#oh no!!! i hate that for you also OUCH that must have been a painful sunburn

[hrhprincerichard]

[Very pleased with Grant's breathy laugh and the response to it. Laughs lightly.] Good to know. [Said in French] Yeah. [Breathy laugh at Grant's Spanish.] Very nice. Not a clue what you said but very nice. [sheepish chuckle.] Ah, is that what it is. I guess I heard it because you were really pissed off. [Another sheepish chuckle.] That makes sense. You were also gone quite a bit for school right? That probably factors in. I'm glad I want have to piss you off just to hear it. [another laugh]

[Lets out a breathy laugh when Richard talks in French.] I have no idea what you just asked me but the answer is yes. [Chuckles when Richard asks about Texas twang, a little surprised when Richard says he's noticed Grant doesn't use it all the time. Laughs again when he says Spanish too.] Spanish too, huh? [Switches to Spanish.] I'm more than happy to do that for you. I'm happy to do anything you want. [Switches back to English.] And you're right, the Texas twang mostly comes out when I'm back home around other Texans. Sometimes when I get really pissed off. I've never had it as strong as my mom though, I think 'cause my dad doesn't have any southern accent going on.

[daenysthedreamer101]

Daughter of Steel and Bronze ~ HOTD

Ch 9 - Child no more

HOTD x Targaryen!OC, Targaryen!OC x Harwin Strong (finally lol)

Warnings: Harwin is finally here! Daena indirectly shades Alicent, puberty, physical description of bodily changes, slight teen angst

HOTD masterlist

"In the year 112, on the last of spring, King Viserys I married his second wife, Alicent Hightower. It was a grand celebration with seven days of balls, feasts, and tourneys. Where the King and Her Grace appeared happy, many more wore sour faces during the wedding. 

The King's daughter and niece, Princess Rhaenyra and Princess Daena were said to have been in extremely foul moods throughout the entire ordeal and barely conversed with the new Queen. Daena reportedly uttered no words that whole day instead glaring at Queen Alicent."  

(Fire & Blood, Being a History of the Targaryen Kings of Westeros, by Archmaester Gyldayn)

~

112 AC, King's Landing

Spring would soon end and Daena couldn't wait for it to finish. The last seven days of the spring season were reserved for the royal wedding - her uncle Viserys decided to marry Alicent Hightower.

Ever since the announcement, Rhaenyra's relationship with Alicent has deteriorated. Instead, she started spending more time with Daena; their bond healed and they only got closer. 

Daena also had new companions - her ladies-in-waiting, Joy and Hanna Strong. Over the course of a month, the Princess bonded with the twins and became fond of both sisters. 

She was currently in her room, standing on a small pedestal with her arms stretched out. The tailors and maids were taking measures for the dress she was to wear to the wedding. She was barely able to move or breathe, her entire body covered in materials, measuring tapes, and pins. 

"Ouch!" She exclaimed in pain as a pin pierced her side. Joy smiled apologetically. Daena sighed - she hated everything about this and all it represented. She hated that her uncle chose Alicent, she hated Ser Otto for being a scheming snake, and she hated Alicent for not being honest and going behind Nyra's back. "Are we done?" She asked, annoyance lacing her voice.

"Very soon, Princess. Just need to take a few more measurements and we'll be done." The chief tailor said. She wrapped a measuring tape around Daena's hips, then around her waist, and finally around her bust. 

"You have beautiful hips, Princess. I can tell you'll have no problem birthing children." The lady commented. Daena smiled awkwardly and thanked the woman. Ever since her body started maturing all she's been hearing was how easy birth would be for her because of her wide hips. She hoped all that would be correct.

They soon finished the session and now she was alone in her room, save for Joy and Hanna. She was in her chemise - it was simple, made of fine cotton and she could see her figure when she looked in the mirror. 

Her body was changing, she realized after some time - her hips were widening, her thighs grew bigger and her bosom also grew a bit. She was scared, scared of change and what it meant for her and her life. 

She must have been in deep thought because she didn't hear Joy calling for her. "Princess.." Joy called again. Daena blinked and shook her head. She turned around to see that her supper was brought in for her. 

"Oh...thank you ladies. Will you stay with me and keep me company?"

"But of course, Princess." the sisters responded and sat down.

The three girls talked and after a while the twins left, leaving Daena alone. She unbraided her hair absentmindedly. She crawled into her bed, covered herself, and quickly fell asleep. 

The day has finally arrived - the royal wedding of King Viserys and Alicent Hightower would take place in the Sept a little before midday. 

The two princesses were getting ready together in Nyra's chambers. Rhaenyra wore a long-sleeved, yellow dress with golden embroidery. Her silver hair was beautifully braided and decorated with pearls, and she had a golden headpiece on top of her head. Around her neck was a choker made of black velvet decorated with golden strings. She wore golden wing-shaped earrings. 

Daena was dressed in a gorgeous pale blue, short-sleeved dress with flowers decorating her waist. Hanna and Joy masterfully did her hair. On her ears, she wore earrings of pearl and blue gemstones, and around her neck was a silver moonstone necklace. On top of her head was a beautiful headpiece covered in pearls that once belonged to her late aunt, Queen Aemma. 

"Are we ready, my Princess?" Hanna asked. Daena nodded and joined hands with Nyra. If they were going to suffer, they would suffer together. 

Once they exited the castle and entered the courtyard, Daena could see many coaches and carriages, and around all of them were many flags and banners representing many different Houses that came to the wedding. One banner caught her attention - a red castle on a white field within a red embattled border - House Redfort. 

Daena furrowed her pale brows. That couldn't be possible. She would've written a letter, surely. She excused herself for a moment and walked toward the man holding the banner. He was a young man, maybe a couple of years older than her.

"Excuse me. Is Lady Rowena here?" She inquired politely. The man seemed surprised by her approach and realized who she was. 

"Princess Daena...Yes, she's here." He said and opened the door of the carriage. The person who came out was someone Daena hadn't seen in years.

"...Grandmother?" 

The woman smiled at Daena and pulled her into a tight, rib-crushing hug. She wore a beautiful lilac gown with flower embroidery across the chest and waist. Her dark brown hair was pulled up and held by a hair net.

Daena was speechless. She hadn't seen her grandmother since she left the Vale when she was 12, and now here she was right in front of her. 

"But...but you didn't tell me you were coming." Daena managed to say. Her grandmother just chuckled and caressed her cheek. 

"Oh, my sweet child. I wanted to surprise you! Besides, how often do you get to attend a royal wedding?" 

Daena didn't say anything - she was too happy to think of a response. She loved her grandmother or nanna as she sometimes called her when she was younger. Lady Rowena was a beautiful woman in her youth. She was now in her late forties and much of her beauty remained. 

~

Daena was seated at the high table with the rest of her family. In the middle were the newlyweds - left of Uncle Viserys was Rhaenyra and next to her was Daena. To Alicent's right was her father, Ser Otto, and the rest of the Hightowers whom Daena paid no mind.

Thankfully, there was no one seated to Daena's left. She looked around the Throne room - Hanna and Joy were seated across from their father, Lord Lyonel. Next to Lord Lyonel was his eldest son and heir, Ser Harwin 'Breakbones'. 

Daena has heard many stories about him, thanks to his sisters being her handmaids. They did tell her about his strength and his skill as a warrior. What they didn't tell her was just how handsome he was - he was tall with broad shoulders and long dark curls, and from what she could see he had beautiful blue eyes.

She was pulled from her thoughts by Nyra poking her in the ribs. She turned her head and saw Nyra smirking at her. 

"What?" Daena whisper-shouted. 

"Eying up Ser Harwin, I see. I understand, he is quite handsome." Nyra whispered cheekily.

Daena scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I am not eying him up! I was just...observing."

"Right....keep telling yourself that," Nyra responded and took a sip of her wine.

Daena slapped Nyra's thigh below the table which made the latter giggle. Daena smiled and shook her head and once she did she locked eyes with the man she's been eying all night.

Ser Harwin was looking straight at her and she quickly averted her gaze. She was blushing, her usually fair cheeks now had a pink tint to them. She could feel the way her heart quickened when he looked at her, and she liked it.

~

Many people took notice of Princess Daena's choice of dress. She wore a pale blue dress and was covered in silver, pearls, and moonstones, drawing connections to the late Queen Aemma Arryn. Many would later say the Princess did it to slight the new Queen, but when asked Daena defended herself by saying she just liked the color. 

After gods knows how much time, Daena and Rhaenyra were free to leave the feast. They discreetly left the Throne room and started running once they were out of sight. They ran and ran until they found themselves in the godswood. 

There, they sat under the weirwood, not caring about getting their gowns dirty. The moon was full and the skies were clear, making all the stars visible. Daena could see Nyra was in deep thought while looking up at the moon. 

"Every night, I look out of my window and look at the moon. When I look at it, I think of Mother. I like to think she's somewhere up there in the heavens and she looks over me through the clouds...I know it's foolish." Nyra opened up after a while.

Daena turned and grabbed her cousin's hand. "I don't think it's foolish. I too think of her and I miss her dearly. The Red Keep will never know such warmth ever again." 

Nyra gave her a watery smile and squeezed Daena's hand. Daena wrapped her arm around Nyra and pulled her closer. Nyra placed her head on Daena's shoulder and sighed. "Nothing will ever be the same." 

"No. No, it won't. But we will go through it together." Daena responded as both girls looked at the full moon, reminiscing about the late Queen. 

113 AC, King's Landing

One year has passed since His Grace married Lady Alicent. They had a son, Aegon, who was soon to celebrate his first name day. But Daena didn't care about that - today was Rhaenyra's 16th name day, which meant she was now considered a woman grown and of marriable age.

Despite all the pomp and celebration surrounding her name day, Daena knew Nyra was far from happy. She knew it was something Nyra dreaded because it meant His Grace had every right to marry her off and send her away to squeeze out children until it killed her. 

Daena looked into the mirror with a pleased smile - she was wearing a bright red gown with long cape sleeves. The waist of the dress was decorated with rubies and diamonds. She loved the gown - it was long and flowy, perfectly accentuating her body. In the years to come, she would come to embrace this style of dress and would be known for it. 

She twirled in front of the mirror, enjoying the way the fabric moved and swished. Her curls fell freely down her back like a river of silver and gold. Only the front curls were pulled back to clear her beautiful face. 

She wore golden, square-cut ruby earrings on her ears, and around her neck was the heart-shaped pendant her father gifted her years ago. Satisfied with her appearance, Daena walked over to her writing desk and opened up a drawer.

Inside was a small box with her gift intended for Rhaenyra. She opened it to check if it was still there. It was. She closed the box and with a smile left her room to search for her cousin. 

~

Ser Harwin was walking through the Red Keep, tasked with finding Princess Daena. Usually, she would be with his sisters, seeing as they were her handmaids, but today was different. Apparently, she sent Joy and Hanna to help Princess Rhaenyra ready herself for her name day celebrations. 

This left Princess Daena unsupervised. His father, Lord Lyonel, saw how stressed His Grace was regarding the whole event, and decided to lessen the King's troubles. So, he sent Harwin to find Princess Daena and bring her to the Throne Room where the feast would be held. That way, His Grace wouldn't have to worry himself about his unruly niece.

Harwin has never properly interacted with the Princess. He knew things about her - she was fiery and quick-witted like her father, she rode a very large dragon and if the rumors were true, she wasn't fond of the Hand, Ser Otto, and the new Queen. 

Just as he was turning a corner, he collided with something, or should he say someone. He came to a quick stop once he realized what just happened. He looked down and saw the person he was looking for - Princess Daena. 

"Princess, forgive me, I-"

"It's alright. It's my fault. I shouldn't have been running." 

They spoke over each other. She chuckled and he couldn't help but notice how angelic it sounded. He looked at her - she was wearing a beautiful bright red gown and her silver curls framed her oval face. Her wide lilac eyes gazed up at him, her plump pink lips slightly open as she studied his face.

"I'm sorry, Ser. I wasn't looking where I was going." She apologized again. 

"No need to apologize, Princess." He said, noticing how dry his mouth was all of a sudden.

She smiled and looked down. She gasped and bent down. "Damn it!" She said under her breath. 

"Princess?"

"There were two rings in this box! I can't find the other one." She explained with a sense of urgency and started looking around to find the missing ring. He started looking as well and in the corner of his eye saw something shimmering. 

He picked it up - it was a dainty golden ring with a small heart on top of it. He looked closer and saw that the letter R was carved into the heart. The Princess took the ring from his hand, her warm skin brushing against his. (x)

"It's my gift for Nyra." She said as she put the ring into the box.

"And the other ring?" He asked. 

"It has a D on it. I ordered matching rings made for us. I hope she likes it. " She revealed in a quiet voice.

"I'm sure the Princess will appreciate the gesture." He commented. 

She gave him a small smile and he couldn't ignore the way his heart skipped a beat. 

"Why are you here, Ser Harwin?" She asked softly. He loved the way his name fell from her plump lips. 

"I...I was sent here to find you and escort you to the feast."

"Oh...Well then, what are we waiting for?" She said with a cheeky smile and started walking, her long sleeves flowing behind her like flames. 

~

After the feast, Rhaenyra invited Daena to her chambers so they could open all the gifts she had received. Daena stood behind Nyra as she looked at a gown she was gifted by her maternal cousin, Lady Jeyne Aryyn.

"I have a gift for you as well." Daena broke the silence and handed Nyra the small box. Nyra quirked an eyebrow and opened it. She picked up the ring with her initials and laughed. 

"Oh, it's adorable! I love it! Thank you, cousin!" Nyra said and pulled Daena into a tight hug. 

Daena couldn't help but bask in the warmth of Rhaenyra's hug. "Try it." She said and Nyra placed the ring on her right hand. 

"I ordered matching rings for us. My has a D on it, see?" She said as she picked up the other ring. 

Daena then put the ring on her right hand, just like Rhaenyra. She laughed, not being able to contain her happiness. She proceeded to kiss Nyra on the cheek. "I hope you enjoyed your name day, mandia." (older sister/cousin)

"I have. All thanks to you, hāedar." (younger sister/cousin) Nyra responded and kissed Daena on the cheek. 

***

Harwin is here and he finally interacts with Daena and he is already taken with her and vice versa! We see how deep the bond is between the two princesses as they reminisce about Aemma and how much both girls miss her. And Daena ofc gifts Nyra matching rings to further seal their bond. ☺

Thanks for reading! 💕💕💕

If you have any thoughts, feel free to comment!

[nabateaprodigy]

Hello! I'd like to request Nagito with a reader (can be gn, but preferably fem) who is extremely compassionate (like literally feels bad for objects) and very affectionate (verbally and physically). They will just be looking at him silently one second, then the next, they will be pressing kisses onto his face while calling him the most beautiful and sweet things (my beautiful dove, my precious angel, etc.). Also, this may be very specific, but could you also add them hating and literally not believing in the word worthless, because they think everything is beautiful and valuable just for existing? You're the only one I've found recently writing with Nagito included this month, and this request has been on my mind for so long omg. My soul would be at peace if this was written, but I understand if you don't want to write it, so thank you anyway! 💗

Hopeful Compassion

Series: Danganronpa.

Characters: Nagito.

Genre: Fluff.

Proofread: Yes.

Reader: Female. (But no pronouns are used.)

Another beautiful sunny day then again the weather on Jabberwock Island always seems to be beautiful. But not even the weather on this Island could compare to the beauty of his S/O. Speaking of Nagito was making his way to Hotel Mirai to meet up with his S/O and the other students.

It's a routine everyone had agreed to and has been following for some time now. Everyone would meet up with each other and have breakfast in the restaurant of the hotel. They would talk with each other while eating and it's something everyone enjoyed.

Now arriving at the hotel Nagito felt as though nothing could go wrong. "Ouch!" Ah, maybe he spoke too soon... Nagito had looked around to see who had gotten hurt and it was none other than his S/O.

Ah, this must have been his luck of course something bad would happen as soon as he showed up. "Oh, I'm sorry! So sorry!" You spoke after you had hit your hip on one of the tables in the restaurant. Hiyoko could be heard giggling at the sight in front of her.

You were apologizing to a table? Nagito knew you were kind and community however maybe you were a little bit too kind and compassionate. Of course that didn't make Nagito love you any less it put a smile on his face knowing his S/O was like this.

From the Sharpe pain that you were feeling in your hip, you had put one of your hands on it but it didn't last that long. To make sure you were alright himself Nagito made his way over to you. "Hello, my hope are you alright?"

"Ah, darling! It's nice to see you how did you sleep?" You spoke as you looked at Nagito with a smile even him just being around you filled you with such happiness. "Yes, my hope I sleep well. But it seems my luck has caused you pain I'm sorry trash like me made this happen."

"Nagito stop that! What have I told you about saying such things about yourself? I was just being clumsy that's all so please don't say such things about yourself alright?" You spoke as you hugged Nagito and kissed him on the cheek.

"Ew gross get a room!" Hiyoko spoke as stuck out her tongue in disgust. "Hiyoke leave them be!" Mahiru scolded her.

"Trash, worthless these are words I hate the most, especially when they are used to talk about someone. To hear you say these things about yourself Nagito it hurts. Because I know you Nagito and more importantly I love you. I know your worth and I know what a great person you are so words like that are the last thing that should be said about you, especially by yourself."

Nagito smiled as he hugged you back giving a kiss to your forehead. "Thank you my hope it makes me glad to hear you say that. I love you and with you by my side, our future together will be bright."

[scullygazer]

Hi everyone! I never really post fic on here ever but I signed up for the AO3 bingo and I *think* I may have something for my first square 😊

This is "Crack Treated Seriously"

Tagging: @ao3tagbingo

Cutting it Close

10:57 AM- Fox Mulder's apartment

"Morning, Scully" Mulder said as he let her in and she quickly walked past him the moment he opened the door

Scully sat on the couch and let out a huge sigh "Good Morning, Mulder"

"Hmmm... judging by the way you walked in and were so quick to sit down, I'm not sure how "good" this morning is for you" he said, both with a smile and some concern.

He then noticed something different. Scully was in a typical casual Sunday outfit for a morning that she hadn't attended church with her mother. Jeans, a purple sweater... and a bucket hat???

What was this? Not Scully-like, for sure.

She must have sensed his confusion. Or the fact that he was staring at the top of her head and barely moving his eyes.

"Okay, you're probably thinking 'why the hat'" she said softly

"It's nice" he said "I've just never seen you wear one before like that. I had no idea you even owned a bucket hat."

"It's a long story" Scully began to explain...

The Previous Saturday, 3:32 PM

"Come on, aunt Dana, your hair is pretty! I wanna play with it!"

