#not that that would be easier or shorter but somehow it feels like it'd be better...

[birdmenmanga]

dude this is so much pressure... so much of this manga's goodness hinges on how handsome heiji looks on this one page. like truly life-or-death. I rewrote the words on that page so many times I don't even know if it makes sense anymore so it's entirely vibes-based out here.

[dufferpuffer]

Hello, this is the same anon who pointed out that Snape was wrong about the kappas in the ask I sent. Kappas are water demons in real world Japanese mythology. They are confirmed as being magical creatures from Japan by the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them book. I don't expect Snape to have brushed up on all the material from a class he doesn't teach, but my point is that JKR included this error deliberately. With one verifiably false statement, JKR tells the reader how to interpret Snape's complaints about Remus' teaching, which is that they should be taken with a grain of salt.

It's possible that the author meant for the reader to know he was incorrect with information they might already know from reality/can find out in related HP media, that's really fun... But I think it's less likely than meaning for Severus to seem pedantic (and jealous, he wants DADA class) - and Remus less wise and capable than he makes himself appear.

For one thing: this is a book for 10yr olds who aren't necessarily going to know what a Kappa is - and nowhere in PoA does it specify they are Japanese. It does in separate FB book, but how is a reader without access to that supposed to gather Severus is wrong...?

Secondly is the wording. 'More common' in Mongolia doesn't claim they are Mongolian (though they may be native to both places). If they're 'more common' in Mongolia it insinuates they are known to be somewhere else, too.

Finally - It would be a strange mistake for Severus to make. Severus Snape, who is full of niche knowledge, who is pedantic about getting things precisely accurate, who has an eye for fine detail and is easily annoyed by small errors, who hates appearing foolish... Blurting out incorrect information infront of students?

I would find that idea easier to agree with if he was feeling more unhinged and desperate - but while obviously grumpy and stressed he has an air of authority and control in the classroom. His short fuse is even shorter than usual but he isn't losing his marbles yet. (he might if Potter keeps refusing to sit down, Granger doesn't shut up and Thomas doesn't stop doodling pictures of Lupin with love hearts on his parchment)

I'll say this though: It'd be very strange for Kappa to be more common in Mongolia, considering its hardly known for its rivers and lakes. With Mongolia never successfully invading Japan, only trying twice back in Kamakura jidai... how did Kappa get there?

Either mainland Asia had Kappa during the Ice Age before Japan separated, Humans brought Kappa over to Mongolia, or Kappa decided to go there themselves somehow, for some reason... ...and perhaps due to overpopulation of Muggles in Japan, they became less populated...? Even then - being more common in Mongolia is... odd. But this author is good at geographical and cultural missteps lol

[h3l1c3]

I've officially been on HRT for 2 years now.

For some reason the end of year 2 feels like a much bigger deal than the end of year 1. I guess that one year ago I was still very much "in the middle of it" and transitioning related things were a lot more present in my mind back then. They still are, and I'm still "in the middle of it" (still one some waiting lists for treatments I want at least), but the feeling is different. All that stuff is in the back burner while I work on things that seem more important to me in the present moment. After 2 years on HRT it feels like I've "made it" somehow.

It'a interesting thinking back to earlier points of my transition - and to the time before I started transitioning. It feels like life was somehow easier back then, but in a way I would never wish to return to. I spent years just going through the motions and doing what I thought I had to do until I'd be able to go on hormones. I remember the 1st month's relief and euphoria from finally getting what I had wanted for so long and the terrible depression of month 2 and 3 once it finally sank in what a long wait it'd be before I'd start seeing tangible results but without all the defence mechanisms that had kept me going for years before. I was able to power through so much by thinking about how in some distant future I'd be able to transition, but once I had it in my grasp, having to wait any longer for the life I wanted felt unbearable.

That's a striking contrast between my life pre- and post-hrt. Pre-hrt I struggled to see a future for myself - post-hrt the full weight of the future is constantly pushing down on me. I detest my younger self for the decisions she made when she couldn't see a future for herself, because now the me that wants nothing more than to see her vision of tomorrow fulfilled has to pay the price.

It feels like everything is different now - but nothing has changed at all. I'm still the same person I think. I don't think there's been a marked change in my personality at least. But the things on my mind now are so different from the ones I worried about earlier into my transition. I remember "chasing the mean": wishing I could rid myself of every little thing that made me deviate from the norm of a regular woman. Some worries pertaining to that have long been fixed by hormones while others just seem silly to me now. I remember wishing that I could be shorter - but what for? I actually quite enjoy some of the things that make me stand out, like being a little tall for a woman.

But that has perhaps been the biggest struggle for me this last half a year or so. I recall venting to my partner about how frustrated I felt with how much of what is expected of women revolves around heteronormative gender roles. As a trans woman exclusively attracted to women, this is a space that feels hard to navigate sometimes. To be a lesbian in a heteronormative culture is in itself a subversion of womanhood. But to subvert womanhood, you must first be recognized as a woman.

But with every day that passes I become more confident in who I am, and the world seems to perceive me as such as well. As much trouble as transitioning has been, I only wish I had gotten started with it sooner.

[cryptic-underground]

I technically finished writing this at four am but I didn't feel like posting then because I was literally exhausted.

I got this idea a while ago and wrote 3/4 of it then left in my drafts because I thought it sucked buns, but I was rereading it and it low-key kinda slapped? Still not perfect because I haven't it but is decent for something written at the ass crack of morning

So enjoy!

Sky Lights & Headphones

Sun Wukong stared up the at the sky with expectancy, bountiful amounts of excitement bouncing as he and the others waited for the coming fireworks.

MK had come to him with a flyer earlier the day during their training session. The paper was brightly coloured described the festival's activities and firework show. Wukong could only hope the fireworks lived up to their advertising, since the other festivities were pretty up to par.

The kid had, of course, invited the rest of crew to come with. Somehow even convincing Macaque to come along.

The demon monkey had been acting rather off after arriving. He seemed.. quieter. Less himself.

He had barely tried to get arise out of the monkey king, which was odd, while they walked through the stands. Lagging behind the rest of the group as they waded through the crowds of other festival goers. 

Wukong pretended to not see when Macaque would flinch when someone would raise their voice to be heard over the other talk, or when metal utensils being used by the food vendors were clanged together, or when someone would brush against him and he'd become a little smaller. More fragile..

He pretended to not see how badly his old friend wanted to crumple to the ground with how many sound he was hearing all at once, mostly definitely overwhelmed and in pain. Macaque would brush it off as the king seeing things and he'd be back at square one. 

