#okay you're never gonna believe me but the HARDEST part about this day by far was actually finding a song HHH

[yuriyuruandyuraart]

FNK WEEK: day 1- song inspiration

"And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while..."

fnk week is hosted by @help-im-a-gay-fish

studio au is made by @zu-is-here

fem designs belong to me

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

The Longest Night: Final Part

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~2k

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill

Summary: Derek is hell-bent on finding the Prince of Darkness before he can kill the little girl he stole. Derek is lashing out at everyone in anger, Ellie is running out of time, and you're just trying your best to help the situation. The Prince of Darkness uses shadows to hide the monster that he is, and you don't realize just how close the monsters you know are to you.

Season Six Masterlist

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If there are any warnings that exceed the normal death/kills from the show, I will list them.

x

Spencer walks out of the RV.

"Hey, guys. The murders we found in Orange County in 1985 might not have been his first. I'll call Garcia about it."

Just as Spencer steps off to the side, JJ calls Hotch's phone.

"Hotchner."

"We have access to the local emergency alert system. The secretary personally set it up herself. It's in the city command center."

"Good. Get an LAPD unit to take you over there, get the system up and running, and I need you to start talking to him immediately."

"Excuse me?"

"It's gonna take me too long to get there from here. I need you to talk to him, JJ. I'll give you some strategies. The unsub may still be in this area, and if he surfaces, we need to be close."

"I'm not a hostage negotiator."

"I'm sorry. You are today."

"You need to be more sympathetic. Give me the phone," you say to Hotch, which he does. "JJ, listen to me. You can do this. I believe in you. Don't doubt yourself because you are going to do great. This situation sucks but you're the best person to do this."

"No, you are," she chuckles.

"No, I'm not. You're going to do great."

You hang up on JJ and hand Hotch his phone before going over to Spencer who is still on the phone with Penelope.

"How's my main man doing?"

"On the completely safe assumption that you're not talking about me, let's just say I wouldn't want to be this unsub when Morgan finally gets his hands on him."

"That bad, huh?"

"Has he ever yelled at you before?"

"Touche," she laughs. "How can I be of service?"

"How far back can you go with your records, Garcia?"

"How far back are you talking?"

"A murder investigation from 1968."

"Give me a second." As she is typing, he puts her on speakerphone so everyone can hear. "Okay, let me preface this by saying that a forty-year-old murder in a suburb of Los Angeles is an absurdly impossible request. Having said that, yours truly happens to know that the Pollack Library at Cal State--"

"Garcia," Hotch cuts her off.

"Yes, sorry, sir. Anyway, this murder was quite a scandal. Nora Flynn was a prostitute and a drug addict living in a desert community just outside of Los Angeles. It appears rough bikers were her stock in trade, and one fateful day, she and her client were murdered by her thirteen-year-old son Billy. Both were shot to death. The customer, ironically named John, was able to tell the police before he died that Billy made him beg for his life and then shot him anyway."

"That's him," Derek says.

"He was convicted but was a juvenile. In 1973, he was eighteen when he was released and was never heard from again."

"Oh, he was heard from," Emily scoffs.

"He never released a statement as to why he killed them, although it does appear his childhood was horrific. I'm sending you a picture of him on the day he was released to your PDAS."

"Make sure you send the files to JJ."

"Of course, my liege. Garcia bids you ad--"

"Penelope, wait a minute."

Derek takes the phone off speakerphone to talk to her privately, and you can safely assume it's to make up with her. Hotch's phone rings and he answers JJ's call. She must be at the command center.

"Okay, I'm here, Hotch."

"JJ, listen. The most important thing is that you build rapport with him."

"Rapport. Okay."

"I'm asking you to do one of the hardest things that anybody in our position ever has to do. I need you to empathize with him. Sympathize. Don't judge the things he's done. Garcia's sending you a file on him and his childhood. Look it over. It'll help. If he hears that you care about him, that's how you're gonna get him to care about Ellie. He has to understand that he's putting her through the same pain he went through as a child."

She's right, you're the best person for this particular job but you're not there right now.

"Uh, okay."

"It has to be his decision because power is too important to him."

"Power? Okay."

"You're going to be fine. Just talk to him. Go over the file and start when you're ready."

"Wait, you're going to be on the line, right?"

"I'll be listening."

"Give me the phone again." Hotch hands the phone to you. "JJ, listen to me. You're a mom. You're a good mom, great even. I know this is scary but what would you do if Henry was taken? How would you talk to someone whose mom didn't take care of him? Use that side of yourself and I promise you, he'll listen."

"Okay."

Hotch turns the radio on and everyone stays still as they wait for JJ to start. She mentally prepares herself before speaking into the radio hoping that he is near one and listening.

"Billy Flynn? Mr. Flynn, I--I don't know for sure that you can hear me, but my name is Jennifer Jareau. I work for the FBI as a communications liaison for the behavioral, uh... Okay. Mr. Flynn, I--I--I want to talk to you about letting Ellie Spicer go. I mean, I want to ask you to... Uh, see, I'm not a hostage negotiator. I've never done anything like this at all ever, but, um, sometimes circumstances, it's..." She's freaking out but you know she can do this. "Look, you can tell I'm not a hostage negotiator, but I am a mother. I know what your mother did to you when you were little. What she was, what she made you watch, what she let men do to you, and it makes me so... It's just not fair, and no one--no one--can make that better. I wish I could. I do.

"But... If I--if I could somehow go back there and, you know, make what was happening to you stop... I wish I could just... pick you up and just tell you that it'll all be okay. That's what moms are supposed to do. They're not supposed to be the cause of your pain, they're supposed to make it go away. They're supposed to hold you and tell you everything is gonna be alright. They're supposed to tell you that thunder are angels bowling and that it's okay to be afraid of the dark and that it's not silly to think there might be monsters in your closet and that it's okay that if you want to climb in bed with them just this once because it's scary in the room all alone.

"They're supposed to say it's okay to be afraid, and not be the thing you're afraid of. Most importantly, they're supposed to love you no matter what. What happened to you isn't fair, it's not right, but um... I'm supposed to empathize with you. Sympathize. Understand, but I can't. That--that would be a lie.

"The truth is, I don't understand what you've done. I don't sympathize with you killing people all these years, and I especially don't understand you taking Ellie. What I can do is tell you what a mother should tell you, and that is you can't take away your pain by hurting someone else. That doesn't make all the nights you went to bed scared and alone any better if you scare someone else the way you're scaring Ellie.

"What happened to you isn't fair, but what you're doing to her isn't fair either. If anyone should understand what that feels like, it's you. You have the power. You can do what you want to do. For once, you can choose to use that power to do for Ellie what should have been done for you. You can choose to let her go. You can choose to teach her that, yes, there are monsters, and it's okay to be afraid of them. But it's not okay to let them win, and it's not okay to be one."

Damn, she's good. You often think what your life would be like if you let the man that raped you control your life. Instead, you decided to become a better person than him and help those who can't help themselves. You wish you could have done the same for Hannah. You respect her space and wish you were more in contact with her, but you know she's happy with her family in New Jersey.

Emily's phone rings and she answers it while stepping off to the side.

"Agent Prentiss. ... Hello, Doctor. ... Yes, sir. ... Thank you." She looks at Derek with a solemn look. "Both of Kristin's lungs collapsed. She died a few minutes ago."

"Ellie's got no one now."

A police officer calls Adam regarding Ellie, and he looks at Derek with hopeful eyes.

"He let her go. He got out of the car and he just let her go. She's in a house about six blocks from here."

"Where is he now?"

"He's in another house, up the street."

"JJ. I don't know if you know. He let her go. You did it," Hotch says over the phone.

Ellie is with several officers when you arrive, and the entire SWAT team is en route. One of the officers sees Adam and immediately walks up to him.

"We have SWAT on the way, Kurz, and an HPT team."

"Yeah, but they'll be a while. We had a phone sent in with a direct line to this one." The phone rings and Adam immediately answers it. "This is Detective Kurzbard, LAPD." He hands the phone to Derek. "He wants to talk to you."

"What?" Derek listens to what Billy says before hanging up. "He wants me to come in."

"Morgan."

"I know this guy, Hotch. He didn't kill me before, he's not gonna kill me this time."

"No."

"I believe in my original profile. He will not hurt me unless I show him fear."

"Listen—"

"When you needed us, we were there for you. This one is mine."

"You sure?"

"As I've ever been."

Hotch allows him to go into the house alone while everyone else stays outside. You're not sure what is said inside or how Derek handled the situation, but you do know one thing. Only Derek came out. It doesn't matter if Derek was justified or not. No one will question it otherwise.