Scully had been babysitting for over four hours. Her energy battery, despite three cups of coffee and one Diet Coke, was nearly empty.

"Alright, Rachel" she replied slightly reluctantly "go ahead" she said as she squatted down and then sat on the floor while 4-year old Rachel sat on the couch behind her with her "Aspiring Hairdresser" kit next to her. It consisted of a hairbrush, a comb, a few ponytail holders and some hair clips. "Simple and safe enough", Scully thought.

Rachel began with the brush.

"Be gentle, Rach." Scully said, kindly. She wasn't one to want to crush a child's dreams but Ouch, she could feel that brush ripping through her ginger bob.

"I'm sorry, auntie Dana"

"It's okay, sweetie" she reassured her with a slightly pained smile. She was still feeling that brush even though Rachel had put it down.

What "Auntie Dana" had not counted on were the safety child scissors in Rachel's possession. She also didn't count on the fact that she was sleepy enough to get lost in her own thoughts for five minutes... enough time for Rachel to be a little creative.

Suddenly, Scully came to as she saw small chunks of red hair on her sweater. Her red hair.

"RACHEL SCULLY!!!" WHAT DID YOU DO???" Scully snapped. She began to touch the top of her head and then immediately ran to the bathroom for a look in the mirror.

Oh shit.

"Auntie Dana, I'm sorry!!!" Rachel said, beginning to cry. "Do you hate me now?"

Scully sighed. "No, I could never, Rachel. Just give me the scissors and never ever do that to anybody again ever. Promise me."

"I pwomise" Rachel said

The young girl jumped up towards Scully and Scully bent down to pick her up for a hug. She just couldn't stay mad at her. Rachel looked a little too much like she did at her age and her curiosity also was a trait the two shared.

Charlie, however... she had a bone to pick with her younger brother once he got home.

----------

Mulder's Apartment-

"I see" Mulder said. The story was honestly somewhat heartwarming for him. He felt Scully's pain (he even recalled Samantha doing something similar at that age with him as her "client") but the fact that even as an aunt, Scully genuinely loved her young niece so much. He knew she one day needed to be a mom. She loved kids and was incredible with them. He had also noticed that numerous times on cases. Hey, she even was gentle with the creepy ones they had encountered.

"Yeah" Scully said after removing the hat. It actually wasn't quite as bad as Mulder had expected.

"Scully" he said

She looked up at him "What?"

"You do know you're still beautiful, right? You know you're still the most beautiful woman in the world to me?"

Scully began to feel little tears form in the corners of her eyes

"I love you, Mulder" she said, grinning

"I love you too" He smiled

He pulled her in for a hug and kissed her completely bare forehead

"But do you want to see someone about this? I know a guy who is open Sundays..."

The End

A/N I refuse to accept that Charlie is estranged from the rest of the Scully family. I kind of see him as maybe being a divorced dad and having a couple kids. I want to believe (lol) he has an older son (the one who watched Babe on repeat, like Scully mentioned in "Home") and then Rachel. Writing this however makes me want to write more MSR stories with kids in them in addition to all the smut stuff I'm working on. If anybody has prompts, send them my way please and I'll love you forever 😊

[meximango]

Day 11 - Surrogate - Cahsi/Y’shtola - PG

Summary: Cahsi needs sleep and Y'sthola convinces her that's an important thing to do.

Warning: brief reference to the 'in from the cold' duty.

“How long has it been since you’ve last slept?” Y’shtola slowly adds sugar to her tea, stirs, daintily sets the teaspoon down, then turns around to lean against the counter and takes a sip. 

Practiced nonchalant meant to ease Cahsi into a sense of safety, but she’s smarter than that. She knows this is a trap. The amount of time given to provide her a chance to answer, oh, this cat is devious. The question is not in any way an innocent one, so Cahsi will have to be careful with how she answers. Y’shtola is just as likely as Cahsi to forgo slumber in order to pursue a passion or research every once in a while, but she still manages to be more reasonable about giving in to her needs eventually than the resident Warrior of Light–who is keen on reaching new limits to foolishness.

“Oh, probably something similar to yourself, I’m sure. I’m wide awake, haven’t even had coffee today yet.” Cahsi injects as much sweetness and cluelessness as possible into her tone in the hopes her partner will drop it and not realize she’s lying through her teeth.

“Perhaps not today, but I nearly tripped over a frighteningly high pile of empty cups next to your desk earlier–”

Shite. Her messy nature has betrayed her once again. Who walks right by her desk anyway, she should know it’s a hazard zone! “Aww, how sweet of you to take care of them, thank you hon–” “They are in the wash basin for you to deal with later. I am not your maid.” “Of course. I will be sure to do that, before we run out of mugs.” Cahsi’s ears droop in disappointment. She hates doing the dishes. Maybe she can just throw the mugs out and buy new ones? Or pawn off the chore onto a retainer, even though that’s not in their job description? 

She didn’t actually think Y’shtola would wash all those cups–there really was quite a lot and some of them had loose leaves dried to them still. But still, maid Y’shtola. The mind does wander… “However, if you ever are in need of an idea for my nameday, a maid dress would not go unappreciated, especially one with a chest window and garterbelts–” “Please leave the flirtations for when you are not running on fumes, lest you hurt yourself.” Oh damn, shut down instantly. Ouch. She must be upset with her. 

Cahsi must make some sort of pathetic and likely pained noise without realizing it, because Y’shtola sighs and continues in a somewhat softer tone: “But. I will keep that in mind for the future.” 

Her slightest upward twitch of the lips makes Cahsi blush and want to swoon, but maybe Y’shtola had a point and any type of excitement is likely to drop her to the floor. She’s too tired for this. 

Of course, her partner has to ruin it by getting all serious-faced again, eyes narrowed in that authoritative way that Cahsi would love if it meant they were about to have fun, but she already knows that’s off the table. “Now, tell me the truth. How long?” “Please, Shtola. It really can’t have been that long.” Which is to say, Cahsi has not paid attention, and it’s likely a worrisome timeframe. “I can guess, if you’d like?” Why does Cahsi feel like she’ll get punished if it comes to that? She hurries to amend, “It hasn’t been long enough to truly affect me. I’m fine, as I said earlier! Also, I don’t keep track of things like that. I really haven’t slept since you’ve been back? That can’t be right…” By the breeze, and how long has it even been since Y’shtola got back? Cahsi has been so absorbed in her latest projects. Guilt begins to gnaw at her. “I’m afraid not. You haven’t joined me in our bed for the past two days. I understand we don’t always sleep together, but after one of us returns from a trip, you usually cling to me like a baby opo-opo. We may both get our heads stuck in our research, but is there more to it?” “I’m sorry for neglecting you. I swear I’ll make it up to you!” Cahsi blurts out. Does her lovely Shtola think she doesn’t care about her? She smothered her with so many hugs when she returned–that she does remember! 

“No, that has been fine. Neither of us need constant attention, and I can sleep alone just fine. it is simply a bit unusual for you, is all. As your partner, it is my duty to worry about you and ensure you’re kept in good health.” With that, Y’shtola sets her tea down and closes the gap between them to hold Cahsi’s face in her hands. 

Cahsi can’t help but melt a bit, even as she still feels chastened. “I truly do not know how long it’s been, Shtola. Thank you for your concern. It’s been four days, maybe? I wasn’t sleeping before you got back, either. There may have been some unpleasant dreams…“

“Oh, dear. Were you experimenting with the repose spell again? That always gives you the nastiest nightmares.” Cahsi places her own hands on top of Y’shtola’s and gives her a nuzzle. “No, not this time. These were just plain, old, nightmares. Or rather, memories. And ‘what-if’ situations. Scenarios that didn’t happen, but my mind could not stop thinking about how disastrously everything could’ve ended! I don’t know why my mind decided to wander there, but I’d been thinking about Zenos. About when he took over my body as his own and tried to fool you all into thinking he was me. I felt so powerless in that dying soldier’s body, trying to reach you all before he could…” She really doesn’t want to say it, and she doesn’t have to. 

Y’shtola bumps her forehead to Cahsi’s. “That must have been a terrifying situation to be in. I cannot even begin to imagine how horrifying it was for you. But please take solace in the fact that you are here, now, with me. Your friends are safe, and Zenos is dead. He did not win. You, my dear, strong, Cahsi, pulled through. As you always do. As you always would. I do not believe there is a universe where your resolve and strength would not have been enough to reach us. You must also believe in us, as we believe in you, Cas. You recall who saw through Zenos’ deception?” Cahsi turned enough to place a chaste kiss against Y’shtola’s palm. “You did.” “Of course I did. I would recognize your soul anywhere. So you need not worry about it. I will always see you, through any attempts at false imitation, in every universe. I will keep us safe in your nightmares. Now. What are you going to do?”

“Drink some more coffee and spend time with my lovely partner?” Cahsi answers sheepishly. She knows the correct answer, but she can’t help but feel a bit scared still, even as exhaustion threatens to take this out of her hands and collapse her into her partner’s arms. 

Y’shtola tuts. “Endless amounts of coffee is not a surrogate for sleep.” Her tone, as expected, brooks no argument. “Worth a shot. You’re right, though. I do need to sleep, for my own health’s sake. And those things I’ve been scared of didn’t happen. We made it and we’re safe. You promised to keep me safe… May I make a request?” “I believe you are about to ask me to join you in bed, and the answer is yes. Whatever it takes to get you some rest. I will bring some books to entertain myself after you fall asleep, if that is alright? It is too early for me to slumber a full cycle.” “Take as many as you need! This means a lot to me. Then once I’m fully rested and can think again, we can actually spend time together! The research and projects can wait until another time.” Once snuggled up in bed with every carbuncle plushie she could find brought into the bed with her, Cahsi turns to her partner and pats her hand. “Thank you, Shtola. I look forward to being saved in my dreams by such a beautiful and charming black mage!” Y’shtola chuckles and gives Cahsi a “It will be nice to have the cute and charismatic damsel swooning in my arms, I’m sure. Sweet dreams, dear.”

[topazadine]

riffing off @skullduggeryandfilibuster's excellent addition to my post, I would like to share my first ever story! I was in first or second grade (I believe first grade). This was copied directly from the booklet, grammatical errors and all.

It is ... unintentionally very funny. I love how misanthropic I was even then! There were drawings also, but I'm not going to put everyone through the horrors of those. Also, I guess they didn't teach me what the fuck dialogue tags are yet.

Snowflake the Cat

Hi. I'm Snowflake. I live in wonderful country house.

"Honey, I hate to do this, but with our new son, and you needing to recover, we can't take chances. The pound she will go to is really nice. They only put down animals with rabies. The cages have pillows and blankets fit for a king. Also they only have the best cat food for our sweet little Snowflake. She'll have a lot of pet pals I guess."

"Okay, but I don't think she'll hurt the new baby, Norbert."

"That's not a chance we're going to take."

"Okay. I hope that pound is nice. I've been in pounds before and I hate them."

"Hey Carice, why are you picking me up? You've been my master for twelve years! I don't want to go."

John, the greedy little baby, puts out his hand and grabs Snowflake's suitcase full of toys and different types and brands of cat food."

"You're the cause of it all, you greedy baby. Carice should never have had you. I should bite you, but I don't want to change Carice's attitude about me. Give me that back."

John looks up at the soon-to-be-departed cat. Carice snags the bag and puts Snowflake in her cage. She lifts the bag and the cage while walking toward the pound, which looks like a mansion

"This is all for us animals? Wow!"

Everyone except Norbert walks inside and it doesn't look like a mansion at all. It smells of old age and must.

"Yikes!" I don't want to stay in here forever! Carice! John! Wait up! Wow! I like this cabin. Like Norbert said, there are blankets and pillows fit for a king. Yeah! There's a room for me with toys and food. Hurry up Carice! Put the stuff on the blanket already! I can reach it. Good!

"Goodbye, Snowflake. We shall meet again someday."

"Goodbye, Carice. I will miss you. Yahoo! I should get an award for surviving two weeks with that horrible John! He was always hurting me."

The guards call "Playtime" and usher the animals outside.

"Wow! This is nice! They let you out. Good I can run in the 100 acre forest. Ouch I hit the fence. I can't see it, but it hurts my ears, my nose, and my head."

"Hi my name is Violet."

"Oh, hi, I'm new. My masters because of their little baby dumped me. I hate humans now."

"Same case with me! I hate humans now too!"

"Really? Cool. My owner's name was Carice and her horrible baby was John."

"My owner's name was Rose and her terrible daughter was Haley. Well, let's play."

"I'll go get a few toys from my basket, Violet."

A few days later.

"I understand. Goodbye! You were a great friend!"

"Let's jump this fence! Wait! My basket! Now. Heah!"

Snowflake has the basket in her mounth and is talking with it in her mounth.

"Grr ISS Oilet Ready. I ish this asket asn't o eavy. Ahh That's better. Finally, the basket is out of my … Yuuuck! This smells worse than a car! It's a thousand cars! Ahh! I'm surrounded."

A car runs her over. The basket get most of the beating, but both come out in okay condition.

"I don't remember a thing before what just happened, but seeing a girl. She's back. There she is. See me, see me, see me …."

"Mommy look at that poor cat. Can't we help him. He doesn't have a collar like cats in the city, Momma."

"Of course we can help him, Anice. First let's see. Boy or girl? She is a girl. Now because she doesn't have a home, how would you like a very early Christmas present?"

"Of course! You mean she's mine now?"

"Yup."

Anice, the girl drops snowflake to give her mom, Simone, a hug.

"Ouch! That asphalt hurts!" Pain coursing through my body.

Honk Honk calls throughout the city. Anice quickly grabs Snowflake and they drive through the city. Snowflake takes a nap. When she wakes up, they are backing into the driveway of Anice, Simone, Jake, and Jake Jr.

"Look what Anice and I found, Jake."

"All right hon. Because anything we need to give … her, him? Shocks."

"She's a girl."

"Okay."

"Hey!" Anice pipes up and shoes where 'Snowflake forever' has been imbedded in the cat's fur. They realize that Snowflake is the name and verify that in the family book.

"Let's go get the shots!"

They get the shots and are walking home when they here.

"Momeee! Somebody's got me! No I won't let them take her!"

Eah! Scrape! Scrape!

"Wow that cat wants you back!"

Snowflake bites the kidnapper in the arm and the kidnapper runs away empty-handed!

"Snowflake saved me, Momma!"

"She stays!"

As they walk in, the aroma of fish, cheese, chips, and apple juice fills the room.

"Come on, Snowflake. Let's go in my room." Anice indicates they are going in Anice's room where a new collar waits on the bed. As Snowflake jumps up, the padding is soft on her feet.

"This is heaven, Oh!"

The collar is blue with a bell! Anice slips it on while Snowflake eats the cat food she is given.

"Yes! Now I'm really hers. I love you Anice! Eat you beautiful kitty! You're too pretty not to eat."

Not that I look back on it, I'm better off now that I was at Carice's. I'm glad Anice saw me.

I would like to say I have improved significantly in the past 25 years, and now you can read a much better version of my writing on Amazon! I promise there's dialogue tags.

[weebsinstash]

newest werewolf audiobook I'm listening to, The Silent Alpha, broken down for some drama and entertainment's sake:

-Protag Natalia is a human who's fated mate was Alpha Christian of the Silver Crest Pack

-she actually convinces him to let her stay human when they mate and bond, and she was basically a perfect Luna, but she was still a human. For reference I think she's with Christian for at least 5 years

-it's been years and she still hasn't conceived, Christian is getting impatient, Natalia starts developing weird headaches and pains in her chest and stomach, everyone kind of gaslights her and tells her she must be imagining it and feeds her aspirin like candy

-she goes to the doctor (unrelated to the pain she's been feeling) and finds out she's finally pregnant and goes to tell Nathan

-the mysterious pain she's been feeling was Nathan defiling and damaging their mate bond by FUCKING HER SISTER. She sees through a cracked door that they're fucking ON HER BED and Christian is talking about how he'll make her sister Vanessa his Luna if she can get pregnant.

-some of these wolf roles and rankings have biological effects and stuff, right? In these wolf stories, there is usually a male called a Gamma who works for the Alpha and his entire job, his entire purpose, literally, the fucking reason for his existence by the moon goddess, is to take care of the Luna. They even form a specific bond so he can feel how she feels and his aura can help soothe her (to be blunt it sounds like the Gamma is much better suited to be a mate than an actual mate but they specify the Gamma bond often feels like sibling or familial love). Well. Her Gamma Jordan knew Christian was having an affair and he helped lie to Natalia :) wow. So she was also betrayed by a wolf whose literal actual purpose it was to look after her. Ouch.

-Natalia decides to flee with her unborn pup by uh, I love this, she literally just uses the internet to print a template and create a fake fertility test that says she's definitively infertile and she gives it to Christian who IMMEDIATELY, IMMEDIATELY grabs her suitcase and starts throwing all her clothes into it, telling her that being pregnant was "her one job and purpose, and she couldn't even do that" meanwhile she thought he loved her tf?

-theres a ceremony where they have to officially denounce her as Luna and it makes my fucking blood boil. She has to agree that she "has failed her role as Luna by failing to perform her duties by producing an heir" nd she can even tell the pack elders are against this or at least pity her

-Nathan is such a fucking cunt he doesn't even wait for Natalia to leave the room before immediately claiming Vanessa as his mate? He marks her within like 20 seconds of Natalia finishing signing the thingy thing that says she's leaving the pack

-dude I actually feel bad for Nathan's wolf, Jack? (Who by the way also has a different voice actor than Nathan himself, an older man with a much deeper sexier voice tbh, I wouldn't mind if there's a story with this voice actor as the love interest 😳 stop giving me cocky ceos in their 30s and give me a real MAN like give me some lumberjack looking mf who's like 45 and can fuck me like a beast) or rather i pity jack at least initially. In most of these stories it is usually the human who is fucking up and the wolf actually still loves the protagonist and that's how it is here. Jack actually HATES Vanessa and is calling Nathan a stupid idiot this entire ordeal. During the denouncing ceremony for Natalia, the wolf also has to take control and reject her as his mate, and before he rejects her he whispers "I'm sorry, Tiny" which was Jack's personal nickname for her as a lil Latina woman, and after Natalia leaves, Jack is snapping at Nathan "you got rid of my Tiny!"