He bit back the urge to ask, since the others would hear. If the shadow monkey hadn't said anything, then he didn't want the others knowing. If they hadn't known from the legends that he had six ears, he probably would've kept that a secret to.

He bit back the urge to reach out and comfort the other because he was scared. To get hurt, to hurt the other again...

Now, they stood in the center of the whole festival. Waiting for the fireworks. 

And he's excited to see the amazing colours, but worry for the other demon had nestled next to that excitement and nagged at his mind. They stood a foot away from each other, the rest of the group standing on the other side of Wukong. He was so close, so within reach..

He can see Macaque anxiously fidgeting with his scarf, as he two waited for the lights but in fear rather than excitement. Preparing for the sound of explosion to go off and the pain that would come with it.

Wukong's brows crease together, golden eyes looking at the other in a mix of pity and concern. Suddenly wishing the fireworks would get cancelled, that the sky would become too overcast to set them off.

His heart ached for the other in a way that felt overwhelming. To not have the distance between them so it'd make it easier to aid his once close friend.

"Mac-" his voice was rigid as the sage reached out a hesitate hand to grab the shorter monkey's arm, wanting to pull the other close. Or, perhaps, take him a little farther away so it may not hurt so much. Then he heard a sudden boom go off as the sound flooded his ears.

His eyes flicked to sky to see a something tiny fly up into the sky then bursting into an explosion of red and yellow before subsequently fizzling out.

The first firework.

The golden monkey's head snapped back the other, seeing him slightly shake. 

Another two were sent up in the sky. He watched the shadow monkey quietly gasp before beginning to whimper, bringing his scarf up to his ears and holding it there. Legs becoming unsteady and slack as he nearly doubled over. The rest of the group being none the wiser of what was happening just a few steps beside them. Gleefully watching the spectacles of light.

In a flash, Sun Wukong pulled Macaque towards him. Pressing him closely to himself so the darker monkey's head layed against his chest. Holding his hand atop the other's in attempt to silence more sound. The darker monkey having  squeaked in surprise.

And they stood their quietly, the shadow weaver too bewildered to speak. Wukong being afraid too, there wasn't much he could think to say anyway.

Once the shock subsided, the demon leaned more into the king's warm touch. Wukong resting his head against the others, running fingers through dark fur absentmindedly. And they were content like that, looking up to enjoying the fireworks without any pain.

When the show finally ended, and the others had gone home, the two monkeys walked together in silence 

"So.." Macaque started, some way into their walk, them both halting their strides. Nervously chewing at the fabric of his scarf.

He paused, drumming his fingers against his arm. "Why'd you, y'know, back there?" the demon monkey gestured towards his ears, "we aren't exactly..."

Wukong bit his lip, mulling over the question. He hadn't really thought through his actions, he'd just sort of acted...

"I know. You just looked.. really in pain back there and I don't know- I didn't really much think back there," he said "I just wanted to help ease the pain.. at least"

The shadow monkey hummed softly, as though judging the answer and deciding it had fit his standards. The two resuming their walking.

"If you'd known we were going to a festival, why didn't you.. y'know bring something for your ears?" Monkey King asked, mimicking the same gesture the other had done a few minutes earlier.

"Do you not-"

"I have noise cancelling headphones Wukong" the warrior said in a scoff. The golden monkey rolled his eyes, frowning. "Why didn't you bring them then smart ass?" He inquired in an annoyed tone.

Macaque sighed, hiding part of his face in his scarf. Seeming to be a comfort item. The darker monkey didn't answer for a while, choosing to stare at the sidewalk in front of them. The stone monkey sour mood faltering a bit, becoming more concerned again.

"I lost them.." the shadow monkey had eventually said. Wukong stilled, the other doing the same.

"I had been looking for them before I left and couldn't find them," his voice was barely audible "they're usually on my nightstand because I use them to help me sleep but they weren't there." The golden monkey frowned, out of sadness rather than anger this time, his eyes locked on the other.

The king knew how particular his old friend was with personal items, especially ones of importance. So to ask if the demon had placed it in a different location would be stupid.

Macaque huffed tiredly, probably beating himself internally for losing something as Wukong recalled the other monkey doing when they were close. Going over all the places he might not of checked, or even ones he had already checked. 

"I considered not coming but before I could text the kid, dragon girl and the Bull prince were at my door" he grumbled "something 'bout 'making sure I didn't bail.'"

"Hopefully I find them when I get home or I won't be sleeping tonight" the shadow weaver groaned, Wukong knowing he was most likely pouting underneath the red fabric.

After another stretch of silence, the shorter monkey turned to look at him as he pulled down the scarf to reveal a smirk. "You're awfully quiet Peaches," Macaque teased "I don't remember you ever being this quiet."

"Did the Great Sage get scared by a ghost?" He taunted further when Wukong hadn't replied.

The sage didn't remove his gaze from the other, causing the demon to nervously chuckle before looking away. 

"I never thought I'd say it but quiet Wukong is worse than chatty Wukong" the shadow weaver remarked, uncomfortable by the sudden attention.

The auburn monkey opened his mouth but quickly shut it, eyebrows furrowing in thought.

"Stoic isn't really your brand Peaches-"

"Noise cancelling headphones!" He said suddenly, successfully startling Macaque. After the surprise wore off the other groaned, "why not say it a little louder, I don't think the neighborhood heard you Wukong" the darker monkey said sarcastically.

"Oops." The sage blushed, he didn't mean for it come out that unceremoniously.

The shorter of the two sighed, used to Sun Wukong's antics. "So? Why'd ya shout 'noise cancelling headphones'?" The other asked as he lifted a brow to show his intrigue, "if it's to tease me about losing mine I swear-!" He threatened.

The stone monkey held his hands to either side of his head, "no I- no it's not, I promise." 

Macaque looked at him sceptically for a moment, weighing his odds to trust the king's promise before scoffing. "Proceed" giving Wukong a look that said: don't do anything stupid.

He nodded, lowering his arms so they rested at his sides. "I can make you a new pair of headphones," he paused "y'know just for incase you don't find yours or as a backup.."

The other sat stunned, his face not being able to choose between confusion or being weirded out "correction: Wukong being weirdly kind is worse."