******

Frank wanted to be closer to you to keep a close eye on you despite his wife's protests. She's at home watching the kids and desperately needs him back with her. She understands his need to be near you, but she doesn't understand his obsession with you. You had such potential when you were younger, but he let you go. He let you move out and start a life of your own, and that was his first mistake.

Frank won't let this go to waste. He was shocked to hear you had gotten out of prison which means what he did didn't work. No matter. He's not done with you just yet.

"Baby, I wish you would just come home," Clarissa says over the phone.

"I can't and you know it."

"I need help with the kids we already have. She won't rat us out because she has nothing to suspect. She would have done it already."

"Let me worry about that. I'll call you later. Don't fuck this up, Clarissa. I mean it."

Frank grabs his binoculars after hanging up with his wife and points it at the building across the street from the apartment he rented for in cash. It's a month-by-month so he can use it for however long he wants. He waits five minutes before smiling widely at what he sees.

You walk to the open window and close it but the curtains are still open. You're wearing only a thin t-shirt, unaware that he's right across the street watching you. Spencer comes up behind you and pulls you into him which makes your nipples harden under the t-shirt. He kisses your neck and you turn in his arms to kiss his lips. Spencer picks you up and you wrap your legs around his waist, and Frank pictures the feeling of your legs wrapped around his waist.

He smirks knowing it's going to be so much fun to break you.

"A family is a place where minds come in contact with one another. If these minds love one another, the home will be as beautiful as a flower garden. But if these minds get out of harmony with one other it is like a storm that plays havoc with the garden." – The Buddha

x

Want to be tagged? Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[mightyavngrs]

don't do that again | poe dameron x reader

summary: a broken promise and a mission gone wrong

warnings: mentions of a panic attack (stay safe <3)

a/n: hope you guys had happy holidays! here's a belated christmas gift :)

masterlist | taglist

You laid silently in your bed, heavy eyes trained on the alarm clock that stood in your nightstand. 1:45, 2:36, 3:18... the time passed and you couldn't help the voice inside your head telling you that every hour gone by the probability of Poe coming back safe and sound lowered.

He was supposed to come back a week ago. Maker, you knew it. You knew this mission wasn't going to go well.

Your legs carried you through the resistance base as you furiously made your way to Poe's quarters. It was late and most people had already retired to their rooms but the few members in the hallways threw confused looks your way. As you got to Poe's room, closed fist ready to bang on his door, the thing opened before you revealing a very excited Poe Dameron whose smile disappeared the second his eyes met yours. You caught his wrist, pushing him back inside the room with you before closing the door.

"Y/n, what happened-"

"Tell me you didn't take that mission." you demanded, your raised voice unrecognizable to your own ears.

"Wait, what? This is the most important mission of my career i thought you'd be happy i-"

"Poe this is the most dangerous mission anyone in the resistance has been assigned in years."

"You think i can't do it? Is that what this is about?" he questioned in shock, failing to keep the disappointed look that formed in his face.

"No! Maker, Poe, you're one of the most skilled people this rebellion has seen but this mission could just be an ambush for all we know! I mean collecting intell in heavy-guarded enemy territory from someone the resistance hasn't even heard about? Do you realize how dangerous that is?"

"Yes, y/n, i do. You know i think you're forgetting i've been a part of this rebellion for far longer than you have." he snapped, voice dangerously low and your eyes couldn't help but widen at the hostility in his words.

"Why are you being so aggressive? I'm just worried about you." you stuttered, trying to hold back the tears already forming in your eyes. Your anger for his stubbornness now fully replaced by concern. "I know this is important to you and you know i wouldn't be saying this if i didn't actually mean it but i have a bad feeling about this mission, Poe. Please stay. Just this once." you practically begged, hand moving to cup his cheek before he harshly brushed it away.

"I think you need to go, y/n."

And with those words you were out the door and on your way back to your room. Although hurt, you weren't too worried about Poe's outburst. You guys had promised each other long ago never to leave for a mission without saying goodbye, even if you were mad at each other. He wouldn't break that promise. "Just needs to cool off." you thought to yourself before allowing yourself to drift off to sleep.

When you woke up the next day it took you a second to process what had happened the night before, but once you did panic filled your senses. You quickly got out of bed, clumsily getting ready before starting to make your way to the hangar, your eyes frantically searching for any sign of Poe or the falcon.

"Hey, y/n! What's wrong?" Rey's voice broke you from your thoughts as the jedi made her way towards you.

"Where's Poe?" the question left your mouth without hesitation and the look that formed on your friend's face told you all you needed to know.

"He left for his mission an hour ago."

"No. He wouldn't just leave without saying goodbye. We promised we wouldn't do that." you muttered feeling Rey's hand on your arm as she gave it a comforting squeeze.

"I'm sorry, y/n."

After hours of staring at the alarm clock you sighed. "No way i'm gonna get any more sleep tonight." you thought to yourself, swinging your legs over the side of your bed after deciding a walk through the hangar would be a much better waste of your time. The hallways were deserted and if all the equipment didn't look so modern you would've thought you were walking through an abandoned resistance base.

Finally arriving to the hangar you started your walk through the area before your eyes landed on a beaten up millennium falcon. You violently shook your head, figuring the sight was just another trick pulled by your tired mind to torture you a bit more, but when the image of the spaceship didn't disappear you felt your blood run cold.

And then you were running through the hangar and towards the beloved ship, quickly punching in the code to open its door and before you could call out for your best friend's name you were met by an obnoxiously loud BB-8. Between the mess that were the noises produced by the small droid you were only able to pick out three words. Ambush. Poe. Shot.

You only had time to scream for BB-8 to go and get help before you were sprinting through the ship. Once you finally arrived to the cockpit your eyes landed on your best friend lying on the ground. You fell to your knees by the pilot's side, releasing a shaky breath once you confirmed he was, in fact, still breathing. Tears were starting to cloud your vision by now, and you felt your chest getting heavier by the second. You tried your hardest not to let the panic settle in. This was most definitely not the time for a panic attack; Poe was injured. He needed you. He needed you applying pressure to whatever blaster wound those bastards had given him but your body was frozen, you couldn't move. You could only stare at your best friend's beaten up face as a pool of blood grew around his body. You don't know how many minutes had passed when you felt someone pull you away from Poe and against their chest startling you in the process.

"Y/n, it's ok. We got him, he's gonna be okay." hands you could now recognize as Finn's were rubbing your arms in an attempt to ground you and bring you back from your state of panic. This wasn't your first panic attack but you usually had Poe there to help. Stars, Poe. He always knew what to do; how to help you, and now you couldn't even help him. You closed your eyes, trying to avoid the sight of his bloodied body being carried away by the medics and finally, after a couple of minutes, you gained enough strength to get on your feet (with Finn's help), and start your walk to the medbay.

7 hours. The longest, most painful 7 hours of your life and you were finally let inside the room. A sweet doctor had come to get you letting you know that, although stable, Poe was still unconscious but she hoped hearing your voice could help him. After a quick nod of reassurance from Finn and a hand squeeze from Rey, who'd met you at the medbay only a few minutes after you'd gotten there yourself, you stepped inside the room.

Poe laid on his hospital bed, face still dirty from the mission he'd barely made it out alive from and a thick bandage on his torso. You closed the door behind you, moving to take a sit next to the pilot. With a sigh you brought your hand up to his hair, brushing the brown curls away from his bloodied face.

"If only you had listened to me just this one time." you mumbled with a sad smile, your hand now moving to hold his. "I'm sorry i couldn't help you. I tried to move but seeing you like that i just- i thought i was going to lose you and i couldn't focus and i-" and then you were choking on your words and there were tears running down your cheeks again and you couldn't believe you were this pathetic because if you couldn't even help your dying best friend then what the hell were you good for. Then you felt a squeeze in your hand.

"Please don't cry." Poe's tired voice filled the room and you couldn't help but do the exact opposite, lifting your teary eyes to meet his own.

"Poe." you were barely able to mutter out before you were engulfing him in a hug. The pilot ignored the pain in his abdomen, focusing instead on how warm your embrace felt and on how happy he was to be back in your arms. His favourite place in the galaxy. "I thought i'd lost you." you confessed just above a whisper, and he hated that he could hear how mortified you were in your voice. He hated that the tears now staining his shirt were a result of his stubbornness and most of all he hated himself for breaking your spirit like this.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart." he muttered into your hair, trying his best to hold you as tightly as the pain would allow it. "You were worried and i snapped at you and then i left without saying goodbye and you were right about the whole thing. It was an ambush. Maker, y/n, i'm so sorry." he kept apologizing while rubbing your back, trying to bring you as much comfort as he possibly could. But you shook your head no before attempting to reassure him.