-dude apparently HIPPAA privacy laws don't exist on the packlands because the pack nurse shows up two months after Natalia is gone "oh Christian, I can't say it's my business why you two divorced, but can you get these prenatal vitamins to Natalia. I don't have her contact information and as a human giving birth to a werewolf it could be fatal for her" and cue Christian now knowing she lied, but this makes Jack absolutely furious at Nathan, no joke, "bring back my Tiny or I'll start killing until you don't have a pack left" AND HE DOES which is kind of where I lose sympathy for him. Christian and Jack, in secret, kill at least 50 pack members before they decide to overthrow him because Jack is "going feral"

-like. Ok. Listen to this bullshit right here. Right. So the pack elders and even Nathan's own parents, the former pack leaders, decide he's gone too far and needs to be overthrown. What is their solution? Instead of Julius Cesar'ing the guy like they should, they decide "hey he's literally a lunatic and the strongest member of our pack but we have to OFFICIALLY CHALLENGE HIM FOR THE TITLE"

-LMAO THEY TELL JORDAN IT HAS TO BE HIM AND THEY LITERALLY DONT GIVE HIM A CHOICE. THESE FIGHTS ARE USUALLY TO THE DEATH SO THEYRE BASICALLY ORDERING HIM TO FIGHT SOMEONE BIGGER, STRONGER, AND MORE EXPERIENCED. "Oh yeah he's killing tons of people in our pack but let's formally challenge him to a 1 on 1 where he could potentially win and then retaliate and kill us and also the guy we're sending is a Gamma who betrayed his Luna" what an absolutely STUNNING plan, I haven't reached the challenge but I'm almost absolutely positive Jordan will just be killed or have to be reacued by Natalia who hates him and all wolves now

-Natalia is afraid of werewolves now and wants absolutely nothing to do with them, like before she left she literally used her position as Luna to find out where she could move where there would be no packs around and she winds up in Wyoming) and she's just trying to mind her own business when she's given a new fated mate who refuses to reject her even as she's on her knees begging him to let her go. Because she is a human it somehow doesn't matter if she says the exact words she's supposed to? But guess what. Her new mate is mute from trauma and refuses to reject her because he's never experienced love and he's always treasured the idea of having a mate

-it's like, hard right, because the new mate Zane is actually a really decent sweet guy but Natalia is 100% within her rights to immediately start treating him like shit and tells him to leave her alone and that she hates wolves. Well it turns out some of her coworkers were wolves and she's lowkey traumatized that she was around wolves this entire time she thought she was safe (remember she was never turned so she can't sense wolves or has any powers)

-Zane makes a deal with her: give me a chance for 3 months and if you don't fall for me by then, I'll reject you. So, like, I get where he's coming from, but like, the mate bond does in fact kind of actually brainwash you and take away your consent so, even if it is not his intention, he is essentially trying to buy time until she is manipulated into loving him. Not to say there's nothing about him to love but like, her son is 3 when she meets Zane. I think she could've used a few more years to heal honestly. Also her son is annoying and apparently part of a magical prophecy (the plot of the first book was that the protag turned out to be basically a godlike figure, a special kind of wolf called an Ivory Twin, and there are special wolves called silver wolves and gold wolves. Zane is actually a silver wolf)

-anyways I'm not finished with this story (and I'm kind of bitter because when you're buying coins to unlock chapters, if you're reading a long story you can sometimes exceed the cost of just buying a book), but to reach the funny nail in the fail coffin, right:

After Natalia leaves, her sister Vanessa goes to the nurse. The nurse tells Vanessa not only does she have gonorrhea (which presumably she has also given to Nathan) but her minimal-symptom gonorrhea went untreated so long she has scarring on her fallopian tubes and is TRULY infertile. So Nathan left Natalia for a woman who is not only a manipulative bitch who betrayed her own sister, not only bad at her job as Luna, not only not as liked by the pack, but is also actually infertile, unlike Natalia, and her infertility is directly tied to uhhh not having reservations about how many partners she's had

So yeah I think I'd just share the heartbreak, anger, and delicious irony of this story. It's actually part of a series that I would recommend, The Ivory Queen is book one and The Silent Alpha is book 2, although I haven't really noticed if it's necessary to finish The Ivory Queen before starting TSA, since I haven't finished Ivory Queen yet (it's like over 80 chapters. Do you know how long these stories can take when you've got 10 minute long chapters 😩 I've been trying to avoid longer stories because they cost more but this series is so cute)

[sorrowfulroseheart013-blog]

Regulus’ POV

  Regulus was trying to read, he really was but Remus was right there and he itched to be held and pet by him so much and then when he looked over at him he met Remus' eyes and Regulus felt heat surge through him but it was soon doused in ice cold water as Remus fled the library as if the most evil of all evils ran on his heels. 

   He only hesitated for a second, Remus might hate or fear Regulus but he would never turn away Leo, right? He didn’t give himself the option to debate it, he hid away, became Leo and followed a group of Gryffindors, it was harder this time to get to Remus but when he did he could Smell his devastation. He slunk to the edge of Remus’ bed and gave a soft, begging meow and looked up, his emotions too much to contain and Remus seemed to soften before his eyes as he reached down for him,

“Oh Leo,” He said in a soft voice and Regulus felt himself perk up a bit, Remus wasn’t sending him away, “You’ll never believe how much of a fool I’ve been,” Regulus immediately wanted to deny that Remus was an idiot, he wanted to frown at the fake laugh and yet he melted as Remus kissed the top of his head. He was settled on Remus’ chest and he moved until he was in the spot that always made Remus go boneless when he purred, and yet, for some reason he could barely purr, it was frustrating. “I accidentally made eye contact with someone and well, I just ran.” He laughed again, this one slightly less saddening than the other. “Poor kid must think I was frightened of him but really I had just realized something rather life shattering and it just happened to be at that moment…” Regulus  wanted to know what was so life shattering that it made Remus look like that. “Although it did have to do with him.” He felt coldness seize his heart but before Remus could tell him more Sirius burst into the room.

“Oi Moony!” Sirius was far too loud, “What had you running so frantically?” He climbed on the bed, almost making Regulus fall off of Remus but he didn’t and that made his purrs steady because he accomplished something. He felt Remus relaxing slowly, always slowly unless they were alone.

“I realized I had a crush and said crush made eye contact with me” 

‘WHAT?!’ Regulus couldn’t process anything but the fact that Remus said he had a crush, a crush on someone, and that someone made eye contact with him- ‘crush on me?’ he thought as he stared at Remus who was staring at Sirius

“Oh? Moony has a crush?! Who’s the lucky girl?” Sirius asked, leaning forward and he was far too close to Remus’ face, 

“Back up Padfoot, you are lucky Leo is on my chest,” Remus grumbled while Regulus thought that Sirius was rather lucky that Regulus had to pretend to be a cat, and then Sirius was laughing and Regulus felt Remus’ breath stutter and, and that wasn’t right! Regulus didn’t think he just kneaded at Remus’ chest and shivered at the growl that slipped from him but he was also judging Remus for looking at Sirius that way

“Don’t give me that look.” Remus said which made Sirius start to laugh hysterically about Remus treating a cat as a human and then he walked away and Remus after waiting for Sirius to be out of earshot said simply, “I can crush on multiple people if I so feel like it.” A pause, “Besides he’s hot but we wouldn’t last a week, he’s Sirius and he’s also the biggest pain in my side with his ideas.” Regulus couldn’t help the sound that left his throat, amusement lanced through him like lightning, Remus was smiling so prettily and then he blanched and put a pillow over his face

“Remus? Why are you trying to suffocate yourself?” Pettigrew asked when he came in, he walked over and lifted the pillow up

“I am an idiot and told Sirius I had a crush.” Regulus couldn’t help but nod with Pettigrew, that was a foolish decision but then Pettigrew placed the pillow back down on Remus’ face and there was no pressure, just soft amusement and a shake of his head but Regulus was immediately irritation and swiped his paw forward, nails sliced through skin 

“Ouch!” Pettigrew practically yelled and glared at him while cradling his bleeding arm. 

“Leo?”

“I wasn’t actually going to help Remus suffocate himself!” Pettigrew tried to defend himself, and moved his hand towards Remus and Regulus didn’t know why but he hissed, The only good thing was that Remus started to laugh, although he did dislodge Regulus so he could curl in on himself.

Peter looked confused and looked at Leo as if he could give him an answer, Regulus just leant forward and licked his cut in apology

“Oh it’s alright, I suppose, Merlin knows Remus needs more protectors.” He did a pat-pat motion over Regulus’ head, “I best get down to the medical wing.” And then he was leaving

Regulus couldn’t help the pride he felt at being called Remus’ protector so of course that's when Remus calmed down and looked at him, nothing about today prepared him for the next words out of Remus’ mouth

“I love you,” Those words froze him, he could barely feel the kiss to the top of his head before he realized what Remus said and it felt like his body shivered violently when the purrs started, he couldn’t dampen them, his happiness was beyond anything he had ever felt before, Someone Loved Him. He felt the next kiss to the top of his head and let himself go boneless, and just enjoyed the feeling, he drifted off, he knew he’d have to go back to being Regulus again but for now he could be Leo and he could be loved.

[nightfallsolace]

Hello, could I request a headcanon list for either Joseph or Luca? (if it's ok can you do both please?) with a chaotic S/o? thank you!!

OMG OMG OMG YES-- Finally, I have a request. Truthfully, I was already writing the request bUt nO crome decided to be an asshole and close one me, BUT YES I can and will do both <33 I'm making the s/o gender-neutral since there was no specified gender, Warning!! Cursing

Joseph Desaulnier and Luca Balsa with a gn! chaotic s/o joseph Desaulnier

-With chaos, there must be speed, I mean, how are you supposed to create chaos if you're slow?

-So Joseph had a pretty rough time catching you at first

-Truthfully, he found you annoying at first

-Poor peepaw got subjected to your pranks as well

-S/o would be constantly bugging and stealing joseph's food

Joseph: "Y/n, did you eat my cream puffs??"

Y/n: *mouth full of food* "No..."

Joseph: "Then what's that on your shirt?"

Y/n: "That's whipped cocaine--"

-Had been very irritable for a month due to your shenanigans

-Welp, he’s had decided that he hates you, (actually no, that's a lie, he’s just very irritated,)

-He started ignoring you, which actually made you guilty of the thing you did,

-you started trying absolutely EVERYTHING to get his attention and to get him to forgive you, 

-He would wake up everyday for 3 months to find random things and food on his front door, and apology letters slipped under his door

-Joseph ignored it for the first few weeks, throwing away the letters and items, and giving away the food that had been placed on the doorstep, but eventually gave in

-He found himself smiling every time a letter had been slipped under his door, and he had started to collect the trinkets he had been receiving and eating the food that had been placed every now and then

-He started slowly noticing you again, which made you pretty happy

-Joseph realized that aside from the all the chaos and pain you inflict, you could also be a source of solace

-Whenever he would lose a match, or had a problem, he could just storm into your room and rant for hours and you would just sit and listen. Either giving really good advice or something related to fire,

Joseph: *rants in French*

Y/n: “Mhm, uh huh, ok, so I have a solution,”

Joseph: ”Thank goodness,”

Y/n: “It involves fire”

Joseph: “Absolutely not”

-He slowly fell for your child-like charm, despite him stating he very much “hated” you.

--The confession

Joseph: “Have you ever liked someone, but you were to afraid to tell them?”

Y/n: “oh yeah, why?”

*silence*

Mary: *face palms* JUST KISS ALREADY I AM S I C K OF WATCHING THE TWO OF YOU IN THIS PITIFUL STATE

Joseph and y/n: *blushing furiously*

Luca Balsa

-Literally both of you head-slamed into each other, the first time you met. and it just went like

Luca: ouch!-

Y/n: OH FUCK-- sorry- *runs away*

Luca: wha-

Y/n: I LIKE YOUR OUTFIT BTW ITS BADASS!!

Luca: oh damn, they cool

- Met again, in the halls of the manor when Luca was testing out his new machinery, which you had complimented, plus points to you from luc

-Ya’ll became good friends after that,

-he would help you with whatever pranks you want to do and in exchange you would help him with his inventions

-encourages your shenanigans, and often gets involves in them to,

-pranks the hunters during matches

-sometimes the other survivors to

-YOU CANNOT IN ANYWAY UNCONVINCE ME THAT LUCA DOES NOT OWN A RAT >:((

-you found out about his pet rat and decided to adopt one from the cellar to

-Rat Buddies <33

-”Platonic flirting”

Luca: “Did it hurt?”

y/n: “what do you mean?”

Luca: “when you fell from heaven”

y/n: “no, but I scraped my knees crawling out of hell”

Luca: “you are literally so cool”

Y/n: bro...

Luca: bro..

-Both oblivious to each others feelings, LIKE JUST DATE ALREADY?!

-Confession probably went like, “you bro I think we’re in love” “holy shit I think we are”

[canirove]

Red & Blue | Chapter 35

Author's note: We are approaching the end of "Red & Blue", but don't worry, because there is more Mason coming in November. And in the company of a certain Portuguese with arms the size of my head 👀

Previous chapter | Next chapter

Masterlist

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“Dear God, breathe!”

“Imf brifin.”

“No, you are not. Eat slowly, please.”

“Fine” I say. “But I am hungry, and this tastes so good.”

“I know it does. But I only want to have to take you to the hospital when that little one decides is time to come to the world, not because you’ve chocked while eating chocolate.”

“I’ll be careful, I promise.”

“Are you eating well?”

“Yes, Eliza. I am eating well.”

“Because you are planning on playing again once the baby is born, right? You are not retiring yet.”

“I am not. Besides, I live with a football player. I eat healthy even if I don’t want to, and all this will be burnt later” I say, giving my pastry another big bite.

“Pilates? Yoga?”

“Mounting.”

“Mount… Oh. Oh!”

“Oh indeed” I say with a big smile.

“Let’s talk about something else, shall we?” Eliza says, her face turning a bright shade of pink. “The announcement.”

“Yes, that.”

“What do you guys want to do?”

“We thought an Instagram post would be enough.”

“Maternity shoot?”

“God, no. I hate those, they are so… Yeah, not for me. But Mason has been taking random photos of the me and the bump, so one of those will do.”

“And the caption?”

“I don’t know. Something simple, nothing cheesy.”

“Ok. Send me some of the photos you like and the caption, and I’ll discuss it with his team.”

“Really? Is that necessary?”

“This is something huge. It isn’t like when you go somewhere for the holidays. We can’t risk posting it and then seeing that there is some underwear on the background, a grammar error…”

“I don’t make grammar errors” I say all proud.

“Just in case. We don’t want to give people any reason to be mean or send hate. Not with something like this.”

“The haters will find a way to hate, they don’t give a shit about anything or anyone. But yes, it’ll be for the best.”

“And then we have you know who…” Eliza sighs.

“Oh, the conspiracy theorists that believe Leah and I are together and Mason is just a beard… I hope they don’t follow the scary route others have, and start saying this is all fake and that the baby is a doll.”

“They’ll probably say it is your baby with Leah, and that Mason is the sperm donor.”

“Or Aaron.”

“I’ll make sure to keep an eye on the comments.”

“Great. Are you gonna eat that?” I say, pointing at the other pain au chocolat on the table.

“All yours. But promise you will eat it slowly.”

“I promise” I say before devouring it in just a few bites.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━        

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━         

"Ay, ¡pero mírate!" Sandra says, hugging me. She and Marco have come to spend a couple of days with us in London now that La Liga is on their Christmas break. "Last time I saw you, you were barely showing!"

"And now, look" I say, caressing my belly.

"Two months left, right?"

"Yep."

"Are you ready for it?" Marco says, also giving me a hug.

"I think I am. Mason, on the other hand..."

"He's freaking out, isn't he?" Sandra says.

"Kind of."

Instead of spending most part of his free time playing golf or video games with his friends, he's now using that time to read books about pregnancies and babies. And when he is online, he's constantly watching videos, reading more, and searching and buying everything we may need. Or not.

"Can I check the nursery?" Sandra asks. "Seeing it on videos isn't the same as in real life."

"She's been looking forward to it since we got the plane tickets. I think she's more excited about that than seeing you" Marco says.

"Hey!" she replies, hitting him on the arm. "I'm excited because this is a very special project. It is my first nursery, and I don't usually work through facetime, I visit the places I'm decorating. I must make sure everything is perfect for the little one."

"If you say so... Ouch!" Marco complains when Sandra hits him again.

"C'mon, I'm also excited about you seeing it for the first time" I say, grabbing her arm. Since Sandra works as an interior designer, I asked for help with the nursery. I had no idea about where to start.

"Oh my God, it's perfect!" she says once we walk into the room, checking every detail. "And the wallpaper! So much prettier in person!"

"I love it. Now I kind of want the whole house to be covered on it."

"The rest of the house looks great the way it is, don't touch anything" she says, threatening me with her finger.

"The hanger with all the little shirts is so cute" Marco says.

"Mason loves it."

"He is the one who put the Chelsea one first, isn't he?"

"Yep. And when Leah comes to visit, it's the Arsenal one the one that magically shows up first."

"I can see them fighting over the shirt the baby must wear" Marco laughs.

"Oh, that's already happening. Sometimes Declan also is involved and... Yeah. So I've told them that those stay on the hanger, and the only one that gets to be worn is the England one. That makes everyone happy."

"Unless they start arguing about the name or number on the back..."

"Marco, don't give them ideas!" Sandra says.

"I knew it could happen, so I said no name or number. Besides, only Mason and I know the name."

"Which I think is very rude. Not telling your dear friends about the name... What if I want to get you something with the name embroided?" Sandra says, checking the wardrobe. "But look at all these little outfits! You better send me photos every single day."

"I will, you aren’t the first person who asks for it. I see myself making a group chat just to send photos of the outfits.”

“Baby influencer” Marco says.

“Have you decided if you will show the face on social media?” Sandra asks.

“No, not yet. Mason is dying to be able to go out and do the walk around the pitch at the end of the season like he’s done with Summer. He’s said that it is a dream he’s always had, to do that with his kids. Same if he wins something. And whether you like or not, there will be photos and videos online. So I guess we’ll see how things go, and how comfortable we feel.”

“Good” Sandra says. “Now let’s take some photos of this beautiful room. Will you allow me to post them on Instagram?”

“Of course! I know how much it means to you.”

“You are the best” Sandra says, giving me a quick hug.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━       

[bringbackthebastard]

Bring Back the Bastard Daily Prompts

Hello, folks! I'm posting these two weeks before we begin our fest, on September 1st, to give folks some inspiration on what to write each day as we celebrate Severus Snape's pettiest, most dastardly moments. I specifically picked out moments Snaters always harp on, that Snapedom personally enjoys--from any moment with Trevor to bitching at Lupin at Sirius, to the moments that Lily turns away and Dumbledore's face flashes with disgust--sure, he's a bastard, but he's our bastard, and that's what we like about him. You don't want him? Good. We'll keep him. Here are 30 scene prompts for 30 days--it's a long list, pulled chronologically from all seven books, but I found that it reminded me of everything I love about this character. The moments where he's called deranged, the moments where he slips into all-caps, the ugliest moments of the soul. Hope yall enjoy. Excited to kick off the fest starting September 1st, and absolutely excited to see what Snapedom will do. Let's Bring Back the Bastard! The prompts are below the readmore.

