#missy serves all the best lines | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

all-the-things-2020 · 2 years ago

Text

Year of Fandom Crossovers: July

Title: “Not All Heroes Wear Capes”

Pedro Character: Marcus Moreno

Fandom Crossover: Star Trek TNG

Warnings: description of panic attack, loss of a loved one

Word Count: ~6800

Summary: Lt. Marcus Moreno is posted to the Enterprise after a stint at Starfleet headquarters. His daughter Missy is eager to go but is he ready to return to space after losing his wife?

@yearofcreation2023

All Starbases smelled the same, of filtered air and the faint tang of electronics, freshly cleaned carpet and stale coffee. Marcus had grown used to the natural scents of his home in San Francisco: the slight tang of salt from the ocean, the resin of pine and redwood trees in the sun, the spicy-sweet smell of chaparral. It smelled of life and comfort; the Starbase smelled of bureaucracy.

“Check it out, Dad,” his daughter Missy said, dragging him toward a viewport. “You can see all the ships docking from here.” She peered out the transparent aluminum window, her breath fogging up the surface. “Which one is ours?”

“The Enterprise,” he said. “That one. Over there.” He pointed out a sleek Galaxy class cruiser docked on the far right side.

“She’s one of the best ships in the fleet, Grandma said.”

Marcus nodded. The Enterprise was considered by many the flagship of Starfleet. People had turned down promotions, ships of their own command, to serve on her, to serve with Captain Jean-Luc Picard. It was a great honor — and a testament to his mother’s ability to pull strings — to be posted aboard her. Or so Marcus kept telling himself.

“Why do we have to wait until 1900 hours?,” Missy lamented. “I want to see our quarters. This Starbase is boring.”

“The ship is undergoing maintenance,” Marcus explained. “No one can go aboard until it’s completed. Some sort of deep cleaning subparticle sweep or something.” He hadn’t really paid attention when he’d skimmed his orders that morning. “Look, why don’t we go back to our room and relax until it’s time to go?”

Missy shook her head, but stopped short of actually rolling her eyes. “I want to watch the ships,” she said. “They’re like big boats gliding into port.”

He suppressed a chuckle. “That’s why they’re called ships, kiddo,” he said gently. This time Missy did roll her eyes, but she soon turned back to the viewport, entranced by the cosmic ballet outside.

Marcus sat on a bench nearby. The collar of his new uniform was tight and he resisted the urge to fiddle with it. He’d grown used to civilian clothes while working as a Starfleet liaison and had favored loose fitting necklines. Anything too tight reminded him of … he forced the thought away. No time for that, he chided himself. This is a fresh start. He fingered the lieutenant’s pips on his collar. Despite all the talk about new beginnings, this felt like a denial of the past five years. It felt like a betrayal.

************************************************

“Welcome aboard, Lieutenant Moreno!” Commander William Riker was too chipper for Marcus’ taste. He wondered what rumors had arrived on the Enterprise before him. “And you must be Melissa.”

“Missy, sir,” she said, all eyes as she took in the sleek lines of the starship corridor.

“I stand corrected,” Riker said with a smile. “I’ve asked Counselor Troi to show you to your quarters, and get you settled in.” He nodded toward a dark-eyed woman dressed in civilian clothes who nevertheless had the poise and posture of a Starfleet officer.

“Please follow me,” Troi said. Her voice was slightly accented, something Marcus couldn’t quite place. Oh, right, he thought, half-Betazoid. His mother had sent him a dossier on all the senior officers on the ship, as well as the dozen or so crew members he was most likely to be working with.

Missy had a thousand questions, which Troi answered good-naturedly. Marcus half listened, focused on keeping his breathing even and regular. The counselor was an empath and he didn’t want her to sense anything other than the usual anticipatory stress of beginning a new assignment.

“These are your quarters. Missy, you’ll start school in the morning. That’s on deck 14. Do you know how to use the turbo lifts?” After an enthusiastic nod from the girl, Troi turned to Marcus. “And you, Lieutenant? Do you have any questions or concerns for me before I go?”

“No, thank you, Counselor,” he said.

Her eyes tightened a bit but she merely nodded and smiled. “Then I’ll see you both around the ship. Welcome to the Enterprise family.”

As the door slid shut behind her, Marcus let himself relax a bit. Missy ran around, checking out every inch of their new living space. Marcus sank into the closest chair. First hurdle cleared.

***********************************

“So, Counselor, what can you tell me about our new lieutenant?” Captain Jean-Luc Picard sipped at his cup of tea. Deanna enjoyed the emotions that emanated from the captain when he was indulging in a cup of Earl Gray. Cozy, she thought. It was not an emotion many would associate with the ever-so-proper Picard, but she knew he liked his little comforts as much as anyone.

“He is very guarded,” she said. “He didn’t speak much, but I know he was very aware of my empathic abilities. He was careful to regulate his breathing. This could have been a self-coping technique, which means he is healthily aware of his own emotions and seeking to control them in a novel situation, or could simply mean he is wary of me and trying to hide his anxiety.”

Picard nodded. “I hope bringing him on board won’t be too much extra work for you.”

“Don’t worry about that, Captain,” she said. “It’s my job to help everyone on board the Enterprise feel safe and supported. Most of our crew only need a little nudge now and then. It’s the interesting cases, like Reg Barclay or Lieutenant Moreno, that keep me on my toes.”

“Admiral Moreno personally requested this posting because of your reputation as a counselor,” Picard said carefully. “She is quite concerned about her son.”

“Understandably,” Deanna replied. “I reviewed his record and he was on the fast track to command. Three days from being tapped for a promotion to Lt. Commander.” She sighed. She didn’t always need to be near someone to feel their pain. “He suffered a profound loss, and it revealed an underlying emotional issue. I know the Admiral would have preferred he continued up the ladder, but as a healer, I have to hope that this will be better for him in the long run than shoving his feelings under the rug, so to speak.”

“I agree,” Picard said. “I have the utmost trust in your abilities, Counselor, and your judgment. We will take it slowly with Lieutenant Moreno. I’ve already spoken to Geordi and he’ll report any possible issues to you, as will Miss Moreno’s teacher. I hate to hover over a crew member like this, but I promised the admiral we will keep a close eye on him.”

“With any luck, it will be temporary, sir. I’ll work with Geordi and we’ll do our utmost to make the transition as smooth as possible.”

“Thank you, Counselor. Dismissed.”

Just before the doors closed behind her, Deanna felt a wave of doubt from the captain. She shook it off. Marcus Moreno was a good man who has simply lost his way for a bit. She was confident she could help him find it again.

****************************************************

The chief engineer greeted Marcus when he arrived on duty the next morning. “Hey, there, Marcus, I’m Lt. Commander LaForge, but pretty much everyone calls me Geordi. I like my team to feel comfortable and relaxed, but I expect everyone to do their best at all times.”

“Thank you, Commander,” Marcus said. LaForge tilted his head, his silver visor catching a reflection of the ceiling lights. “I mean, Geordi.”

LaForge smiled and clapped his hand on Marcus’ shoulder. “There you go. You’ll fit in nicely. Let me introduce you to the folks you’ll be working with to start.”

Ensign Nurik gave Marcus a polite nod and returned to her work, as befitted a Vulcan. Lt. Jamison, however, wanted to chat.

“So, any relation to Admiral Miranda Moreno?”

“She’s my mother,” Marcus said. “Are we starting with the first battery of circuits?” He gestured toward the open panel in front of them.

“Um, no, we’re already on the third one,” Jamison said. “Must be a real change being on a starship after being on Earth for so long. I only get back once in a blue moon and wow … you just forget what it’s like being on the planet you evolved for, right?”

“I can start on the fourth battery if you want,” Marcus said. “It’s inside the Jeffries tube, right?” He grabbed a tool case and headed for the tube before Jamison could reply. He wasn’t here to share his life story; he was here to do maintenance and make sure the ship was safe and ready to respond to whatever the captain might ask of her.

“Yeah,” Jamison’s voice was already muffled by the wall of the tube. “Go ahead and get started in there.”

Marcus opened a panel and began carefully testing the array of circuits he had exposed. It was grunt work, tedious and routine, but it needed to be done carefully and properly, so he focused on it. It was cramped in the tube, but he was alone, with a task before him, so he was satisfied.

A few minutes in, he heard someone at the tube entrance. Please don’t be Jamison.

“I will only disturb you for a moment,” Nurik said softly. “I have completed the second battery and will commence on the sixth one. It will be more efficient, and comfortable for both of us, if we hopscotch.”

Marcus smiled. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard a Vulcan use that term before,” he said, scooting over to give her room to pass by him.

“I have picked up several human colloquialisms working with Lt. Commander LaForge,” Nurik said simply. “They are often more efficient when communicating with humans, in my experience.” She paused behind him. “I believe you find Lt. Jamison as intrusive as I do. He is a fine engineer but he needs to work on his people skills, as Mr. LaForge would say.”

“You don’t call him Geordi?”

Nurik raised an eyebrow. “Humans are altogether too familiar with each other. I understand that it creates a sense of camaraderie, but I cannot bring myself to address him by anything but his title.”

“So I should call you Ensign Nurik at all times?”

“While we are on duty, of course,” she said, settling in front of the sixth battery. “Off duty, if our paths cross, you may address me as Nurik. It is logical that we will become friends.”

She opened the panel and went to work. Marcus did the same. It was quiet in the tube, but it was a companionable silence. He liked it.

*******************************************

Missy did most of the talking at dinner. It was good to see her so enthusiastic about her new classmates, her teacher, and being on board a starship. “Dad, there’s a holodeck! And we get to use it for physical fitness once a week! Like, we can go rock climbing or play Parrises Squares …”

Marcus cut her off. “Wait, they let you play Parrises Squares in school?” Holodecks had safety features that should prevent any injuries, but even so, it seemed dangerous.

“Well, a sort of modified version,” she admitted. “So we can learn the basics. I promise it’s safe.”

He wanted to say no, to charge down to the schoolroom and tell the teacher that Missy could not participate in anything so risky, but he saw in her eyes that she wanted desperately to fit in. She was a social creature, like her mother, like his mother. He might be content with a quiet evening after a day of meaningful work, Missy wanted friends. She wanted to belong.

“I suppose your teacher wouldn’t allow anything too dangerous,” he said. “But be careful.”

“I’m always careful, Dad.” He gave her a Look. “Well, most of the time.” She ducked her head, probably remembering a few of her more recent escapades. She was a good kid, just a little too eager to jump in if she saw an opportunity to be helpful or to distinguish herself from the pack. Like her mother. The thought made his heart clench and he left the rest of his dinner untouched.

****************************************************

“So far, so good, Captain,” LaForge said, leaning forward in his chair. “Moreno seems to be fitting in well with his team, especially Ensign Nurik. Jamison gets on his nerves a bit, but he has that effect on everybody. I’m trying to sand off his rough edges, but it’s an uphill battle.”

Troi nodded. “I know Marcus is holding back a bit in our sessions, but I’m not sensing anything troubling from him. He’s still settling in. His daughter is thriving, according to her teacher, and I have definitely felt less anxiety from him when discussing her.”

Picard leaned back. “Would you say that he’s ready to be put into the rotation for away teams, Geordi?”

“Not just yet,” LaForge said. “I’d like to see how he does in the new training simulations Data and I have been working on. Sort of a controlled environment to see how he responds under pressure.”

“Agreed,” Picard said. “I do appreciate everything both of you are doing to ensure that Lieutenant Moreno is successful here. It’s not just because of his mother, I assure you. I’ve looked at his record, and he has the makings of a fine officer, a good leader, but he needs our help to get there.”

“We’ll do our best, sir,” LaForge said.

“I feel it in him as well, Captain,” Troi said. “He’s just afraid to step out of the safe place he’s built for himself. Once he can do that, his potential will blossom again.”

LaForge chuckled. “Sorry, Deanna, but the idea of Marcus Moreno as a flower just doesn’t quite jibe with the man I’ve been working with.”

****************************************************

Marcus was lying on his back in a Jeffries tube, replacing some junction boxes. It was boring work, but he’d volunteered for the job. It was nice to get off by himself now and then, without the constant need to come up with small talk to pacify Jamison. The man wasn’t really nosy, he just liked to talk — constantly. If you ran out of things to say, he’d start asking questions, which could quickly get too personal for Marcus’ liking. So, he kept abreast of the latest political and scientific news, as well as the sports standings. Jamison was a rabid springball fan and had been on the Velocity team at the Academy.

His comm badge pinged. “LaForge to Lieutenant Moreno.”

“Moreno here.”

“Marcus, remember that simulation you and Nurik did a few days ago? The one with the melted fuses?”

“Of course.” It had been a tricky problem, where a false move could result in the complete loss of the system involved, but also requiring speed to complete repairs before the temperature of the system reached critical.

“Well, we have a similar situation down on Talus IV. We’re on route and should arrive in about thirty minutes. I need you and Nurik on the away team. Report to Transporter

Room Three.”

“Aye, sir.” So, this was it. His first away mission. He’d been on board the Enterprise for almost two months now and save for a few minor hiccups here and there, things had been going smoothly. He swallowed around the lump in his throat. Time to face his first real hurdle.

He finished up the box he was working on and packed up his tools. He fumbled a little with the latch and stopped to look at his trembling hands. None of that. What would Mom think? He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

By the time he reached the transporter room, Marcus’s whole body was shaking. He told himself it was just excitement, anticipation of taking part in his first away team for the Enterprise, but he was lying. Nurik greeted him with a nod, her face calm and focused as always. Marcus bit his lip, struggling to swallow as the lump in his throat grew larger. The muscles in his neck weren’t responding. He couldn’t swallow; he couldn’t breathe.

LaForge was briefing the team, but Marcus couldn’t hear him. His throat was rigid. He was choking, just like —-

“I’m sorry, sir, I — I can’t —.” He ran from the room, stumbling into the corridor, his hand clutching at his throat. If he just massaged the muscles a little, maybe then he could swallow, maybe then he could breathe.

“Marcus, what the hell?” LaForge was standing over him as Marcus bent double in the corridor. His vision was growing fuzzy around the edges.

“I — I can’t — I’m sorry, Geordi — I — I can’t — breathe.” His lungs hitched as he tried to pull in oxygen.

“LaForge to Counselor Troi. Transporter Room Three corridor, now.”

**************************************************************

Captain Jean-Luc Picard leaned back in his chair, his hands steepled in front of him. “Have a seat, Mr. Moreno.” He simply looked at Marcus for a moment. “I could have you brought up on charges of insubordination.”

“Yes, sir,” Marcus replied. “I know, sir.” He stared at the floor, unable to meet the captain’s eyes. He was ashamed of himself.

“However, it appears to me that your actions were not deliberate, that there was no malicious intent behind your refusal to join the away team,” Picard said. “And I do not believe in punishing someone for something they have no control over.” He leaned forward, his voice softening. “I know what it’s like to be haunted by a memory, Mr. Moreno. And I have no doubt you will be able to come to terms with it, given enough time and assistance.”

“But I don’t want to,” Marcus admitted. “I was perfectly happy in San Francisco.” He looked up, met Picard’s gaze. “Rejoining Starfleet was my mother’s idea, not mine.”

Picard nodded. “I gathered as much from her messages to me,” he said. “And while I do believe you have the right to choose your own path in life, I think your mother had the right idea, getting you to face your bete noir now before you became too entrenched, too set in your ways.”

Marcus closed his eyes. “I only did this because of Missy,” he said. “She … she was bored on Earth. She’s like her mother, sir. She wants the stars.”

“And you are a good father, and you are giving her the opportunity to try out her dreams,” Picard said. “I know this is hard for you, Mr. Moreno, but Counselor Troi and Commander LaForge and I are here to help you. I see the makings of a fine officer in you. Otherwise, I would gladly send you back to San Francisco. But I owe it to Starfleet — and to you — to assist you in becoming that officer.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You will return to your post in Engineering and continue your sessions with Counselor Troi. This incident will be noted in your record, but there will be no repercussions, no formal action taken. Dismissed.”

“Thank you, sir.” Marcus left the Ready Room, feeling the gaze of several bridge officers on him as he walked quickly to the turbo lift. He knew the rumors had already spread throughout the ship. Moreno had a breakdown. Moreno refused to beam down. Moreno was a coward. Moreno was unreliable. As the turbo lift doors slid shut, he rubbed his hand across his face. He wondered how much Missy had heard, and how much of it she believed.

********************************************************

She was sitting on the couch, reading on her padd when he came home. “Hey, Dad,” she said quietly.

“Hey. How was your day?”

She shrugged. “Okay.” She laid down the padd. “Counselor Troi came to see me. She told me about what happened. She said … you might not want to talk about it and that was okay.”

He sat beside her. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Only if you want to. I don’t need to know.”

“Yeah, you do,” he said. “Look, I just wasn’t ready for an away mission. I thought I was but my body knew otherwise.”

“Did you get scared?”

He took a deep breath. “Not exactly. It’s … hard to explain. You know how most animals have a flight or fight instinct, right? But when your body can’t decide, sometimes you freeze instead.”

“Is it … because of Mom?”

Marcus closed his eyes. “Yes,” he admitted. His hand crept toward his throat and he had to concentrate hard to stop it.

“It’s okay,” Missy said, taking his hand. “We don’t have to talk about it anymore. I’m just glad you’re okay now.”

“You are the most amazing girl in the galaxy,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “So much like your mother.”

“But I’m like you, too,” she said, her voice small. “I get — frozen sometimes.”

“We all do,” Marcus said. “I just have a harder time getting unfrozen than most people.”

“Grandma said you were so quiet when we first went back to Earth. I guess you were kind of frozen, huh? But you thawed out.” She poked him in the ribs.

“Yeah, I did,” he said, poking her back. “Now, what do you want for dinner? And don’t say hot dogs again.”

*********************************************************

“I’m fine, Mom,” Marcus said. His mothers’s image on the screen was slightly distorted, probably due to the nebula the Enterprise was currently studying. It was playing havoc with the sensors and most of Engineering had been working overtime to track down all the little anomalies. “Just had a long shift yesterday.”

“Well, don’t let them overwork you, mijo. If you have to name-drop me, do it.”

“I wouldn’t do that, and you know it. We’re all due extra shore leave because of it, so no one is complaining.” Except Jamison, but his complaints were more just a matter of speaking his frustrations with the situation out loud instead of keeping them inside like everyone else.

“And how’s Missy? She sent me a message a few days ago about a report she’s doing for school, but I haven’t had a chance to talk to her.”

“She’s doing really well. Has friends and started a Kadis-kot club. You were right; she needed this.”

“So did you. Captain Picard forwards all the reports he gets from Lt. Commander LaForge and Counselor Troi.”

Marcus’ jaw worked as he held back a smart remark. “I wish you’d stop monitoring me like that, Mom. It feels like I’m back in school, trying to get a good report card. It’s bad enough knowing they’re talking to the captain about me.”

