” she grinned, stepping forward to embrace you tightly.

The tears were spilling then, as you hugged your friend back. Little sobs racking through your body. You thought you’d cried it all out in Azriel’s arms, that there were no more tears left to give. But now, in the embrace of your friends– your family. Reality sunk in much deeper.

It only took Cassian a few moments and a glance at Azriel’s overjoyed but emotional expression to understand what was happening.

“Truly brother?” He beamed. Azriel nodded, a small tear running down his face as Cassian bear-hugged his friend, making sure Athena wasn’t squished between the giant Illyrians. 

It didn’t take long for Cassian to start shouting it from the rooftops, bellowing down the halls of River house that two baby Shadowsingers were on their way. And of course, naturally, the day turned into a celebration, a gathering with your loved ones to toast your beautiful miracle babies. 

Later that night, after Rhys and Cassian had drowned themselves in whiskey with a competition of who would be the favourite uncle.

Azriel joined you in bed, you were propped up by plush pillows against the large headboard, night dress adorned as you gazed down at your tummy. Your hands resting lightly on your stomach.

“Finally” you whispered, as Azriel laid beside you, his own hand covering both of yours as he nuzzled into your neck. Inhaling your scent.

He breathed deeply against your throat, relief and joy rippling through every inch of his skin, “Finally.”

a/n: Here is is!!! So sorry this took so long, I've been so busy with lots of interviews and prepping, which has eaten into a lot of my energy recently. But I hope this was worth the wait! I think the next scene that was voted for was the truth or dare/drinking games which would be set pre bond snapping/in the friendship era! So I'll try write that next unless there's something else first you'd like? Anyway I love writing about these two, their my little fluff couple <3 - Lottie x

Forever tags: @sleepylunarwolf @daily-dose-of-sass @amberlynn98 @marscardigan @illyrianbitch @lilah-asteria

[aspenmissing]

ᴍᴏʀɴɪɴɢꜱ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴀʟɪꜱ ʜᴏᴜꜱᴇʜᴏʟᴅ

ᴊᴀʏᴄᴇ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ x ᴠɪᴋᴛᴏʀ || ᴄᴏᴍꜰᴏʀᴛ/ꜰʟᴜꜰꜰ || 1097 ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ

ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ: ɴᴏɴᴇ

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ: ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴀʟʟɪꜱ ʜᴏᴜꜱᴇʜᴏʟᴅ, ᴛʜᴇ Qᴜɪᴇᴛ ᴍᴏʀɴɪɴɢꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ꜰɪʟʟᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʟᴏᴠᴇ, ʟᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀ, ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪɢʜᴛʜᴇᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ ʙᴀɴᴛᴇʀ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ, ᴠɪᴋᴛᴏʀ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴊᴀʏᴄᴇ. ᴀᴍɪᴅ ꜱʜᴀʀᴇᴅ ʙʀᴇᴀᴋꜰᴀꜱᴛ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛɪᴠᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴏꜱ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀʙ, ʏᴏᴜ ꜰɪɴᴅ ᴊᴏʏ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀʟᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴᴀʟɪᴛɪᴇꜱ.

ᴘᴀʀᴛ 2

ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ | ᴊᴀʏᴄᴇ | ᴠɪᴋᴛᴏʀ

The gentle light of dawn filtered through the lace curtains of the Tallis household, casting a soft glow over the quiet rooms. Outside, the city of Piltover was just beginning to stir. Airships hummed faintly in the distance, and the occasional bark of a merchant announcing their wares carried through the streets. But inside the warm, comfortable home shared by Jayce, Viktor, and you, the world felt still and serene.

You were the first to wake—as always. The bed was a tangle of limbs and warmth, with Viktor tucked neatly at your side and Jayce sprawled across the rest of the mattress like a human starfish. It was a miracle Viktor managed to get any rest with Jayce’s restless movements, but he never complained. In fact, he often joked that the chaos kept him young.

Carefully, you wriggled out from under Viktor’s arm, doing your best not to disturb him. He made a soft noise of protest, his brow furrowing slightly before settling back into peaceful sleep. Jayce, on the other hand, remained oblivious, his snore rumbling low and steady. You smiled fondly at the sight of them, their contrasting personalities so evident even in sleep.

Padding into the kitchen, you set about your morning routine. The kettle was soon on the stove, its comforting whistle blending with the rhythmic ticking of the clock. The scent of fresh coffee beans filled the air as you ground them by hand, relishing the quiet moments before the house fully woke.

By the time you heard the familiar shuffle of Viktor’s cane in the hallway, the table was set with steaming mugs of coffee and a plate of buttered toast. You turned just in time to see him enter, his golden eyes still heavy with sleep and his unruly hair sticking up in every direction. He looked utterly endearing.

“Good morning, my love,” you greeted, pulling out a chair for him. “Did you sleep well?”

He gave a small nod, gently placing a kiss on my lips before lowering himself into the chair with a sigh. “Well enough,” he said, his voice still husky from sleep. “Though I suspect Jayce attempted to wrestle me in his dreams again.”

You laughed softly, pouring him a cup of coffee. “He’s lucky you’re too patient to retaliate.”

Viktor rolls his eyes playfully, wrapping his hands around the warm mug. “Patience is a virtue when you live with a man who sleeps like a flailing octopus.”

The two of you shared a quiet laugh before a loud thud from the bedroom signaled Jayce’s less-than-graceful awakening. Moments later, he stumbled into the kitchen, his hair a wild mess and his shirt half-tucked into his pajama pants.

“Morning,” he mumbled, making a beeline for the coffee pot.

“Good morning, sunshine,” you teased, sliding a mug toward him. “Rough night?”

Jayce grunted, taking a long sip of coffee before replying. “I had the weirdest dream. Viktor was… building a robotic octopus, and it kept chasing me around the lab.”

Viktor raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching with amusement. “Perhaps your subconscious is trying to tell you something.”

“Yeah, maybe to stop eating so many snacks before bed,” you added, earning a mock-offended look from Jayce.