Day 1: The Scar Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacheer with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin. It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into Harry's eyes--and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead. "Ouch!" Harry clapped a hand to his head. "What is it?" asked Percy. "N-nothing." The pain had gone as quickly as it had come. Harder to shake off was the feeling Harry had gotten from the teacher's look--a felling that he didn't like Harry at all. "Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" he asked Percy. "Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to--everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape."

Day 2: Bad Impressions Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name. "Ah, yes," he said softly. "Harry Potter. Our new--celebrity."

Day 3: Potions Class "Potter!" said Snape suddenly "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of what? Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione's hand shot into the air. "I don't know, sir," said Harry. Snape's lips curled into a sneer. "Tut, tut--fame clearly isn't everything."

Day 4: A Horrible Sight Snape and Filch were inside, alone. Snape was holding his robes above his knees. One of his legs was bloody and mangled. Filch was handing Snape bandages. "Blasted thing," Snape was saying. "How are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?" Harry tried to shut the door quietly, but-- "POTTER!" Snape's face was twisted with fury as he dropped his robes quickly to hide his leg. Harry gulped. "I just wondered if I could have my book back." "GET OUT! OUT!"

Day 5: Maybe He's Ill "Hang on..." Harry muttered to Ron. "There's an empty chair at the staff table...Where's Snape?" Professor Severus Snape was Harry's least favorite teacher. Harry also happened to be Snape's least favorite student. Cruel, sarcastic, and disliked by everybody except the students from his own House (Slytherin), Snape taught Potions. "Maybe he's ill!" said Ron hopefully. "Maybe he's left," said Harry, "because he missed out on the Defense Against the Dark Arts job again!" "Or he might have been sacked!" said Ron enthusiastically. "I mean, everyone hates him--" "Or maybe," said a very cold voice right behind them, "he's waiting to hear why you two didn't arrive on the school train."

Day 6: Slytherin Takes the Field "But I booked the field!" said Wood, positively spitting with rage. "But I booked it!" "Ah," said Flint. "But I've got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape. 'I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker.'"

Day 7: No Quidditch For You! "I suggest, Headmaster, that Potter is not being entirely truthful," he said. "It might be a good idea if he were deprived of certain privileges until he is ready to tell us the whole story. I personally feel he should be taken off the Gryffindor Quidditch team until he is ready to be honest." "Really, Severus," said Professor McGonagall sharply, "I see no reason to stop the boy playing Quidditch. This cat wasn't hit over the head with a broomstick. There is no evidence at all that Potter has done anything wrong." Dumbledore was giving Harry a searching look. His twinkling light-blue gaze made Harry feel as though he were being X-rayed. "Innocent until proven guilty, Severus," he said firmly. Snape looked furious.

Day 8: Expelliarmus! "Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," said Lockhart, flashing a wide smile. "He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry--you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!" "Wouldn't it be good if they finished each other off?" Ron muttered in Harry's ear. Snape's upper lip was curling. Harry wondered why Lockhart was still smiling; if Snape had been looking at *him* like that he'd have been running as fast as he could in the opposite direction. Lockhart and Snape turned to face each other and bowed; at least, Lockhart did, with much twirling of his hands, whereas Snape jerked his head irritably. Then they raised their wands like swords in front of them. "As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," Lockhart told the silent crowd. "On the count of three, we will cast our fist spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course." "I wouldn't bet on that," Harry murmured, watching Snape baring his teeth. "One--two--three--" Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at their opponent; Snape cried: "Expelliarmus!" There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet. He flew backward off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it to sprawl on the floor.

Day 9: Only Bite Him A Little Bit, Please "Don't move, Potter," said Snape lazily, clearly enjoying the sight of Harry standing motionless, eye to eye with the angry snake. "I'll get rid of it..."

Day 10: Poisoning Trevor The end of the lesson in sight, Snape strode over to Neville, who was cowering by his cauldron. "Everyone gather 'round," said Snape, his black eyes glittering, "and watch what happens to Longbottom's toad. If he has managed to produce a Shrinking Solution, it will shrink to a tadpole. If, as I don't doubt, he has done it wrong, his toad is likely to be poisoned." The Gryffindors watched fearfully. The Slytherins looked excited. Snape picked up Trevor the toad in his left hand and dipped a small spoon into Neville's potion, which was now green. He trickled a few drops down Trevor's throat. There was a moment of hushed silence, in which Trevor gulped; then there was a small op, and Trevor the tadpole was wriggling in Snape's palm. The Gryffindors burst into applause. Snape, looking sour, pulled a small bottle from the pocket of his robe, poured a few drops on top of Trevor, and he reappeared suddenly, fully grown. "Five points from Gryffindor," said Snape, which wiped smiles from every face. "I told you not to help him, Miss Granger. Class dismissed."

Day 11: Insufferable Know-It-All Everyone sat in motionless silence; everyone except Hermione, whose hand, as it so often did, had shot straight into the air. "Anyone?" Snape said, ignoring Hermione. His twisted smile was back. "Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even taught you the basic distinction between--" "We told you," said Parvati suddenly, "we haven't got as far as werewolves yet, we're still on--" "Silence!" snarled Snape. "Well, well, well, I never thought I'd meet a third-year class who wouldn't even recognize a werewolf when they saw one. I shall make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you all are..." "Please, sir," said Hermione, whose hand was still in the air, "the werewolf differs from the true wolf in several small ways. The snout of the werewolf--" "That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger," said Snape coolly. "Fire more points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all."

Day 12: Your Saintly Father "I would hate for you to run away with a false idea of your father, Potter," he said, a terrible grin twisting his face. "Have you been imagining some act of glorious heroism? Then let me correct you--your saintly father and his friends played a highly amusing joke on me that would have resulted in my death if your father hadn't gotten cold feet at the last moment. There was nothing brave about what he did. He was saving his own skin as much as mine. Had their joke succeeded, he would have been expelled from Hogwarts." Snape's uneven, yellowish teeth were bared.

Day 13: Don't Talk About What You Don't Understand "KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!" Snape shouted, looking suddenly quite deranged. "DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" A few sparks shot out of the end o his wand, which was still pointed at Black's face. Hermione fell silent. "Vengeance is very sweet," Snape breathed at Black. "How I hoped I would be the one to catch you..." "The joke's on you again, Severus," Black snarled. "As long as this boy brings his rat up to the castle" --he jerked his head at Ron-- "I'll come quietly...." "Up to the castle?" said Snape silkily. "I don't think we need to go that far. All I have to do is call the dementors once we get out of the Willow. They'll be very pleased to see you, Black...pleased enough to give you a little Kiss, I daresay...."

Day 14: A Great Disappointment "He must have Disapparated, Severus. We should have let somebody in the room with him. When this gets out--" "HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE!" Snape roared, now very close at hand. "YOU CAN'T APPARATE *OR* DISAPPARATE INSIDE THIS CASTLE! THIS--HAS--SOMETHING--TO--DO--WITH--POTTER!" "Severus--be reasonable--Harry has been locked up--" BAM. The door of the hospital wing burst open. Fudge, Snape, and Dumbledore came striding into the ward. Dumbledore alone looked calm. Indeed, he looked as though he was quite enjoying himself. Fudge appeared angry. But Snape was beside himself. "OUT WITH IT, POTTER!" he bellowed. "WHAT DID YOU DO?" "Professor Snape!" shrieked Madam Pomfrey. "Control yourself!" "See here, Snape, be reasonable," said Fudge. "This door's been locked, we just saw--" "THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT!" Snape howled, pointing at Harry and Hermione. His face was twisted; spit was flying from his mouth. "Calm down, man!" Fudge barked. "You're talking nonsense!" "YOU DON'T KNOW POTTER!" shrieked Snape. "HE DID IT, I KNOW HE DID IT--" "That will do, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly. "Think about what you are saying. This door has been locked since I left the war ten minutes ago. Madam Pomfrey, have these students left their beds?" "Of course not!" said Madam Pomfrey, bristling. "I would have heard them!" "Well, there you have it, Severus," said Dumbledore calmly. "Unless you are suggesting that Harry and Hermione are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further." Snape stood there, seething, staring from Fudge, who looked thoroughly shocked at his behavior, to Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling behind his glasses. Snape whirled about, robes swishing behind him, and stormed out of the ward. "Fellow seems quite unbalanced," said Fudge, staring after him. "I'd watch out for him if I were you, Dumbledore." "Oh, he's not unbalanced," said Dumbledore quietly. "He's just suffered a severe disappointment."

Day 15: Haven't You Heard? "Blimey, haven' yeh heard?" said Hagrid, his smile fading a little. He lowered his voice, even though there was nobody in sight. "Er--Snape told all the Slytherins this mornin'....Thought everyone'd know by now...Professor Lupin's a werewolf, see. An' he was loose on the grounds las' night...He's packin' now, o' course."

Day 16: I See No Difference "And what is all this noise about?" said a soft, deadly voice. Snape had arrived. The Slytherins clamored to give their explanations; Snape pointed a long yellow finger at Malfoy and said, "Explain." "Potter attacked me, sir--" "We attacked each other at the same time!" Harry shouted. "--and he hit Goyle--look--" Snape examined Goyle, whose face now resembled something that would have been at home in a book on poisonous fungi. "Hospital wing, Goyle," Snape said calmly. "Malfoy got Hermione!" Ron said. "Look!" He forced Hermione to show Snape her teeth--she was doing her best to hide them with her hands, though this was difficult as they had now grown down past her collar. Pansy Parkinson and the other Slytherin girls were doubled up with silent giggles, pointing at Hermione from behind Snape's back. Snape looked coldly at Hermione, then said, "I see no difference."

Day 17: The Dark Mark Snape strode forward, past Dumbledore, pulling up the left sleeve of his robes as he went. He struck out his forearm and showed it to Fudge, who recoiled. "There," said Snape harshly. "There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear as it was an hour or so ago, when it burned black, but you can still see it. Every Death Eater had the sign burned into him by the Dark Lord. It was a means of distinguishing one another, and his means of summoning us to him. When he touched the Mark of any Death Eater, we were to Disapparate, and Apparate, instantly, at his side. This Mark has been growing clearer all year. Karkaroff's too. Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight? We both felt the Mark burn. We both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark Lord's vengeance. He betrayed too many of his fellow Death Eater to be sure of a welcome back into the fold."

Day 18: If You Are Ready...If You Are Prepared... "Severus," said Dumbledore, turning to Snape, "you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready...if you are prepared..." "I am," said Snape. He looked slightly paler than usual, and his cold, black eyes glittered strangely. "Then good luck," said Dumbledore, and he watched, with a trace of apprehension on his face, as Snape swept wordlessly after Sirius.

Day 19: Obviously "Now...how long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?" she asked, her quill poised over her clipboard. "Fourteen years," Snape replied. His expression was unfathomable. His eyes on Snape, Harry added a few drops to his potion; it hissed menacingly and turned from turquoise to orange. "You applied first for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post, I believe?" Professor Umbridge asked Snape. "Yes," said Snape quietly. "But you were unsuccessful?" Snape's lip curled. "Obviously." Professor Umbridge scribbled on her clipboard. "And you have applied regularly for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post since you first joined the school, I believe?" "Yes," said Snape quietly, barely moving his lips. He looked very angry. "Do you have any idea why Dumbledore has consistently refused to appoint you?" asked Umbridge. "I suggest you ask him," said Snape jerkily. "Oh I shall," said Professor Umbridge with a sweet smile. "I suppose this is relevant?" Snape asked, his black eyes narrowed. "Oh yes," said Professor Umbridge. "Yes, the Ministry wants a thorough understanding of teachers'--er--backgrounds...." She turned away, walked over to Pansy Parkinson, and began questioning her about the lessons. Snape looked around at Harry and their eyes met for a second. Harry hastily dropped his gaze to his potion, which was now congealing foully and giving off a strong smell of burned rubber. "No marks again, then, Potter," said Snape maliciously, emptying Harry's cauldron with a wave of his wand. "You will write me an essay on the correct composition of this potion, indicating how and why you went wrong, to be handed in next lesson, do you understand?"

Day 20: Very Like His Father "How touching," Snape sneered. "But surely you have noticed that Potter is very like his father?" Yes, I have," said Sirius proudly. "Well then, you'll know he's so arrogant that criticism simply bounces off him," Snape said sleekly. Sirius pushed his chair roughly aside and strode around the table toward Snape, pulling out his wand as he went; Snape whipped out his own. They were squaring up to each other, Sirius looking livid, Snape calculating, his eyes darting from Sirius' wand-tip to his face. "Sirius!" said Harry loudly, but Sirius appeared not to hear him. "I've warned you, Snivellus," said Sirius, his face barely a foot from Snape's, "I don't care if Dumbledore thinks you've reformed, I know better." "Oh, but why don't you tell him so?" whispered Snape. "Or are you afraid he might not take the advice of a man who has been hiding inside his mother's house for six months very seriously?" "Tell me, how is Lucius Malfoy these days? I expect he's delighted his lapdog's working at Hogwarts, isn't he?" "Speaking of dogs," said Snape softly, "did you know that Lucius Malfoy recognized you last time you risked a little jaunt outside? Clever idea, Black, getting yourself seen on a safe station platform...gave you a cast-iron excuse not to leave your hidey-hole in future, didn't it?" Sirius raised his wand. "NO!" Harry yelled, vaulting over the table and trying to get in between them, "Sirius, don't--" "Are you calling me a coward?" roared Sirius, trying to push Harry out of the way, but Harry would not budge. "Why, yes, I suppose I am," said Snape.

Day 21: Wormtail's Whine "We...we are alone, aren't we?" Narcissa asked quietly. "Yes, of course. Well, Wormtail's here, but we're not counting vermin, are we?" He pointed his wand at the wall of books behind him and with a bang, a hidden door flew open, revealing a narrow staircase upon which a small man stood frozen. "As you have clearly realized, Wormtail, we have guests," said Snape lazily. The man crept, hunchbacked, down the last few steps and moved into the room. He had small, watery eyes, a pointed nose, and wore an unpleasant simper. His left hand was caressing his right, which looked as though it was encased in a bright silver glove. "Narcissa!" he said, in a squeaky voice. "And Bellatrix! How charming--" "Wormtail will get us drinks, if you'd like them," said Snape. "And then he will return to his bedroom." Wormtail winced as though Snape had thrown something at him. "I am not your servant!" he squeaked, avoiding Snape's eyes. "Really? I was under the impression that the Dark Lord placed you here to assist me." "To assist, yes--but not to make you drinks and--clean your house!" "I had no idea, Wormtail, that you were craving more dangerous assignments," said Snape silkily. "This can be easily arranged: I shall speak to the Dark Lord--" "I can speak to him if I want to!" "Of course you can," said Snape, sneering. "But in the meantime, bring us drinks. Some of the elf-made wine will do."

Day 22: A Loving Caress Snape set off around the edge of the room, speaking now in a lower voice; the class craned their necks to keep him in view. "The Dark Arts," said Snape, "are many, varied, ever-changing, and eternal. Fighting them is like fighting a many-headed monster, which, each time a neck is severed, sprouts a head even fiercer and cleverer than before. You are fighting that which is unfixed, mutating, indestructible." Harry stared at Snape. It was surely one thing to respect the Dark Arts as a dangerous enemy, another to speak of them, as Snape was doing, with a loving caress in his voice? "Your defenses," said Snape, a little louder, "must therefore be as flexible and inventive as the arts you seek to undo. These pictures" --he indicated a few of them as he swept past-- "give a fair representation of what happens to those who suffer, for instance, the Cruciatus Curse" --he waved a hand toward a witch who was clearly shrieking in agony-- "feel the Dementor's Kiss" --a wizard lying huddled and blank-eyed, slumped against a wall-- "or provoke the aggression of the Inferius" --a bloody mass upon the ground.

Day 23: Better People "What does it matter?" said Malfoy. "Defense Against the Dark Arts--it's all just a joke, isn't it, an act? Like an of us need protecting against the Dark Arts--" "It is an act that is crucial to success, Draco!" said Snape. "Where do you think I would have been all these years, if I had not known how to act? Now listen to me! You are being incautious, wandering around at night, getting yourself caught, and if you are placing your reliance in assistants like Crabbe and Goyle--" "They're not the only ones, I've got other people on my side, better people!" "Then why not confide in me, and I can--" "I know what you're up to! You want to steal my glory!" There was another pause, then Snape said coldly, "You are speaking like a child. I quite understand that your father's capture and imprisonment has upset you, but--"

Day 24: Revulsion and Hatred Etched on His Face "Severus..." The sound frightened Harry beyond anything he had experienced all evening. For the first time, Dumbledore was pleading. Snape said nothing, but walked forward and pushed Malfoy roughly out of the way. The three Death Eaters fell back without a word. Even the werewolf seemed cowed. Snape gazed for a moment at Dumbledore, and there was revulsion and hatred etched in the harsh lines of his face. "Severus...please..." Snape raised his wand and pointed it directly at Dumbledore. "Avada Kedavra!"

Day 25: Don't Call Me Coward Mustering all his powers of concentration, Harry thought, Levi-- "No, Potter!" screamed Snape. There was a loud BANG and Harry was soaring backward, hitting the ground hard again, and this time his wand flew out of his hand. He could hear Hagrid yelling and Fang howling as Snape closed in and looked down on him where he lay, wandless and defenseless as Dumbledore had been. Snape's pale face, illuminated by the flaming cabin, was suffused with hatred just as it had been before he had cursed Dumbledore. "You dare use my own spells against me, Potter? It was I who invented them--I, the Half-Blood Prince! And you'd turn my inventions on me, like your filthy father, woudl you? I don't think so...no!" Harry had dived for his wand; Snape shot a hex at it and it flew feet away into the darkness and out of sight. "Kill me then," panted Harry, who felt no fear at all, but only rage and contempt. "Kill me like you killed him, you coward--" "DON'T--" screamed Snape, and his face was suddenly deranged, inhuman, as though he was in as much pain as the yelping, howling dog stuck in the burning house behind them-- "CALL ME COWARD!"

Day 26: The Guest Voldemort raised Lucius Malfoy's wand, pointed it directly at the slowing revolving figure suspended over the table, and gave it a tiny flick. The figure came to life with a groan and began to struggle against invisible bonds. "Do you recognize our guest, Severus?" asked Voldemort. Snape raised his eyes to the upside-down face. All of the Death Eaters were looking up at the captive now, as thought they had been given permission to show curiosity. As she revolved to face the firelight, the woman said in a cracked and terrified voice, "Severus! Help me!" "Ah, yes," said Snape as the prisoner turned slowly away again.

