#okay I’m going to try to be calm and gracious

[cherishedhope]

They Find Their S/o in Tears.

Characters involved: Riddle, Leona, & Azul x G/N! Reader. Genre: Comfort. Disclaimer: Characters may be OOC. There’s a couple of choice words in here as well. If that makes you uncomfortable, please skim over them. NOT proofread. This is a little bit repetitive, so sorry in advance. A/N: I was feeling a little bit sad at the time of writing this, so I decided to cheer myself up with a little something special! I hope that if you are feeling down, then this brightens your spirits as well. Keep going!! You’ll get through whatever it is that made you upset. You got this! 🫶 (here’s a cookie to accompany you while you read 🍪 feel free to snack on it. You deserve a treat!). (PS. I kinda rushed through Azul’s part. Sorry 🥲) Request status: Open!

Your vision was blurred over with tears. No matter how hard you swiped the damp tissue over your eyes, the drops of water kept bubbling out. Breathing came as a challenge. It felt as if your lungs were working overtime to help you breathe. The lump in your throat only seemed to amplify the loud sobs that were just as relentless as the tears. Nothing was able to stop the whimpers sneaking past your lips.

Why did you even try? What was the point? Why was life so unfair? Why did it hurt so much? Why couldn’t it all just stop? All you ever wanted was to be happy. Was that too much to ask?

Just as you thought that it couldn’t get any worse, the door to your bedroom creaked open. Your head swiveled around to check who had crashed in on your pity party.

Your heart dropped.

Fuck.

It was him.

“[Name]…?”

“Goodness gracious! Whatever is the matter?”

— His eyes are blown wide. It would have made you chuckle with how large they looked, but given the circumstances, you couldn’t find it in yourself to laugh.

— He completely freezes on the spot. He had rarely, most likely never, been comforted when he was younger. What was he suppose to do? Should he give you a hug? What if that only hurt you more? Did Ace go too far with his teasing? Were you having trouble in your studies? What could it be?

— His thoughts come to a stop the second you started approaching him, your arms already stretching forward, desperately seeking out comfort. His arms promptly curled around your waist, his fingers running through your hair. He feels a little stiff, but he slowly relaxes and embraces you tightly.

— "There, there. It’s okay. Everything is quite all right. I’m here.” He whispered sweetly before patting you gently on the head. His grip on you tightens ever so slightly. Seeing you like this did terrible things to his heart. The mere thought of someone possibly reducing you to this state made his blood boil. However, he wouldn’t jump to conclusions. The reason for your breakdown could be something completely different.

— After you had calmed down, he excuses himself from the room to go fetch a nice cup of tea for you. Perhaps an herbal kind. Jasmine or chamomile usually help settle the nerves.

— Once he returns, he quietly asks if you’d like to sit down and discuss the reason for your distress. If you decline, he immediately backs off and instead focuses his efforts on trying to distract you. But if you do open up to him, he holds your hands the entire time, nodding every so often as he listened to your rant.

— Depending on what your issue is, he’ll try his hardest to help. Falling behind in your studies? Don’t worry! He’ll lend you his knowledge on whatever subject is troubling you. Someone hurt your feelings? They’re in for a long lecture as well as a week without any magic. It’s an immediate off with their heads! Feeling bad about yourself? You are getting a lecture, albeit a soft one, but a lecture nonetheless. He will inform you of how wonderful you are and don’t you dare say otherwise!! You’re perfect.

“….What the fuck.”

— …Is the first thing he manages to utter out before he yanks you by the wrist and crushes you against his chest. He isn’t going anywhere, and that much is obvious by how tightly he’s holding you.

— The two of you stand there for a long time. The only thing keeping the room from being drowned in an awkward silence was the sound of your wails. Each time you let out that stupid, horrible sob it made Leona’s heart clench. He hated it. He fucking hated hearing those pathetic noises coming from you. Seeing you cry was unnerving. He wanted you to stop.

— He tries to pry the answer from you. If you refuse to explain why you’re so upset, it only frustrates him further but he’ll stop. Even if you do confide in him, it will result in him unceremoniously throwing you over his shoulder and hauling you off to bed to sleep the gloom away.

— If, and god forbid, IF someone was the reason for your sorrow, they are in deep trouble. He’s made it known to everyone that you are his significant other. And if someone managed to somehow find the guts to ignore that and still cause you distress, cause you to cry, then he’s going to beat some a lot of sense into them.

— If it’s a matter of feeling insecure, he’ll scoff and press his lips against your forehead and calls you stupid. He picked you as his lover. You. Not anyone else. You. If you can’t see why he did so, then you need a brain transplant because clearly the one you have is way too small.

— If it’s about studies, he’ll send Ruggie to help you. Homework? No, you don’t need to do that. Come snuggle with him instead. Ruggie can take care of it. Notes? Ruggie will do it. Just stay with him.

“Oh…! Oh dear.”

— His lips are pinched together in a frown. While he appears somewhat relaxed, he’s actually freaking out internally. It takes a moment before he carefully approaches you. Even then, he hesitates for a second before tugging you into a hug.

— Seeing you in tears reminds him of his childhood. And because of that, I think he would be great at comforting you. He would know exactly what to say, what to do, what tone to use, etc. Everything he longed to hear back then comes rushing out. He coos affirmations in your ears, praising you for how strong you are as he brushes away your tears with his fingers. — While every bone in his body is screaming at him to ask you what’s wrong, he holds it off. You need him right now. What you don’t need is to be ambushed by all of these questions swirling around in his head. He really, really does not want to push you or make you uncomfortable. He’s mentally judging every single word he speaks. There is no such thing as being too careful, after all! Your trust is oh so very precious to him.

— He doesn't judge you. He knows what it’s like to feel helpless. Even as snot dribbles down your nose, he does not bat an eye. (But he does use a tissue instead of his finger to swipe it away.)

— If your issue is that you feel insecure, his heart breaks even more. He never, ever wants you to think that you aren’t enough. He’ll start listing off every single last one of your qualities. Not just the best ones, but every single one. He adores all of them. He adores you. Every part of you. He wouldn’t have you any other way.

— Oh? Was someone the source of your misery? He’ll take care of it and no I’m not going to elaborate on this. You already know what’s going to happen.

— Too much work on your hands? Never fear! Azul is here. Just sign a contract and your generous boyfriend will take care of everything~! The only thing he asks in return is for you to take a day off to relax.

©2024 cherishedhope. do not repost on other platforms, modify, steal, copy, or use without explicit permission.

[tragedybunny]

omg your requests are open? If you're okay with some angst but a sweet ending, can I please request Astarion overhearing the others trying to warn you about Astarion? Like, telling the reader (female please) that he doesn't actually care or like her and she just looks sad and says "I know, but I'm stupid and care about him" and he just gets upset and wants to prove that he does like her? Sorry if this is dumb, haha

Hi Anon, My usual apologies for the wait. I wanted to do a different spin on this because I always find it a little jarring that Astarion confesses to you and then is so prickly about killing the Orthon to get information from Raphael. I always wondered if it occurred to him he was being kind of a jerk about it. So this scene plays out in the second act.

This Is Me - Astarion x F!Reader

Astarion lurked at the outskirts of camp, unable to bring himself to come face you. After everything he'd told you, after those moments of hope, he'd failed, himself and you. The Orthon, he’d been less than gracious about getting around to killing the devil. And after, gods, why did he talk to you like that? Because the scars on his back felt like they burned, and his mind had screamed at him since you'd said they were infernal. Even though he knew you'd been upset, you'd only turned away, saying that it was probably wise to rest before pursuing Thorm’s relic further. 

You all had made a makeshift camp in the heart of Shar’s sanctuary, where not even Shadowheart seemed wholly at ease. And he’d hidden like a coward until now, when he’d finally been able to push himself to come find you. Creeping back to camp, he’d been silent, trying to figure out where you were without running into any of the others, he couldn’t take whatever disdain he’d find in their eyes either. 

He’d made it close to your shared tent when the sound of Shadowheart’s voice had frozen him where he stood. “I’m not saying he’s not sincere, I’m just saying, we all know Astarion by now. He looks out for himself first.” 

“I understand where you’re coming from,” even if you didn’t sound convinced, the fact that you even had to say those words was enough for him to feel like his unbeating heart was shattering behind his rib cage. 

“She has a point Soldier, I like Fangs well enough, but you know how he can be. Just be careful with yourself,” Karlach added. Did they all believe he only thought about himself? 

“We just don’t want to see you get hurt.” Of course, Gale had to add to it. 

“I know you’re all concerned, and I know how he can be, but I care about Astarion.” He didn’t need to hear anymore. No one had managed to spot him, so he slipped into your shared tent and tried not to fall apart. 

Everyone in this damned camp wanted to warn you away from him, and the worst part was that they weren’t wrong. How long had it taken him to behave like an arse to you? He did care though, that wasn’t a lie or a scheme. Where you’d accepted it before on just his word, it felt he’d have to prove it now, since he’d gone and messed everything up.  He just didn’t know how.

Huddled on the floor of the tent, he pulled his knees up to his chest, and frantically thought.

Sex was out of the question, even if he could bring himself to do it, you’d see through it in a heartbeat. What else did he have? A lot of pretty words and burdens, which you already shouldered. He glanced around the tent at his scattered, sparse belongings, noting you hadn’t even had time to unpack yet. Maybe that was the answer. 

If there was more said about him, he hadn’t heard, intentionally blocking out whatever other sounds he heard. He assumed there was dinner, at some point, nothing for him to miss there. You appeared in the entrance to the tent far sooner than he had expected though, and caught him still packing things in his bag. “So that’s it, you’re just going to up and leave? And here I was getting worried you’d been gone so long tonight.” Your voice was deadly calm and he couldn't tell if you were sad or furious. 

Closing his eyes, he centers himself, trying not to get lost in the maelstrom inside his own mind. Standing, he looked you in the eyes, pained to find unshed tears sparkling there, but this was for the best. “I’m going to face Cazador, and whatever he’s done to me, alone.”

“W-what? Is this because of the Orthon?” The words fade into a stunned whisper, you don’t understand what he’s trying to do. Desperately, he gropes for your hand, to comfort you, to explain to you, but you pull away. “You’ll just abandon me because I didn’t kill it quick enough?’

“Love, no! I just need to do this on my own. To show you.” The words run out and he clenches and unclenches his hands frustratedly. 

“By the gods, show me what?” 

“That I’m not using you. That I do care about you for more than what you can do for me. I’ll go to Baldur’s Gate and when I’m done I’ll wait for you.” 

With it all said, Astarion waits in the silence for your response. He waits far longer than he thought he would. Really, he’d thought you’d embrace the idea after everything he’d overheard. “Astarion,” you begin sweetly, and you have his rapt attention, “are you out of your fucking mind?” You grasp his shoulders and clench them tightly, fingers digging in, emphasizing your words. 

“I…of course not!” He tries half-heartedly to pull out of your grip, but you don’t seem keen to let him go. “But you don’t trust me any more so what,” his voice cracks unpleasantly and you release his shoulders, arm wrapping around his chest, “what else can I do.” 

Instinctively, he returns your embrace, burying his face in your shoulder. “You heard all that, didn’t you? I’m so sorry, I just didn’t want them to worry about it anymore.” 

“What if they're right? I'm not sure that I can think about anyone else first until this is done, and I fear I’m going to hurt you.” He doesn't look up from where he's pressed against your skin, not wanting to see if you agree. 

“I knew that Astarion, it was obvious from the start.” You let go and push away, putting space between the two of you as your hand comes to cup his cheek and hold his gaze on yours. “We'll deal with this together, just like I promised.” 

You plant a small kiss on his cheek and he almost sobs, pulling you back into a fierce hug. “You…”

“Silly girl?” You finish with a small laugh.

“Incredibly sweet and wonderful girl.”

“Now you're just trying to flatter me.” He can hear the relief in your voice. “Unpack, please. I’m exhausted and your bag is in the middle of our tent.”

“I don’t have a choice, do I?” There really is no fighting you once you’ve made up your mind, and he doesn’t really want to go anymore. 

“Absolutely not, silly boy.” The kiss you give him is soft and warm enough that it chases away his lingering doubts, for tonight at least. 

Tag List:

@micropoe10 @spacebarbarianweird @writingmysanity @mxxny-lupin @azu21 @tallymonster @dependsonthedream @sunfire-ancunin @bambamwolf87 @fayeriess @lumienyx @lisrelly @elora-the-slutty-songstress @astariongf

[lunaviee]

i have so much rin brain rot someone help..

rin is so astronomically down bad for you it’s actually comical

like, you’d expect the stoic and straight faced striker to act like a brick wall throughout your relationship, but boy oh boy are you sorely mistaken…

you see, outside of the walls of your comfortable apartment, rin is calm and collected. sure he’d have an arm wrapped around your waist or his hand interlocked with yours, but he claims he’s not much of a “pda person”

but oh my goodness gracious the actual second he is out of the public eye…..you best be prepared bc he is NOT letting you go

as you walk into your shared apartment, rin’s already draping himself all over you. one arm around your waist and the other is holding your hand while he presses small kisses wherever he can reach

and don’t even THINK about telling him to stop because he’ll only get worse..

“rin- please i love you but let me breathe just for a second, yeah?”