"You had no way of knowing. It wasn't your fault Poe just- don't do that again ok? Please don't ever leave without saying goodbye again..."

"I won't. I promise."

Poe had always found amusement in complaining about the resistance beds but now, as his bare back laid in fresh sheets for the first time in weeks, he couldn't help but sigh in content.

"Alright! You're all bandaged up." you exclaimed happily, putting away the gauze you'd been given before laying down next to the pilot. It'd been a few days since the incident and the doctors had released Poe from the medbay as long as he promised he'd change his bandage daily, job you'd gladly taken. "How're you feeling?"

"I'm happy i'm alive." he replied with a smile, staring at the ceiling above, but something about his tone of voice and the slight frown still visible in his features threw you off.

"You know you can tell me anything right?" you asked softly, bringing your hand up to caress his face when he flinched at your touch. "Look at me, Poe. Please." And then his eyes were on yours. You were used to hearing the fear in the pilot's voice, no matter how much he tried to hide it through his comlink you could always sense it but this... you'd never actually seen fear in his eyes like this. He was still terrified. Terrified that he wouldn't come back home one day. That he wouldn't come back to you.

"Hey, you'll always come back home." you assured him, and you sounded so confident in your statement, so faithful that, just for a moment, he allowed himself to believe your words. "You'll always come back home because you're the best pilot in the resistance, Poe Dameron. You'll always come back home because this rebellion needs you. I need you, ok?"

Poe swallowed the lump that'd formed in his throat. "Say that again." he pleaded and Stars you could never say no to him.

"I need you, Poe. I can't do this without you." Your fingers were tracing his skin in an attempt to get him out of his head. To get him to calm down so he would finally get some proper rest. But then he was scooting closer to you, resting his forehead against yours.

"I love you." the words left your mouth before you could stop them. You pulled away from the pilot, eyes widened in fear of the rejection you knew was to come but Poe's hands found your face and pulled it towards him closing the space between you. Your eyes fluttered shut and you ignored the tear you felt running down your face as they did so. It felt right. His lips on yours that is. And when you finally had to break the kiss for air he pulled you gently into his arms. "I love you. And i really can't do this without you either."

-

-

-

-

a/n: i'm so excited to finally post this! i've had this idea for a year now but my first attempt at writing it went so bad i gave up haha i think i've gotten a lot better ever since so hopefully you guys enjoyed! don't forget to leave feedback if you'd like and treat people with kindness <3

taglist: @buckysbeloved @justanotherblonde23 @lbuprofiend @etherealsanakin

[inkykeiji]

Damn! That other anon got ahead of me on that dad question!

I have a whole list of questions sitting in my notes all about your Touya-nii series and this was one of them. I was gonna wait till you finished up day 5 to send them all in but one early question shouldn't hurt too bad!🤗

But I'll just go ahead and ask now!

Q4. Is Y/n's dad oblivious to the relationship she and Touya have? -Everyone else seems to be aware-

If he ever has suspicions does Rei keep his worries at bay?

Q4.2. Does Y/n's dad bring up his concerns to Rei about Touya possibly being a bad influence?

Like he loves Rei and he doesn't want to bad mouth her son or start accusing but his daughter has done a complete 180 in a personality change.

At one point in time Y/n was a bright, smart, independent, friendly, and outgoing girl. Always out with friends or studying.

Now she has no friends other than Keigo, she seems heavily dependent on Touya, and she's reclusive even towards her own father and step-siblings(besides Touya of course)

-🦁

I hope you're feeling better Ms. Clari ❤ stay hydrated and get plenty of rest

holy fuck lion anon i am SO sorry this is so late!!!! i was waiting to post day 3 since it kinda answers ur questions & then to answer this after but it got swept away in my inbox!!! OKAY answering under the cut!! <33

A4.1 no--for the most part, he knows. it’s kinda hard not to, when they’re literally so shameless around each other. reader definitely tried to keep it a secret for as long as she could, and touya played that game for a little because it was fun, but eventually he gets tired of all the sneaking around and starts becoming a lot bolder, n even tho reader’s so desperately still trying to keep it a secret, she ends up allowing him to do whatever he pleases since she’s so damn submissive to him. this is why touya ends up buying the condo they now live in a few months after the wedding--because he’s sick of not having privacy and having to listen to her whine about him being too obvious.

but anyway, her father knows about what’s going on more or less, he just tries really really really hard to ignore it and pretend like it isn’t happening. this irritates rei more than anything, because it really isn’t healthy to bottle it up like that and she wishes she had someone to talk to about what their kids are doing, but he’s in serious denial and refuses to even consider the idea.

if you recall the wedding, reader hears her father brush off a remark about hers and touya’s behaviour, saying ‘oh, those two are always in their own little world,’, and the whole ‘such a good big brother’ thing etc etc like the man is trying his absolute hardest to ignore the whole situation, like if he says this things out loud enough times he’ll be able to trick himself into believing they’re true and that nothing’s going on.

A4.2 it would actually be the reverse!! it’s rei bringing up these concerns to reader’s father in an attempt to get him to finally open up about it. it’s rei pointing out all these facts, hoping it’ll finally snap him out of his intense denial so they can begin navigating this v tricky situation together. but it’s too heartbreaking for him to acknowledge, so he turns a blind eye and always finds a way to brush it off: well, she’s still getting good grades, it’s alright--she’s probably just too focused on school to have time for her old friends; she just admires touya, that’s why she spends so much time with him--she’s never had another sibling, you know; keigo’s a good guy, a smart guy, i’m sure he’s been a wonderful friend to her.

and rei thinks its absolutely ridiculous, just how far he’s willing to go in his denial, but he’s such a stubborn man that, eventually, she just gives up. it’s exhausting, and she’s sick of going in circles. touya and reader are both adults, and they don’t even live under her roof anymore, so she figures that, at this point, it’s more work than it’s worth, and there really isn’t much else for her to do.

AAAAH thank you my lovely lion!!!!! again HUGE apologies it took me so long to get to this oh my gosh, i hope your holidays have been absolutely wonderful and i hope you’re staying safe n warm!!

[vanchlo]

The Partner / Chapter Eleven, "The Abyss"

Word Count: 5.4k /  Story Masterlist /  Read The Assistant /  Read on Wattpad / Song: / It's Not The Same Anymore by Rex Orange County (click to listen) / Warning: Sensitive and upsetting topics, such as death, grief, and miscarriage

"The day after my baby died what shocked me the most was the sun still rose, and the post still slipped through my mailbox, and I still got thirsty, and the birds still sang, and the traffic lights still changed colour . . but my world had stopped, my planet had stopped spinning."

- Zoe Clark-Coates

I tried to stay there, beside him and with him, but I couldn't. The stillness had returned and I was sucked into its world once again, watching time pass in front of me. Waking up was the hardest, knowing what I had come back to and not wanting to move, let alone leave the bed. It wasn't ours and I was glad for it, if it was the only thing that made me feel a hint of that. I couldn't imagine lying in ours and my recommended bed rest was welcomed.

I didn't try to fight it, the emptiness that swam around inside of me, silencing my ears to Harry's words. His questions and pleas for me to eat. Somehow, I sat there and I did, sometimes. I ate and laid on the couch, watching Friends with him. He didn't think I noticed, but I did. I saw how he skipped the episodes where Phoebe was pregnant as we watched the show through for what must be the third time. I wasn't asleep like he thought when he tearfully told my dad over the phone what had happened. His sister. My brother. I pretended again when Skye stopped over with food that Harry took quietly, and when Myles did too. I listened in the bedroom or on the couch, my eyes closed, as he cried to his mom and then his best friend. I was there listening, but I wasn't there feeling. I couldn't.

I'd lost count of how many times I'd blinked and Harry had been talking to me, going on to repeat himself for what- the fourth time? How was I supposed to know?, I think this time as he stares back at me, a not so secret sigh following his words.

"I'm sorry. What'd you say?"

"I said you need to eat," he repeats, nodding his head towards the plate of food I hadn't touched. I should've known. Despite it being our favorite tacos from Pedro's, I couldn't even stomach the idea of actually eating it. Sighing, he's shaking his head as he dumps another helping of their chips onto his plate. "I don't want to argue about this again. You need to eat, love."

"Neither do I, but I'm not hungry, Harry."

Snapping the lid back onto the nacho cheese sauce, his head is shaking back and forth. Watching his movements, he habitually bites at his bottom lip, seemingly coaxing the words back in.

"I didn't push when you weren't hungry at breakfast, but it's two in the afternoon, Becks. You-."