Day 27: I Regret It "All this long night, when I am on the brink of victory, I have sat here," said Voldemort, his voice barely louder than a whisper, "wondering, wondering why the Elder Wand refuses to be what it ought to be, refuses to perform as legend says it must perform for its rightful owner...and I think I have the answer." Snape did not speak. "Perhaps you already know it? You are a clever man, after all, Severus. You have been a good and faithful servant, and I regret what must happen." "My Lord--" "The Elder Wand cannot serve me properly, Severus, because I am not its true master. The Elder Wand belongs to the wizard who killed its last owner. You killed Albus Dumbledore. While you live, Severus, the Elder Wand cannot be truly mine." "My Lord!" Snape protested, raising his wand. "It cannot be any other way," said Voldemort. "I must master the wand, Severus. Master the wand, and I master Potter at last." And Voldemort swiped the air with the Elder Wand. It did nothing to Snape, who for a split second seemed to think he had been reprieved: But then Voldemort's intention became clear. The snake's cage was rolling through the air, and before Snape could do anything more than yell, it had encased him, head and shoulders, and Voldemort spoke in Parseltongue. "Kill." There was a terrible scream. Harry saw Snape's face losing the little color it had left; it whitened as his black eyes widened, as the snake's fangs pierced his neck, as he failed to push the enchanted cage off himself, as his knees gave way and he fell to the floor. "I regret it," said Voldemort coldly.

Day 28: You Hurt Her! "Tuney!" said Lily, surprise and welcome in her voice, but Snape had jumped to his feet. "Who's spying now?" he shouted. "What d'you want?" Petunia was breathless, alarmed at being caught. Harry could see her struggling for something hurtful to say. "What is that you're wearing, anyway?" she said, pointing at Snape's chest. "Your mum's blouse?" There was a *crack*. A branch over Petunia's head had fallen. Lily screamed: The branch caught Petunia on the shoulder, and she staggered backward and burst into tears. "Tuney!" But Petunia was running away. Lily rounded on Snape. "Did you make it happen?" "No." He looked both defiant and scared. "You did!" She was backing away from him. "You *did*! You hurt her!" "No--no I didn't!" But the lie did not convince Lily: After one last burning look, she ran from the little thicket, off after her sister, and Snape looked miserable and confused....

Day 29: Save Your Breath "I'm sorry." "I'm not interested." "I'm sorry!" "Save your breath." It was nighttime. Lily, who was wearing a dressing gown, stood with her arms folded in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady, at the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. "I only came out because Mary told me you were threatening to sleep here." "I was. I would have done. I never meant to call you Mudblood, it just--" "Slipped out?" There was no pity in Lily's voice. "It's too late. I've made excuses for you for years. None of my friends can understand why I even talk to you. You and your precious little Death Eater friends--you see, you don't even deny it! You don't even deny that's what you're all aiming to be! You can't wait to join You-Know-Who, can you?" He opened his mouth, but closed it without speaking. "I can't pretend anymore. You've chosen your way, I've chosen mine." "No--listen, I didn't mean--" "--to call me Mudblood? But you call everyone of my birth Mudblood, Severus. Why should I any different?" He struggled on the verge of speech, but with a contemptuous look she turned and climbed back through the portrait hole....

Day 30: Anything "If she means so much to you," said Dumbledore, "surely Lord Voldemort will spare her? Could you not ask for the mother, in exchange for the son?" "I have--I have asked him--" "You disgust me," said Dumbledore, and Harry had never heard so much contempt in his voice. Snape seemed to drink a little. "You do not care, then, about the deaths of her husband and child? They can die, as long as you have what you want?" Snape said nothing, but merely looked up at Dumbledore. "Hide them all, then," he croaked. "Keep her--them--safe. Please." "And what will you give me in return, Severus?" "In--in return?" Snape gaped at Dumbledore, and Harry expected him to protest, but after a long moment he said, "Anything."

[spectaclespencer]

P.H. // Part 1; Alone

Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader

A/N; Here’s the first chapter! Let me know what you think <3 this is based off of this request I got. Any and all feedback is appreciated. Please know I know this theme/part has little to nothing to do with the actual meaning of the song, but some lines work if you ignore the rest 😅

Summary; After Gideon leaves, Reader takes up chess to comfort Spencer through the difficult time.

Category; Fluff, Angst(?), Hurt/Comfort

Content Warnings; Sad Spencer otherwise none!

Word Count; 3.5k

Masterlist | Series Masterlist | Next

It started when I found Spencer one morning. He had fallen asleep on a chair at the bau, and he explained to me that he’d been waiting for Gideon because he promised to play chess with Spencer that night.

“Is Hotch in yet?”

“No, he will be soon. We have a case, JJ is gonna brief us and we leave in 30.”

He thanked me and left the room, with his head down. He kept the same mood during the briefing, he kept drifting off as JJ was talking. Spencer was known to be stuck in his head often, but this was far more unusual behaviour. I figured maybe he slept wrong, or maybe just was simply looking forward to playing chess with Gideon. That was their usual routine, to have a game or two after cases to relax. It was understandable to see him on edge after not hearing from him all night.

As we got on the jet he didn’t sit with me on the couch right away as he usually did, instead he walked over to Hotch in the back corner. I craned my neck to try and see what he was doing and hear what he was saying. He spoke in soft whispers, seemingly asking questions I assumed were about Gideon’s presence. I saw Hotch shake his head, to which Spencer’s expression dropped. He thanked him, then made his way over to the couch beside me.

“You okay?” I asked.

He gave me a quick nod -- yet didn’t meet my eyes -- then curled up at the end of the couch to presumably take a nap before we landed.

We were all worried about Gideon, none of us had heard from him since the last case. We figured he just needed a break from the chaos; having a loved one die would take a toll on any of us. It was logical really, any one of the team would need time to recover when presented with that situation.

Spencer remained more quiet throughout the case, not engaging in conversation when it wasn’t crucial to the work. We ended up sharing rooms but even then he didn’t budge. He mostly sat in the corner and played chess against himself, often zoning out and staring at the wall. It was hard to see, and even harder to sit back and let him try to get through it. I could tell he was fighting himself in his head, probably going over scenarios on Gideon’s whereabouts. I imagine the stress was affecting him heavily -- or at least it was clear with the way his forehead had been creased all night.

Chess. Nobody on the team had a fair shot at him besides Gideon. Sitting there staring at the pieces probably wasn’t doing him too good, only making him worry more.

It wasn’t that I didn’t care because I did, but when it comes to certain things Spencer can be defensive and refuse help, so I wanted to give him a chance to get better. It wasn’t unlike him to refuse help, and I didn’t want to make the situation worse by opening my mouth. Instead, I opted to ask, “Mind if I join in for a game?”

“What? Uh- no it’s fine. I mean, okay yes. Sure,” Spencer stuttered, spooked by my sudden appearance beside him.

“Stop slouching, you’re gonna make your posture even worse,” I chuckled lightly, patting his shoulder to remind him. He shot me a small smile, watching as I rounded the table to sit across from him. I wasn’t too good of a player, but I wanted to make Spencer feel just a little less alone.

“Do you even know how to play?”

“Ouch,” I mocked offense, slapping a hand over my heart. “So cruel, Spencer.”

He raised his eyebrows in a form of asking again, to which I replied with, “Kind of. I haven’t played for years but I’ve observed you.”

“Y-you’ve observed me?” Spencer questioned, resetting the chess pieces on the board.

“Well, yeah. Kind of hard not to. You’re a pretty interesting guy.”

“Oh. Thank you.”

I smiled when he finally made eye contact with me. He looked tired -- more so than usual -- with his eyebags a deeper shade than they were normally.

The game didn’t last long. In only seven minutes, he managed to beat me. I groaned at my loss, lips pulled into a tight line. Spencer didn’t react, however.

“Okay that’s enough for me,” I said, heading over to the bathroom to brush my teeth before bed. “Goodnight Spence. Get some sleep. No offense but you look like you need it.”

He hummed at me, cleaning up the table before he climbed into his own bed.

I could tell he didn’t sleep much that night, as he kept a lamp on and littered his bed with various books. He looked cute, all swaddled up in the blanket he brings with him on every case for a sense of stability. His glasses were perched on his nose, and he was chewing his fingernails -- a habit I’ve tried to get him to kick over the past two years.

We didn’t talk during the night, but we both knew that each other were awake. I was kept up by my thoughts, trying to figure out how to get Spencer out of his slump. Re-learning how to play chess seemed like a decent enough idea -- yet one that would take some time. I was proved tonight that my skill needed to be greatly improved. It was nice in the moment, but realistically it would take a few weeks, if not more, to get the hang of.

The next day at the precinct I was stationed at the map, trying to figure out our geographical profile. I heard faint chattering coming from outside, and looked over my shoulder to see Spencer and Derek talking. I couldn’t hear much, but I did get that Spencer mumbled about calling Gideon, to which Derek answered that he might’ve just missed the call. It was possible, but likely deeper than that.

“Six times? Six calls? Something’s wrong,” Spencer sighed, rubbing his eyes.

I didn’t intervene with the conversation, instead deciding to finally speak to him about it after the case had ended.

On the last day, we all headed to our rooms after grabbing some dinner, to get a good rest before we took off early the next morning.

“Hey Spence, you awake?”

He hummed in response, and I could hear the rustle of the sheets as he rolled over in his bed to face me.

“I know you’re worried about Gideon. How about when we get back tomorrow I’ll drive you down to his cabin? We can go check on him.

“Would you really?” he asked softly. I couldn’t see him fully in the darkness, but I could sense he was looking at me with pleading eyes.

“Of course. I don’t like seeing you this stressed and down. I want to help.”

“Thanks ____, goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Spencer.”

After our conversation it was like a blanket of grey was lifted over his head. He settled in more, drifting off to sleep within minutes. I hated seeing him sad, and I did my best to try and fix his mood whenever I could. Spencer didn’t like change, I knew that, and the team knows that. A part of me had a sneaking suspicion that Gideon wasn’t coming back, and I had fear for what that would mean for Spencer.

-----

“Do you want me to come in with you?” I asked, pulling up in front of the cabin and turning off the engine. The only sounds were the faint hum of rain outside, splattering against the windows.

Spencer shook his head and took a deep breath, before unbuckling himself and opening his door. He mumbled something about being right back, as he headed off towards the building. It wasn’t dark yet -- only being four pm -- but it wasn’t too light either.

It looked as if the lights inside the cabin were off, and I could just hardly see Spencer as he knocked on the door. He waited on the porch for a moment, waiting to see if anyone would come to the door.

Nobody did.

It was hard to just sit there and watch, as his desperation grew stronger by the millisecond.

-----

I took deep breaths, trying to even out my intake of air and remain calm. When nobody answered the fifth time that I knocked, I reluctantly grabbed a hold of the knob and turned it. Much to my surprise the door opened, creaking inch by inch as I stood there unmoving.

“Gideon?” I called into the home, taking one step inside. “Jason?”

I wasn’t greeted with an answer, he didn’t come to the door and thank me for coming to visit. It was eerily quiet -- so quiet I took a few more steps inside to create some sort of volume.

“Hello?” I spoke again, louder this time. Shutting the door behind me I took off my jacket and hung it on the coat rack next to the entrance.

The place had been mainly cleared out, there weren’t many personal items behind. I stalked over to the kitchen, to see if there was any trace of someone within the last few days. It’s been officially a week and a half since anyone had last heard from him that I was aware of. I thought someone must have eaten, or at least left a bit of a mess behind them that would signal a presence.

As I turned the corner to enter the new room I noticed something on the table. I stopped in my tracks, leaning down to take a closer look.

Gideon’s badge, gun, and an envelope.

I swallowed thickly, walking around the table and took a seat in front of the items. When I saw the envelope had my name on it, my heart dropped. With shaky hands I picked up the paper and opened it, seeing there was a letter inside.

Spencer,

I knew it would be you who came to the cabin to check on me.

You must be frightened, I apologize for that. I never meant to cause you any pain. But then I also never envisioned writing this letter. I’ve searched for a satisfactory explanation for what I’m doing, all I’ve come up with is: a profiler needs to have solid footing. I- I don’t think I do anymore. The world confuses me. The cruelty, indifference, tragedy.

I stopped there, my eyesight becoming blurry from tears. I shoved the letter in my pocket, not caring at the moment if it got crumpled or not.

I was out of the cabin in no time -- choosing not to stay there and sulk in a deeper sadness.

-----

Waiting in the car for Spencer felt like torture. It was difficult, letting him go in there alone to be met with possibly no answers. I was thrown out of my thoughts by the sound of the cabin door slamming shut, Spencer jogging over to the car.

“Hey. Hey, what’s wrong?” I asked, red flags hanging immediately as he climbed in the car, tear soaked face pointed down towards his lap. It took me a moment to realize he was crying -- the rain had completely soaked through his top layer of clothes. He didn’t reply with words, instead reaching into his pants pocket to retrieve a piece of paper. He handed it over to me, still not meeting my eyes.

I unfolded it and began to read -- it was hard, through the tear stains smudging the ink across the page.

“Oh, Spence…” I whispered and stopped after the first few sentences, leaving the rest for him. I didn’t know what to say, how to comfort him.

“He’s gone,” Spencer sniffled, wiping his eyes on the sleeves of his nearly drenched jacket. “He just left. He didn’t say goodbye. He left me a note,” he froze, taking a few deep breaths. “Just like my dad did when I was a kid.”

“It’ll be okay. Wherever he is, I’m sure he’s okay,” I assured him. “You know he cares about you, right?”

“I know he is. It’s just-” he started, trying to find the right words between his gasping for more air. “Can you just take me home, please.”

I nodded, while turning the car back on to drive away. Spencer kept his gaze towards the window, refusing to let me see his face. I’m selfishly almost glad for it, because I don’t know if seeing his heartbreak is something I could handle.

It was a long, quiet drive, taking around an hour and a half to finally reach his apartment. He scrambled out of the car fast, but I still walked him up as I usually did. He got to the door before me, thanking me for driving him home. He shut the door just as I got fully up the stairs, leaving me standing with my mouth open.

‘Baby, when you fought me at the door

Kinda hard to force what's natural

Maybe you don't want what you need most’

-----

The next day when he came over after work he was almost back to normal. It was weird to see, to see such a shift in his behaviour after less than twenty-four hours. As much as he tried to hide it, I could tell just how hard it was for him. The sudden change didn’t go well with anyone, we’d all been informed that Gideon wouldn’t be returning and that he’d moved on from the BAU. It was especially hard on Spencer too, since Elle had just left not too long ago, and then Emily joined the team. First he loses a friend, someone who truly understood him as I did, and then someone he considered a father figure.

And neither of them had said goodbye to his face. It was scary, knowing a member of your team could walk out and never return before you know it.

We were seated on the couch, a game of chess displayed on the middle cushion between us.

It wasn’t anywhere near a fair game -- Spencer’s skills were still far ahead of mine. However I noticed it made him smile, and that’s all I wanted. For him to feel loved, and secured. It was a sense of grounding, a routine that was regular in his life. I still wasn’t very good -- not having played since high school and that night on the last case. But I downloaded an audiobook and several player’s guides for the plane ride home to study, because I wanted to learn for Spencer’s sake. However I soon realized it was easier to watch Spencer and how he plays, and to ask him questions. He seemed to enjoy it, having someone else in his life to play with.. And he loved to teach, to help people learn. He was so good at it too, his big brain being used to help people no matter the context.

Eventually he won the game as usual, causing me to groan in frustration..

“You bastard.”

“Not my fault you kinda suck,” he laughed bashfully, lips curling up into a small smile. It was nice to see a bit of happiness on his face, no matter how temporary.

“You’re so rude to me,” I joked, moving the board to the coffee table. “I thought we were friends.”

It was silent for a few moments, with me figuring out what I was going to say next.

“Spencer I know you haven’t wanted my help, but please tell me what I can do for you. Tell me how you feel, at least?”

‘Maybe you don't want what you need most’

“It’s nothing, ____,” he breathed, looking away from me and instead at the wall the couch was facing. He could see our reflection on the blank tv, and instead opted to just look down at his lap. “I’m better now.”

‘You ain't even there for me

Now you're scared to be alone’

“Respectfully, that’s bullshit.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh come on. I know you don’t want to talk about this but at least give me something. Don’t keep it all in. It’s not healthy.”

His face screwed up at my words, eyebrows furrowed and lips twitching. I could tell he knew I was right, as much as he hated it.

“I’m just- I’m scared.”

“Of what?”

“I don’t want you to leave,” Spencer whispered, barely loud enough for me to hear.

‘Got me thinkin' that you scared of yourself, not me’

It all made sense -- the way he’d been distancing himself lately. It took me promising candy and Star Trek for him to come over tonight, and even then he almost declined. Too many blows to the heart made him afraid to get attached. He didn’t want anyone else from his life to disappear in a flash.

“Look at me,” I said, and he snapped his head to face me. “I’m not going anywhere. I can’t claim to be far in the future, but right now? I’m here. You’re stuck with me for a while, Spencer.”

He smiled, closing his eyes as a stray tear graced across his cheek. I used my thumb to wipe it away, and pulled him into a tight hug. He relaxed against me, I felt the tensions in his shoulders deflate as I held him.

“I’ve got you,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to the side of his head. His breath shuddered, and he wrapped his arms around my middle tighter, pushing his face into my shoulder to muffle his crying.

We sat for a while, my hands tracing patterns along his back. It took a few minutes for his cries to calm down, but eventually his breathing evened out with only a few hiccups here and there. He was practically sitting in my lap with his legs flung over mine, suddenly not caring about his personal space. I couldn’t blame him -- the boy was so touch starved he so clearly craved all contact he consented to.

“Do you want to spend the night?” I asked, quietly so I didn’t scare him with the sudden sound.

“Could I please?”

“Of course,” I smiled, pulling away. He still held on tight, not wanting to let go.

We made our way to my bedroom, repeating our usual routine. This wasn’t the first time we’d had a sleepover, and it won’t be the last I’m sure. Sometimes after particularly harder cases he would spend the night, just to be close to someone.

I went into the bathroom to change, giving him the opportunity to do the same. When I returned, he was dressed in a t-shirt and flannel pants he left at my place for sleepovers like this. He was already in bed, and when he saw that I was done in the bathroom he lifted the side of the blanket to welcome me in.