“….no??” (paired with a betrayed glare)

now, rin is strong. like, have you seen his workouts? he’s carrying you to bed without any hesitation or struggle and flopping on top of you i’m being 100% serious by the way, it genuinely does not matter your weight or size, because rin can AND WILL carry you where ever he wants

mornings are even worse. on the days he’s home, his arms are tight around you and his chin is tucked into the crook of your next. if you try to move away from him, he just grumbles and holds you tighter. he’s absolutely adorable when he wakes up too, his hair is a mess and his half lidded gaze is focused on you and only you

though, on the days he has to wake up pretty early for practice, he sets his alarm 10 minutes earlier so he has enough time to cuddle with you before he leaves. hes so reluctant to leave though :( your face when you’re asleep is adorable and the way you latch on to him when he tries to leave makes him melt (he’s always worried he’s gonna accidentally wake you or alter your sleep schedule <3)

rin loves expressing his love to you in any way he can. kisses, hugs, cuddles, spoiling you, acts of service, compliments, you name it, he does it

he’ll just randomly bring home some stuff for you that either he thinks you’ll like or they just reminded him of you so he bought it

absolutely loves holding you, have i expressed this enough?

naps are pretty frequent with him. he loves how warm and cuddly you are and how your hands immediately reach for his scalp

if you’re cooking then you best believe he’s coming up behind you and hugging you while you cook. he really loves it whenever you just kinda latch onto him

okay i’ll shut up now bc i cant think anymore uhh don’t be upset with me for not posting i’ll try to work on requests😇

p.s. have i expressed my love for rin enough yet?? i love him sm especially soft rin bro i live for this

[the-queen-of-hell-666]

Again

Kinktober 2024 - Day 15

Pairing: Part-Kraken!Steve Rogers x Princess!Fem!Reader

Kink: Tentacles

Word Count: 1300+

Summary: You weren't supposed to go to the black lake, but you went anyway and ran into a monster.

Warnings: DUB-CON, explicit language, explicit sexual content (monster-fucking, vaginal penetration, double vaginal penetration, clit suction, slight bondage, possessive!Steve, dubious-con), innocent!reader, porn without much plot

a/n: This was my first time writing monster-fucking but I hope I did okay, cause I've read a few but it was rough to write. I know this is a gif of Ari but I thought that he would look like this in this fic. I hope you all enjoy!

Banners by @vase-of-lilies

Since you were a little girl, your parents told you to stay away from the black lake inside of the dark forest. It inhabited a dangerous creature, the villain from every fairytale your mother would tell you. As you grew older, the less you believed in the monster in the lake. You just believed that it was a story parents told their children to keep control over them. When you turned 20 years of age, your parents were constantly trying to find you a husband that could become your king by marriage. You were sick of it, you wanted a say in your own life, you hated your parents controlling you. 

So one night, you decided to sneak out, to see what monsters really lurked in the black lake. You were dressed in a black gown and a black cloak as you walked through the forest quietly. You made it to the black lake and the moon shone down on the calm waters and shone on the underbrush and the water lilies floating on the water. It was beautiful. The calmness of it all made you want to bask in the moonlight, to thank the goddess for the beauty of nature. You took your cape off and laid it on a large flat rock by the shore and you laid down on the soft silk and let your skin bask in the moonlight. 

You closed your eyes as you listened to the crickets, the gentle splashes of the water lapping at the shoreline, but you were startled by the sound of something in the water. You jolted up, your eyes scanning the dark as a man surfaced from the dark lake. Well, he was a man from the waist up, he had large tentacles coming from his lower half. He looked like a greek god in the moonlight as it shone on his smooth chest and the moonlight highlighted his dark blue tentacles as he waded in the water. His hair was golden and his eyes were a light shade of blue, he was muscular and beautiful. 

You gasped as his eyes landed on you as you laid on the rock, and you were quick to hop off of the rock and grab your cloak, “I-I’m sorry, s-sir.” You stuttered as you wrapped your cloak around you but when you went to walk away, you felt a tentacle wrap around your waist and gently pulled you towards the shore. 

“Where you going, doll? I’m not going to hurt you.” The man gave you a dark grin as he took in your innocent eyes.

“I-I didn’t know a-anyone was here.” You stuttered as he pulled you against his chest with his strong arms, his wet chest soaking into your bodice. 

“Well, I live here, Princess. You came onto my property.” He smirked as a smaller tentacle undid your cloak and tossed it away. “What’s your name, darlin’?” He asked as his strong hands rubbed up and down your waist, teasing the strings of your dress. You told him your name in a stutter and he tested it on his tongue in his low bartone making your thighs clench gently. “I’m Steve.” He said as his deft fingers undid your dress in record time. 

“W-what are you doing?” You asked quickly as you tried to pull away but his tentacles kept you pressed against him. 

“Making you more comfortable. I’m being a gracious host.” He smirked as he pushed your dress off of your shoulders and let it drop to the ground and you shivered as your bare body was exposed to the cool air. His blue eyes trailed down your exposed body making you blush under his gaze. “It’s been such a long time since I've had a pretty girl in my arms.” He hummed as his tentacles traced up your thighs and hips, teasing your skin by sucking light marks into your sensitive skin. 

You whimpered as his lips overtook yours in a hungry kiss and his strong arms tucked your hair behind your ears as his kiss grew deeper. Your arms wrapped around his neck and kissed him back with just as much vigor. You know that you shouldn’t be kissing him but you wanted to rebel, you wanted to show your parents that you weren’t a little girl anymore, so you put your body in the hands of the scary lake monster. His hands moved down to cup your mouth in between your thighs and teased his middle finger through your wet folds, making you gasp against his lips. You felt his smirk as he kissed down your jaw and to the skin of your neck. He led you to the smooth stone by the shore and laid you back on it and he slithered on top of you. His tentacles spread your legs so his torso could fit in between your legs and his hands caressed up your waist and he groped your breasts, as one tentacle slid up your inner thigh.

You gasped as you felt the suction cups tease your outer folds, and you looked up at Steve with wide eyes, “S-Steve?” You whined as two of his tentacles spread your folds and another one came up and teased over your hole and up to your clit. 

“Shh, doll. Just relax. I’m gonna make you feel so good.” He purred in your ear as his lips moved down to your chest and he sucked and nipped on your peaked nipples. His tentacle slid the tip of it into your weeping cunt making your back arch due to the thickness of the one tentacle. It slid further into your channel and the suction cups sucked and stroked your sensitive walls, making you moan and throw your head back. 

His arms wrapped around your waist and kept you pressed against him as the tentacle started thrusting in and out of your cunt as another tentacle sucked on your clit, making your thighs shake. You moaned louder as your nails dug into his broad shoulders as pleasure coursed through your body. “S-Steve, it’s too m-much. I can’t t-take it.” You cried as the tentacle inside of you sped up and the sound of your sopping cunt echoed through the forest. 

He chuckled darkly and nipped at your skin, “You can take it, dollface. I know you can. I know your pussy wants me, she’s so wet and tight. She keeps sucking me back in.” He grunted in your ear as his tentacle sped up inside of your cunt. He bit down on your breast, leaving a dark bruise in the shape of his teeth, making you cry out his name. “I know you’re close, princess. I can feel you clenching and twitching around me.” He smirked as he continued to bite and bruise your soft skin. 

You moaned loudly as a second tentacle slid in beside the first one and they both started pounding in and out of your cunt faster. Your back arched into his mouth and grinded down on his tentacles. Your hands gripped his shoulders tight and your nails dug into him hard. Your orgasm hit you like a ton of bricks as his tentacle sucked harder on your clit. You screamed his name as you squirted on his tentacles and you held onto him like a lifeline. You slumped against the rock as you came down from your orgasm and he kissed up your chest and to your lips. He kissed you passionately and you melted into his embrace before you felt him pull away. 

You whined and reached for him but all you heard was the splashing of water as he slinked back into the lake. Your chest still rising and falling rapidly as you took in what happened and how you wanted it to happen again and again.

[ghuleh-witch]

And We Are Tied As One Eternally-II

Fandom: Ghost Rating: Explicit Warnings: (For Future Chapters) NSFW, 18+, unprotected sex, p in v sex, oral sex, mentions of past abuse and domestic violence, references to suicide Relationships: Papa Emeritus IV/Copia x OFC Characters: Papa Emeritus IV/Copia, OFC Additional Tags: soft!dom Copia, eventual smut, developing relationship, no beta reader Chapter Word Count: 2921 Summary: Ellie Moran just wanted to make a new life for herself. Running to escape the people in her past, she ends up in a small town in the middle of nowhere that happens to be home to a Satanic church. She never expected her life to change again after she started attending the public masses at said church.

Ao3

Chapters: 2/?

Tag list: @sodoswitchimage

Chapter Two

tw: references to past self-harm

The dining hall was filled with an aroma of buffet food. Siblings and clergy members spoke to one another as Copia entered the hall. His eyes scanned the people and ghouls in the room before finding their target. He spotted Ellie with Sister Gemma in a small group of Siblings. He wanted to approach Ellie and talk to her, but the vision of her down on her knees in front of him, looking up at him, well, it did things to him. He couldn’t figure out why seeing her like that affected him so much. Had it been as simple as seeing a beautiful woman on her knees before him? No, it couldn’t be it. There were many beautiful people in the ministry that dropped to their knees before him every week and they hadn’t affected him the way Ellie had. There was something about her specifically and he wanted to find out what it was. 

He was happy to see Ellie interacting with his congregation. He remembered just weeks prior how she stood alone and away from everyone. If she made friends with the Siblings she’d want to come back to visit, and if she came to visit more often there would be more chances to talk to her, he reasoned. 

“So you have your eye on the new girl too,” Terzo said as he came up next to Copia.

His eyes slid sideways to the other man. “I do not,” Copia responded a little too quickly.

Terzo chuckled. “Oh, fratello , you don’t have to lie to me. I saw how you looked at her during communion. I thought you were going to get a hard-on right then and there.”

Copia rolled his eyes at his brother. “Okay, fine, what if I do have an interest in her? What does it matter to you? Are you planning on bedding her? A new woman to add to your tally?” He felt suddenly possessive of Ellie and stomped the feeling down. He had no right to feel that way. Ellie wasn’t his. He didn’t even know her. And even if he did, that didn’t mean he was entitled to her. She probably wasn’t even interested in him. Terzo was just trying to get under his skin. 

“Calm yourself,” Terzo said. “I’m only messing with you. I was thinking about asking her out for dinner, but seeing you all up in arms over her has changed my mind. You’re not usually interested in anyone, so I’ll let you have this one.”

“How gracious of you,” Copia deadpanned. 

Terzo clapped him on the shoulder. “Good luck, fratello .”

XXX

Gemma introduced Ellie to her friends: Sister Brianna, a pretty redhead with a round face, and Brother Micha a short man with dark hair and eyes in his mid-20s. The other two Siblings welcomed Ellie into their little group with open arms, asking her questions about her life and taking interest in her responses.

“Your tattoos are gorgeous by the way,” Brianna said, taking Ellie’s hand and looking at the bits that poked out from under her sleeve. “Can I see more?”

“S-sure,” Ellie said, rolling up her sleeve to show off more of the floral and vine designs that covered her arm. She hoped no one would notice the raised scar that ran up her wrist that the tattoos hid. She wasn’t up for answering questions and bringing up that part of her life. If any of them had noticed, they didn’t mention it, which Ellie was grateful for. 

“I wish I had more tattoos,” Brianna sighed dropping Ellie’s arm after admiring the colorful ink. “I only have the one. Haven’t had time to get more.”

As the conversation turned to other things, Ellie pulled the sleeve of her sweater back down and noticed Copia across the room. He was watching her as he spoke to Terzo. When Terzo patted his shoulder and walked away, Ellie excused herself from the group and walked over to Copia.

“Papa,” she greeted. “The service today was really good. I enjoyed it.”

His lips turned up into a small smile and the sight made her heart beat just a little faster. “Thank you, cara , I’m glad you enjoyed it. It was one of my better ones. I’m glad to see you’re back and that you took communion. Are you thinking about joining our little family here?”

“I don’t know yet,” Ellie said. “I don’t know a whole lot about your religion. I understand and agree with the tenants, but I have a…complicated relationship with religion.”

“Former Catholic?”

“Evangelical Baptist,” Ellie corrected. 

Copia made a face. “Even worse than Catholics, si?”

Ellie nodded. “At least the Catholics wouldn’t tell me I’m going to Hell every time I stepped into church,” she laughed. 

“I can never keep track of what the different denominations believe. Catholics believe one way, Baptists and Lutherns another it’s all confusing,” he said, waving his hand as he spoke. “At least here we are consistent in our beliefs.”

“Well that’s a relief,” Ellie smiled. “I think I need to learn more before I can decide on joining.”

“Of course!” Copia responded with a nod. “Having all the information in front of you before you make a decision is the responsible thing to do. I’m sure Sister Gemma would be happy to help you, and if she can’t, I would be glad to help.”

“Gemma–er–Sister Gemma already offered to be my sponsor,” Ellie said, glancing over at the little group of Siblings that were still chatting to one another. She looked back at Copia, feeling his mismatched eyes boring into her. “But thank you, I really appreciate the offer. I’m going to need all the help I can get.”

“Si, si. Well, eh, I’ll let you get back to your new friends. I hope we get to see more of you here.”

Ellie could have sworn she saw a glint of eagerness in his eye as he said that. It made her smile and nod. “I’m sure I’ll be around more,” she said before giving him a small wave and walking back to the group of Siblings. 

“Making friends with Papa?” Micha asked.

“Yea,” Ellie answered. “He came and talked to me a little the first time I was here. I just wanted to tell him that I really enjoyed the sermon today.”

“Papa Copia is alright,” Micha said. “He’s gained a lot of confidence since ascending to Papa. He was awkward as hell as a Cardinal. Should have seen him. Always had a rat with him. Rode a tricycle around the Ministry. It was weird.”

“Aw, I think that’s kind of sweet. I love rats,” Ellie smiled, glancing over her shoulder. Copia was now speaking with one of the masked figures Ellie learned were called Ghouls. After watching the Ghouls interact with other Siblings, there was something weird about them that Ellie couldn’t put her finger on. When she turned back to the three Siblings they were all looking at her with smirks on their faces. “What?”

“You like him,” Brianna said in a sing-songy voice.

“No,” Ellie said a bit too quickly. She felt her cheeks warm. “I mean, sure, as a person. He seems nice.”

“Oh yea? Then why are you blushing?” Gemma asked a grin of triumph plastered on her face.

