#ok actually tearing up now lmao | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

bucketsorbueckers · 17 days ago

Text

No Hard Feelings - Chapter 9

Paige X Azzi

warning: some homophobia, cam!, language, nods to adultish content sorta

A/N: if you thought you hated cam yesterday, just wait till you read this! lmao ok this story is winding down. but no worries. we've got more cooking. toxic WNBA fic loading. love yallll <3

Azzi’s POV

Azzi crossed, then uncrossed her legs beneath the booth. The one tucked into the far corner of the student center—the kind you only noticed if you were looking.

She’d picked it on purpose. Sent the text. And waited.

But now it was past time. Eleven minutes, exactly. Not that she was counting, except she was.

Her phone stayed face-up beside her, untouched and unbearably empty. The seconds dragged. Her knee bounced. Her irritation simmered, slow and low.

She had practice in a few hours and had been hoping to squeeze in a nap before getting her ass kicked. She scanned the room again. Still nothing.

With a sigh that felt more like surrender, Azzi opened the message thread and tapped her fingers against the screen sharply.

are we still meeting?

A beat. A breath. A heartbeat too long.

yeah. walking up now.

She stared at the reply. No apology. No explanation. Just that.

Azzi clenched her jaw and flipped her phone face-down on the table. Too late now. She was already here. She blew out a breath and tried to calm herself down.

Right then, the door swung open.

Her head snapped up. And her heart stumbled in her chest. But not in a good way. In an anxious, terrible way that always happened before she let someone down.

Cam stopped in the doorway, eyes landing. She could physically feel the weight of his gaze.

For a second, neither of them moved. He just stared, like maybe he didn’t expect her to actually show. Then he exhaled. Long. Measured. Almost bracing. And walked toward her.

He slid into the booth across from her, propping his elbows on the table.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hey,” he replied, flat.

Azzi chewed on the inside of her cheek, already feeling the distance stretch between them. She knew where this conversation was going. She just didn’t know how to get there without drawing blood.

“How have you been?”

Cam shook his head, sharp and immediate. “How do you think, Azzi?”

She swallowed. Her knee started to bounce under the table.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I know I haven’t really been around.”

He laughed. Bitter. Cold. Like he’d been saving it.

“Yeah. I bet you’re really fucking sorry,” he said, eyes narrowing. “Must be hard to remember I exists when you’re fucking Bueckers.”

Azzi physically flinched. Eyes blowing wide. She knew Cam was upset but didn’t expect such vitriol. It took her a few seconds to reorient herself.

“Cam. I -”

“Does it make you feel special?” He pressed. “That Paige Bueckers picked you?”

She knew it wouldn’t go over smoothly. But this? This was nuclear. Cam leaned in, voice quieter now. Meaner.

“Can’t wait to see what happens when she gets bored,” he said. “When the shine wears off and she realizes you were just something easy. Something temporary. She’s got the whole world, Azzi. And you think she’s gonna stay small for you?”

Azzi didn’t mean to let it get to her. Didn’t mean to show anything. But it was like Cam knew exactly where to hit—those soft, still-raw parts of her. The old insecurity. The part of her that still wasn’t sure she’d ever be enough.

She bit down on her bottom lip to keep the tears at bay. Two escaped anyway. Cam saw. Of course he did.

“How long?” he asked, voice flat. “How long have you been in love with her?”

Azzi stared at the table. Quiet. Honest.

“Since I was a kid,” she said.

Cam laughed. Low. Cruel. Like it amused him how easy it was to pull her apart.

“Of course you have,” he said. “I used to watch you watch her, you know. Thought it was harmless.”

He leaned back, stretching like the knife in his words wasn’t intentional.

“And then—guess how fucking stupid I felt when she opened your dorm door the day I came to talk?” he went on. “Wearing your shirt. With that smug little look like she knew. Like she was proud of it. Of having you. Just because I wanted you.”

“Paige isn’t like that,” Azzi muttered, swiping at another tear.

Cam rolled his eyes. “You haven’t heard the shit people say on this campus. Because according to them? She’s exactly like that.”

Azzi shook her head, the first flicker of heat curling back into her chest. The tears didn’t dry, but the ache in her gut was quickly turning into something sharper.

It was one thing to talk down to her. But it was another thing entirely to talk about Paige like that. Her Paige—with the gentlest heart, the steadiest hands. The girl who tried so hard to carry everyone else’s weight that she forgot to ask for help with her own.

“You don’t know her,” Azzi said, louder now. “And neither does most of this school, though they love pretending they do.”

She paused, chest rising and falling. That familiar burn rising in her throat but this time, it wasn’t grief. It was rage. It was clarity.

Because Cam didn’t know. He’d never known.

He didn’t know what it meant to love someone like Paige Bueckers. To watch her carry a thousand expectations like they were stitched into her skin. To see her wake up early just to make sure everyone else had what they needed. To hear the way people talked about her when they thought she wasn’t listening—how fast they flipped between praise and poison.

He didn’t know what it was like to see someone that gentle get torn apart by a world that never stopped asking for more.

But Azzi did.

And she had always wanted to protect Paige. Even before she knew what the feeling was. She would’ve handed over her own breath if it meant making Paige’s life easier. Would’ve put herself between Paige and the entire world, if she thought it would matter.

But she couldn’t stop the noise. And she couldn’t make people like Cam disappear.

What she could do was stop pretending she didn’t know how to fight back.

“She’s a good person. A good person. Who just happens to be extraordinary at things. You don’t get to make her the villain because the world chose her,” Azzi Fudd wasn’t known for being cruel. She was the even one. The steady one. The peacekeeper. But when it came to Paige—when it came to this—maybe she didn’t have to be. So she mirrored Cam’s grin. Sharp. Icy. Unapologetic. “Because I chose her and not you.”

Azzi watched it land. Watched his face twist up. Bitter, bruised, small. And for once, she felt nothing. No guilt. No urge to soften it. No apology rising in her throat. Just a steady, quiet kind of rightness humming in her chest.

Cam scoffed, voice scraping the air between them.

“So that’s how it’s gonna be,” he said. “Paige’s dirty little secret.”

Azzi froze for a second. Nails digging into her thighs. She forced her jaw to unclench. To look Cam in the eyes.

“Nothing’s a secret with Paige,” She muttered. “We’re just private.”

"Yeah. Keep telling yourself that, Az." Cam rolled his eyes, “Funny thing about privacy though. In the blink of an eye, it can just go poof.”

He pushed up from the table, turning to look at Azzi one more time.

“Would be a shame if someone did you wrong. Paige Bueckers really is a household name,” He said. “No telling how quickly things could get twisted.”

And then, he shrugged, leaving her at the table.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥◛⑅·˚ ༘ ♡⌦ .｡.:*♡❁۪�� ཻུ♡˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡

Azzi was on the edge—of a panic attack, of punching a street pole, of bursting into tears in the middle of campus.

She sat on the curb outside the student center, hood up, elbows on her knees, fingers threaded together like maybe if she held herself tight enough, she wouldn’t fly apart.

She wasn’t crying. Not yet. But her vision was swimming, and her breath was doing that stupid catch in her chest like it didn’t want to cooperate. Like even her body was mad at her.

The thing was, she’d just wanted to protect Paige. To say the thing Paige never got to say out loud. To stand in front of her, just once, and take the hit instead.

But she hadn’t taken the hit. She’d invited it.

And now it wasn’t just about her anymore.

It was about Paige’s name. Her reputation. Her career. The thousand tiny ways the world chipped away at her already—and Azzi had handed them another blade.

She tugged on the sleeve of her hoodie until the fabric twisted in her palm.

She couldn’t tell Paige. Not yet. Not when Paige had been so happy just this morning. Not when she’d said: “It’s nice having something that’s just mine.”

Azzi felt sick.

She didn’t want to be the reason Paige lost the one piece of herself the world hadn’t gotten its hands on yet. So she sat there.

For ten minutes. Then twenty. Then long enough that her legs started to fall asleep.

She replayed the conversation with Cam over and over. She typed out a dozen different texts. Some sharp. Some desperate. Some that said please don’t and others that said try me.

But she deleted every single one.

She’d already made a mess. There was no use handing him proof. No screenshots, no words he could twist when someone eventually asked him to back it up. Because they would. Of course they would.

Or maybe they wouldn’t. Maybe they’d just circle, teeth bared, waiting for the next excuse to tear Paige apart.

But still, she wondered if he’d already saved something. Some old photo. A text. A time-stamped moment that looked just incriminating enough if you squinted hard and stripped it of all its context. The thought alone made her stomach lurch.

Because the fear wasn’t about being gay. It never was. It was about being Paige’s weak spot. And everyone knowing it..

Because once it was out there, they…The media, the fans, the ones who loved her when she won and turned on her when she didn’t would use it. They’d say Paige had lost focus. That she was distracted. That she was spending too much time tangled up in Azzi Fudd instead of locked in on the court.

They were teammates, and that would be the story.

Azzi had seen it before. Heard it whispered about other players. Love weaponized to the point of ruining things.

And then there’d be the others. The louder ones. The ones hiding behind burner accounts and comment sections. Saying all the ugly things people say when they think they’re anonymous. When they think you’re not human.

Some people were just hateful. And Paige Bueckers—who led with kindness, who carried her spotlight like a burden and still held her hands out anyway—was exactly the kind of target they loved.

Because the world didn’t know what to do with a girl like her. So it would try to break her. Softly at first. Then all at once.

She groaned. This was supposed to be her protecting Paige. Instead, she might’ve handed someone the exact weapon they’d been looking for.

And the worst part? She didn’t even know if the blade was coming. Just that it could. And somehow, waiting for it was more panic inducing than anything else.

Her phone buzzed at her side and she flinched, full-body. She fumbled it out of her bag, breath caught in her throat, then let it out hard when she saw the name.

Caroline: are you okay?

Azzi frowned. Had something already happened? Another text came through.

Caroline: do you often find yourself hanging out on curbs in front of the student center? or is that a new habit?

And then:

Caroline: just gauging how worried i should be.

Azzi looked up and saw her.

Caroline, standing across the walkway with her arms crossed and her face pulled into something careful Concerned, as always, but softer this time. Like she knew to tread lightly.

She raised a hand in a slow wave. Waited. Azzi didn’t move. So Caroline approached like Azzi was a spooked animal. Cautious. Slow.

When she crouched in front of her, it only took one look—one real look—for her to nod.

“Come on.”

No questions. Just that.

Caroline pulled her up without fanfare and they walked, shoulder to shoulder, back to her dorm. Nothing loud. Nothing sharp. Just the sound of their footsteps on the pavement and the hush of a friendship built on showing up.

And when the door closed behind them, Azzi sat on the edge of Caroline’s bed and told her everything. When Azzi finished talking, she stared at her hands. Like maybe if she looked up, everything would be different. Less heavy.

Caroline was quiet for a moment. Then she exhaled through her nose, sat back against the wall, and said:

“I love you. You know that, right?”

Azzi nodded, still not looking at her.

“So I’m gonna say this with love. But also you need to listen to me.”

Azzi glanced up, bracing.

“You have to tell Paige.”

The words landed like a second heartbeat in the room.

Caroline didn’t stop. “You don’t get to be in this—really in this—and shut her out the second it gets hard. That’s not how it works.”

Azzi opened her mouth, but Caroline lifted a hand.

“No. I know you’re scared. I know you’re trying to protect her. But trust is part of that too, Az. You don’t just get to pick the parts of her you want to carry.”

Azzi flinched, barely. But Caroline saw it.

“You’ve been best friends since you were kids,” she said, softer now. “You owe her more than this short-sighted, self-sacrificial spiral. Paige would burn the world down for you, and you’re out here deciding things for her like she doesn’t get a vote.”

Silence. Then, after a beat:

“If this is going to really work you have to let her be scared with you. Or it’s not real.”

Azzi bit down on her lip. Caroline’s voice gentled even more.

“Tell her, Az. She deserves that. You deserve that.”

Azzi knew she was right. Knew that this was part of it…part of the hard they’d brushed past in whispers, in moments when things were still soft enough to ignore.

But this was it, wasn’t it?

This was the part where love didn’t just mean holding each other when it was easy. It meant choosing to stay in the mess. Letting yourself be seen in the panic. It meant letting Paige be in it with her, even if that meant watching her face fall. Even if it cracked something open that might be hard to close again.

She wasn’t protecting Paige by hiding. She was just…hiding. And maybe that had made sense before. But it didn’t anymore.

Azzi finally sighed and nodded. Caroline didn’t say told you so. She just reached over and squeezed her hand.

“Anyway,” she said, casually, like they hadn’t just talked through a complete emotional unraveling, “if there’s anyone who can handle this, it’s Paige. Friends in high places and such.”

That pulled the smallest smile from Azzi. Tired, but real.

“She does have a terrifyingly efficient team,” she mumbled.

Caroline smirked. “Exactly. By the time you tell her, she’ll probably have already handled it.”

Azzi squeezed her hand back before letting go and collapsing backward onto Caroline’s bed. The ceiling spun just a little. Or maybe that was just the leftover adrenaline finally burning off.