“Fine, I’ll tell him to stop sending updates. Forgive me for being concerned about my only son’s welfare.”

Marcus sighed. “I know you’re concerned, Mom, but please … let me do this at my own pace. In my own time.”

She leaned closer to the camera. “If you can’t participate in an away team by the end of your first year of service, Starfleet can recall you. In fact, I’ll make a point of it. You can’t waste time, Marcus. The Enterprise needs a crew member she can rely on. Missy needs a father she can rely on.”

“That’s not fair! I haven’t done one thing to jeopardize Missy.”

“Then why did she message me in tears after that panic attack you had a while back? Why did I have to reassure my granddaughter that everything was going to be alright, that her father isn’t crazy?”

Marcus stood up. “I talked with her. She’s come to a couple of sessions with the counselor. She understands, Mom, which is more than I can say for you at the moment. End communication.” He punched the interface with more force than was strictly necessary, but it felt good. No one could soothe him like his mother, but at the same time, no one could push his buttons faster.

************************************

“You seem agitated,” Troi said, leaning back in her chair.

“I had a conversation with my mother earlier today,” Marcus said.

Troi laughed. “Say no more. I am very familiar with the stress of conversing with one’s mother. Mine may not be a Starfleet admiral, but she has her own very strong sense of importance. And parents often have a hard time seeing their children as independent entities.”

Marcus shifted in his chair. He could never quite get comfortable in it, which probably had more to do with his reluctance to be in therapy than any ergonomic aspect of the chair’s design. “She said something that made me mad,” he admitted.

“And what was that?” Troi’s voice was calm and neutral, as always. She was an excellent counselor, and he would have opened up more to her if he hadn’t known that her reports were landing on his mother’s desk.

“I’m not sure if I should confide in you. After all, she told me Captain Picard forwards all your reports to her.”

“I don’t reveal anything personal in my reports,” Troi said evenly. “Just my impressions of your emotional state. Counselor-patient privilege is very important to me.”

Marcus bit his lip. He’d been doing that less often but his mother’s words had brought the habit back. “She said … if I can’t go on an away team by the time I’ve completed my first year on the ship, she’ll have me recalled.”

Troi nodded. “And why did that make you mad? I would have thought you would welcome the opportunity to return to Earth.”

“Because Missy is so happy here,” he said. “She had friends back in San Francisco, of course, and she did well in school, but ….” He took a deep steadying breath. “I get up in the morning and she’s sitting on the couch in our living room, staring out the window at the stars. She keeps a log of every system the Enterprise visits and researches every planet, every nebula, everything we encounter. She wants to be a stellar cartographer. I can’t take her back to Earth.”

“But you’re afraid you won’t be able to stay on board the Enterprise.”

He nodded. “I don’t know if I’m strong enough to fix this, Counselor. I want to be, for my mother, and for Missy, but …”

“You have to be strong for yourself, Marcus,” Troi said. “Not for me, or the captain, or even for your family. For you. Don’t deny your true self just to please others.”

“So you think I should quit. Just give up, go back to San Francisco.”

“No, I think you should do what you want to do. Your mother and daughter will understand if you can’t remain on a starship. They won’t love you any less. I promise you they want what’s best for you. We all do. And we still believe that being an officer on this ship is the best path for you. But you are the only one who can make the final decision, and you don’t have to make it today. You have over five months left before the deadline your mother has given you. A lot can happen in that time. Look how far you’ve come already.”

“I want to try,” he said.

Troi smiled. “Then let’s work out a plan to help you achieve your goal. I’ll request some holodeck time, so we can do some desensitization. You’ve done very well in the training simulations, according to Geordi.”

“Because I know they aren’t real,” Marcus admitted. “I appreciate the offer, Counselor, but I don’t think playacting on the holodeck is going to help me.”

***********************************

“I talked to Grandma today,” Marcus said over dinner. “She said you’d sent her a message about a school project.”

Missy nodded as she chewed a big bite of spaghetti. “Yeah,” she said when she’d swallowed. “We’re doing a project about heroes and I wanted to know if she still had any of those drawings I did when I was little, when I was obsessed with superheroes. Remember?”

Marcus nodded. He did remember. After her mother’s death, when they were still adjusting to life back on Earth, Missy had spent hours drawing and painting pictures of superheroes, men and women who used extraordinary powers to save others. Some were ancient Earth characters, like Wonder Woman and Spider-Man; others more recent creations like The Photon and Blue Bat’leth.

“Did she have them?”

“Yeah, she’s going to send me some holoscans of them so I can pick out which one to put in my project. Ms. Karatha has been talking about how some heroes are larger than life, like story characters, and others are real people who do heroic things. We’re supposed to find an example of each kind in our cultural heritage, and also in a culture we aren’t familiar with. Kraathaa and I are collaborating; she’ll teach me about Andorian stuff and I’ll teach her about human stuff.” She pushed her spaghetti around on her plate. “We also have to write about someone we know who is a hero, but I’m kind of stuck. I haven’t been on board as long as the other kids, and a lot of them know people who did stuff on away teams or during a battle or something.”

“Well, being a hero isn’t always about saving people or winning a battle,” Marcus said. “What about Kraathaa? She was your first real friend here. She welcomed you right away.”

Missy shrugged. “But she didn’t have to overcome anything to be my friend. Being a hero means doing the right thing even though you’re scared, or you know the odds are against you.”

“You’ll think of someone,” Marcus said, his mind already wandering, latched onto her words: even though you’re scared.

******************************************

“Count me in.”

Geordi LaForge was taken aback. Had he really heard Marcus Moreno volunteer for an away team? “Um, okay, Marcus. But are you sure?”

Moreno nodded firmly. “Yes. It’s routine work, no pressure.” He looked around the briefing table, meeting the eyes of every crew member. “I need to do this.”

Nurik spoke first. “I agree. And I will accompany you.”

“Me, too,” Jamison chimed in. “We’re a good team, you and Nurik and me. I know I talk too much, but between the three of us, we can handle anything LaForge throws at us.”

Geordi smiled. “It’s settled, then. Jamison, Nurik and Moreno will beam down to Beta Doradus V tomorrow and help the research team update their sensor arrays. Let’s get back to work, people.”

He watched as the delta shift filed out of the briefing room. Once he was alone, he pressed a button on his data screen. “LaForge to Counselor Troi. I have some interesting news for you.”

***********************************************************

Marcus hadn’t slept much, but he was up at his usual time to have breakfast with Missy before they headed off to school and Engineering. “We’re doing sculpture today for art class,” she said. “The little kids are using clay but we get to try laser sculpting. Back in the old days they used hammers and chisels, can you believe it? We saw some holograms of ancient sculptures from lots of different planets and it was amazing what they could do with primitive tools.”

“Those ‘primitive’ tools were the height of technology at the time,” Marcus reminded her. “Someday, people are going to look back on what we have and think ‘How did they ever live like that?’”

Missy shrugged. “I guess. But it’s still pretty cool what they could do back then.” She looked at the chronometer. “Oops, I have to go. See you tonight, Dad.”

He hadn’t told her about his away mission. She thought he was just going to spend the day on board the ship as usual. Maybe I should tell her, but I don’t want her to worry. He pushed his coffee away. The last thing he needed today was caffeine.

At 0900 he headed for the transporter room. Nurik and Jamison were already there, Nurik meticulously going over the toolbox she’d packed so carefully the day before. Transporter Chief O’Brien gave him a cheery “Good morning, Lieutenant,” as he walked in.

No one acted as if this was anything out of the ordinary, but Marcus could feel the panic building inside him. He knew that O’Brien had been briefed by LaForge and Troi, possibly by the Captain himself. He knew that Nurik was watching him, looking for any minute sign of distress. And he knew that Jamison was biting his tongue, full to bursting with words but afraid to set him off.

“Good morning,” he said. “Are we ready to go?”

Jamison smiled awkwardly. “I think so, if Nurik is done triple-checking her own work.”

“I am finished,” Nurik said. “And there is nothing inherently wrong with triple-checking one’s work. In fact, it is considered standard practice on Vulcan.” She turned to Marcus. “Are you ready to go, Lieutenant?”

Marcus took a deep breath. Even though you’re scared. “Yes.” He stepped toward the transporter platform. Every step was like moving through a strong current of water, pushing him backwards. His heart was racing, his breathing was erratic, his throat was constricting … he paused, took a deep breath and thought of Missy, gazing out the window at the stars, drawing meticulous diagrams of the places the Enterprise had visited.

“Lt. Moreno?” O’Brien was quiet but concerned. Nurik and Jamison were already on the platform.

“Sorry,” Marcus said. He took the last few steps and centered himself on one of the circles on the platform. “Ready when you are, Chief.”

“Good luck,” O’Brien said. “Energizing.”

The transporter room dissolved around him and Marcus felt the familiar disorientation as the beam reassembled his body on the planet’s surface. There was always a moment when everything was simply wrong before the atoms snapped back into place. And then he was there, on Beta Doradus V and the research team was welcoming them, and he was following Nurik and Jamison into the depths of the facility and nothing bad happened. There were no power failures, no strange creatures appearing suddenly out of the mist, no rocks crumbling beneath their feet, no one being choked to death by tentacles that snaked out of the trees without a moment’s warning … it was all so mundane and boring that Marcus felt like laughing at himself.

“You’re doing great,” Jamison said about three hours into the work. “I hope you don’t mind, but I looked up your service record and … I can see why you had a hard time. I mean, the last away team you went on — I can’t imagine …”

Marcus laid down his tools. “I couldn’t do anything,” he said quietly. “It happened so fast. Out of nowhere.” He shook his head to clear the thought. “We all know that things can happen fast, but to actually witness it, happening to someone you love …”

Jamison laid his hand on Marcus’ shoulder. “I hope I never find out,” he said. “And I hope it never happens to you again. To anyone.” He gave a half-hearted laugh. “We’d better get back to work or Nurik will be tattling to LaForge.”

“Yeah,” Marcus said. “And Jamison … thanks. For understanding.”

“Thanks for putting up with me, Moreno.”

********************************************************************

The research team invited them to lunch, which was served on a wide terrace overlooking the forest which surrounded the facility.

“We like to get outside now and then,” Dr. Kemal explained. “But we’re so busy with our work, we forget unless we make it part of the schedule. So, we eat out here most of the time, unless the weather is really bad.”

Marcus took the seat offered him, under the hanging branches of a tree that provided dappled shade. One of the young research assistants, a girl barely out of university, sat beside him. He thought her name was Dina or Diana or something like that.

The conversation focused mostly on science and some mild gossip about the folks at the other research facility in the planet’s arctic zone. Marcus concentrated on his meal, which was delicious — he’d forgotten how much better fresh food was than replicated — and plentiful.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he spied something snaking down from the tree branch above. He was out of his chair in an instant, his heart racing. It was happening again. It was after the girl. He needed to save her. To his surprise, the scientists laughed.

“That’s just Simon,” Dr. Kemal said. She held out her arm and a long-limbed, long-tailed simian like creature slithered out of the tree and onto her shoulders. “One of the local creatures. They’re kind of like lemurs.” She scratched Simon’s head and the creature made a purring sound. “Simon was curious about us from the beginning, and he comes to visit most days. He’s harmless. Sorry if he startled you.”

Marcus sat back down, feeling a little foolish. It’s just a pet, he told himself. Still, he kept a wary eye on the branches while he picked at the rest of his lunch. He’d feel safer once they were back indoors and working.

*****************************************************

When they returned to the Enterprise, Counselor Troi was waiting.

“How do you feel, Marcus?”

“Worn out,” he admitted. “I had a few … moments.”

Troi smiled softly. “That’s only to be expected. No one is ‘cured’ overnight. These things take time, but you’ve cleared the first hurdle and now it will be easier to build on that success.” She led him out of the transporter room. “I hope you don’t mind, but I let Missy know that you were on an away mission, so she wouldn’t worry if you didn’t get home on time.”

“No, no, that’s fine,” Marcus said. “I should have told her this morning, but I didn’t want her to worry about me.”

They entered a turbo lift. “Deck 8,” Troi said. “I’m off duty now, but don’t hesitate to contact me if you need anything. You did excellent work today, Marcus, professionally and personally. You should be proud.” The door opened and she stepped off the lift. “Good night, Lieutenant.”

“Good night, Counselor.” The doors slid shut and the lift continued on its way to his own deck. Things hadn’t gone perfectly — he was still beating himself up over the Simon incident — but they had gone well. He’d gotten onto the transporter platform without panicking, he’d performed his duties to the best of his ability, and his team had completed their work in the time allotted. Lt. Commander LaForge would compliment them at tomorrow’s briefing. And Missy and I can stay on the ship.

He was smiling as he approached his quarters. The door slid open for him and Missy popped up from the couch. “Dad! Welcome back!” She held up a drawing that said I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT in multicolored letters surrounded by stars and comets and planets. She giggled and threw her arms around him.

“I wasn’t gone any longer than usual,” he said. “You’d think I’d been gone for a month.” He hugged her tightly, giving himself a moment to blink back the tears that were forming in his eyes before he faced her again.

“Well, yeah, but it’s a big deal,” she said. “When I got the message from Counselor Troi I was scared for a second, but then I was so proud of you.” She led him to the table. “I made your favorite for dinner: tamales! They aren’t as good as Grandma’s, of course, but they’re pretty good for replicated.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Marcus said.

After they had eaten, Missy cleared the table without being prompted and pulled out her padd to start her homework. “Hey, Dad?”

“Yeah?” He was on the couch, his feet propped on an ottoman, eyes closed. It had been a long and exhausting day.

“I think I know who I’m going to do my hero report on.”

“That’s good.” Maybe he would take a nice hot shower before bed, to relax the tight muscles in his neck and shoulders.

“Want to guess who?”

“Um, I don’t know. Captain Picard?”

She snorted. “Like six different kids picked him. No … I’m going to write about you, Dad.”

Marcus sat up. “Me? But I’m no hero.”

Missy put down her padd. “Yes, you are. You went on that away mission even though you were scared to go. That’s pretty heroic to me.” She came to sit next to him. “I know you were thinking about Mom the whole time, but you went anyway. You did the right thing.”

“That’s not the only right thing I’ve done,” Marcus said softly. “I raised you pretty well, didn’t I?”

“You sure did, Lieutenant.”

#pedro pascal #star trek the next generation #fan fiction #year of fandom crossovers #year of creation!#marcus moreno #we can be heroes #deanna troi #geordi la forge #panic attacks

24 notes · View notes

amateurenjoyer · 4 months ago

Text

A friend posted this tweet in our Discord:

We got to work sharing our lists. Mine is extremely of a time and a lot of these tracks might not seem like instant joy, but rather, extremely specific joy-adjacent feelings. You can listen to my list here. Anyway, I thoguht it'd be nice to share here with a little blurb for each song under the cut. These are not in a listenable order imo but i think that's a me problem.

Think About Things - Daði Freyr

I'm not a parent and never wish to be one, but this song captures a sense of unconditional love and optimism for the future, and in such a catchy way, I just can't help but love it. Unskippable.

Fifteen Minutes - Mike Krol

I can and have listened to this song on repeat for hours on end. It's short, so that's a lot of listens. A lot. Gets me hyped despite the world ending.

I'll Believe in Anything - Wolf Parade

It's the crashing cymbals that drive this for me, and the feeling of two people fighting to persist in a world not made for them. That's, uh, also optimism!

Gun Has No Trigger - Dirty Projectors

I needed a dirty projectors song on here, I could have chosen so many. but I've been hooked on this one lately, with it's bubbly bass line and salient themes of protest. Gives me chills and that's a nice feeling.

Suffer for Fashion - Of Montreal

I danced my teenage heart out in a press pit 10 feet from Kevin Barnes as this song blasted over the crowd at Pitchfork. A lot of their music fostered a sense of my queerness before i had words for it (and hey, sounds like ditto for Barnes too, though whoof kind of a rocky path there publicly). Maybe the most joyous entry on this list for me.

Float On - Modest Mouse

My dad's driving me home from rehearsal for the summer stock show I somehow got cast in, I'm playing this album for him, we stop and get soft serve while the crickets start popping off for the evening.

I Am Trying to Break Your Heart - Wilco

I liked you, you liked her, we were all best friends. You cried on my bed the day she left town. I should have been jealous but I loved that you could be that vulnerable with me. I think my heart got stronger because of it.

A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left - Andrew Bird

idk man it's the whistling and violins and that sweet honey voice, what do you what me to say?

Light Rail Coyote - Sleater-Kinney

I don't know that Portland feels like this anymore, it certainly doesn't to me, but my fondness for the picture this song paints cannot be understated. Probably some unhealthy nostalgia. Now get off my lawn.

Only Skin - Joanna Newsom

Sixteen minutes of exquisite chills and weeping and being transported to another place entirely. Sometimes I struggle to feel engaged with the world around me but I'm connected the place I'm taken to here.

This Mess We're In - PJ Harvey feat. Thom Yorke

This is a cheater's way of getting both these artists on this list. Great song though, first song I learned to play by ear.

The Freshman - The Verve Pipe

I'm on the bus to Rhode Island, all the Latin class kids are excited to be staying in a hotel together. My head's on missy's shoulder as Boston rolls by. I'm building a constellation of love and friendship, made up of many points. It's like constructing a myth. I wonder what I should ask the fortune teller when we get to Newport.

I Wish I Was the Moon - Neko Case

Midnight drive to the airport. My father has had one funeral already, but there's two more to go. It's a sad and slow roadshow, but the moon is bringing me peace.

Dirty Whirl - TV on the Radio

I thrummmmmmmm and that's all there is to say.

Bear - Antlers

This song is a tragedy but something about expressions of grief and like calling to like. Hospice as an album is a great comfort but this one track really sings for me.

Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Step-Mother! - Sufjan Stevens

I like-a da banjo. Some of the harmonies just slip into my brain folds in a such a pleasing way.

What's Up? - 4 Non Blondes

I'm in first grade and my sisters are in high school, our parents are out of town and the big kids are throwing a party. I'm twirling a red plaid umbrella as a couple of burnouts giggle and stare at its dizzying patterns. Hey, its the 90s! The only song I sing at karaoke.

Washing Machine Heart - Mitski

I'm hopeless and it feels good, actually. I'm smiling. I'm smiling!

Angeles - Elliott Smith

This song makes me think of you and a gift you didn't even realize you were giving me. I think there's another world in which we share a home and become doddering old weirdos together, platonically, if you can believe it. Thanks for playing scrabble with me.

Fuck and Run - Liz Phair

Anger and passion were too scary to let in for so long, and while every minute I spent around you was a foolish and humbling trial, I'm genuinely grateful that a dirtbag came along at the right time and pulled those feelings out of the numbing void I had been keeping them in. I hear you're in real estate now?