Ellie let out a sigh. It would be useless to lie. She was always a terrible liar. “Okay, maybe I find him attractive,” she said as Gemma, Brianna, and Micha all looked at each other and nodded.

“What?” Ellie asked, unsure she wanted to know what they all just agreed on.

“We’re going to get you two together,” Micha said. “Papa needs someone. I heard he hasn’t slept with anyone since he became Papa.” 

“Woah woah woah,” Ellie said putting her hands up. “I don’t even know the man and you’re already trying to get me in his bed? I appreciate the thought, but I’m just…I’m okay with the way things are right now. He’s nice and I’d like to be friends, but anything else…” The thought of nothing more between her and Copia made her a little sad and she couldn’t figure out why. But her life was too unstable—barely just began to start it over. Ellie didn’t know him well, but she knew Copia deserved someone better than her. So friends it would be.

“So,” Ellie said turning to Gemma to change the subject. “When can I begin studying for my membership?”

XXX

Ellie left the ministry with a handful of pamphlets given to her by Gemma. They covered the history of the ministry, rules, beliefs, clergy hierarchy, and much much more. Her first task was to read through all the material and write down any questions she had. She was meeting Gemma for her first study session in a few days. 

As she looked through the pamphlets, she saw Copia’s papal portrait in one of them. It listed him as the current head of the ministry and frontman for Ghost. Ellie couldn’t help but stare at it. He looked regal in his papal skull paints and glimmering blue robes and miter. Gemma, Brianna, and Micha didn’t push her any further on their plans of getting her together with Copia, and Ellie was thankful because if she thought about Copia anymore, a permanent blush would be seared into her flesh. 

As she finished reading through the third pamphlet, her phone chimed with a text message. Ellie froze for a second. No one had her new number. She ditched her old phone back in her hometown before her journey across the country. 

“It’s not him,” Ellie told herself as she picked up the phone and opened the text from the unknown number.

Hey! It’s Gemma! I forgot to tell you that when you come here you’ll have to be buzzed in through the front gate. Just tell them you’re here to see me.

Ellie let out a huge sigh of relief. She forgot she gave Gemma her number. Ellie sent a response to Gemma before saving her number in her contacts. Ellie set her phone aside and willed her heart to stop bounding against her ribcage. 

“It wasn’t him. You’re fine,” she told herself.

But the sick and twisting feeling that was currently churning in her gut didn’t go away. 

She was hypervigilant over the next few days. Every little unexpected noise made her tense. When her boss dropped a large encyclopedia in the store that morning she nearly gave herself a heart attack. Ellie knew she should probably see a therapist and talk about her past and how it was affecting her, but she just didn’t feel ready to dive into all that just yet. She convinced herself that she was just stressed by all the recent changes in her life. Stress. That’s all it was. 

That still didn’t stop her from looking in her rearview mirror to make sure no one followed her on her drive up to the Ministry. 

She stopped outside the wrought iron gates that were normally open for public mass days. Ellie rolled down her window and pressed the call button on the box just outside the gate.

“How may I help you?” A voice crackled over the speaker.

“Hi, yes, my name’s Ellie Moran. I’m here to see Sister Gemma,” Ellie said.

“Come on through,” the voice responded as the gates began to open. 

Ellie drove the now familiar path up the gravel drive and to the small visitor’s parking lot. She sent Gemma a message informing her she arrived before walking to the front doors. Before she could even put her hand on the handle the door was opened and an extremely tall, masked ghoul was standing there. Ellie had to crane her neck to look up at him. 

“Sister Gemma will be right down,” the ghoul said ushering Ellie into the atrium of the church. 

“Thanks,” Ellie said. She stood in the atrium, looking up at the stained glass before looking at the ghoul standing by the door. “I’m Ellie,” she introduced holding her hand out to shake.

“I know,” the ghoul said, looking down at her outstretched hand. “I am called Mountain.” 

When it became obvious Mountain wasn’t going to shake her hand, Ellie let it drop and waited awkwardly for Gemma to arrive.

“I’m here!” 

Ellie turned around to see Gemma coming down a set of marble stairs. She was in the same short, black habit that Ellie saw her in at mass but instead of fishnet tights and pumps, she wore black thigh-high socks and knee-high lace-up boots. 

“I’m so glad you’re doing this,” Gemma smiled before waving at Mountain. Gemma guided Ellie up the stairs to the second floor and down the corridor. “I’m going to take you to the library first,” she said. “We’ll get an account set up for you so you can borrow books. Then I’ll give you a tour of the place if you want. After that, I’ll answer your questions and we’ll go over what we’re going to be working on.” 

“Sounds good to me,” Ellie said as she kept pace with Gemma.

The Ministry library reminded Ellie of the photos she had seen of the Bodleian Library in Oxford, England. The dark wooden shelves stretched toward the high arches of the ceiling and were filled with ancient-looking tomes and modern-day novels. The smell of old paper filled her nose as Ellie followed Gemma to the front desk. There was a long row of tables and chairs that ran down the middle of the library and ended at the large stained glass window. There were several siblings at the tables, either sitting alone or in pairs. All of them had their heads in their books and were taking notes on paper, tablets, or laptops. 

Ellie was handed a clipboard by an older, rather severe-looking Sister and was told to fill it out. It was a basic form asking for her name, phone number, address, and other relevant information, and when Ellie handed it back to the Sister behind the desk, she was handed a temporary card.

“Your official card will arrive in the mail next week,” the Sister said before returning to her work. 

“Cool. I’ve never had a library card before,” Ellie said staring down at the simple cardstock that bore her name and an eight-digit number. 

“Never?” Gemma asked looking surprised.

“Never,” Ellie said. “The last time I stepped foot in a library I was nine.”

Gemma’s eyes practically popped out of their sockets. “You’re kidding me.”

Ellie felt her face warm. “I…I was homeschooled and my mother…well she didn’t think public libraries were Christian.”

“Oh,” Gemma responded. “One of those 'information is danger' people. I understand. We have a few Siblings here who have similar stories.” 

Ellie relaxed at that. “I thought I was the only one.”

“Not at all,” Gemma said. “I don’t mean to pry or overstep or anything, but we have support groups here if you ever need to get anything off your chest about the way you were raised.”

“Thanks,” Ellie said, feeling a lump grow in her throat at the suggestion. “Maybe I’ll check it out.”

Gemma nodded and smiled. “Ready to continue?”

“Please.” 

From the library, Gemma showed her the administrative wing, the dormitories, the archives, and the recreational rooms that were filled with everything from video games and board games to movies and comic books. Gemma showed her a few of the classrooms and the greenhouse before stopping outside a small two-story house just outside the main abbey.

“This is the Papal house,” Gemma said. “All five of the Papas live here.” “Nihil, Primo, Secondo, Terzo, and Copia,” Ellie listed off.

Gemma grinned. “Good, you were listening. You know Papas Terzo and Copia of course. Papa Nihil doesn’t go out much anymore. Just for mass and a couple of Ministry events. Papa Primo is always in the greenhouse, and Papa Secondo…well we’re really not sure how he spends his time. He’s always coming and going. I’m sure you’ll get to meet them all at some point.”

Just as Gemma turned to lead Ellie back into the abbey, the door to the house opened and Copia stepped out. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Ellie. Ellie couldn’t help but stare. He looked completely different out of his papal vestments. He was dressed in red sweatpants, a black shirt with baring VVLGARI in white across the chest, and a matching red zip-up jacket over top. His face was devoid of the black and white skill paint Ellie saw him in, and instead, he just had black around his eyes and on his upper lip. 

“Oh, eh, hello,” he said. “Am I interrupting something? Did you need to see someone?”

“No, Papa, I was just giving Ellie the tour,” Gemma said. “Sorry if we disturbed you.”

“No apologies necessary, cara ,” Copia said. “I was just going to see Sister Imperator in her office. His eyes were then once again on Ellie. “So what do you think of our little home?”

“It’s nice,” Ellie said. “Everything’s so beautiful.”

“This used to be some Catholic monastery or something before it was sold off and we bought it,” Copia explained. There was a pause before he shifted almost anxiously. “If you have time before you leave today, would you come by my office?”

“Oh? Um, sure,” Ellie said. “I don’t have anything going on this afternoon.” 

“ Perfetto ,” Copia said, a smile forming on his lips. “I’ll see you then.”

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 252. brb x oc

a/n: OH BOY IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN ALSO smut SMUT on the NEXT CHAPTER I SAY (comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none uwu

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

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-

“I’m home.” he calls,dropping his things by the side door and running his hands through his golden brown tresses as he waits for Beatrice’s reply, but he gets nothing. He frowns, because the dogs were there to see him, they rushed over immediately but not Beatrice.

He inhales shakily, he couldn’t freak out now he shouldn’t. He pays attention to the noises around him, hoping to hear Nikki’s laugh or even Beatrice’s chuckle but he gets nothing. 

He’s okay, he repeats while breathing in repeatedly, he’s okay.

Rooster's footsteps echoed through the empty house as he made his way further inside. The silence that greeted him was unsettling, a stark contrast to the usual warmth and liveliness of their home. The absence of Beatrice and Nicole was obvious, and it gnawed at his sense of calm.

He walked through the house, calling out again, "Bea? Nikki?" but there was still no response. The dogs trailed behind him, sensing his unease, their tails drooping slightly. 

Rooster felt this horrible sickness in his stomach as he checked each room, finding no sign of his wife and daughter. His mind raced with a dozen different scenarios, each one more troubling than the last.

What if they were locked somewhere?

What if they were lost?

What if someone kidnapped them??

But no that couldn’t be it. Perhaps they had gone out for an errand or a walk, and he had missed a note or message…right????

With a sinking feeling in his chest, Rooster returned to the kitchen and reached for his phone. He dialed Beatrice's number, his fingers trembling slightly as he held the device to his ear.

The seconds stretched on, feeling like an eternity as he listened to the ringing on the other end. Each unanswered ring only added to his anxiety. 

Then, just as he was about to hang up and try again, he heard a click followed by a familiar voice on the line. "Roos?" Beatrice's voice sounded a bit distant, and there was an underlying tiredness in her tone.

Relief washed over Rooster as he replied, "Bea, where are you? Is everything okay?"

Beatrice let out a soft sigh, and he could hear her shuffling around. "We're fine, Roos," she replied. "We went to the park for a bit. I had to go to Marcus and he showed up to pick us both up…didn’t you get my message?”

Rooster felt a mix of emotions flooding through him. Relief was the predominant one, knowing that Beatrice and Nicole were safe and that there was a simple explanation for their absence. But it was also mingled with a hint of frustration at not having checked his messages properly before jumping to conclusions.

He rubbed his forehead, exhaling a shaky breath. "No, I didn't," he admitted, his voice laced with chagrin. "I must have missed it. I came home and didn't see you two, and my mind went to all sorts of crazy places."

Beatrice's tone softened as she replied, "I'm sorry, Roos. I should have called instead of just sending a message. But we're on our way back now. Marcus is giving us a ride."

Relief washed over him once again. "No,no,baby it’s not your fault.," he said, his voice steadier. "I'll wait for you guys. Just be safe."

“You sure?”

“Yeah,I probably just…overlooked stuff, that’s why.”

Beatrice let out a gentle laugh on the other end of the line. "It's okay, Roos," she said reassuringly. "We'll be home soon. Love you."

Rooster's heart warmed at her words, and he replied with affection in his voice, "Love you too, gorgeous. I’ll be waiting."

They exchanged their goodbyes, and Rooster hung up the phone. He let out a long breath, the tension in his body slowly dissipating. He berated himself for jumping to such alarming conclusions, but the relief of knowing that Beatrice and Nicole were safe was overpowering.

As he waited for them to return, Rooster decided to take a moment to relax because his heart was just ready to jump out of his body. He poured himself a glass of water and sat down in the living room, the dogs curling up beside him. He knew he needed to calm his racing thoughts and let go of the fear that had gripped him.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose, grunting because why the hell would those things show up in his mind? Why? He groaned, tossing his head back on the touch, petting each of the dogs as he waited.

The minutes ticked by, and Rooster found solace in the quiet of their home. He thought about the dinner with the Haltons that was just a day away and hoped that it wouldn't bring any more surprises or anxieties.

Before long, he heard the familiar sound of a car pulling into the front. Rooster got up from his seat and headed to the front door, the movement waking the dogs up - especially Eleanor who just leapt out and jumped to check the window - a smile on his face as he prepared to welcome Beatrice and Nicole back home.

The front door swung open, and he walked out. Beatrice stepped out of Marcus’ car,Nicole in her arms and Marcus following her into the house. The little girl's eyes sparkled with excitement as she spotted Rooster, and she reached out to him with her tiny hands, squealing happily.

Rooster's face lit up with a warm smile as he reached out to take Nicole into his arms. The feeling of her tiny hands grasping onto his fingers filled him with an overwhelming sense of love and joy. He pressed a tender kiss to her forehead and murmured, "Hey there, little birdie. Did you have fun?"

Nicole giggled in response, her laughter like music to his ears. She babbled incoherently, trying to convey her excitement about her little adventure. Rooster couldn't help but chuckle along with her, because the only thing he could really understand was ‘Marcus’ and ‘Mama’

Beatrice, who had followed closely behind with Marcus, wore a soft smile as she watched the heartwarming scene. Marcus, who had brought them back safely, simply stopped while holding the boxes in his arms, a content expression on his face as he observed the loving family reunion with an almost proud smile on his face.

Rooster looked up at Beatrice and Marcus, his smile widening as he addressed them. "Thanks for bringing them," he said gratefully, eyes dropping to Beatrice. "I'm sorry if I sounded desperate earlier. My mind just went to some crazy places."

Beatrice walked over to Rooster and leaned in to give him a reassuring kiss on the cheek. "It's okay, Roos," she said softly. "I should have called instead of just sending a message. I'm sorry too."

Marcus chimed in with a good-natured grin. "No harm done, darling" he said. "I'm just glad everything's alright. Nicole here had a grand time with us, isn’t that right beautiful?" Nicole gurgled happily,bouncing in Rooster’s arms, “We played dress up a lot didn’t we?”