Breakfast was a relaxed affair, filled with the usual banter and laughter that defined your mornings together. Jayce devoured his toast with the enthusiasm of a man who’d been starved for days, while Viktor nibbled his more methodically, his focus already drifting toward the day’s projects. You alternated between sipping your coffee and reminding Jayce to slow down.

“So,” you began, leaning back in your chair. “What’s on the agenda today?”

Jayce brightened immediately. “I’ve been working on some new hextech prototypes. They’re not quite ready for testing, but I’m hoping to make some progress today.”

“And by ‘progress,’ he means blowing something up,” Viktor quipped, earning a laugh from you and a playful glare from Jayce.

“It’s called experimentation,” Jayce defended, pointing his coffee spoon at Viktor. “Besides, you’re the one who nearly set the lab on fire last week.”

“That was an isolated incident,” Viktor replied smoothly. “And if I recall correctly, you were the one who suggested increasing the power output.”

“I—” Jayce began, but you interrupted with a laugh.

“Alright, boys, let’s not turn breakfast into a blame game. Save the explosions and whose to blame for the lab.”

After breakfast, the three of you fell into your usual rhythm. Jayce and Viktor headed to the lab, their minds already buzzing with ideas, while you took some time to tidy up the house. Despite their brilliance, neither of them was particularly organized, and you often joked that it was your full-time job to keep their chaos in check.

As you moved through the house, you found little traces of their lives woven into every corner—a stack of blueprints on the dining table, a half-finished sketch of a new invention on the couch, and Viktor’s favourite book resting on the armchair where he often sat to read. You couldn’t help but smile at the evidence of their shared passions and their shared space with you.

Later in the day, you prepared some snacks and made your way to the lab. The soft hum of machinery greeted you as you pushed open the door, revealing Jayce and Viktor bent over a glowing piece of hextech. Their heads were so close together it was a wonder they hadn’t bumped into each other.

“Our savior,” Jayce declared dramatically when he noticed you, grabbing a cookie from the tray before you’d even set it down. He grinned, crumbs already on the corners of his mouth.

Viktor glanced up, his golden eyes warm with affection. “Don’t encourage him,” he said with a fond smile, though he accepted a cup of tea gratefully.

You shook your head, amused as always by their antics. “How’s it going?” you asked, leaning against the workbench.

“It’s going great,” Jayce said through a mouthful of cookie. “I think we’re close to something big.”

“Or another explosion,” Viktor murmured, though his tone was light.

As they launched into an animated explanation of their progress, complete with wild gestures from Jayce and more measured input from Viktor, you couldn’t help but feel a swell of affection. This was your life with them—full of creativity, warmth, and the perfect balance of chaos and calm. Watching them together, their passion for their work and their clear admiration for each other shining through, you were reminded once again just how lucky you were to be a part of it all.

[vunblr]

A Hand in the Dark (#6)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Warnings: 18+ only. Hurt/Comfort. Depictions of Physical Wounds. Psychological Trauma. Suicidal thoughts (neither Bucky nor Reader). Canon-Typical Violence. Suggestion of past non-con.

Summary: In a brief moment of lucidity, Soldat makes a choice. And some choices echo across time, shaping the future in ways no one could predict.

Word Count: 6k. CORRECTED VERSION

Previous Chapter - Masterlist

He stopped sitting at the table in the mornings. Stopped waiting for her to pour her coffee so he could watch the steam curl and the corner of her mouth twitch toward a smile.

He timed his business better now, earlier. Cleaning the apartment. Taking out the trash, washing the dishes. Laundry -tricky at first, but watched a video of how to use a modern washing machine-.

Her house was tidy, her world undisturbed. Like he’d never been there.

He still listened. Every creak of her bedroom floor, every open faucet, and the sound of her drawers opening when she looked for clothes. He mapped her routines again, not out of obsession this time, but for strategy. To stay out of the way. To be less seen. Less felt.

He still brought back food when he slipped out, always things she liked, even if he never joined her to eat them. He left the bags on the counter, the receipts shoved deep into his jacket’s pocket like contraband. One time, she called out a thank-you. He didn’t answer. Couldn’t.

Instead, he stood in the hallway with his back pressed to the wall, waiting for the sound of the fridge and the cabinets closing, then the lock clicking again behind her. Only then did he let himself exhale.

He didn’t know how to talk to her anymore. Not without tasting guilt, or that damn chamomile. So he didn’t.

But he watched.

From across the street, when she walked to work. From the alley when she stopped at the hardware store. From the shadow of a parked car when she lingered to talk to the woman with the little dog outside the flower shop.

She didn’t know she had a second shadow, long and quiet and ready for violence.

His boots itched to move every time someone passed too close to her, spoke too loudly. His hands twitched for the weight of a weapon.

She would hate him for that if she knew.

Still, he couldn't help it. Couldn’t not follow her. The world was full of threats, and she was too innocent for it.

----

She noticed his retreating, of course.

Not all at once, but in little silences scattered through the days. The house felt quieter. Not peaceful. Not calm. Just quieter.

He didn’t hover anymore. Not behind her while she cooked. Not beside the fridge when she came back from errands with too many bags. Not in the kitchen doorway with a half-answer, half-huff when she asked what he wanted to eat.

She realized she hadn’t heard his voice in five days.

And before that, it had only been a muttered “yeah.”

She tried not to take it personally.

Tried to think of it as one of his phases. Tried to trust the way his boots still disappeared from the doormat in the early mornings, to find the quiet miracle of groceries restocking themselves, and the clean floor under her feet.

She didn’t know how to approach him without crowding him. Recovering had backsteps after all, and she feared making things worse if she brought it out.

----

One afternoon, a power outage at work, with half the block down, systems cut, and useless phones, made her boss grumble, and sent them home. She stopped for a pastry, imagined she might nap or read, or just watch some TV drama.

She didn’t call out. Just stepped through the entry, and that’s when she saw it.