"I could also hold onto a back up pair then bring them incase you need them and I'm around, if you don't have yours of course, but I thought you might want a pair for tonight in the chance you can't your ones" he unconsciously rambled, shifting back and forth on his feet. They had halted their walking a bit ago, he wished they were because maybe this conversation wouldn't be so stressful otherwise. But it would be awkward if he started walking without something else being said or done, most definitely rude, more so if Macaque didn't follow after.

"Why are you saying all this Wukong?" The shadow weaver deadpanned, causing the sage to frown. "We're not.." the darker monkey's voice was just above a whisper, stiffly moving his arms to be hugging himself. 'So fragile..' the stone monkey thought sadly.

"I know we aren't.. how we were," he sighed "but I'm doing all this because I wanna show you that I don't hate you."

They stood there, silently staring at eachother in melancholy. Centuries of heartache sitting between where the two monkeys stood. They would dance around it, maybe briefly near it for a quick snide remark before dipping out it, too painful to touch.

"Fine," Macaque said after awhile, turning so Wukong could only see the back of his shoulder and head "just make it quick I wanna go home."

The sage nodded, sharing some of the same sediment. He wanted to go back to the mountain so he could get away from this awkwardness. He also wanted to stay out longer, to indulge in this time alone with his old friend but he feared he may push it if he did. Ruin the little progress they had made.

Wukong lifted is right hand, having his open palm out to the empty space in front of him, his eyes beginning to glow gold as small pieces of light formed around his hand in the same colour.

Soon headphones had appeared in the spot the light had, him catching it before it could fall and hit the ground. 

The headphones he'd made looked pretty standard, being mostly black with red accents on the parts that went over the ears.

He handed them over, sheepishly smiling "I'd test them to see if they work.. I've never made headphones before—especially not noise cancelling ones." He scratched at his chin, gulping nervously "it be annoying if you went home, tried to use them and they didn't work."

Macaque took them, inspecting them closely. He chuckled. "Nice to see you avoided your most signature colour when making these, I've never been much for turquoise" the shadow demon teased before sliding them on. He paused, adjusted them slightly before pausing again. After a few seconds, he gave a thumbs on to which the sage sighed in relief.

'They worked!' he cheered in his head.

The shadow weaver slide the headphones off to be around his neck, as the two finally began walking again.

They walked until they reached the end of the street. "This is where we part, you should be getting back.." the darker monkey had stated, the stone monkey simply nodding.

They waved goodbye as they separated. Making the rest of their journey alone

Sun Wukong had gotten home not long after leaving Macaque. Falling into bed after checking around the mountain for dangers, not bothering to change in his sleepwear, sighing. Being swept away by sleep almost instantly.

--

Macaque had walked into his apartment, rubbing ships boots on mat at the door before taking them off and putting them aside.

He yawned, making his way to his bedroom. He can check for his headphones in the morning, Wukong's will suffice for tonight at the very least.

After changing out of the clothes he'd wore that day, tossing them in the laundry, he flopped down onto the bed on his back. Pulling the headphones over his ears before pausing, feeling something odd brush against his fingertips.

Thinking that Wukong had actually tricked, he took them off and inspected them again.

He chuckled, the sage had put small crescent moons at the center of the ear pieces. Briefly wondering how he'd missed that detail, guessing his hands had covered them before, the shadow demon slides them back on and let his eyes closed as his ears were met with quiet.

'Still full of surprises as always Peaches' as that thought entered his mind, he slowly began to drift off into a slumber until he was fully asleep.

[rogue-durin-16]

MATCHUP FOR:

@hawkinsroyaloutcast

I’m a 5’3 female. Gray-ace, biromantic. I have long red hair and blue eyes. I’m 18+.

I love wearing 50s style swing dresses and skirts. I have at least 2 and 1/2 dresses in that style and I say that because one of them needs stitching done xD. I love dressing and feeling pretty; if I could wear a dress/skirt every day of the week, I would. I’ve started to become a lot more secure in my clothing style very recently which I’m very proud of. I love looking pretty and feeling like a princess.

I’m extremely timid and quite insecure. I was diagnosed with autism about a year and a half ago and it has explained lot about who I am as person. I’m very much against cringe culture and bullying as someone who has suffered through it and does not want to see anyone else go through the same thing. I’m quite sarcastic and quirky when you eventually break down my walls enough to get to know me. Bit of a people pleaser/fawning coping mechanism. I try my best to be kind in every situation and to see light and good in the world.

I love music (will listen to pretty much anything but I have a soft spot for Disturbed, Evanescence, etc). Reading, writing (have been creating fanworks since I was a child), and horror. I really enjoy J-Horror. The Japanese Ringu series is my favourite. I can be kind shy when it comes to discussing my interests around new people but when I open up, I love to share those parts of myself with friends.

I absolute adore being creative, and daydreaming/fantasy.

From Stranger Things I Ship You With:

Eden Bingham

Ship Dynamic:

Sunshine x Broody™

Quote:

«Breath into me and make me real; bring me back to life.»

Having Eden Bingham as a girlfriend is literally having a Scary Dog Privilege™, but the scary dog in question is Chihuahua sized.

It'd be even funnier if she was shorter than you, but you're the same height??? Well, you know what? A friend of mine once said "I'm glad we're the same height because it's easier to kiss you" so you both being 5'3'' is actually an advantage.

Okay, wait, let's rewind a little, shall we?

You give off big Girl Next Door vibes so we're going down that road.

Eden Bingham, nonreligious raging bisexual living in a Mormon household and acting as a parental figure for who knows how many siblings, lives in a permanent state of stress and frustration.

We've stablished that you two are neighbors, but let's say your houses are fairly separated and you're new there.

Eden is chasing Cornelius because that little shit ran out of the house, and he somehow end getting to your backyard.

Naturally, seeing the scene, you get a hold of Cornelius before he can run any further just when Eden gets to him.

It takes her a moment to acknowledge you, but once she's finished scolding her sibling, this broody, angry queen spots you before her and she's left in shambles.

You let out a shy "Hi" and her breath gets caught up in her throat when she tries to greet you back.

Cue the most awkward small chat you're going to come across EVER. Eden goes back home literally SHAKING.

After some time and a LOT of self pep talks, she manages to find enough courage to go back and visit you. Just because. Definitely not because you're the prettiest girl Eden has seen.

This girl gives you the lamest excuses for her visits, but you don't mind because she's pretty and kind of scary and adorably awkward.

Bless her goth soul, this girl can't mask she has a crush on you to save her life. Like, the heart eyes she gives you when you're (bless YOUR shy soul) sheepishly telling her about your interests are visible all the way from Hawkins, Indiana.