“Oh,” Rooster looks down at Bea, “Marcus had something done for Nikki too,huh?” and his wife just offered him a small grin and giggled with a shrug, “Is that why Marcus is holding those boxes?”

Marcus chuckled at Rooster's observation. "Well don’t you have a sharp eye," he said, nodding toward the boxes he held. "I brought a little something for Nicole. A little little something for you, a little something for Bea…”

Beatrice chimed in, her eyes sparkling  as she met Rooster’s,  “I was just fixing the uh, dress I’ll use tomorrow.”

And her husband’s pupils enlarged immediately, head tilted, “...oh. Really?” his voice drops a bit, “I had no idea.”

Marcus offered a warm smile,perhaps purposefully ignoring the obvious heated glances the two were sharing  "Yes,yes," he replied. "I said it before,I love making clothes for you all."

“Weren’t you going to do that already?” Rooster asks, “With uhh, our photoshoot-which by the way, is it still happening?”

“Oh,dear Bradley of course it is!” he laughs, waving his free hand, “It’ll be next week, but don’t worry too much,hm? Now, shall we go inside? Your neighbors seem to be getting curious.”

Rooster's expression shifted as he glanced toward the neighboring houses. The idea of their nosy neighbors observing their every move didn't sit well with him, specifically the Haltons. He nodded in agreement with Marcus. "You're right," he said. "Let's head inside before we become the talk of the neighborhood."

With Nicole still nestled in his arms, Rooster led the way into the house, followed by Beatrice and Marcus. His hand went back, reaching for Beatrice’s smaller one and his wife quickly took hold of his palm as they wandered in. Once inside, and once the dogs were done greeting each one of them several times he set Nicole down, and the little girl immediately toddled off to find her favorite toy, leaving the adults to chat on the couch.

She sits down a few inches away from them, the dogs immediately curling around her - well Jack was - while Jolene lied by Beatrice’s feet and Eleanor was still looking at the window.

Beatrice took Marcus's gift from him with a warm smile. "Thank you so much for this, Marcus," she said, genuinely touched. "You always make the most beautiful things."

Marcus beamed at Beatrice's words. "It's my pleasure, darling," he replied. "I'm so glad you like it. And, Rooster, I've got something for you too."

Rooster raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "You really didn’t need to" he asked, his curiosity piqued. "What is it?"

With a mischievous twinkle in his eye, Marcus laughed while handing Rooster a small box wrapped in elegant black paper. Rooster accepted it, and both of them were ready to open but the fashion designer stopped them, “Ah ah ah! No, no, let’s not ruin the surprise,” he places his hands on top of both boxes, pushing the lids down and making the air from the inside come out in soft puffs, “No, no, darlings, have you not learned anything from me?”

Both of them looked at each other then back at Marcus.

“Darlings,” he claps his hands once, “The surprise is the best part of dressing up. So,” he taps the lids,”Keep those closed until tomorrow,hm? You two must feel it when going to the Oda and meet the–what are their names again?”

“Mark and Miranda.”

“Right, thank you Bea darling.” Marcus grins, “You two will be amazing, you have my blessing in those clothes, you two will be…incredible in it. I promise.”

Rooster and Beatrice exchanged curious glances before nodding in agreement. "Alright, Marcus," Rooster said with a chuckle. "We'll save the surprise for tomorrow. Thanks again for everything."

Beatrice added her appreciation while holding the box close to her chest. "Yes, Marcus, we truly appreciate your thoughtfulness," she said, "and your support means the world to us."

Marcus's smile widened as he basked in their gratitude. "You're both very welcome, darlings," he replied. "I'm so glad to have you as friends. Now,” he fixes his suit, “I’ll leave you be, I have much to prepare and so do you, my darlings.”

As Marcus bid them farewell and left their home, kissing their cheeks and wishing them good luck. Rooster and Beatrice watched him walk back into his car, then drive away from their house. Beatrice looks up at Rooster apologetically, playing with his uniform “...you were so worried you didn’t even change.”

“Yep.”

“Gosh,Roos…I’m sorry I–”

Rooster interrupted Beatrice with a soft smile, placing a gentle finger on her lips. "Hey," he said softly, "no need to apologize. I was the one who didn’t check my messages. Besides, we can change later." he then cups her chin, rubbing her skin and kissing her nose, “Alright?”

Beatrice leaned into Rooster's touch, her eyes meeting his  as her cheeks warm up. "Alright," she replied, hugging his torso as they walk back inside “No point in focusing on that."

Rooster smiled, his heart swelling with the woman he was lucky enough to call his wife. "Exactly," he said, his tone tender. "I was freaking out a bit but I’m okay."

“You sure?”

“Yeah,gorgeous. Could be worse.” he shuts the door behind him, then locks it once they are inside. Nikki is still happily playing with her toys against Jack’s sleeping form, even placing some of them on the huge dog’s back, “How was your day though,gorgeous?”

“It was fine,’ Shells was here.” she explains while shrugging off her coat, “Uhhh,we hung out, then I went to check on the twins, they are getting so big,Roos.” she says and he smiles while crossing his arms and leaning against the wall, “And well, the doctors are pretty sure Gavin and Aurora will be home soon so, fingers crossed.”

Rooster's face lit up with genuine happiness at the news about their twins. "That's fantastic,gorgeous," he said, "I can't wait to have them home with us. It's been way too fuckin’ long."

Beatrice shared in his excitement, her eyes sparkling with joy. "I know," she replied. "We've been through so much, but it's finally starting to look up." she smiles, “We just have to deal with the Haltons then it’ll be all over.” while letting out a nervous little chuckle, looking over at Nikki to check on her.

Rooster took a step closer to Beatrice, his arms finding their way around her waist as he pulled her into a warm embrace, his wife blinking up at him. "I'm so proud of you, Bea," he whispered, his lips brushing against her ear. "You've been incredible through all of this."

Beatrice wrapped her arms around Rooster's neck, her cheek resting against his shoulder. "And you, Roos," she said softly, "you've been my rock. I don't know what I'd do without you."

“I was terrified.” he admits,”The first few months, fuck, I was scared baby.”

“I know.” she whispers, “But…look at that!Tell me if that isn’t a great birthday gift for you! Getting the twins back and…dealing with everything.”

Rooster held Beatrice close, their bodies pressed together, their hearts beating in sync. He rested his chin on top of her head, savoring the warmth and comfort of their embrace. "You're my greatest gift,gorgeous," he murmured, smiling when she moved in his hold

Beatrice looked up at him, her eyes shining with emotion. "Aawww, Roos," she replied, her voice quivering slightly. She playfully swats his chest, then sniffs, wiping her eyes, “You gotta stop.”

“Why?”

“Because you are too sweet.”

He just smirked more, kissing her forehead and pressing his cheek to her head. His eyes moved downwards then back up as he…decided to bring the convo he had at the base to her ears, “Talked to the guys. About…everything.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, they think that the Haltons are doing something and they are just as suspicious.” he mutters against her hair, “They are worried for us too.”

Beatrice's brows furrowed in concern as she processed Rooster's words. "Honestly so is Shells but you know how she is,right?" she asked, "As long as they don’t…want to do something uh…dangerous, like Shells’ plan was."

Rooster nodded, his grip around her waist tightening slightly. "They kinda did but I shut it off already," he replied, his tone serious. "They're like family to us, Bea.They will be worried…they are a pain in my ass but they are good people."

Beatrice couldn't help but smile at the thought of the Dagger Squad suddenly deciding which method was better when dealing with the Haltons "We're lucky to have them," she said, leaning up to place a soft kiss on Rooster's lips. "I mean, who else can say a group of fighter pilots could do anything to a random couple like they do?”

‘Hah, true.”

"I just hope that after this dinner with the Haltons," Beatrice said softly, "we can finally put all of this behind us and focus on our family. Because it’s tiring.”

Rooster nodded in agreement, his cheek resting against hers. "I hope so too," he murmured. "Been a while,huh?"

“God,yeah.”

He leans back,cupping her face in his hands and kissing her nose, “I’m going to shower, then we can have dinner,alright?” she nods with a little grin, kissing his lips before he walks away.”And mentally prepare for tomorrow.”

[poledancingdinos]

Hostile Territory - Chapter 7

Pairing: Captain Syverson x OFC (Leah Coleman)

Word count: 3.2K

Warnings: Masturbation (M)

Catch up: Series Masterlist

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Masterlist

Day 99

“Bet you ten bucks I can do more pull-ups than you can.”

“Make that twenty and you’re fucking on!”

Sanford shoved Molson’s shoulder and they both took up a spot on the pull-up bar. Two men stood in front of them ready to count each of their reps and make sure neither man could cheat. They both ripped their shirts over their heads and grabbed the bar, waiting for a countdown before beginning their little competition. 

For the most part, Leah ignored their pissing contest, focusing on her set but still keeping an eye on the boys. It was a close battle, but after a lot of trash talk and some sketchy reps, Sanford won the bet, earning him a clap on the back and a round of congratulations for his performance.

“What about you, Coleman?” Connors called, as she put down her free weights.

“What about me, Connors?”

“You want a shot to win some cash? I’ll even let you pick the challenge.”

Leah looked around the makeshift gym at all the eyes that had landed on them. Her boys had come to stand behind her, silently backing her up.

“How gracious of you,” she mocked. “We both know you’re only challenging me because you think it’s easy money.”

“That’s usually the point of a bet, Coleman. I’m just that good, it’s nothing to take personally.”

No one noticed as Sy walked in, sitting on a bench by the opening of the tent. He quietly observed the exchange, grabbing a few free weights from a nearby rack. After he had his meeting with Nielsen, a meeting that stripped him of his rank and team leader status, he, Krosner, Molson and Connors had backed off Leah.

Apparently, a month and a half was the limit for how long the boys could go without being jackasses. They had slowly fallen back into their old habits but she could ignore them as long as they stayed out of her way.

“Let’s make this interesting then.” She didn’t really want to indulge him but if she played her cards right, the cocky kid, who’d made himself a thorn in her side since her arrival, would have his ass handed to him. “I bet I can spank you and anyone else who wants to try to beat my count. If I lose to even one of you, I’ll give each man twenty bucks.”

“You're fucking on, Coleman.”

Nielsen approached them, putting a hand on Connors’ shoulder. “I don’t know, G… She looks way to fucking calm about this… I wouldn’t take that bet blind.”

“I’m up for anything, man.” He looked at Leah dead in the eye. “Let’s do this shit.”

A smirk pulled at her lips for all of half a second before she schooled her features by Sy took notice of it from across the room. Whatever she was up to, she seemed pretty confident that she was going to win. Leah turned and the men behind her stepped aside, letting her walk over to the chin up bar. Bending down to take off her boots, she began explaining what needed to be done.

“Okay, straight legs is the correct form but I’ll let you get away with bent.”

“Underestimating me already, Coleman? I’m offended.”

That time, Leah allowed herself to grin openly. It wasn’t a question of underestimating him, it was a question of outsmarting him and putting him in his place.

“You stop when you can’t make it back without help and a rep doesn’t count if you don’t go low enough. Oh and, no using your feet on the bar to get upside down.”

“How do we know if you're doing this right? Nothing you’ve said so far makes any sense,” Nielsen argued, crossing his arms.

He had a point, Sy had no idea what the hell she was trying to explain.

“Someone can hold an arm out so we have a target to touch without being able to rest our weight on it. Other than that you’ll be able to tell if it’s not done right.”

“I’ll do it,” Sy’s deep voice echoed from across the tent, pulling Leah’s attention to him. “I ain’t planning on losin’ my money on this little hustle but I might as well make sure it’s a fair fight.” He stepped forward, closer than he needed to, coming nearly chest to chest with Leah.

She froze for a second, her eyes flickering over his chest then back to his face before she gave him a slight nod.

The bar had been set up with the tallest guys in mind and was way too high for Leah to reach on her own, even with a jump. Needing the space below her feet to be clear, she opted for climbing up the support pole by pushing her feet into the front and pulling with her arms.

She could have asked Sy for a boost but the thought of his hands on her waist sent a shiver down her spine and not in a bad way. Part of her was afraid that she would enjoy that a little too much.

Leah quickly made it to the top and reached out to grasp the horizontal bar. After shimmying to the center, she settled her hands in a pronated grip, a little wider than shoulder width apart. She’d learned from experience that her hips needed an extra inch or two of space.

“Alright boys, pay attention. Don’t ask me why but where I’m from, this exercise is called ‘Skin-the-cat’ and it’s like a leg raise on steroids.”

With her legs straight and held together from thigh to toe, she brought her legs up in a backwards roll, threading them through the opening of her arms and lowered herself down until her body was practically vertical again. She stayed still for a few moments and Sy took it as his queue to kneel and hold out a hand for her to touch with her feet on the next go. They all watched in complete silence as she reversed the motion and flipped back around, finally lowering her legs back to a hanging position.

“That’s one rep,” she announced, then repeated the exercise again with a little more speed while maintaining complete control of her body. On her best days, she normally managed ten or eleven of them back to back without taking a break between reps. On her eighth rep she struggled to get herself back up once she had touched Sy’s hand with her feet but she continued to push, managing thirteen reps before getting permanently stuck on her fourteenth.

Normally she would stop before getting stuck because losing control in the upside down position was very risky for your shoulders but she’d been a little reckless in trying to get mid double digits for the sake of showing off. Letting go was an option but that too was potentially dangerous both for her shoulders and from the fall.

Sy could see by how low her body had dropped that she was out of strength. Her shoulders were no longer engaged, she was just hanging on and he was not going to risk her getting hurt because she was too stubborn to ask for help. He put a hand on her back to guide her hips and took the weight off her legs to push her back through her arms.

Once she was back on the ground, panting heavily, she looked at the faces across the room. Some of the men looked impressed, presumably the ones who had an idea just how hard that exercise could be while others stood a little taller, smug looks on their faces.