#playlist #music friday #sincereposting #2000s nostalgia #hello fellow kids #pitchfork mentioned #i'm not a recovering hipster #because hipsterism took my life in 2006 #rip to me ig #cohost import

0 notes

briamichellewrites · 10 months ago

Text

2003. Flying private was a lot easier than flying commercial. They didn’t need to wait in a very long line to check in or go through security. Everything was simple and quick. They didn’t even need to take their shoes off. After going through everything, they waited in a lounge until their plane was ready. It only took them ten minutes before they were on the tarmac walking up to the plane. If this was a dream, they didn’t want to wake up! The flight attendants were equally as amazing!

Mike noticed how well people treated him just because he was with Bria. No matter where they went, they always had the best service. Bria was always treated like she owned the place whenever they went out to eat. She could ask for something that wasn’t on the menu and they would make it for her. Just because she and her family had a lot of money.

She talked to the flight attendants about serving lunch, as it was almost noon. They would serve it once they got in the air. They ordered their meals ahead of time when she booked the flight. Joe and Jason were both amused by all of the features the plane had. The seats were four across with an aisle in between. They were able to recline back into a bed. They each got a new blanket, new earplugs, a new eye mask, and a new robe.

Because the flight was so long, she wanted them to sleep comfortably. They also got a tablet with a selection of movies and a pair of nice headphones. The bathroom was even nicer than regular airplane bathrooms! It had a sink and a toilet but they could just tell they were clean! Once they were in the air, they got their meals.

They were delicious! It was like eating at a five-star restaurant! They all got their drinks.Yes, they did take a nap. It made the trip not seem so long. Bria packed a comb in her carry-on to fix her hair. If Mike had a billion dollars, he would buy a private jet. As would Joe. There was nothing quite like being treated like first class passengers. That was the thing about the wealthy. People always treated them better than they did the average Americans.

Dubai was a city unlike any other. The weather was hot and dry, like Las Vegas. Inside, it was nice and cool. They met their driver at the entrance of the airport. He put their luggage into the trunk while they got into the back. His accent was Arabic, though he could speak English fluently. Which hotel were they going to? Atlantis. He knew exactly where that was.

During the drive, they looked out the windows. Oh my god! It was surreal! They each pulled out some money to tip him. Thank you. Their underwater suite was… there were no words to describe it! They saw different species of fish swimming past their window. They got their cameras out and took pictures. It exceeded their expectations! They all went into their rooms and put their stuff away. Bria changed clothes and combed her hair.

Once everyone was ready, they all went out to find something to eat. While walking out, she took Joe’s arm. The city was busy with people since it was dinner time. Some were wearing traditional Muslim clothing while others were dressed like westerners. They found a restaurant that didn’t have a dress code. It had traditional Dubai cuisine.

Meow. Bark. Buddy wagged his tail at Woody. He wanted his toy but he wasn’t sharing. The cat was selfish like that. He never shared his toys. A worker handed him another toy to play with instead. It wasn’t what he wanted, but it was better than nothing.

They and Missy were boarded up with other cats and dogs. They had a spacious room with toys, stuff for the cat to climb on, a floor to ceiling window that looked over the backyard, a litter box, beds. Plus, their food and water bowls. He and Missy went outside to use the bathroom and play with the other dogs. Dogs were pack animals by nature, so they loved having them there.

The staff played with them and cleaned up their messes. Missy couldn’t see her little brother, so she looked for him. Bark! Buddy, where are you? He got on his hind legs. I’m right here! She walked over to him. They were both groomed and had their hair trimmed. Woody got scared when they came back in. He sniffed them. Bark! It’s us! She turned up his nose. What the hell happened to them? They got a haircut. That’s why he couldn’t recognize them.

Meow! Good thing he wasn’t a dog. He didn’t want to get bathed. Cats didn’t like water. He could clean himself and didn’t need humans to do it. If they tried, he would growl and hiss at them. Get back, humans! His nails were sharp and could scratch them.

Jason wanted to go to 1OAK, a nightclub. Mike and Joe declined. It didn’t sound like something they would be interested in. Ask Bria. She said yes! He promised his brother he would keep an eye on her to make sure she didn’t get drunk. Nobody wanted to take care of her. They also didn’t want her to get taken advantage of. Mike appreciated that. They both got ready when they got back to the hotel.

Mike approved of his outfit. Okay, you two. He and Joe would be wandering around the hotel. They said goodbye to each other. When they got to the club, they learned they needed a reservation. Instead of wasting the night, they tried another club. It had free entry but they had to pay for drinks. The club had just opened, so people were coming in. They looked around. Maybe they were a little too dressed up. Oh, well. After getting a table, he told her to stay there while he got drinks.

Bria was wearing a dress that was tight but didn’t show off a lot of skin. It went down to her knees. She put her hair into a fishtail braid. He came back with two Cosmos. It tasted great! They took pictures of themselves and each other. Would he share the pictures with his parents? No! They would not want to know about him being in a club.

They didn’t know a lot about his private life. Neither did Mike. The only thing he wanted to know was if he was being careful with other men. Yes, he was. Once they were a little drunk, they went to the dance floor. Mike and Joe were having fun checking out the hotel. It had activities for children and adults. The pool looked great. They would have to put their swim trunks on and go swimming. That’s what they decided to do.

The club was loud with music blaring. He saw a lot of cute guys. One of them was caught by him checking him out. He walked over to him. They introduced themselves before talking and flirting. They had to be careful. Homosexuality was still illegal. The guy quietly told him to meet him in the bathroom in five minutes.

In the bathroom, they went into a stall where they kissed. They then dropped their pants. Jason entered him and started moving.

When they were done, he waited five minutes before going back out. He found Bria looking at him. After going over to her, he told her not tell Mike. Tell Mike what? She smiled like she would keep his secret. He put his arm around her shoulder and hugged her.

Thank you. He would kill him if he found out. After a few drinks, he cut her off. He promised Mike. She was a little drunk but could still walk. Mike and Joe found her fast asleep the next morning in her room. Joe shook her to make sure she wasn’t hungover. She opened her eyes and saw him. Good morning. She glared at him. I’ll fucking cut your balls off! They laughed.

@zoeykaytesmom @feelingsofaithless @alina-dixon

1 note · View note

groovesnjams · 1 year ago

Text

youtube

34 / 50

"Fly Girl" by FLO ft. Missy Elliott

DV:

It's hard not to feel a little conflicted about Missy Elliott's induction to the rock n roll hall of fame this year: on one hand, she's a visionary who deserves every accolade she gets; on the other, her induction in 2023 as the first woman rapper just serves to highlight how rotten that institution is, how its ignored so many essential artists who have been eligible for years (Salt N Pepa, Lil Kim, fucking Queen Latifah! it's embarrassing.) However: if Missy's in the "institutional recognition" stage of her career then at least it's fully deserved. And "Fly Girl" qualifies, a flip of "Work It" that FLO and producer MNEK cleverly include Missy herself in. Because FLO do their best to make this their own: their vocals are impeccable, they nail the harmonies and ad libs, and the verses are packed with quotable lines. But the success of "Fly Girl" depends on the theory that Missy Elliott wrote a bridge two decades ago that holds up so well it can serve as a chorus in 2023. And it does. Including Missy in "Fly Girl" makes this more than an interpolation, it makes it a celebration - a continuation of Missy's legacy and recognition of how even now, when she's taking a victory lap, she's ahead of the game.

MG:

While “Fly Girl” absolutely does not rise above simple nostalgia and while it would be massively improved by building on the sample instead of doing whatever Ship of Theseus nonsense this production is and while I am beyond certain that FLO is just the latest in a long, long line of Trojan horse girl groups to launch one solo pop star’s career, it is fun and catchy. And there’s no praising Missy Elliott’s incomparable contributions to all of music – not just rap, RnB, or rock – enough. I wish there was more to this song. I wish that labels, marketers, advertisers, A&R, whomever would try to actually make something with more than marginal value to its audience, but I’m also aware that the slimmest, razor thin margin is where our economy thrives currently so I can’t really expect art to do something commerce refuses to acknowledge. I wish we weren’t seeing the Dolly-fication of every woman who was trapped inside her genre at the height of her career, but, I guess Missy Elliott agreed to participate in this shallow rehash. “Fly Girl” lacks the fresh, cutting edge appeal of “Work It” but you won’t notice it on your gym playlist either; it’ll always be a bop.

#gnjsoty2k23 #flo #fly girl #missy elliott #music

1 note · View note

cyarsk52-20 · 1 year ago

Text

LIST

NO TIME: THE 25 DOPEST LIL KIM SONGS

By Stereo Williams

Published Tue, March 8, 2022 at 2:00 PM EST

Lil Kim is one of Hip-Hop's most impactful artists. Fans almost draw a line in the sand at when the Brooklyn bombshell dropped her classic debut Hard Core in 1996. It's inaccurate to say that female sexuality was non-existent before K.I.M., but it is absolutely true that no one had asserted it so brazenly or masterfully prior to Kim.

But Kim's appeal didn't just begin and end at the graphic sexual nature in her lyrics. What made Lil Kim who she became was a rare combination of charisma and vulnerability; an approach that melded high glamour with street rawness. She has it all: the image, the sound and the credibility. She invented a new kind of female rap star that spoke to women and the LGBTQ community in a way that no one prior to her had. And she inspired generations of women who would rap in her wake.

Having recognized all of that, it could also be argued that Kim's discography doesn't always get it's due. Her persona looms so large that it's almost taken for granted that she has such a strong body of work. Her classic run from Hard Core to The Naked Truth was a roadmap for so many divas-in-waiting, and she dominated the charts with a bevy of iconic singles. We picked the 25 dopest songs from rap's Queen Bee.

#26

"LADY MARMALADE" CHRISTINA AGUILERA, PINK, MYA, AND LIL KIM [BONUS SONG]

Our BONUS SONG pick is a celebrated classic guest spot! One of the best covers ever made. This chart-topper was also one of the biggest hits of all-time.

#25

"SHUT UP, B*TCH"

When the Queen Bee was at her most embattled (circa 2005) she was a regular topic for gossip columns and bloggers. Kim took time to settle some scores on this dis track, aimed squarely at personalities like Wendy Williams.

#24

"HOLD ON" FEAT. MARY J. BLIGE

Kim shows love to the fallen Biggie. The third single from Kim's sophomore album "Notorious K.I.M.," it's another example of how great Kim and Mary can be together.

#23

"THE BEEHIVE" FEAT. REEKS, BUNKY S.A., VEE AND SAINT FROM THE ADVAKIDS

One of the most slept-on tracks in her discography, Kim put this traditional rap posse cut near the end of "La Bella Mafia," and she and the Advakids get to go off.

DROP YOUR EMAIL

TO STAY IN THE KNOW

SUBMIT

#22

"SUCK MY DICK"

She does it better than anyone. The Queen Bee cums at you with her bawdy best. It's direct. It's succinct. Its quintessentially Lil Kim.

#21

"CAME BACK FOR YOU"

An underrated pairing with Kanye West, this track was one of the standouts on "La Bella Mafia" and features an inspired Irene Reid sample.

#20

"(WHEN KIM SAY) CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW" FEAT. MISSY ELLIOTT

Missy and Kim have always had a potent musical chemistry; and they get to get in sync on this percolating semi-single from "La Bella Mafia."

#19

"SPELL CHECK"

After her 2007 perjury conviction and subsequent sentence to one year in prison, the sting of betrayal was evident in Kim's lyrics. On this scalding diss track, she took aim at everyone from her former Junior M.A.F.I.A. brethren to 50 Cent.

#18

"WHOA"

Coinciding with her 2006 reality show, Lil Kim: Countdown to Lockdown, this single served as that show's theme song. And fans also peeped the salvo aimed at Junior M.A.F.I.A.

#17

"NASTY ONE"

Released on her birthday in 2018, it was the expected first single from her forthcoming fifth studio album. That project was delayed, but the single is one of Kim's most effervescent.

#16

"DOWNLOAD" FEAT. CHARLIE WILSON AND T-PAIN

Charlie-Last-Name-Wilson and the King of Autotune show up to grace this track from 2009. Kim interpolates "Computer Love" with a very '00s listing of techno-innuendo terms.

#15

"WE DON'T NEED IT"

One of the most memorable album cuts from "Hard Core," this battle-of-the-sexes also doubles as an ode to the joys of oral pleasures.

#14

"THUG LUV" FEAT. TWISTA

The speedster from the Midwest gets to showcase his gifts on this slept-on track. Kim more than holds her on, over a beat from her then-boyfriend Scott Storch.

#13

"DREAMS"

On one of her most famous and influential tracks, Kim's version of B.I.G.'s controversial "Just Playing" finds her lusting on this ode to male R&B singers of the day.

#12

"NO MATTER WHAT THEY SAY"

By 2000, Kim had been through so much. Her stardom was unquestionable, but she was tasked with following up her platinum debut without her longtime partner, The Notorious B.I.G. She answered skeptics with this hit single.

#11

"MONEY TALKS" FEAT. ANDREA MARTIN

One of the most uniquely infectious tracks in Kim's catalog, this heat rock for Timberland also features the incomparable Andrea Martin and served as the title track for the popular 1997 Chris Tucker comedy.

#10

"LIGHTERS UP"

On this "Jamrock"-referencing single, Kim showed that she wasn't broken or bowed as she faced legal issues and incarceration. One of the best tracks she ever released, it's so unapologetically NYC.

"BIG MOMMA THANG" FEAT. JAY-Z AND LIL CEASE

The opening track is everything that announced Kim as a superstar: bold, brazen and bangin.' Jay delivers one of his first high-profile guest spots as Kim makes it clear she's ready for her close-up.

"HOW MANY LICKS" FEAT. SISQO

Another song that is classic Kim. This hit featured Sisqo at his dragon-unleashing peak, and the eye-popping video became one of Kim's most iconic.

"THE JUMP OFF" FEAT. MR. CHEEKS

Timbaland gave Kim this kinetic track for her to explode on. Mr. Cheeks rides shotgun as Lil Kim delivers one of her all-time best singles.

"MAGIC STICK" W/50 CENT

This album cut was so popular that it shot to No. 2 on Billboard with no video or physical single release. Evidence that 50 Cent and Lil Kim had great chemistry at one point; but it's still only the second best duet in her discography.

"CALL ME" W/TOO $HORT

Kim and Too $hort made raunchy rap magic on this standout from the "Booty Call" soundtrack. The Oakland rap godfather sounds comfortably at home next to the Queen Bee, who shows she can match his nasty, bar-for-bar.

"NOT TONIGHT" (LADIES NIGHT REMIX) FEAT. ANGIE MARTINEZ, LEFT EYE, DA BRAT AND MISSY ELLIOTT

Hip-Hop had precious few all-star female posse cuts when Lil Kim tapped four fierce emcees for this girls-night-out classic. An iconic performance at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards cemented it as a rap standard.

"NO TIME" FEAT. PUFF DADDY

She'd gained notice in Junior M.A.F.I.A. and was almost seen as a star-in-waiting. But it was "No Time" that confirmed what Hip-Hop already seemed ready to accept: Kimberly Jones is a superstar.

"CRUSH ON YOU" FEAT. LIL CEASE AND THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G.

It's infectious and flirty. It's sophisticated and saucy. Lil Kim's iconic single wasn't even her song initially, but the remix video version cemented her star power. And the visuals are as era-defining as they are definitively Kim.

"QUEEN BITCH" FEAT. NOTORIOUS B.I.G.

It's an anthem that announced a legend. It wasn't even a single, but no song seems to capture the essence of Lil Kim's persona like this banger from her debut album. An infamous clip of Biggie's guiding vocal is often used to dismiss Kimberly's input, but her swagger and charisma are oozing out of this track.

WHAT'S NEW

Sent from my iPhone

#hiphop #hip hop history #hip hop culture #hip hop music #music #music history #television #history #rap #rapper #hip-hop #todayinhiphophistory #emcee #hip hop #hip hop 50 #today in hip hop history #mc

2 notes · View notes

radiowallet · 3 years ago

Text

December 19th - Christmas Movie

Summary: Marcus takes in a movie alone one night, and a small coincidence (or maybe fate) saves his night.

Pairing: Marcus Moreno x GN!Reader

WC: 1.4K

Warnings: Fluff, flirting

Thank you to @toomanystoriessolittletime for putting together this prompt list.

Marcus ducks his head down low, covering his ears as best he can with the collar of his coat, attempting to protect them from the December wind whipping through the narrow Main Street, a few flurries of snow floating in the air.

He walks quickly, hands buried in his pockets, telling himself it wouldn’t be worth it to go back for gloves, his destination not too far ahead. The comforting glow from the movie theater marquee is already coming into view, bold black letters displaying National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation against the bright white billboard. He smiles and picks up his pace, steps emboldened by the prospect of warmth and comedy in his very near future. His favorite dollar theater (that charges 8 dollars a ticket now) was playing holiday themed movies all month long. He and Missy had already seen Elf and Home Alone, with plans to see The Grinch next week, but tonight she had plans with the other kids, a holiday party at Headquarters that she very politely begged him not to chaperone this year, leaving him solo for the evening (and with slightly wounded pride).

When he told his teammates of his plans for the night, they had tried, in vain, to convince him to find a date. There had been a lot of needling and teasing and even a semblance of encouragement about finding someone to spend the holidays, and more, with. They had tossed out plenty of options and suggestions- The secretary that worked down in legal, Miracle-Guy’s assistant, or maybe that barista who served coffee in the lobby.

That last one wasn’t actually the worst idea.

You were cute, your smile was warm, and you always took the time to ask Marcus about his day. And not in the “idle chit chat at the register way” but in a way that made him feel like he was being heard. You remembered the little things he said, asking follow-up questions the next day, keeping up with Missy, even remembering that he preferred coconut milk in his lattes. Your eyes sparkled when you laughed at his jokes, and sometimes you would draw something next to his name- a happy face, a heart, a tiny Christmas tree...

But as Marcus considered it, even making a point to stop by for an afternoon caffeine pick-me up that day, he felt himself chickening out.

It’s just as well. He didn’t mind being alone. Alone was fine. It was, well, it was okay. He had at least gotten used to it. The bed didn’t seem so empty anymore, he could fall asleep with the television still on if he wanted, and he wouldn’t have to share his popcorn and candy tonight. So really, what was the downside of being alone?

You probably had plans anyway.

Marcus finally reaches the ticket booth, buying his ticket with a quiet thank you before heading inside to the warmth of the lobby. Last week he and Missy had made a game of sneaking in their own drinks and candies, pockets stuffed full and giggles muffled into the sleeves of their winter coat. He had felt so guilty that he went out just before the movie started and bought a huge thing of popcorn in hopes to erase any feelings of wrongdoing. Tonight he gets in line immediately, surveying his options as he waits patiently for the person in front of him to complete their order.