I joined him, grinning as he scooted over and pressed his back to my chest. I felt him breathing softly, my right arm slung over his torso to bring him in closer. He held onto my hand, and didn’t let me drift away. I was happy to comply, happy to feel his body warmth radiate through me.

“Thank you, ____. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight Spence.”

From that day on for the foreseeable future, I swore to myself to have check-ins with Spencer whenever it seemed necessary. Whether it was in the form of words, sleepovers, movie nights, or chess.

His smile got brighter everyday, and eventually he no longer felt as much weight on himself a few weeks down the road. He still cried to me about how he missed Gideon, but it had gotten less frequent. And I was always there for him, offering my shoulder and the promise of my embrace. I knew he appreciated it too.

After a few months since our first game, I beat him in a game of chess. We were on the jet on the way to Montana for a case, and Derek was sitting beside Spencer. He kept annoying him, doing little things like twisting his hair and fanning him with files. Spencer kept shrieking quietly -- trying not to alert Hotch of the bickering.

“Checkmate,” I said, biting back a smile.

“What?!” Spencer froze, arm raised in what looked like to be a poor attempt of whacking Derek’s head.

“Awe, pretty boy. You’ll get her next time,” Derek threw his head back in laughter.

“What?” Spencer repeated quieter, eyes darting across the board, likely running calculations in his head.

“Better luck next time,” I smirked, tilting my head to the side. I wiggled my eyebrows, my small victory boosting my ego.

Spencer tried to keep a neutral face, but I could see by the tension in his cheekbones that he was happy. He was enjoying it.

-----

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[justauthoring]

Then, The Moment Came

Prompt: It just never was the right time. Not then, not later, until it suddenly is and everything’s... different. Requested by: no one.

A/N: The Atsumu debut on my account has finally happened. And yes, this is very loosely, loosely based off of A Silent Voice because I literally cannot get it out of my head. Oh, and I love soulmates au’s. Pairing: Atsumu Miya x F!Reader

A hard shove to your shoulders sends you to the ground with a huff, pain radiating through your being as you huff.

There’s jeering laughs that echo, hurtful enough that you don’t say anything, don’t try to stand up for yourself -- instead, you keep your head down, hair falling into your eyes as you bite your lips to fight back the tears that threaten to fall. 

It’s not even the shove, or the pain that follows, that has tears welling. 

They hurt so much less then...

“You’re just a freak,” Atsumu spits at you, “no wonder no one likes you.”

Atsumu Miya, ten years old, and he absolutely hates you. Why, you have absolutely no idea. It’s been like this ever since you moved into the house across the street from him, walked into his class that one fateful day, and introduced yourself. 

You’d felt his glare on your back as you took the seat in front of him, and when you’d turned to face him, a harsh kick at the leg of your chair had you freezing in surprise.

You’d never spoken to him. Never directly. But after school that first day, he’d found you on your way home, tripped you so hard you skinned your knee, and laughed as he walked off. 

Then, just as he went to turn, his twin beside him, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else; Atsumu had turned to you, a glint in his eyes. “You’re just a freak. No wonder no one likes you.”

It just never really ended after that.

But when you got home that day, brushing your mothers concerned hands away as she reached for your knee, you’d sat on your bed and looked at your arm only to see those exact same words.

Those cruel, cruel words, and wondered, how unlucky you must be to have a soulmate that hates you.

-

“Do you want to go to the game tonight?”

You blink, pulled from your thoughts at the sound of Misaki’s words. With a drawl, lips pulled downwards, you turn to her with a quirked brow. “No.” You say simply, shaking your head.

“Come on,” she huffs, head falling into the palms of her hands with a huff, “you never want to go to anything.”

You sigh. “That’s not true. I let you drag me lots of places.”

“You do not.”

“I do too.”

She pouts at you, lips pursed, eyes set into a teasing glare as she takes another bite out of her lunch. “Our volleyball team is supposed to be so good, though,” she whines, trying to appear nonchalant (though very much failing), as she lets her eyes wander on anything but you. “One of the best, actually. They make it to nationals every year and--”

“And they have their own cheer squad,” you cut in, “good for them.”

“Y/N.”

“What?”

She just glares at you.

“If you want to go so bad, take one of your other friends,” you shrug, brushing her off. “I’m not your only friend.”

“Yes, but you’re my best friend,” she smiles, sickly sweet, all bright eyed and twinkling and you sigh, once again, at the look she sends you. “And I only want to go with you.”

Staring at her for a moment, you laugh; “you’re good.”

And her eyes brighten, hope flooding them; “you’ll go, then?”

“I never said that.” She deflates, “but... sure.”

“Eeee~!” She jumps to a stand, reaching across the table to grab your hands, shaking them with a bright laugh. “Yes, yes, yes! You won’t regret this, Y/N/N, we’re going to have so much fun!”

I’m sure, you can’t help but think. It’ll be so fun to watch him show off.

And even though you don’t say it aloud, Misaki seems to just know.

“Atsumu-san will be there too.”

“He is apart of the team.”

“Maybe you could even try to--”

“He doesn’t want to talk to me,” you cut in, voice sharp, maybe a little more sharp then you mean to be. At the look Misaki sends you, you frown at the guilt that floods you, the hurt look in her eyes, before softening your voice. “Atsumu hates me, Saki. I’ve told you this.”

“But-But that was when you were kids--!”

“And he hasn’t talked to me since.”

Her shoulders fall, and she doesn’t argue after that.

Inhaling deeply, you reach across the table, taking her hand in your own like she had moments ago, though gently and squeeze it softly. It pulls her eyes on you, and smiling gently, you add; “I appreciate you, Saki, and what you’re trying to do. And I love that you want me to be happy, but I don’t need my soulmate to be.”

“You say that,” she frowns, “but you hardly ever smile...”

And she says the words softly, carefully, not wanting to hurt you, but you can’t ignore the pang in your heart at her words. Your hand slips from hers as the words repeat in your mind, and you think of all those years ago, the constant, relentless, cruel teasing that you’d endured from the person that was meant to be your one and only.

You realize, Misaki’s completely right -- you weren’t happy. And it was silly to pretend that you were.

“Yeah, well,” you whisper, and it’s like ironic and cruel perfect timing that has Atsumu walking into the lunchroom at that exact moment, surrounded by his friends, laughing. He hasn’t a care in the world, head thrown back with a laugh as passing girls flock towards him.

“That doesn’t matter to him.”

-

“Damn you, Misaki.”

Huffing out the words, followed by a curse, as yet another call to your best friend is all but ignored, you grit your teeth.

Where the hell could she have gone?

One second she was right beside you, laughing and cheering as Inarizaki took an already expected win. And then you’d run to go to the bathroom for a minute, only to find the girl had absolutely disappeared on you. Seriously, she was no where. And it didn’t help that the gym was absolutely flooded with other people that you couldn’t properly see anyone.

“I swear to Kami, Misaki, when I find--”

“--Are you okay?”

You freeze. 

No. Please, anyone but him.

A hand falls on your shoulder, spinning you round and of course, it is him; Atsumu Miya in all his glory, smiling down at you. And then, as you meet his gaze, his own falters, and his brows furrow and the next words that leave his lips sting more then they probably should.

“Y/N? Y/L/N Y/N?” He laughs, shaking his head, “I didn’t know you went to Inarizaki.”

Yeah, ouch.

You’ve only been in the same school as him since literally elementary.

But apparently, after he got bored of bullying you, he also got bored of acknowledging your presence at all.

You don’t say anything, you can’t. Words feel like they’re lodged at the back of your throat, and it suddenly feels like you can’t breathe. All the people feel like too much all of a sudden, and you’re desperate to get away. You’ll apologize to Misaki later, but you need to leave. You turn, moving to run off, because you just want to get out of there, but then, he reaches for you and--

“Don’t touch me!”

People stop, pausing for a moment at your booming voice, all eyes on you as Atsumu pulls back like you’ve physically slapped him, shock clear on his face.

And then you turn, once more, and walk off before he can say anything else.

You don’t see the frown on his face, don’t see the way he glances down at his arm, nor the realization that dawns on him then and there.

-

“You just left me.”

“Technically you left me first.”

“Suna-kun wanted to talk to me.”

“Then, it’s your fault.”

“How is it my fault?”

Pausing, you turn to Misaki; “I sent you a text.”

She blinks at you. “I thought you’d been kidnapped! Or worse, killed!”

“Now, you’re being dramatic.”

“Y/N/N!”

Pausing by your locker, you turn to her; “I’m sorry, I just... I had to get--”

“Y/N!”

What in the world--

“Is that--”

“I know who it is, Saki.”

“Okay,” she breathes, “why is he walking our way? Why is he calling for you?”

“I don’t know!” You stress, turning to her with wide, panicked eyes. “Hide me!”

“How in the world am I--”

“Y/N,” Atsumu smiles, finally reaching you.

You freeze.

Misaki stares at you, then Atsumu, then, with a light nudge, turns; “w-well,” she laughs, “I should really get going. Have fun, you two!” And she promptly ignores the absolutely terrified look you send her.

You’re so going to kill her.

Later. Definitely later, when you manage to escape Atsumu, somehow, yet again--

“I’m so glad I found you.”

Turning to him, you swallow thickly.

“I tried to find you yesterday, but I couldn’t and I got scared that--”

“What do you want.”

You’re blunt, more blunt then you mean to be. But you don’t want this mindless chatter, whatever it means, and you’re absolutely desperate to get away that you don’t even care if talking like that makes him mad. You used to deal with it as a kid all the time anyways, so...

“Well, I just wanted to catch up,” he laughs, lightly, a little too airy. Is he... nervous? “We haven’t talked since we were kids, so--”

“You mean when you used to bully me?”

You have no idea where this confidence is coming from.

“I’d hardly call it bullying--”

“I used to come home in bruises because of you,” you whisper, avoiding his gaze as you hug yourself. You’re uncomfortable. You want to leave, you need to leave. “Anyways, it doesn’t matter. I have to--”

He grabs you, your entire body going cold at the feeling of his fingers wrapping around your arm. On one hand, it’s like you can feel... this electric shiver run through your entire being and you figure it’s because of this supposed connection the two of you are supposed to have. But on the other hand, it fills you with such terror, that you almost want to cry.

“I didn’t know.”

But his words makes all that go away, and instead you’re just confused.

“What?”

“I didn’t know that we were... you know.”

Blinking, you finally meet his gaze head on. “How could you have not known?”

“You... You never said anything.”

Shaking your head, you rip your arm from his grasp. “That day, when I introduced myself--”

“You weren’t talking to me,” he argues, “not directly, at least. And you were always so quiet when I’d...-- But then, yesterday, when I grabbed you, well--” He holds his hand out towards you, and sure enough the words written on his arm are:

don’t touch me!

So, apparently he never did know.

It doesn’t change anything. How could it?

Him not knowing doesn’t excuse bullying you. Doesn’t erase everything he did.

It could never.

“What to know what my words are?” Practically yanking the sleeve of your sweater up your arm, you thrust it towards Atsumu, gaze harsh. And his eyes slowly flicker downwards, frowning as he reads the words.

You’re just a freak. No wonder no one likes you.

And the stupid guilty look on his face pisses you off even more.

“I want nothing to do with you,” you spit, “so just leave me alone.”

-

What the hell is Atsumu Miya doing at your front door.

“I was hoping you still lived here.”

Pausing, you sigh. “You don’t give up do you?”

Grinning, Atsumu rubs the back of his neck, “unfortunately not.”

Sighing, you let your hand fall on your hip, tilting your head to the side curiously. “So what, you know I’m your soulmate now and you want to walk me to school?”

There’s a nervous smile on his face, one that seems odd on him, as he laughs lightly. “Yeah?”

Rolling your eyes, you brush past him, “whatever.”

But he follows, and you don’t argue.

-

“Let me grab those for you!”

With a blink, the stack of textbooks in your hands is suddenly gone and in another’s. You sigh when you meet Atsumu’s familiar gaze.

“You don’t have to do that, Miya-san.”

“I want to,” he shrugs simply, and you pointedly ignore Misaki’s laugh from beside you. “And, it’s Atsumu.”

“What?”

He meets your eyes, smiling; “call me Atsumu.”

Misaki nudges you with her elbow, pulling your gaze on her momentarily as she grins brightly. Sighing, you turn back to Atsumu, watching as he gently places the textbooks down in the locker you’d just opened. Turning to walk off with a grin, clearly proud of himself.

“Thank you, Miya-san.”

“Atsumu!” He calls over his shoulder.

“Well,” Misaki adds after a moment, “that was sweet~!”

Rolling your eyes, you shake your head. “Yeah, yeah.”

-

“I would like you to come to my game.”

Staring up at Atsumu, you blink.

“Please.”

Licking your lips, clasp your hands together behind your back; “won’t I be an embarrassment?”

“No.” And he says it quickly, barely letting you finish your sentence, adamantly shaking his head. “No, you could never.”

I used to be.

But you don’t say that.

“Okay,” you heed, hating the butterflies that flood your stomach at the bright grin that curls onto his lips. “I’ll think about it.”

“Yes!”

-

“Congratulations on the win, Atsumu-san.”

“Y/N/N, you came!”

It’s hard to fight back the blush that threatens to grow on your cheeks at the smile he sends you. Hard to ignore the way your heart flutters as he calls you by that stupid nickname that he’d picked up from Misaki. And hard to forget the way everything screams in you for him at the way his eyes sparkle as he looks down at you.

“Misaki dragged me,” you gesture behind yourself where you know your friend is, shaking your head at the bright grin she sends the two of you.

“Still,” he nods, eyes softening as he looks down at you; “you came.”

“Yes, well,” tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, suddenly feeling nervous, you shuffle on your feet. “I should be going now. Congratulations again on the--”

You don’t make it two steps before he’s wrapped a hand around your wrist, tugged you into him and slipped the other around your waist. You’re flush against him, a huff of surprise leaves your lips as you blink up at the boy, trying to ignore the way it feels like your body has ignited with electricity at just the simple touch of him.

And then his fingers are ghosting across your cheek, brushing back loose hair, and pulling your gaze solely on him, where you can’t seem to look away as everything just... fades away. The crowded gym suddenly feels empty, and everything is quiet as you stare up at him.

You also note that you feel at ease at his touch.

“I never said sorry.”

Lips parting, you swallow thickly; “it’s okay--”

“No, it isn’t,” he whispers, resting his forehead against your own, and it feels like you might melt right there at the feeling of his warm breath on you. “None of what I did was okay.”

“Atsumu...”

“I’m so sorry...”

You relax in his touch, hands moving to fall on his shoulders, where you squeeze, eyes falling to his lips before flickering back up to his own.

“It’s okay...”

“...I want to kiss you,” he whispers, voice gentle, nervous. “Is that okay?”

You nod, feeling the words slip out all on their own; “please.”

And he obliges and suddenly everything just makes sense, just works, and all that gushing Misaki used to go on about about how wonderful soulmates are you completely agree with. Having Atsumu so close, having his warm touch on you, having his lips molding against your own, barely a breaths away, feels so incredibly amazing and right that you wonder how you’d ever existed without him.

He makes up for it all then. None of it matters any more, not the teasing, not the pushing and shoving, nor the tears that would follow.

It’s all worth it for this one moment now.

-

a little ooc? maybe?

whoops.

[smol-and-grumpy]

Home To You - Ten

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader

Summary: Dean enlisted in the hopes to help secure enough money for Sam to be able to go to college. Of course he didn’t tell Sam. Why would he? Sam would understand, right? Turns out, Sam didn’t get it, and is giving Dean the silent treatment for over a year. In Dean’s desperation to reconnect with Sam, Dean reaches out to his brother’s best friend. Little does he know that the hurricane named Y/N will turn out to be the reason he wants to stay alive and go back home for.

Chapter Warnings: Aaaaand, they’re still idiots. Contains flangst.

WC: 3569

Beta’d by: @deanwanddamons​ <3

Read ahead on Patreon!

Series Masterlist ~ SPN Masterlist

“Hey, Y/N,” 

She wakes up to a soft voice ringing in her ear. It’s deep and gravelly, just slightly above a murmur. There’s also a feeling of something nuzzling against her temple. Hot breath fans over the side of her face, making her shiver - but in a good way.

“Wake up,” The voice whispers again, it’s smooth and soft, bathing her in warmth, making her feel less likely to want to burst the comfortable bubble she’s wrapped in so she doesn’t move. 

“Nuh-uh,” She tilts her head, trying to bury her face deeper into the pillow. 

There’s a rumbling sound from underneath her face, it resonates out of her pillow, and then it starts to shake as a chuckle sounds off of it. The sound is deep and scratchy, it makes her feel warm.

Oh.

It’s not a pillow at all, she realizes. 

It’s Dean.

God, but he’s so soft and she feels so content. He’s better than all the pillows in the world.

“You should let me get up, I hear the nurses walking around outside.” 

That’s the cue because all of a sudden, it all comes rushing back and she bolts up abruptly, knocking her head against his jaw in the process and sends him jolting back. Dean cups his face while groaning out painfully, cursing something intangible under his breath.

“Shit, Y/N, you wanna knock me out?” 

She covers her mouth with one hand, muttering apologies and honestly, just trying her best not to burst out laughing too loud as Dean rolls himself off the bed. She absolutely hates the way he takes the warmth with him, and is already feeling colder as soon as he inches away. 

He stops swearing after a while and begins to tie up his boots before standing up straight next to her bed, his hand moving to push her hair out of her face. “You’re still so hard to wake up, huh?”

The memories come back to her. Memories of her mornings at the Winchester’s house where Sam and Dean would fight about who has to wake her up because apparently, she’s a grump in the mornings. Dean always lost to Sam at rock paper scissors and it took him a while to know how best to wake her up, starting with a ten-foot pole, and soon enough, he figured that the best way was to just sit right at the bed with a mug of hot coffee in his hand. 

She’s not allowed to have coffee right now, and knowing that actually makes her grumpier. She scrunches her nose, “Yeah, well, you’d be happy to know that some things never change.” 

“I’m glad they don’t.” He grins. It’s the grin she loves. All bashful and with a slight hint of boyish charm. It makes him look a lot younger. It definitely suits him, it makes her think that he’s just a man who hasn’t seen death and isn’t trying to carry the weight of the world on his own. “Listen, I-”

Before Dean can finish his sentence, the nurse bursts in.

“Good morn-,” The woman who she has gotten to know as Carmen chirps before stalling upon seeing Dean standing there, “-ing,” The brunette nurse finishes and tilts her head down a little. A bright shade of crimson is visible on her face, her mouth curving into a shy grin. Carmen takes a moment to gather herself before she looks back up, “You’re still here,” She states and Y/N just knows that the statement is not directed at her. 