Taking a leap of faith to kiss you is the bravest stunt Eden Bingham has pulled in her whole life (and she's pulled some ballsy shit, mind you), but she'd do it again because you're reaction was so pure.

Cue the cutest, funniest relationship anyone has ever come across.

One of Eden's favorite activities is seeing you doll up. She'll just sit there and watch you do your make up/dress up because it's just so wholesome.

Definitely lets you style her for shits and giggles.

Listening to Evanescence together>>>>>

Helping Eden sneak out to go to the theater and watch horror movies.

Matching each other's humor and sarcasm.

Brainstorming for your fanworks because Eden is very fucking creative and wild.

Eden blushes like crazy if you kiss her cheek, I'm calling it now.

She makes up for your timidness. This girl may be closed off but she's LOUD if she has to. Takes no shit from anyone.

Will cast her head down and smile when you refer to her as your girlfriend in any situation.

I headcanonned Eden as a witchy sapphic, so bear with me okay? That said, you come across as that one partner who will gift their witchy s/o rocks and plants.

Eden fucking ADORES when you bring her rocks. She could melt on the spot I'm not even kidding.

She saves up and buys you vintage dresses, partly because she knows you love them but also because she's a sucker for your style.

Will bite anyone who dares to say something negative about you. Watch your mouth or you'll catch this girl's ring clad fists.

Bringing the hidden sides of each other when you're together. For example, Eden can be super goofy around you, and her presence somehow turns you bolder.

I could go on for AGES about the two of you. Idk darling you two are just couple goals for any young sapphic out there.

[random-thought-depository]

I'm going to post some notes for my fanfic, miscellaneous filling in the gaps in canon stuff about Blindsight vampires. I think I'll do three installments: one about vampire childhood, one about prehistoric vampire sociality/pack dynamics, and one about vampire sexuality. I'll do the childhood one first:

Blindsight vampire headcanons: vampire childhood:

Vampires have shorter childhoods than humans. In this area vampires have evolved relatively conservatively; Neanderthals probably had shorter childhoods than humans too, it's the very long human childhood that's weird and extreme and really different from how Homo erectus worked. Being vulnerable and pre-reproductive for so long is a huge risk, one humans can afford because we're a very social species - vampires are less social and ancestrally had a more dangerous lifestyle, so vampires evolved to get big, strong, and smart (relatively) fast. This might be one of the selection pressures that led to vampire superhuman intelligence; humans increased their cultural capacity by lengthening their childhoods, vampires increased their cultural capacity by cramming more learning into relatively short childhoods, which meant more need to be fast learners.

This obviously means vampires go through most development milestones earlier than humans, but there is at least one major exception: language; human children develop language precociously by vampire standards.

Vampires reach full physical, sexual, and neurological maturity at 13-14 years old.

By the age of nine a vampire is most of the way to fully grown, is smarter than most adult humans, would be a serious physical threat to a fit adult human male, and in ancient vampire society would have been ready to join hunts (of deer and aurochs and so on; they'd get some years of practice with easier/safer prey before they started participating in hunting humans). Vampire childhood is not just human childhood but accelerated, things develop not just faster but in different order, and this would be really obvious if you met a nine year old vampire. They'd have the height and proportions of maybe a human 14-16 year old; they'd very possibly be taller than you. But they'd be obviously pre-pubescent. But if you talked to them, it'd feel like talking to an adult (albeit an asexual adult, but I think modern vampires are probably close to being asexual even as adults because they never get to be around their own kind - more on that in the vampire sexuality headcanons post).

That nine year old vampire has just recently developed the ability to speak. Vampires have a long non-speaking stage, from around the age of 3-4 to around the age of 7-8, during which they can understand spoken language and they can talk using sign language but they can't do oral speech. Even pre-speaking language acquisition might be somewhat delayed (or, rather, similar to Homo erectus language acquisition); IIRC a human child who didn't start talking until 3-4 would be considered a slow talker. Ancient vampire culture was built around this, so ancient vampires had a very extensive and sophisticated sign language, which was also useful to them for communicating without making sounds while hunting. When they first recreated the species in modern times they spent years wondering if the species was naturally mute or if they'd messed up somehow, until a seven year old vampire child spoke a complete sentence in perfect English.

Vampires don't really have much of a teenage-equivalent phase. Pretty much all their growth and brain development happens in the pre-pubescent phase; puberty is short (a couple of years, between 12-14 or so) and is a sort of "congratulations, you've developed to your full size, you've reached graduation day, time to get functional reproductive organs, secondary sex characteristics, a sexuality, and if you're male some extra muscle" sort of deal.

Ancient vampires nursed/breast-fed their children for a relatively long time, weaning them around the age of 4-5. This would have suppressed vampire fertility through lactational amenorrhea; feature, not bug, to a predator species dependent on a prey species that bred not all that much faster than them. I assume lactating vampires passed some of that protein they needed to get from eating people onto their offspring through their breast milk, so pre-weaning vampire children got it that way.

Young vampire children are actually kind of well-behaved in a way. Vampires are a less energetic species than humans, and young vampire children have an instinctive sense that the world is dangerous and will instinctively cling to their caregiver and try to remain in close proximity to them most of the time. Vampires don't have terrible twos. Heron once tricked a blind human into getting her pregnant (he didn't realize she wasn't human) to produce an offspring who was immune to the crucifix glitch, and one of her primary impressions of her half-human daughter is "she was an exhausting hyperactive hellion as a kid."

In a lot of ways vampire children seem a lot more human than vampire adults. They are much more curious, energetic, and playful. They spend more time awake. They will cry if upset and express pain if hurt (which adult vampires do not do). They are more expressive, less touch-averse, less avoidant-aggressive, and more interested in social interaction.

Watching vampire children play is a lot like watching a cat play: they love activities that vaguely simulate hunting like chasing and pouncing on wind-up toys, chasing a laser pointer dot, etc.. In ancient vampire society a 4-8 year old child would be following their mother around and helping her trap and hunt small animals. They really like hide and seek games too.

[sierraraeck]

Bad Liar

Moreid (Spencer x Derek)

Masterlist

Summary: Ever since his first day at Quantico, Spencer has had only one thought on his mind: SSA Derek Morgan. He knows that any sort of relationship would be inappropriate, but that doesn’t stop the constant stream of fantasies from flooding his mind.

Category: Spicy fluff, smut alluded

Warnings: Non-graphic descriptions of sex, fantasizing, suggestive touching, kissing, very light cussing.