“Personally, I’m a fan of the sno caps,” a familiar voice offers behind him. Marcus turns, his mouth gaping open at the sight of you, similarly bundled up, slipping a pair of gray mittens off your hands and into the pockets of your coat. Gone is the black apron and matching visor, replaced with a red winter coat and black beanie, your bright smile and the intoxicating smell of coffee and vanilla still surrounding you. You seem to be alone, no friends (or partner) standing beside you, a single paper ticket clutched between your fingers. Of course he flounders, of course; opening and closing his mouth, awestruck at the sight of you and wondering what game the universe was trying to play with him. When it becomes clear that words are a thing he is not quite capable of just yet, you keep going.

“This is a nice surprise. It’s good to see you, Mr. Moreno.”

The formal greeting snaps him out of his stupor, and he can’t help himself, a small smile blooming across his face. “It’s Marcus.”

You roll your eyes and nudge your shoulder into his, used to the admonishing request to call him by his first name. “It’s your turn-”

He raises his eyebrow at you, ready again to plead for informality, and you roll your eyes again, this time with a good-natured but dramatic flair.

“-Marcus.”

“Good job,” he smiles down at you, noticing for the first time the height advantage he has, the absence of the coffee shop counter putting you on full display. Your eyes bug out slightly, a little puff of air falling from your lips, clearly affected by his teasing praise, the sound setting off alarms in his head. It felt almost like flirting, you once again urging him forward, your smile bashful, tucking and untucking your fingers behind your ear, eyelashes fluttering as you blink slowly in his direction. Finally the concessions attendant seems to lose a little bit of his patience, coughing loudly and snapping Marcus free from your spell. He turns back around with an apology and begins ordering.

“I’ll take a medium popcorn, a medium coke, a box of sno caps,” he shoots a grin over his shoulder at you, takes a deep breath, doing his best to quell the beating of his heart, and takes a shot. “And whatever they’re having.”

“M-Marcus, you don’t have to. Really,” you implore, hand wrapping around his elbow, attempting to pull his arm back as he opens up his wallet. You don’t even so much as move him, but the feeling of your fingers, even through the thick fabric of his coat, is such a comforting touch he doesn’t bother shaking you off; he simply raises his eyebrow again, waiting for you to make your choices. You give in quickly, knowing from previous encounters (the use of his first name or five dollar tips on three dollar lattes for example) that Marcus Moreno’s charms are impossible to say no to.

“I’ll take a box of sno caps and a box of sour patch kids, please. Oh, and a medium coke for me too?”

“No popcorn?” Marcus is stunned. What is a movie theater visit without movie theater butter?

“The candy and drink is enough, I promise.”

You shift from side to side, eyes pointing over at the popcorn machine, furiously churning out the salty treat before shifting down at your boots. The entire encounter seems to have you reeling just as much as it does Marcus, and for some reason that does wonders for his confidence. He allows himself the indulgence of this moment, picturing what it would be like to take it further. Maybe ask you to sit with him? You could laugh together as you make guesses at the pre-movie trivia and he could watch that cute and quirky way you roll your eyes again as the cheesy local ads play in between each question. Maybe both of you could go to use the armrest between your seats at the same time, elbows brushing, sending that familiar jumble of butterflies aflutter in his stomach. Maybe your head would get heavy halfway through the film and you’d seek out the warmth of his shoulder...

Marcus shakes his head, turning back to the attendant at the register. “Can I make that popcorn a large? Extra butter and salt, please?”

He pays before turning back to you, letting his mouth move quickly before that chickening out feeling makes an ugly and unwanted return.

“Do you want to sit with me?”

Your head whips up, eyes comically large, something similar to shock drawn upon your face, your mouth gaping wide open. He tries his best not to laugh, but fails miserably, the sudden switching of your roles in that matter of a few minutes nothing short of awkwardly adorable. He briefly considers reaching down for your hand, but there’s a strong possibility both of your brains could short circuit and smoke out. Instead he reaches back for your candy and drink, offering out to you, waiting patiently for your answer. You accept the offerings, and, with a shy nod, you smile.

“I’d like that, as long as you don’t mind sharing your popcorn?”

His own smile doubles in size, cheeks stretched almost painfully, taking in the curve of your cheek, the quirk in your smile, and the perfect way your fingers flex around the candy, already picturing how they’ll feel laced between his own.

“I’d love to.”

Main Masterlist

31 Days for Marcus Moreno Masterlist

Tag List: @nolanell @honestly-shite @leslie-lyman @gingersnappe-9 @mandocrasis @castleamc @dobbyjen @sergeantbannerbarnes @lowlights @cowboy-turtle @mindidjarin @alm0501 @tintinn16 @hnt-escape @prostitute-robot-from-the-future @magpie-to-the-morning @jazzelsaur

#31 days for Marcus Moreno #StephsXmasWritingChallenge2021 #Marcus Moreno #marcus moreno fic #Marcus Moreno x you #Marcus Moreno x reader #Marcus Moreno x gn!reader #we can be heroes #we can be heroes fic #wcbh #wcbh fic #pedro pascal #pedro pascal characters #tw: Christmas #december 19th #prompt: Christmas Movie

105 notes · View notes

minyoongees · 3 years ago

Text

comethru || myg

✧ pairing: manager!yoongi x worker!reader

✧ genre: slight angst? hurt/comfort, pathetic attempt at crack, barely there fluff

✧ word count: 2k

✧ summary: Yoongi saves you from heinous karens

✧ snip: "We have a coupon for a free meal at your restaurant and we demand you open it right now!!" this bitch—

✧ warnings: karens, oc gets all panicky, bubbling anxiety, rude af people, unhealthy relations with parents, unrequited love? (oc doesn’t really know)

This fic was genuinely fun to write! I know I did not do a very good job on this it’s lengthy with useless info but it just felt important. Let me know what you think of this!

Also, the title is inspired by Jeremy Zucker's comethru

As a new worker in a big restaurant, there are a few words one could dread to hear. For example, 'You're fired' sounds horrifying, gut wrenching, all your student loans flash before your eyes. It's scary, yes, but it's not as dreadful as the infamous —

"Can I see your manager?"

"Ma'am I already told you the restaurant opens at 11:30 am, and none of the staff arrives before 11, but I'd be happy to serve you at 11:30" you assured.

BANG!

One of the three ladies with a blonde bob cut hit at the door again.

"We don't talk to low class workers, call your manager!" Called out another from the group while the bangs continued. It was so loud you were almost afraid that they will tear this place down.

"Because of the unavailability of the manager, a low class worker is all you'll have to speak to for now," you spat, "but I'd be happiest if you don't speak to me at all"

Numerous loud gasps were heard. If the head chef heard you talking like this, you'll be out of the restaurant sooner than these karens can call your manager.

"HOW DARE YOU TALK LIKE THAT TO A CUSTOMER???"

"Ma'am since you have not walked into the restaurant yet, you are not our customer." you tried to explain, "The restaurant opens at 11:30 ma'am which is just in an hour and a half, I suggest you wait outside on one of the tables."

Even though it was kinda against the rules to sit on the tables unless you eat at the restaurant, but you desperately needed to get rid of the situation. The restaurant didn't even open yet, so what could be the big deal about them sitting on the benches outside. You were just hoping your manager would be understanding.

Anticipating another harsh string of words from them, the total silence that hit you surprised you. You pulled the blinds lower and peeked through them. The ladies were seated on the chairs outside, looking through their phones. Even though a bit shocked that they decided to do what you asked so easily, you didn't wanna jinx it. You thanked your lucky stars and moved on to getting the coffee machine started.

The day hasn't even started yet and the karens are here to disrupt the place already. Being the newbie, you have to come early to get this place started and on top of that, people like them are making it even harder. You clearly don't get paid enough for this.

Moving on to wiping all the tables, you were wishing that when your manger arrives, he'll understand the situation. To come to think of it, he's actually a good man and been nothing but nice to you since you joined here a month ago. He even covered up for you when you broke a plate. Another time he took the blame upon himself when you put a bit too much salt in of the dishes and a few people left unsatisfied. He's been sheltering you ever since you joined here and you've been enjoying this more than you should. Yet you still can't help but hope he handles it this time too and saves you from these heinous Karens.

brrring brrring brrring!!

The sounds catches you off guard not because of it's sudden penetration into the too good to be true silence, but because it shouldn't be ringing when it's the restaurant's hours closed. Nevertheless against your better judgement you pick it up and place the receiver between your ear and shoulder.

"Thanks for calling the Nile's! My name is y/n, how can I help you today?"

"We have a coupon for a free meal at your restaurant and we demand you open it right now!!"

this bitch—

"Ma'am as I explained already, the restaurant opens at 11:30 and if you walk in by then, I'll be happy to serve you and make use of your coupons too." Is it too early to quit?

"Am I talking to the manager?" she asked penetratingly.

"The manager is not here yet, but as soon as he arrives, I'll make sure you're the first person he talks to." you tried calmly hoping it would help.

The woman on the line took a deep breath but nothing could prepare you for the coming onslaught of distress.

"Missy you've been saying this to us since the morning and yet your manager isn't here. You should not open a restaurant when you do not know how to run it.”

She was so loud you couldn't even hear yourself losing the will to live.

"You do not know my husband. If he gets to know about the way you've treated me today, your restaurant will be closed forever." She threatened and you could hear her talking from the outside. Did she know that you did not own the restaurant?? "You should be grateful to me for not telling. Now open this damn door RIGHT NOW!!”

Another round of bangs started ringing and it echoed through the walls. They seemed louder than you know they should've been. And it was the trigger. The helplessness of the situation created panic. Your eyes unfocused, your stomach churned and your heartbeat escalated. You felt trapped.

Her shrill sound coming from the phone felt like it was piercing your ear drums and you could no longer understand what she was saying. So you slammed the receiver back into place, not knowing what to do anymore.

The grip on the cloth between your fingers seemed weak. You have always been a strong woman, dealing with irrational people all your life since you spent most of it around such people. But the karens have been tormenting you since the past 30 minutes and it was bound to get to you, sooner or later. Though you'd hoped for later rather than sooner. They way they started banging on the door while demanding something from you seemed so familiar to the way your parents banged on your bedroom door when you locked yourself in to save yourself from them.

Anywho, the situation is delayed for now and you have to calm down and start working again or you won't be done till the rest of the staff comes around. You don't know till when you'll be living under Yoongi's shadows and he'll be protecting you.

You put your hands on your face and let out a deep breath. Back to work bitches.

You started wiping the tables again, trying to think about something else. That 'something else' had a lot of options for you like, how are you going to repay your student loan that you took to go to college and didn't even help you land a decent job, or how your mom has been pestering you since months to get married and you haven't the found the best way to tell her yet that you wanna focus on your career for now and become a chef, or... well let's just say you had better things to worry about. But your train off thoughts was cut short when the phone rang again.

You already knew who was calling, so you decided against picking up. The ear splitting sound of the phone again echoed through the walls and it made you want to throw the phone against a wall. You know the restaurant phones should be loud enough to be heard by the staff even when the place is busy, but it did not help with the way it was making you feel.

After what seemed like forever, it stopped ringing and you went on to work again. The phone rang several times after that and with each ring, you felt your patience slipping farther away from you. You had half the mind to pick up the phone and tell them off, but you knew it would only anger them further. Yet you couldn't let this go on so after at least a dozen calls, you decided to pick it up.

"Thanks for calling at the Nile's! My name is y/n how can I help you today?" you spoke through a sigh.

"I'VE BEEN CALLING AT THIS DAMN RESTAURANT SINCE THE PAST 2 HOURS AND NOBODY HAS PICKED IT UP." she bellowed. If you thought she was loud and shrill earlier, you would change your mind now. Also, 2 hours????? you weren’t even here 2 hours ago!

"I HAVE GOT ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE ON MY PHONE AND I WILL POST THIS ALL ON FACEBOOK THE WAY YOU HAVE TREATED ME IS NOT AT ALL A WAY TO TREAT A CUSTOMER." she didn't even pause for a breath "WAIT TILL MY HUSBAND HEARS ABOUT THIS."

You didn't dare say anything for the fear that anything that may come out of your mouth right now, may anger her further, considering, you were not the manager she hoped to talk to.

There was small hustle on the other end. You could hear the ladies outside arguing a little. After a short pause, someone spoke again.

"Am I talking to manager?" this was not the woman who yelled at you earlier but someone else.

"Yes you are, ma'am"

You let out a small shriek. Surprised to see the receiver that was in your hands a moment ago, placed against Yoongi's ear. When the hell did he get here and how did you not even realize?? Even so, a strange feeling of safety filled up your chest at the sight of him and you felt like you could breath again.

"No ma'am, we cannot do that for you. As y/n here explained to you, the restaurant opens at 11:30 and no exceptions will be made for anyone." he explained calmly and it had you hoping that they'd listen to him if not you.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience caused to you ma'am."

You just stood being a witness to one side of the conversation. You could hear someone talking outside the restaurant as well, but couldn't make out their exact words.

You admired his calm even in such a patronizing situation. At least to you, it was that way. In your eyes, he seemed so serene, his lips moved to utter the most calming sounds and you felt like you'd hand over your life to him if he asked you for it.

You really needed to practice professional work ethics when it came to him.

"Yes we will take care of this in the future, thank you for your suggestion."

"Ma'am we do not accept any kind of coupons for any of the meals provided here. Are you sure it is the same restaurant?"

Wait. But we do accept coupons here at the Nile's...

"No ma'am we cannot do that for you. There is no such policy, and we do not accept coupons."

"You can totally go ahead and call the police for yourself and we'll be sure to tell them how have harassed one of our workers over here." He said in an unbothered tone, gaze floating to you and you strangely found yourself looking away.

"Sure thing. Thank you for calling!"

And he placed the receiver back, as if job accomplished.

"Are you okay y/n?" He questioned. In his deep eyes, you saw genuine concern for yourself and you wanted to stay there for some while more. His voice was music to your ears and you did not want your own voice to taint the air around.

But he asked you something.

"Yeah." you said breathlessly and cleared your throat. "Yes, I'm fine, thanks for the help Yoongi"

It was something he insisted you call him even though the rules say he is your senior and should be addressed as so.

"Such people are so irritating and do not deserve to be let out of their homes. What kind of a husband would it be, huh!" he wondered, "though I question if there is any husband at all or she was just bluffing."

"Yeah I know right?" you didn't know what to say. "Though it was really impressive the way you handled them, I could never!"

He laughed at that. Sounded so heavenly, your knees kind of gave out.

And it was another day when he saved you. Why does he do that for you? Why was he here here so early? Why does he even try to get to close to you?

These are questions you do not have the answers to yet. You hope to get them someday. But you are happy they you are right now. Or maybe you are too afraid that the answers to these questions wouldn't be what you'd like to hear. Maybe he was just being nice and you being a horndog took the hint wrong way.

But for now, you have all the time (45 mins max before some other employee comes) to enjoy this moment with him alone in the closed restaurant, surrounded by the smell of food and his cologne and you have no idea which you like better. You wouldn't have it any other way.

masterlist | fin.

#yoongi #yoongi imagine #yoongi scenario #yoongi sfw #manager yoongi #yoongi fanfic #yoongi fluff #yoonfi hurt/comfort #yoongi angst #yoongi fic

117 notes · View notes

ladygreenfrisbee · 2 years ago

Note

Hi, I was hoping if you have time maybe you could answer some in depth questions? I'm a huge fan of your LMK fics and I'm reading your BNHA stuff in the meantime between updates.

But I notice that you juggle your fics, updating some fics a couple chapters and then another fic. As a writer who loses momentum/motivation for good ideas quickly...how do you juggle them all so well without getting details mixed up? Your chapters all flow exceedingly well from one chapter to the next! I was wondering if you could share maybe how you organize things or share some other writing tips? I'm thinking that a similar method of cycling through fics snd updating them may work better for me to keep writing continuously and I was hoping you wouldn't mind sharing if you have the time or energy to do so. (If you don't, I completely understand!)

And lastly, I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your fics. Brotherhood and Reverse are my favorites, so well written and put together and god I love toddler Mac so much. (Also a mood on how you start to write a crack fic and then it gets Emotional and Plot and Angst.) I hope you have a great day! ❤️

Sure thing! First thing first you have to understand taking breaks from writing is VERY important! Although it does look like I'm constantly writing, I actually take lots of breaks -because most of the future chapters are planned out, and I know exactly what I'm doing -and most of all, I've already written most of the next chapter out by the time I get to it.

When I start a fic, generally I set up a Chapter Zero -that one contains all my notes, drabbles, pieces and bits for the story. Any string of words I imagine for it, some scattered bits that jumped to my brain -all serve to not only make the chapter writing faster, but to preserve the thoughts I had in that moment while I was imagining what to do next. It makes jumping back and forth between fics a lot easier, since if you properly document everything, you only need a easy peak in that file to catch up on your planning process for the fic! This also ends up with the result that some large parts of future chapters are written out long before you get to them, and you only need to polish what is there after that. Fun fact -Sunbreak's ending climax is already written out. It might be tweaked in the future, might be changed drastically, but I am happy with the current version and this also allows me to sprinkle some good ol' foreshadowing in the current chapters! Jumping between fics is also a technique I use to write faster in and out of itself -let's be honest we've all had those writer blocks you can't get out of (looking at you MHA fics, Im like so close to finishing the next chapter for a few of them) and the best way to claw yourself out of that hole is to step away. Don't stress about reaching that deadline. Take a break. Not only go do something else, experience something new, detach yourself from the computer for a while -but in terms of writing, write something different.

Each one of my LMK fics are angsty, but they are different flavors to write. Fire and Sparks is snarky, MK's monologue is funky and peppy to write, Red Son too. Sunbreak is a complex, slow beast with lots of build up and time. God of Shadows is pretty out there and abstract. Reverse is meant to be crack on the level of my MHA fic Missy but it ended up something else for now, and that's fine. I will stuff crack and funsies into that fic at one point, just gotta get the sad bits out lmao... What I'm trying to get to, is that write what you feel like it. Don't force yourself to spit out lines, otherwise you're going to end up feeling sluggish and stuck. Variation! Breaks! Twist and turns! Write what flavor you feel like it in that moment helps a lot at coming up with just the right words you need. This is what works for me, and it might work for you! After all, we write for fun, right? To put onto paper, or screen, what our crazy minds come up with!

Hope this answered your question, have a good day!

16 notes · View notes

forever-rogue · 4 years ago

Note

Omg Congrats my beautiful baby!!! So happy for you and its well deserved!!!!

I am going to request with Frankie: prompt list 1, #11 “be my wife” and prompt list 2, #163 “fuck me”

ILY! 💋❤️💋💋

I think its time Frankie got some love 🥺💕🥰

Frankie Morales x Fem!Reader ; warnings: mentions of pregnancy

Frankie Masterlist

»»————-　♡　————-««

As soon as Frankie walked into the small house you had made into a home, he was hit by the smell of delicious cooking. A smile tugged on his lips as he pulled off his work boots and set them in the small rack you'd placed by the door when you'd moved in. He'd never thought about such a thing before, but once you'd brought it in, he realized how much he liked it. It was just one of the many touches you introduced that made him feel truly at all home.