Her laptop open on the coffee table. She tilted it out of habit, catching the website on the tab:

A shady, backchannel listing page. Low-res photos. Flickering neon ads.

Cash only. No lease. Month to month. No ID.

Her stomach dropped.

Beside it, a crumpled page. Lined notebook paper, three addresses in his handwriting.

Next to one, underlined: basement. back entrance. no windows.

The sound of the bathroom door unlocking made her freeze.

She turned just as he stepped out.

His hair was damp. The shirt clinging slightly to his body.

They looked at each other.

The distance between them was not more than a few feet, but it stretched like a chasm.

He just stood there. Eyes unreadable.

"H-hi," she managed, her voice barely above a breath.

He didn’t answer. His gaze flicked down, not in shame -he didn’t have the right to feel that- but like he was bracing for something.

"You're... you're leaving?" she asked, grabbing the strap of her bag.

His first impulse was to flee. To vanish into the hall, shut his door, and wait until the walls swallowed him whole.

But he didn’t. He made himself step forward, slowly.

No eye contact.

"I thought of knowing about a few places. Just in case-"

His voice cracked, barely holding together. He didn’t finish the sentence.

Didn’t even try to voice the possibility of her rejection.

"In case you have the need to leave?" she completed softly, tilting her head.

His jaw tensed.

"You feel ready to-"

"No."

His titanium hand clenched and unclenched at his side; the faint whir of the servo was audible in the silence.

"I'm not... ready for anything," he said, quieter now. "But if you ever decide..."

He swallowed hard. The rest didn’t come out. The sentence died between them.

He hadn’t expected her early at all.

Had been sloppy. Stupid. He’d made things worse.

Maybe this was it.

Maybe he’d just accelerated his ejection.

She tilted her head, puzzled, until the meaning of his words clicked into place.

If she decided.

Then it made sense, all of it.

The way he ghosted through the apartment after the incident at the store. How he cleaned everything while she slept. How he brought food and disappeared before she could thank him.

He wasn’t retreating, he was making himself invisible. Trying not to be a burden, trying not to get in the way.

She took a step forward, then shifted course, and sat gently on the couch instead.

“Could you sit with me? Just for a moment?”

He didn’t move. Couldn’t.

His heartbeat pounded so loudly it roared in his ears, drowning everything else out. Her voice came softer now, warm and coaxing.

“Darling, please. I know you want to sprint, but I think it’s time to talk.”

His jaw twitched. His titanium fingers opened and closed again, useless, and lost.

He didn’t want to sit, didn’t want to talk. He wanted to vanish.

But she’d called him darling.

So he fucking moved.

Each step felt like dragging a concrete block on each foot, but he forced his limbs to obey. He sat on the edge of the couch, elbows on his knees and hands clasped tightly. His gaze was locked to the floor.

"Did I do something that upset you?" she asked gently.

His brows pulled together before he even looked at her. “No, why-” he started, confused.

"But said something, didn't I?" she pressed, worried. "For you to feel bad here? To think I want you to leave?"

He shook his head, short, sharply. No.

“Is it because of what happened the other day?”

His knee started to bounce.

He didn’t answer.

Didn’t even look at her.

Because it wasn’t her. She hadn’t done a damn thing wrong. It was him. His brain and its thousand traps inside it. His fucked wiring. His absolute inability to believe he could belong anywhere, or be wanted by anyone. Who would choose to live with him? With the mess he was? A twitchy and broken thing, too old to be this lost?

She noticed the shift in his body language. A too-sharp breathing, the jerky rhythm in his knee, his eyes still fixed to the floor as if he looked up, something would shatter. So she tried to undo the damage her concern had caused, too many questions, she understood.

"Okay," she said slowly, “just to be clear. I still don’t know what- I don’t know why you feel this way… but I assure you, I don’t want you to leave.”

His knee stilled mid-bounce.

“Why?” he rasped, barely audible.

She ran a hand over her face. “Because- damn. I don’t know how to put this.” She got quiet for a second, searching for the right words. “Yes, I helped you because of Granny. But…”

Another pause.

She huffed out a short breath. “You’re a good roommate, Bucky,” she tried to joke, even if her voice cracked a little at the end. “Contrary to what you might think… you’re not a burden.”

He blinked once. Then again.

“I won’t pretend I don’t know about… your past,” she mumbled.

That made his whole body go tense.

“I confess I did some looking, not that it is very difficult to do nowadays.”

His jaw clenched, and his fingers pressed hard into each other. Of course she looked. Anyone would.

“But I know whatever you did… it wasn’t really you.” She added.

That hurt in the worst kind of way. Because it was too kind. Because she believed that. His head dropped lower. Chin to chest. He looked like someone waiting for a blow that never came.

“And I can tell you’ve suffered a lot,” she said gently. “And you need time. To figure out who you are. What to do with your life now that it’s yours. Granny would've helped you without thinking, so I’ll do the same.”

Her voice didn’t shake. Didn’t falter. She meant every word.

“You’re welcome here, Bucky. As long as you need to be.”

And that did it.

His hands trembled. He didn’t try to stop them.

“…okay,” he whispered. Like it had to squeeze years of silence just to make it out.

And then -because he couldn’t bring himself to look at her, not yet- he shifted slightly closer.

"Ok". She echoed. Then- "Is it ok to hug you?" She asked above a whisper.

He didn’t move. Didn’t speak.

He exhaled a long breath, thin and shaky, and then, slowly, he gave a tiny, almost imperceptible nod. His shoulders were still tense, his jaw clenched, and his eyes cast down. But he hadn’t said no.

So she moved carefully. Slowly closed the space between them on the couch and slipped one arm around his back, the other gently across his chest.

He didn’t flinch, but it was like holding a statue. A trembling one.

Then, his breath hitched. His body relaxed, and he tilted his head until his temple touched her shoulder. His arms moved slowly around her waist. The metal hand settled at her back, too lightly for its weight. As if he feared hurting her. His chest trembled. And her sweater, -over her shoulder- went damp.