Word Count: 3.5k

A/N: This was inspired by the song “Bad Liar” by Selena Gomez. If you wanna give that a quick listen, go for it, if not, that’s chill too. I know that I haven’t been very active and haven’t posted anything in a while, but sometimes life just happens. Hopefully this was worth the wait…

Spencer had heard the phrase “I never stop thinking about you.” He’d heard it in reference to love and relationships when people were apparently so madly in love they couldn’t stop thinking about the other. He never really bought that. Love was just a bunch of feel-good chemicals that couldn’t affect the amount of time spent thinking about another person. Plus, how could anyone ever constantly think about a person? There were so many other things to think about like surviving high school, getting into college, graduating, of course his mom, and then getting into the FBI, and how he would surely not be able to make it all the way through Quantico training. No one could ever think about one person all the time. No, definitely not.

But Spencer wasn’t known for being a good liar.

His first day at Quantico he saw Derek Morgan, and he realized that he was wrong. He was so utterly and outrageously wrong.

Because after he saw him, heard his voice just once, his exceptional mind kept those interactions on constant repeat.

He was lucky he was so good at multitasking otherwise he would have definitely failed by now.

Not like he still wouldn’t.

He couldn’t sleep, not with someone like Derek Morgan intruding his every thought, every midnight desire. On top of that, they were about to go into the hardest week of physical training yet, and Spencer knew that this was the one challenge that his brain could not overcome.

The one redeemable thing about the humiliating experience he was sure would come during the following days was that he’d get to see SSA Morgan again. Sure, it'd be more embarrassing to fail in front of him, but at least he’d get to see him a few more times before they kicked him out for being the scrawny kid he’s always been.

The feelings of excitement and anxiety twisted his gut into a wonderful knot, keeping him from yet another night of sleep. Somehow that made it both harder and easier for him to get up when the clock hit 4:45.

Spencer looked between two blinds covering the window on the right, allowing him to see that the sun was still about an hour from rising. Slipping on his given shirt and pants, he hoped that there would be some source of caffeine at breakfast, preferably coffee.

He trudged into the bathroom to find his roommate already awake and dressed. “Big day. You excited?” Jeff, a man about a head shorter than Spencer but at least twice his width in pure muscle mass, asked.

Spencer just grunted in response.

“What? You’re not excited to get pitted against someone else so that you can flail around in an attempt to spar?”

“I’ll stick to teaching you the technique,” he quipped.

Jeff laughed. “It’d suit you better. Unfortunately your wizard brain and forbidden library won’t help you in this one. But dammit if you aren’t the smartest guy here.” Jeff shook his head as if it were a shame.

Once they were ready, along with the rest of the NATs, the group was directed to jog across campus to the building they’d be training in. The day was off to a bad start.

Spencer did his best to distract himself from the actual running bit, trying to analyze the people in his group and those they passed as they went.

Bored, hungry, important, invisible… Derek?!

He turned his head to follow the tall man with short black hair and dark eyes as the group passed him on the sidewalk.

No, that wasn’t him. Of course it wasn’t. Agent Morgan is waiting for us at the facility.

Spencer tried to hide the slight disappointment that came over him. He felt so stupid for looking for him everywhere, but he couldn’t help it. Even his own knowledge and logic was failing him when it came to this man he knew next to nothing about expect for his shining smile and intense eyes and toned biceps and amazing abs and powerful legs and delicious stamina and strong hands that could grip his neck and hold him down and his defined hips bones that Spencer knew would dig into his thighs and certainly leave bruises if he were to…

What was his issue? He couldn’t be thinking that way about one of his trainors.

Although it helped the jog pass by faster. Time flies when you’re having fun, right? Or at least imagining having fun.

When they arrived at the other facility, they were provided a quick breakfast, unfortunately no coffee today, and then led to the top floor with an entire wall traded out for floor to ceiling windows.

The room they entered was massive, large mats rolled out edge to edge, and the smell was musty. It felt humid, sticky sort of, and Spencer hated to think about why that was.

He quickly scanned the room and found his target immediately. Across the way, Derek had his opponent mid flip, landing harshly on his back with a thud. He helped the poor guy up, laughing a bit as he did so. His pearly whites were on full display when he looked up and caught Spencer’s eye. Spencer quickly diverted his gaze, opting instead to look down at his twisting hands.

“Today we will be focusing on hand to hand combat,” Derek announced once the group had wandered closer. “You never know when the perpetrator will decide not to run and instead to attack you, or when you will find yourself without any weapons other than yourself to protect you. The first thing we are going to practice are some basic jabs. Grab a partner and follow our demonstration.”

Derek and the man he’d thrown on the ground earlier, Grant, demonstrated the seemingly simple movements that Spencer and the rest of the NATs were supposed to replicate. Of course, everyone else made it look easy, but Spencer just couldn’t wrap his head around what his arm was supposed to be doing where and when. It was frustrating, even more so than he’d prepared himself for.

“Keep your shoulders here,” that velvety deep voice said, accompanied by his large hands on either of Spencer’s shoulders, adjusting them to more of an angle.

All Spencer could do was swallow hard and nod. He didn’t even dare to look back at him.

“And spread your legs,” Derek said. His breath seemed to get closer to Spencer’s neck with every word, and quieter as he went along. But surely that was all in his head? Right?

Spencer’s startled eyes turned to look at the older man. The edges of his mouth twitched before resuming that stern, professional demeanour. “It’ll help you balance.” With that, he nudged Spencer’s foot farther backwards with his own and walked away, leaving Spencer feeling unnecessarily exposed and confused.

The guy across from him, Harold, one of the only people who had been genuinely nice to Spencer from the start, was watching the whole interaction with suspicion.

The day trudged on with not much change. Spencer’s skin was still on fire from where Agent Morgan had touched him, but he tried to convince himself it was because he didn’t really like being touched. He knew that was a lie, especially in this instance, but it didn’t stop him from telling it.

After lunch, training continued. But at least it got more interesting.

“Grant just got called out on a case, so I’ll be needing someone to help me with this demonstration.” Derek waited just about three whole seconds before smirking, the mischief written all over his face. “Come on? No one wants to volunteer? It’ll be fun, I promise.” When he was met with more silence (even the guys like Jeff didn’t want to be thrown around by Derek), he was forced to choose someone. “How about… Reid.”

Spencer’s head shot up from the back of the group. No, no, this is not good.

Spencer had been dreaming about getting thrown around by Derek for a few months now, but this was definitely not what he’d had in mind.