As he hung his jacket on the coat rack, he heard you singing softly to Isabella, as much played in the background and you shuffled around the kitchen. He slowly walked in, making sure to make as little noise as possible so he wouldn't interrupt your sweet moment.

His heart instantly melted at the sight, and he could feel a flush of warmth was over him. You had her in the high chair, turned towards you as you worked on dinner and sang to her. She was giggling and cooing at you, waving her little fists around. As you cut a piece of carrot up, you handed one to her before taking another piece and eating it. She followed suit as you praised her, "see, you're so good with your vegetables! You're going to grow up so big and strong, my little love!"

Frankie's heart melted at the sight of you with his daughter. She might not have been biologically yours, but she was yours in every other sense. You'd met Frankie when she was only a few months old and he had just finalized his divorce. His ex wife wanted nothing to do with him or her and had been more than happy to hand over sole physical and legal custody, even choosing to dispel her visitation rights. Not that Frankie minded; sure, being a single father was hard, but it was better than having her around a parent that couldn't care less.

You'd quickly come into his life, and had fallen in love with him and her like it was nothing. And now she was almost two, and you weren't planning on going anywhere. Frankie and Isabella were your forever. As far as you were both concerned you were her mother - one day he even hoped to make it legal. There was just one little thing he needed to do first, that'd he been dying to do for some time. He just...never could, often getting too lost in the moment.

"Yes, of course," you promised her, almost as if you decipher her question through her mouthful, "we'll tell Daddy tonight! How does that sound?"

Frankie's brows knitted together in question as he wondered what you were possibly talking about. Before he could get too lost in his line of thought, Isabella looked around and spotted him. Her face lit up with excitement as she leaned towards him. Frankie couldn't help himself as he came in and picked her, snuggling her tightly to his chest, "hi Izzy! I've missed you, baby girl!"

"Hello, my love," you grinned at Frankie, pleasantly surprised by his sudden arrival. Everything already felt so much better and livelier now that he was home for the weekend, "I didn't hear you come in."

"I didn't want to interrupt," he put his free arm around your waist as he pulled you close. You grinned before leaning in and kissing him softly. He made a small, contented sound as he beamed at the two of you, "I missed you, Honey Bee. And Baby Bee."

"We missed you too," you promised as Izzy laughed before wrapping her chubby little arms around his neck as best as she could, "little missy has been excited for you to come home all day. Well...so have I. We made your favorites for dinner and dessert!"

"Tell me what I ever did to deserve this," he touched Izzy's cheek gently before giving you another kiss. This was… everything and more than he could have ever dreamed of or believed he deserved. But you constantly reminded him how much you loved him, how good of a man he really was. And for the first time in his life, since you'd been by his side, loving him, supporting him, he believed it.

"Hmm," you mused thoughtfully, "a lot of things. But I have a big favor to ask of you now…"

"Anything."

"Take the Baby Bee here and get yourselves cleaned up for dinner," you gave both your loves a kiss as a flush of pink tinged his cheeks, "it'll be ready soon."

"I can handle that," he agreed as he tickled Izzy's side and she giggled with joy, "alright baby, time to get clean before Mama yells at us both!"

»»————-　♡　————-««

As Frankie cleaned himself and Izzy up, your stomach was in knots as you worked up the courage to tell him your news. You could hear the two of them laughing and giggling upstairs, and you instantly felt better. You were excited about this - and you knew he would be too, but still...it was going to be a huge change.

You plated up the food, making sure to cut Izzy's into smaller pieces before setting the dining room table. Every second that passed had you growing more nervous.

Shit - how were you going to tell him? There were a ton of different ways, and right now none of them seemed quite right. Maybe after dinner, after you'd put her to bed you could tell him.

"Here we are," Frankie exclaimed as he made his reappearance, clean and changed, right along with your daughter. You smiled at them, still finding it hard to believe just how much alike they were. She had his gentle eyes, with those wild, dark curls, and that singular dimple that appeared when she smiled. She was almost a carbon copy of him - especially right now as she supported matching little flannel pajamas to his, "we decided to get comfy already! Do you want to go and change, Honey Bee?"

"I'm okay," you promised as he sat her down in her high chair before pulling out your own chair, "what a gentleman."

"Anything for my girls," he said with a wink as he sat across from you. You nudged his leg gently with your own, offering him that smile that never ceased to make him melt, "how was your day, honey?"

"Nothing too exciting," you swallowed the lump in your throat as you pushed your bite down. You'd been to the doctor that morning, having made an appointment to confirm your suspicions and make sure everything was okay. Naturally, you'd brought Izzy with you as it was your day off and you always spent those days with her. Afterwards you'd taken her for ice cream and a trip to the park to feed the birds before tending to stuff around the house. The whole day was spent trying to figure out how to tell Frankie your news, the grainy black and white photos tucked in with the mail serving as a constant reminder, "just the usual stuff. We went to the park and Izzy fed the birds, huh baby?"

"So many duckies and their babies!" she agreed excitedly as Frankie listened to her try and recount her adventures. Your heart melted as she rambled on, but then… "the babies were so little and yellow. Like Mama's baby! Its like a...kumq...kum.."

Your eyes widened in surprise as she easily spilled the beans without even thinking about it. Of course she had no idea that this was a big secret or she shouldn't say anything...you just hadn't expected her to actually say anything. Frankie laughed lightly at her struggle to name the fruit, watching her little brows furrow in struggle, "kumquat? Is that the one?"

"Yeah," she grinned before scooping up another bite and shoving it into her mouth. Frankie affectionately ruffled her hair before chuckling. You were frozen in horror as he didn't seem to put two and two together, but soon enough it seemed that the gears in his head were grinding away.

"Wait...what do you mean Mama's baby?" he looked between the two of you as Izzy nodded and pointed to your still non-existent bump. A look of confusion crossed Frankie's features as he turned to you, his eyes soft and the corners of his mouth tugging upwards, "Honey Bee...what is she talking about...what's going on?"

"Surprise," you said nervously as you set your fork down, trying to keep your hand from trembling with nerves, "you're going to be a daddy again, Francisco."

"What?" his voice was soft as his chest rose and fell deeply, trying to comprehend the news you had just dropped on him. Your eyes stung with tears, both of joy and nerves, as you molded with a gentle smile, "Bee, are you serious?"

"Yeah," you whispered as a few tears rolled down your cheeks, "we're having a baby, Frankie!"

"Fuck me," his own eyes were glossy as you laughed in amusement before pointing at Izzy who was busy playing with her food, "we're having a baby!"

"Yeah," you stood up and quickly rushed to the mail stack, pulling out the sonograms you had gotten earlier and racing back over to him, eagerly holding them out to him, "I wasn't sure...I thought so and went to the doctor to confirm today. That's our baby, Frankie."

He delicately took the sheet from you and examined them, looking at the small bean that was your baby. His eyes grew misty as he traced over one before looking back at you, "holy shit...we're having a baby."

"I know...its all so surreal," you whispered as he stood up and wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into a tight hug, burying his face in your neck, "I love you, Frankie. I know it wasn't planned or anything...but I'm so happy."

"Me too," he agreed softly, pressing a few kisses to your shoulder, "you have made me the happiest man...you are everything. You, Baby Bee, and now Baby Baby Bee. I couldn't ask for more."

"Frankie, the two of you...well the three of you, are everything I could ever want," you promised as you pulled back and pressed a kiss to his lips, "nothing could be better than our family."

"I love you so much," he beamed at you, "I...I have-"

"Ask Mama! Daddy ask Mama!" Izzy was excitedly grinning at the two of you before making grabby arms. You raised a brow at him before going over to pick her up and bouncing her gently on your hip.

"What was Daddy going to ask?" you asked excitedly as his cheeks flushed a bright red. You reached over and touched his cheek, brushing your thumb over his skin.

"I...umm...I was going to…" he paused for a moment, swallowing nervously before blurting it out, "be my wife? I umm...Honey Bee, will you marry me? Finally...I mean, I know we're basically married already, but I want to make it official."

"You want to marry me?" you looked at him with wide eyes as he nodded fervently, as if saying of course, "yes, a million times yes. Of course I want to marry you. Nothing would make me happier."

"I-I-I have a ring," he stammered as he looked around, quickly dashing to the living room. Izzy giggled as you made a silly face at her, before he returned with a small velvet box. He opened it and displayed the gorgeous ring to you, "will you marry me, Bee?"

"Say yes, Mama!"

"Yes," you grinned at him, "nothing will make me happier than to officially be your wife."

He pulled the ring out and slipped it onto your finger, "perfection. Just like it was meant to be…"

"That's because it was, my love," you kissed him softly, "I love you - our whole little family so much. You are all my everything."

"Yes," he agreed with a gentle sigh, "my always and forever. My Honey Bee, and our Baby Bees. I love you all more than anything."

»»————-　♡　————-««

Permanent Taglist: @secretsweetscollectionblog @sheridans-dynamos @queenbbarnes @persephonesnebula @ah-callie @blushingwueen @thisis-theway @rosetophighlander @rae-gar-targaryen @hiscyarika @readsalot73 @huliabitch @ollyoxenfrees @coffeeandtodd @beepbeepsephy @scarlettwitcher @nerdyknightwritersblog @choicesarcade @arrowswithwifi @everythingaboutnothingstuff @suckerfor-fanfics @bestintheparsec @javihoney @aeryntheofficial @hail-doodles @engineeredfiction @aeryntheofficial @asgardianvamp21 @keithseabrook27 @karmezii @dearspacepirates @thatsuitlooksgoodonyou @paintballkid711 @mrpascals @lv7867 @artsymaddie @gooddaykate @rosiefridayrogersunday @heyitmelexie @criminalmind1927 @justanotherblonde23 @coni-martina @thewayofthemandalorian @phoenixhalliwell @lucifer @cosmoschick @kochamcie @linkpk88 @leaiorganas

#frankie morales #frankie morales x reader #frankie morales x you #frankie morales x fem!reader #pedro pascal #pedro pascal x reader #triple frontier #forever-rogue's follower celebration

507 notes · View notes

boypussydilf · 2 years ago

Note

oh my god, talk about the doctor and the master now. i accidentally typoed doctor as cocter at first. cockter. is this anything

the cockter. timecock. i am the doctor and this is my cock. im so sorry. everyone look at my immortal freaks . there are no cocks involved. um originally i wasnt gonna put this post under a readmore bc for some reason i wasnt expecting it to get long but like, it did, so, n. now those sentences r gonna be all anyone sees unless they click through. that’s great

describe their canon relationship/dynamic

BY GOD!!! they’re childhood friends. …i think. i think its said or at least implied that they knew each other As Actual Kids and not, like… however the fuck old they were in The Academy. im saying they knew each other as kids. played in each others backyards or whatever the fuck baby time lords do. anyway. childhood friends childhood BEST friends who Continued to be best friends for the rest of their lives because they’re so similar theyre practically like the same person. except for that the master let the society they were raised in & their own ego get to them and goes around believing they Deserve completely to be obeyed and served and get to do whatever the fuck they Want, and the doctor on the other hand had a granddaughter to take care of and then he meets humans and learns The Wonders Of Compassion by force. They are the same person on different paths and are forced to be enemies because of it. “Forced” by their own decisions and worldviews, but still. They were best friends who promised to Be Together Forever and then they left each other and they both just want to go back to being best friends and doing everything they planned, SO badly, but neither of them is going to budge from their own way of thinking, so all they get is little bits of banter and the hope that maybe they can convert the other one to THEIR side and scraps and echoes of what they could have if they had each other.

And also they try to kill each other. Mostly the master tries to kill the doctor. He actually SUCCEEDED one time but yknow, regeneration.

your ideal/headcanon version of it? how does it differ from how it is in canon & why is this your favorite version? any other alternate versions of it you enjoy?

oh fuck before i do anything else i need to go look for one fic thst isnt actually related to any part of this except being about them I FINALLY FUCKING FOUND IT. GOD. i dont think i have time to reread it tonight though. sad. SO ANYWAY. they are one of those pairs where like. I like them so much for specifically exactly what they are in canon instead of for Potentials and visions i have in my head. they’re perfect the way they are. I mean that technically varies from era to era of the show because different writers but…. the core concept is always pretty much the same and it’s good. they’re good the way they are.

I do have to dedicate a line to the headcanon people have that twelve & missy were fucking in the vault. Sorry. Yknow i think ive seen two different fics where bill refers to it as “the sex vault” in her mind in passing. Reasonable conclusion i guess

what do you like about their relationship, why is it interesting or enjoyable to you?

i like wanting something you can’t have & wishing to go back to something you can never return to, and i like character foils and people who are just variations on the same concept, constant reminders of what you could’ve been if you’d taken 1 different step. and also i like when they make stupid jokes at each other like the fate of the world isnt at stake or like they arent about to fight each other or so on

what about the individual characters involved? what does this relationship mean to them, what makes it unique among their relationships?

*taps literally just the entire summary of their relationship*

Ok that and like …. they both on some level see each other as the only person in the universe who can TRULY understand them. They’re Time Lords for gods sake theyve had superiority complexes ingrained in them since 5 minutes after they were born (or loomed, whatevers to your liking) and even the Doctor isn’t completely immune to like. Oh my massive alien brain and two thousand year life means you humans can never really Get My Feelings. which is sort of fair but not really. And they’re both, like, basically exiled from their home- when their home EXISTS gallifrey is destroyed with all the time lords dead every other week but like the rest of the time it isn’t. anyway they’re both Renegade Time Lords, they decided to Leave and to interfere in the lives of Outsiders and they have broken like every law that exists and they are no longer welcome home. So with both of them thinking they’re Above any other species, as much as the doctor tries not to, and both of them being unable to turn to any other members of their own species, they look at each other and go. You’re the only motherfucker in this universe who can handle me. You’re the only person who can get me. You’re the only place i can go to for real true complete understanding. Please come back to me so we can be bitches together.

they’re also each other’s Exceptions <3 the master will just kill people instantly with no hesitation no second thought and no remorse. and like. Technically regeneration makes it. harder to die. what with the coming back to life thing. but there are ways around that. The master could straight up kill the doctor forever they could’ve done it already if they wanted to. but they don’t bc they care and theyre hoping they can still be friends again. And the doctor tries not to kill people, generally, but some threats outweigh that. If there’s someone with a bomb that can end all life in the universe, and they can’t be reasoned with or incapacitated, but you do have a gun, shoot them in the head. On the other hand, the master poses a very significant threat to a lot of people all the time and the doctors like. ican’t kill them tho. theyre my friend :( Doctor people are dying

favorite interaction they have in canon

the scene in. i think its the sea devils? where they have like a 3 minute long swordfight and towards the end the doctor has the master’s sword and is holding him at swordpoint. stops to steal one of his sandwiches and take a bite. then gives his sword back to keep fighting bc hes having fun.

also like. literally every time they interact in series 10. itsall so fucking good but thats also very nonspecific so mmmm. the whole bit at the end of the eaters of light, with the doctor going “that’s the trouble with hope, it’s hard to resist”, and saying, maybe the master’s turning Good, but maybe it’s all an act, and her agreeing, “yes, that sounds like something I’d do” and it’s so- s10 is so fucking good, man, and they manage to play it JUST right so that up until the last minute you really just… dont… know. maybe the master is actually changing. maybe she really is feeling remorse and remembering compassion maybe she really does want to be good and maybe she really is trying and maybe she really is getting there. but maybe its just an act. a trap. another trick from a master of disguises. a way to get under the doctor’s skin. you can think one way or the other but you can never feel certain until the moment she literally kills her past self to turn around and side with the doctor. to go fight alongside her friend, to go Do Good, despite the fact that she’d be walking directly into a hopeless situation, a certain death, there is no benefit to this there won’t even be a victory and she’s doing it anyway, and maybe she wouldn’t do that on her own, not yet, but she’ll do it to be by her best friend while he makes another one of his stupid, stupid decisions.

and then she dies, and he has no idea she ever turned around. but it’s the thought that counts. without hope, without witness, without reward.

doctor who series 10 is just *clenches fist* god. the master just wants to live. the master just wants their friend back. these are the things that keep coming back. these are some of the most crucial aspects. and. and. and s10 is. she wants those things so badly that she will give up everything else she has, she’ll change her entire life, become a completely different person, however long it takes, however difficult it is, all for those two things. this just became about the master for a while i think. thats ok.

favorite interaction they have in your head/a situation you want to put them in

Oh god oh fuck i dont have anything for this ummm. I am so fucking tired. I want them to take a nap there we go thats it post wrapped thanks for coming everybody

#ough im so-#GOD i know its not gonna happen but can we please get dhawan master written by RTD?#please? please? please?#ghhapgugogugoggih #im dreaming of it.#basilask

5 notes · View notes

ciggylungz · 5 years ago

Text

Miss Ginger

Miss ginger

Blurb night- 2.5k

(request: can you plz do something about Harry being all soft with his kids?)

-----

Harry had always been a family man. Ever since he was a little boy he dreamed of having his own family, couple of kids, a nice family home with a big back garden for the little ones to run around in and him and his wife to attempt to grow some fruits and veg and maybe a few sunflowers or daisies. Simple, modest, pure and quaint but most of all, happy.

The day Harry met Y/n he knew she was special. She had this aura that he wanted to wrap himself in like a blanket. A laugh as pretty as song birds in the morning, a heart of gold, quick wit and full of talent. He knew she was going to be his wife someday, and he swears the day she said yes when he got down on one knee his heart grew 3 times its size.

The pair planned their wedding to be an intimate, beautiful event and with the help of Harry’s lovely mother Anne and Y/n’s combined work they were able to pull it off. They had decided to invite their parents and siblings, their closest friends- which included Harry’s former bandmates who made sure to embarrass the newly wed man during their best man speech- and all of Harry’s god children as well as their parents.

Harry wasn’t shy about crying when he saw his bride walk down the isle towards him, her dress was a simple silk fitted gown with delicate trimming of lace. Y/n chose to wear the same pearl earrings her mother had worn at her own wedding and a diamond necklace Anne had gifted her for the occasion. He really couldn’t help the waterworks making their way down his face as he took in her beauty, he stayed weepy through the entirety of their vows a huge smile across his dimpled face when he finally lifted the vail over her head giving her the first kiss as a married couple. She was his, and he was hers and the pair couldn’t be more smitten for each other even as they stand where they are now nearly 4 years into their marriage.

Over the last 4 glorious, joyful years of being fully committed to each other, sharing a surname and living as a unite the pair had welcomed 2 beautiful children into the world. Alfie who was nearly 3, he was conceived only around 6 months into their marriage yet they couldn’t have been more elated to find out they were expecting. The second was their little girl Rosana that they affectionally called by her nickname ‘Rosie’ and she was now coming up on 10 months old, she was starting to become increasingly mobile already such a bubbly happy little girl who had her dad wrapped around her tiny chubby finger.