“Thanks, Caro,” she said, eyes closing.

“For what?”

“For… all of it.”

Caroline shrugged. “Please. It’s literally my job as your favorite best friend.”

Azzi let out a quiet laugh. Thankful for people who were smarter than her.

Paige’s POV

Paige was in the gym, chasing silence the only way she knew how.

Shot after shot. Around the horn. Reps until her shoulders burned and her vision blurred with sweat.

The more shots she took, the better she’d be. That was the deal, right? More work, more control. So she stayed in motion—kept the ball moving, the net snapping, the echo of each make loud enough to drown out everything else.

She was locked in. Right now, it was just her and the game. The rhythm. The feel. The fix.

Nothing was technically wrong. She just wanted to be better.

There’d been a few miscues in the last game. Sloppy reads, rushed decisions. Little things. Things people maybe wouldn’t even notice. But Paige did.

And if she worked hard enough, long enough, she figured she’d beat the bad habits out of herself one way or another.

“Don’t you ever want to just…take a nap?”

The voice echoed across the gym, loud enough to cut through the sound of the ball snapping through the net.

Paige rolled her eyes. “Sleep is for the offseason.”

She turned to see Nika standing at half court, hands on her hips, grinning.

“Can sleep when we win a national championship,” Paige added, snagging the rebound.

Nika chuckled, the sound warm, familiar. “Won’t hear me complain.”

She jogged over to the bench and started lacing up her shoes.

“Hey, P?”

“Mm?” Paige said, eyes still on the rim as she rose for another shot.

“How bad of a sign is it if Azzi’s texted you six times in the last hour?”

The ball hit the rim—clanged once, rolled, and dropped through. Paige froze. Just for a second.

“She what?”

“Six texts. Azzi Fudd.” Nika flashed her phone. “Aw, do I also have emojis by my name? Or is that girlfriend only privilege?”

Paige half-sprinted over and snatched the phone from her, scanning the notifications like they might rearrange themselves into something less urgent.

Azzi wasn’t a frequent texter. And she definitely wasn’t a six-texts-while-you’re-at-the-gym kind of texter.

Something was wrong. Paige could feel it in her chest.

Azzi💎[1:41 PM]: hey. when you’re done, can we talk?

Azzi💎[1:45 PM]: no rush of course

Azzi💎[1:47 PM]: i’m fine. promise. just anxious

Azzi💎 [1:53 PM]: sorry. don’t mean to dump it on you

Azzi💎[1:57 PM]: i didn’t tell you earlier because i didn’t want to ruin your day. or your shootaround. idk i probably should’ve told you

Azzi Fudd💎[2:01 PM]: it’s about cam.

Paige stared at the screen. For a second, she didn’t move. Didn’t breathe. Then she grabbed her water bottle, her keys, and started toward the door.

Nika barely had time to ask, “Everything okay?”

Paige’s voice was tight, steady, already halfway gone:

“Gotta go.”

Paige barely remembered the walk over. Just the echo of her own footsteps and the way her heart felt like it was pacing ahead of her. When she reached Azzi’s dorm, she knocked once and the door swung open almost immediately.

Caroline.

Her eyes widened for a second, but she didn’t ask anything. Didn’t need to. She just stepped aside.

“She’s in her room,” Caroline said. “Hasn’t really moved.”

Paige gave her a small nod, barely a sound of thanks, and stepped past her without pausing. Her sneakers whispered against the floor as she moved down the hallway.

And then, Azzi’s door.

Paige didn’t knock this time. Just opened it slowly, quietly, like she was afraid of startling something fragile.

“Az?”

Azzi didn’t look up.

She was curled into herself on the bed, hoodie sleeves pulled over her hands, legs tucked tight to her chest like she was trying to take up less space than usual. Her eyes were on the floor. Or maybe nowhere at all.

Paige crossed the room slowly, like if she moved too fast, Azzi might vanish. When she reached the bed, she didn’t say anything. Just sank down beside her and placed a hand on her back. Gentle. Solid. There.

Azzi didn’t move. So Paige leaned forward.

“Az… what’s going on?”

For a second, she thought she wouldn’t answer.

But then Azzi turned, slowly, and tucked her face into Paige’s hoodie like it was the only place left she trusted. Paige wrapped her arms around her without hesitation, without question, and pulled her in close.

Several seconds passed. The kind that stretch.

And then, finally, Azzi’s voice, so small Paige almost missed it:

“I fucked up.”

Paige didn’t flinch. Didn’t loosen her grip.

Just pressed her lips to Azzi’s temple and whispered, “I’m sure you didn’t.”

But Azzi nodded against her chest, breath hitching.

“I did.” A beat. “I met with Cam.”

And for a beat, Paige went still. Not from fear. Not even from the threat that was coming next. But from jealousy. The kind that was immediate and instinctual. The kind she didn’t want to feel but did anyway.

It hit in the ribs—sharp and stupid.

You went to him. You didn’t tell me. Why didn’t you tell me?

Still, when she looked at Azzi, it crumbled. Because it wasn’t about her. Not right now. Not about her petty feelings or ancient insecurities or whatever awful, selfish thing had just risen to the surface.

It was about Azzi.

So Paige swallowed the jealousy. Buried it. Told it to wait its damn turn.And she reached for Azzi’s hand. Quiet. Steady. Honest.

“Okay,” she said, voice low. “Tell me what happened.”

Azzi’s eyes dropped to their joined hands. She stared at their fingers, like maybe they held the words she couldn’t find yet. Then she exhaled. Long and shaky.

“I thought I could handle it,” she said finally. “I just…I wanted to close the loop. End it clean. He kept texting and I didn’t want it hanging over us anymore, so I told him I’d meet.”

She paused, like she was bracing for impact. Paige didn’t flinch. Azzi kept going, the words picking up speed.

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to worry-” she cut herself off, shook her head. “It wasn’t about him. It was about me. Us. And I was trying to prove that I could handle it. That I could be brave about something without needing you to fix it.”

Her throat tightened.

“But I said too much,” she whispered. “I let him get under my skin. I provoked him, and then he…”She swallowed hard. “He threatened to out us. Said some shit about how easily privacy can just… disappear. Like it’s nothing.”

Her voice cracked.

“I thought I was protecting you. But I think I made it worse. And I know you trust me to show up for you, and I—I didn’t. Not the way I should’ve.”

Paige was quiet. Not the kind of quiet that came from shock. Not disappointment, either. Just… processing. She stared at Azzi for a long moment. And Azzi, suddenly unsure, started to pull her hands back. But Paige didn’t let her. She held on.

“I don’t care about Cam,” she said softly. “I mean—I do, and I’m pissed, but—” She broke off. Exhaled. Tried again. “That’s not what I care about right now.”

Her thumb brushed across the back of Azzi’s hand.

“What I care about is this,” she said. “You. Me. Us.”

Azzi blinked. Her lips parted like she might speak, but nothing came out.

“I’m not mad at you,” Paige said, finally. “I hate that you felt like you had to do it alone. I hate that he made you feel small. But more than anything, I hate that you thought this—” she motioned between them, “—was something that could break.”

Azzi’s breath caught.

“This isn’t breakable, Az,” Paige said, softer now. “Not from this. Not from a moment of fear or a conversation gone wrong.”

She leaned in, forehead nearly brushing Azzi’s.

“You don’t gotta be perfect to be with me. You just have to be with me.”

She leaned forward. Forehead nearly touching Azzi’s.

“Do you understand that? I’m not going anywhere.”

Azzi’s eyes fluttered shut. Like hearing it hurt a little. Like maybe it was the first time she fully believed it. Paige stayed there, breath soft against her cheek, holding the space open between them. But her brain was turning over the conversation. The threat.

The conversation. The threat. Cam’s voice, echoing secondhand in her head. Privacy doesn’t last forever.

She didn’t let herself tense. Not with Azzi this close. But beneath the calm, something sharp had begun to settle. Because now she wasn’t just thinking about what had happened. She was thinking about what came next.

What Cam might say. What others might run with. How fast the story could spread if it got in the wrong hands. But none of that was Azzi’s to carry, not anymore. Paige would make sure of it.

Later. She’d handle it all later.

Right now, Azzi was still in her arms. Still here. Still hers. So Paige kissed her temple. Light. Certain. And said nothing. Not yet.

Azzi fell asleep curled into her side, one arm slung across Paige’s waist, breath steady against her collarbone.

Paige didn’t move. Every instinct in her body wanted to stretch. To roll her neck. To pull out her phone and start fixing things. But she didn’t.

She stayed. Because this mattered more.

Because the way Azzi had melted into her felt like something sacred. Like trust, finally handed over. Like love curled in the shape of a girl’s sleep-heavy grip.

So, Paige just tugged her a bit closer, like she couldn’t stand even an inch of space between them. She pressed a kiss to Azzi’s shoulder. Then another. Just because she could.

God, she was so in love with her. It made everything else feel quieter. Smaller. Easier to breathe around.

Paige closed her eyes and smiled into the back of Azzi’s neck.

This—this was the part she’d never get over. The sweetness of being next to her. The miracle of being allowed to stay.

So she did just that. Stayed. Her body curled around Azzi’s, her thoughts somewhere half-alive. She stared at the ceiling and counted her breaths. Let time pass in slow, patient inches. Watched the light shift across the walls, just enough to remind her the world was still turning.

An hour passed before Azzi stirred.

Her fingers twitched first, brushing against Paige’s ribs. Then a soft hum, her forehead nudging instinctively closer. Paige looked down, smiling.

“Hey.”

Azzi blinked slowly. “Did I fall asleep?”

“Hard,” Paige murmured, smiling. “You snored a little. Very flattering.”

Azzi groaned and buried her face in Paige’s side again. They stayed like that for a few minutes. Wrapped in warmth, in the illusion that the outside world hadn’t already begun knocking. But Paige could feel it. The peace cracking around the edges.

Azzi shifted. Cleared her throat. And finally said, “So. What are we going to do?”

Paige had been expecting it. She’d been thinking about it the entire time Azzi had been asleep…spinning every possibility in her head like a half-court play. And she’d made her decision almost immediately.

She didn’t want this to be Azzi’s burden to carry. Not because she didn’t trust her. But because Paige knew how to take the hit. Knew how to balance pressure and privacy like it was part of the game. She was built for this.

So she smirked. Didn’t sit up. Didn’t change her tone. Just leaned over and pressed a sloppy kiss to Azzi’s cheek.

“Don’t stress about that, baby,” she said, casually. “I’ll handle it.”

Azzi looked up, her eyes searching. “How?”

Paige just smiled. Brushed a thumb under her eye, gentle as ever.

“I’ve got connections,” she said. “People who don’t ask questions. People who know how to keep things quiet.”

A pause. Then, even softer:

“Let me carry this one.”

Azzi blinked, jaw tight like she wanted to argue. But she didn’t. She just nodded. And sank back into her side.

A few seconds passed before Paige asked the question that had been quietly gnawing at her.

“What did you even say to rile him up that much?”

Azzi’s cheeks flushed pink immediately. She groaned, burying her face in her hands. But eventually, she mumbled it out, face still hidden, voice muffled. And when she finished, Paige threw her head back laughing. The sound cracked through the air, bouncing off the walls around them.

“Damn,” she said, grinning wide. “Didn’t know I had a dog in my corner. Might start bringing you to interviews—let you handle the reporters who get too cute.”

Azzi rolled her eyes, but she smiled. Quiet and slow, like it was just starting to feel safe again. The silence that followed wasn’t heavy. Just… honest.

Paige cleared her throat.

“Wouldn’t be the worst thing, by the way.”

Azzi glanced over, curious. “What wouldn’t?”

“If the world knew about us,” Paige muttered. Still not looking at her. “I mean—I’m not embarrassed. Of you. Of us.” A shrug. Too casual. Like maybe if she didn’t look at Azzi, it wouldn’t feel like a confession. “Just figured you should know.”

It wasn’t a big speech. It didn’t need to be. Azzi heard it. All of it.And Paige saw the shift. Saw how much it meant to her. How badly she’d needed to hear it out loud.

Azzi bumped her shoulder against Paige’s.

“You’re such a loser,” she said, soft and smiling.

Paige just grinned.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥◛⑅·˚ ༘ ♡⌦ .｡.:*♡❁۪۪ ཻུ♡˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡

When she left Azzi’s, Paige shifted.

Because while she was gentle with Azzi, she wasn’t with anything else. Not in her nature. Especially not now.

The truth was, she didn’t really care if she got outed.

Would it be ideal? No. Not with the season about to start. But people already assumed. People had always assumed.

What mattered more was Azzi. Protecting her from the inevitable noise. The think pieces, the whispers, the careless reposts and comment sections that always managed to cut deeper than they should. And for that reason alone, Paige would tap every connection she had.

NIL reps. Media liaisons. PR friends in high places.

She’d pull every string. Press every silent button.

Because if Cam wanted to test her?

He was about to learn exactly what it meant to come for the one thing Paige Bueckers still considered hers.

She pulled out her phone.