"It's ok, sweetheart," she soothed him. "You'll be alright. We are roomies, hm? It's... this is your house until you decide otherwise." She needed to reinforce the concept of belonging in him. And before she could stop herself, she angled her face and pecked the crown of his head.

He didn’t pull away.

Just… froze.

For a second, she thought she’d crossed a line, until she felt it.

That slow, nearly imperceptible exhale against her collarbone.

A tremor deep in his chest, and then his weight shifted subtly, leaning in, seeking more warmth, more contact, like some animal who’d learned what gentleness was late in its life and clumsily sought for it all the same.

His voice, when it came, was muffled against her sweater.

“Don’t wanna go.”

Barely audible. Childlike.

“You don’t have to,” she murmured, lifting one hand to stroke his hair. “You don’t ever have to, unless you want to.”

“Didn’t want you to think I was…” he didn’t finish. Voice hoarse. “Too much.”

“You’re not,” she said.

Another breath. Rougher this time. He nodded against her, a raw, exhausted nod.

She held him tighter.

And this time, he didn’t freeze.

----

She padded into the kitchen, sleepy eyes adjusting to the pale wash of morning light.

He was already there.

The scent of coffee hit her first, strong, fresh, the kind she liked. Then she saw him, standing by the counter in a clean t-shirt, also barefoot, hair still damp from a shower. His broad back was tense, the way someone looked when they weren’t sure if they were supposed to be in a room, but showed up anyway.

She blinked. He didn’t turn around right away. Was that…a second mug?

Bucky shifted his weight like the floor might give up under him. His shoulders dipped when he finally glanced at her, quick and unsure, as if he expected to be scolded for using the kitchen.

“I didn’t know if I should,” he said, voice hoarse from disuse, from sleep, from yesterday. “But I figured maybe I should start acting like I live here.”

She smiled, still groggy, and stepped forward. “I’m glad.”

He slid her mug across the counter with gentleness, his fingers barely brushing the ceramic. Then-

“Didn’t know if you’d want to see me today.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” she asked, lifting her brows, searching his gaze.

He shrugged. “Yesterday was a lot.”

Her hand settled lightly on the counter, not touching him, just… there.

“It turned out ok. We were able to talk, frankly, we needed it.”

He nodded slowly. Took a careful sip. Looked down into the coffee like it offered a way forward. “I used your beans,” he said eventually. “The good ones.”

“Good,” she murmured, sipping hers. “That’s what they’re for.”

He made a small sound. Might’ve been a laugh, or maybe just surprise that she hadn’t shooed him back into a corner. And then -tentatively- he leaned a hip against the counter beside her stool, angling his body toward her ever so slightly. Close enough to make it real.

“You smell like my shampoo,” she added after a beat, nudging his arm.

He stiffened, embarrassed. “Ran out of mine.”

“It’s fine. Apple suits you.”

That drew a flick of his eyes her way. A blink. Something warmed, barely, at the corners of his mouth.

----

After a while of eating in silence-

"I'm returning late today," she said, halfway through a bite of toast.

He stiffened. Subtly, but unmistakably. The way his jaw locked. The way his hand paused mid-air, mug halfway to his mouth.

"It's the 20th anniversary of the bookstore," she went on, like it was nothing, like it didn’t send his nervous system skittering. “There’s an event.”

“Will you be on time to catch a bus?”

She looked up, surprised by the sharpness in his voice.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “Maybe I’ll have to take a cab. The late hour frequency is pretty shitty. At least they pay me the extra hours double for this.”

He didn’t realize his hand had moved until he felt the fabric. The soft cotton of her pajama top between his fingers. Clenched.

Her eyes dropped to his hand.

“Bucky-”

“What time?” he cut her off.

“What?”

“What time you go out?” His voice rasped with urgency, eyes wide, scanning her like she might dissolve. “I’ll go wait for you. You can’t be alone so late.”

“Bucky,” she tried again, softer now, hand touching his wrist. His knuckles were white. “You don’t have to-”

But then she saw it.

The panic. Small, contained, but there.

He wasn’t trying to be gallant.

He was afraid.

“...Around nine,” she murmured.

He gave a small nod. Didn’t release her pajama right away.

“I’ll be there.”

----

He was there at eight-forty five.

Just in case.

Low cap pulled down to shadow his face, gloved hands stuffed deep in his pockets. He stood across the street first, then eventually migrated slowly, silently, to lean against the wall beside the bookstore’s big front window. Eyes half-lidded. Watching.

She’d said nine. It was nine-thirty.

His jaw shifted.

Through the glass, he could see the warm lamplight and too many bodies still milling around. Books clutched against chests, people laughing too loudly for the hour. She was behind the counter, tired but still smiling, her hands were a blur as she rang someone up. And next to her -too close- was a man. Early forties, probably. Jeans, salt-and-pepper stubble, and a cocky familiarity in the way he set his hands on her shoulders to pass behind her.

Bucky’s fingers curled into fists inside his jacket.

He didn’t blink. Just stared.

And even when the man moved on, when she shifted to the side and returned to her register, his jaw didn’t unclench. His breathing stayed shallow, grinding his teeth. He told himself it was nothing. It had to be nothing. But his feet itched to stomp through the front door, his body tensed by an old reflex to protect.

Fifteen minutes later, the door opened and she stepped out, hugging her coat close to her chest. She glanced once across the sidewalk, and then her eyes landed on him.

Her smile bloomed, small and surprised.

"You came!" she said, coming up to him.

"You’re late," he muttered.

Her head tilted. “Told you. Busy day.”

He didn’t answer. Just stepped off the wall and fell into step beside her.

They walked a few paces in silence. Then-

“Everything okay?” she asked.

He shrugged. "That guy," he said, not looking at her.

Her brows pulled together. “Which-?”

"The one who touched you."

She blinked, surprised, then gave a soft little laugh.

"That’s Rick. He owns the place. He’s like that with everyone."