Dean smiles warmly at the nurse, “Yeah,” 

There’s something that bubbles inside of her, rising from the pit of her stomach to her chest and she doesn’t know what it is but she doesn’t really like it. Trying to push that feeling away, she forces a smile of her own.

Carmen just nods at Dean as she walks closer to the bed, probably realizing that she has a job to do. Dean moves to the window, looking out while he lets the nurse check up on her. 

“Before we bring breakfast, the doctor will be here,” the brunette informs her and she sighs. Carmen then turns to Dean, “Would you like something as well, Dean?”

Oh, so they on a first name basis? She must have looked dumbfounded and of course Dean notices because he always does. 

He clears his throat before he speaks to her before even answering Carmen’s question, which somehow makes the jealousy less obtrusive, “Yeah, I came in last night and Carmen was here,” he explains, even though he doesn’t need to. She nods and only then does he turn to the nurse still waiting for him to answer her, “I’m good, thank you. I’ll grab a coffee later.”

The brunette doesn’t seem to be fazed that he took longer to get back to her and now that he did, her face goes tomato red again. Y/N’s used to seeing that. She’s used to knowing what effect Dean has on women and apparently, he still does have that same effect. Things haven't changed at all.

Carmen walks out after doing her work and Dean comes to stand close enough so Y/N can elbow him in the ribs. 

“Ouch! What was that for?”

“Duh,” She grins bravely, hiding her true feelings because it has no room here. “She’s obviously into you.”

Dean frowns before cocking an eyebrow, “You think?”

“Jesus, did you not watch the show that just happened?” She smiles teasingly. The smile doesn’t really reach her eyes but she doesn’t think Dean notices, “Maybe you should ask if she wants to go for a drink?”

He looks down to his feet, seemingly in thought. She can see his mouth working from him biting on something on the inside of his cheek. Dean licks his lips before he shakes his head to look up at her, “I’m here for you, Y/N.” His hand comes up to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. His words make her face warmer too, which she hopes he doesn’t notice. 

“And I didn’t tell you to.” She replies, knowing full well that she’s been unreasonable, but it’s the truth. She doesn’t want him to worry, and least of all, she doesn’t want him to think that she’s another burden to him. If anything, Dean deserves to have a slice of happiness of his own. 

“Oh, so, you want me to leave you here and go on a date with Carmen?” He raises his voice a little, which stuns her. Dean normally never raises his voice at her, only when they’re bickering but then they know that neither of them really mean it. 

“I’m just saying-”

“What?” He cuts in, more agitated now, “That I will abandon people I love to go on a date with a girl in the short time I get to be with you?”

His words hit her a little too hard and she’s momentarily speechless while her heart is beating a little faster. The pain in her head comes back and she has to squint her eyes as she lifts her hand to her temple. Dean’s quick to rush the two steps forward and laying his hand on hers, “You okay? God, that’s a dumb question, of course you’re not.” 

“You love me?” She asks, because those were the words that stuck. 

Dean’s jaw drops a little and he licks his lips, the pink in his ears showing, which she thinks is absolutely adorable. He always gets the most color there. “Yeah, of course. You’re family, Y/N.”

Yeah, she’s family, just like he is hers. They will never be more than that. The thought just about shatters her heart. 

Before she can dwell on the disappointment that is spreading and clearly taking heavy roots in her guts. She doesn't even realize that Dean has his forehead leaned on her temple until he jumps apart from her when there’s a knock at the door. 

“I’m sorry,” Carmen says and smiles shyly at both of them as she walks in with a fresh jug of water, “The doctor will be here in about five minutes,” 

“Okay,” She nods at the nurse and looks at Dean to direct the next question to him, “When will Sam be here?” 

“He told me he’s going to pop in before his first lecture at 9 AM,” Dean flips his wrist to look at the watch. He’s still wearing the same one, the one she and Sam got him for his twenty-first birthday. The thought of him holding on to simple gifts makes her smile. “He should be here any minute.”

“Right,” 

“Just ring me should you need anything, okay?” Carmen says, already halfway out of the door. 

“We will,” Dean replies for both of them and she keeps on looking at him, glaring even. He sighs before he rolls his eyes. Looking back at her after his eye roll, he lifts his eyebrows and she just jerks her head in the direction of the door and grins, although she doesn’t feel like grinning at all at this moment. He sighs again before he speaks, “Actually, Carmen,” 

Y/N watches as the nurse turns around, and when Carmen speaks, she sounds hopeful. “Yeah?” The woman’s lips curl up into a bright smile while her eyebrows climb up her forehead in anticipation.

“Um-,” Dean half mumbles and sends Y/N a last look. She doesn’t falter, at least she hopes her grin doesn’t falter, but the corner of her lips starts to twitch uncomfortably from the strain so she stops grinning but winks at him instead, her way of telling him to go forward. He frowns at first but then his whole demeanor changes, his eyes a little cold towards her. Not that she can dwell on them too much because Dean turns away from her to look at the brunette instead, “Let me walk you out,” 

She watches him sending her another look. She’d like to say one that is less cold but actually, it turns icy before he turns his back on her, following Carmen out. It honestly makes her feel crushed but she guesses that she brought it upon herself.

Not allowed to get out of bed, there’s nothing else to do for her other than staying behind, and to pass the time she looks out of the window while worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. Of course, she doesn’t want to share Dean with another girl, but what can she really do about it? He said it himself. She’s family. There’s no way Dean sees her the way she sees him and who is she if she doesn’t want him to be happy? 

“Hey you,” Sam sticks his head through the door, wearing his dimpled smile as he strides in afterward to walk to the bed. He wraps her up into a bone-crushing embrace. She takes the time to breathe him in. “How are you holding up? Jess will come later, she has a meeting with her professor.” 

“Of course, I forgot that life is still going on even if I’m not a part of it.”

“I’m sorry to say this, Y/N,” Sam sits down on the empty chair next to her bed, “But I think you have to sit this semester out. There’s no way I will let you worry your head.” 

She has to grin at that. “That’s okay, I don’t even know if I want to continue, Sam.”

“What do you mean?”

She stares at her hands that she has folded in her lap, “I came here to be your cheerleader, remember? I don’t need to study, I don’t think I even need to work for the rest of my life.” 

It’s not a lie. Her parent’s house is hers, they have left enough money for her to be comfortable, and last but not least, there was the insurance money and from the lawsuit her uncle started in order to get the maximum out of her tragedy after her parents passed away. She has enough money and if she keeps on living as she does, it will last her a long time. Long enough for her to figure out what she really wants out of life and a little beyond, probably.

“You’re awfully bad at sitting still, though.” He chuckles, which again, is true. Sam lays his hand on top of hers. They’re incredibly large, her hands looking ridiculous in comparison.

“I don’t know…” She starts, “I just might go back home, would that be okay?” 

“Why?”

“I hate it here.” It blurts out of her and to her surprise, it feels like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders.

“Wow, tell me what you really think, why don’t you?” Sam’s full-on laughing, but when it dies down and he looks at her, he sees that she’s not joking. “You know I can’t leave until I graduate, right? I’m still stuck here and maybe, just maybe, if I study hard then I can get out sooner.” 

“Sam,” He lays her hand on top of his, “I’m not telling you so that you will come back with me. Your place is here, at least for the time being and until you get your degree. And I’m not even saying that I’m leaving tomorrow. Right now, I just want to take one day at a time.”

“First of all,” the younger Winchester smirks, “How dare you think that I would want you to be all on your own. And second?” He smiles now, “One day at a time sounds about right to me. We’ll be okay, Y/N. I promise.”

She nods. Somehow she really wants to believe that they will be. 

Dean slips in before the doctor. He pauses at the door and takes a look at his brother and Y/N.

“What’s wrong?” He asks, a hint of concern lacing his voice. 

“Where were you?” Sam asks, skillfully dodging Dean’s question and she doesn’t know if it’s the residue of animosity still resting inside his bones that he doesn’t want to tell Dean everything that worries him yet. 

His brother seems to sense Sam’s reluctance not to answer, of course Dean does. Nothing really gets past him, but she’s glad that he doesn’t pry. Dean never does when it comes to Sam, knowing that his brother will talk when he wants to. 

“Did you get her number?” Y/N jumps in before Dean can even start to open his mouth to answer Sam’s question.

Dean groans out audibly before he sits on another empty chair that’s propped against the wall on the opposite side of her bed. He’s too far away, and somehow she wishes that he was closer like last night. 

“Yeah,” He answers her question but it doesn’t sound like he’s super happy about it, “Are you happy now?”

No, is what she thinks. “Yes,” is what she says and surprises herself by being able to curve her lips up into a small smile. 

“You what?” Sam’s nose scrunches a little in irritation. “You asked some girl for their number? Here? While Y/N’s waiting for surgery?”

Dean doesn’t answer. He’s taking Sam’s anger with a squared chest and his chin held high, and she sees that he’s zoning out. She’s seen that posture before, whenever his dad took the anger out on Dean instead of on them even though it wasn’t Dean’s fault. 

Instead of answering, Dean just looks at Y/N and his eyes change, giving in to blankness.

“Sam, it’s nothing.” She says, trying to calm the younger Winchester down. “I told him to.” She explains.

“You’re insufferable, you know that?” Dean mutters under his breath but it wasn’t said with any malice. He leans his head against the wall and sighs heavily and she can’t help but think that he looks exhausted. She wonders if he did get any sleep at all.

She worries her lips, hoping that it isn’t her that keeps him awake, it’s the last thing she wants to do after he makes the journey back to be here for her. Before she can ask or even apologize the doctor who’s been examining her the whole of yesterday comes in to greet them.

His gaze flickers to Dean whom he obviously hasn’t seen yesterday. “And you are?” 

Dean stands up, making himself straighter, puffing his chest out a little, and holds his hand out for the doctor to shake, “Dean Winchester, sir.” 

“Ah, you must be Sam’s brother.” 

“That, I am.” 

“So, I guess the whole family is here now, right?” The doctor’s gaze flickers around the room and she nods. 

He begins to explain his findings and what’s going to happen.

Somehow, though, her brain turns off. She hears everything but she doesn’t let it get under her skin. She heard how he said that there are multiple aneurysms. There’s someone muttering in the back too, saying “Shit!”. Her brain doesn’t register who it was, her guess is on Dean, though. She heard how the doctor said that the chances that anything happening is slim but it’s there but that if they don’t operate, she doesn’t have a chance of surviving once they burst. It’s like a ticking bomb in her head, ready to go off at any time. She tunes the rest out, staring holes into the air. Suddenly, her feet under the thin hospital blanket are so much more interesting to look at. 

“I’ll see you in surgery at 2 PM,” The doctor nods at her.

Y/N can’t answer, waits for the weight of the knowledge to settle down.

“I can’t eat anything, right?” She looks at both men who are left in her room. Maybe it’s the shock sitting inside her but she feels very hungry and it’s the only thing she can think about, which again, is absolutely weird.

“I’m sorry,” Dean answers the question and steps closer, leaning his hands on the mattress and nuzzles his forehead against her temple. She doesn’t really know what he’s sorry for, but Dean answers the question in her thoughts for her, “About everything, you don’t deserve this.” 

Her hand comes up to cup his cheek, fingers rubbing over his scruff, “It’s not your fault.”

“Well, it isn’t yours either.”

She nods in understanding and Dean places a chaste kiss on her temple. They were both a little lost in the moment when she’s brought back to reality by Sam’s sniffing. 

God, Sam. It’s harder on him than on her. 

Dean seems to know too, steps aside to make room for Sam. The younger brother doesn’t hesitate, his hand finding the back of her neck to guide her towards him. He kisses her cheek, lingers there longer than needed but it’s necessary.

“I’ll be back after lunch, okay?” 

“You don’t have to,”

“Oh, believe me, I do.” Sam sniffs again before taking a step back and she does her best to ignore the tears in his eyes. She can’t look at them, knowing that she would break down instantly.

“You should take Dean with you, get him cleaned up at my apartment.” She suggests.

“Why, you wanna get rid of me, Y/N?” Dean’s voice is teasing, trying to ease the air filled with uncertainty. 

“Ya, you stink, man.” Sam grabs his brother’s shoulder and she doesn’t know if it’s the first time they touched since what seems like forever, but from the way Dean tenses up, she guesses that it is. He recovers quickly, though, the tenseness giving way to softness. 

Dean just cocks one eyebrow, eyes flicking to her as if to ask if that’s true. The tip of his ear showed a soft pink shade. She grins and he shakes his head. He doesn’t or maybe she’s biased. She likes how he smelled last night. Pine and musk and something that’s just Dean. Something a home is made out of.

“Come on,” Sam shoulders past Dean, waits at the door because Dean hesitates. “She’s in good hands.” Sam reminds his brother.

“You really want me gone?” Dean turns to her, crossing his arms over his chest and she tries not to look at how the material of his shirt stretches awfully tight over his shoulders and arms. 

“You should go get breakfast. You can take a shower, even take a nap in bed if you want. Mi casa es su casa.” She smiles, “Sam has a key, fresh towels are in the bathroom. The shower is warm and has great water pressure.” 

“K,” He nods, his eyes light up a little at the prospect of a warm shower. Guess there are not many of those out in the desert. He bends down, kisses the crown of her head and moves to rest his forehead on hers, “I’ll be right back, yeah?”

She bites on her bottom lip, he’s so close and all she actually wants to do right now is to move forward and kiss him. It would be so easy. She’s been thinking about his lips a ridiculous amount of time. Wonders if they feel as good as they look. Y/N knows that she can't, that's why all she says is “Okay, I’ll be here.” And laughs lamely. 

“Behave,” He chuckles, pressing another kiss to her temple before he bends down to retrieve his bag from the floor. 

Eleven

Please share your thoughts with me, I’d love to hear your feedback.

​

[marauderundercover]

Taking Chances Ch. 29: Happiest Place on Earth (Vacation/Roadtrip)

AO3

Prev

Marinette blinks at her dad, trying to make sense of what he’s saying.

“B, you have a private jet. Why the fuck are we driving?” Jason asks, and Marinette swears his eye twitches.

“I thought it would be nice to do a family vacation the normal way, complete with a road trip.” Her dad says and Marinette frowns. Now? Now is when he decides to be normal?

“Father, we can not all leave. Someone must stay behind to patrol and watch over Gotham. As much as it pains me, I will stay.” Damian says, and Marinette resists the urge to whack him. It wasn’t going to hurt him at all to get to stay, he was doing it on purpose. She wanted to go on vacation with her brothers and dad and Selina, but she also wasn’t sure she wanted to deal with them being so close to her for over fifteen hours in an enclosed vehicle.

“No need. Clark said he would make sure to listen for any extreme trouble, Stephanie and Barbara will still be here, and if all else fails we’ll use the Zeta tubes to get back.” Her dad says, his tone filled with finality. This was serious. He was really going to do this to them.

“Well, I’ll drive the second car. And I call Pix-”

“We don’t need to take two vehicles, Jason. Selina and I went out and bought a new car that will seat all of us perfectly, and there’s plenty of room in the back for luggage.” He says, and Marinette makes eye contact with Damian. His face says ‘fix this’, but all she can do is shrug. There was no way she was going to be able to save all of them from this one. Their dad looked way too determined. Alfred had somehow managed to plan his own trip to England to line up perfectly with their trip, which meant he was saved from the inevitable horror the trip would bring.

---

Marinette was willing to bet that her dad had never been on a road trip before. She honestly doubted he’d ever seen a movie with a road trip before, because if he had, they would most definitely not be on one. Even movies with road trips show how awful they are. Sure, the family is smiling by the end, but that’s because they’ve come up with a foolproof murder plan. Marinette frowns and blinks. She’d definitely been spending way too much time with Damian.

She had even tried to convince her dad to use Kaalki, even though he hated magic. In fact, Kaalki had begged as well. But no. So Kaalki was riding in the spare tire shell on the back of the car, unwilling to sit with her brothers for so long. Not that she could blame the Kwami. They were only an hour into the drive (that was scheduled to take fifteen hours and forty five minutes, not including breaks or traffic). She wasn’t too upset with the seating arrangement, but it had been calm so far. Too calm. Her dad and Selina were, of course, in the front. The next row, which also contained bucket seats, had Dick (he claimed one of the seats as the oldest) and Tim (who had to sit there because he got horribly carsick). That meant that she was stuck in the very back, sitting between Damian and Jason. But that was fine, they’d gotten along so far. They could keep it up for another fifteen hours, right?

---

They couldn’t even keep it up for another five minutes. Jason reached behind her and whacked Damian, which made him let out a battle cry, one that was way too loud for the car, before turning and attacking Jason again. She wasn’t sure how Tim was still asleep, even with his headphones on, but she supposed it was for the best. She really didn’t want to deal with her brother’s car sickness this early in the trip.

“This family is a fucking nightmare!” Jason yells, kneeing the back of Dick’s seat. Marinette glares at him and his dramatics. He was definitely trying to get their dad to turn the car around and switch to the jet. But Marinette had a feeling that instead of turning around, he’d drive even slower.

“Jay, I love you. But if you don’t stop screaming, they’ll never find your body.” Marinette whispers with a smile. Jason frowns, elbowing her gently.

“What’s wrong with you? I thought you’d be all over this shit.” He says with a huff. Marinette narrows her eyes.

“What, annoying shit?” She whispers snarkily, and Jason blinks. She frowns, until she realizes what she said. “Don’t tell dad!” She begs, latching onto Jason’s arm.

“Bruce!” Jason yells. Marinette yelps and covers his mouth.

“Jason, I am begging you not to do this.” She says, making eye contact with her dad in the rearview mirror and smiling awkwardly. “He was just guessing for, um, uh, I spy!” She yells, sighing in relief as he just nods and turns back to talk to Selina more. She’s about to give Jason an ultimatum, when he licks her hand. She gasps, yanking her hand back and wiping it on her pants with a frown.

“Karma!” Jason declares and Marinette huffs.

“No, it was just gross you mega jerk.” She says.

“Could I have the aux cord?” Dick asks suddenly. Marinette watches amusedly as Jason lunges forward to try and rip the cord from him.

“No, B, why would you give it to him?” He yells, trying to reach it, but unable to because of the seatbelt.

“I think you’re old enough to take turns, Jason. It’s not the end of the world letting Dick use the aux cord.” Dad says, and Dick cheers, plugging the cord into his phone. It’s completely silent for a moment, before ABBA suddenly blasts through the speakers. Marinette turns to Damian, her face stuck in a deadpan expression.

“I know you have a knife. Kill me, please. Or at least stab me badly enough that we have to stop.” She instructs, her eye twitching as Dick starts singing off key.

“If I had two, I would. But I refuse to allow you to escape this hell and leave me to deal with it by myself. If I am stuck here, ukht, then so are you.” Damian says, his tone just as flat.