The crowd slowly parted and Spencer had to face the music; he was going to be humiliated in front of everyone, like nothing had changed since high school.

Sighing, Spencer forced himself to the front of the group. “Lay down for me, knees bent, would you?”

I’d do anything you asked, was Spencer’s initial response in his head. What he really did was shrug and follow instructions.

“The reason we practice this move is because at some point or another, you will find yourself in either position.” Spencer wasn’t quite sure what he meant by that until Derek legitimately stood over him, a leg on either side, then proceeded to get down on his knees, essentially sitting on top of Spencer.

He couldn’t even focus on what Derek was explaining anymore. Breathing didn’t exist. There was no way this glorious man was sitting on top of him right now. All he could think about was how prominent Derek’s ab muscles were through his tight shirt and how he wanted nothing more than to lean forward and run his tongue over them. Spencer could almost imagine what they would feel like; the rise and fall of his muscles, the small hairs covering his body… Spread your legs, he had said to him.

“So then Reid would grab my wrist…” Derek’s use of his name brought him back to reality. If only he could live in his fantasies for longer.

Spencer looked up at Agent Morgan confused. Derek’s eyes got wider and looked at his right hand and then down at his own left wrist. Spencer somehow got the message and reached his hand over to grab a hold of Derek’s wrist. “Good,” he declared. “After that, he would hook his left foot on the outside of my ankle.”

Spencer quickly followed orders, trying to force his brain to supply him with the information he’d missed.

“Then, he’d use my weight against me to flip me over.” Spencer’s eyes got big when Derek said that, mentally panicking that he could never be strong enough for that. Derek nodded at him, so Spencer tried to roll over, and to his, and everyone else’s, surprise, he actually could.

Within seconds Spencer was sitting on top of a very pleased Derek. “It’ll work every time. Of course, if your unsub is skilled he’ll lock you in and flip you back over and potentially pull your arm out of your socket,” Derek explained while doing just that to Spencer, minus the arm-out-of-socket thing, “But we’ll take this one step at a time.”

Derek was back on top of Spencer with his legs wrapped around him in a vice-like grip, but quickly let go to help him up. Spencer gladly accepted the help.

Spencer doesn’t exactly have what one would consider a “big dick.” He always thought that was something to be ashamed of but standing there, getting hard in the middle of an FBI training academy, he couldn’t’ve be more grateful.

The NATs were sent back to work on the newly demonstrated move with their partners. Just as Spencer was about to flip Harold over for the third time, he looked over his head and rolled his eyes.

“What?” Spencer asked.

“What is it with you two?” Harold asked in return.

“What?” Spencer repeated. Harold nodded in the direction he was just looking, and Spencer followed his gaze. Derek was walking by, but nothing else seemed of import. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Oh please,” Harold snorted. He was a lanky man like Spencer, but just a bit shorter and with glasses. Sometimes Spencer envied his glasses, as his contacts often got on his nerves. He continued, “The touching, the constant eye contact, the word choice that could be inherently sexual, and then literally sitting on top of you? When there were plenty of other men and women he could have picked for that demonstration? Tell me you don’t see it.”

Spencer mulled over these words for a few seconds before flipping Harold over. Looking down on him, he said, “I don’t think that means anything.”

“Then maybe you need to get a new prescription,” Harold said, pointing to his eyes.

Spencer shook his head. “What do my eyes have to do with this?”

Harold sighed. “God, your gaydar is so broken.” He flipped Spencer over, stood up, and walked away.

Shortly after, class was called and they were all let go for the remainder of the evening.

“Reid, can I speak to you for a moment?” Agent Morgan called out as the first of the NATs started to leave. A few caught Spencer’s eye with unanswered questions in them, but no more than the mound of questions Spencer had been asking himself.

Without answering, Spencer walked over to the corner of the room that Derek was standing in. He could tell that he was waiting for every single person to leave the room before speaking.

Spencer thought for sure he was getting kicked out because of how horribly he performed throughout the day.

To his surprise, that’s not at all what the outstandingly attractive man had to say. “I wanted to let you know that you did a good job today during the demo. Not many people handle that so well.”

Spencer waited for him to say more, but nothing more seemed to be coming. Derek actually seemed a bit nervous if Spencer could read him right. He replied cautiously, “Thanks.”

Derek cleared his voice and said, “Yeah. And if you ever want to stay late and work on some moves I’d be happy to help.”

Spencer just got more and more confused as his interactions with this god-like man increased. “Thanks,” he repeated. “Why are you offering to help me like that?”

Agent Morgan shrugged. “You’re one of the smartest people in FBI history to come through here, and definitely the youngest. There’s absolutely no reason you shouldn’t become an agent, and I want to see you succeed. That’s all.” He shrugged again, and if there was anything Spencer had learned from the profiling section of his training, someone being over-casual was usually a sign that they were stressed about something they viewed with extreme importance, and were trying to play it off. Why would he be stressed to talk to me?

“I guess I’ll take you up on that offer. Will you be here tomorrow?” Spencer asked, trying to mask the hope in his voice. Who was he kidding; Derek was already one of the top profilers in the Bureau.

“I will be. You can plan to stay after then.”

Spencer nodded and walked away, but not before glancing back one more time. Harold was right; they did make a lot of eye contact.

The next day couldn’t go by faster. Spencer had spent practically the entire night thinking about everything that had happened, trying to figure out if Harold was right or not. There was no way. Spencer was just Spencer, a NAT, and Derek Morgan was, well… Derek Morgan.

He probably just thought that Spencer was a hopeless case and needed extra help. Yeah, that was it. It had to be.

When the day was over, Spencer wasn’t just relieved like he usually was, but he was excited too. It no longer mattered to him what the reason was for him being there late, he just wanted to spend more time in the presence of SSA Morgan.

“I was thinking I’d help you with that second move we learned today, the cross-punch jab combo,” Derek announced. His voice echoed just a bit off the walls of the training center now that it was completely abandoned.

He walked over to one of the punching bags lined up just a few feet from the wall, and Spencer followed him in a manner that could only be described as a lost puppy. Spencer could keep track of all sorts of numbers, but the sheer amount of repeating memories morphing into new thoughts morphing into full blown fantasies was even too high for him to count. He’d never known of a drug so powerful.

“I’ll show you the move again, then I want you to try and copy it.” Derek stepped closer to the bag and executed a textbook one-two combo, the muscles in his arms and back contracting in perfect unison. God, Spencer wanted so badly to just reach out and run his hands all over this pristinely sculpted man, but he denied himself, letting his hands tremble in place instead.