Group Chat: "Team P"

Paige: need a favor

Paige: someone’s threatening to leak something personal

Paige: want it handled quietly

Paige: preemptively, if possible

She tucked her phone away and kept walking. It didn’t take long to get a response.

Team: Send a debrief. We’ll handle it. Team: UConn student?

Paige licked her lips, typed:

Paige: UConn athlete.

A typing bubble appeared. Disappeared. Came back.

Team: Oh. Easier than I thought. Team: Send the brief. We’ll handle it.

Paige typed out everything they needed to know—quick, clean, no fluff. No unnecessary details. No names. Except Cam’s. Because of course his dumbass name made the cut. And then she hit send.

She trusted her team. Knew they’d handle it. So she tossed her phone in her bag and headed back to the gym.

Still, there was a buzz under her skin, restless and hot. Part of her wanted to get her own lick in. To find Cam and ruin him. With words. With facts. With that smile she reserved for her only her worst moments.

But she knew better. Knew her temper was better held. Because sometimes, a well-timed email spoke louder than anything sharp she could sling across a table.

After practice, she checked her phone. No surprise. The email was waiting. CC’d, just like she’d asked. It hit at 4:42 p.m. Barely an hour after she’d rung the alarm.

She opened it without blinking.

Subject: Student Conduct Concern – Privacy Threat to Student-Athlete

Hey Sheryll,

Reaching out on behalf of Paige Bueckers regarding a private issue involving another student-athlete at UConn.

There’s been a verbal threat to disclose personal information related to her relationship with another athlete, made in a way that could violate student conduct and NIL compliance policies.

We’re not seeking a formal report at this time, but we would appreciate the university addressing it directly and quietly. Paige would prefer to avoid escalation, and we trust your office can handle this discreetly.

Have attached Paige’s brief. If you need further context or documentation, we’re happy to provide it.

Thank you,

Lindsay Kagawa Colas

Wasserman

PR/Representation for Paige Bueckers

Paige read the email once. Then closed the app. The devil might work fast. But a well-paid PR team team worked faster.

Beside her, Azzi watched carefully.

“You think I’m pretty or something?” Paige asked, without looking up.

Azzi rolled her eyes but leaned in anyway. “What’s going on?”

Paige shrugged, slinging her bag over one shoulder. “All’s handled.”

Azzi’s brows lifted, suspicious. “How so?”

Paige smirked, lips tugging sideways. “Don’t worry about it.”

She’d tell her eventually. But God, she loved a moment to be cocky. Especially with Azzi. Especially when it was earned.

Azzi narrowed her eyes, bit down on her lip, and bumped their shoulders together.

“Show-off.”

Paige grinned. “Only for you,” she muttered. “Obviously.”

Azzi’s POV

Azzi loved a post-win Ted’s trip.

Nothing but sweats, sneakers, and Paige’s hand tangled in hers as she tugged her toward the metal roof of the only place still open in Storrs.

The game had gone about as perfectly as a game could go. So perfect, in fact, that even Geno had barely found something to nitpick. A miracle. A high. The kind of night that made you feel like maybe the whole season would go like this.

Paige followed willingly, hood up, cheeks still a little pink from the win. Azzi didn’t let go of her hand once.

When they walked in, Paige tugged Azzi toward the back and said, “Go grab the booth. I’ve got this. Lead scorer of the night deserves VIP treatment.”

Then, before Azzi could argue, she leaned in and pressed a kiss to her neck. Quick, casual, completely lethal.

Azzi let out a half-laugh, half-gasp, already unraveling.

“Unfair,” she mumbled, grinning like an idiot.

But she did as she was told. Collapsed into the booth in the far corner, still flushed from the game and now very possibly more flushed from Paige.

She propped her chin on her hand, eyes already tracking her girl across the room. Messy bun, hoodie half-tucked, ordering like she owned the place.

She was still watching Paige—laughing with the bartender, her whole face lit up—when someone stepped between them, blocking her view.

Azzi looked up.

Cam. Drunk Cam. He swayed slightly as he tilted his head, eyes dragging over her like she was an exhibit he’d already seen too many times.

“Congrats on the win,” he said.

Azzi offered a tight-lipped smile. “Thanks.”

He cleared his throat. Took a long sip of whatever was in his glass.

“Got an interesting email a few days ago,” he said. “Seems like Bueckers got the impression I was planning to muddy up her name.” A beat. “Wonder where she got that idea.”

Azzi dragged her eyes up, finally meeting his. They were glassy from the alcohol. And from something else. Something bitter and bruised and maybe always there.

“Probably from me,” she said evenly. “Since you threatened me. In the student center. To do exactly that.”

Cam shook his head, laughing under his breath. The sound was bitter. Familiar.

“That was a conversation, Azzi. Not a threat,” he said, like she was the one being dramatic. “I was just pointing out how interesting it would be. If it happened.”

He took another sip. Looked over his shoulder—toward the bar. Azzi followed his gaze. Paige had noticed. She was still smiling, still talking, but her eyes were locked on them. Alert. Ready. Waiting for the signal. Cam turned back.

“Looks like you took it a little personal,” he said, smirk creeping back into his voice. “Makes you wonder though.” He nodded toward the bar. “All those strings pulled. All that heat. Just to keep you a secret.”

Something about that made Azzi laugh. Not bitter. Not wounded. Just...tired. And maybe a little stronger than she used to be.

Because once, that line might’ve split her clean through. But now she knew the difference. She wasn’t Paige’s secret. Not in the ways that ever made her doubt it.

So she laughed.

“Good try,” she said, tipping her head.

Cam arched a brow. “What? She sent a full legal team to make sure I didn’t so much as whisper your name in the same sentence as hers.”

Azzi shrugged, unbothered. “My name’s in the same sentence as hers all the time, Cam. That’s not exactly new.”

Cam leaned in, eyes mean and glassy. “Yeah,” he said, low and cutting. “But usually it’s not about fucking you.”

Two cups hit the table with a thud. Cam jumped. And turned. To find Paige standing there.

“Cam,” she said with an unfriendly grin. “Always showing up where you’re uninvited. A real talent.”

He rolled his eyes, but Azzi saw it. The twitch in his jaw, the swallow he tried to hide.

“Bueckers,” he muttered. “Got real intimate with your legal team recently.”

Paige nodded once. “Yeah. So I heard.”

She took her seat beside Azzi, tugging her into her side. Arm slung around her shoulders. Not possessive really, just proud. So, Azzi leaned into her. Braided their fingers together with a hum of satisfaction.

“Weird thing to sick your paid associates the second the word might get out that Azzi’s your girlfriend.”

Paige took a long sip, rolling her neck.

“Well, I’m glad you at least know she’s mine,” Paige said, tilting her head.

That landed.

“Yeah, Bueckers. Sure,” he said, voice dropping, bitter in that familiar, jealous way. “Until she remembers what it’s like to be with someone who can actually give her what she wants. You know. In ways—” his eyes dragged over them, slow and smug—“you physically can’t.”

Azzi didn’t need to ask what he meant. She knew. They both did. But before Paige could say a word, Azzi laughed, sharp and cold and completely unimpressed.

“She can’t, huh?” Azzi smiled, slow and tired. “News to me.”

Paige smirked at that, licking her lips like she was trying not to smile. Then, she looked past him.

“Oh,” she said lightly. “Cam, looks like we got an audience.”

He turned.

A small group of his teammates stood near the bar. Manny among them. Their faces were tight. Eyes narrowed. One of them crossed his arms.

“Yo,” Manny said, stepping forward. “The fuck are you doing, man?”

Cam blinked. “What?”

“We came over to say thanks,” another guy muttered. “Paige sent us shots. That was solid.”

“But then we hear you running your mouth? Harassing them?” Manny cut in. His jaw tightened. “Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you?”

“You drunk?” someone else asked. “Or just showing your whole ass on purpose?”

Cam’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. He looked cornered. Caught.

Paige didn’t say a word. Just rested her arm on the back of the booth like she was watching a show she’d already seen the ending to. And as Azzi studied her—cool, unbothered, lips twitching like this was exactly the outcome she’d hoped for—realization bloomed.

The drinks sent to his teammates. How long it took her to come back to the table. All of it.

Azzi snorted and immediately buried her face in Paige’s neck, trying to hide the laugh that nearly cracked her open. Paige tilted her head slightly, like she felt it too.

“Get the fuck away from them,” Manny said, finally. Voice low. Firm. “Go home. Sober up. We’ll deal with this tomorrow.”

Cam turned, looking back like he wanted to plead, explain, twist the story into something else. But Paige, in all her quiet, relentless glory, gave him a two-finger salute.

“Have a good night, Cam,” she said. Almost sweet.

He stormed out.

The guys lingered, awkward, clearly thrown.

“Hey—um, we’re really sorry,” one of them said, eyes flicking between them. “I don’t know what he was trying to do, but…yeah. That wasn’t it.”

Paige nodded once. Easy. “You’re good,” she said. “No need to let one guy ruin a perfectly decent night. Enjoy the shots.”

“Thanks Bueckers,” They muttered before walking away.

Paige blew out a breath.

“Shit baby. What did you do to that guy to have him so damn obsessed?”

Azzi’s face flushed. “Honestly? Nothing.” Her voice was quieter now. She and Paige hadn’t really unpacked the whole Cam thing yet, but she wanted to. Not right now though. In public. “We hung out a few times… not even just us. Never one-on-one. I—”

Paige kissed her. Quick. Certain. Like she could read Azzi's mind. It was the kind of kiss that didn’t ask for attention but might’ve gotten it anyway.

Azzi didn’t really care.

“I’m kidding,” Paige said. “I’d be that down bad too if I had a chance with you and lost it.”

“Yeah, well,” Azzi muttered against her skin. “Nothing you have to worry about.”

Paige bit back a grin. “No? Should I remind you he’s wrong about what I can’t do? Just to be sure?”

Azzi flushed, her whole body catching fire as Paige’s hand gripped her thigh a little tighter.

“If it’ll help your ego.”

That earned her a low laugh. Paige leaned in, lips grazing warm skin.

“Bet.”

#pazzi fic #azzi x paige #pazzi #pazzi fics #paige x azzi

227 notes · View notes

strawbeelemonade · 2 years ago

Text

ROMANTIC IMAGINE: Miguel O'hara visits you when you call in sick

i know how to write things other then headcannons i swear. theyre just so EASY. you can request actual fics lmao. promise! This was intended as romantic btw, but you can interperate this however you want!

WARNING: descripion of wounds/blood, description of burns, overprotectiveness,

Miguel lands on your balcony with a heavy thump, his landing was a little awkward from trying to swing with only one hand, but he managed well enough. The Tupperware in his hand looked a little worse for wear, though.

Almost every fibre of him wanted to turn around and forget about this, but he knew he couldn’t bring himself to, he needed to know you were ok.

You had called off sick from work yesterday, and you didn't show up today either. In all the time you were working at Alchemex you’ve never done that before. The secretary had told him you sounded like you were in a lot of pain over the phone, so it was obvious you were unwell in some way or another. He’s been worried ever since.

This felt stupid. Over dramatic, even. But he’d gone to his brother for advice, and this is what he had given him: Their moms classic Pozole recipe, The same recipe him and his brother ate while growing up. Obviously Miguel protested, adamantly. he hadn’t cooked for anyone in a very long time. He wasn’t even sure if he’d still be able to… His brothers response?

“Do you want my help or not?”

So Miguel scrounged around the kitchen for what he needed. He squinted to read his mothers old chicken scratch from all those years ago. He put in the work, as uncomfortable as he felt, And He packaged it and come all the way here.

And now he didn’t know how to go forward.

He had never felt more out of his element in his life. As he Stood outside your window with the soup in his freakish claws he realised he didn’t know where to go from there. He hadn’t thought further than this point. What would he say when he gave it to you? What would he even do after that?

He had to awkwardly shimmy through the window with the Tupperware in one hand, almost stepping on a cable stretching across the floor. “Fuck—“

the hinges creaking offensively as he pushed down your open window and he cursed, shutting it as delicately as possible. When he heard your voice ring out from behind him he tensed.

“Uh, Hey Miguel!” You call from the bathroom. He breathed out the puff of air he was holding in. No turning back now.

“…Hey,” he called, not knowing where to begin. “…I brought you a little something.”

He makes his way to where he heard your voice coming from, and pauses briefly by your kitchen counter. He looks down at the soup in his hands.

…He could just leave it here, that would be less humiliating for everyone, wouldn’t it? He knew you were ok, now. He heard your voice, so you were alive. He did what he came here to do. He could turn around right now and escape while you were still in the bathroom.

But something stops him. A little smell wafted by his nose briefly. It was brief. It was faint. But it was there and it made him pause.

So he sits the soup on the counter quietly, but he doesn’t turn around. He walks further down the hall and takes a deep breathe. The smell is clearer now. Miguel gets a bad feeling.

He picks up the pace and pulls off his mask to get a better whiff, and suddenly he’s hit with the all too familiar stifling stench of blood.

No.

NO!