"I had a protein drink. I'm fine."

"How can you say that?!" his volume shocks me, hearing his words echo around the empty house. Gulping, I look away from his fiery eyes and to the food that makes my stomach turn. "You're not fine. All you've had to eat the last few days are a few bites at meals, and those stupid protein drinks. That can't be healthy. You need to eat because . . "

"Because why, Harry?" I speak up, bringing my eyes back to his. They avoid mine though as he stands across the island from me, rubbing his thumb along the tip of another finger. "You don't know, do you? You can't use the 'eating for two' excuse anymore, because I'm not . . eating for two, am I? I'm not . . not pregnant, so why should I need to eat? You don't have an answer, do you?"

"Because of you, Becks. You need to heal, your body needs the food and-," he begins to insist, but my sharp tongue can't be controlled.

"Trying to shove food down my throat and practically counting the number of bites I take is not going to heal my body, Harry," I retort, sliding off the barstool and stomping my way up the stairs.

Stopping at the landing, I'm not sure what led me up here, seeing as how we're sleeping downstairs now. Something about 'less exertion on my part and I haven't even stepped foot in our bedroom since then' being the reason for the move. The day we came home Harry had moved everything downstairs that we'd needed, and to the bathroom that we use now. It wasn't the same, but was anything anymore?

"Why can't you just talk to me?" he calls from the kitchen. Already, I'm shaking my head before he's finished. I take one step and then two, but I don't get any further when I see the door to the other guest bedroom. The room where they would have slept, and one that I most of all can't step foot in. My foot lifts but I place it back down, wishing I could but knowing that I can't. No, everything about the wound still felt too fresh and I know that I'm not ready to walk back into the nursery. But when could I ever be?

"I'm going to lie down," I mutter, passing the island where he stands, shoving the last of a taco past his lips.

Padding past the living room where the last of Beetlejuice plays with neither of us watching, I hope that he doesn't notice the gleam to my cheeks. I try to wipe it away quickly, and only when my face is buried into the pillow do I let my scream out. The one I'd been holding in all day as he watched me eat a few strawberries at breakfast, during the checkup at the doctor's, and zoning out watching the movie. Even if I'd wanted to, I couldn't stop the avalanche happening around my heart. It felt like the death of a loved one, because well, it was. There's the death and not even the funeral, and then what? Nobody ever talks about what comes after and how to deal with grief. Everything looked good at the doctor's visit and Harry asked a bajillion questions while I wasn't even sure what to say. I could tell he wanted to say something about how I'd been acting, but I silently thanked him for not doing so. Just like how I do the same now, knowing that he won't walk in as I cry myself to sleep for what, the fifth time in the last four days? No, it had been more than that.

I couldn't blame him, because even if he was here with his arms wrapped around me, I wouldn't know what to do. That feeling jumped off my tongue when I told him to go away yesterday when I lied about taking a nap. He'd only wanted to take one too perhaps, but I'd jumped down his throat. I didn't know what was happening to me, but there was hardly a small part of me that cared. I didn't even wish that I did.

Throat aching and eyes burning, I breathe in past the sniffles and stare out the window where light leaks in from. My baby. Our baby. I still couldn't believe that they were gone, our daughter. I'd never get to feel her kick or know what her smile looked like. I was sure it looked like his, lopsided with two dimples. That made my cheeks grow wetter, but it worsened when I thought of her name and the hollowness that came with it. I didn't stir when the door slowly creaked open, only staring at the new strip of light that interrupted the darkness.

"I'm going for a walk. Would you like to come?" Harry says, caution at the forefront of his voice. I couldn't find it in me to answer, not even when the next words came, making the line of yellow disappear entirely from my vision. "Alright, well I have my phone if you need anything . . I hope you sleep well, bug. I love you . . so much."

"Love you," I whispered, but it was too late. The yellow line had disappeared and so had he. It had only been four days since our baby had died and it felt like months, far too many. "Harry?" I call, sitting up to turn towards the door. Hastily wiping my hand under my eyes, I listen intently.

It's only moments before the wash of light returns, casting shadows along his face. His eyebrows fall into a questioning V and I try to ignore the extra tablespoon of sadness in his eyes.

"I love you too," I say tearfully, catching the tear before it falls from my eye.

A corner of his mouth itches upwards, but not quite, "I love you more, Becks." It sits on my tongue, impatient for its chance that I'm afraid doesn't come. "Were you gonna say something more?"

"No, just . . bundle up for your walk. It's cold."

"I will," he smiles, sending me a wink before closing the door quietly behind him. I remain in that pose, sitting up and watching the door, wishing he'd come back. I almost said it, but for some reason, I couldn't.

Why couldn't I just ask him to stay and to come and lie down with me? Because, he'd ask questions or want to talk about it, the thing that consumed us both, even if we tried to pretend otherwise. No, I was far past that. I never had the poker face that he did.

He didn't think that I heard him, but by now, we had gotten good at pretending in one way or another. Harry pretended like things were okay, and I pretended that I didn't hear him sobbing his eyes out in the bathroom as I laid in bed, faking being asleep yet another night. It tore at my heart but I didn't know how to tell my legs to move and cross the hallway to him. I acted as if I ate half of my plate at dinner, per our new deal, but I really only ate a quarter and threw the rest away. I pretended to not see the second glance he gave me when he walked in on me changing. I knew it but acted as if I didn't see the thinner reflection of myself, despite knowing how nutrition worked.

I ignored it a lot, but the next day when the doorbell rang yet again with a delivery man on the other side, it was enough. As I walked away from the door with another strong-smelling vase in hand, I couldn't fake it anymore. Seeing as how nothing was normal anymore, the kitchen table now overflowed with vases of flowers, us having not eaten there for weeks. My feet refused to move any closer to the hoard of a smell that now made my stomach turn.

I don't remember telling my body to do it, but suddenly, I'm watching in slow motion as the glass shatters at my feet. I couldn't tell you why I stood there, staring at the tendrils of water spreading on the floor. Neither could I explain away tossing the flowers into the garbage can with the note I never read. They all said the same thing. 'I'm sorry for your loss,' 'Thinking of you,' blah blah. Harry had been gone for a while, getting groceries at the market, and it was only a matter of time before he came back. I wasn't sure how I would explain this, and as I picked up the shards of glass, the guilt grew in my gut. The rumble of an engine outside made me jump, worrying it was Harry. Wincing, my palm suddenly burns and upon looking, scarlet soon seeps from a new cut.

I ignored his casual greeting ten minutes later, probably kicking the door closed behind him. He didn't say anything about the flowers, because for the first time in two weeks, I took out the trash after sweeping up the mess. I stuffed the blood-spotted rag in there too. When he pushed the bedroom door open with a long creak, I played pretend again, acting like I didn't hear his voice.

"You sleeping, bug?" his molasses voice mumbled, marked by the soft fall of his feet. I hadn't even heard them cross the room until they stopped behind me, and I felt his touch. "I hope you're having sweet dreams. I missed you, I do all of the time lately," he murmurs against my head.

I find it hard to not stir when his fingers drag against my temple with a lock of my hair. It had been something I'd gotten used to ignoring, but this time, as he pressed his lips to my temple, I wanted to reach out to him and grab hold, and never let go. The sensation only grew stronger as the sound of his footsteps disappeared, it all coming to a head. One that's only answered by a fitful of sobs racing past my lips, the first thing I'd felt in a while, next to the guilt at the flowers. Why couldn't I be okay? It stung, the words calling for him that I held back as I heard the sounds of cupboards opening and closing. I knew he would come. Did I really, after all I'd put him through? No, I didn't really know that. I wasn't sure of anything anymore, I realized, and it only made me sob harder.

Dinner was a doozy yet again. I'd come to dread meals. The stare-downs Harry would give me along with the protein drink he always shoved my way a good fifteen minutes after my last bite, if any. It was like clockwork yet again. This time, it was Strawberries and Cream, and as I grabbed for the bottle sitting in front of me, he stopped. No, this wasn't how it went. He usually took my plate and dumped it in the garbage, no longer sticking it in the fridge for later, because he knew that there wouldn't be one. Most of the time he only filled the plate half full, but today, I guess he'd gotten his hopes up and filled it high. Now, he didn't walk away and instead, stood there looking. At what I didn't notice until I followed his eyesight, immediately pulling the sleeve of my sweater over my hand.

"Hey, what happened to your hand?" Harry asks, nodding to the appendage that disappears like a frightened turtle into its shell. I didn't need him asking any more questions than before, or finding another reason to nag at me. "Love?"

"I-It's nothing, I just got a scratch."