“Thirteen? That’s it?”

Sy shook his head. That kid really didn’t have a clue what he was getting into. Sy was under no illusion that he would be able to do better than Leah. He wasn’t even sure he would manage to get upside down all the way. He was strong but flexibility was not exactly his strength. 

“Have at it then.” Leah gestured to the bar before she grabbed her boots and moved aside, sitting on a nearby bench.

Benjie bent down from behind her, whispering in as she kept her eyes on Connors. “He hasn’t done calisthenics a day in his life, I bet his shoulders give out on the first pass.”

Leah giggled, looking over her shoulder at Benjie who held out his fist. She tapped her knuckles to his and turned back to find the Captain looking straight at them while waiting for Connors to get his boots off. 

Noticing he’d been caught, Sy looked away, kneeling as he waited for Connors to start. He took way longer than he needed to, shaking his arms out on either side of himself and making a show out of warming up as if he didn’t expect to have Leah beat without so much as breaking a sweat. When he reached up for the horizontal bar, it only took him a small jump to get a hold of it with both hands.

As soon as he raised his legs and passed them below the bar, he realized what a monumental mistake he had made. He was too quick to drop his hips down to the lowest point his shoulder mobility would allow and his face twisted as he fought to get them back up again.

The exercise was demanding, sure, but the most difficult part of it when Leah had first attempted it was figuring out which muscles to engage to get herself back through her arms. The position was so foreign that it was almost like forgetting which muscles did what.

Connors’ face twisted from the effort while the men around him cheered him on. Well, they weren’t so much cheers as they were demands not to let a chick beat him at a physical challenge. He made it through his first rep without any help but he burned up so much energy doing so that it only took one more try to have him cursing and calling for someone to help him bail.

“Bro, what a disgrace,” Nielsen said, shoving Connors aside “move the fuck over and let a real Alpha do this shit.”

Three more men tried but none of them managed to beat Leah’s count, the best of them finishing seven before giving up. When no more volunteers spoke up, Connors pouted and stormed out like a bratty child.

With the competition over, Ben pulled Leah back over to the bar and yanked off his boots. They began their own challenge, doing a move then letting the other try to replicate it. The rest of the team joined in, attempting exercises they had never seen or heard of before. For the most part, Leah and Ben were evenly matched, managing to copy any trick the other pulled out. Jeremiah and Rohan managed many of the strength based exercises but Ethan turned out to be surprisingly coordinated and agile.

Leah was so carried away, laughing with her friends that she didn’t notice their captain had finished his workout and was now sitting off to the side and watching them mess around. Everyone else had cleared out already so they were the last six people in the tent.

“Okay, enough is enough, I’m done playing fair,” she said, shooing them away and making some room around the bar. She moved the crate she’d been using to step up and climbed the side pole back to the horizontal bar.

She raised her legs the same way she had for the skin-the-cats but instead of passing them below the bar, she swung them up and above, stopping with her hips on the bar. She wiggled for a second before letting go and resting her hands on her calves. Her body was folded in two with her legs and arms pointing downwards.

“Woah, Leah, get your hands back on the bar!” Sy ordered, jumping to his feet and rushing over only to be stopped by Ben and Ethan.

“She’s good, Cap, enjoy the show,” Ben said, slapping Sy twice on the shoulder.

Sy’s heart began to race, watching Leah’s body hanging over a bar ten feet in the air like she didn’t have a care in the world while he had no idea what she was doing.

Though she hadn’t opened up much about her personal life, one thing Leah had mentioned to the boys was that she’d spent a few years learning circus arts in high school—something Sy was completely unaware of.

She moved fluidly, lifting her head and shoulders while her hands slid up her legs until her arms were spread on either side of her. Her body was nearly horizontal with the ground as she balanced on her stomach. She looked straight ahead not, acknowledging the presence of anyone in the tent, then suddenly pulled her limbs into a tight ball and let her body tip backwards. Sy instinctively tried to push forwards again but the two men on either side didn't let him move an inch.

Leah rolled around the bar twice in quick succession, stopping when she found the same balanced position she’d had moments before. The move was equally impressive and nerve-racking. 

Sy’s entire body tensed as she slowly moved her outstretched arms above her head, momentarily looking like a ballerina. She gave herself a little swing and rolled forward this time, maintaining the same tucked form as she had used going backwards.

After the second pass, her hands found the bar and Sy sucked in a breath, thinking she had messed up but she kept complete control as she slowed her descent and extended her body below the bar.

“Coleman, that’s enough, get down before you hurt yourself.”

“Come on, Cap, don’t be a spoilsport.”

She’d probably meant it to be teasing, and she definitely didn’t deserve to be barked at but Sy was running on instinct. “I’m doing my fuckin’ job and lookin’ out for your safety!”

Still, she didn’t come down.

“One more trick,” she bargained, keeping her tone intentionally even. “I’ll keep my hands on the bar, this time, I promise.”

Sy clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth, but eventually nodded in acceptance. Leah’s focus immediately returned to her little performance as she brought her legs up, threading one between her arms and hooking her knee to the bar. The other stayed straight as she kicked downwards and swung her body up, stopping upright with the bar between her thighs.

“If you’re hoping to have us copy that, I can tell you right now that I am not risking my balls on your stunts,” Jeremiah quipped, the pinched look on his face making his comment all the more amusing to Leah.

“This next one is called ‘Iron Fanny’ so it’s definitely not made with men in mind.”

She turned ninety degrees, effectively straddling the bar, and adjusted her grip so both of her palms faced inward towards her body. She whipped her leg and spun sideways around the bar. Her body remained straight as a board as she dipped to the side and did a three-sixty around the metal pole. When she glanced at her audience, all five men visibly winced.

“Okay, now I’m done.” Leah tipped forward, doing half of a windmill spin and unhooking her legs before she moved to the side to slide down the support pole.

Sy was tempted to rip her a new one for being so reckless but the smile he spotted on her face when she got to her feet had him stopping in his tracks. The guys surrounded her, praising her little performance.

“That was so much fun! I haven’t been able to do any kind of tricks in ages.” She skipped forward, clapping her hands excitedly.

“And ya ain’t gonna do any of ‘em again so long as you’re on my watch.”

Leah looked up at Sy, her face falling. His tone was sharp, clearly meaning his words.

Fuck. He hated being the cause of her disappointment but he would hate himself more if she got hurt.

“You know what you’re doin’, that much is obvious, but I won’t have you gettin’ injured ‘cause you’re trying to show off. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Sir.”

He turned to Ben and Ethan. “Don’t make a habit of gettin’ in the way of me doin’ what’s best for my soldiers.”

“Yes, Sir,” they said in unison. 

Sy marched out of the training tent, not stopping to speak to anyone on his way to his room. He really needed to clean some of the sweat and dirt from his skin but a pitstop in his room was mandatory. He shut the door with a slam and immediately unbuckled his belt, falling back onto the bed with one hand down his underwear.

Watching Leah beat the guys at their own game had been a treat. Seeing her show off her skills afterwards had been more like slow torture and he hadn’t been able to pull himself away.

She had taken off her shirt at some point, leaving her in her sports bra and baggy pants which only accentuated the curve of her hips. Her hair had been pulled back in a tight bun as always, leaving the lines of her neck and her cleavage completely exposed.

Sy’s fist clamped tighter around his manhood, slowly moving from root to tip while he worked his pants down further. His eyes were shut tightly, picturing the small drops of sweat rolling down the valley of Leah’s breasts as she caught her breath between reps, the way her tongue would dart out to lick her lips after she took a greedy sip of water, and the way her pants hugged her ass when she stretched on the ground, casually chatting with her team.

He moved faster as he recalled the confidence with which she had climbed up to the bar. How she had gotten lost in her own world while she performed her little tricks as if one slip wouldn’t send her barreling down to the ground. It was probably best that the guys had stopped him before he could interrupt her focus and be the cause of her fuck up. He had even called her by her first name—something he never did.

There was something too intimate about calling her Leah to her face. Maybe that was his fault. Maybe it felt that way because it was what he mumbled to himself in times like these. As much as he tried not to, he couldn’t keep her name off his lips when he felt his release approaching. He desperately desired to grunt it in her ear as he plowed into her, only to have her answer with his own name.

“Oh fuck.” Sy hastily pulled his shirt up his chest while his other hand stilled, his release painting his stomach in thick stripes of cum.

He laid in bed a little longer, catching his breath. There was nothing like a quick wank after a hard workout to leave you feeling completely boneless. He eventually cleaned himself up, grabbing his soap and towel and going back down to the showers. The water would most likely be lukewarm at that time of day but he half wished it would be freezing cold. Sy had a serious interest in his young subordinate and he had a feeling it was only going to continue to grow stronger.

Chapter 8

[songofsutarima]

Ugh….where is my stomach today?

Goodness gracious I am a ball of anxiety today.

Trying to figure out how things are going to be okay.

I’m out of a job and the bills are still stacking.

My stomach is in knots and flipping from what I’m lacking.

I can’t throw up, I definitely can’t eat.

I can’t sleep, and I can’t stay in my seat.

I can’t focus on what I need to study,

And I can’t stop a nose that is bloody.

My head is starting to hurt with its ache

But I can’t spark a lighter and get baked.

I can’t wrap my head around pouring a drink

I can’t…I can’t I can’t freaking think.

The tea has been steeping for the better part of an hour.

But I can’t drink it right now; even water tastes sour.

I can’t figure out how to wrap up this poem.

I can’t figure out how to feel calm in my home.

I can’t make my heart, head, or stomach settle.

God I used to be strong.

But I swear I’m rusting.

And here I thought I was still made of mettle.

[princemick-archive]

Wait…Kyle are you doing f1 drivers as wind club members because I didn’t watch wind till the embarrassing age of 15 to not participate.

Okay. Let’s go…

Charles - Bloom. Need I say more. The Predestined. The once lost but now found. The bringer of greater things.

George - Stella. Fiercely loyal. A good leader, makes mistakes but he is not a bad Apple. Very supportive.

Lewis - Aisha. And no, it’s not because of what I saw earlier but Aisha loses the love of her life (his 8th title) and rightfully she should scorn the world of all its inhabitants but she decides to hope and trust.

Mick - Flora. Say what you will but Flora was calm and then she wasn’t sometimes and that’s Mick. One day when I’m not late for class, I’ll go into the characterization of Mick as the personified “I’ll have her home by twelve” and “She calls me Daddy too” Flora didn’t use her powers for bad but if she did, she’d be right.

Zhou & Lando - Roxie. Bambi legs but eventually became a very powerful fairy. His potential is coming or has already come and it’s been slept on.

Esteban & Alex - Musa. Slept on background characters. Have their own issues but like no one knows till it gets bad. (Fernando and RBR). Deserves Better.

Valterri & Yuki - Tecna. Supportive. Kind. Gracious. Underrated.

Carlos & Pierre - Sky (Bloom’s Boyfriend). Okay but it’s getting harder to defend you with the decisions you make. If you could sit still and look pretty then we would be fine.

M*x - Raven. Look the guy has his moments and if you know next to nothing about him, he is a good first pick but then after, run.

Fernando - Trixie. Like bro, no one is fighting you. You are looking for the problems and you will be defeated all the time.

Seb - Brandon (Stella’s Boyfriend). Severely overlooked in my opinion, mister won the last nine races because he could even though he has won the championship. Does a lot for everyone. Good fellow.

**Also Charles could be Stella because of the whole Shining Sun and Prancing Horse parallels. Fiercely loyal to a faulty system (Ferrari and her father).

KMag - Timmy. In his lane. Minding his own business. Protecting the peace.

Lance - Roxie. You are trying your best and that’s okay. You won’t get it all today.

Daniel - Bloom’s sister. Kind of forgotten. Trapped in a shell but is now free but like is it better. Deserves better

Yes, I know Checo is not here but like I literally went through all of them and couldn’t place him. Maybe Timmy as well, says stupid stuff but is in his own lane. Thank you for coming to my TED talk x, stripclub.

these are so many words and I fuck with all of them as far as I rememeber it.

[itspileofgoodthings]

BLEGH

[cheesus-doodles]

Not sure if you’re still accepting birthday asks for Taiju, I’m late to my beefy boy’s big day! But I remembered the sketch of the Shiba home in the character book and how loaded they are even before Taiju becomes a restauranteur, not sure if it’s strictly Black Dragon money or Daddy Shiba raking it in for the kids he never sees…

But Yan!Taiju who essentially kidnaps you to live with him, it’s a weird hybrid fantasy of domesticity and training for the future because duh you are his one and only wife so naturally you should get started on perfectly your wifely duties. He loves coming home to you fumbling over yourself, house chores and dinner done. It’s a taste and sneak peek into the future he envisions with you. Yuzuha and Hakkai keep their mouths shut, partly because they know their words don’t mean anything but as twisted as it is, having you around is a benefit. Whether their brother is pretending they don’t exist, trying to show a better side to you, or because you genuinely calm him down they’re not sure, but your arrival has given them a rare and gracious peace. It wouldn’t be too bad having you as a big sis.

Masterlist

‎‎

Sorry bout deleting your original ask anon, but hope this answers your ask a lot better, it turned into an absolute essay...

Yes to this whole ask! First off, the Shibas being just rich is an understatement, I mean - their house?? Has a pool? IN TOKYO? From what I understand from the comments of this Reddit post on the Shibas (and by extent the TR character book), Daddy Shiba is just never at home, but the family is definitely very well to do.

To Taiju, you're his god given wife - he knew that right from when he first laid eyes on you, whether or not you agreed with him or not. Can't stop thinking about you day and night whenever the two of you are apart. Of course, you were all but already married to him in Taiju's mind - he just needs to know that you're safe and that you're looking forward to being his and that you're not cheating on him, which would no doubt be easy for you to if you're away and out of sight from him. So it's only natural that this boy helpfully remove any other options of accommodation you have so that you have to move in with him: couples as close and loving as the two of you are supposed to live together anyway right? Be it a staged break-and-enter to scare you out of your current house, intimidating your landlord into raise your rent unbearably high, before basically kidnapping you and forcing you to live with him in the Shiba residence.