Spencer stepped up to the bag next to Derek’s and attempted to do the same thing. Derek watched with a sharp eye.

After a few reps, the skilled agent took long strides that landed him only inches away from the younger man’s back. “Keep tension here.” His hands engulfed Spencer’s waist and twisted them to the side with the ease of swatting a fly.

The feeling was so overwhelming Spencer thought he might never be able to move again, and honestly, he didn’t want to. Standing there in the grip of that man was really all he’d been wanting for months now.

The only thing that pulled him out of his trance was the way Derek’s fingers lingered as he walked around to Spencer’s front, drifting down far enough to send a clear message, one that even Spencer couldn’t miss, but not far enough to be completely intrusive.

But Spencer wanted intrusive. He wanted nothing more than for Derek Morgan to invade his personal space to the point of no return.

He looked at the older man with shock and a burning question, but didn’t flinch or move back. Derek simply bit his lip and scanned Spencer up and down at what felt like a snail’s pace. He felt like a helpless deer being sized up by a lion for his next meal.

Spencer swallowed hard.

He’d been wanting nothing more than to be in this very same situation, or one of the multitudes of variations he’d created in his mind, but now that it was here could he really go through with it? Was it really the best idea? Did he really want this? No, he couldn’t.

But Spencer wasn’t known for being a good liar.

The only signal Derek needed was the simple nod of Spencer’s head.

And he got it.

Like a snake ready to strike, Derek brought his lips to Spencer’s in an instant. His questioning fingers had an answer, returning to their strong hold over Spencer’s hip bones.

Spencer knew what was happening was completely inappropriate, but couldn’t find the will to care. The man he’d been dreaming about, spending every waking and non-waking moment obsessing over, was actually interested in him too.

All his fantasies were flashing before his eyes, Derek’s muscles now completely exposed to him. He frantically pawed at him, trying to feel and memorize every millimeter of the beautiful body before him, like every inch was another drop of water in his achingly dry mouth.

“Hey, hey,” Derek whispered. “Patience. Not everything can happen at once, remember, one step at a time.”

Spencer took a moment to breathe and look into the warm eyes he’d been drowning in. Only for a moment, though, as he had a lot he wanted to do, starting with kissing his way down this man’s chest.

Derek laughed a little at Spencer’s impatience when he placed his hands on his broad shoulders and lips on his burning hot skin. He didn’t mind, though. Unexpectedly, the young man knew how to use his mouth. He couldn’t wait to explore that particular skill set some more.

Within the next few minutes, bodies were slammed into walls, forced to the ground, and pushed further down into the floor than was previously thought possible. The echo of the room only amplified the intoxicating sounds and the wall of windows overlooking the campus only increased the arousal.

Spencer would have a new appreciation for the musty smell and sweat induced humidity in the room from now on.

The tension for the remaining month before the NATs graduated was unbearable. Harold made sure to point out the nauseating amount of glances passed between the two men, but was respectful enough to not point it out to everyone. He tried to deny anything had happened, but Harold wasn’t having any of it and let Spencer know he was a lousy liar, something he definitely needed to work on.

Come graduation day when all NATs would be receiving their department assignments, Derek made sure to personally hand Spencer his.

He carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the sheet of paper with one bolded line reading: “Behavioral Analysis Unit.”

Spencer immediately looked up and locked eyes with Derek. He simply smirked in return.

Maybe his fantasy of having something more with the agent would become a reality after all.

-

Taglist

@90spumkin

[brideofcthulhu10]

Alright orginally I wanted to do these all in one go, but I figured it'd be easier for me to get them in segments that way you guys get more content. Okay heads up, guys I will be going with my family to the zoo tomorrow so I'm not gonna be posting much that day. I'll try to push something out but no guarantees!

Lost Boys Fem!S/O Gives Birth [1/4]

David

Days pushed into weeks. Weeks to months. Finally, months turn to weeks. Now it was to the point David was getting increasingly impatient. While the due date was up for speculation, 9 months began to tip towards ten. Anxious couldn't even begin to cover it. He wanted his child, he wanted to see their face, most of all he wanted you to stop hurting!

Early mornings of you crying from the sheer aching pains in your back sent him into a tizzy, he couldn't get any sleep while you were in agony. He'd lie beside you in the wee hours of the morning flipping through the stupid pregnancy book Dwayne found for him. 

"A late due date is not uncommon. Your baby will come when they're good and ready," David read to himself out loud laying beside you in bed, his face souring into a grimace. Patience was a virtue he had yet to achieve. "I don't want to wait."

With the prospect of childbirth looming over the two of you he had decided since your first trimester to sacrifice his comfort by sleeping beside you. Originally they had simply housed you in Star’s bed, but due to her wretched half-vampire form she would have no risk if the sun were to catch her. David, on the other hand, would quickly burn to a crisp at the first sign of daylight. Thus, he took it upon himself to search his way through the dismantled hotel until he found the most stable room held together between peeling walls and cave formations, tucked away from any prying light. Holes were sealed up, cracks were filled, your bed even had a canopy of thick black curtains covering it to prevent any stray beams that felt welcome.

Laying beside him you only shrugged your shoulders with a soft sigh, running your hands over your stomach. You had just gotten used to this speech by now. David tried everything to help you go into labor. Weird foods, extra long walks, those stupid exercises, even sex! 

Nothing. Your little one was as stubborn as their father. 

"You know color me crazy," you started to say, petting the platinum blonde vampire tenderly ", but I don't think grumbling at a fetus will make them come any faster."

"Shows what you know." David laid the side of his head atop your belly ready to burst. Carefully he peeled away his leather glove, sliding his hand beneath your shirt. Your skin was warm and taut, stretching to its limits. He had watched the time slip away faster than he expected, and yet somehow it felt not fast enough. When he closed his eyes he could hear the muffled, warped heartbeat submerged below. The momentary peace soothed his soul. He could sense their stirring mind. It was muddied, a cluster of emotions, no thought.

The silence gave you a moment to breathe and savor the tender moments with David until a sharp sting pulled at your abdomen. It spread across the base of your stomach, digging into the small of your back and spreading outward. You nearly recoiled from him with a harsh gasp hissed through your teeth. David sat up immediately.

“What is it,” he demanded, taking your hands into his. “Are you okay?”

It only lasted a minute or two and just like that the ache had faded away. Taking a moment to breath you simply smiled and waved it off. "Relax it's just a cramp," you assured him. “It just caught me off guard is all.”