“Y/n!” He runs up to your bathroom door and starts rattling the handle, but the door is locked. He pauses when he hears your voice on the other side, clearer and more effective at preventing him from tearing the door off its hinges—.

“D-Don’t come in!” You yell. “I’m... ngh- I’m a bit busy in here!”

“Y/n, what do I smell?!” He doesn’t need you to tell him, He already knows the answer. It’s pungency rings clear from his side of the door. The tanginess was so prominent that even someone with normal senses could pick up on it.

“N-nothing!” You stutter. You always stutter when you’re nervous. And when you're lying.

“Are you bleeding? Where’s it coming from? Open up!” He starts banging on the door again, his fist unintentionally rattling the frame.

“You don’t smell anything- stop that!” You snapped, annoyance ringing clear. But there was a certain strain to your voice, a painful whine that made his heart drop. “I-I’m just, uh- changing! will you give me a minute? Please, Miguel.”

“Don’t lie to me! What’s wrong, can you not get to the door?” He starts backing up to gauge the frame of the door and… Yeah, he could kick that in, easily.

sensing what he was getting ready to do, you spring up from your spot hunched over on the side of the bath tub and amble to the bathroom door. “No no no!” You lean against the door, heaving. “Don’t do anything drastic, I’m right here!”

He paused and waited for you to open it, but your hesitation makes him start losing his patience. “Y/n-“

“I’m ok, Miguel. S-seriously. I just took a little tumble on the way home.” You swallow back a painful grunt as you lean on the door frame for more support. “Look…” you started. “Now’s really not a good time—“

“Y/n.”

You shut your mouth. ‘Oh, shit.’

the tone of his voice hid a warning. Miguel knew what you were going to suggest even before you said it, and he refused to let you finish. The fact that you were bleeding as much as you were for him to smell you across the house, And you were trying to hide it from him? It must be bad, there was no doubt about that. His brain began racing for answers, for explanations, for names. He didn’t know where you were hurt, god what if it was somewhere vital? Who did this to you and where? Why were you trying to hide it? Did they threaten you? Something must of happened. there was no way he would leave you here, No. There was no getting rid of him now.

“Open this door.” He says one final time. And you can tell it’s the final time from the tone of his words. His voice quaked with fury at even the mere insinuation that he’d ever leave you when you were wounded. That you were even wounded In the first place.

“Now.”

...

There’s a beat of silence where neither of you say anything. And for a second he thinks he’s going to have to break the door open inwards just to avoid plowing over you to get it open. But then he hears you apprehensively turn the lock and he almost breaks the handle from how fast he rips it open.

You stumble a bit, reeling at his strength. and then youre taking a tumble from being thrown off balance, but before you can even yelp out a cry he swoops in to catch you in his arms before your body can even comes close to hitting the floor. “Lo si—! Sorry! Y/N, I’m so sorry.”

from being so close he could tell immedietely that you were running warm, did you really have a fever too? He perches you on to the toilet seat and you wince at the ache washing through your body. God, your back was killing you... and Miguel's hands were all over you. you tried pulling your arms out of his grip, but he wasn't budging. he scoured your front for bruises, cuts, anything.

"what happened, where does it hurt, Y/N, please." he lifted your arms, checking your sides. nothing there... You couldn't bring yourself to answer, all the jostling around was making you go really dizzy... so much so that his words seemed to bounce off your ears. you squint at him. were there two of him before?

"Oi, mami/papi. focus for me. tell me where your hurt." he pats your cheek, snapping you a little out of your stupor. you blinked. his faced was pulled taught with worry, lines creased his skin in places that looked almost painful. and his eyes...

"Miguel... hhhave... your eyessschanged?" you weren't sure if it was the delirium from the pain finally setting in, or if your bathroom light just highlighted the underlying hues, but his tired brown eyes had shifted to a shade of... dare you say red.

they flicked back to your face, they had this wild look in them, like he was angry. but his voice wobbled like he was scared. "tell me where the pain is."

"... M' back.." you mumbled. he tugs on your shoulder to twist you around, making you whine. he apologizes quietly, before turning back to the red stains that were crawling up the back of your shirt.

you both descended into a tense silence. Miguel looked cramped, hovering over you in your tiny bathroom. he had to draw in his arms to not knock into your shower. not the most ideal place to play nurse... but he would manage. Miguel unshealthes his talons and cuts open the fabric like its warm butter. all you feel is a cold draft hit your back, and you shudder.

when he gets a good look at the state of your back his heart drops, what he finds isn't what he was expecting. your lower back is marred with an explosion like mass of burned skin. the center of the wound is deeper and more bloody then the rest, like something fast, blunt and burning hot struck you there.

God.

"Y/N, what the hell happened?" he glances at your bathroom bin and spots your old, scorched shirt lying inside. so you really were changing... that explained why the shirt you were wearing didn't have a massive gaping hole in it.

"Lyla. whats the aetiology for this." she flickers into view next to him, screening your back, and she winces.

"the lascerations have been caused by 1st and 2nd degree burns, the wound has become infected and needs to be treated immediately. the depth of the wound is telling me that the collision was hard and fast, likely a projectile."

"they were shot?."

"most likely. not by any normal weapon though, obviously." she confirmed, "it... doesn't look like the infection has interfered with the spinal collum." she optimistically added.

"will it scar?" he tilted his head towards her, but didn't take his eyes off the wound.

the Ai assistant didn't respond, calculating the most nerve settling response to his question. her silence told him everything he needed to know. "yeah, don't answer that." a snarl was building in his throat, fighting its way to the top.

he spots the first aid bag and its contents sprawled across your counter. most of it was over the counter painkillers, light ointments and bandaids. nothing in there that would help you.

"ok." he drags his hand down his face looking around the room. "Hijo de puta-!" his fist banged against the wall in a burst of anger, the pathetic thin walls rattled underneath the force. "Y/N, what the hell were you thinking?!"

you were stuck in this apartment by yourself, barely able to move or, jesus, even think. the fact that he could have never come… No, that he had come but couldve left here without knowing you were going through this on your own... the thought made him sick. why did you let it get this bad? what had happened?

you don't answer his question, your breathing has started to grow heavier, fevered. the sheen of sweat on the back of your neck had grown thicker as well. miguel reaches out to hold you steady. his mind racing. you can't stay here.

he knows he has to make a call. literally. he lifts his watch to his face.

"Jess, get someone on the medical team to prepare for my arrival." he picks you up carefully and fights to keep his voice from rising, he wasn't thinking clearly. all he could think about was getting you somewhere safe.

it wasn't common for miguel to ask for medical assistance, even at times when he probably should. he didn't like calling for help, he prefered to do things on his own, even to his own detriment. the idea that something could shake miguel up like this, making him ask for assistance, was new. Jessica could hear the tension in his throat as clear as day.

"whats your condition." she responded, concern shining through in her voice.

"no, no. i'm fine." he answered. "i've got an injured with me, they've been shot and need first aid immedietely. its a second degree burn that been left for over 24 hours, its infected."

"...done." she answers. "are they a new recruit?"

"they're a friend."

Pozole: a traditional soup or stew that is made from hominy with meat, you can put in things like shredded lettuce/cabbage, chilli peppers, onions, garlic, radishes, avocado, salsa or limes. (this sounds scrummy ngl i'm so hungry bro)

"Lo siento": i'm sorry (this is when he goes "Lo si-" but cuts himself off)

"Oi, mami": hey, Mama (i learned that mami or mamita can be used in a lot of different ways. native spanish speakers can use it to adress parentel figures, friends that give motherly energy, or it can even be used as a funny nickname for kids. i've seen a lot of people use it sexually in fics, but apparently thats not always the case!)

aetiology: kind of like a diagnosis, but different. its the cause of a desease or condition. idk if it's applicable to wounds, though.

"Hijo de puta-!": son of a bitch-!

I put these here so if anyone has any corrections i could make to the terms I’ve used to be more accurate then I can change them accordingly. I used online translators and articles… if anyone has any good websites for translating languages let me know! i'd be really interested.

#love is stored in the pozole #across the spiderverse #spider man #spiderverse x reader #into the spiderverse #miguel ohara #spiderman 99 #spiderman99 #into the spider verse #hurt/comfort #gender nuetral reader #miguel o’hara x reader #miguel x reader #angst #fluff #fanfic

3K notes · View notes

gracie-eilish · 4 months ago

Text

our girl💞 (pt. 2)

an: i was inspired to write this like FOREVER AGO by a tik tok this woman made talking about how she found it impossible to sleep the night after she gave birth. just knowing her little dream baby was real and right there next to her. so i wrote it finally LMAO

ok i srsly promise this is the last one for this weekend hahah! actually though, im going out of town tomorrow until monday night/tuesday so i might be MIA on here anyways but i promise i won’t bombard you with my baby fever anymore hahaha!!

part 1

The room was dark and quiet, save for the occasional hum of machines and the distant beeping of monitors in the hall. The soft glow from the small nightlight near the bassinet illuminated just enough for Billie to stir awake. At first, she wasn’t sure what had woken her—maybe it was the subtle shift in the air, or maybe it was just her natural instinct as a new mom kicking in.

She blinked sleepily, stretching slightly before swinging her legs over the edge of the extra hospital bed for visitors. As she moved to stand, she glanced to her right—and there you were, laying on your side, wide awake. Not just awake, but completely entranced, eyes locked onto the tiny bundle nestled in the hospital bassinet.

Your daughter was awake too, just staring right back at you with those wide, curious newborn eyes. Neither of you moved. Neither of you made a sound. Just two little souls, taking each other in.

Billie couldn’t help but chuckle. “Baby,” she whispered, voice thick with sleep, “why are you still up?”

You blinked, almost startled, as if you hadn’t even realized Billie was watching. Your lower lip trembled as your gaze flickered to her. “I…” Your voice cracked, and suddenly your eyes were shining with fresh tears.

Billie’s teasing smile softened instantly. She crouched down to sit softly on the bed, her warm hand coming up to cup your cheek. “Hey, hey. What’s wrong, my love?” she murmured, wiping away a stray tear with her thumb.

You sniffled, laughing a little at yourself. “I just… I don’t think I’ll ever fall asleep again.”

Billie frowned slightly, tilting her head. “Baby, you had quite the day. You literally gave birth. You should be resting.”

You shook your head, another tear slipping down your cheek. “She was just in my tummy, B. For nine months. We talked about her, we dreamed about her, we waited for her…” Your voice wavered as you looked back at your daughter, eyes glistening with overwhelming love. “And now she’s here. She’s real. And she’s looking at me.” Your breath hitched. “I can’t believe this is real.”

Billie’s heart clenched, love swelling inside her chest until it was almost too much to contain. She leaned in, kissing away the fresh tears that rolled down your face. “Oh, baby,” she whispered, brushing her fingers through your hair. “It’s real. She’s real. And she’s ours.”

You let out a soft, shaky exhale, nodding. Billie smiled, helping you sit up and get comfortable before she finally stood, squeezing your hand once more before heading into the bathroom.

When she returned, she found you in the exact same position—sitting up now, but still completely absorbed in watching your daughter, your lips slightly parted, your expression nothing but pure awe. Your eyes were teary but full of joy.

Billie smirked, shaking her head fondly. “You’re obsessed, huh?”

You blinked, looking up at her with a watery laugh. “Completely.”

She let out a breathy chuckle before stepping toward the bassinet. “Alright, I know the cure for this.”

She reached down carefully, her hands expertly cradling your daughter as she lifted her from the bassinet. The moment your baby was in her arms, Billie melted. She rocked her gently, pressing featherlight kisses all over her tiny face. “Hey, little lady,” she whispered, brushing her thumb against her impossibly soft cheek. “You keeping Mama up? Just staring at her like she’s the best thing in the world?” Billie grinned as your daughter yawned, her tiny lips parting, her face scrunching slightly. “Yeah? I get it. She’s my favorite thing to look at too.”

You wiped at your face, your heart swelling so much it almost hurt.

After a few minutes of mommy-and-baby time, Billie turned to you, maneuvering your daughter carefully. “Alright, my love. You need the full experience.”

She placed the baby gently against your chest, making sure she was positioned just right. The moment that tiny, warm weight settled on you, you sucked in a breath, your hands immediately coming up to cradle her. Her little head rested right over your heart, her tiny hand grasping at your skin.

You closed your eyes, biting your lip to keep yourself from crying again. A quiet, breathy giggle escaped you, overwhelmed with the feeling of it all.

Billie laughed softly at your reaction. “Oh my God, you’re squealing,” she teased. “You’re literally gonna combust.”

“I might,” you admitted, voice muffled against your baby’s head. “I can’t help it, B. This is the best feeling in the world.”

Billie let out a soft sigh, her expression tender as she climbed onto the hospital bed beside you. She snaked an arm around your waist, pulling you closer, while her other hand rested gently on your arm, fingers brushing over the baby’s tiny back. She pressed her forehead to your shoulder, needing to be as close to both of you as humanly possible.

For a moment, neither of you spoke. The only sounds in the room were the occasional distant beeps from the machines and the soft, sleepy breaths of your newborn.