Bucky’s nostrils flared, but he said nothing. He didn’t trust himself to.

"Hey," she added gently, nudging him with her elbow. "Thanks for coming."

He didn’t answer again. Just kept walking, matching her stride. He didn’t know what to say. He only knew it mattered that she got home safe. That she saw him waiting. And that the world wasn’t going to hurt her. Not if he could stop it.

She didn’t let him walk behind her this time. She moved closer, their coats brushing as they strolled to the bus stop.

----

The door clicked shut behind them, the hallway light flickering once as she stepped in first, rubbing warmth into her hands. Then, her nose twitched.

She sniffed the air, tilting her head.

“…You cooked again?” she asked, hanging her coat with a lazy swing toward the wall hook before walking toward the kitchen.

He followed slowly, silent in his boots, tugging off his gloves finger by finger. The leather creaked. Then the jacket came off too, slung carefully over the back of a chair.

“Figured you’d be hungry,” he mumbled without looking up, already moving toward the cabinets to grab two bowls.

She smiled at his back, hair still tousled from his cap, the careful way he moved around her space like he was afraid to jostle it, and turned on the burner to reheat the stew.

“You’re the best,” she said, almost absently, digging for two spoons in the drawer.

His hands stilled for half a second.

The praise made his pulse thud with a tight, invisible heat. He ducked his head, hoping she didn’t see the way his mouth twitched, not quite a smile, but close. Like a child who’d been told his crooked finger painting was beautiful.

He finished setting the table and put the bowls on the counter while she stirred the pot, back to him, humming a little to herself.  A plate with bread. Water glasses. It wasn’t much, but it was… a contribution. He’d done something for her.

The silence stretched comfortably, filled with the clink of utensils and the low bubble of stew.

Then she spoke, casually.

“I was thinking…” she said, glancing over her shoulder, “you should get a phone.”

He lingered beside the table, his palms flat against the edge, head bowed slightly, long locks of hair covering his features.

A phone.

He shifted his weight uncomfortably. Not with her -never with her- but with the idea.

He hadn't held a phone in years, not one that wasn’t bolted to a wall or smashed to his face by a handler. The thought of something buzzing in his pocket, demanding things, reaching him -tracking him- created a cold knot inside his stomach.

“For me?” he asked softly as he sat down slowly, the chair creaking under his weight. “I don’t have anyone to talk to.”

“You’ve got me,” she said lightly, as she ladled stew into the bowls. “I mean…” she shrugged. “Maybe I can let you know if I’m going to be late from work. Like that day you got-” she hesitated, then gently, “agitated when I missed the bus. You wouldn’t have to wait or worry. And sometimes I buy things spontaneously, and I could ask you if you want anything. Or you could text if we’re out of eggs, or if you think of something we need. It’s just… for better communication.”

He looked up. She slid the bowls on the table and sat down across from him like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Think about it. No rush.”

He nodded, almost imperceptibly. The thought of having one of those devices unsettled him; someone could track him. But the idea of her being late again, walking alone in the dark, unreachable, sparked the same protective instinct that bloomed in his chest every time she went out. Maybe she was right.

Maybe he didn’t have to make this about him.

Maybe it was about making sure she was safe.

“…Okay,” he mumbled.

Her gaze flicked up from her bowl. “Yeah?”

He gave another small nod. “If you think it’ll be useful… then okay.”

And the way she beamed at him, a smile crinkling her tired eyes, briefly brushing his fingers on the table in thanks, affected him harder than he expected.

He dipped his head again. Shoved a spoonful of stew into his mouth before she saw any sign of emotion in his face.

She’d said us.

He’d never had an us. Not for a long, long time, not since before they turned him into something else.

----

The phone trip happened on Monday.

They went together to a small corner shop two blocks away the apartment, with faded ads on the window and dusty shelves inside. She showed him rows of sleek smartphones. He barely paid attention before spotting a small, unassuming box in a backlit case. A clamshell model. No apps. No updates. Just numbers and buttons and a sound like a real ring.

“This one,” he said. Like choosing a weapon he trusted.

----

After that night by the bookstore, something shifted.

He was everywhere in the apartment again. He still was the helping sprite, but let himself be seen. Now she found him wiping down the counters in the early mornings, sleeves pushed up to his elbows, jaw set like he was facing down a mission. Or crouched by the laundry machine, watching the spin cycle like it might explode. He made meals -simple, hearty- and waited for her to take the first bite, barely touching his own food until she reacted.

He started watching her in a new way. Not the skittish, corner-eyed surveillance from the early days. But openly. Studying her. Gauging her responses.

Did she finish the bowl? Did she wrinkle her nose at the smell of bleach? Did she flinch at the way he diced the vegetables?

He didn’t ask. He never asked.

But his eyes always did.

And she learned to answer without waiting for words.

She started offering quiet praise, “This tastes amazing,” or “What a great way to organize this.” dropping them like breadcrumbs. She touched his shoulder lightly when passing him a dish. Let her hand rest a beat longer when returning a mug or ruffling his hair as she passed behind him at the sink. The first time he froze. Then leaned ever so slightly into her touch.

They were little signs of approval, and he absorbed them like oxygen.

By midweek, he began touching more. Testing the space between them.

A gentle tap on her wrist to ask about a grocery item. The brush of his knuckles to get her attention. Once, as she read on the couch, he sat beside her, -closer than usual, still tense- He stayed still a long moment, barely breathing. Then leaned -slowly, tentatively- just enough for his shoulder to ghost hers.

She turned a page. Lifted a hand. Ran it softly through his hair.

The exhale he gave was silent but immense. He melted by degrees, tipping his head toward her thigh, breath deepening like he’d been holding it for years.

She didn't stop.

His hair was longer and softer now. His fingers twitched on the couch cushion when her nails grazed lightly across his scalp. This was new. Not the hands on his hair, but the intent.

Hydra had pulled his hair to drag his face up. To yank him into place. To force his mouth open. Hands in his hair had always meant control, meant pain, meant humiliation.