“Nuh uh. Either all of the resurrected bitches get to die, or none of us do.” Jason pipes up and Marinette sighs.

“Completely unfair, but whatever.” She says, as a horrible thought suddenly crosses her mind. “Oh my god.” She says.

“What?” Damian asks. She pinches the bridge of her nose, and lets out a long breath before looking at her brother sadly.

“We have to drive all the way back, too.” She says, and chaos erupts in the backseat.

---

Jason glares at Bruce in the rearview mirror, waiting for the man to look back and notice him. He finally, finally does, and Jason just grins at Bruce’s responding sigh.

“What?” He asks, and Jason frowns.

“What, can I not just glare at you for no reason?” He asks, snorting at the overly done look on B’s face. “Okay, okay. I was just gonna ask you to stop at the next gas station. I need to walk around, my legs are literally dead.” He says.

“How? I thought Marinette was lying on your legs?” B says and Jason huffs.

“Yeah, she is, but I’m also scrunched up back here because Replacement just had to have the other good seat. I have long legs, B, I’m dying.” Jason says.

“Tt. If you were dying, I would not be forced to hear your voice.” Damian snarks, not even opening his eyes. Jason opens his mouth to argue, but is stopped by a finger raising slowly into the air.

“Shhhhhhhhhhhh.” Pix says before dropping her finger back down and shifting around. Jason just rolls his eyes, trying hard not to smile at his baby sister. Maybe he could wait to walk a little longer. He leans up against the window, letting the soft noises of the car lull him to sleep.

---

Marinette Dupain Cheng was not dressed to impress as she walked into the random McDonalds, somewhere in North Carolina. Her dad had wanted to drive the whole way in one day, so at the last stop before she fell asleep, she’d changed into a pair of leggings, fuzzy socks and one of Jason’s old hoodies. Add in slides and a messy bun that could be mistaken for an abstract art exhibit, and Marinette was not willing to talk to anyone. At least, not until she had some coffee. She’s barely able to order her food before she’s following her brothers to a table in the corner. Sitting in the seat between Tim and Jason, she doesn’t even blink at the oddly stick table. It was six in the morning, the cleanliness of a table wasn’t exactly her number one priority. She narrows her eyes as Dick tries to say something to her, not quite able to comprehend his words. Just as she thinks she’s going to fall asleep on the sticky table, a huge cup is placed in her hands. The smell makes her sigh in relief before she takes a giant swig of the coffee, barely registering how hot it is.

“-nette! God, that was definitely too hot.” Dick says. Marinette blinks, the pain in her mouth finally helping her to register the fact that the coffee was too hot. Way too hot.

“Ouch.” She says quietly, eyebrows furrowing together.

“Kid, you’ve gotta be more careful.” Dick says, passing her another cup. She glances at it wearily and he sighs. “It’s a glass of ice water. It’s gonna feel a lot better than the coffee right now.”

“But, coffee.” She says and Dick gives her a look.

“It’s not going to kill you to drink the water. Now eat up. B wants to get back on the road as soon as possible.” Dick instructs and she groans at the food he passes her.

“You are such a dad.” She mumbles, picking apart the weird hash brown patty he’d passed her, eating small pieces of it.

“I officially hate road trips.” Damian says in a matter-of-fact tone. Marinette glances at him sleepily and grins.

“Just wait til we get to Disney, petit oiseau. That’ll be your own personal hell.” She promises him, snorting at the look on his face. In fact, she doubted any of the family would actually enjoy Disneyworld, given the fact Mar’i and Starfire were off planet again. Well, she knew she would enjoy it. But she doubted her brothers or dad would. Selina would enjoy it, until someone inevitably pisses her off and she steals from them and then gets in a major fight with her dad and- yeah. This was definitely one of her dad’s worst plans ever.

---

Dick insists on taking a family picture at the first rest stop inside Florida. He’s grinning at the palm trees and dolphins painted on the ‘Welcome to Florida’ sign with so much excitement, Marinette almost starts to think that this plan wasn’t awful. Almost. Because three seconds later, Damian is charging at Jason with the katana that he had somehow managed to sneak into the car. Which should have been impossible. She purses her lips as she tries to figure it out, when she sees Kaalki and the wide smile on their face.

“Did you open a portal so that Damian could get his sword and attack Jason?” Marinette asks Kaalki tiredly. She was relieved that her dad had decided they would spend the rest of the day at the hotel (once they finally got there, they were still currently stuck at that stupid welcome sign) instead of trying to go to Disney today. She was exhausted, and right now, the Kwami was not helping.

“I only helped him. He’s so small, and he is your brother, you know.” Kaalki says and Marinette snorts.

“So is the one that he’s currently trying to kill, Kaalki. But okay, sure.” She says, rubbing her face tiredly. She did not have the energy to deal with this right now. She sighs as Jason yells, turning on her heel and rushing after Damian.

“Get the fuck away!” Jason screams at Damian.

“Damian, no, drop the sword! Damian, please!” Marinette yells, rushing after him.

“Todd insists that he’s bunking with me. If he’s dead, I don’t have to worry about that.” Damian calls back, continuing rushing towards Jason. Marinette groans, running faster after him. Apparently, he was excessively crabby when tired. Joy.

---

“Do you think I could get away with wearing these all the time?” Dick asks, pointing to the Toy Story themed ears on his head.

“Might make some aspects of life a little hard.” Marinette points out with a grin as she imagines him, in his Nightwing uniform, with Toy Story ears on.

“We’d definitely amuse more villains, that’s for damn sure.” Jason adds with a smirk.

“Like yours are much better.” Dick says with a pout, pointing at Jason’s bright red Lightning McQueen ears.

“At least I’m wearing one of the better Disney characters.” Jason counters, glancing at Tim. Tim just frowns at him, sleep deprivation clear on his face.

“Goofy is one of the original Disney characters, Jason, I will not be accepting criticism.” He says flatly. Marinette giggles.

“What’re you laughing at sparkles?” Tim asks, pointing at the sparkles and huge bow attached to her ears.

“Nothing. Nothing at all, Timmy.” She says with a grin. She glances down at her watch, wondering what’s taking her dad so long. “Mo-Selina, do you think Dad’s alright?” Marinette asks, barely catching herself. She hadn’t asked Selina, or her Dad, if it was okay to call her that. And she didn’t want to be the kid to ruin the vacation. She currently had money on Jason being the one to ruin things, and she didn’t want to self sabotage that bet.

“Oh definitely. He’s probably just having trouble finding the perfect ears. After all, animal ears aren’t really his thing.” Selina teases, giving Marinette’s shoulders a quick squeeze. She grins and leans into her, content as she stands there and watches the door waiting for- yup. That was her dad. Walking out of a store, in public, with Mickey Mouse ears on his head. Oh this is amazing.

“Nice ears, B.” Jason teases and Marinette giggles. Sure, his ears were the most basic out of everyone (just plain black) but it was still hilarious to see her usually serious dad with mouse ears on his head.

“Tt. I cannot believe that you insisted we all wear them.” Damian complains, but Marinette can tell he likes his ears, even if he won’t admit it. They were Stitch themed, which was Damian’s favorite Disney movie. Really, it was one of three that she’d found that he could tolerate.

“I think you all look adorable.” Selina teases, her ears, like Marinette’s, were on a headband rather than a hat. And Selina’s were white with a veil. Marinette adored them.

“Can we please go get some coffee at Friar Nook’s?” Tim asks, looking dead on his feet. She frowns, slightly worried. They’d only been at the park for half an hour and he was already ready to pass out?

“Did you not sleep at all last night?” She asks, her tone slightly teasing but still concerned for him.

“Blame Dick. He snored all. Night. Long.” Tim complains, sighing deeply. Marinette winces.

“Why don’t you switch with Jason? He can sleep through anything.” She suggests.

“Absolutely not.”

“I would rather chew off my own foot.” Tim and Damian speak at the same time, turning to glare at each other before huffing.

“Come on, let’s go do some rides or something.” Dad suggests, and Marinette agrees, trying her best to hype up her brothers. Even though she’d been wary of the trip, and she was still NOT looking forward to the trip back, she could tell her dad wanted this to go well. He was obviously trying to let them have once nice (normal) vacation together. So she was going to do her best to make sure the rest of the trip was as amazing as possible.

Next

Tag list:  @maribat-bdbwm @vixen-uchiha @stainedglassm @liquid-luck-00 @laurcad123 @waiting247 @jayjayspixiepop @mizzy-pop @jjmjjktth @trippingovermyfeet @queenz-z @thepaceperson @iloontjeboontje @toodaloo-kangaroo @ritacrow-blog @deathssilentapproach-blog @kittenmywaythrulife @nerd-nowandforever @tazanna-blythe @jaybird-and-co @jumpingjoy82 @lady-bee-fechin @corporeal-terrestrial

[alfredolover119]

I looooove your zukka rec lists! I recently became Avatar-obsessed, never got a chance to watch it as a kid and only just got through it all! I was wondering if you'd consider doing a specifically angst rec list? I love fluffy zukka everything, but sometimes you just gotta have your heart ripped out of your chest and put back in after being thoroughly blended.

thank you! i relate heavily to “recently became Avatar-obsessed” haha. as for the angst list, i sure can try! warning: all of these have happy endings because im a crybaby who can’t read unhappy endings. also, p much all of the fics in the completed section were featured on my other lists but this is specifically the ANGSTY ones >:^)

angsty zukka wips

first, most obviously, feels like we only go backwards by @oldpotatoe

-currently at 102k with 19/27 chapters posted; rated teen

-the amnesia fic. the amnesia fic. the amnesia fic. you know. i haven’t actually read it yet because, as previously mentioned, i’m a crybaby and am waiting for it to finish up but, from my understanding, this fic will murder you in a dark alleyway with no remorse. if u like zukka angst, you’ve probably already read this, but just in case!

An injury leaves Sokka with amnesia. His last memory is of the failed invasion, of leaving his father behind in enemy territory on the Day of Black Sun. Of hopelessness. Rage. // But then he wakes up, and the war is over. Suddenly, he must come to terms with the fact that years have passed, and that he's somehow the Southern Water Tribe Ambassador to the Fire Nation. He is also supposedly friends with banished-Prince-turned-Fire-Lord Zuko, of all people. Close friends.

Yeah, nah.

and i’ll do anything you say (if you say it with your hands) by @goldrushzukka

-currently 38k with 6/8 chapters posted; rated mature

-holy shit. holy SHIT. modern au based on the “my cat likes my fuckbuddy and i am falling in love” trope(?). maybe it’s just because of how the last chapter ended, but oh my god. this one made me cry. made me want to commit violence. when it’s not angsty as hell, it’s pretty funny, but holy shit. ao3 user nebulastucky please.

It’s supposed to be a one night stand. Pick up some guy at a bar, barely remember his name and never learn anything real about him, send him packing in the morning with a thanks for the ride and a cup of coffee to-go. That’s how it’s supposed to go. // But then it’s the best sex Sokka has ever had, and he thinks he’ll hate himself if he never gets to have it again.

Violet Blossoms and Celestial Objects by @hollypunkers

-currently 15k with 2/? posted. rated teen.

-this is the sequel to blue (an angsty, zukka rewrite of book 2-- go read it if u havent!)! !! this is a book 3 rewrite. only two chapters in and mrs hollypunkers is really abusing the miscommunication tag, as zukka writers seem to enjoy doing. im excited to see how the world and story develops with the changes to the story! you should be too!! its very good! obviously spoilers for blue lmao

Having sided with the Avatar in Ba Sing Se, Zuko not only must navigate his new relationship with Sokka but returning to the Fire Nation as a banished enemy. His own journey of self discovery and personal growth must now coexist alongside the personal struggles of every other member of the Gaang as together they blaze a treacherous path toward an unsure victory against Zuko's own father and nation.

breakable heaven by @fruitysokka

-currently 71k with 9/11 chapters posted. rated teen

-swt ambassador zuko! soon to be chief sokka! fake dating ur best friend to get out of an arranged marriage! what could go wrong!!! i also haven’t read this one ((see: i’m a crybaby who is being hurt by too many zukka wips already)), but it has been hanging out in my marked for later for months. from what i understand, this fic has: angst.

With his twenty-first birthday looming just around the corner, the Southern Water Tribe Elders have decided that Sokka, next in line to be Chief, needs to get married. Sokka does not want that, but he does need to get them off his back until he can figure his way out of it. What better way to do that than to pretend to date his best friend (and newly minted Ambassador to the Southern Water Tribe) Zuko? // Seriously, this is a foolproof plan. Maybe one of Sokka's best. Absolutely nothing can go wrong.

angsty zukka fics (completed!)

(i’ll put these in wc order)

lighthouse beam by @incorrectzukka

-7k, rated g

-a modern college au!! zuko’s inner-monologue is very angsty in this fic. typical zuko. also per usual, theyre both fucking dorks. they sort themselves out in the end, but not before The Angst. zuko is semi-deaf in this fic and also he has a bit of internalized homophobia.

Sokka’s breathtakingly beautiful and he’s smart and makes other people laugh. Zuko has a half-burnt face and a deaf ear. It’s not rocket science. // Or, Zuko falls in love with the boy in his Philosophy class.

This Isn’t My Idea of Fun by @khaleeseas

-9k, explicit

-moon spirit/nwt prince!sokka, no war to be found here! admittedly this isnt THAT angsty but like. the angst IS present. zuko is still the prince. a lovely childhood friends (though they hated each other for a minute haha) to lovers story. 

If you asked Zuko, he and Azula saw far too much of Chief Hakoda of the Northern Water Tribe’s children growing up. It wasn’t until they were older, and Azula pointed out that - duh - their families were trying to set them all up, that he realized why. // He was told by his mother to be polite. These people were their friends and allies, and though their nations were as different as they came, harmony between nations was the most important thing. // It wasn’t his fault the Chief’s children were so annoying.

put your lips close to mine (as long as they don’t touch) by @celestialceci

-9k, teen

-modern au! zuko and sokka are college roommates. zuko goes to spend the summer with sokka. again,, not really that angsty but-- its there!! the detail and feeling of Home in this story make me happy. zuko is insecure as hell here too. if ur into that. 

Zuko hates his home. He likes college alright, but he likes Sokka even better, his assigned roommate turned best friend. Spending the summer with Sokka will be fun, a welcome change of pace he desperately wants. It probably won't awaken anything in him... right?

the thing about dancing by anodymalion

-9k, teen

-yes. this one right here officer. it makes my heart ache. also trans sokka! which is cool. but the zuko angst in this one. hurts me. not so much relationship angst as it is zuko learning he deserves happiness angst. i’m sure u know The Type.

The first time a attendant spills Zuko’s tea and doesn’t immediately fall to her knees, begging the Fire Lord’s forgiveness, it is not anger but a resounding warmth that fills his chest.

i could (never) give you peace by @zukkababey

-10k, mature

-OUCH. OUCH OUCH OUCH. boys please learn to communicate im begging u. also zuko.. zuko, dude. as the tags of the fic say, hes “really going through it” in this one. YOUCH. post-canon.

Zuko almost said it. He almost said the words I think I’m in love with you, but he choked them back down at the last second. // Zuko would never be able to be what Sokka wanted. They might have needed each other during the summer, when two boys with too much weight on their shoulders found comfort in each other in the only way they knew how. // But now Zuko was Fire Lord, and Sokka was leaving.

this love burns so yellow (becoming orange and in its time, exploding) by @meliebee 

-18k, teen, major character death 

-i lied. THIS is the one, officer. found family.. good mai and zuko and toph friendships.. . ozai escapes prison and tries to overthrow zuko. OBVIOUSLY angst ensues. poor boy. he Does heal in this but it gets worse before it gets better. angst angst angst angst.

Ten months after Zuko is crowned at seventeen, he faces his first coup.

Anything for You by beersforqueers

-23k, explicit

-istg. this is probably one of my favorite zukka fics. its PAINFUL. modern au where theyre broken up but sokka hasnt told his family yet so zuko goes home with him for kataang wedding. a bit smutty, but the plot oh my god ohgm y fuvk. made me cry the first time i read it. (see: crybaby!me) insert that one picture of the horse with the caption PAIN. 

In which Sokka and Zuko have broken up but Sokka hasn't told his family yet. So when Katara and Aang's wedding weekend rolls around and he doesn't want to break Gran-Gran's heart, he asks Zuko to pretend to be his boyfriend for one last weekend. // Things don't go as planned.

Moving Mountains by @thefangirlingdead

-64k, mature

-so. when i read this the first time it was in one sitting. soulmate au set within canon era / the comics, to an extent. soulmates can hear each others thoughts. i will happily say this is slowburn, jesus christ. champagne without the cham. 

Soulmates are chosen by the spirits and can hear each other’s thoughts. Sokka thinks it’s cheesy and dumb. Zuko thinks it’s poetic justice that he doesn’t have one because he doesn’t deserve it. Cruel irony is finding out that the prince of the Fire Nation (and the person currently hunting you) is your soulmate.

In the Soft Light by @voidcenturyscholar and @romancedawning

-83k, teen, graphic depictions of violence

-moon spirit!sokka living in the northern water tribe. zuko is sent to the northern water tribe as a cultural liaison. iroh is the fire lord but while he is away taking care of lu ten after his injury ozai steps up. i cannot express how many emotions this fic made me feel. background yuetara. i would almost say found family?? but. anyway. plenty of angst to spare here with a healthy dose of enemies to friends to lovers.

As the newly appointed cultural liaison to Northern Water Tribe, Zuko is the first Fire Nation Citizen to step foot inside the city's walls in nearly a century. He's determined to prove himself—to the Fire Lord and to his father—even if the Water Tribe's spirit-touched prince seems to want nothing to do with him.

That Midnight Sky by @zukkababey

-103k, teen

-now now now. tms... modern college au where sokka agrees to tutor zuko in physics because zuko has to maintain straight a’s and physics is just not doing it for him. so. thats cool but THEN azula moves in, randomly, with zuko. to hide the fact that sokka is tutoring zuko, they fake date! what could go wrong!! the mutual pining in here combined with the angst... wonderful, tasty. everyone read it rn. also SLOWBURN 

In Zuko’s strict family, needing a tutor is just about the worst thing you could do. Failing a class, however, is even worse. The only rational solution? Take up Aang on his offer to find him a physics tutor and have Sokka—beautiful, smart, handsome Sokka—tutor him in secret. // When Azula’s arrival threatens to reveal Zuko’s secret, it’s up to Sokka to convince her this definitely isn’t what it looks like. See, he’s actually… Zuko’s… boyfriend? // Hmm. There’s no way this could get complicated, right?