The moment you move in, you live by his rules, which were mostly exclusive to you. You basically follow him around everywhere he went, and had to get his approval every time you wanted to leave his side. And there are instances that he has to let you go, as much as he didn't want you to. You still had to go to school after all to keep up your appearance, and Taiju had to admit that he does love to personally walk you to and fro school to show that you were his, not so much when he had to leave you alone to go to school himself. No phones are allowed while you were with him or at home, but you did have one when you had to go so that he could check in with you every hour (or honestly, every time this boy got worried if you were okay). And he went through your phone and all your messages after you got back to make sure that you weren't cheating on him (not that he think you would), or more importantly, that no one was trying to steal you away from him.

As his wife, or soon to be at least, your most important duty is learning to care for Taiju while he runs the Black Dragons, bring home the dough, and keeps you safe. The Shibas seem to have at least one housekeeper, seeing that there's a housekeeper room with two beds, so Taiju wouldn't make you do all the house chores, especially not those that seem way too vigorous for someone delicate like you - this boy doesn't want your hands to become rough and calloused like his. They should be soft and flawless, like yours now, like what he loves. Neither does he want you to be cleaning up after his siblings (you're going to be his wife after all), so most of your chores will be based around his room and his things. Washing and ironing his school and gang uniform, making the bed, feeding his fish, keeping his shelves dust-free, and of course, cooking a satisfying hot home-cook meal for him to come home to. For two. Siblings not invited.

You will also be sharing his room from now on, and sleeping in his bed with him. He'll get his gang to gather all your things - wait no, actually, he'll do it himself. Doesn't trust the rank and file to handle your stuff without making an absolute mess, let alone any of your personal belongings, plus this very religious boy will self-combust in a mix of shame and sin if you weren't there to pack your own..um..intimate clothes. Also gets a bigger bed for the two of you to share but will ask to cuddle with you every night because the sinfulness. Sometimes threatens to have you sleep downstairs, alone in the dark in the housekeeper's room when you do something he doesn't quite like, but have never goes through with the threat.

But no doubt you were resistant to the idea at first - unable to live with the idea that being tied to him was your destined future, your ideal future by his side. And you were certainly rebellious in Taiju's eyes at the start, defying his explicit orders for you be it on purpose or not. He tried to be nice and kind since you were such a fragile little thing next to him, and Taiju wants so bad for you to just return his endless love for you, to come home to you pampering him with kisses and cuddles and asking how his day had been. But you had to go against him. He was the man of the house, which meant that he had to put you in your place when you stepped out of line. You'll learn one way or the other, Taiju'll make sure of that.

With his huge stature and that dangerous aura that always seems to cloak him, it doesn't take much for Taiju to get you to start taking note of what he wants from you. Starts off with cornering you and raising his voice to intimidate you when you missed a spot of dust, and escalating to coercing and bullying you when you skip one of his must-do chores in favour of your homework and assignments that he couldn't care more about. And all the way to forcibly isolating you inside a closet and ignoring your cries and whimpers no matter how much it wretches his heart to teach you a lesson about ignoring him or trying to meet up with "friends" against his wishes. Always stops himself before he ever goes too far - you're his soft, soft wife after all, the angel in his life, the divine light of his world, he could never hurt you bad enough to leave a scar. Just wants to nudge you in the right direction at the early stage.

Starts to soften up as you slowly earn his trust and start to conform and become his perfect little wifey. When Taiju first started spiralling for you, he only ever allowed you to school and back, and only when accompanied by either him or his trusted Black Dragon lieutenants Koko and Inupi. No after school clubs, no detours to the store, no going anywhere except to school and home. But as the days go by, maybe Taiju'll relent and take you out for ice cream if he's in a good mood and you ask ever so sweetly. And perhaps you can sit in at the Black Dragon meetings where he doesn't raise his voice at all so that he doesn't scare you. And this boy definitely will stutter and melt if you stroked his hair and kissed his forehead. Okay he's totally soft for you whether you know it or not, but you'll never get him to admit it. Ever. He'll die before those words slip his lips.

Thinks you look cute in anything you wear and at every time of the day, but then that one night he came home and you looked so downright adorable in your little apron hurrying over to greet him with a hot dinner steaming from the table: the scene is instantly seared into his mind. Couldn't stop thinking about it for days afterwards - this boy walked into so many telephone poles and random fences multiple times a day whenever the thought pops up. Had to pray extra hard multiple times at church that Sunday for the extremely sinful and devious thoughts he had. You, of course, remained clueless and honestly a bit scared that he was mad when his face turned that shade of red, but in the end nothing happened so everything was alright. From then on he absolutely insists on having you greet him at the door when he comes home like a good Christian wife would (apron is a huge plus) - would be so upset and throw a fit if you were still instead caught up finishing your homework. Pouting and stomping around and refusing to go upstairs until you came down. Threatening to pull you out of school till you take his hand and peck him on the cheek, which calms him down straight away no matter how foul his mood might be.

‎

For Yuzuha and Hakkai parts, they 100% opt to keep their mouths shut about the questionable circumstances under which you ended up as a permanent resident of their house. Despite being heads over heels for you, never being able to wrench his thoughts off you, Taiju has never even breathed a word about you to them, though Yuzuha and Hakkai have definitely heard the rumors about the ruthless gang leader disappearing at odd times of the day and alternating coming back red-faced and soft, or more irritated and brutal. But they believed it was nothing more than just that - rumors. Not like they could ask Taiju about it anyway.

Right up till you came home with Taiju one day seemingly out of the blue that is. Before your arrival in their lives, the other two Shiba siblings believed that their oldest brother already lost his ability to smile or his ability to interact with literally anyone without it ending up as a beating. So the gentle, kind little smile he had pulling at his lips while holding your tiny hand in comparison almost scared the soul from Hakkai. Knew you had to be somewhere special to Taiju right from when they met you, with Taiju even outright forbidding you from shaking Hakkai's hand even though Yuzuha's was fine - they don't think they've seen Taiju being this protective ever. You brought about an air of peace that the siblings haven't had the chance to experience since their mother's passing, a tranquility where the three of them could actually live in relative harmony.

And despite Taiju's objections, you were good to them - cooking a portion for them whenever you could at the expense of yourself: stepping in when they got in trouble with Taiju, helping them with their school work, chores or whatever else they were stuck with, only to be left shaking in fear when Taiju confronts you about it. Basically being like a big sis to them. But in return, you earn the other Shiba siblings trust and loyalty, with Yuzuha and Hakkai taking care of you (mostly Yuzuha though, Taiju would wreck Hakkai if he even breathed wrong at you). Applying oilment to any bruises you might get from Taiju holding your arm too tightly, sneaking you your favourite snacks and tidbits when her older brother isn't watching, to anything that the blue-haired boy (remember, still not married) recoils from helping you with, Yuzuha would be instantly there to step in and help.

But she also takes advantage that you were a trump card against Taiju - subtly encouraging behaviour in you that she knew Taiju would like, teaching you how to cook his favourite dishes in just the right way, pulling you in whenever he starts to even remotely start malding. Don't get her wrong, Yuzuha really likes you a lot as a person, but you were just too kind, too naive and too useful not to play in her favour.

All in all, Taiju doesn't have to pretend to be a better person around you - your mere presence is usually enough to keep him calm and level-headed. From the moment you entered his life, you became his reason for living; he can't sleep, can't breathe without you there. No one, especially not Yuzuha or Hakkai, quite want to find out what the Taiju emerging on the other side would be like the moment his drug is cut off. And the Shiba siblings won't stop at anything to get you back to their big brother's side if it meant just another day of peace.

[chaoticpuff17]

Suga We’re Going Down

Part 23

Masterlist

hello my darlings, sorry I haven’t been very active recently. I’ve been swamped with other things and had a serious case of writer’s block. I’ll be returning to my hermit hole after this but enjoy!---- chaotic puff

“You didn’t have to do that.” she whispered, her face looking slightly green. 

“I know.” Taehyung whispered back.  “Just keep walking.” 

“I think I’m going to be sick.” 

“Keep walking.” he gently rubbed her back, subtly propelling her forward in an attempt to get them out of the hospital before Yoongi realized what had happened and where he was standing and stormed after them. 

“I’m not supposed to be pregnant.” 

“It’s okay. We’ll figure it out.”  he promised, hurrying them to the car, not speaking again till they were safely on their way back to his place. “What do you want to do?” 

“I don’t know.” she groaned, leaning her head in her hands. “I have Eun Jae’s party today. I don’t even have time to consider what to do about this.” 

“Okay.” he nodded. “We’ll get Eun Jae and get through his party, and then we’ll figure out what to do after. Just focus on making it through today.” 

She glanced over at him gratefully. He was being far more gracious than she expected or deserved. They didn’t have the best history together. 

A manic little laugh bubbled up spilling out and causing Taehyung to look over at her curiously. 

“We don’t even have any clothes!” she leaned her head back against the headrest as she continued to laugh. “Everything we have is in an apartment he owns!” 

“I can get you new clothes.” he promised, not quite sure what to do with the near hysterical way the woman next to him was crying. It was unusual for her or at least for what he knew of her.

She was steady. She’d always had to be, and he’d  always admired her calm presence, how kind she was back when he was seeing her sister. This was something entirely other and arresting in just how much it contrasted from the Y/N he knew.  

There had been  her sister and grandmother to think of as they all struggled to keep afloat under her father’s dead weight, and of course after her sister had gone, there was Eun Jae. She’d molded herself to be what her family needed, a dependable provider, or as close to it as she could be given her age. She never allowed herself the fits of passion that her sister had been almost infamous for, so this borderline manic display of emotion was disconcerting for the both of them, and Taehyung didn’t know what to do. 

“I need to get rid of this ring.” he glanced down to see the ring that she was talking about glaring up at him from its position on her fourth finger. “I don’t think I can face him though.” 

“We can have it delivered to him. You never have to see him again if you don’t want to.” 

“How am I going to explain this to my family? Eun Jae loves him. Halmeoni loves him. This is going to be a disaster.” 

Taehyung couldn’t really argue with that. Her grandmother was a force to be reckoned with, and he didn’t envy her having to explain the situation to their son. He was only three, and having someone leave his life so suddenly wasn’t something he was going to understand, especially a person he loved. 

He had to wonder though why she’d even allowed Yoongi into the kid’s life. She’d admitted that her relationship with Min Yoongi was nothing more than a contract, so why had he been allowed to spend so much time with their child? Why was he allowed to grow attached? 

He didn’t have a foot to stand on there, he supposed. He had no custody or rights to Eun Jae. It was a miracle and a last resort that Y/N had come to him for help, and he hated that they had been put in that position to begin with. He hated that it took him running into her at a club for him to reach out and try to meet his son. There were a lot of things he regretted. How he had handled trying to connect with his son was one of them. He’d never meant to cause them more stress, and looking back he was mortified by how he’d handled things. It made him look like some sort of self entitled creep, especially considering how much she’s gone through to provide for their son. 

“He’s invited to the party today.” she whispered, leaning back in her seat. 

Taehyung released a breath. That was something he should have suspected, but he wasn’t happy about it. It wasn’t just annoying for him. It was dangerous for her.

“We’ll do our best to avoid him, and then you and Eun Jae never have to see him again. We’ll get you both a new apartment to stay in. I’ll get childcare for when you’re at school so that Eun Jae can be at home and not at your grandmother’s where Yoongi can get to him. We can even get you a new phone so he can’t contact you.” 

“Why are you doing all this for us?” 

“Because I wasn’t there all those years. I let my family keep me away from my kid, my son. We didn’t even do anything to help you take care of him.”

“So now you’re going to support him and this baby?”

He nodded, flashing her a little grin. “I’d like to, if you’ll let me.” 

“If you felt so bad, why did you never come looking for us? It’s not like we moved.” 

His smile turned sheepish. 

“I was dependent on my family’s fortune, but I’ve branched out, paved my own way now. They don’t have as much control. I can make it without them if I have to.” 

“They wouldn’t exactly disown you. You’re their only son.” 

His fingers tightened on the wheel. “Not quite.”  she glanced at him quizzically. “I have a brother, a half brother. If my father really wanted he could name him as the heir. He hasn’t wanted to because of the scandal, but Eun Jae might be a big enough one on his own to force his hand.” 

“You have a brother?” He hummed the affirmative, his brows knitted together. “Product of an affair. He’s a good kid, just not a kid I ever thought I’d have to know.” 

“I’m sorry.”

He glanced over at her slightly startled. “Why? You didn’t do anything.” 

“It can’t have been easy.” 

“Can’t have been easy raising Eun Jae.” 

“You know Halmeoni is going to throw a fit when she sees you.” 

They both winced. 

“Not totally undeserved. I haven’t exactly been the model son-in-law.”

“I don’t think any of us would have heard the end of it if you’d married Ha Jin. I’m honestly kind of glad that you didn’t. You’d have probably made each other miserable. You’re not my favorite person, but you didn’t deserve that.” 

Taehyung glanced over at her again to find her looking out the window, a somber expression on her face as her hand rested against her belly. 

“You and your sister are very different people.” her gaze flicked over to him inquisitively. “We were young, and I knew better. Honestly, I preferred hanging out with you to her. You seemed like the nicer sister.” 

“You and that whole crowd just seemed like bad news.” 

“I don’t think I’m that bad.” he defended himself.

“You were an entitled asshole up until about yesterday. You might still be, but you’re an entitled asshole that I’m very grateful for at the moment.” 

“I deserved that.” 

“Yeah. You did.” 

The two fell into silence as they continued the drive back to Taehyung’s home, both contemplating different things. There was a lot of things up in the air for both of them at the moment. Taehyung had just spent two billion won to buy her out of a mess she had gotten herself into in the hope that it would allow him to actually get to know his son. He’d been pushing for that for a while now, but he never imagined he’d also be getting the girl and another child in the deal. 