"A scratch doesn't require gauze. Let me see," he insists, stepping forward with an outstretched hand. His touch is gentle but nonetheless, it feels foreign somehow, and I retract my hand from his. I catch his eye and look away, but it's too late, I've already seen how they look. How he looks at me, offended and scared all in one. "Buggie, did you . . did you do this to yourself?"

"What?" the word passes my lips in one breath, like a whoosh. Now, I'm looking at him and already, the regret has glazed over his eyes. His lips are parting with a save face, but it's too late now. "I didn't hurt myself, Harry. It's not like that. I-."

"Then what happened, Becks? Why can't you tell me, huh?" he huffs loudly, dropping his clean plate into a sink with a clash! It makes me jump and the sound of defeat from him makes him realize aloud. "I want you to talk to me, and . . I miss talking to you."

The cogs turn in my brain but the puzzle pieces with a few dozen missing ones refuse to lock together at the sound of his voice. What could I even say that would sound right? Nothing would, I know it. A quietness settles over the kitchen save for another trashy show on the tv behind us, my barstool squeaking underneath me. I could count the seconds that a word doesn't pass between us until my rebuttal is impossible to push down.

"Why won't you go to that session Dr. Baker set up for you?"

"I'm not hurting myself, Harry," I repeat, peeling my eyes from my naked fingers to look at the back of his head.

"Why won't you ever just give me an answer?" turning around, his lost green eyes fall on me. It felt like a long time ago, the way that very pair could pull words from my lips. Feelings. Kisses. Love. It digs past my own and deep into my chest, but it comes up empty-handed.

"I'm not going to a fucking shrink," I answer, remembering the bottle. Giving it a shake, I feel his eyes hot on the top of my head, waiting for me to give him something. That wasn't something I'd done for a long time, and not even the bare minimum.

"How come? You don't know that it won't help unless you try, Becks," I'm already shaking my head, sure to cause his eyes a roll or two at that. The sloshing of the liquid in my hand suffices my words, because they would have been a mess too. "I wish you'd at least give it a shot, you never know what will happen. It's sure to help to talk about . . her."

"I don't want to go, Harry. Please, just drop it."

Without looking at him, I can tell that he's not finished, even as I try to will the silence away with the glug of a drink.

"No, I'm not dropping it. This is important, Becks. You need to learn to talk about the baby. We need to."

Slamming the drink down onto the counter, the loud thud resonates with me, sounding louder than I'd intended. It reflects in his eyes when I meet them, wondering how they could still hold sunshine in them. I can't even remember what that feels like.

"Maybe I don't want to talk about her, Harry. Did you ever think about that? Maybe I don't want to go and talk to some stranger about how my baby died inside of me. A fucking stranger that probably has kids of her own or some man who's never even wanted children. They don't know and they can't know what I'm going through."

The artificial taste of the berries and cream had grown acrid on my tongue. Turning away from him with my feet leading, I could feel the one mouthful turning in my stomach.

"I can't do this any longer, buggie. I-I've lost our baby and now . . God, now I'm losing you and it's scaring the shit out of me," if my feet had continued, I wouldn't have kept walking. I'd known. I could feel the truth of his words ring in my bones, but hearing them spoken into the air was something else. "I don't know what to do anymore, Rebecca," the river had already begun to run in his voice. I was sure that if I stepped foot into it, I just might drown again too, and so I didn't. It tried to grab hold of me, but with every step taken away from him, its strength dwindled. The worsening ache in my chest at the sound I heard didn't lessen, not even when I threw myself under the covers and pillows. It filled my insides as a similar one poured from me.

It was as if last night had never happened. The entire thing almost, but not in the way I'd wished. No, I'd yearned for a lot of things in the last few weeks and not gotten them. When I awoke the next morning to the sounds of breakfast and the tv playing, it felt like some kind of joke when Harry walked into the bedroom soundlessly with a suit wrapped around him.

On his way back from what must have been finding his rings on the nightstand, he caught my eye as he slid them on. "Hey," he murmurs, a hollowness to his voice that felt deeper than last night. "I was hoping you'd wake up soon."

"Are you going to work?" the question came, piercing the taut air between us. We both already knew by the clothes he wore and the attempt he made to comb back his hair.

"Is that alright? It's just a partner meeting and some managing stuff. If you don't want me to-."

"No, it's fine. Drive safe," I mumble, turning to place my back to him. I could almost hear his nod, knowing it was there as the floor creaked underfoot.

"I will. Maybe I can grab some gnocchi soup on the way home for lunch. I shouldn't be more than a few hours."

My response didn't come and a further one from him didn't either. The sound of the bedroom door behind him did, as well as the front door and that of the garage. It had been next to never the first two weeks that the house was empty, save for me. Just in the last week, he had been leaving more for errands and grocery runs, no longer sufficing with deliveries to our front door. I'd only left the front door once, maybe twice, and that was for the checkup a few days after. A part of me wanted to just walk around the block, but the thought itself tired me out.

I couldn't remember how long he'd been gone by the time my stomach had rumbled. The last piece of cheesecake in the fridge and leftover pizza passed for lunch, if it was even that time. I couldn't do it anymore. Time. The light or lack of outside helped at times, but in our surrogate bedroom, the blackout shades didn't allude to night or day. I wasn't even sure of the time on the clock when he'd left, or even the calendar.

I hadn't turned the pages of one for a while now and upon seeing the date on my phone, it seemed foreign. Everything had at one point over the course of this all now, but the mysterious passing of it hadn't. I'd get the day of the week down and a few days later it would be a Monday again, unbeknownst to me how it could be. I grabbed another snack and was soon confused to find myself loading the dishwasher. Running it. Wiping down the counters. Washing blankets and fluffing pillows.

When I reached the top of the staircase, the blankets I needed just a few steps away, I didn't know how I had gotten here. As if in slow motion, I watched as the door swung open, the image slapping me in the face. I didn't have a clue how I had done it or how it had gotten past me to come up here to this room. The Room. Already, I saw the gift bags I knew to be filled with clothes and other gifts, the stuffed animals, small knitted blankets, and the picture frames with sonograms that once adorned the house. The image had already burned itself to the back of my eyes, only to be replaced by another moments later when the bed of my nightmares sat in front of me.

I didn't know why I'd gone to either place. The nursery and then our bedroom. It wasn't my refuge anymore because I wasn't sure if I still had one. Neither place was safe and my heart didn't feel it either when I pulled the covers over my head, an avalanche of tears making its way through my body. I didn't want to see any of that again. Being reminded of it all was something I couldn't handle, because I hadn't wanted it to be true.

The clock ticked and darkness remained in the room until it didn't. A new sound came, that of footsteps and with it was brought a light that I couldn't face. It built and grew, surmounting when I heard his voice and the crinkle of a bag.

"Hi, buggie. Are you awake? I brought home some lunch," I pushed it down again and again, but it was feeling next to impossible now.

"I'm not hungry."

"But I got your favorite muffin," he teases, crinkling of the bag following his words. The smell of the lemon cream hits my nose, but it doesn't phase me. No, the boiling underneath my skin is too different.

"I said I'm not hungry, Harry. What do you not get about that?!" I snap, pushing the bag away. "I can't believe you're already back to work. How can you just move on so quickly?" His loud sigh is unmistakable, as is the way he slams the bedroom door behind him.

The racing of my heart pounded in my ears as different sounds found their way to me. I laid there waiting and listening as he slammed doors and cursed, not immune to jumping when something shattered before a loud 'fuck!' of his came.

There hadn't been a sound for a while now when I pull back a blanket, at last not able to hear the pounding of my heart. I wasn't sure what I thought I was doing, knowing that there was no way around it. More like, him. Cautiously, I made my way past the tv playing a rerun of Saved By The Bell, and towards him. There weren't many things I'd memorized about Harry after knowing him for a few weeks, maybe shorter. I learned his cues early because I had to in order to work with him and to get somewhere, especially those alluding to his anger.

The broad back that faced me from where he sat at the island didn't tell me what I needed to know but the tension held in his shoulders did. So did the clicking of his tongue, the bouncing of his leg, and most of all, his shaking head and perturbed exhales.

"I saved you a muffin. It's in the fridge. I know that's how you like it . . Soup's in there too," the offer comes out slowly and off his forked tongue, one I know all too well. Perhaps it hadn't made an appearance yet, but it was right there, waiting. "No 'thank you, Harry' or 'how was work, my fiance?'"

"How was work, Harry? Who all asked about me? What lie did you tell them this time, my fiance?" I nearly retort, not afraid to show my horns. The lid to the jar of nuts gets stuck, but with a good twist, I get it. Pouring a handful into a plastic container, I let the next one fly before turning around. "What'd they say when you told them about our dead baby?"