Then, your baby let out a tiny, soft yawn, nestling even closer to your skin.

Billie let out a breathy chuckle. “Okay. Yeah. That’s the best feeling in the world.”

You nodded, still smiling, still tearful, still overwhelmed with love. “Mm-hmm.”

A beat of silence passed before you spoke again, voice sheepish.

“Can we have another one?”

Billie’s head shot up, her eyes wide as she gaped at you. “Babe.”

You giggled, snuggling closer to her. “What? I mean… look at her.”

Billie groaned playfully, but the grin tugging at her lips betrayed her. “Oh, I am looking at her. And I’m also looking at you, my crazy, adorable, baby-obsessed wife, who just gave birth like hours ago and is already asking for round two.”

You giggled harder, shrugging. “I can’t help it. She’s perfect. We made her.”

Billie exhaled dramatically, shaking her head, but she was smiling so big her cheeks hurt. She pressed a long, lingering kiss to your forehead, then another to the baby’s head. “Let’s get through this one first, superstar,” she murmured, her voice laced with so much love it made your heart ache.

You hummed, letting your eyes drift closed, the warmth of Billie’s embrace and the tiny weight of your daughter lulling you into a peace you had never known before. “Deal.”

And as Billie held both of you close, her heart bursting at the seams, she knew—this was it. This was the dream.

#billie eilish #wlw #billie eilish fluff #fanfiction #billie eilish x reader #billie eilish x fem!reader #billie eilish x y/n #billie eilish x you #billie eilish fic #billie eilish fanfiction #billie x you #billie x reader #gracie eilish

251 notes · View notes

saixria · 5 months ago

Text

The ICHBW live stream animatic is hitting me hard hours after the fact I’m not a crier but I’m actually tearing up. Now I can fully articulate what I love about Athena’s part. Athena’s character came together so well I love it and I think the visuals combined with a day more of thinking + discussing with friends really helped me better understand everything. Those last 90 seconds of ICHBW was the BEST PART OF THE ENTIRE SHOW. Ridiculously long Athena character analysis under the cut which quickly devolves into thematic discussion lmao

First of all, the expressions they have on the animatic makes it abundantly clear that ody and Athena weren’t separated. HER SMILE!! HER LIGHTNING SCAR!! ODYSSEUS’ EXPRESSION SOFTENED TO A SMILE AFTER GETTING OUT OF QUICK THOUGHT!! Odysseus definitely pieced together what she did for her right then, there’s no other reason for Jorge to show Athena showing Odysseus that scar otherwise. It’s like they immediately slid back into place like puzzles pieces even after 10 years. They’ve been changed in completely opposite ways. Odysseus the mortal has been turned to be less human, more ruthless, while Athena the immortal goddess has been turned to be more human, more empathetic. The latter partially because of Odysseus. Tbh Athena ever showing her face to Odysseus after My Goodbye and saying “I can’t help but feel like I’ve led you astray” is as close to an apology as it’s gonna get LMAO. The unresolved WOTM melody in the end is actually because their story together hasn’t ended, it’s because Odysseus doesn’t have to be her warrior of the mind anymore.

I once said that open arms is more than mercy, but treating the world kindly to lead to kinder souls down the road, to change the world for the better, and it holds true even more now. Odysseus is too tired for this. He’s just a man, he knows a better world is possible but he can no longer be a part of it. He can’t witness the better world in his short mortal lifetime, he just wants his happy ending with his wife. He doesn’t want to be Athena’s warrior of the mind anymore, and that’s ok. And yet, and yet he knows it is possible. He needs it to be possible, and he needs Athena to make it possible. Athena accepts it with a soft “very well”. That doesn’t mean they won’t ever see each other again, just that they no longer have that obligation of mentor-student, they’re just two old friends. They can rebuild their relationship slowly but surely with what they have.

Telemachus is the Warrior of the Mind now (AHHHHHH HIS ATHENA CAPE AND HELMET I LOVE HIS UPGRADE). From here, Telemachus and Athena are gonna truly fulfill Athena’s mission of “making a greater tomorrow” except it isn’t to turn the world more logical and ruthless like she once thought, but to make the world more empathetic and kind — she’s finally found what she was fighting for. Perhaps this is why the WOTM melody in God Games ended with Legendary — Telemachus is the new warrior of the mind. Odysseus fought for a world where his son can be safe and grow up kind and he succeeded in that. Far from war, Telemachus grew up able to afford kindness and empathy while also retaining the ability to be ruthless in face of obstacles — and now he can use this to change the world to Athena’s new ideal — where people held each other with more empathy — as Athena’s new Warrior of the Mind.

Athena’s verse existing is a sign of her reconciliation with Odysseus (in character might I add! I don’t think they’re the type to express their affection so easily, they know each other so we’ll that they just know), so instead her verse is there to expand on the show’s theme as I will be talking about next.

I absolutely adore the depth Athena’s ICHBW verse adds to the thesis of the show. I’ve always thought of epic as mostly being about how it was best to strive for a balance between ruthlessness and open arms, but circumstances only allowed Odysseus to become ruthless which was tragic, while different circumstances allowed Telemachus to be both. But it’s not just that. Sure it’s good to have a balance between the two ideaologies but what if we could make a world where ruthlessness wasn’t needed at all? What if we could be unconditionally kind and be treated with kindness in return instead of taken advantage of or hurt? Where, when given the choice between open arms and ruthlessness, people would choose open arms? It wasn’t possible for these characters, but it could happen someday in the future. If Athena and Telemachus can work towards that future so can we. So should we, considering we’re in a much better place compared to them. A friend of mine said this was a call to action to us in the present and I just. Have not been able to stop thinking about it.

Athena has always thought in “maybes” about her purpose. from WOTM to My Goodbye we’ll be fine to ICHBW. “Maybe one day…” -> “One day you’ll…” -> “maybe if I…” -> “what if…” it’s like she’s representing the future, the “greater tomorrow” of what could be, because as Odysseus said, she’s immortal and she will live to see it and change it. Circe saga has something similar — “Maybe showing one act of kindness leads to kinder souls down the road”, “maybe one day the world will need a puppeteer no more, or maybe one day the world will need a puppeteer more”. The connection of these hypotheticals “maybe one day” with a future world that could possibly be changed for the better by spreading kindness and open arms extends from Athena’s songs to There are Other Ways, one of the only times in the musical where, when Circe could choose between ruthlessness and mercy, she chose to show mercy and help them in hopes of spreading kindness to the world and making the world a slightly better place — aka a scenario that showed how unconditional kindness, “open arms”, could work, for kindness isn’t the inability to be cruel but choosing kindness even when you have the choice not to be. “Kindness is brave”, like Polites said.

Because of her immortality, Athena is the character who’s most connected to “time” in the musical with her time-related abilities like “time dive”, making people think quicker, having a domain essentially outside of time and space… She doesn’t just have a connection with the future but also the past. As someone who lives forever, she is the one who can connect the past, learning from past mistakes, to change the future: “To fall is to learn one way”.

Speaking of her connection to time, You can almost see that at one point Athena was the narrator of the story (see cut songs: full speed ahead demo and Ismarus) like Hamilton’s Burr: simultaneously an observer and a participant of the story. In the animatic of ICHBW she’s overseeing everything happening from her hour glass, wondering out loud from a meta perspective about the themes of the show, hypotheticals of what a different story, a different world could have looked like, and bringing everything to a close. It really feels like Athena is who’s gonna “live and tell their story” as per Hamilton, as always has been the case from burrthena narration days of Old Epic. She’s not just the bridge between the past and future but also between the story and the audience, by bringing up these themes on a meta level to directly tell the audience to make the world a kinder place, because we have the choice, unlike Odysseus who can only choose to accept his actions and move forward. Because she lives forever she can carry on their memories forever. She can keep telling their story over and over again to remind herself and others to change the world by showing empathy and open arms, and she will keep telling this story to us until ruthlessness is no longer needed in the world. The world where this is possible is not theirs but OURS. It is WE who have the chance to choose between ruthlessness and open arms and the show is telling us that, when we have this choice and aren’t forced to be ruthless, to always choose kindness and empathy. Like Circe, like Telemachus. So that we may impart some kindness unto the world and make it a better place.

“Maybe one day we’ll reach them and we’ll make a greater tomorrow then they’ll see I know we’ll change the world cuz we are the warriors of the mind!” — yes, they have reached us. We are all also warriors of the mind, doing our part to change the world for the better, to be kinder.

To me, one part of Athena’s character that’s never clicked for me was her motivation in WOTM. “Make a greater tomorrow” “we’ll change the world” why? How? What’s the point of including this in her song when it’s never come back up again? Now with the ICHBW verse, everything is tied up with a beautiful ribbon. She has always wanted to change the world for the better, and now she’s finally found out how — to spread empathy and Open Arms — and it’s inspired by the desire to help her friends, to prevent what happened to Odysseus from happening again, honoring him, just as how Odysseus tried to embrace Open Arms to honor his dead friends’ memories.

All in all, I’ve grown to genuinely really really like Athena’s verse in ICHBW. It’s so short but so effective at conveying so much. I hope that made sense bc it’s more a compilation of thoughts I had rather than a structured essay. Perhaps one day I will restructure this into a proper essay but not today for after all I’m- *gets shot

#epic the musical #epic athena #jorge rivera herrans #epic odysseus #epic the wisdom saga #epic telemachus #epic the Ithaca saga #ithaca saga #character analysis #xria rambles #analysis

351 notes · View notes

14dayswithyou · 4 months ago

Note

Ren's favorite color is dark teal! My brain is so full with brainworms about this game. <3 I hope you have a wonderful day! I know you have answered this question for Violet and Ren already, but I would love to know what the rest of the cast would play (Race, Job) in FFXIV and what they would like to do the most there. 🙏 Thank you so much! <3

@waitlexist asked: Do you have any headcannons for Violet in MMOs? I ADORE MMOs(seriously, she’s a florist and a gamer? I want her so bad), and I’d love to hear a few headcannons about her! Also maybe some about Ren, Angel, and Violet all in a guild together? I like to imagine my Angel is as much of a gamer as me, and I can see Ren acting as an anon guildie to hangout with her. Although I’m not sure if he’d be a rouge-ish type class(or maybe Death Knight’s like in WoW), or a healer to keep Angel alive? I’m leaning toward the former, but I could also see the latter. Thank you, I’m sorry for the text wall KSKSJDJSJSBA ahem. Seriously, thank you for making this game. I dream of the day I can be in a poly relationship with Ren and Violet(v-type, if anyone knows what that means) ok I’ll stop yapping now! Thank you again, lol!

⌞♥⌝ Y'all will need to pay me $14,000 to shut up about FFXIV T_T In this essay, I will—

I like to imagine that Violet plays FFXIV every so often and somehow always has her jobs levelled up to the max. She plays as a Miqo'te who /gposes all the time in Il Mheg, and if she's not doing that, then she's hardcore raiding with some of her online friends.

I've mentioned this before, but Ren would be a Viera and play any support class like Scholar or Sage (because he thinks they look like cunty librarians /silly) — except he'll only heal Angel and refuse to buff/shield anyone else. If others notice this, he'll drop a single healing AoE in the most inconvenient place and leave them to fend for themselves.

[REDACTED] is a max-height Au Ra and claims that he exclusively plays as a Warrior because of the insane self-sustain — but it's actually because he forgets that there are other people in the party aside from Angel and refuses to be healed by anyone other than them. Always likes to Shirk Violet whenever there's a tankbuster <3 It drives her insane <3

My personal headcanon is that Violet was the one who got Jae into FFXIV (because they were classmates back in high school, and they both have a common interest in video games)!! He likes to collect all the minions and mounts, and often pretends to be new to the game to get free gil from veteran players. Jae also started out as a Miqo'te, but used his free fantasia to become a Hrothgar instead since he never seems to come across any.

Moth is an Elezen Dancer one-trick who always gives Angel the Dance Partner buff, no matter what job they're playing. It takes twenty minutes of Ren /playdead-ing in a corner and Violet explaining certain game mechanics for them to reconsider giving the buff to someone else. In turn, Moth always makes it a point to chew out Ren whenever he gives Angel the Kardia buff.

I also think it'd be funny if no one knows that Olivia plays FFXIV from time to time — and if she somehow ends up being the one who brings the gang together via an FC. Maybe someone she had a crush on in the past played the game, and wanting to impress them, she started playing the free trial. Now she's a level 100 Lalafell Pictomancer who always seems to fall for the hot characters AFK-ing in Limsa (a.k.a Violet lmaoooo).

If these guys were all in a Free Company (essentially a guild) together.... Hell on earth lmao T_T

There's always one person who keeps eating the food Moth uses as interior decor and it's tearing them apart. Violet now AFKs inside the FC house to find out who it is.

Olivia keeps inviting random people to the house and leaving them there without any explanation. There are literally four strangers also AFK-ing with Vi in the basement right now... Who are they... Why are they here...

As for Violet herself, she just wants to grow her plants outside in peace, but everyone keeps moving the furniture and blocking her path. Also... Whoever chose the housing exterior needs to have their subscription cancelled (it was Jae).