Harry was currently on a break, just finishing his first solo tour finally getting some downtime to be home with his family and he couldn’t be happier. He loved every part of fatherhood, he enjoyed getting up in the morning and starting the little ones routines. First Harry would go downstairs, putting a kettle on while taking some breastmilk y/n had pumped from the fridge to warm up, when both of those were taken care of he’d migrate back upstairs into his sons room where he’d usually find his little guy sitting up in his new big boy toddler bed playing with one of the various stuffed toys on his bed as he waited patiently to be gotten up. Harry adored the way his son would perk up when he walked in, opening the toddlers curtains to let the sunshine in giving him a nice morning cuddle before taking him to the bathroom to change out of his pullup into his new big boy underwear since y/n and Harry are finally reaching the tail end of potty training their first born. It had been a struggle, yet every time their little boy danced around with a sticker on his shirt for going on the potty it was worth every bed wetting incident, and all the terrible two’s tears that came with the teaching. After he had him changed, he tried his best to tame the boys hair. The little tyke inherited his fathers chocolate curls unlike his sister who wore a head full of ginger ringlets.

After all of the hygiene tasks were complete, he’d serve the boy his breakfast, steeping his wife and him a cup of tea using the remaining warm water to heat the breastmilk in for when Rosie decided to greet the day. Harry didn’t mind giving his girl a bottle feed so his wife could get a little extra sleep in the mornings, opting to nurse during the day and before bed pumping whatever’s left to hold Rosie over till her mother wakes up.

Unlike some people, when Harry heard the baby monitor start to go off with the cries Rosie gives when she first wakes up he smiles instead of groans. He didn’t get angry when his kids cried, he was actually good at reading the cry’s instead of getting frustrated which always helped calm it down quickly and his little girl would always have a little cry when she’d wake up and think she’s all alone.

As soon as her daddy opened her nursery door the little girl stood up in her cot, balancing herself by gripping the railing to get a good look at who was coming towards her. once the morning light was shining in from Harry opening her curtains the tears stopped and a sniffling nose and big gummy grin was shining on her face, a contagious smile at that.

“Good morning sunshine!” the man raised his voice a few octaves, a big grin on his face as he picked her up from her bed giving her a nice hug as he swayed back and forth. “Did yeh have a good sleep, miss ginger? You look very beautiful this morning my girl, always take your shirt off when yeh sleep don’t ya’ silly girl? I get it girlfriend, sometimes you gotta let it breathe babe. C’mon think it’s time for a nappy change and a bottle hmm?” the little girl giggled at her father, bouncing in his arms and babbling incoherently whilst her dad cleaned her up and got her ready for her morning feed.

Harry set the baby in her bouncer, putting the milk into her bottle checking the temperature on his wrist before giving it to the still topless baby. It was easier to just leave it off during the morning snack, she was a rather messy little girl since she always wanted to hold her own bottle now often letting it dribble onto her tummy as she removed the nipple from her mouth to babble at her father. She always had a lot to say, even if no one but her knew what she was on about, no one had created a baby talk translation app yet so until then her passionate rants wouldn’t be understood.

Alfie was at an age where he wanted to be independent more, he reminds everyone how he’s a big boy, whenever he puts his own dish in the washer or screws the top onto his sippy cup by himself. Both his parents found it absolutely adorable and humorous as well.

When Harry heard the pitter patter of his wife coming down the stairs around 45 minutes after he’d got the kids up, a soft smile etched itself onto his face. He swears every time he sees her, no matter what state she’s in he still finds her breathtakingly gorgeous. Angelic even. Even when he had pulled Alfie out of her as she pushed, he still found her beautiful. Nothing would ever change the love and attraction he felt for his wife.

“Mornin’ love, sleep well?” the man brought his wife into his arms, giving her a warm hug and a kiss on the crown of her head. “Mhm, thank you for gettin’ up with the kids so I could get a few extra minutes of rest. Love yeh h.” she stood on her toes to peck his lips, this far into a relationship and being parents a slightly morning breathy kiss didn’t bother them in the slightest. After you’ve changed some ungodly diapers, smells don’t affect you the same anymore.

“no problem, had an easy morning Alfie was good about brushing his teeth and me and Rosie had a nice cuddle. She woke up shirtless again, I’m starting to get her vibe think I might start just being half naked all the time.” Y/n chuckled at her husband, sipping her tea slowly before responding. “At least it was just her top this time, last week when I got her up she had taken everything off. Had to do an extra load of wash after that one. Silly little girl.”

The couple could fawn over their kids for an infinite amount of time, but a thud from the living room disrupted their banter. The two wore matching raised eyebrows while venturing into the room, being met with the sight of Rosie’s bottle tossed at the wall and the girl herself holding her feet up with her little hands in a split position while still strapped into her bouncer chair.

“Hey missy, throwing things isn’t nice. C’mon time to get dressed, can’t have nakey babies crawling in the garden can we? Neighbors might think we aren’t watchin’ after yeh well enough.” Her mother unstrapped her, bringing her to her chest to kiss her cheeks, her father deciding to chime in, “I think with that chubby tummy and those chunky thighs they’ll know our girl is more than taken care of.”

y/n bounced the baby in her arms, cooing at her and mocking Harry’s words with a baby voiced ‘is that true?! Rosie are you a chunky lady?’ which got them a chorus of baby laughs from the infant.

Once y/n got both of her little ones changed as well as herself cleaned up and changed for the day, she took them back downstairs where their father was sitting on the couch glancing between his phone and the tv screen as he shoveled some cereal into his mouth.

Alfie made a b-line for his dad, excited to show him the outfit his mother had dressed him in for the day.

“Daddy! Daddy look! I got clothes on, mummy says I look handsome! Look I got turtles on my socks, daddy look!” the little boy was over the moon about his clothes. Y/n had chosen some toddler size sweatpants, Alfies favorite t-shirt- a Gucci one Harry had got him which his wife thought was insane to dress a messy 3 year old in a 250 pound shirt, but their son loved it because his father wore the same brand- and some socks with little turtles as the print on them. It was going to be a pretty chill day at home so there was no need for fancy clothes.

“Oh my gosh! Bud you look very handsome, look at my dapper boy! Gimme five, big guy” Harry held his palm in the air, his son jumping to smack his much smaller one to his fathers, beaming from all the praise he’d gotten from his doting parents.

When Harry looked over at his wife holding his daughter his smile got even bigger. There stood his beautiful bride, clad in a pair of his black socks she liked to steal, some comfy adidas sweats and a t-shirt Harry had given her years ago. Her hair was in a sloppy bun, lips slightly shiny with some lip balm and only one earring in since Rosie had snatched the other stud from her right ear and tossed it somewhere Y/n too caught up in her children to even remember to take the second one out even after 2 weeks going by now.

His daughter was in a yellow polka dot onesie and her hair was in a little whale spout on the top of her head. His girl’s looked stunning in even the simplest of clothes, they were his angels and he adored them.

“And look at you girls! Little red head, you look dashing in that onesie! Red carpet ready my girl. And you miss yummy mummy, are stunning today. C’mere I want kisses from my ladies don’t be stingy.”

Y/n couldn’t help but laugh at her husband, even when she looked like she lived in a alley behind a gas station he still made a point to make her feel beautiful. Of course, she adored the way her husband talked to their baby girl too, they had a long talk while she was pregnant with her where Harry vowed to always build up their daughter from infancy till the day he died. No matter how old she is, what she was wearing, if she was covered in gunk from the sandbox or in her future prom dress, he promised to always let her know she was beautiful and loved. Harry never wanted his kids to feel any less than supported, validated and loved.

It was around 1 in the afternoon when Rosie woke up from her first nap, nursing while Y/n and Harry sat together on the couch playing with Alfie and his blocks. The family had a quick bite to eat, hanging out just enjoying each other’s company. Y/n handed their daughter to Harry for him to burp her so she could refill Alfie’s sippy cup and grab both her and Harry some water.

After distributing the beverages she sat on the floor, playing with both her kids and holding Rosie up by her hands so she could dance around in her mothers grip. She loved to dance, she was always on the move crawling full speed everywhere and always squirming whenever she heard her fathers music.

Today the little girl had more in store for her parents, taking them both of them by surprise when she hoisted herself up to cruse holding onto the couch before looking right at her mother suddenly taking her first steps towards her.

Harry and Y/n both gasped, eyes wide and mouths showing huge grins while starting to cheer their baby on waving their hands and praising her whilst the baby took wobbly steps to her mom flopping into her chest before she was lifted in the air and spun around, excited cheers from the entire family as they celebrated her milestone.

“You’re walkin’ now Rosie! My big girl! Oh my gosh I’m so proud of you princess!”

Y/n tossed her into the air gently, catching her then setting her back on her feet letting her walk to her dad who was now in full blown celebration mode hands waving in the air while he cheered. His little girl toddled towards him, squealing as he scooped her up and kissed all over her face.

These were the moments he dreamed about his whole life, and he swears the dream didn’t even compare to the reality now. He’s never been happier.

#harry styles imagine #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles fluff #harry styles au #dad!harry #harry styles daddy #harry styles dad #harry styles fanfic #harry styles writing #harry styles x yn #harry styles x reader #harry styles concept #harry styles blurb #harry styles smut #harry styles blog #harry styles angst

432 notes · View notes

oneletteredwondered · 4 years ago

Text

Insulted

Sum: Virgil works at a coffee shop and Remus is annoying. Annoyingly pretty.

Pair: Virgil/Remus, Dukexiety

Written for @dukexietyweek! Day 4: Coffee (Shop)

Warnings: Lots of swearing, mentions of the word pedophile in reference to Remus’ mustache, insulting remarks towards customers, some awkwardy mild panic feels, mostly stupid interactions.

Roasted is a fairly popular coffee shop. If only for the tourist attraction aspect of it that the employees are allowed to be as mean as they want to you and insult you with every order. They’re snarky and rude, and unless they actually get your order wrong, which they don’t, they don’t apologize for shit. They’re delighted when new-comers enter the shop unaware of the rules.

And whatever deity believed in above help the poor soul who asks for the manager because they are worse than the employees with a wicked wit and sharper tongue.

The rest of the employees would be scared of the manager because of this, but they have seen the man have a panic attack over potentially not having enough straws for the day even after three separate employees offered to go to the store and buy some. They’ve also seen the manager cry because they saw a video of a spider that was too cute for words which renders him pretty unintimidating. Besides, the manager has always been on their side of an argument anyway.

It’s a slow day and Virgil knows Missy hasn’t been sleeping right, or eating right, or feeling like she’s been doing anything right. So he packs her a muffin and a hot chocolate, and tells her to fuck off on home for the day. She doesn’t say thank you but the relief is clear in her shoulders so he knows it was the right thing to do. Besides it’s dead right now and he can handle a few customers for the time being until another employee shows up.

He serves a few people, some very eager to be insulted, some coming in with gaudy outfits for the sole purpose of being insulted, he has fun with those.

“What do you want?” He asks the next person in line, not even looking up from the register.

“I’ll have a large cup of whatever you are.” The person says and Virgil narrows his eyes and looks up. He stares at the stranger for all of three seconds.

“You have a pedo mustache.” Is what he says. The stranger breaks into a wide grin.

“Why thank you!” They sound far too delighted by that. Virgil continues to glare at them while writing the word ‘pedo stache’ on a large cup.

“What do you want?” He asks again more forcefully. The stranger hums in thought and Virgil would snap at them for taking too long but they are the only one in line right now.

“Hello?? Hurry up?” Screw it. He snaps his fingers in their face. Stranger man gives him a wicked smile and Virgil hates the little lurch in his chest because holy fuck and wait stranger is actually kind of pretty. Even with a fucking thin line mustache. Their eyes are bright green and streaks of white are layered in their hair. And Virgil always was a sucker for people with piercings and this dude sure has some to spare.

“Well if you’re not on the menu, I’ll have the raspberry lime tea. Hot as you please,” They say. Virgil writes cold on the cup.

“Anything else you fucking weirdo?” Virgil asks cause seriously it is kind of rude to be flirting with employees while they’re working but in the worst way Virgil kind of likes it cause it means he can say shit like that.

“Oh shit uhm, fuck.” Stranger man says and Virgil glares at them. Both for not being ready and also he kind of likes the way they say fuck which is not what he was expecting to deal with today.

“Jesus Christ dude were you not ready to order like why are you wasting my time?” Virgil demands. A few patrons of the place snicker into their cups and stranger just smirks at him.

“Sorry I don’t have a brain to mouth filter and it gets worse when I see a pretty person,” They wink and Virgil glares harder to will away the attempt at a blush on his cheeks.

“What else do you waaaaant.” He whines at them. Stranger laughs and pulls out a piece of paper. Virgil can already see the long list of items on it and groans.

“Relax it’s all one order,” Stranger says and Virgil scoffs.

“That’s so much worse!” He says. Stranger laughs hard at that.

“Well it’s not mine, princess back at the office is a picky bitch.” Stranger says with comically wide eyes and Virgil hates himself for it but he snorts. He schools his face back to neutrally angry and refuses to give the stranger the satisfaction of seeing him smile just yet.

So stranger man rattles off a long winded order that Virgil groans at with every new direction. He can easily make the drink of course that won’t be hard but he can complain about it so he will. He writes ‘princess’ on this cup.

Stranger man pays and Virgil sets about making the drinks very aware of the other watching him from the waiting counter.

“You just gunna keep staring at me like a stalker or what?” Virgil snips at them, pausing for dramatic effect. Mustache dude grins at him and leans on the counter with his head in his hands.

“I like the view,” He says. Virgil makes a retching sound and keeps making the drinks in question. He does his damn best with them and hands them off.

“Get the fuck out of my establishment,” He says and turns away. Stranger laughs and takes his drinks.

“Thanks for the buzz baby!” He calls out as he exits. Virgil flips him off.

As soon as the dude is out of sight, Virgil collapses on the counter in a heap of nerves and embarrassment. The only reason he was able to keep his cool was because he could hide it behind a massive amount of snark and spite. But stranger man was super pretty and wild and Virgil almost wishes he did something about it.

“You okay?” Parker asks when they show up for their shift.

“Do I fucking look okay?” Virgil asks them desperately. Parker just laughs and that’s good enough of answer for him.

“Hello gorgeous!” Virgil snaps his head up from the counter he’s cleaning.

“Oh hell no,” He says and walks away from the front to the back office, leaving his employees to handle Mr Mustache in his stead. He can’t handle it right now. Not when they’re wearing a fucking leather jacket and wild smile. He just can’t do it. So he hides in the back for as long as he can. Which ends up being about a whole ten minutes.

“Uh boss man?” Virgil groans cause that’s him. He’s boss man. Fuck. He drags his hands down his face and looks over at Todd. Todd shifts from foot to foot.

“There’s uhm. I just. Can you-” They don’t have to finish. Mom friend override has been activated and Virgil is heading to the front no questions asked. It’s not a rush right now thank goodness, but they lady at the counter is giving her all in 'entitled customer'.

“This is an outrage, I want to speak to the manager.”

“The fuck you want bitch?” Virgil says without thinking. The lady gapes at him openly.

“This is the worst shop I have ever been in.” She says as if that’s supposed to hurt. Virgil shrugs at her.

“You’re the worst customer that’s ever been in, did you want coffee or not?” He asks her and she gapes again and walks out.

“Put another ten in the draw for walk outs.” Virgil tells Todd who beams and takes the money from the register to put in a jar near the back. Once it’s full they have a party of some kind.

“That was beautiful,” A voice says and Virgil whips around and comes face to face with Stranger Man over the counter. They’re smiling at him crookedly and Virgil's mouth drops because he was not prepared to see them here still or this close to him or so damn pretty.

“Fuck you,” Is his reflex response.

“When and where darling?” Stranger angles over the counter to leer at him and Virgil squeaks. Full on, flat out, squeaks in embarrassment. The entire room seems to pause and watch. Virgil is frozen in shock and stranger looks like he just saw light for the first time which is absolutely unfair.

Virgil dips, and dips hard. He spins on his heel to lock himself in the office. He makes it there only to realize he can’t handle being in such a small space with his anxiety overriding him. He snatches his jacket off the back wall and catches Todd’s eye before he slips out the back door and into open air.

Once outside he leans against the wall, puts his head in his hands, and lets out a very pitiful whine as he sinks to the ground. That has to be one of the softest things he’s ever done in regards to a customer in his life and it will haunt him for years to come he knows it.

He spends a few minutes running through his breathing exercises which goes directly to shit when he hears footsteps approaching.

“I’m fine Todd go back to work,” He snaps.

“The name’s Remus actually.” Virgil jolts and looks at the stranger standing over him. Stranger, or well, Remus, gives him a small sheepish smile and pulls at a random strand of his hair. Virgil sinks lower in on himself.

“You’re a lot different in and out of shop.” Remus says after a sufficiently awkward silence. Virgil grumbles and hides his face in his arms. His entire body tenses when he feels Remus slide to sit beside him.

“I am uh. Like, legit sorry if I made you uncomfortable.” Remus mutters. Virgil groans.

“I was not ready to deal with your stupid pretty face today.” He whines. Remus laughs at that.

“You think I’m pretty?” He asks and Virgil realizes his mistake in word choice. He glances up to Remus in panic cause now that he's admitted it, Remus looks even more pretty.

“Well I just- you know it’s- I don’t- Whatever!” Virgil word vomits all over the place. Remus continues to smile at him infuriatingly.

“Even with the pedo stache?” Remus continues to tease. Virgil decides he’s had enough and elbows Remus hard as he can. Remus lurches a little but he’s laughing. They lapse into an easier silence.

“Silver tongue ain’t so shiny out of work is it?” Remus asks him then but not meanly. Virgil snorts and covers his mouth with his hand to hide his smile.

“I have to get passed the awkward first,” He says. Remus hums in thought and snatches Virgil’s hand away from his face. Virgil lets out a dignified noise and snaps his jaw shut so hard it clicks when Remus places a kiss on his palm... then licks him.

“Gross what the fuck!” Virgil yanks his hand back and wipes off the slobber and decidedly not looks at Remus’s blinding grin.

“There! Now it’s not so awkward!” Instead of an answer, Virgil stands up and heads back inside the shop, leaving Remus cackling in the back. Virgil leans up against the door to hear him walk away and finds himself smiling at the interaction.

“Welcome to Roasted, or not welcome because we close soon I don’t actually care, what do you want?” Virgil is looking through receipts, making sure the till is all correct for the money they made today.

“I want your number.” Virgil freezes. He blinks dumbly at the papers in his hands and then up to Remus standing casually at the counter. His hands are in his pockets and he looks for the world unbothered but more subdued than Virgil has seen him before.