The trained facade on his face washes away upon turning and quickly I realize what I've done. It's not enough though, because time has been against me for its entirety.

"You don't get to act like this. It's not okay to say that kind of shit, Becks," he tuts, wiping a napkin across his lips before standing with bowl in hand.

"But it's okay for you to go back to work already, Harry?!" the question explodes on my lips, but the volcano isn't quite done. "Our baby hasn't even been gone a month."

"You think I don't know that?!" his voice echoes off the walls around us, hitting my ears with an intensity that surprises me. If that hadn't, the expression on his face does. The anger that melts into something else. "Do you think I don't know how long our daughter's been gone, Rebecca? I wake up every morning with a new number in my head, no matter how hard I try not to. I know, okay? Twenty-three days our baby's been gone, Becks. You think I'm not having the same thoughts- feelings just because I don't show them . . And I'm not pulling a 'who has it worse' like our parents always have with us, but- but I lost a baby too, Becks! I also lost a child and you seem to forget that. I was supposed to become a dad in August to a little girl, but I never will now. I'll never meet our Phoebe Anne either."

His cheeks had long ago come to glisten as did his eyes that overflowed with them. I didn't remember mine becoming the same. Was it when something fell apart in my chest, or when the anger melted away into utter guilt? Maybe it was in between the missing puzzles piece falling into the picture and being unaware to dropping the bowl back onto the counter.

"We named her and we've never even called her that and- . . for lack of better words, it kills me. All of this fucking kills me, Becks, and I know how it's doing the same to you. It's taking you away from me and it's almost worse than the night I thought you were going to die, because I'm supposed to be able to control this. I'm the dad, almost the husband- I'm supposed to be able to fix all of this, but I can't. For once, I can't fucking make it all better and it terrifies me . . ," he trails off, crying quietly into his hands that he presses to his face. A weakness overwhelms me and I back up into the counter, afraid I can't hold myself up, but I already hadn't been able to. "Phoebe's gone and- I can hardly bear it. I know you didn't mean what you said just now, because I told Myles before I came that . . that I couldn't talk about it to anybody, Becks. If somebody had I know I would've started crying, because I did the fucking second I saw the sonogram on my desk. I went in to grab something and forgot it was there," he stops, holding onto the countertop as his adam's apple bobs after his words. Red like wild cherries, his lips press together tightly while tears run races over them and down his chin, as he stares at the floor, whimpering.

"I don't want this to break us, Becks- I already know it has and I can't . . I can't lose you. I have so many times and I couldn't handle it if it happened again, for real," his voice frays at the edges from the weight it sits under. The pounds of it feel dropped onto my shoulders when his eyes carry over to me, dripping with unspent words. "We lost our baby and I can't lose my best friend and love too, Becks. Please come back to me."

"I wish I knew how," the reply is a mere whisper but I know he hears. Even without words, he always does.

"You have to try, bug. We have to talk about her, I don't want her to be forgotten."

Bottom lip wobbling, my response is immediate, "Neither do I, Harry, but I don't- I don't know how to talk about her. It hurts so much. I still don't want any of this to be real."

Wiping the back of his hand against his nose, I hear his agreement in his eyes as he takes a step forward, "I wish every day that I could wake up and she's there and not . . not gone, but she's not coming back, Becks. And I'm so sorry," weeping, his voice is taken under by the current of the river flowing down his face. "We have to face it . . to talk about her and what happened. Or else, I don't see us getting through this."

When I realize what I'm doing, the look on his face tells all. Something sparks inside of me and I wish that I could stop shaking my head. That I could stop pulling away from him. "I can't, Harry. I'm not . . I'm not ready," I murmur, wishing I could say that I don't know when I will be. I don't because that would be a lie and although I'd broken so many rules already, I didn't want to lie to him.

Placing my back to him, I make my escape and drown out his sobs with the running water of the tub. I don't know if I'll ever be able to talk about her, and I know he's right. If we can't get past this, we may never make it back from it.

[one-spidey-boii]

BUMMER SUMMER || peter parker; ch. two

read chapter one here

masterlist

an; welcome back y’all. thank you to all who have read so far, even tho it’s only chapter two. i’d love to hear your feedback! enjoy!

**italics indicates flashback**

warnings; mentions of battle wounds (i.e. blood/scars/etc), future smut, mature language, fluff, angst, both peter and oc are 18+!!

word count; 2.2k+

edie's pov

so that's spiderman? seems like a fun guy, i think as i walk through the dark alleyways so i don’t draw unwanted attention to myself. it's late and i'm navigating my way home, still thinking about my run-in with the red and blue clad boy. it's easy to tell he's young by the sound of his voice, leading me to believe he’s twenty at most. that doesn't bother me of course, as i too am considered young for a crime-fighting vigilante.

i turn the last corner before reaching my street and sigh with relief at the sight of my apartment building. the light in my window is off, aiding in the illusion that i'm asleep so my mom doesn't come in while i'm away on my semi-nightly adventures. just before i can touch the brick stones of my building as i pass by, a mechanical swoosh comes down and picks me up off the ground. i let out a small yelp and quickly find myself placed on the roof.

"hey, wolfie." mr. stark says as he walks out of his iron man suit. i let out the breath i was holding and turn around to face him. i offer him a small smile and take my hood down.

"mr. stark, hello, sir."

"school's almost out, right?" before i can answer, he keeps talking, "good. i'm gonna need your help with something."

i wipe away the beads of sweat running down my forehead as i bend down to pick up my throwing knives from the concrete ground. i steady myself and focus on the tattered piece of cardboard nailed to the wall that is my makeshift target. with a small grunt, i fling one towards the center of the red dot, hitting it dead on. i continue this activity until i run out of things to throw and my arms feel like jelly. i lost count of how many times i'd hit the center of the target in a row.

stepping back with a satisfied smirk, i collect my knives, shoving them back into their rightful place in my bag or around my waist and turn on my heel to head home. i manage to take two steps before a voice stops me in my tracks.

"hey, don't walk away now, kid, the next one would have been fifty." my eyes widen at the familiar voice that often appears on my living room television. i slowly move to face the man and gulp, mouth opening and closing like a goldfish, not being able to say a word.

"come on, one more. show me what you got." says tony stark, with a loose smile on his face.

without a word, i force my trembling hands to grab my favorite knife from my right boot and brace myself for a throw. my breathing is shaky as i raise my right arm and inhale along with it. i can feel the sweat running down my back as i close my eyes for a moment. don't embarrass yourself, e, i think to myself. with that i snap my eyes open and silently chuck the knife towards the target.

i missed.

"oh for fuck's sake." i groan into my hands before i remember who i'm with and freeze. i keep my head in my hands, making sure to cover my face, only gathering enough courage to peek at tony stark through my fingers.

"well, that's awkward, i won't lie," he says, looking uncomfortable, "but i think i saw what i needed to see beforehand. i'm tony stark, or iron man if you wanna get fancy." he reaches a hand out in my direction.

"edie wolfe, hi." i reply with a defeated and lame handshake. to save both of us from looming silence, he pulls at my hoodie before continuing on, "okay, ms. wolfe." he pauses to inspect my attire, "what is this? leggings? and a hoodie? kid, if you're gonna be throwing knives, you gotta expect people to throw them back at you. this isn't going to cut it." he motions to the thin fabric covering my arms and chest.

i laugh at his words, "oh hey i see what you did there."

not catching on to his own pun, he moves on again, "what? actually never mind, we have a lot of talking to do, wolfie."

ever since that night, he took me under his wing- and a week later i got a package with a brand new suit in it. one that would protect me a whole lot more than what i was working with before.

"earth to wolfie, beep beep boop," mr. stark says as he pokes me in the forehead. i swat his hand away and give him my full attention. he continues on, "so you're in? a summer at the compound, being scary and keeping bad guys away?"

i raise an eyebrow at him, "what makes you think my family will be okay with that?" i ask. mr. stark simply rolls his eyes, "i already talked to your father, need i show you the proof?" i shake my head and he nods with satisfaction.

"okay, kid. see you in a few days." he says, preparing to get back into his suit, but before he can fly away i stop him, a question looming over my head, "am i doing this alone?"

"of course not. i wouldn't leave you alon- well actually i can't leave him alone so that's why you're gonna be there," he explains with a shake of his head.

"and who exactly is this person?" i ask with my arms crossed.

"how about one friendly neighborhood spiderman!" he yells and takes off before i can say anything back.