Now her fingers moved the opposite way, gently, patient, with no agenda, or force. Just touch.

He trembled the first time she threaded fully through the strands. She said nothing, just slowed her pace, soothing with the pads of her fingers, again and again.

His eyes closed gradually. His shoulders relaxed in increments.

He melted like something unused to warmth, seeking more.

And when she brushed her thumb behind his ear, he made a soft, involuntary sound, not pain, not quite pleasure either, but something deeper. Like his body was remembering what tenderness could be.

----

Friday night, she woke at some point past two a.m. When she sat up and peered toward the floor, her eyes adjusted slowly to see his shape curled on his side next to her bed, one hand tucked beneath his cheek, the other clenched lightly in the blanket near her ankle.

She watched him for a moment, refraining from reaching, then lay back down. Pretended she hadn’t seen.

The same thing happened Saturday night.

By Sunday, she’d stopped pretending it wasn’t happening, it seemed he still needed reassurance.

She returned from the grocery store to find him finishing the dishes, his sleeves rolled up, hair still damp from a shower, barefoot and quiet. He glanced up when she entered, something like hope flickering across his face. Like he wanted to ask: Was this right? Was I good?

She stepped into the kitchen. Set down her bags. Touched the back of his hand with hers.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “You make this place feel… taken care of.”

Bucky looked away. But he didn’t pull his hand back.

He didn’t know what to say. Just that he’d do anything to keep hearing those words.

Keep being wanted.

----

That night, he went to bed.

His bed.

She was still up, on the couch with a book, curled under a blanket. He lingered for a moment in the hall, waiting, hoping she might rise. But she didn’t. Didn’t look up. Just turned another page.

He’d barely made it under the covers before sleep took him.

It started slowly, smoke curling at the edges of his memory, the vague sense of rain and concrete. Then, sharp. Instant. A scream.

A boy. Just a boy.

Maybe sixteen. Maybe younger. Wrong place, wrong time. Books were flung into the alley. Blood soaking the pages. History textbook. Biology workbook. The glint of a school ID card already turning crimson. The boy had stammered something twice. “Mom. I want my mom.”

And Bucky -no, the Soldat- had looked down at him with nothing in his face. Just finished the job.

The nightmare didn’t wake him with a scream. Just a sudden, jarring bolt upright in bed. Sheets tangled on his legs. Cold sweat in a heaving chest. Hands clenched tight in the blankets.

Because it wasn’t just a nightmare.

It was a memory.

That boy hadn’t made it into Hydra’s reports. He hadn’t made it into anything.

But Bucky remembered now.

He’d killed a kid going home from school.

He sat there until dawn, frozen. Couldn’t stand. Couldn’t speak. Couldn’t wash the blood off his hands. It had soaked into him. Into everything.

----

When she woke up Monday morning, the apartment was quiet. Not unusual.

He wasn’t in the kitchen. Not making coffee. Not folding blankets. Not checking for the tenth time the squeaky door down the sink.

Maybe he’d gone out. Maybe exploring, maybe grabbing some meat. He did that sometimes now. She didn’t worry right away.

Not until she left for work and her calls went straight to voicemail. Every message unread.

Not until he didn’t come home that night either.

The next morning, still no sign of him. And she felt it now. That needle-prick worry in her chest.

----

It rained on her way back from work. One of those sudden, slap-you-sideways storms, fat drops and wind biting through her sleeves. She took the alley, shortcutting the block, her coat clutched around her body as she grumbled under her breath.

And then she saw him.

Barefoot. Soaked. Blood drying in crusted rivulets on his fingers and the side of his face. Hair clinging to his neck, tangled and heavy. Standing in the same damn spot she’d found him all those months ago.

Unmoving.

Like time had reset itself and dragged him back to the start.

“Bucky?” she called softly.

He didn’t flinch.

Didn’t turn.

But his eyes cut sharply toward her.

And oh god, he looked… he looked ruined. A hollow stare of someone who didn’t think he deserved to exist.

She stepped closer. “What are you doing here, sweetheart? You’re going to get sick.”

Could he? Get sick? She honestly didn’t know. Probably not. Probably pumped full of Hydra’s best immune boosters, but that wasn’t the point.

Still nothing.

So she reached carefully.

“I- I’m going to take your hand, alright?”

Still no answer.

But he didn’t flinch.

Her fingers closed around his flesh hand, cold and limp, with knuckles scraped raw. And she felt the tremble in his body.

She didn’t comment on the blood at first.

Didn’t flinch at the chill soaking through his skin. Didn’t ask what the hell happened, why his lips were blue, or why his shirt was torn, or what he’d done to himself.

Because he let her take his hand.

She guided him step by step, one slow inch at a time, from the alley to the building entrance. Her soaked coat clung to her legs, her shoes squelched with every footfall, but she didn’t stop.

The elevator creaked under their weight. He didn’t look at her.

Just stared ahead, water dripping from his nose, his hair plastered in wet ropes down the sides of his face. Blood -some old, some new- clung to his shirt, also drying in flecks across his jaw, a smear on his temple.

When they reached the apartment, she unlocked the door with shaking fingers, and ushered him in. She closed the door behind them and turned to face him, heart beating like a drum in her chest.

“You’re home now,” she said softly.

That word -home- did something to his face.

Cracked it down the center.

She reached for his jacket, but he didn’t shrug it off. Didn’t move.

“Okay,” she murmured. “Bathroom.”

She led him again, and again he followed.

She peeled the jacket off slowly, gently, watching for any flicker in his eyes. Then the soaked shirt, the stiff gloves, the belt. All of it came off like dead skin. He didn’t help, but didn’t resist.

He stood there, shivering, stripped to his boxers in the glow of the bathroom light, like a penitent carving.

Cuts streaked across his chest and thighs. His hands were smeared with old blood. Dirt caked beneath his nails, under the skin of his knuckles. His metal arm hung slack, the shoulder where it joined his flesh inflamed, skin torn and raw.