Ren keeps trying to convince Angel to share a room with him T_T And when he finally gets what he wants, it's at the cost of having Haurchefant's portrait stare down at him whenever he uses /doze next to them on the bed. He'll forever curse Violet for gifting that portrait to Angel.

Jae wants to build an entire submarine underneath the FC house for some reason????? He says it will help them make gil?????? And Violet is so on board???????? She's already a gilionare and a marketboard fiend??????

And if they were to all raid together... Hell everywhere djhsgsj ^^;

Violet got fed up with Ren's constant Shirking, so she picked up Dark Knight and frequently uses Living Dead to scare him.

Ren, in turn, started playing as a Sage and constantly Rescues her off of the map whenever she does this.

Jae likes the Viper job because he can make his glam pirate-themed, but he also enjoys Summoner because it comes with a Carbuncle he can pretend is Maple. Whenever Jae doesn't get healed, he'll summon Bahamut right on top of Ren to annoy him.

Since Moth has been banned from using Dance Partner on Angel, they've switched to Samurai and found that it's way more fun. They also really appreciated all the tips Violet gave them on how to play their job more efficiently.

Olivia gets mad every 5 seconds because nobody aside from Violet stands inside her Starry Muse AoE... and because Ren isn't giving her any attention shgjjsg ^^; She purposefully tries to out-damage Moth in hopes of getting his attention, but it never works.

I also have some more Violet & Ren FFXIV headcanons here!!

#💌 — answered.#💖 — 14 days with queue.#veriitasu #to be tagged later #Muscle memory the way Ren IMMEDIATELY removes a buff that isn't from Angel T_T #Oh Aspected Benefic?? Wadda hell!!! Get that OFF!!!!!!!!!#Who needs health regen when you can Raw Intuition and Fell Cleave (Storm Eye is also there) <3 #Also if it's Violet playing a healer; I fear Ren would probably use Shake It Off immediately after removing her regen... Just to be petty #Your honour I love them <3 their dynamic is so annoying <3 /affectionate /pos

151 notes · View notes

brucewaynehater101 · 9 months ago

Note

Ok so ive had this idea stuck in my head for WEEKS at this point and i need to tell someone about it so im invading your asks

(ages for this au, id imagine Damians around like- 12 or 13 and Tim/JJ's like- 17)

What if a version of Damian (like from ine of the good happy batfam universes) was sent to to a universe with Joker Junior where the rest of the bats were killed by the Joker and JJ was never reacued and brought back to being Tim?

And Damian is like- terrified because he doesnt know where he is or how to get back home and then hes found by JJ.

And like- at first JJ would probably try to leave Damian but once he gets a good look at this kid baby brother, thats his baby brother- he would realize that he recognizes this kid. So he keeps him!

The only problem with that is the Joker. Now the bats are all dead (or theres circumstances preventing them from doing anything) in this universe so theres nobody around to stop the Jokers shit. And we all know that the Joker isnt above murdering or tourturing kids. (Id imagine the JJ of this universe has done stuff like that once or twice, but he doesnt like to. He's a smaller equally manical yet WAY less bloodthirsty version of the joker)

So JJ keeps Damian hidden from his "Papa" until the bats of Damians universe are able to find a way to bring him back home. In the meantime tho, Damians under JJ's care, and its terrifying, but at least he tries!

Now in my mind Joker Jr. is kinda like Jinx from Arcane with mood swings, visual and audio halucinations, so so smart but so so crazy and confused and SCARED and oh so close to finally snapping until he actually does.

And this boy that he kiddnaped rescued confuses the fuck out of him. Because Junior recognizes him from somewhere and he doesnt know why.

(I hope this all makes sense its kinda just like a word vomit lmao my lizard brain just want crazy older brother Joker Jr. [Also there isnt enough JJ content out there and that is a crime])

(Older brother JJ content??? Fuck yeah)

TW: JJ, torture, child abuse

JJ... Recognizes those glaring emerald eyes and scowling face. He doesn't know why, but it causes reality around him to pulse with uncertainty as it teters between JJ's world and someone else's. Someone Papa doesn't like.

JJ won't talk to them. He knows he's not supposed to. Papa will become angry. So Junior tears his eyes from the bird kid baby bat and turns to leave. A tsk stops him.

Another wave of familiarity crashes over JJ, but he doesn't know that child. He doesn't. He really really doesn't know him.

So, Junior should move. Papa won't he happy if JJ can't move.

Well, unless Papa is teaching JJ a lesson.

His nerves light up at the memory of cold metal tables, electric probes, and buzzing.

JJ needs to go, but that kid. He can't leave him. He also can't take him with either. He knows what happens to the kids Joker meets.

Junior would never disobey his papa, but the ever-present buzzing noise isn't a deterrent for bad behavior. With how often he's punished, it hardly matters whether JJ is being a good child or not. He's always in trouble. Instead, that buzz is a reminder that he can't be caught.

JJ is smart. He's clever and sneaky. He's also great at lying, even to bats. While he may not know why lying to the nocturnal creatures is important, he knows it's an accomplishment he's proud of.

He can hide the child from Papa! It'll be a fun game! Junior's little surprise.

Junior isn't sure what he's winning, but he knows what will happen when he loses.

Death to the bird and punishment to JJ! A great joke!

Though Junior doesn't know why the kid is a bird.

Oh well! JJ will take great care of the little bird. All he has to do is feed him and keep him hidden! It will be like all the other things JJ hides from Papa. He'll never admit it, but Junior thinks Papa is a little dumb. As long as JJ plays pretend with the older man, he'll remain unsupervised.

Anyways, JJ has more of a demented, childish voice while Tim is more analytical and serious.

Damian, to start with, doesn't recognize Tim. JJ has green hair, bleached skin, cut cheeks, and way less muscle mass. The behavior is drastically different as well (also, we're not gonna speculate any specific mental disorders for these AUs. JJ and Tim are considered different due to their characterizstions, but I don't want to put harmful connotations out there [especially since I don't have any relevant conditions to insert accurate and mindful interpretations]).

In this AU, the Bats are all dead. JJ did kill some of them, which drastically reduced his ability to recover and remember that he's Tim.

He didn't kill Damian, though. Tim also feels extremely protective of his younger siblings (Duke included). Unfortunately, they're dead in this AU :/

JJ oscillates between being terrified, peppy, silent, crying, and content at rapid rates. It takes several days for Damian to feel out some of the triggers.

The Bats from Damian's universe are trying their damned best to get there as soon as possible. Sadly, Joker finds out about Damian before then.

JJ, by this point, has bonded with the kid. That kid is HIS. He may have some slightly fucked up notions on how to show care, but he will not let anyone harm the bird (not even Papa).

So, JJ does his best joke yet. He kills Joker.

Only after killing the Joker do the other Bats show up. They offer to take JJ with them (particularly because that's Tim!!!), but he refuses. He doesn't want to go with his family. He doesn't remember them and he killed some of them.

He can't stay with them.

#joker jr #thank you for the ask!!!!#tim drake #dc au #damian wayne

287 notes · View notes

sergeantbarnessdoll · 2 months ago

Note

Ooo can I please request a Platonic!Dad!Lloyd Hansen X adopted daughter reader where he finds a little girl around 3 years old on one of his jobs? Like he was hired to either get information from her parents or off them (probably hired to do this by Carmichael, probably related to his corruption😬), but when he gets to the address of where they supposedly are located, the parents had fled (they probably knew Lloyd was coming) and left their daughter behind (bad parents!!). I feel like this would actually make Lloyd really mad because while he does some not so legal, or ethical stuff, he’d never abandon his child if he were a Dad. Even though Lloyd is naturally a very intimidating man, with a lot of people being very afraid of him, ironically the little girl runs up to him and wants to be held by him and it warms Lloyd’s villain heart 🥺 He decides right then and there that she is his daughter now like, “Okay, well, I’m your Dad now!” and takes her on his private jet (she’d be super excited to be on a plane, climbing on his lap to look out the window and pointing to all the exciting things she sees, Lloyd would think it’s adorable) back to the castle/mansion he’s living in. Aww and when they arrive at the castle, she would be absolutely amazed because it’s a literal castle and she’d probably be like “Am I a princess now??” Suzanne would be shook that one, he didn’t get the information they needed, and two he brought a child back with him, and three that he let the targets get away but he’d be like, “Hey I’m a father now, I have other responsibilities” (lmao you know he loves getting under Suzanne’s skin). But anyway he’s just such a sweet Dad to Y/n and definitely treats her like she’s a princess and loves her so much (definitely spoils her rotten!)

My Kid Now » Lloyd Hansen

Pairings: Dad!Lloyd Hansen x Adopted Daughter!Reader

Summary: Lloyd was hired to get information on your parents or “take them out”, but they left before he could do either of those things, only to find out they left you behind and he decided to adopt you and raise you as his own child.

Warnings: Fluff, language, child abandonment (not Lloyd), crying, nicknames

Age of reader: 3 years old

A/N: Thank you for the lovely detailed request @kpopgirlbtssvt 🩵

Written on my phone. My apologies for any mistakes.

Header made by @buck-star

GIF IS NOT MINE! Gif credit goes to the creator.

Lloyd got a call from Carmichael to go get information on a couple. If they don’t give him the answers he wants, he “takes them out”. When he gets to the house, he ransacks the house with his employees, only to find out that they left and took the information he needs with them.

“Mommy? Daddy?” You say as you waddled in the living room, holding your favorite stuffed animal.

Lloyd and his employees froze when they heard your child like voice. They all looked down to see a 3 year old little girl standing a few feet away from them. You looked around, only to find out that your parents are nowhere in the house. Your bottom lip quivered and you bursted into tears. You wanted to be held so you ran to the closet person to you, which is Lloyd. You looked up at him with teary eyes and doing grabby hands up at him. Lloyd hands his gun to one of his employees before picking you up. It took him a few minutes to calm you down.

“My name is Lloyd. Can you tell me your name, sweetheart?” Lloyd asks softly.

“Y/N.” You sniffled.

“How old are you?” He asks.

“3.” You tell him.

“Do you know where your parents are?” He asks.

“They go bye-bye.” You tell him.

That was enough to tell Lloyd that your parents left and left you behind. Lloyd has done a lot of horrible things, but nothing as horrible as leaving a child behind. He would never do that to his own child. That got him thinking. You can’t be left here alone. He has to take matters into his own hands.

“Ok, well, I’m your dad now!” Lloyd says.

“Really?” You asked and sniffled.

“Of course, sunshine.” He smiles.

You smiled and hugged him. Lloyd took you to your bedroom and packed most of what you need. Clothes, shoes, and obviously your favorite stuffed animal and favorite blanket. He made a mental note to himself to buy you stuff a 3 year old might need. You got then got a ride to his private jet. Lloyd got you settled in a seat with your blanket, stuffed animal, and a snack and juice. He found some blank paper and colored pens for you to keep you occupied. The paper and pens kept you occupied for a little bit until you got interested in looking out of the jet windows. You carefully slid out of your seat and climbed onto Lloyd’s lap to look out the window. You pointed at every interesting thing you saw. He held onto you so you didn’t fell off his lap.

“The clouds look like cotton candy and marshmallows.” You say.

Lloyd smiles at your cuteness.

“Where are the birdies?” You asked.

“I don’t think birdies can fly this high, pumpkin.” He says.

“What about butterflies?” You asked.

“I’m not sure.” He answers with a smile.

“Everything is so tiny.” You say, changing the subject.

Lloyd couldn’t help but laugh softly when you said that. When you got to Lloyd’s mansion, all you did was stare at it. You thought it was a castle.

“Am I a princess now?” You asked in amazement.

“Only if you want to be.” Lloyd says with a smile.

Lloyd carried you inside of his mansion. He got you set up in the living room while he got your things off the jet and into one of the spare bedrooms. He also set up that same spare bedroom as your bedroom.

“Y/N, I want to show you something.” Lloyd says as he walks in the living room.

“What is it?” You asked curiously, looking up at him.

“Come with me and you’ll find out, pumpkin.” He says with a smile.

You did grabby hands, singling for him to pick you up, in which he did. Lloyd carried you upstairs to your new bedroom.

“What do you think of your new bedroom?” He asks.

“I love it!” You exclaimed happily.

You tapped on his shoulder, telling him to put you down. Lloyd gently put you back on your feet. You ran around your new bedroom and checked out everything. It’s not much yet, but it’s a work in progress.

“I know it’s not much right now, but I’ll get you anything you might want to add to the room.” He says.

“Like what?” You asked.

“Anything you want.” He says.

You thought about it for a moment.

“I know what I want!” You exclaimed excitedly. “I want princess stuff- wait, no! Zoo animals!” You say excitedly.

“Why not both?” He suggests.

“Yes please!” You replied, jumping up and down in excitement.

Lloyd smiles at your excitement. He made sure to make a list of what you want. He made a mental note to himself to buy your favorite foods, snacks, and juices to stock up in the kitchen. He also remembered to get adoption papers so you can officially become his daughter.