Truth be told he had started fooling around with Ha Jin back then simply for a good time and had continued the affair in the hopes of getting to know Y/N. She had very little interest in him though. Even back then she had been busy trying to help support the family and continue her education. Ha Jin had always been shallow, but her sister had had more depth, and she didn’t want anything from him which was a novelty considering his relationship with her sister. 

Even now, Y/N didn’t want anything from him. She’d come to him asking for a safe place to spend the night with their son while she tried to figure out what to do next. He was the one that had paid to get her out of the contract. He was the one offering the help. She still didn’t want anything from him, but she needed him, and it felt nice to be needed. 

They were tied together through Eun Jae. They always would be, but while he got to know his son better it also gave him an opportunity to know his mother. It gave him an opportunity to start a family outside of the battlefield his father had made their own, if she was willing. 

Y/N’s thoughts on the other hand were no less filled with thoughts of family, but hers were less hopeful. 

She knew very well that the party was going to be a disaster, she just hoped she could keep most of the carnage away from Eun Jae. The brunt of it would be hers to deal with. It was her mess after all. She never should have made the profile. She never should have signed the contract, but it was too late for that now. She had, and she was going to have to deal with the consequences of that choice. 

Her hand pressed a little more firmly against her belly. 

She wasn’t sure what she was going to do about the baby. She had savings. She’d been smart enough to squirrel away as much of the money she’d made from her contract with Yoongi as she could, but babies were expensive. Finding a new place to live was going to be expensive, and she already knew that her grandmother was going to insist on a wedding as soon as she found out about the baby. 

Yoongi was the perfect son-in-law in her eyes. While she wouldn’t be pleased about the baby being conceived before a wedding, she was going to be more than happy for her granddaughter to be married. She’d been anxious for that for a while now. She was getting older, and she wanted Y/N and Eun Jae settled. Her grandmother was a shrewd woman. She was aware that it wasn’t going to be easy to find a young man willing to marry her granddaughter when she was a single mother so Yoongi had seemed like a blessing. He was everything she could have hoped for for her granddaughter, and she wasn’t going to understand why they had had such a sudden falling out, and Y/N couldn’t tell her about the contract. It would break her heart. 

She was startled out of her thoughts as her phone buzzed, an incoming call from Yoongi. 

Quickly, she dismissed the call, unsure if it was the anxiety or the baby that was making her nauseous. 

Not even a minute later her phone was buzzing again, another call from Yoongi.

“You should turn that off. I don’t think he’s going to stop trying to call.” 

She looked over at Taehyung, her brows knitted together. “I know.” 

part 24

[spiltscribbles]

Need Advice <3

Hi sugar angels,

So I never thought I’d be one of the folks who’d make these posts tbh, but here I am, taking a deep breath to stop my shaking fingers while typing this.

But yeah.

I am at a point of my life where I can no longer take the physical, emotional, and mental abuse inflicted upon me in my household. I can not conform to the restrictive family values that are imposed upon me in my muslim family and though I’ll always love them, I am making the first steps to actually leave for my independence because at the end of it all its my life. I am a secular person, and a humanist and I have values that do not and will never aline with my families and that’s okay. But they’ve come to the point where they quite literally want to arrange a wedding to me and a muslim man from back home despite my repeated disavowing of the idea, in a way to try and “calm” me down. And it hurts because I have a sibling who is actually done some really awful things to us all but I was told what they’ve suspected of me— AKA just simply being a normal girl with normal things like a boyfriend and nights out with friends and etc— is a thousand times worse and alluded to how honor killings for this stuff in other countries isn’t really all that ridiculous.

I am planning for now to leave out of state in way of graduate school but that will probably be in the next year, until then I want to save money and begin chipping away at my debt. I am gracious in that I am working with the brilliant and amazing folks over at Duckprintpress for their next anthology, but onto of that I’d really like to work on some commissions to also work out some kinks in my writing as well. 

So to make a long story short, I was wondering if anyone can help me with the commissions process in fandom? I don’t really know how it works like charging wise or etc. I am open to writing from G rated to explicit things and some of the larger ships I have written for include Wolfstar and Percabeth and Firstprince. I honestly don’t know what to do. I have a Cash App, @DeeDee1826, and a Buy Me A Coffee  I’m honestly not sure where else to go from here but I’d appreciate the help <3<3

All My Love!

~My AO3 FIC~

~My Tumblr FIC~

~My Tumblr Headcanons~

[pensoluv]

SAGAO Work 9, angst, then fluff - reverse comfort

Tw: yandere cult, mentions of previous violence

You comfort the guilty archons before stepping into their cities.

Edit: I’ve finally remembered that the inspiration was from @nicebonescomrade’s post!

Two weeks have passed. Your cult has been treating you much better. Out of guilt? Maybe. Out of genuine adoration? Also yes. You’re also making progress in making them love you for your personality, not only as a diety.

Your closest team has been instrumental to assisting you in hiding from the citizens, since the guilty stares they gave you overwhelmed you at first. You’ve been living with the adepti and/or the archon’s pets in their private abodes to avoid the masses. They obey, but you feel wrong to overstay their welcomes.

Today though, you’re mentally prepared. There’s no use avoiding the issue anymore, since you’ll have to face the people who wronged you eventually. Better your choice than theirs.

You decide that it might be time to go back into the mortal realm of the regions. The first three you’ve been exploring with Traveler before being forcefully brought here.

Dressing in the proper attire gifted by Diluc and Ningguang, you summon the respective archons to accompany you as you revisit the cities. If you have to return, you’ll need protection and a symbol of status by your side. You know better than to go alone and risk the ignorant ones attacking you again. The archons lower their head in shame when you brief them on emergency plans and why you bring them with you.

Venti’s about to cry with puppy eyes; Zhongli’s posture stiffens as his eyes shut, in attempt to conceal his regret; Raiden Shogun’s a shell as Ei retreats inside to calm down. You can still see through them as you did, when they and their people were being hostile. As their god/goddess, you always know. You know them all too well. You try to reassure them and mentally note to cheer them up with their favourite treat after your expedition.

By the time you’ve been near the city gates, you’re already bracing yourself for any impact. As you hesitate, the archon next to you checks on you, and you give them a solid hug, even though your own arms are trembling. They are equally stunned, but they accept your hug immediately.

Venti almost sobs and he immediately sniffles, trying to stop his tears from spilling. “I’m so sorry,” he repeats and hugs you harder. You feel like your ribs are about to be crushed. He probably noticed your arms trembling, but he tries to get his cheerful demeanour back for your sake. “Thank you for giving us second chances, your grace.” Your physical contact aids you two in calming down, and your aura reassures him with warm, gentle waves of calmness. The tranquil warmth he experienced before you physically came to their dimension. You rub circles on his back, like how his friend used to do for him. That was a coincidence, but a somewhat comforting one. He releases you reluctantly and smiles, wiping away his single tear that escaped. “Come on, my grace! Let’s go to Mondstadt for some apples!” He grins like the free wind spirit he is, and breezes grace the city right before you step inside. The breezes feel like light caresses on your skin.

Zhongli didn’t dare to move when you pulled him into your arms. First of all, he daren’t move in his gracious God/Goddess ’s arms without permission. Second of all, it has been a long long time since he was hugged and comforted instead of the reverse. “It’s okay. Don’t be too hard on yourself, Morax.” You mutter. “I can stop if I’m making you uncomfortable, of course.” “No… please continue. If I could, may I ask why?” Zhongli spoke in hesitation. You nodded against his shoulder. “Why are you doing this?” He choked, “I had wronged you. We had. Surely I don’t deserve such kindness.” You only hug him harder. He can sense your aura strengthen and he basks in the reassuring pier radiating from you. “But I have decided to grant you all second chances. I’d prefer going through with it, and I hope you and your land will redeem yourselves. You have one chance, and I trust that you nor your people will disappoint me.” You say, as you release him. You look intently into his eyes to check if he’s alright. He seems stabilised, and you take it as a sign to continue walking forwards. He follows you obediently, and his adepti greet you at the entrance as well. They seem to have seen you comforting him by arriving silently. Oh well.

Baal- or should you say Ei, had been nervous from the start til you two are near the dock from your boat. You mistook it as seasickness, but it appears not to be the case. While you still flinch at the occasional thunder produced by her mood swings, you notice her tense and forcing a proper posture under your gaze. You pull her hand into yours and hold it firmly. “Look me in the eyes, Ei.” Surprised that you addressed her with her actual name, Ei looks up and sees your attempt at smiling, amidst just having flashbacks from the thunder. Tears well up in her eyes like pearls. “You didn’t know better, and I’ve accepted your apologies. Am I correct?” You question. She nods meekly, her gaze lowering in shame. You sigh, knowing that she’ll be too stuck in negative thoughts to look at you. So you pull her into your lap and hug her, startling her. “Your actions were not okay, but I’m giving you and your subjects a second chance. As long as you are trying, I’ll try my best to find the mercy within me to extend to Inazuma’s eternity. Understandable, yes?” She echos the affirmative. She’s been awestruck at the comforting, almost energising aura that increased upon touching your skin directly. Which is why she hadn’t been verbally replying. You release her and she returns to her seat slowly, as to not rock the boat. She silently offers to steer the boat for you, and you let her. Her Raiden Shogun persona comes back as you near Inazuma. She’ll be keeping her citizens in check as she had neglected in the past.

All three swear their loyalty to you and you only, and vow never to have anyone in Teyvat wrong you again. No one.

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 234. brb x oc

a/n: i can't FIND ANY OTHER GIFS AAAA (comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none uwu

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

1/

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/210/211/212/213/214/215/216/217/218/219/220/221/222/223/224

/225/226/227/228/229/230/231/232/233

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-

Since he asked to meet her in one hour, she decided to make the walk to the park short. She could do it while waiting for the time to go to the base, plus, she could get some yoga done with Nikki while enjoying the fresh air around them.

Beatrice sits on the grass with her legs folded and her hands on top of her knees, Nicole is sitting on the space that her legs didn’t close, right in front of her womb, with her own smaller hands on Beatrice’s calves. The dogs were there too, but Jolene chose to stay close to the two, Jack was lying with his legs up in the air right behind Bea and Eleanor…well…she was zooming around the place, avoiding every dog and human she could.

"I don't know why I'm nervous," Beatrice whispered to herself, her voice barely above a murmur. She mentally prepared for her yoga, with Nikki on her all the time. "It's not like I'm alone; the dogs are with us."

Despite the calming presence of her surroundings, a subtle unease still lingered within Beatrice. Maybe it was because Rooster wasn’t there and she didn’t want to leave Nicole alone - not that she would -, having to figure out ways to exercise with her daughter close to herself, “It’s all okay.” she tells herself, feeling the known cold anxiety spike inside of her, “It’s all okay.”

Beatrice took a deep breath, trying to ease her anxiety. She closed her eyes, focusing on her breathing, and slowly began to stretch and move into her yoga poses while seated. Nicole watched her mother with curious eyes, turning her head to look back at Beatrice.

Nicole didn’t know what she was doing, but she wanted to try, lifting her tiny arms to mimic Beatrice’s movements. Beatrice couldn't help but smile as she glanced down at her daughter. "You're my little yoga buddy, aren't you?" she whispered, her voice filled with affection. “Maybe one day we can get your dad to join us, he has his own workout routine but I’m sure he won’t mind.”

Nicole giggled in response, her small hands reaching out to touch Beatrice's face. Beatrice kisses the top of her head while keeping her eyes alert. She felt like she needed to be aware of her surroundings, not only because of Nikki, but because…of something else she couldn’t describe.

Jolene stayed close, keeping a watchful eye on both Beatrice and Nicole, while Jack continued to lounge in his relaxed position, seemingly unfazed by the world around him.

And Eleanor…well, she leaped over a seated couple and earned a few claps from everyone, so that was good.

As Beatrice transitioned into a seated forward fold, her fingertips grazing the grass,  Nicole chose that moment to climb onto her shoulders and sit on her neck. Beatrice blinked while keeping her head down.

Nikki was still a baby, but the sudden change of weight on her neck made Beatrice stretch even more.

"Be careful, Nikki," she murmured, head touching the grass  "You are also very-” Nicole’s foot appeared in her vision as she turned upside down on her mother’s back, “Flexible.”

Nicole held onto her shirt as she slid all the way down to the yoga mat, rolling onto her back and staying there, looking at the sky, giggling at nothing. Jolene looked back to check on the baby, sniffing her head to make sure she was okay and once she was satisfied she just lied on top of her legs and sighed sleepily.

Beatrice moved into a gentle twist, stretching her spine and feeling the tension release from her muscles, the sudden ‘pop!’ on her back made her eyes snap open - and made the dogs closest to her look up in surprise at the noise - “Ow.” she winces, “Man it’s been a long, long while.” Over a year, if she was right.

She wanted to go back to her routine, not only with yoga but with everything. The last thing she worked on was a few drawings she had, nothing more, she felt like her little studio was abandoned in their house.

Before she continued her stretching, her phone screen blinked up with ‘Leonardo’s name on it. She blinked, then quickly put it on speaker, “Leo?”

“My sweet sister, hi.” it’s been so long since they talked on the phone, but she wasn’t complaining, “Listen…are you busy?”

“Now? Yes.”

“Are you busy this week?”

“...why?”

There was a pause, followed by him cleaning his throat, “Can you..stay with the girls for the weekend? If that’s alright?”

Beatrice furrowed her brow in surprise at Leonardo's request. It wasn't often that he asked her to look after his daughters for an entire weekend, at least, ever since they had Éwoyn that is. "Leo, is everything okay?" she inquired, concern lacing her voice.

There was a sigh on the other end of the line before he responded. "Yeah, Bea, everything's fine. It's just... I've got this work thing that's come up suddenly, and I need to travel out of town for the weekend. I didn't want to disrupt the girls' routines, and I know they love spending time with you. And Cyn has a…convention? A dentist thing she has to go because it’s something with her old professor too.”