“Numbers not on the menu,” Virgil says dumbly in attempt to cover his frantic feelings. Remus shrugs and looks around the empty shop.

“Yeah but it’s what I want.” He says it so plainly. Virgil glares at him.

“Order something or get out.” That causes Remus to smirk. He orders a small tea and Virgil makes it silently, adding the receipt to the pile to check on. He pauses before handing the drink over, looking over his shoulder at Remus who is preoccupied with some of the decorative things on the walls. Virgil writes his number on the cup.

“Get your shit and get out,” He says and puts the cup on the counter, going back to his papers and ignoring the way his heart pounds in his chest at what he just did. Remus gives him a sad sort of look and leaves with his drink leaving Virgil wondering if he did the right thing.

Only for his stomach to swoop pleasantly when Remus swoops back into the shop 3 minutes later with a wild smile on his face and refuses to leave until they work out the plans for a dinner date.

“Go away.” Virgil greets.

“Never.” Remus smirks back at him.

#dukexietyweek2020 #virgil sanders #remus sanders #dukexiety #fic #my post

215 notes · View notes

shadow-assassin-blix · 4 years ago

Text

Parent Trap

PART 2

Marcus Moreno x Reader

It’s hereeee! Children’s shenanigans. Yearning. A kiss.

The Artist

The rest of the week went smoothly. Artemis was very excited to have a new friend and talked about Missy often.

Friday came around, and Shade had to inform the school that she was running late in picking Artemis up. A seller was taking his sweet time, in trying to decide which of the 2 pieces he wanted, before deciding he didn’t want either.

She was annoyed; it wasn’t uncommon for a seller to act like they wanted her work before making up some excuse as to why they were no longer interested. Nor was it uncommon for a person to try and haggle for lower prices, claiming ‘you should be grateful someone even wants your business.’

She was tired to say the least.

She finally, after 45 minutes, pulled up to the school, and made her way to Artemis’s class to pick her up. She was surprised when she saw Missy sitting with her.

“Missy? What are you still doing here honey?” Shade asked concerned.

“My dad’s running late, but I have no way of contacting him to find out what’s going on,” She admitted quietly.

Shade nodded in understanding, before pulling out her phone. Marcus had made sure to give her his number the other day when they saw each other dropping their kids off.

She called him. It took about 4 rings, before he answered, out of breath “Hey Shade.”

“Hey. So. I’m here with Artemis and Missy, are you uhh.. on your way hon?” She asked politely.

She hears him swear in the background before stating, “I promise I didn’t forget about her. It appears that someone has changed every clock I know. I haven’t been able to tell time for 90% of the day.”

“Haven’t been able to tell time eh? Funny. Had something similar happen the other morning when my alarm went off an hour early. Weird how these clocks… have just magically changed for both of us,” She noted staring at the two girls suspiciously.

Both of them shrugged acting like they have no idea what she was talking about, before looking away.

“Listen, can you tell Missy I am on my way, I swear,” He requested with a sigh.

“How about this… How about I take Missy home with me, and she can stay the night? In the morning, you can bring her a change of clothes, and pick us all up for our date,” She offered with a smile.

“Are... are you sure? It’s no problem for me to come and get her, it would just be a few minutes?” He questioned hesitantly.

“It’s not a problem. We will see you in the morning, yeah?” She assured.

“Sounds good, can I talk to Missy real quick?” He politely asked.

She handed her phone over to her, and they talked for a moment before she hung.

“Alright. Let’s get outta here,” She nodded her head toward the door.

The girls grabbed their things and the three of them were off.

She gets them home and told them to get to work on their homework. She checked on dinner that was cooking in the crockpot. It was crockpot chicken and noodles.

The girls finished up their homework and were currently helping her set the table an hour later. They were both giggling and whispering to one another.

“Alright you two, enough with the whisper party. Go wash your hands, while I serve up dinner,” She tells them, shaking her head.

She grabbed their bowls and ladled them a healthy portion for all of them. She had made some fruit salad to go with it and gave them a small plate of it.

By the time their plates were ready, the girls were bouncing back into the dining room. They took their seats, and she joined them.

Missy began asking questions about Shade’s work.

“So, what kind of art do you do?” Missy politely asked.

“I do mostly pencil sketches and paint occasionally even though I don’t think I’m very good at it. Been working on some new stuff, but... Mh. not sure how I feel about it so far,” Shade explained to her.

“Ooh. What kind of new stuff?” Missy asked excitedly.

Shade went to wave it off as nothing when Artemis piped up, “She’s been drawing the Heroics and their most famous battles! Kinda like a comicbook! It’s so cool!”

“What!? That’s awesome! Can I see it sometime? I mean. If you’re okay with it?” Missy asked amazed.

“Hmm. Possibly. If…” Shade began.

“If what?” Missy questioned.

“If… you promise to fix your dad’s clocks, and not mess with them again. I understand that both of you are excited to be friends and want us to get along too, but messing with clocks and alarms is not okay,” She bargained looking at both of them.

They both looked down, wincing as they mumbled apologies and swearing that they would fix things.

“Apology accepted. Finish eating and I’ll show you my workshop,” She stated with a smile.

Both of them perked back up and began eating again happily.

Once they all had eaten and cleaned up, Shade led them to her workshop. She slid opened the double doors and presented it to Missy.

There were several desks, covered in pencils, graphite and colored, pens, paints, and brushes. There was an easel and some blank canvases resting in a corner. She walked over to one of her sketch books and opened it about midway.

“Just, uh, don’t touch the ink too much. It takes a long time to dry,” She informed them setting it down on the small table where Artemis held her art supplies.

Missy was amazed. She stared at all of the drawings of Miracle Guy, Sharkboy & Lavagirl, Tech-No, and many other Heroics. She noticed one thing though.

“You haven’t drawn my dad yet?” She mentioned looking up at her.

“No. I haven’t. I for whatever reason… cannot seem to draw him. Every time I do, I worry I’ll mess it up. Your dad meant a great deal to me at one point,” Shade tells her, thinking fondly of Marcus.

Missy and Artemis looked at each other, a plan forming.

They spoke a little more about art and what Shade does before the girls ran upstairs to go play.

Or so Shade thought…

The Hero

Marcus was finishing up some paperwork that had piled up over the week when Miracle Guy stepped into his office.

“What are you still doing here, man? Shouldn’t you be at home? With your kid?” Miracle asked him.

“Can ask you the same thing, MG?” Marcus countered, referring to his nickname.

“Had a job I just came from. Mission report. Saw your light was still on, figured I should check on our fearless leader,” Miracle lightly teased.

Marcus simply hummed in response.

“So. What’s been going on with you? You’ve been jittery all week. I had thought it had something to do with the incident at Missy’s school, but now… not so sure,” Miracle brought up, sitting across from Marcus.

“Remember… when we first started out? I was with that artist?” Marcus began, biting his lip.

“Yeah. The really pretty one, that you wound up breaking up with, right?” Miracle recalled.

“Mh. Her daughter is now best friends with my daughter… and we have a date tomorrow… and I honestly… don’t know how I feel,” Marcus confessed, setting his pen down, the report no longer distracting him.

“Wh-… What? Seriously? Wow. What a small world? I mean… this is the first time you’ve gone out since Isabelle died right? I think it’s only natural that you’re nervous. But… it’s also with someone you’ve been with. I doubt she’s changed that much in 15 years,” Miracle noted with a shrug.

“Yeah. I just… hmm. I don’t know. I am nervous… but I’m also…excited? Happy? I mean… I wanted to marry this girl back in college, but life… got in the way. I guess… I’m just worried I’ll mess it up,” Marcus admitted with a sigh.

“Oh? You never told me that part? Listen. It’s one date. If you don’t feel sparks fly or whatever then, it’s not meant to be. But if you do, explore it. You deserve to be happy Marcus,” Miracle stated.

Marcus opened his mouth to reply when his phone rang.

He answers noticing it was Shade’s number.

“Hey, what’s-” He began.

“Dad! You should get over here! Like quickly! As fast as possible!” Missy voice came, rushed.

Marcus goes to question her, but the line ends.

Marcus quickly gets up, grabs his things and runs out to his car. The drive under normal circumstances was 20 minutes, but he was there in half that time.

He ran up to the door, banging on it, panicked.

When the door opened, Shade stood there, looking extremely confused.

“Marcus?” She greeted staring at him concerned.

“Are the girls okay? Missy called and told me I should get here,” Marcus explained quickly.

“Yes. They’re fine. They went upstairs to play?” She answered still confused.

“But they had your phone? And she sounded worried?” Marcus recalled the phone call.

She suddenly patted her pockets, looking around trying to find her phone.

The Artist

It slowly dawned on her what happened.

“GIRLS! GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW” She yelled up the stairs.

A moment passed, and neither of them heard movement.

“I am so sorry Marcus. Artemis… must have grabbed my phone while I wasn’t looking,” She apologized, moving to go upstairs.

Marcus stopped her.

“Hey, so long as everyone is okay. Even though a CERTAIN YOUNG LADY IS GROUNDED. I’m sorry for almost busting your door down with my knocking,” He tells her, shouting part of his sentence up the stairs.

A loud groan could be heard in response.

“AS IS ANOTHER CERTAIN YOUNG LADY,” Shade mentioned loudly.

Cue another loud groan.

“Would… would you like some water?” Shade offered, twirling a lock of her hair.

“Yes. I would actually,” Marcus accepted gratefully.

The two of them stepped into her kitchen. Shade grabbed him a glass and filled it with water, before handing it to him. He downed about half of it, before setting it back down, wiping his mouth.

“So. What… what happened?” Marcus asked trying to understand.

She thought about it, trying to retrace the evening.

“Oh…. I showed them…some of my artwork… and Missy asked me why I hadn’t drawn you yet,” She realized.

“Oh? Ahem. So… Why…Why haven’t you drawn me yet?” He asked hesitantly and trying to hide his curiosity.

“I told her it was because… I was worried I would mess it up and that you meant a great deal to me… which is somewhat true… I have drawn you…but I always feel like… they didn’t do you justice,” She quietly admitted to him, not making eye contact. “Kind of hard to draw someone you were in love with for years. Especially when those feelings never quite went away.”

The Hero

He was surprised to hear that. He didn’t quite know how to respond. He did… know one thing though.

He moved around the island over to her.

“Forgive me… if this is too forward,” He whispered to her.

He gently cupped her face into his hands, and pressed a small, hesitant kiss to her lips. When she didn’t pull away or slap him, he kissed her again, but just a smidge longer.

He felt her arms move, sliding around his neck. He was extremely relieved when he felt her kiss him back. He lightly pinned her against her the island, his hands moving to her waist. They wrapped around her, pulling her close.

Their kiss lasted for a minute and would’ve gone longer if it weren’t for the fact that they heard giggles coming from the stairway.

They pulled away slowly.

“I told you that my daughter’s favorite movie was the Parent Trap, right? We’ve been Parent Trapped,” She whispered against his lips.

“You also said her number one favorite was The Mummy, which I guess it’s a good thing they didn’t unleash an unspeakable evil to get us together,” Marcus joked.

“This is true. You 2 are still grounded by the way, and Mrs. Moreno will be informed of that fact tomorrow when we leave you with her to go on our date,” She threw over shoulder.

There was a sound of 2 pairs of feet scurrying back upstairs.

“You… you still want to go out tomorrow?” Marcus inquired, hopeful.

“Yeah. Yeah, I do. If you still want to,” She mentioned, biting her lip.

“Yeah. I do. Though… I think I should go grab my little delinquent, and take her home, so you can sleep without anymore “emergencies.” Plus, I apparently need to talk to her about boundaries,” Marcus noted as he slowly stepped away from her.

“Yeah. I apparently have to have a similar conversation. We’ll see you tomorrow?” She said with a smile.

“Yeah. Tomorrow. Umm. Just one last thing,” Marcus hurriedly said.

He pulled her into another kiss, that she returned with a sigh.

When he finally pulled away again, he simply said, “One wasn’t enough.”

He called for Missy to come downstairs and get her things. He told her that a slumber party will have to wait for another time. As he took Missy home, he couldn’t help the smile on his face, as he thought about Shade.

He knew his evening was far from over, but he couldn’t wait until tomorrow.

#marcus moreno #marcus moreno x reader #we can be heroes #parent trap au

60 notes · View notes

epiphany-of-a-madwoman · 4 years ago

Text

The Last Dragon | The Witcher & Game of Thrones

Chapter 13 | Tearful Goodbyes

Pairing: Geralt x Targaryen!OC

Summary: Visenya Targaryen is the eldest and only surviving child of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell. When Robert Baratheon’s rebellion was won, instead of being slaughtered by the Mountain like her mother and siblings, she was saved by Ned Stark and taken as his ward. Years later, after the events of the Red Wedding, she wakes up outside Blaviken. Now she finds her destiny intertwined with the White Wolf on her quest to go back home.

Word Count: 5200

Note: Click here to read the previous chapters ♡ Let me know if you’d like to be tagged in future uploads!

*Gasp* Could this be? Me posting another chapter after only two weeks?? Impossible! I promise this is the last chapter that is heavily filled with angst, at least for a while! I can't help it, Vis is a very sad bean who keeps all her feelings in a bottle, and then she'll die. I just-- I need the build-up man! The character development man! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy, let me know what you think, I love reading all your comments and theories! <3

The cool air of night is a stark contrast to the heat inside of Visenya, which grew hotter as the chaos during the banquet did. But now that peace is restored, standing under the night sky lit up by glittering stars, she feels that heat simmer down until it's a comforting warmth. The northern wind is biting, but she welcomes the feeling, the cold reminding her of the North - of home. The cold that would chill her to the bone, leaving her with chattering teeth and icy hands that always seemed miserable is something she longs for; a semblance of normalcy. She inhales and then exhales, watching with child-like wonder as her breath becomes visible in the cold temperatures. So enraptured by the weather, she nearly forgets she isn't alone, and that Geralt is a few steps ahead of her now, watching her with curious eyes. Yet it's Jaskier's voice that pulls her from her stupor.

"So this is it?"

Visenya turns around, gold eyes wide with her lips set in a thin line. Jaskier is standing at the entrance of the castle, the noblewoman previously with him nowhere to be seen. He's disheveled and so unlike the normally prim and proper Jaskier she's accustomed to, his floppy brown hair windblown and sticking up in random directions. His clothes are wrinkled in odd places, ripped here and there, but overall mostly intact. His eyes are wide, as they normally are, but they're glassier than she remembers them being, the stars betraying what seems to be held back tears.

"You don't have to leave, you know, just because the Countess de Stael has agreed to be my patron. I could still use my bodyguard," Jaskier says, smiling, but it's not carefree and easygoing, brimming with his usual mirth. Instead, it's tight and harsh, not quite reaching his eyes. His hands loosely rest in front of him, fingers nervously intertwining with each other.

Visenya smiles, mustering all her strength to appear every bit the soft and docile maiden from every fairytale, looking at him like she would've Bran and Rickon. She sighs, forming and reforming the words in her mind, trying to find the perfect thing to say. But each time she comes short, a harsh reminder she'll never be a good poet.

Instead, she opts to shrug her shoulders and move closer to the entrance, closing the distance between them. She's melancholic, feeling as if another chapter of her life is coming to an end. She and Jaskier traveled together for years, how could she not feel a hint of emotion when it seems like their travels are on hiatus - if not done entirely.

"Come on Jane, you in court, scaring away all the mean people who want to kill me, we'd make the best team!" Jaskier exclaims, trying - and failing - to have his usual enthusiasm behind the words. They fall flat, sounding more desperate and sad rather than upbeat and encouraging. Visenya sighs once more, the smile on her face requiring less concentration as Jaskier continues to ramble. Finally, she closes the distance between them. "I'll never leave you to your brooding when you want!"

"Whilst that does sound interesting, I'm afraid I wouldn't do well in court," Visenya says, reaching out and taking Jaskier's hand in her own.

"I disagree, My Lady," Jaskier says, pursing his lips and looking at the ground, pausing for a brief moment, allowing the wind to whistle between them. "But I understand."

"My place is out there, where I can stab things," Visenya says, raising her brows with a small smirk on her face.

"You could do that here you know? Not to sound like I'm trying to talk you out of your decision because I respect your choices and everything," Jaskier says, his enthusiasm gaining traction with each word. Visenya laughs, a small laugh that's nothing more than a whisper, but it's music to the ears of anyone who hears it.

"I could, but that would get me in trouble with the law," she responds, shaking her head, the smirk playing on her lips morphing back into a gentle smile.

"Right, I almost forgot about that," Jaskier mutters looking up towards the sky.

"Goodbye Jaskier. Though with my luck this isn't the end, I'll run into you sooner or later," Visenya says, a mischievous glint in her normally stoic gold eyes.

"Oh, I'm afraid you won't get rid of me so easily, my fair lady!" Jaskier exclaims, perking up slightly. "Goodbye, Jane. You and Geralt watch out for each other, alright! I won't have the two scariest people I know both dying, then who'll serve as my protection at high-class events!" Jaskier proclaims, some of his natural charisma returning, his blue eyes not nearly as glossy as moments prior.

"I'll do what I can." Visenya places her hand on Jaskier's shoulder, pulling his body towards her's, wrapping her other arm around his neck as she hugs him. Shocked, Jaskier is stiff for a moment, before melting like morning dew under the hot sun and wrapping his arms around her. He breathes in and then out, as Visenya does the same until their breathing is nearly perfectly synced up. She places her face in the crook of his neck, burning the moment in her mind, unwilling to ever forget this moment in case it's their last. She inhales his scent, committing it to memory; juniper and sage, sharp and warm and earthy all at once, with a hint of sweet wine and linseed oil.

"I'm sorry," she mutters, the words muffled against his neck, but Jaskier understands her none-the-less. "I'm sorry for earlier,"

Jaskier's hand moves from her back to the top of her head, soothingly rubbing it as Lady Catelyn used to when Visenya would run to her crying about one thing or another. It's comforting and familiar, nearly bringing Visenya to tears from the simple act.

"It's okay, you're complicated, I paid extra for my bodyguard to be dark and broody," Jaskier says, a slight sarcastic quirk in his tone at the end. "But promise me you won't isolate yourself any more than you already have. Talk to Geralt, he understands broody and dark."

"I'll keep it in mind," Visenya responds, slowly opening her eyes and unraveling from Jaskier. "Maybe I'll tell you all about how complicated I am next time we meet?" Visenya gives him one last smile, slowly stepping away, but not turning her gaze away from him.

"Oh, I'll hold you to that promise, missy!" Jaskier exclaims, wagging his finger at Visenya as if she is a child. Once again she laughs, louder this time, not as restrained as it normally is.

"I'm counting on it," Visenya replies, talking one last step, turning around to face Geralt, rushing towards him, eager to escape the emotions brimming inside her. Trying desperately to not think about how odd it is that she is walking away from Jaskier, the only constant in this crazy world since the day they met.