———

It’s been a few months since Lloyd found you all alone in your parents’ house when they left you all by yourself. It also didn’t take that long to get the adoption papers processed. You are now officially Lloyd’s daughter. It’s the best decision he’s made in a long time. He loves you like his own child. He also love the sound of your giggles echoing throughout his mansion when you’re playing. Lloyd sets aside time when he’s working to spend time with you.

As of right now, you’re playing in your play room. The TV was playing cartoons while you were sitting on the floor, playing with your toys and coloring in one of the many coloring books he bought you the other day. You looked up at the TV to see a commercial about the zoo playing. It excited you. When the commercial was over and went back to cartoons, you ditched your toys and coloring book and ran downstairs. You made sure to be careful as you were walking down the stairs so you didn’t get hurt. You then ran straight to the main room where Lloyd was working with his employees and Suzanne. You were so excited that you weren’t paying attention to where you were running and accidentally ran into Suzanne. You made a “oof” sound when your butt hit the floor. Suzanne looked down at you as you apologized to her. She was confused about why Lloyd had a child in his mansion.

“Daddy!” You stood up from the floor and ran over to him. “I has to tell you something!” You exclaimed.

Suzanne’s eyes went wide when you called Lloyd daddy.

“What’s up, sweetheart?” Lloyd asks, crouching down to your height.

“I see something on TV about zoo animals and I want to go!” You tell him.

“How about we go to the zoo this weekend?” He suggests. “We can make a day of it.” He says.

You squealed excitedly and hugged him.

“Daddy has to work now. Go play in your playroom and I’ll get you when it’s time for lunch.” He says.

“Ok, daddy.” You replied with a smile.

Lloyd gave you a kiss on your forehead before you went back upstairs to your playroom. Suzanne was in a state of confusion from what she just witnessed between you and Lloyd.

“What the hell just happened?” Suzanne asks Lloyd.

“What do you mean?” Lloyd asks.

“Why is there a little girl running around your mansion and calling you daddy?” She asks.

“Hey, I’m a father now, I have other responsibilities.” He tells her.

Suzanne furrows her eyebrows. A few months ago, Lloyd was hired to get information from your parents or “take them out”. That’s the same time he found you in the house all by yourself.

“You were hired to get information on those people, not take their kid.” She says.

“They left before I got there. What was I supposed to do? Leave her there all by herself?” He says.

Suzanne sighs and rolls her eyes at him. She knows he’s right. She hates it when he’s right.

“It’s weird to see you as a dad and nice.” Suzanne says.

“Get used to it, Suzanne, because you’re going to see that side of me all the time now.” Lloyd grins slightly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to spend time with my daughter.” He says.

Lloyd left the room and went upstairs to your playroom to spend time with you.

“Are you busy, princess?” Lloyd asks as he walks in your playroom.

“I not busy for you, daddy.” You say, smiling up at him.

Lloyd sat down on the floor where you’re coloring in your coloring book. He looked at the picture you’re coloring. You were in the process of coloring a tiger blue with red stripes. He didn’t want to correct you on what color tigers actually are. He actually thinks it’s cute. He watched you color for a little bit.

“Daddy, I’m hungry.” You say, putting down your crayons.

“It’s almost lunchtime. What would you like to eat for lunch?” He asks.

“Mac and Cheese!” You say.

Lloyd smiles at your response. You ate Mac and Cheese for lunch yesterday too and that’s what you want to eat today for lunch. He stood up and picked you up, carrying you to the kitchen. He sat you on a stool at the kitchen island so you can watch him make the Mac and Cheese.

“Can I have cookies?” You asked.

“Not before lunch.” Lloyd says.

“Can I have cookies after lunch?” You asked.

“Yes you can, sunshine.”

You know the rules. No sweeties before meals. You can only have sweets for dessert or a snack. You chose to have cookies as a dessert after lunch today.

When your Mac and Cheese was ready, Lloyd set you up at the table with your Mac and Cheese and your favorite juice. He sat at the table and ate his own lunch.

“What animals are you looking forward to seeing at the zoo this weekend?” Lloyd asks, making conversation with you.

“Big kitties!” You tell him excitedly.

Lloyd smiles at your response. He knows how much you love animals, especially cats.

“Can I have a kitty?” You asked curiously.

“I’ll think about it, pumpkin.” He says.

“Ok, daddy.” You smiled.

You and Lloyd maintained a conversation as you two ate lunch. After you guys ate lunch, Lloyd got you a few cookies. You chose chocolate chip cookies. You ended up getting chocolate on your face. Lloyd couldn’t help but smile at how cute you look with chocolate on your face. He then got a paper towel wet and cleaned your face. You scrunched up your face as he did so, making him chuckle. You yawned when Lloyd was cleaning up the mess of cookie crumbs on your side of the table.

“Are you tired, princess?” Lloyd asks.

You nodded and did grabby hands at him. Lloyd picked you up and took you upstairs to your bedroom. He gently laid you down on your bed and tucked you in for nap time.

“I’ll see you in a little bit, sweetheart.” Lloyd says, kissing your forehead.

“I love you, daddy.” You say tiredly.

“I love you too, sunshine.” He says softly.

Being your dad is something Lloyd loves and he wouldn’t change it for the world.

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

-Bucky’s Doll

#lloyd hansen #the gray man #dad!lloyd hansen #chris evans #cevans #chris evans characters #lloyd hansen x female reader #lloyd hansen x daughter!reader #lloyd hansen x child!reader #lloyd hansen x reader #lloyd hansen x y/n #lloyd hansen x you #lloyd hansen fluff #lloyd hansen one shot #lloyd hansen imagine

69 notes · View notes

bobur-the-berry-guy · 2 months ago

Text

Omg bobur posting twice the same day??Unbelievable! also im feeding another one of my pookie bear besties

Kaoru relationship hcs!

‧₊˚ ⋅* ‧₊✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧⋆.˚✮•🥥•✮˚.⋆✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧‧₊˚ ⋅* ‧₊

I'd say congrats on getting him but he's too busy mentally congratulating himself on getting you

He doesn't know how he achieved this or how you're actually into him but he's not complaining

Be prepared to reassure him that yes, you do love him and yes, you do wanna be with him

Ok for the pre-relationship

He pretends he doesn't care and that he's so mysterious..

And then he's so obvious

Not only because the rest of the club is (lovingly) bullying him into next week but let's be for real it might as well be written on his forehead

He stares at you like you're the only person in the room

He's also huffing and puffing about anything you ask him for help with but not once does he tell you no

He's so trying to hype himself to be more open with you but gets nervous over actually nothing

You smiled at him in class? Sweating

A side hug? Heart attack

Your hand brushed over his? Exploded in the spot

Typa dude to talk in the mirror and hype himself to not be scared of being around you and that he's the shit and then wimp out the second you move closer to hear him better

He wanted to tell you you're pretty but he almost said you're petty instead and gave up

His sister is sick of listening about you all day every day and then having to listen to him talk himself into "being a man🔥"

She might as well already personally know you with all that Kanzaki's nonstop rambling

The phantom busters are simultaneously so done with him and still don't let him catch a bre on how down bad he's acting

He's literally delusioning himself into confessing to you

I won't say much on confessions right now because there's something in the works, stay tuned hihi (⁠.⁠ ⁠❛⁠ ⁠ᴗ⁠ ⁠❛⁠.⁠)

He'd probably be hesitant to tell you anything about the ghost he sees in the beginning, but if you reassure him and ask long enough he'd eventually crack open

And not only about what he's seen but what that has made him go trough - the fear, the rejection, the loneliness, all of it

And when you genuinely believe him instead of thinking he's a freak? Yea, he knows it's over for him

Compares everything to shoujo anime scenes

I'm not even joking you could give him your water bottle because he's thirsty and his brain will automatically go to indirect kiss scenes

On the anime note he would be ecstatic if you're actually into his favourites

He won't say it but it would be so clear

Doesn't matter if you liked these animes beforehand or found them out trough him

Now, if you start watching something just because he likes it - that's something else

In your eyes it's probably a simple action but to him? Nah, that's a lot to him

He will remember that, probably tear up over it a bit too

Seeing that something would interest you just because it's important to him really gives his heart a pang!, ok?

Anyway

Will make constant references and send you stuff of the main couple and say "us"

You'd never know if he's telling u the truth or not when you ask him a question about what happen later on in the anime or manga

He would tell you the truth every now and then but you'd never know if that character actually died or it's just an au until you find out about it yourself💔

Would also send you random screenshots from later moments to motivate you to continue watching/reading the series

Would also facetime you just to watch anime

Would also sometimes have to rewatch certain parts or whole episodes because he zoned out staring at you

And if he cries bc sometimes happened he's either pointing the camera to the ceiling or he's straigh up turning it off lmao

Will make it seems like you're the one who suggested watching the anime if it's like slice of life or romance stuff

Just let him be..

Also he'd fangirl over certain moments and then pretend it never happened

"OHMYGOD THEY'RE SO CUTE AUGHH-- yea, the scene is nice, they're finally actually doing something"

Also if you invite him on a sleepover to watch something instead of facetiming?

He's arriving with a variety of snacks, drinks and a meal from home - he is PREPARED

His sister made it, he said

Would bring his best pajama to seem cooler

He's cooking up every scenario imaginable in his head

What if he has food on the corner of his mouth and you wipe it for him?! What if you feed him by hand?! What if you say you'd have to share the bed?!

Sure, entirely possible situation, but he's overdoing it

Now if you decide to lean on him or cuddle him while watching he'd be so stiff in the beginning I'm sorry

It's like hugging a plank

Give him some time to chill out and he'd be actually a bit clingy

Now if you fall asleep on him he's definitely going back to all these shoujo scenarios

He's sweating and he feels like he's having heart palpitations but he's gonna get over that too

Might or might not take a pic or selfie of you sleeping on him all cute and cozy

He's flexing in the club groupchat

On the chat topic, he's kind of a dry texter in the beginning but at least it comes off funny

He's the meme supreme and he has meme reactions for literally everything, but he doesn't send them a lot

He prefers to keep them to himself for just the right moment

On that note @/yukkuo has these "kaoru as ur bf texts" and i need to say check them out because that's exactly what i was picturing too they have ones for moragi also

If you ever compliment him for whatever reason he can only stare at you like an idiot for a good few seconds

You?? telling him he's pretty??? What is this alternate universe he's fallen in???

Especially!! if you compliment his eyes

He takes that straight to his heart

Please be tender with him

Hold his hand, play with his hair, hug him, cradle his face and kiss him all over - he's sensetive even if he acts like he isn't

He would let you touch his scars too

He usually avoids people's touch, but how could he refuse letting you when you're so gentle with him?

When he stops being nervous about you touching him he's definitely asking you to do it more

He won't say it though, that would make him too flustered

Instead he'd take your hand and put in on his face or in his hair and let you do your thing

If you insist on him telling you what he wants he will do it red and stuttering

Remind him just how much you adore him even if he hasn't asked you to reassure him

He tends to scare people away to the fact you're not only not avoiding him but also insisting that you want to be with him? Damn, he really lucked out

All in all, despite trying to appear all scary and mysterious, he's a giant softie

Just give him a big fat kiss, he needs it

๑Requests are open btw(⁠◕⁠ᴗ⁠◕⁠✿⁠)✧⁠*⁠。

#phantom busters x reader #phantom busters #kaoru kanzaki #kanzaki kaoru #kaori kanzaki x reader #kanzaki kaoru x reader #kanzaki x reader

120 notes · View notes

gaybirdnerd · 2 months ago

Text

I'm watching top gun Maverick for the second time this week and I have some notes:

The little hints that Mav has kept up with Rooster's life scattered throughout the beginning when he's at the hangar.

That little nod to Goose through Mav asking him to be there with him during the test flight, later parodied by Rooster asking his dad for advice during the mission.

The way Mav is just so easily picked up after his Overboard, like he quite literally goes stiff and makes it easier, this man has been picked up a time or two and you can tell

The absolute devastation in his gaze when he sees Rooster in person and Rooster reminds him of his dad.

Love Hondo and all he does for this movie.

"His exploits are legend" and Hangman looking back and just realizing how fucking screwed he is when he realizes he threw this man out of a bar yesterday.

The little cute ass "good morning" and standing awkwardly there waiting for a reply, I wanna bite him

Rooster BEEF

Now we get into the fun part where Mav shows just how good he is

"This guy need an ego check" says you Hangman

This man nearly kills his recruits first second, he coulda so easily hit their wings on accident lmao

"Don't let him get to you Maverick" (don't let your pseudo son bully you, it's ok)

And now he's showing them why his exploits are legendary

Again, coulda hit his recruits

His little "come get me" while being chased by Hangman is so good

Now hangman shows he's an asshole but also that upside down maneuver turning into a REALLY dangerous game of cat and mouse.

Tbf the planes going down like that looks kinda awesome.

Mav giving Rooster a chance and some motivating words and then getting him with the cobra maneuver is just *chef's kiss*

Hey, why couldn't Maverick just TELL Rooster why he pulled his papers? Like??