“Oh,I see.”

“I know this is sudden, but Michael is going to visit Gui in New York with Hannah and I don’t want to worry mom and dad since dad is still recovering from everything.”

“Leo, it’s okay. I’ll just talk to Roos about it.” another pop and this time it came from her ankle. She silently screamed, clenching her hand into a fist as she tries to recover…which seemed to be a lot because Leonardo’s voice returned with a concerned question of her name, “I’m okay!Sorry,I’m uh, doing yoga right now.”

Leonardo let out a relieved chuckle on the other end of the line. "Well, good on you for keeping up with it. So, you'll be able to take care of the girls?"

Beatrice rolled her eyes playfully, even though her brother couldn't see her. "Of course, Leo. You know I love spending time with them. But I’ll just let Roos know and then I’ll throw you a message? How’s that?

Her brother audibly sighed in relief. "Thank you, Bea. You're a lifesaver. I'll make it up to you when I'm back."

"Uh-huh." she smiles, “Where exactly are you going?”

 "I'm heading up to Santa Barbara for the weekend. There's this fantastic surf spot I've been wanting to check out for a while. Some friends of mine have been raving about it, and I finally have the chance to catch some waves there."

Beatrice chuckled, finally adjusting her posture. "Of course, you are. And Cynthia has the dentist convention?”

“Yeah, that one isn’t in Cali.” he explains, “It’s in Oregon, actually. She's attending a dental conference up there…she’s also avoiding her uh,sister."

“The essential oils one?”

‘Yep.”

Beatrice hummed quietly, fixing her top and looking back to Nicole to check on her "Well,I’ll talk to Roos and message you, but I’m pretty sure the answer will be yes.”

Leonardo let out a relieved sigh. "Thanks again, Bea. I really appreciate it.I will bring you something special from Santa Barbara."

"Thanks,Leo. Have a great time surfing, and tell Cynthia to have a blast at the convention."

They exchanged their goodbyes, and Beatrice hung up the call, rolling her neck to relax her muscles even more and checking the time to see how much she had left. Surprisingly, it wasn’t that much.

She only had a few minutes.

“Oh,crap.” she whispers, “Alright guys,” she’ll have to go straight to the base, no time to wash up and change, “We are going to the car- Ellie!” the white dog stops zooming to look back at her, “We’re going home, Jojo,Jack-” she picks up Nicole who just laughs once she’s on the air, “Come on.”

Jolene stretches first, waiting for her son and daughter to follow them to the car, trotting behind Bea who just mutters to herself, “I didn’t know I spent so long here.” she whispers, “Dang it…well it’s okay. It’s alright.”

Beatrice quickly gathered her belongings and her three dogs, making her way to the car, making sure everyone was safe and sound inside. Thankfully,the dogs liked to stay around Nikki while she was on her seat, so she could be at peace with that. 

Traffic was light, which was incredible for the middle of the week in San Diego. The California sun bathed the landscape in warm, golden hues, and Beatrice couldn't help but appreciate the beauty of the day. It was…very magical.

She checked the phone again, chewing her lower lip, “I hope I didn’t make him wait long.” she tells herself, “He said he’ll wait for me at the entrance but,” she shrugs, cautiously driving around, “I don’t want to make him stand there.”

Nikki seemed entertained, happily looking around the windows while the dogs were around her, oblivious to her mother's concerns. Beatrice smiled at the sight, only to turn her gaze back to the road.

As she approached the entrance to the naval base, Beatrice's eyes scanned the area, looking for any sign of Rooster. She craned her neck a bit, then smiled the second she spotted him near the gate, looking down at his watch. His other hand was propped on his hip as he stared at his watch, shaking his wrist and then repeating the motion with it’s twin so now he was doing the usual ‘Rooster Hip Pose’.

He looked around a bit, she couldn’t see much because his sunglasses were covering his eyes, but as soon as he noticed the red jeep approaching a toothy grin appeared on his face.

Beatrice's heart skipped a beat as she saw Rooster's familiar grin light up his whole face. She pulled the jeep to a stop near the entrance, and before the engine had even fully quieted, he was already by her door.

Rooster approached her with long strides, his sunglasses perched on his nose, and Beatrice couldn't help but admire him when he got closer .His golden brown hair was tousled from the wind, and his mustache was freshly trimmed.

He waits until she rolls the window down to fold his arms on the space that just opened, giving her a small smirk, “Morning,ma’am.”

“Morning,sir.” she giggles, “...am I…allowed to give you a kiss? It is lunch time…and you are out here…”

Rooster's smirk turned into a mischievous grin at Beatrice's playful question. He leaned in closer, his eyes locked onto hers, his voice low and seductive. "Well, ma'am, I do believe a kiss would be the perfect way to start my lunch break."

Beatrice's cheeks flushed a rosy hue as she reached out, her fingers gently caressing Rooster's cheek before she leaned in to capture his lips in a sweet, lingering kiss. It was a moment of connection and affection that made her heart flutter.

When they finally pulled away, Rooster's eyes sparkled with warmth and desire. "Now that's what I call a welcome," he murmured.

Beatrice couldn't help but chuckle, her eyes still locked on his. "I aim to please, LC."

Rooster grinned, his fingers trailing gently along the side of her neck. "Well, you certainly succeeded." he looks back and immediately grins, “Oh my gosh, everyone is here!” if the constant tapping of tails against the car, and Nicole was there,squealing and trying to reach for him, wasn’t any giveaway he didn’t know what it was.

Rooster made sure to pet the dogs the best he could, then opened the back door to unbuckle Nicole and bring her to his face, “Hi baby girl!” he coos, kissing her soft cheeks, “Hi, hi, dada missed you so much!”

Nicole responded with a series of happy gurgles and babbling, her eyes sparkling with love as she looked up at her father. Rooster held Nicole close,kissing her cheek before turning to Bea who was now walking out of the car.

She holds out her hand, his phone lying on her palm, “Here it is.”

“Thank you gorgeous.” he says, grabbing it and flipping a few times on his hand out of habit, checking the battery life once he was facing the screen, “Did you charge it for me?”

“Yep,you are at the base,” she nods towards it, “And you need it.”

Rooster clicks his tongue bashfully, “You are too cute,” he whispers, still holding Nicole but dropping his gaze on her outfit, “...were you working out before you came over?”

Beatrice glanced down at her workout clothes, suddenly remembering what she was wearing. "Ah,yeah," she admitted with a playful wink. "I thought I'd squeeze in a quick workout. Nicole and I had a good session together."

Rooster chuckled, and even if his eyes were still covered by his sunglasses, she knew he was looking. “Well…you look great.”

“Yeah?”

“Always.”

Beatrice huffed out an embarrassed little laugh, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Four years and he still has that effect on her, she was doomed, “Um.well, yeah…uh…” his smirk only widened when she fumbled with her words, “Leo called.”

“Oh?”

“He asked if we can stay with the girls this weekend.” she crossed her arms, shrugging at him, “I said I’d talk to you first. He and Cyn have their own things to do and he doesn’t want to bother my parents with the girls since…well…”

Rooster nodded, understanding the situation and remembering why they’d be so cautious. "I see," he replied, his expression thoughtful. "I don't mind at all, babe.It's not a bother at all."

Beatrice smiled appreciatively. "Thank you, Roos. I knew you'd be okay with it. Leo and Cynthia will really appreciate it."

Rooster shifted his gaze back to Nicole, who was now reaching out for one of the dog's wagging tails with glee. "It'll be fun having them over. And Nicole will have a blast with her cousins."

Beatrice couldn't agree more. "Absolutely. I’ll let Leo know once I get home.”

Rooster's phone buzzed, breaking their conversation momentarily. He checked the message and chuckled. "Looks like I've got to head back to work, babe." he mutters “More like,Mav is asking me if I got my phone back.”

“Of course.”

“I’ll have to go back.” he kisses Nicole before handing her over to Beatrice, their daughter whined a bit but hugged her mother’s neck, “Oh, don’t cry baby girl. Please don’t cry,” he kissed her tiny fist, “Dada will be back home soon,okay?”

Beatrice held Nicole close, soothing her with gentle whispers and soft kisses on her tiny hands. "Your daddy will be back before you know it, sweetie," Beatrice cooed, rocking Nicole gently in her arms. "He loves you so much."

Rooster leaned in to plant a loving kiss on Nicole's forehead. "Daddy will miss you too, baby girl. But I promise I'll be home soon." he kisses her one more time, then turned to Beatrice, “You’ll get home safe,right?”

“Always.”

His smile widens, leaning down to kiss the top of her head, then her nose, “Good.” one last kiss to her lips, “Text me as soon as you get back home.”

“I will.”

With one last lingering look at his daughter and wife, Rooster reluctantly left the entrance and headed back into the base. Beatrice gave him one final wave when he turned to look at them,one that he reciprocated, then watched as he disappeared from her view.

She sighed softly, “Well,”she mutters, “We better go home and…prepare for your cousins’ visit.”

[capricorn-stark]

Bubblegum

pairing: conner kent x gn!reader

warning: zilch

a/n: when I say conner I almost always mean 90′s kon-el lmao. also this is dedicated to my one anon who asked if I wrote for 90′s kon, ily babe and yes I do lol

“Nah, that’s not how you do it.”

You made a noise of protest at the judgment in Conner’s tone, face already red from how long you had been trying to succeed in your latest mission. It offended you how hard he was trying to suppress a laugh, the corners of his mouth twitching as he tried to maintain his very, very cool demeanor. 

Okay. So clearly, it wasn’t going all that well, but that wasn’t all your fault; one would think that if you had a product literally labeled bubblegum, you’d be able to actually make a bubble with it.

But you clearly couldn’t, so if anything, it was the gum’s fault. 

Sensing your (somewhat) obvious struggle, Conner finally fully turned his attention away from the TV screen to face you, one brow arched as you attempted to blow a bubble with your bubblegum once again.

“Don’t give me that look,” you scoffed, pausing from your attempts to shoot a half-assed glare at him. “I almost got it, I had something for a sec-”

“‘Course you did, babe,” Conner agreed with an infuriatingly easy grin, already reaching over you to grab the bright pink packet sitting beside you. “I totally saw it. You were real close, just like you said you were five minutes ago-” 

“Like I said,” you interjected, continuing to aggressively chew your gum as he unwrapped a piece and tossed it into the air, catching it in his mouth like a show-off. “I almost have it-” The corners of his lips were twitching once again in his gracious attempt to keep from laughing as he watched you make another attempt. You gave him a glare while you tried again, a twinge of hopefulness rising in your chest when you started off with a meager bubble after long last - and felt said hopefulness pop along with said bubble about 0.2 seconds later. 

“So close!”

“Oh, ha ha,” you began with a huff as he finally burst out laughing, elbowing you while you tried to glare at him again. It was difficult since the whole thing was so ridiculous you couldn’t even blame him for it. “You just love seeing my misery-” 

“No, no, that’s not it!” he insisted, making a whole show of calming himself down through his laughter and wrapping an arm around your shoulders, flashing you one of his crooked, obnoxiously playful grins to show how apologetic he really was. Totally apologetic. “That was a real good start.”

“Real good start,” you repeated with a raise of your own brow, but it was hard to stay mad at him when you were still trying not to laugh yourself. “I had it, you just - you distracted me!” 

To that, he gave you an incredibly solemn nod, sighing heavily as he slipped on his glasses for absolutely no reason. Inside the house. You figured it was just for dramatic effect - he always had a theatrical flare about him without even trying.

“And I’m totally sorry about that. When you’re as sexy and charming as I am, it’s hard not to be a - hey, you can’t just leave!” 

“No, I gotta leave, Conner,” you insisted, already rising to your feet despite his protests, “I think I’m gonna hurl after hearing all that-” You burst out laughing as he yanked you right back onto the couch with just a little tug, laughing himself as you leaned over to kiss his cheek to make up for it.  

“You should see a doctor for that, babe. All I said were straight facts.” Your cough sounded suspiciously like bullshit and it was him who was trying (and failing) to level a glare at you over his glossy round shades. “Okay, so you don’t appreciate my charm and sexiness! Fine, I don’t listen to people who can’t make a bubble with bubblegum anyways-” 

“I almost did!” you protested yet again as your face flared about the same shade as your gum. “Can you do it?” Conner scoffed very loudly, as if you had personally offended him somehow. 

“I’ll do you one better! I’ll show you how to do it,” he told you, turning his head to face foward while dramatically running a hand through his meticulously-styled hair. His entire hair routine alone was about as long as your morning everything-routine. “Just watch and learn, babe.” 

Now, you had known Conner Kent had a certain level of over-confidence for just about everything he said and did since, well, the day you first met him. And as much as he was working towards getting that sorted out with help from you, his teammates, friends, and family, sometimes it was still very apparent in the things he did.

Like now.

“You just put your lips together,” he started, “and blow.” Instead of whistling, he actually managed to successfully make a bubble, raising his brows at you in a very cocky expression as he did so. “See? Easy.” You would most certainly beg to differ, but even you couldn’t help but be rather impressed by it. 

“Okay, so you can do it. Fair enough.” He was still going, the bubble steadily getting bigger and bigger while he continued to nonchalantly lounge beside you. “...Conner, you might wanna stop while you’re-” The bubblegum unceremoniously exploded over his face and your boyfriend let out a slew of very creative words that would’ve made his grandmother wash his mouth out with soap. “-ahead.” 

And it was your turn to laugh your ass off.

“I meant to do that,” Conner announced all-too loudly, the rest of his face already turning the same shade of brilliant pink the gum was as he moved to take his beloved shades off. At least they had protected his eyes. “I totally saw that coming.” Apparently, you wheezing out “so did I” was not the glowing model of support he had been anticipating, judging from his groan. “Babe!” 

At least he could find joy in knowing he taught you how to make a bubble with bubblegum. 

Tag list: @cipheress-to-k-pop