"Goodbye, you two! Now take care of each other, in every aspect, if you know what I mean!" Jaskier calls out, disappearing into the castle before either of them could retaliate.

She meets Geralt, who says nothing, he simply raises a brow at her, silently asking 'Are you sure?'

"My place isn't in court." Is all she says. Geralt grunts, nodding his head, a stoic expression on his face. "Let's go back to the inn, I need an ale and lots of sleep."

A smirk creeps onto Geralt's face, his eyes shining with amusement, illuminated by starlight. He quietly snorts, turning to face the gate leading out to the main portion of the city.

"I can agree with that." In nearly perfect unison they walk out of the castle grounds, Visenya easily keeping up with Geralt's long strides. They're quiet, the only sound is their feet pounding against the cobblestone road and the ambient noises of guards and nobles around them.

A particularly strong gust of wind blows through the courtyard causing a piece of Visenya's hair to blow in front of her eyes. She grabs a small chunk of hair, intently inspecting the grey-brown strands. With the silver light shining from the otherwise midnight sky, she can nearly see the silvery-golden hue hidden under cheap hair dye. Or maybe it's a trick of her eyes. She lets out a puff of hair, blowing the hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ears to secure it in place.

"So a child," Visenya says, no inflection in her words as she continues to stare straight ahead. Geralt's steps falter for a brief second before he quickly regains his footing. He sighs, heavily, somehow managing to put in all his frustration and annoyance in one simple noise.

"I don't want to talk about it Jane," he says. His tone is stern as if he's talking to an unruly child. It reminds her of when she, Jon, Robb, and Theon were the terrors of Winterfell, in the days before they grew up and the world became dark. She can't help the faint smile that appears on her face, her gold eyes lighting up like the sun, but not nearly as bright as the summer sun in the South. It's more like the North, where the heavy fog and thick clouds obscure most of the sunlight, muffling the harshest parts of the rays and bathing everything in dim light.

"I know, but not talking about isn't going to make this go away," she says, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. He's clenching his jaw, veins on his neck slightly popping out. His lips are set in a thin line with eyes like stone.

"There's nothing to run away from," he says. Visenya stops, turning to face Geralt, reaching her hand out and grabbing his shoulder, stopping him in his place and turning him to face her.

"Geralt," she says, her voice serious and stern. "This isn't a joke. This isn't making a bargain with someone in a seedy part of town and running away before they can collect their prize. This is serious."

"I didn't take you as one to think destiny is real." Geralt says, raising a single brow at Visenya.

"We all need something to cling to," she responds, not breaking from his gaze.

"And what do you believe?" Geralt asks.

"That...everything happens for a reason; that there's a purpose behind every tragedy and triumph that we experience - both great and insignificant," Visenya says, keeping her voice low enough that any nosy passers-by won't hear their exchange.

"This isn't some divine plan; this was just a princess using her magic to get her way, destiny has nothing to do with a girl who has no idea how to control her powers," Geralt says, standing firm on his stance. Strong and stubborn; he would've done well in Winterfell amongst the Northern lords.

"Oh cut the shit Geralt, do you honestly have to be so fucking pragmatic that you can't believe in something if you can't see it with your own eyes," Visenay says, keeping her voice low enough as to not attract any more attention towards them. Whilst the crowds are thinning with each moment that passes, even one person seeing their argument is too many.

"I thought you were more intelligent than this, clearly I was mistaken" Geralt responds, taking a step towards Visenya. His eyes glow bright yellow like the fire burning inside of her. Geralt's fire collides with Visenya's ice. He's egging it on, he wants a fight, she realizes. For her to get so angry she yells and screams at him. Why he is, she's not sure.

"Do you have to be such an asshole, Geralt of Rivia? You have no right to insult my intelligence by being so patronizing, I'm not a child, don't treat me as such," Visenya says, spitting the words like they are venom. She steps closer to him, close enough that she can feel his breath and hear his heartbeat.

"Well, it's either that, or you sustained a far worse injury in that fight than originally thought. How could you believe in this horseshit?" He won't stop, adding further fuel to the fire inside her; her pride rearing its ugly head and demanding she win the fight, no matter how petty and uncalled for it is.

Visenya narrows her eyes and clenches her jaw. Her hands form fists at the side of her body, her blood nearly starting to boil from her rage.

"How could I not, after everything that's happened," she says with a voice like ice, so cold that it burns. Her words are quiet, but they're sharp, stabbing into Geralt like sharpened icicles in a winter storm.

"What? What happened Jane? I'm supposed to believe in destiny just because you survived a rebellion?" Geralt asks, a mocking tone lacing his cruel and coarse words. He's not malicious in his intentions, it shines in his eyes, but the words are daggers to her heart none-the-less.

"Stop it," Visenya whispers, taking a step away from Geralt, but he just moves closer. "That's not fair and you know it."

"The gods don't care who lives or dies, why should they care about some child--" Geralt continues, but Visenya interrupts him, her quiet words silencing him.

"I died," she simply says. Geralt closes his mouth, his clenched jaw loosening. Visenya takes a sharp breath and then lets it out, watching as her breath dissipates into the cold air. Heart pounding with shaky hands, Visenya closes her eyes for a moment and then opens them before continuing.

"My family was betrayed and they killed us, butchered at a wedding like we were nothing but cattle. Next thing I know, I woke up outside of Blaviken with this-" Visenya says. Gold eyes dart around their surroundings, searching for any eavesdroppers. Luckily, the streets are nearly empty, the few people still scuttling around not paying them any mind. She holds out her hand, and focuses on...something, trying to recreate the feelings that would bubble under the surface before the fire made its presence known. Her eyes flutter shut, and within a second, a small flame flickers in the palm of her hand, the fire quickly dying out. But it's all she needs.

"Fire magic," Geralt says, breaking Visenya from her concentration. She closes her palm, hiding the arm behind her back as if to protect herself from harm. She looks up, meeting Geralt's wide gaze. "Blaviken burning... that was you,"

Visenya nods, thickly swallowing the lump in her throat, trying to push away the haunting memories of Blaviken burning.

"I lost control and just-- exploded, by the time I came to, everyone was already dead," Visenya says, shrugging her shoulders, her voice hardly above a whisper; soft, weak, and almost completely vulnerable. She purposely leaves out the part where she reveled in the destruction, feeling glee from their suffering. Geralt is silent - maddingly so, it leaves Visenya tense and uneasy. Every second passing feels like a lifetime as Geralt stands in silence and Visenya awaits his response.

But he says nothing, just simply nods his head.

"What now? Are you going to put me down like one of those monsters?" Visenya asks, and despite the self-deprecating words, her tone holds no humor to it.

"You're not a monster." Geralt says, his words like a knife cutting through the thoughts rushing through her mind. "What's done is done."

Visenya nods, taking another step away from Geralt and turning to face the road, eager now more than ever to return to the inn. The rushing wind cools her face and eases the tension in her body, not completely, but enough that she isn't afraid of exploding. Geralt's heavy footsteps pound behind her, his long legs swiftly catching up to Visenya. It's silent, but not the soothing one that leaves Visenya comfortable. Instead, it's tense and awkward, the words from their argument lingering in the air.

"I'm sorry," Geralt simply says, his tone not as firm as it normally is. Geralt is always sure of what he says - whether it's sarcasm or not, but this time he isn't. Witchers hunt monsters, not console maidens. The effort causes Visenya to smile, a small sad smile that doesn't fully reach her eyes.

"It's okay, we both have issues," she says.

"If you want to speak about it--" Geralt begins, the words sounding unsure as they leave his lips.

"I know where to find you," Visenya finishes his sentence, the smile on her face growing bigger. "But, if I did, I'd have to kill you," she responds. Geralt narrows his eyes for a moment, before a small smirk appears on his face, cracking the stone in his expression.

"Maybe you should tell Jaskier then, rid me of that bard," Geralt says, turning and continuing to walk towards the inn they're staying at for the night.

"Oh, he's not that bad. I might actually miss the guy," Visenya says, a small smile resting on her lips. "There's never a dull moment."

"That's what I'm hoping for, dull moments," Geralt says. Visenya looks at him, a teasing glint in her eyes.

"Well, I'm afraid you may not get that, not with me around at least." Visenya teases, cocking her head to the side as she raises her brows slightly. Geralt looks at her, scoffing quietly.

"I'm counting on it," he replies. Visenya laughs, the sound more similar to a scoff. They continue weaving through the citizens that remain on the streets. No one pays them much mind, too busy in their worlds, but the few that do take notice of Geralt say nothing. And Visenya is grateful, she's had enough excitement for one night.

o0o0o

The tavern on the level below them is particularly rowdy that night; horrible renditions of bawdy tavern jigs being sung by drunks, cackling men and women, and the thumping of feet banging on the floor and mugs on the tables. The wall shakes and the floor does as well, disturbing the small amount of peace Visenya has. She sits on the side of the bed, her bare feet hovering over the floor, only the very tips of her toes touching the cold wood. Except for the ambiance, the room is silent, but not unbearably so. It's comforting and entirely foreign to Visenya to be able to hear her thoughts.

Jaskier hated silence, needing to fill it with nonsensical rambles and filler thoughts to break the quiet. But Geralt revels in the silence, seeing it as a prized commodity he doesn't get blessed with often. The cool metal of her silver dagger cools the heat that's always under her skin. She balances it in her right hand while staring at the blank wall ahead of her. Jaskier always said she broods too much and is never much fun to be around when this way. Geralt is on the edge of the bed across from her, diligently cleaning his blade. Any dirt and residual blood from the feast have long since been cleaned off, Geralt continues to shine it. His ashen brows are furrowed and his lips set in a thin line. There's a small line that formed on his forehead, a dead giveaway that he's lost in thought.

Visenya sighs, placing the dagger back into its small sheath and sets that on the small table near her bed. The bed squeaks as she stands up, the floor creaking as she puts more weight onto it. Geralt pauses his sword cleaning for a split second but continues as if he never stopped.

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

The floor creaks with each movement and the distance separating her and Geralt quickly dwindles until it's almost nonexistent, her knees nearly touching him. Wordlessly, she sits beside him, reaching a hand up and beginning the arduous process of unweaving the intricate braids Jaskier put in them. A partially broken fingernail snags in her hair, getting knotted and tangled.

"Fuck," she says quietly under her breath, bracing herself to rip the chunk of hair out. Mentally she counts down from three, pulling with all her force on one. Rubbing her fingers together, she looks at the snaggle she pulled from her hair.

"Here," Geralt says, sheathing his blade and setting it aside. His much larger and rough hand reaches up towards her head but hovers over his head. "Can I?"

"Sure, can't be any worse than me," Visenya says, turning around to give him access to the back of her head. Without another word, Geralt's hand tangled in her hand, but instead of the recklessness Visenya tackled her hair with, he's much gentler, managing to unweave the braids twice as fast as she would've.

"Can I ask you a question Geralt?" Visenya asks after a moment of silence. Instead of answering Geralt just grunts, focusing on a particularly difficult four-strand braid.

"Are there dragons? And are they real?" she asks, putting all her energy into keeping her inflection neutral. She remembers in the Main Hall when Princess Pavetta's scream knocked everyone to the ground and filled Visenya's head with visions of a great fire giving birth to a dragon. She remembers how the clearing smelt and the longing inside of her to run her fingers over the smooth golden scales of the baby dragon.

"Yes, they're real, though they're exceedingly rare." Geralt responds.

"Really? What kinds are there, or are they all the same?" she asks, trying to turn to face him, but his other hand cups her head, keeping her in place.

"There are five: green dragons, they're the most common; red dragons less so; and black dragons are the rarest," he answers. He finally managed to find the tie keeping the four-strand braid intact and began carefully unweaving it.

"What about gold?" Visenya asks, staring at the blank wall as she remembers that dream from the woods when she stood in the Throne Room, The Red Keep in shambles around her as a gold dragon flew above her.

"They're a myth," he says, combing his finger through the undone braid before moving onto the next.

"Oh," is all she says, unsure of what else to say. Disappointment fills her mind, and for the life of her she can't figure out why. They're only silly dreams after all, right? "You say they're rare, why is that?"

"Treasure Seekers, idiots eager to steal the dragon's hoard, all the better if they could slay it and bring back a trophy of their kill," Geralt says, carefully pulling apart a knot in her hair. He's much softer than Visenya would've thought.

"Why would anyone do that?" Visenya immediately says, her brows furrowing. A quiet ow leaves her mouth as Geralt finishes working on the snarl. He mutters a quiet sorry but moves onto the next knot.

"For sport. Slaying a beast of that caliber is seen as a high accomplishment to commoners and nobles alike," Geralt says. Visenya feels heat rush to her face, brows furrowing more, causing small lines to appear on her forehead.

"They're not beasts to me. No matter how terrifying they may be to everyone else, I envy them. To be able to go anywhere you wish and do anything you'd like. It's...nice, romantic in a childhood fairytale sort of what. I'd give anything to see one," Visenya says, her tone of voice similar to a wishful child dreaming of knights and kings, vying for a happily ever after with either.

"I never said I thought they were beasts. Though I can't say I share the same sentiment as you, I prefer to stay away from fire breathing creatures," Geralt says, glancing at Visenya from the corner of his eye.

"I guess it's just in my blood."

"Is that why you have a dragon on the hilt of your blade?" Geralt asks, throwing the last small leather strip from her hair across the room. Visenya's eyes watch it soar through the sky before smacking against the wall directly across from her.

"Something like that," she answers, absent-minded and lost in thought. "It was a gift from...an old friend," she continues, glassy gaze casting to the dusty floor. She clenches her jaw in a desperate attempt to keep it from trembling.

"Was it--?" Geralt asks, removing his hands from her hair, but Visenya stays in place. She fears if she looks at him she won't be able to control the tears building in her eyes, eager to be free.

"Yes, and his name was Robb. He wasn't my brother, not by blood, but the Starks were the closest thing I had to family. He had it commissioned for me when we went to war. It - and my cloak - are all I have left of them," Visenya says. Her voice breaks with every other syllable, the words barely heard over the jeering patrons from below. The fire in the far corner of the room cracks, the noise drawing Visenya's attention to the flames. They illuminate her eyes - even more than normal due to the unshed tears, bringing out the flecks of white and orange in them.

It's still fresh in her mind, a haunting vision that she can't escape no matter how much she'd like: the sea of dead bodies around her, only to find Robb's decapitated body when managed to free herself. His direwolf coat-of-arms the only thing left that could identify it as Robb Stark. It pulls apart the stitches she meticulously applied to each and every wound that she sustained in Westeros. Months upon months, maybe even years, of work, only for it to unravel within seconds. She wants to forget. To throw herself into something - anything - as long as it frees her from these memories that linger over her like a dark cloud.

She takes a deep breath, trying to erase her rapidly beating heart, slowly thickly to get rid of the small lump in her throat. Her eyes flutter closed, refusing to open until the building tears disappear. Eventually, they do.

"You're not from here, are you?" Geralt says. His sentence is a question, but she knows he already knows the answer. He always seems to know.

"No, I'm not," Visenya mutters, feeling drained as if she just ran a marathon on little to no sleep. She's tired, and she's tired of being tired all the time.

"But I don't want to speak about that," Visenya says, sitting up straighter and moving her gaze back to Geralt.

"What then?" Geralt asks, ashen brows furrowed and eyes gleaming with interest. Visenya leans up, her face mere centimeters away from Geralt's. But she doesn't draw any closer, instead, she stays perfectly still, feeling his breath fan across her face and listening to his steady heartbeat - the pace much slower than her own. Her eyes trace his face, focusing on a faint scar that rests on his right cheekbone. The healed injury nearly glows in the candlelit room. She places both of her hands on his shoulders, using him to steady herself. She feels light as air, getting drunk off of Geralt's scent, inhaling the smell of fresh herbs and leather oil as if it's a drug she's addicted to.

"Oh I'm sure you could figure it out," she replies, a smirk on her lips. A heartbeat later, Geralt surges forward, closing the dwindling distance between them. His lips press against hers, firmer than she remembers, but just as sweet - if not more so due to the sweeter Cintran ale. She leans into him, eager to be as close as physically possible, and even then it wouldn't be enough.

Visenya pulls back, deeply inhaling in an attempt to gain her lost breath. She stares into Geralt's eyes, seeing her reflection in them. They're memorizing and captivating, full of everything Geralt doesn't say with words. The longer she stares the steadier her breathing gets, but the heavy feeling from the feast doesn't lift, and the distraction of Geralt did nothing but provide simple fortification to an already lost cause.

"Oh my god," Visenya mutters, her somber tone a stark difference to the teasing one she used moments prior. "I died," she says, disbelief lacing each word like she can't believe them even as they fall from her own lips. "I was murdered at a wedding and I died," she repeats, the tears returning, only this time with more vigor and she's unable to contend with their will. They pour from her eyes like heavy rain, clouding her sight and judgment, until all she can think about is Walder Frey betraying them over and over again.

The memories she'd buried deep inside her resurfacing. Catelyn falling to the ground, crossbow bolts stuck in her body, and Robb's dead body - head severed and replaced with a direwolf head - being paraded around on a horse.

Geralt pulls her towards his chest, his expression softer than the usual stoic mask he wears, albeit confused at her confession. Of course, her timing could not have been worse.

It's the first time she ever admitted to what happened. That her death - along with Robb and Catelyn's were real.

This is all real.

Objectively, every injury she received; whenever she's thirsty or hungry; or every time she goes to sleep and wakes up should've been proof that she's alive and her surroundings are real. But she's never admitted it, not to anyone and certainly not herself. Westeros is a topic she specifically avoids, keeping it locked away to never be seen. Subconscious denial is safer when survival is a concern.

She sniffles once more and pulls back from Geralt. She rubs her hand across her eyes, drying the dampness. The tears eventually stopped, however, her eyes remained bloodshot and puffy. Geralt carefully watches her every move, removing his hands from around her. She stands from the bed to move back to her own, eager to leave this night behind her. But Geralt grabs onto her arm, keeping her from moving away.

She looks at him with glossy gold eyes but says nothing, and neither does he. Yet he's speaking more clearly to her than anyone ever has in her life. Silently, moves back onto the bed, Geralt moving with her. He pulls back the blankets, motioning for her to enter first. The bed is as uncomfortable and itchy as hers, yet when she finally stops moving and Geralt gets beside her, she's the most comfortable she's ever been.

They continue to say nothing for the rest of the night. Visenya closes her eyes, moving onto her side, facing Geralt who stays on his back. Each time she blinks her eyes grow heavier and heavier, each breath deeper until eventually, she closes her eyes and the world turns black.

o0o0o

#the witcher #the witcher fanfiction #geralt fanfic #geralt x reader #geralt of rivia #Jaskier #the witcher crossover #game of thrones crossover #house targaryen #targaryen!oc #the last dragon #CrossOver #witcher #Geralt

67 notes · View notes