"I'm not so convinced." He pulled himself to your side. "That's the third time it's happened in an hour, love. They’re getting shorter in between. Are you sure you aren’t in any pain, kitten?." 

You kissed his cheek softly, tucking away a lock of snow that had fallen in his face. "I'll be fine. I promise. Don’t worry about me okay? It’s already gone." 

What you weren’t aware of was that you had spoken far too soon. The discomfort persisted even into the daytime, and David's observation was starting to hold some weight. Earlier that night it had only begun as a slow ache that came once every two hours. But that time had split in half. Then again. Until you were feeling a persisting ache in your muscles that left you gasping for air almost every five minutes. In the late hours of the afternoon you softly awoke still wrapped in David’s arms. Again another pain came and went, this time you had to bite down on your lip to avoid any sudden sounds. Slowly you managed to wiggle out of his grip, hoping another blood bag may be enough to curb your discomfort. It wasn’t a surprise when even motion became a taxing endeavor. Every step weighed heavy on your body, you thought you might have to sit down before you had even left the room. Barely shuffling through the corridors, you had begun to use the walls as support.

You clutched at your stomach, dragging in labored breaths trying to catch yourself against the edge of the lobby fountain when you finally stumbled out. It was too much even to move now, and the reality of the situation was settling in. These weren’t your false contractions that visited you maybe once an hour, if that. There was maybe a minute in between them now. With what little strength you had left, you lowered yourself onto the floor. You couldn’t hold back whatever agonized groans that had previously been stifled, clenching your eyes shut. This was definitely a bad decision on your part.  

Your absence was quickly noticed by David. The bed felt lighter, he could sense some sort of difference in weight and with a tired groan he rolled over to reach you... Where were you? 

At first he lazily ran his hand over the sheets, expecting you to only be a few inches from him. When you proved further than he expected, he began rapidly patting around the mattress. His body began to panic when his fingers still failed to find you, then across the cave he heard an echoed whine. That's when he shot up out of bed from his slumber, looking at the empty space where you should've been. "Y/N," he called out, hearing you scream a second time. "Y/N!!" 

In a frantic dash he swung himself over the bed, nearly flying through until an unexpected obstacle had him skidding to a horrified stop. 

You were clinging onto the edge of the fountain just out of his grasp, the cruel sun enveloping you entirely leaving him to cower in the shadows. Paul and Marko had dove from the cave when they overheard you crying, circling through the dark until they saw David diving into the room just as limited against the ring of fire as they were.

“Y/N, hang on,” Paul called, but the moment his fingers touched the light they burst into flames. Immediately he recoiled with a shriek, grasping at his burnt flesh. There was no way they could reach you. Not until the sun went down. Everything began to hurt at once. GThere was a heavy layer of perspiration coating your skin. You hadn’t even realized your water broke until you could hear it. Like someone pouring out a bucket of water, the ground beneath you now soaked. 

David rapidly paced watching you sob alone against the fountain. What should he do? What could he do?? Just like Paul, he began to reach his hand out to touch the light. Of course it caught aflame and he rapidly shook it to dispel any further burn.

“David please, stay back,” you begged, trying to prop yourself against the concrete edge behind you. The sun proved a worthy adversary to you as well, firmly planting you in place with not an ounce of strength to spare between you and the constant contractions. David steeled his resolve, stepping forward towards you. Your words were falling on deaf ears, even Paul and Marko making a mad dash to hold him in place. With every ounce of strength he had, David tore away- right into the sun. 

Within moments the merciless rays lit his back up into a cruel bonfire. You screamed, sobbing and begging him to go back. Instead he fought to lift you into his arms, dragging his feet through hell. You were clinging to his jacket, unable to watch the look of agony he presented until finally he had collapsed with you in tow into the dark. Marko quickly covered the flames with an old tarp draped over the couches, patting it away as fast as possible. The stench of charred flesh made his nose ache, it was foul. 

Even in his weakened state David dragged himself to your side, pushing away your hair from your burning face. It took everything you had to stay still. There was no doctor here to warn you of when it was safe to push. 

With every passing hour it grew more intense. David had no choice but to feel how dilated you had become. To hell with modesty, if you weren’t ready and you tried to push the baby out you’d both die. He’d read enough of those books Dwayne brought to know what to do. Paul held your hand, helping you sit up in place. He swore you might break his hand, and once if was time you began to panic. Both vampires had to keep you firmly in place while your body began to stretch and tear. Dwayne had finally arisen, bringing in an armful of towels and a tub of warm water. At the suggestion he took over, you rapidly shook your head. It was one thing to have David with his hands up there, so instead he was on cleaning duties. Your screams filled the cave, every room vibrating with the unimaginable pain you felt. It was pushing out, all you could do was cry. All four boys were talking you through it. No one could have really prepared you for this. Stories and films always made it seem like the birth could easily take three hours tops. It had been almost the entire day. Thirteen hours from the contractions to now your labor, clinging to every excruciating minute. You felt like you were dying, everything becoming numb… and then you could hear the first sounds. Coughing and sputtering as fluids were thrown up.

All of you were just silent, David’s face in utter awe. Gently Dwayne handed him a towel, scooping up the blood caked infant now wailing in his arms. Tears spilled over his cheeks, wiping away the muck that hid his precious child from him, utterly speechless.

“Oh… shit dude,” Paul finally spoke, causing a breathless laugh from you. Even David chuckled.

“Well c’mon man don’t keep it a secret,” Marko chimed in, trying to get a peek. God, it was so tiny. Dwayne leaned over David’s shoulder at the newborn nestled against his chest.

“..It’s a girl..,” he asked. David’s nod sent a rush of warmth through you, an uncontrollable wave of tears and laughter spilling from you. Still recovering from his own endeavors into the sun, he handed your newborn daughter to Marko, who in turn, placed her in your arms. Her petit fingers grasped at your shirt, whimpering against your chest.

 “She’s… beautiful,” you hiccuped, utterly breathless. You looked over at your burnt partner trying to recover with a blood pack stolen from the fridge, bits of flesh reviving back into healthy skin. When he could finally recover enough to move beside you, he simply pulled you into his arms, softly thanking you over and over for his beautiful little one. She clung to his hand as it ran over her petite head whimpering until he gently cradled her in his arms once more. A sense of relief washed over you, laying against David's chest barely able to catch your breath. Tonight he would go hunting to recover, and for the first time he wouldn't be bringing back blood for you, but for your newborn daughter.