She knelt in front of the tub and started the water. Checked the temperature three times. When it was warm, not hot, she turned back and touched his wrist.

“Come on,” she coaxed.

He obeyed with the silence of shame. Sat only when she guided him down slowly, like easing a wounded animal into comfort.

He winced when the water kissed a gash on his shin. But otherwise, he didn’t make a sound.

She brought a new clean washcloth. Soap.

And she began.

She scrubbed blood from his wrists, some of it already dried to rust. Lifted each of his fingers, gentle and sure, and worked the dirt from his nailbeds. Wiped the grime from the sides of his torso, the bruise blooming along the underside of his arm.

She tried not to react, but it was hard.

His thighs were mottled deep purple, like he’d pounded his fists into them again and again. His temple was raw, scuffed, like he’d slammed his head against a wall. The skin around the metal shoulder was torn in angry streaks, as if he’d tried to rip the prosthesis off with his bare hand.

Punishment.

That’s what this was.

She didn’t ask why. Not yet. It wasn’t the time.

Then she reached for the shampoo, poured it into her palms, and lathered it gently through his hair, careful not to pull. The water trickled down his spine. He sat very still, arms wrapped around himself. His back rose and fell with shallow breaths. When she reached the crown of his head, he bowed forward between her hands, and he made a sound.

Not a cry. Not a sob. But something hollow and cracked and barely human.

She cradled his head as gently as she could. “It’s okay,” she whispered, “You’ll be ok.”

He didn’t believe her. She knew it.

But he needed to hear it anyway.

By the time the bathwater turned tepid and his hands stopped shaking, she had wrapped him in the largest towel they owned, tucked it under his arms like one would do with a child. A dry pair of underwear sat folded beside the sink, ready when he needed it. She didn’t ask him to change yet. Didn’t push. Just helped him out of the tub, and sat him down on the closed toilet lid, then she ran a comb through his wet hair. His shoulders curled inward, like he was trying to fold himself into something smaller.

When he leaned into her touch, she didn’t speak. Just kept brushing.

Then it came, the first sob. His hands clutched the edge of the towel at his waist. And then the next one came, and the next, until his shoulders shook under her hands and his breath was ragged with grief.

She dropped the comb. Slid down to her knees. Pulled him to her.

And he let her.

His forehead pressed to her shoulder, wet hair clinging to her collarbone, his weight leaning forward like the whole world had given out beneath him. His hands trembled against her back, barely gripping.

She held him through it. Just held.

And when his sobs finally quieted, when he’d cried himself to exhaustion and sat there limp and burning with shame, she spoke very softly:

“Do you want to share the bed tonight?”

No answer at first. He didn’t even lift his head.

But after a long silence -just as she thought he’d shut down again- came a whisper. Barely more than breath.

“…Yes.”

----

She waited just outside the bathroom, perched on the hallway wall. She listened to the faint rustle of fabric, him changing slowly, carefully into the dry underwear she’d left folded on the counter.

When the door opened, he stood there, towel in hand, hair damp and curling at the ends, eyes unsure.

She didn’t comment. Just gave a soft nod and extended her hand.

“Come on,” she murmured.

She led him to the bedroom, and he crawled into the bed with obedient exhaustion. The sheets were cool.

“I’ll be back in a second,” she said gently, and he almost panicked -just for a flicker of a second- before she brushed his shoulder. “I promise.”

He stayed curled on his side, watching the door. Her steps moved toward the kitchen, water running, the clinking of a kettle. Then the sound of something being filled.

When she returned, it was with something bundled in a thick cover, a warm, rubber water bag tucked snugly into one of her old flannel pillowcases. She lifted the blanket and sheet and slipped it down by his feet without a word.

He flinched at first, then stilled.

The heat spread slowly into his skin, through the ache in his frozen feet. His eyes burned again, but he blinked the tears back.

He didn’t know anyone still used that in modern days.

She turned off the overhead light and climbed into bed beside him, careful not to jostle the mattress too much. He stayed on his side, facing away, but she could hear his breathing, slower now.

Neither of them said anything.

They didn’t touch. Just lay there, the silence stretching comfortably between them. Her body was close. He could feel the faint warmth next to him. Hear the gentle rhythm of her breathing. Smell her scent on the sheets.

He wasn’t used to this. Sharing a real bed without violence, without expectation. Just… company.

It felt safe enough. Quiet enough.

So he closed his eyes and let himself drift.

Next Chapter

Taglist: @pandaxnienke @queergalpal97 @mrsalexstan @escapefromrealitylol @bodhisattva11 @kittieboo @iyskgd @stell404@lil-riddle-kiddle@maryevm @yindoesstuff @shaheea @maladaptive0romantic @cricket-reader @nynxtea @justalittlebitbored @icefox8155 @gloriousvariant @hiraethmae @ixopod

dividers by @/strangergraphics

[marcyvamp1re-blog]

✦ ◟Pnyo! ⊹𓆝 𓈒 ۫

WHAT IF!! | Damian finds a fish with a veeery strange face?

Synopsis; He finds a strange fish that not only steals his attention but also seems to be changing shape. Between obsessively caring for it and keeping his cat from eating it, something weird is happening: the fish is becoming... more human. A miracle or just an aquatic disaster? Damian doesn’t know what to think, but surely nothing will be the same after this.

Pairing ── Damian Wayne x Ponyo! Reader. (Platonic)

Content. MDNI ── Fluff, transformation, fight, mild violence?, supernatural elements, emotional conflict, character growth, ambiguity, mild suspense, fantastical creatures.

A/N ── English is not my first language—Spanish— Ugh, we’re finally starting to upload all the delayed requests. This one is special because, well, some friends specifically asked for it, and it kicks off the "What If!" section, where you can send me any silly situation or whatever you want.