"And how to come home" he's so traumatized, someone hug this man

Him having a hard deck request in his hands while being chewed out lmfao

"Highly DECORATED captain :) " he's so proud of himself. You think he's stopped himself from getting promoted? Like on purpose?

Him and Penny are so cute, even when they're pretending they're not gonna get together again

She can feel his EYES on her ASS and tbh I don't blame him LOOK AT HER

"We're gonna take it easy on you" (no one succeeds anyway)

Coyote holy fuck don't break check your wingman, even on accident

Hangman being a little bitch

"They couldn't keep up".... Would this man be like this in the face of actual tragedy?

Rooster, grow some balls please, your ego shouldn't be as big as it is

Hangman needs to shut the fuck up about what happened to Goose, esp around Rooster

Smack the look off your own face or I'll do it for you

In other words Maverick is so small, such a baby, smol baby

"You're all dismissed" *proceeds to angst over what happened with Goose for hours which is so fucking valid tho*

"It's come back" fuck he can read her face so easily and knows at this moment he's about to lose another brother.

The way Ice gets Mav to talk so easy 😭😭

Mav is so traumatized 😭😭😭

"I'm not a teacher, Ice, I'm a fight pilot" YOU'RE A DAD NOW, FUCKER, THESE KIDS ARE YOURS

God Mav tearing himself up about the decision to keep or lose Rooster.

"It hurts for him to talk" and he still gives his little speech ugh, I love Ice

*empty air space* took the kids on a field trip and it WORKS

Who the fuck goes to the beach in jeans? So many of them apparently.

That little flopping down celebration at Hangman's toss of the ball

Mav the old man needs a rest

Bob is a God, they're so right for celebrating him

Hondo is a precious baby who gets tackled by everyone

That little "leave the door open" move *gnaws on penny*

Not Mav accidentally predicting the future by asking about if he should leave

Getting parenting advice about Rooster subtly and he's so guilty about what he did to him

Dad!Mav is love, Dad!Mav is life

*makes him go out the window but he still gets caught lol*

God I could never imagine how it actually feels to get into 9 Gs or more

Mav is messing with them, pretty sure in an unscheduled way, I'm glad he did because of how Coyote G-locked

This test run just went completely to shit, huh?

Mav's worst fear

"Easy for you to say" Rooster, you think that might be a little fucking sad for him? That he's got no one in his life?

After getting a verbal lashing from his best friend's son, he gets told his other best friend is fucking dead, how is this man still existing as a person? I'd be a wreck

Triple whammy, he's being fired from his job to teach the impossible

And, you know, his job

Do you think Mav doesn't react if he's called Peter?

The asshole who takes over for Mav just... Needs to stop assuming he knows everything. Glad he gets humbled tho

This test flight is just dkfbeisndob3f

The way you can hear how hard it is on his body, the way he SKIMS past hills, the bullseye as he gets to 10 Gs and loses a good bit of his vision

"Sir, I-" shut up and take it Mav

THE GOODBYE TO PENNY AHHHHH

He pretty cute in this uniform tho 👀

"Talk to me Goose" just fucking shoot me, it's less painful

Hangman has gotta be pissed but I'm glad he takes the decision seriously and supports it

Rooster, way bad timing, talk to dad2 later

"If I don't see you again Hondo, thank you" fuck you, come back alive

LOVE the team name being Dagger

That cloud cover would have me crashing out so fast

Looking at Rooster before starting the mission officially

Rooster go fucking faster, please. I know it's scary but please

"Talk to me dad" *Mav talks to him* AAHH??

Hmm, needs me a wingfic where Mav can just do all this stuff without a plane

THE GOING UPWARDS IS THE SCARIEST PART

Rooster showing that his ego is finally fitting him

The absolute chaos shown during the coffin corner, Mav using the Cobra to defend Rooster and taking a shot himself.

It's honestly such a miracle Maverick survived this shit

"He's gone, Maverick's gone" damn, he just got dad2 back, now he seemingly lost him again. So much for Rooster telling Mav he's got no one to mourn him

I'm SO GLAD Rooster came back but holy shit dude got taken out so quickly and you could see the devastation and desperation

Mav runs™

Like he sure does run

Simply to make sure his son is ok then violently push him into the snow lol

"You told me not to think" that shut his ass up so quickly lol

"So what's the plan" don't ask Mav this, just don't. He flew past 10 Gs just to prove he can

Them casually walking through enemy territory lmao, they're so bold

"This thing is so old" haha, yeah it is

Mav has a fucking answer to everything, no runway? Go through the taxi way with a building at the end

Landing gear ex machina

Need more of smart Maverick fics, he has so much random ass knowledge

"Smile and wave boys, just smile and wave"

Mav being so hesitant to make suicidal actions like he usually would because he's finally got someone in the back seat again

Why is this old ass plane fitted with like everything?

The technical know how of operating all these pedals and buttons and steering must be insane

"Do some of that pilot shit" *was not prepared for that pilot shit*

YAY THEY WON THE FIGHT

OH NO THERE'S MORE

Fucking BLEAK odds. You're in a really old plane that while outfitted with weapons and ammo has run out of said ammo, being chase by a guy with supposedly plenty of ammo, the eject handles aren't working, and you've seemingly got no backup. I'm so fucking glad Hangman disobeys orders

Landing gear ex machina

Uh oh fire

Rooster sounds so desperate when he says ok to Mav saying he won't tell him they lost an engine

BIG CELEBRATION

HONDO

In the middle of a loud ass crowd is a bad time to tell your dad2 that you at least partially forgive him which is what I'm assuming Rooster tried doing

You know, I thought Penny just up and left him so he didn't leave her first, but I'm assuming she was just getting things in order so she could go be in Mojave with him

How to know Mav needs to be in plenty of wingfics: even retired from the Navy he has his own personal plane and probably flies it more than he walks

Have gotten an addiction to seeing Rooster and Mav as a son dad duo in fics in the past day and CANNOT get over it

#top gun maverick #pete maverick mitchell #bradley rooster bradshaw #bird chirps commentary

54 notes · View notes

thebearer · 2 years ago

Note

can you make a fic of teenage teddy and (beekeeping age) carm?? like how their relationship would be and his reaction to her growing up so fast 😭

beekeeping age plzzzz lmao. he would be dilflicious and you all know he would!!! no real tw besides teenage teddy, underage drinking, and mentions to mikey???

"Cousin," Richie's voice was eerily calm on the other line. Carmen's eyes sprung open, sitting up in the bed, the grogginess from sleep was gone. "Don't freak out."

"What's goin' on? What happened?" Carmen didn't listen to Richie's advice, snatching the clock to see the time- three-twenty-two am.

"I said don't freak out, alright?" Richie tried again, the tone he used when he was about to tell Carmen something that would make him go nuclear.

"Don't fuck with me right now. What's goin' on?" Carmen's heart was hammering, shimmying on his sweat pants.

"Carm," You muttered, groggy and rasping through sleep. "What's wrong?"

"Go to sleep, baby. I got it." Carmen muttered, pressing a kiss to your head, hand stroking down your cheeks, the impressions of your pillow pressed into your still warm skin.

"Richie, I'm not fuckin' around anymore, ok? What's goin' on?" Carmen hissed, shutting the door softly, padding down the dark hall.

"Carmen, I want to remind you that we have all been teenagers before. Very young, very stupid." Richie hummed.

Carmen's spine went rigid, icy fear shooting through his nervous system. His eyes flickered up the stairs. Teddy.

"Where are you?" Carmen snatched his keys and coat, patting the pocket to make sure his Spirits were in there- he deserved one, he could already tell.

"I'm at my house, but listen- it's not bad, ok?" Richie tried again, his voice raising a little higher to emphasize over Carmen's ramblings.

"What did she do? Is she ok?" Carmen snapped, slamming the car door shut and tearing out of the garage like a lunatic, pulling onto the unusually calm Chicago streets, tearing towards Richie's house.

Carmen was buzzing- maybe with rage, maybe with fear, maybe both. The fifteen year old had managed to sneak out, going to some party with Eva, who was a sophomore at UIC now. The two had always been close, and now that Eva was in college, they were even closer. How Teddy managed to talk her cousin into bringing her to a college party, no one was sure. The campus police busted it up and found Teddy there, making her call her parent to come get her. Carmen tried to ignore the sinking in his chest that Teddy had called Richie over him.

Teddy looked entirely too old sitting on Richie's couch, in a sweatshirt that clearly covered up whatever she was wearing.

"Go." Carmen gave a sharp jerk of his head, pushing the front door open. "Go to the car."

"Dad, I-"

"-Now, Dorothea." Carmen snapped, tracking her with furious eyes while she stomped out the door.

Richie waited until the car door shut to snicker. "That kid," He pointed towards Carmen's car. "Fuckin' Mikey reincarnated, cousin."

"Don't." Carmen shook his head. "Don't fuckin' say that."

"Cousin, hey, woah. I meant that as a compliment, what's the matter with you?" Richie held his hands up in defense.

"A compliment? Mikey was a fuckin' drug addict and blew his brains out-"

"-Carmen, hold up." Richie cut him off, wide eyes that steadied Carmen's shaking nerves. "You... You fuckin' know I would never... Carm." Richie sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "Mikey wasn't always a junkie or-or addicted to that shit, ok? I know you fuckin' know that."

Carmen could feel his heart drop, the lump growing thicker and thicker in his throat. It had been years now since Mikey's death, but there were still times it would hit Carmen. Crashing, furious waves that had his chest tightening at the thought.

"Teddy... she's a fuckin' funny kid, alright? That's all I meant. She reminds me of Mikey when we were in high school. Doin' stupid shit and havin' fun. She's a kid, and she's a good kid. Better than Mikey, actually, she's got a better head on her shoulder." Richie said. Carmen didn't move, just let him talk.

"It's not a bad thing to say she's like Mikey. She's a good kid and so was he. He... I mean, he fucked up bad and got all fucked up, but... he was always still good."

"Yeah," Carmen croaked, wiping his nose to hide his emotions. He could see Teddy in the passenger seat, head pressed against the window, scrolling 'sneakily' through her phone (the glare gave her away).

"She didn't snitch on Eva, you know that?" Richie snorted lightly. "Cops asked her who she was with, and she said she was just walkin' by and saw it."

Carmen rolled his eyes. Richie grinned. "That's some Mikey shit right there, don't even say it's not."

"It is." Carmen nodded. "Thanks f'pickin' her up."

"C'mon," Richie shook his head. "Go easy on her, Carm. She's a kid."

Carmen waved him off, hands balled in his jacket when he got in the car. Teddy glanced at him carefully, while Carmen backed out of the drive.

They both didn't say anything, Richie's words ringing around his head. "You hungry?" Carmen muttered.

"What?" Teddy squeaked, a little surprised at his calm demeanor.

"You hungry?" Carmen asked, looking over at her. She wasn't the little toddler that used to clamber around The Bear in plastic heels. No, she was growing up. Older now, looking more like you every single day.

"Yeah." Teddy muttered.

Carmen turned into a diner, a twenty-four-seven one he'd taken you when the two of you were younger. Way younger, before kids, before you ever really even knew each other- when your relationship was new and exciting.

It was dingier now, still smelled like old grease and batter. The coffee was still burnt when it was poured into his cup. Teddy still ordered chocolate chip pancakes which made Carmen's heart swell.

"Hey," Carmen muttered, catching a reflection of his own eyes staring back at him, on a face that looked so much like yours. "I, uh, I want you to know if you ever... If you're ever in a situation like that again, you know you can call me or mom."

Teddy blinked back at him, careful and waiting. "We're not... I mean, we're not gonna be mad if you ever need us, ok? You can always call me if you need to- you should always call me if you need to."

Teddy nodded slowly, twirling her straw around her glass. "So... you're not mad?" She asked hesitantly.

Carmen snorted lightly. "I'm not thrilled, but I'm not mad." He said. "I'm glad you're ok."

Teddy nodded again, lips twisting in thought- just like you did. "So does that mean I'm not in trouble?"

Carmen smirked. "What do you think, kid?" He snorted, shaking his head. Teddy's face fell slightly, face falling in a sullen pout but she nodded anyways.

Carmen made sure Teddy was in her bed when they got home, tucking her in with a kiss to her head, like he always did when she was little. You felt the bed dip, turning towards Carmen's warm chest, his arms finding your waist easily. He smelled faintly like cigarette smoke, stale grease.

"What was wrong with the restaurant?" You muttered, eyes still closed, face burying against his chest.

Carmen would let you think it was the restaurant, at least until the morning. No reason to worry you when Teddy was back home safe. "I got it handled, baby. Go back to bed." His hand slid down your hair, your body melting into his easily.

Carmen lied awake, holding you against his chest, thinking back to Mikey. The good times with Mikey, when he was loud and fun and carefree, always messing with Carmen and just fun. Thinking back to the Mikey he was before. He missed his brother, he did, but Richie was right- Teddy had so many similarities to him, all the good ones. The thought made Carmen comforted, that he still had a part of his brother's spirit still here with him, little reminders of Mikey in his daughter.

878 notes · View notes