-

finally, the last day of school was upon us. it seems that the ending of every school year is bittersweet, and to be honest it hasn't quite hit me yet. senior year was way lamer than everyone played it off to be. you're told that you're officially ‘top dog', but let's be real- no real credit is given until you've graduated. but hey, here's to making it this far.

i'm sitting at my usual lunch table, surrounded by peter, ned, and mj. we pass jokes around the group and take in every moment we have left of our time together, yanno, since peter is leaving. but so am i. which is something i still have to share with everyone.

"uh, hey, guys. can i be a debby downer for a moment?" i ask, clearing my throat and disturbing the light mood of the afternoon. the table quiets down and all eyes are on me. "so you know how peter is leaving this summer?" i ruffle peter's hair in an attempt to not make that statement so sad.

"yeah, edie, we know." mj says with an eye roll as she picks at her cold french fries. i roll my eyes back at her and mock her voice. i can't help but notice peter's guilty face sitting next to me, little does he know i am going to make it a whole lot more weird up in here.

i take in a big breath and hold it to up the anticipation, "well it looks like i'll be gone too."

ned drops his chicken wrap and shakes his head furiously, "nuh uh, nope. no way. sorry, e, i can't allow that to happen," he says with a stern voice. peter chooses this moment to negatively highlight my new confession, "edie, how dare you! someone needs to be here to look after the kids."

i lower my head in shame, god this was so hard to do. faking a playful smile, i try to make light of the situation, "hey, c'mon, we all know mj is the mom friend of the group."

mj shakes her head violently and protests against my statement, "absolutely not. i veto that with all of my being, ned is the mom." she insists as she points to the pouting boy. we all laugh at that before falling into an uncomfortable silence. i glance in peter's direction and try to smile at him. doing this to him was the hardest, i tell him everything and knowing full well that i can't tell anyone about my stay at the compound, it just hurts my heart. we won't be able to communicate all summer.

"my mom signed me up to be a camp counselor...at, uh, a self-defense camp." i panic at the last second, realizing i never thought about what kind of camp i would fictitiously be a part of. the whole table bursts out into laughter.

through short breaths and a hearty laugh, ned pokes fun at me, "edie? teaching children how to kick someone's ass? look at you, you're like a soft pillowy little marshmallow." i stick my tongue out at him and cross my arms.

"hey, i wouldn't shut down the idea too fast, remember e's dad is like, an actual fbi agent. i'm sure he's taught her some stuff," peter chimes in, coming to my rescue. i nod along and hum a 'mhm', snickering inside at how much they don't know.

-

once i'm home, i pack my suitcase with all the things i think one would need to stay at a high tech superhero compound. i grab all of my knives and shove them into a utility pack, along with my suit.

my parents know where i'm going, and lucky for me they’re okay with it. well, at least my dad is.

my father, sam wolfe, works for a hidden branch of the fbi that trains government spies and the occasional assassin. thus being the reason i grew to be so good at combat. he would take me onto the roof of our building and have me shoot at targets and hit punching bags. we would practice for hours at a time, his booming voice critiquing my every move and decision as i worked. i've never been comfortable with a gun, so i stuck with knives and made that my craft.

i haven't seen my dad in a few months now. to 'protect' me and my family, we weren't allowed to know where my dad was going or why he had to leave in the first place. once mr. stark came into my life, he and my father became close, putting his trust in mr. stark to watch out for me whenever he was gone.

my mother on the other hand, she hates everything about it. she’s afraid of the world and all the things that lurk behind closed doors. when dad isn't around, we aren't allowed to talk about anything related to knives or fighting or tony stark. and for my nine-year-old brother's sake, i oblige.

pulling my bag onto my shoulder and lugging my suitcase through the hall, i meet my mother and brother in the living room. she meets my eyes with her cloudy ones and closes the distance between us with a strong hug. i chuckle at her before wrapping my arms around her plump frame.

"mom, it's okay-" i start, before she cuts me off, "shhh, edie. let me have this moment."

i shut up and continue to embrace my mom. i know this is hard for her, but she needs to understand that this is an amazing opportunity for me. i'm being put in charge of the avengers compound for the entire summer. i wish i could share this excitement with my dad, but i know he's happy for me, wherever he may be.

"edie, promise me you'll come home if you can't handle it. no one is going to judge you for that. you're only eighteen. i can't believe your father is letting you do this." my mother rambles as she pulls away from me. i smile at her and just nod my head.

my little brother looks over in our direction with a shy smile on his face. i ruffle his hair and pull him to me for a quick hug, "take care of mom for me, booger." i whisper into his ear. he gives me a simple nod and backs away.

my phone buzzes in my pocket. i pull it out to see a message from mr. stark.

'beep beep, i'm here'

i sigh and look up at my mom one last time, "that's my ride." she lets a single tear stroll down her cheek before wiping it away and shooing me out the door.

once out of the apartment, i lug my suitcase down the three flights of stairs and out onto the sidewalk. mr. stark is pulled up to the curb in his fancy black car. he rolls down the passenger side window and yells at me through it, "time to party, wolfie."

i stroll to the car and pull the back door open to throw my stuff down. then i hop into the front seat and look at mr. stark, "you know, you could have come in."

"yeah, well we all know your mother doesn't like me very much. i don't wanna poke the bear," he says as he pulls his sunglasses over his eyes and revs the engine, "let's get you to your new home for the next three months, shall we?"

|| taglist; @my-patronus-is-mabel-pines

[dreamteammemes]

                           Steven Universe: The Movie Soundtrack Starters!             (Rest of the songs under the cut! Feel free to change pronouns!)

Let us adore you

There's a room waiting for you

Come on

Just Let us adore you

I've got my own life to get back to!

I've been saying "please" and "thank you," even to lower life-forms!

What did we talk about?

Ugh, equal life-forms...

___, we've done everything you've asked!

That's great! Good job! Keep it up!

Bye!

Happily ever after

I can't believe we've come so far

Here we are in the future!

___! I'm learning to play the bass

Excuse me, B-A-S-S spells "bass"

You're the boss!

We became our fantasy!

But in the end, I guess I never left her side

Hey, buddy, I'm heading into town!

I saved you a seat

Hey guys, what'd I miss?

If you told me this I never would've believed you then but-

Woah! Careful dude!

___! You're just in time!

Only 83.7 percent? We'd better get cracking!

Look at me! I'm a young adult!

But I know now exactly who I'm s'posed to be and it's a part of this family!

So, whaddya think?

Here we are!

Other Friends

Lemme get a look at the menagerie!

It can't be!

I got a new style and a few new toys that are gonna put an end to your happily ever after, once and for all!

That's right I heard the story over and over again

Gee, it's swell to finally meet her other friends

That's right I heard the story, don't really like how it ends

What did she say about me?

What did you do without me?

What did you do?

Did you think all this time that I wouldn't find out about you?

I'm rusty, give me a break!

Who am I?

What are you even saying?

I'm the loser of the game you didn't know you were playing!

Ready or not Let's begin!

Gee, it's swell to finally beat her other friends

system/BOOT. PearlFinal (3).Info

What's going on?

___! Are you okay?

I could really use an explanation here...

This one is not the best example

Something is clearly wrong

Don't you recognize them? Don't you recognize me?

Ohh, boy

You're not mad?

Mad? Why would I be mad at my best friend?

Who we are

When has it ever been easy?

Hasn't it always been hard to be us?

We'll find a way to save the day that's who we are

If I could've just stopped right there, we'd be totally fine

I've seen them get through worse and come back stronger

That's why I believe in them and I believe in you!

We never give up!

What if it's like a puzzle?

___, you might be onto something!

Are you serious?

That could take forever!

Isn’t it Love?

I'm a walking contradiction!

Doesn't this have a name?

Isn't it love?

No matter what

Let me give you a thought

I'm gonna be right by your side no matter what

Just remember this song

How's it go? I forgot

You will always have me

Disobedient

Thank you for gracing me with your presence!

Good afternoon, ___

What can I do, ___?

You don't deserve her

I think about all the wasted time I've spent

I wanna be disobedient

I've been good, ___! So very, very good for what?

This whole arrangement is gonna end with me totally deranged

Independent together

Nothing is holding you back now

No one can push you around

What do you wanna do?

You're the master of you

And isn't the thought enough to lift you off of the ground?

Nothing is holding me back now

What do I wanna be? I'm the master of me!

We could be independent together

No one brought us here but me

Every step and every choice

It's my fault, it's my thought, it's my words, it's my voice

Independent together, you and I

Drift away

Here in the Garden let's play a game

I'll show you how it's done

Stand very still

This'll be so much fun

That's what I'm after

Is this how it works?

Am I doing it right?