Damian had never been a fan of comedic situations or casual affection. He had grown up surrounded by discipline, struggle, and duty, where everything that wasn’t a mission or a cause seemed unnecessary. Spontaneity and tenderness made him uncomfortable, as if they were territories he didn’t know and avoided with caution. But here he was, on a remote beach, trying to escape the feeling that something in his life was changing. Perhaps the peace of the sand beneath his feet or the sun barely touching his face made him feel vulnerable, something he had never allowed.

It was then that he saw her: a strange, glowing fish that emerged from the water with almost magical grace, as if it were a creature from a dream. Something about its appearance, with its peculiar shape and vibrant colors.

Damian, in an impulse as unexpected as it was baffling, grabbed the bucket that Cassandra and Stephenie had left forgotten by the shore. He lifted it quickly, without thinking, and caught the fish with the same precision with which he usually caught his enemies. There was no logical reason, no plan. He simply did it, as if, for once, the same curiosity that had made him take Goliath years ago was now driving him to do the same with this creature.

When he got home, the fish was still in the bucket, hopping slightly, as if it had no idea of the bewilderment it was causing in the boy who had, in some way, learned to treat the strangest animals as if they were normal. And though he couldn’t admit it, part of him felt a strange satisfaction.

Damian didn’t usually allow anything or anyone to interrupt his concentration, but something about this fish kept him in a constant state of alertness. He spent hours watching it in the fish tank he had placed in his room, studying every movement, every bubble it made while swimming. It wasn’t just curiosity. There was something else, something he couldn’t fully identify, but it felt like a small spark of something he had never allowed to ignite inside him.

At first, he watched it from a safe distance, not interacting too much, as if observing it silently was enough. But soon, the need to take care of it, to protect it from any possible threat, began to infiltrate his daily routine.

Every morning, he made sure its water was fresh, renewed, and free of impurities. His mother had taught him how to take care of little creatures, but he had never paid so much attention to the details as he did with this fish. The water had to be at the perfect temperature, neither too hot nor too cold, and the plants in the tank had to be kept clean, with no algae that could disturb its tiny ecosystem. If any leaf fell or something disrupted its balance, Damian would fix it immediately, as if the life of the fish depended on his intervention.

The others didn’t understand, of course. Drake and Duke, for example, would come over with mischievous smiles, bringing pieces of ham as if it were a harmless joke. He often found them crouched down, trying to give the creature a snack, and his patience would overflow. “What are you doing?” he’d ask with a calmness that barely hid his irritation. “Don’t give it ham. It’s not food for her.” And although his words were sharp, no one could deny the protective tone in his voice. The worst part was that his fish happily accepted the ham!

Sometimes, when they tried something new, like moving the tank to see how the fish would react, Damian couldn’t help but frown. No matter how ridiculous it seemed to others, in his mind, that creature deserved respect. And most of all, it deserved to be safe.

Alfred, the cat, was another constant concern. Although the cat usually behaved with innate elegance, he never missed an opportunity to observe the tank, his eyes filled with a furtive gleam. Damian had to come up with a series of tricks to keep the cat at bay. He’d place a special lid, one that kept the cat from opening it, and every time Alfred came close, he made sure he wasn’t too near the tank, always with that deadly glare that only a child trained in the art of discipline could possess.

As the days passed, something inside Damian began to change. He didn’t just take care of the tank and the fish with almost obsessive dedication; he did it because, somewhere deep inside him, he had grown fond of it. He wouldn’t admit it, not even to himself, but he knew that this little being, this strange creature he had caught on a whim, had become something more. It was his responsibility, his little refuge, a vestige of something more human that he had learned to avoid for years. And although he didn’t fully understand it, he couldn’t help but feel a strange peace every time he looked at the fish, swimming peacefully in its tank, unaware of the internal war its owner was fighting to protect it.

As the days went by, Damian began to notice something peculiar. At first, he thought it was just his imagination, the result of staring at it for so many hours, but soon it became obvious: his fish was growing. Not in a sudden way, but gradually, as if, somehow, it were changing before his eyes, transforming into something bigger, more... alive. At first, he was skeptical, attributing it to the fact that maybe the creature had been hungrier than he thought. But then, over time, the transformation wasn’t just physical. Its behavior also changed. It became more active, swimming in circles as if it were exploring, as if it weren’t the same creature he had known before.

Damian watched as its shape and color subtly began to alter. The fish’s scales became shinier, and its eyes, which once only reflected the calm of the water, now had a spark of something more: curiosity, perhaps. And the strangest thing of all was that it was getting closer to the surface of the tank, as if it wanted to get out. It was as perplexing as it was fascinating, but he couldn’t help wondering if his fish, somehow, was taking on a life of its own.

Something, though mysterious, was happening in their little world, and, though he didn’t fully understand it, a feeling of inevitability began to settle in his chest. The transformation was clear. Something magical, something he couldn’t control, was happening.

It was one afternoon, returning from a mission as Robin, when Damian discovered it completely. The door to his room was wide open, and a strange silence enveloped him as he entered. His gaze immediately went to the tank, only to discover that it had exploded, water spilling onto the floor and shards of glass scattered around. Panic swept over him, but then he saw it: a small figure in a red dress, completely soaked, jumping on his bed with overflowing energy.

“Damian! Damian!” the girl shouted, her face lit up with overflowing joy as she approached him, showing no trace of fear. Her eyes, now so familiar, looked at him with the same spark he had seen in the tank.

Damian stood still, his heart pounding in his chest, unable to fully understand what he was seeing. Where was his fish? Where and how did that strange girl get in? The girl, with her wet hair and soaked red dress, looked at him with a smile full of energy, as if she had finally found what she had been looking for.

And in that moment, seeing that familiar look, something inside Damian clicked. His fish, his strange and precious creature, had turned into a human, a girl.

A/N ── First off, yes, this request can continue. Feel free to send me questions or whatever if you like it. It's not a series, so no chapters or anything like that.

Honestly, I think I saw a Damian x Ponyo! Reader somewhere, but I can't remember the username, so all credit goes to them. If you see it, send me their username so I can give them the proper credit.

On another note, this story isn’t romantic, so don’t even ask. I’m watching you.