You keep on turning pages for people who don't care about you

And still, it takes you ages to see that no one's there

Everyone's gone on without you

Isn't that lovely?

Isn't that cool?

And isn't that cruel

And aren't I a fool to have happily listened

Found

You can start over there, make new friends

You'll love again

You just need to find someone

I just need to find someone

I already feel found

True Kinda love

Keeping it together is hard but that's why you've got to try

Everybody's looking for someone to blame

And now I am better than "win-or-lose"

There's a new direction that I'd like to choose it's called the truth

Hey, you, show me that solvable problem

We can get through this

I'll do the hardest part with you

It's the true kinda love

Change

I can make a promise

I can make a plan

I can make a difference

I can take a stand

I can make an effort

If I only understand

That I can make a change

You can make a difference

You can make it right

You can make it better

We don't have to fight

You can make an effort

You can make a change

Let us Adore you (Reprise)

You think you can handle them?

They're not exactly easy to get along with

Today, right here, right now I'll love again

I've already found someone

You know what it meant to love her

And you remind me so much of her

[milevenpearls]

If you're still taking Mileven prompts, how about a fluffy hurt/comfort fic where Eleven hurts her ankle on an adventure and Mike helps her through her first hospital visit for xrays, then cheers her up while she's stuck at home recovering?

🤳🏻heyyy, that can be awesome! thank you so much for proposing! i added a couple of situations (including hopper’s reaction), so the events could connect! i really hope you enjoy! make sure to evaluate this, and send me more prompts! i love to read & write them!

🤷🏻‍♀️forgive me for the mistakes, i’m not american and i don’t speak english very properly.

[James is the “new Troy”, since after meeting their “friend” he moved to another school.]

[It’s been a year and 3 months after the snow ball, so El was having her first year of school, and her first year of actual freedom.] —

It was a sad, dark and rainy day.

El was dealing with things mike definitely didn’t want her to. Even after joining the high school, mike still was disturbed by some mouthbreathers, and now they were messing with his girlfriend too. That was worst.

Max, Lucas, Dustin and Will were getting their sits at the cafeteria when Mike and El arrived. On that day of the week, all of their periods were separated, so lunch was the only hour they could spent some time together (and as a couple), so every time that day, Mike would pick her up on english class, and take her to the cafeteria.

“Hey guys!” Mike said, hugging El from her back and kissing her cheek. She returned with a smile and Dustin complained.

“You were totally alone until this second, and you really need to show affection here? Seriously?”

“Don’t be a douchebag, Dustin!” Mike returned.

“Yeah, don’t be a douchebag, Dustin!” James came in as always, with his stupid friends, and never getting tired of messing with them.

Mike rolled his eyes. “Bite me” He looked at his girlfriend, and remembered how pissed she could be with that kind of people. Then, to avoid more broken arms, he took her hand and pulled her away from them, walking out the big hall.

“What’s that, Wheeler? Uh? Come on, don’t be such a brat! Introduce me to your little bitch. Maybe I can show her how it’s done-”

Without thinking twice, Mike turned around and punched his face the hardest he could, “Don’t you ever call her like that again! Do you hear me? Ever!”

When he realized he had an audience, he whispered. “Shit! Do you want to skip next period?”Otherwise, he and El would be in trouble, and she shouldn’t have that event on her file that early.

Almost reading his mind, she answered pulling him outside the school, trying not to call for attention. They ran the fastest they could, ignoring the thundering and the threat of a huge storm. When Mike started guiding her to the woods, she asked.

“Where are we going?”

“I want to show you something!”

After a 5 minute walk, they reached a rare and unknown waterfall, where Mike used to go the 353 days they were apart.

“Wow.”

“Awesome, right? You know… it’s so hot, i think maybe we could use a… DIVE!”

He pushed her into the water, ripped his shirt and jumped in too.

“OH MY GOD, YOU’RE SUCH AN ASSHOLE!” she said between giggles. “Oh my God, it isn’t even hot! We will both get a cold! I’m all wet!”

“That’s the point, beautiful girl.”He came closer, put a curl behind her ear. “I’m sorry about that. In the cafeteria.” the smile on his face disappeared. “You shouldn’t have to deal with that. You don’t desserve it.”

“Hey,” she cups his face. “It’s not your fault at all. I just think that you should control you anger! I’m not like I was two years ago. I won’t use my powers for that bullshit, and you shouldn’t risk yourself because of me!”“That’s a hard one… besides: look who is telling me that!” “I promise that if you try, I’ll try too. We’ve been through worst!” She said, between giggles. “Okay then.” He looked at her deep eyes, trying to read them, when he felt her soft lips on his. He could never get tired of that.

Suddenly, she felt some water drops fall from his curls right on her cheek. He smiled between kisses, and they both jumped when heard a big thunder, not so far away.

“We should go, come on.”He leaves the water, and tries to pull her out, when she slips on the wet rock and falls on her ankle, screaming of pain. She falls again in the water, and Mike jumps in to catch her.

“El!”

He catches her, picks up their backpacks and runs the faster he can to the nearest hospital. She is almost crying in pain and her ankle is so puffy and red with some scratches. When they arrive at the Hospital, the nurses puts her on a stretcher, not really worried about her condition (since it was no big deal, really).

When the doctor came in the cabin, a couple of seconds later, Mike quickly explained what happened and he said they would need to make a x-ray. They were about to take her, when mike saw her scared face and stopped them.

“Wait! Can I talk to her for a second?… Privately?”

The doctor made a questioning face.

“Childhood trauma.”

The doctor nodded and left the cabin.

“El, this part is going to be a little hard.” he held her hand. “They are going to put you in a big machine, just to take pictures of your ankle, and-”

“No! Please, Mike, no! I can’t-” She started to shake. She had never been to a hospital before, but when the aniline smell came through her nostrils, she got desperate, having goosebumps and remembering every single detail about the lab.

“Hey, listen to me, listen to me! I won’t let anything bad happen to you. I’ll be right here waiting for you, and it will be so quick, and we will take you out of here soon, I promise you that, okay?” He wasn’t sure he could keep that promise, but as expected, she got more comfortable with the whole situation. She nodded, and Mike called the nurses. He kisses her forehead before she goes.

——

“Okay… so: it is no big deal, as we imagined before the x-ray. You just broke your ankle. We are going to plaster the area, and you will get better really soon.”

The doctor gave the good news, and Mike gave El a comforting smile and in a blink, they were ready to go. El called her older brother, Jonathan, to take them home. She knew that Hopper would freak out if he had the news by the phone. When they arrived at El’s place, Mike slowly took her to her room and rested her foot on a pillow.

“What the hell is this?!!” Hopper screamed when he got into his daughter’s room.

“So… we were on a waterfall, and El slipped over, it’s no big deal-”“YOU WENT TO THE HOSPITAL?! What, are you insane?! Are you trying to get caught?!-”

“Can we talk?” Mike quietly asked the pissed chief of police. “Alone?”

—

“This was your idea, wasn’t it? Oh my God, were the nurses suspicious? Did the doctor ask too many things? I’m gonna kill you, Wheeler-”

“For what? For what? For letting her have some fun? For giving her some freedom? For making her go somewhere that isn’t home? What’s now Hopper? You promised one year. One. fucking. year. away from us. Again. We’ve been through that! The ankle it’s just a consequence, and it’s no big deal. She just slipped over. Are you going to keep her from having fun once in her life because of a broken ankle? "Are you still going to keep her away from interacting with other people?”

The kid was shocked with all of his courage, he couldn’t even believe it, but then he remembered the glow in her eyes when she saw the waterfall. That glow. He could spend hours just looking at her shining eyes. And, if he had to confront the chief of police to have that, then he would. He was face to face to a shocked man. Not really sure if the man was angry, but he was definitely shocked.Mike sat on a chair next to him, and gasped. “She had a bad day. Some pieces of shit were harassing her. I could’t handle it, so I punched one of them. I didn’t want her to get in trouble, so we skipped the last classes, and I was trying to make her feel better. And I can’t do that here. You gotta let her go. You have to.”

“You are right.”

“What?”

“Yes… You are. I cant keep hiding her for the rest of her life. We tried it once and it didn't worked out. Just… be careful.”

He smile, nodded, and came in for a hug. They both cared so much about El.

-

After that, Mike came back to her room, and she was already asleep. He kissed the top of her forehead and went home.

Neither of them could be sure that she would be safe. But Mike could assure that she was having the best time of her life, and Hopper appreciated Mike for that. He wouldn’t admit, but he was glad Mike was the one to provide that. Even because, liked him or not, Mike was also the one that found his daughter in the woods.

Mike was the one. He has always been.